Industry Europe – Issue 22.7

VOLUME 22/7 – 2012 • €6

The world of European manufacturing

NEW HORIZONS FOR APPLY LEIRVIK RETAIL NETWORK KEEPS FLUGGER CLOSE TO CUSTOMERS TECNOMECCANICA LIGHTS THE WAY

BOEING AND AIRBUS BATTLE ON

OPINION

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PETERMERCER

Car crash France’s car makers have survived a lot longer than Britain’s. But can they go on?

O

nce again the cartoon penguins of France’s Le Monde have hit the spot.

A politician penguin leans over his desk and says to the industrialist penguin, ‘We have called you in because we are resolutely opposed to redundancies’. ‘We have no choice,’ protests the industrialist. ‘We have serious economic problems.’ ‘We are just as resolutely opposed to economic problems’, replies the minister.

That just about sums up the new French government’s response to the rapidly deteriorating state of the country’s manufacturing industry, with huge job losses threatened in the automobile and telecoms industries as well as at banks and airlines. Back in June, Labour Minister Michel Sapin showed he was not afraid to think outside the box by declaring that the government intended to stem unemployment by raising the cost of redundancies. ‘The idea is to make redundancies so costly that it’s not worth it’, he explained. This, of course, is a logical extension of France’s existing policy of making it so costly to employ workers in the first place that it’s not really worth it either.

But now matters have been brought to a head with the crisis at PSA Peugeot Citroen.

The car maker has announced losses of €819m in the first six months of 2012 (against a profit in the same period last year of €806m) and is burning through cash at the rate of €200m a month. It is proposing to cut costs by reducing capital spending, lowering production costs through its new alliance with General Motors and ‘restructuring’. It’s the last bit that is raising the political temperature because central to it is the closing of the Citroen plant at Aulnay-sous-Bois, near Paris, and potential job losses across the country of between 6000 and 8000. This will be the first closure of a French car plant for 20 years.

The unions have responded with unsurprising outrage. Jean-Pierre Mercier, CGT union delegate at Peugeot (and, as far as we know, no relation of the editor of this magazine), said

that ‘at times of economic crisis it is a social crime to close a factory’, thereby demonstrating that, even in French, to join the word ‘social’ to a noun (as in ‘social justice’) is pretty much to empty it of meaning. The government was equally outraged – or, at least, presented itself as outraged. Initially President Hollande declared simply that ‘the plan will not be accepted’ but later left it to his ‘minister for the recovery of productivity’, Arnaud Montebourg, to lay into the Peugeot family – the group’s biggest shareholder – for its behaviour. The shareholders could not avoid their ‘social responsibility’ (that word again), he said. What’s more, he had a ‘real problem’ with the tie-up with GM, which is odd, because it might be the French group’s only hope of survival.

The ‘real problem’ is actually that demand for cars is plunging in Europe while most volume car makers have far too much capacity.

Both Ford and Opel look like losing around $1 billion each this year in Europe. Fiat sales are down by 18 per cent and Renault’s by 15 per cent. Only VW is bucking the trend with a 7 per cent rise in operating profit – to €6.5 billion – in the first half of the year. But even VW’s sales are down by 2 per cent in western Europe; it is making its money elsewhere – sales are up 59 per cent in Russia, 30 per cent in the US and 18 per cent in China. And VW benefits not just from its geographic spread – its model range also reaches right across the market, from Skoda, Seat and VW itself through Audi to Bentley, Lamborghini and Bugatti. And supercars seem immune to the global recession; you can sell as many as you can make and charge pretty well whatever mind-numbing price you like.

In a bad place Peugeot Citroen is deep in the merde precisely because it hasn’t any of these advantages.

Sixty per cent of its sales are still in Europe and it is badly exposed to the collapsing markets of Spain and Italy. Renault has similar problems

but it has its stake in Nissan, which brought in 70 per cent of its income in this first half, and its ultra low cost Romanian-built Dacia, which is selling well in central Europe, Latin America and North Africa. And then PSA’s model offer is concentrated in the low- to mid-range where profit margins are paper-thin and where low-cost makers such as Hyundai and Kia are making serious inroads. Successive French governments bear some responsibility for this; the post-war high tax on large cars may have been aimed at imports of German limousines but it has meant that the French industry has specialised in low value ‘voitures populaires’ ever since.

Then there is the fundamental problem of size, of critical mass. Fiat boss Sergio Marchionne has said that any volume car maker who hopes to survive the present decade is going to have to produce more than six million units a year. PSA’s current output is 3.4 million and Renault’s (including Dacia) is 3 million. PSA’s new alliance with GM is its only hope of achieving economies of scale through the standardisation and volume of components, which account for three quarters of the cost of making a car.

But even then it will be hard. France’s car plants are now running at around 60 per cent of their capacity; the industry reckons that 75 to 80 per cent is the minimum to make a profit.

And some observers think that up to 20 plants may have to close across Europe if the industry is ever to get back into balance. This kind of brutal restructuring has already happened in the USA, where 18 auto factories were closed and GM and Chrysler were forced through bankruptcy proceedings before being rapidly re-established.

Of course, that would be unthinkable in France. By the time any French enterprise was discharged from bankruptcy all the bosses would have long ago retired. And the shame would be so bad that none of them could ever n show their faces at Fouquet’s again.

Industry Europe 3

Administration Anna Chamberlain Amber Dawson Kayleigh Harvey

Editor Peter Mercer Deputy Editor Victoria Hattersley Profile Writers Abigail Saltmarsh Felicity Landon Piotr Sadowski Emma-Jane Batey Barbara Rossi Philip Yorke Joseph Altham

Art Editor Rob Czerwinski Designers Leon Esterhuizen Paul Abbott Claire Bidle Web Development Neil Robertson IT Support Jack Everson

1 4 5

Advertising Manager Andrew Briggs

Aerospace Industry

Production Manager Kamila Kajtoch

Industry Europe Alkmaar House, Alkmaar Way, Norwich, Norfolk, NR6 6BF, United Kingdom Tel: +44 (0)1603 414444 Fax: +44 (0)1603 779850 Email: photos@industryeurope.net adcopy@industryeurope.net Web: www.industryeurope.net

© Industry Europe 2012 No part of this publication may be reproduced in any form for any purpose, other than short sections for the purpose of review, without prior consent of the publisher.

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4 Industry Europe

Comment

Art Administration Tania Balderson

Sector Managers Matthew Howe Eniko Kovacs Milada Preslova Massimo Ragazzo Jesse Roberts Helen Leisi Mac McCarthy Anthony McClintock Ben Snowing Anna Dudek Kevin Gambrill Stephen Moore Richard Thomas Lisa Ackroyd John Cliff Mauro Berini Martin Gisborne Victoria Pease Daniel Sands Richard Stuart

Art Director Gareth Harrey

CONTENTS 6

9 12

News 14 16 18 19 20

Opinion Car crash Bill Jamieson Nearer to the endgame James Srodes Reinforcing the narrative Heavyweight stand-off Boeing and Airbus battle on Aerospace news The latest from the industry Lady of the lake The Akoya takes flight

Winning business New orders and contracts Linking up Combining strengths Moving on Relocations and expansions Industry people Appointments Technology spotlight Advances in technology

Reports 21 22

Focus on France Ian Sparks reports from Paris Focus on Germany Allan Hall reports from Berlin

Automotive 24 28 35 38

42 46

50 54

58 64

Audi’s winning formula Audi All revved up BorgWarner Turbo Systems Still in front D&M PSS Tyre development that’s on a roll KraussMaffei Berstorff In the driving seat Lear Corporation

Efficiency, precision and reliability Niles-Simmons

A passion for precision Philipp HAFNER Innovating for a world on the move Plastic Omnium

Lighting the future Tecnomeccanica Premium quality NSK

Chemicals 67 74

The colour of success Flügger Group Paving the way for greener roads and runways AkzoNobel

Building & Construction 78 82 85 90

Advanced façade technologies Josef Gartner Complex construction partner Mainka Digging deep Leonhard Nilsen and Sonner A touch of glass Sangalli

Consumer Goods 95 102 106

Putting a new gloss on sales Albéa Dressed for success Strellson Imaginative design and superb quality Bang & Olufsen

VOL 22/7

Above: BMZ p112

Energy 109 112 120 125

Continous growth Weatherford Norge Intelligent mobile power solutions BMZ Smarter ‘one world quality’ solutions CG Hydropower renaissance Rainpower

Food & Drink

Above: Audi p24 Below: Flügger p67

130

134

138 141

Changing perceptions of marzipan Horst Schluckwerder

Market leading beer brands Kompania Piwowarska

A multi-local approach Olvi Oyj Advanced poultry processing Linco Food Systems

Above: Rainpower p125 Below: Apply Leirvik p153

Heavy Vehicles 146 150

Marine 153 160 164

Compacting success Geesinknorba Driving brake technology forward Haldex CVS Driving offshore services further Apply Leirvik An impeccable record Aker Floating Production Blue water performance Nautor’s Swan

Medical Equipment 168 172

175 Below: Sangalli p90

Looking to new horizons Getinge Group Traditional values, today’s technology Stiegelmeyer

Serving the biotech industry Texor

Metalworking 178 182 186 192 196

Forging ahead Böhler Schmiedetechnik Strong under pressure Csaba Metál Forge masters Friulforgia The complete value chain Lech-Stahlwerke Extruding greater value HAI Group

Above: Friulforgia p186 Below: Bau-for-mat Kitchens p212

Also in this issue...

23 201

204 208

212

216

Specialists in zinc coating ZWM Strumet Controlled in fluid solutions Fluid Automation Systems Fabric of life Benninger Group

Leader in sustainable solutions Comexi Group

Distinctive kitchen solutions Bau-for-mat Kitchens

Displaying greener efficiency Bonnet Neve Industry Europe 5

COMMENT

BILLJAMIESON

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Executive Editor of The Scotsman

Nearer to the endgame The euro crisis now strikes at Germany, the heart of the currency union.

AS

2012 has progressed, the sovereign debt crisis in the eurozone has conformed to a familiar, and deeply disturbing, pattern. Fears of default trigger sharp falls in equity markets, government bond yields rise to crisis levels and deposits flee from vulnerable banks.

Eurozone leaders hold another ‘crisis summit’. A tortuous communique is hailed as a resolution of the crisis. But after a short interval, confidence resumes its downward plunge.

Such has been the pattern since 2010, and this year is proving no exception. Barely three weeks after eurozone leaders proclaimed progress on a ‘roadmap’ for future integration and barely three days after finance ministers had approved the terms of a €100 billion loan to Spain than yields on Spanish government debt soared well above the seven per cent level widely regarded as unsustainable.

We are back where we started – or not quite. A Spanish bail-out would dwarf that required for Greece. That is why this latest development is by far the most dangerous escalation yet and may exhaust both the patience and the resources of the International Monetary Fund and eurozone institutions.

Given this background it is well-nigh impossible for business to muster the confidence that is the pre-requisite for investment, expansion and new employment. All the exhortations for business to invest and all the measures in the UK to coax banks to lend to businesses have little prospect of making headway while the eurozone crisis continues and the economies of the eurozone are mired in recession. Hopes of an export-led recovery rest almost entirely on continuing growth in non-eurozone economies, Asia Pacific in particular. But for thousands of UK firms it is a recovery in key continental markets on which their hopes critically rest. And on current forecasts from HSBC, eurozone economies are set to contract in aggregate by 0.6 per cent this year.

6 Industry Europe

The austerity route of yet more cutbacks in government spending now looks closed.

Social tensions are increasingly evident. It now looks likely that the European Central Bank will be urged to resort to further substantial monetary easing. But even conceding that this can be little more than a cosmetic solution to a fundamental loss of competitiveness over the past 20 years, there are growing obstacles to the relentless resort to money-flooding.

Germany may still be able to avoid outright recession. But it is facing a period of prolonged low growth – an environment that will cause many voters to question further support for chronically indebted economies.

German uncertainties That roadmap to fiscal integration is set to prove rocky. In Germany, whose support for further emergency funding is critical, there are formidable obstacles. A 2013 general election is drawing closer as the potential liabilities of Germany to the European rescue mechanisms have risen inexorably. Running parallel to this is an evident slowdown in economic confidence indicators. Germany may still be able to avoid outright recession. But it is facing a period of prolonged low growth – an environment that will cause many voters to question further support for chronically indebted economies.

German support is also conditional on the sanction of the country’s Constitutional Court. It is currently considering whether the Bundestag has the authority to approve additional contributions to enlarged euro-

zone rescue funds and has now deferred a decision until well into September.

According to Jurgen Michels, European economist at Citigroup, the potential liabilities of the German sovereign to the European Rescue Mechanisms have increased substantially to about €400 billion. On top of this, the Bundesbank has an exposure of about €290 billion to Greece, Ireland, Italy, Portugal, Spain and Cyprus “if the Euro does not completely break up or Germany leaves the monetary union.”

A 50 per cent write-down of these peripheral country debts could cost German banks about €76 billion, triggering in some cases additional capital support from the German government.

Add to this contagion effects in other countries and losses could be far greater.

The current coalition failed to get sufficient support from its 330 MPs to get a majority in parliament in the recent decisions on rescue measures, while comments from senior opposition SPD sources suggest the party may push for much stricter conditions for giving the ESM the ability to lend directly to banks than the currently required establishment of an ‘effective single supervisory mechanism’.

As for the views of voters, an opinion poll in early July found that 55 per cent of those surveyed believe Germany should have kept the D-Mark and that only 10 per cent are in favour of introducing joint and several guarantees for euro area sovereign debt.

This is therefore not a crisis of Spain or Greece or Italy alone but one that strikes at the heart of the euro project and the commitment of its largest paymaster. And it is set to strike whatever the state of public opinion in Germany. Were this a crisis of Greece, or even Spain alone, Europe and the Western economies could look beyond to a contained resolution. But it is not so contained. Either the ‘roadmap’ to fiscal integration is urgently forced through or exits from the single currency zone will come to look less a matter of n ‘if’ but ‘when’.

USA

JAMESSRODES

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Veteran commentator on Washington & Wall Street

Reinforcing the narrative Will the continuing scandal over LIBOR ensure Barack Obama’s re-election in November.

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here is considerable irony in the controversy over the benchmark London Interbank Offered Rate, which cost Barclays Bank a $450 million fine for rigging between 2005 and 2008.

Not the least of that irony is that regulators on both sides of the Atlantic have just begun to wonder how widespread the practice became after 2008 when international banking plunged into its greatest turmoil and when the Obama presidency began.

But the fact remains that the LIBOR scandal plays directly into the narrative that President Obama and his campaign strategists are trying to foster in this summer’s run-up to the November referendum on his stewardship of the last four years. The Obama argument, in its essence, is that while he may not have successfully turned the American economy back onto the path of prosperity, turning the government over to Republican nominee Mitt Romney would be infinitely worse.

The very qualities that former governor Romney would bring to office – long experience as a financial investor, business executive and state governor— are being turned against him.

Romney’s time at the investment firm Bain Capital is the focus of Obama’s portrayal of his rival as a corporate vulture who sends American jobs abroad and puts American firms into debt-laden bankruptcy in order to extract immoral profits for himself and his shareholders.

Romney, to the dismay of his supporters, has seemed unable to rebut these accusations which are part of a broader Obama argument that free capital markets are tainted by greed and dishonesty and that only government run by dispassionate experts can provide the policydriven programs that will create jobs and restore prosperity.

In the meantime, as far as the general public is concerned, the LIBOR debacle simply confirms what their president has been telling them all along: Wall Street and the world of international finance is a corrupt place in desperate need of much more aggressive government oversight and – and this is important – more guidance in directing its capital flows to socially-approved economic stimulus.

Key Obama aides have been quick to seize on the scandal to advance their agenda. Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernancke recently began to prepare the ground in the US Congress by telling the lawmakers that LIBOR was ‘structurally flawed’ and that a new mechanism to determine international interest rates was needed. This call was promptly echoed by Bank of Canada governor Mark Carney who called for ‘radical reform’ of LIBOR. It is almost certain that LIBOR restructuring will be the central question faced by a gathering of the major central bank chiefs in September. But then they will face a most difficult problem: replace LIBOR, but with what?

If it were simply a case of replacing a single interest rate from, say, what is ‘offered’ to one that reports what is actually being accepted by all bank borrowers then a reform might be feasible.

But the LIBOR in fact is many rates, involving the lending and borrowing needs of a large number of banks which have different capital structures and purposes.

Complex calculations LIBOR of course is actually a set of indexes. There are separate LIBOR rates reported for 15 different maturities for each of 10 currencies.

In all, 18 global banks participate in the aggregation of data on the dollar rate that goes into the calculation, but only three of them are strictly US banks – Bank of America, Citibank, JP Morgan Chase – while the others range from BNP Paribas, Deutsche Bank, Credit Agricole, HSBC and UBS, to, of course, Barclays.

Meanwhile, there are similar complex calculations going on daily to reach rates for EURIBOR for European currencies and TIBOR for Tokyo and Asia.

But just to stay with the LIBOR dollar rate, that daily rate alone by itself is the starting point for a even more ornate US financial network that determines interest rates on mortgages, credit card fees, student loans and loans for motor car and other consumer purchases. In addition, the huge financial derivatives market for interest rate swaps as well as the US Treasury’s

own dealings to support the euro all depend on LIBOR. But beyond the question of complexity there is the problem of complicity. How can the major central banks ‘fix’ LIBOR when they may have, either by neglect or even by ‘nod-and-wink’ assent, stood by while Barclays and who knows who else jiggered the LIBOR rate around to keep interest rates artificially low?

Both Ben Bernancke and Bank of England Governor Mervyn King claim to have been unaware of Barclay’s maneuvering. Yet Timothy Geithner, now US Treasury Secretary, when he was the president of the New York Federal Reserve Bank, began to write to everyone – Mervyn King included – from early 2008 about his concerns for “enhancing the credibility of LIBOR.” But once he got into the Obama Cabinet he signed on to the president’s policy of trying to spark economic growth through massive injections of capital and artificially lower interest rates.

So before the central bankers start to dismantle the admittedly flawed LIBOR system, they should address the more pressing problem of ensuring that government regulators who already have wide oversight over the international banking marketplace do their jobs properly with the rules they have before any more powers are handed over to them.

However, it is more likely that that will prove too difficult so another round of rule making is n likely in the works.

Industry Europe 7

© AIRBUS S.A.S. 2012

HEAVYWEIGHT

STAND-OFF L

ike two heavyweights slugging it out over 15 rounds, the contest between the world’s big two airliner manufacturers has during the past decade seen both Airbus and Boeing land damaging blows on their opponent, but neither punch their way to domination. Although the European and US giants have adopted distinct product strategies, no single programme has proved such a success – or failure – as to send one or other onto the ropes. July’s Farnborough air show was the latest round in the finelybalanced struggle, with both airframers flying flagship products in the aerial display and keen to show that they have the edge when it comes to technology and market appeal.

Boeing’s decision 10 years ago to abandon the Sonic Cruiser – a super-speedy replacement for its 757 and 767 widebodies – and instead develop an all-composite, 8 Industry Europe

highly-efficient airliner appeared to make sense as oil prices soared in the 2000s, and the 787 Dreamliner became the fastestselling type of all time. It still looks wise, but Boeing’s original move to outsource complex design and production elements to a global supply chain delayed the programme’s service three years to 2011 and cost it money.

The Dreamliner is unlikely to make a profit for the US airframer until the 2020s.

Airbus’s 550-seat, double-deck A380 has been the other most adventurous launch of the 21st century, but – while the ultra-highcapacity, hub-connecting superjumbo is proving a key asset for the likes of Emirates and Singapore Airlines – Airbus is struggling to hit 300 orders, its target by the end of this year. Wing cracks discovered in early examples in service have also added to Toulouse’s headaches. Boeing’s rival in the segment,

The battle between Boeing and Airbus continues to dominate the aviation industry but major programmes at both companies are struggling to make decisive breakthroughs. Murdo Morrison, editor of Flight International, reports. the 747-8 – a stretched version of its iconic jumbo jet – is enjoying modest success in the freight market but has yet to achieve a breakthrough as a passenger aircraft.

Boeing still has another ace up its sleeve: the potential of developing its highly successful 777, still selling strongly a decade-and-a-half after its service entry. Thanks to the cost of fuel, the large twinjet family has already seen off one competitor, the thirstier, four-engined Airbus A340, and Boeing should be able to adapt the design to meet any challenge from larger versions of the planned A350. Airbus’s answer to the 787 is in production and, in terms of orders, has made a promising start.

However, its entry into service, originally set for next year, has just been put back from the first half to the second six months of 2014.

This comes after long and expensive delays to both the A380 in the middle of the decade

Boeing 737 Max

and the Airbus Military A400M, a large, propeller-driven transporter commissioned by a number of European governments and for which Airbus has bullish export hopes despite pressures on domestic defence spending. The latest six-monthly financial results for Airbus’s parent EADS shows that the stalling of the A350 programme is scarcely a crisis, with the aerospace and defence group notching up impressive revenues, profits and order intake. This has been down largely to a solid performance in its Eurocopter helicopter and Astrium space divisions, but particularly at Airbus, where global economic uncertainty has hardly dented demand for airliners.

Re-engined workhorses One of the main reasons Airbus can appear so smug is its early decision not to develop an all-new replacement for its narrowbody A320 family and instead offer a “new engine option” or Neo. Powered by new-generation Pratt & Whitney PW100G or CFM International LEAP engines, and due to enter service in 2015, the A320neo has proved a huge success for Airbus, with airlines keen to get their hands on an improved-performance version of the narrowbody workhorse that does not carry the risks of an all-new programme. The why-reinvent-the-wheel move has meant Airbus can put off the costly investment in a completely fresh narrowbody design until the 2020s.

Boeing has followed suit, with the 737 Max – a re-engined version of its venerable singleaisle airliner powered by the CFM LEAP. But until the Paris air show in June 2011, Seattle was still toying with the idea of leap-frogging its rival by announcing a completely new narrowbody. After the expensive gestation of the 787, it was a gamble too far for Boeing’s board, which went for the safer option instead.

Although the Max has also got off to a strong start, it will not enter service until 2017 – two

years after the A320neo – and firm orders after Farnborough stood at 659, less than half the 1,429 notched up by its Airbus rival.

Airbus has also cocked another snook at its competitor, announcing plans this year for its first assembly facility in the USA, in Mobile, Alabama, to build A320s. The factory will take pressure off production lines in Toulouse and Hamburg, but the real intent is to plant a symbolic flag on US soil. Although sister company Eurocopter manufactures in nearby Misssissippi, Airbus’s decision comes heaped with pleasing irony. The European company had originally promised to open a factory in Mobile if it won the US Air Force’s refuelling tanker contest. It lost – thanks partly to vigorous lobbying by supporters of rival Boeing, including politicians from Kansas who had been promised a facility in Wichita if Boeing won. Boeing was selected but has gone back on its commitment to Wichita, and next year will close its plant in a city where it has had an association for 85 years.

Regional and business jets The safety-first decisions by Airbus and Boeing to evolve – rather than revolutionise – their single-aisle offerings has not made it any easier for Bombardier. The Canadian company is the first Western airframer to challenge the almost two-decade-long duopoly for airliners of 100 seats and above. Bombardier’s CSeries – due to enter service late next year – has received only around 150 orders, enough to keep production lines busy for the first few years but hardly a groundswell of support. The CSeries remains an enormous gamble for a company reliant on the world’s most successful range of business jets and an ageing lineup of smaller regional jets and turboprops.

Bombardier’s rival in regional jets, Brazil’s Embraer, looks in a strong position with its more modern family of 70-to 90-seat E-Jets.

These short-range shuttles are still in demand among airlines in emerging regions in particular, on routes too thin to make an A320 or 737 economic. Embraer has also ventured into

Industry Europe 9

business jets, launching four all-new aircraft and two executive variants of its regional jets in the past few years. The Brazilian company is in addition trying to grow its defence segment, with a military airlifter, the KC-390, a jet-engined rival to Lockheed Martin’s C-130J. It has even enlisted the help of Boeing to help it investigate export opportunities.

Embraer – which went from being an obscure third world producer to the world’s number four airframer in a little over 10 years – is seen as a model to emulate by manufacturers in other countries. Just more than a decade after BAE Systems, Fokker and Saab all exited the regional jet market, Japan’s Mitsubishi, China’s Comac and Russia’s Sukhoi have sub-100-seat offerings on the market.

While the Mitsubishi Regional Jet is a one-off, China and Russia both have ambitions to revamp their moribund commercial aircraft industries with new families of commercial jets which will appeal to domestic and foreign carriers, of which the Comac ARJ21 and Sukhoi Superjet 100 are the entry points.

Of the two, Russia is off to the more positive start. The Superjet is being marketed outside the former Soviet Union by Sukhoi’s joint venture partner, Italy’s Alenia Aeronautica. Several other Western suppliers, including French engine-maker Snecma, are deeply involved in the programme. Russia already has an established network of design centres, assembly plants and suppliers which have been producing airliners since the post-war era. China, on the other hand, has proved itself more open to direct investment by Western companies.

Airbus has an assembly plant in the country and Chinese suppliers build components for Airbus and Boeing programmes. Russia, for reasons of pride rather than pragmatism, has begun from the premise that its creaking

domestic industry can be rejuvenated, rather than requiring complete restructuring from the ground up.

Business aviation continues to suffer from sluggish demand in its traditional markets of the USA and Europe. However, in emerging markets such as China, the Middle East and Africa, the newly ultra-wealthy have been discovering the benefits of direct and discreet private aviation, favouring larger, longer-range types over the smaller executive shuttles that have been the mainstay of America’s corporate travel infrastructure since the 1960s. This has benefited brands such as Dassault’s Falcon, Bombardier’s Challengers and Globals and Gulfstream, as well as corporate variants of the A320 and 737, which have gained at the expense of the smaller Cessna Citation, Hawker and Bombardier Learjet ranges.

On the defence side, constrained defence budgets in the USA and Europe have largely put the brakes on aircraft development. In Europe – with the main new programmes such as the Eurofighter Typhoon and A400M largely budgeted for – the effect on the industry has been less dramatic than stateside, where cutbacks are likely to lead directly to factory closures and tens of thousands of lost jobs. Asia (though not China of course) remains the biggest prize for Europe’s defence industry, with France’s Dassault notching up its first export contract for the Rafale fighter jet –with India. Brazil, Gulf countries and nations in south-east Asia are also high on the target list for contractors.

to design office studies until next decade, the main emphasis when it comes to new technology has been on fuel. With the big three engine manufacturers, Rolls-Royce, Pratt & Whitney and General Electric making evolutionary rather than revolutionary advances in propulsion know-how, it has been the airlines themselves that have driven innovation, with a number of trials being carried out over the past two years with hybrid biofuel mixes being used to power jet engines.

As for the next generation of engineers who will deliver the technological breakthroughs of the 2020s and 2030s, well, the industry is crying out for them. Just as airlines are preparing for a dearth of pilots, a shortage of skilled engineering graduates is one of the biggest challenges facing Europe’s – and the world’s – aerospace companies. At the Farnborough air show, Airbus was running a recruitment fair with the promise of rewarding careers in France, Germany, Spain, the UK or beyond.

For all the growing popularity of aviation as a way to travel, it seems that not enough young people are being captivated by the opportunity to design the products that will help the n world to fly.

Future technologies With all-new narrowbodies, supersonic commercial jets and many expensive, cutting-edge defence projects such as unmanned combat aircraft off the launch agenda and confined Boeing 787

10 Industry Europe

NEWS

New developments in the Aerospace industry

INDUSTRYNEWS

Boeing wins historic 737 order from United Airlines

B

oeing has announced an order by United Continental Holdings, Inc. and its wholly owned subsidiary, United Air Lines, Inc., for 150 737 airplanes, including 100 of the new 737 MAX 9. The deal, worth $14.7 billion at list prices, also includes 50 Next Generation 737-900ERs (Extended-Range).

“This order is a major step in building the world’s leading airline, and we look forward to offering our customers the modern features and reliability of new Boeing airplanes, while also making our fleet

more fuel efficient and environmentally friendly,” said Jeff Smisek, United’s president and CEO. United is the North American launch customer for the 737 MAX 9. The order continues the momentum for the 737 MAX, which now has more than 1200 orders and commitments from 18 customers. Counting all variants, the 737 program now stands at 10,039 orders, further cementing the 737 as the undisputed best-selling jetliner in the world.

Visit: www.boeing.com

Rolls-Royce and Synergy Group sign $630m Trent 700 agreement R olls-Royce, the global power systems company, has won a $630 million contract with Brazil-based conglomerate Synergy Aerospace to provide Trent 700 engines and TotalCare® long-term engine service support for nine Airbus A330 aircraft.

German Efromovich, chairman, Synergy Group, said: “We look forward to continuing our relationship with Rolls-Royce and have confidence in the benefits of both its Trent 700 technology and support services.”

Peter Turner, Rolls-Royce, Civil Aerospace vice-president, Customer Business, said: “The Trent 700 has become the engine of choice for A330 operators, selected for around 75% of future engine orders on the A330. The combination of Trent technology and comprehensive TotalCare® support will deliver significant benefits to Synergy Aerospace.”

Visit: www.rolls-royce.com

CFM logs 960 engine orders in 2012

2

012 orders for CFM International’s CFM56 and LEAP product families reached 960 engines through June. These orders are valued at approximately $10 billion at list price.

“The first half of 2012 has been really strong,” said Jean-Paul Ebanga, president and CEO of CFM International. “The CFM56 product line is still selling very well, with 404 orders to date. We also expect to announce many more LEAP orders in the coming weeks and months.”

Airbus to establish assembly line in United States

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irbus plans to establish a manufacturing facility in the United States to assemble and deliver A320 Family aircraft.

Located at the Brookley Aeroplex in Mobile, Alabama, it will be the company’s first US-based production facility. Airbus stressed that the assembly line, which will

As the company logs record commitments, CFM is also achieving record production rates for the CFM56 product line.The company has built more than 1000 engines per year since 2006, and the rate has grown steadily. In 2011, CFM delivered more than 1300 engines, the highest rate in the industry, and is on track to produce 1440 in 2012.

CFM International (CFM) is a 50/50 joint company of Snecma (Safran group) and GE. Visit: www.cfmaeroengines.com create jobs and strengthen the aerospace industry, is part of its strategy to enhance Airbus’s global competitiveness by meeting the growing needs of its customers in the United States and elsewhere.

The facility in Alabama will assemble the industry-leading family of A319, A320 and A321 aircraft. The company said construction of the assembly line will begin

in summer 2013. Aircraft assembly is planned to start in 2015, with first deliveries from the Mobile facility beginning in 2016. Airbus anticipates the facility will produce between 40 and 50 aircraft per year by 2018. Airbus already has a strong and growing presence in Alabama and throughout the United States.

Visit: www.airbus.com Industry Europe 11

NEWS

New developments in the Aerospace industry

Cathay Pacific selects A350-1000 C

athay Pacific Airways has announced that it intends to add the Airbus A350-1000 to its future A350 XWB fleet, with an agreement to place a new order for 10 aircraft. In addition, the Hong Kong-based airline will convert 16 of its existing orders for the A350-900 to the larger A350-1000.

The acquisition of the A350-1000 will bring the total number of A350 XWB aircraft ordered by Cathay Pacific to 48. The airline also has separate lease agreements to acquire two more aircraft.

The A350-1000 is the largest version of the

TransAsia Airways orders 8 TR 72-600s

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he European turboprop aircraft manufacturer ATR and Taiwan-based TransAsia Airways have announced the signature of a contract for eight firm ATR 72-600s, plus an option for one additional ATR 72-600. The deal, including the option, is valued at over $210 million.

These ATR 72-600s will be configured with 72 seats and will be equipped with a new full glass cockpit, developed for ATR by Thales, featuring state-of-the-art technologies in the field of navigation. The aircraft will also be equipped with Giugiarodesigned new ATR-600 series ‘Armonia’ cabin.

Visit: www.atraircraft.com

Russian Helicopters & AgustaWestland Sign Agreement

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ussian Helicopters and AgustaWestland (a Finmeccanica company) have signed a Heads of Agreement to jointly develop an allnew 2.5-tonne class single-engine helicopter.

The overall programme will be shared on a 50/50 basis, with the new helicopter being designed for the worldwide market.

12 Industry Europe

A350 XWB family and typically seats 350 passengers in a three class layout. The aircraft is capable of flying 8400 nautical miles non-stop and will be operated by Cathay Pacific on higher density routes, including its longest non-stop flights to Europe and North America. The aircraft will be powered by two Rolls-Royce Trent XWB engines delivering 97,000lbs of thrust – the most powerful engines ever developed for an Airbus aircraft.

Visit: www.airbus.com

MTU racks up record orders T

his year’s Farnborough International Airshow turned out to be very successful for MTU Aero Engines: Germany’s leading engine manufacturer reported orders worth around €1.3 billion.

The largest order came from Indian airline IndiGo which signed a deal for 300 PurePower PW1100GJM geared turbofan engines to equip its 150 A320neo jets. Leasing company CIT, the Philippines’ largest airline Cebu Pacific Air, and US-based JetBlue Airways, too, selected this fuel-efficient and clean engine to power the A320neo and A321neo airliners they have on order. Moreover, Norwegian Air Shuttle inked an MoU to purchase this propulsion system. The PW1524G is the geared-turbofan variant for Bombardier’s CSeries. For this engine type, too, an order was received from an undisclosed customer; airBaltic also signed an MoU. The third geared-turbofan variant is the PW1200G, which will power the Japanese Mitsubishi Regional Jet (MRJ). 200 orders for this version were received, the customer being US regional airline SkyWest.

Visit: www.mtu.de Bruno Spagnolini, AgustaWestland CEO, said: “This agreement further expands our strong and successful cooperation with Russian Helicopters. Having established Helivert to assemble the AW139 in Russia, this programme marks the next step up in terms of cooperation to address the future needs of not only the important and growing Russian market but also the worldwide market.”

Sukhoi signs contract for 6 Sukhoi Superjet 100 aircraft

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ukhoi Civil Aircraft (SCAC) and Transaero Airlines, the second largest Russian carrier, have signed a contract for six Sukhoi Superjet 100/95B aircraft with ten options. The firm order is valued at $212.4 million at list prices.

“Transaero Airlines is among the 50 largest air carriers in the world and ranks in the top five safest European airlines. Transaero’s selection marks the recognition of our product’s high quality and superior operating ability. I am convinced that the Sukhoi Superjet 100 will become an efficient tool that will be used by the airline in implementing its regional services development plan,” said Mikhail Pogosyan, president of the United Aircraft Corporation.

Visit: www.sukhoi.org

AgustaWestland and Russian Helicopters established the joint venture company HeliVert in 2010 to assemble AW139 helicopters at a new plant in Tomilino, near Moscow. The plant will meet the growing demand for the AW139 helicopter in both Russian and CIS civil markets with production starting this year.

Visit: www.agustawestland.com

INDUSTRYNEWS

Saab unveils new surveillance aircraft

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efence and security company Saab unveiled its new Saab 340 Maritime Security Aircraft at the Farnborough International Airshow. The aircraft is capable of effectively monitoring large areas and is the key to maritime domain awareness.

The Saab 340 Maritime Security Aircraft will meet the world’s latest demands for maritime security and safety. The 340 MSA delivers the capability to safe-

200th Falcon 7X enters completion

guard territorial waters through the ability to rapidly respond to emerging maritime security threats.

The aircraft can perform long endurance flights from short airfields and the onboard mission management system with datalinks, optical sensors, SATCOM-systems and radar equips it with the required capability.

Visit: www.saabgroup.com

Lockheed Martin and Marshall Aerospace sign agreement

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ssembly of the 200th Falcon 7X has been completed at Dassault’s Bordeaux-Merignac facility in southern France. The aircraft enters final completion this week.

“We are especially proud of this milestone,” said John Rosanvallon, president and CEO of Dassault Falcon. “The 7X is clearly the best seller in the current Falcon family and remains one of the most sought after jets in its category.”

Dassault Falcon has already delivered over 150 Falcon 7Xs and another 80 are in various stage of production. The Falcon 7X fleet has accumulated over 130,000 flight hours since the first aircraft went into service in 2007, and is in operation in 32 different countries.

Visit: www.dassault-aviation.com

ockheed Martin has signed an agreement authorising the UK’s Marshall Aerospace to become the world’s first commercial company to install C-130 Centre Wing Boxes (CWB). Marshall Aerospace is also the first C-130J Heavy Maintenance Centre (HMC) in the world.

