Wärtsilä to manufacture CPP in India

Wärtsilä Corporation has decided to manufacture controllable pitch propellers (CPP) in India to create an important and sizeable production capacity increase for the CPP business. The new activity will incur an investment of about 5 million Euros. The CPP production in India will be operational by the end of 2008.

“Having CPP manufacturing in India will benefit our ship power customers in India, the rest of Asia and Europe. The customers will have an access to integrated propeller and gear packages from one source. The manufacturing will also serve the whole group through component sourcing” says Jari Salo, Vice President, Propulsion.

The manufacture of CPPs will be undertaken at the existing Export Oriented Unit (EOU) at Wärtsilä’s factory at Khopoli, near Mumbai.

The range of D-Hub CPPs planned to be assembled in India is from Type 4D330 and the largest will be Type 4D1190. The CPP installation consists of a hub, propeller blades, hydraulics and a Lipstronic remote control, as well as other accessories required to meet the customers’ needs. Presently Wärtsilä manufacturers CPP`s in the Netherlands, Norway and fixed pitch propellers (FPP) in China.

Currently, activities at Wärtsilä’s factory at Khopoli include engine assembly, reconditioning of engine parts, propeller blade repair, manufacturing auxiliary modules, gear boxes, HR nozzles, oil distribution boxes and the training school Wärtsilä Land & Sea Academy.