Marine Electronics Repair for Commercial Vessels | Newcastle
Marine Electronics Repair — Newcastle & North Sea Operations
At Northern Power Electronics, we specialise in component-level repair and refurbishment of marine electronics for commercial vessels and North Sea operations. Based in Newcastle, we repair PCBs,
drives, control systems, and obsolete marine equipment that OEMs no longer support.
Vessel Types We Support
We repair marine electronics for:
Commercial Fishing Vessels - Navigation, fish-finding sonar, net monitoring systems
Survey & Research Vessels - Subsea camera systems, sonar, scientific instrumentation
Supply Vessels - DP systems, thruster controls, cargo handling automation
Cargo Ships - Bridge navigation, engine room automation, ballast control
Passenger Ferries - Safety systems, communication equipment, propulsion controls
Tugboats - Towing winch controls, bollard pull monitoring, engine automation
Workboats & Dredgers - Hydraulic control systems, positioning equipment
Equipment can be removed from vessels at UK ports and shipped to our Newcastle workshop for repair.
Specialist Marine Engineering Services
Our marine repairs are led by a degree-qualified electronic engineer. We reverse engineer without schematics and diagnose complex faults that other repair firms cannot resolve
Our engineers work on a wide range of vessel electronic systems, including PCB boards, power supplies, control modules, and navigation equipment. Whether it’s a fault diagnosis or a full repair, we focus on getting your equipment back in service with minimal disruption.
Emergency repairs completed in 1–3 working days. Standard turnaround 3–7 working days, subject to component availability.
We operate in line with recognised quality and environmental standards, including ISO 9001 and ISO 14001, ensuring consistent service quality and responsible working practices.
Subsea Camera and Control System Repairs
We understand how critical subsea equipment is to your operations. From subsea cameras to control systems, we carry out careful repairs and refurbishment to ensure dependable performance in demanding offshore environments.
Repair of Obsolete Marine Electronics
Older systems can be difficult and expensive to replace. We regularly repair and restore obsolete marine electronics, helping extend the life of your equipment and avoid unnecessary costs.
Supporting maritime operation Across the UK ,Scotland Overseas
Based in Newcastle upon Tyne, Northern Power Electronics supports commercial marine clients across the UK, including Scotland, the North Sea, and major port locations.
We work with operators who send equipment to our Newcastle workshop for specialist marine electronic repair, PCB repair, obsolete system refurbishment, and testing.
Our team supports equipment used in demanding vessel, subsea, and marine environments, helping reduce downtime and keep critical systems operating reliably.
We also support international marine operators who require dependable repair solutions for critical electronic systems.
Advanced PCB Repair Capabilities
ABI BoardMaster In-Circuit Test System
We operate an ABI BoardMaster for advanced PCB fault diagnosis - one of the few marine electronics repair facilities in the UK with this capability.
The BoardMaster allows us to:
- Test individual components while still soldered to the PCB
- Identify short circuits and component failures without board disassembly
- Diagnose multi-layer PCB faults invisible to standard testing
- Repair boards without schematics by comparing component signatures
- Test digital ICs, analog components, and passive components in-situ
This equipment is critical for repairing obsolete marine electronics where manufacturer schematics are unavailable or components are difficult to access.
The BoardMaster significantly increases our success rate on complex PCB repairs that other workshops reject as unrepairable.
Marine Electronics Brands We Repair
We regularly repair marine electronics from leading manufacturers including:
Simrad navigation and autopilot systems
Furuno radar and GPS systems
Kongsberg subsea cameras and positioning equipment
SeaCam underwater camera systems
Ring marine radar
ABB drives and pulse amplifiers
Atlas Elektronik sonar systems and pulse amplifiers
Zenitel vessel intercom and PA systems
Palfinger ship lift controls
Danfoss variable frequency drives
Control Techniques drives
TDK-Lambda power supplies
Plus obsolete and discontinued equipment from all manufacturers - when OEMs say your equipment is end-of-life, we repair and refurbish it to extend operational lifespan.
Equipment we service:
Control Panels
Joysticks
Cranes
Subsea Cameras
Power Distribution Units
Automation and Navigation Systems
Alarm control Systems
Fault locator
Ship lift
AC Drive and DC Drive
Sonar system /Pulse Amplifiers
Frequency to Analogue convertors
Vessel intercom system
Boats engines control system
SeRVICES
We deliver practical marine services covering PCB repair, power electronics, and obsolete system refurbishment, ensuring your vessels remain safe, efficient, and ready for operation.
-
Our qualified electronic engineers conduct detailed inspections and fault-finding services to quickly identify and resolve issues in marine electronics, ensuring uninterrupted operation.
-
We specialise in repairing and refurbishing key marine electronics, including control panels, joysticks, and complex electronic units. Our services help extend the life of your equipment and maintain consistent performance, even in challenging marine environments.