Steve Fitz-Gerald, CEO Marshall Aerospace, said: “We are delighted and extremely proud of our longstanding relationship with Lockheed Martin. It is an honour to become the world’s first commercial Original Equipment Manufacturer-approved service centre for C-130J CWB replacement. Together with our existing unique C-130J HMC status, the enhancement of CWB replacement approval will position us perfectly for long-term C-130J global fleet sustainment.

This is a significant milestone for Marshall, and builds on our solid reputation for providing innovative engineering solutions.”

Many C-130s around the world can have their service life extended by having the Centre Wing Box replaced. As the main load-bearing component of the C-130’s airframe, it is this structure that usually determines the overall operational life of the aircraft.

Visit: www.marshallaerospace.com

A400M simulator contract awarded by UK MoD

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he UK Ministry of Defence has awarded a multi-million pound contract to supply the first full-flight simulator (FFS) for the Royal Air Force A400M military transport aircraft, recently designated Atlas by the European purchasing nations. The FFS employs state-of-the-art visual and motion technology

Taranis passes the test

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aranis, the UK’s unmanned combat air system technology demonstrator, has successfully completed a series of key tests on the way to commencing flight trials in 2013.

The low observable (LO) platform recently completed radar cross section tests at BAE Systems’ Warton site and the initial analysis has indicated that the programme has met and potentially exceeded the extremely challenging targets jointly aspired to by the UK’s Ministry of Defence (MOD) and Industry.

In addition, the testing of the propulsion system has been completed. Undertaken at Rolls-Royce, the testing included measurement of Taranis’s infra-red signature and the results have demonstrated BAE Systems and Rolls-Royce’s credentials in designing and manufacturing an LO propulsion system.

Visit: www.baesystems.cm

developed and produced by Thales UK at its facility in Crawley, West Sussex.

It is expected that a contract for a further FFS will follow, with both simulators being delivered to RAF Brize Norton in Oxfordshire.

They will be maintained through a training service by a joint venture company comprising Thales and Airbus Military.

Visit: www.thalesgroup.com Industry Europe 13

© 2011 LISA Airplanes

It can take off from a field, a lake or a snow strip – and you can park it in your garage or on your yacht.

The Akoya is a new concept in light aircraft, as Peter Mercer reports.

LADY OF THE LAKE

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his Spring the first potential clients for the Akoya, a new French amphibious Light Sport Aircraft, took their turns for a demonstration flight from Le Bourget du Lac, in the Rhone Alpes region of southeastern France, at the side of test pilot Gerald Ducoin.

The prototype of the Akoya first flew in 2007. Now Benoit Senellart, VP of Development at Lisa Airplanes, the French company set up to develop this new aviation concept, was delighted at the response of the first passengers. “I’ve been involved in every step of Akoya’s development and the first delivery will be the most memorable. Therefore it’s with great pleasure that I watched our clients’ first flights. Their feedbacks are all positive on the easiness to pilot as well as on the sensations in flight. They really appreciated the visibility, the comfort and the safe atmosphere of the cockpit. This flight definitely won them over and I am delighted with that.”

The Akoya is a two-seat amphibious airplane that can operate from the ground, water or snow; it can reach a speed of 135 knots with a range of 2000km and an average fuel consumption of 5.6 L per 100km.

14 Industry Europe

For a conventional landing it requires only a 200m field and can then fold its wings and be parked in a garage. This Multi-Access capability, as Lisa Airplanes defines its radical concept, is achieved through a unique combination of two hydrofoils, retractable landing gear equipped with skis and folding wings.

Lisa Aircraft was established in 2004 by Erick Herzberger and Luc Bernole in the Savoie department of France not just to develop a genuinely innovative light aircraft but also to create a new lifestyle for aviation enthusiasts, a revolutionary Multi-Access system that would allow the aircraft to land with equal ease on land, water or snow without any sacrifice of performance. The two founders assembled a multi-disciplinary team of experts in aeronautics, hydrodynamics, mechanical engineering, industrial production and marketing and established collaboration agreements with technical laboratories, polytechnic institutions and aerospace companies. A key relationship has been with ONERA, the French aerospace laboratory that has supported the project with its expertise in aerodynamics as well as with its wind tunnel facilities and numerical simulation capabilities.

Flight testing First flight for the Akoya was in 2007, from Chambery Savoie Airport; on board were test pilot Gerard Ducoin and test equipment monitoring around 40 different parameters, from speed, angle of attack and temperatures to flight control positions etc. Over the next year more than 50 flights confirmed the efficiency of the aircraft’s aerodynamic surfaces as well as its handling qualities and stability in flight.

During 2009 work was completed on the development of the manufacturing processes and systems and the first pre-series prototype was completed in 2010. Production of series aircraft is sub-contracted to aeronautical companies in France, Italy, Germany and Austria.

Flight tests of the Akoya began in late 2010 with the first flight from water taking place on the lake at Le Bourget du Lac in 2011. These trials demonstrated that the aircraft could operate from water with a rapid, stable take-off without the pilot having to take any exceptional action; it was clear that the Seafoil system functioned effectively without the need for a hull, floats or steps.

Test flights are now under way to prepare the aircraft for LSA (Light Sport Aircraft)

© 2011 LISA Airplanes

© 2011 LISA Airplanes

© 2011 LISA Airplanes

certification and first deliveries are planned for next year.

The unique feature of the Akoya’s patented Multi-Access technology is that, through a combination of retractable landing gear, Seafoils and Skis-in, it enables the aircraft to land on water, land or snow with the same ease and without any modification. So the fortunate Akoya owner can take off next to his yacht as easily as flying to his private property; and if he changes his plans mid-flight and heads for the ski-slopes, landing is no problem.

The Seafoils are wing-like structures under the fuselage that lift the aircraft out of the water at very low speed, enabling it to accelerate quickly and take off in a very short distance while maintaining good stability and manoeuvrability. The Akoya’s retractable landing gear is equipped with skis so that while inflight the pilot can choose to land on dry land or snow surfaces with no prior additions or loss of performance. Once landed, the powerassisted pivoting wings allow the Akoya to be stored in a garage or on a yacht.

The engine of the Akoya is located at the rear of the aircraft, taking engine noise and propeller-generated turbulence away from the cockpit and making the interior much quieter than that of a conventional light aircraft. The panoramic view offered by the tinted canopy, ahead of the wing, also makes visual flight much easier while the advanced aerodynamics make the aircraft insensitive to wind gusts and give it an excellent lift-to-drag ratio. This means that in an emergency such as an engine failure the pilot has plenty of time to find a suitable landing place – which can, of course, be on water, land or snow – and, in extreme situations, there is the ultimate safety device of a built-in parachute to take both passengers and plane safely to the ground.

to the Akoya but powered by an electric motor driven by solar energy and hydrogen. A hydrogen fuel cell, developed in collaboration with French fuel cell manufacturer Helion, drives the aircraft during cruise flight while photovoltaic cells on the wing and the horizontal tail supply, through batteries, sufficient energy to enhance the fuel cell power for take-off and climb. A partnership with Trina Solar, a manufacturer of mono- and multi-crystalline photovoltaic modules, has been established to equip Hy-Bird with its solar cells.

Commenting on the Akoya’s first passenger flights, CEO Erick Herzberger, said, “I’ve flown many light aircraft in my life so I can tell that the Akoya is incomparable.

She behaves exceptionally well on water in terms of speed and ease of take-off just as much as in terms of comfort thanks to the airplane’s stability. All the work done on the Seafoils has turned out to be a real success.

After my first flight, I proudly announced to n the team that the Akoya is perfect.”

Silent flight From the beginning Akoya was designed to optimise its environmental impact, with low fuel consumption and low noise pollution, but Lisa Airplanes is already preparing to take the next step forward with its Hy-Bird, an aircraft similar

www.lisa-airplanes.com Industry Europe 15

NEWS

New contracts and orders in industry

MMK signs long-term contract for gas supplies from NOVATEK

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agnitogorsk Iron and Steel Works (MMK) has signed a long-term gas supply contract with OOO NOVATEK-Chelyabinsk, a fully owned subsidiary of OAO NOVATEK, to support the group’s operating performance and future development. Total deliveries under the contract, which runs for 10.5 years through 31 December 2022, will be 50 billion cu m of gas.

Under the contract, NOVATEK-Chelyabinsk will deliver 2.3 billion cu m of gas to MMK in 2012, with 4.5 billion cu m planned for 2013.

MMK deputy general director Vitaly Bakhmetyev said: “NOVATEK supplied its first 500 million cu m of gas to MMK back in 2003. The contract that we have signed meets the interests of both sides, and will secure MMK Group’s energy safety requirements. NOVATEK is a reliable partner, and we welcome the establishment of long-term bilateral relations between our companies.”

Visit: www.mmk.ru

Major order for Mercedes-Benz Trucks

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yet another major order for Mercedes-Benz Trucks, Iraq’s State Company for the Automotive Industry (SCAI) recently purchased 250 trucks to assist in reconstruction efforts in the country. The last of the ordered vehicles were delivered to SCAI just a few days ago. “We’re very pleased to help with the reconstruction of Iraq by supplying 250 MercedesBenz Actros trucks to SCAI,” says Hubertus Troska, head of Mercedes-Benz Trucks. “Our vehicles are perfect for use in rough terrain, where they clearly demonstrate their quality and reliability.”

This was the first time that Mercedes-Benz Trucks has supplied vehicles to SCAI. The con-

tract between Daimler and SCAI, which covers the delivery of Mercedes-Benz trucks to Iraq, represented a clear commitment to the country’s reconstruction efforts when it was signed in Baghdad in February 2010. The delivery of the 250 Actros trucks marks a further important step toward this goal.

The 250 Actros were manufactured at the Mercedes-Benz plant in Wörth and delivered to Iraq as complete vehicles. SCAI is equipping the trucks onsite with equipment for various construction applications.

Visit: www.media.daimler.com

E.ON wins long-term gas supply contracts E

.ON AG and OAO Gazprom have reached an agreement in the negotiations of their longterm gas supply contracts. The settlement includes a retroactive adaptation of pricing conditions for the price review period since Q4/2010. “We are pleased about the completion of our negotiations and the good result for both sides. Gazprom and E.ON have shown once more that, as long-term

Balfour Beatty JV awarded Highways Agency contract

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alfour Beatty, the international infrastructure group, has been awarded a £300 million contract to operate, maintain and improve part of the Highways Agency’s strategic route network in the north-west, in a 70:30 joint venture with Mott MacDonald, mobilised in November 2012. The JV will maintain and

16 Industry Europe

strategic partners, they are able to arrive jointly at viable solutions. By signing the agreements we are strengthening our long-standing, successful partnership with Gazprom,” said Johannes Teyssen, CEO of E.ON AG. With the successful completion of the talks with Gazprom, E.ON has now successfully renegotiated the pricing conditions of all of its currently oil-indexed volumes under

its long-term gas supply contracts. This marks a major milestone in restoring the competitiveness of E.ON’s long-term gas contracts. With the existing agreement the risk of the group’s gas supply portfolio has been substantially decreased.

In connection with the settlement reached with Gazprom, E.ON has also raised its outlook for 2012.

Visit: www.eonenergy.com

improve over 500km of motorway and trunk roads in Manchester, Cheshire, Merseyside and parts of Lancashire.

The Area 10 Asset Support Contract (ASC) runs over the next five years and adds to Balfour Beatty Mott MacDonald’s current portfolio which includes the Area 4 contract in the south-east. Balfour Beatty is a leading partner in the design, finance, operation

and maintenance of the strategic route network in England.

Balfour Beatty chief executive, Ian Tyler, said: “As a group, we are committed to growing our share of the transport maintenance market, both in the UK and overseas, and are one of the longest established providers in this vital service-led sector.”

Visit: www.balfourbeatty.com

WINNINGBUSINESS CG to power Belgium’s Northwind offshore wind farm project STRABAG awarded has been awarded the contract for the capacity of 216 MW. The connection between tunnelling contract CG grid connection study and supply of main the Offshore High Voltage Substation (OHVS) and transformer 275 MVA and 2 reactors of 65 MVAr the onshore grid connection will be realised with at world’s largest at the Northwind offshore wind farm in Belgium. a 220 kV submarine export cable. Eventually, the copper mine in Chile The Northwind wind farm, previously named Northwind wind farm will be connected to the ‘Eldepasco’, will have an installed production © Vanoord-Menomoulder

future 165 MW Belwind 2 wind farm, which is also situated in front of the Belgian coast. For this connection, a second 220 kV subsea cable with a length of approximately 10km will be installed.

CG’s scope in this project would be to design and supply the high voltage installation including all necessary measures to comply with ELIA (Belgian Transmission System Operator) grid connection requirements. This comprises mainly the Offshore High Voltage Substation (OHVS) and the onshore location including all auxiliary systems to ensure proper functioning of the HV installation.

Visit: www.cgglobal.com

Tristone Flowtech Group signs Technical Assistance Agreement with Bony Polymers

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ristone Flowtech Group, with its headquarters in Frankfurt, Germany, has signed a Technical Assistance Agreement (TAA) with Bony Polymers Pvt. Ltd, located in Faridabad, India. “This signed TAA is supporting Tristone Flowtech Group’s penetration of the Indian Automotive market and will be the basis to establish our manufacturing footprint in the Indian region,” says Günter Frölich, president and CEO of Tristone Flowtech Group.

Mr Saket Bhatia, director of Bony Polymers, said: “This association will help Bony to add value to its current product portfolio by offering complete solutions in the area of engine cooling and turbocharger.”

The TAA signed will provide a framework within which Tristone Flowtech Group and Bony Polymers will be able to combine the strengths of

both companies. The objective is to further penetrate the Indian automotive market by working together on common projects. It is expected that Tristone Flowtech Group will provide technical support in the production and logistic areas of Engine cooling hoses, PA Pipes, Surge tanks and turbocharger hose applications via the signed TAA and later a joint venture company in India.

Visit: www.tristone.com

Beijer Electronics wins breakthrough order in the US

communication to the railway segment (Westermo IP-train solution) and it confirms the group’s world leading position in this area.

The order comprises communication equipment such as switches and routers for 364 rail cars. First deliveries will take place during the fourth quarter 2013 and deliveries will run for 2.5 years. There is a potential for additional orders as part of WMATA’s upgrade

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eijer Electronics has through its subsidiary Westermo won a large order of some 30 million SEK ($4 million) from Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority (WMATA) as the end customer.

The order is a breakthrough for Beijer Electronics and Westermo’s new solution for IP

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TRABAG SE, central and eastern Europe’s largest construction company, has won a new tunnelling project at the world’s largest copper mine in Chuquicamata in the Chilean desert. The tunnellers from STRABAG, together with those from STRABAG subsidiary Züblin Chile and a local partner, will build several tunnels to improve the infrastructure of the mine.

The contract is worth about €100 million and will be executed over a period of three years.

Dr Hans Peter Haselsteiner, CEO of STRABAG SE, explains the strategy of STRABAG: “In markets outside of Europe, we work on selective projects which require special technical know-how. This is especially true for tunnelling.”

Both the mine and the nearest city of Calama are located in one of the driest places on Earth, in Chile’s Atacama Desert, approximately 1250km north of the capital of Santiago. The client is Chile-based Codelco, the largest copper-producing company in the world.

Visit: www.strabag.com

of Washington’s metro and train network.

Beijer Electronics’ order for communication equipment is a part of an information system for the trains that will be delivered by Toshiba, thus Westermo’s direct customer. Crucial for Toshiba’s choice of Westermo’s IP-train solution is the system’s robustness and reliability in very harsh environments.

Visit: www.beijerelectronics.se Industry Europe 17

NEWS

Combining strengths

EQT VI to acquire Aker Solutions takes over subsea companies Vertu from Nokia A

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okia has agreed terms for EQT VI, part of the leading private equity group in northern Europe, to acquire Vertu, the global leader in luxury mobile phones, from Nokia. Nokia believes that this is the best option for the next step in Vertu’s journey of delivering excellence, enabling the brand to focus on increased opportunities for growth in the luxury category.

“EQT VI is excited about the opportunity to develop Vertu as a standalone company and plans to drive the development of the luxury mobile phone category through significant investments in retail expansion, marketing and product development,” said Jan Ståhlberg, Partner at EQT Partners, Investment Advisor to EQT VI. Having delivered double digit sales growth over the past few years, Vertu continues to lead its class with a portfolio of high end mobile phones, increasingly led by its smartphones and tailored services, offering unique access, experiences and opportunities to a discerning and growing customer base.

Vertu is headquartered in Church Crookham, UK and employs approximately 1000 people worldwide. The transaction is expected to close during the second half of 2012. Nokia will retain a 10% minority shareholding in Vertu.

Visit: www.vertu.com

PJD & FMT in major joint venture

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wo of Europe’s leading engineering firms are linking up in a joint venture that will see the creation of the UK’s first fully integrated high performance power plant construction business. The new company, In2grated Installations (I2I), combines the expertise of UK-based PJD Group, one of the UK’s largest specialist mechanical engineering businesses

18 Industry Europe

ker Solutions has acquired the Norwegian companies Subsea House and SSH Engineering and plans to further expand and recruit 50–100 people in Stokke, located in the Vestfold county of Norway.

Subsea House and SSH Engineering, currently owned by Subsea Holding, employs 40 people in total. The companies were established in 2007 and have a solid background within development, assembly, testing and refurbishment of subsea tools and products. The companies developed a state-of-the-art subsea facility in Stokke, one hour south-west of Oslo, designed for testing of subsea products, systems and tools in 2007, which is part of this acquisition.

Knut Røsjorde, Aker Solutions’ head of subsea in Norway and Africa, says: “This acquisition is a response to the growing market demand both in

Norway and internationally. By acquiring Subsea House and SSH Engineering, Aker Solutions will gain immediate access to skilled resources in a region where Aker Solutions has limited presence within the subsea industry segment.

In addition, we will get access to additional assembly and test capacity.”

Visit: www.akersolutions.com

NCC to purchase construction operations in Norway

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CC Construction in Norway has entered into an agreement to acquire the Norwegian construction company OKK Entreprenör AS. OKK’s core operations focus on the production of housing units and commercial properties. OKK operates in Oslo and in the Drammen region south-west of Oslo. OKK generates annual sales of approximately SEK 1 billion and has 350 employees.

The acquisition of OKK is in line with NCC’s growth strategy in Norway, which encompasses all business areas. NCC is already a powerful player in the Oslo region and aims to further strengthen this position.

“The development resulting from the high rate of population growth caused by urbanisation and the overall need for additional housing units in Norway are factors contributing to the strong growth expected in both Oslo and the Drammen region,” says NCC’s CEO Peter Wågström.

The acquisition of OKK will provide NCC with a stronger geographic base and create the necessary conditions for future growth in Oslo and Buskerud. The acquisition will also complement NCC’s existing expertise in residential production, renovation and building services.

Visit: www.ncc.se

and FMT Group, based in Austria. The formation of I2I sees the creation of the first fully integrated mechanical and electrical installation specialist. The new business will offer a range of specialist expertise ranging from boilers and turbines to electrical installation, control and instrumentation.

The main focus of I2I’s business operation is the experience gained from over 30 years

in the energy sector. This encompasses both the UK and international markets and guarantees customers a wealth of knowledge, valuable insight and commercial expertise.

David Hayle, chief executive of PJD Group, commented: “This is an exciting development for the UK energy sector and a first for the industry.”

Visit: www.in2gratedinstallations.co.uk

LINKINGUP Tibnor strengthens offer through acquisition

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he Nordic steel distributor Tibnor has acquired E.M Eriksson Steel Service Centre AB, which specialises in high strength steel laser cutting, high definition plasma cutting, shear cutting and bending. EME will be organised as a Tibnor subsidiary and become a part of the SSAB group.

EME has a solid experience of processing steel and is an important partner in value added services for both Tibnor and SSAB. EME performs specialised services requested by Tibnor customers and complements Tibnor’s internal production facilities.

“EME becoming a part of Tibnor feels natural, as we have worked together for several years and are together with SSAB their largest customer. EME’s services are also an integrated part of our customer offering in production services. Together we will become even better,” Tibnor CEO Mikael Nyquist says.

E.M Eriksson Steel Service Centre AB is located in Borlänge, Sweden and saw a 2011 turnover of 60 MSEK. Visit: www.tibnor.se

Stena Weco and Golden Agri-Resources create new joint venture Veidekke acquires Kito Asfalt

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tena Weco – the joint venture between Stena Bulk and Weco, has formed a 50-50 joint venture with Golden Agri-Resources Ltd (GAR), the world’s second largest palm oil plantation company. The new joint venture, Golden Stena Weco, will provide an overall solution for GAR’s international transportation of its palm oil products.

Stena Weco is one of the world’s largest transport companies for palm oil with major market share of the cargoes from Asia to Europe. The new Golden Stena Weco will extend this strength to intra-Asian transportation.

Ulf G. Ryder, president and CEO of Stena Bulk and a board member in Stena Weco, said: “This is

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aint-Gobain has signed an agreement to acquire Celotex Group Limited, one of the leading British producers of high performance PIR thermal insulation board.

Celotex had a turnover of £69.7 million during the last fiscal year (to August 2011), and has 170 employees and 2 production lines based in Hadleigh near Ipswich. Celotex has recently extended capac-

ity with a new £3 million Distribution and Innovation Centre in order to support its growth in the fast developing PIR insulation category.

The acquisition of Celotex by Saint-Gobain gives an exceptional opportunity for the further growth of Celotex in a variety of markets and broadens the portfolio of Saint-Gobain’s insulation activity.

Visit: www.saint-gobain.com

eidekke Industri is to acquire 80% of the shares of Kito Asfalt AS in Buskerud. Kito Asfalt has 56 employees, its own asphalt production and a turnover of around NOK 100 million per year. Following the acquisition, Veidekke will have a strong position in the asphalt market in lower Buskerud where it previously has not been present. Kito Asfalt has its headquarters in Kongsberg and its own asphalt production in Mjøndalen in a new asphalt works with a capacity of 100,000 tonnes per year.

“The acquisition of Kito Asfalt strengthens our competitive ability in Buskerud and triggers major synergy effects with parts of Veidekke’s other activities in the area. This is consistent with our strategy in terms of growth and expansion within our priority areas,” says Harald Lausund, director of Veidekke Asfalt.

“As owners of Kito Asfalt we wanted a new owner who could take the company forward.

Veidekke Industri’s entry will strengthen the company’s opportunities for development, not least because one will have access to Veidekke Industri’s resources and expertise in asphalt, gravel and aggregates,” says Frank Robert Sunde, who will continue as general manager of Kito Asfalt.

Visit: www.veidekke.no

Porsche SE and Volkswagen AG create Integrated Automotive Group

nies have approved a concept for the complete integration of Porsche AG into the Volkswagen Group. Porsche SE will contribute its holding business operations, including its 50.1% investment in Porsche’s operating business, to Volkswagen AG. “The accelerated implementation of the shared goal will make Porsche SE a financially strong holding company with attractive poten-

tial for increasing value added. We are creating clearly defined, sustainable structures and a solid outlook for Porsche SE’s future,” said Matthias Müller, member of the Porsche SE executive board. “In their operating business, Porsche and Volkswagen will now be able to leverage synergies at an earlier stage and cooperate more easily.”

Visit: www.porsche-se.com

another step towards becoming the market-leading operator working together with cargo owners with the aim of adding value together in a logistical transportation chain. Together with GAR, we plan to invest in a number of suitable chemical parcel tankers. ” The joint venture seeks to become a worldclass transport and logistics company.

Visit: www.stenabulk.com

Saint-Gobain takes over Celotex Group

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orsche Automobil Holding SE (Porsche SE), Stuttgart, and Volkswagen Aktiengesellschaft (Volkswagen AG), Wolfsburg, are expected to achieve their shared goal of creating an Integrated Automotive Group on 1 August 2012. The competent bodies and the executive boards responsible at both compa-

Industry Europe 19

NEWS

MOVINGON

Relocations and expansions across Europe

Automobili Lamborghini opens new prototype development building

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utomobili Lamborghini has inaugurated its latest building designed specifically for the development of prototypes and pre-series vehicles.

Developed in cooperation with the Prospazio engineering studio, the new multi-story structure was specially designed to earn the Class A industrial energy rating (yearly energy consumption: < 8 Kwh/m3) and is the first industrial building in Italy to be built with such characteristics.

This result was achieved by utilising latest-generation solutions and techniques for the external facings. In fact, the facade consists of special walls made of triple-layer polycarbonate and of ventilated walls covered with ultrathin ceramic cladding, which were specifically created in the ‘Lamborghini black’ colour and provide a high level of thermal insulation.

The building will be equipped with a photovoltaic system that generates enough power to meet its yearly electricity needs, so it will have zero CO2 impact. This requirement will become the standard that all new Lamborghini buildings must meet.

On the second floor of the building, a ‘mini’ assembly line with advanced technical solutions has been set up to duplicate the entire range of assembly steps performed on a standard production line. The miniature line will be used to carefully study the steps in assembling preseries models, so that high standards of quality can be reached during subsequent industrial production. www.lamborghini.com

Morgan Ceramics expands its operation in Pulandian, China

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organ Ceramics, a Division of the Morgan Crucible Company plc, has marked its latest business venture in China with a groundbreaking ceremony which heralds the start of construction at its new site in Pulandian in Liaoning province.

The new purpose built Morgan Ceramics Dalian facility, which will incorporate manufacturing processes for both the technical and thermal sides of the Morgan Ceramics business, is expected to be completed within three years.

Dr Andy Wynn, project director for Morgan Ceramics Dalian, said: “The next few years will be very exciting and our ultimate aim is to supply a range of high technology markets in Asia, including automotive, aerospace, medical, electronics, fire protection, petrochemical, power generation, aluminium and iron & steel. The new site will be central to our focus of providing a range of advanced materials and manufacturing processes for our customers. www.morganceramics.com

Palsgaard begins construction of Malaysian emulsifier plant

Solvay to build bio-based epichlorohydrin plant in China

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S

alsgaard AS, the specialist in the manufacture and supply of stabilisers and emulsifiers for bakery, confectionery, dairy, fine foods and sauces, ice cream and margarine, has announced that the construction of the company’s new 20,000 MT capacity emulsifier plant in Johor, Malaysia was kicked off on 22 June at a ground breaking ceremony. Once the construction of the plant has been completed in the first half of 2013, Palsgaard will be able to satisfy the increasing needs and demands of its customers for high quality emulsifiers and stabilisers in the Asian region. Palsgaard already has a fully equipped application centre in Singapore with pilot equipment within dairy, ice cream, bakery and soya milk products and soon a margarine pilot plant will be installed. The new production facility, combined with the application centre and extensive know-how in Singapore, makes it all complete. www.palsgaard.com

The Bolzoni Group opens new fork manufacturing plant in China

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he Bolzoni Group has boosted its fork production capacity with a new plant located in Longhua Town, Jing County, Hebei, 250km south-west of Beijing.

Bolzoni Huaxin Co. Ltd is the result of a joint venture between the Italian Bolzoni SpA, leader in forklift truck attachments,

20 Industry Europe

olvay has announced that its Thai affiliate Vinythai will serve the vast and growing Chinese epichlorohydrin market with a new production plant in Taixing, China. The plant, with an initial capacity of 100,000 tons epichlorohydrin per year, requires an investment of €155 million and should become operational in the second half of 2014. The Chinese epichlorohydrin market is expected to grow on an annual basis by 8% and represent 35% of total world demand in 2016. Epichlorohydrin is an essential feedstock for the production of epoxy resins, increasingly used in applications such as corrosion protection coatings as well in the electronics, automotive, aerospace and wind turbine industries. The new plant located in the Taixing Economic Development Park will be based on Solvay’s proprietary bio-based Epicerol® technology. The plant will use as feedstock natural glycerin obtained as by-product from the production of biofuels. www.solvay.com

lift tables and forks, and the Chinese Hebei Jing County Huaxin Forks Co. Ltd (‘Huaxin’) the leading company in China for the production of lift truck forks.

In a 16,000m2 building, the area dedicated to manufacturing is divided into three production lines, two for standard forks and one for larger sections. The first production line has a capacity of 200,000

forks per year in two shifts whereas the production capacity of the entire plant can reach up to 500,000 forks per year.

“The combination of the fork production know-how of Huaxin and Bolzoni’s wellestablished worldwide distribution channel opens thrilling opportunities for us,” says Emanuele Scotti, president of Bolzoni Huaxin. www.bolzoni-auramo.com

NEWS

INDUSTRYPEOPLE

New head for DEK’s Solar Technology Centre in China

Rolls-Royce appoints new design director

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EK Solar, a world leading provider of screen printing equipment for solar cell and fuel cell manufacture, has announced the appointment of Dr Xiao Chen as chief technology officer. Dr Chen is a specialist with close to ten years of experience in solar and semiconductor technology and he will play an integral role in the establishment and development of DEK’s Solar Technology Centre in Suzhou, which will showcase DEK’s commitment to technical innovation and value creation for its worldwide customers.

Volex hires key Brazilian executive

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olex plc, the global provider of electrical, digital and optical cabling and interconnect solutions has appointed Professor Ricardo Hamad to the post of general manager Volex Brazil to lead the growth of the company’s operations in the region.

An expert in operations management, process engineering and both six-sigma and lean manufacturing philosophies, Hamad originally trained in mechanical engineering at ITA (Aeronautical Institute of Technology) in Brazil.

He has an MSc in Logistic Systems from the University of Sao Paulo and has had a distinguished career in operations, logistics and supply chain management with companies such as Monsanto, Promon and Ericcson.

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olls-Royce Motor Cars has appointed Giles Taylor as design director. After his design studies in the United Kingdom, Taylor initially gathered experience in several international design roles. The 44 year-old Briton spent 10 years as an executive designer in the British car industry, acting as head of design for two model series at Jaguar. He joined the Rolls-Royce design team in April 2011 as head of Exterior Design.

Torsten Müller-Ötvös, CEO of Rolls-Royce Motor Cars, said: “Giles Taylor has a deep knowledge of emotive brands in the luxury segment and a proven track record, and is the perfect choice to lead the Rolls-Royce design team to future success.”

Rainer Ohler to take charge of EADS Corporate Communications

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ainer Ohler, 50, has taken charge of EADS Corporate Communications.

In his new position he will be responsible for group-wide internal and external communications at EADS, reporting directly to EADS CEO Tom Enders. Previously senior vice-president Public Affairs and Communications at Airbus. Rainer Ohler now succeeds Pierre Bayle who will leave the company.

“Pierre Bayle has been with EADS from the very beginning, and knows the group better than almost anyone else. He was instrumental in establishing the group’s global reputation as a strong brand. EADS is deeply grateful to him for his outstanding achievements,” said Tom Enders.

Peter Vanacker joins Treofan Group as CEO

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eter Vanacker (46) will join Treofan Group as chief executive officer effective 1 September 2012. Fresh from a distinguished career at Bayer AG, Peter Vanacker brings to Treofan a deep knowledge of the chemical industry and broad experience at senior management level in a global blue-chip company. He has been a member of Bayer MaterialScience’s Executive Committee

since 2003. Most recently, he served as executive vice-president and chief marketing and innovation officer at Bayer MaterialScience AG. Before that, he led Bayer’s Business Unit Polyurethanes as general manager and was head of EMEA at Bayer Polymers AG, head of Polymer Solutions Americas at Bayer Corp (USA) and regional director Polyurethanes South America in Brazil.

Industry Europe 21

NEWS

TECHNOLOGYSPOTLIGHT

Advances in technology across industry

Siemens helps NASA usher in a new era in space exploration

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he latest Mars Rover ‘Curiosity’ – designed by NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) using Siemens software – is an example of how modern software technology is being employed to enhance competitiveness in the aerospace industry.

‘Curiosity’ is the most sophisticated rover ever sent to Mars, and will further enhance our understanding of the Red Planet, while paving

the way for future human exploration,” said Doug McCuistion, NASA director of the Mars Exploration Program. “The team of scientists and engineers at NASA’s JPL has employed the latest in software technology to design the Mars Rover to withstand the impossible extremes of launch, space travel, atmospheric reentry, and landing a 2000 pound operational vehicle on the surface of Mars.”

JPL used product lifecycle management (PLM) software from Siemens throughout the development process to digitally design, simulate and assemble the Rover before any physical prototypes were built.

The software helped ensure all components would fit together, operate properly and withstand whatever environment the mission would require.

Visit: www.siemens.com/industry

Print your Drone: EADS presents ALM technologies AT

July’s Farnborough Airshow, EADS Innovation Works presented the prototype of a portable Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) produced by Additive Layer Manufacturing (ALM) technology, also known as 3D-printing. The plane with a wingspan of approximately. 1.5 metres has been designed by students from the University of Leeds. The small, portable drone will be capable of being controlled via wireless video communication over a short distance. Powered by batteries, it could serve as a tool for surveillance, search and rescue or disaster control.

Using ALM technology in the production of such a small drone opens new possibilities for aerodynamic optimisations such as wing twist, which would otherwise be difficult and expensive to realise for an aircraft of this scale.

The revolutionary manufacturing process known as Additive Layer Manufacturing (ALM) is based upon the principles of rapid prototyping and allows single products to be grown from a fine powder of metal (such as titanium, stainless steel or aluminium), nylon or carbon-reinforced plastics. EADS has developed the technology to the extent that it can manipulate metals, nylon, and carbon-reinforced plastics at a molecular level, which allows it to be applied to high-stress, safety critical aviation uses. Compared to a traditional, machined part, those produced by ALM are up to 65% lighter but still as strong as those would be.

Visit: www.eads.com

22 Industry Europe

Professor Magnus Willander

White LEDs directly on paper I

magine a white luminous curtain waving in the breeze. Or wallpaper that lights up your room with perfect white light. The applications are not very far away. White LEDs, made from zinc oxide and a conducting polymer, can be manufactured directly on paper, as shown by Gul Amin in his doctoral thesis at Linköping University.

In his thesis, Gul Amin shows how it is possible to grow white LEDs directly on paper and also to print them on wallpaper for example. This method has a patent pending.

The active components are nanorods of zinc oxide on a thin layer of polydiethylflourene (PFO), a conducting polymer. But the paper has first been coated with a thin, water-repellent, protective and levelling layer of cyclotene, a resin.

“This is the first time anyone has been able to build electronic and photonic inorganic semiconducting components directly on paper using chemical methods,” says Professor Magnus Willander, who is leading the research.

Visit: www.liu.se

EURO-REPORT

FOCUS ON...

France Ian Sparks reports from Paris on the flight from higher taxes.

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rance’s luxury property market has been experiencing an unexpected boom since the socialists seized power in May’s election – as the country’s highest earners sell up and move overseas in fear of looming tax hikes.

The latest estate agency figures have shown wealthy families are fleeing France to ‘wealth-friendly’ nations like Britain and Switzerland, triggering a surge in sales of homes worth more than 1.5 million euros.

Many of France’s biggest companies are also fielding a raft of demands from their highest paid executives to be relocated overseas before President Francois Hollande imposes his threat to tax all earnings over one million euros a year at a massive 75 per cent. The previous top tax bracket of 41 per cent on earnings over €72,000 is also set to increase to 45 per cent.

British estate agent Sotherby’s said its French offices sold more than 100 properties over €1.5 million between April and June this year – a marked increase on the same period in 2011. Sotheby’s French boss Alexander Kraft said: “The result of the presidential election has had a real impact on our sales. Now a large number of wealthy French families are leaving the country as a direct result of the proposals of the new government.

“These properties are then bought up by foreign investors, including a lot of Arabs and Russians, looking for a stable real estate market like France to invest in, although clearly not planning to actually live in France and pay French taxes. It shows the high-end property market is holding up very well.”

Swiss tax consultant Gilles Martin also told his country’s 20 Minutes newspaper: “Since the socialists came to power in France, I have been deluged with inquiries from rich French people who would rather pay their tax in Switzerland.”

Paris business analyst Jean-Yves Grandjean added: “It is getting harder and harder for firms to attract the best staff. Even those

who might earn in the high five figures are staying away. A trend has begun that is only going to become more pronounced during Mr Hollande’s presidency.”

Prime minister David Cameron angered the French last month when he said he would ‘roll out the red carpet’ to wealthy French citizens and firms who wanted to move out and pay their taxes in Britain.

MP Claude Bartolone, a staunch ally of President Hollande, said: “I hope that it was an after-dinner remark and that he didn’t have all his wits about him when he said these things.

“He can’t have had his wits about him because if he had, he would have paid more attention to all those Europeans who go to work in England but who come for medical treatment in France and who put their children in French schools because there are no more public services in England.”

France’s European Affairs Minister Bernard Cazeneuve also told Canal Plus television: “What I can answer to this statement from the British prime minister is that French bosses are patriots. There is a range of measures we will take in favour of business, measures that will support investment and encourage business to stay in France.”

More subsidies A large slice of France’s planned tax revenue now looks set to be ploughed into the country’s ailing car industry, where sales and profits have plunged over recent months.

For the nation’s biggest car manufacturer PSA Peugeot Citroen – which recently announced almost 8000 job cuts over the next three years and a 2012 first half loss of €819 million – the package of new measures could not have come at a better time.

The government has now pledged €1.8 billion in subsidies, with much of it to be used to encourage people to buy ‘greener’ electric and hybrid cars. Measures include raising the subsidies on buying battery-

powered vehicles from 5000 euros to a maximum of 7000 euros, and from 2000 euros to 4000 euros for hybrids.

The handouts are designed to help manufacturers offset the higher cost of more environmentally friendly cars and thus make them more competitive. Inversely, existing penalties for heavily polluting cars will be increased.

But Guillaume Cairou, the head of leading French management consultancy Didaxis, dismissed the measures as ‘modest’ considering the scale of the car industry’s problems.

He said: “The real problem with France’s auto industry is the high cost of employment.

The government’s plan is piecemeal, does not focus on the long term and is not what the industry needs. PSA, and the industry as a whole, needs to change its strategy to become less reliant on government handouts and above all try to develop its standing in foreign markets and show that French leadership in the automotive sector is still possible.”

And the government’s own IFP Energies Nouvelles (renewable energies) institute said there were still major hurdles in the way of luring drivers towards greener vehicles.

The body wrote on its website: “It’s the age-old problem of the chicken and the egg.

Without a sufficient number of recharging points, consumers will not be interested in buying electric cars. And without a critical mass of electric cars, there is no reason to install the recharging points.”

The French car industry has only a tiny one per cent share of the global market in hybrid vehicles, which has doubled worldwide from around 500,000 in 2008 to more than a million in 2011.

French prime minister Jean-Marc Ayrault said: “France has the potential to become a world leader in green cars. The plans we have announced are extremely ambitious and show we are committed to seeing the automotive industry not only recover but begin to n thrive again on the world stage.”

Industry Europe 23

EURO-REPORT

FOCUS ON...

Germany Allan Hall reports from Berlin on Germany’s investment in green energy.

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ermany’s BMW is expanding a tie-up with Toyota Motor on hybrid and fuel-cell vehicle technology as the global automakers push further into the ‘green’ market.

The greening of the automobile would have been an unthinkable concept 20 years ago.

Now the scramble is on among all the major automakers to get in on the act. And with Germany one of the world’s biggest players, it is no surprise they are innovators on a grand scale.

BMW and Toyota are involved in boosting a previously announced agreement involving joint research on next-generation lithium ion batteries. The initial tie-up involved technology for electric cars, and the broadened deal will focus on batteries for hybrid gasoline-electric and fuel-cell vehicles.

It marks the first time that Japan’s top automaker will supply its fuel-cell technology, which relies on hydrogen to supply a vehicle’s battery, to a rival. BMW, meanwhile, will provide its expertise on light car bodies made from carbon fibre to Toyota, as cutting a car’s weight leads to better fuel efficiency.

Under the earlier deal announced last year, the German automaker also agreed to provide diesel engines for Toyota as the Japanese firm looks to boost sales in Europe, where more than half of passenger cars are diesel powered. Demand for lower-emission diesel vehicles is forecast to grow, with further technological advances in the field seen as crucial due to toughening vehicle emissions standards.

The alliance comes as companies worldwide prepare for a future free from fossil fuel.

Record high fuel prices in 2012 are forcing all of us to gradually kick the oil habit as we await the fruits of an energy revolution involving batteries, wind and solar power and energy plants producing biofuel.

Earth’s supply of oil is approaching its limits. The development of new fields is becoming more and more complicated, costly and dangerous. Crucially, not even all of the oil in the Arctic and the deep sea 24 Industry Europe

will be enough to quench the immense thirst for energy developing in East Asia.

China already consumes nine million barrels of oil a day, or almost twice as much as it did 10 years ago. It is estimated that by 2020 the number of new cars sold in China will be 70 per cent higher than today.

Germany, with its broad industrial base and its flagship industries of car manufacturing, machine-building and chemical production, is more dependent on energy than any other country in the European Union.

Germany’s renewable energy sector is among the most innovative and successful worldwide.

Germany’s spending on oil has increased dramatically, growing by more than €23 billion within two years – an increase equivalent to almost one per cent of the country’s gross domestic product. This translates into lower profits and less investment.

Seeking solutions BASF, the world’s largest chemical company, is now seeking solutions to a postfossil fuel world. BASF has entered the battery business and soon hopes to become a major player worldwide. To achieve its goal, BASF is spending several hundred million euros, buying up speciality businesses and hiring dozens of scientists. Many of them work in building M 100 at the northern end of its Ludwigshafen plant grounds.

A century ago, Fritz Haber and Carl Bosch developed a process there to synthetically produce ammonia, the key prerequisite for the production of synthetic fertiliser, which was a revolution for global food production.

Now Andreas Fischer, an electrochemist, is searching for a solution to another problem facing humanity: mobility in an epoch without petrol and oil.

Already there is progress. The share of electricity produced from renewable energy in Germany has increased from 6.3 per cent of the national total in 2000 to over 20 per cent today. According to official figures, some 370,000 people in Germany are now employed in the renewable energy sector, especially in small- and medium-sized companies which make up the backbone of the country’s export led economy.

Germany’s renewable energy sector is among the most innovative and successful worldwide. Nordex, Repower, Fuhrländer and Enercon are wind power companies based in Germany. SolarWorld, Q-Cells and Conergy are solar power companies based in Germany, companies which dominate the world market.

Every third solar panel and every second wind rotor is made in Germany, and German turbines and generators used in hydro energy generation are among the most popular worldwide.

Nearly 800,000 people work in the German environment technology sector; an estimated 214,000 people work with renewables in Germany, up from 157,000 in 2004.

Siemens chief executive, Peter Löscher, believes that Germany’s target of generating 35 per cent of its energy from renewables by 2020 is achievable – and, most probably, profitable for Europe’s largest engineering company. Its ‘environmental solutions’ portfolio, which is firmly focused on renewables, is “already generating more than €27 billion a year, 35 per cent of Siemens’ total revenue, and the plan is to grow this to €40 billion by 2015.” Ending its involvement in nuclear industry will boost the credibility of Siemens as a purveyor of ‘green technology’.

No wonder the colour of the future has been seen by BMW and Toyota. And that n colour is green.

SPECIALISTS IN ZINC COATING ZWM STRUMET Ltd, based in Strumien in south-east Poland, is Poland’s largest manufacturer of transportation and storage systems. It is also one of the largest companies of its kind in Europe. Dariusz Balcerzyk reports.

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WM STRUMET Ltd has been established for more than 20 years and is well known both in Poland and abroad.

The company’s core product range consists of various kinds of containers. “We help our clients to choose a proper container for their individual needs. We also produce container prototypes, which may be tested by a client before serial production,” says Ryszard Sciskala, STRUMET’s president of the board.

STRUMET’s products are mainly destined for the automotive industry. They are also used by the metal industry, chemical industry, construction and other industries.

The company uses high quality welding sand to makes its products; the welding process itself is supervised by qualified inspectors as well as by scientific and research institutions. According to the client’s requirements, the products are coated with lacquer on an electrostatic ‘wet’ lacquering line or coated with zinc in a hot dip zinc plant. STRUMET is able to manufacture containers in electrogalvanised or powder painted versions.

Constant growth and development STRUMET has a design office which is equipped with the latest CATIA V5 and Autodesk Inventor software. “Thanks to strong teamwork, we can design products from scratch. The entire process is focused on maximising safety and minimising the

costs related to using the container – as the costs are generated not only by the price of the container but also by the space it requires during transport and storage,” explains Mr Sciskala.

In March 2008, the company put its zinc coating plant into operation. “It is the largest and most modern zinc plating plant in Podbeskidzie and is one of the largest such plants in Poland.”

The last three years have seen great investments in the company, including a 50 per cent increase in production space and the purchase of modern computer-controlled machines and the latest design software.

STRUMET has numerically controlled automatic pipe cutting machines, a numerical cornice brake, a TRUMATIC L 3030 laser cutting plotter and many of other modern machines. The company has recently started the construction of a powder coating plant.

Modern zinc coating plant The company is very proud of its zinc coating plant. “Zinc is a natural metallic chemical element,” says Mr Sciskala. “It is present in our natural environment, in the air, soil and water reservoirs. Zinc is not harmful to the environment; it is even a necessary element for living organisms.”

The hot-dip zinc coating (plating), known as zinc coating by immersion, is one of the most efficient methods of steel structure

rustproof protection. The process consists of submerging steel objects in a tank filled with melted zinc alloy at a temperature of 445–455oC. The average zinc loss in this kind of structure ranges from 1–2 µm per year (for use under non-aggressive conditions). Therefore, the average working life of zinc coats is 30 years, but it can reach even 100 years.

STRUMET’s zinc coating plant is equipped with modern environmental protection devices.

All process tanks are provided with a chemical leakage protection system in case the tank loses its tightness. Tank extractors are connected to an absorber to prevent chemical vapours from being released into the environment. The zinc coating plant releases no liquid waste, because process solutions operate within a closed circuit.

Recognised quality “Our efforts to satisfy our customers are confirmed by the certified quality management system applied at our plant. Our efforts have also been widely appreciated: We received Dedal Award in 2010, for creating a positive image of the Podbeskidzie region. In 2011 we were awarded the Golden Laurel of Skills and Competences. Also in 2011, Dun & Bradstreet, the leading international provider of global business information, awarded STRUMET with the Certificate of Business Credibility,” concludes n Mr Sciskala.

MALCHEM MALCHEM, a company based in Poland, is a producer of paints and varnishes for anti-corrosion protection of steel and concrete. Our offer is based on fastdrying alkyd paints, and modern, chemical-resistant epoxy and polyurethane products. The MALCHEM products have the appropriate approvals, confirming the high quality, repeatability and reliability. MALCHEM provides a professional service, including: technical advice, reliable information and valuation, training of painting teams, supervision during the implementation of the coatings, adjustment of the coating technical parameters for optimal application, flexibility of coating colours, warranty and post-warranty services.

Detailed information can be found on our website: www.malchem.com.pl

Industry Europe 25

AUDI’S WINNING FORMULA As the premium car maker with ‘the four rings’, Audi AG is bucking the global trend in the challenging automotive sector to deliver impressive gains across the world. Emma-Jane Batey looks at the company’s latest news to see how this is being achieved.

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ermany’s most successful car maker, Audi AG is famed for its exciting and varied past, which is paving the way for a progressive future that puts the premium brand firmly in the automotive success stories of tomorrow too. With new plants in emerging markets, innovative models and new generation upgrades and a continued commitment to expanding its family, the Audi of today would certainly make its founder proud.

24 Industry Europe

The roots of Audi AG go back to the 19th century when pioneering automotive engineer August Horch started his first business in 1899. His ambition saw the development of joint stock company Audi Automobilwerke GmbH in 1914 – as the name Horch was already in use, he took the Latin translation (meaning ‘hark’ or ‘listen’) instead.

Dedicated to quality and sporting achievement right from the start, the Audi brand

steadily grew thanks to its manufacture of exquisite cars, a passion that continues to define Audi more than a century later.

Today, Audi AG remains characterised by its core competences of ‘design, ultra, connect, and e-tron’, which have all been carefully chosen to illustrate how the brand remains true to its valuable heritage yet determinedly focused on innovative motoring solutions that meet the challenges of tomorrow’s world.

Brighter driving A perfect representation of this ongoing commitment is one of Audi’s latest programmes.

The Audi Urban Future Award 2012 offers a new perspective on mobility and has recently been launched alongside six internationallybased urban planners and future-focused architects. The programme aims to utilise the skills and foresight of experts from six major cities to discover and potentially implement ways of making city transport more efficient and ecologically effective.

With the metropolitan regions of Tokyo, São Paolo, Mumbai, Boston and Istanbul chosen to represent the myriad challenges faced by our global conurbations, the Audi Urban Future Award 2012 will see presentations from each at the company’s Ingolstadt headquarters.

Chairman of the board, Rupert Stadler, commented, “In Istanbul, for example, the car remains the number one means of getting around. Here we would like to know how infrastructure – for example through links to virtual networks – can be optimized.

Istanbul could be a laboratory for the digital revolution and the comprehensive networking of the car. We look forward to seeing how the urban planners and architects involved with this programme interpret their region’s challenges through imagining and responding to the issues faced by future urban construction and mobility issues.”

Concept vehicles and eco-driven developments are common thread across Audi’s product portfolio. On the Worthersee Tour this year, the Austrian tuning event, the

company will be introducing three new versions in the Q3 model family as well as an e-bike prototype. Under the umbrella aims of lifestyle, action and sport, Audi is exploring the limits of technical feasibility with these new developments.

The e-bike prototype is one of the recipients of another Audi innovation. At its Gaimersheim plant near Ingolstadt, the company has been rapidly working on high-end research and development for its lithium-ion battery. Increasing in popularity and practical application potential across the electronic and hybrid vehicle sector, the lithium-ion battery development at Audi is taking high voltage technology to new levels. Mr Stadler added, “Our advanced competence centre at Gaimersheim is certainly paving the

Industry Europe 25

Hilite International Hilite International with facilities in Germany, USA and China is a competent development partner and system supplier for the automotive industry.

The main competences of Hilite are transmission control modules and camphasing systems, consisting of the camphaser and the oil control valve.

As innovative company, Hilite Group focuses on new technologies to fulfill the continuously more stringent emission requirements of the customer. This made it possible to develop a robust and high performance camphaser system for a new engine generation with global application.

The camphaser is a dry-operating belt application.

A successful aluminum steel combination meets the mass requirements and allows a robust design at the same time. Excellent leakage and friction values are reached due to long-term experience and with appropriate tolerance pairings at the rotor and stator to achieve outstanding adjustment speed values.

The oil control valve, here a remote valve which is screwed into the cylinder head – features several compound parts in the function area and integrated clip filter elements, to achieve mass and cost optimization with consistently reliable performance.

This makes Hilite International to an excellent choice for future engine generations.

26 Industry Europe

way for efficient, sustainable electric cars.

By working steadfastly on reaching the potential of this exciting technology, Audi is playing a key role in the progression of future driving solutions.”

Impressive results The brand with the four rings is clearly meeting the challenges faced by motorists today and tomorrow through its continued development and dedicated to high performance, high quality and highly desirable vehicles, with its achievements illustrated by its impressive financial results. At a time when the global automotive industry is up against difficult trading in many markets, Audi is expanding and enjoying excellent sales.

With growth posted in all regions, Audi is performing particularly well in Germany,

France, the UK and Russia. Having seen a 4.9 per cent growth in Europe and 15.2 per cent in North America from January to April this year, the company is positive about the coming year and beyond. The strong performance for the year end April 2012 saw 11.7 per cent more cars delivered to customers than the previous year.

At the recent 123rd Annual General Meeting of Audi AG Mr Stadler expressed great satisfaction with the growth during the first months of the current fiscal year. He said, “By the end of April we had already delivered more than 471,000 cars, and thus achieved strong growth worldwide.” He also highlighted the key financial figures which show a 17.8 per cent increase in revenue to €12.4 billion and a record operating profit of €1.4 billion, as well as a resulting return on sales of 11.4 per cent.

Expansion will also support Audi’s ongoing success. A second site in China is due to open at the start of 2013; the Foshun facility is the result of a joint venture with partner FAW. A new site is also planned in Mexico.

This facility will focus on the production of the Q5 and will start manufacturing in 2016. The recent acquisition of the premium motorcycle brand Ducati Motor Holding SpA will add to this international growth strategy, as well as offering additional premium engineering and expertise in the lightweight motorcycle construction sector.

With new models, additional international facilities and continuous improvement of processes enabling Audi to build on its increase in sales and global expansion, the car with the four rings is destined to be a future classic with a proud heritage. n Industry Europe 27

ALL REVVED UP

The small town of Oroszlány, Hungary is home to the second largest production site of the world-leading automotive supplier, BorgWarner. Established in 2001, the factory has seen dynamic growth and investment to date of €25 million. Edina Beale reports.

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he American BorgWarner group is a technology leader in the field of turbocharging and today has 59 locations in 19 countries. The group achieved USD 7.2 billion net sales last year; two-thirds of their products are turbocharger systems that allow customers to meet current and future emission standards whilst achieving significant reductions in fuel consumption.

The company sets high standards with regards to performance, smooth running, 28 Industry Europe

reliability and durability. BorgWarner Turbo Systems have established sites in Mexico, China, South Korea, Poland and Germany in addition to the Hungarian site in Oroszlány.

The German manufacturing site in Kirchheimbolanden is the European centre.

Dynamic growth BorgWarner turbo chargers are made for cars as well as for light trucks and commercial vehicles. The Hungarian production facility was

built in 2001. The factory, located in Oroszlány, was originally built to serve the Audi factory in Hungary. Initially it was only a site to assemble the turbochargers, but soon began to manufacture and assemble the products. The company has seen dynamic development ever since, and has doubled its turnover every year. Parallel to its increasing turnover, the capacity of the production site has also continuously grown, requiring greater investment in infrastructure. Most

recently was in November 2007 when a new 4000m2 production hall opened, increasing the company’s total area to 13,386m2.

Initially BorgWarner only manufactured turbo systems for passenger cars in its Oroszlány plant. The plant was recently successful in adding a first commercial vehicle turbocharger customer to its portfolio.

The company’s largest client is still Audi but its client base is expanding and now includes other prestigious car manufacturers including Renault, Fiat, VW, BMW, GM/Opel and Volvo.

The demand for cars with turbochargers is on the rise because of their reduced carbon-dioxide emission and increased performance. Therefore it is not surprising that whilst the growth of the global automotive sector was an average 3 per cent in the last decade, BorgWarner achieved five times greater growth in the same period.

The company will continuously improve its product range with newly developed, improved products whilst maintaining

high quality. “The company has a really balanced customer portfolio of mass- and premium segment OEM which at the very moment is very beneficial.” admits Mr Attila Bogár, managing director of BorgWarner Turbo System Kft. In order to cope with expected growth the company, which currently employs 700 people, plans to recruit more staff as well as investing in new equipment and the implementation of new production lines. “At the time of its foundation in 2001, BorgWarner Kft had one customer here; today we have 10 different clients. The complexities of the projects are getting harder, but our excellent team of professionals and existing capacities provide the basis to fully meet the needs of our partners,” says Mr Bogár. Currently more than 90 per cent of products are exported abroad, mostly in Europe, but the company’s turbochargers are also distributed to North America and Asia. “Maintaining the relationships with our Industry Europe 29

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partners on a daily basis is fundamental.

We only need to make small changes on our well-developed site to smoothly realise our planned growth.”

Lean management Besides significant technological investments BorgWarner puts great emphasis on training its human resources, using a new and unique training method. “In order to maintain our competence we have to continue to produce market-leading products and this requires excellent engineering staff that speak many foreign languages,” says Mr Bogár.

34 Industry Europe

Predominantly the company is aiming to maintain its lean concept whilst developing its current site. For example the assembly equipment will be implemented in one direction, whilst the factory will aim to take full advantage of its existing equipment and bring in changes that will increase the efficiency of the production.

“We would like to manage our operation based on a concept where decisions are made at the lowest possible levels, which will increase the quality of our products and improve our customer service,” reveals Mr Bogár. “This is quite a serious investment,

which is not put into bricks and iron but into our human resources. It is a serious training concept which is only used by a very few companies in Hungary.”

Although there are no rivals in the domestic market, there are many competitors in the region especially in Germany and Slovakia. The managing director of the Hungarian subsidiary however has a clear view how to maintain the business for the long term future: “In the long run we want to be the most effective turbocharger factory that also gains everybody’s support; most importantly we would like to gain the full satisfaction of our partners.” n

STILL IN FRONT

Belgium-based D&M PSS, part of the American/Japanese D&M Holdings, offers best-in-class automotive and consumer hi-fi audio solutions to some of the biggest OEMs throughout the world. Industry Europe looks at the latest from this world-leading innovator.

Industry Europe 35

W

hen Industry Europe last spoke to D&M PSS in 2008, the company had recently been taken over by D&M Holdings – an Amercican/Japanese group with a diverse family of audio products under its global umbrella. Formerly known as Philips Sounds Solutions and owned by Royal Philips Electronics, the company has been one of the world leaders in the development and production of high quality audio solutions for more than 30 years. Today its products serve mainly the B2B automotive and consumer electronics markets, in both of which it has a number of high-profile clients.

It continues to lead the field in the automotive sector and its consumer client base is also expanding in the premium audio segment.

The companies’ headquarter are based in Dendermonde, Belgium but it has a continuously expanding global presence. Its development centres are in Belgium, China and India but it also has production facilities in Belgium, China, Mexico, Hungary and Ukraine. In addition to this, there are sales offices in Belgium, India, the USA and China.

36 Industry Europe

Automotive products The company’s products for the automotive market include a broad range of standard cone speakers and tweeters. It also offers a number of more innovative flat and lightweight solutions. Its CosCone speakers, for example, are some of the flattest speakers available on the market today as well as the lightest, weighing just 150 grams. This allows automotive manufacturers to free up space to increase storage and flexibility when it comes to placing the speakers.

The combination of size and superior performance D&M PSS has achieved with

the CosCone are down to PSS-patented designs for the membrane and spider. The shape and reinforcement strut pattern of the membrane allow for a much flatter cone while maintaining the membrane stiffness.

In addition, D&M PSS’ range of subwoofers has been developed to accurately reproduce the lowest frequencies. For higher-end applications meanwhile, its amplifiers can bring real high-fidelity sound into the car. It also offers its clients a choice of branded product options.

D&M PSS works closely with its automotive clients around the world to develop customised solutions to meet their specific

needs. These clients include global giants such as BMW-Mini, GM, Jaguar-Landrover, PSA, Toyota and Volkswagen.

Consumer applications D&M PSS is also a leading supplier of innovative consumer audio solutions for premium OEM clients. The focus categories DSP Sound Bars, Docking Stations and Networked Audio are all showing growth and becoming more technologically complex.

In the area of DSP Soundbars, it provides sound projection solutions which can reproduce surround sound from a one-box solution. Sound field shaping technology offers a rich surround sound experience while avoiding the challenges of proper speaker placement and without cluttering the room with multiple speakers and unattractive wiring.

D&M PSS is able to offer compact personal infotainment solutions for portable music devices such as MP3 players and

mobile phones. Many of its home docking stations are equipped with Apple’s Airplay wireless audio streaming technology which can turn the device into a powerful home audio system. Lastly, it has many years of experience in the multimedia segment and is a leader in premium PC speakers and surround sound systems. Its consumer customer base includes major players such as B&O, Denon, Bowers & Wilkins, Loewe n and Philips.

Industry Europe 37

TYRE DEVELOPMENT THAT’S ON A ROLL Around the world, the KraussMaffei Berstorff product brand stands for advanced, future-proof extrusion solutions. The company’s product spectrum ranges from single extruders with application-specific tooling, to up- and downstream components and fully automated extrusion lines. Emma-Jane Batey spoke to Hans-Georg Meyer, vice-president of sales for rubber machinery at KraussMaffei Berstorff to find out more.

38 Industry Europe

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he KraussMaffei Group is among the world’s leading suppliers of machinery and systems for producing and processing plastics and rubber. Its products and services cover the whole spectrum of injection and reaction moulding and extrusion technology, giving the company a unique position in the industry. The KraussMaffei Group is innovation-powered, supplying its products, processes and services as standard or custom solutions which deliver sustained added value along the customer’s value-adding chain. The company markets its offering under the

KraussMaffei, KraussMaffei Berstorff and Netstal brands to customers in the automotive, packaging, medical, construction, electrical, electronics and home appliance industries. Continuing a long tradition of engineering excellence, the international KraussMaffei Group currently employs around 4000 people. With a global network of more than 30 subsidiaries and more than 10 production plants, supported by around 570 sales and service partners, the company is close to customers around the world. KraussMaffei has been headquartered in Munich since 1838. Krauss-

Maffei Berstorff, part of the KraussMaffei Group since 2007, was created through a merger of KraussMaffei and Berstorff, an engineering specialist with a long tradition.

The product spectrum ranges from single extruders with application-specific tooling, to up- and downstream components and fully automated extrusion lines. This product range, plus a customer-specific choice of service modules, guarantees that KraussMaffei Berstorff is a robust system partner for customers such as the bulk chemicals, automotive, construction, packaging and pharmaceuticals industries.

Industry Europe 39

Mr Meyer continued, “KraussMaffei Berstorff initially focused on producing extruders for the rubber industry and this was steadily joined by rubber and plastic machinery, rotating machines for the plastics compounding industry, sheet making equipment and different forming materials.

It also added complex production lines for foam sheets and boards. All these capabilities were considered a strong match for the plastic and rubber activities at KraussMaffei Berstorff and the merger of the two companies has created a very strong global player across the plastic and rubber industries.”

40 Industry Europe

The international tyre industry is a major part of KraussMaffei Berstorff’s business today, representing 80 per cent of its turnover in the rubber business area. Manufacturing tyre components for global tyre manufacturers including Pirelli, Goodyear and Michelin, KraussMaffei Berstorff is experienced in meeting the changing demands of these high-profile names in the industry.

Mr Meyer said, “As the automotive industry has changed in recent years so too has their demand for more environmentally responsible and performancedriven tyres. We relish the challenge of meeting these needs. One such example is the new EU regulation that comes into force in November 2012 where reduced rolling resistance and noise reduction of the tyre is required. These changes are required for new tyre labelling and they require new compounds to achieve this.”

The new compounds have to have a higher silica volume instead of the current tyre black compound, which also requires new extrusion. The new compound is more aggressive and abrasive, so KraussMaffei Berstorff has been investing in changing its equipment as necessary in order to be able to produce the tyre components.

Mr Meyer continued, “We’ve really utilised our extensive research technol-

ogy centre in Hanover as we work hard to meet these challenges. We have a team of highly skilled employees here including engineers and designers and we also work in joint development with some of our prime customers. They provide us with the compound or base material and then our team works on creating the best solution.”

Offering solutions to customers is integral to KraussMaffei Berstorff’s continued success.

Having already developed new screws for the inside part of the extruder and researched different types of coatings for the screws, the latest tyre regulation project has now reached the stage where it is ready to be rolled out.

Continuous development Trends in the tyre industry are closely reflected in KraussMaffei Berstorff’s project development. It works in close collaboration with its tier-one clients, including BMW, Mercedes and Volkswagen, to develop relevant extrusion lines. The company also sells components to tier-two clients, with this balance providing a good interactive platform to the automotive industry as a whole.

KraussMaffei Berstorff also works with the wider automotive industry, designing and manufacturing automotive profiles. With its unique capabilities in both rubber and plastic

compounds, the company is at the forefront of developing hybrid solutions using TPE and polypropylene, which is enabling it to gain new clients in this interesting area.

KraussMaffei Berstorff is active worldwide, with a particularly strong performance in its European heartland and a rapidly growing presence in the BRIC countries, supported by its extensive manufacturing capabilities in Shanghai where certain components are produced for the local market.

This global expansion is key to KraussMaffei Berstorff’s future plans, alongside its ongoing activities in Russia, where Berstorff’s

10-year history is certainly helping it to be ahead of the competition that are just starting to explore the extensive opportunities in the region.

Mr Meyer concluded, “We’re focusing on fast-growing countries. We have a substantial sales office in Russia and we are expanding our facilities in China. Our strategy is to continue to employ a strong local staff who are led by German technology experts in order to bring our unique products to a wider market while retaining the high quality and high performance which customers associate n with KraussMaffei Berstorff.”

Industry Europe 41

IN THE DRIVING SEAT In the past 18 months, global Tier-one supplier to the automotive industry Lear Corporation has seen a considerable boost in its global market position, thanks to continued innovation and ongoing investment.

Emma-Jane Batey reports.

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ear Corporation, the Michigan-based supplier of two critical systems to the global automotive industry, last spoke to Industry Europe toward the end of 2010.

With its most active industry then coming out of the recession which had hit the automotive industry particularly hard, Lear UK’s managing director Wayne Meyrick was clear that the company was well-positioned and well-prepared to make the most of the approaching upturn.

Thankfully today, 18 months later, Lear Corporation is enjoying a return to form, with continued investment, additional strategic acquisitions and respected industry awards all coming together to highlight just how the company excels in offering high quality products and services to its customers worldwide.

Mr Meyrick said, “Many of the suppliers connected to the automotive industry have faced challenges during the economic downturn; it’s not just the car makers themselves. But we have been able to stay strong despite the difficult backdrop through continued steadfastness and a focus on maintaining the quality of our core products.”

42 Industry Europe

Lear’s strong performance can be illustrated by its 2011 sales figures of $14.1 billion. With 100,000 employees across 207 facilities in 35 countries worldwide, Lear Corporation, which is headquartered in the famous ‘Motor City’ of Detroit, Michigan and was established in 1917, is certainly globally active. Mr Meyrick continued, “In fact, we’re getting increasingly globally. When we last spoke to Industry Europe we highlighted our plans to expand our activities worldwide, particularly in Russia and Africa, and I’m pleased to say that our plans have been successfully realised.”

Brand building Publicly listed on the New York stock exchange since 1994, Lear Corporation is a Fortune 500 company. Dedicated to the design, engineering and manufacture of world-class products, the two critical systems it offers to the automotive industry are seating and electrical power management systems. Sold to ‘every major auto maker’, Lear products are seen on more than 300 vehicle nameplates worldwide.

Industry Europe 43

Wayne Meyrick, Lear UK’s managing director

44 Industry Europe

Mr Meyrick added, “We have built our brand to work smoothly alongside those of our clients. We are a leader in vertical integration – by carefully and cleverly engineering every element of the car seat, we have created a valuable business that delivers reliability, consistency and innovation.”

The elements of the car seat incorporate the structure system, head restraints, foam and adjusters, and the leather and fabric.

This comprehensive product offer is certainly a key aspect in Lear’s ongoing success as its clients can be sure that the whole of the seat is designed and manufactured to the highest possible standards. Indeed, the standard offered by Lear meets the most stringent global safety requirements, its products and production all being in accordance with the standards of each territory in which it is active.

The role of many of Lear’s products is to reduce the weight, complexity and material costs for its customers in their automotive production. Mr Meyrick explained, “The major trend across the automotive industry for some time has been the desire to reduce the weight of the vehicle for environmental and performance purposes. Lighter vehicles use less fuel and have lower emissions, as well as being cheaper to transport. But of

course excellent performance must come as standard, and that is where Lear excels. Our products are all created by automotive design engineers using the most advanced technology, so we are proud to offer exceptional products to our customers worldwide.”

Product performance Lear’s product portfolio includes wire harnesses, smart junction boxes, terminals, connectors and selected electronics. In addition to its core applications in the automotive industry, Lear’s connectors are also utilised in different applications such as for domestic appliances, industrial open- and closed-loop controls, telecoms and home entertainment electronics.

Lear has continued its success into 2012, when it received General Motor’s Supplier of the Year award. The company has also increased its global footprint with the acquisition of North Carolina-based Guildford Mills, with a strong position in Asia. Mr Meyrick concluded, “Now that the worst of the global recession is over and activities are progressing well in our target markets of Russia, eastern Europe, Asia and Africa, as well as increasingly positive signs in North America and western Europe, we expect 2012 and beyond to yield n excellent results.”

Industry Europe 45

Niles-Simmons designs, develops, manufactures and sells innovative machine tools.

Abigail Saltmarsh reports on the award-winning operation.

EFFICIENCY, PRECISION

AND RELIABILITY

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IT

has been a busy time for NilesSimmons and its Germany-based, machine tools operation. The company, which manufactures equipment for the automotive and rail vehicle industry, as well as for the construction of general machines, has been preparing for a string of trade shows and exhibitions, and getting ready to present its latest innovations.

The company, which is part of the NilesSimmons-Hegenscheidt group, which has sales and service operations in China, Russia, Mexico, North American and Australia, and is based in Chemnitz, has more than 175 years

of combined experience in German and American machine tool manufacturing. This knowhow is constantly being improved by new ideas generated by the company’s research and development teams and its engineers.

Across the industries Niles-Simmons considers itself to be a supplier for the machine tool industry. But it sells into several different industries, including the aircraft, construction and railway.

Its main customer, however, is the car industry, to which it supplies turnkey centres used to design and deliver complete produc-

tion lines for the manufacture of crankshafts, transmission shafts and camshafts.

The company’s global reputation comes from its high-quality products, techniques and services, as well as a wide range of patents and a list of references from reputable companies. Its flexible crankshaft production line is one of its latest developments.

Its range of products encompasses CNC turning machines. All its CNC machines have modular design to match a wide variety of customer needs.

It also produces milling centres, turning, milling and drilling machining centres

and turning and turn broaching machines.

In addition to this, it manufactures special machines and focuses on the planning and building of complete production plants.

Making an exhibition Representatives of the company have recently returned from Moscow, where they attended Metalloobrabotka. At this leading fair of international importance for the metalworking industry, Niles-Simmons

presented its latest technologies, tools and equipment.

Later this year it will also attend IMTS 2012. This is the 29th staging of the premier manufacturing technology show in North America. More than 1100 exhibiting companies will occupy 1.1 million net square feet of exhibit space at the McCormick Place complex in Chicago, Illinois.

Also later in 2012, Niles-Simmons will attend AMB. The last time this event was

held, in 2010, the leading industry trade fair, was a resounding success, attracting 1346 exhibitors and more than 86,000 visitors. The event has maintained its leading position among the international trade fairs for metal working, largely due to its relocation to the new trade fairgrounds, and the transport infrastructure in the region of Baden-Württemberg.

Outstanding innovation Niles-Simmons is proud of its presentations at these trade fairs, and of the innovations it offers its customers. It also gains satisfaction from the awards it has received.

For example, it has been presented with an Axia Award. This was in the “Towards the future with the customers – from idea to innovation” category.

Chairman and CEO of the company, Prof. Dr Hans J Naumann received the prize in Dresden in the presence of Stanislav Tillich, Prime Minister of Saxony. The company won the prize for its customer oriented developments and production of high precision machine tools.

Deloitte, the company making the awards honours medium-sized businesses that have proved they are capable of outstanding innovation. Niles-Simmons was commended for its part-specific technologies and tailor-made

system solutions, which are developed in cooperation with the customer, as well as the comprehensive support provided during the use of machines and production lines.

A leading manufacturer Another award presented to Niles-Simmons by a judging panel of experts was the intec Excellence Award. Presented in Leipzig, this award honours outstanding achievements in product development and innovation, as well as continuity in the handling of the market and other notable activities.

“This award is especially valuable because you cannot apply for it. The winner has to be nominated,” explains Prof.

Neugebauer, a member of the panel and director of Fraunhofer Institute IWU. Niles-Simmons convinced the panel with its intensive market development, its innovative product programme and its global marketing activities, after its start-up in 1992 by Prof. Dr Hans J Naumann. It was commended for being a worldwide, leading manufacturer of high-precision machine tools today, and a long-term exhibitor at the

intec exhibition. Its constant cooperation with research institutions was an important consideration for the judging panel as well.

Furthermore, its recently developed crank-milling machine, N20, which combines requirements for a sustainable and efficient production process, and which was presented at intec, was also commended.

The machine has a specification which allows energy savings of 25 per cent to be achieved in comparison to a related forerunner model. Three months after market launch, sales output was triple the previous year’s. n

A PASSION FOR PRECISION Decades of experience in the design and manufacture of high-precision measuring devices have made HAFNER a partner of choice for the automotive industry. Julia Snow spoke to Christian Ibach, head of sales at the company, to find out more.

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hilipp HAFNER GmbH & Co KG was founded in 1928 and is today led by the third and fourth generation of the family, with a turnover of €15 million. “It all started with the mechanical production of manually operated gauges,” says Mr Ibach, “and in the 1970s our products changed over to electronic measurement devices, from small table-top units to measurement machines.”

Much emphasis is placed on craftsmanship, and with short decision paths and close proximity to the production, the company prides itself on its ability to react quickly and flexibly. The region around Stuttgart has a well-known industrial heritage, and the quality principle is deeply rooted – an ideal breeding ground for special measuring technology.

Today the company employs 80 full-time staff, as well as training a number of apprentices and offering opportunities to students and graduates.

HAFNER offers solutions and services that support customers in measuring tasks for CV joints, transmission parts, axle and steering parts, motor parts, wheels/alloy rims and aluminium parts. Furthermore, the company offers Flex-mandrel, a flexible measuring technology for boreholes as well as highly precise standardised gauge parts and setting masters. The solutions include manual measuring equipment through to fully automated measuring machines, and the integration of various sensors and components for highly complex measuring and testing tasks.

