Industry Europe – Issue 23.3

VOLUME 23/3 – 2013 • €6

The world of European manufacturing

KONCAR ELECTRIC VEHICLES SETS NEW STANDARDS IN ENERGY EFFICIENCY THE SWITCH POWERS AHEAD WITH FUSION DRIVE INNOVATION IN ANTIBIOTICS DRIVES GROWTH AT XELLIA

DOUBLE DIP FOR CONSTRUCTION

OPINION

PETERMERCER

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Dunce’s cap The EU’s cap on bankers’ bonuses is bad economics, bad politics and bad news for us all.

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this is what it means for the UK to stand tall in Europe, to boost its influence, to play a leading role in its neighbourhood, to keep its clout (all clichés courtesy of Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg). When it comes to an issue of vital importance to Britain alone, its EU partners have no hesitation in out-voting it 26 to 1. Bankers’ bonuses are to be capped even though the UK has strongly protested that such a measure would inflict serious harm on its financial services industry and on the City of London.

There is no doubt that any such damage would indeed be a problem overwhelmingly for Britain alone. Probably more than 90 per cent of the businesses affected are in the UK. Even after the banking crisis, Britain is still home to four banks that are global players (against one in Germany), the City handles 38 per cent of foreign exchange trading (against France’s three per cent and Germany’s two per cent) and the UK has a 19 per cent share of cross-border bank lending compared to eight per cent in both France and Germany. And Britain’s annual surplus on trade in financial services, arising from trading profits, commissions, fees etc, is around £30 billion. Since the country’s total current account deficit is about £60 billion, that means that without the surplus on financial services it would be twice as big. And, of course, all those profits – and the big earnings that go with them – mean a big tax take for the Treasury.

Of course defending bankers’ pay is about as politically popular as legalising drugs – it’s not the issue on which any British government would choose to fight for the nation’s rights. And it’s made all the harder by the populist banker bashing in which government has indulged since 2008, in part to distract attention from the part played by its own incompetence in turning a banking

crisis into an economic catastrophe. But at least there’s always Boris Johnson to call a spade a pala. Ever the first to give voice to the thoughts of the man on the Clapham omnibus, London’s Mayor observed, “This is possibly the most deluded measure to come from Europe since Diocletian tried to fix the price of groceries across the Roman Empire.”

Even those of us whose memories don’t go quite so far back had hoped that prices and incomes policies had gone the way of flared jeans and big hair. But even the Socialist governments of the 60s and 70s didn’t try to impose selective incomes policies. If you insist on statutory limits on bankers’ pay, why not on that of hedge fund and private equity managers? Why not footballers and pop stars – a lot of them are paid silly money for no great purpose?

Banks don’t pay their top people huge amounts just to annoy the rest of us; just like football managers, they pay what they judge is necessary to get the best players and to keep them. That is why everyone from London’s Mayor to the Governor of the Bank of England is warning that this cap on bonuses is likely to be self-defeating and may well set back real banking reform. The immediate result will be higher basic salaries, which are much less tied to performance than bonuses and which therefore will actually increase banks’ risks if things go wrong. It seems that this has already happened at RBS, where government pressure to reduce bonuses has put up salaries – new analysts there are now apparently paid 30 per cent more than at Goldman Sachs. If you really want to reduce risk-taking and reward results, all-share bonuses are surely a better solution.

And then there’s the danger that if the cap does succeed in significantly reducing pay, the banks’ key people will simply take themselves off to New York, Hong Kong or Singapore.

The risk paradox None of this will cut much ice in Brussels, of course, because the bonus cap is just one element in the EU’s Basel III reforms that aim to ensure that banks never again take excessive risks and that they have enough capital to withstand future shocks so that taxpayers never again have to bail them out.

This all sounds very reasonable but banking is a funny business. As UK economist Tim Congdon has been telling us for years, the paradox of excessive regulation is that “the removal of risk from bank balance sheets (which is supposed to make banks safer) may aggravate deflationary pressures (which will add to the dangers of banking).” The more that zealous regulators insist on eliminating risk from banks’ balance sheets, the more that banks are pushed to call in dodgy loans and eliminate ‘toxic’ assets, the more are banks’ liabilities lowered and money destroyed.

Economists disagree about almost everything but just about everyone accepts, says Congdon, that the rapid destruction of money balances in a recession is madness; the message of all financial crises is that the priority must be to stop the quantity of money falling and ideally to get it rising again.

“Of course banks must over time recognise their mistakes and take losses. But the right moment to announce losses is when the recovery is established and banks are making good profits. It would be a tragedy if the paradox of excessive regulation – that the search for safety at individual banks can cut the money supply and aggravate demand weakness in the whole economy – intensified global disinflation.”

So you can put the Golden Goose on a crash diet if you like but don’t expect any eggs. n Industry Europe 3

CONTENTS Editor Peter Mercer

Production Manager Kamila Kajtoch

Deputy Editor Victoria Hattersley

Administration Anna Chamberlain Amber Dawson Kayleigh Harvey

Profile Writers Abigail Saltmarsh Felicity Landon Piotr Sadowski Emma-Jane Batey Barbara Rossi Philip Yorke

Art Administration Tania Balderson Advertising Manager Andrew Briggs Sector Managers Matthew Howe Eniko Kovacs Milada Preslova Massimo Ragazzo Helen Leisi Mac McCarthy Anthony McClintock Ben Snowing Anna Dudek Stephen Moore Richard Thomas John Cliff Martin Gisborne Victoria Pease Daniel Sands Gabdi Saunders

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

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 2013 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 1 4 5

Opinion Dunce’s cap Bill Jamieson A low point – but not yet a recovery point James Srodes Of wolves and lambs

Construction Industry 6

9 12

Double dip for construction No recovery yet in sight

Construction news The latest from the industry London’s railway renaissance The capital’s transport is being transformed

News 14 16 18 19 20

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

Reports 22 23

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

Measurement & Control 24

27

Setting new standards in industrial weighing Eilersen

Ready for new challenges Carboautomatyka

Agriculture 30 34

Innovation and family tradition ADR Tractors with individuality Valtra

Automation & Tooling 38 41

High-precision tools Niles-Simmons Ahead in automation Yaskawa

Automotive 46

Screws and metal components for cars Finnveden

Building & Construction 50 53 56 60 64 68 72 76 80 82 85

Natural beauty in floors Bauwerk Parkett Doors to success Gilgen Door Systems Building on global success Phil Access to security EVVA Leaders in sanitary technology Geberit Group Innovation and synergy Gruppo Industriale Tosoni Clear vision Press-Glass Solid success Spaencom Experts in pre-fabricated concrete Consolis A new structure Maie Cooperation is the key Acmar

VOL 23/3

Above: Eilersen p24

Chemicals 88

92

96

First choice in customised greases Axel Christiernsson

Continuing innovation in lubricants Fuchs Lubrificanti

Metal Working

Experts in high quality industrial paraffin

186 190

194 198 202

205 208

Polwax

Cleaning systems 100 When green meets clean Nilfisk-Advance 104 Cleaner and greener Tennant

Consumer 108 112 116 120

Quality blinds B&C International Intelligent garden tools Fiskars Leading the way Lloyd Great cigar and tobacco brands Scandinavian Tobacco

Electronics 124 128 130 135

Coool solutions Cooolcase Premium sound systems DMPSS Award-winning sound quality Meridian Partners in progress Partner Tech

Energy 138 142 147

European power player Alstom Power The power of the switch The Switch Setting new standards in PV systems Schweizer

Food & Drink 150 154 158 162

180 Offshore support specialists Olympic Shipping 183 Tomorrow’s solutions for marine operations

ULSTEIN

A polished operation Osborn Enhancing the value of speciality tubular steels OSTP Strong and versatile Ovako Group Leaders in tube forming Voestalpine Advancing the technology of machine tools DANOBATGROUP

From strength to strength KCM Constructing energy-efficient steel solutions Ruukki

Pharmaceuticals 213 216 220 226

Expanding global presence Vifor Pharma Leading the way GEA Group Innovator in the antibiotic arena Xellia Complete capability CMC Biologics

Plastics 231 Compounding success Buss 234 Optimising the performance of industrial films

Dupont Teijin Films

Surface Treatment 238 Continued success CUMI 242 Strong in abrasives Ekamant 247 Optimising wear Magotteaux

Masterclass in canning technology Ferrum Increasing brand awareness HAK Boosting the brand Herbapol Lublin The Swiss specialists in dairy products

Textiles

Elsa Mifroma

252 Setting new standards in electrical

rail transportation Koncar

HVAC 167 Advanced heating technology

Riello Urzadzenia Grzewcze

Marine 172 Think offshore, thin DOF... DOF 176 Shaping the world Jan De Nul

Above: Geberit Group p64 Below: The Switch p142

Above: Ruukki p208 Below: Koncar p252

250 The fabric of success PGI

Transport & Logistics

Also in this issue...

259 262 266

Gears for industry IG Watteeuw Fast flowing innovation Sulzer Pumps Shaping the future of glass technology SCHOTT Flat Glass

Industry Europe 5

COMMENT

BILLJAMIESON

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Executive Editor of The Scotsman

A low point – but not yet a recovery point Weak business and consumer confidence is still holding back growth in the eurozone.

IT

has taken an anarchic Italian comic to bring not only his country but the eurozone overall to a moment of truth: austerity economics may be digging the economies of Europe into an even bigger hole.

Initial reaction to the stunning success of Beppe Grillo in the recent Italian elections was that Europe needed this hirsute maverick like a hole in the head. Stock markets wilted, the euro fell and the anxiety needle of Italian sovereign debt shot up.

Beppe Grillo was by no means solely to blame. For a dangerous complacency had set in after the pledge by European Central Bank president Mario Draghi that he would do ‘whatever it takes’ to save the euro.

There was a widespread assumption that this action alone had ‘rescued’ the eurozone’s troubled economies.

On the contrary. While sovereign debt yields fell back from the crisis levels reached last summer, there has been little change in the real world economies of the eurozone.

And this matters, because without such an improvement, the deeply debt laden economies of Greece, Italy, Spain and others have little prospect of generating the higher tax revenues to bear down on that debt.

Official figures have duly confirmed that the eurozone’s economies shrank by a further 0.6 per cent in the fourth quarter of last year – the fifth successive quarter of decline.

Eurozone GDP was down 0.9 per cent yearon-year in the fourth quarter and by 0.6 per cent over the year as a whole.

The contraction was widespread with marked drops in consumer spending, investment and exports, and was particularly steep in the usual suspect southern periphery economies.

But it would be wrong to conclude that northern European economies did not suffer.

The German economy shrank 0.6 per cent quarter on quarter, dragged down – ironically – by a resilient euro on foreign exchange 6 Industry Europe

markets and depressed conditions in other eurozone countries. France shrank by 0.3 per cent and the Netherlands by 0.2 per cent.

The strong euro, helpful though it may be for UK manufacturing exporters, has done the zone few favours in economic recovery terms. Indeed, one of the most striking features that future historians will wrestle to explain is how, despite the worst financial and economic crisis in continental Europe since before the war, the European single currency has displayed such strength against other leading global currencies.

Over the final quarter of 2012, consumer spending in the eurozone shrank 0.4 per

The strong euro, helpful though it may be for UK manufacturing exporters, has done the zone few favours in economic recovery terms. cent, and was down 1.2 per cent year-onyear. This has acted as a major constraint on recovery. Tight fiscal policy, a low level of consumer confidence after years being bombarded by headlines of the euro crisis and high and rising unemployment all contributed.

As for investment – one of the most cited arguments in favour of the creation of the euro in the first place – this fell by 1.1 per cent quarter on quarter, following reductions in the previous three quarters. And austerity economics in many eurozone countries also contributed by holding down government spending. This declined by 0.1 per cent quarter-on-quarter.

Waiting for a lift Is there no end in sight? There were signs that low business confidence was bottoming out in the final three months of 2012. So could

this have marked the low point for the eurozone economies? The problem here is how to lift household and consumer confidence when unemployment is so high and when disposable income is being throttled down by wage freezes, growth in part-time working and of course ultra-low levels of interest income on savings and bank deposits.

So while economic activity may have hit its low point last autumn, it is likely to remain a struggle for the foreseeable future. Indeed, the IMF and others are forecasting that the eurozone will suffer further contraction across 2013 as a whole.

The downside of Beppe Grillo’s success, of course, is that another burst of political instability in Italy could put eurozone debt apprehension back on the boil: the interest on the country’s sovereign debt rises, worries about Italy’s creditworthiness spreads to the corporate sector and investment and business expansion is put back in the deep freeze.

One flicker of hope for continental manufacturers is that the euro eased back notably from mid-February after hitting a 15-month high against the dollar. But they cannot rely on the vagaries of the currency markets to address the deep-seated problems in the single currency area: high non-wage labour costs, structural barriers to higher productivity, highly expensive social welfare models and already burdensome levels of government spending.

But these issues are politically difficult even at the best of times. And in periods of recession such as now, austerity is already deeply unpopular and it is more likely that the ‘Club Med’ economies will move towards stepping up government spending rather than reducing it – despite the pledges they have given to obtain access to eurozone bail-out funds.

For these reasons, much has still to change before we can be confident that the autumn 2012 ‘low point’ really does mark n the onset of a sustained recovery.

USA

JAMESSRODES

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Veteran commentator on Washington & Wall Street

Of wolves and lambs Has Isaiah come to Washington at last?

T

he Biblical prophet foresaw a time when “The wolf will live with the lamb, and the leopard will lie down with the goat.

The calf, the young lion, and the fatling will be together, and a child will lead them.” So has President Barack Obama (presumably cast as the child) finally led the wolf (House Republicans) to peaceful coexistence with the ruminants that comprise the Senate’s Democrat leaders?

Don’t bet on it. A growing consensus, especially among supporters of the President, is putting it about that the political gridlock that has paralysed both ends of Pennsylvania Avenue since 2008 is finally cracking and may break up altogether.

Among the evidence that supports this optimism there is the ever-rising stock market price measurements, a recent modest drop in the unemployment rate, a slight rise in home prices, a visible increase in housing and other construction activity, and, not least, continued low interest rates.

From these signals it is further concluded that Mr Obama has now achieved the political weight he needs to gain new tax revenues from the Congress without having to give way on cuts to various welfare and health care entitlement outlays that the Republicans insist on.

And it must be said that the Republican members of both the House and Senate do appear politically divided between an Old Guard who are amenable to some

compromises and Young Tea Party Turks who reject anything but spending cuts throughout the entitlements menu of government programmes. Much has been made of Mr Obama’s recently friendly overtures to the Old Guard, ranging from jolly dinners he has hosted for potential converts to a new conciliatory tone in his public statements about the need for ‘bipartisanship’.

Thus, the reasoning continues, Mr Obama has won, the Tea Party radicals have lost, and that avoids further peril to the economy posed by the sequestration spending cuts that became effective in the past weeks. The President now appears poised to get the new tax increases on the wealthy he claims will pare back the out of control budget deficits he has run up over the previous four years.

Dark days still Again, don’t bet on it. There are several hard truths in play that point to a darker scenario for the US economy in general and Mr Obama in particular.

American economic recovery lapsed into negative territory during last year’s October–December quarter. While the $85 billion in government budget cuts mandated by the sequestration law will sting some parts of the bureaucracy, the cuts are merely a nick in the total $3.6 trillion overall budget and do little to trim the $1.2 trillion budget deficit.

Another factor is that the Federal Reserve Board is making noises that the time may be near for it to end its $85 billion per month purchase of government debt issues that have funded those deficits and kept Wall Street’s banks glutted with cash and nowhere to invest it.

This brings us to Wall Street which is celebrating new record highs in all the major share price indicators, in part because institutional investors are parking their surplus cash in equities as well as Treasuries. But it takes a certain euphoria to overlook the fact that these new records merely bring long-term investors back to price levels last held in 2007, and only a shade better than investors achieved way back in 2000. In between times, investors have seen their holdings lose their values by nearly half, not once but twice.

In short, Wall Street’s rally is not much of a bullish indicator.

The recent gains are dependent on the Fed continuing to pump liquidity into the system. There has already been a slight uptick in government bond rates that could be a warning. Should that prop be withdrawn – and the very revival of some sectors of the economy might require it – then a big revival in interest rates could turn the bulls into bears.

There are early signs that this is happening. Gurus such as Warren Buffet and John Paulson have been quietly off-loading their extensive holdings of shares in major name consumer products

makers. Some early bears have been warning clients that a correction that erases as much as 90 per cent of the recent gains may be underway.

Another vexing question is just how solid are the early signals of broader economic recovery. Much of the construction boom let is driven by the massive regional infrastructure repair in progress as a result of last winter’s disastrous Hurricane Sandy. And as welcome as the new lower 7.7 per cent jobless rate may be, the fact remains that the broader measure of unemployment remains at nearly twice that level. More than 12 million Americans remain out of work and millions more have dropped out of the labour force in despair.

And finally, remember that now in the spring of 2013, the 2014 Congressional election campaigns are underway serving as a referendum on the President’s stewardship. His dream of wresting control of the House from the Republicans is now being dismissed as nearly impossible; indeed his Democrats may actually lose seats in the Senate as well.

So is Mr Obama a winner and the recalcitrant Republicans the losers? It does not look like that is so.

A better case can be made that neither side has won much. More, the gridlock seems as tightly welded as ever and in that respect, the US economy probably is the big n loser once again.

Industry Europe 7

The Hermitage Plaza development in Paris’s La Défense district could overtake the Shard. The Foster & partners design is for two 320m high towers, with an estimated cost of € 2.5 billion.

DOUBLE DIP FOR CONSTRUCTION H

aving reached a peak in value of almost €1.6 trillion (in today’s prices) in 2007, the European construction market has been on the slide ever since. Some statistics suggest it may have managed some growth in 2011, but if the market did bounce back it was a barely perceptible recovery – certainly less than 1 per cent growth that year.

Since then the sovereign debt crisis in Europe’s peripheral economies has derailed economic growth in general in the region, and construction output has fallen along with GDP. The problem is twofold. First, the struggling countries were once significant construction markets themselves. In the pre-crisis years, Spain and Italy each accounted for about 10 per cen of Europe’s construction output for example. Greece, Ireland and Portugal were much smaller of course, but at times 8 Industry Europe

were attractive markets owing to their steep growth. This was particularly true of Ireland.

The second problem is the way the debt crisis has eroded business confidence in general, discouraging private companies from investing and also depressing the residential market.

The theory was in the crisis years that once the immediate threat of financial Armageddon had passed, private companies would start spending again as public investment fell away in the face of the inevitable austerity drive. What has happened of course is that the austerity has come, but there has not been enough private spending to plug the gap.

As a result, the Euroconstruct group of economic forecasting companies believes that construction output in the 19 countries it monitors, which make up the bulk of the European market, fell 4.7 per cent

The eurozone debt crisis has pushed the European construction market back into recession (if it ever emerged). The recovery will take at least another year and it will be a weak rebound when it comes. Chris Sleight reports. in 2012. A further decline of 1.5 per cent is expected this year, taking construction output to about €1.28 trillion – near enough a -20 per cent drop from the peak of activity in 2007/8, and taking the market back to about the size it was in 1996.

Although a recovery is forecast for 2014, the unpredictable nature of the forces holding back the recovery mean it is not something to count on. The threat of another default in one of Europe’s distressed economies could knock confidence again and further delay the long-awaited up-tick.

Regional variations But as ever in Europe, the headlines figure tells only a limited story. It hides a series of markets that are doing well and some that are doing badly. Frankly, there are also construction

Turkey represents one of the brightest spots in the region.

Pictured is a 10m, diameter tunnel boring machine commissioned for the Kargi Kizilirmak Hydroelectric Project in the country’s central mountainous region.

markets in Europe that are catastrophic at the moment as well.

On the plus side, the Nordic and Baltic region is unspectacular, but showing good steady growth. Norway and Sweden are all seeing modest single-digit growth and some of the smaller Baltic states like Estonia and Latvia are looking strong. The falling markets around the Baltic rim are Denmark and Lithuania.

Another bright spot is Germany, and this is significant because it is the largest construction market in Europe. Growth was particularly robust in 2011 – some data sources say there was a double-digit gain in construction output. The euro crisis has taken its toll since then, but the German construction market is still believed to be growing.

And that’s about it for good news. Of the other major markets, France and the UK are seeing their construction output fall, as are many of the other smaller economies in Europe. For the really bad news look at Italy or Spain in particular. There was a time when along with France, Germany, Italy and the UK, Spain was one of the ‘Big 5’ construction markets in Europe that accounted for about two thirds of output. That is no longer the case, as construction output in Spain has fallen so steeply for so long, that it is now only really a mid-sized market.

The steepest falls of all have been in Greece. It is not a country where many attempted to measure construction output even before the crisis, but based on the rough

Last summer saw the Shard in central London reach completion. At 95 storeys and 310m high it is the tallest building in western Europe.

Government austerity cuts across Europe mean work such as road building and other areas that have been traditionally financed by public funds, are seeing a sharp downturn.

rule of thumb that construction accounts for about 10 per cent of GDP, the pre-recession market could have been worth some €30 billion per year. However, according to Eurostat the falls in Greek construction have at times been of the order of -30 per cent per annum in the post crisis years. If this is the case, construction output in Greece might only be about 20 per cent of what it was in 2008 – maybe about €6 billion.

Austerity impacts One factor that is common across almost all of Europe is public sector austerity. This has a range of impacts on construction, for example in the building of schools, hospitals and other public buildings. However, it is most striking

Industry Europe 9

in the infrastructure sector, where despite the emergence of Public Private Partnerships over the last 20 years, most work is still funded by the public sector.

According to data from Eurostat, civil engineering output in the EU 27 was down 7.5 per cent in the 12 months to the end of the third quarter of 2012. Compare this to the overall decline of 6.2 per cent in construction output and the 5.9 per cent drop in building construction, and it is clear that the civil engineering market is bearing the brunt of the downturn.

The dramatic change in the market over the past few years has of course had some significant impacts on construction companies. There have been numerous bankruptcies among mid-sized players, but so far there haven’t been any collapses of panEuropean companies.

But that is not to say there have not been problems, particularly with heavily indebted companies. Spanish contractor Sacyr came close to collapse as it tried to refinance debt in late 2011, while 2012 saw compatriot ACS take huge impairment hits on its ownership of energy company Iberdrola, which drove it to a €2 billion annual loss.

In Italy meanwhile, there has been a fascinating tussle between two contractors – Salini and Impregilo – as Salini has sought first to gain control of Impregilo’s Board, and then to merge with its much larger rival, all to the great upset of the Gavio family which had historically controlled Impregilo. Now Salini has the upper hand, it says it will push ahead with its plan to build a pure construction company – Impregilo had also been in the toll road business – with the scale to compete 10 Industry Europe

Poland national stadium opening - 29 Jan 2012

Preparations for the 2014 Winter Olympics in Sochi continue to provide a steady stream of work. Pictured is the construction of the Mzimta rail bridge, which is part of the supporting infrastructure for the games.

for major contracts around the world. In fact, internationalisation is one way that European contractors have managed to offset some fo the weaknesses at home. Some of the biggest contractors in the US, for example, are European-owned – Sweden’s Skanska is a major player, as is Germany’s Hochtief through its subsidiary Turner.

More recent years have seen Spanish and Portuguese contractors benefit from the construction boom in Latin America. Indeed, the biggest construction project in the world at the moment is the expansion of the Panama Canal, and this is being carried out by a consortium led by Sacyr, and which also includes Impregilo. The consortium also includes Belgian dregdging specialist Jan De Nul and local contractor Constructora Urbana.

It is a source of disquiet among contractors how difficult business is becoming at home, and the current situation in Poland embodies some of the worst difficulties.

Poland was a strong market throughout the crisis years, as heavy investment was made in venues and infrastructure ahead of the 2012 European football championships.

However, since last summer the market has come to a grinding halt. Data from Eurostat says construction output in Poland in December was more than 23 per cent lower than it was a year previously. This has led to a string of contractors running into trouble.

Hydrobudowa, which worked on the national stadium in Warsaw in the run up to the football championships, was forced into liquidation by the government client body claiming for alleged delays to the scheme. Another large domestic contractor, Polimex-Mostostal, has had to be

rescued by the government’s Industrial Development Agency as it faced project overruns and penalties.

At the same time, contractor trade associations, including the European Construction Federation (FIEC) and European Internatinal Contractors (EIC) have been raising the issue of what they describe as the unfair contract conditions that the government has sought to impose on contractors for public sector work.

“We have never heard such outspoken criticism about procurement practice and contracting authorities in a single country by so many contractors from so many different enterprises and countries,” says Ulrich Paetzold, director general of FIEC. The concern is that government bodies are pushing excessive financial burdens and project-related risks onto contractors. Burdens the contractors say they cannot bear.

Outlook At the moment then, the construction market outlook in Europe is poor, but it has to be said that we are probably right at the bottom of the curve at the moment. With the eurozone debt crisis gradually diminishing and worldwide economic activity picking up, the market should start to gradually improve over the next year or two.

However, the European construction market is not one that is particularly prone to booms. Even in the best years, growth seldom exceeded 3 per cent, so the best that can be hoped for going into 2014 and 2015 is probably an improvement of around n 2 per cent.

NEWS

New developments in the Construction industry

INDUSTRYNEWS

Costain JV Awarded Crossrail Contract

C

ostain, one of the UK’s leading engineering solutions providers, has announced that in Joint Venture (‘JV’) with Skanska it has been awarded a London Crossrail contract to construct the main station works at Bond Street Station, worth approximately £110 million.

The project will involve the main construction, platform fit-out and Mechanical and Electrical services for the Western Ticket Hall in Davies Street and the Eastern Ticket Hall in Hanover Square.

It follows on from the contract already awarded to the JV and announced in March 2011, for the

initial construction of the structure of the station.

“This contract awarded to Costain by Crossrail is, we believe, further demonstration of the successful implementation of our ‘Choosing Costain’ strategy, in which we focus on building long term relationships with and winning repeat works from blue chip customers who are spending billions on meeting vital infrastructure needs.

This contract further contributes to the strength of our order book, which comprises approximately 90% repeat business.”

Visit: www.costain.com

Biggest cranes sail up the Thames by ship DP World London Gateway, Britain’s new deepsea container port, took delivery of three giant quay cranes in early March when the vessel Zhen Hua 26 floated up the Thames on the final leg of the cranes’ three-month voyage from China.

The biggest ever to be delivered to the UK, the cranes are 138 metres tall – two and a half times the height of Nelson’s column – and are upright on the ship. Weighing 2000 tonnes, it

would be possible to roll the London Eye under the lifting arm.

These will be just the first quay cranes destined for London Gateway. A further 21 will be delivered once construction on the six main berths is completed. The quay itself – where the cranes will sit – will be over 2.5km in length once the port is fully operational.

Visit: www.londongateway.com

Sir Robert McAlpine is preferred bidder on college super campus A

consortium led by Sir Robert McAlpine has been announced as Preferred Bidder for the City of Glasgow College New Campus project in Glasgow.

The Glasgow Learning Quarter consortium, which includes McAlpine’s Capital Ventures team and Forth Electrical Services, fought off fierce competition for the 25-year concession to design, build, finance and maintain the new campus.

YIT to build technical maintenance buildings for Lithuania’s Klaipeda port

Y

IT will build technical maintenance buildings for the Klaipeda port terminal in western Lithuania. The project is part of the contract signed by a consortium between Lemminkäinen and YIT for the renewal of the cargo terminal at Klaipeda Port.

The circa 70,000m2 development will comprise two new buildings constructed on college land at Cathedral Street in Glasgow city centre and at Thistle Street on the banks of the River Clyde. The technology-rich new campus will transform the learning landscape for some 40,000 students and 1200 staff.

Visit: www.sir-robert-mcalpine.com Lemminkäinen is the consortium’s main contractor and is responsible for civil engineering, electrical work and paving. YIT Group’s Lithuanian subsidiary YIT Kausta is responsible for YIT’s role in the consortium.

The total value of the project is €28 million, of which YIT’s share represents slightly over €6 million.

“This is a significant project for us, as it

strengthens our market position in contracting operations in the Klaipeda region, where our focus has thus far been on residential construction. We are pleased to be involved in the development of a key Lithuanian port terminal, joining forces with another strong player in the field,” says YIT Kausta managing director Kestutis Vanagas.

Visit: www.yit.fi Industry Europe 11

NEWS

New developments in the Construction industry

HOCHTIEF to upgrade Riga Airport A

consortium made up of HOCHTIEF, FCC Construcción SA and A/S A.C.B. has won the contract to upgrade the infrastructure at Riga International Airport in Latvia. The contract has a total volume of around €79.5 million. Of this, HOCHTIEF has a share of approximately €25.4 million.

The project includes among others the construction of two new halls, new taxiways and de-icing platforms, as well as a new landing strip, runway and apron lighting. The refurbishment and drainage of the take-off and landing strips and the runways, and the extension of the apron with no disruption to daily airport operations will present a particular challenge.

The companies involved – on the HOCHTIEF side including HOCHTIEF Solutions Latvia and the Austria branch of HOCHTIEF Solutions – will start work in May 2013 and complete it by August 2014.

Visit: www.hoctief.com

VINCI acquires Portuguese airports company

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INCI has announced the signature, with the Portuguese government, of the contract to acquire the shares of ANA, the company holding the 50-year concession for Portugal’s 10 airports: Lisbon, Porto, Faro and Beja on the mainland; Ponta Delgada, Horta, Flores and Santa Maria in the Azores; and Funchal and Porto Santo in Madeira. In terms of enterprise value, the transaction is worth €3.08 billion.

This transaction is in line with VINCI’s strategy of making VINCI Airports a leading international player in airport concessions. With this acquisition, the company will be managing 23 airports in Portugal, France and Cambodia, handling more than 40 million passengers a year and including a European hub with over 15 million passengers. Total revenue will exceed €600 million, for Ebitda of around €270 million.

Visit: www.vinci.com

Skanska contract for Sahlgrenska University Hospital

S Mansell project for Loughborough University

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ansell, a Balfour Beatty brand, has commenced the construction of HEBS 2 – a new three-storey Health and Bioscience building that will serve as a National Centre for Sport and Exercise Medicine at Loughborough University.

The £11.5 million facility will provide 5000m2 of teaching and research space and contain clinical and physiological diagnostic equipment for health professionals and patients. Other facilities include educational, training and research facilities, a gym for rehabilitation and an external car park and access road.

Visit: www.constructingcommunities.com

Bouygues Construction to build tallest skycraper in Lyon

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FC Construction and Bouygues Bâtiment Ile-de-France, two subsidiaries of Bouygues Construction, are to begin work on an office tower in Lyon, a contract worth €124 million. The Incity Tower, as it will be known, was designed by Valode & Pistre

12 Industry Europe

and AIA Architectes and it is being built for Sogelym Dixence. The skyscraper will be the tallest building in Lyon: its metal spire will reach a height of 200 metres, making it taller than ‘The Pencil’ in Part-Dieu, currently the tallest building in the city.

Incity will replace the old UAP tower, which was deconstructed by Bouygues

kanska has been awarded a contract for building the image and invention centre at Sahlgrenska University Hospital in Gothenburg. The client is Västfastigheter. The contract comprises construction and conversion of a total area of about 22,000m2.

Skanska has been active at the hospital since 2011 with excavation, foundation-laying and frame works, among other things. The current assignment will be the second phase, out of three, in developing the hospital. In the assignment, Skanska will make additional framework, installation and connection to the adjacent building.

Visit: www.skanska.com

Construction. The new tower will form part of the transformation of the PartDieu business district in Lyon, the second largest in France. With 44,145m2 of floor space on 40 storeys, the skyscraper will be a new landmark on the Lyon skyline. It will accommodate around 2700 employees.

Visit: www.bouygues.com

INDUSTRYNEWS STRABAG and Rio Tinto enter into tunnelling partnership NCC to construct first

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lobal mining company Rio Tinto, in cooperation with tunnel boring machine manufacturers, recently developed two new tunnel boring systems (TBS) and one shaft

boring system (SBS). Now STRABAG SE, the publicly listed European construction group has signed an agreement with Rio Tinto for a long term partnership.

STRABAG will carry out field trials at selected construction sites using the new excavation systems and technologies and will undertake to optimise the systems.

The new systems are world-class technical innovations. Current tunnel boring machines for infrastructure works are designed for long tunnels with a large radius, however the new TBS are designed to meet the mine operator’s requirements for variable tunnels with a small radius.

Visit: www.strabag.com

Care home contract for Veidekke

Astaldi contract for St Petersburg ring road

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he Norwegian municipality of Re has awarded Veidekke Entreprenør the contract to build a new care home with 116 spaces in Re in Vestfold County. This will be a turnkey contract valued at NOK 276 million, excluding VAT. The new care home will be in Revetal, which is the centre of Re municipality. Floor space will total 16,000m over three levels and a cellar. The building will include all of the services related to care for the elderly provided by the municipality, and it will replace older buildings that are currently used for the purpose.

Visit: www.veidekke.no

Impregilo Salini JV wins Polish highway contract

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he Joint Venture between Impregilo and Salini Polska, together with the Polish company Kobylarnia (33.32%), has won three lots of the A1 Torun – Strykow Highway in Poland.

They will construct approximately 75km of highway at a total value of €250 million.

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he city of St Petersburg and Northern Capital Highway (NCH) have finalised the concession agreement relating to the project for the completion of the WHSD (Western High-Speed Diameter) – the city’s ring road.

Astaldi will perform as part of a joint venture with the Turkish construction company, IC Ictas.

The value of the works to be performed stands at €2.2 billion (Astaldi has a 50% stake). The NCH consortium, responsible for commissioning the project, comprises VTB Capital and Gazprombank, respectively the second and third largest banks in Russia. The WHSD is the most important PPP contract developed to date in Russia and is of strategic importance for the transport system in the city of St Petersburg.

The construction contract awarded to Astaldi involves the design and performance of all works to construct 12km of road.

Visit: www.astaldi.com

phase of Carlsberg Byen in Copenhagen

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CC has been commissioned to build a new campus, housing, offices and retail space in phase one of the Carlsberg Byen area in Copenhagen. The client is the property development company Carlsberg Byen P/S and the order value is approximately SEK 1.5 billion.

The project comprises 101,000 square metres, with the largest portion, nearly 60,000 square metres, being a new campus for the University College Copenhagen, UCC, which will concentrate all of its operations in Carlsberg Byen. When completed, more than 10,000 students and 800 employees will work in the area.

In addition to the educational premises, the project comprises 6500 square metres of retail space, 3500 square metres of office space, 15,000 square metres of residential space and nearly 20,000 square metres of basement space.

Carlsberg Byen will be built on Carlsberg’s former brewery area in western Copenhagen.

Visit: www.ncc.se

The initiative, promoted by the Polish General Directorate for National Roads and Motorways, co-financed by the European Community, will be realised in 12 months and marks the return to Poland of the Joint Venture Impregilo – Salini, which built a highway near the city of Katowice between 1994 and 1996.

Visit: www.impregilo.it

Industry Europe 13

LONDON’S RAILWAY RENAISSANCE There’s a lot going on with London’s transport at the moment, as Robert Williams reports.

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ver recent years, upgrades to London’s Underground have gained most of the news headlines, with the new railway under London – Crossrail – also taking shape. The Prime Minister recently called for a new age of infrastructure building to match the ‘confidence and ambition’ of the Victorians. It’s already here. In a few years we may look back on this as the start of a railway renaissance for the capital’s railways.

This is a far more positive scene than anything since at least the 1970s, when investment on the Tube had been at a ‘patch and mend’ level since the war and there was even a proposal to close the North London line, now a key component of London’s orbital rail network (of which more in a moment).

The Snow Hill tunnel had long been closed, separating north and south London on what is now the Thameslink route, and the number of 14 Industry Europe

passengers on the Underground had slumped to a level that was below half today’s total of over 1.1bn annually.

