Kawasaki Heavy Industries

Kawasaki Heavy Industries, Ltd. is a Japanese technology group with about 100 group companies in Japan and overseas and a history of more than a century. Its businesses span aerospace, rolling stock, ships and offshore structures, energy solutions, precision machinery, industrial robots and motorcycles.

Kawasaki began manufacturing controllable pitch propellers in 1956 under a licensing agreement with Escher Wyss & Co. of Switzerland and has supplied Rexpeller azimuth thrusters since 1983 for tugboats, cable layers, workboats and offshore vessels such as drillships and supply boats.

Among its propeller references the company lists the 2200P3, at 11 m the largest propeller in the world when first built. Steering gear and deck machinery are handled by the hydraulic components and systems business.