Pelagus 3D established by thyssenkrupp and Wilhelmsen to bring AM to global maritime industry
October 3, 2023
thyssenkrupp Materials Services, Essen, Germany, and Wilhelmsen Group, Oslo, Norway, have launched Pelagus 3D, a new joint venture company established to bring additively manufactured spare parts to the worldwide maritime industry.
Headquartered in Singapore, the newly formed company will use Additive Manufacturing technology and a global partner network to produce and deliver spare parts more efficiently in terms of time and cost. Customers will, therefore, be able to ensure the seaworthiness of their ships and maintain their operations as planned, it was stated.
“The global economy relies on resilient and flexible supply chains. The dynamic market environment has shown us this again and again, at least since Corona,” stated Ilse Henne, Chief Transformation Officer of thyssenkrupp Materials Services. “In our partnership with Wilhelmsen, we are showing how we can maintain the operation of ships and secure the flow of goods in shipping, which is so important for international trade.”
For the joint venture, thyssenkrupp will leverage its expertise in Additive Manufacturing, as well as the capabilities of its own Tech Centers in Singapore and Germany, to supply metal additively manufactured products. thyssenkrupp Materials Services, the company’s materials distribution and service provider, further adds its knowledge in the development of digital supply chain solutions and platforms. The global shipping group Wilhelmsen, in turn, will bring in its in-depth maritime expertise and direct ongoing experience in understanding the needs of vessel fleet managers, supporting the delivery of a wide portfolio of maritime products and services for an array of vessels.
Kjell André Engen, President of Wilhelmsen Ships Service, added, “Through our collaboration with thyssenkrupp, we are able to introduce Pelagus 3D to the market and solve a substantial and evolutionary logistics puzzle. Not only is Wilhelmsen excited to see Pelagus 3D being released, but as the shaper of the maritime industry, we are also proud to finally offer this service to the global merchant fleet.”
Global partner network for local manufacturing
At the core of Pelagus 3D will be a digital platform developed by thyssenkrupp Materials Services, which will serve as a link between customers as well as ship managers and OEMs. Through this platform, users will have access to a global partner network offering Additive Manufacturing and a number of other manufacturing technologies.
This allows the manufacturing to take place locally, where the spare part is needed, reducing transportation costs and environmental impact.
Pelagus 3D will be managed by Ken Lip Ong, Head of TechCenter Additive Manufacturing at thyssenkrupp in Singapore, as CEO, and Håkon Ellekjær, Head of Ventures for 3D Printing at Wilhelmsen, as CCO. The Supervisory Board includes Cetin Nazikkol, Chief Transformation Officer and CEO of the Asia Pacific Africa Region at thyssenkrupp AG, Dr Sebastian Smerat, Head of Customer Innovation at thyssenkrupp Materials Services, as well as Kjell André Engen, President of Wilhelmsen Ship Services, and Nakhul Malhotra, Vice President Emerging Opportunities Portfolio at Wilhemsen.
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