Technologies include tactile, pneumatic and optical measuring equipment, as well as for example crack detection, weighing, labelling and sorting equipment.

The goal is to increase the benefit for the client. “Right at the beginning, we discuss a customer’s requirements and bring our longterm experience to bear. We offer ‘measuring

consultancy’ which will create added value for the customer, because it will improve the whole production process.” As an independent company HAFNER is not tied to the products or partners of a group, but can use the best possible components to create the optimum solution for each customer. The range of services comprises consulting and planning support for new investments through to staff training.

Automotive sector expertise Automobile manufacturers like Daimler, BMW and VW and their suppliers purchase HAFNER measuring equipment. “Our expertise in special machines and measuring devices for the shop floor is just a perfect match for the requirements of the automotive industry.” explains Mr Ibach: “Our machines enable a high number of workpieces to be measured in a production process with a short cycle time. In the automotive sector 100 per cent measurement and

extremely low tolerances are called for, as well as devices that can feed back to the production / tooling machines, or be integrated into assembly processes.”

HAFNER measuring solutions match the speed and high accuracy of modern production cycles, explains Mr Ibach: “A customer may produce a shaft with different diameters, where tolerances are less than 10 microns, and every single one needs to be tested. For bearings the tolerance is sometimes within a single micron – and each piece needs to be graded so that the mounting process will work perfectly later. Unlike other measuring technologies, our machines measure the set characteristics within the cycle times, so that no time is lost through the testing.”

Extending the reach HAFNER machines are installed in Europe, North and Central America, and Asia, and export shares are currently increasing “We have some representatives in bigger markets like China, but we also generate international

sales through international tooling suppliers or from existing customers who are confident with HAFNER products and have trust in their high quality.

“In the future we want to expand our international business, particularly in the fields of homokinetic joints or electronic power steering. We have an extremely extensive knowledge in this field and our very good measuring machines have proven their reliability not just with customers in Germany but also with customers for example in Italy, Mexico, China, Korea and the USA.” Current trends call for ever more accurate measurements, says Mr Ibach: “Car makers are downsizing on materials all the time. If for example parts such as shafts are thinner than before, a higher degree of accuracy is needed. Also, the use of turbochargers is on the rise, to enable smaller engine sizes with the same performance. Turbochargers have RPMs of up to 300,000, and in order to achieve the necessary precision our measuring tools have an important part to play.”

Sheetmetal supplier A partner of Philip Hafner As a sheetmetal supplier we manufacture safety guards for the machine tool industry as well as enclosures and electronic cabinets to various customer requirements.

Our powerful equipment and highly qualified personnel guarantees the highest quality in sheetmetal applications.

Rudolf-Diesel Straße 25, D-71394 Kernen Phone: +49 7151 9 49 88-0 Fax: +49 7151 9 49 88-50 E-mail: info@mutschler-feinblech.de www.mutschler-feinblech.de

Outlook “Currently we’re working over capacity, which is very good news. We have already employed more staff and we are also about to convert some temporary structures which we are using at the moment into more permanent buildings,” says Mr Ibach. “We’ve grown organically so far, and because we are bank independent we can afford to grow at our own pace. We are happy to expand our existing business activities on the back of the positive market trends in our sector.

“In order to recruit the best staff we are constantly investing in creating excellent working conditions. For example, our construction department had a complete overhaul to improve the working environment, and we constantly strive to offer highly attractive jobs for people who want to work with technological challenges, and who want to make a difference as part of a great team.” n www.hafner-philipp.de

INNOVATING FOR A WORLD ON THE MOVE Plastic Omnium, with headquarters in Levallois in France, is a family-owned global company that is a preferred partner of automotive manufacturers. It also works to address environmental needs of local communities. It has nearly 100 plants worldwide, including large operations in Poland through Plastic Omnium Auto Exteriors Ltd (formerly Plastal Poland). Piotr Sadowski reports.

29

December 2011 marked the formal signing of an acquisition contract of Plastal Poland by Plastic Omnium.

“Plastal Poland was a company that went through a number of ownership changes over the last decade, with the production plants eventually being brought to bankruptcy in 2009,” recalls Aleksander Czajka, country director for Poland, in charge of Plastic Omnium’s Polish plants in Gliwice and Poznań. “After a period of two-and-a-half years we managed to pay the creditors and held a high-level pre-acquisition meeting with the top management from Plastic Omnium.

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This subsequently resulted in us formally joining the company at the end of last year.”

Pascal Bardet, the director of new industrial operations, responsible for integrating new entities into the overall Plastic Omnium structure, explains that the Polish plants were very attractive because of being wellorganised and staffed with a lot of talented employees. “They also had excellent relations with customers and were located close to key clients such as GM, Volkswagen and Fiat,” says Mr Bardet. “As Plastic Omnium continues to grow dynamically and our volumes of orders are turning out to be higher

than planned, we find ourselves with the need to increase our capacity. Plastal was able to offer that, particularly in the central and eastern Europe region.” It is also important to note that the acquisition of Plastal by Plastic Omnium was a move supported not only by the employees of the Polish plants, but also very much by customers.

Integration with a global player Plastic Omnium Auto Exteriors is being effectively integrated into the family matrix of Plastic Omnium worldwide. The company speaks the same corporate language as all of the other

entities that form part of the global network, with a 10 per cent market share worldwide in auto body components and modules (number two in Europe). The sales of the entire group generated €4.2 billion in 2011: of that, the automotive division brought €3.7 billion, the environment division €0.5 billion.

“The automotive division is further split into Auto Exterior [car body panels, predominantly

bumpers], generating €2.2 billion in 2011, and Inergy Automotive Systems, the world’s leading producer of fuel systems,” says Mr Bardet.

“The Automotive Division grew by 34 per cent from 2010 to 2011, had an operating margin of 7.3 per cent last year and a net result of 4.1 per cent. We are certainly outperforming the global competition and the global market and have low debt and clear cash flow.”

Already in the first quarter of 2012 the overall growth of in the automotive division has been 25 per cent, while the global market rose by only 6 per cent. It is important to note the big contribution of the Polish Auto Exterior plants – with the two units in Gliwice and one in Poznań, in addition to Inergy Automotive Systems plant in Lublin, the entire Polish operations are expected to Industry Europe 55

generate sales to the level of around €200 million in 2012, employing 1150 staff. “In fact, Poland is second to France for our overall European sales,” adds Mr Czajka.

Reinforcing market share in bumpers Automotive bumpers are the key product manufactured by Plastic Omnium Auto Exterior. Due to the fact that they are large elements, keeping a balance of their transportation costs is a vital factor in the success of the business. This was clearly another important reason for why Plastic Omnium acquired, and subsequently invested heavily, in the Polish plants. Most of the Polish-produced products are shipped locally to Fiat and GM, which is approximately three-quarters of the overall

production. The rest, including smaller components, is shipped to Skoda in Czech Republic and Volkswagen in Slovakia. “Our aim, in which the Polish plants play a key role, is to further strengthen our market share in innovative designs for bumpers, working closely with leading global automotive brands,” explains Mr Bardet. “We also have to be aware of the need to reduce CO2 emissions, which can be achieved by lowering the weight of vehicles.

Thus the automotive division works closely with customers to help them meet increasingly strict environmental standards, thereby supporting sustainable, responsible progress. The Auto Exterior business plays a key role here, developing bumpers and other components in which steel and aluminium is replaced with

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56 Industry Europe

composites and other plastics. In fact, plastic tailgates are a fast growing product line in our company and we certainly plan on offering this technology on the Polish market.”

Innovation and synergy By helping to make cars lighter, safer, cleaner and more cost-effective, Plastic Omnium as a group of companies worldwide is responding to expectations of carmakers and consumers, as well as the concerns of society. As already indicated, innovation in products such as bumpers and other automotive body and chassis elements is absolutely key in the company’s growth. The Polish plants and their staff are therefore enthusiastically contributing to the overall development path of Plastic Omnium.

“We are able to do this by taking advantage of the great synergy effect between the plants in Poznań and Gliwice,” says Mr Czajka. “We share the expertise between the units and optimise our processes on a country level, while at the same time working closely with centralised R&D activities carried out in other parts of the overall group structure.”

Going forward, Plastic Omnium Auto Exterior will continue focusing on existing local customers, while also looking to expand its client base, including offering automotive body component solutions for trucks.

“We are also very keen to ensure that staff members in Poland have many opportunities for personal and professional development, inside or outside the home country, through other Plastic Omnium entities,” concludes Mr Bardet. “The people factor is very important for us and so we will continue working very hard to ensure the best possible careers with n Plastic Omnium for our people.”

Industry Europe 57

LIGHTING THE FUTURE Tecnomeccanica SpA is an Italian manufacturer of high-precision aluminium die-cast components of different shapes and dimensions for the automotive industry. Barbara Rossi talks to Giorgio Valli, the company’s plant manager and COO, to find out more about its operations.

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ecnomeccanica, which today employs 110 people, achieved a €13 million turnover in 2010 and exports 85 per cent of the 8 million die-cast components that it produces every year. The company was established in 1945 in Novara, between Milan and Turin, and began by designing and constructing moulds and aluminium die-cast components. There were several developments over the years, with the most significant of these taking place in 1999 when the company, which had already started pro58 Industry Europe

ducing reflectors, began metallising them. In 2003 the company moved to a larger site in Novara, and in 2007 it began producing LED lamps and aluminium heat sinks.

Know-how in one hand The introduction of metallisation was particularly significant because it has allowed Tecnomeccanica to distinguish itself as an integrated process supplier, from die-casting to metallisation, which is quite rare at the European level. However, the company also

continues to supply some non-metallised reflectors to clients who prefer to carry out the metallisation process in-house.

Nowadays Tecnomeccanica provides an entire service, starting with the customer’s input, followed by mould design and construction, aluminium die-casting, blanking, tumbling, powder coating, metallisation and quality control, and then completed with shipping. Sophisticated 3D design and test tools, including optical scanning and contact machines, are employed during this process.

The 2003 move has been very important because, as a result, Tecnomeccanica now operates from a 34,500m2 site where production capacity has recently been increased further thanks to investments in the automation of the die-cast and cutting cycles. Mr Valli stressed that his company is interested in pursuing this automation trend. In 2010, for example, it purchased new automated machinery and retrofitted existing equipment, increasing the number of automated production islands.

Benefits of aluminium for headlights and heat sinks “Our reflectors are targeted at high range cars, because generally for standard halogen headlights reflectors are made in plastic,” – Mr Valli explains – “whereas our reflectors are still used for high power halogen headlights and especially for all xenon lamps because they need to dissipate a lot of heat and only aluminium reflectors can keep their complex geometry at these high temperatures.” The 2007 innovation has

seen the introduction of aluminium heat sinks for LED daytime headlights on high range cars, which also require high heat resistance. “Further benefits offered by aluminium die-cast components for both reflectors and heat sinks include very thin thickness with complex profiles, and these characteristics allow us to keep both cost and weight at low levels – essential for today’s automotive sector,” adds Mr Valli.

Eighty-five per cent of the high precision aluminium die-cast components produced

Vipa is an artisan company and this is the mentality in which it has operated in the precision mechanic sector for thirty years.

Maximum attention to the product, flexibility in order management, and answers in real time to the needs of clients are our priorities.

Our true strength is the combination of these values with the use of latest generation tools and technology and the constant effort of improving our production processes.

Vipa collaborates with a circle of consolidated clients, among which there is Tecnomeccanica, to which we mainly supply moulds for diecasting of reflectors for the automobile sector, but there are also companies belonging to the aeronautic sector, as well as to plastic material extrusion, and packaging.

Officina Meccanica Vipa Via I Maggio 5 28050 Pombia (NO) Italy

60 Industry Europe

Tel: Fax: E-mail:

+39 0321 921971 +39 0321 958046 info@officinevipa.it www.officinevipa.it

TECNO VACUUM Srl is a ISO 9001 certified SME which, since 20 years, designs and manufactures vacuum evaporation equipment for high volume production, running 24 hours per day, 365 days per year.

The headquarter is located in Gessate (about 10 km east of Milan, Italy) and extends over 6000 covered square meters in two buildings.

Several system sizes are available, from small “press-side” equipment up to the 15 tons model MV 19-18, having a width of 1,9 meters and a height of 1,8 meters.

All systems are carefully designed for energy saving, fast commissioning and ease of maintenance.

The control software uses a robust industrial PC and is designed for the highest ease of use; it includes diagnostic functions and remote control to receive assistance directly from TECNO VACUUM engineers.

The options, like cryogenic pumping and 40 kHz MF plasma sources, are pre-set in the control software in order to make their installation simple and fast even after commissioning.

Mechanical design is performed in-house with the most recent 3D tools. All commercial components are produced by recognised international leaders.

TECNO VACUUM maintains a large stock of spares to grant the quickest delivery time to its customers. In addition to vacuum evaporation equipment, TECNO VACUUM produces also sputtering and cathodic arc systems; the new MV COMBI system is equipped with both evaporation and sputtering sources.

A version equipped with evaporation and cathodic arc sources is in advanced stage of development.

TECNO VACUUM organises twice per year a training course free of charge reserved to its customers, covering vacuum principles, process development and maintenance procedures.

TECNO VACUUM Srl – viale Monza 62 – 20060 Gessate (MI) – ITALY | Tel +39-02-9578.0848 | E-mail: info@tecnovacuum.it | www.tecnovacuum.it

by Tecnomeccanica are reflectors, whilst the remaining 15 per cent is made up of heat sinks. This latter area is growing and in fact Mr Valli forecasts that it will soon make up 20 per cent of the company’s total output.

The outlet for Tecnomeccanica’s products is the automotive industry, mainly in terms of pure automotive products such as cars (90 per cent of turnover), lorries and motorbikes (5 per cent), agricultural (tractors) and earth moving vehicles (5 per cent).

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Developments in various types of illumination Tecnomeccanica’s new products will concentrate on the growing field of heat sinks and, while up to now metallisation has been exclusive to reflectors, the company is now developing metallised heat sinks for which it has reached the prototype phase.

Alongside this development, it is interested in exploring possible applications for its reflectors in the civil lighting sector, for

the illumination of facilities such as roads, parks and sport sites. Tecnomeccanica’s interest in developing applications for this area is linked to the increasing trend for LED lamp road lighting, due to the considerable environmental and energy saving benefits it can offer.

At present the company’s main export market is Europe (mainly in Germany), followed by the NAFTA area, then Italy and, with a small share, Asia. However, geo-

graphical sales areas and rankings could change as Tecnomeccanica follows trends in the production of high-range automobiles so any relocation/delocalisation here could mean a shift in the company’s geographical sales balance. Talking about future company development, Mr Valli mentions organic growth, which might take place alongside possible joint ventures so as to set up production near important clients’ production sites. He also talks about possible future joint ventures to set up production on the American continent.

Tecnomeccanica holds the ISO TS 16949, ISO 9000 and ISO 14000 certificates and was also one of the first companies in Italy to achieve automotive-specific certifications. Its aim for the future is to remain an essential partner for the major automotive n lighting manufacturers.

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PREMIUM QUALITY The Japanese company NSK is one of the world’s leading manufacturers of ball bearings, roller bearings and wheel hub bearings for cars. NSK has over 3000 employees in Europe and NSK Europe’s headquarters are located in the German town of Ratingen. Joseph Altham interviewed Volker Polonyi, managing director for sales for NSK’s European Industrial Business Unit, to find out more.

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SK Ltd is a blue-chip Japanese company that produces bearings for all kinds of industries and has built up a high reputation for quality and reliability.

Altogether, NSK has sales offices in 26 different countries and 62 production sites around the world. With factories in Britain, Germany, Italy and Poland and a turnover of over €869 million, NSK Europe is an important part of the company’s global business.

NSK Europe’s bearings and steering systems are used in the cars produced by major motor manufacturers such as Toyota and Volkswagen. NSK Europe also produces bearings for agricultural and mining

equipment as well as for machines and conveyor belts on the factory floor. Indeed, NSK Europe has customers in many different sectors of industry, from cement to food processing and packaging. “Basically we make bearings for anything that rotates,” said Mr Polonyi. “We are in the premium segment and high quality is our core philosophy.”

Working quietly NSK Europe’s largest factory is in Poland. The company took over the factory in Kielce after the collapse of communism and transformed it into a modern site capable of producing ball bearings to Japanese standards. “The factory

in Kielce uses the same kind of machines as any other NSK factory and produces bearings for customers everywhere in Europe.”

Although demand from eastern Europe is growing, Mr Polonyi said that Germany is still NSK Europe’s single largest market, accounting for over 40 per cent of total sales.

NSK Europe’s bearings are widely used by manufacturers of white goods, including the prestigious German brands, BSH and Miele.

High quality bearings in the motor of a washing machine result in a quieter appliance. “With washing machines it is necessary to distinguish between the motor bearings and the drum bearings. The noise comes from the vibration

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of the motor. High quality bearings allow the motor to run more quietly and smoothly. Drum bearings are designed for strength. We make drum bearings from special steel as they have to be strong enough to support five kilograms of washing up to 1600 rpm spinning speed.”

NSK Europe’s bearings also improve the performance of machines in heavy industry.

One example is the papermaking industry, for which the company produces special rolling bearings that are designed to mitigate the effects of wear and tear on the calendar roll.

“As the long cylinders in a paper machine heat up, they get wider, and this creates misalignments. We offer special bearings that can compensate for the misalignment.”

Total cost of ownership NSK Europe positions itself at the higher end of the market. The company has developed various solutions to fit the requirements of different industries, working in cooperation with the manufacturers of industrial machinery. Its customers understand that quality is worth the

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price. The key concept, says Volker Polonyi, is total cost of ownership. “The big issue is minimising friction. The less the friction, the lower the costs for the end user.” What this means for the consumer is a washing machine that is not only quieter but also consumes less electricity and will probably last longer too.

In heavy industry, bearings that keep the machinery running smoothly help businesses avoid unscheduled stoppages for maintenance and unnecessary downtime. “Papermaking machines are big – 100 metres long – and the cost of a stoppage lasting only one hour is very high.”

Wind power In the wind energy industry, the need for reliable bearings is even more acute. A wind turbine needs bearings for its pitch and yaw gears and in its main gearbox. Although a wind turbine may look simple, the technology is highly advanced and has to withstand many challenges. On an offshore wind farm, the environment is especially tough, and repairing

equipment in the middle of the North Sea is tricky and expensive.

“We supply bearings to the main manufacturers of the gearboxes for the turbines.

A turbine’s rotor and generator will need big bearings, but with the gearboxes the requirements are particularly high. The technical challenges have grown as the turbines have increased in size. In 2000, turbines produced a maximum of 1.5MW of electricity, but today there are offshore turbines producing as much as 5MW. If something fails, you have a big problem, so our philosophy is to use the best possible material for the bearings, which is toughened steel. It is a complex system and our engineering team works closely on projects with the wind turbine makers.

“The biggest part of the job is in the application engineering, where we use sophisticated computer modelling. We expect sales of bearings for wind turbines to grow in the future. Germany is planning to give up nuclear energy so here wind power will come to play n a more significant role.”

THE COLOUR OF SUCCESS The Flügger group is one of Scandinavia’s largest producers and suppliers of paint products.

Abigail Saltmarsh looks at its growing operation.

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EO of Flügger, Søren P. Olesen, is looking for growth within the group’s existing markets by strengthening its operation where it already has a presence.

The group, which produces and markets a full range of architectural paint, wood stain, wallpaper and painting tools, is one of Scandinavia’s largest producers and suppliers of paint products.

Danish owned, and with some 1500 employees, the group has its own production facilities and a chain of 300 retail stores. It also supplies more than 300 franchise operations.

“We are looking for growth in our existing markets – Scandinavia, the north Atlantic, Poland, the Czech Republic and China,” he says. “We are looking for organic growth through the optimisation of our markets, which means opening more stores.”

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Flügger was established in 1783, by Johan Daniel Flügger. It remained in the Flügger family through four generations until 1973.

In 1975, the Flügger chain of shops was founded and in 1983 the group went public.

Between 1984 and 1985, it then bought Fiona, Denmark’s largest wallpaper factory, and Dansk Smergelfabrik, Denmark’s only manufacturer of abrasive materials.

Both factories later merged with Flügger A/S. In Sweden, the company bought Stiwex AB and Forsbergs Børstefabrik, paint brush and paint roller factories, which later merged under the name Stiwex AB.

A market leader In the 1990s, the Swedish platform was expanded. Flügger bought HP Färg & Kemi, Sweden’s third-largest paint and varnish

factory that later changed its name to Flügger AB, and it established a new central warehouse in Gothenburg with room for 11,500 pallets, in order to serve the Swedish and Norwegian markets.

In 2004, Flügger bought HarpaSjöfn in Iceland – making Flügger the market leader in the North Atlantic region. The acquisition was made to follow the strategy of development in the Nordic countries.

Since then, Flügger has grown as an international business. In 2010, it opened Scandinavia’s largest online paint shop and established its chain of shops in the Czech Republic.

“Today, approximately two-thirds of our production goes to professional painters and the remaining one-third to end users,” explains Mr Olesen. “Our core business is to

distribute and market a wide range of paints, decorative products and tools.”

Flügger produces a range of brands but its own is its largest. Now the extensive range of products includes paint, wood stain, filler, wallpaper adhesive, wall coverings, abrasive materials, brushes, tools and cleaning products.

“We have seven production sites in total and we still have plenty of capacity. All the sites produce for their local markets,” he adds.

A variety of specialist areas In Denmark, the factory in Kolding manufactures around 20 billion litres of water-based paint, wood preservation and wall paper adhesive every year. When this factory was modernised, it was also decorated by artist Poul Gernes, who is famous for his system-

70 Industry Europe

atic work with colour. Also in Denmark, in Fåborg, some 10,000km of wallpaper and wallcoverings are manufactured annually.

In Sweden, there are factories in Bollebygd, Bankeryd and Bodafors. The factory in Bollebygd manufactures water-based and solvent-based paint, wood preservation, cleaning products, and filler while at Bankeryd brushes and rollers are made. At the factory in Bodafors, plastic handles for brushes, rollers and filling knives, as well as other plastic components, such as lids and packaging, are manufactured.

The newest Flügger factory is situated in Gdansk. This is the most modern wallpaper factory in Europe. “We also have a factory in Shanghai, China, where we manufacture water-based paint, primer and wallpaper

www.termidor.se

adhesive. Here, production, which began in 2009, has nearly doubled since the first year,” he says.

A better understanding The group’s retail chain, Flügger Décor, has approximately 600 shops across Scandinavia, eastern Europe and China. Flügger owns about half of these stores.

The shops have maintained their core focus on professional quality, and this con-

cept has proved its viability in a wide array of markets, says Mr Olesen.

“As opposed to traditional retail shop chains, we develop, produce and sell our own products. This provides us with an important knowledge about our customers,” he adds. We believe we have seen such success because we have this distribution network that allows us to be close to our customers. This also means we n understand them very well.”

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PAVING THE WAY

FOR GREENER ROADS

AND RUNWAYS AkzoNobel is the world’s largest manufacturer of paints and coatings, and a major producer of speciality chemicals. Philip Yorke reports on how the company is building on its global leadership in the area of surface chemicals and in particular in cationic surfactants, and on recent major investments it has made.

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kzoNobel is one of the most diverse and successful chemical groups in the world. The company’s long and distinguished history goes back to 1646 when the Bofors forge was founded in Sweden. In 1895 the man behind the Nobel Prize, Alfred Nobel, founded EKA in Sweden which, more than 100 years later, merged with Bofors to form Nobel Industries. Due to a further merger in1994 the group evolved to become the company that is known today as AkzoNobel.

Headquartered in Amsterdam, the Netherlands, AkzoNobel is a Fortune 500 company, listed on the Dow Jones stock exchange in New York and with operational facilities in over 80 countries worldwide.

Currently the company employs more than 57,000 people and in 2011 posted revenues of €15.7 billion.

Innovation and expertise driving surfactant technology Three of the six business units that operate within the Surface Chemistry Division of AkzoNobel are dedicated to surfactants and each focusses on a specific area or region.

Furthermore, each enjoys the benefit of its own comprehensive research and development facility.

AkzoNobel’s Surface Chemistry Division alone has more than 20 manufacturing plants and sites worldwide and is the clear market leader in cationic (fatty amine-based) surfactants. The division’s main R&D centres are located at three strategic headquarters globally and reflect the importance that the company places on driving surfactant technology forward.

Employing more than 2,500 people, the Surface Chemistry Division has its head-

quarters at Stenungsund near Gothenburg in Sweden, with regional headquarters located in Chicago and Singapore. In addition, this division has plants located in Singapore, the USA, Brazil, Sweden, Germany, the Netherlands and Italy, as well as operating a joint venture plant in Japan.

The chemistry division, in line with all other AkzoNobel companies, directs much of its R&D expertise to protecting the environment and supporting the industry’s ‘Responsible Care Initiative’ which sets the guiding principles relating to health and safety issues concerning to the manufacture, transportation and disposal of chemicals.

Warm-mix technology AkzoNobel’s Rediset LQ is a liquid variation of its Rediset WMX, it is a warm-mix additive that allows the processing of asphalt mixes

at lower temperatures, as well as improving the compaction of asphalt mixes that contain high levels of reclaimed asphalt pavement (RAP). This advanced product from AkzoNobel Surface Chemistry has been used to pave the new taxi-ways at Chicago’s O’Hare airport in the USA. The taxi-ways are an integral part of the O’Hare Modernisation Programme (OMP), which is one of the largest infrastructure rehabilitation and construction projects in the USA and located at one of the world’s busiest airports. Currently the O’Hare taxi-ways are being paved to

accommodate newer and larger aircraft and in particular heavy cargo planes. The company’s warm-mix asphalt paving is one of the latest ‘green’ technologies adopted by the OMP and presented as an option to the incumbent leading paving contractor, K-Five, who selected Rediset LQ warm mix technology for use in the O’Hare taxi-way paving project.

In the field at O’Hare, paving temperatures were reduced to 260oF, which offered a reduction of around 60oF over traditional hot-mix paving. This greatly diminished the smoke, fumes and odour that typically

results from laying down hot-mix asphalt.

This formula provided a better working environment for the K-Five paving crews.

It was also noted that the consolidation of the warm-mix ATPB lift, took about half as long as the consolidation of hot-mix ATPB, which in turn reduced the manpower hours involved in laying the asphalt considerably.

Gaining ground in Asia Earlier this year AkzoNobel announced that it had completed its acquisition of China’s leading speciality surfactants producer, Boxing Oleochemicals. Boxing is a leading

supplier of nitril amines and derivatives, which are used in a variety of industrial and consumer applications including fabric softeners, asphalt additives and hair conditioners.

This significant acquisition further strengthens AkzoNobel’s leadership position in speciality surfactants, while enhancing its manufacturing footprint in Asia. “The acquisition of Boxing quickly positions us to respond to the increasing demand for amines and derivatives, with a third of the Asian demand coming from China alone,” says Bob Margevich, managing director of AkzoNobel Surface Chemistry. “It also reaffirms our commit-

ment to locate production closer to our customers. Boxing is a perfect fit for our technology and its site provides us with a sound manufacturing platform.

In a another major investment in April 2012, the company announced its commitment to the growth and operational excellence of its fatty amines manufacturing plant in Saskatoon in Canada. This strategic investment is being made in order to support the substantial growth demonstrated by its potash-producing customers. AkzoNobel’s fatty amines and derivatives are used for the flotation of potash ores and for the anti-caking of potash minerals during the manufacturing process.

Gerry Labelle, business director for performance applications at AkzoNobel Surface Chemistry said, “Our Saskatoon plant is ideally suited to service the potash industry, particularly in the Saskatchewan basin, which is one of the largest permit areas for potash exploration in the world.

Canada is also the top potash-producing country in the world, followed by Russia, Belarus, Germany and the USA”.

AkzoNobel’s range of fatty amines include such well known product lines as Armeen®, n Armoflote®, Ethomeen® and Lilaflot®.

For further information on these products visit: www.akzonobel.com/surface/

ADVANCED FAÇADE

TECHNOLOGIES

Headquartered in Gundelfingen, Germany, Josef Gartner designs and manufactures innovative, custom-made building envelopes in aluminium and steel. Since 2001 it has been a part of the Italian Permasteelisa Group – the world’s largest curtain wall manufacturer.

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osef Gartner was established in 1968 as a small steel workshop in Gundelfingen/ Donau. Over the years it has expanded internationally throughout Europe, Asia and North America. Today the company employs more than 1200 people at its German headquarters and in its main subsidiaries in the UK, Switzerland, the USA, the Russian Federation and Hong Kong.

To complement its complex and innovative building façades, the company offers a full range of in-house services to ensure that

it develops the best possible solutions for its clients. These include early consulting and planning, technical research and development, design and engineering, project management, performance testing, aluminium and steel production, logistics, installation and after-sales services.

Production profile Josef Gartner’s products include a variety of façades as well as steel roofs, all of which can be modified to meet clients’ needs. Its

aluminium single skin façades, or curtain walls, can be built as stick systems or be fully unitised. The company specialises in all kinds of custom-made fully unitised systems, whether for extra-large sizes or in complex 3D geometries. It also offers double skin façades which can create a natural internal climate with the highest possible visual and thermal comfort. This is achieved through a number of means, such as natural ventilation through operable windows at the inner skin, or an air corridor situated

between the inner and outer skin to provide permanent or controlled ventilation.

Closed cavity façades (CCFs) are a unique sustainable solution, developed by Gartner for those that want higher thermal and sound insulation that uses less time and effort to maintain or repair. The CCF comprises an innovative closed, non-ventilated, double skin system. Adapting to the individual climatic conditions at the building site, a nozzle steadily feeds clean dry air into the closed curtain wall cavity, thus allowing pressure release and preventing condensation.

Steel façades meet the demand for maximum transparency in steel–glass structures.

Josef Gartner’s precisely fabricated steel components allow for the direct fixing of the glass units to the steel structure, avoiding

secondary aluminium frameworks. Integrated steel façades, which the company has been manufacturing since 1968, offer all the above benefits. With these, however, in addition to supporting the glass, the framework is flown by water and serves as a heating and cooling surface. This means that radiators and, to some extent, air conditioning systems are unnecessary. Lastly, the company’s filigree steel facades are designed to achieve the maximum possible level of transparency.

In addition to all the above structures, Josef Gartner provides its clients with steel roofs to meet the increasing requests for transparent roof constructions. These are particularly widely used for buildings such as airports, exhibition halls, convention centres and museums.

Major project Josef Gartner has been contracted for some very high-profile projects in recent years, resulting in some unique structures. This year it completed the ELB Philharmonie in Hamburg, Germany. This glass construction rests on an existing trapezoidal quayside warehouse in the Hamburg harbour, standing 102 metres above the ground floor.

The company manufactured six façade elements for the building loggia, each of which has been created in the shape of a large tuning fork. The six elements, each weighing around two tonnes, measure almost seven metres wide and five metres high. Each unique element consists of three spherically curved glass panes and glass fibre reinforced plastic (GRP) elements. This

is actually the first example of GRP technology being used in such a façade.

The six façade elements include one with spherically curved double glazed units, a unitised curtain wall system and plaza facades. It covers an area of 21,500m2, of which around 16,000m2 is the main façade, around 2000m2 is void facades and around 3500m2 consists of plaza facades. The main façade covers the building exterior from the 9th to the 26th floor.

Another ground-breaking project for Josef Gartner was the 31,000m2 façade in the heart of London adjacent to St Paul’s Cathedral and the Bank of England. Unlike standard glass constructions, this special glass façade does not reflect light or mirror its neighbouring buildings. The glazing involved ranges from clear to opaque and provides 300 different printed patterns in 24 contrasting colours. As a result, the complex, known as ‘One New Change’, has the

appearance of a chameleon whose glass skin takes on various colours and designs and communicates in a unique manner.

This unusual facade gives the impression of a huge glass surface as the construction only has small joints and even the transition from the steel to the aluminium facade is not visible from the outside. Furthermore, the facade is not supported by pressure beads and distinguishes itself with several unique 3D elements. All the profile surfaces have a

three-layer coating of ‘RAL 7040 top-layer’.

On the ground floor the facade has been glazed with laminated safety glass with a thickness of 2 x 10 mm.

Green innovation The company’s R&D efforts are focused predominantly on developing more sustainable building façades. Its aim is to meet the highest architectural demands of its high-profile projects yet be energy efficient at the same time. An example of this focus on sustainability is its development of the above-mentioned energy-saving and low-maintenance CCF façade. To meet increasingly sophisticated architectural demands it also uses new and innovative materials such as glass-fibre reinforced polymers for free-form geometries, to achieve special effects as well as make the most efficient use of daylight.

The Roche Diagnostics centre project in Switzerland is an example of Gartner’s ability to combine sustainability with sophistication.

It fitted the building out with a highly efficient CCF façade. The building is around 68m high with an oversized ground floor and 15 upper floors. V-shaped concrete columns are located directly behind the external envelope, forming a four-storey diamond structure over n the full height of the building.

COMPLEX CONSTRUCTION PARTNER E

stablished by Josef Mainka in 1895 as a stone-setting and subsurface engineering company, Bauunternehmung August Mainka GmbH is today managed by his grandson Andreas Mainka. With its head office located in Lingen, Germany, the company has expanded considerably across Germany, with further sites in the Netherlands, Belgium and Luxembourg.

Bauunternehmung August Mainka GmbH remains 100 per cent owned by the Mainka family and achieved a €115 million turnover in 2011, even against the backdrop of the economic recession. Managing director Andreas Mainka told Industry Europe why he believes being a strong, family-owned company is key to this continued success.

He said, “Being a family-owned company is incredibly different from being a shareholderowned company. We rely on our employees and they rely on us and we like it that way.

It means that we are all motivated to be the best we can be – we have a shared identification with our employees that we are all on the same team. We make sure we reward our employees fairly, keep them informed

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of any company developments and discuss our mutual goals all together.”

He continued, “But we also accept that this status does not really make a difference to our customers – what is most important to them is that we continually achieve the results they demand from their complex projects. That said, we do feel that our ongoing commitment to decency and fairness as an employer strengthens our ability to perform at the highest level.”

All about safety Delivering turnkey construction projects, concrete and civil engineering, asphalt road construction, subsurface works and pipeline engineering, Mainka’s promise is “We work safe or not at all”. The vast majority of its projects are conducted under some sort of challenging environment – indeed, Mainka is often chosen by clients precisely for its long-term experience in dealing with complex conditions.

Mr Mainka said, “We specialise in industrial construction projects where the complexity of the location, situation or prod-

German construction specialist Bauunternehmung August Mainka GmbH is a long-term family-owned company with safety at its core. Emma-Jane Batey spoke to managing director Andreas Mainka about how the company excels in projects with complex requirements.

uct involved places extra demand on the plant. This could be related to safety, health, environment, cooperation with other parties or schedules. Consequently, around 90 per cent of our projects come from the chemical, power or special logistics industries.”

Mainka’s ‘top of the line safety approach’ is clearly an important differentiator, particularly as it has proven its capabilities time and time again over its nearly 120-year history.

Having built a strong reputation for delivering exceptional safety on complex projects, the company continues to perform well, with a strong order book. Its ‘safe or not at all’ promise stems from the fact that it only takes on projects where it knows that it can add value by implementing long-term experience in safety-led execution.

Mr Mainka continued, “I am proud to say that worries about occupational safety are not an issue at our plants. Our total safety record gives comfort to our clients as they know that Mainka projects are 100 per cent reliable.

From a technical point of view, we are able to use our skills and experience in completing turnkey projects as diverse as chemical plants

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that require specific hazardous zones, turnkey jobs with numerous other contractors on site, revamps of existing production facilities… all very different yet all needing our expertise to work to the best potential.”

Continued growth expected The Mainka approach and promise is wholeheartedly embraced by employees. The company has grown from 160 employees 10 years ago to more than 500 today, with each carefully recruited and trained to fit

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the company’s ethos. It expects to continue growing in the coming years too, particularly as it is seeing a strong increase in orders from its domestic German market.

Mainka is committed to offering turnkey solutions in the fields of industrial construction where its understanding of complex projects is appropriate. Mr Mainka added, “As much as we are known for our ability to complete complex construction engineering projects, we make sure that our clients are kept out of the newspapers! By appointing Mainka they can be assured that there are no problems with their plants or facilities, so there is no adverse

reporting about their businesses. We are a trustworthy partner that builds and maintains their facilities so they can get on with doing what they do best, safe in the knowledge that Mainka has taken care of their plant.”

