Allis-Chalmers Named U.S. Licensee For B&W Slow-Speed Diesels

The Allis-Chalmers Corporation of Milwaukee, Wis., has become the licensee for slow-speed diesels in the United States for one of the world's major designers and builders of this type of diesel engine. The agreement with B&W Diesel A/S of Copenhagen, Denmark, grants to Allis-Chalmers full responsibility for the manufacturing, marketing, and servicing of slow-speed diesels rated 4,000 to 48,000 bhp used primarily for marine propulsion and stationary power applications.

"This step is essential in establishing Allis-Chalmers as a major supplier of such engines," said John R. Mills, general manager of the company's recently formed Marine Diesel Division.

"This agreement with B&W Diesel offers Allis-Chalmers very important long-term opportunities.

We feel that, due to our extensive experience in making large machinery and to our growing experience with slow-speed diesels, we are ideally suited to serve the United States market, maintaining B&W Diesel's high quality standards." Slow-speed diesels have become increasingly popular for United States marine propulsion applications because of their improved efficiency as compared to traditional steam turbine drives. Allis- Chalmers already is completing the manufacture of three slowspeed marine diesels which are the first of this type built in the United States. These engines, which will be installed in oceangoing containerships under construction at Avondale Shipyards for American President Lines, are being built under a manufacturing agreement with Sulzer Brothers Ltd. of Switzerland.

B&W Diesel A/S has been a diesel builder since the earliest days of such engines. In 1897 it was authorized to build its first diesel by Rudolph Diesel, originator of this design. The first oceangoing ship powered by a diesel, M/S Selandia, was designed and built by B&W and delivered in 1912. Among its other accomplishments it pioneered successful turbocharging of twostroke, slow-speed diesel engines.

Today, the firm has 25 licensees in 17 countries, including the new agreement with Allis-Chalmers.

B&W Diesel A/S, f o r m e r ly known as Burmeister & Wain A/S, is now an autonomous Danish operation owned by M.A.N.

( M a s c h i n e n f a b r i k Augsburg- Nurnberg Aktiengesellschaft) of West Germany.

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Maritime Reporter

First published in 1881 Maritime Reporter is the world's largest audited circulation publication serving the global maritime industry.