ANGLO BELGIAN
CORPORATION N.V.
HISTORIE OF ABC.
1. Rudolf Diesel.
At the end of the 19th Century, with its developed
coalmines, its steel industry and its proven railway
system, Belgium was one of the most industrialized
countries. Under these circumstances, new ideas and
developments were born. Therefore one should not be
surprised that one of the new developments, Rudolf
Diesels new engine, shortly after the prototype was
presented in Germany, found a manufacturer in
Belgium. In December 1896, this engine, which no
longer depended on a spark for its ignition, but where
ignition starts under the high temperature after
compression of air in a combustion chamber, run for the
first time. Already 3 years later this engine was
produced in the Company “Carels Brothers” in Gent.
One of the brothers Carels, Georges, became a good
friend of Rudolf Diesel.
Rudolf Diesel was more than just an excellent engineer;
he was also a philosoph and romanticus. Rudolf Diesel
was born the 18th of March 1858 as the sun of a
Leatherworker in Bayern and a Gouvernante of German
origin living in Paris. Rudolf Diesel surprised people
with his technical interest, his musical capacities as
pianist, and modern Arts. Further he considered himself
more as a social Philosoph and with its discovery, he
first of all thought, that for the independent workers, like
Watchmakers, Juwlers, Dentists etc, he had created a
Powersource that would save these people for the hard
life, if they had to operate the steammachines of the big
industrial Companies. The license payments he got from
all over the world made him a millionair already at the
end of the 19th Century. The recognition as a philosoph
however, he never obtained. From his book “
Solidarity”, in 2 bands, in which he describes his view
on a right Company, he only sold a 200 hundred pieces.
Further he failed in the investments he made and knew
the life of a poor man before he died. His death is a
Mistry. September the 27th, 1913, he took the boat to
London for a Conference. In the night-time he Raw materials were no more available in enough
disappeared and was never found back. Everybody
believes he got overboard and drank.
Less than one
2. The Creation of Anglo Belgian Company -
1912.
The 26th October 1912, a group of 9 industrial investors United States, new equipment was bought, so that a
founded a Company in the office of notary Fobe, with
the purpose of building internal combustion engines of
the Semi-diesel-Type. These engines should have a big
future, because they would completely change the
manners of transport over land and water.
Most of the ships at that time were pulled by horses or
the shipper himself. Fishermen went on sea with
sailing-boats. But one could know that in the future,
these ships and boats as well as trains, cars and busses
would have a diesel engine as power source.
The nine persons that met each other at the notary,
represented both the past and the future. One of them
represented the company Onghena, that built before
that time gas engines of old design and had decided to
stop this work in favour of the new revolutionary
semi-diesel engine. On their land and with part of the
machines, the new factory would start up, under the
supervision of the diesel engine manufacturer Carels
and both investors Marcel and Richard Drory. All
investors participated at that time with 500.000 BEF,
except Carels, who brought the licence for
manufacturing Diesel Engines against a Royalty of 5
% on the total turnover. The name of the new
Company would be “Anglo Belgian Company” as
they wanted to show that part of the risk capital should
come from England. However the war made that this
capital never came; the name was kept however, and
many people utilised abreviations as “Anglo” or
“ABC”.
ABC started the production of 6,8,12,16,25 and 40 Hp
Diesel engines, as well as a 2-cylinder marine engine
of 45 Hp. On the International Exhibition in Gent in
1913 ABC exposed 3 engines (8, 16 and 40 Hp)
Already before the first world war ABC exported to
Australia and Russia.
3. The First World War; 1914-18.
The first world war stopped the excellent start of
ABC. Marcel Drory, the commercial director was
called under the arms.
quantities and slowly all activities died. The German
army occupied the factory, transported all machines to
Germany andyear hereafter,
young workersthe firstobliged
were world war started and bo
to work
behind the lines for the German army. After signing
peace, November 11th, 1918, mostly all machines
taken by the Germans, were recovered, and from the
new period of glory and export could start.
4. Between two World Wars.
Already from the beginning of this period ABC exported
to East-Europe, the Middle East, Latin America and
Congo, a Belgian Colony in the Middle of Africa. ABC
survived successfully the industrial crisis in the twenties,
mostly because confidance was won from Fisherman of
the Belgian Coast, as well as from ship-owner for inland
