MAN B&W Diesel

MAN Diesel (formerly MAN B&W Diesel) is is the world’s leading provider of large-bore diesel enginess for marine propulsion systems and power plant applications and turbochargers. The company designs two-stroke and four-stroke engines, generating sets, turbochargers, CP propellers and complete propulsion packages that are manufactured both by MAN Diesel and its licensees. The engines have outputs ranging from 450 to 97,300 kW of power. MAN Diesel employs over 7,000 staff, primarily in Germany, Denmark, France, the Czech Republic, India and China. The global after-sales organisation, MAN Diesel PrimeServ, comprises a network of the company’s own service centres, supported by authorised partners.

MAN Diesel is a subsidiary of the German multi-national MAN AG corporation since 1980 when MAN acquired the Burmeister & Wain Danish shipyard and diesel engine producer, whose headquarters were in Copenhagen. The company still maintains operations at three main sites in Denmark for manufacturing, servicing, and licensing of its two-stroke engines and complete propulsion systems.

History of MAN B&W

Burmeister & Wain was a large established Danish shipyard and leading diesel engine producer, whose headquarters were in Copenhagen. Founded by two Danes and an Englishman, its earliest roots stretch back to 1843. Over its 250-year history, it grew successfully into a strong company.

Foundation

Hans Heinrich Baumgarten (1806-1875) was from the town of Halstenbek near Pinneberg, in Schleswig-Holstein. He was apprenticed as a coffin maker by a farmer whose livestock he cared for. Later he was a carpenter before becoming a machine minder at the Danish newspaper "Berlingske Tidende", whose printing office he later worked for in Berlin.

After trying to start a business with different partners, while in Berlin he was allowed an audience, on the subject of establishing a business in Copenhagen, with Crown Prince Christian of Denmark who was visiting. Shortly thereafter, in 1843 he was granted a Danish Royal Charter and what would later become Burmeister & Wain was launched with the opening of a mechanical workshop in Copenhagen.

Earliest years

Carl Christian Burmeister (1821-1898) was born into poverty. The son of a cook and restaurant keeper, he studied at the Polytechnical Institute in Copenhagen from 1836-1846, now the Technical University of Denmark. He had been awarded a scholarship abroad after recommendation following an assistantship to Hans Christian Ørsted who was director there at the time. Burmeister joined the H.H. Baumgarten Company in 1846, which became a partnership with the opening of its engineering works, and was renamed B&B.

Soon came the establishment of the B&B foundry in 1847, the delivery of its first steam engine in 1848, the renting of the Jacob Holm Shipyard at the 'Englishman's Place' in 1851, and the delivery of their first ship S/S Hermod in 1854, before Baumgarten retired from regular duties in 1861. With Baumgarten as a co-owner, in 1865, William Wain (1819-1882) joined what then became B&W. In 1872 the company became A/S B&W ("Aktieselskabet Burmeister & Wain"), a limited liability corporation. That same year saw the founding of the Refshale Island shipyard. At this point, Baumgarten, as the first founder, became a director of the board of what he would see become Burmeister & Wain "Maskin- og Skibsbyggeri" (Engineering and Shipbuilding) in 1880. Wain, from Bolton, England had apprenticed as an engineer in his youth and come up through the trades. He had worked for the Royal Danish Navy and the Royal Dutch dockyards. He came to have several designs to his credit within the company and his ingenuity was seen as "instrumental" in establishing its reputation.

Growth and development

Production of stationary "paraffin" engines began in 1890. Then, in 1898, a year after introducing it to the world, Rudolf Diesel granted Burmeister & Wain A/S exclusive Danish manufacturing rights for the diesel engine. A test engine was built that same year. The 1903-1904 year saw delivery of their first diesel engine to the N. Larsen Carriage Factory. 1911-1912 saw the world's first ever ocean-going diesel-powered ship, M/S Selandia, start her maiden voyage from Copenhagen to Bangkok with two B&W four-stroke main engines furnishing a total of 2.500 hp (1.900 kW).

The larger Teglholmen iron foundry was established in the 1920-1921 year to provide capacity for growth in the coming years of business acquisition. The first B&W two-stroke diesel engine set off to sea in 1930 and the world's largest diesel engine at the time was delivered in 1933 to H. C. Ørsted Power Station.Steady progress and consolidation continued through the period of World War II and the subsequent period of reinvigorated prosperity. The first turbocharged two-stroke diesel engine was commissioned in 1952 with larger and more innovative designs to follow.

By this point, the company's engines and licensed designs were used worldwide throughout the industry.

Recent adjustment and recovery

Meanwhile, post-war east Asian economies began to emerge as an industrial force. At the end of the 1960s and especially in the 1970's global competitive pressures, particularly from the far east, began to take their toll

In 1971, the shipyard and the engineering works were split into two independent companies. A more challenging period ensued until the 1979-1980 year when B&W Diesel A/S was established, and its shares were sold to MAN, of Germany. Though engine production at Christianshavn was later discontinued in 1987, successful engine programs were rolled out. At Teglholmen in 1988 a spare parts and key components production factory was established as was an R&D Centre at the same site in 1992. Though all Copenhagen operations were consolidated at Teglholmen in 1994 and the last volume production unit at the B&W Shipyard was delivered in 1996, in 2000 MAN B&W Diesel two-stroke diesel engines had over 70% market share, with a substantial number of MC-line engines on order.

The electronically controlled line of ME diesel two-stroke engines was added in 2002 with a maximum cylinder bore of 108cm. MAN B&W Diesel, Denmark, employed approximately 2,200 at the end of 2003 and had 100 GW, or more than 8000 MC engines, in service or on order by 2004.

In 2006 the MAN Diesel AG established a common European corporation named [http://www.mandiesel.se/ MAN Diesel SE] (Société Européenne).

Copenhagen, 22 February 2006: The first diesel engine with more than 100,000 bhp has gone into service. MAN B&W Diesel licensee Hyundai Heavy Industries in Korea has built the 12K98MC with 101,640 bhp.

The engine is installed in the first of a series of container ships with a capacity over 9,000 teu being built for Greek owner Costamare. The vessels will be chartered to COSCON (COSCO Container Lines) in China. [http://www.mandiesel.com/]

Locations

MAN Diesel has production places at Augsburg, Copenhagen, Frederikshavn, Saint-Nazaire Aurangabad and Shanghai.

External links

* [http://www.mandiesel.com/ MAN Diesel official Site]
* [http://www.bw-museum.dk/uk_grundlaeggene.html B&W Museum English Web Site]
* [http://www.dieselhouse.dk/ MAN B&W Diesel's *new* Museum Danish/English Web Site]
* [http://www.enginemuseum.org/mrindex.html Brief History and Development Of Mirrlees Blackstone]
* [http://www.tokomarusteam.com/html/the_steam_archives_2.html#mirrlees Mirrlees Diesel Engine in New Zealand museum (go down)]