MWM (Motoren Werke Mannheim AG)
Encyclopedia
The MWM GmbH is a mechanical engineering company, based in Mannheim
Mannheim
Mannheim is a city in southwestern Germany. With about 315,000 inhabitants, Mannheim is the second-largest city in the Bundesland of Baden-Württemberg, following the capital city of Stuttgart....

. For many years it was known as Motoren-Werke Mannheim (MWM). The MWM GmbH is one of the world's leading suppliers of environmentally friendly systems for energy production based on gas and diesel engines.

The main focus of production is gensets (gas and diesel engines) for the generation of electrical energy from 400 to 4,300 kWel per unit. Also complete solutions, including consulting, designing and engineering, the total construction and commissioning of a plant as well as service (global aftersales service, attendance and maintenance) are offered. The company also has its own training center.

History

In 1922 the department for the construction of stationary engines was outsourced and had its name changed from Benz & Cie. Rheinische Gasmotorenfabrik in Mannheim to Motorenwerke Mannheim. The renowned German engineer Prosper L'Orange
Prosper L'Orange
Prosper L'Orange was a German engineer and inventor who pioneered the precombustion chamber , which made possible high-speed diesel engines that did not require an air compressor, and enabled them to be built small enough for use in road vehicles.-Career:L'Orange moved to Germany and studied...

, a pioneer of diesel engine technology, was the technical manager then. Before that he worked for Benz & Cie. The construction of diesel engines in particular used to be the core business of MWM, amongst others for utility vehicles and agricultural machines.

In 1924 MWM manufactured their first tractor, which was called Motorpferd ("motor horse"). In 1931, tractor production was discontinued. For quite a long time, combines by Claas, tractors by the French manufacturer Renault, and by the German companies Fendt, Lanz, Bautz, Holder and Ritscher, were equipped with MWM engines.

In 1926 Knorr-Bremse AG was able to acquire the majority of shares and took over. In 1985 they sold MWM to Deutz AG
Deutz AG
Deutz AG is an engine manufacturer, based in Cologne, Germany.-History:The company was founded by Nikolaus Otto, inventor of the four-stroke internal combustion engine, in 1864 as N. A...

 (Cologne). The company's site was maintained. The company, along with MAN SE, remained the chief engine manufacturer in the field of commercial diesel engines in Germany. DEUTZ restructured the whole company several times and expanded the gas engine division.

In August 2007, DEUTZ sold the engine company to the financial investor 3i
3i
3i Group plc is a multinational private equity and venture capital company headquartered in London, United Kingdom. It has offices in 13 countries across Asia, Europe and the Americas and had total assets under management of £12.7 billion as at 31 March 2011...

 as Deutz Power Systems or 360 million euro
Euro
The euro is the official currency of the eurozone: 17 of the 27 member states of the European Union. It is also the currency used by the Institutions of the European Union. The eurozone consists of Austria, Belgium, Cyprus, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Ireland, Italy, Luxembourg,...

s.
On 1st October 2008 Deutz Power Systems was renamed MWM GmbH.

Today MWM offers mainly gas engines for cogeneration units and biogas plants with an output between 400 and 4,300 kilowatts. To a smaller extent also diesel engines are still produced.

On 22nd October 2010 Caterpillar Inc. officially announced an agreement with 3i regarding the acquisition of MWM for 580 million euros. Subject to the consent of prudential authorities MWM will then become part of Caterpillar`s Electric Power Division.
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