With future marine fuels as yet undecided and the looming pressure of IMO-mandated emissions deadlines, vessel designers and owners need good options. The Switch DC-Hub is a multi-source, multi-load DC system based on standardized power drive units. It offers a wide choice of power generation, energy storage, charging, propulsion power and clean power options for…
Did you know you can choose from a variety of effective cooling systems for our high-speed solid rotor electrical machines? Solid rotor machines are a superb option for high-speed applications because they are robust, efficient and reliable. But because high-speed machines are characterized by high power density, even with the highest efficiency the loss density…
This article was published before The Switch became part of BEMAC Group in 2024. For current company information, visit our About us page. Marine electric drive train specialist Yaskawa Environmental Energy / The Switch inks five-year global sourcing agreement with ABB Marine & Ports in Shanghai for its next-generation PMM2000M permanent magnet machines to be…
Summer – the long-awaited season – is here again! And we managed to open this season with our traditional Summer Party after the long Covid-19 era. It was great to see most of our team members together celebrating the official opening of our Large Drive Test Center (LDTC) in Lappeenranta and having a good party…
The April issue of China Ship Survey magazine published a five-page article about permanent magnet technology used in the propulsion application. Entitled “‘Permanent magnet’ makes the propulsion technology different,” the article covers the following main topics: Permanent magnet (PM) technology as a simple and efficient solution The importance of joining forces to collaborate and innovate…
On April 13, Jussi Puranen was one of the panelists at Riviera’s Container Ship Tech & Ops Webinar Week. As one of the three panelists, Jussi discussed the potential for fuel savings in container vessels by using permanent magnet shaft generators as one of the ways to meet decarbonization targets. He highlighted the efficiency advantages…
Panu Kurronen Marine engineers, investors and builders are in a tight spot these days. There’s the pinch of approaching regulation deadlines and the stress of using new technology rather than familiar, well-tried equipment. We understand. Change is costly and stressful. We’ve been exploring and expanding PM machine technology for two decades, first for wind power…
Teemu Heikkilä The marine industry is evolving rapidly to meet 2023 IMO-mandated emissions deadlines – and the ones to follow. To accomplish this, long-established methods and equipment are being reevaluated, upgraded or replaced. Making DC distribution the best choice for marine use Power distribution is a promising area for vessel efficiency gains. Although AC distribution…
The Switch was established in 2006. So, this year, we’re celebrating 15 years of permanent performance with our customers, suppliers and other partners.
My first 10 years in the company have now passed. Before joining The Switch, I worked in a building insulation company as head of engineering and the project department. I basically held the same position for 12 years and felt I needed a change. And I certainly got that!
Summer has arrived bringing us endless days and white nights. This time, due to COVID-19, the cold and dark winter has felt longer than ever before. Luckily, now we seem to be on top of this pandemic, and life is normalizing.
Permanent magnet machines have been utilized with great success in numerous fields to date, including distributed power generation, elevators and hybrid cars. Read on to find out what immense benefits PM generators bring also to ships compared to traditional technologies.