Suburban rail services suffered from long term under-investment and neglect and a mainline station – Marylebone – was threatened with closure, and a proposal to concrete over railway tracks and use them for bus services was seriously considered.

Now, there are major improvements at Paddington, Victoria and Waterloo stations.

At Blackfriars, the bridge has been widened by nine metres and has been 85 per cent rebuilt — while remaining open for commuter services still crossing it.

Crossrail is simply the biggest current rail scheme, and the best known. However, it is the smaller, less grandiose schemes which are really transforming the capital. Thameslink already crosses the capital from north to

south, The Snow Hill tunnel was re-opened to passenger trains after 72 years, allowing passenger services to begin on the full Thameslink network in May 1988. Following the success of the original scheme, plans were drawn up to upgrade the Thameslink network to cope with increasing passenger numbers which have led to severe peaktime overcrowding.

Thameslink’s upgrade is London’s biggest rail project after Crossrail. The first phase of the Thameslink upgrade has already delivered significant benefits. New trains and routes have been introduced and the first longer 12 carriage trains are using the Thameslink route.

OrbiRail And then we have the real Cinderellas of London’s transport system, particularly the London Overground. In 2007 the then

London Mayor Ken Livingstone laid out his vision for a clean, reliable, trusted, orbital service. The origins of that idea actually emerged in 2001. The Mayor’s Transport Strategy issued in July of that year argued that Crossrail was not the only major railway improvement that London needed to deal with its growing passenger numbers. It also needed something else – ‘OrbiRail’.

OrbiRail was intended to be the full integration of London’s orbital railways – the loop around the edges to Crossrail’s dash through the middle. Better integration and services along these lines would, Mayor Livingstone and TfL argued, not only improve services for those already living along those lines, but also have a positive impact on London’s radial traffic. This is because it would provide an opportunity for people to interchange onto other services further out, syphoning off a portion of the traffic that normally travelled into the Capital only to travel out again, or to join a Tube line that they could have joined further out.

Over subsequent years, these plans continued to progress. OrbiRail would become ‘The Overground’ and the early years of the new millenium turned out to be an almostperfect circumstance for it to develop in, now that the idea had champions in the form of both TfL and the Mayor and investment was available both from Government and Olympic coffers.

Since taking over the network and establishing the London Overground service, TfL has made significant enhancements to the level and quality of services. It has introduced new, longer rolling stock; upgraded infrastructure to run more frequent services; and refurbished stations and offers higher standards of customer service.

TfL has also doubled frequencies between Stratford and Willesden Junction, Clapham Junction and Willesden Junction, and Gospel Oak and Barking. Together with the train lengthening, this has increased capacity by 150 per cent on those sections. London Overground routes now include: Croydon to Highbury & Islington; Richmond/Clapham Junction to Stratford; Watford Junction to Euston and Gospel Oak to Barking.

The final link in the London Overground service opened to passengers in December 2012, bringing the first orbital railway to the capital in 128 years. The link has been completed with the construction of 1.3km of track south-west of Surrey Quays station, linking the East London line section of London Overground with existing track to the north east of Queen’s Road Peckham. Such unglamorous journeys are what London’s commuter rail network is for.

Opening up the East East London was certainly unglamorous, at least until the Olympic Games were held in Straftord. In a part of London known for

rather poor transport links, the Docklands Light Railway (DLR), the line was originally opened in 1987 to provide a modest public transport system for the growing London Docklands development, with a dozen trains serving a route just 7.5 miles (12 kilometres) in length.

However, it has since grown dramatically.

Today the railway has 45 stations, 46km of track, and 149 units working in multiples of two or three. Usage has risen to 86 million passengers a year. and the DLR’s finest hour to date was during the Olympics when 7.2 million passengers were carried on the system – double its normal levels. A new daily record of more than 500,000 passengers was set on 3 August during the Olympic Games.

Howard Smith, the chief operating officer at TfL London Rail said: “Opening new railways in London is less a case of building new ones and more a case of finding old bits you can reopen.”

London has been enjoying an unprecedented boom in railway investment. It really is a remarkable picture and indeed the only odd aspect is that it has attracted such little attention; it suits national politicians not to shout too loudly about just how much investment is going into the capital.

Do we have a new Victorian age of innovation and imagination? As British Rail used n to say, “We’re getting there.”

Industry Europe 15

NEWS

New contracts and orders in industry

Kongsberg Automotive wins contract with premium European car brand

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ongsberg Automotive (KA) has been awarded a contract for seat support systems, massage systems and light duty cables from a fast growing premium European car brand, worth €35 million over its 5-year duration.

Production will take place at KA’s facilities in Puszkow, Poland and Siofok, Hungary, and is scheduled to commence in 2014.

“Premium car makers have increasingly been focusing on comfort and safety in their interiors,

and this contract award shows that our current portfolio enables us to deliver and grow in this expanding segment,” said Scott Paquette, EVP Interior Systems, at Kongsberg Automotive.

Sales of premium segment cars are expected to grow by more than 6% on average per year over the next four years, while world car sales will grow by just over 4% annually over the same period, according to market forecasts from IHS and LMC. Visit: www.kongsbergautomotive.com

Chesterfield Special Cylinders to supply critical gas containment systems to Royal Navy

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heffield-based Chesterfield Special Cylinders (CSC) has been awarded a £2 million contract to supply high pressure gas cylinders for the Royal Navy’s sixth Astute-class nuclear submarine, HMS Agamemnon, currently under construction at Barrow-In-Furness by BAE Systems Submarine Solutions.

The order takes the value of CSC’s contracts for the Astute Class submarines to over £12 million, having already supplied gas and oxygen systems for the first two submarines (Astute and Ambush) which are already in the water and the next three (Artful, Audacious and Anson) are being built by BAE Systems in Barrow. A seventh and final Astute, Ajax, is due to enter service in 2024.

The cylinders that CSC is supplying for the Astute submarines are critical to a number of vital operations within the vessels, including breathing gas storage, hydraulic and valve actuation backup, ballast operation and missile launch systems.

Sales manager for CSC, Lee Lawrence, says: “This contract is testament to the strong, well-established relationship forged over many years between ourselves, BAE Systems and the Royal Navy.” www.chesterfieldcylinders.com

NACO and HOK win expansion contract for Riyadh Airport

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ACO, its Saudi Arabian branch SADECO and global architect HOK have been awarded the contract to design the expansion of King Khaled International Airport in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.

NACO, Netherlands Airport Consultants, a Royal HaskoningDHV company, and HOK will be leading the design team for this prestigious project. The consortium of NACO, SADECO and HOK will be

Saab signs upgrade contract for Gripen

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efence and security company Saab has received an order from the Swedish Defence Materiel Administration (FMV) for upgrades of the current Gripen fleet.

The order amounts to 140 MSEK over 2013–2014.

The upgrades and adjustments of the

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designing the expansion of the existing terminals 3 and 4 after which the airport will be able to handle 20–25 million passengers per year.

The expansion project will allow King Khaled International Airport (KKIA) to meet the country’s growing economy of more than 5% per year. Total project costs are expected to exceed US$ 800 million; expansion is scheduled to be ready in 2015.

Kjell Kloosterziel, director Airport Planning & Building Design at NACO and project director for the project said: “This challenging project keeps us involved in a critical component of the airport’s development program aimed at increasing capacity while at the same time elevating passenger experience to a world-class level.”

Visit: www.naco.nl

Swedish Armed Forces’ existing Gripen fleet will ensure the multi-role fighter aircraft remains modern and capable of operating efficiently over the next 40 years.

“The order includes equipment which will increase the efficiency and lower the costs of operating the Gripen system for the Swedish Armed Forces,” says Lennart Sindahl, Head of business area Aeronautics.

The order also includes the administration of return and improvement processes, work to improve durability as well as several studies.

Saab serves the global market with world-leading products, services and solutions ranging from military defence to civil security.

Visit: www.saabgroup.com

WINNINGBUSINESS Steel structure contract for Ruukki for combined heat and power plant

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uukki is to deliver the steel frame and envelope structures for Mälarenergi’s new combined heat and power (CHP) plant to be built at Västerås in Sweden. Ruukki’s customer is Metso Corporation, which is responsible for supplying the world’s largest recoverable fuel fired boiler for the project. The total value of Ruukki’s deliveries for the project is around €12 million.

Ruukki is responsible for delivery and installation of the steel frame, wall and roof structures, and hollow core slabs for the new building. The steel frame for the building will be manufactured at Ruukki’s plant in Oborniki, Poland and the façade panels at the Alajärvi plant in Finland. The CHP plant will feature a mosaic façade created by using Ruukki’s sandwich panels in different colours.

Ruukki’s part in deliveries for Mälarenergi’s incineration plant will last from the beginning of 2013 until the fourth quarter of the year. The power plant will be fired mainly by recycled fuel made from municipal waste and will also be capable of burning biofuel. When completed, the power plant will meet the district heating needs of Västerås and Hallstahammar municipalities.

Visit: www.ruukki.com

Scania to deliver 709 buses in Russia S

Vallourec awarded several new tube orders

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he municipality of Re has awarded Veidekke Entreprenør the contract to build a new care home with 116 spaces in Re in Vestfold County.

This will be a turnkey contract valued at NOK 276 million, excluding VAT. The new care home will be

Arise to start its first major wind power project in Scotland

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rise Windpower AB has signed an exclusivity agreement with Argyll Estates with the right to develop plans for a wind farm with up to 35 turbines and to apply for the planning permission on the estates. Arise plans to file the application for planning permission within 24 months.

cania – together with Russia-based commercial vehicle manufacturer GAZ Group – has received an order to deliver a total of 709 buses to the largest public transport operator in the Moscow region. Scania will deliver chassis modules and GAZ will be responsible for bodyworking. The order is one of Scania’s largest bus orders ever in Europe.

“Developing and delivering buses for the Russian market in partnership with a well-known and respected domestic manufacturer such as GAZ Group has great value,” says Hans Tardell, managing director of Scania Russia.

In close collaboration with Scania, GAZ Group has developed three different versions of its GOLAZ branded buses, two of which are for intercity service and one for occasional service.

All models are built on chassis and powertrain components from Scania.

The buses will be delivered during 2013 to Mostransavto, which is the largest public transport operator in the Moscow region. The buses will be used for transport service in Sochi during the first quarter of 2014 and then be brought into service in Moscow.

Visit: www.scania.com

in Revetal, which is the centre of Re municipality.

Floor­space will total 16,000m2 over three levels and a cellar. The building will include all of the services related to care for the elderly provided by the municipality.

The new care building is a major effort on the part of Re municipality, and it is primarily intended to be a building that will ensure good services well into the future. The combining of care for the elderly in a

new, fully modern building in Revetal will provide the municipality with more treatment spaces to cover increasing demand, more flexible solutions tailored for today’s care requirements and possibilities for more rational and efficient operations.

Building will commence in the beginning of February, and the building will be ready for use in the autumn of 2014.

Visit: www.veidekke.no

The site has excellent wind conditions and is situated on the west coast of Scotland. If successful, construction can begin in 2016 at the earliest.

Arise intends to sign more agreements in Scotland giving the right to develop large estates with the objective to realise construction between 2016 and 2018. The agreement is in line with the company’s

strategy of diversification by developing major wind farms outside Sweden, for example in Norway and Scotland, independently and in partnership with other long-term investors.

Argyll Estates is situated in the west of Scotland and the size of the estates is more than 30,000 hectares.

Visit: www.arisewindpower.se Industry Europe 17

NEWS

Combining strengths

DSV acquires Seatainers Group AS

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SV has signed an agreement to acquire the entire share capital of Seatainers Group A/S (Seatainers Group). The services portfolio of Seatainers Group includes warehousing/logistics solutions and road, air and sea freight services and the acquisition will thus add value to all DSV Divisions. Seatainers Group specialises in project logistics and performs large and complex transport projects, e.g. for the renewable energy industry.

Seatainers Group has 180 employees, of which 150 are employed in Denmark. Seatainers Group has offices across the globe in the USA, China, Singapore, Australia and Latvia.

The activities of Seatainers Group are expected to generate annual revenue of approx. DKK 1.0 billion, the project activities expecting to account for 60% of revenue.

“Seatainers Group is a well run Danish company and its activities are a good match for DSV. By merging the project transport activities and competencies of DSV and Seatainers Group we will create a very powerful player in a market with good growth potential in the coming years,” says Jens Bjørn Andersen, DSV Group CEO. Visit: www.dsv.com

Kennametal Extrude Hone and PEMtec announce strategic alliance K ennametal Extrude Hone and PEMtec have signed an agreement to supply customers with precision electro chemical machining (PECM) technology. Through electro-chemical metal removal, PECM can shape complex geometries in practically all metals, e.g., in highly tempered steel, rolling bearing steel, powder-metallurgy steel, and super-alloys. PECM also taps applications that could not be feasibly manufactured,

Aker Solutions acquires Enovate

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ker Solutions has agreed to acquire a majority stake in Aberdeen-based Enovate Systems Limited – a leading technology company within subsea well control equipment.

Enovate, which currently employs 62 people, has developed a wide range of unique and patented components and products for use in open water workover systems, in 18 Industry Europe

if at all, in the past by conventional machining techniques, including milling, grinding or electricaldischarge machining (EDM).

As Kennametal Extrude Hone already supplies advanced metal-finishing technologies to a variety of industries, the PEMtec alliance is seen as a logical extension of Kennametal’s global portfolio. Fuel injection, for example, is seen as a key application for PECM growth, as increased pollution standards force fuel injection manufacturers worldwide to obtain increased ‘freedom of design’ that was formerly limited by conventional manufacturing methods.

PECM market opportunities have also been identified in automotive gearboxes and elsewhere in engine and powertrain areas.

Visit: www.kennametal.com riser workover systems, rigless intervention systems and drilling safety systems.

Specific advantages of these systems are superior cutting and sealing capabilities and the unique use of complete metal-to-metal sealing solutions which significantly reduce the probability of leakage and improve safety. “Enovate has developed and qualified unique technol-

Mitsubishi Electric to take over KH-Automation Projects

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itsubishi Electric Corporationand KH-Automation Projects GmbH, a subsidiary of Koop Holding Group and long term strategic partner of Mitsubishi Electric, announced by mutual agreement that Mitsubishi Electric will acquire 100% share of KH-Automation. This strategic acquisition brings together two partners who have enjoyed a close working relationship over the past 12 years..

The complimentary combination of KH-Automation Projects market leading PMSX®pro Distributed Control System, knowledge in water and power generation applications as well as project management experience with the development power and global market reach of Mitsubishi Electric is expected to create strong growth opportunities for both companies.

Hartmut Puetz, President of Mitsubishi Electric Factory Automation Europe commented: “The PMSX®pro DCS has totally integrated Mitsubishi Electric’s automation throughout its DNA and this combination of KH-Automation’s knowhow and our hardware has resulted in a robust and market leading solution.”

Manfred Pfaar, managing director of KHAutomation Projects added: “We are very excited about the future business together with Mitsubishi Electric. We already have a strong working relationship and we expect a closer collaboration will generate many new opportunities.”

Visit: www.kh-ap.de

ogy for safe and efficient well control,” says Åsmund Bøe, chief technology officer in Aker Solutions.

The company will continue to be developed as an independent supplier of well control components to subsea integrators, oilfield equipment manufacturers and oil companies.

Visit: www.akersolutions.com

LINKINGUP

Ferrovial Servicios to acquire the British company Enterprise plc

ENGEL AUSTRIA and PMEfluidtec seal partnership

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errovial Servicios, SA (Ferrovial Servicios), a subsidiary of FERROVIAL, has reached an agreement with 3i Group plc to acquire 100% of the share capital of Enterprise plc (Enterprise). The investment to be made by Ferrovial Servicios amounts to a firm value of £385 million. The scope of the operation does not include the joint venture that Enterprise signed with Mouchel Limited (Mouchel) for the maintenance of motorways in the United Kingdom.

Enterprise is one of the leading British companies providing services to utilities companies as well as to public sector infrastructures. In 2012 its revenue totalled £1.1 billion GBP and its gross operating profit £60 million GBP, excluding the joint venture with Mouchel.

For Ferrovial Servicios, present in the United Kingdom through its subsidiary Amey, this acquisition facilitates its entry into the utilities sector, in addition to strengthening its environmental services offering.

Visit: www.ferrovial.com

Golden Agri-Resources and Stena Bulk form joint venture S

tena Bulk A/B and Golden Agri-Resources Ltd have set up a new joint venture, Golden Stena Bulk. For a start, the 50-50 joint venture will take over four product tankers ordered by Stena Bulk in June 2012. The newly formed joint venture will also consider investing in more product tankers in the future.

The vessels will be deployed in Stena Weco’s logistic system in the global market. Stenaowned Northern Marine Management will be responsible for technical management.

In June 2012, Stena Weco – the joint venture between Stena Bulk and Danish Dannebrog – formed a 50-50 joint venture with GAR. The joint venture, Golden Stena Weco, was aimed at providing an overall solution for GAR’s international transportation of its palm oil products.

“Golden Stena Bulk can be seen as the second step in our collaboration with leading palm

Borealis makes firm offer for majority interest in Rosier SA

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orealis, a leading provider of chemical and innovative plastics solutions, has made a firm offer to TOTAL for its entire 56.86% interest in Belgium’s Rosier SA, listed on NYSE Euronext Brussels. Borealis is already active in nitrogen fertilisers in central Europe as well as in France, follow-

oil plantation company, GAR. For us, it’s also a gateway to Asia,” says Erik Hånell, president & CEO of Stena Bulk.

Visit: www.stenabulk.com

ing its acquisition of PEC-Rhin SA, today known as Borealis PEC-Rhin SAS, in early 2012. Borealis has offered €200 per share for TOTAL’s majority interest.

This offer as well as Borealis’ offer to acquire all outstanding shares in France’s GPN SA will now be presented to the employee representatives concerned, as part of the information and consultation

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NGEL AUSTRIA and PMEfluidtec GmbH, a company based in the German town of Ettenheim, have announced their partnership in the field of water injection technology (WIT).

The collaboration will encompass client-specific system solutions and world-wide sales.

The water injection technology offered by ENGEL under the ENGEL watermelt label is used for the efficient and cost-effective production of long media lines and complex hollow parts such as handles, beverage crates and engine components via injection moulding. The injection of water into a cavity partially filled with plastic melt ensures even wall thickness distribution and smooth internal surfaces, even where part geometries are complex; other advantages include the economical use of raw materials and short cycle times.

For 12 years, PMEfluidtec has been developing and producing systems for fluid-based injection moulding using internal pressure technology.

The company is therefore a pioneer in the field.

Under the terms of the partnership, PMEfluidtec will be responsible for WIT systems and process and mould technology as well as service for WIT units; ENGEL will be responsible for adapting injection moulding machines, automation and peripheral units. Both partners will advise customers on application-specific issues.

Visit: www.engelglobal.com

procedures. The proposed transaction is subject to the approval of the relevant authorities, in particular, the antitrust authorities in the countries concerned. The proposed acquisition of Rosier shares will furthermore only be completed if Borealis simultaneously acquires all outstanding shares of France’s GPN. Visit: www.borealis.com Industry Europe 19

NEWS

MOVINGON

Relocations and expansions across Europe

Solvay to build a new silica plant in Poland

Bürkert UK officially opens new UK headquarters

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olvay is to invest €75 million to build a new 85,000 ton per year Highly Dispersible Silica (HDS) plant in Wloclawek, Poland. Combined with a further capacity expansion at its site in Qingdao (China), these two investments will increase Solvay’s global highly dispersible silica production capacity by an additional 30%.

Located in central Poland, close to key energy distribution and the new Warsaw-Gdansk highway, the new plant will offer logistical benefits to customers in eastern Europe and Russia. The site is a designated Special Economic Zone (SEZ) integrated within the industrial site of Anwil, a subsidiary of the Polish refining and energy company PKN Orlen. The completion is expected in the third quarter of 2014.

Visit: www.solvay.com

Bourbon expands its fleet of personnel transport vessels B

ourbon has taken delivery of the Bourbon Sirocco and the Bourbon Shamal, the first two in a series of 4 versatile FSIVs. The Bourbon Sirocco is currently operating in Angola. The Bourbon Shamal, her first sister ship, will soon be delivered.

Designed by Piriou Ingénierie and Mauric Design, and built by the Piriou SEAS shipyard in Vietnam, this brand new series relies on the solid experience of both companies and on their long-term partnership with Bourbon, which in 2004 resulted in the very first FSIV (Fast Support Intervention Vessels) series in the BOURBON fleet.

Bourbon currently has a fleet of 30 FSIVs, rapid assistance vessels that can simultaneously carry urgent supplies and intervention teams.

Visit: www.bourbon-online.com

UK Prime Minister welcomes Atkins’ new design centre in India

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uring his visit to India British Prime Minister David Cameron welcomed news from Atkins, one of the world’s leading design, engineering and project management consultancies, that it is to open a new design centre on the outskirts of

20 Industry Europe

ürkert GB, manufacturers of control and measuring systems for fluids and gases, has completed its move into its new, purpose-built premises constructed around a modern factory building in Cirencester.

General manager, Paul Trevitt, explains the reasons for the move and the ways in which the building has been customised to allow the company to continue its growth: “We have been setting the pace in key sectors of the process market for some time now, and the requirement to move to a more flexible headquarters is the obvious result of our growth. Ultimately our customers aren’t just buying products from us; they are buying solutions and on-going technical support. The new building offers improved warehousing and gives us more space to develop our specialist system design and manufacturing services.”

Visit: www.burkert.co.uk

New investment backs Hollanders’ growth plans

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part of its scheduled growth plans, Hollanders Printing Systems has agreed a new financial strategy which will enable the company to expand production capabilities for its industry leading wide-format digital textile printing solutions. Private investors Wout van der Wijk and Guy Zwart will strengthen the financial and operational structure at the Eindhovenbased independent system specialist.

“Both investors saw immediately the enormous potential in the rapidly growing market for digital textiles,” states Peter Hollanders.”ìWe are ready to expand with exciting new machines for 2013 to complement the existing successful ColorBooster XL solution, and this injection of funds and practical involvement from van der Wijk and Zwart is perfectly timed for our future plans” Visit: www.hollanders-ps.nl

Delhi to support worldwide infrastructure projects on which the group is working.

The design centre, located in Gurgaon in the state of Haryana, has capacity for 375 people, complementing the 1000 engineers already working in Atkins’ Bangalore centre which opened in 1998. It is anticipated that the new centre in will be fully open by April 2013.

David Cameron said: “It’s great to see Atkins expanding its business in India with the opening of a new design centre near Delhi. This demonstrates how Britain’s world-class expertise in design and engineering can help British businesses to succeed in fast growing markets like India.”

Visit: www.atkinsglobal.com

NEWS

INDUSTRYPEOPLE New deputy chairman for Hitachi Europe

DEUTZ strengthens board of management

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M

itachi Europe Ltd has announced the appointment of Mr Masaharu Hanyu as deputy chairman of Hitachi Europe Ltd and chief executive of the Nuclear Power System Business in Europe. Mr Hanyu currently serves as vice-president and executive officer, chief executive officer of Nuclear Systems and general manager of Nuclear Systems Division and Global Nuclear Energy Business Division, Power Systems Company, Power Systems Group, Hitachi, Ltd. The appointment will be effective from 1 April 2013.

Atlas Copco Compressors appoints new general manager/director

A

tlas Copco Compressors has appointed a new general manager/director for the UK and Ireland. Dirk Villè joins the UK team from his current position as general manager/director of Compressor Technique for Atlas Copco in Austria.

Dirk started his career with the Atlas Copco Group in 1994. In addition to his extensive industry experience, Dirk is a certified civil engineer with an engineering degree in Electromechanics from the Katholieke University in Leuven, Belgium.

ichael Wellenzohn (46) has taken on the newly created position of chief sales and marketing officer at DEUTZ AG. He brings with him extensive knowledge of the international sector from various markets, including China, Japan, and North and South America.

Most recently he was the head of sales at ThyssenKrupp Chassis, where he was responsible for sales of approximately three billion euros. In the past 18 years, Michael Wellenzohn played an instrumental role in the development of the steering systems product area to a leading position.

Carl-Peter Forster joins board of Volvo Car Group

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arl-Peter Forster has a long and broad experience in the car industry. He was president of General Motors Europe from 2004 to 2009. In 2010, he was appointed Group CEO of Tata Motors globally. On September 1, 2012, he became a chief advisor to Zhejiang Geely Holding Group and on January 9, 2013 he became a non-executive member of the board of Geely Automobile Holdings Co. Ltd. “Mr Forster brings great experience and knowledge of the car industry to the board of directors of Volvo Cars,” says Li Shufu, chairman of Volvo Car Group. “His deep understanding of the business and product development will be an important asset for Volvo Cars in the company’s ongoing transformation.”

Clark Bailey joins EuroChem as director of mining

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uroChem has announced that Clark Dillon Bailey has joined the company as director of mining. This new position was created to oversee the operations and the development of the company’s mining activity, which currently includes the Kovdorskiy GOK phosphate rock and iron

ore mining facility, the development of two potash deposits in Russia and a phosphate rock project in Kazakhstan.

Dmitry Strezhnev, EuroChem CEO, commented: “Clark brings vast professional experience to our team. His expertise will prove valuable as we move to bring onstream our potash projects in the Gremyachinskoe and Verkhnekamskoe deposits.”

Industry Europe 21

NEWS

TECHNOLOGYSPOTLIGHT

Advances in technology across industry

Protecting heritage sites Pixy on Track T

he village of Olympos, located near the ancient city of Rhodiapolis, in the Antalya region of Turkey, escaped a wild fire, on 2 September 2012. This happened thanks to a network of cameras coupled to an intelligent video-based smoke detection algorithm that raised the alarm. This automatic early warning system is being tested as part of a multi-sensor fire detection network developed by an EU funded project called FIRESENSE. Its aim is to protect ancient heritage sites, such as ancient Olympia in Greece. In the absence of such detection system, the birthplace of the Olympic Games, was only just saved from forest fires, on 26 August 2007, after a three-day fire fight that cost 60 lives.

The automated warning signal generated through the project takes advantage of recent advances in multi-sensor surveillance technologies. It is using wireless sensor networks capable of simultaneously measuring temperature and humidity, collecting information through optical and infrared cameras and local weather stations. Intelligent computer vision and pattern recognition algorithms as well as multi-sensor data fusion techniques automatically analyse the sensor data.

Visit: www.youris.com

Feel the Forze AN

astounding 134 teams from universities in 34 countries competed against each other in racing cars they had designed and constructed themselves at the famous Silverstone circuit in last year’s Formula Student Competition. One of the most innovative cars at the starting line was the Forze V from the Delft University of Technology, the lurid coloured racer was green in more ways than one, as it was the only vehicle in the race to be powered by a fuel cell. The hydrogen/electric motive power was made possible by dedicated technology from fluid control specialist Bürkert.

The team had already competed in 2011 with the Forze IV but the new race car needed to be more powerful, faster, lighter and above all, more reliable than its predecessor. Since standard solenoid control valves and controllers from Bürkert were already in use on the car, the decision to contact the fluid technology specialist for fuel cell specific components and technology was a logical next step.

With the exception of the stack, the humidifier, the recirculation pump and the compressor, the rest of the fuel cell technology on the Forze V comes from Bürkert. “Thanks to the Bürkert solutions we were able to double the performance of the fuel cell in the Forze V in comparison with the Forze IV. At the same time, the weight of the vehicle was reduced by about 10% from 312 kg to 280 kg,” Forze team leader Jan Jaap Treurniet explains. “In motor sports, where fractions of seconds make a difference, that is a gigantic step forward.”

Visit: www.dmaeuropa.com 22 Industry Europe

R

ail transport is currently experiencing a tremendous boom. More and more people opt to take the train to save time and money. In addition, trains are an environmentally friendly means of transportation both for passenger and freight traffic. The capacities of the existing transport channels and their carriers can still be expanded considerably with intelligent, networked installations. In the face of increasing passenger numbers and the rise in the transportation of goods by rail, safety and comfort requirements have become more stringent. Pixy AG has addressed this area.

Evolved by a company established in 1988, these robust Swiss products have a firm place in the trains of the world s major rail vehicle manufacturing companies. Today more than 30,000 Pixy displays are in service around the clock all over the world. They are used wherever the need for mobile visualisation and rough industrial environments come together. Whether in the freezing cold or in smouldering heat, users can certainly rely on Screenboards®.

In the range of ETCS Pixy has already enormous experience. On the Level 2 line Rome Naples, witch is frequented with 300km/h, ETCS DMI s from PIXY are put into regular service.

Other projects for example are high speed lines in Spain, Turkey, Saudi Arabia, China, Switzerland and Germany. INC-90 belongs to the latest generation. It s a compact low power-display for global application. It’s designed for standard railway applications like ETCS, TCMS, CTCS and especially for digital video applications.

Visit: www.pixy.ch

EURO-REPORT

FOCUS ON...

France Ian Sparks reports from Paris on more threats to ‘the French way’.

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rance’s Industry Minister has been left seething after an American tycoon told him what many global business leaders may privately think – that French workers are ‘lazy, overpaid and talk too much’.

Maurice Taylor – chairman of US tyre giant Titan International – issued the slur in a blunt letter to Arnaud Montebourg, explaining why his company would not be buying a Goodyear tyre plant in the northern French town of Amiens that is threatened with closure and the loss of 1170 jobs.

In the letter, which he also sent out to the nation’s newspapers, Mr Taylor told Mr Montebourg: “I have visited the factory several times. The French workforce gets paid high wages but works only three hours.

“They get one hour for breaks and lunch, talk for three hours and work for three. I told the French union workers this to their faces.

They told me that’s the French way! Titan is the one with the money and the talent to produce tyres. What does the crazy union have? It has the French government.

“Goodyear tried for over four years to save some of the highest-paid Amiens jobs, but the French unions and the French government did nothing but talk. The French farmer wants cheap tyres. He does not care if the tyres come from India or China and these governments are subsidising them.”

The row erupted after Goodyear said on January 31 that it would be closing its main French plant and cutting its workforce in France by 39 per cent amid labour disputes and plunging car demand in Europe.

A furious Mr Montebourg hit back with his own letter, telling Mr Taylor his comments were ‘extremist and insulting’ and that he knew nothing about France.

But that only prompted Mr Taylor to issue another stinging, and highly public, rebuke in a second letter in which he told the minister his country had ‘beautiful women and fantastic wine’ but ‘no idea how to run a business’.

He wrote: “Your letter shows the extent to which your political class is disconnected from the real world. You call me an extremist, but most businessmen would agree that I would be mad to spend millions buying up a French tyre factory only to pay some of the highest salaries in the world. Your letter did not mention why the French government has not stepped in to rescue this Goodyear tyre factory. The extremists are in your government, who have no idea how to build a business.

“I never said I would lower French salaries. I only said that if I am paying people to do seven hours work, I expect them to do at least six hours.”

“I never said I would lower French salaries. I only said that if I am paying people to do seven hours work, I expect them to do at least six hours.”

Mr Taylor then let rip again on France’s Europe 1 radio a day later, telling the presenter: “Is Montebourg stupid, or what? You want to talk about the Goodyear factory, so why are you talking to me? You should be talking to that imbecile.”

Mr Taylor’s tirades have sparked outrage in France’s socialist media, but they prompted daily paper Le Monde to suggest: “Perhaps he’s right?”

And four years ago, former French finance minister Christine Lagarde – now head of the International Monetary Fund – also branded leisure-loving French workers as ‘lethargic’.

She told French newspapers: “Instead of thinking about their work, people think about their weekends, organising, planning and engineering time off. If you say to a French person, ‘Would you like to be an

entrepreneur?’ all they do is run scared.”

International studies on working hours also support claims that the French work the fewest hours of any country on earth.

A report by Swiss bank UBS found the French graft for just 1480 hours a year, with 27 days annual holiday. In contrast, Britons work 1782 hours a year and have 20 days holiday a year.

Factories closing Just one week after the spat with Mr Taylor, things got even worse for Mr Montebourg when a report published in late February further exposed the extent of the decline of France’s ailing industrial sector, revealing that more than 1000 factories had closed since January 2009.

The study by Paris-based data analyst firm Trendeo found that in 2012 alone, 266 plants with 10 or more employees closed their doors for good, with the loss of 24,000 jobs. That figure represented a 42 per cent increase in the number of closures compared to the previous year.

Trendeo’s David Cousquer said part of the reason for the steep decline was the strength of the euro currency which made French exports very expensive.

Cousquer also pointed out that although most areas of France’s manufacturing industry had been hit, it was the once mighty automobile sector that was suffering most.

Matters are now set to get even worse it seems, with Renault announcing recently that it plans to axe 7500 jobs across France over the next three years, and PSA Peugeot Citroen saying it must cut 8000 jobs as part of a ‘restructuring project’ that includes plans to close down its oldest plant to the north of Paris.

Mr Montebourg tried to persuade PSA Peugeot to reconsider its plans, but eventually even he admitted that the closure of the n plant was ultimately ‘unavoidable’ Industry Europe 23

EURO-REPORT

FOCUS ON...

Germany Allan Hall reports from Berlin on the spiralling costs of public projects.

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he debacle over Berlin’s prestigious Willy Brandt Airport – now two years behind schedule, billions over cost and not expected to open for at least another two years and possibly longer – has exposed similar flaws in other high profile construction projects across Germany.

While the airport has become the poster child for how things should not be done, it has shone an unwelcome but overdue light on other grandiose schemes which were bungled from the start and which now may change the way such contracts are handled from the time of their inception.

The Berlin-Brandenburg Airport was slated to open its doors in June 2012 but has suffered multiple delays owing to a plethora of technical difficulties and construction errors, including baggage systems that don’t move and fire extinguishers that don’t spray water.

While embarrassing, and a huge dent to the myth of Teutonic efficiency, the saga of the airport and the other belaboured projects in Germany could have significant repercussions for German manufacturers eyeing contracts for major infrastructure projects in big Asian cities.

The other ambitious building projects mired in delays and skyrocketing costs include a futuristic concert hall in Hamburg,the controversial railway station in the southwestern city of Stuttgart and a new underground train line in Cologne. All three projects are billions over their estimates and way behind being finished; there is now talk of the Stuttgart railway station being abandoned altogether, along with the five billion euros that have been sunk into it.

Plan now, pay later Town planner Karlheinz Roessler laid the blame at the door of the system of governance. “Politicians have monuments built. But mostly they are no longer around when the costs of the project they have begun have exploded,” he said. This is shorthand for: 24 Industry Europe

politicians know the costs they quote at the outset are false, but someone else will have to pick up the tab.

In many instances, the false calculations are deliberate. Werner Rothengatter, a researcher at the Karlsruhe Institute of Technology, has studied major public works projects around the world. He said; “There’s a similar pattern in democratic societies, where politicians have a tendency to deceive the public about the actual costs of these projects. Cost overruns rarely come as a surprise, regardless of whether they are from

“Politicians decieve the public about the actual costs of projects” the Berlin airport or Hamburg’s new Elbphilharmonie concert hall. During my research I found that most politicians try to calculate the price to be as low as possible in order to obtain support for the projects deliberately veiling the potential risks.

“Those who provide honest estimates for projects from the very beginning have little chance of getting them off the ground. Often those at the political helm take a calculated risk by assuming they won’t be held personally responsible if the costs start to explode.”

In a 2009 study, ‘Survival of the Unfittest: Why the Worst Infrastructure Gets Built’, Danish researcher Bent Flyvbjerg of Oxford University argued it often isn’t the best projects that are completed, but those that “are made to look best on paper. Those, of course, are projects that amass the highest cost overruns and benefit shortfalls.”

