MAN Opening Propeller Assembly, Test Facility In China

MAN Energy Solutions is establishing an assembly and test facility for its propeller business in China with the goal of doubling its market share.

There are several reasons for the company to move closer to the Chinese market, according to Jan Zebitz, head of Aft Ship & Propeller for MAN Energy Solutions  “Businesswise, this setup will help us to fulfill the upcoming local content requirements in China,” Zebitz said. “At the same time, our competitiveness for the MAN Alpha Propeller brand will increase since we will reduce our delivery time with up to 10 weeks for the Chinese market, and we expect quite a significant cost reduction when we have finalized a complete supply chain in China.”

The company plans to start assembling the first systems in the middle of 2020 and expects to see shipping savings because the company will not be buying components in China, which are then shipped to Denmark and then sent back to the Chinese customers after testing.

The agreement was signed between MAN Energy Solutions’ China Production and Four-Stroke Denmark’s Aft Ship & Propeller Department.

“From an environmental point of view, we will leave a greener footprint when avoiding the transportation between China and Denmark,” Zebitz said. “Now finally, we have all the formal steps approved and now it´s time to make it real.”

Stjepan Kucifer, managing director MAN Energy Solutions, China Production, said it was clear MAN Energy Solutions could gain an even better market position in China if the company created a CPP Assembly and Test facility in Changzhou.

“At the same time, I feel confident that this additional business segment will complement existing segments such as Turbomachinery, Turbocharger and RENK bearings production,” Kucifer said. “In general, I am sure this step will contribute to the further development of MAN Changzhou and I am looking very much forward to seeing the first CPP system being delivered from our plant.”

MAN Alpha propellers and aft ship solutions are designed in Denmark and date all the way back to the 1902-production of the first CP Propeller-based propulsion package – and the first Alpha CPP with mechanical pitch control, which was patented in 1903.

Over the years, more than 7000 propellers have been delivered for the propulsion of ships at all corners of the globe, operating under various and extreme environments ranging from tropical fresh water to ice-packed arctic climates, and the more ordinary and dominating trades in oceanic, coastal, inland waterway shipping or workboat services via shallow waters, lakes, channels, rivers and harbors.

Today, Propeller R&D departments with hydrodynamic, mechanical experts and design engineers located in Frederikshavn and Copenhagen are cooperating with the world’s leading test tanks and research institutes for verification of performance optimization related to e.g. fuel savings, speed, efficiency, cavitation and noise, the company said.

The core portfolio of MAN Alpha CP Propeller and aft ship solutions integrates with the wide program of MAN engine designs. Tailored propulsion solutions are available for individually optimized applications.