RIVAL working with Norwegian shipping industry

Wärtsilä Norway has chosen to outsource some of its subcontracting work to RIVAL in Denmark – urgent orders as well as specialised mass production – and both parties are very happy with the arrangement.

Leif Lohne and Ingmar Vedoy, Wärtsilä Norway AS check the quality of a transition flange with help from RIVAL’s Bjorn Donslund and Benny Sorensen

“We’re well on the way and we feel we’re in safe hands. It’s important to have a supplier we can trust, and RIVAL is in a position to compete on delivery time, quality and price,” explains Ingmar Vedoy, Planning Engineer at Wärtsilä Norway AS. The company chose RIVAL as a regular subcontractor for both one-off runs and mass produced items following a series of trials.

Chemistry and quality

The partnership between Wärtsilä and RIVAL has been forged slowly over time. As far as Wärtsilä was concerned, both the chemistry and the quality had to be right. In the first instance, the company therefore put RIVAL to the test by giving the company a number of smaller tasks, which they successfully completed. Since then, the partnership has gone from strength to strength.

“It began to take shape when we had a broken transition flange on a supply boat that needed replacing. We didn’t have any time to waste, and RIVAL was able to start right away. We had stringent requirements as regards tolerance, certification and welding procedures,” says Ingmar Vedoy. 

Strategic products

“The results were good, and we started to discuss whether we should establish a closer working relationship with RIVAL. We travelled to Denmark to see their factory and modern machinery. The plant was very impressive and their staff well qualified, and it was our impression that they stand for quality. We considered them as a possible supplier of cylinder liners – a strategic product where a small error can have huge consequences. The process requires advanced programming, and we had never previously asked a subcontractor to produce cylinder linings. We sent a single cast iron workpiece to Denmark to put them to the test. The results were so impressive that we decided to ask them to begin mass production for us,” explains Ingmar Vedoy.

Urgent orders also handled

Today, RIVAL mass produces cylinder liners, caps, gear boxes and various spare parts. At the same time, the company also handles urgent orders such as flanges when ships are laid up as a result of damage. Both undertakings require close collaboration. “We enjoy close ties with Henrik Holvad and Benny Sorensen; we trust one another and work really well together. RIVAL excels with its short delivery times, good quality and state-of-the-art production equipment,” concludes Ingmar Vedoy.

>>We had never previously asked a subcontractor to produce cylinder liners. We sent a single cast iron workpiece to RIVAL to put them to the test. The results were so impressive that we decided to ask them to begin mass production for us.<

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