The high level of safety at Mainka also enables the company to ensure a clear synergy with clients. Many clients turn to Mainka to solve their challenging engineering projects – as Mr Mainka said, “When the going gets tough, people come to Mainka!”

Mr Mainka concluded, “Our exemplary safety record, our ability to complete safetyfocused turnkey projects and our unbeatable experience in construction projects that are subject to complex conditions makes n Mainka the first choice partner.”

DIGGING DEEP Leonhard Nilsen and Sonner (LNS) is involved in activities ranging from road and tunnel construction to mining operations. Abigail Saltmarsh finds out more.

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ithin the next few years Norwegian Leonhard Nilsen and Sonner (LNS) is expecting to see significant expansion, particularly in its operations in the Arctic region.

Managing director Frode Michal Nilsen says the industry is strengthening and LNS is in a strong position to make the most of that.

“I think world mining operations will grow a lot more in the future,” he says. “We will see expansion along with this, and all our activities will grow, especially in Greenland and the Arctic.”

LNS was established back in 1961 by Malvin Nilsen and his father, Leonhard Nilsen.

Since then, it has expanded to include 15 companies, and is still run by the third generation of Nilsens. In the early days, the com-

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pany’s fleet of machinery was very modest, comprising a truck, a bus, and a taxicab, operating in the local community only. Today, LNS has a large and highly advanced fleet of machinery, and the group is at the forefront of developing and adopting new technology.

The group’s main office is situated in Risøyhamn, in Vesterålen, Norway. It has activities throughout Norway, as well as on Svalbard, in the Antarctic, Hong Kong and in Chile, and the group recently completed projects in Russia, Greenland and Iceland.

“We are also in China,” says Mr Nilsen. “Our aim is to build our business in all these areas; to look into mining operations and infrastructure tunnels. We also believe that there could be great potential in Canada.”

Prestigious projects The group’s operations range from tunnels, roads and bulk transport through to mining operations and rock caverns. It is also just starting up construction of a hydropower station in the middle of Norway. This should be completed by late 2014.

“We are very specialised at taking on projects that involve working in tough conditions,” he explains. “Whether it involves drilling, mining or pre-investigation for mining companies, we are highly experienced at working in the extreme cold.”

Past projects include the creation of a coast guard base on Sortland and the Stagnes base in Harstad. Arnesfjellet in Ballangen marked the beginning of LNS mining operations, in

1983, and the Steigen tunnel, in 1986, was the first ever tunnel project for LNS. The group was also responsible for the Almannaskard tunnel in Iceland.

Other projects have included the construction of the UN Global Seed Vault on Spitsbergen, the building of the Salten road, which comprised three different road projects, and the modernisation of the Vestfold line. This

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consisted of four projects altogether and saw LNS, in cooperation with Reinertsen Anlegg AS, build the new double track between Barkåker and Tønsberg as part of the Jarlsberg contract.

Blasting ahead In mining, LNS is the operating contractor for several Norwegian mining companies, such as Elkem Tana and Store Norske Spitsbergen Grubekompani. In addition, Rana Gruber and Skarland Graphite are wholly owned subsidiaries of LNS Eiendom AS and are part of the LNS group. In this field, LNS is regarded as a highly flexible and solution-oriented collaborative partner that has yielded long-term contracts with the various mining companies.

In tunnels, the group is the Norwegian contractor that blasted the most rock in 2008.

More than one million cubic metres of rock were blasted in various tunnel projects and other underground projects.

Tunnelling through The group has also built several of Norway’s longest tunnels. Transport and communications tunnel projects primarily involve road tunnels, but LNS also has experience in constructing tunnels for hydroelectric power plants. Projects in this industry are often interdisciplinary in nature, and LNS has specialists on staff from several different fields, including plant engineering, underground operations and engineering geology. The group’s expertise is unique and in high demand, even from international clients.

LNS takes on all kinds of projects related to underground operations, including the construction of rock caverns and underground silos. The last, and so far also the largest, project in this area was the establishment of the SILA plant in Narvik.

Here, LNS constructed 12 underground silos with a depth of 60m and a diameter of 37m. The project is the only one of its kind

in the world. LNS was also involved in the construction of the UN Global Seed Vault in Spitsbergen and Grottebadet, a waterpark inside a huge rock cavern, in Harstad.

Steady growth Mr Nilsen says as the group moves forward it is looking for opportunities across all its fields, in all its key geographical locations. The group currently employs some 850 people and sees an annual turnover of approximately €230 million.

“Current profit is €40 million but we are looking for a steady increase,” he says. “We expect growth to come mainly from the Arctic area but it could be anywhere with potential, especially where conditions are extreme. We are looking to start up new mining and drilling operations but we are also looking for growth n via acquisition.”

A TOUCH OF GLASS The family-run Sangalli Group is a market leader in glass production, headquartered in the Treviso area of north eastern Italy. It offers a wide and innovative range of products. Industry Europe spoke to its CEO, Mr Francesco Sangalli. Barbara Rossi reports.

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angalli has four production facilities based in both northern and southern Italy. The southern facilities constitute a real production hub, comprising three production entities, Sangalli Vetro Manfredonia SpA, Sangalli Vetro Satinato S.r.l and Sangalli Vetro Magnetronico S.r.l. Towards the end of the 1990s, work began on the construction of Sangalli Vetro Manfredonia SpA’s first float glass production line in Manfredonia, close to Foggia, in the Southern Italian region of Apulia. This factory became operational in 2002, soon fulfilling 15 per cemt of local demand. A year later, a laminating line was also created close to Foggia with a capacity of four million m2 per year. In 2008, Sangalli started up its satin-effect processing services (with an annual capacity of 1.5 million) and, the following year, a six million m2 capacity coating line was added. In northern Italy, there is the San Giorgio project close to Udine, which also dates from 2008, and features float glass (700 tons/day) and laminated glass (six million m2 annual capacity) production, which started in April 2011.

The product range, which diversified over the years since the company beginnings in 1896, has even further widened in recent times, notably with respect to energy saving products for renewable and sustainable applications. Mr Sangalli explained: 90 Industry Europe

“For example, we are working closely with processors of photovoltaic glass, cooperating on developing the latest generation of energy saving insulating glass. In addition to clear and extra clear float glass, we offer our latest generation of low-E energy-saving magnetronic glass, acid-etched glass for the interior design and furniture sectors, and laminated safety glass products. While both main factories produce laminated glass, the fabrication of acid-etched materials is a specialism of Sangalli Vetro Satinato, close to the Manfredonia operation.”

Sangalli Vetro Magnetronico, the group’s most technologically advanced factory, is located nearby. Here, a research and development team is working on product innovations that combine the magnetronic low-E characteristics, in terms of thermal insulation, with the market’s solar control needs, which are common to the sunny and warm countries where Sangalli’s marketing efforts are aimed. Currently, Sangalli Vetro Magnetronico produces Climax and ClimaxOne for thermal insulation, TCO glass for photovoltaic applications and reflecting solar control glass.

The operation is now working on versions of all magnetronic products which can be made even tougher. In the near future, production of magnetronic Extralight glass for sophisticated architectural applications will begin.

Technology advances In March 2012 Sangalli started the production of the first extra clear glass ever made in Italy. This is a particular clear and transparent product that needs special sand with a low level of iron. “Also all production sets are different. The product that we are currently delivering to our customers is having a great success. I’d like to thank all the engineering team and the raw material managers for the great job on this project.”

Mr Sangalli stated.

He then further added: “Our real news for 2012 is our entrance in the market of float glass furnaces. Based on in-house technology, the Sangalli Group’s float furnace designs will range from 500 to 800 tonnes per day nominal capacity and will draw on the organisation’s experience at a plant in Manfredonia and near San Giorgio. We have our own 700 tonnes furnaces to show to potential customers, in addition to which training services are offered at our plants, six month programmes for key personnel and four weeks for other employees.

Currently, for example, a group of plant managers from CBVP of Recife, Brazil, are being trained in Manfredonia. Other consultancy services available include ORC heat recovery systems consultancy, prefeasibility studies and start-up assistance

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(using Sangalli personnel on-site), as well as troubleshooting for production problems in the areas of float and laminated glass.

This represents a major step forward for the group, selling our know-how to third parties, based on more than a decade of experience in float glass and more than 100 years in the glass business. Worldwide, we are the only float plant owner who offers these services.”

Sangalli production is essentially for the construction and furniture sectors. During the last few years, supplies to the furniture sector have increased a lot, thanks to the new line of satin-effect glass, but supplies to the construction sector have increased even more thanks to the coated products.

In terms of geographical markets, today the Sangalli Group has the biggest float glass capacity in Italy, but it also increasingly exports to several neighbouring countries including Greece, Albania, Kosovo, Serbia,

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Montenegro, Croatia, Slovenia, Austria, Hungary, Switzerland and Germany.

Mr Sangalli explained that glass is a relative cheap product and therefore transportation costs count for a significant part of the company’s costs. Because of this, the Sangalli target markets are as close as possible to its facilities.

Growing regardless of the economic downturn Although talking about expansion in periods of crisis such as the current one is hard, Mr Sangalli told Industry Europe how the company’s investments are for the long term (as the Sangalli facilities have an economic life of at least 30 years) and therefore how he thinks that there is still space for new glass investments, especially in eastern Europe. He added that, as Sangalli doesn’t want to concentrate all its

risks in a particular area, the company is open to acquiring minority shares in float glass projects around the world, where it can contribute with its engineering team.

Mr Sangalli concluded by saying: “We are very focused on energy efficiency and glass engineering. I think that our facility in Manfredonia has one of the best energy policies in the world, within the glass sector business, namely a heat recovery system, several photovoltaic plants, LED lights, high efficiency motors, thermal solar facilities and even a small wind turbine. Italy has the most expensive energy tariffs in Europe, therefore for us saving and producing energy is a must. In 2012 we still have new energy saving projects to develop. Engineering is another area where we are ahead, as our furnace in San Giorgio is probably the most advanced float furnace in Europe. We are willing to expand n this business area very fast.”

PUTTING A NEW GLOSS

ON SALES

Albéa is a global leader in the packaging of cosmetics and fragrances, as well as oral and personal care products. Philip Yorke talked to Paul Sefcik, the company’s cluster manager for tubes eastern Europe, about its innovative cosmetics packaging and plans for further expansion.

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he Albéa group has grown to become one of the world’s most successful and innovative packaging companies with a clear focus on the cosmetics and skincare industries. Its product portfolio is one of the most extensive in its field, ranging from plastic and laminate tubes to mascaras, lipsticks and lip glosses. The company also produces compacts, plastic closures, shells and spray caps, as well as jars, lids, cosmetic accessories and promotional items. Today the company employs 9500 people and operates 33 manuIndustry Europe 95

facturing facilities worldwide, of which 13 are based in Europe. In 2011 the group recorded sales of $1 billion.

Product innovation and creativity driving sales The Albéa group’s vision is described by François Luscan, its president and CEO, as: “to be the best global packaging company in the eyes of our people, our customers and our shareholders.” To maintain its ‘topdrawer’ position, Albéa offers a truly global dimension to its operations, as well as innovation, operational excellence and highly creative design teams. The company also lists its core values as integrity, accountability, trust, transparency and teamwork.

Evidence of the success of this philosophy can be seen in the countless examples of the global brands that form its customer base.

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Recently Albéa launched its unique, ‘SpinArt™’ rotating lip-gloss products, which consists of three rotating lip-gloss applicators that deliver a perfectly homogenous formula onto lips with maximum shine in just one step. In addition, their bold, eye-catching design gives them a distinctive, shelf-appeal advantage.

Another recent Albéa exclusive is its new, watershine lipstick produced for Maybelline New York. Working in close collaboration with Albéa, Maybelline New York has created a new lipstick with an exceptional design for its ‘Illustrious’ top-of-the-range lipsticks.

With a special copolyester (PCTG) pink cap and silver-plated ABS plastic base, this newest lipstick features a unique design that combines elegance, shine and subtle lines that create an appearance that is both modern and exciting. The launch of this latest addition to Maybelline’s Colour Sensational

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EVAL™ EVOH adds valuable barrier function to cosmetic packaging Kuraray Co., Ltd. is the world leader in EVOH (ethylene vinyl-alcohol copolymer) production and development. 1mm of EVAL™ has the same gas barrier properties as a 10 meter-thick wall of LDPE. With such performance, an EVAL™ layer thickness of only a few microns offers a superior barrier against oxygen, fragrance and contamination. Furthermore, EVAL™’s chemical resistance reduces scalping and permeation of valuable ingredients.

Prolonged formula and packaging integrity

EVAL™ EVOH adds real function to cosmetic packaging • Outstanding barrier: 1mm EVAL™ = 10m LDPE • Keeps aroma in and contamination out • Maintains formula integrity • Extends shelf life and reduces waste • Recyclable and recoverable

The barrier properties provided by EVAL™ work in both directions. Gas barrier properties keep oxygen out, avoiding the tainting or degradation of sensitive components in the product formula. The effective shelf life can usually be extended, avoiding waste and generating savings in distribution. At the same time, the chemical and aroma barrier properties keep ever increasingly volatile and valuable ingredients inside the package where they belong. EVAL™ resins are recyclable, and can help a product reduce its environmental impact at all stages of the product life cycle.

Attractive high performance Highly functional as an inside barrier layer, EVAL™ is also easy-toprint, and when used as an outside layer on the package provides transparent high gloss and anti-static properties. EVAL™ helps extend product shelf life, and assure that cosmetic products reach the customer with their quality and properties intact.

For more information: www.eval.eu

Discover more at www.eval.eu

Mitsui Chemicals As one of the globally leading suppliers of extrudable tie resins marketed under the trade name ADMERTM, Mitsui Chemicals enjoys a long business relationship to the ALBEA Group and its predecessor companies. Since many years, ADMERTM tie resin is the preferred adhesive resin, among others used in the production of coextruded multilayer tubes for the cosmetic and food industry. Such tubes are often equipped with aroma and oxygen barrier layers (mostly EVOH or polyamide). In these barrier tubes, ADMERTM tie resins are acting as functional adhesive layers, bonding conventional polyolefins to the barrier layers. The European headquarters of the group, Mitsui Chemicals Europe GmbH, is located in the city of Dusseldorf, home of one of the biggest Japanese communities in Europe. Next to the European markets, it is successfully serving the markets in the Middle East region and Africa (EMEA markets). The product portfolio consists of, among others, various functional polymers, elastomers, functional films, PP compounds, information and electronics materials and fine chemicals. Visit the local website to get a complete image of the product portfolio: http:// eu.mitsuichem.com. Mitsui Chemicals would like to thank ALBEA for the trustworthy cooperation over the past years and is looking forward to its successful continuation in future.

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range was launched in Europe and the USA through the group’s extensive, worldwide industrial platform.

Mr Sefcik said, “As a truly global player, we provide a wide range of dedicated customer services and prefer to be seen as a global company, but with a domestic and local focus. Furthermore, we do not just serve the big cosmetic and fragrance brands but also smaller companies and those who would like to take advantage of our creativity and production expertise to launch new products. We can offer our

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customers a standard range of products as well as customised products that benefit from our latest technologies. These include our advanced printing technologies, which offer photo-like special effects and metallic, mirror finishes.

“In addition, we provide applications that offer advanced technology processes for the design and manufacture of ‘flip-top’ closures.

These are created for items such as toothpaste, which involve special peel and seal, ‘virgin’ flip-top membranes. We cover the whole range of possibilities when it comes to

packaging for our market sector and provide design, prototype and testing services as well as a full range of packaging consultancy services. In addition, our financial strength means that we can continue to invest in new technology and offer special design and added-value services for our customers.”

A clear strategy for growth A continuous programme of investment in new technology and manufacturing capabilities, in association with innovative design teams and dedicated customer services, has provided a firm foundation for growth. Whilst continuing to grow organically, the group is also open to acquisitions providing that they offer operational synergies and complement their existing product ranges.

In keeping with this strategy, Albéa recently announced its acquisition of Eyelematic, one of America’s leading manufacturers of metal parts, as well as well as for plastic injection, decoration, anodising and assembly.

Eyelematic is based in Conneticut, USA, and its three manufacturing plants already serve the world’s largest brands on the American

Penn Color Founded in 1964, Penn Color has been manufacturing color and additive masterbatches for nearly 50 years. Headquartered in the United States, Penn Color operates 4 plastics masterbatch plants globally (7 dispersion facilities in total) with more than 40,000MT of masterbatch capacity, including a brand new state of the art masterbatch plant and product development laboratory in Venray, The Netherlands.

Penn Color serves a wide variety of plastics markets including packaging, building products, synthetic fiber, films, cast & extruded sheet, and a multitude of molded products. We are known in the industry for our ability to produce very highly loaded masterbatches while achieving full pigment development with outstanding lot to lot consistency.

market, with a diverse portfolio of products for the cosmetic, skincare and perfumes sector.

This important acquisition adds to the group’s broad range of capabilities, with the integration of metal forming, which in turn provides an even greater choice of packaging solutions for Albéa’s existing customers.

As part of its strategy for growth, Albéa is committed to creating innovative products with the lowest possible environmental impacts. All Albéa products continue to benefit from the ‘Eco-design’ 3R philosophy: (reduce, recycle, replace) developed in association with its own research department and university partnerships. This has enabled it to offer its customer’s design and packaging based upon renewable and recyclable materials.

We have substantial experience in all polymers including difficult to color polymers such as acrylic, ABS, PVC, and our PENNACLE® line for PET. In addition to conventional color matching equipment, we also operate an array of small scale applications equipment in our product development labs. Internally we injection mold closures, extrude cosmetic tubes, blow bottles, spin fiber, and extrude sheet so our customers can better visualize what their color will look like in its actual end use.

We understand that every customer’s expectations and requirements are different. Our products and services are tailored to fit those distinct needs, so let Penn Color design an innovative solution for you.

Mr Sefcik added, “We take our commitment to the environment seriously throughout our manufacturing processes to ensure an efficient integration of eco-design in all our activities. In terms of the future we are also looking at extending our capabilities in key European markets, such as France, Germany, the UK, Poland and particularly in Russia where there is a strong developing market for the big cosmetic brands. In addition, we are increasing our presence in the growing Asian markets.

I am pleased to say that despite the economic downturn in Europe, the cosmetics, personal and oral care markets seem to be weathering the storm better n than most.”

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DRESSED FOR SUCCESS The Germany-based company Strellson is one of the most successful and well-respected designers of clothing lines and lifestyle products. The company can boast world-leading brands in its portfolio, including Strellson, Joop!, Tommy Hilfiger Tailored and Windsor.

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trellson is one of the leading European companies operating in the fashion industry. Established in 1984 by the former Hugo Boss owners, Jochen and Uwe Holy, it developed from the former company Straehl in Kreuzlingen, Germany, which had up until that point been producing only coats. Today it produces four well-known brands: Strellson, Joop!, Tommy Hilfiger Tailored and Windsor.

The company’s website defines its vision in this way: “Strellson opens up almost infinite possibilities for following the fashion trends and yet going one’s own way. This applies to all worlds where men move who have many plans. They pursue their plans wearing Strellson suits, sports jackets, trousers, shirts, ties, knitwear, polo shirts, T-shirts, sweaters, coats, sportswear, leather, underclothing, beachwear, shoes, eyewear and bags.”

Four major brands The Strellson brand is divided into two areas: Strellson Premium and Strellson Sportswear.

The first of these is a range of business wear for men with an international flavour – “the

most successful men’s fashion for the young and prosperous”, as its website declares. This well-respected brand has been on the market for almost 15 years and is available in over 40 countries. Strellson Sportswear, meanwhile, reflects a more laid-back style “for men who move just as easily in city streets as in mountain canyons”. It includes a wide range of casual items from T-shirts to jeans and jackets.

The designer label Joop! Menswear was taken under licence in 1991. For Strellson this is an important brand. The website tells us that: “Joop! symbolises confidence, coolness and passion in combination with German perfectionism and matter-of-fact avant-garde. This international designer brand is characterised by its contemporary and progressive looks.”

Unlike the Strellson brand, Joop! is aimed at both men and women.

Another important brand in the stable is Tommy Hilfiger Tailored. Strellson is the largest partner of Tommy Hilfiger US. This brand is more well-known for its casual lines, but it’s also seeing increased recognition for tailored clothing – and this is where Strellson comes in.

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Finally, the Windsor brand: The history of the Germany-based Windsor Ltd dates back to 1889, when it started out as a producer of high quality business menswear. In 1960, it began to specialise in the production of suits and coats for men. Lightweight fabric, soft surfaces and fashionable styles – things the Windsor customer takes for granted today – was an experimental innovation on the German market back then. In 1977 Windsor originated the ladies collection, which quickly developed into a unique brand that meets the highest standards.

Strellson’s website waxes lyrical on this brand: it is “a stylistic translation of the word ‘confidence’ in terms of tailoring and

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craftsmanship. The knowledge that apparel must not only be a visual sensation, but also a sensuous pleasure. The more you know, the less you show. Glamour shines brightest when understated.”

Strellson has also been branching out more in the ‘lifestyle’ side of its production.

In cooperation with Bianchi, the leading Italian bicycle manufacturer, in March 2012 Strellson launched the ‘Rolling Style – White Edition’ collection. The StrellsonBike was inspired by bicycle couriers in New York, London and Tokyo, who are increasingly shaping the cityscape of the future. The ‘Black Edition’ bike caused quite a stir in both the bike and lifestyle sectors in 2011.

Angelico, fabric for passion Angelico is the woolen mill based in Biella that exports worldwide a manufacturing tradition relying on a 50 year legacy. The company has distinguished its strong commitment to growth in recent years.

The key factors of this success are the Angelico constant upgrading of special new finishing and treatment techniques, researched often in partnership with its clientele, the product flexibility, the ability to react to specific market needs and the constant research and development of new items, such as fabrics for a younger target, new designs and blends of diverse natural fibers.

Quality and social responsibility The Strellson team puts a great deal of emphasis on the best material and excellent craftsmanship, down to the shortest seam. The fabrics come mainly from Italian weavers, whose work is famous across the world for a very good reason.

However, material alone is certainly not sufficient to make the quality of the Strellson label unique.

The company’s website also stresses its focus on social responsibility and employee rights. “Our business philosophy is concerned not only with fashionable and innovative products and a high quality level, but also with respect for basic human and employee rights, in order to ensure socially acceptable working conditions.”

To this end, Strellson long ago developed its own Code of Conduct to guarantee the minimum social standards in the manufacture of its products. In 2008, in order to enhance this commitment, the company joined the Business Social Compliance Initiative (BSCI).

This was founded by the Foreign Trade Association (FTA) in 2003 and now consists of more than 700 retailers, importers and brands.

A great advantage of the BSCI is its common monitoring and qualification system for lasting improvement of working conditions in the n global supply chain.

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IMAGINATIVE DESIGN AND SUPERB QUALITY Bang & Olufsen is a manufacturing company from Denmark known worldwide for its very high quality consumer electronics. The company’s philosophy is to have the courage to examine everyday things and to turn them into unusual and lasting experiences, which in practice means constant innovation. In the UK Bang & Olufsen won 20th place in the Superbrands ranking, ahead of corporate giants such as Nike, Facebook and Microsoft.

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avel Merhout, manager of the company’s Czech subsidiary, begins: “Here in Kopřivnice we are the only factory in the world outside Denmark to which Bang & Olufsen has transferred work. The decision in favour of Kopřivnice was taken in 2003, thanks to its long industrial tradition. Here B&O has built a modern factory, opened in 2006 with an overall area of 12,500m2 (of which 6500m2 is manufacturing space). At present the Kopřivnice factory is the main producer of audio systems, and the complete portfolio 106 Industry Europe

of speakers, controllers and telephones for the Bang & Olufsen brand. In 2007 a new warehouse was built on and the distribution of spare parts added. From 2012 the Czech subsidiary has also been producing B&O acoustic lenses and speakers for the automotive sector. Our brand is known for its emphasis on quality in novel designs.” New export territories include Brazil, Russia and China.

The company’s culture is based on teamwork. The Danish mother company has passed on to its Kopřivnice colleagues not

only their technical experience, but also their pride in their work and in the brand, a friendly working environment and excellent employee care standards. According to the manager, people in Bang & Olufsen have the possibility of personal growth, of developing their talents and achieving career success. The company in Kopřivnice is flexible on manufacturing times. New products are very much in demand and must be available for distribution very quickly. For this reason it operates an accumulated hours system here, where

employees can build up working time, and in the case of the distribution of a new product everyone is willing to work late.

But at the same time employees are also encouraged to take responsibility for the results of their work and to communicate openly – something that happens in all directions. Teamwork is the basis of the production teams, the teams arranging production transfers from Denmark to the Czech Republic and the teams working on new product development.

Innovation and new solutions For Bang & Olufsen, research and development requires constant communication between individual specialists – only in this way can they use the potential of the individual and so find optimum solutions. The

company’s organisation structure is very flat, with few management layers, which supports clear task delegation and role division in the inter-departmental project teams. “The research and development unit at Kopřivnice was established as early as 2006. So the creative ideas leading to final Bang & Olufsen audio-visual products come from Kopřivnice.

Since 2006 the team here has grown by 35 specialists in the engineering and electrical fields. Development engineers work on innovations and maintenance of existing products, and also on updating them, but especially on the overall product development of concepts from Denmark,” the manager adds.

The latest trends from recent years include products based on receiving Wi-Fi signals or ALT (Acoustic Lens Technology). This

approach allows for the diffusion of higher frequencies so the listener experience is always in stereo, for example when travelling by car. Another interesting approach is ABC (Adaptive Bass Control) for Beolab 5, where the instrument itself calibrates the room it is playing in and thus automatically adjusts its output to the highest possible level of quality.

Ideas and initiative Bang & Olufsen was founded by the two young engineers Svend Olufsen and Peter Bang. They met at the Technical University in the city of Aarhus, and found a common interest in the exciting new medium of the day – radio. With financial help from their families, in a workshop built in the borrowed loft of the Olufsens’ house in Quistrup near

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Struer, they founded the Bang & Olufsen company on 17 November 1925.

Bang & Olufsen now employs some 2000 people, and in 2010/2011 attained a turnover of 2867 million Danish crowns (ca €380 million). Products are sold in more than 100 countries through nearly 1000 retailers.

About three-quarters of these retailers sell only Bang & Olufsen products and over 80 per cent of the total revenue is based on this.

“Architects favour our products for their unique design and superior quality. Currently Bang & Olufsen is focused on producing televisions, music systems, speaker sets

and telephones. Our products also include car sound systems, which can be found in marques such as AUDI, Aston Martin, Mercedes-Benz AMG and BMW. Our products stand out from the crowd through their design and the use of pedigree materials (e.g. anodised aluminium), in the way they are processed and not least because of the quality of the sound and the look. We have no direct competitor, as our market segment is a narrow one. In Germany for example we have won the Best Brand for the third year in a row in the Hi-Fi category of Auto Motor und Sport car magazine,” says Mr Merhout.

Perfection in simplicity The company’s philosophy has always been to develop products which neither prettify nor distort reality. “Our motto is to make products which express their identity through their look.

Bang & Olufsen products maintain a tradition of inventiveness and are intended above all for individualists. We prefer a comprehensive approach, a high level of user comfort, the concept of the modern integrated household, where a single remote is enough to meet all your needs,” concludes Mr Merhout. n www.bang-olufsen.com

high performance power conversion Heliox is a fast growing company specialised in research, development and manufacturing of high performance power conversion products with a strong focus on innovation and quality. We manufacture with a global presence to be able to supply to our customers according to our localfor-local strategy. Our headquarters are located in Best, The Netherlands.

Power conversion products for the high-end consumer market, the medical market, the e-mobility and solar market are the main target areas. We are specialised in customised design of power convertors for a variety of applications, ranging from high quality class-D amplifiers to compact power supplies and LED drivers. Also medical grade power conversion systems, solar inverters and high power automotive systems are part of the portfolio.

Our products are characterised by a high degree of innovation, high efficiency and long lifetime. The R&D and manufacturing process are strongly linked in an ongoing quest for higher product and process quality.

As a key supplier Heliox works in close cooperation with Bang & Olufsen on the development of a variety of products. Our common mindset of continuously challenging technical as well as non-technical boundaries and thinking in a “can do” manner results in a strong drive for realising the best products possible.

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CONTINUOUS GROWTH Headquartered in Forus, Norway, Weatherford Norge is a part of the global Weatherford International Ltd – one of the largest global providers of advanced products and services for oil and natural gas wells.

Industry Europe looks at this company’s activities and its most recent developments.

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eatherford has been offering tubular running services to clients drilling on the Norwegian shelf since 1968. In 1974 Weatherfield Norge A/S was established in order for the international group to maintain a permanent presence on the Norwegian market. Today it has a network of eight facilities located in strategic positions throughout the country, in Stavanger (three facilities), Bergen, Florø, Harstad, Tananger and Ålgård.

The company has been growing continuously since its establishment in Norway, fuelled in part by the plentiful oil supply in the country (with the largest oil and gas reserves in western Europe at its disposal),

a strong economy and an increase in global demand for its products and services.

The company’s website declares that its activities are channeled towards three main areas: maximising production in Norway’s maturing fields; exploiting undeveloped resources in the Barents Sea; and leveraging technology to minimise the environmental impact of drilling operations.

Local products and services Weatherford Norge’s products and services fall into five broad categories, spanning the entire life cycle of a well. These are: Drilling, Evaluation, Completion, Production and Intervention.

The first of these, Drilling, has the widest range.

Products in this area include the widest range of cementing products on the market. It also offers drilling services, drilling tools, drillingwith-casing, inflatable packers, liner systems and solid expandable systems. Whatever the drilling need, Weatherford will have a solution for it. This is how it is able to maintain its market-leading position.

Moving on to the area of Evaluation services, these include: integrated laboratory services; a wide range of surface logging systems to “reduce the guesswork inherent in drilling and completing oil and gas wells”; and wireline services such as cased-hole logging and perforating, and pipe recovery.

Weatherford’s Completion services cover cased-hole completions to enable its customers to meet even the toughest challenges related to deepwater, high-pressure/ high-temperature and other hostile environments. Its Optimum Upper-Completion System mitigates the elevated risk, and potentially expensive consequences, of performance failures in harsh environments.

A range of well screens is also available to meet any application, from standalone or gravel pack applications to openhole and cased-hole environments.

One of the company’s key services in the Production area is its artificial lift systems,

based on precise analysis of reservoir data. If the data is managed precisely, a bespoke lift system can be developed by Weatherford to ensure improved control of lifting costs and enhanced reservoir recovery. Its engineered chemistry division, meanwhile, provides costeffective chemical treatments for oil and gas production. Lastly, its production optimisation systems allow an operator to manage either a single well, a reservoir or an entire field.

The last category of products and services, Intervention, is divided into two areas: fishing services and casing exits; and thrutubing services. The first of these includes Weatherford’s unique Millsmart technology,

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which is an engineered approach to milling that encompasses a wide range of proven products, services and technical resources.

The technology is based upon a huge amount of milling data gathered by Weatherford’s worldwide Performance Tracking System and used to create best practices for almost any application.

The thru-tubing services for the Intervention category are designed to remove obstructions which can severely restrict a well’s production capacity. Weatherford has

a wide range of equipment and obstruction removal systems, with a full line of tools and accessories to address almost any application or wellbore obstruction – from standard motor applications to the more challenging under-reaming, tubing cutting, window milling, drilling or fish removal.

A responsible employer Weatherford Norge employs around 440 people, and is dedicated to maintaining the highest industry standards when it comes to quality,

health, safety, security and the environment (QHSSE). To this end, it has dedicated QHSSE professionals overseeing its operations, all of which are ISO 9001 certified.

Training also plays a vital role in maintaining the company’s strong service offering. As its website states: “Recognising the integral role training and competence play in our ability to serve our clients, we provide our personnel with classroom training at domestic and global training facilities to supplement their n field experience.”

INTELLIGENT MOBILE

POWER SOLUTIONS BMZ is a global leader in the development and manufacture of intelligent mobile power solutions. Philip Yorke looks at the remarkable success of the company since its founding in 1994 and its latest groundbreaking battery technology.

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MZ (Batterien-Montage-Zentrum) GmbH is a company that specialises in the development of intelligent battery solutions and since it was established in 1994 in Karlstein, Germany it has grown to become a market leader. The number of companies that it serves and the applications for its diverse range of products continue to grow unabated.

BMZ provides intelligent power solutions for a very broad spectrum of companies from those involved in renewable energy, to those focused on avionics, medical devices, gardening tools, power tools and ebikes. The secret of BMZ’s ongoing success lies in its ability to

adapt quickly to changing market forces and deliver the right product solutions to market at the right time.

Today the company employs more than 1000 highly skilled staff and operates stateof-the-art production facilities in Germany, Poland, China and the USA. The market today is moving fast towards the increased use of lithium-ion, high-current lithium-manganese, lithium-ion phosphate and lithium-polymer power solutions. The company is also at the forefront of technology in other battery disciplines such as nickel-metal-hydride, nickelcadmium and lead-acid batteries.

Twike made by FINE Mobile

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Emerging high-tech applications BMZ’s core products are battery packs, battery chargers and mobile system solutions for battery packs. The company’s range of products in this category continues to expand and it includes a wide range of new lithiumion standard rechargeable battery packs that can also be made available in small batches with special, verified chargers. The latest, specially developed BMZ charger is very compact and laid out specifically for the optimal performance of its lithium-ion charger battery packs. Developers of new products in all fields can benefit from this latest product,

Outboard engine from Torqueedo

BMZ Headquaters in Karlstein, Germany

which is particularly suitable for portable devices used in medical technology, metrology and an infinite variety of other portable communication technologies. Capacities ranging from 1100 mAh to 20,000 mAh with cells connected in serial and parallel, guarantees that the correct battery support is always available for every potential application.

New BMZ products under development include a lithium-ion starter battery for

motorcycles, which are now currently available in a number of key markets.

The “LITHIUM POWERBLOC” battery from BMZ is very compact and lightweight.

This battery, specifically designed for powerful motorbikes and quads, has small dimensions and a very low self-discharge rate.

Further advantages are the fast charging and its longlife time compared to standard lead acid batteries.

Thanks to state-of-the-art lithium iron phosphate (LiFePO4) technology, the highly safe LITHIUM POWERBLOC battery is ideally suited for use in powerful sports vehicles with 2- or 4-cylinder motors up to 1500cc capacity.

Other high-tech applications are constantly under development at BMZ for a broad range of industrial applications.

A spokesman for the company added, “Thanks to newer, ever higher performance

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battery cell technologies, almost every month new fields of applications are added to our portfolio. We are very confident that from this strong position, and by the virtue of our own efforts, we can exceed all our financial targets this fiscal year.”

Customised power solutions on tap The heart of the BMZ group is located at its main factory in Karlstein, Germany. Customers around the world appreciate the open communication they can maintain with BMZ technicians and engineers who are at the cutting edge of modern battery technology.

These experts have remarkable skills and expertise to offer customers worldwide.

BMZ supports its customers as a partner and as a pioneer when it comes to developing new products. Whether a customer arrives with completed concepts or prefers to develop a new solution in association with BMZ, the company will work in harmony with it from the initial idea until the launch of a successful new product.

BMZ project managers are able to realise the development and implementation of any given mobile electric power supply and charging technology and offer full assem-

ELMOTO

Power storage Europe As a centre of excellence in battery technology, clients can rely on Power Storage Europe to deliver high quality battery solutions for their applications, on time, and at the right price. Amongst our many other high profile clients, we are proud to supply our battery solutions to BMZ.

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Production line

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blies as well as the supply of cells to suit any desired brand or label. Furthermore, BMZ manufactures all its optimal battery packs at its customer’s request, from standard cells to customised products and from a single cell product to an intelligent battery pack.

Battery installations can be assembled in the customer’s own housing or from specially developed BMZ housings.

Positive prospects for growth Despite the ongoing economic downturn, BMZ has overcome the global trend by managing to maintain healthy, steady growth across all its business sectors. The company plans to continue to grow organically and will also continue to maintain its manufacturing base in Germany, which allows fast and flexible reaction to changes in the European marketplace. However, the company’s modern plants in Poland and China are all capable of high production runs and allow cost-effective production,

a vital advantage in today’s fluctuating and competitive market.

Today, BMZ’s principal markets are Germany, the rest of Europe, Asia and the USA, and the company’s products are distributed to a further 80 countries worldwide. Looking ahead, however, the company sees the USA as offering strong potential for growth. BMZ’s remarkable growth has often been recognised in recent years and the company has been honoured for the third time in less than four years for exemplary growth and its quality n management principles.