Politicians are afraid of hiring general contractors to run the projects because professionals are able to set a firm price, but it is often a much higher one than politicians would be able to sell to their constituents. In the case of the Berlin airport, it was put out to bid twice because the lowest offer during the first effort came in at 70 per cent higher than the €620 million that Berlin, Brandenburg and the federal government were prepared to pay. In the end, the government bodies opted to assume management responsibility for the project themselves. The cost of the terminal alone now is estimated to be at least €1.2 billion.

There are other ongoing debacles in the country, all which could have indefinable but tangible effect on German business interests abroad in the coming years. The national intelligence agency, the BND, hoped to move to a new HQ in Berlin two years ago.

It is still being built and the costs have rising from 500 million euros to an estimated 1.4 billion – and it is still incomplete.

A city tunnel in Leipzig intended to move commuter trains more rapidly through the city was budgeted at €572 million in 2009.

Instead, it will cost €960 million and open at the end of 2013 at the earliest. A new rail tunnel underway in Munich, intended to provide the same kind of rush hour relief there, is already nearly half-a-billion euros over cost and rising by the day.

Urban building expert Klaus Mueller said; “The damage to the Made in Germany brand is incalculable in the long term. The one good thing that has come out of all these sclerotic and ridiculously expensive building projects is clarity and transparency. I believe that it will no longer be possible for politicians to take charge of these monuments to their egos and that from their inception they will be placed in the hands of those who deserve them – the professionals.

“Only then will the marque Made in Germany come out shining once more.” n

Eilersen Weighing Instrument

SETTING NEW STANDARDS

IN INDUSTRIAL WEIGHING Eilersen is a global leader in the development and manufacture of digital load cell sensor technology.

Philip Yorke talked to Frederik Eilersen the company’s CEO about its latest groundbreaking products and move into new market sectors.

EtherNet interface module

24 Industry Europe

E

ilersen Electric A/S was founded in 1969 near Copenhagen in Denmark by Nils Eilersen when he developed a capacitive measurement system for measuring the injection pressure in diesel engines. This unique, patented technology was sold to Bosch Gmbh of Germany during the 1970s and set the trend for many more innovative products from Eilersen including the world’s first modular weighing systems using groundbreaking digital load cell technology. The company has continued to see consistent growth and remains a privately owned business managed by Frederik Eilersen, its second-generation CEO. Today Eilersen is the leading supplier of digital weighing solutions for a diverse range of industrial applications, which provide full connectivity with PCs, PLCs, MES and ERP terminals. The company also offers a com-

plete range of weighing terminals with software for standard weighing applications or with customised software developed by the company’s in-house team of experienced engineers. All Eilersen load cells are based upon the digital capacitive weighing technology, which is protected comprehensively by worldwide patents. This digital technology is the most robust on the market and eliminates the inaccuracy found in analogue electronics as the complete measurement chain is digital. Furthermore, Eilersen’s load cells are pre-calibrated which saves time during the commissioning process.

Robust and hygienic The manufacturing processes in many of the world’s biggest companies rely on Eilersen load cells and these include such giants as Unilever,

Food Installation

Coca-Cola, Nestle, Novartis, Tetra Pak and FedEx. Unlike the traditional analogue technology, Eilersen digital load cells offer a tolerance of overloads and sideloads of up to 1,000 per cent of rated capacity. In addition, Eilersen digital load cells are not sensitive to torsion and are laser welded for hermetically sealing to IP68 to ensure optimal, waterproof protection in the toughest industrial environments.

Eilersen said, “The culture of innovation and high quality lives on in our company and we continue to invest heavily in new production technology and advanced calibration equipment. All product development is carried out in-house and our ceramic sensor manufacturing, product testing and assembly is also conducted here in Denmark. However most

of the components in our products are manufactured by partners worldwide under strict quality control and all final calibration is carried out here at our own facilities.

“The capacitive technology is unique and Eilersen load cells are far more robust than traditional analogue products and don’t require mechanical mounting kits to protect them from overloads. We are an independent company and our in-house team of software engineers allows us to react fast to customer demands.”

Eilersen added, “We have two big customer segments, the first being manufacturing companies that build machines that benefit from our sensors, and the second are end users such as food and pharmaceutical companies. We are constantly extending

weighing under meat tumblers

our global reach and last year our biggest customer was located in China. We are also looking to expand our business in the offshore sector in the Middle East and South America. We are the preferred supplier of weighing solutions for use in extreme and explosive environments, such as those found in offshore production installations.”

“Our core business is seeing strong growth as an increasing number of companies require more effective and reliable quality control to validate the quality and quantity of their products. The Eilersen load cell solutions are delivered in OIML versions up to C6 and in ATEX zone 1, 2, 21 and 22 versions while the instrumentation communicates through EtherNet/IP, EtherCAT,

Digital Load Cells for Dynamic Weighing

Industry Europe 25

Profibus, DeviceNet, Modbus, RS485 and through 0-10Vdc and 4-20mA. Currently, our robust, stainless steel load cells are installed in more than 85 countries worldwide and we continue to expand our global reach.”

Growing demand for customised digital load cells Manufacturers are continually striving to be more cost-effective and energy efficient, as well as needing to minimise downtime and reduce give away. It is no surprise therefore that more and more companies are requiring customised solutions to solve their challenging manufacturing processes and applications.

Recent examples of customised solutions based on digital load cell technology include web tension measurements in paper and plastic foil manufacturing equipment, extremely robust and sanitary scales, force measurement in power plants, as well as in monitoring construction equipment and that of load measurements in commercial vehicles.

Eilersen’s robust digital load cells are based upon a capacitive measurement principle where a non-contacting ceramic

Sanitary Load Cell

26 Industry Europe

sensor is mounted inside the load cell body.

As the Eilersen load cell contains no moving parts and the sensor is not in contact with the load cell body itself, the load cell can tolerate very high overloads, sideloads and torsion. As a result, mechanical installation of the load cell can be achieved without expensive and complex mounting kits and overload protection devices.

Simple plug-and-play installation All Eilersen digital load cells are designed for true plug-and-play installation as the load cells are pre-calibrated to transmit the load directly in gram, kilogram, ton or Newton, which eliminates the need for on-site calibration in most applications. This is an important feature, especially in high capacity applications where it is difficult to find calibration weights. In addition, the digital RS485 signal from the load cell means that the calibration is not dependant on the load cell cable length. Furthermore, it is possible to monitor the load and status of each individual load cell with its built-in integrated n diagnostics function.

Pharma installation

READY FOR NEW CHALLENGES Celebrating 35 years of its operations, Carboautomatyka S.A. is one of Poland’s most highly specialised manufacturers of automation, control and wiring systems. The company delivers cutting-edge solutions for home-based and foreign customers from the mining industry, as well as other sectors of the economy, including environmental protection, heat engineering and metallurgy. The company is also the leading business unit within the larger Carboautomatyka Group.

O

ver the years, Carboautomatyka’s production offer has been consistently extended. This has allowed it to establish a strong position in the mining industry and at the same time transfer its know-how and technologies to other areas of the economy. At the same time, the very strong demand for its range of products and services has enabled the company to deliver, install and successfully begin operating automatic systems in a number of very large projects. Crucial to the excel-

lent achievements and growth is the cooperation with leading suppliers; companies such as Specodlew Ltd and many others guarantee the highest quality of the supply chain.

The cooperation with Specodlew is very important for Carboautomatyka, as this important supplier manufactures, with a full technical preparation and machining, investment castings, sand castings and gravity die castings. Specodlew castings are made from grey cast iron, alloyed cast iron, ductile cast iron (including ADI), cast steel (carbon and alloyed), copper, aluminium and other alloys of independent metals. The supplier specialises in castings resistant to abrasion and heat, as well as in castings made from “pure copper”. Around 25 per cent of the overall production of Specodlew is exported.

The company operates its own construction department, model prototyping and tools workshops. It uses CAD/CAM system and has ISO 9001:2009 certificate.

Across the entire Carboautomatyka Group there are nearly 1100 employees and in 2012

the Group reached PLN 447 million in turnover. Over 20 per cent of the overall production reaches many different export markets, including Argentina, Vietnam and South Africa. Amongst other markets, the company is very well-known in countries such as Germany, Ukraine, Russia, Bosnia & Herzegovina.

In all of its export markets Carboautomatyka works successfully with local partners and delivers excellent automatic solutions for a range of industrial branches.

Robust market presence Despite competitive pressures in the mining and non-mining industrial branches, the company manages to outperform its rivals by operating in a highly efficient manner and working closely with its customers. Around three years ago the majority of clients, 90 per cent, were companies in the mining industry.

Today, the situation is entirely different, as less than a half of the customers come from the mining industry. Carboautomatyka has thus significantly diversified other areas of its

manufacturing activities in order to reduce its dependence on the mining industry. In doing so, it took particular advantage of strong demand in areas such as the road industry, environmental protection and heat engineering.

Carboautomatyka also manages to differentiate itself from the competition by focusing strongly on ongoing investments in both its technological back-up, as well as in the development of the working environment for its staff. The company’s manufacturing site now features a brand new production hall which enables workers to produce automatic systems much more efficiently. It also recently invested in developing its R&D department

in order to improve the presence of cuttingedge solutions in its manufacturing offer.

Carboautomatyka SA manufactures a number of vital solutions for the mining industry.

Underground products and systems include multi-outlet contact switches, smooth start-up devices, voltage frequency converters and outlet distribution fields, flame-proof transformer stations, mining switchboards, steering systems and scales for conveyor belts, as well as feeding and control modules, flame-proof CCTV systems, methane detectors and lighting. In addition, its Solaris product developed for use in the surface areas of mines is a complete system of inter-collaborating solutions of

automatics for mechanical processing works.

The company is also actively developing its non-mining areas of manufacturing, delivering automatic solutions such as emergency power supply systems, visual supervision systems and many other products used in environmental protection, the power industry, heat engineering, road works and others.

The company’s main clients include some of the largest players in the mining industry in Poland as well as in foreign markets, predominantly Ukraine, Russia and Vietnam.

In the case of non-mining industries, the biggest customers tend to be municipal authorities, particularly city councils and civic offices.

In order to ensure the rapid distribution and installation of its systems, a dedicated logistical unit operates within Carboautomatyka.

Looking ahead As a dynamic and rapidly growing manufacturer, Carboautomatyka has a very optimistic outlook on the future development of its operations across the various industrial branches in which it is already involved, as well as in new ones. Over the next few years it is planning to focus even more on nonmining industries, and hopes to add new industrial sectors to its already impressive and wide-ranging base of operations. n

The Enterprise of Foundry Innovations

Ltd

ul. Zakopiańska 73, 30-418 Kraków POLSKA tel.: +48 (12) 26-18-400 | fax: +48 (12) 26-65-478, +48 (12) 26-18-401 specodlew@specodlew.com.pl | www.specodlew.com.pl

INNOVATION AND FAMILY TRADITION Increasingly sophisticated products, constant innovation and a strong belief in experienced, effective and long-term human resources are the driving forces pushing the growth of the ADR group, a world leader in terms of wide axle and suspension products. Barbara Rossi speaks to its CEO, Mr Flavio Radrizzani.

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he ADR group comprises several companies and, while the official financial holding company is RPF, ADR Axles plays the main role, from its base between Milan and the Malpensa airport, practically acting as the holding company in management terms. ADR Axles was established in 1954 by the parents of Mr Radrizzani as a manufacturer of wheels for trolleys. Following in the footsteps of his brother, who entered the company in the early sixties and started

From the left: Mr J Westphäling certification components and systems TÜV SÜD, Mr Flavio Radrizzani CEO of ADR group, Mr S Frigerio, ADR R&D

30 Industry Europe

axles manufacturing, Mr Radrizzani joined ADR in the early 1970s, further developing the axle activity and starting the internationalisation process. The first foreign acquisition took place in 1989, when French company Colaert Essieux was acquired, followed by the purchasing of Polish ATW in 1996 and then British Tyremart. Since then joint ventures have been set up in both China and Brazil and now the company also has its own company in China, as well as having

created another the Brazilian company a 100 per cent owned subsidiary. Currently two acquisitions in Spain and South Africa have just come to a successful conclusion.

Axles and suspensions for both agricultural and special transport and industrial machines are the group’s core business and the group is world renowned in both fields.

However, ADR is also maintaining a small production of trolley wheels (for instance for car-trailer, gardening and airport trol-

ADR premises

Trial benches

Colaert premises

leys), thanks to CLM, known as Italruote, a subsidiary based in the north-eastern Italian region of Friuli. This production is not particularly significant in terms of turnover but it is maintained for historical and sentimental reasons. Furthermore, the group also has a soil division, a niche activity which offers special products used in the preparation of agricultural soil, in particular demand in countries with industrialised agriculture.

The group has standard products in its catalogue, which are virtually always customised to fulfil clients’ needs, and can offer axles, suspensions or the whole components.

While ADR Axles is the most renowned of the group’s companies, engaged in product development and manufacturing of mediumhigh range products, the Polish company is the largest of the group in terms of staff and dimensions. It offers a wide range, and manufactures many components for the other members of the group. The Chinese companies also produce a wide range of products for supply to the Far East, Africa and parts of Europe. Brazil mainly produces axles for indus-

trial trailers. Tyremart is active at a commercial level, as well as in assembling products to fulfil the needs of its clients.

complying with both the new German and French legislation, as well as a twin steering axle that solves the problems encountered with multi-axle trailers. We invest a significant amount in R&D, mainly due to the high cost of trial benches.” Mr Radrizzani continues: “We have also invested in our production sites, particularly in Brazil and China, and we will carry on doing so in these countries, as well as In Poland, expanding our facilities and installing new machinery.”

Products for the agricultural sector, such as for trailers and other agricultural machines, are mainly sold in Europe, while products for industrial trailers are mainly supplied to non-European countries (which also purchase the products for the agricultural sector). While the agricultural sector is still claiming the lion’s share, the industrial sector is experiencing strong growth.

“In terms of geographical markets we supply our products all over Europe, from Portugal to Russia, including the Balkans and Turkey, as well as serving South America, the Middle East, Africa, the Far East,

Continuously innovating Talking about new products and R&D Mr Radrizzani says: “We always present new products at each trade fair, as we have just done in Bologna. For this purpose, there is a strong collaboration taking place between ADR Axles and Colaert Essieux.

The Italian company, with its 15 R&D dedicated technicians and engineers is mainly focused on developing axles and brakes, while the French company’s specialism is that of developing new suspensions.

We are equipped with trial benches for product homologation, so that TUV and UTAC executives can come and certify our products at our premises. We are currently working on products which will come on the market in 3 to 5 years. At Bologna we have presented new products with regard to both axles and suspensions. We have recently launched a new series of certified brakes,

Industry Europe 31

www.jacam.ch

Our company was established in 2004 by a team with twenty years of experience in the transport sector, which has made reliability and efficiency our own company brand.

Thanks to its experience and professionalism, Jacam has been working for a long time with thousands of clients in the transport sector, as well as in national, international, maritime, land and air shipments.

Today Jacam is a comprehensive organisation offering all the activities concerning logistics with the aim of providing total client satisfaction. The recognition of the quality of our work makes us proud and willing to continuously improve.

We find ourselves in a strategic position, at the centre of one of the most dynamic and productive areas in Europe, engaged in offering a highly reliable logistics, transport, national and international shipment service.

The Jacam staff has well over ten years of experience of using all the major international languages and we are equipped with a commercial office which is at client’s disposal for transport quotations for any needs.

32 Industry Europe

ADR R&D laboratory

Brazilian sugarcane trailer

Four axles with hydraulic suspension trailer

ADR trailer product on test

Australia and New Zealand. We also commercialise our products in North America, thanks to our base in Canada.”

While the group is an absolute leader in the supply of axles, suspensions and whole components for the agricultural sector in Europe, given the current stagnant economic situation of this area, expansion is expected elsewhere, namely in eastern Europe, Russia, China and Australia, as well as in Brazil, despite the fact that even these markets feel the effects of the current global economic downturn.

A continent offering particular opportunities is Africa, from South Africa to the Maghreb region. Because of this, the group is focusing on expanding its position on these markets.

“Future growth will derive from a mix of organic growth and acquisitions, with the latter materialising if the right opportunities should arise. Acquisitions have played a very important part in our history so far, so we may repeat the experience in future. Our future developments will unfold on the basis of two elements, namely innovative products and geographical expansion. The former will be central in Europe, while the latter will apply to other markets,” Mr Radrizzani explains, further adding “Europe demands more sophisticated products than the rest of the world. This level of sophistication may be hard to market in other countries, although we have managed to enter some of our new markets thanks

to the very sophisticated European type of products that we were proposing and which they did not have. It’s important to find the right balance in terms of innovation, presenting a product which the market is able to use, otherwise problems may arise. We work in partnership with our clients, offering them advice on the type of products which can best meet their needs, and educating them in the use of increasingly sophisticated products.”

Innovation and a strong belief in the importance of human resources are the pillars on which this family-led group is built. The third generation of the family has become active in the company, operating alongside experienced managers and a pool of long-term staff. Mr Radrizzani concludes “We operate as a large family, valuing our staff – something which is proven by our n extremely low staff turnover.”

Industry Europe 33

TRACTORS WITH

INDIVIDUALITY Valtra is the leading tractor manufacturer in the Nordic countries and the second most popular brand in South America. Felicity Landon reports on new developments from this Finland-based specialist.

34 Industry Europe

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ew colours, new models, new features – Valtra continues to make headlines with its product innovations. The company, which develops and manufactures a wide range of tractors for the forestry and agricultural industries, prides itself on building tractors individually, according to the customer’s requirements, and producing equipment that is high-quality and reliable.

From its main site in Suolahti, Finland, and its plant in Sao Paulo, Brazil, Valtra supplies tractors to more than 75 countries. The two sites produce different ranges to meet the specific needs of farmers in Europe and South America, as farming methods, soils and crops vary tremendously between the two regions, but all the tractors are based on the Valtra chassis designed in Finland.

Design work takes place at both sites, with

the Finnish team providing a high level of support to the Brazilian operation Who says tractors have to be in a certain colour? For more than 20 years, Valtra, part of the AGCO group, has been the only tractor company to offer customers the opportunity to select the colour of their tailor-made tractor – and the selection of colour options is regularly updated with the introduction of new models. The most popular colour has traditionally been Valtra red, which accounts for almost 40 per cent of all production.

Among the newest colour options, black and grey have also grown in popularity.

During 2012, Valtra introduced new colour options. While the traditional red remains the same, its metallic red is now a shade darker and closer to burgundy, making it more easily distinguishable from

the non-metallic red. Similarly, metallic green and metallic blue are now a shade darker, while the biggest change was silver, which is now closer to a dark grey graphite colour. In total, the colour options are red, metallic red, metallic grey, black, white, orange, metallic green and metallic blue.

Biogas technology Meanwhile, Valtra has taken an important step in the ‘green’ direction with the decision to begin limited serial production of biogas tractors this year – a decision that puts the company out in front, as the first tractor manufacturer to take begin serial production of biogas models.

“Valtra has undertaken systematic research and development work into biogas tractor technology in recent years,” says a

Industry Europe 35

spokesman. A four-cylinder N series prototype biogas tractor was unveiled in summer 2010, followed by a six-cylinder T Series biogas tractor in autumn 2011.

The model chosen for serial production is the 110 hp N101. This dual fuel tractor can run on both transportation grade biogas or natural gas, and diesel. In dual fuel engines, a mixture of biogas and diesel is injected

into the cylinders, with 70 to 80 per cent of power produced from the biogas. The tractor can also be driven on diesel alone if biogas is not available.

“The biogas solution does not limit the use of the tractor for different tasks, conditions or implements,” says the spokesman. “The biogas tractor promotes the use of renewable energy in agriculture and forestry, as well as in

municipal contracting. When both biogas and biodiesel are used for the fuel, the tractor runs on completely renewable energy. The use of biogas can also generate significant savings in fuel costs. Registering the biogas tractor will require special approval in each market, as common emissions regulations have not yet been agreed for dual fuel vehicles.”

New models Among other major developments, Valtra has introduced two new smaller models in the N Series. The new N93 and N103 models, which replace the N82 and N92 models, feature a brand new nose and three-cylinder engine.

“The new design significantly improves both visibility from the cab and agility. Working at night and in dark conditions is also improved, thanks to new bi-halogen lights that combine both full and low beams. The new models are also considerably quieter than the models they replace.”

Both models are available with Valtra’s traditional HiTech transmission with three main powershift gears. The N103 is also available with a five-step HiTech 5 transmission. As with all Valtra tractors, the N93 and N103 models can be tailored for specific uses. For example, a forest cab and steel fuel tank are available for forestry

36 Industry Europe

KALOTTI AT YOUR SERVICE We are a family company founded in 1971.

We are operating from city of Vasa in Finland.

Our main market is Scandinavia including exports and imports.

For our customer Valtra AGCO we are taking care of all their transports to Norway on door to door basic.

Ab Kalottispedition Vikby industriomåde FIN-65520 HELSINGBY Tel: +358 (0)20 7347 300

• Oy Kalottihuolinta • Vikbyn teollisuusalue • Fax: +358 (0)20 7347 301

• E-mail: info@kalotti.com

• www.kalotti.com

work, and an SVC cab can be specified for municipal applications. The larger model is also available with cab suspension and the TwinTrac reverse drive system.

With the introduction of the two new models, the entire N Series has now been updated.

The flagship is the N163, the most powerful four-cylinder tractor in the world, producing up to 171 hp with boost. The N Series accounts for almost 50 per cent of all Valtra tractors produced at the Suolahti factory.

The Valtra T Series has also been updated, in line with the changes made to the N Series.

In addition to a new look, the T Series has been given a wide range of updates and new features to further enhance the efficiency and usability of these tractors.

The new 6.6 and 7.4 litre AGCO Power engines feature new turbos, a new belt system, a new engine management system and a new type of SCR system that cleanses exhaust emissions more effectively. Special attention has also been paid to fuel efficiency.

“Like all Valtra tractor, the new T Series can be tailored at the factory according to the customer’s requirements,” says the spokesman. “A wide range of features and options makes it easy to find the perfect combination for farming, municipal contracting, forestry work and demanding contracting tasks.” n Industry Europe 37

HIGH-PRECISION TOOLS Niles-Simmons designs, develops, manufactures and sells innovative machine tools. Industry Europe looks at the activities of the award-winning organisation.

38 Industry Europe

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iles-Simmons manufactures equipment for the automotive and rail vehicle industry, as well as for the construction of general machines. The company, which is part of the Niles-Simmons-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 know-how 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 sectors. Its main customer, however, is the car industry, to which it supplies turnkey centres used to design and deliver complete production 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 more recent 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 Later representatives from Niles-Simmons attended IMTS 2012. This was the 29th staging of the premier manufacturing technology show in North America. More than 1100 exhibiting companies occupied 1.1 million net square feet of exhibit space at the McCormick Place complex in Chicago, Illinois.

Later in the year, Niles-Simmons attended AMB. The previous 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, Industry Europe 39

largely due to its relocation to the new trade fairgrounds, and the transport infrastructure and 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 co-operation with the customer, as well as the comprehensive support provided during the use of machines and production lines.

40 Industry Europe

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, member of the panel and director of Fraunhofer Institute IWU. Niles-Simmons convinced the panel with its intensive market development, its innovative product program 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. It constant co-operation with research institutions was an important consideration for the judging panel as well.

Furthermore, its 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 were triple the previous year’s. n

AHEAD IN AUTOMATION From its headquarters in Eschborn, Germany, Yaskawa Europe GmbH provides professional mechatronic and robotic solutions. Abigail Saltmarsh reports.

AT

Yaskawa Europe GmbH, in Germany, the drive for further innovation is seeing development of the company’s ground-breaking dual arm robots, which can increasingly replace humans in hazardous situations.

Richard Tontsch, marketing manager, views these ground-breaking models as a key part of the company’s future and their development as part of its growth plan.

“At the moment, I believe we are the only industrial robot producer to offer a dual arm robot in three versions,” he says.

Industry Europe 41

“I think, in the future, we will see a growing number of applications for these. We will see them used in an increasing number of different environments, particularly those where they can replace humans in dangerous situations.”

A pioneer in motion control Yaskawa Europe GmbH is part of the Yaskawa Electric Corporation, the leading global manufacturer of inverter drives, servo drives, machine controller, medium voltage inverters and Motoman industrial robots.

Founded in 1915, the group has been a pioneer in motion control and drive technology, launching product innovations that optimise the productivity and efficiency of both machines and systems.

In almost 100 years of company history, Yaskawa products and solutions have helped

42 Industry Europe

to drive automation processes in many different industries such as mining, steel, machine tools, automotive, packaging, woodworking, textiles and semiconductors.

From its headquarters in Eschborn, Germany, Yaskawa Europe GmbH provides professional mechatronic and robotic solutions to companies throughout Europe, the Middle East, Africa and countries of the former Soviet Union. Offices in these regions and production facilities in four countries ensure that it is always close to its customers, taking care of urgent requests within 24 hours.

New headquarters Yaskawa Europe GmbH has more than 1000 employees across five production sites.

“We have just opened a new headquarters at Allershausen, near Munich, for our robotic division in Europe,” explains Mr Tontsch. “This represents an investment of €12.5 million.”

Relocation to the new offices, development shops and repair facilities took place in midSeptember. The new, three-storey headquarIndustry Europe 43

44 Industry Europe

ters building, situated on a 14,000m2 site, has more than 6200m2 of floor space.

It will accommodate central functions, such as total customer support, research and development, customer-specific system adaptation and logistics. It will also house the additional 50 employees that Yaskawa is taking on, some already during 2012.

Robots in action The highlight of the new building is a representative showroom. Visitors from all over Europe will be able to come to see industry specific robotics solutions in action. For example, five different robots in one cell cover the tasks of a complete packaging line – from picking and packing to palletising (PPP).

In the showroom, Yaskawa also demonstrates a particularly high performance solution for robotic welding systems – one of the company’s core competencies. In the development and testing departments, engineers and technicians develop solutions and systems especially for the demanding and diverse European market.

‘Basic robots’ manufactured in Japan are customised here, for example, with application-specific actuators, or combined to form cells featuring multiple robots. The new MPP3 delta robot that was launched in 2011 – the fastest in its class – was also developed to a great extent in Germany. Furthermore, customer-specific tests are carried out in Allershausen, so that system builders, end customers and system partners can find the exact robotic solution for every application.

models with graduating payload capacities: the SDA5D, SDA10D and SDA20D. The company has also added a new, low-payload model to the series.

Like the other members of the SDA family, the SDA10D and SDA20D, the SDA5D has 15 axes of movement (seven axes in each arm, and one central axis in its torso).

However, it handles a payload of just 5kg on each arm and is able to provide greater repeatability and higher speeds.

Speed and dexterity

Quality and reliability

“We have about 80 different robots now and customers, including tier-ones and OEMs will also be able to find out more about them all here,” he says. “They will also be able to see our dual arm models.”

Motoman SDA (slim dual arm) robots combine human-like movement with robotic speed, dexterity and repeatability. Designed to be a perfect match for assembly, pick and place, machine tending and other applications, these unique robots are designed with a central ‘torso’ and two articulated arms.

The Motoman SDA series has three robot

Yaskawa’s business is global. In Europe, it sees potential in eastern countries, as well as Turkey.

“Most of our growth will be organic,” says Mr Tontsch. “Acquisition is always a possibility too, however, if the right opportunity comes up.

“We expect moderate growth in the near future and we hope to increase our market share. We do expect to see more demand for our dual arm robots as we continue to offer our customers the high quality and reliability we are known for.” n Industry Europe 45

SCREWS AND METAL

COMPONENTS FOR CARS Finnveden Polska SA, of Bielsko-Biala, Poland is a leading producer of screws and metal structures for the car and commercial vehicle markets. It also constitutes an important part of Finnveden Group, a renonwed Swedish partner to the international automotive industry, writes Piotr Sadowski.

46 Industry Europe

F

innveden, with headquarters in Gothenburg in Sweden, is an engineering group with strong positions in a number of market segments. It is a leading supplier to the car and commercial vehicle markets developing and manufacturing customerspecific components and systems, based on metallic materials. The group has five production units, three of which are in Sweden (Forsheda, Hultsfred and Olofström) and two in Poland, in Bielsko-Biała. In addition,

it has assembly units in Sweden, Belgium and the UK. The origins of its presence in Poland, however, go as far as 1998, when Swedish company Bulten AB acquired part of Bielska Fabryka Wyrobów Śrubowych (the Bielsko-Biala Screw Products Factory).

In the group The roots of the original factory date to the late 19th century. The manufacturer consisted of two companies: “Bartelmuss &

Suchy” and “Theodore Pollak & Son”. The first one was founded in 1880 with the aim of producing screws, washers, rivets and accessories for textile industry. “Theodore Pollak & Son” began its activity in the 1909 manufacturing wire goods, drawn wire, nuts, rivets, iron bolts and screws, metal plugs and materials for railway industry.

This initial division defined the company’s further history. After World War II it became a state owned factory consisting of two units

from what earlier were the old Bartelmuss and Pollak factories. In the 1960s a development and modernisation of the company was started and important investments were made. As a result, it has become a leading company in the screw business in Poland.

Changes in the political system in Poland and the transformation from a planned socialist economy fully controlled by the State to a free market took place in 1989. In consequence, state owned companies went through the process of privatisation. Bielska

Fabryka Wyrobow Srubowych was transformed into a joint-stock company owned by the State Treasury. This transformation was followed by a further privatisation process.

As a result, the production was again split into two parts: the Automotive Division and the Standard Division. In 1998 the Automotive Division was purchased by Bulten AB, a leading supplier of fastening systems, mainly to the European automotive industry.

Thus the two long industrial traditions have merged, as Bulten was founded in 1873.

In 2000 Bulten AB was acquired by another Swedish Company, Finnveden.

Founded in 1982 Finnveden’s aim was to develop and safeguard the trade and industry in the local business area.

During the late 1990s a new strategic direction was set. Finnveden AB was to become a global supplier to the international automotive industry. In November 2004, a public cash offer was made to the shareholders in Finnveden AB by Nordic Capital, a Swedish private equity company. Three months later the offer

was finalised. With new owners, Finnveden continued to establish a presence in new geographical markets.

Currently, Finnveden’s core operations are divided into two business areas named: Bulten and Metal Structures. Bulten traditionally develops and manufactures a wide range of fasteners for the automotive industry, from standard products to leading-edge fasteners. The offering also includes technical development, materials and production know-how and logistics. Customer-specific special fasteners also make up a large part of the product range.

Metal Structures develops and produces optimised multi-material interior and exterior structures for car and truck applications.

The offering is based on extensive materials and process know-how, along with unique knowledge of the effects on the application of using several different materials.

Screws and castings Both parts of the Finnveden activity are present in Poland. As part of the Bulten division the Polish operation is the leading producer of screws in Poland. The range of items depends on the needs and expectations of customers. What is specific for the company is that it is able to manufacture screws on the basis of a customer’s engineering drawing. The company delivers screws that fasten components, such as airbags, safety belts and other safety equipment items to such automotive companies as Audi, Autoliv, Bosch, Ford, Jaguar, Land Rover, Nissan, Opel, Scania, Toyota, TRW, Volkswagen, Volvo, and others.

It works with some of the industry’s leading suppliers and greatly values the cooperation, as it contributes to its own successes.

The Metal Structures division operation in Bielsko-Biala relies on state-of-the-art technology of the magnesium casting house. It

manufactures different vehicles parts for Volvo, Land Rover and Jaguar. However, sometimes even this latest technology is not enough for achieving the exceptional quality of the final product that is required by clients. This is why the company performs hand-grinding when finishing the roof elements cast in Bielsko-Biała especially for Jaguar vehicles.

Well-adjusted traditions Finnveden Polska employs around a third of all the group’s employees around the world and reaches significant levels of annual sales, close to €30 million. The majority of the production is sold abroad.

In Finnveden Polska not only are the industrial traditions merged, but what is also present is the Swedish socially-responsible corporate model. The company invests in its people as it realises that this translates into n overall business success.

For more than 70 years, Bauwerk Parkett has been producing high-quality parquet flooring and country home planking. Abigail Saltmarsh finds out more about its extensive product range.

NATURAL BEAUTY

IN FLOORS D

esign, technology and remaining one step ahead of trends – Bauwerk Parqkett has built its reputation on its high quality wooden flooring and two-layer parquet and is determined to carry on in the same vein. Paul Eberle, the head of marketing international sales, explains that the company has a solid history that will continue to serve as a platform as it grows, develops and innovates over the coming years.

“We strongly believe that it is important to stay a leader in terms of 2-layer quality, design and healthy living,” he explains. “This company is built on tradition and long experience.

“Its products are sustainable and get wider and wider, or are unique items. We have ongoing challenges with design to discover the trends that are likely to be occurring over the coming four to five years and

50 Industry Europe

to apply them to our own product range.

And this is something we are experienced at doing and are confident that we can continue to do.”

Laying the foundations The beginnings of Bauwerk as it is today were set in motion by Ernst Göhner in Seefeld, near Zurich, Switzerland, in 1935. He had already used his expertise in woodworking earlier in the manufacture of wooden bodywork for the German automobile industry. In 1935, however, a process for mosaic parquet was developed and, in 1944, Göhner moved parquet production from Altstätten to St Margrethen, in eastern Switzerland, where it is still based today.

It was in 1944 that Bauwerk Parkett was founded with the mission of manufacturing

parquet and developing modern parquet processing machines. Years of continued optimisation and innovation followed. Sites in Austria and Germany were set up, and in 1984, the one-millionth square metre of parquet left the production facility.

An extensive portfolio Today, with around 600 employees in Switzerland, Austria, Germany, the Netherlands, France, Italy or Russia, Bauwerk Parkett produces and sells more than 400 different parquet floors and the corresponding range of accessories, Mr Eberle explains. From

those that are designed to convey a natural sense of wellbeing to more architectural designs, the company prides itself in its broad spectrum of designs.

“One of our highlights at the moment is our Vintage Edition,” explains Mr Eberle.

“This is where we have created a shabby chic look by colouring the product and then letting the raw wood show through again.”

Bauwerk Parkett developed the Vintage Edition in a collaborative effort with Virginia Maissen from the Gustave agency in Zurich.

It was important for Bauwerk Parkett that Gustave symbolised and integrated the

urban, artistic and creative side of Zurich.

Whether laid as multi-colour or understated with small accents, through all the various combinations, some 2,047 different design possibilities are available. The idea is that Vintage Edition is where nostalgia meets modern design and offers something truly unique at the same time.

On the surface Bauwerk has a presence in Switzerland, Germany, Austria, France, the Netherlands, Italy and Russia through country representative offices and showrooms and

Industry Europe 51

works with professional installation partners throughout Europe.

“Currently, approximately 80 per cent of the product range is produced at the main facility in St Margrethen, where there is stateof-the-art equipment. Research, development and design are also carried out at the site,” he says. “Then we have a second site in Austria, where some selected high volume products are made.”

He continues: “We do upgrade our equipment on an ongoing basis but the most recent investment was in our machines for producing e.g. special surfaces. This has increased our flexibility and improved our ability for producing different surfaces.”

Studiopark Master Edition is one of the latest product launches in this area. This flooring is an exclusive co-production between Bauwerk and Schotten & Hansen.

The surfaces of the limited Master Edition are worked in a series of meticulous, manual steps, with the result that the natural beauty, of the wood is brought out.

“The natural oak is washed and then it is given a special waxed/oiled surface,” he adds.

52 Industry Europe

Aesthetics and durability Working with designers, installation professionals and architects, Bauwerk’s team of process engineers and developers aim to create the parquet flooring of the future from the best fresh-cut wood from responsibly maintained, sustainable forests.

“Other special products include Unopark Forte and Megapark Forte,” Mr Eberle explains. “This is where the floor has a top layer that is three times harder than usual.

“It might be ideal, for example, in a shop or somewhere else where the owner is looking for a natural wood look combined with high levels of wear. The beauty of this product is that the top layer can even be re-sanded and re-oiled if necessary after several years.”

