Quick steps ahead with new thruster technology

• Quick saw a 26% increase in thruster sales in 2022, with a further 10% increase forecast for 2023
• Quick now produces more than10,000 thruster units per year across its five key thruster ranges
• The company’s range spans more than 40 thrusters that are suitable for yachts from 5 metres to more than 50 metres
• Quick’s thrusters are used by leading boatbuilders across Europe, the US and globally
• Quick’s new QSY range offers next-gen variable thruster technology and control in an energy efficient package

 Since its founding in the 1980s, Italian manufacturing specialist Quick Spa has evolved and expanded to offer a diverse selection of core marine equipment to builders and OEMs around the world. Headquartered in Ravenna, Italy, Quick employs inhouse design, engineering and production for all its divisions, which span everything from marine lighting to windlasses, gyro stabilisers, battery chargers and docking systems.

Cut and thrust

A key part of Quick Spa’s business has been its thruster division, for which engineering and design began in the early 2000s with production on the first range starting in 2007. Since then, the company has built its thruster division to be a major player in the global market, producing more than 10,000 units per year for a number of well-known Italian, European, American and international boatbuilders.

Starting with classic DC thrusters, Quick now offers five different ranges to suit differing needs, covering DC, AC, DC-AC, hydraulic and the all-new QSY range, which uses synchronous motors for the ultimate in variable control and sustained usage. In addition, the company produces retractable thrusters which are the ideal solution for sailing #yacht manufacturers. Its extensive offering means there is a Quick solution for any #yacht from 5 metres to more than 50 metres in length.

The popularity and proven reliability of Quick’s thrusters is reflected in the latest sales results from the division, which showed a 26% increase in 2022 compared to 2021 – a rise in demand that the company was able to meet thanks to its foresight and its strategic investment in #components and materials. The company is forecasting growth of an additional 10% in 2023, an impressive achievement against the backdrop of a cooling market as the post-pandemic bounce begins to normalise.

 Next-gen technologies

Central to the success of Quick’s thruster division over just 15 years of operation has been its dedication to the very best in design and engineering, coupled to the very highest Made in Italy standards of fabrication and production. The fruits of that dedication are being borne through the latest thruster line to be added to Quick’s extensive range – the QSY line.

 The QSY thrusters, employ a synchronous motor that uses permanent magnets, a construction that allows more thrust for less power draw than a classic DC motor. Furthermore, the system also offers variable thrust – something that DC motors are not capable of without additional system hardware – they are completely plug and play thanks to the integrated driver and they are characterized by considerable endurance with ten minutes or more continuous usage. The brushless motors mean reduced maintenance as well as increased efficiency and greatly reduced noise, and the units are also rated IP68 as standard, which means they can be mounted on the stern without any additional protection.

In particular, it is the energy efficiency aspect that makes the growing QSY range perfect for a future where the electrification of yachts will likely grow in prominence to meet more stringent emissions standards. “The more you electrify the more you will need energy efficient solutions,” says Andreas Karlsen, Head of Sales North Europe at Quick. “With a classic DC thruster, you need to have a separate, thruster-dedicated battery bank, whereas with a QSY thruster there’s the option of integrating it with the yacht’s main battery bank as the thruster draws a lot less power.”

Quick’s QSY thruster range offers other advantages too, making it a true step-up solution for boatbuilders and #yacht customers. “Whereas across the different classic DC thrusters on the market there are a lot of similarities between manufacturers, our range offers something genuinely different,” says Karlsen. “For the 185mm size, which is used on mid-range boats of 9 to 18 metres and is therefore the most in-demand thruster size, we are the only company to offer contra-rotating propellers, which deliver equal thrust on both sides – all our competitors only start to offer that at the larger 260mm size. It’s indicative of our wider mission, which is flexibility for our customer base in offering them as many options as possible.”

The QSY range currently comprises four key models at 140mm, 185mm, 250mm and 300mm tunnel sizes, covering yachts sizes from approximately 7 metres to 30 metres. More models are planned for launch over the coming months.