Erockit

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SMARTER “ONE WORLD

QUALITY” SOLUTIONS CG is a global player in products for the management, application and sustainable production of electrical energy. Philip Yorke spoke to Dr Jan Declercq, the company’s chief technology officer for power systems about its recent focus on substations, smarter power systems and its launch of the world’s highest kV class transmission systems.

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CG

is one of the world’s premier engineering corporations and part of the giant US$4.2 billion Avantha Group of India. CG was established in India in 1937 and has since grown to become the leading pioneer in products for the efficient and sustainable production of electricity. CG’s headquarters for its end-toend power solutions is based in Mechelen, Belgium. The company’s diverse portfolio includes transformers, switchgear, circuit breakers and network protection and control gear. CG operates three distinct business units: power systems, industrial systems and consumer products.

Since 2005, CG has embarked upon an ambitious globalisation strategy, growing organically and through strategic acquisi-

tions of such large international companies as Pauwels, Ganz, Microsol, Sonomatra, MSE and PTS. These acquisitions have strengthened the company’s manufacturing capabilities and its product and service offering. CG now has major manufacturing plants in Belgium, Canada, Hungary, Indonesia, Ireland, France, the UK and the USA, in addition to more than 20 locations in India and employs over 8000 people worldwide.

New energy-efficient products and services For many years CG has been investing heavily in R&D, as well as in product certification, product quality and operational excellence. The company’s global research and development centre is located in

Mumbai, India, and has been recognised many times for its innovation in the electrical engineering sector. In order to unify all CG manufacturing and service facilities across the world, the company has also taken action to ensure that its customers receive a consistent, “one-world-quality” standard for all CG products and solutions in all parts of the world.

Mr Declercq said, “Since we went global in 2005 we have grown through acquisition and innovation to become one of the leading transmission and distribution engineering companies in the world. We are fully committed to the development of Smart Grids using more intelligent systems and developing more efficient integration of renewables as well as focussing on the Industry Europe 121

security of supply. Renewable integration is one of our key drivers for growth, but each country is different and where some are seeing double-digit growth, others are either stable or even shrinking in terms of GDP. We all need more grids, however it can take up to ten years to design, manufacture and implement these major projects, which often involves not only new government legislation, but sometimes major investments in infrastructure.”

Mr Declercq added, “We are a very focused company and are both flexible and efficient in all we do. We are also a very reliable company as well as being extremely cost-competitive. As a big player in our industry, we can offer both quality and lean manufacturing capabilities, resulting in more cost-effective solutions in all our disciplines.

We are also committed to sustainable production technologies and offer products and solutions that are optimised at all levels.

We are fully certified to ISO 14001 and strictly monitor and measure our consumption of both water and energy to minimise energy waste. This is particularly true when it comes to our growing involvement in the design and manufacture and service of substations. Here we offer total ‘smart’ solutions which are the benchmark of the future, 124 Industry Europe

where we can drive the systems harder and become much more efficient in all areas of our power supply system technology.”

The world’s highest kV class transmission system During the first quarter of 2012, CG’s first 1200kV product, known as the ‘Capacitive Voltage transformer (CVT) was successfully trial charged at PGCIL’s Bina substation in India. Two other CG UHV products were also tested at the same site. One was a 1200kV 333MVA Power Transformer and the other a 1200kV metal Oxide Surge Arrester (MOSA). These CG products were designed, engineered and manufactured in-house by CG. All three products have been tested extensively in a number of CG research locations in Europe, Asia, and the Americas for their capacity and reliability.

Commenting on this significant achievement, Laurent Demortier, the company’s CEO and MD said, “We are very proud to be partnering PGCIL in this prestigious project and to be significantly contributing to the improvement of the power transmission system in India. CG resources worldwide have been fully mobilised to ensure the success of UHV product developments. The success of the energisation of the CVT, not only demon-

strates the maturity of CG in the manufacturing and designing of UHV products, but also opens for the group, a large market in India, Russia, China and the Americas, where such technology will also be required.”

New horizons in offshore renewables A few months ago, CG was awarded a prestigious turnkey contract from Amrumbank West GmbH (AWG) for its German wind farm project located 40km offshore from its coastline in the North Sea. The state-of-the-art offshore substation will transform voltage to 155kV and transmit power of approximately 300MW to the German electricity grid. This extensive wind farm comprises 80 multi-megawatt wind turbines and is scheduled to be fully operational by the summer of 2015.

CG will design, engineer, supply and integrate all critical high voltage power equipment to connect the 33kV and 155kV networks.

The contract includes the supply of power transformers, and high voltage and medium voltage switchgear, as well as the latest protection and automation equipment. In addition, CG has developed an innovative AC/AC connection link for offshore wind farms and this advanced technology is already at work in the Belwind wind farm project in the North Sea. n

HYDROPOWER RENAISSANCE The Norwegian company Rainpower ASA supplies turbines and generators for hydropower plants and delivers equipment for hydropower projects all over the world. Joseph Altham spoke to Ingar Hovdelien, Rainpower’s vice-president for sales and marketing, to find out about Rainpower’s state-of-the-art technology and the important contract the company has won in Turkey.

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orway is a country with many waterfalls and it began to develop hydropower in the nineteenth century. Rainpower can draw on a tradition going back to the Kvaerner Energy firm, which started making turbines for hydropower in the 1890s. However, Rainpower itself is a young company and was formed in 2007 when General Electric sold its Norwegian hydropower operations to the industrial group NLI. Rainpower supplies all kinds of equipment for hydropower plants, including generators, valves and turbine governors.

The company stands out for its innovations in the field of turbine development and is one of the world’s leading manufacturers of Pelton turbines. It brought out its new generation of Pelton turbines, Rainpower Blizzard, in 2010. Developed for optimum hydraulic performance, the Blizzard turbine makes highly efficient use of water as an energy resource.

Rainpower offers different types of turbine to suit different situations. Whereas Pelton turbines are suited for high head, the Rainpower Storm is a Francis turbine, intended for low and medium head (between 50 and 300 metres). The Storm was also released onto the market in 2008.

According to Mr Hovdelien, the creation of the new company in 2007 served as a kind of rebirth and gave the firm the opportunity to reconsider its core technology. “In 2007 we had the chance to start from scratch and on day one we took the strategic decision to develop our own technology. With no history to weigh us down, we were free to develop the best possible technological solutions.”

Upgrading and refurbishing Rainpower employs a total of 340 people and its head office is located at Kjeller, near Oslo. The company’s main manufacturing site, in Sørumsand, makes parts for hydropower plants such as runners and injectors.

Rainpower installs new hydropower projects but the engineers at Sørumsand are also heavily involved in the servicing and upgrading of older sites.

In Europe, as Mr Hovdelien explained, Rainpower receives a lot of orders for refurbishing existing hydropower plants. “Our customers can upgrade existing power stations to increase their capacity. If you take a hydropower project that dates from the 1950s, exchanging the equipment for our own stateof-the-art technology can deliver significant increases in efficiency. Runners are the heart

of the turbine and our advanced runners alone can achieve improvements in efficiency of up to 3 per cent.”

Rainpower’s turbine laboratory is located in Trondheim and makes a vital contribution to the development of new turbine technology. It designs new turbines with the aid of computer modelling, and the laboratory tests the accuracy of these models. “The laboratory is very important for verifying the computer models and measuring the turbine’s efficiency. Our staff are a mixture of highly experienced people from Kvaerner and GE Hydro, together with younger specialists.” The laboratory is based near the Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU) and cooperates closely with NTNU’s scientists.

Global opportunities Over the five years since its foundation, Rainpower has been very active. The company set up a subsidiary in China, Rainpower Hangzhou, and has continued to expand abroad, establishing a presence in Sweden, Peru, Canada, Switzerland and Turkey.

Local offices make it easier for Rainpower to serve its local customers. For example, in Turkey it has a contract to supply two 48MW Storm turbines for the Aslancik power plant

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on the Black Sea near Trabzon. The company is also providing other equipment for the power station such as main valves and auxilliary systems.

Acting as the lead partner in a consortium, Rainpower is managing a major project covering design, purchase and installation. “This will be a new and advanced hydropower development. Right now we are at the stage of project execution. We are responsible for the complete electromechanical delivery. In Turkey we are playing in a competitive market and the country has a high level of investment in hydropower.”

At the beginning of this year, Rainpower established a subsidiary in Switzerland. Here the company has a contract from the energy producer, Ofima, to supply reversible pump turbines for Ofima’s hydropower plant at Robiei.

Growing demand for clean energy Hydropower is a tried and tested method of generating electricity that Rainpower believes has a lot to offer in the 21st century. “We certainly think we’re in the right business. The world’s overall demand for energy is growing and investment in hydropower, as with other forms of renewable energy, is on the rise.

Hydropower has a great future. In industrialised countries it is possible to generate more electricity by upgrading current sites. In a developing country, hydropower offers a huge, untapped source of energy that has the potential to lift the economy of an entire region.”

Rainpower has recently won a contract, to supply four Pelton turbines for two power stations in Peru. “We are now well-established in Peru,” said Mr Hovdelien, “where n we are enjoying steady growth.”

CHANGING PERCEPTIONS OF MARZIPAN Horst Schluckwerder OHG is one of the world’s largest speciality factories for marzipan products, delivering traditional seasonal items for Christmas and Easter in the domestic German market, as well as year-round marzipan and other items, including nougat, to many export markets worldwide. Piotr Sadowski reports.

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or 55 years the family-owned business Horst Schluckwerder has been engaged in the development of marzipan, pralines and chocolate specialities, all based on the highest quality and using only natural ingredients. When the company started its activities there were around 200 marzipan producers in Germany, but now there are now only three major players in the country, one of them being Schluckwerder.

“Over the last decade we have been experiencing stable, but very satisfactory growth,” says Jens Klausen, the company’s export director. “The recession has had no impact on our operations, since we are first and foremost manufacturing very traditional Christmas and

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Easter products for the domestic market. It is a niche area of operations for which we see continuous demand in the country. However, our portfolio also includes a range of yearround products for our clients abroad and over the past 10–15 years we have witnessed a steady increase in exports of marzipan and our other products.”

Overcoming a challenge According to Mr Klausen, the biggest obstacle that the company encounters in some countries is the ‘bad childhood memories’ among

purchasers. “In markets such as, for example, the UK, marzipan is often associated with an overly sweet, almost sickly, product,” explains Mr Klausen. “There is a lack of acceptance of marzipan in general which results from such negative taste connotations.

“However, marzipan from Schluckwerder is not that type of marzipan at all: Germany is the only country in the world with a marzipan law, which stipulates the minimum content

of almonds and thus prevents producers from creating bad marzipan. Schluckwerder marzipan has at least 33 per cent content of almonds. We only use natural sugar and no other ingredients, unlike in other countries where materials such as apricots, potatoes or even peanuts are used. Thus, our marzipan, especially after it is covered in a coating of dark chocolate, has a wonderfully balanced flavour. It is natural and of the highest quality – and certainly does not leave you with any bad memories.”

Schluckwerder has been successful in convincing purchasers in foreign markets

– those with ‘bad marzipan childhood memories’ – that marzipan can be tasty and of a high quality, and that there is a niche need for it in the given market. It has already seen a positive shift in the perception of marzipan in markets such as the UK, America and Australia.

“With the increasing shift towards the use of only natural ingredients, our offering can be a winner,” adds Mr Klausen. “Similarly, with our second biggest product group, which is smooth hazelnut praline chocolate, we only use natural raw materials: 34 per cent content of hazelnut, cocoa powder and cocoa mass,

and absolutely no vegetable oil or other fat. We also combine marzipan and nougat to create delicious products.”

Continued expansion Schluckwerder operates three modern factories, two of which are in Adendorf, which is also the location of the company’s headquarters.

The third plant is run by a daughter company in Lübeck. Over the past eight years Schluckwerder has been following a very aggressive investment strategy and has focused on modernising and expanding its production capacity.

“Two years ago we completed a brand new

manufacturing hall which strengthened our output,” points out Mr Klausen. “In the coming years we will naturally continue to invest and expand, not just in capacity, but also, heavily, in new technologies.”

Horst Schluckwerder now distributes its products to 40 markets worldwide, with exports accounting for 25 per cent of its overall turnover.

It sells only to chains, whether they are big or small, and in some markets also works with the speciality trade. “Owing to shared tradition in flavours, our major export destinations are Germany’s neighbouring countries, Denmark, Poland and others,” explains the export director.

“Amongst these countries is a similar positive perception of marzipan and nougat, hence

the resulting popularity of Schluckwerder products across these markets. Nevertheless, we are also noticing huge sales outside of Europe, in America and Australia, where we have managed to successfully change the attitudes of chain store operators towards marzipan.” In terms of new geographical destinations for sales, the company is increasingly focusing on eastern Europe – not just Russia, but also Ukraine, Belarus and other countries in the ex-Soviet region.”

Future development Increasing export activities and organic growth will be the main sources of expansion for Schluckwerder. The company is open to

acquisitions, but only if a potential target is involved in manufacturing speciality items that fit into the company’s niche area of production.

The business recognises the trend for delivering higher quality products so this will naturally lead to its marzipan creations containing more and more almonds.

“Our products can be real cash cows for chain store operators; they only have to learn from the success of our partners in other markets,” concludes Mr Klausen. “As I said before, one needs to overcome the bad marzipan memories – which in fact could be helped with the introduction of marzipan laws in other countries, based on the principles we have n here in Germany.”

MARKET LEADING

BEER BRANDS

Kompania Piwowarska is the largest beer brewer in Poland. It uses state-of-the-art production technologies combined with centuries of beer brewing know-how to guarantee the high quality of its products. Dariusz Balcerzyk talks to Pawel Kwiatkowski, the company’s director of corporate affairs, to find out more.

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ompania Piwowarska was established in 1999 as a result of the merger of two breweries: Lech Browary Wielkopolski and Tyskie Browary Ksiazece. In 2003 it acquired Dojlidy Brewery. Kompania Piwowarska is a part of SABMiller plc, one of the world’s largest brewers with brewing interests or distribution agreements across six continents.

“Our brand portfolio includes Tyskie (Poland’s most popular beer), Zubr (the second most popular beer brand in Poland), Lech, Debowe Mocne, Pilsner Urquell, Redd’s, Grolsch, Miller Genuine Draft as well as Peroni Nastro Azzurro. The company owns three breweries, in Bialystok, Poznan and Tychy. The total number of our employees reaches more than 3000 people,” adds Mr Kwiatkowski.

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A market leader “In the financial year 2012 (12 months between April 2011 and March 2012) Kompania Piwowarska retained its position as a leader in the Polish beer market with a sales volume of 13.5 mHl and a market share of around 38 per cent,” continues Mr Kwiatkowski.

“Despite unfavourable weather conditions in the mid-season, total sales volumes in the Polish beer market reached 36.2 mHl; this means a growth of 5 per cent within the last 12 months. The observed positive trend in the beer sector was down to a warm and dry May–June period followed by long and sunny autumn.”

According to Mr Kwiatkowski, the purpose of the company’s export activities is to make its brands available to Poles throughout the world. In the fiscal year 2012 Kompania

Piwowarska exported around 544,000 hectolitres. Its main export markets are Germany, the UK (and Ireland indirectly), the USA, Canada, the Czech Republic, Slovakia, Belgium and France. Tyskie Gronie, Lech Premium and Redd’s are the main export brands.

The company is aware of the responsibility it bears as an alcohol producer and the market leader. “Since the very beginning, Kompania Piwowarska has been promoting responsible drinking. We want people to have fun, be able to enjoy good company and our excellent beer without falling prey to alcohol abuse or irresponsible drinking. This is why it is so important to have the knowledge and to raise awareness of the fact. The employees of Kompania Piwowarska are expected to demonstrate special sensibility and in-depth knowledge of alcohol-related issues”, says Mr Kwiatkowski.

“Social corporate responsibility is not just a moral obligation; it is a way to ensure sustainable development and excellent performance.

Together with the other SABMiller subsidiaries all over the world, Kompania Piwowarska has established ten sustainable development priorities, a testimony to our corporate social responsibility. These priorities include solemn commitment in the realm of environmental and social issues: water efficiency, waste recycling and recovering as well as observing human rights and care for local communities with special emphasis on promoting responsible drinking,” explains Mr. Kwiatkowski.

Tyskie and other brands “Tyskie is our main brand and the undisputed leader of the Polish beer market. It has been recognized both at home and abroad for

many years. Tyskie Gronie continues the centuries-old tradition of beer brewing in Tychy, which dates back to the seventeenth century,” explains Mr Kwiatkowski.

In 2011 Tyskie won many international awards, including the Silver Medal in the Brewing Industry International Awards, a prestigious international contest in the UK. This competition has been running since 1886, and is often recognised as the ‘Oscars’ of the brewing industry. Tyskie also won the Golden Medal at the Monde Selection competition and has received Superior Taste Awards. Furthermore, it has been recognised by the jury of the International Beer Competition, the largest beer competition in Japan.

“In line with the strategy of launching innovations on our beer market to keep up with the changing tastes of consumers,

Kompania Piwowarska has recently launched and marketed three new products. Last year in mid September Zubr Ciemnozloty appeared on the Polish market; this was an autumn and winter extension of the second biggest Polish brand in terms of volume and popularity,” says Mr Kwiatkowski. “Kompania Piwowarska has also launched two more products during the year, namely a classic weizen – Ksiazece Pszeniczne; and a Redd’s with a new taste – Redd’s Cranberry, which was launched as a limited edition. In spring this year the company launched an alternative variant of its biggest brand: Tyskie.

Tyskie Klasyczne was created in response to consumers’ needs. The recipe of Tyskie Klasyczne is based on the Reinheitsgebot (German Beer Purity Law) introduced in 16th century and it is brewed exclusively from

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100 per cent barley malt, hops and water.

Moreover, shandy – a beer category popular all over the world was also introduced to the Polish market. Kompania Piwowarska’s Lech Shandy, a combination of beer and specially prepared lemonade, is aimed at people who expect instant refreshment from beer. Lech Shandy is not a flavoured beer but a genuine combination of two types of drink: Lech Premium beer and specially prepared lemonade.

Brewers at Kompania Piwowarska blended the ingredients in the right proportions and came up with an ideal balance between beer

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and lemonade. Another novelty is Tyskie Jasne Lekkie 3.5 per cent aimed at consumers who could not drink beer during concerts or football matches. Owing to changes in the Polish law, beer fans can enjoy its flavour also during large-scale events. An amendment to the Act on Safety at Mass Events and some other acts of 31 August 2011 allows for selling, serving and consuming at mass events beverages whose alcohol content does not exceed 3.5 per cent. This is very good news for consumers who enjoy watching sports, cultural or entertainment events, at the

same time relishing beer. Finally, Kompania Piwowarska has launched an innovative ontrade solution: fresh beer served directly from large tanks. It is a revolutionary method of serving beer directly from beer tanks holding hundreds of litres of beer ideal for all those who dream about trying this traditional beverage directly from the brewery.”

Boosting the Polish economy In 2011, Ernst & Young, together with Regional Policy Research, carried out a study on behalf of SABMiller Europe on the impor-

tance of production and sales of its beers.

The study focused on the economic importance of SABMiller in Europe and Russia, its impact in the regions where they are located, and on politics in the field of social entrepreneurship and sustainable development.

Based on this study, the report entitled ‘The contribution of Kompania Piwowarska to the Polish economy’ shows the importance of the role the company plays in Poland.

“The economic impact of Kompania Piwowarska can be expressed as follows: Kompania Piwowarska employs 3125 peo-

ple directly; it generates important indirect effects within supplying sectors. It is estimated that 33,300 jobs can be attributed to the purchases of Kompania Piwowarska, with the agricultural sector benefiting most.

The impact on the hospitality sector is also considerable, with around 19,000 people (full-time jobs) earning a living in this sector because of the sales of beer from Kompania Piwowarska. In the retail sector 9800 fulltime jobs depend on the sales of beer from Kompania Piwowarska. The total employment impact from beer production and sales

of beer from Kompania Piwowarska is thus 65,100 jobs,” says Mr Kwiatkowski.

“The government also benefits from Kompania Piwowarska as it receives some €1.08 billion in taxes and excises. Excise revenues amount to €329 million, VAT collected on beer is estimated at almost €411 million.

Revenues from direct personal taxes, pay roll taxes and social security contributions paid by employers and employees at Kompania Piwowarska, their suppliers and in hospitality and retail add up to approximately €285 million,” concludes Mr Kwiatkowski. n

Since 25 years we have been the leading Polish distributor of raw chemical materials. Our knowledge and experience of qualified employees have convinced more than 1250 commercial partners to cooperate with us on continuous basis. Our warehouses ensure optimal stock for our customers, as well as give possibility of the products repacking (liquid and solid). We have been looking for producers and suppliers, who intend to start or develop their activity in Poland and central Europe. www.cheman.pl – cheman@cheman.pl

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A MULTI-LOCAL APPROACH Finnish beverage company Olvi Oyj focuses on agility, flexibility and a multi-local approach. Abigail Saltmarsh finds out more about the operation.

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innish brewer Olvi Oyj has a heritage stretching back through the decades and prides itself on its “multi-local” approach.

This, together with its emphasis on agility and flexibility, has seen it develop a strong business – one from which it hopes to continue to develop and grow.

Marketing director Olli Heikkilä says the company is still headquartered at the site from which it launched back in 1878.

“Olvi is still located in Iisalmi, Finland, in the very same building where brewing started and the company was founded 134 years ago.

Nowadays not even the offices fit into this building, where 134 years ago we had the brewing house and warehouse, as well as the offices.

“We have expanded production several times during the years. This year we have

also invested in the facilities, adding more fermenting tanks and additional canning capacity. A new filtering system has also just been built.”

A growing operation The company was founded in 1878 by master brewer William Gideon Åberg and his wife Onni. Their aim was to combat drunkenness. In order to do this, they wanted to offer milder alternatives to those with a thirst for alcohol.

At the time there were about 78 breweries operating in Finland. Olvi is the only one of them that remains an independent Finnish company.

Today, the Olvi Group comprises five brewing companies; one in Finland, one in Belarus and one in each Baltic state. Its

subsidiaries are AS A. Le Coq, A/S Cesu Alus, Volfas Engelman and OAO Lidskoe Pivo. The Olvi Group employs more than 2,000 people.

“We have 1,939 employees in five countries: Finland, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania and Belarus,” says Mr Heikkilä. “Output was 518 million litres last year. This year it will be more. Turnover was €285 million last year – again, this year it will be more.”

Renowned for beer Olvi operates in around 10 categories, he continues. These include beer, cider and flavoured alcoholic beverages, as well as mineral waters (still and sparkling), soft drinks, juice, functional drinks, energy drinks and kvass.

“But Olvi is known for its beer. The parent company has manufactured beer for 134

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years but most of the subsidiaries are even older. Estonia’s A. Le Coq is 204 years old.

The oldest is Latvia’s Cesu Alus, which is 422 years old.

“The most international beer in Olvi Group is Sandels. Sandels is available in Finland, Sweden, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Russia, Spain and Belarus.”

Local brands This is where Olvi’s “multi-local” approach comes in – and where it has seen such great success.

“The Olvi Group operates locally in all five countries and we call ourselves multi-local.

Our position in Finland is third, in Estonia we are first. In Latvia, we are in second position, while we are third in Lithuania and second in Belarus.

“We have only two brands that are available in all these countries. The beer brand Sandels and the cider brand Fizz. All other brands are local or available in some of the countries, but not all of them.”

He goes on: “Olvi Group operates the opposite way to big brewing companies. We have local brands, which have long heritage.

“For example, in Latvia our brand Cesu Alus was founded in the year 1590. Our subsidiary AS Cesu Alus has the same name. Also, we operate with a local CEO and management team in each of these countries.

“This helps us to know local consumers and their habits but also to know local customers. Local beer brands have a strong position in almost every country globally. We believe this will continue.”

Strong future

sells itself and the Olvi Group uses the best design partners in each country.”

Logistics is also important. The company maintains its own trucks in each country.

“In Finland we have around 75 trucks.

These are operated and owned by independent entrepreneurs but they only carry Olvi’s products,” he adds.

Together with product development, investment in production and market knowledge, these areas will also remain part of the strategy as the company expands.

“Growth is in Olvi’s future,” says Mr Heikkilä. “This may be both organic and through n strategic acquisition.”

As beverage consumption grows and consumers increasingly desire variety, Olvi is determined to keep up with market trends and demands. Packaging design is also vital and remains a major focus.

“Packaging is the most important advertisement for a product. This year we have invested especially heavily in package design,” he says. “A good package

The Olvi brewery and headquarters are located in a typically Finnish lakeside location at Lisalmi.

ADVANCED

POULTRY

The Danish company Linco Food Systems, part of the Baader Group, is one of the world’s leading manufacturers of poultry processing equipment. Joseph Altham reports on a company that sells innovative and reliable poultry processing solutions to countries all over the world.

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inco Food Systems has more than 60 years of experience in poultry processing machinery. The company is based near Aarhus, in Denmark, and was founded in 1944. In 2007, Linco was taken over by the German firm, Baader.

Headquartered in Lübeck, the Baader Group is a world-class manufacturer of fish processing machinery which moved into poultry processing back in 1985. Twelve years later, Baader acquired Johnson Food Equipment, an American firm specialising in poultry processing machinery. The takeover of Linco has thus enabled Baader to combine its position as a key player in poultry processing in North America with Linco’s strong presence on the European scene. As a result of the acquisition of Linco, Baader now ranks at number three in the global poultry processing market.

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At Baader Linco, the focus is on the provision of complete solutions. Baader Linco encourages its customers to take a systematic attitude to poultry processing in order to achieve an optimum level of efficiency. The company supplies a range of equipment covering every stage of poultry processing, from collecting the live birds at the farm for slaughter to machines for packing the cuts. Baader Linco aims to ensure that high standards of quality are maintained throughout the entire procedure and the company is capable of designing entire processing plants.

Maxiload Consumers are becoming increasingly concerned about the welfare of chickens prior to slaughter. As Baader Linco points out, minimising the distress of the chicken

in its final hours results in a better end product. If the bird is damaged in any way, either when it is caught and transported or when it is prepared for slaughter, this has a negative impact on the meat quality, causing flaws such as blood spots or bruised wings. A system for transporting and killing the chickens quickly and cleanly also benefits the working lives of the people on the farm and at the plant. Baader Linco’s Maxiload crates make it easier for farm workers to catch live birds and load them onto a truck. The Maxiload crates are large and thus simple to load. They are supplied in a modular system for stacking on stainless steel frames. Using the Maxiload system, farm workers are less likely to push or pull crates of live birds in a rough fashion or dump them onto the floor. The Maxiload system allows the modules to be lifted onto

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a lorry by forklift truck and the crates provide the chickens with excellent ventilation during transit. Overall, the Maxiload system reduces the number of birds that are dead on arrival at the slaughterhouse and this is an important financial consideration.

First processing Killing a bird and preparing it for the table is a complex process and Baader Linco provides a complete range of machines to handle the various stages. After the chickens are slaughtered, the lungs and the liver of the bird have to be removed, and Baader Linco has recently brought out a new eviscerating machine to perform this task. The company’s patented high speed eviscerator, model 218, has a special spoon to fit the shape of the bird cavity.

The spoon scoops out the giblets in a single action, preserving the quality of the liver while leaving the bird’s rib cage intact.

Out of all the various stages, the most crucial is the “first processing” stage,

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running from when the live birds arrive at the slaughterhouse to when the freshly killed birds are defeathered. Once the birds arrive at the slaughterhouse, they are taken out of the crates and hung from shackles before being immersed in a bath of water and stunned by electrocution.

Finally the chickens are killed with a blade.

Baader Linco offers two types of killing machine. While the conventional model has two blades, the Halal version has only one blade and delivers a clean centre cut to the front of the bird’s neck. During the sub-processes before killing, it is vital to make sure that the birds do not suffer cruel or distressing treatment because this could have an adverse effect on the quality of the meat. Baader Linco’s “humane killing system” is intended to make the first processing stage as smooth and straightforward as possible. To this end, Baader Linco recently brought out a new high frequency water stunner, the HFS 2012, developed in cooperation with the University of Bristol.

The stunner satisfies the requirements of new European Union regulations on animal welfare.

Emerging markets Growing prosperity in the BRIC economies is stimulating the demand for white meat and Baader Linco is well placed to benefit from this trend. One example is in Brazil,

where Linco’s presence dates back to the early 1990s. In 1994, the Holambra Agricultural Cooperative installed an automatic cutup machine and an evisceration line from Linco at its plant near São Paulo. This year, Holambra plans to increase its slaughtering and processing capacity to 12,000 birds per hour and Baader Linco will once again be n supplying the necessary equipment.

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COMPACTING SUCCESS Geesinknorba is Europe’s largest provider of refuse collection vehicles and waste compactors. Philip Yorke spoke to Zeki Bolat, the company’s marketing director about its pioneering ‘plug-in’ electric vehicles and the ground-breaking products set to be launched at the IFAT trade show in Munich this year.

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rior to their merger a few years ago, Geesink and Norba had more than 300 years of experience in waste management expertise between them. Today they form a formidable team that combines unrivalled engineering know-how with the ability to develop the world’s most innovative waste management solutions. Geesinknorba is headquartered in the Netherlands and recently became part of the multinational, Mutares AG industrial group. In 2011, Geesinknorba 146 Industry Europe

recorded sales of more than €100 million and currently employs around 500 people with over half of them located at its Netherlands headquarters in Emmeloord.

Geesinknorba offers a diverse range of refuse collection vehicles and advanced waste compactors for country-specific markets. Its flexible RCV bodies come in different sizes to fit any manufacturer’s chassis and can operate with different bin-lifts, including third-party systems. Geesinknorba’s Euro-

pean network of factories enables it to offer an exceptionally fast turnround of orders.

All Geesinknorba’s vehicle bodies are designed to be fully compatible with each other as well as with the chassis, bin-lifts and related products from other suppliers.

The company provides the widest range of bodies in the waste management industry today and its highly skilled engineering teams are able to tailor them to meet the individual needs of its customers. In keep-

ing with its diverse vehicle body range, the company offers optional telemetrics and Geesinknorba lifting options that are available either integrated or stand-alone.

Delivering innovative, eco-friendly solutions Continuously at the forefront of waste management technology, Geesinknorba achieved another ‘first’ with its ‘plug-in’ electric vehicles when they were initially launched in Sweden. Sales of this advanced eco-friendly range have surged since then and continuous development and operational refinements have kept the company ahead of any attempts by its competitors to adopt the same technology. Geesink’s

plug-in vehicles are the world’s first to use electrical power to operate the energythirsty lifting, crushing, compacting and tipping systems of refuse collection vehicles.

These technologically advanced vehicles were developed with two main objectives in mind: to reduce carbon emissions and the operating costs for operators by reducing overall energy bills.

These special vehicles offer many additional environmental and operational benefits too, as Mr Bolat explained, “Our latest range of ‘plug-in’ vehicles have become our flagship products. This hybrid unit offers significant fuel saving and noise reduction and is cleaner and greener in every respect compared to traditional vehicles. In Paris

they have been a huge success with both operators and the general public alike as the driver can switch off the engine when collecting refuse at 5am, thereby avoiding waking local inhabitants. In fact, our ‘plugin’ machines are virtually silent in operation.

The same success has been repeated in Serano and in Barcelona in Spain as well as with many other capital cities in Europe.

“The operators also benefit from the availability of cheap, off-peak, night time supplies of electricity for their vehicles, reducing still further their operating costs. Savings can be significant and as much as 35 per cent per year for an average size vehicle. Most of our customers are either local government agencies or waste management contractors. Furthermore, our Industry Europe 147

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eco-friendly ‘multifraction’ vehicles are divided into four compartments which enables them to collect sorted waste products easily and efficiently. This means that they can collect glass, plastic, paper and food waste during one tour and keep them sorted into their relevant compartments for processing.”

Mr Bolat added, “These pioneering developments have continued apace at Geesinknorba and we launched an entirely new range of waste management concepts at the international trade show, ‘IFAT’, in Munich during the second week of March this year.

This will silence once and for all those of our competitors who have been trying to give us some bad press during the takeover of Geesinknorba by Mutares AG, the Munichbased industrial conglomerate!”

Technology that goes from strength to strength Geesinknorba is well known for its proactive stance when it comes to meeting new challenges posed by fast-moving changes in the waste management market.

The company has developed a number of ‘breakthrough’ products recently including an all-new underground container system and a GEC vehicle that takes bulky waste and very large containers of up to 5 cubic metres. This makes it the world’s most efficient and flexible ‘multifractional unit’ vehicle on the market today.

In addition, the company has also developed and launched yet another technologically advanced product: the multi-functional Combi-spilt hoist. This unique hoist can operate in open back mode, in trade mode with two locked lifts, or in auto combi-split mode, and operators can switch between them in an instant. Yet its performance in any of these operational modes rivals that of any single-mode vehicle. Furthermore, in automatic split-mode it matches the lifting speeds of any single, dedicated split-lift.

This advanced hoist is fully integrated with the Geesinknorba ‘A’ bodies, which makes for greater efficiency. What’s more, the latest design offers increased tipping angles for an even cleaner bin discharge. For further information about Geesinknorba products, n go to: www.geesinknorba.com Industry Europe 149

DRIVING BRAKE

TECHNOLOGY FORWARD Haldex Commercial Vehicle Systems is a global leader in the manufacture of advanced brake and suspension systems for commercial vehicles. Philip Yorke looks at how the company has evolved to become the best in its class through continuous investment in R&D and the creation of added value across the board.

H

aldex CVS produces a diverse range of products used in airbrake and suspension systems for commercial vehicles such as trucks, trailers and buses. Headquartered in Stockholm, Sweden, Haldex is a leading provider of proprietary and innovative solutions to the global vehicle industry with a focus on products that enhance safety, vehicle dynamics and the environment. Haldex is listed on the Nasdaq OMX Stockholm Stock Exchange and in 2009 had over 4000 employees and net sales of more than SEK 5.5 billion. Haldex Commercial Vehicle Systems contributes more than 60 per cent to the group’s global turnover of SEK 8 billion. Haldex’s other divisions specialise in the design and manufacture of hydraulic systems, springs and traction systems.

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The company has manufacturing facilities in Sweden, Great Britain, Hungary, Germany, Brazil, India, China and the USA. Haldex is also the number one globally when it comes to automatic brake adjusters and has the world’s leading OEMs as its customers, including Volvo, MAN, Daimler Chrysler, Ford, Audi, Skoda and Renault.

Increasing market share Haldex continues to gain market share and to secure big orders from the world’s leading OEMs. Recently the company won a major commission for an advanced, all-wheel drive system for the Volvo Car Corporation. This was awarded as a result of successful continuation of its ongoing business with Volvo cars. Volvo chose Haldex as the supplier of

choice for its latest AWD technique, which is designed to replace the current ‘generation four’ product for its current and future platform. The new Haldex AWD-system is the fifth generation product of the well-established Haldex AWD-coupling. This latest AWD product has been developed to meet future market requirements based on weight, cost and fuel consumption.

The new order commences in 2012 and is strategically important to Haldex as it strengthens its position as market leader in the long term and enhances its solid and valuable relationship with the Volvo Car Corporation. The Haldex AWD coupling will be manufactured and supplied from the Haldex production facility located in Landskrona in Sweden. The company currently supplies

both proprietary and advanced systems for ‘all-wheel’ drive solutions to a large number of major OEMs including Volkswagen, Audi, Skoda, Seat, Volvo, Ford Motor Company, Land Rover and General Motors.

Another major contract awarded to the company recently was an order from SAF Holland worth SEK 100 million for a new design of disc air brakes. The contract spans a five-year period and commenced in the second quarter of 2011. These advanced air brake systems will also be manufactured in the Haldex plant in Landskrona, Sweden.

The new ModulT air disc brake design from Haldex is significantly lighter than a

conventional disc brake and provides the end user with an even more reliable and robust design. At the same time, weight savings are up by 15 per cent compared to current designs, which results in a higher payload being achieved and therefore the new product also makes a contribution to the environment through enhanced efficiency.

Building on success in emerging markets Haldex continues to build on its success in some of the world’s fastest-growing markets including China, India and Brazil. Already these markets are demanding and achieving

the same high standards in terms of products and production expertise as those in western Europe and the USA. The company opened its first office in China over 15 years ago and has been assembling products there for more than 10 years. In 2005 it opened a new state-of-the-art manufacturing facility near Shanghai in association with other Haldex Group companies, including the spring steel division, Garphyttan Wire.

Haldex has also increased its capacity for the manufacture of compressors since it won a major contract in association with ASIMCO of China to supply one of the world’s largest diesel engine manufacturIndustry Europe 151

ers. AMISCO is China’s largest manufacturer of compressors with an estimated 60 per cent share of the Chinese OEM market. Similar gains have been achieved in Brazil and India as technology levels and safety standards are raised to meet the increasing government investments in highway infrastructure.