Strengthening the brand Bauwerk’s plans for the future include ongoing efforts to launch pioneering products such as these, and to ensure a strong presence at trade shows and promotional events where it can introduce its portfolio on behalf of itself and its customers.

“Our core markets are the German speaking areas – Switzerland, Germany and Austria,” he explains. “But we do also sell into France, the Netherlands and countries such as Italy, the UK and north-eastern Europe (like Romania, Poland or Russia).

“We have strong partners in Singapore, Hong Kong, Japan, the Arab Emirates, the USA and Canada and we do want to increase our business in these places, as well as in some selected eastern European countries. However, it is also important for us not to lose our market share in our core markets as we try to increase business elsewhere.”

And he adds: “We want to increase awareness of our brand and to highlight where we are a leader. This means continuing to develop our technologies and to ensure that we always n maintain our very high quality.”

DOORS TO SUCCESS

Gilgen Door Systems offers optimal, customised solutions for a wide range of doors and other systems.

Industry Europe looks at the strategy behind the company’s success and some of its more recent achievements.

F

rom its headquarters in Switzerland, Gilgen Door Systems is focused on a range of ever more innovative solutions for door, gate and wall systems. From energy-saving to all glass solutions, new products are being developed on a daily basis, according to a company spokesman.

“With its innovative drive systems and turnkey installations, Gilgen Door Systems is in a position to offer optimal, customised solutions for pedestrian and industrial doors, doors for vehicles and railways as well as in the field of flexible wall elements and safety installations,” he said.

And he added: “Other than offering finished products and the assorted highquality profiles, we facilitate the tasks of the architects and distribution partners by providing convenient CAD-Planning tools.”

It has been since 1961 that Gilgen Door Systems, an affiliate of the Nabtesco Group, has specialised in innovative drive technology and turnkey solutions for automatic door, gate and wall systems. The company was initially founded as a one-man business and in 1969 opened its first branch office in Switzerland.

By 2003, it had won a contract with rail link NRLA for 200 tunnel door drive systems and by 2007 had been awarded a contract for half-height PSD retrofit for the Métro in Paris.

Developing products The company serves customers in public transport (railway stations, airports, tourist facilities), health and care (hospitals, clinics,

54 Industry Europe

care homes), hotels and restaurants and administration and offices. It also sells to banks and insurance companies, shops and other retail outlets, general industry and the food, chemical and pharmaceutical sectors.

New products are continually being developed for all sectors, according to the spokesman. “The Gilgen PSW profile system, for example, allows you to heat-insulate and draught-proof doors in a particularly efficient way, especially when doors are closed at night, letting you save precious energy and natural resources,” he said. “The entire system has been tested and certified for ‘U’ value rating, air permeability, resistance to driving rain, wind-load stress and secure automatic door

systems. Automatic opening and closing were not enough for us − we had to have automatic insulation too.”

The system is based on the well-tried Wicstyle 65 designed by Wicona. As this combination excels through low U-values, its main advantage is an improved overall energy balance of the building. The resulting energy savings not only lower the operating costs, but also reduce the carbon dioxide emissions.

The automatic sliding door with thermal insulation is in compliance with the presently applicable EnEV specifications. Therefore, it represents a significant contribution towards compliance with the ever-tightening directives of the energy saving regulations.

The automatic single-winged or bi-parting door installations can be combined with a fanlight, a fix-point guide shoe or with a continuous bottom guide rail. They can also be easily integrated into self-supporting façade frame constructions.

The tried-and-tested overall system answers the safety requirements of DIN standard 18650 and offers a maximum degree of user protection. The sensors have been integrated into the profiles; as an option, the door can be equipped with a multi-point locking system for an enhanced burglar-protection effect.

All-glass Another solution from Gilgen is the SLX-M with PSF (profile system Full Glass). This all-glass version of the automatic sliding door is ideal for creating sophisticated design entrances where no thermal insulation is required.

Thanks to the clamping system that has been integrated in the drive case, it is no longer necessary to drill holes into the glass panels. In its redundant execution, the system has been homologated for use in escape and rescue

ways. An SLX-M combined with the PSF profile system guarantees an extremely fast and uncomplicated installation.

Looking for growth “Currently, the headquarters and main production facility of Gilgen Door Systems is in Schwarzenburg, Switzerland,” said the spokesman. “But we have subsidiaries in Germany, Austria, UK, France, Italy,

Spain and China. Gilgen Door Systems is a member of the Nabtesco Group and is manufacturing its own product range in the Accessibility Innovations Group.”

The company’s principal market is central Europe, but it is present worldwide in over 65 countries. Recent growth has been coming from South America, as well as from acquisitions elsewhere and organic expansion. n www.gilgendoorsystems.com

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BUILDING ON

GLOBAL SUCCESS Pihl is a global civil engineering and construction group based in Denmark and is one of the country’s oldest contracting companies, having been founded in 1887. Industry Europe looks at its wide range of activities and the strategy behind its success.

P

ihl is one of the largest civil engineering companies in the world and is engaged in countless major international contracts. The company works on a project-orientated basis with a flexible management structure that involves its many subsidiaries and consortiums. Pihl is currently present in 16 countries worldwide and is involved in major global projects ranging from tunnels, motorways and harbours to railways and municipal buildings. Pihl’s headquarters are based in Kgs. Lyngby, Denmark and it currently employs more than 3300 people worldwide.

Last year the company formed a joint venture agreement with Per Aarsleff A/S to build port structures in the port Värtahamnen in Stockholm. The two companies will be carrying out all works, including design.

The contract is worth DKK 1 billion and will

be implemented during the next for years.

The new port will make room for urban development in the Swedish capital.

Pihl’s director Kurt Carlsen said of the contract: “One of Pihl’s main areas of expertise is harbour constructions and we look forward to carrying out this project together with Aarsleff with whom we have been working for many years and with great success.”

Company history It was in 1887 when a master builder in Copenhagen, Lauritz Emil Pihl established his own construction company in the capital that the company began its journey to become one of the world’s leading civil engineering contract companies. During the years that followed, Pihl built up the business to become one of the leading construction companies in Denmark.

Its fortunes were enhanced further in the 1940s by Kay Langvad, a master in civil engineering, who purchased 50 per cent of E.Pihl & Son AS in 1947. The company then saw significant growth with large civil engineering projects being undertaken in Iceland, the Faroe Islands and Greenland. His pioneering work in the 1950s and 60s formed the basis for the company’s further internationalisation which was based upon his flexible management approach. This is where individual company specialists come together to form an optimal team and where relevant experience is pooled to optimise the success of each project.

It is flexibility and a commitment to creativity to achieve the best outcomes that has kept Pihl at the forefront of the global contracting industry. The success of this strategy is further enhanced by its commitment to maintain its respect for traditional,

high quality Danish building techniques combined with its ability to develop new methodologies and project management techniques. Pihl offers a wide range of consultancy and contracting services and is happy to assume responsibility for the entire construction process if necessary, from the original design concept through to its final completion.

Diverse projects In recent years Pihl is active in Denmark and across the globe on major projects such as the Oresund Tunnel in Denmark

and hydro electric power plants in Iceland.

In the Carribean and Africa, the company is building motorways and harbours, whilst in Asia it is constructing wastewater plants. One of the biggest large-scale projects over the past few years was its joint venture with Zublin and to design and construct a major road and tunnel complex in Copenhagen to connect the Elsinore motorway with an arterial road close to the Danish capital, Copenhagen.

In another significant national contract, Pihl joined Aarsleff of Denmark in a 50/50 joint venture to fulfil a major renovation pro-

gramme for Danish Railways that involved the full refurbishment of the city’s central railway station. The work involved the renovation of existing station concrete structures, new ventilation systems and railway ramps as well as modern station buildings and improved parking facilities. The budget for the remedial works at the central station was put at over DKK 400 million.

Dedication to quality Pihl considers that quality management is fundamental to the success of any project and works to guarantee that the same high

standards are achieved across the board, irrespective of the size and value of the project. Top quality management at Pihl helps to ensure optimum design, planning and execution of each project. Pihl’s quality management system complies with the requirements of DS/EN ISO 9001 and is structured in such a way as to facilitate adoption of special conditions and the specific demands of its client.

The company’s quality management systems are regularly re-evaluated on the basis of newly acquired experience from completed contracts, as well as from

internal and external audits. Before the commencement of any contract Pihl carries out a process of scrutiny to establish an in-depth knowledge of the project and to provide a better basis for determining the best possible execution. At Pihl, on-going audits are performed on a regular basis and these focus on maintaining the quality management standards of all Pihl’s current contracts. The company also has extensive in-house planning resources as well as considerable facilities for the provision of services regarding concrete, masonry, n carpentry and painting works.

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ACCESS TO SECURITY Austrian family business EVVA is one of the leading European manufacturers of access solutions, using both mechanical and electrical systems. Its commitment to continuous innovation is now delivering the sophisticated electronic security systems of tomorrow.

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VVA stands for Erfindungs-VersuchsVerwertungs-Anstalt – in English, Invention, Experimentation and Application Institute. The fundamental notion of invention is thus firmly embedded in the company name. Founded in 1919, EVVA took its first steps to becoming a security systems company in 1937 when it received its first patent for a cylinder padlock. The in-house research and development department was set up in the 1970s and quickly became a driving force behind EVVA’s outstanding capacity for innovation.

Whereas in the last century EVVA products were represented by a key next to the trademark, since 2004 a new slogan has appeared in place of the key and is displayed together with the trademark ‘access to security’. EVVA’s image has transformed itself from that of a mere “key manufacturer” to that of a comprehensive solutions provider for all today´s security issues.

Today, EVVA is one of the leading manufacturers of security technology in Europe, and is

represented across the European continent by its 13 subsidiaries. With Stefan Ehrlich-Adám at the helm, the family business is now in the hands of the third generation, guaranteeing the stable corporate structure of the company.

Security solutions EVVA offers a selection of mechanical and electronic locking systems. Every system incorporates unique, patented technologies and different compatible products can be combined to create the best individual solution.

EVVA mechanical systems ensure the necessary levels of protection and security for all locks in buildings and facilities. These can have a compact or modular design, depending on the type of system.

The company’s electronic locking systems are ideal for private homes and small businesses: with the electronic cylinder e-primo you can issue instant access authorisations to your doors yourself and also cancel them again just as quickly. No PC is required, no software and no wiring.

The enemy of thieves and burglars Even seeing the name EVVA can make criminals have second thoughts. Burglars know all about security systems and can recognise high-quality security products immediately. Criminologists confirm that almost all criminals give up immediately if security seems to be insurmountable, to demand too much time or to require specialist knowledge.

For maximum security in flats EVVA offers a highly developed combination of three products used to equip the door with effective protection against break-ins. The system comprises an innovative mechanical locking system and/or electronic locking system, a burglar-resistant security fitting, which locks flush with the cylinder and an additional security lock, which allows the door to be opened into a secure position.

Houses present more complex security requirements than flats. The security system not only has to secure the front door, but also numerous windows, patio

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doors, skylights, garden gates, cellar chutes, garages and more besides. EVVA offers solutions to overcome all threats. Its products can be assembled into a customised highly secure locking system in which all doors and window security devices can be locked using just one key – from mail boxes and summer houses through to skylights and basement doors.

EVVA’s new electronic cylinder e-primo enables you to issue instant access authorisations to your home yourself and also cancel them again just as quickly – again, no PC, no software, no wiring. And its sophisticated alarm system featuring contact and motion sensors as well as smoke and glass break detectors offers seamless, all-round protection for the home.

Building and property security EVVA’s solutions for the protection of commercial property are based on the belief that different sectors have different security

requirements. An ideal solution for one company might be no more than basic protection for another. EVVA’s aim is to offer the right security solution for every sector and every requirement.

These include solutions for property managers, cooperatives, residents’ associations and real estate companies, solutions for residential accommodation for the elderly, nursing staff, employees, students and other groups and for hotels, guest houses, hostels and restaurants.

EVVA also delivers solutions for office and administration buildings, ministries, government offices, banks and agencies as well as for supermarkets, shopping malls, chain stores, filling stations and retail outlets. The company also offers security systems for railway stations, airports, mobile telephone structures, telecommunications facilities and transmitters as well as for industrial enterprises, production plants, power stations, workshops and warehouses.

Other applications include universities, schools, nursery schools and further education institutions, concert halls, theatres, fitness centres, sport facilities, swimming pools, casinos and museums, hospitals, nursing homes, care institutions, medical centres and doctors’ practices.

Setting new standards EVVA continues to be at the leading edge of the development of security technology. Starting mid 2013, Xesar, its new electronic access solution, will set new standards in the market.

Wall readers, electronic handles, electronic fittings and electronic cylinders will be available for initial testing. EVVA will also present AirKey, its in-house developed cylinder with NFC interface and secure data transfer, that makes it possible to open a door with a mobile phone.

Thanks to the new electronic access solutions from EVVA, security is going to be be easier, more comfortable, more flexible, more elegant and more economical. n

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LEADERS IN SANITARY TECHNOLOGY The Geberit Group is the European market leader in sanitary systems. Now it is pursuing major growth opportunities in Asia and North America

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anitary systems and piping systems for apartments, houses and larger buildings are supplied throughout the world by the Switzerland-based Geberit Group. From the time of its establishment in 1874, Geberit has always been a pioneer in the sector, consistently setting new trends with its comprehensive system solutions. The Geberit Group employs 6,000 people; it is headquartered in Switzerland in Rapperswil-Jona and has been listed on the Swiss Stock Exchange since 1999.

Today Geberit operates sales offices in 41 countries. Sales activities are concentrated on the major European markets and the company sees great growth opportunities in central and eastern Europe, France, the United Kingdom, the Nordic Countries, North America, China, India and South East Asia. Geberit also supplies markets in Asia and North America with products specifically designed to suit regional

needs. To serve these markets, local competence centres have been set up in Shanghai (China) and Chicago (USA). The company has 16 production sites in seven different countries.

The main production sites are located in Switzerland, Germany and Austria. In 2012, the Geberit Group recorded an increase in sales of 3.1 per cent to CHF 2187.8 million.

Geberit’s range of products is designed for use in new buildings as well as in renovation and modernisation projects. It comprises the product lines sanitary systems (Installation systems, cisterns and mechanisms, taps and flushing systems, waste fittings and traps, shower toilets) and piping systems (building drainage systems, supply systems). Geberit brand name products are innovative, durable and ecologically efficient and provide highend sanitary solutions for retailers, plumbers and installers and end users alike. The

company has trained approximately 30,000 plumbers, sanitary engineers and architects in Geberit systems and software tools at the company’s 25 own training centers in Europe and overseas.

New generation products Once installed, many Geberit products remain invisible to the user. Their high quality and reliability ensure that they will continue to fulfil their function for decades to come. More and more, however, Geberit also offers products that make a strong impression out in front of the wall through their comfort and design, such as the Monolith, the shower toilet AquaClean, the actuator plate or the shower element.

Geberit’s new or next-generation products must first meet an extensive list of requirements before they are released on the market. At the top of the list are quality

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Kirchhoff & Lehr GmbH is a renowned European manufacturer of cold-rolled sections.

Our production program comprises a wide range of products from standard to highly specialised sections, including complex systems.

It is this broad production program, our price competitiveness and reliability, our high quality standards and the strict adherence to customer and product requirements that safe guard the future of our business.

Kirchhoff & Lehr GmbH Am Gewerbegebiet 17 D - 01477 Arnsdorf b. Dresden

Tel: +49 (0) 35200 / 259 - 15 Fax: +49 (0) 35200 / 259 - 59

www.tillmann-gruppe.de/en/en_tillmann-profil.html

Kirchhoff & Lehr The medium-sized company Kirchhoff & Lehr has been a reliable and competent supplier for Geberit since 1995.

Since then both companies have been writing success stories. In the course of the cooperation Kirchhoff & Lehr increased the staff of its R&D department several times. In 1998 the in house tool shop has been found.

Since then it has been extended several times, to fulfill the customer’s needs for quick and flexible solutions.

In the workshop Kirchhoff & Lehr produces standard but also complex shaped profiles by highly skilled staff on modern roll-forming machines. A wide range of different technologies can then be used for the subsequent processing of the profiles, including welding, punching and bending. Surfaces can later be powder-coated, lacquered, electro-galvanized and hot-dip galvanized. The latest chapter of thriving cooperation between Geberit and Kirchhoff & Lehr is the serial production of TIG welded profiles in just one manufacturing step.

and functionality although design is becoming ever more important.

The Geberit Monolith module for washbasins unites all of the functions as well as the entire sanitary technology of a washbasin into a single unit. The module has been designed so that it can be connected to the existing hot and cold water connections, as well as the discharge pipe, without any major adjustments being necessary. The fact that wall-mounted taps can be easily and perfectly installed is also a big plus. The module is prepared in the factory to such an extent that the professional installation of wall-mounted taps takes almost no time at all.

Touchless toilet flush actuation systems have long been a standard feature in airports, concert halls and cinemas. Now touchless is increasingly becoming a requirement in hotels,

office buildings and upmarket private properties. The new Geberit Sigma80 fills the bill with a high-tech solution in a stylish design.

The Sigma80 is designed for use with a dual flush and fits every Geberit Sigma concealed cistern. Instead of two buttons of different sizes, the actuator plate features two light fields of different sizes. To trigger the flush, all it takes is a brief wave in front of either the large or the small light field. The servo technology integrated in the plate takes care of the rest.

Touch-free bathroom taps are very economical in water consumption. They shut off the water supply as soon as a user removes his or her hands from the measuring range of the sensor. The automatic taps from Geberit can now be equipped with a power supply that works independently of mains and battery sources. This also makes them suitable

for buildings that are to be certified according to very strict energy criteria.

Until now, users have had the option of powering the control electronics in Geberit type 185 and 186 taps using either the mains power supply system or a battery.

Now, Geberit has developed an additional option for supplying the automatic taps with power. Mounted directly on the angle stop valve of the fresh water pipe, a tiny generator uses the pressure of the water in the pipe to generate electricity. This electricity is then stored in a rechargeable battery that provides the tap’s control electronics with the needed energy.

Design solutions for China and India Geberit’s Monolith module for WCs is unique in China. It can be used anywhere and fits any interior décor. The Monolith is sold as a package together with the matching ceramic appliance, which is offered in two different designs: the more elegant version AVA and the slightly more dominant version VEX. The glass front is available in black, white or red.

For India, Geberit offers the Alpha line concealed cistern, a product that has been explicitly adapted to the needs of the Indian middle class in terms of function, appearance and pricing. The new cistern offers the reliable Geberit technology packaged in an attractive design.

Alpha has a dual-flush actuation (3 and 6 litres) that protects the environment and water resources. The Geberit Alpha concealed cistern is manufactured in India for the Indian market at a newly constructed Geberit n production site.

INNOVATION AND

SYNERGY Thanks to its industrial and service companies, Gruppo Industriale Tosoni SpA is a market leader in both the construction and transport sectors. Innovation and synergies among its companies are vital to its success, as Barbara Rossi finds out.

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eadquartered in the Verona area (Villafranca), Gruppo Industriale Tosoni SpA is a holding, wholly controlled by the founding Tosoni family, which leads a group composed of seven industrial companies, two service companies and several foreign branches (the latter are controlled by the Italian operational companies rather than by the holding itself) organised in two macro-divisions: construction and transport.

The group operates in the construction area through three companies, namely Cordioli & C, a leader in steel structures, Officine Tosoni Lino SpA, specialised in curtain walls for buildings, and Far Systems SRL, a specialist

in electronic systems for the energy, environment and construction fields.

The transport division is led by Saira Europe SpA, a division sub-holding producing railway components, and includes Saira Electronics Srl, Saira Seats SAS, and Saira Asia Interiors Pvt Ltd. Saira Electronics Srl is a producer of electronics devices for transportation and Saira Seats SAS is a European leader in railway seats manufacturing based in France. In terms of interiors, as well as Saira Europe SpA itself, there is Saira Asia Interiors Pvt Ltd, which was set up in the Indian state of Gujarat in 2009 as a wholly Indian company, with the aim of providing a local presence in the country,

where it manufactures products and carries out projects, designing and supplying railway interiors and electronics products.

The two service companies of the group are Far Energy Srl, also based in Villafranca, whose activity is managing alternative energy plants, and R&D Systems Srl, which carries out the R&D activities of the group from a modern R&D centre based in Rovereto (Trento).

This latter company works in close collaboration with universities, as well as public and private organisations, operating in research and innovation. It was set up in 2008, unifying all the R&D activities of the group in a single structure, as Tosoni

recognises the essential role that new, innovative solutions have in terms of enabling a company to compete on international markets and exploit the opportunities offered by developments in science and technology. Being recognised as a leading player, present on international markets, is fundamental for Gruppo Tosoni, as proven by its evolution from being a family company producing doors and windows for residential and industrial buildings to its current status as a group with a global presence.

Tosoni has always been a company willing to invest in diverse sectors, giving utmost importance to the synergies among the group’s companies. It operates thanks to a

flexible, but strong organisation, with a strong focus on environmentally friendly systems, especially in the construction field. For this reason, one of the objectives of R&D System Srl is the maximisation of the competitiveness of existing production areas, so as to ensure future improvements through innovation in products, processes and organisations. Its research focuses on energy, the environment, and technology & safety, employing a multicultural approach and a team of researchers, graduates on work experience placements and research degree students who contribute to ongoing projects under the leadership of the centre’s own scientific directorate. The end result is the development of top quality

products and systems with high added value, fulfilling end users’ needs, while at the same time being environmentally friendly and making a significant contribution to economic growth.

Recent projects and achievements Recognition for this activity materialised in 2011, when R&D Systems was a finalist in the “Companies for innovation” prize, awarded by Confindustria in collaboration with APQI (Italy Quality Prize Association) for the promotion of organisational and strategic models working towards growth through innovation.

This activity is reflected in the innovation that the group’s companies are able to present to the market. For instance, in terms

Products: 1. Curtains for the rail industry Electrical:* Motorized outside the roller Motorized inside the roller Power supply 12-24 VDC Electric/manual:* Motorized outside the roller Power supply 12-24 VDC *Possible quick permunation of the curtain 2. Window closers for automobiles Electrical by cables Manual by cables Pantograph Mechanisms using panels 3. Small mechaincal groups Movement mechanism for the tow bar (Alstom) Rearview mirrors (Alstom) Specific equipment destined to the automotive industry 4. Curtains for the industrial/civil industry Electrical: With motorization and electronic control positioned inside the roller Power supply 12-24 VDC Command function: push-button/remote control Operates: by gravity

Tende e componenti per allestimenti ferroviari Tendine civilli e industriali • alzavetri elettrici Curtains and components for rail equipment

Small curtains for civil and industrial use • electric window closer

Flexso nasce nel 1992 a seguito della riorganizzazione del gruppo R.M. che operava nell’automotive.

Flexso è specializzata nella progettazione e realizzazione di alzavetri elettrici e manuali per il settore automotive; le attività di diversificazione avviate dalla direzione aziendale, hanno individuato un importante mercato nel settore ferroviario. Flexso realizza esclusive tendine elettriche, elettromanuali e manuali nonché finestrini completi di tenda per carrozze ferroviarie in partnership con SAIRA EUROPE ed altri.

E’ stata quindi ampliata l’area produttiva con l’inserimento di una nuova linea dedicata alla realizzazione delle singole tendine e degli assieme finestrino.

Flexso progetta e realizza soluzioni personalizzate per tendine in accordo con il Cliente per il settore civile ed industriale.

Flexso was born in 1992 after the reorganization of the R.M. group which worked in the automotive industry.

Flexso is specialized in the design and implementation of electric and manual window closers for the automotive industry; the diversification activities, which have been made by the corporate management, have found an important market in railway industry.

Flexso makes exclusive electric, electro-manual and manual curtains as well as window panels complete of curtains for passenger cars in partnership with SAIRA EUROPE and others.

The productive area has therefor been amplified with the opening of a new line dedicated to the creation of curtains and window panels.

Flexso designs and manufactures personalized solutions for curtains in agreement with the customer for the civil, industrial and railway sector.

L’azienda é certificata ISO 9001 ed ISO 14001 progetta e realizza i prodotti anche in co-designer con il cliente.

The company is ISO 9001 and ISO 14001 certified and also designs and creates products with the client as a co-designer.

Via Valente, 62/I 16044 CICAGNA (GE) Tel. +39 0185.929848 Fax +39 0185.971284 flexso@flexso.it www.flexso.it

of construction, Officine Tosoni has been the first among curtain wall manufacturers and fire prevention specialists to develop a fire resistant curtain wall with aluminium and glass modules, an achievement carried out for the construction of the “Centro Congressi Italia” in Rome, otherwise known as the “Nuvola” or “Cloud”, a structure designed by the architect Massimiliano Fuksas. The design required a section of glass curtain wall, measuring about 5000 square metres, which in the event of fire could protect the emergency stairs for at least sixty minutes.

Protection was required from both smoke infiltration and excessive heat, in order to allow the building to be evacuated and the Fire Brigade to intervene safely. This achievement is even more remarkable in view of the fact that this has been the first installation undertaken by Officine Tosoni in terms of fire resistant curtain walls. Another company of the group, Cordioli, has also been involved in

this project, in terms of assembling the metal structure forming the basis for the actual “Cloud”, alongside constructing the elements supporting the side vertical curtain walls.

Furthermore, in 2011 Officine Tosoni obtained the PASS VEC and the PASS innovation certifications (respectively certifying the structural bonding process used to bond glass to metal surfaces and the use of curtain walls incorporating photovoltaic surfaces, in accordance with French standards).

Cordioli has also contributed to changing the Bologna skyline, thanks to its involvement in the erection of the “Unifimm Tower”. This mixed steel and concrete tower block has two basement floors and 30 above ground storeys, a total height of 125m. Other recent projects carried out by Cordioli have included the building of affordable, high-quality and environmentally friendly housing, called the “Rising House”, through the use of prefabricated modules, which after having been

assembled at ground level are lifted up and stabilised; as well as the construction of the Porto Empedocle viaduct.

In 2010 Far Systems installed the second longest photovoltaic noise barrier in Italy, along the SS434 highway near Oppeano (Verona) and, in collaboration with Hyundai, it has offered PSD (platform screen doors), escalators and elevators to subway and light rail stations. It also co-organised and participated to the Cenelec TC9X committee plenary meeting, where it showed an energy consumption monitoring application for the railway field running in real time on a fleet in the UK. Finally, Saira, a European leader in the design and supply of tram, metro train and railway carriage interiors and street furniture, has recently supplied the interiors for 78 high speed carriages for Trenitalia, alongside having supplied interiors for many other intercity, metro, high speed and light rail trains for many n leading clients in several countries.

CLEAR VISION The Polish company Press-Glass SA is Europe’s leading producer of processed glass for the construction industry. The company’s glass is an essential element of many striking public buildings both in Poland and Scandinavia, and last year it introduced a new corporate identity.

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ince its foundation in 1991, PressGlass has experienced extraordinarily dynamic growth. At the beginning, it had only six employees. Today, there are more than 1400 people working for PressGlass, and the company’s glass can be found in many landmark buildings including the Intercontinental Hotel in Warsaw and the Sky Tower in Wrocław, which is still under construction.

The headquarters of Press-Glass and the company’s main factory are located in Nowa Wies, in the south west of Poland. In 2001, Press-Glass acquired a second factory in Tychy, near Katowice, which specialises in the

production of toughened glass. Following the takeover, Press-Glass built a new production hall for the Tychy site, 12,000 m2 in area. The firm pressed on with its expansion, building a third factory in Tczew in 2003 to produce double-glazed glass.

The company built its newest factory in 2009 on a six-hectare site in Radomsko. Its aim is to continuously adapt to customer needs to strengthen its leading position in glass processing for the construction sector in Europe. In line with this, in January 2012 it introduced a fresh new corporate identity and logo to symbolise its constant dedication to progress and innovation.

Range of products Press-Glass’s product offering for the many and varied needs of the construction industry includes glazed units, special glass and single glass. Its glazed units include low emission glass, units with warm edge, solar control glass, safety and security glass, acoustic glazed units, bullet-proof glass and fireresistant glass. The company’s Premium Edge solution is an eco-friendly glazed unit that tightly connects the entire perimeter of a glass unit, thus protecting the user against loss of heat from the inside and against noise from the outside. The Premium Edge unit has a spacer made of silicone foam, which

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means it can be used across a wide range of temperatures, down to minus -40°C. In the last few years, Press-Glass has introduced several interesting additions to its special glass range. The company produces laminated glass for windows, facades and partition walls. With a Benteler glass laminating line and Scholz autoclave, the company can now produce layered panes in-house. It

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runs a state-of-the-art line for laminated glass.

This machinery allows the company to connect different types of glass, like toughened glass, to the laminated glass, for applications such as beams, columns or glass staircases.

In addition to the above, there is also a need for single-glazed glass for various applications in the construction industry. This product is less processed than double glazed glass and is cut

to the required dimensions on the base of the following types: float glass, tinted glass, reflective and hard-coated glass.

Digital print While strength and durability are important attributes of the company’s toughened glass, architects also require an attractive visual effect. Press-Glass therefore also offers its

Products for glass and ceramic decorating

Johnson Matthey Colour Technologies

Ceramic decorative products and precious metals for: - Glass - Ceramic - Fire retardants

32-300 Olkusz, ul. Partyzantów 8 Tel. +48 32 641 39 19 Tel. +48 32 645 04 84

www.testechnika.com.pl

Sika - the Sealing and Bonding Expert Sustainable System Solutions for perfect Facades • Widest range of proven products • Compatible and durable facade and insulating glass sealant systems • Comprehensive project support from design to application Sika Poland Sp. z o.o. / Sika Industry ul. Łowińskiego 40, 31-752 Kraków Tel. +48 12 64-40-492, Fax +48 12 64-41-609 E-mail: industry.poland@pl.sika.com, pol.sika.com Sika Services AG / FFI Competence Centre ses.sika.com www.sika.com

Premium Toughened glass, designed for the facades of buildings. The Premium Toughened glass was developed to avoid the problem of ‘roller waves’, which create a distorted reflection in the glass. To solve this problem, PressGlass makes the glass using an air bag, on which the glass is positioned at an angle. The rollers will then only touch the panel on one side, so that no waviness will be visible once the glass is used on the exterior of a building.

Press-Glass also makes glass that can be digitally printed. The company’s Digital Print glass, introduced in 2011, is ideally suited for

displaying a corporate logo on the internal wall of a company’s office. The process for printing is automatic: once the company receives the photo, it can prepare the digital graphic file and then print the image onto the glass. With Digital Print, no additional processes are needed. This avoids extra costs for the customer and ensures that the job is carried out as quickly as possible.

Prospects The new production hall for the factory at Radomsko was completed last year. This

represented a substantial investment, but Press-Glass believes its confidence is justified. Denmark and Norway are valuable export markets because they are major producers of windows, and in Scandinavia there is a lot of investment in public buildings, which need glass facades.

In Poland, too, the prospects have been encouraging. Renewable energy has also been an important focus for the business over the past year or two – particularly solar glass, which will remain a priority in n the coming years.

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SOLID SUCCESS Spaencom has been known for its innovations in the design, production and erection of concrete elements.

It has more than 60 years of experience in transforming its clients’ ideas into reality.

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paencom believes that continuing to innovate while also making the most of any growth opportunities is the key to success in a declining construction market. The company, which is Denmark’s leading supplier of prefabricated concrete units, remains resolutely optimistic despite the global downturn in the building industry in the past few years, and will continue to seek exciting new projects, while maintaining its programme of investment in new products and looking for efficiencies.

It was in 1947 that Jannik Ipsen founded Skandinavisk Spaendbeton, the company that would develop to become Spaencom.

The company’s business was based on prestressed concrete and over the following years grew substantially.

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Between 1949 and 1960, 5.5 million m2 of industrial and workshop buildings were erected in Denmark – and of these buildings, 50 per cent involved the use of pre-stressed concrete.

In 1958, Ullevi in Goteborg, Sweden, was the first in the series of stadiums to benefit from Spaencom’s knowledge of pre stressed concrete units and their use. Since then, platform elements have been delivered to companies such as Parken and Brondby, Aalborg, Aarhus, Odense, Silkeborg and Viborg stadiums plus the handball hall in Viborg.

There was a huge need for products such as Spaencom’s during the post-war period.

The company continued to grow with the market and to increase its market share.

Denmark has always been a very concrete-

minded country. Indeed, for large construction projects it has basically been the only building material used.

New concepts Over the years, the company expanded further still, retaining its leading position in the market.

The demands for insulation in industrial buildings were increased significantly in the years after the oil crisis of 1973, and wood-wool slabs were no longer considered sufficient.

This demand for an all-concrete ceiling led to the development of the TTS roof and the TTS Waffle Roof at Spaencom.

Then in 1990, the company introduced the first complete concrete unit concept for multistorey car parks, fulfilling all safety demands

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for this exacting type of building. The high quality concrete offers strength and compaction and the patented building system ensures free movement in all joints, so that temperature tensions and resulting damages are avoided.

The company later launched its patented Spaencom Sound Roof, a further development of the TTS Waffle Roof. In the Spaencom Sound Roof, the concrete in 65 per cent of the underside is replaced with highly soundabsorbing mineral wool.

The units are delivered with the insulation of choice and a layer of roofing felt from the factory. This makes it possible to mount and seal up to 600m2 of roof in one working day, ensuring the quick sealing of the building.

In 1997, Spaencom Sound Roofs were improved further with the use of 4.8m of intervening Waffle Sound units. Also that year, the company introduced its Spaencom Sound Halls – a complete building system, where the wall covering also dampens the noise in the production areas.

Today, Spaencom operates from four manufacturing bases. The company used to be family-owned, but in 2008 it became part of the Consolis Group which now holds the controlling interest. Consolis is one of the largest concrete groups in 78 Industry Europe

Europe so this move allowed Spaencom to increase its know-how considerably.

Spaencom continues to be known for its innovations. The aim is to continue to come up with patents and to develop these groundbreaking solutions. The company is also developing the visual effects of its products. In the past couple of years it has worked closely with textile designers, for example, to create surfaces that are more aesthetically pleasing.

Its main customers are based in Denmark.

Facing the challenges The company, which employs around 600 people, had been seeing strong growth but, like other members of the construction industry, admits it has been feeling the effects of the downturn in building over the past few years. It is dealing with this challenge by saving costs wherever possible and restructuring. Its aim is to continue to innovate and come up with unique solutions for its customers wherever they are. n Industry Europe 79

EXPERTS IN PRE-FABRICATED CONCRETE C

onsolis Polska has been operating on the Polish market since 1990 with an initial focus on ongoing investment in its manufacturing plant. When this objective was successfully achieved, the company moved on to building and expanding the sales and marketing side of the business in Poland. It successfully reached all of its start-up and subsequent development goals, an achievement which was widely recognised in the industry. For example, for a number of times Consolis Polska was named the ‘Building Company of the Year’, as well as receiving the prestigious title of ‘Polish Herkules’. Since June 2008 the Group now includes another production facility in Poland, in Mirosław Ujski, which is involved in the production of concrete layers used in rail and road construction projects.

All these successes have been achieved as part of the overall expansion of the international Consolis Group, which has over 130 production plants in 25 countries, stretching from Scandinavia to North Africa and from Western Europe to the Baltic countries and Russia. This strength means

that Consolis Polska has access to an unrivalled exchange of experience, knowledge and advanced technologies with other companies belonging to the alliance.

Strength of operations in Poland and abroad On the national market, Consolis Polska, whose manufacturing takes place in Gorzkowice, has reached the unquestionable leadership position in providing concrete prefabricates to the building industry. In Europe, thanks to the alliance with Consolis Group, its operations are also very strong.

