Since 1912

S/S Hyperion

The history of our company goes back to 1912 when Stockholm-based Svenska Aktiebolaget Logg (SAL) was among the first companies to launch a mechanical speed log which measured speed through water, based on the Pitot tube principle. It was first installed on the merchant ship S/S Hyperion and quickly proved to give reliable results. Two years later the first SAL log was delivered to the Royal Swedish Navy.

Swedish art of engineering

Throughout the decades, SAL continued to successfully improve its mechanical speed log systems, and went from delicate wooden equipment cabinets to sturdy and beautifully crafted instruments in metal and Bakelite with a modernistic appearance.

Jungner

Eventually, SAL joined forces with another Swedish company, Ackumulator AB Jungner, which had pioneered in battery technology and manufactured electronic signalling systems – among many other things.

To the right: Mr. Elvir Berggren, Jungner, leaning on a Jungner Nifematic system set to full speed ahead.

An exhibition stand from the fifties with the SAL 58 log system. Notice the Pitot tube under the sea valve.

From mechanics to electronics

Advancements in the field of electronics, together with cutting-edge knowledge within signal processing and acoustics, led to the development of SAL’s electro-acoustic sensors for speed measurement. This made it possible to eliminate the Pitot tube and significantly reduce the mechanical complexity of the log system.

The images above show a page in a user manual from the fifties, and a user manual cover from the eighties.

The Consilium era begins

Towards the end of the century, Consilium AB bought many companies within the Swedish shipping industry, including what had previously been SAL and Jungner. In 1997, Consilium also acquired a Voyage Data Recorder development project, which was formed to meet upcoming mandatory requirements on maritime “black boxes.” The navigation business of the Consilium group was placed in the company Consilium Navigation AB.

The VDR M1, one of Consilium’s first Voyage Data Recorders, was ready in 1999. Its successor, the M2 model, got a modern touchscreen inside the cabinet and was installed on Star Cruises’ first nine cruise ships.

The revolutionary SAL T-series all-in-one log transducer which measures speed through water, speed over ground as well as depth, was released in 2003.

VDR M4

SAL R1a

In 2005, Consilium released the VDR M4 model, which was developed to meet the new international regulations on including a broader range of vessels that must be fitted with a VDR or a simplified VDR. The VDR M4 shared display components and appearance with the SAL R1a Speed log system.

Around 2008, a new VDR generation was developed based on a modular system platform, which had its beginning in another business area within the Consilium group. This platform was extended to include navigation-specific modules, such as NMEA modules.

Consilium’s modular system platform, introduced around 2008.

Celebrating 100 years

In 2012, Consilium celabrated 100 years as a maritime company since the start of SAL in 1912. The company had grown to include many different business areas and now had sales and service offices along all major shipping routes around the world.

Consilium’s stand at SMM 2012 when celebrating 100 years as a company.

New innovations

In 2014, with the increasing maritime internet connectivity in mind and the desire among shipping companies to monitor vessel operations from shore, Consilium developed a web-based application called Remote Playback for the transfer and playback of voyage data. The first customer of this solution was Stena Line Scandinavia, following upon a close cooperation. More applications were developed, and together with functionality for remote diagnostics this formed a web-based applications and services platform called Consilium Cloud.

Another recent innovation is Easy Tank, which was developed to meet the demand for flexible and cost-efficient log installations in the smaller vessel segments. Released in 2017, Easy Tank is approved as a completely water-tight, closed-ended solution, thus eliminating the need for a traditional tank or a sea valve.

Continuing the tradition by inventing the future

In 2018, the navigation products of Consilium were gathered in a new company. As a celebration of the long and successful history of these products, the company uses the trademark SAL Navigation, and as symbol, the original version of the SAL propeller icon from the early years of the last century is now in use again, after being digitally restored.

SAL Navigation, which is still a part of Consilium Group, continues to develop and market the following products: