"At the SMM are all the important players in the shipbuilding and shipbuilding-supplier industry as well as international professionals and hence this our 28th attendance. Our prime purpose here is to cultivate existing contacts," Wolfgang Hartmann, head of Large-Bore Pistons at KS Kolbenschmidt. "It is also important for us to forge new relationships especially with the engine builders."

Among the exhibits on show are all types of pistons used both on the main propulsion system engines as well as on auxiliary systems for power generation. Pistons for locomotive and power plant engines are also on display, as mono-bloc pistons in steel, aluminum or nodular cast iron as well as assembled pistons with a combination of top parts in steel and lower parts in aluminum, nodular cast iron or steel.

Dual-fuel drivelines are chiefly in demand on new vessels nowadays, especially for the cruise liners. Depending on the need, these engines will run on either diesel or gas. In practical terms, this means HFO or LFO on the open sea whereas close to the coast and in port (ECA zones) the vessel can switch over to LNG. For such and other applications KS Kolbenschmidt is working on the compatible products or else already has them in its portfolio.

The Company’s large-bore pistons can be found in the main and auxiliary systems on such notable cruise liners as Mein Schiff 6, in container vessels and freighters. The Company also manufactures pistons for power plant engines. Right now, KS Kolbenschmidt offers high-efficiency piston solutions for engines engineered to IMO II and countess other national regulations. The former requires a marked reduction in nitrogen oxides in maritime applications. In fact, KS Kolbenschmidt is already working on solutions to enable compliance with the next-generation emission levels IMO III and TIER 4.

The varied uses of plain bearings

At SMM, KS Gleitlager will display bearing shells for medium-duty engines as well as large-bore bearings of up to 360 mm in diameter for the aftermarket. Besides the electroplated bearings, steel composite and bronze bushings are on show. Since many engine manufacturers build engines for industrial applications, too, this plain bearing manufacturer is displaying high-duty sputter bearings used, for instance, in biogas systems. Among the range of non-engine applications covered by this competence and display spectrum are transmissions, hydraulic pumps, compressors, and brake systems.

About KS Kolbenschmidt and KS Gleitlager

KS Kolbenschmidt and KS Gleitlager belong to Rheinmetall Automotive AG. The Large-Bore Piston unit of KS Kolbenschmidt, headquartered in Neckarsulm, Baden-Württemberg, also has plants in Marinette, USA and Kunshan, China. KS Gleitlager with its German plants St. Leon-Rot, Baden-Württemberg and Papenburg, Lower Saxony, specializes in high-precision sliding elements.