In Poland, it has the largest assortment of elements available on the Polish market and also the highest employment across its particular industrial sector. Its production plant near the town of Piotrków Trybunalski offers a wide range of concrete prefabricates foundations, elements of construction frames, compressed hollow core slabs, compressed TT boards, as well as many different types of wall elements. In addition, following the takeover of Betras, Consolis Polska also offers its customers a wide range of under-

Consolis Polska, part of Consolis Group, whose operational focus is manufacturing innovative, high quality, prefabricated concrete elements, is a renowned and experienced manufacturer of a wide variety of prefabricated concrete units.

ground infrastructure elements, including drains, road culverts, and pipelines.

Every year, despite the more challenging business environment in the construction industry, the company achieves impressive sales figures, which give Consolis Polska the leading position within the entire group for operations in Central and Eastern Europe.

In addition, it is also one of the strongest subsidiary companies within the alliance in terms of its profitability. Thus, its strong performance within the group and in the markets where its activities are concentrated is what differentiates Consolis Polska from its main competitors.

The successful operations of Consolis Polska are also related to its excellent business relationships with its partners and suppliers.

One of them, Bekaert (www.bekaert.com) is a global market and technology leader in steel wire transformation and has over 50 years of experience in producing high quality pre-stressed wires and strands for the precast concrete industry. Bekaert pre-stressed wires and strands include plain or indented wires with a bright or galvanized finish. The

Bekaert Bekaert (www.bekaert.com) is a world market and technology leader in steel wire transformation and has over 50 years of experience in producing high quality prestressed wires and strands for the precast concrete industry. Bekaert prestressed wires and strands include plain or indented wires with a bright or galvanized finish. The production of these wires is EN 10138-3, ASTM A 416 and BS 5896 certified. Having global production facilities, Bekaert can guarantee its customers a quick service and just-in-time deliveries.

production of these wires is EN 10138-3, ASTM A 416 and BS 5896 certified. Having global production facilities, Bekaert can guarantee its customers a quick service and just-in-time deliveries.

Responding to the needs of the market Over the last decade, despite economic challenges, Poland has overall experienced an impressive building boom, which has translated itself into a rising demand across all market sectors related to the construction industry. There is a need for innovative solutions which are light in weight, and the products manufactured by Consolis certainly meet such requirements. In addition, the expansion of the construction industry in Poland has meant that projects need to be completed quickly, while at the same time at the highest levels of quality. Therefore Consolis Polska has some of the most effective engineering teams equipped with technologies which enable them to carry out even the most complicated projects throughout the year, even in winter.

Strong technologies and excellent business relationships Constructing buildings with concrete prefabricates is becoming ever more popular thanks to the quality, durability, and safety of such products. The level of fire-resistance of concrete prefabricates is extremely high, which translates into lower building insurance costs. There are specific products in the company’s manufacturing offer which are proving to be very popular with customers, such as elements made from compressed concrete, as well as girders and ceiling beams that have large spans and bearing capacity. Consolis Polska has also been noticing an increasing demand for underground infrastructure solutions, as these are very reliable and highly durable products.

By offering high quality concrete prefabricates, Consolis Polska enables its customers to achieve significant cost savings, while

at the same time constructing buildings safely and in a short span of time. The company is equipped with fully automated 21st century production lines, including lines for compressed concrete production. Following the takeover of Betras (June 2006), Consolis Polska also operates a highly specialised line for manufacturing elements of underground infrastructure, located in the town of Ostrów Wielkopolski. By taking advantage of the effects of synergy, Consolis Polska and the entire group can develop in many different directions. As a result, with the expansion of the product offer, the company also expands its own technological back-up.

Customer care The company’s customers include leading construction companies in Poland which undertake some of the most prestigious building projects in the country. At the same time, Consolis Polska prides itself on being a strongly client-oriented business and therefore offers its products to a wide range of customers, no matter how big or small. Its extensive manufacturing range of concrete prefabricates is such that it can provide service to all customers, depending on their own specific needs.

The company’s suppliers range from Polish producers of aggregates and cement to international manufacturers of compressed

steels, purchased through Consolis Group’s headquarters in Brussels. In terms of logistics, Consolis Polska offers a complete customer cycle from project design to assembly, overseen by a dedicated logistical and coordination department. In all areas of its operations, whether in raw material deliveries, manufacturing operations or managerial processes, quality plays the key role.

Consolis Polska is geared towards the consolidation of the industry in Poland and is also expanding its production capacities, so that it manages to rapidly reach all interested customers, old and new. It is moving into additional manufacturing sectors and is focusing on further improving the quality of its products and staff. The ongoing strategic objective is a continued growth in the scale n of its manufacturing capabilities.

A NEW STRUCTURE Maie SpA is an Italian distributor of agricultural, construction and industrial equipment, working in partnership with some of the leading machinery manufacturers. Barbara Rossi talks to marketing director Andrea Dal Bello to find out more about the company’s activities.

82 Industry Europe

M

aie SpA is headquartered in Ravenna, Italy, but also has three other branches in Udine, Padova and Ancona, all offering the company’s entire range of products and services. In addition to this, there is a hire and repairs centre in Parma and a network of other authorised hire and repair centres located in all the regions in which it operates.

Core activities The company’s activities include the sale of new and used equipment, equipment hire and related services. In terms of new machines, Maie has long-term partnerships with major clients such as New Holland

(Fiat), Bobcat and Sandvik. It distributes New Holland’s earth-moving equipment, Bobcat’s construction machines and Sandvik’s mobile crushers. Last April it also launched a partnership with Bomag to distribute its paving machinery.

The company has been involved in the sale of second-hand equipment for many years, specialising in good quality machines which are often only three or four years old.

This area has been expanding since the end of 2010, when the Italian government ended its incentives for new equipment purchases.

The other area in which Maie operates is equipment hiring, in which it has been a market leader for years, but its main focus

today is in the services it provides. For Maie, distribution is not simply a case of reselling the equipment; the company offers spare parts and assistance on both its hired and sold equipment. The most important development has been the expansion of new service contracts. These can be customised to meet clients’ needs, for example they can be for a set period or can last for the entire life of the machine. Furthermore, they can include just routine maintenance or cover any possible equipment problem. A wide variety of solutions are available , even including diagnostics and certifications to prove the safety of equipment and allow clients to comply with current legislation.

Industry Europe 83

Coming back stronger Mr Dal Bello also talked about the restructuring that Maie has undergone in response to the downturn in the sector. In fact, in the past few years Maie, along with its competitors, has seen a dramatic reduction in sales volumes owing to the crisis affecting the construction and infrastructure industries.

This has meant that the company has had to reassess its plans for the future and implement some important measures. For example, it came to the conclusion that in the future there will no longer be space in the market for hybrid and medium-sized distributors. The marketing director believes the future players in this industry will belong to two categories: the first will consist of highly professional and very structured distributors, covering wider geographical areas and supplying high level clients; while the second will be made up of very small local

84 Industry Europe

distributors, supplying simple equipment and assistance to small companies such as local construction firms.

Maie elected to place itself in the first group. In order to achieve this, in June 2010 it began a restructuring process which involved the cessation of its activities in some Italian regions, such as Tuscany, Umbria and Piedmont. It then began to concenrate its operation in north-east and central-eastern Italy, distributing throughout Friuli Venezia-Giulia, Veneto, EmiliaRomagna and Marche. It has decided to focus on these areas because historically it has always maintained strong business partnerships here. Maie is still operating in the Lazio region, including Rome itself, thanks to its two subsidiary companies Biffoli and MAK. In the short term there are no plans for geographical expansion as the market is

still experiencing downturn, but the company could take steps in this direction in the future.

Maie can now count on a system which allows it to face the current crisis in a new way and which will ensure it can thrive on the market as soon as the downturn is over. This is particularly important in a sector where, as Mr Bello said, there are a lot of small businesses led by people who are not able to restructure n and cope during difficult periods.

COOPERATION IS THE KEY Italian cooperative building society Acmar is more than just a leading player in the European building trade.

Today, the company leads an international group that has managed to grow in a number of complementary sectors, including railways and packaging, always by keeping in mind the importance of maintaining a cooperative approach to business.

A

cmar is a well known brand in Italy and Europe, especially among building trade operators. That’s because, in more than fifty years of activity, the cooperative society has managed to set a new standard for quality in the building sector thanks to a strategy based on a mix of passion, diversified approach and attention to the human side of business. The last has proven to be crucial both in terms of establishing strong relations with customers and improving the quality of life for the people currently working for the company.

Establishing strong synergies within the companies of the group is definitely one of the keys to their success.

86 Industry Europe

Expanding competencies Created in 1951 by 27 building workers who decided to join forces, Acmar has grown steadily for more than forty years. One of the key moments in the further development of the group was in 1995, when Acmar acquired a share of Bonciani, a leading company operating in the railways sector.

That was only the beginning, Acmar continued to grow through strategically important acquisitions in sectors such as offshore and underwater construction and even packaging. It also strengthened its position in the railways sector through the takeover of companies such as Leon d’Oro, VCB, Pasolini, and Essen.

The progressive acquisition of new and increasingly advanced production investments made it possible for the cooperative to reach occupational and professional goals with benefits not only for all the members and employees, but also in the more general public interest. It is in this context that Acmar acquired interests in specialised sectors such as railway works, industrial packaging and, restoration, which accompany the core business of construction and property.

Today, the structure of the Acmar group is even more diversified and includes companies such as Enercat, a leading producer of clean energy systems, Italcomm, a provider

of Internet and VoIP-based communication services, and Haver, which owns the multiplex movie theater in Ravenna. Acmar has a flexible and well-organized management structure, based on a general director who coordinates the activities of the companies of the group. In addition to UNI EN ISO 9001:2008 Quality Management System certification, Acmar has just achieved dual certification to UNI EN ISO 14001:2004 Environmental management systems and BS OHSAS 18001:2007 Occupational health and safety management systems.

Recent investments and achievements With an investment of more than 750.000 euros in December 2010, ACMAR has completed installation works on the roof of its Working Centre in San Michele (Ravenna) of two photovoltaic systems for electricity production, both made up of 425 modules photovoltaic polycrystalline silicon cells, and each rated at 99.875 KWP. The photovoltaic system was connected on 2011. By applying appropriate factors of modules’ performance degradation, it is then calculated that within ten years, the two photovoltaic systems will reduce emissions by more than 1,100 tons of CO2. Moreover, Acmar, in a two-year period from 2009 to 2010, began to introduce combined heat and power

systems from renewable sources in its own property in order to pursue a policy of significant reduction of CO2 emissions.

The Italian group invests a lot in technological improvement and quality controls for each of the diverse sectors it operates in. Also, the company is keenly aware of the importance of investing in effective communication strategies, as witnessed by the large number of sponsorships Acmar is involved in, ranging from football to basketball, cycling, fencing, and many more.

Among Acmar recent projects are the construction of civil works, restoration and maintenance of hospitals, office buildings, schools, convention centres, public swimming pools, shopping centres, hotels, bridges, direct sales of apartments, villas, offices and shops in Ravenna, Faenza, Rome and Florence. In particular, the company has been involved in the last couple of years in the construction of the A&E department in Ravenna, the hospital Santa Maria in Reggio Emilia, and Port of n Rome Residences.

FIRST CHOICE IN

CUSTOMISED GREASES Axel Christiernsson used to be a small local grease producer in Scandinavia; now it is the leading supplier of lubricating greases on the European B2B market and is reaching out into even more widespread geographical markets.

O

ver the past years, the Axel Christiernsson Group has expanded dramatically to become one of the leading producers and suppliers of lubricating greases in Europe. This is partly due to the acquisition of Christol Grease in Niort, France in the summer of 2006, but also due to substantial organic growth in an otherwise ever diminishing market.

In a general restructuring of the market mechanisms, outsourcing production to Axel has proven to be an extremely attractive and economic option for many former grease manufacturers who now put their trust and good name in its hands. Axel’s

commitment to the “Customised LabelTM” concept means that it has no brands of our own, so it does not compete with any of its customers.

Today Axel Christiernsson has three state-of-the-art production sites in Europe – in Nol, Sweden, in Heijningen, the Netherlands, and in Niort, France. These production sites are among the most modern in the business with an annual output well over 20.000 mt and growing. The company produces lubricating greases based on more than 200 different product formulations. It has invested heavily in its production facilities in order to

expand capacity and meet the increase in continental European orders and customer outsourcing contracts.

Group management is located in Nol, Sweden with operational management spread out on the three sites with a European agenda. AXEL is part of the Fairford Group and is as such an independent operator in the lubricating industry.

Sharing knowledge Grease is one of the oldest lubricants known to man but it is, in fact, only recently that significant breakthroughs in the understanding of lubricant mechanisms have been able

GR Produkter AB Axel’s main supplier of grease cartridges in Sweden GR Produkter AB have supplied Axel since 1992 with the high quality grease cartridge named Hugo with a delivery on time rate of over 99%

to turn grease technology from a black art into a modern science, a paradigm shift from know-how to “know-why”.

AXEL has worked hard to stay at the forefront of these advances in lubrication technology and believes that it is imperative to keep an open mind and share knowledge with is customers and other members of the grease community.

“LubrisenseTM” - is its term for this applied knowledge about lubricating grease. The “LubrisenseTM White Papers” are one way of spreading information. These are intended to describe the basics of lubricating greases and to highlight specific topics which the company believes to be of com-

mon interest. Another important component of this knowledge sharing exercise is its new “Grease GeniusTM” concept where it offers a comprehensive education and training programme specifically tailored to lubricating greases.

AXEL’s customer offering combines two streams; - AXEL Products and AXEL PremiumTM services. Lubricating grease products from AXEL are defined by a Customised LabelTM strategy, which means that every product leaving its plants is customised to the needs of customers and labelled in their name.

Axel operates a flexible production system with pressurised and open kettles as well as Stratco contactors in addition to

other specialised equipment. In this way it is able to manage almost any kind of manufacturing technology.

Global expansion By 2010 AXEL had become the biggest manufacturer of lubricating greases in the European market; it therefore started to fulfil its intention to follow international customers on a global scale. So, in 2011, Axel Christiernsson purchased the majority of the assets of the US company Jesco Resources Inc. This business now operates as Axel Americas LLC, continuing the proud tradition of Jesco as being one of the leading suppliers of lubricating greases on the US market.

Jesco Resources, with facilities in Kansas City, Mo and Rosedale, Ms has 41 employees. Since 1929, Jesco has provided superior products and cus-

tomer support to its clients. As they have evolved, so has Jesco-expanding both its technical capabilities, as well as production, to meet their requirements.

AXEL Americas LLC brings together strengths from both companies to grow the business in order to serve both international and domestic US clients. Johan Stureson, CEO of the AXEL Group has assumed the position of President of the company while Richard Howell, previous owner and President of Jesco remains as Executive Vice President.

Johan Stureson says: “Being the leading lubricant grease manufacturer in Europe, we are thrilled and proud to establish a platform for growth in North America. Jesco represent an excellent acquisition for AXEL with a reputation for remarkable products and n resourceful people”

CONTINUING INNOVATION

IN LUBRICANTS

Lubricants are essential to the workings of industrial and automotive machinery and this is what Fuchs Lubrificanti SpA, part of a successful and globally renowned group, is a specialist in, as Barbara Rossi finds out from Mr Botti, the sales and marketing manager of its industrial division.

F

uchs Lubrificanti SpA is part of the German headquartered Fuchs Group.

Established in 1932 and currently listed on both the Frankfurt and Zurich stock exchanges, the group is still controlled by the founding Fuchs family. The core business of the whole group is the production and commercialisation of industrial and automotive lubricants and, with its 40 production units located all over the globe, Fuchs can boast of a presence in all the major countries. The group, which employs 4000 employees worldwide, is the major independent world lubricant manufacturer,

where independent means that the group is not also active in oil extraction.

The industrial lubricant sector is the division generating most of the turnover of the group worldwide and comprises lubricants used in metal working, mainly for the production of automotive components and also for the manufacturing of a wide range of industrial products (for example, pumps, taps and compressors). While operating all over the world, the automotive division is particularly strong in Germany, where the group supplies all the main automotive companies, especially in terms of lubricants

for first filling (this division also supplies lubricants for road transport, vehicle repair workshops and agricultural machines).

Fuchs Lubrificanti SpA is the Italian subsidiary of the group. Set up in 1982 and wholly owned by the group, the company, based in the Turin area of north western Italy, operates from a single site housing the commercial and admin offices, internal logistics warehouses and production and R&D facilities. Fuchs Lubrificanti SpA has been growing through acquisitions and has been consolidating its position since the year 2000. Currently it has a staff of 91

Industry Europe 93

Chimical Express is one of key player in Europe for Chemicals Bulk transport.

With 34 years of experience, Chimical Express can transport liquid chemicals both dangerous and not dangerous and liquid waste too all over Europe, thanks to its modern and flexible fleet.

Our company offers to the customers efficient and innovative transport solutions : on time deliveries, cost-awareness, environmental respect and safety are of our services goals based on flexibility, constant service quality improvement and innovation.

A specialist team offers tailor-made solutions thanks to the excellent acknowledgment of European railway and short-sea connections, a network of partners located in all the countries and our own fleet able to reach all European destinations by road.

Please send your enquires to : commerciale@chimicalexpress.it / chimical@chimicalexpress.it www.CHIMICALEXPRESS.it / www.CHIMICALEXPRESS.com Member of:

Via Volpicella 194 80147 Napoli – Italia 0039/081/2439711

Riu Vinalopo – Zona Industrial 46930 Quart de Poblet Valencia – Espana 0034/695810743

Oleochimica Italia S.r.l (new name of Undesa Italia S.r.l) is one of the leading European producers of esters for lubricant bases, fatty acids and glycerine. Oleochimica Italia’s production is wholly based on renewable and biodegradable sources and for years it has been manufacturing environment friendly chemical products. In the field of lubrication and metal working products, Oleochimica Italia is one of the leading companies in Europe, with high quality and service standards.

Oleochimica Italia S.r.l.

Via Garibaldi 10 40012 Calderara di Reno (BO) Italy

Tel.: +39 051 6467220 Fax: +39 051 6467298 Email: vendite@oleochimicaitalia.it www.oleochimicaitalia.it

people, an annual output of 30,000 tonnes and it achieved a turnover of €57m in 2011.

Its 75,000m2 site is equipped to manufacture the whole range of the group products and, thanks to its warehouse facilities, Fuchs Lubrificanti SpA is able to supply its products just-in-time. Recent investments amounting to several million Euros have been made in order to modernise the facilities and increase production capacity. The site could be easily further expanded both in terms of area and production capacity, as the company owns adjacent land.

Tailor-made products Italian production replicates that of the German group to which it belongs, although products are developed and customised to fulfil the needs of local processes. In fact, being able to offer flexibility and tailor-made products to the needs of the Italian market is one of the strengths of Fuchs. While usually all its production is commercialised at national level, Fuchs Lubrificanti SpA manufactures also in its facilities a line of Viscosity Index Improver additives to be used in the production of engine oils (recent investments have

made in this area, resulting in new homogenisation systems). The firm both supplies these products to other lubricant producers and to its sister companies in other countries.

“Currently we have a 4 per cent share of the national market, reaching a peak of 10 per cent in metalworking.” Mr Botti tells Industry Europe “The industrial lubricant field generates about 60 per cent of turnover and the automotive lubricant sector the remaining 40 per cent. We commercialise more than 1300 products a year, directly through agents or indirectly through distributors, and therefore for us continuous product development and adaptation is crucial.”

In fact, R&D plays a very important role in the life of the OHSAS-18001-certified company and 10 per cent of staff work in this area. For some projects this department operates in partnership with the group’s central R&D division, while for other products it works independently at Fuchs Lubrificanti SpA level.

Safe lubricants, safe food Recently the Fuchs Group has acquired a specific new line of lubricants for the food

sector, named Cassida. This range is a niche area, offering further added value to the Fuchs offer, which has also been launched in Italy and has since started growing, despite the fact that, at present, Italian legislation with regard to food lubricants is not 100 per cent clearly defined.

Nevertheless, companies operating in the food sector are increasingly interested in adopting best practices and using these products. “In Italy we are the leaders in this field, as the Fuchs group is at worldwide level, and I consider it to be certainly an area which will offer us scope for growth and development”.

In terms of the future, Mr Botti affirms: “Ours is a mature market, where it is not possible to predict a significant growth.

We think that we’ll grow because we are well consolidated, also at a financial level, and we are well structured, thanks to the work that we have carried out in the last ten years. I think that we’ll maintain the same volumes, but as the market will decrease, this will mean an increase in terms of market share. Because of this, I would define our future n strategy as one of consolidation.”

Industry Europe 95

EXPERTS IN HIGH QUALITY INDUSTRIAL PARAFFIN 96 Industry Europe

Polwax, a company based in Jaslo, south-eastern Poland, is one of the largest producers and distributors of refined and deodorised paraffin, waxes and special industrial paraffin compositions in Europe. Although Polwax is a new name, the company’s tradition in the paraffin production market is much longer. Dariusz Balcerzyk reports.

P

olwax was founded in January 2012 thanks to the cooperation with a venture capital model financial investor, as a result of separating Lotos Parafiny out of the corporate structures of Capital Group Lotos SA. Lotos Parafiny itself was created in 2004 as a result of merging two companies operating in southern Poland: RCParafiny from Czechowice-Dziedzice and Parafiny from Jaslo. In effect, the new company became the largest Polish and one of Europe’s leading producers and distributors of refined and deodorised paraffin.

Eight years later, Group Lotos SA sold its 100 per cent shares in the company accordingly to a strategy of concentrating on its core business activities and optimising its portfolio of assets. Krokus Private Equity

Fund acquired indirectly 64 per cent of Lotos Parafiny in a leveraged buy-out transaction from the Lotos Group. Mr Mariusz Machajewski, vice-president of Lotos Group said that it was model transaction.

The team of professionals at Krokus PE has been managing private equity in Poland for over 12 years. In June 2007, Krokus PE launched Nova Polonia Natexis II, a €100 million expansion capital and buy-out fund targeted at the Polish mid market. The company was put together with Natexis Private Equity, which is the leading provider of Private Equity to small and mid-sized companies in France.

It is also a major player in Europe (Germany, Spain and Italy) and an increasingly high-profile player in the fast-growing markets of Asia and South America.

Range of products Polwax offers high-quality paraffin with oil content not exceeding 0.5 per cent coming from solvent deoiling process, and hydrotreated paraffin with oil content up to 0.75 per cent. Low-oiled paraffin (LTP) is perfect for the production of candles, as well as the manufacture of products in the paper, textile and paint industries. Standard paraffin constitutes a wide range of paraffin types with oil content up to 1.1 per cent. It is a basic raw material for candles, as well as a valuable feedstock in the paint, textile and paper industries.

Polwax also offers high-quality paraffin compositions, which are an excellent raw material for production of candles and grave-lights. Waxes and ceresins constitute a wide range of speciality products that can

be used in various industries. WOSKOP® is a specialised product designed for the rubber industry with a particular emphasis on the needs of tyre manufacturing.

“Special attention should be paid to products, which, thanks to the use of selected feedstock and the appropriate manufacturing process, may come in contact with food (Plastic Wax “S”, Plastic Wax Red, Wax DROMA® and Wax “Z” for paper). They are used in the dairy industry for cheese coating, the poultry industry for defeathering as well as for packaging products intended to come into contact

with food,” explains Mr Dominik Tomczyk, Polwax’s president of the board.

“Our customers come from those industries that use paraffin applications, such as: the wood industry (paraffin emulsions and wax), foundry industry (wax casting), chemical industry (anti-caking agents), machine-rubber industry (waxes for wire and conveyor belts coating, wax for tyres), cardboard industry (special adhesives hot-melt type – all juices in cartons contain this kind of adhesive), cosmetic and pharmaceutical industries (white ceresin), etc.

Thus, the spectrum of customers is very wide,

We are a distributor of chemical raw materials from renowned manufacturers.

Our offer includes such oleochemicals as: • Glycerine: pharmaceutical and technical • stearin • Fatty acids • Fatty amines • Fatty alcohols and • bleaching earths for refining edible oils, mineral oils and paraffin.

We are looking forward to doing business with you!

diversifies our sales and allows us to survive difficult times. The company does not stand only on one leg,” says Mr Dominik Tomczyk.

Quality, stability, flexibility The company’s total sales in 2012 amounted to more than PLN 260 million (or more than €60 million). “The company has always aimed to maximise margins, not just to increase sales. Therefore we are pleased that, despite a slight drop in sales, our level of net profitability is better than the previous year,” says Mr Tomczyk.

Employment at the end of December 2011 throughout the company in two production units (plant for the production of paraffin – Jaslo, paraffin production plant – Czechowice-Dziedzice) was 250 people. At the end of December 2012 the number of employees reached 254.

Export sales for 2012 were estimated as PLN 35 million (€8.3 million). The share of exports varies from 17 to 25 per cent of the total sales volume and from 20 to 25 per cent of the total sales value.

“The company’s export activities are largely dependent on the level of trading paraffin and exchange rates. Our portfolio that has been changing and expanding is another factor that has an impact on the level of exports. The main exported prod-

ucts include industrial paraffin and waxes, which include the BS component, anticaking agent (a wide range of applications), paraffin emulsions, waxes for rubber and recently introduced ceresin or Marwax (wax maintenance),” explains Mr Tomczyk.

Due to the cost of logistics, the markets of central and eastern Europe (Germany, Hungary, the Czech Republic, Slovakia, Lithuania, and Ukraine) are natural directions of exports.

“Among the factors distinguishing Polwax from the competition, we should emphasise the quality of the products, the stability of physical-chemical parameters of the products, flexible response to market demand, technological support of customers and product n innovation,” says Mr Tomczyk. www.polwax.pl

WHEN GREEN

MEETS CLEAN

Danish professional cleaning equipment specialist Nilfisk-Advance is one of the world’s leading producers of professional cleaning equipment.

Today the company is firmly committed to being an environmentally responsible organisation.

N

ilfisk-Advance is based in Denmark but has production facilities in Asia, Europe and the Americas as well as sales companies in 43 countries and distributors in 70 countries. It is partly this global presence that has allowed it to maintain its success for over a century since its establishment in 1906 by a Danish engineer Mr P.A Fisker, with his partner Mr Nilsen.

Since the late 1980s Nilfisk-Advance has been a part of the NKT Group, and following this it began to enjoy a period of rapid development as opposed to the steady growth it had seen over the previous decades. With a series of acquisitions of smaller companies it has been able to expand its product portfolio and international presence.

The majority of the company’s business is with B2B customers (around 85 per cent) although a small percentage of its products, including the high-pressure washers manu-

factured by its subsidiary Alto, are for the consumer market. However, the company continues to be best-known for its industrial and professional cleaning equipment, as we shall see.

Acquisitions and expansions In February 2012 Nilfisk was able to strengthen its position in the industrial market in the UK with the acquisition of the British dealer Industrial Cleaning Machines (ICM) – a Wolverhampton based company specialising in the Service, Hire and Sale of industrial cleaning machinery. This will allow Nilfisk to expand its market reach and establish a strong industrial service capability in the industrial heartland of the UK. In December of the same year the company announced the opening of its newest international operation in Peru. The new sales company will be based in Lima and will offer direct

sales and service to Nilfisk’s customers across the country. This is all part of the company’s continued global expansion: the launch of this Peruvian operation will strengthen its footprint in Central and South America. It will allow Nilfisk to better serve its customers and meet the increasing demand for high quality products in the professional cleaning industry.

Range of products Nilfisk-Advance’s cleaning solutions have a number of applications, including industrial, construction, automotive, schools and offices, shopping centres or domestic, for example. Its range includes industrial vacuum cleaners, which makes up around 35 per cent of its business, floor-care equipment such as floor scrubbers and sweepers (40 per cent) with the rest (15 per cent) consisting of high-pressure washers for the consumer market.

Industry Europe 101

The company doesn’t develop specific products for certain markets. Instead, its philosophy is one of ‘universality’ whereby its range is the same across all group companies. It believes this is the best way to offer its customers consistency and the highest quality products.

This strategy has led to a widening of its product range as it is able to focus on the development of each of its lines rather than customising certain areas. A company spokesperson explained: “We are offering everything required, from small vacuum cleaners up to very large industrial sweepers for big industrial sites, for example, car manufacturers, coal mines or steel foundries. We cover the full range – but of course, we can’t produce everything every-

where. Our factories specialise in particular product ranges.”

Product development is a key part of the company’s activities. Its aim is to renew all its lines every three to four years to keep up with current market demands. Generally, the purpose of product development is to meet the customers’ need to cut their overall cleaning costs. This means creating products that run continuously and have maximum up-time.

Keeping it green For Nilfisk-Advance, the most important focus moving forward is to offer products which are both efficient and environmentally friendly. It is a participant in the United Nations Global Compact and the Carbon

Disclosure Project. It calls this environmental strategy ‘Green meets Clean’. All its new products are developed with the aim of ‘providing equal or enhanced cleaning efficiency while using less energy, less water and less detergent’.

Nilfisk-Advance operates a ‘Customer Focused Development Process’ as it believes that optimal environmental products begin in the design and concept phase of product. Its website states that ‘incorporated in our global development process is the obligation to consider the four key environmental factors in our industry: energy, water, less detergent and disposal.

The company’s EcoFlex System is in line with this environmental focus. This is a cleaning technology that achieves both environmentally sustainable cleaning methods as well as the highest standards of effective cleaning. It is a series of patented dispensing systems which allows the user to clean using only water without detergents.

Where surfaces are very grimy and in need of both water and detergents, the EcoFlex will reduce water consumption by 50 per cent and the need for detergents by 35 per cent. Thus, it ensures a clean environmental for the user whilst also minimising the n consumption of resources.

CLEANER AND GREENER Tennant Company is a world leader in the design, manufacture and marketing of solutions to help create cleaner indoor and outdoor environments. Abigail Saltmarsh reports.

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ennant Company has innovation in its DNA, says the general manager of EMEA and Global City Cleaning, Yves Derycke.

With that in mind, Mr Derycke would like to see the operation ‘transformed’ – his ultimate aim is for a company that offers only environmentally friendly solutions and that has relationships with its customers that are second to none.

“Our global vision is to be a leader in water-based and other sustainable cleaning technologies, and our dream is that Tennant will be transformed,” he says. “We are moving towards this with our recent innovations and our new service contracts. We want to be a company that pro actively responds to our customers’ needs. We can have fantastic innovations but they must be what our customers want and delivered as they want them. We believe we understand our customers better than before and that – with the right products and tailored service contracts – we have started the process of transformation.”

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Maintaining its position Tennant Company is a world leader in the design, manufacturing and marketing of products for maintaining surfaces in industrial, commercial and outdoor environments, chemical-free and other sustainable cleaning technologies and coatings for protecting, repairing and upgrading surfaces. Its global field service network is the most extensive in the industry.

In Europe, it has manufacturing operations in the Netherlands and in Scotland, in the UK; elsewhere, it produces in two facilities in the USA, as well as in Brazil and China. Products are marketed under the Tennant®, Nobles®, Green Machines™, Orbio® and Alfa™ brands.

“One of our greatest achievements of recent times, of course, has been to survive the difficult economic climate in Europe,” says Mr Derycke. For instance, our ec-H2O™ chemical-free cleaning technology has enabled us to offer our customers a cost-effective and

green cleaning solution. This has been very much appreciated by customers across the whole of Europe.

“We have also launched a couple of new service contracts and are continuing to look at this area – at the moment, for example, we are launching a new service approach for our municipal customers.”

Clean technologies The company is passionate about developing innovative and sustainable solutions to help its customers address their indoor and outdoor cleaning challenges, Mr Derycke continues.

Its suite of water-based and other sustainable cleaning technologies is redefining the way the world cleans and it is setting the benchmark for sustainable indoor and outdoor cleaning.

“For outdoor cleaning, we have created a product that helps to eliminate emissions and reduce noise pollution: the 500ze compact lithium ion battery powered street sweeper.

“One recent step forward for us in indoor cleaning has been the Orbio 5000Sc. This has the same kind of electrolysis technology as our ec-H2O equipment but while that used a blended stream technology this uses a split stream,” he explains.

Orbio Split Stream technology is available exclusively on the Orbio 5000-Sc, which uses tap water, a small amount of salt and electricity to create an effective multi-purpose cleaning solution that works with most existing cleaning equipment and methods.

The Orbio 5000-Sc cleaning solution cleans a broad variety of soils, including fats, pro-

teins and organic oils. It aims to match or exceed the performance of many conventional cleaners so customers can replace many costly, potentially harmful chemicals from their cleaning programs with just one cleaning solution.

More productive “Another innovation we have – one that really is brand new as it is to be launched in March – is the T12, which replaces our 7100. This compact scrubber-dryer rider has been developed following in-depth customer research, and is more produc-

tive and has better ergonomics,” says Mr Derycke.

The T12 was designed to clean effectively, save money, increase safety and reduce environmental impact with optional chemical-free ec-H2O technology. It can clean floors from edge-to-edge with optional scrubbing side-brush and offers a 28 per cent wider scrub path.

“We build platforms,” he goes on. “This means that with our equipment we can create commercial or industrial versions.

We have customers from all areas within these two groups.”

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Improved production The move from the 7100 to the T12 has seen major investment at Tennant. There has also recently been a move to bring the manufacture of plastic body components in-house, resulting in a total investment of $1 million at the Netherlands facility.

“There are major benefits to producing these parts ourselves,” he says. “We can now react much faster to peaks in demand and have responsibility for quality checks.”

Another recent change to the go-to-market strategy has seen a move to use more external distributors in Europe where possible.

“This makes sense because we can expect better market coverage. We have really seen orders pick up this way, especially in France.”

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Future growth As Tennant Company moves forward, the emphasis will continue to be on innovation, both in terms of product development and the way the company operates. The company will continue to look at improving its access to customers and, while municipal cleaning has taken a downturn along with the economy, expects to see growth in this area in the future.

“We will also maintain our focus on service and the after-market,” says Mr Derycke. “This is an important part of listening to our customers and making sure that they get everything they want. If our global vision is to transform Tennant into a different company, we have to keep looking at all these areas.” n

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As an integral part of a leading European window coverings Group, B&C International plays an important role in bringing quality brands to both trade and retail across Europe, and increasingly further afield.

QUALITY BLINDS B

&C International is the organisation behind many well-known European window coverings brands like Bécé, Store, Decosol, which designs, produces and delivers a range of quality blinds under these brands as well as several high profile private labels and has licensees for a number of brands like Esprit, Schöner Wohnen and Jan des Bouvries. Part of B&C International Group, headquartered in Nunspeet in the Netherlands, the Group has four European production sites, five European sales offices and employs over 600 people.

Established 40 years ago, B&C has enjoyed many years as a leading name in custom and

ready-made window coverings, with its preference for ‘natural and honest’ materials giving the company a strong reputation for quality, performance and reliability.

In 2008, B&C International underwent some strategic changes in order to maximise the opportunities it identified in both the retail and DIY markets for window coverings, with the resulting changes already proving to be positive. The company was split into two distinctive operations, with what was B&C Products now divided into B&C Window Decoration and Trendiy. B&C Window Decoration focuses specifically on made to

measure products for smaller retailers, with Trendiy dedicated to the DIY market.

Managing director Michel van den Berg said, “We are two separate independent companies. The rationale behind the change was a desire to ensure we were adding value wherever possible for each sector in which we operate. By separating the retail and DIY customer sectors, we can tailor or offer to perfectly address the needs of these very different markets. The retail business for window coverings is very much driven by customer relations and added value, for the DIY market the cost focus is of course also an important issue.”

B&C International takes great care to stay at the top of its game in both of these two important areas of need, and it is this that has helped to keep the company in a market leading position across much of Europe, with the Netherlands, Belgium, France, Germany, Spain and Poland representing its core locations.

Positive changes Michel van den Berg explained how the split has also had positive repercussions for how the company has been able to deal with the

impact of the global economic downturn.