vessels transporting to France and Germany. In both
applications the exploitation margins of the ship-owners
were that small that they could not afford time loss for
repairing. They needed robust engines, with long
lifetime and low fuel and oil consumptions. ABC
understood the needs of these people and took a big
market share. ABC signed a license agreement with the
Engineering Company Paxman Ricardo from London
and got the permission to built engines of 1500 rpm.
Herewith the second generation in engine construction
was born.
The father of the family decided for the engine, utilized
it for the rest of his life, gave boat and engine to his son
who would utilize the same engine also during his whole
life. It was only the sons son who changed the engine, to
which the family was sentimentally linked, for a more
power-full new engine.
All the above shows that business run perfect until
Belgium got involved for the second time in a war with
Germany.
5. The second World War: 1940-45.
During the war, considering the reduced possibilities for
sales and trading, the company continued its activities.
The company supported the fishing fleet, which was a
matter of survival for the hungry crowd. The transport
over the rivers also had to continue as it was the best
transport way for wheat and patatos.
As the production level was low anyhow, a lot of time
came available for research and design for the post-war
future. Two prototype medium-speed engines, a 2-
cylinder and a 3-cylinder engine were available at the
end of the war. They were built in trawlers, the ideal test
for a the engine, as no where else such a severe working
conditions are requested.. The new engines, 4-stroke
single acting, developed in the war period under the code
name DU (Diesel Universal) are the basis for many
designs and concepts of ABC engines later on.
6. The Post-War Period; 1945-80.
The engine DU completely responded to the
requirements and found and covered a new market
segment. Further designs of 5, 6 and 8 cylinder engines
took place. As soon as the principle of turbo-charging
the engines, leading to higher power output, was known,
ABC adapted his DU-engines. The new turbocharged
engines were commercialised under the name DUS. A
50% increase of power from the same engine cylinder-
volume was obtained.
A new version from the DU engine - line was designed
and the name DX was given to the naturally aspirated
version and DXS for the turbo-version. The engine
speed was increased from 600 to 750 rpm. Through
cooling of the charge-air after the turbo-compressor by
means of an intercooler, the power of the same engine
line could be doubled, if compared to the natural
aspirated engine. These engine family got the name
DXC.
The engines can be utilized for generating electricity
as well as for propulsion of ships and as traction
engine in locomotives, mostly manoeuvring
locomotives. Till end of the sixties ABC knew a
prosperous time and exported to all European
Countries, Central Africa, Middle and Far-East.
In the seventies the management could not keep the
equilibrium between income and costs. Further the
most important market, Belgian Congo, was lost due
to the independancy fights and the new nation, Zaire
having not enough financial means.
A license for a high speed engine was taken from the
France Company Semt-Pielstick in 1973, leading to
the production of the PA4 range in line engines.
Besides that, the company developped a complete
new engine, the DZC engine with double power from
almost the same cylinder-volume. Engine speed was
Thincreased
ese enginestowere
1000also
rpm. Purpose
utilised was generation
for power to built 100
and was base
engines each year from this type. The engine can burn
heavy fuel up to 380 cSt.
In 1979 the company needed new capital. There was
interest of private investors, but they requested a new
management. The old management refused but could,
at the end, not continue and had to accept a bankrupcy.
The new investors came in, and ABC continued its
activities without interruption.
7. The period 1980-85.
The management that took over at the end of 1979,
was completely new, and consisted of Pauwels, a
Belgian manufacturer of transformers, Batibo, a
company active in construction of houses and
buildings, and the Belgian Shipbuilder Corporation.
They changed the name in “Anglo Belgian
Corporation”, thus keeping the abbreviation of
“ABC”. A short time later also the Governmental
Investment Company GIMV, joined and increased the
capital.
The first sales of the DZC engine were obtained
However it was necessary to modify the engine after
the field experience, and much money was lost again.
The owners did not have enough confidence in the
company any more, refused a capital increase and
handed over their shares to Ogepar, a family holding
seated in Luxembourg, against the promise of a capital
increase of 75 million BEF.
8. The new breakthrough; 1985-2000.
Besides increasing the capital Ogepar changed the
complete management. This took some time, but in
