Rossi Launches EP Winch Planetary Gearbox With Rotating Housing for Marine, Construction and Mining Applications

Rossi has introduced the EP Winch, a new planetary gearbox with rotating housing designed for marine, construction, and mining sectors, expanding the Italian manufacturer's established planetary range with a product validated through a pilot programme with Spanish charter customers in the marine sector during 2025. The gearbox carries DNV Type Approval certification for marine applications and will be manufactured at Rossi's Lecce facilities using components sourced from Italy and Europe.

 

Product Design and Technical Rationale

 

The EP Winch features a rotating housing that allows the gearbox to be encased within the drum, minimising the overall dimensions of the winch assembly. The compact form factor is commercially significant in marine applications where available deck and hull space is a decisive design constraint, and where reducing the mechanical footprint of winch systems without compromising torque capacity or reliability is a persistent engineering challenge. The integrated housing design also provides an aesthetically cleaner installation compared with externally mounted gearbox configurations, which has practical appeal in marine applications where equipment arrangement is subject to both functional and regulatory review.

 

DNV Type Approval and Marine Market Entry

 

The DNV Type Approval Certificate for marine applications strengthens the EP Winch's position in the maritime sector, where third-party certification from a recognised classification society is a baseline requirement for equipment deployed on commercial and regulated vessels. Type approval provides shipowners, designers, and flag administrations with confidence that the gearbox meets defined standards for reliability, material properties, and performance under marine operating conditions. The combination of DNV certification and pilot project validation with actual marine customers gives Rossi a commercially credible entry point into a market that demands demonstrable track record alongside regulatory compliance.

 

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Customer Co-Development Approach

 

A distinguishing feature of the EP Winch development process was direct collaboration with customers, with the gearbox already in use at Spanish charter customers in the marine sector during a 2025 pilot project. Stefano Cioffi, head of segments marine and construction at Rossi, has framed the co-development approach as an added value for both the company and its customers, enabling the product to be shaped by real application requirements encountered in field use rather than engineered against a standard specification. The result is a product positioned as an innovative solution developed in partnership with end users rather than as a commodity answer to a generic market need.

 

Manufacturing and Supply Chain Profile

 

EP Winch will be manufactured at Rossi's Lecce facilities in Italy, with a supply chain based on components sourced from Italy and Europe. The European supply chain positioning is commercially relevant in a market where supply chain resilience, quality traceability, and origin certification are becoming increasingly important considerations for marine equipment procurement, particularly in the context of European regulatory and environmental compliance requirements.

 

Implications for Marine Winch Systems

 

The EP Winch launch reflects a broader trend in marine equipment design toward more compact, integrated, and performance-certified solutions that can be adapted to the specific space and loading requirements of individual vessel applications. For offshore vessels, workboats, and charter craft where winch systems perform critical operational functions, the availability of a DNV-certified planetary gearbox with a reduced dimensional envelope provides a commercially useful option for designers seeking to optimise deck layouts and equipment installations. The pilot validation with marine customers provides a real-world performance reference that supports procurement confidence beyond what laboratory testing alone can deliver.