He said, “We have found that our employees are even more dedicated, and that the quality of our products and services has increased. Our two business units are now so clearly defined that people, both employees and customers, know exactly what they are getting, and can really engage with our brands. The fact is that the world has changed in recent years, and businesses have to change with it. We’ve managed to take the best of modern opportunities, such as buying carefully-selected materials

from the Far East in order to keep costconscious while retaining and training the very best local workforce in each of our European operations.”

The ready made products, once produced in The Netherlands, now come over 90 per cent from the Far East. The company is clear that business is far tighter now than ever before, with the need to differentiate on service and product in addition to staying cost competitive. As such, B&C International has a strong trend analysis team that works hard to stay ahead of changing trends in interior deco-

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ration, as well as understanding the emotional aspects of buying window coverings.

Mr Van den Berg explained, “It is usually women that drive the purchase of blinds and curtains, and they tend to have the final say too, so we have to appeal to women on an emotional level as well as practically. That means that our products have to be beautiful as well as functional. It used to be that people would only change their window coverings when they wore out, perhaps no more than

once every 20 years, but now people like to redecorate their homes around every six to seven years, so we have to offer products that suit a new look in the home in order to justify the effort of redecoration.”

Staying on top In order to retain its impressive market share in the DIY market throughout the economic downturn, B&C International has also looked to see where in the sourcing channel it is able

to reduce costs. A key area it identified was the efficiency in which it could deliver stock to its DIY customers, with the company now able to deliver all stock anywhere in Europe within two days. Mr Van den Berg added, “We have to be good and quick at everything we do to add value. We deliver the right stock at the right time and the right price.”

B&C International intends to continue its positive performance by investing heavily in trend research and product upgrades. n

INTELLIGENT GARDEN TOOLS The Finnish company, Fiskars, is one of Europe’s leading manufacturers of gardening equipment. Joseph Altham spoke to Thomas Enckell, the president of the Fiskars garden division for the EMEA region, to find out about a company that prizes intelligent design and has established a strong presence in central and eastern Europe.

F

iskars makes all kinds of consumer goods, from saucepans to hunting knives. The company is famous all over Europe for its distinctive orange scissors and has sold more than a billion pairs of scissors since the product was launched in 1967. The Fiskars Group has an annual turnover of €743 million and employs around 3400 people, while the gardening business represents around 40 per cent of total net sales. The spades, sheers and secateurs that Fiskars produces are widely available in garden centres and home improvement stores throughout Europe.

Fiskars describes the concept behind its gardening range as one of “ingenious simplicity”. The aim is to produce tools that help make gardening fun, and Fiskars puts a lot of effort into designing garden tools that are lightweight and easy to use. The process of product development involves extensive test-

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ing to ensure that the finished product is of the best possible quality and will perform well over time. As Mr Enckell explained, Fiskars believes in the philosophy of continuous improvement, and pays serious attention to feedback from consumers before bringing out any new product. “Our way of working is a continuous flow involving prototyping, testing and learning from consumers. We have different ways of getting consumer insight, such as working with garden schools.”

International recognition The Fiskars emphasis on design has won the company many awards. In 2012, they won three awards for their gardening products at the prestigious Red Dot design competition in Germany. The Fiskars Quantum cutting tools took a “best of the best” award for product design. The aluminium handles of the Quantum pruners and shears have

cork grips to stop the gardener from getting sweaty hands. The Quantum hedge shears achieve a clean and precise cut, thanks to their precision ground hardened steel blades. The shears employ the company’s PowerGear technology. This ensures optimal cutting power by distributing user effort evenly throughout the cut, thereby minimising strain on the wrists.

Fiskars also won a design award for its Xtract handsaw. The retractable saw is intended for pruning fresh wood and branches. The ergonomic shape and protective finger guard of the handsaw make it safe and comfortable to hold, and it comes with a useful belt clip as well. Fiskars won a third Red Dot award in 2012 for its XSharp axe and knife sharpener. The XSharp contains two sharpeners in one and is very light and portable, while its tough ceramic grindstone cutting grooves will keep an axe

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in tiptop condition. “We have received Red Dot awards for a multitude of products,” said Mr Enckell. “These awards enhance our credibility and show we are performing well.”

Facing east Fiskars dates back to 1649, when an ironworks was established in the village of Fiskars in southern Finland. Today Fiskars village is a popular tourist attraction, while the company’s main gardening tools factory is located in the nearby town of Billnäs. The Billnäs factory specialises in making cutting tools. “This is where we make the shears and axes, as well as the orange-handled scissors.”

Fiskars manufactures long-handled tools, such as spades, hoes and rakes, at its factory in northern Poland. The factory, which Fiskars established in 1991 in the town of Słupsk, now employs 300 people. “We have been in Poland for over 20 years now and we expanded the factory in several stages.

The factory serves the needs of the local market, where we are the market leader for garden tools. Eastern Europe is a growing market for gardening products.” Fiskars is number one in gardening products in Poland, the Czech Republic and the Baltic states. The company also has a smaller factory in Russia.

Grey power

Fiskars is at a particular advantage here because its products are so easy to use.

Features like the ergonomic shape of the handsaw, the PowerGear mechanism in the shears or the perfect weight distribution of a Fiskars axe all make working in the garden less of an effort for older people. According to Mr Enckell, the quality that all Fiskars gardening products have in n common is intelligent design.

Sales of Fiskars gardening products have been rising, despite the economic downturn. Perhaps this is because the recession is encouraging us to rediscover the simple pleasures of growing our own vegetables and chopping firewood for the stove. Mr Enckell points to two general tendencies that work in his company’s favour.

One is the fashion for outdoor living. As people spend more of their free time in the garden, they are prepared to spend more money in order to create the garden of their dreams. The second factor from which Mr Enckell expects Fiskars to benefit is European demographic trends. “Gardening has always been a popular pastime for older people. Europe’s population is ageing and over the next 20 years the number of elderly people in Europe is set to increase.”

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LEADING THE WAY Lloyd is a leading European shoe manufacturer and offers a diverse range of shoes and accessories for men and women. Philip Yorke talked to Max Mueller, Lloyd’s CEO, to find out more.

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hen H.F.Meyer founded the company in 1888 he could not have imagined the scale of the success that was to follow. The Lloyd brand name was registered in 1905 and the famous red stripe was introduced in 1968 as a brand identifier of quality and design. In 1983 the company moved into the sports and leisure shoe sector motivated by the boom in training shoes.

Soon the sports brand ‘Rocky’ had taken the market by storm and still remains an iconic market leader today.

In 2004 the company launched its first collection of accessories for men and women and this paved the way for the opening of a string of new ‘Concept Stores’ around the world. The future looks very promising for Lloyd with the company going from strength to strength and with new stores opening

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worldwide. In addition, Lloyd has recently launched an entirely new shoe concept called the ‘Bio-Extralite’ crossover shoe.

New stores and exports take off Lloyd opened its first company-owned ‘Concept Store’ in Fashion Street, Budapest, in Hungary in 2007. This launch was the forerunner to many others which have been opened across Europe and the Middle East and which today total more than 50 stores. This includes those in Hong Kong and China, which are owned on a partnership basis.

Mueller said, “We have been very encouraged by the success of our ‘Concept Stores’ and expect to have at least 40 in Germany by the year 2015.Outside Germany, our biggest markets in Europe remain Denmark and the Netherlands although our

sales in eastern Europe and in particular Russia and the Ukraine are now showing strong growth. We also have new wholesale operations in the UAE in Dubai and in Saudi Arabia. Our exports continue to do well in other countries too such as Australia and New Zealand where we have wellestablished agents. However, our biggest opportunities for growth lie in the emerging markets of China and Russia.”

Exports driven by quality and style Quality and design have always been the hallmark of Lloyd Shoes. It wasn’t until the late 1990s that Lloyd turned its attention to developing a collection of Leisure shoes, known as ‘week-enders’.

Lloyd have their own design team but still utilise top design teams from Italy and Industry Europe 117

Germany for certain collections. To promote its portfolio the company attends International trade fairs such as the GDS fair in Dusseldorf and the MICAM trade fair in Italy.

This is in addition to annual exhibitions held in Denmark and Holland.

The company has also been selling shoes successfully in Moscow for more than 30 years, and this is one of the company’s biggest markets outside Denmark as Mueller explains, “We see ourselves as a truly panEuropean shoe designer, manufacturer and wholesaler and we are seeing strong growth in countries like Russia and the Ukraine where the trend is towards the sort of stylish, quality shoes that we are famous for.

“Our designer accessories are also doing well where we have our concept stores and it is worth noting that everything that we produce is quality controlled here and in Romania where our second factory is located. I believe that we are the only manufacturer of quality shoes that still has manufacturing facilities in Germany.”

teristics. Therefore someone travelling to a meeting can do so in comfort and does not need to change into a business shoe as is often the case at present.

Another remarkable innovation from Lloyd is its ‘Bio-Extralite’ collection. These unique shoes are bio-degradable and bio-compostable. This means that when their useful life is over they can be put in the ground where they

will decompose within three months. Unlike traditional shoes which can take up to 300 years to achieve the same result. In fact all of Lloyd’s shoes are made with sustainability and eco-friendly production methods in mind. The company uses water based glues and other eco-approved materials in their shoe compositions as well as managing waste products in n the most eco-friendly manner.

Crossover shoes Lloyd have been famous for their ‘business’ shoes since the firm started in 1888.

However, the big trend in informal shoe wear has led to a type of shoe being developed

by Lloyd that bridges the gap between leisure and business wear. This is called the ‘crossover’ shoe. This new shoe affords more comfort for the wearer and the ability to provide greater shock absorption characIndustry Europe 119

GREAT CIGAR AND TOBACCO BRANDS Scandinavian Tobacco Group is a global company dedicated to the manufacture and sale of quality cigars and smoking tobacco to smokers around the globe.

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candinavian Tobacco Group (STG) was established as a new company in October 2010 as a result of a merger of the tobacco business of the former Scandinavian Tobacco Group A/S and the cigars and pipe tobacco business of Swedish Match AB (except its US mass-market cigar business). STG is the world’s largest player in the field of pipe tobacco, holds a shared no. 1 position within the world of cigars, and has a strong position within fine-cut/RYO tobacco in Scandinavia. STG is headquartered in Søborg, Denmark and has approximately 10,000 employees operating internationally. STG has manufacturing sites in 8 countries, sales companies in 13 countries, and sells its products in more than 120 countries worldwide.

STG’s leading cigar brands include Café Crème, La Paz, Henri Wintermans, Colts, Mercator, Macanudo, CAO, Partagas (US), and Cohiba (US). Leading pipe tobacco brands are Erinmore, Borkum Riff, Clan, Half&Half, and W.Ø. Larsen, and leading fine-cut/RYO brands are Tiedemanns and Escort.

Group companies Scandinavian Tobacco Group consists of 33 companies within the manufacture, distribution and sales of tobacco products. These companies operate in 20 countries all over the globe.

The 13 manufacturing sites in Scandinavian Tobacco Group are all specialised in pipe tobacco, cigars, fine-cut tobacco, smokeless tobacco, or binders and wrappers for the

manufacture of machine-made cigars. The manufacturing sites are located in Belgium, Denmark, The Netherlands, Indonesia, the Dominican Republic, Honduras, Nicaragua and USA. The sales companies are located in Scandinavian Tobacco Group’s most important markets: Australia, Belgium, Canada, Croatia, Denmark, France, Germany, Italy, The Netherlands, New Zealand, Poland, Portugal, Slovenia, Spain, the United Kingdom and USA.

Product range Scandinavian Tobacco Group offers a wide range of quality tobacco products within cigars, pipe tobacco, fine cut tobacco and smokeless tobacco as well as pipes.

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Multi’s Multi’s has developed and produced in store materials for STG for almost thirty years and will be proud to help STG maintain its brands’ visibility in the market in the years to come.

STG’s wide range of brands calls for both cardboard displays as well as displays made of a variety of plastics.

All in various degrees of complexity and durability.

Multi’s is fully equipped to supply all these variants.

Multi’s employs very short lead times as the cigar market’s dynamics demand that little time is lost between the first briefing and the actual delivery of the promotional materials.

The company’s approach to innovation and brand building rests on a strong understanding of consumers across markets and categories, and it is committed to developing its brands, concepts and products for markets all over the world. It strives to bring new designs, flavours and brands to the market every year.

Brands from Scandinavian Tobacco Group are found on all continents, on all major markets, and on several emerging markets.

Some of its brands are highly internationalized, whereas others are developed to meet distinct consumer preferences in specific areas.

US acquisition In 2011 Scandinavian Tobacco Group acquired Lane Limited, Inc. based in Georgia, USA, which has a leading position on the US market for pipe tobacco and fine-cut tobacco and also manufactures “little cigars”. Lane holds trademarks like Captain Black, Kite and Bugler.

The acquisition significantly strengthened STG’s position as world leader within pipe tobacco and gained it a leading position within fine-cut/RYO tobacco in the US. Altogether the group’s estimated annual turnover grew to approximately 800 MEUR, and sales volumes

of more than 2.5 billion cigars, 2,175 tons of pipe tobacco, 3,170 tons of fine-cut/RYO tobacco, and 450 million little cigars. .

“We are very pleased to have completed the deal,” commented Anders Colding Friis, CEO, Scandinavian Tobacco Group. “With Lane we can establish a mass-market sales force in the US, which will enable us to not only expand the Lane business but also support other products within cigars, pipe tobacco, and fine-cut/RYO tobacco. Furthermore, we see great potential for the Captain Black little cigars and pipe tobacco in several markets outside the US.

strong brands, and we are streamlining our supply chain and also here realising the synergies from the merger. And, during the year, we also acquired the US company Lane, Limited.

We came out of 2011 with a result that we are proud of and which confirms that the merger has succeeded in creating and strengthening a company that is world leading within both n cigars and pipe tobacco.”

Strengthened position Scandinavian Tobacco Group had a strong first full financial year following the merger in 2010 with parts of Swedish Match. The Group realised net sales of DKK 5,472 million and strengthened its position as the world’s leading manufacturer of cigars and pipe tobacco. ”The first full financial year after the merger has been busy for STG,” said Anders Colding Friis in April 2012. ”The new and larger global organisation is up and running. Also, we have taken steps to strengthen the portfolio of Industry Europe 123

CooolCase GmbH, a family run business in Dresden, Germany, has been building computer cases and subracks for the whole range of electronics, from PCBs to OLEDs, since the early 1960s: first for the Russians, and then since the reunification of the two Germanys, for the rest of Europe.

Marco Siebel spoke with sales manager Udo Gätke about how the company has become one of the last European OEM computer case builders to maintain its manufacturing sites in Europe.

COOOL SOLUTIONS

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U

do Gätke begins: “European or German quality still counts with our customers, for whom we design and build OEM computer cases. For major companies like the one that talks of building a smarter planet and the one that stresses sense and simplicity, we have designed and manufactured mechanical subracks for the whole range of electronics, from PCBs to OLEDs.” Cooolcase employs 130 people, and has its production facility in Dresden, where it merged with a mechanical engineering company a couple of years ago to better serve its customers. Major investments were made in 3D laser-enabled cutting machines.

Udo Gätke: “Since we are a privately owned company, we tend to go about investments and growth expectations more prudently than public companies. We expect growth to come from new energy storing technologies, where they will need cooling solutions.”

IPC-cases: 4U for every demand The IPC 1400 is an all-rounder to meet the highest demands. This universal and particularly versatile 4U 19” case is manufactured from galvanised sheet steel with a one-piece

aluminium design bezel. It supports all applications in the context of the ATX standard, for example as a server or control system enclosure, and thus satisfies the highest user demands. Dampers protect the hard disks reliably against vibration, while filter mats in front of the two drive cages provide additional protection for the valuable installed components.

Both filters and fans can be replaced quickly without the need for tools. A high-strength brace over the full width of the case further enhances the stability and rigidity of the case body. This brace can furthermore be used as a top-holder to ensure the firm seating of the installed interface cards. A special bank of fans guarantees a strong air flow for cooling of the integrated components. In conjunction with perforated slot covers, this ensures a defined circulation within the case as a whole, and thus a long and reliable service life. The additional all-round dust seal even achieves protection compliant with IP50.

PC cases: individual customer design The PC 600 is a midi tower case with a discreet appearance and ample space for a diversity of installed components. Readily

accessible USB 2.0 ports and HD audio jacks are provided in the front panel. Perforated sections in the front and side panels guarantee effective heat dissipation from the case. For cooling of the installed components, 80mm fans can be mounted at the front and rear.

Complete assembly from one side reduces the time required to build the system, while the folded edges on all open panels and plates ensure safe handling. The case satisfies all relevant European quality standards.

OEM market: delivering reliably into different supply chains The company does not only focus on manufacturing its own products. CooolCase also delivers into other OEM segments such as storage racks, telecommunications and infrastructure, as well as the medical market, which CooolCase has been serving for more than 10 years now. Udo Gätke says: “With our own toolshop in-house, we can offer a high level of flexibility when it comes to projects. Our experience is that for a large number of projects the smart and tailored combination of soft and hard tool production leads to important advan-

tages for the customers in terms of quality, costs and production output. We also rely on strong partners for finding the optimal technologies and solutions, such as KVT. This is absolutely key in the OEM market, to get the most functionality into the sheet metal part.” Beyond that CooolCase ensures the success of its customers by supporting them with its in-house development team in the early development stages, and later to optimise products or with entire redesigns. Its in-depth knowledge in areas

such as emc protection, Ingress Protection and solutions like soft tool production with prepainted material are of great benefit for many clients.

MobilDisplay presentation systems The CooolCase MobilDisplay is a flexible screen system for the presentation of digital media content at any required location. It embodies a high level of technical quality and achieves prominence through an attractive appearance, simple installation and

convenient handling: 46” Full HD display for perfect clarity, integrated PC with 250 GB hard disk and pre-installed operating system, quick-assembly system for simple transport and installation, and illuminated front panel as additional advertising space.

Udo Gätke: “Our forecast for the next couple of years is consolidation of our turnover and of our presence on the central European market. But we won’t shy away from seizing opportunities on the Indian and n South African horizons.”

PREMIUM SOUND SYSTEMS D

&M Premium Sound Solutions, or DMPSS, was formerly part of the global giant Philips, in its Philips Speaker Systems division. The evolution of the company saw it become Philips Sound Solutions and then be taken over by Denon & Marantz Holdings, arriving at today’s recognised title, DMPSS. Even though the administrative changes have seen different names for the organisation over the past 30 years, the focus on premium sound solutions for the automotive and consumer electronics markets has stayed constant throughout. The company has always been dedicated to the development, production and supply of loudspeakers and amplifiers in order to deliver a premium sound experience to its clients and their customers. It primarily operates in the business-to-business sector

With over 30 years experience as the preferred supplier of the highest quality sound systems for the automotive and consumer electronics markets, DMPSS has an unrivalled expertise in audio performance products. Industry Europe looks at how the company is building on its commercial advantage.

and, as such, it has a majority market share with the leading automotive and consumer electronics companies.

Leading automotive brands DMPSS’s automotive division works directly with most of the world’s leading car brands, including Toyota, Volkswagen and BMW. Meanwhile its consumer electronics business of DMPSS enjoys solid, mutually-beneficial relationships with global clients such as Nokia.

With Denon & Marantz Holdings offering a number of brands for the consumer electronics market areas including receivers, blue ray players and CD systems, the automotive division is to some extent a separate area of the business but with the same specialism. A company spokesman clarified, “Our automotive business has developed as the automo-

tive industry itself has evolved. When we were first part of the industry over 30 years ago, the stereo in a car was used quite simply. The demands and expectations of a car stereo then were generally limited to listening to the news or music on the radio, but now many consumers want a quality sound system in their vehicle that’s an extension of their character, one that enables them to listen to their favourite CDs or MP3s at a quality that’s comparable to their home sound system, with two, four, eight or even 16 speakers and Dolby Surround Sound. We’ve embraced this evolution as it allows us to really show the automotive market what we can do – it’s our expertise and it’s good for their business, so it’s a win-win situation.”

Indeed, providing a high quality sound system in recognised automotive brands is

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a core element in DMPSS’s expanding business operations. The company’s management believes its development potential can be best harnessed by increasing its alreadysuccessful joint-branding relationships with automotive manufacturing companies that complement its offer.

The automotive industry has long been comfortable with its brand associations in areas such as tyres, so the company is aiming to extend this value chain with DMPSS branded sound systems. With well-chosen auto brand partners, it can upsell the inclusion of one of its systems for the benefit of consumers. The spokesman explains: “We’re not just trying to sell a badge on a stereo – it’s so much more than that because we want to sell recognised performance quality

in a way that enhances the consumer value perception. It’s got to be the right fit between brands, but we know that his co-branding focus will be an important element in our future marketing campaigns.”

Developing co-branding DMPSS has state-of-the-art production facilities in various locations across Europe, the USA and Mexico, with the company head office and major facilities located in Belgium and with further operations in Ukraine and Hungary. The company also has a small production facility in India and two sites in China, where it also has a development centre. The DMPSS development centres in Belgium are integral to the continued success of the operation, particularly as it is near a well-respected

university with sound electronics and sound systems courses, giving the company excellent access to the best graduates.

In order to maintain its reputation for premium sound systems, DMPSS works to the very strictest international quality standards for production, engineering and operations, with experts in acoustic engineering working alongside product designers to ensure the best possible overall product guarantees.

Although the global recession has impacted on DMPSS over the past few years, the fact that many countries adopted a number of incentives for the automotive industry meant that it was not too hard hit.

The signs are good for continued recovery and our co-branding strategy has allowed it n to continue its path of growth.

AWARD-WINNING SOUND QUALITY

British high-performance audio equipment manufacturer Meridian Audio Ltd designs, engineers and builds a range of luxury quality sound and video products. Amongst other things, it is an award-winning supplier of the highest quality in-car audio systems.

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M

eridian Audio Ltd has a strong history of being ‘a specialist manufacturer of specialist things’, with a passion for creating sound and video products for people to enjoy in their homes. Although there are a number of producers in this field, Meridian consistently stands out as ‘best in class’ – a clear strategy that continues to exceed its customer expectations of added value entertainment systems.

The company sells into almost 70 countries worldwide, with strong sales in the UK, all supported by a distribution and retail network of premium partners, design consultants and a carefully picked selection of integrated service providers. The company sells predominately domestic systems to high

net worth customers, although its prestigious commercial sales are steadily increasing, with Meridian systems integrated into the latest Jaguar Land Rover model, a new McLaren vehicle and also throughout the Savoy Hotel in central London.

A major change over the past decade or so has been the involvement of investment group, the Richmond Group. The company was approached by luxury goods investor Richmond in order to add Meridian to a portfolio that included Chloe, Mont Blanc and Cartier.

This close cooperation with Richmond and its stable of luxury brands has allowed Meridian to cement its image as a high-end manufacturer.

Meridian Audio products are primarily available as whole systems, which are created

with the exact needs of the client in mind.

Rather like buying a car as a complete system, Meridian excels in delivering sound and video systems that are perfectly calibrated as one unit. This has long been the Meridian product development approach, particularly as consumer electronics thrives on change.

The portfolio includes the range of loudspeakers that have been a part of the Meridian offer since 1977, as well as systems that incorporate loudspeakers, which has been a consistent success story for the company.

Introducing Explorer An exciting addition to the Meridian range recently is its Explorer, a pocket-sized highresolution USB DAC that delivers the bestIndustry Europe 131

in-class sound from any computer. It features a range of connectivity and can be used in a variety of applications from private headphone listening to full system playback.

Explorer replaces a computer’s sound card with a USB-powered DAC featuring Meridian’s award-winning resolution enhancement technologies, and makes any audio file, from MP3 to high resolution, sound its very best. From its best-in-class audio performance to the elegant presentation packaging, Explorer is the perfect introduction to the ‘Meridian Experience’.

A tailored approach In order to ensure that its products appeal to audiophiles of all tastes, Meridian manufactures systems in 210 different colours and fin-

ishes, allowing consumers to pick high-quality audio equipment that is as striking or discreet as they wish. The broad appeal continues with the compact ‘all in one’ system called the M80 that is already gaining fans as it fits the market niche of a space-conscious system that still provides incredible audio quality.

The company acquired the well-known American media server company Sooloos, adding its Sooloos brand music storage appliance to its portfolio. The Sooloos is famed for its ‘interoperability’ functionality which allows consumers to have one location for all their music, to be listened to at high quality throughout the house.

The audio video competency at Meridian sees it able to provide full home theatre

systems at five times the resolution quality of Blu-Ray, as well as complete control over the ‘movie experience’ in the home.

Key automotive supplier In addition to its home audio solutions, a major part of Meridian’s activities are focused on the automotive sector where, as already mentioned, it serves a number of major clients including Jaguar Land Rover and McLaren with its unique and innovative solutions.

The company has, for example, introduced the world’s first 3D in-car surround system. Its exclusive Trifield 3D technology adds another dimension to in-car audio. With precision-positioned speakers, it allows users to experience sound that transforms the car into a ‘personal and immersive musical performance’.

One of Meridian’s major clients, Jaguar, chose the 2012 Beijing Motor Show to unveil its new XJ Ultimate, which is fitted with an innovative Meridian Surround Sound System offering unrivalled music reproduction in a luxury designed saloon.

At the time, Ian Callum, director of design at Jaguar, said: “Given the XJ Ultimate’s exclusive specification we wanted to equip it with the very best audio system available; Meridian’s exceptional quality and expertise made it the perfect partner to enable us to deliver this ambition. The result will be a truly stunning listening experience for our customers.”

Expanding worldwide Meridian is continuing to broaden its global outreach with the setting up of its exclusive outlets, or ‘boutiques’, in some key loca-

tions. It recently opened its first outlet in the USA, in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. This will be a dedicated showcase for the company’s products, offering the full Meridian experience including a state-of-the-art home theatre setting. Here it will display its awardwinning products, including Digital Active Loudspeakers, Meridian Reference Series and Digital Media Systems.

Elsewhere, Meridian Auto has announced the official opening of its first exclusive boutique in Kuwait. Opened in partnership with the company’s distributor for Kuwait, Electronic Technologies Co., it is Meridian’s first dedicated showroom in the Middle East and provides the flagship location for Kuwaiti customers to experience its range of award-winning luxury n home entertainment systems.

E Johnson & Sons E Johnson & Sons are proud to supply Meridian, with the precision end of the sheet metal market being our niche, we are at the moment very busy providing work for the high class audio sector.

As a small, family business (only two of the 8 employees are not family members), E Johnson & Sons can engender a spirit of close association with its customers. Able to provide the full plethora of sheet metalworking processes, from profiling and forming, to welding and finishing, this progressive manufacturing company is continuing to build a reputation for excellence acquired over its 38year history.

Established 1973.

Specialist in Precision Sheet Metalwork for Electronics Scientific Telecommunications and High Class Audio Equipment.

Pleased to be associated with Meridan for the last 20 years.

Processes: • CNC punching/folding • MIG/TIG/Spot welding • Powder coating • Laser

Unit 5, The Grip Industrial Estate, Hadstock Road, Linton, Cambridge CB21 4XN Tel: (01223) 891149 Fax: (01223) 893667 Email: ejohnsonandsons@hotmail.com

• Graining • Wet paint • Alocrom 1000 • Kan ban/JIT storage with barcoding

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PARTNERS IN PROGRESS Partner Tech AB. is a global leader in the area of contract manufacturing and development. The company’s expertise extends across a broad range of industries from IT and Med-Tech sectors to Defence and Maritime applications. Philip Yorke reports on a company that continues to make the headlines with its technically advanced systems and strategic acquisitions.

P

artner Tech has the distinction of recording one of the earliest dates for the foundation of a high-tech organisation. The company can trace its roots back to 1413 when a copper mine was established in Sweden. After many years in this role and following a sustained period of growth it entered into the business of office furniture manufacturing. However it was not until 1924, that Partner Tech’s business activities really began to take-off, with the development of one of the world’s first mechanical calculators. Building on these early successes, the company partnered with IBM in the 1970s on a variety of manufacturing assignments for many of their flagship products.

By the early 1990s the company’s focus was entirely on external contract manufacturing, thereby optimising its expertise in both product development and production areas. Today the company is quoted on the Swedish Nasdaq OMX Stock Exchange and employs more than 1,300 people at its modern plants in Sweden, Norway, Finland, Poland, UK, the USA and China. In 2012 Partner Tech AB. recorded consolidated sales of SEK2.3 billion.

Integrated global sourcing and product development Partner Tech’s vision is to offer its customers complete supply chain value through its proven sourcing competences and product

development expertise. When it comes to global sourcing, Partner Tech has gained unrivalled experience through its dealings with some of the world’s biggest ‘blue-chip’ companies and its acquisitions of leading IT companies over many years.

This gives the company a unrivalled perspective on productivity and a unique ability to offer companies a distinct competitive edge when selecting suppliers and building a supply chain that will outperform its rivals.

PartnerTech’s supplier base is optimised with local, regional and global suppliers and its commodity-based sourcing division, in combination with low-cost country sourcing, ensures that its tailor-made solutions will meet any of its clients’ specific needs.

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Today more than 70 per cent of a product’s cost is generated during the development stage, making precise targeting of R&D expertise and other resources vital to achieving cost-effective production. Through close collaboration with its customers on their specific product function and market requirements, Partner Tech’s teams develop the best possible technical solutions through a programme of continuous testing and improvement. This also ensures that the route from original concept to market can be achieved in the shortest time-frame. The company also ensures that it is in located in close proximity to its clients operations and encourages shared-work methods in order to optimise results.

When it comes to regulatory requirements, directives and product performance verification, these are endorsed via the company’s ISO certified business systems: ISO9001, ISO14001 and ISO1345, as well

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as other specialised quality assured certifications for the development of new medical devices and other hybrid products.

Today PartnerTech’s key competences extend across a diverse range of disciplines, including PCBA, encapsulated electronics, cabling, sheet metal sub-assemblies and systems integration. During the development phase the company offers flexibility and innovation to provide its customers with the best contract manufacturing services and outcomes, as well as providing the quickest possible route to market.

Technical expertise and innovation driving growth PartnerTech’s broad spectrum of skills in the IT and advanced electronics fields has resulted in the signing of a significant agreement with CybAero AB. This is a leading Swedish avionics company that

specialises in the development and manufacture of autonomous, unmanned helicopters. This alliance was initiated in 2012 and is now fully operational and covers the company’s combined expertise within electronics, mechanics and systems integration. All future production and assembly operations will involve PartnerTech’s production units in Atvidaberg and other units located in Sweden, and subsequently they will rely on the company’s many other global manufacturing facilities.

Leif Thorwaldsson, President and CEO of PartnerTech AB said, “We are very pleased that the cooperation we’ve had with CybAero has resulted in the company now having chosen to outsource all aspects of production to PartnerTech. We are used to working with the development and production of technically advanced systems, which has been crucial to CybAero. Our industrial structure is another advantage,

where our local units make possible a close dialogue with the customer about, for example, technology and prototypes while our global units can offer the best possible production structure”.

Tracking global technological trends In order to provide its customers with the best possible line production skills, optimised electronics, machining enclosures

and systems integration, PartnerTech works with its Centres of Excellence.

These centres are located at business units that have already been in the vanguard of their specialised area of expertise.

Within its own particular discipline, each of the company’s ‘centres’ serves as a model to provide advanced technical leadership.

In addition, each Centre of Excellence is in charge of tracking international market trends,

as well as pursuing production development, technological advances and investments on behalf of other group units. PartnerTech’s goal is to boost the competitiveness of its customers in all areas of operation and enable them to more fully benefit at every stage from the entire n value chain.

For further information about PartnerTech’s contract manufacturing and development services visit: www.partnertech.com

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EUROPEAN POWER PLAYER Alstom Power in Croatia has been continuously investing in new production capacity and technology.

The group’s activities in Croatia are related to the thermal sector in order to support the country’s power generation equipment sector.

A

lstom has two sites in Croatia: its sales offices are based in Zagreb whilst manufacturing, engineering and R&D all take place in Karlovac. As part of the global Alstom Group it offers gas & steam turbine components, ST blades, GT hot gas components, exhaust housings, exhaust diffusers, turbine and compressor vane carriers, ST inner casings components and GT compressor blades.

Over 190 mechanical engineers work within its Engineering centre on international R&D activities in the field of mechanical equipment (steam & gas design, reconditioning, quality control, field assessments etc.) and electrical equipment. Since 1949,

Alstom Croatia has sold 239 steam turbines to clients throughout the world.

Some recent projects for Alstom Croatia have included the upgrade of the HE Dubrovnik hydro power plant, involving the installation of major hydro mechanical equipment. Last year it was also involved in the revitalisation and modernisation of the turbine generator set for the Tuzla thermal power plant.

Continuous growth Between 2001 and 2003, Alstom Croatia went through a period of successful restructuring.

This involved an expansion of its workforce to deal with a rise in demand and it invested €7 million in its production centre at Karlovac.

Since then, the company has continued to build on those firm foundations and has seen positive growth despite the global financial situation over the past few years.

A key development in 2007 was the expansion of the business with the acquisition of Croatian company Turboteh, a Karlovac-based manufacturer of spare parts for steam turbines, compressors and pumps.

At the same time, the company continued to invest in its own operations, with the modernisation of its factory in Karlovac.

The biggest investments in recent years have been in new machines for turning and milling turbine stator components (gas casing, blade carriers etc). And there have

been other investments, aimed at increasing capacity and quality in blade production, involving investment in new equipment and machines to speed up production times.

The service portfolio was also expanded at the same time, so that it now includes component reconditioning. This function – aiming to extend the lifespan of components – includes repair, adjustment and rehabilitation, and has involved substantial investment in new equipment, as well as the company having to rearrange its existing space to allow for a new workshop.

Although the company is expanding its own business, group level projects still make up almost 85 per cent of its business. Synergy with other group companies is high, particularly in the engineering business. Its engineers provide direct support to Alstom’s leading engineering centres in Switzerland and Germany.

Moving forward For the future, the major customer will continue to be the Alstom Group. But there have been some trends over the past few years that will no doubt see the focus shift a little. The need

for modernisation in the energy sector, for example, is growing every day, and the company has seen its sales volumes move slowly but surely in that direction as well. In general terms, the plan is to move into more complex products and projects. It is aiming for a growth of at least 10–15 per cent each year.

At the same time, Alstom Croatia intends to stay in its current business and keep producing compressor blades and vanes for gas turbines; producing and reconditioning hot gas parts; and providing machining, locksmith and welding activities within the region. All its

investments, past and present, have been with that aim in mind. The strategic goal for Alstom Croatia is to become the main and leading service provider for all power plants in its allocated market. To achieve this goal, it relies upon ongoing support from specialised companies within the group, responsible for other products.

Less easy to predict are the long term effects of the current global economic crisis, but the company’s management has not seen any major problems for this particular industry sector. In fact, despite the unstable market situation, its region within the power service sector is still in a phase of growth, n with rising sales.

THE POWER OF

THE SWITCH F

ounded in Vantaa, Finland, in 2006 following the collaboration of three industry players, The Switch was built on the promise of serving as an effective platform for the products and services needed by the major companies in the field of renewable energy.

CEO Jukka-Pekka Makinen has been active in the industry since 1986 and has many longstanding relationships with key figures. He told Industry Europe how The Switch has been successful in delivering its promise because The Switch has always been customerfocused. He said, “Our deep experience of the renewable energy industry has allowed us to

Describing itself as a ‘naturally unique company’, The Switch is rapidly pushing forward as the leading force in supplying permanent magnet generators (PMG) and full-power converters (FPC) to make power generation with renewable energy more efficient.

Emma-Jane Batey spoke to CEO Jukka-Pekka Makinen to see how this is being achieved. ensure that we deliver exactly what customers want. By understanding our customers and their challenges we can utilise the advanced technology we have developed to provide better system efficiency. Our customer-based operational model means that we are also willing to create a jointly beneficial business model with our customers.”

Advanced and sustainable The Switch is a supplier of permanent magnet generators (PMG) and full power converters (FPC) to customers worldwide. As the market leader in FPC and the creator and manufac-

turer of the world’s largest direct-drive PMG in 2005, The Switch also offers the world’s widest product range in the field. Mr Makinen continued, “We recently launched our FusionDrive™ range at Husum. FusionDrive™ is a unique example of an intelligently integrated gear and generator combination. We believe this type of layout will be the future of our industry, as it allows compact machines and advanced serviceability to be established in the design.

Most of the top turbine manufacturers are giving serious consideration to FusionDrive™, so we are very positive about the future.”

This positivity is also reflected in Mr Makinen’s explanation of The Switch’s scalable production concept. This clever concept is

already allowing the company to maximise its rapid growth potential worldwide, whilst protecting the quality and performance of its products and production. He said, “Our scalable production concept is a real differentiator. It allows us to quickly and effectively set up a production site wherever there is demand. This means that we can stay close to the locations where demand is increasing and be wherever the market needs us. Perhaps the most important aspect of this is that we maintain total quality control through our unique Model Factory concept which fully supports our customers to ramp up or down in a flexible manner.

We guarantee all aspects of the production,

how the technology will be provided and implemented, all the associated capabilities and so on. It is very exciting and very customer-focused.”

Greater global reach The ever-increasing geographical reach of The Switch certainly benefits from its scalable production concept. As it researches new markets and identifies potential partners, the company is able to move quickly to deliver effective solutions. With offices in nine countries and a growing presence worldwide, The Switch employs sophisticated sales and marketing to ensure it continues to ‘be wherever the market needs us’.

Mr Makinen continued, “We are a very agile company. China has always been and remains an important market for us, particularly as it sees an increase in the understanding of the benefits of renewable energy at a time when its energy consumption is growing rapidly. Denmark and Germany are also key markets. We work with such major players as wind power giant Goldwind and Prokon, amongst others. On the industrial side some of our customers include MAN Turbo and Diesel and the Finnish vacuum pump manufacturer Runtech.”

As the turbine manufacturing industry is relatively small, Mr Makinen appreciates that

the majority of important industry players are already well-aware of The Switch and the advantages it offers. Consequently, The Switch’s marketing activities are primarily focused on strengthening its message. He explained how this is achieved, “We regularly attend industry trade fairs and exhibitions and we are active in relevant local marketing in each of our territories. It’s a mainly businessto-business focus regarding wind turbine manufacturers, but we are also keen to start a dialogue with machine builders in the fields of solar, marine and other high-speed applications as we know they could benefit from the advantages offered by The Switch.”

Time to make The Switch The strengthening of The Switch’s message is ably supported by the proven benefits of its product range. Depending on the location of the turbine, adding one of its products can make it up to 8 per cent more effective in terms of energy production per annum. As the company looks forward to the future, it aims to ensure that potential customers are aware of this considerable benefit, both in terms of cost reduction and of the environmental and sustainable advantages of utilising more efficient renewable energy sources. Mr Makinen concluded, “We are actively monitoring opportunities in a wide range of businesses in the global marketplace and we are ready to move quickly when markets open up. The wind business has only been the first opening for us but we know that this is just the start, so we are very n excited about the future.”

SETTING NEW STANDARDS IN PV SYSTEMS Schweizer is a privately owned company that was founded in 1920 and was among the first in the 1970s to pioneer the development of solar thermal collectors and later on with photovoltaic (PV) mounting systems. Philip Yorke talked to Dr Helge Hartwig, the company’s head of PV systems, about its continuing drive for sustainable energy efficiency and its move into new markets.

S

chweizer Metallbau was founded in Switzerland in 1920 and began by making letterboxes for the Swiss market.

As a privately owned family business, Schweizer remains the clear brand leader in this niche market in Switzerland. In the following years, the company saw strong growth in its range of building products, such as facades and aluminium window frames and doors. However, in 1977, the son of Ernst Schweizer, Hans Ruedi Schweizer, convinced his father to begin the production of solar collectors. This was a bold step as it was at a time when solar technology was in its infancy. However, Hans Ruedi Schweizer was convinced that solar collectors would provide an important contribution to sustainable energy in the future and visualised its growing importance and success.

This vision proved correct and today the company, with over 650 employees, is one of the technology leaders for solar thermal and PV mounting systems for roof integration and has partners in most European countries. Despite difficult trading conditions due to the economic slowdown, Schweizer AG Metallbau recorded sales of more than CHF–155 million in 2011.

Perfecting advanced integration As one of the early pioneers of advanced solar energy systems, Schweizer Metallbau offers a comprehensive range of products and services. These include collector fields, combi in-roof systems, BIPV Sunpower modules for the Swiss market and complete solar systems, as well as comprehensive service and maintenance programmes. The

company’s extensive in-house R&D department continues to push the boundaries of solar technology to new levels of efficiency and economy for the benefit of end users and the environment alike.

Mr Hartwig said, “We began exporting our solar thermal collectors in 1978 and today produce more than 100,000m2 of PV mounting systems for roof integration per year. We were the pioneers in the development of PV mounting systems at a time when the concept of solar power was not readily accepted by the energy industry at large. Initially, we went directly to the installers as they did not have their own integrated mounting systems.

Today as leading OEMs, we supply complete roof integration systems to the entire sustainable energy industry through both our European and Asian partners.

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“In addition, we are constantly working to develop new systems that can adapt to suit local roof types wherever they might be.

We maintain our technological lead through a programme of continuous investment and innovation. Recently we invested more than €1 million in new automated production lines for our PV frames. This new automated technology provides greater efficiency in terms of performance as well as offering more cost-efficient manufacturing processes, with the resulting savings being passed onto customers.

“Furthermore, as an OEM provider we have a large number of clients who put their own brand name on the products that they buy-in from us and this ‘private label’ business represents a growing market for Schweizer, especially outside the European theatre.”

Mr Hartwig added, “The European market is consolidating, with many of the smaller operators either going out of business or being taken over by the larger companies in Asia. The German market has also been a difficult one for some time due to the obstacles that existed until recently that concerned taxes and insurance issues, which made it uneconomic for many producers to go for roof inte-

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gration in spite of their undoubted aesthetical and functional advantages. However, recently these rules have changed to offer a more level playing field with the rest of Europe. When it comes to increasing our global reach, we are initially looking at extending our presence in eastern Europe to countries such as Romania, Croatia and Bulgaria. Following on from that we are seeking to increase our presence in some of the world’s biggest markets, such as the USA, Japan and China.”

Delivering a sustainable vision At the heart of every product and throughout its production processes Schweizer’s principle of sustainability dominates its business activities. The company’s products are designed to support consumers by offering them more energy-efficient living and a better quality of life. To enhance this overriding dedication to sustainability, the company has created a management vehicle called, ‘Schweizer Excellence Points’ or ‘SEP’. This mandate involves guaranteeing reliability and innovation throughout the diverse range of products and services that it offers. This is in addition to ensuring fairness and responsibility with its

employees and partners, as well as providing care for the environment at all levels. These standards apply to all four of the company’s divisions which include solar energy systems, facades, wood/metal systems windows and letterboxes and solar energy systems.

Today Schweizer Metallbau delivers a wide range of products developed for office buildings and factories, as well as for private houses. In the building industry in Switzerland there are big changes taking place in the process and implementation of new sustainability standards. In the building industry in Europe, there are big changes taking place in the process and implementation of new sustainability standards. New support schemes such as net metering, tax reduction, special credits or requirements for energy efficiency are replacing traditional feed-in-tariffs. To achieve its high benchmark goals, the company believes that the most important thing is the personal will and determination of its management and staff to achieve optimal results, and by doing n so to inspire others to follow suit.

For further information on Schweizer Metallbau products and services, visit: www.schweizer-metallbau.ch

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MASTERCLASS IN

CANNING TECHNOLOGY Ferrum is a global leader in the development and production of can-seamers for the beverage, food and can-making industries as well as separation of solids from liquids. Philip Yorke talked to Ernst Werthmueller, the company’s CEO, about its latest, ground-breaking technology and move into new market sectors.

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IN

1917 in Rupperswil, Switzerland, a company was founded that was to transform the food manufacturing industry and set the standards for hygiene and canning quality that are still recognised as the benchmark for the industry today.

The company started with just two divisions: canning technology and foundry work. However, the first of many innovative products were developed in the early 1920s when Ferrum designed a cherry pitting machine and a pea filling machine. These were to be the first of many innovative stoning machines and fillers to be developed by this research orientated and quality-driven company.

Today Ferrum Ltd has moved on to become the foremost technology leader in its field and has directed its considerable resources to focus on its main specialisation.

Ferrum’s high-tech product range has now expanded to include low, medium and high speed can-seamers for every conceivable application in the beverage, food and canmaking industry. Ferrum operates five different business units under one roof that range from canning technology and centrifuge technol-

ogy, to manufacturing as well as washing and metal casting. With two major manufacturing facilities in Switzerland and offices and technical support worldwide, the company employs around 450 people globally.

Innovative, customised solutions With a can seaming capacity ranging from 20 to 2,500 cans per minute, Ferrum seamers can be used for a wide variety of applications in the food and beverage industries. A single Ferrum can-seamer can seam up to 150,000 beverage cans per hour on a non-stop 24 hour a day basis. With the infinite variety of options available concerning diameter, height and speed, Ferrum can-seamers make product-specific operations a simple procedure for manufacturers. This wide range of options is utilised to meet the growing demand for tailor-made canning solutions and with its state-of-the-art vacuum seamers, there is also no problem meeting the most stringent international regulations concerning food hygiene standards.

Interestingly, Ferrum set even higher standards for the canning industry recently when it

installed its latest F812 ferruClean can-seamer machine in Finland. Ferrum has not only optimised its cleaning system after applying extensive spray shadow tests, but has also used the results for further research and development.

This has resulted in water consumption being reduced even further with an average of 500 litres per day being saved. The requirements regarding hygiene in the food and beverage industry are continuously increasing so manufacturers are even more aware of their responsibilities in this area. Ferrum therefore provides the optimal answer to the hygiene challenges facing canning companies today.

Mr Werthmueller said, “Over 90 per cent of our canning business is exported and we are the world technology leader in this sector. We are working closely with our OEM partners to optimise this equipment, which we see as an important growth area for us.”

In September this year we will be showcasing our latest line of ‘Can seamer machines’ systems which are designed to close the gap that currently exists in the market.

“Our latest centrifuge technology is also enabling us to grow in the food market too, Industry Europe 151

Modern Know-how and 70 years of tradition, that is dannenmann.

Containers, devices and pipelines made from stainless steel and aluminium - these products make up our world.

We congratulate Ferrum AG on its latest innovations and look forward to developing our cooperation in the future.

dannenmann gmbh - Steinheimer Str. 37, 89518 Heidenheim Tel.: Fax:

+49 7321 9853 12 +49 7321 9853 27

152 Industry Europe

Mail:

info@dannenmann-gmbh.de www.dannenmann-gmbh.de

as well as the chemical, agricultural, pharmaceutical and energy industries. Ferrum provides effective and innovative custom designed solutions. Whether for a kilogram scale laboratory for the development of a new active ingredient or for high throughput with more than 85 tons /hour application.

“With over 80 per cent of our production going to our export markets, some of the world’s biggest brands rely on our high-quality, innovative Swiss technology to optimise their production processes. These include companies such as ‘Hero’ in the food market and Coca Cola in the beverages market. Our products are marketed in more than 60 countries worldwide and we have an international network of after-sales and service technicians available at all times.

We are active in the world’s fastest-growing markets such as China and India as well as in the USA and Latin America.

Swiss precision is evident in both our production and assembly works in Switzerland.

Ferrum strives to keep a competitive edge as one of the technology leaders and provide sustainable, worldwide support for the processes of our broad client platform with innovations in various industrial segments.

The implementation process is supported by ferruLean – Ferrum’s integrated Lean Management – at all stages of the process.”

Remote data diagnosis Innovation at Ferrum does not stop at the shop floor. Thanks to a new diagnostics system developed by Ferrum, it is now possible to access and analyse important data in real-time on any can-seamer machine and at any time. This means in practice that no matter where in the world a Ferrum seamer is located, this new diagnostics system will inform the operator precisely when machine overhauls or minor servicing is necessary.

The Ferrum ‘ferruTel’ device therefore takes on the role of an electronic employee working around the clock for the operator.

Already more than 20 independent canseamers have taken advantage of this latest technology. Martin Schurmann, the ferruTel project manager said, “Once installed on the can-seamer, the device will send selected data to our Swiss headquarters, regardless of whether this is from Mexico, the USA, Brazil or Finland. Once the data has been evaluated, significant advantages result for the customer. For example, we can inform our client in advance of when an overhaul is necessary. Currently the ferruTel supplies around 60 machine parameters, including operating hours and seaming

times, and with this combined data it is possible to establish which portion of the operating hours was actually spent on seaming cans.”

The overall benefits of this analytical device offer considerable advantages to the user and can help with the scheduling of overhauls to be carried out at slower production periods, thus avoiding expensive n down-time at peak periods.

For further information about Ferrum canseaming technology and its other high-tech services visit: www.ferrum.net

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INCREASING BRAND AWARENESS HAK is one of the top food brands in the Benelux in the preserved foods sector. Philip Yorke reports on a company that just a few years ago, was owned by Heinz and since its independence has grown both its product portfolio and its sales.

H

AK was founded in the Netherlands in the 1920s and started out as a grocery trader; it was not until the early 1950s that the company ventured into food production.

The very first product to be produced was a home-made apple sauce and the original manufacturing plant was a garden shed. It was this first product which determined the future direction of the company. At that time, an acidic product such as apple sauce could not be sold in a can, because cans then were sealed with lead, which is why the sauce was always packaged and presented in glass. This is the reason 154 Industry Europe

why this sector remains glass dominated in the Netherlands market to this day. The ownership of HAK stayed with the same family for 70 years before being sold and eventually becoming part of the Heinz food empire.

However, in 2005 Heinz foods sold the HAK brand of preserved foods to the NPM Capital Group, which opened the door to a new strategy and a renewed drive for growth. Today HAK is also benefiting from the synergies that it shares with its sister company, Jonker Fris, which was formerly part of the Premier Foods Group. The first

priority was to rationalise the product portfolios of both companies and to realise the synergies in terms of production capabilities between them.

Today the two companies are achieving combined sales of more than €150 million with around two-thirds of turnover attributed to HAK. They have production facilities just south of Rotterdam on the river Maas. They are only 12km apart and share a very strong market presence in the Dutch market. However, there is a distinct difference between the two companies, for while HAK’s main focus is on

preserved vegetables in glass jars, Jonker Fris produces mainly canned fruit products. This means that the two companies are not in competition and therefore complement each other from a sales and marketing perspective.

Revitalising a trusted brand After almost five years as part of the Heinz Foods Group, HAK had lost some of its market share and its brand awareness status. The priority therefore was to revitalise and rebuild the iconic Dutch brand.

Quality has always been a key issue at HAK and the re-launch of the brand focused on this aspect and also on the in-store presentation of the products. Visually the packaging and the presentation had to endorse the high quality of the HAK brand. This strategy worked well and within two years the brand was back at the top of its preserved food sector and continuing to gain market share.

Interestingly, the frozen vegetable market has never taken off in the Netherlands in the way that it has in the UK, with the Dutch preserved vegetable market being three times as big as its frozen counterpart.

This is partly because of tradition and partly because of convenience. In a country of only five million households, HAK sells more than 80 million jars a year. Furthermore, HAK controls its own product sourcing and works with the dedicated growers, thus ensuring optimal quality control and freshness.

HAK’s contracted suppliers grow their crops according to an agreed programme organised to ensure that all products go into the jar within three hours of harvesting.

Endives, peas, carrots and other produce are sourced within close vicinity to the bottling plant. However, apples are sourced from a larger area, including northern France, Belgium and Germany. HAK’s beans are imported from outside Europe and the company constantly strives to carefully control quality. In addition, all its products are GM-free.

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Schlüter & Maack GmbH International Merchants since 1820 Stadthausbrücke 12 D-20355 Hambrug Tel.: +49 40 328110-33 Fax: +49 40 328110-10 www.schlueter-maack.de pulses@schlueter-maack.de

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Expanding markets With its strong presence in the Netherlands and Belgium, HAK has been looking to the UK and Germany as part of its export drive.

Being a member of a bigger European food group such as NPM, the opportunities for entry into these big markets are enhanced by the group’s established connections with importers and wholesalers. The company sees the UK market as a very interesting one

as it is a market that appreciates high quality products. Currently around 70 per cent of HAK’s sales come from its domestic market, however its sister company Jonker Fris enjoys a higher level of exports with products already being sold into the UK and Germany.

This will no doubt assist the way forward for HAK in these markets.

In the future, NPM is expected to buy further Dutch-owned food brands which

are well established with Dutch consumers.

This will bring further benefits to HAK from the increased level of integration that this will offer. An NPM spokesman said, “Once we have completed our task of rebuilding and revitalising the HAK brand, we will start exporting to places where we are hardly present or not present at all, and we will continue to gain from the synergies that these n new acquisitions will offer us”.

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BOOSTING THE BRAND Herbapol Lublin SA, a Polish manufacturer of fruit and herbal teas, grocery fruit syrups and pharmaceutical herbal products, is introducing a new brand strategy. The PR message, ‘Yours by nature’, was launched at the end of 2012, and even in the first months of 2013, consumers are already seeing major changes in the brand image: a brand with over 60 years of tradition. Piotr Sadowski reports for Industry Europe.

T

he aim of Herbapol’s new marketing strategy is to add a more universal emotional element to the brand’s image, as well as to reach younger consumers. “We would like Herbapol to be a brand that is even ‘closer’ to people,” says Roman Górny, president of the board at Herbapol. “By ‘closer’ I mean, on the one hand, a metaphorical sense, creating warm emotions and evoking associations with good, lasting values. On the other hand I also mean ‘closer’ in a literal sense, by being always easily accessible, within reach, on a table or a kitchen shelf.”

The key to the ‘Yours by nature’ marketing strategy is the concept of co-existence and similarity of two worlds: nature and mankind. Advertising messages will show people’s behaviour as reflecting natural phenomena. They will stress the most important values such as care, shared experience of the deepest emotions, respect, giving and receiv158 Industry Europe

ing the support of others. Herbapol wants to remind its customers that these values, despite changes taking place in the world, still remain the most important ones.

Ambitious strategy “From a marketing point of view, the fact that Herbapol is a widely known brand, respected for generations, evoking associations with nature and health, and recalling childhood memories, should be of great help,” explains Tadeusz Czarniecki, the company’s marketing director. “In reality, creating a brand new communication platform, which nurtures the traditional character of the brand, while at the same time helps to reach young consumers, living in a modern world, has been a significant challenge.”

The representatives of San Markos PR Agency, which has been working on the concept of the ‘Yours by nature’ marketing

platform, explain that the format of cooperation with the company has in itself been unique. “The board of Herbapol has been very closely involved in the entire process,” says Karol Gajewski, managing director at San Markos. “Thanks to this we were able to capture those things which are important not only for the brand, but also for the people behind it. I believe that what we have jointly created will translate into a new perception of Herbapol, a brand which we not only respect, but also like. This brand deserves to regain its place in the limelight.”

Herbapol will be introducing its new marketing strategy at many levels, starting with a ‘facelift’ of the logotype, change of packaging labels, through to a TV campaign and other marketing activities. Packaging will be changed in accordance with the second key area of the new strategy, the retro trend which uses folk designs from across the different regions of

Poland, thereby ensuring that the entire design refers to the traditional character of the brand.

This change will include all sub-brands, as Owocowa Spiżarnia (Fruit Pantry; syrups), Herbaciany Ogród (Tea Garden; fruit teas) and Zielnik Polski (Polish Herbarium; herbal teas).

The first instalment of the campaign, including two 30-second spots, directed by Marek Dawid, was launched on TV in November 2012. This is also when an outdoor campaign

was launched, while products in new packaging began gradually appearing in stores.

The new marketing strategy, coordinated by the marketing director, Tadeusz Czarniecki, was executed by the Herbapol Lublin team together with the San Markos PR Agency. San Markos was also responsible for preparing the new communication platform and the creation of the campaign. The ‘facelift’ of the logo and new packaging designs were looked after by

Art&Craft, whereas the purchase of media was the domain of OMD. The advertising spots were produced by Lemonfilm.

Leader of the market With a 33 per cent share in the Polish market for grocery fruit syrups, Herbapol Lublin SA is the unquestionable leader in the sector. It is also the strongest player in the herbal teas market (19 per cent share) and the number

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two in the market for fruit teas (12.4 per cent share; all data taken from MAT JJ 2012 survey). The company has over 60 years of operational tradition, while since 2001 Herbapol Lublin S.A. products have been presented to the market under a joint brand ‘Herbapol – Essence of Nature’. The Herbapol brand is known to 84 per cent of Poles and includes the before-mentioned sub-brands, Owocowa Spiżarnia (Sweet Home; syrups), Herbaciany Ogród (Nature’s Garden; fruit teas) and Zielnik Polski (Quality Herbs; herbal teas).

Herbapol products are created using only natural plant-based ingredients, by acquiring them directly from nature using its own purchase points – a system that is unique in Europe. The company’s manufacturing processes utilise pharmaceutical expertise and meet the highest standards of food safety, namely certificates such as pharmaceutical GMP, BRC Global Food Standard and the ECO standard focusing on acquiring ecological ingredients. Furthermore, Herbapol operates on a socially responsible basis not only through care for the environment and nature,

but also by respecting the principles of fairplay for its employees and trade partners. The company also awards Herbapol – Essence of Nature recognitions to people inspired by nature (the award alumni include well-known Polish personalities such as Adam Wajrak, Prof Piotr Kuna, Kinga Baranowska, Martyna Wojciechowska, Anna Maria Jopek, Beata Pawlikowska, Jerzy Woy-Wojciechowski, Marek Kamiński and Jacek Pałkiewicz). It also supports the best Polish female pole vault athlete, Anna Rogowska, as well the Polpharma Starogard Gdański basketball team.

Awards and recognitions As one would expect, Herbapol, a company with such a long tradition, has over the years collected a multitude of market and consumer awards. In 2012, from amongst a range of recognitions, it received the Business Gazelle 2011 certificate awarded to the most dynamically-developing companies in Poland by the Business Pulse magazine together with the Coface Poland market research company. It was also awarded the

Trustworthy Brand, in the Herbal Preparation category, in the Polish edition of the largest European consumer research – European Trusted Brands – carried out by Reader’s Digest. The products of Herbapol Lublin received two specific recognitions: the Gold Emblem (for the largest number of cast votes) and the Crystal Emblem (for the highest marks awarded by consumers in the categories: quality; value-to-price ration; strong image; understanding client needs; and social responsibility). In 2010 it won the Sial d’OR award for the Green-Up energy drink, non-alcoholic beverages category. At the 8th Americas Food and Beverage show it won the title of Best Energy Drink, again for the Green-Up energy drink. The year 2008 saw it win the title of Best Polish Exporter of the Year at the British Polish Chamber of Commerce annual award ceremony. In addition to market and consumer titles, Herbapol also holds awards for production management, including HACCP (Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Point) and ISO 9001:2000 – n Integrated Management System.

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THE SWISS SPECIALISTS IN DAIRY PRODUCTS The Elsa Mifroma Group is the market leader in Switzerland in the production of dairy products and the ripening of cheeses. It is also an important player on the international dairy markets.

E

lsa-Mifroma has a passion for milk. In fact, it processes some 300 million kg of milk each year and manufactures more than 550 products including drinking milk and cream yoghurts, drinking yogurt, desserts, fromage frais and quark, as well as a wide range of condiments and grocery products such as vinegars, salad dressings, sauces, mayonnaises, tofu and soya drinks. With more than 60 years’ experience, the company is committed to maintaining the highest standards of Swiss quality and to adhering strictly to its core values of expertise, authenticity and innovation.

Elsa-Mifroma is owned by Switzerland’s Migros, a cooperative enterprise that was founded in 1925 and is today the country’s larg162 Industry Europe

est supermarket chain and its largest employer.

Continuous development over the years has played an important role in establishing and maintaining the market-leading positions held across the group, as Elsa Mifroma CEO, Matthew Robin, explained “We are a proud Swiss company with a long-term focus on durable production. That means stability in everything we do, not just now because it is fashionable but because it is the right thing to do for our country, our employees and our products.”

The cooperative character of Migros’ activities means that, with no shareholders, the company is able to focus on what it believes makes for a more sustainable, socially responsible business, while still making consider-

able profits that can be reinvested. Mr Robin added, “It’s ironic that by not focusing on building profits, we actually end up making great profits. But that is the beauty of running a large scale business, or indeed any business, in a socially conscious, ethically managed way – it is rewarding in so many ways. Our philosophy has always been to provide good quality, high standard products at a reasonable price in a responsible manner, and by doing so we have created a very successful industrial group.”

Five companies The Elsa-Mifroma group is made up of five companies. Elsa itself (Estavayer Lait SA) is the largest Swiss single-site dairy process-

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SIG Combibloc With drinksplus, SIG Combibloc has developed a technology that makes it possible to aseptically fill in carton packs new trend drinks containing pieces of food that add extra value – and this can be done quickly and cost-effectively using standard filling machines from SIG Combibloc for beverages. The individual particulates in drinksplus products can be up to six millimeters in length and width. The drinksplus concept makes it possible for manufacturers in the beverage industry to break into a completely new product

ing plant. Located in Estavayer-le-lac, it was established in 1955 by Gottlieb Duttweiler and at first specialised in canning vegetables before moving into dairy products in 1960. Today it employs more than 600 people, processes around 270 million kg of milk annually from its rigorously selected producers and manufactures an extremely wide range of products to the strictest hygiene and quality requirements.

Its constant concern for the environment even 164 Industry Europe

segment for products aseptically packaged in beverage cartons, enabling them to supplement an already successful product range or a brand portfolio with added-value products. Combining topquality drinks with added extras underscores the premium nature of the products, and fits perfectly with one of the key current trends in the beverage market: on the one hand, consumers want healthy food, and on the other hand they are looking for interesting and unusual new taste experiences.

extends to ensuring that almost half of its production is transported by rail.

The Mifroma company, based in Ursy, specialises in the ripening and packaging of cheeses. Since it was founded in 1964, its high-quality cheeses have been aged in a cave carved by nature out of sedimentary rock over thousands of years. Its wide range of cheeses are ripened there for several months before being packaged, labelled and put into storage

using a fully automated process. Hundreds of pallets are loaded into refrigerated trucks each day for shipment to customers’ points of sale.

Mifroma France is the company’s platform for the French market and the gateway to the wider European market. Located in Chalamont, in Ain, it serves as a centre of excellence for the packaging and distribution of the company’s Swiss hard and semi-hard cheeses as well as a logistics platform for the distribution of fresh

products such as yogurts (the Swiss Delice range), milk drinks and puddings. In 2008, Mifroma France acquired the Ambilly dairy in Archamps, Haute Savoie, extending its product mix with the Baiko brand of premium yogurts.

Mifroma USA was set up in 2010 in Bonita Springs, Florida, to launch onto the US market the finest cheeses matured exclusively in Switzerland – Emmental, Gruyere, Appenzeller, Fondue etc.

Dorig Kasehandel in Urnasch, in north-eastern Switzerland, is a company that has specialised for more the 65 years in the ripening and marketing of Appenzeller AOC cheeses as well as a range of other specialities. It was acquired

by Mifroma in 2008, bringing additional potential to the group and an increased presence in the east of the country.

Development and investment Product development at Elsa Mifroma is led by the extensive trend research the company has access to as part of Migros, and also its own dairy-specific research. Mr Robin said, “As the Swiss franc is performing strongly we have to make sure now more than ever that our products are cost competitive as well as deli166 Industry Europe

cious. We are continually looking to the market trends, both mega trends and local trends, to ensure that our current product lines and new products are welcomed by our customers, and that they fit in with our ‘durable production’ philosophy. We work closely with Migros as it has, through its supermarket operations, direct input from the retail market on a dayto-day basis; this gives us exceptionally quick access to valuable data. We also subscribe to trend analysis information. It’s a holistic approach to giving customers what they want, which is what the company and the overall group is all about.”

Each year Migros invests more than a billion francs in the Swiss business economy and in recent years almost 100 million francs have been allocated to Elsa. The most recent investment has been the ELSAvenir project, launched at the end of 2011 and focused on optimising the company’s logistics and goods flow chains so that it could exceed even the strictest requirements of hygiene and quality, certification and standards. The new logistics area, which runs around the entire production building, was a key component of this project. It has resulted in air-conditioned pro-

duction halls that clearly separate the sterile areas, simplified goods flow and production processes and bright new break rooms for the employees.

“The completion of this project means that we are well-equipped to face the future,” explained Matthew Robin. “All the innovations implemented as part of ELSAvenir are based on a visionary approach which takes into account the opportunities for growth. We are certain that our vast standard product range and added-value items, such as lactose-free and soya-based products, will allow us to make our mark in the future in the highly competitive Swiss and foreign markets.” n

ADVANCED HEATING

TECHNOLOGY Riello Urzadzenia Grzewcze SA of Torun, Poland, is one of the most important manufacturing plants in the Riello group. The group, of Italian origin, is a leading European producer of heating systems and technologies. Beretta boilers, manufactured in Torun, are one of Riello’s best known brands. Dariusz Balcerzyk reports.

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R

iello Group is the world-wide leader in the production of burners and one of the major European players offering products and services in the heating and air-conditioning market. The company mission is to optimize comfort where people live and work, by proposing projects and solutions able to create the perfect harmony of climate, thanks to the integrated systems and services which are always focused on the impact on the environment.

The group takes pride in its nine production sites, provides employment for 2,200 people, owns four operations abroad, has a commercial network comprising 13 international companies and has customers in more than 60 countries. Riello owns two modern research and development centres, too.

Annual demand in the European boiler market is estimated as 5 million pieces. The Riello Group’s average share in each European country is about 10 per cent. As the number-

one manufacturer in the global market, Riello produces around 500,000 burners, 450,000 wall-hung boilers, 150,000 water heaters and 70,000 floor-standing boilers per year.

Wall hung boilers and water heaters make up around 50 per cent of the whole production: burners and units 23 per cent, floor standing boilers 9 per cent, air conditioners 6 per cent, and other products 13 per cent.

Focus on boilers The vast range of Beretta products includes: gas-fired boilers, condensing boilers, boiler auxiliary equipment, air conditioning systems, under floor-heating systems, and solar systems. The factory in Torun is mainly focused on producing wall-hung boilers, and water heaters.

Condensing boilers are by far the most efficient and economical boilers in the market. The term ‘condensing’ is derived from the creation of condensation within the

boiler. The advantage of such boilers over non-condensing boilers is a reduction in fuel costs. It has an efficiency of around 100 per cent compared to about 91 per cent for a non-condensing boiler. This also reduces emissions of both carbon dioxide and nitrous oxide to extremely low levels.

However, offering a good condensing boiler is not enough in the modern world, because there is a growing demand to develop other kinds of energy, such as solar or wind energy.

Today the company offers state-of-the-art technologies for the most sophisticated heating and air-conditioning systems, where it is working to set new standards in terms of efficiency, reduction of energy consumption and protection of the environment.

Beretta intends to remain one of the most important players in the market. This involves further development. The key idea is to adapt to changing conditions, and to anticipate future trends, such as a devel-

For over 30 years we are on the market with our production of ball valves and brass fittings for water and gas.

We are also qualified suppliers to large groups such as tinkers Gruppo Riello, Ferroli Spa, Fonderie Sime Spa, Ariston Thermo Spa, Bitron Spa and so on and we have studied and developed various types of valves and taps according to the specific needs.

We are available for the construction of new studies and customers need with great flexibility and speed of orders.

If you have any questions, please e-mail: Andrea: uff.tec@ruval.it Simone: uff.comm@ruval.it RUVAL INTERNATIONAL SRL Via Sale, 123 Casella Postale N. 77 - 25064 Gussago (Brescia) - Italy Tel. +39 030 277 22 61 - 2 ◦ Fax: +39 030 277 22 63 ◦ www.ruval.it

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FERRARO GROUP The Ferraro group, for over thirty years, with its technology amongst the most advanced in the conduction of liquid and gas, manufacture components for use in numerous fields: heating, air conditioning, refrigeration and automation. For the past number of years the group has invested substantial amounts of capital in its air treatment department, and also for natural energy heating applications (Solar systems: vessels, refrigeration tubes). Our philosophy is not to be solely a supplier, but a partner capable of proposals and collaboration. This is carried out and applied also within the new departments within the group.

LMF LMF S.p.A represents the birth of the Ferraro Group and within its 4000 m2 the carries out the production of light metal-work operations, components for Central Heating Units and the new department dedicated to air treatment applications. Furthermore, Water to Water and accumulation exchangers are also constructed, using the necessary machinery and equipment. It also has press machinery equipment for moulding, forming and cutting of sheet metal. To complete the vast array of its product range, one can also count 3 Amada punching presses, CNC deformation machinery and punches of various capacities.

LMF Clima LMF Clima designs and manufactures, equipment and units for air-conditioning, heating and air-treatment systems. The company operates on a shop-floor of approx. 6200 sq. metres, using state of the art machineries. It supplies a wide range of products, developed to guarantee maximum comfort for ones surrounding environment. Unlimited possible solutions, which are ideal for many different situations. Whether used in the home, in commercial locations (offices, shops, bars or hotels) or on industrial sites, our products are particularly ideal for any task. The skill and professionalism of our technical staff, plus the perfect balance between quality and price, make LMF Clima an important reference point for thermo-technical studies and installers within the sector. Inside the Downloads section you can find the catalogs and all the material on our range of products.

INDUSTRIE FERRARO Industrie Ferraro S.p.A occupies itself with all forms of copper and steel tube forming to be utilised in domestic and industrial central heating units. Articles that have undergone a welding process, and by washing the pieces in this manner, may be zinc or nickelplated.

The end result giving a visible aspect of extremely high quality. Its main strength that distinguishes the company from others is the quality found in its products: major attention to detail is placed high up in its priorities, and is rigorously checked in every phase of the material production process. A seemingly continuous arrangement of CNC machines, are used for the bending of copper, steel and aluminium tubes. Diameters utilized range from 4 mm until 32 mm. These machines, with the deformation of the tube possible with or without an internal punch, allow the realisation of articles from drawing repeatable many months later, with a simple recall and insertion of the coded program used, placed into the machines computer database. For those articles with high production turnover, the use of automated welding accelerates production is a possibility, whilst maintaining a constant and elevated level of quality. Complex pieces are welded by professional and qualified staff, and facilitated with braze-welding. Pressure testing (tested are carried out between 6 and 10 bar) is effectuated on tubing that the client requires, to be able to have the certainty of 100% leak-proof products. The internal quality control department oversees the verification and the acceptance of material from sub-suppliers, production drawings, and revealed measurements, assuring that the finished product exactly respects client requirements.

RAME CZ The RAME CZ s.r.o. company is in a possession of a comprehensive range of various pieces of equipment used for forming of pipes.

Bending and pipe end forming is performed by powerful CNC bending machines including classic mechanical benders and special automatic presses. Technological processes utilized in the production of the pipes are as follows: cutting, notching, shaping of pipe ends by pressing, brazing, etc. The necessary pre- requisite of the production process as a whole involves control facilities where pipe dimensional checks and soldered joint tightness checks are per- formed. Based on the customer’s requirement it is also possible to carry out surface finishing of pipes using nickel plating, chrome plating, passivating, etc.

opment of the different kinds of energy production systems. The company’s objective is to be a leader in innovative integrated systems and applications for intelligent climate control.

Twenty years in Poland Both Riello Urzadzenia Grzewcze SA and Beretta brand have been well known in Poland for years. RUG was founded in 2001 while Beretta entered the Polish market nine years earlier.

