TTS Review 6 - TTS Group ASA

PROFILE – TTS Kocks
Anchored in expertise
When it comes to shipping equipment, there is no
easy, one-size-fits-all solution to the diverse needs
of many different vessels and operating companies.
But across the array of solutions employed on sea vessels
around the world, quality needs to be consistently high.
Increasingly, shipowners and builders are looking to
companies that can provide in-depth knowledge of their specific
needs, from the first contact through to aftersales service. While
reaping the benefits of its reputation for supplying ship
equipment for several industries, TTS is not resting on its laurels,
but is building on the expertise in each of its divisions.
“Having begun as a niche operator, we were only supplying a
small market before we joined TTS,” says Volker Höppner of TTS
Kocks, formerly Kocks GmbH until its acquisition by TTS in 2005.
“We have a history of expertise in supplying deck machinery
across the world, but we are now working with the other
divisions of TTS to deepen our expertise.”
For Höppner, being part of the group enables each division to
enhance its own specialist expertise by learning from the others.
“TTS is an organisation consisting of several specialised divisions,
each of them focused on an area of ship engineering where they
have in-depth expertise,” he says. “Good design is not simply
about knowing how the equipment works. Winches and other
deck machinery must be designed to the exacting requirements
of onboard safety. This is central to product development, as is a
commitment to reliability, long-term performance and to the
environment.”
TTS provides a comprehensive portfolio of deck machinery
equipment, offering tailored solutions to suit customers’
individual needs. The division is working with other TTS
companies to broaden its knowledge of winch machinery, across
several shipping industries, such as offshore and LNG.
“We are applying our expertise to the offshore industry where
there is demand for handling winches across a wide range of
vessels,” says Höppner. “Each project is different, which is why it
is important to continue building on the expertise we already
have. This is not like a mass-market operation, where products
are manufactured cheaply in large quantities. We’re solving
problems with any kind of winch use, on a case-by-case basis.”
This level of focus is paying off, as evidenced by a growing
order book and the expansion of its engineering staff to cope
with demand. “We’re currently in the process of hiring an
additional engineering group,” adds Höppner. “We are already
receiving details from TTS Offshore Handling Equipment (OHE) in
Ålesund, regarding the supply of handling winches for offshore
vessels.”
14 TTS Review • April 2008
TTS Deck Machinery
With over 50 years of experience in deck machinery
development, design and production, TTS Deck Machinery
Division originated as Kocks GmbH before being acquired
by TTS in October 2005. The division has three units: TTS
Kocks GmbH in Bremen, plus two fabrication sites for the
assembly of deck winches in Ostrava, Czech Republic and
Busan, South Korea, and is part of a 50 per cent joint
venture with TTS Bohai in Dalian, China.
The company prides itself on its design expertise and
experience, which enable it to develop and engineer
advanced and reliable winch system technologies that
address the specialised requirements of all ship types.
Top: Anchor Handling/Towing winch capable of handling loads of up to
500 tons. Bottom: a typical array of TTS deck machinery