CM Hammar

Challenge

CM Hammar is a Swedish manufacturer of hydrostatic release units (HRUs) and other marine safety solutions. The company wanted to get a better overview of its HRUs, which are used all over the world. CM Hammar also sought a solution that would help prevent refurbished or counterfeit HRUs from being installed on vessels, and they turned to Skapa to realize these ideas.

Solution

By using QR codes, each HRU can be scanned upon installation to ensure that it has not been scanned before (such as on another vessel), and that its serial number is correct. Skapa created an app – MarCode – for CM Hammar, which installers can use to, for example, scan and identify the hydrostatic release units. MarCode was built using the .NET platform Xamarin, and is compatible with both Android and iOS.

The backend for the app, called MarCode Portal, was also built by Skapa. MarCode Portal contains an integration with CM Hammar’s product database, which includes the company’s entire product range, as well as all serial numbers and batch numbers. There is also a product structure that displays the pictures, descriptions and classifications of the products, and which product categories they belong to.

When the HRU’s QR code is scanned, the system checks whether the serial number is valid and connected to the correct model ID. MarCode Portal contains a framework that enables alerts to be sent to CM Hammar, in case of suspicious activity: if a product is suddenly registered on more than one vessel, for example.

Result

Thanks to MarCode and MarCode Portal, CM Hammar’s hydrostatic release units can be installed securely, while the use of refurbished versions can be prevented. The app and the backend facilitates the installation process in other ways too, allowing the installer easy digital access to previously physical documents, such as declarations of conformity.

Read more about CM Hammar's MarCode system here.

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