MAN Energy Solutions
MAN Energy Solutions (hereinafter, MAN) is a marine engine licenser with its home office in Denmark. Predominantly they work with low-speed engines installed on ocean-going vessels. They have an overwhelming worldwide top market share with about 90%.
Currently, we make engines mounted on 10,000 to 40,000 ton class ships with up to about 20,000 horsepower, and within that class Makita Corporation holds the top share in the world.
Creating Original “First of Their Type” Machines
In 1982, our company completed the "Makita-Mitsui-B&W 6L35MC 4080 horsepower" engine, which was the first of its type in the world. "First of its type" here means that based on blueprints provided by MAN, we were the first in the world to develop this engine structure for commercial sale. That is to say that of the many licensees of MAN in various countries, our company was the first to produce this engine. Even with the blueprints, making everything for this format come together was not easy. Occasionally we needed to consult with and negotiate changes to the blueprints with MAN when existing facilities were unable to handle the manufacturing, proceeding according to the letter of the diagrams proved impossible, more efficient alternatives were found, etc. It took time and effort. And was also costly. Even after completion, there were unexpected troubles when operating the engine out on the ocean. We chose to take the economic risks of building this engine. Still, why try to be the ones to develop this brand new machine? Since this was the first unit rolled out using this form, we gained the unique expertise of understanding the whole process of completing the engine from start to finish. For our engineers, this was a wholly unique opportunity for growth.
In July of 2014, our company once again completed an engine that was the first of its type, the "S30ME-B9." Looking at the control mechanism of conventional engines, this new engine was entirely different. Today, a wave of innovation in marine engines in response to emissions regulations and demands for energy-saving cost reductions is washing over the industry. We have arrived at a great turning point of the past 30 years, and Makita Corporation continues to take on new challenges in order to continue to be a worldwide leading manufacturer.