Creating greater value According to a representative from the company, the goal is to create greater value for customers by concentrating on

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providing extra benefits and accelerating operational excellence initiatives. “We are concentrating on creating extra benefits for the customer. We don’t offer individual components − we offer real, added value.

Product development will be accelerated and service will be expanded. Customer proximity is very important. Development will focus on strategic and system-orientated technology that improves vehicle performance and facilitates the ease of operation and thereby creates value for the customer.

“The new Haldex will build on our long established strengths. There is a new world for the new Haldex and we will build our success based upon emerging markets, bestin-class products and focus on loyal OEM and aftermarket customers. Our formula for success begins with focus and is supported by operational excellence and value added products and strong growth in the emerging markets. In summary, the new Haldex puts emphasis on being the trusted partner for our customers and prospects, in existing and n entirely new markets.”

DRIVING OFFSHORE SERVICES FURTHER Apply Leirvik is a global leader in the supply of living quarters and services for the offshore oil and gas industry. Philip Yorke spoke to Lars Solberg, the company’s managing director, about its ambitious expansion plans and its latest range of offshore services.

F

or more than 60 years, Apply Leirvik has been pioneering offshore services.

However, it was not until 1974 that the company made the strategic decision to focus on providing living-quarter modules (LQs) for offshore oil and gas platforms. This proved to be a very prudent move and by the 1980s Apply Leirvik had acquired substantial know-how in this specialised area as well as a reputation for providing uncompromising quality and service. This in-depth expertise and reliability resulted in the company being retained to design and produce living quarters for some of the world’s largest and most prestigious field developments. These included living quarters for Saga Petroleum’s Snorre Platform. This was the largest aluminium structure ever built for the offshore industry and became a pioneer project for Apply Leirvik, which formed the basis for its ongoing research and development programme.

Apply Leirvik was formerly known as Leirvik Module Technology and is one of today’s

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leading EPC contractors for the manufacture of major offshore LQ modules. Since it made the decision to concentrate on providing Living Quarter Modules in the 1970s, Apply Leirvik has supplied more LQs for the North Sea oil and gas industry than all its competitors put together. Today the company is a wholly owned subsidiary of Apply, a global offshore, surface and subsea technology supplier. In 2011 Apply Leirvik recorded sales of more than €120 million.

New horizons Since the early 1970s Apply Leirvik has specialised in designing, building, assembling and installing accommodation and utility modules for offshore oil and gas installations. As a result the company has developed best-practice methods for fabrication and assembly of aluminium living quarters.

Up until 2011, Apply Leirvik had four main business divisions: aluminium LQs, steel LQs, LQ after sales services and helidecks.

However, today the company is offering an entirely new offshore service, as Mr Solberg explained, “About a year ago we decided that there was an area of offshore operations that we were very well placed to serve.

This was the maintenance and modification of existing living quarters on offshore oil and gas platforms. This service has proved to be a great success and we have seen expediential growth in this field since we offered the service to our key customers in the offshore sector. Our facilities at Bergen and Haugesund are ideally located to serve our customers and we anticipate that we shall continue to see strong growth in this area of operation of around 20 per cent per year.

“In addition, we have recently acquired 50 per cent of the world’s leading manufacturer of offshore helicopter decks. This is a company based in Singapore and is the biggest in this sector worldwide. As a result of this diversification and our ongoing investment programme, we have been able to move

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from a situation where we were subject to the cyclical and seasonal ups-and-downs of the Norwegian continental shelf offshore industry, to a much more stable and evenly balanced production schedule. Our new horizons outside our prime markets in the UK and Norway in geographical terms include the Gulf of Mexico, Abzerbyjan, Asia and Australia and these regions are of growing importance to us.”

Mr Solberg added, “Our continuing success in our chosen field of expertise is based on the fact that our clients know what to expect from us. This means on-time delivery, reliable lifetime servicing schedules and high quality structures that can be relied upon to meet the most stringent safety and opera-

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ACRYLICON SYSTEM INDUSTRIGULV, FOR ALL TYPE INDUSTRI OG NÆRINGSMIDDELPRODUKSJON AcryliCon feiret i 2007 sine første 30 år som leverandør av markedets beste industrigulv.

Med utspring i Norge er vi nå etablert i alle verdens hjørner.

Våre fornøyde kunder gjennom 30 år er vårt varemerke og vårt mål, også for fremtiden.

Installasjonen ved St. Olavs Hospital, Hovedkjøkkenet, ble gjort i 1977-1979 og gulvet brukes for fullt også i dag.

Acrylicon System Industrigulv er konstruert for å tåle belastningene i all type industri og næringsmiddelproduksjon og gir sluttbruker en lang og kostnadsbesparende levetid.

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AcryliCon er i Norge representert med kontorer i Bodø, Trondheim, Ålesund, Haugesund og Drammen.

www.acrylicon.com

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The Norwegian petroleum sector continues to offer great career opportunities for motivated professionals.

RC Consultants, a consultancy firm with head office in Stavanger, the oil capital of Norway located on the west coast, is looking to hire 500 engineers and other professionals. The Norwegian oil sector is still going strong, 41 years after the first oil was discovered at the legendary Ekofisk field off the coast of Stavanger.

Employment opportunities are abundant, says RC Consultants Managing Director Lars Engvik.

BROAD EXPERIENCE BUILD-UP

RCC offers a range of petroleum- and energy related consultancy services, to companies operating the Norwegian sector, but increasingly more internationally. It offers services aimed at meeting the competency or capacity pits of its clients. Assignments vary from months to years. RC Consultants Managing Director Lars Engvik and Operations Manager Cindy Ann Eliassen. Tasks span from technically advanced engineering to operational challenges, field development, operations and decommissioning.

MULTICULTURAL

Working here means engaging in complex and rewarding assignments for global clients. It entails working for multiple companies, building valuable experience from across the sector.

Interacting with multiple working cultures is a bonus that adds to ones own personal development. Some twenty different nationalities are currently employed at RCC.

RC Consultants Managing Director Lars Engvik and Operations Manager Cindy Ann Eliassen.

RC Consultants - Tel: +47 915 07 220 Email: client@rcc.no or consultant@rcc.no - www.rcc.no

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tional standards. Today we offer a unique turnkey service that is dedicated to providing our customers with precisely what they need. For example, what we design and produce for an offshore rig in Australian waters is a very different product from the one we produce to meet the harsh and hazardous conditions experienced in the North Sea.”

Record-breaking contracts Apply Leirvik has been awarded countless record-breaking contracts. These include the

Troll A contract, which involved the building of new living quarters totalling 5300m2. This contract involved the building of 150 single cabins, recreation areas, admin and control rooms as well as other offshore facilities necessary to operate an offshore hotel. More recently, Apply Leirvik announced that it had won a new EPC contract from Kvaerner Stord for the delivery of a new seven-floor living quarter module, with an area of more than 2600m2 and a capacity of 100 single cabins as well as providing other essential

service facilities. The living quarters and helideck will be constructed in aluminium, offering low weight, minimum maintenance in operation and environmental friendliness.

Project manager Oystein Kvalvik, together with his team, will start planning and designengineering immediately. The fabrication of aluminium will begin in early 2013 and the finished module will be delivered in July 2014.

Hook-up of the large LQ module to the deck of the Edvard Grieg Platform will take place at n Kvaerner Stord in Norway.

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AN IMPECCABLE RECORD

Aker Floating Production is currently focusing all its operations on one floating production, storage and offloading platform, off the coast of India. Abigail Saltmarsh looks at FPSO Dhirubhai-1.

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H

arvard Garseth, managing director of Aker Floating Production, is proud of his company’s record. Headquartered in Oslo, it is operating a floating production, storage and offloading (FPSO) platform 50 km off the shore of Kakinada, in the state of Andhra Pradesh, India, and in the first quarter of 2012 it saw 100 per cent up-time.

“This is down to our continuous efforts and our focus on safety,” he says. “We are of the opinion that if you focus on safety, it has a spin-off effect on up-time and on the regularity of the vessel’s production.

“This is all down to the competency of the team - and the fact there is no lost time through incidents.”

Part of the group Aker Floating Production’s history only goes back as far as 2006. Then, its parent group, Aker, entered into strategic contracts with Jurong shipyard for its first FPSO conversion project.

The Aker Group, takes its name from the River Aker, which runs through Oslo. Aker is involved in seafood and biotechnology, but is probably best known as an energy company.

It describes itself as an “industrial incubator”.

Aker provides oilfield products, systems and services for customers in the oil and gas industry worldwide. The group’s knowledge and technologies span from reservoir to production and through the life of a field.

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It brings together engineering and technologies for oil and gas drilling, field development and production. The group employs approximately 25,000 people in more than 30 countries. They apply the knowledge and create and use technologies that deliver their customers’ solutions.

Change in focus In 2007, Aker Floating Production entered a charter contract and an FPSO operation contract with the Indian oil company Reliance Industries Ltd, for FPSO Dhirubhai-1. This left the conversion yard the following year, hooked up on the east coast of India and commenced oil production. It began to export gas to shore in 2009.

“Originally, our strategy was to pursue other projects,” says Mr Garseth. “But as we moved forward and the global financial crisis hit, and there was a dip in the market, we had to have a change in strategy.

“At the beginning of this year, the board took the decision, based on the experience of the mother company, not to pursue any new projects. We went from being a company that

pursued new projects and then took on their maintenance to focusing on just operation and maintenance.”

AFP Operations are certified according to the ISO 9001 and 14001 standards and the ISM code.

High standards

Monitoring the situation

Kakinada is a small coastal town in Andhra Pradesh, situated 60km north of Rajahmundry. The nearest commercial airport is Rajahmundry which is 60km south-east of the town. Limited flights are operated from this airport.

FPSO Dhirubhai-1 is operating off Kakinada at a water depth of 1200m. It has an oil production capacity of 60,000 barrels – 80,000 barrels of liquid – per day and is currently exporting close to nine million standard cubic metres of gas to onshore consumers.

The FPSO is designed and built to operate in the field for at least 20 years. It works in waters that are occasionally struck by typhoons, and it is therefore equipped with a disconnectable turret mooring system. This allows the vessel to safely leave the area when a typhoon is approaching, and quickly reconnect and start production again as soon as it has passed.

After FPSO Dhirubhai-1 came into full production in 2008, it did have to shut down for three months, explains Mr Garseth.

“There was an incident that needed repairs,” he continues. “Since then, however, we have been operating with very high regularity, and the vessel has been optimised at all times.

“Deep studies and in-depth critical analysis are ongoing to ensure potential hazards are detected in good time and problems are mitigated. We have an excellent team both out in India and in Oslo.”

The plan, he says, is to continue to assess the situation and to reshape Aker Floating Production’s strategy. The board is monitoring the international economic climate and keeping its options open.

“We are not pursuing further projects at the moment but that is not to say we won’t again in the future,” he adds. “For now, however, the focus is very much on FPSO Dhirubhai-1.” n

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BLUE WATER PERFORMANCE New orders and new designs confirm Nautor’s Swan’s position as one of the world’s leading producers of luxury sailing yachts.

N

autor’s Swan, the Finnish manufacturer of luxury yachts, began 2012 on a very positive note, with six new orders for yachts to be delivered this year and in 2013.

Those orders included high performance sailing cruisers across the Swan line – one Swan 80, three Swan 60s, one Swan 53 – as well as a Club Swan 42, the one-design racing yacht that has been developed in partnership with the New York Yacht Club.

The company was particularly pleased with the three new orders for the Swan 60, which takes the fleet to a total of nine to be sailing by the end of this summer. The Swan 60 uses the latest technology, design and construction methods to combine comfortable cruising and easy handling with the potential for racing performance The fifth Swan 60 to be delivered is joining the Swan Maxi circuit in the Mediterranean this summer and will go on to compete in the Rolex Swan Cup in Porto Cervo in September.

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Enrico Chieffi, managing director of Nautor’s Swan, commented on the orders: “I am delighted that our order book is so full and that our team of quality craftsmen in our yard in Finland are working at close to full capacity. We have a series of innovations and evolutions to the SwanLine that we will be launching throughout 2012, including the new Swan 100”.

Technology and craftsmanship Nautor’s Swan has been producing oceangoing luxury sailing yachts since the launch of the first of the line, the Swan 36, in 1967.

The company itself was established the previous year by Pekka Koskenkyla, a paper sack salesman, who set out to build a highly crafted but strong yacht, using a fibreglass mould, that combined speed and racing capability with comfort and manageability.

In fact, the Swan 36 was the first 10 metre fibreglass yacht capable of both cruising and

racing. Koskenkyla drew on centuries of boat and shipbuilding experience at Jakobstad, the small town in Finland near the Arctic Circle where he set up Swan production.

From the first, the idea was to combine series production of fibreglass hulls with traditional hand-craftsmanship for the wooden sections and fittings to produce performance yachts of unrivalled quality.

Today Nautor’s Swan production is centred on three facilities in Finland. Kalby is the yard the company moved to in 1968 and it was the main yard and head office until November 2006. Today it still houses many facilities for the production of the company’s yachts, including an extensive lamination shop. The most recent investment at Kalby is a high-technology curing oven for the polymerisation of large pre-pegs for hulls and decks. Nautor’s new 30m long FlexMill CNC milling machine is also located at Kalby; it can be used for direct mould milling from 3D files.

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The Nautor’s Swan joinery shop is located at Kronoby, 16km from the main facility.

Here a team of specialised joinery craftsmen make the interiors of all the company’s yachts in a 7000m2 wood shop, of which a large part is dedicated to the refinement of the hand-picked teak. When complete, the interiors are transported in modules to the various assembly shops.

In September 2000 a new hi-tech Nautor yard was opened in Pietarsaari; this facility became the company’s headquarters for the production of super yachts over 100ft and custom-designed yachts. The yard was extended in 2006 and a private marina was opened.

The yard occupies most of the space in the Pietarsaari Boatbuilding Technology Centre, which was set up through the collaboration of Nautor’s Swan and the city of Jakobstad.

These new facilities enabled the company to launch Nautor’s Swan Custom, a business that is able to deliver unique, high quality yachts to meet every owner’s needs; the company works with the owner and designer to bring their ideas to fruition at every step of the build.

Current projects include the Brenta 76, Tripp 78 and Swan 131.

Racing and super yachts Over the years 1900 Swans have been produced, almost all of which are still in use.

The current range includes 14 models ranging

from 45ft to 131ft. The Swan 45 may be the smallest yacht in the range but it is also one of the most important. Launched in 2001, the 45 was a new racing yacht with its own class and quickly became globally recognised in one-class racing. It has since been joined by Nautor’s latest one-design model, the Swan 601, which provides one of the first owner/ driver class within this size range.

It was in 1998 that Nautor’s Swan first broke into the superyacht market of vessels over 100ft and the company has since produced the Swan 100, 112 and 130 – all luxuriously appointed boats with true oceangoing performance. Now the latest variation of this fast-cruiser concept, the Swan 105, has been announced. Created by the company’s internal design team and German Frers, who has led the Nautor’s Swan design office since 1979, the Swan 105 features a performance orientated hull with a clean deck layout yet also has a substantial internal volume and innovative technical features to provide the maximum comfort for owners and guests. The layout includes, for example, owners’ cabins forward and aft, to allow for personal preference, and six hull windows on each side of the hull which combine with the raised saloon windows and ten deck hatches to maximise the light to the living quarters. Amidships is the entertainment cockpit, a protected area well away from the ‘business ends’ of the yacht

that seats eight people in luxurious comfort either under passage or enjoying al-fresco dining at anchor. At the stern is an extensive swimming platform with space for a 4 metre tender with its own hydraulic launching and recovery system.

Luca Lucheschi, the commercial director at Nautor’s Swan, commented, “We have used the knowledge gained from 45 years of developing the ultimate in hull lines, foils, deck layout and internal arrangements to produce the Swan 105. She not only commands respect for sailing performance but also stands out from the crowd through her interior comfort quality. A truly beautiful cruising boat with the benefit of modern technical improvements, the Swan 105 continues the proud traditions n of the Nautor’s Swan marque.”

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LOOKING TO NEW HORIZONS The Getinge Group, a leading global provider of products and services for the life sciences sector, is currently in the process of implementing a new strategy for improvement throughout the organisation.

Emma-Jane Batey spoke to business development manager Stephen Morley to see how this strategy is further boosting the company’s achievements.

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IN

the 18 months since Industry Europe last spoke with leading life sciences products and services provider the Getinge Group, the company has undergone a series of changes. Prompted by both positive and negative situations, the changes have nonetheless already proven to be beneficial to the organisation, its customers and its shareholders.

Stephen Morley, business development manager for the Getinge Infection Control business area, explained, “We sadly lost our business area CEO in the middle of 2010 and he was replaced in January 2011. We are very fortunate that his replacement, Johan Falk, is an innovative, enthusiastic, entrepreneurial character who is already leading us to some new and exciting places. We recently hosted our strategy conference in Orlando where these traits

were certainly in evidence, and we are currently in the process of rolling out our new strategy across the company worldwide.”

Totally customer focused The key focus for Getinge today is the customer. Even though the company has long been appreciated for its strong customerbased products and services, the new CEO is clear that this can be taken a step further. Mr Morley continued, “As a medical technology group, it is imperative that we are constantly staying on top of what our customers are demanding. There’s no room for error in our business and we pride ourselves on being a solutions provider. The strategy conference highlighted the continuing importance of getting really involved with our customers and carefully listening to their needs. We all think

that we listen to our customers but the conference underlined why active listening is important, and how we can implement that throughout our worldwide operation and to each of our 3000 employees within Infection Control.”

The Getinge Group is headquartered in Getinge, Sweden, has production sites or sales offices in 37 countries and has in total 13,000 employees worldwide. In 2010, the group generated sales of SEK 25 billion. Divided into three core business areas – Infection Control (Getinge), Medical Systems (Maquet) and Extended Care (Arjo Huntleigh) – the Getinge Group provides products and services for operating rooms, intensive care units, care units, sterilisation centres, elderly care and for companies and institutions that are active in the life sciences sector.

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In 2011, the group saw moderate growth across its three business areas, with particularly strong performance in Asia. Mr Morley said, “I don’t believe there are many, if any, areas of the world where Getinge is not already active, so we are in a strong position to maximise the growth potential of important emerging markets, which can counter balance areas which may be struggling. As a global company, histori-

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cally the majority of sales have been in the EU and North America, but we have been enjoying excellent results in the rest of the world, notably in Asia, eastern Europe, the Middle East and Latin America. In the middle of 2010 we actively reorganised part of Getinge to ensure that we were able to reinforce our efforts in these territories, which included the relocation of some staff and some acquisitions.”

Acquisition and innovation Getinge has grown largely through acquisition over the years and this continues to be an important focus for the group. For the Infection Control business unit which Mr Morley represents, this is set to continue alongside organic growth. He pointed out that good opportunities for development of existing products and services were clearly evident across its geographi-

cal territories, particularly in the field of cost efficiency.

Mr Morley continued, “This is what is so exciting, as even though what we were doing before wasn’t wrong, this new focus on engaging and communicating with our customers means that we are even clearer on what innovative solutions we need to create and deliver. Our highly-skilled teams are all experts in their fields, so when they speak with the customers they are talking their language. They’re not just salespeo-

ple selling, they’re solutions providers that understand the often very technical nature of the businesses they’re dealing with. Our people know our customers’ needs, applications and issues and so can serve them better. It’s a core Getinge advantage.”

The Getinge Group’s forward-thinking strategy conference has clearly set out ambitious aims for the coming years. Mr Morley pointed out that each business unit has identified clear goals, called ‘horizons’, and has defined a n course to reach them.

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TRADITIONAL VALUES, TODAY´S TECHNOLOGY 172 Industry Europe

The brand Stiegelmeyer stands for total comfort and safety in clinic and care – after a century in the business the company still has fresh ideas, as Julia Snow found out from Mr Stiegelmeyer.

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ith more than 80,000 beds produced annually the Stiegelmeyer Group is one of the leading players in the field of hospitals, care-giving facilities and home care environments. As a market and innovation leader the company is always aiming to meet the technological and aesthetic demands while increasing the efficiency of care-giving at the same time.

The company started out in 1900 with a small workshop near Herford, where company founder Johann Stiegelmeyer produced his first wire mesh mattress bases. After the production of the first hospital bed in 1910 the product portfolio expanded over the next decades, to include school furniture, space saving furniture and infant hospital beds. Significant advancements in bed manufacturing have been made in the 1960s with washable

beds and in the 1970s with the development of a bed with an adjustable height.

As the equipment of care and nursing homes started to be an important business sector, Stiegelmeyer acquired the furniture factory Burmeier located in Lage/Lippe in 1989. Only five years later another expansion became necessary, and the company established additional production facilities, both in Herford and at Nordhausen, Thuringia.

Stiegelmeyer is certified to EN ISO 9001:2008 as well as satisfying the extended criteria of EN ISO 13485:2003 + AC:2007 for medical products. As part of a comprehensive catalogue of ‘green measures’, like the use of solar panels and energy-saving technology, for example, the company is ISO 14001:2004 accredited.

Rooted in Herford – international outlook

Production building in Nordhausen

Stolter in Poland

Wiki-Met in Poland

Global expansion gathered pace in the years between 2000 and 2006: two distribution companies were founded in France and Finland, and two more production facilities – both in Poland – were added to the overall capacity. In 2010 the group showed a turnover of around €120 million and employed about 900 people.

“Our main business is in Germany, “ says Mr Stiegelmeyer, “where we are market leader in many product areas. But we are active in 60 countries, and depending on the product line, export rates vary between 10 and 30 per cent.

We see much potential in European neighbors such as Russia and the Middle East as well as South Africa where we have recently formed a subsidiary that will intensify our sales and service offering there.”

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The Group remains a family owned company and combines the traditional value of a healthy family operation with a slim, modern company structure. “We are firmly committed to our location here in Herford.” says Mr Stiegelmeyer. “Both our headquarter and the production facilities are continually upgraded.

Since 2004 investments in buildings and machines totaled €8 million, including the impressive Showroom in 2009 and the addition of 600m2 for production and logistics the year before that.” Already the company is planning further expansion investments nearby.

Taking care of customers The company’s strong customer focus is reflected in the fact that Stiegelmeyer’s business units are organised to reflect the specific needs of different groups, explains Stiegelmeyer: “Beds are still our core product, but we have a whole range of additional products and services. Our CLINIC range is offering system solutions for hospitals, while CARE is dedicated to meet the needs of homes for the elderly or care homes. The HOME CARE segment includes everything needed for the

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care of elderly or disabled persons regarding beds and bedside cabinets.”

The remaining two business units are service offerings: ASSIST provides a comprehensive package of service, repair and spare parts that are helping to maximise the life cycle of Stiegelmeyer products. The newly emerging PROCESS area is best described as an expert consultancy that aims to optimize processes linked to the utilisation of beds in hospitals or care homes. “Our aim is to guarantee a technically and hygienically perfect bed in the right place at the right time, as economically as possible.”

Innovations improve safety Product development takes place in Herford, with support from decentralised units across the locations. “Last year we developed a rising bed for nursing and rehab, the Vertica. This is a highly advanced product that presents an innovative step change, taking into consideration the development of intensive and early mobilisation of the occupants and patients technically and ergonomically. The bed won the renowned

iF product design award in October 2011 in the ‘medicine / health + care’ category.”

“We offer digital innovations that are fully integrated into building and IT systems, to alert staff and turn on lights whenever a patient leaves the bed. Settings can be adjusted individually, i.e. for specialist dementia units or supported living environments, which creates completely new perspectives on patient and staff comfort and safety.”

Safely into the future “We do have the ‘megatrend’ demographics working for us.”, Mr Stiegelmeyer says. “There will be more people needing care, and we see rising expectations of the patients and rising technical demands on nursing and rehab equipment. We are there to provide solutions for both: we make beds and equipment that are safe, comfortable and user-friendly for the patients. We also work in close partnership with hospitals and homes to ensure that they have the best technology, which not only enables them to run efficient processes but also provides safe and convenient working n environments for their staff.”

SERVING THE BIOTECH INDUSTRY

Texor AB, based in the Swedish town of Lycksele, manufactures advanced scientific equipment for the life sciences industry. Joseph Altham spoke to Josef Alenius, the quality and project manager at Texor, to find out about a small company whose high standards of production attract custom from all over the world.

T

exor is a contract manufacturing company specialising in the production of chromatography columns for the biotech industry. Texor was originally part of Alfa Laval. Today it is owned by the Swedish investment trust, Lifco, but Alfa Laval is still an important customer. In 2007 Texor acquired a subsidiary, Zetterströms, which manufactures condensors, fermentation vessels and other stainless steel products for the pharmaceutical and biotech industries. Altogether the Texor Group employs around 80 people.

Although a small company, Texor has an international customer base, with clients in Asia and South America as well as in Europe. Texor’s chromatography columns are supplied to larger manufacturers who then sell them on to the biopharmaceutical industry. “We are purely a subcontractor,” said Mr Alenius. “We just make products on

behalf of our customers – we don’t make any products of our own. Our customers will sell the chromatography columns to biopharmaceutical companies to be used in the production of cancer drugs and insulin.”

Quality Ultimately, therefore, the work of Texor’s engineers contributes to healing the sick and saving lives. Medicine is a sensitive area of industry where any kind of contamination can have potentially catastrophic consequences.

For this reason, the standards of quality that Texor has to meet are very severe. Aside from some plastic parts, everything that Texor produces is made from stainless steel.

Stainless steel, as Mr Alenius explains, is robust enough to stand up to the demanding production conditions in the biopharmaceutical industry. “Stainless steel is needed because the industry uses a lot of aggressive

chemicals. The chemicals used for cleaning can be very aggressive to the material. The parts must be fully cleanable and we can do various kinds of surface treatment like electropolishing and passivation.”

Texor’s chromatography columns are built to suit the demands of the end-user and Texor works closely with its clients on the development of a new machine. “We need to work out with customers what materials will be used. There are extensive demands for documentation. The raw materials must be traceable and obtained from specified suppliers. Plastics have to be especially tested for the medical industry. It is absolutely essential to get everything right at the very beginning.

If any of the raw materials were to the wrong specifications, this could wreck the entire project.” With 12 CNC machines’ Texor can cut pieces to a high degree of precision.

The chromatography columns are assem-

bled in a controlled environment and the air within the assembly area of the factory is filtered. “Filtered air keeps out any dust or particles while we are doing the assembly.

We use deionised water for pressure testing and cleaning.”

Even in the current economic climate, Texor is unlikely to be offering any cut-price deals. “Of course, my customers are conscious of costs but each column is made to customer specifications and quality always comes first.”

Clients and markets Within the life sciences sector, Texor’s largest customers are Tetra Pak, Alfa Laval and GE Healthcare Life Sciences. For the food industry, Texor makes parts for packaging and process machines. “We make valves and other parts for homogenisers. We sell individual components to a lot of different customers. Nowadays, the demands from the food sector are becoming as strict as the demands from the life sciences industry.”

Texor’s decades of experience of working with the biotech industry have helped the

company to establish a worldwide reputation. Texor is able to comply with the relevant national standards in China and the United States and the chromatography columns are shipped to customers in countries as far away as South Korea, India and Brazil. We have very few competitors with the same ability to meet all the regulatory requirements and required standards of quality.”

Trends Josef Alenius says that he has observed a major change in the biopharmaceutical industry over the last few years. Increasingly, biopharmaceutical companies are moving production to Asia. “Asia has the fastest-growing population in the world and the four or five biggest medical companies have all established factories in Asia. When we receive orders for a new chromatography column for a European facility, it’s generally for a replacement machine. But when we ship chromatography columns to Asia, it’s more likely to be a machine that will be installed in a new factory.”

If production is shifting more and more into Asia, then why does the biopharmaceutical industry still have to obtain chromatography columns from Europe? The simple answer, says Josef Alenius, is Texor’s unrivalled quality of production. In any case, Texor’s location in Lapland is far less remote than it sounds. During project development, Texor maintains close contact with its customers by telephone and over the Internet. Shortly after Mr Alenius spoke to Industry Europe, he was due to receive a visit from some end customers from India for inspection of some n large scale columns.

FORGING AHEAD Leading manufacturer of forged components for turbines and the aerospace industry, Böhler Schmiedetechnik GmbH & Co KG, a subsidiary of the listed voestalpine Group, is committed to utilising its extensive knowhow to deliver high quality parts to high tech industries. Emma-Jane Batey spoke to the managing directors, Thomas Kornfeld and Martin Reicher, to find out how this is being achieved.

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F

ounded in Austria in 1991, specialist forging company Böhler Schmiedetechnik GmbH & Co KG is a part of the wellrespected voestalpine Special Steel Division.

Designing, manufacturing and delivering high quality forged components for turbines, the aerospace industry, power generation applications and other high tech industries, Böhler is highly regarded as a technically advanced partner by its customers worldwide.

Commercial managing director of Böhler Schmiedetechnik GmbH & Co KG,

Thomas Kornfeld, told Industry Europe how the company’s reputation for excellence has long allowed it to stay at the top of its game. He said, “We have focused on continual investment in people and equipment since 1991, which has proved to be a solid business development strategy that benefits both us and our customers. Our impressive forging capabilities are perfectly complemented by the state-of-the-art forging presses we own which let us get extremely close to the final shape of the

part. This skill, coupled with excellent raw material usage and knowledge, is what sets us apart from the competition.”

Highly skilled, highly successful Located in the Austrian city of Kapfenberg, Böhler has two plants employing more than 550 employees and generating an annual turnover of around €158 million in 2010.

Supplying over 200 technically advanced customers worldwide, Böhler’s approach is to be that of a partner rather than a supplier.

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Mr Reicher, technical managing director of Böhler Schmiedetechnik GmbH & Co KG for production, explained, “We offer considerable benefits to our customers worldwide. We are able to comprehensively support them wherever they are in the world and we have a carefully selected network of approved sub contractors. We have approval from all the major companies across the aerospace industry in particular, such as Airbus and Boeing, so we can support contracts with tier one suppliers, including the increasing number of new orders arriving from Asia.”

The high level of service and customer relations provided by Böhler is certainly appreci-

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ated by its customers, who are increasingly active across Asia. Mr Kornfeld pointed out that more and more activity, particularly subcontracting, in the global aerospace industry is now conducted across the region, and with manufacturers such as Airbus obliged to offset some contracts where the aircraft is destined to be sold, the fact that Böhler has approval in China, India and other Asian countries makes it a very attractive partner.

He added, “We are highly regarded for our ability to support the subcontractors wherever they are based as we have the correct approvals. With our added-value approach to designing, manufacturing and

supplying high quality forged components, we have found that globally operating clients are keen to work with us as they appreciate our attention to detail and reliability as well as our international approvals.”

Continuous investment In order to maintain such high levels of achievement, Böhler is keen to continue its investment in machinery and equipment. Its dedication to advanced design and development sees concurrent engineering and material expertise working alongside microstructure modelling, ensuring that all client expectations are exceeded and high performance is guaran-

teed. Böhler’s latest investment includes screw presses capable of up to 35,500 tonnes.

Mr Reicher said, “As we work so closely with such technically advanced customers, it is imperative that we can meet their very specific expectations, both in terms of products and services. Our ongoing investment in machinery means that our forging presses and related equipment is more than capable of manufacturing everything our clients request, which adds to our reliability. As a proven partner for our customers, our forged components have excellence as standard.

All of our precise forging is as a result of our state-of-the-art equipment and the exceptional know-how and skill of our workforce.”

Such skill means that actually very little additional machining is required as the Böhler equipment and employees are able to get very close to the final shape of the part just with forging. Not only does this mean the product is of a superior quality and strength, but it also considerably reduces the costly raw material usage and wastage, which in turn represents a cost-effective solution for the customer. With this efficient input-to-output ratio of raw material to finished product a perfect illustration of Böhler’s continued success, it is no surprise that Mr Kornfeld is feeling positive about the company’s future.

He concluded, “With a broad range of customers in high tech industries, forging

capabilities that are second-to-none and a worldwide coverage of approvals, Böhler is ready for the challenges of 2012. As around 75 per cent of our company’s turnover is dependent on the global aerospace industry, the fact that this sector is still positive these days, with both a huge order backlog and a strong-looking order book for the coming years, means that we are well-positioned for good results for 2012 and beyond. We appreciate that our network of customers and extensive forging skill makes us a very appealing prospect as an approved international partner, so we are keen to exploit that potential both with new customers and our n existing partners.”

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STRONG UNDER PRESSURE The Hungarian aluminium high pressure die casting foundry, Csaba Metál Zrt. has achieved rapid growth in the last two years. The sudden jump in the company’s turnover was the result of winning a large project and strengthening its relationships with its existing partners.

Edina Beale reports.

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saba Metál Zrt. started as a private venture producing aluminium chill casts in the early 1990s. Owing to its skilled workforce and modern technologies the company was able to manufacture excellent quality products and soon acquired a good reputation amongst prominent European automotive part manufacturers. The foundry today supplies a wide variety of aluminium components to a continuously extending customer base.

In the past two years Csaba Metál has achieved rapid and significant growth despite the challenging economic climate.

The foundry has won a major contract to supply the leading global automotive supplier, Delphi. This has provided the opportunity for Csaba Metál to become one of the largest aluminium cast suppliers to serve firstly the Liverpool, UK, and later the Szombathely, Hungary, Delphi plants. The company’s growth is reflected in its turno-

ver: from €17 million in 2010 the turnover increased to €28 million in 2011. In the first quarter of 2012, the turnover exceeded €8 million. Parallel to the company’s increase in turnover, the number of employees has grown from 467 to 520.

Csaba Metál had to implement several changes in order to meet the high requirements and expectations of its new client.

“The expectation of high cleanliness standards and leakproof cast products made

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it necessary to purchase and implement new manufacturing and equipment and controls,” said Mr Pintér Zoltán, managing director of Csaba Metál Zrt. “We implemented new high performance dissolvent washing and leakage testing equipment. We are planning to establish a new cleanliness examination laboratory and this investment has received the green light already.”

Csaba Metál continued to strengthen its relationship with existing clients too. Their relationship with the Continental group is progressing steadily. Here the growth is similar to Delphi and is preliminary in the field of auto electronics boxes. “We established strong links with Hella and our sales figures with them are increasing. There are new products in the pipeline here, too.”

Besides the foundry the company’s steel structure unit in Szeghalom also achieved success in recent years. The company completed the development of its new Urbanus midibus whilst it invested to establish the necessary technological and infrastructural facilities required for the bus production.

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The bus has been exhibited many times in prominent European and American commercial vehicle exhibitions and in 2011 it was awarded with the Hungarian Product Grand Prize.

New production facilities At the moment the production of the increased volume of goods causes congestion in the company’s current facilities.

However, this problem is only temporary.

The growth of the company has enabled the management to reconsider the plan previously developed for a new foundry hall prior to the recession. Following a review, the plan was completed and all the necessary permissions were received. In the second half of 2011 the development of a new 4000m2 double nave foundry hall began. The hall is linked with a new office block too. “The development is progressing according to plan and the opening celebration is set for 14 June 2012,” says Mr Pintér. “In the new hall brand new casting machines, robots, feeder furnace and

punchers will be installed. The smelting capacity and the selection of material handling equipment will also be increased.”

The development of this facility and the investment into purchasing new equipment adds up to a total of €5.5 million.

Good prospects Due to the new contracts Csaba Metál Zrt. has increased its market position in the past few years. The company today takes the second place in the league of foundries under Hungarian private ownership. The management sees unexploited opportunities in the geographical location of the plant in Békéscsaba since the town is located in the south-east part of Hungary close to the Romanian border. “We have just begun to supply products to the Romanian subsidiaries of our client’s operations. In the future we wish to put more emphasis on our presence in this exciting new location,” confirms Mr Pintér.

Throughout the years, Csaba Metál has continued to maintain its competitiveness

by adapting quickly to the fast-changing environment. The company’s owner and management provide support and freedom for employees with innovative approaches.

The organisation is managed effectively; decisions are made very quickly in relation to investments or new technologies.

The owner of Csaba Metál sees good prospects in manufacturing large automotive components. The first large foundry equipment with 25000kN closing force will be implemented at the end of this year.

“On this machine we wish to die-cast 15–25kg volume gearbox housings and other engine parts,” explains Mr Pintér.

“Parallel to this we need to develop our machining capacities and the range of our measuring equipment including CNC machining centres and large size 3D measuring equipment.”

It is clear that working under pressure suits Csaba Metál in every sense. Tough economic times call for cautious but decisive and effective measures which this company has taken n to produce outstanding results.