the meantime, the modified DZC was sold with
increasing success and represented aside of the DXC-
range, almost 75 % of the turnover.
The beginning period was not easy for Ogepar. New-
building of fishing-boats was slowing down due to
limitations from the EEC to avoid over-fishing in the
European waters. The EEC also worked out rules for
controlling the capacity of the river-fleet. Internationally
there was a further tendency in construction of big sea-
going vessels, before at Boelwerf, now moved to East-
Asia. This resulted in an almost complete closing down
of the ships-construction in Belgium, traditionally good
for almost 50 % of the sales at that time. And on top of
that, the other traditional market, the ex-Belgian Congo,
had no more means for investment as political relations
between Belgium and Zaire were never before so bad
and there was that war in Central-Africa. It was very
appreciated at that time that the Port of Antwerp decided
to re-engine many of their tug-boats and barges and
decided for building some new tug-boats.
New markets had to be found and were found, with new
applications such as cogeneration plants in Belgium,
floating crane works, and new export of power stations
to Indonesia, Taiwan, Maleisia, Syria, India and
Pakistan. On top of that ABC obtained a nice order from
Vosloch-Siemens to supply 90 engines 6DZC, for new
manoeuvring locomotives for the Belgian Railways.
In the first period of 10 years with Ogepar, turnover
doubled, under the impulse of Mr. Froidbise, president
of the company, and every year was terminated with
some profit. Since 1989, daily management in ABC is
from L.Duyck, a civil engineer of the University in Gent
with a degree in Engine Construction.
Our competitors did not have it easy eather, and we saw
many of them disappearing or were taken over from
other engine builders. Diesel-engine construction got in
hands of big groups, like MAN (with Burmeister &
Wain, Pielstick, Mirlless Blackstone, Ruston), Wartsila
(with Stork, Nohab, SACM, Sulzer, GMT), Caterpillar
(with Dorman, Paxman, Mak, Bazan).
ABC continued on its own, optimizing the existing
engine range in function of the application and the cost-
price, and diversifying for heavy fuel combustion and
combustion of gas. Dual-fuel engines, in which a
gaseous mixture is brought to combustion by a pilot
injection of diesel fuel, proved to be reliable, and
possible the only means to burn butane gas, bio-gases
and natural gas. Dual fuel engines are available up to
1200 kW/unit.
As the sulpher content in diesel-fuel, due to emission
regulations was brought down to very low
concentrations, most of the diesel engines had to be
modified as liner life-time, due to bore-polishing became
unacceptable. The DZC-range had to be equipped with a
fire-ring, and as a result lub-oil consumption was
reduced in the same time to half of what it was before.
Further modifications to the fuel-injection system,
resulted in extreme low carbon deposits and acceptable
Nox-emissions and ABC engines complied immediately
with new emission standards from IMO.
A team of engineers follows accurately all evolutions
of the engine market and engine performances and
keep the DXC and DZC-design up-to-date. In its
medium-speed range ABC is now a top leader.
9. The new millenium.
In 1998, ABC started the design of the DZ-engine in
V-concept. The new engine came in the beginning of
year 2000 on the test-bench. With its 12- and 16 -
cylinder execution the power range of ABC was
doubled and extended up to 5000 Hp. Real
commercialisation started in the second half of the
year 2000.
The owners of ABC further expressed their
confidence in the Belgian industry and took over
Pegard, a Walonian manufacturer of big horizontal
milling and boring machines. New Pegard machines
were installed in ABC and brought ABC to a higher
level in competitive machining of engine components.
Technology in turbo-charging will be more and more
important in the new era, with better attention to
pollution and emissions, and the regulations that
follow. ABC obtained a direct access in this matter,
with the acquisition by OGEPAR, of KBB, the
supplier of turbochargers for ABC, located in
Bannewitz near Dresden.
ABC, itself, took over all activities from CALLENS
POMPEN, and has through this, a second product, for
which it had been surching already a long time. This
is expected to be a better alternative than the
subcontracting activities, ABC did in moments of
recession and low economic activity in the ship-
construction.
In 2002 the high tech company BALLIU MTC was
acquired first by ABC and OGEPAR holding. This
company is specialized in laser applications, metal
sheet cutting, welding and cladding.
And for the first time, an old dream became realized:
ABC supplies more than 100 engines in year 2000,
2001, 2002 and 2003.
The order book for the coming years is never that good
before. Now we have to confirm for the future.
 Annex. Hystorical overview of the engine program.