-
Automation is essential for vessel operations, from navigation to cargo handling. Our team provides support for automated systems, ensuring that they are set up correctly and function seamlessly, improving efficiency and safety.
-
We offer configuration services for motor controls, automation systems, and control panels used in marine installations. Our engineers ensure that all systems are configured for optimal performance, supporting both efficiency and safety at sea.
Get in touch
Need specialist shipboard control systems?
Get in touch today and we'll advise on the best solution for your equipment
Call: 0800 001 6045
success story
ABB SADT41PAU Pulse Amplifier — Batch Repair x6 Units
Equipment: ABB SADT41PAU Pulse Amplifier — CPU and main control board. Discontinued by manufacturer.
Problem: Six units presenting FE-1 communication fault — loss of communication between CPU and main control circuitry. The FE-1 fault takes the system offline.
What we did: Expert-level diagnosis and component-level repair carried out across all 6 units individually. Full PCB inspection, fault finding, and service completed on each board. All units functionally tested before return.
Result:
All 6 units successfully restored to operation
Batch turnaround completed and functionally verified
Existing ABB control infrastructure retained
Avoided unnecessary replacement and retrofit work
Reduced operational disruption and downtime risk
Cargo Vessel Steering Drive Refurbishment
Equipment: Control Techniques Unidrive uni3402 18.4kW AC Drive
Customer: A commercial cargo vessel operating in the North Sea
Fault: Drive instability with continuous rebooting - vessel unable to steer reliably
Turnaround: 10 days
Warranty: 2 years
North Sea Cargo Vessel: Steering Drive Refurbishment
Equipment: Control Techniques Unidrive uni3402 (18.4kW)
Application: Ship steering control
Customer: North Sea cargo operator
Fault: Continuous rebooting, unstable operation
Turnaround: 10 days
Warranty: 2 years
What Happened
A cargo vessel operating in the North Sea lost reliable steering control. The Unidrive uni3402 drive kept rebooting and wouldn't maintain stable operation. The ship couldn't sail safely.
For marine operators, steering system failure isn't just an inconvenience - it's a critical safety issue that grounds the vessel until resolved. The ship was stuck waiting for a solution.
The Obsolescence Problem
Control Techniques discontinued the Unidrive uni3402 platform years ago. Original manufacturer support has ended, spare parts availability is limited, and technical documentation is increasingly hard to obtain.
The operator faced three options: source expensive surplus stock from the secondary market (with unknown service history and no warranty), attempt a retrofit to a modern drive platform, or repair the existing unit.
Retrofitting modern drives into legacy marine systems creates significant complications. The new drive needs rewiring to match existing motor specifications. Control parameters must be migrated and recommissioned. The physical mounting may not match. Integration with existing ship systems requires testing and validation. The work takes weeks, and the vessel stays out of service throughout.
For a cargo operator on commercial routes, extended downtime means lost revenue, schedule disruption, and potential contract penalties.
What We Did
We carried out full component-level refurbishment of the Unidrive uni3402. Power regulation circuits, analogue interface components, and control logic elements were systematically replaced. The drive was ultrasonically cleaned, tested under operational load conditions, and calibrated to original specifications.
[Photo: Refurbished Unidrive during final testing]
The work was completed in 10 days. The drive was returned ready for installation with full documentation.
Result
The vessel's steering system is back in full operation. The operator avoided both the uncertainty of sourcing unknown-condition surplus units and the extended downtime of a complete system retrofit.
The refurbished drive carries a 2-year warranty - backing the reliability of component-level repair work for mission-critical marine systems.
This is typical of the obsolete equipment challenges facing marine operators. As OEM support ends for legacy drive platforms, vessel operators need reliable repair options that maintain system compatibility without forcing expensive retrofits.
We specialise in refurbishing discontinued industrial and marine drives when manufacturer support ends. Component-level repair extends proven equipment life while avoiding the integration complexity of modern replacements.
Operating legacy marine equipment that needs assessment? Contact Northern Power Electronics for evaluation and turnaround on critical systems. Contact us
Alfa Laval EPC-400 Control Module — Full Refurbishment
Equipment: Alfa Laval EPC-400 separator control module
Background: Legacy platform still in service on vessels worldwide — purifiers, separators, and centrifuge systems. OEM support effectively ended. Spare parts scarce and expensive.
Problem: PCB significantly damaged on arrival. A previous third-party repair had been attempted but left incomplete, with additional faults introduced.
What we did: Full component-level inspection, fault finding, PCB repair and refurbishment. Complete functional testing before return.
Result: Unit fully restored. 10-day turnaround. Back to service.
Get Started
Contact us today to learn more about how we can support your production processes.
