Composite Light Gearbox by Mekanord to Launch

Mekanord will introduce a gearbox which is up to 30 % lighter than traditional ones at upcoming SMM 2012 in Germany.

Lighter and stronger materials are increasingly being used everywhere in the marine industry and within a few years, they will have completely altered our way of thinking about shipbuilding. This is Mekanord’s vision of the future, a vision that will be introduced at SMM in the shape of a new, revolutionary lightweight gearbox where composites are utilized as a part of the design.

To begin with the manufacturers expects a strong interest from shipbuilders and ship architects operating within the field of lightweight boats and catamarans to whom weight is a deciding factor. But also from the yacht segment where ship builders and customers often request the best of the best, Mekanord is expecting a high demand.

"We have more than 30 years of experience in designing, building and refurbishing gearboxes for marine vessels and the demands for gearboxes, one of a vessel’s most vital parts, are getting increasingly higher. One of the demands that we frequently encounter is for high efficiency and low weight," says CEO at Mekanord, Søren Klyvø, adding:  "This is why we decided two years ago to initiate a scientific project in cooperation with a group of partners, aiming to completely rethink the construction of our gearboxes. The result is a composite gearbox up to 30 % lighter than a traditional one, but which also has a series of other advantages.