SEMI_DIESELS.
Type Number of Speed-rpm Bore Stroke (mm) Power range Hp Since.
Cyl. (mm)

AM 1-2 550-650 140 160 9-18 1913

DM 1 550-650 175 210 14 1913
D 1 450 175 210 12-14 1913
EM 1-2 430-470 210 240 20-40 1913
GM 1-2-3 380-400 260 300 30-60-90 1914
HM 3-4 275 360 420 210-280 1924

TWO-STROKE-DIESELS.
Type Number of Speed-rpm Bore (mm) Stroke (mm) Power range Hp Since.
Cyl.

AZ 1-2 600 130 160 9-18 1924

BZ 1-2 650 130 160 11-22 1924
DZ 1-2-3 500 165 210 17-32-48 1924
GZ 1-2-3 400 240 300 40-80-120 1933
5V 1 750-1000 260 300 5-7 1934

FOUR-STROKE-DIESELS.
Type Number Speed-rpm Bore (mm) Stroke (mm) Power /Cyl Hp Since.
of Cyl.

25H 1 400 210 280 24 1933

RL 1-2 1250-1800 88.89 104.77 5.5-7.5 1935
RLR 2 1800-2000 88.89 104.77 7.5-8.5 1938
RQ 1-2-3-4-5-6 1000-1500 117.47 149.22 11-15 1935
RW 4-5-6-8 1000-1500 139.7 177.8 19-27.5 1938
DU 2-3-4-5-6-8 500-600 242 320 50-58 1945
DUS 3-4-5-6-8 500-600 242 320 70-81 1950
J 6 1200-1800 117.5 149.2 16.5-20.5 1957
JS 6 1200-1800 117.5 149.2 19.5-26.5 1957
JC 6 1200-1800 117.5 149.2 22.5-31 1957
JB 6-8 1200-1800 135 149.2 20-27.5 1957
JBS 6-8 1200-1800 135 149.2 26-35.5 1957
JBC 6-8 1200-1800 135 149.2 30-40.5 1957
DX 3-6-8 600-750 242 320 60-75 1969
DXS 3-6-8 600-750 242 320 87-109 1969
DXC 3-6-8 600-750 242 320 120-150 1969
PA4 6-8 1200-1500 185 210 133-167 1973
DZC 6-8 750-1000 256 310 240-300 1977
VDZC 12-16 750-1000 256 310 250-330 2001

FOUR-STROKE - DUAL - FUEL ENGINES.

Type Number Speed-rpm Bore (mm) Stroke (mm) Power /Cyl Hp Since.
of Cyl.

DXD 3-6-8 750 242 320 136 1994

DZD 6-8 750-1000 256 310 200 1995
VDZD 12-16 750-1000 256 310 200 2004