Instrumentation for Marine & Shipbuilding
Marine engineers need sensors and controls that keep working in seawater, and measurement systems that prove shipboard equipment survives shock and vibration. Typical needs include position feedback on subsea and deck actuators, sealed operator controls for consoles and ROVs, shock and vibration recording during qualification and trials, and vibration analysis for machinery, hulls and crew spaces.
The environment is unforgiving. Salt water, pressure, humidity and constant motion shorten the life of ordinary sensors and switches, while naval programs add formal qualification requirements. Choosing hardware designed for immersion and shock from the start avoids costly failures during trials or after delivery.
The marine and shipbuilding landscape in the Southeast
Shipbuilding is a major industry along the Gulf Coast and in Virginia. Pascagoula, Mississippi and Mobile, Alabama are home to large shipyards that build naval and commercial vessels, and Louisiana yards turn out offshore supply boats, workboats and barges for the Gulf.
In Hampton Roads, Newport News builds aircraft carriers and submarines, and the area supports a large concentration of naval ship repair. Florida adds recreational boat builders and marine research, and naval research activity operates at sites such as Panama City, Florida. Suppliers of propulsion, controls, subsea equipment and ROVs serve all of these programs.
Solutions we provide
- Displacement in water: RDP Electrosense offers submersible LVDTs for fluids and welded seawater LVDTs for long-term immersion, plus DC-output versions that simplify wiring. See LVDT and displacement sensors.
- Operator controls: Bokam Engineering builds solid-state, all-welded joysticks, mice and input devices for vessel consoles, divers and ROV pilot stations. See joysticks, grips and HMI.
- Shock and motion recording: Instrumented Sensor Technology multichannel acceleration recorders for ship shock environments and six-degree-of-freedom recorders for watercraft motion. See shock and vibration data recorders.
- Vibration analysis: Prosig DATS systems for machinery diagnostics, ship vibration and human exposure assessments. See noise and vibration analysis.
- Data acquisition: Mars Labs Titan systems record strain, acceleration and temperature for boat and marine equipment testing. See data acquisition systems.
Coverage varies for some lines. RDP Electrosense and IST are available in North Carolina within our Carolinas and Mid-Atlantic territory, but not in Virginia or Maryland, while Bokam, Prosig and Mars Labs are available across all Vaughn territories.
How Vaughn Associates supports marine and shipbuilding teams
Vaughn Associates is an independent manufacturer’s representative covering the Gulf Coast shipbuilding region from Baton Rouge and the Mid-Atlantic through a dedicated area sales manager.
- Application review: we help confirm depth, pressure, materials, output and qualification needs before you request pricing.
- Quote coordination: we work with factory engineers on custom grips, sensor packaging and documentation. Customers typically purchase directly from the manufacturer.
- Demos and evaluations: we arrange demonstrations, recorder rentals or evaluations where the manufacturer supports them.
- Follow-through: we keep programs connected with factory support through delivery.
Describe your program on the For Engineers page or find your area sales manager on the territories page.
