3D printing companies continue to change the face of the heavy industry and the latest addition to this is the additive manufacturing company Pelagus 3D founded by two industrial companies thyssenkrupp and Wilhelmsen to supply 3D printed maritime spare parts to the maritime and offshore industries.
The new joint venture will ensure faster and smoother maritime operations by reducing waiting times.
Pelagus 3D will manufacture 3D printed maritime spare parts using 3D printing technology which will reduce the time and cost of the maritime companies and increase the seaworthiness of ships, making them always run on schedule. The company aims to be the one-stop on-demand digital manufacturing partner of the maritime and offshore industry.
Building on the expertise of its parent company thyssenkrupp, Pelagus 3D will disrupt the 3D metal parts market as it draws expertise from thyssenkrupp’s Tech Centers in Singapore and Germany. This will help to create 3D metal parts to cater to various industries’ needs including the shipping industry. thyssenkrupp Materials Services will also empower Pelagus 3D with its experience in digital supply chain solutions and platforms.
Meanwhile, the maritime company Wilhelmsen will bring its in-depth maritime expertise to understand the needs of vessel fleet managers and help Pelagus 3D in creating 3D maritime spare parts for the maritime industry accordingly. Wilhelmsen has been delivering a wide portfolio of maritime products and services to over half of the global merchant fleet.
With its highly secure digital platform, Pelagus 3D will act as a connection link between vessel managers and Original Equipment Manufacturers (OEMs) to deliver 3D printed maritime spare parts on-demand. The company will use a variety of 3D printing technologies to fulfill the requests of printing any 3D-printed parts.
Both thyssenkrupp and Wilhelmsen have equal ownership rights over the new company as they each have a 50% stake in it. Pelagus 3D Board of Directors (BOD) include industry leaders who have invaluable skills and experience to guide the company through future challenges and opportunities. The following experts are on the BOD of Pelagus 3D:
- President of Wilhelmsen Ships Service Kjell Andre Engen
- Vice President of Emerging Opportunities Portfolio of Wilhelmsen Maritime Services, Nakul Malhotra
- Chief Transformation Officer of thyssenkrupp, Dr. Cetin Nazikkol
- Head of Customer Innovation and Chief Operating Officer of Digital Services of thyssenkrupp Materials Services, Dr.Sebastian Smerat
Speaking about the new Additive Manufacturing company, Kenlip Ong the Head of TechCenter Additive Manufacturing at thyssenkrupp in Singapore said “By enabling faster access to critical marine parts and solutions, Pelagus 3D plays a vital role in enabling global trade and transportation via our seas. Pelagus 3D is focused on helping the industry continue to connect and grow”.
The Head of Ventures for 3D Printing at Wilhelmsen, Håkon Ellekjær said: “Pelagus 3D is built on a strong foundation of unparalleled engineering expertise and maritime experience, and we believe that it will continue both thyssenkrupp and Wilhelmsen’s commitment to elevating businesses through innovative solutions that help strengthen their operations and service delivery”.
The CEO of the National Additive Manufacturing Innovation Cluster (NAMIC), Dr. Ho spoke of Pelagus 3D’s potential to solve the problems of other industries with 3D printing solutions.
“Beyond addressing perennial pain points in the maritime and offshore sectors such as obsolescence and long lead-times for mission-critical parts with on-demand production, Pelagus 3D is well positioned to address similar needs in other industry sectors, improving customer experience with added supply chain resilience, lowering material waste and inventory cost, contributing to environmental and sustainability goals”, said Dr Ho.
The formation of this company speaks for the maritime industry’s commitment towards digital transformation and Singapore played a crucial role in it.
The Assistant Chief Executive of the Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore (MPA), Kenneth Lim emphasized that when he said: “Additive Manufacturing (AM) supports Singapore’s ambition to be the leading maritime hub”.
“In the maritime sector, AM can help unlock tremendous efficiency potentials with its fast and low-volume high-value fabrication capability of equipment component parts on-demand. This agility ensures responsive support to meet the needs by ships and ports for urgent and critical spares”, Lim explained.
The MPA welcomed the establishment of Pelagus 3D in Singapore as it will bring business opportunities and create jobs in the region. The MPA wants to work with Pelagus 3D and other agencies to accelerate AM innovation and adoption.
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