Salunda Unveils Next-Gen Wireless Latch Monitoring Tool for Drilling Rigs
March 13, 2025
Salunda, a provider of digitized solutions for safety critical industries, has launched the Latch Hawk 2 fingerboard latch monitoring device to improve safety during pipe handling on offshore drilling rigs.
Latch Hawk 2 provides a direct measurement of fingerboard latch status in real-time to prevent fingerboard DROPS incidents, eliminating the need for a spotter or camera.
Second generation improvements to the patented wireless monitoring device include new sensor technology with better shock and vibration resistance, a more robust design, cloud-based digital condition monitoring, and greater than seven-year battery life, which extends on the previous iteration by over two years.
The system integrates with all major OEM drilling control systems (including DrillView, Cyberbase, and Amphion) and can be installed using a patented ratcheting mechanism, adding an extra layer of protection against DROPS incidents for legacy fingerboards.
Improvement in the retrofittable design means there is no operational downtime during Latch Hawk 2 installation.
“Our engineering team has carefully evolved the design of Latch Hawk, incorporating experience from field deployment and customer feedback with a next generation sensor technology and improved power management. We have realized a device that is more robust with exceptionally long battery life,” said Alan Finlay, Salunda CEO.
Latch Hawk works by using wireless sensors to determine the status of a latch. This data is then compared to the command status of the latch sent from the drilling control system. If an inconsistency is flagged by the system, an alert will be triggered within the control system HMI and a pipe racker interlock will be engaged preventing the chance of dropped pipe or other major failures. The system is IECEX, ATEX and INMETRO certified for use in Zone 2.
Latch Hawk is already deployed on dozens of rigs globally, with the new device now shipping as standard.
