Wallenius Wilhelmsen Solutions (WW Solutions) has inaugurated an equipment processing centre (EPC) at the Belgian port of Zeebrugge specifically for construction equipment manufacturer Doosan.
Following a ramp-up, WW Solutions will mount and customise around 3,000 construction machines a year for the South Korean company, which has selected Zeebrugge as its European distribution hub.
WW Solutions, the land-based division Norwegian shipping line Wallenius Wilhelmsen, set up the EPC to enable Doosan to optimise its supply chain and delivery network in Europe.
Werner Van Dessel, WW Solutions senior manager for Europe, the Middle East and Africa (EMEA), said the companies have worked together to determine how to achieve that.
“More and more, OEMs want to build the machine in their factories but customise it close to the end customer. Doing so greatly speeds up time to market,” he added.
A senior Doosan official said: “This new equipment processing centre at Zeebrugge is a vital part of our European distribution plans going forward. Through this expansion, WW Solutions has increased its capacity to provide a complete end-to-end solution to Doosan, enhancing our business competitiveness.”
The 1,330 sq.m EPC has a floor strong enough to handle machines up to 90 tonnes, three overhanging cranes with a combined capacity of 40 tonnes, and a new warehouse management system, said WW Solutions.
An automated vertical storage and retrieval system for parts has been installed to increase the modern EPC’s flexibility, efficiency and accuracy.
“We are ready to take on any challenges our customers have at this new, semi-industrialised EPC,” Van Dessel said. The company has another EPC at Zeebrugge.
Earlier this year, WW Solutions opened an EPC in Derrimut, Melbourne (Australia), which features a dedicated truck assembly workshop, to meet growing demand from the truck, bus, agricultural and construction markets.
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