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FORGE MASTERS

Barbara Rossi speaks to Mr Raffaele Molon, the commercial director of Friulforgia SRL, a fast-growing steel component manufacturing company, part of the TTN group, a European leader in thermal treatments and steel components production.

T

he TTN group is a corporation founded in 1978, as a heat treatment service company in northern Italy, by Ernesto Pirovano. Nowadays the group, still led by Mr Pirovano and by his son Marco, has 400 employees and is both vertically and horizontally integrated. Its vertical integration is possible thanks to the fact that through its companies TTN is able to offer a range of processes and services, namely heat treatment, mechanical machining, a forging workshop, thermochemical treatment and surface PVD coating. In fact, TTC, TTN Piemonte and TTN Veneta are the local TTN heat treatment plants, CRT SpA is the PVD and surface coating specialist, the Nerviano and Vittuone plants are respectively engaged in heat treatment and machining, and Friulforgia, based in Udine, north-eastern Italy, is the group’s forging workshop, manufacturing components in any type of

steel. Horizontally the group is integrated in geographical terms, with four of its seven companies based in the Milan area, while the remaining three are located in Turin, Treviso and Udine.

Friulforgia is the youngest of the group’s companies, having started its activity as recently as February 2009, and it has allowed the group to establish a strong presence in the forging workshop sector. Despite the fact that Friulforgia began production at a time when the market was undergoing a serious crisis, the company which started with 10 employees now employs 31 members of staff. Alongside its main activity as a forging workshop, producing steel components according to clients’ design, Friulforgia also carries out some thermal treatment processes and offers technical support services with regard to the choice of materials and treatments.

While being part of the TTN group, in terms of its activity Friulforgia is autonomous and independent. Friulforgia’s components are directly supplied to the final clients, who mount them on larger systems, or to another TTN or external company for finishing purposes.

Tripling in three years As well as having tripled its number of employees in just three years, Friulforgia has managed to achieve parallel results in terms of its turnover. Furthermore while the original turnover was almost totally generated by the Italian market, now, after just three years, 50 per cent of the turnover is derived from foreign markets.

Thanks to the high quality of the products offered by the ISO 9001, ISO 14001 and OHSAS 18001 certified company (and the consequent costs), currently Friulforgia’s

geographical market, apart from Italy, is the whole of western Europe, plus countries such as Poland and Romania. Furthermore Friulforgia has already penetrated the Brazilian and Israeli markets. Expansion to further American and other non-European markets has so far been made more complicated by currency exchange issues.

Friulforgia has a quality control department where ultrasonic, penetrant liquid and magnetic tests are carried out, as well as tensile strength and impact tests and micrographies. Furthermore the company benefits from belonging to the TTN group in terms of being able to rely on its productive know-how and financial support.

With its focus on product quality and on the importance of the human factor, Friulforgia has been very attentive to con-

tinuously investing in new machinery and staff. Friulforgia has a nucleus of very experienced staff, alongside which there are a number of young members of staff. In fact the average staff age is only thirty-five. Mr Molon explained how Friulforgia is very committed to taking on and training new talent, and that staff training is carried out in the form of frequent technical specialisation training courses.

Friulforgia intends to develop a new production plant, on the same grounds as its current site, dedicated to further complementing its production, carrying out in-house some of the post-production mechanical processes currently carried out by other companies.

Other investments made in the last three years include a new forging press, a new furnace for ingot heating, a furnace

for post-forging phase thermal treatment, and two component-cutting machines.

Mr Molon stressed how, as the company had started its activity with brand new machinery, “we didn’t think that we would have needed to make investments so soon, but we have just grown so quickly”.

Further investments in new presses or cutting machines will be made if the market demands them.

The market segments supplied by Friulforgia are very varied and this, as Mr Molon pointed out, has helped the company to thrive even during the general economic downturn. Currently 41 per cent of turnover is derived from a mixture of sectors, 15 per cent from metallurgy, 12 per cent from shipbuilding, 10 per cent from oil and gas, 9 per cent from paper machinery, 5 per cent from

Via Degli Artigiani, 5 - 20853 Biassono - MB - Italy Tel. +39 039 4980020 Fax. +39 039 2324676 btetorri@btetorri.com www.btetorri.com

BOLDROCCHI T.E. SRL, a company of the Boldrocchi Srl group, designs, builds and supplies industrial, metallic, and modular cooling towers, which are supplied completely assembled, with or without a cooled water collection tank.

The significant experience gained in the cooling of industrial water allows us, as in the case of the cooling tower supplied to the esteemed FRIULFORGIA, to successfully identify the most suitable type of components to supply a reliable and flexible piece of equipment, requiring the least possible maintenance.

Successfully cooling water destined for thermal treatment requires a good knowledge of both the quality of the water and of the thermal impact caused by the immersion of high potential instantaneous heat.

Obviously the effect that probable errors of use which might always occur may cause needs to be carefully considered, as well as the fact that if such errors can somehow be predicted, these must not compromise the integrity of the cooling tower, which must remain constantly fit to receive and dispose of the set quantity of heat.

As with other applications, the water used in the forging thermal treatment, and therefore also in FRIULFORGIA, could sweep away and accumulate solid particles which have directly detached themselves from the submerged pieces or fallen in the tank from the external environment.

Also, due to possible system malfunctioning, it may happen that water at high temperature arrives at the cooling tower.

In order to obviate these and other possible problems an original filling, made with injection moulded polypropylene panels, linked to each other thanks to special components, has been provided on top of the supplied cooling tower. The panel sections thus obtained are mechanically robust, dirt resistant (with hardly any risk of dirt being retained), as well as being resistant to temperatures exceeding 95oC.

motors, 4 per cent from the offshore sector and 4 per cent from hydro power.

Future growth will be of an organic nature, as currently acquisitions seem to be neither feasible nor interesting. This growth will be of an entirely geographical nature, rather than taking place through the acquisition of new market segments, because the company already sells its components to all the sectors in which they can be utilised. In particular, as well as strengthening its pres-

ence in markets in which it already has a foothold, such as Israel and Brazil, it intends to expand to the rest of South America, the United States, Turkey, the Arab Emirates, South Africa and India. The company’s commercial department is continuously searching for potential new clients.

Furthermore, at present, there is no intention of moving production abroad, as Mr Pirovano’s philosophy has always been to put a high value on his territory and his workforce. n

THE COMPLETE VALUE CHAIN

The Lech-Stahlwerke GmbH is a steel plant and a recycling company at the same time, having already transformed over 26 mio tons of steel scrap into high-quality engeneering steel bars and rebars. Julia Snow spoke to the two management directors to hear more about the company’s expanding value chain.

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the only steel producer in Bavaria, Germany, Lech-Stahlwerke GmbH (LSW) turns out over 1 million tons each year, both as high-grade as well as rebars from its sites in Meitingen, Landsberg and Oberndorf. Right at the beginning of the interview management director Mr Bardosch draws attention to the company’s crucial strategic decision to extend the value chain: “It is most important that through our various subsidies we can now offer the whole steel value chain, from scrap metal recycling to production and distribution, including all the steps in between like logistics, processing and finishing.”

Over 40 years of steel history The company’s operations began in 1970, with the foundation of the Bayerische Elektrostahlwerke by Luigi Giussani, who wanted to exploit the output of car scrap in Bavaria. Four years later the name changed to Lech-Stahlwerke GmbH, and Aicher KG began its involvement in the company which was gradually increased to the majority shareholding of 80 per cent in 1992. In 2002 the company celebrated

an annual production of over 1 million tons of raw steel for the first time. Between 2004 and 2008 a range of investments boosted the technological capacities of LSW, including the introduction of the ultrasound testing in immersion, the purchase of a fully automatic spectrographic line and the installation of the first vacuum-degassing facility. Since 2008 the company has also used a modern scanning electron microscope.

Special bar quality steel – straight to the end customers LSW started out by producing rebars, and until recently the major business was the sale of special bar quality steel directly to oem and also to automotive suppliers, who would in turn re-forge and process the material before selling it on. Management director Dr Heussen explains: “To grow over all LSW-GroupCompanies the strategic decision was taken to grow over the whole supply chain. We are investing to extend our offering at both ends, in the recycling of scrap and in the finishing processes with the specific focus on peeled bars.

Today it´s obvious that this strategic development was completely right: in 2011 we had one of the best years in company history!”

In addition to the capacities in Landsberg, LSW is supporting this move with a major investment in the Oberndorf plant, where a new 3000m2 hall is going to house precision saws and modern induction heat treatment systems, which can produce exactly the type of finished steel bars needed by automotive customers.

Around two thirds of LSW’s business is in quality and special steel in thicknesses of 30-120 mm, says Dr Heussen: “Other major parts of our production capacity are send to the bavarian construction industry, but also to companies in Switzerland, Austria or Italy.

Further more LSW-steel is provided in form of billets for our partner companies, Rohrwerk Maxhütte or the Stahlwerk Annahütte.”

LSW has proudly announced that threaded Lech steel from Annahütte will be used for the reconstruction of the new World Trade Centre in New York.

“We have a ‘hidden export quota’, because we supply all the German automo-

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tive manufacturers, who in turn export 3 out of 4 of their cars - so while our customers may be in Germany, our products end up worldwide.” adds Mr Bardosch.

Sustainability at the top of the agenda In the past years many investments in environmental technology were made, the installation of a filter with a suction performance of 1,000,000m3 per hour and a cooling system with a heat exchanger saving about 80,000m3 deep spring water are examples. Noise reduction measures alone have totalled €1.2 mio: with the installation of a silencer on the roof, sound-insulating scrap bucket equipment and noise protecting walls.

“Our investments in measures to reduce noise, emissions and the use of resources are substantial. “We are very involved in the local community; for example we have a mentoring programme where our staff helps

students from a local university, and we are active in charity work and sponsorship of local sports clubs and cultural events. Safety and sustainability are a priority for us and for our neighbours, as shown by our achievement with the new slag facility.” says Dr Heussen.

World’s first in slag treatment “We started operating a new slag facility in June, which is worldwide the first and only facility that actually satisfies 100 per cent of environmental requirements.” reports Dr Heussen. The facility has a 1cm thick steel base and features an 80cm open maintenance area underneath the base, to allow access for regular controls, as well as an innovative sprinkler system that cools the slag and reduces the production of dust. “Because slag is increasingly important as a source of raw material we are sharing our knowledge and experience with others at an annual

M.T. LEGIERUNGEN GMBH - Feldstr. 22-40667 Meerbusch / Germany Phone: +49 2132 938910 - Fax: +49 2132 938915 - E-mail: mtl@mtl-legierungen.de

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symposium. In October we are again inviting experts from academia, business and government who will explain how we can address the challenge of treating slag for recycling – a process that is still very cost intensive but that will become essential in the future.”

The strategic focus on the new business field of high quality finished steel products along with the commitment to keep improving the recycling process places the company right on track for the intended ‘growth n by value chain extension’.

EXTRUDING GREATER VALUE The HAI Group is a market leader in the manufacture of advanced and complex aluminium components for niche markets. Philip Yorke talked to Rob van Gils, the general manager of the HAI Group, about its ambitious plans for growth and its latest casting, extrusion and welding technology.

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he HAI Group (Hammerer Aluminium Industries) was created as the result of the Hammerer family taking over the casting and extrusion product divisions of AMAG in 2007, while in turn the Hammerer family yielded its interest in AMAG to Constantia Packaging AG. This strategic decision to produce extrusions in an autonomous company heralded the founding of the HAI Group and formed the springboard for its success.

Over the past five years the company has seen strong growth as a result of its strategy 196 Industry Europe

of combining its long-standing experience with young dynamics. The company has ample capacity for cooperation on large projects, which have been merged together with lean structures and rapid decisionmaking procedures.

The HAI Group headquarters are at Ranshofen, Austria, where aluminium has been manufactured since 1939. The company operates the most advanced casting furnaces and homogenisation plants in Europe and is continuing to invest heavily in

new technology. Furthermore, the company operates four extrusion presses enabling them to produce profiles from 80g/m up to more than 20kg/m. A brand new machine park for customised additional fabrication is completing the range of products

‘Alu-plus principle’ driving sales It is not possible to make the kind of progress that the HAI Group has made in the last few years without offering something special. The company attributes its ongoing success to

a number of business principles. The main driving force for success is considered to be its ‘Alu-plus principle’ which forms an integral part of the company’s business model. This principle (CIP = continuous improvement process) is based upon its commitment to optimising every stage of its manufacturing processes and to offer greater value, quality and efficiency to its customers. With its comprehensive experience and competence in extrusion design, its advanced welding technology and all its

other aspects of processing, HAI is able to deliver product-orientated optimisation of any basic concept. In addition, the company offers a special consultancy service which reduces development costs in the process of extruding design and geometrical optimisation.

Mr van Gils said, “We are above all a dynamic and efficient company that operates two distinct business units. We have the casting division, which is involved in aluminium recycling where we buy raw

materials in from all over Europe and produce billets and slabs for the extrusion and rolling industry. Currently this amounts to more than 150,000 tons per year.

“The second part of our operations is all about value-added services in which we take billets and extrude them into high quality aluminium profiles and complex components for a diverse range of industries. We are also able to offer ‘friction stir welding’ and there is only one other company in

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Hammerer Aluminium Industries (HAI) is one of Hertwich’s most important customers since many years. To date Hertwich has supplied the following equipment to HAI: HAI Austria:

HAI Romania:

Melting and Casting Furnace VCD Casting Machine Continuous and Batch Type Homogenizers Helical Ultrasonic Inspection Long and Short Billet Saw

Complete remelt production line for 90.000 tpy comprising: 2 Melting Furnaces 2 Casting Furnaces VDC Casting Machine and Water Treatment Ultrasonic Inspection Long Billet Saw Universal Rotary Tilting Furnace (URTF)

Both HAI casthouses operate upon latest technology supplied by Hertwich.

With close cooperation and permanent improvement efforts HAI is set to maintain their lead as most advanced and efficient remelters and billet producers.

Hertwich Engineering GmbH Weinbergerstr. 6, 5280 Braunau – Austria Phone: Fax: E-mail:

+43 7722 806-0 +43 7722 806-122 info@hertwich.com www.hertwich.com

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Europe than can compete with us in this area. This precision process is ideal for extrusion components for the automotive industry, the rail industry and the transportation industries in general.”

Mr van Gils added, “The whole procedure of friction stir welding was invented in a Cambridge University laboratory in the UK. Our company identified its value early on and invested in the technology, which has resulted in this process being one of our main drivers for growth. Today we are supplying all the well-known European car and railway manufacturers with components and offer complete solutions in friction stir welding technology.

Currently we are in a phase where we are consolidating our dynamic growth over the last few years, and have more than doubled our capacity and our turnover.

We are also in the process of upgrading still further our extrusion plants to offer optimal value to our customers and in the process we are adding to our value chain across the board.

“We have also moved into a higher-value end of the market. Our state-of-the-art milling centre can produce aluminium components up to 20 metres long and to the highest standards in the industry. I believe that the main difference is that we are a family

run business and can offer greater flexibility as well as making investment decisions in days rather than months as with many other companies. We are also committed to caring for the environment and work with specially designed furnaces to minimise our carbon footprint using the most efficient filters and energy efficient processes, which in most cases are fully automated operations.”

Investing in the future of SBU casting The HAI Group has been making significant investments to ensure that it retains its premier position in the industry in the future. In 2009

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the company invested in a new plant in Santana, Romania, with a total investment of more than €30 million and added another €10 million to this with its expansion of its processing plant at Ranshofen in Austria. The company’s main objective is to modernise its existing facilities still further to achieve higher value-added products and services for its customers.

During the past five years HAI has more than doubled its capacity within SBU casting, where extrusion has been the main focus and additional machining and welding technologies have been implemented. These ongoing investments have

positioned HAI in the market as a reliable partner that is able to offer comprehensive solutions to the aluminium industry. During the next five years the company expects to see similar growth in its key markets and where special solutions and value-added services can be optimised. The strongest growth is likely to come from the automotive, rail and transport industries. Today the HAI Group is one of Europe’s biggest recyclers of aluminium and offers its customers exceptional value-added services along with high quality extruded profiles n and complex components.

CONTROLLED IN FLUID SOLUTIONS Fluid Automation Systems has recently celebrated its 40th anniversary. Abigail Saltmarsh finds out more about the company that is a leader in fluid control solutions.

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rom its base in Geneva, Fluid Automation Systems (FAS) is determined to continue on its path of growth and innovation. Ronan de Seroux, CEO of the company, says it is looking for organic growth through the introduction of new products and a focus on a leaner operation.

“We are targeting double-digit growth over the next three to four years,” he says. “We will do this through the introduction of new products, finding new capacity and upgrading our production facilities. Life sciences look set to be a growth area for us, as does the rail sector.

China is a market that holds great potential, as well as the USA, particularly in rail.”

Since 2004, FAS has been part of the IMI Norgren group. This is a global engineering group focused on the precise control and movement of fluids in critical applications.

It works with leading international companies in more than 50 countries to deliver innovative engineering solutions

and to address global trends such as clean energy, energy efficiency, healthcare and increasing automation.

Since FAS was founded in 1971, it has evolved and expanded steadily, and its continuous improvement has been recognised with a number of accreditations (ISO, INERIS, UL, VDE, SSIG). It has also built a reputation as a pioneering and innovative company with a passion for achieving excellence in sophisticated technologies.

A leader in the market With an impressive record in high technology, FAS is a recognised leader in fluid control solutions, specialising in miniature solenoid valve technology and microfluidics.

The majority of its sales serve 10mm and 15mm size applications.

This represents an excellent fit with Norgren’s existing solenoid capabilities, complementing the larger sizes offered by its established Webber, Buschjost and KIP ranges.

“FAS is a global leader in its field,” says Mr de Seroux. “Our core sector is life sciences and then the rest are for industrial applications. We have some key developments in process at the moment, such as a new high flow proportional valve. We have also had new products on the market this year that are typically for the life sciences markets and which are particularly exciting as we have no competitors.”

Meeting their needs FAS develops solenoid valves for the entire automation industry for which its products offer a wide range of applications. The company can also design and develop special products to meet a customer’s specific requirements.

Fields covered include assembling machinery, robots, EDM (electric discharge machines), heating installations and burners, packaging, folding machines, adhesive applicators, gumming, laser technology, optical sorting machines and photolithography. It also offers products for presses, rolling stock applications, semiconductor production, semicon mass flow controllers, SMD pick and place and vacuum technology.

Mr de Seroux explains that FAS has four bases – in Geneva, Lausanne, Milan and Germany. “Our sites in Germany and Italy are for distribution only,” he explains.

“At Lausanne, we manufacture largely for the medical and industrial sector. In Geneva, we have our research and development, as well as our technical facilities.”

There are no plans for any new production facilities but there is additional capacity within the manufacturing facilities in Switzerland.

“Life sciences continue to grow for us and we can see there could be increasing demand,” he says. “The rail sector is also becoming more and more important. We have been building relations with them – with companies that build trains and braking systems for rail applications – and expect expansion in that area over the next few years.”

Looking to the future Looking ahead, says Mr de Seroux, growth in Europe is likely to be steady for FAS but the markets of China and the USA could see more rapid movement.

“As we move forward, we will be pushing ahead with our product development as well,” he adds. “Our objective within the next two to three years is to be introducing about three new products every year.

We also want to become a much leaner operation. We are starting to move in that direction already but we still have some n way to go.”

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FABRIC OF LIFE As a leading machinery partner to the global textile industry, Benninger Group delivers both high-end equipment to its customers and a total service solution. Emma-Jane Batey spoke to the sales director, Josef Kleinheinz, to find out more.

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wiss-based machine supplier to the global textile industry Benninger Group has been serving this established yet ever-changing sector for more than 150 years.

Over this time, the company has built up a reputation for delivering high quality machines that support its customers’ commercial aims.

Divided into three core business areas, Benninger offers textile finishing machines for woven and knitted fabrics, machines for the tyre cord industry and automation solutions for both its own and third-party machines. All the required bleaching, dyeing and finishing can be conducted on Benninger machines.

The sales director Josef Kleinheinz, told Industry Europe ho,w these three core business areas have developed over time to ensure that Benninger is providing its customers with the best possible technical equipment and service. All Benninger machines are tailor made for the customers’ exact demands, using a modular system of parts that can be adapted and customised as required. He said, “Over our long history we have gradually built our offer to clearly reflect the changing needs of our customers. We have certainly had plenty of time to get to know what they want! By carefully listening to our customers

we have seen our offer change in tune with the market needs, but always while drawing on our exceptionally strong history and knowhow in the worldwide textile machine sector.”

Complete solutions The Benninger core business is its activities in the textile finishing sector. Dedicated to supplying its machines and complete solutions to leaders in the field, the company’s products are both expensive and state-of-the-art. Mr Kleinheinz added, “They are expensive for a reason – they are the best available machines that enable our customers to deliver the best Industry Europe 205

possible service to their customers. We supply to vertically integrated mills as well as dye houses and finishing companies worldwide.

These can be in different fabric segments such as cottons like shirting or bed linens, or more technical applications such as washing and de-oiling fabrics. Other high-tech applications include a number of automotive air bag manufacturers and companies producing fabrics for filtration and screening.”

For the tyre cord industry, Benninger supplies direct to multi-national brands including Dunlop and Pirelli, as well as certain cabling and other heat setting and treatment applications. As various threads can also be used in Benninger machines in addition to fabrics, the customer base is as broad as the applications.

The Benninger automation division represents its “biggest chunk of turnover”. Providing all the required controls, drives, programming and software necessary for its machines, the division employs some of the most technically experienced members of the workforce.

Growing rapidly thanks to the clever introduction of automation for third-party machines, Mr 206 Industry Europe

Kleinheinz explained how customers can come to Benninger without really knowing what automation solution they need and come away with a complete solution. He said, “We work out how to transpose the client’s problem into a solution. They can just say ‘we need something but we don’t know what or how’ and we work it out. We do this on a contract basis and it’s a very rewarding part of our service.”

Benninger is also active in the knit line segment, where knitted fabrics are finished. Its machines offer a great customer advantage in this field as they cut production costs by between 10 and 15 per cent.

Worldwide opportunities With production sites in Switzerland and Germany and subsidiaries in both India and China, Benninger is not currently planning to expand, however it is open-minded to new manufacturing opportunities that would benefit the company and its customers. Its main geographical markets are currently India, China, Brazil, central Europe, Turkey, Pakistan and South East Asia. While the com-

pany has a worldwide customer base and is able to supply all its products and services on a global basis, it is seeing particularly strong growth in emerging markets.

Benninger’s strong global client base for its customers sees it defines them as ‘A, B or C’ customers in order to guarantee that it is addressing the very particular needs of its target audience. By Benninger’s definition, an ‘A’ customer is one which supplies to a certain level of customer itself. An example of an ‘A’ customer would be one which exports internationally to certain quality-focused brands and chains. A ‘B’ customer is active in its domestic market yet still highly focused on quality products and practices. A ‘C’ customer can also be a large-scale manufacturer but one which tends to be led only by low-cost decisions.

In accordance with this ‘A, B or C’ definition, Benninger has recently identified the need to utilise its R&D capabilities to produce machines that retain the high standard it is known for whilst opening up the possibility of working with ‘B’ customers. Mr Kleinheinz

said, “We are not interested in working with ‘C’ customers as our machines are essentially over-engineered for their purposes. But we do want to appeal to ‘B’ customers as they appreciate high quality textile machines.

However, we know we must address the cost issue in this market, but we want to do this without losing the high quality reputation we have worked hard to establish, or indeed to lose our valuable ‘A’ customers.”

In order to address this, Benninger is working on machine concepts with a lower break even price to appeal to the ‘upper B customers’ while still meeting all the needs of its ‘A’ customers. Mr Kleinheinz concluded, “This is where we see the most exciting growth and it’s global. Benninger is a great brand, so as long as we stay true to our high quality machinery experience and know-how yet deliver a new machinery solution, that is more cost-attractive to all our customers. We are selling a process as well as a product, so by delivering our customised solutions to both ‘A’ and ‘B’ customers, we are growing while still keeping true to n our reputation for quality.”

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LEADER IN SUSTAINABLE SOLUTIONS

F

rom humble beginnings as a maintenance workshop and a factory for paper converting machines in Girona, Spain, Comexi Group has now, after nearly six decades of operation, established an excellent reputation and made the Comexi brands symbols of prestige for the flexible packaging converting industry. The group works with leading global brands, including renowned names such as Clondalkin, Exopack and Constantia.

“We have a high degree of specialisation in each of our product lines,” says Agustí Combis, marketing director at Comexi Group.

“These lines complement one another and thus enable us to offer our clients complete solutions and exploit synergies in all areas of our operations.”

Constant search for innovation The group headquarters are now based in one of the fastest-developing hubs of technology and business growth in Europe – the Industrial Park in Riudellots de la Selva, 6km from Girona. By developing new products that

have less of an impact on the environment and by helping customers reduce their costs, Comexi contributes to the development of the entire flexible packaging converting industry.

In flexographic printing COMEXI Flexo is a trademark for presses for flexible packaging and converting – it is in fact the world’s biggest manufacturer of CI flexo presses. More than 50 years of experience gives Comexi the advantage when it comes to offering customers quality, innovation and a high level of technical service. COMEXI Acom is one of the newest brand, mainly focused on gravure printing which helps the Group the possibility to offer the most important printing technologies for the flexible packaging industry. COMEXI Nexus is in turn the group’s trademark dedicated to the production of laminating solutions, increasingly without solvents, as part of the commitment to delivering environmentally friendly products.

Comexi Group also offers the COMEXI Proslit brand, which includes the most modern slitting and rewinding equipment for plastic films, paper and aluminium foil. “Indeed, when

Comexi and its holding company Comexi Group were established in 1954. Today, it is a leader both at European and global levels as a supplier of machinery and solutions to the flexible packaging industry. One of its innovations is the COMEXI OFFSET machine, setting a new standard for sustainable and environmentally friendly printing in flexible packaging. Piotr Sadowski reports.

developing any new products, our goal is to show that the industry, its productivity and care for the environment are all fully compatible,” adds Mr Combis. “COMEXI Enviroxi has therefore been set up as a trademark which works towards improved logistics, productivity and compliance with the ever-stricter European and global regulations in terms of caring for the environment and reducing air pollutants.

Here products range from systems to improving productivity through fast ink self-cleaning systems, to the disposal of volatile waste.”

Committed to sustainability The Comexi Group is committed to leading the flexible packaging converting industry into a sustainable and environmentally friendly future.

In fact, sustainable innovation and sustainable printing, which does not use harmful volatile organic compounds, has been the group’s goal since 2006.

“One of the latest solutions recently introduced internationally and one which we were also showcasing at the Drupa Print Media Fair in Düsseldorf in May is an innovation aimed

The essence of our work has remained the same: to offer our customers innovative products that, based on practical experience and the best technical development available, adapt perfectly to their requirements. Our goal is, to offer our customers the best in service, quality, innovation and technology.

www.lrproducts.net

at setting a new standard for offset printing in flexible packaging,” explains Felip Ferrer, commercial director of the new offset division at Comexi. “The COMEXI Offset CI8 press is a brand new product based on an arrangement of up to eight printing decks situated around a central drum [CI]. These could be up to eight offset EB print decks or, alternatively, the first and/or the last deck can also be a flexo deck for applying background colours or varnishes.”

What is very important about the COMEXI Offset machine is the fact that it completely does away with using any harmful solvent-

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based inks. Together with flexographic solutions it ensures compliance with environmental regulations through the use of eco-friendly solvent-free inks (offset EB inks). “This is what we mean by sustainable printing,” adds Mr Ferrer. “It is important for us and for the industry, as well as for clients who utilise flexible packaging for containing their products – leading brands such as Danone, Nestlé, Procter & Gamble and others.”

The COMEXI Offset CI8 machines bring both greater efficiency and productivity when it comes to printing plastic materials such as low

calibre PE, BOPP and PET. This innovation is a perfect reflection of the Comexi Group’s strategic principles: the reduction of costs per square metre printed; the capacity to produce offset plates in the same plant in a matter of minutes; the reduction of environmental impact thanks to the EB offset solvent-free inks; greater line screen and a highly impressive printing quality, particularly in highlights, fine screens and micro texts. Last but not least, it also ensures greater energy efficiency.

“This is a product which allows for a great degree of productivity and reduction of flexible costs, and we hope to offer it to clients not just in Europe but also globally,” conclude Mr Combis and Mr Ferrer. “It is investment which can be fully justified, as sustainable printing and sustainable flexible packaging is at a turning point. Therefore the Drupa Fair has been an excellent occasion to see the new COMEXI Offset CI8, as well as a range of other new products in Comexi brands, which drive this n new industrial trend.” www.comexigroup.com

DISTINCTIVE

KITCHEN SOLUTIONS

A kitchen is often the central living space in any flat or house.

Bau-for-mat Kitchens’ product lines offer an individual solution to suit any budget and style.

Marco Siebel talks to the managing director, Delf Baumann.

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au-for-mat Kitchens is a German family run company that has a yearly turnover of over €200m, and employs nearly 900 people, producing a wide range of kitchen lines. The holding company also has a bathroom line.

The four Baumann brothers established the firm of Gebrüder Baumann in 1929.

In 1954 the firm of Wilhelm Baumann was established, manufacturing kitchen buffets and also, from 1956, Swedish kitchens. Production of fitted kitchens using melamine-coated chipboard began in 1961. By 1970 the business had sales of €2 million and about 90 employees. In 1971 the Wilhelm Baumann business was taken over by the son Wilfried Baumann.

By 1984 sales had reached €50 million

and there were about 320 employees. In 1985 the corporate name was changed to its current name ‘Bau-for-mat Küchen’.

Delf Baumann was the third generation to join the family business, in 1996. The Beck House, an exhibition and training centre was opened in 2000, following extensive renovations. In 2009 the ‘cube 130’ product line was launched at the company exhibition, followed in late 2011 by the ‘cube purista’ product line.

The managing director, Delf Bauman, the third generation to head the family business, said: “The German market is strong, demands from the Dutch market which has seen a decline since 2008 has been coming back, and we are working on entering the Indian market between 12 and 18 months from now.”

The kitchen town Bau-for-mat Kitchens has two production sites in the northern part of Germany, in Löhne and in Magdeburg, roughly on the line Amsterdam - Berlin. The town of Löhne is, in fact, a centre for the German kitchen equipment industry; nowhere else in the world will you find so many famous kitchen manufacturers gathered together in such a small area. They provide jobs for 2000 people plus another 1000 in the supplying industry in Löhne. One in four jobs in Löhne is directly related to kitchen production.

Delf Bauman said: “In 2010 and 2011 we have invested €15m in refurbishing buildings and buying new machines to enhance production capacity of Löhne (Bau-for-mat) and Burg (Burger Küchenmöbel).

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At the manufacturing facility in ‘the world’s kitchen centre’ more than 300 employees make the cube line products (cube 30 and cube Purista) to high environmental standards on a production area of more than 33,000m2.

In the past few years the group has invested a considerable amount of money in Burg to make it one of the most state-of-the-art factories in Europe enabling the company to build almost 5000 units per day with 500 employees.

Bau-for-mat Kitchens’ logistics experts deliver to the main markets of Central Europe

using their own vehicle fleet with their own drivers, 50 tractor units and 140 trailers. In addition to that, haulage firms serve Northern, Southern and Eastern Europe, America, the Asian markets and the Arab Emirates.

For every taste The three main kitchen lines, Burger, cube 130 and cube purista, are all manufactured in Germany, and have been designed by Bau-for-mat Kitchens’ own design studio with inspirational help from Italian kitchen designers.

Delf Bauman: “With our three product lines we can satisfy approximately 80 to 90 per cent of customers’ demands in terms of budget and style taste. This enables us to offer a comprehensive and very attractive partnership with our dealers worldwide.”

Dealers can keep their knowledge constantly up to date through training sessions and presentations at the Beck House, Baufor-mat Kitchens’ own training and exhibition centre near the town of Löhne. In the historic setting of an old manor with a history stretching back over 800 years, the spacious exhibition area shows the variety of planning options available to the innovative specialist retail partner in terms of kitchen design.

Planners can visit the centre together with their customers and can use it as a venue for n meetings and suggestions.

DISPLAYING GREENER

EFFICIENCY

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Bonnet Neve is a European leader in the design and manufacture of refrigerated display cabinets. Philip Yorke reports on its latest, energy-efficient products designed for the world’s fresh food and beverage hypermarket retailers and looks at the company’s strategy for future growth.

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onnet Neve was created as the result of a merger between two prestigious French brands, Bonnet and Neve, more than 20 years ago. Since that time Bonnet Neve has built up an enviable reputation for its advanced range of energy-efficient refrigerated cabinets, technical products and dedicated customer services. The company is part of the EPTA Group, which was established by the Nocivelli family in 1986. Today the group is a global leader in its field and comprises many leading international brands, including the Italian company Costan Refrigerazione, Intercold of Austria, BKT of Germany, George Barker of the UK and Argentinian brand leader Costan Market.

Bonnet Neve’s core expertise lies in the design, production and installation of refrigerated display units, production units and cold rooms. All the company’s products offer maximum energy efficiency and display ratios, as

well as optimising merchandising opportunities and ergonomics. The company’s eco-friendly and super-efficient products are backed by advanced design, the latest manufacturing processes, global technical support services and an unrivalled distribution network. Commitment to these core attributes has been the reason for the company’s ongoing global success. Currently Bonnet Neve has a 60 per cent share of the French market and its European sales represent around 20 per cent of the Epta Group’s global revenues, which in 2010 stood at more than €500 million.

Product innovation driving sales Bonnet Neve has been continuously investing in new technology and the development of innovative, energy-efficient products. During the past decade the company has been responsible for developing some of the most successful refrigeration products ever launched

in the industry. For example, in 2006 it unveiled its Effica 2000 and Effica 1500 models, both of which enjoyed record global sales for its ‘Compact Line’ series. These represented excellent value and provided unique display and storage solutions for small food retailers and service stations. Other successes followed shortly afterwards with the introduction of Bonnet Neve’s Cosmos 3ECO and the ‘Duetto’ refrigerated island, designed for the storage of cold meats, dairy products and other chilled cabinet merchandise.

The year 2010 was no exception with the launch of an all-new compressor pack offering significantly reduced environmental impact. This Eptagreen natural refrigerant compressor pack was specifically developed to minimise the direct emissions of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere. The special properties inherent in the R744 (CO2) gas that is used in the new family of Eptagreen

cascade compressor packs ensures numerous advantages for the customer. These include a significant reduction in carbon emissions and improved flexibility and operational system efficiency.

Increasing power and flexibility In keeping with its strategy to offer even greater operational value and energy-saving features, Bonnet Neve recently launched another ‘first’ onto the market. The new product quickly attracted media interest and was announced as the all-new refrigerator compressor pack EptaBerg Power Unlimited model. This was developed especially

by Bonnet Neve to offer energy savings and greater flexibility for large displays of food in supermarkets and hypermarkets. A major

advantage of this latest offering from Bonnet Neve is its ability to minimise leaks and greatly reduce the levels of vibration that can cause them. In addition, the new compressor pack manages both positive and negative temperature ranges independently, all within the same structure. By utilising 3+3 or 4+4 compressors, it is possible to significantly reduce the space that the cabinets take up.

These models also come with unlimited power, with up to 500kW available in the HT version and 125kW in the LT model. Uninterrupted continuity of service is guaranteed with these units due to their high performance specifications. Furthermore, thanks to their functional layouts, access is easier and maintenance is thereby simplified.

Pioneering eco-technology At the heart of every product from Bonnet Neve is the dedicated research and development that has been devoted to ensuring that the final product is not only offering the best possible display solutions, but also the best-in-class environmental outcomes.

Bonnet Neve’s eco-production display cabinets are designed for use with foam insulation that contains no high GWP blowing agent. These units are manufactured at four factories distributed throughout western Europe in order to minimise transportation mileage and the resulting negative effects on the environment.

Supporting this eco-friendly culture, the company’s extensive innovation centre integrates the latest energy-saving technolo-

gies to meet the most stringent European eco-legislation. As the leader in zero HFC technology, the company has more than 50 C02 trans-critical systems installed in Europe.

When buying components, Bonnet Neve also takes into consideration the life-cycle benefits of its products and favours the use of local suppliers whenever possible. In addition, as you would expect, Bonnet Neve is fully RoHS and WEEE compliant.

The company believes that Bonnet Neve’s success hinges on the quality of its innovative design and manufacturing processes and the well-defined distribution of its product ranges.

The company’s future strategy is to continually out-perform the competition in terms of cost-effectiveness, eco-sustainability, product n excellence and service reliability.

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