At the beginning, it was a presence only in terms of sales. In those days inefficient central heating systems and old power stations made Polish customers keen on looking for modern heating solutions. So, that was the right moment to enter the Polish market.

After some years Riello faced production problems in Italy as the costs of production appeared to be too high. The company

started to look for the possibility of opening a factory abroad. It decided to build a plant in Poland because this was a reliable country, especially compared with other eastern European countries. At the end of the 1990s Riello was looking for the best place for the investment in the north part of Poland.

Finally, such a place was founded in Torun.

Twelve years later the company is still very satisfied with the decision to establish the Beretta plant there. The boilers from Torun have gained a significant position in Poland’s market of heating devices. Currently, there are more than 100,000 of these boilers in the homes of Polish customers.

Burners from Wroclaw At the same time when Beretta was entering the Polish market, Boren Jan Borkowski Company started to operate as the official importer of Riello burners. Two years later,

the Office of Technical Inspection performed the factory certification. This way Riello obtained approval for production in Poland and Riello Burners in Wroclaw was created.

The company is fully owned by the Italian company Riello SA and is the number 1 producer of burners sold in Poland.

Knowledge, skills and experience allowed it to offer burners for boiler solutions, as well as for many specialized devices where the technological process is based on the heat generated by the combustion of gas or oil. Every year, the Riello Burners training centre in Wroclaw conducts more than 30 training sessions for about 300 technicians.

Moreover, Riello Burners also manages the distribution of burners to Slovakia, the Czech Republic, Hungary, Lithuania, Latvia n and Estonia.

Visit: www.rugriello.pl

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THINK OFFSHORE,

THINK DOF…

The logistical operations needed for the operation of offshore drilling, exploration, construction and subsea services have to be of the greatest scale and precision. Julia Snow reports on the latest developments at the offshore and subsea logistics specialist from Norway.

172 Industry Europe

D

OF ASA is an international group of companies which owns and operates a modern fleet of offshore and subsea vessels, as well as offering highly specialised engineering capacity. The DOF Group delivers safe, successful offshore and subsea projects across a wide range of services: supply, anchor handling, survey, diving, construction, installation and IRM (inspection, repair and maintenance) disciplines.

Founded in 1981, the group has today established itself as a leading offshore player with a focus on high-quality and costeffective operations. DOF ASA is the holding company for DOF Subsea AS, Norskan Offshore Ltda and DOF Management AS.

DOF has offices all over the world, close to all major oil and gas regions. During the last decade the company has invested in key regions such as the South Atlantic, Brazil and Asia Pacific whilst continuing to grow in the North Sea and West African regions.

The company is still heavily represented in the North Sea.

Specialist offering The DOF group operates within three different segments in relation to strategic fields of activity and vessel types: Platform Supply Vessels (PSV), Anchor Handling Tug Supply Vessels (AHTS) and Construction Support Vessels/Subsea ROV Vessels (CSV).

The fleet average age is 6 years, making it one of the most modern in the market. The total fleet (including new-builds) currently consists of 23 PSVs, 20 AHTS vessels and 31 CSVs. In addition, DOF also owns and operates a fleet of highly sophisticated ROVs. In 2012, the group took delivery of eight new vessels, making it one of the world’s largest modern high-end offshore fleets. The 74 innovative and highly specialised fleet vessels are continuously in global demand for use in the oil and gas sector, each designed to suit specific services. In September 2012, DOF also carried out a successful placement of an unsecured bond loan of NOK 700 million, with a term of 7 years.

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The company offers a full spectrum of top-quality services to facilitate an evergrowing and demanding industry, and the corporate aim is to develop into the global offshore partner of preference.

New year, new contracts In January this year the group announced that the DOF Subsea Group has secured multiple contract awards in the North Sea and the Asia Pacific region, with a total contract value of about $130 million.

The North Sea contracts were agreed with key clients in the UK and Norway. The scopes comprise installation of mooring systems and flexible flowline systems, construction support, survey and inspection work and will be executed with the vessels Skandi Skolten, Geosund, Geoholm and the new-built Skandi Bergen. The engineering will be carried out at DOF Subsea’s offices in Aberdeen and Bergen.

In the Asia Pacific region DOF Subsea has secured several contracts with four key clients. The contract awards span a wide range of subsea project activities and include subsea structure installation, pipe lay and field maintenance in Aus-

tralia, Indonesia and the Philippines. The contracts will increase the utilisation of the vessels Skandi Hercules and Skandi Hawk.

DOF’s CEO, Mons S. Aase, said that he was very pleased with the new contract awards, as they are improving the contract coverage for the project fleet.

Environmentally friendly fleet A key factor in its operational development is the group-wide importance placed on the ecological sustainability of its activities.

DOF is committed to developing all operations to be as sustainable and responsible as possible while delivering the level of service required by the market. DOF is now building all its vessels with eco-designed solutions for reducing emissions and cutting fuel consumptions.

DOF has a deep-rooted health, safety, environmental and quality culture, which is evident in all parts of the system. The combination of expertise and experience in quality assurance and dedicated resources to this function are considered a key to corporate success.

To ensure customer satisfaction, the group sets ambitious key performance indicators for

future deliveries: in 2011, for example, 97 per cent uptime for offshore operations on vessel and ROV operations was achieved.

Outlook for the group Over 30 years have passed since DOF was founded with the aim to be a leading participant in the growing North Sea offshore industry. The business concept, based on a long-term strategy to provide a modern fleet of offshore vessels, and to engage these vessels on long-term contracts has paid off, and today the group operates with offices and vessels all over the world.

While the primary vision has remained the same, the services offered to the market are more complex, diversified and have moved onto a global scale. The company is always looking for new and profitable markets, innovative vessel designs and better, safer and more efficient ways to provide services.

DOF’s management strongly believe in the value of human capital – with a corporate commitment to what is called “our most powerful resource”: a motivated workforce with the skills, knowledge, loyalty, and ability to set ambitious goals and deliver them, n today and in the future.

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SHAPING THE WORLD Operating worldwide, the Jan De Nul Group specialises in dredging and reclamation, rock placing, trenching, rock dumping for oil & gas related offshore pipeline projects, quay walls, marine related projects, civil engineering and large-scale environmental remediation projects. Felicity Landon reports on some of its latest projects.

W

ith a solid reputation for highly complex turnkey projects, employing more than 6,300 people and with an annual turnover of €1.8 billion, Jan De Nul is a world-leading contractor in dredging and marine engineering projects.

Yet this Belgium and Luxembourg based company still retains its identity as a family business – the De Nul family started out in the early 20th century as a civil engineering company, and De Nul undertook his first dredging project in 1951.

Today the company has three main business units – dredging projects (including rock installation and offshore works), civil engineering and environmental activities. Thanks to some huge and continuing investments in personnel and material, Jan De Nul Group owns the most modern and technologically advanced dredging fleet in the world.

Having invested more than €2 billion on 27 new vessels between 2007 and 2011, the company decided to add three more vessels to its fleet –including two trailing

suction hopper dredgers, the Pedro Alvares Cabral and the Bartolomeu Dias, each with a hopper capacity of 14,000 cu m, and the fallpipe and mining vessel Joseph Plateau, all launched during 2012.

At the end of 2012, Jan De Nul ordered a 5,400 tonnes capacity cable turntable, for the vessel Willem de Vlamingh, which has been outfitted for cable laying offshore, ready for a major contract to connect the Northwind offshore wind farm, off Ostend, to the Belgian power grid. The cable turntable

was ordered from offshore handling systems specialist Caley Ocean Systems, which also supplied a modular loading tower assembly.

Worldwide contracts During 2012 and 2013, Jan De Nul has continued to win contracts for a series of enormous projects around the world. New sites with a total value of more than €500

million were added to the order book in just one month recently. The largest contract was for Chevron’s Wheatstone pipeline on the west coast of Australia. Before installing the pipeline, trenches had to be dredged in the hard sea bed and, in order to protect the pipeline, it will then have to be covered with sand and rocks after installation. In addition, pre-lay rock berms

have had to be installed, enabling the new pipeline to cross existing pipelines.

In Canada, Jan De Nul’s trailing suction dredger Cristóbal Colón , the largest dredger in the world, was contracted to dredge a glory hole in the Atlantic Ocean, east of Newfoundland. The glory hole, which will protect subsea oil installations from icebergs, had to be dredged at a water depth of 130 metres;

the Cristóbal Colón is the only dredger able to dredge to a depth of 155 metres.

Jan De Nul’s expertise is in demand in some of the harshest offshore environments in the world, off Siberia and in the Barents Sea. In Siberia, the fallpipe vessel Simon Stevin installed umbilicals for Gazprom at 90 metres water depth at the island of Sakhalin.

These umbilicals will control the gas field manifolds from land. Also off Sakhalin, the

cutter suction dredger Fernão de Magelhães was contracted to dredge an access channel for Exxon. In the Tatar Strait between Siberia and Sakhalin, the rock dumping vessels La Boudeuse and Willem de Vlamingh carried out rock dumping works to protect a subsea pipeline from ice floes crossing the strait. The pipeline guarantees the connection of the gas fields east of Sakhalin with the mainland.

Further north, Jan De Nul carried dredging

and rock dumping works to protect pipelines transporting gas from the Jamal Peninsula, in the Barents Sea, to Western Europe.

Onshore work Onshore civil engineering works are also keeping Jan De Nul busy. Early this year (2013), the consortium Via Brugge, consisting of Ondernemingen Jan De Nul, Algemene Aannemingen Van Laere, Franki Construct, Aswebo, Aclagro

and DG Infra+ was selected as the preferred bidder by Via-Invest for the private/public partnership project A11 Bruges. This is one of the six major ‘missing links’ in the Flemish road network and the largest design-build-financemaintain road project in Flanders to date. It consists of the construction of 12 kms of the A11 between two regional roads, the N49 and the N31, and includes a 30-year maintenance period. The new motorway will establish a smooth link between the Port of Zeebrugge and its hinterland; by separating port traffic from local traffic, the project will improve road safety and quality of life in the region.

Headline project Other projects are ongoing across the company’s various disciplines throughout the world. In dredging and marine works, for example, projects include capital dredging for a new shipyard in Brazil, modernisation of the Callao multipurpose terminal in Peru, dredging the access channel for Sittwe Port in Myanmar, similar work for the Port of Pointe-Noire in Congo, pre-trenching and mechanical backfilling for the Zawitka pipeline in Myanmar, and hydraulic sand supply for a coal fired power plant in Malaysia.

However, perhaps the real ‘headline’ project is in Panama, where Jan De Nul has a contract running from 2009 to 2014 for the design and construction of the third set of locks for the Panama Canal. This massive project includes the design and construction of the Atlantic Locks Complex (three post-panamax locks) and the Pacific Locks Complex (three post-panamax locks and three dams) and involves the dry excavation

of 40 million cu m of material, 20 million cu m of backfill, 10 million cu m of dredging, 5 million cu m of reinforced concrete, 200,000 tonnes of reinforcement steel and 16 lock gates with total weight of 45,000 tonnes.

It’s a project that, when complete, will have a huge impact on ship size and global trade routes – yet another massive project by Jan De Nul which is shaping the way we live and n work around the world.

OFFSHORE SUPPORT SPECIALISTS The vessels of the Norwegian firm Olympic Shipping AS provide support for offshore oil and gas production.

Industry Europe looks at the company’s history, structure and high profile client base.

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lympic Shipping owns and operates a fleet of vessels that are used in the offshore oil and gas industry. The company’s ships include platform supply vessels, subsea vessels, anchor handling tug supply vessels and offshore construction vessels. The main purpose of Olympic’s ships, as the company’s president and CEO Captain Remøy explained, is to serve offshore oil rigs and gas platforms. “Anchor handling tug supply vessels have the job of moving the rigs,” he said, “and the job of subsea vessels is to survey the seabed.”

Captain Remøy founded Olympic together with Bjørn Kvaslund in 1996. The company is based in Fosnavåg, a fishing port on the west coast of Norway that is also an important centre of the offshore industry. “People from here have been working at sea for generations,” said Captain Remøy, “and we have shipyards and designers close by.”

Olympic Shipping has cooperated in many offshore projects in the North Sea and the Barents Sea, and the company has built

up extensive experience of cold and harsh conditions. “In the Barents Sea or off Greenland, it is dark most of the year,” stated Captain Remøy. “The simplest thing the crew has to get used to is that if you leave cargo out on deck, it will get iced up.” In the early years, Olympic Shipping’s operations were confined to the Norwegian continental shelf. However, its vessels now work all over the world, and can be found off west Africa and Brazil and in the Mediterranean.

Operations and projects Olympic’s clients include prominent companies such as Statoil and Shell. As Captain Remøy explained, the energy majors need to employ Olympic’s services because they lack the ship operations that are required for offshore projects. Olympic’s vessels are not ordinary ships. “A vessel is complex and full of technology, and we aim to make the vessel as flexible as possible. Oil production is moving from shallower to deeper waters, which is one reason why our industry has to remain innovative.”

Offshore vessels need special technical capabilities for such tasks as assisting in the construction of a platform or building up the infrastructure on the seabed. One important project in which Captain Remøy’s ships were involved was in building the Langeled pipeline from Norway to the UK. The pipeline supplies the United Kingdom with around 20 per cent of its natural gas. The source of the gas is the Ormen Lange field in the Norwegian Sea. The pipeline takes the gas to the terminal at Easington in Yorkshire. It is the longest subsea export pipeline in the world, and almost a million tonnes of steel were used in its construction.

Protecting the environment Olympic Shipping’s slogan, ‘best operating practices’, reflects the company’s determination to avoid environmental damage. Olympic’s environmental management system is certified to ISO 14001:2004. The company has lowered carbon emissions by using hybrid technology to power the anchor handling tug supply and offshore construction vessels, the Olympic

Zeus and Olympic Hera. As Captain Remøy explained, for offshore operations, hybrid propulsion systems enable savings of up to 50 per cent on the cost of fuel. Diesel is what gets the ship out to the site; electricity proves its worth once the ship starts to do its job.

“We can shut off the diesel engine once we start working out on the seabed. The ship is stationery about 60 or 70 per cent of the time, and then it can use electricity. It might be that the ship is pulling with a crane, but it might be that the ship is alongside a rig just waiting for something. With the hybrid mechanism,

there are five generators. We can manage big operations in diesel electric mode, but we don’t need to use all five generators unless a lot of power is required. It’s the same idea as not having the lights on in every room of the house if you are using only one room. Technology counts – our competitors don’t have this level of flexibility and sophistication.”

New orders and contracts Captain Remøy started out with two offshore vessels and one deep sea trawler.

Olympic now has a large fleet of highly

sophisticated vessels, including a large multi-purpose field supply and construction vessel from the nearby Kleven Verft shipyard at Ulsteinvik which is equipped for oil recovery operations.

Olympic recently entered into a longterm contract with Reef Subsea Norway AS for a subsea support and construction vessel to be delivered from Kleven Verft AS in August 2013. The contract terms are reflecting the strong subsea market and the demand for such well-equipped vessels as this. n

TOMORROW’S SOLUTIONS FOR MARINE OPERATIONS ULSTEIN is an internationally renowned provider of ship designs, shipbuilding and system solutions for ships.

For nearly 100 years it has developed future-oriented products and services for the maritime industry.

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orway’s Ulstein Group is a family-owned company comprising a range of marine enterprises within design and solutions, shipbuilding, power and control, global sales and shipping. It offers ship design packages and solutions for offshore support and heavy offshore vessels. Since 1917, the ULSTEIN brand has been associated with quality and innovation in design and delivery.

ULSTEIN builds a wide range of highlyeffective and sustainably efficient vessels that include offshore support, offshore construction, seismic and research vessels. ULSTEIN possesses unique expertise in engineering, installation, commissioning and upgrading. Strong focus is placed on innovative technological solutions and methods, expertise within project management, effective logistics, and preoutfitting techniques. A collaborative approach and streamlined production processes result in a high level of flexibility and quality.

As well as a broad range of ship designs for demanding operations with an emphasis on offshore support and heavy offshore vessels, Ulstein also develops and manufactures innovative mission and interface equipment for vessels.

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X-BOW In its designs Ulstein has always placed major emphasis on enhanced fuel efficiency, reliability and safety. Its unique and environmentally-friendly X-BOW® hull line design offers significantly higher transit speed in adverse weather conditions, as well as enhanced fuel economics. The bow shape ensures soft entry into waves, thus reducing speed loss, pitch and heave accelerations, as well as eliminating slamming and vibration problems associated with conventional bow flare.

Other advantages of X-BOW include negligible occurrences of green water on the bridge deck and better protection of the working deck and deck equipment. The X-BOW® hull line design is patented in Norway, Russia, Singapore, Ukraine, USA and Vietnam. Patent is pending in Brazil, China, Europe (EPA), Hong Kong and India.

Power & Control Today’s shipyards and shipowners require complex technological solutions. ULSTEIN meets customer demands in the areas of navigation, integrated communication and power & control systems worldwide. The

company develops, maintains and manages cutting-edge solutions for electronics and power control for ships.

ULSTEIN’s expertise in developing system solutions for shipyards and ship-owners worldwide has resulted in a wide portfolio of products in the area of power and control. The Power & Control area at ULSTEIN provides product development, production, sales and global service within bridge instrumentation, control and monitoring systems, power packages and integrated communications.

Ship of the year nomination Subsea 7’s flagship ‘Seven Borealis’, a customised SOC 5000 design designed by ULSTEIN has been nominated for the prestigious Ship of the Year Award organised by the Offshore Support Journal.

The Seven Borealis, a state-of-the-art pipelay/heavy lift vessel, delivered 2012, is designed by Ulstein Sea of Solutions for world-wide operations and is Subsea 7’s strategic enabler suited to meeting the requirements of today’s ultra-deep and deepwater projects in the world’s harshest environments. In November 2012, Subsea

7 announced a record SURF contract from Total E&P Norge AS for the development of the gas field Martin Linge, located 180 km west of Bergen in the North Sea.

New deliveries The latest deliveries of Ulstein designed ships include the platform supply vessel Bourbon Rainbow, yno DH1004 at Zhejiang Shipbuilding Co. Ltd., delivered on 30 January 2013.

Bourbon Rainbow is the fourth and final in a series of platform supply vessels of ULSTEIN’s PX105 designs delivered to Bourbon Offshore Norway from this yard.

The ship has a length of 88.9 metres, a width of 19 metres, deadweight 4,107 tons and a maximum speed of 15.5 knots. The ship is equipped for a permanent capacity of 25.

The vessel’s cargo system ensures safe and efficient loading and discharging. The Multi Application Cargo Solution and product tank configurations give a major increase and flexibility in cargo capacity In February 2013 the first of a total of twelve platform supply vessels of ULSTEIN’s PX105 design, ‘Sea Falcon’, was also delivered from Zhejiang to Seatankers Group.

ULSTEIN is delivering twelve design and equipment packages to Sinopacific’s Zhejiang yard in Ningbo, China, where all the vessels for Seatankers Group will be constructed. The packages include design, engineering and equipment supplied by ULSTEIN. “We have previously cooperated with Sinopacific on several occasions, and ‘Sea Falcon’ is number 11 of ULSTEIN designed vessel delivered from Zhejiang in the past few years. The yard has acquired much experience in constructing vessels of our designs. In this project, we have contributed with a local support team at Zhejiang that has been involved in the commissioning and completion of the vessel. Also, a design team at our office in Norway has been supervising the project, says Sales & Marketing Manager in Ulstein Design & Solutions, Lars Ståle Skoge

Korea, and is a customized version of ULSTEIN’s Deepwater Enabler design.

The DP3 vessel is designed for worldwide operations in the oil and gas sector, ultra deepwater installation and construction, flexible lay, pipelay, cable lay and topside construction support. As such the design has been developed for maximum efficiency and cost effectiveness featuring heavy lift capabilities with Active Heave Compensation, two moonpools, upto 50 t/m2 deck strength and the X-BOW® hull line design from ULSTEIN. ‘What makes this vessel unique is that it is developed for coping with future requirements in mind’, says Bram Lambregts, Marketing and Sales Manager at Ulstein Sea of Solutions. ‘The good and very close cooperation with both Toisa and HHI resulted in a n very versatile vessel design.’

First in Korea This February Toisa Ltd. signed a contract with Hyundai Heavy Industries (HHI) for the construction of a Multipurpose Offshore Construction Vessel (MOCV) designed

by ULSTEIN. The vessel is the first with X-BOW® hull line design to be built in

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A POLISHED OPERATION Osborn is the world’s largest and most complete solution provider of high-quality surface treatment and finishing tools and brushes. Abigail Saltmarsh looks at the company.

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Osborn International there has always been a clear strategy. This, according to the managing director, Albrecht Teich, and vice-president of marketing, Luis Hereza, has seen it hold its position as the world’s largest and most complete solution provider of high-quality surface treatment and finishing tools and brushes.

“The key for us has always been a strategy of focus,” explains Mr Teich. “If you want to

be everything to everyone, you end up being nothing. Focus is what we have done in the past and is how we plan to move forward.

“We have selected key areas and key industries that we believe, because of our positioning and our technology, we should be focusing on in order to continue to achieve organic growth. Our aim is to do this as we also put effort and energy into coming up with the right solutions for our customers.”

Rewarding relationships Osborn has a long history. It was founded back in 1897 and today, owned by Jason, Inc., it holds more patents on more products and processes than all other competitors combined. For its 125-year history, it has remained dedicated to building rewarding customer relationships in the provision of high-quality surface treatment and finishing tools for hundreds of commercial and consumer applications such as metal finishing, honing and surface polishing.

Through brands such as JacksonLea, Lippert-Unipol, Sinjet, Load Runners and Dialux, Osborn serves customers directly in such diverse industries as aerospace, auto-

motive, primary metal finishing, industrial pipeline, woodworking, finishing and polishing and road sweeping, offering more than 10,000 standard products and 100,000 custom-tailored solutions.

A global operation With more than 2000 employees and 18 operations facilities serving customers in more than 120 countries, Osborn’s global reach offers greater access to new product ideas, economies of scale, and new techniques for unique surface treatment and finishing needs.

It has the advantage of worldwide engineering and manufacturing support to modify any product or machine in its offering.

“The company has changed quite a bit in its more recent history from being primarily a US company to being a global operation with locations across the world,” says Mr Hereza. “We have also significantly increased our product lines within our portfolio.”

New products He explains that brushes, machines and load runners are now being created for a wide variety of industrial markets and uses, ranging from rust removal and burring of NF-metals, steel, structural steel or aluminium to the manual or automated cleaning of welding seams and cleaning, dust removal and surface processing of

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Abrasive filaments from Hahl Pedex The right choice for when the going gets tough

Hahl Filaments GmbH Rottenacker Straße 2-18, 89597 Munderkingen, Germany Phone: +49 (0) 7393 53-0 | Fax: +49 (0) 7393 53-220 | E-mail:hahl.de@hahl-pedex.com | www.hahl-pedex.com

almost all materials. Industries particularly being targeted at the moment include food and beverage, primary metals, transportation and roads, as well as automotive.

Innovation takes the form of adaptation and modifications to existing products as well as the launch of ground-breaking concepts.

In primary metals, for example, there are innovations like the Osborn HDL brush rolls – high density and long-life, he says. This is

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a brush-based innovation for strip processing lines, with improved high-quality abrasive filaments for carbon and iron-fine removal, non-abrasive multi-filaments for micro-cleaning and improved degreasing. Its high-fill density ensures excellent brush performance and improved strip cleanliness while long life-times reduce maintenance and production costs.

“Then we have other products such as one for the treatment of railway lines in cold

weather and another that goes into coal-fired power plants for insulation purposes. This increases efficiency,” says Mr Hereza.

Excellence at all times In both Burgwald, in Germany, and Richmond, USA, Osborn uses an industrial robot, within a state-of-the-art laboratory. These robot cells have been developed for performing product tests on an ongoing basis.

“We are now in the position to perform precise testing procedures, and to reproduce and verify the results any time. This way we can reliably monitor our excellent quality of production and assembly, and continually advance product development,” says Mr Teich. “With this step in innovation, we can reproduce very complex processes of our customers and optimise the tools and processing parameters with the help of realistic simulations.

“As we simulate the processes of our customers, we aim to find solutions for them. Overall, this is the direction in which we wish to move – to become more of a solutions provider.”

Finding solutions Mr Hereza explains that there are several lines of ongoing investment at Osborn, in addition to the robot cells and laboratory facilities. Plants are constantly being upgraded and capacity improved.

The drive for continuous improvement has also seen a new campaign to promote the Osborn name much more robustly.

This is seeing Osborn positioned more clearly as the over arching brand name for all its products.

“We have streamlined our many different brands and created stronger brands that are more visible,” he says. “We have

heightened awareness of Osborn, choosing the brands that are most relevant now and strengthening their attributes.”

The focus on the traditional markets of central Europe and North America continues, with an eye on the emerging markets too. Energy efficiency will be a key consideration in the future as well as Osborn’s strategy for clear focus.

“We have intimate relationships with our customers within the key areas we have selected and this will help us to continue to achieve growth,” adds Mr Teich. “This will continue as we work with them to help them achieve better n performance for their systems.”

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ENHANCING THE

VALUE OF SPECIALITY

TUBULAR STEELS OSTP is a market leader in the manufacture of speciality, stainless steel tubular products for the natural resources industry. Philip Yorke spoke to Andrea Gatti, the company’s CEO, about its global restructuring programme, duplex grade products and its major investment in a new production facility in Saudi Arabia.

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STP is a joint venture between the Outokumpu Group of Finland and Tubinoxia Srl of Italy. Tubinoxia is owned by the family of Mr Andrea Gatti and on 18 January this year increased their shareholding to 51 per cent, thus demonstrating a clear commitment to the strong future that is predicted for the company. Today OSTP is one of the largest and most respected producers of stainless steel tubular products in the world. The company manufactures the

widest range of welded and stainless steel products available today. OSTP’s portfolio includes process pipes, butt-weld fittings and threaded fittings, as well as a broad range of process equipment. With 11 major production sites located in Finland, Sweden, Canada, Estonia and Saudi Arabia, OSTP is capable of meeting the increasing global demand for the world’s highest performance, stainless steel products across a broad spectrum of applications.

As an experienced global player, OSTP understands that the demands placed upon its stainless steel products can vary greatly, especially when considering the diverse range of applications and industries that it serves. Furthermore, when it comes to achieving optimal performance, then process industries worldwide need to consider many factors when selecting materials.

These include safety, corrosion resistance, strength and ductility, as well as the ease

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of welding. OSTP’s stainless steel products meet the challenges of today, whether they are designed for oil rigs, petrochemical projects or a water treatment plant. In addition, the company’s experts offer customers comprehensive selection advice, technical support, shared R&D opportunities and extensive access to its global resources.

Major investments in new plant and technology OSTP has always been committed to investing in energy-efficient production processes and operating lean management protocols. The company has recently seen the commissioning of its latest, state-of-the-art production facility in the Middle East, which was developed in association with its joint

venture partners. This €15 million investment is the first of its kind in the Middle East and is the only facility in the region that produces high-performance stainless steel products, thus serving an expanding, quality conscious market right on its doorstep.

This latest state-of-the-art plant is located in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia and manufactures pipes for the process sector, including the oil and gas industries, as well as for water and wastewater treatment plants. The new facility has production lines capable of welding longitudinal pipes up to 219.1mm OD and 8.2mm in wall thickness. The current output capacity for the Riyadh plant is around 10,000 tonnes per year.

Mr Gatti said, “In order to remain competitive and to be able to offer our customers

the best in value and services, we recently embarked upon a major restructuring programme that effectively restricted our plants to strategically focusing on one type of highperformance product each. The effect of this has been significant in terms of manufacturing efficiency, quality and faster delivery of products to the highest possible standards.

We are continuing to commit resources in new plant and technology in order to meet the increasing demand for our products in the natural resource sectors such as oil and gas, as well as increasing demand from other industries focused on wastewater treatment, desalination and pulp and paper.

“We are also occasionally involved in architectural projects such as tubular stainless steel bridge constructions, but these are rather an exception. The future looks very positive for OSTP with our key markets remaining buoyant and seeing consistent growth. This is particularly true in the Asian, Middle East and US markets but not so much so in Europe where demand has plateaued over the last few years.

Mr Gatti added, “In order to maintain our market lead in speciality and more complex stainless steel alloys, in 2008 OSTP made a major investment in a twin furnace facility with advanced process controls.

This was an early step designed to satisfy the increasing demand for special alloys such as Duplex stainless steel. The oil and gas industries are the largest consumers of Duplex pipes and fittings. In fact, OSTP was the first tubular manufacturer of both pipes and fittings to be NORSOK approved according to the latest edition of this stand-

ard, M-60 edition 4, and we also have been approved for the super austentic stainless steel grade 254SMO (UNS S31254).

“Furthermore, we have continued to invest in new surface blasting equipment which reduces pickling time, thereby leading to better delivery performance and shorter lead times. Our on going mission is to offer our customers enhanced value throughout the production and service chain of our broad-based operations.”

Sustainable products with lower life-cycle impact OSTP continues to produce material that enables its customers to achieve more efficient solutions and ones that offer lower life-cycle impact. Stainless steel is a key building block for a sustainable future, and sustainability has always been a key element of the company’s business strategy. Mr Gatti commented, “The idea of sustainability is embedded in our products, as stainless steel is a fully recyclable and a maintenance-free material. Sustainability in our operations stands for safety and health in the workplace and we continuously develop our processes to minimise the environmental n impact of our operations.”

For further information about the highperformance products and services of OSTP, visit: www.ostp.biz

STRONG AND VERSATILE The Ovako Group, headquartered in Stockholm, Sweden, is a leading European producer of engineering steel for clients in the bearing, transportation and engineering industries. Victoria Hattersley talks to Carl-Michael Raihle, president of Ovako Tube & Ring in Hofors, Sweden.

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he roots of Ovako in Sweden date back to the 17th century, but today the group has a multinational presence with 11 production facilities and sales companies in Europe, the USA and Asia.

There is a great deal of synergy between all group divisions in order to meet any customer demand, as Mr Raihle explains: “In terms of 194 Industry Europe

Ovako Tube & Ring (OTR) we operate from one site, but Ovako has three steel mills and OTR can source material from any of those mills, depending on the alloy or size or other specifications needed. We have a very wide range of internal alloys and can also source from steel suppliers outside the group. We can basically offer whatever the customer wants.”

Wide range of tubes and rings Ovako’s basic range of hot and cold-rolled tubes runs from 25 to 250mm thickness and can be provided in a variety of surface types from around 100 different kinds of alloys. “We also offer pre-components, where our tubes will be cut to specific dimensions and surface treated in order to

meet the customer’s requirement. We will keep customer-specific pre-components in stock so they can be delivered on a just-intime basis.”

The company is also able to produce an extremely wide range of rings, in heights varying from 100 to 1100mm and diameters from 150 up to 4000mm. These can be rolled in either profiled or contoured shapes, depending on what the customer’s project demands. Ovako is able to cut costs for its clients by carrying out a lot of the profiling in

its rolling mills so there is a less machining for them to do onsite.

Mr Raihle explains: “By supplying premachined parts we can save a lot of material as the ring or tube will fit the machine as closely as possible. This cuts costs for both ourselves and our clients. Many of our clients are also increasingly asking for their products to be ultrasonically tested by us for internal defects before they are delivered.”

Many Ovako Tube & Ring clients operate in the bearings industry. Here its long-term

customers include all the major players, such as Timken, SKF and Schaeffler. Mr Raihle believes that this segment is stable with few new companies in this sector.

Continued investment To meet increasing demand from clients, Ovako is currently in the process of making two large investments at Hofors. The first involves a major upgrade of the tube mill. The second is the construction of a new ring rolling mill which will be capable Industry Europe 195

of making rings 4m in diameter. This new mill is being developed specifically to serve the growing wind power sector – an area in which the company hopes to expand in the new few years.

These and other investments represent an ongoing, long-term project for Ovako. “Our new tube mill will involve a rolling or reduction step which will give us

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clear benefits. We will be able to improve product quality and have more flexibility in our production, which will give us greater size ranges.”

The importance of R&D In addition to its investment programmes, R&D is a very important part of Ovako’s growth strategy. The company works

continuously to improve its steel quality, particularly the cleanliness, as Mr Raihle tells us: “We are always trying to enhance the cleanliness of our steel to improve its mechanical properties. This is important in areas where you have high demand on properties, such as mining and bearings.”

In such areas, there could be severe consequences if there were a mechanical

failure. If there are dirt or oxides in the steel they will form oxide particles which could cause fractures. The more of these you have, the shorter the life span of the component.

“With a bearing or a rotating piece of equipment with a flexible load, if there are too many oxides in the steel it will break earlier and need replacing. With a cleaner steel the component will last longer.”

Global expansion Ovako has always been a leading European player, but in the future it will focus also on global expansion. In China particularly it is hoping to win new clients in the wind power, mining and oil and gas sectors.

The company is aiming for growth, and Mr Raihle concludes: “Our target is to grow 5 per cent each year. One of our actions

to achieve this is growing our sales force globally as well as continuing to upgrade our production facilities. We already have sales teams in the USA and Asia but we will be strengthening these, and in China we will n also build a service centre.”

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Production site in Annweiler/Rheinland-Pfalz

LEADERS IN TUBE FORMING Voestalpine Rotec GmbH & Co. KG specialises in the production, further processing and sales of precision steel tubes. Abigail Saltmarsh looks at its operations.

IN

his time at Voestalpine Rotec GmbH & Co KG , Dr Rolf Weiel, director of research and development at the group, has seen it leap from an annual turnover of €6 million to one of almost €32 million. Now, he says, the operation, which specialises in tube forming and machining technologies, has ambitions of reaching €50 million by 2020.

“We have seen an average growth of 14 per cent every year and, although it will be a challenge, I believe we can reach our target by that time,” he says.

“We always follow the options of both organic growth and acquisition – and will definitely be looking for acquisitions that fit our portfolio. However, in the past we have been much more successful with organic growth and we see good opportunities for that in the future.

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“This may be achieved by strong growth in our main business field, but we also plan to implement further services for our customers.”

High-precision operation Voestalpine Rotec is part of Voestalpine, a steelmaking, processing, and technology group that operates worldwide and manufactures, processes and develops high-quality steel products. With 500 production and sales companies in more than 50 countries on five continents, the mother group is one of the leading partners to the automotive and domestic-appliance industries in Europe and to the oil and gas industries worldwide.

Voestalpine Rotec itself specialises in the production, further processing and sales of precision steel tubes. It has a focus on the automotive industry and on segments

of mechanical engineering and hydraulic or pneumatic applications.

The group supports its customers in the development of products and production solutions with cutting-edge technologies, expertise in materials and perfected logistic concepts.

Industry leading technologies “Our main specialities are temperature supported metal forming, such as hot spinning, round forging or hot radial press forming,” explains Dr Weiel. “We have transfer line based processes for the highest productivity and robot-equipped cells for high-level process integration.

“We concentrate on the development of highly efficient and productive integrated tube forming and machining processes in house and have our own design and engineering of complex production lines for high volume production.”

For the automotive sector, which accounts for 70 per cent of production, the group produces airbag cylinders and combustion chambers. It also manufactures components for air suspension systems, including aluminium pressure vessels, spin formed pistons and bellow support housings, silencer and seat frame tubes.

In non-automotive, it supplies housings for electromotors, such as blind shutter drives, as well as stainless steel pressure vessels, construction struts for electrical power plants and high pressure gas transport bottles for special applications, for example, avalanche airbag systems.

Developing new products Proud of its technologies, Voestalpine Rotec is also at the forefront when it comes to developing new products. Working closely with its customers, it is able to design, build and deliver equipment from under one roof.

Automated line for aluminium pistons

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14 stage transfer lines for airbag components

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Dutch company Kinkelder was founded in 1945 and grew into one of the most important manufacturers of circular saws worldwide.

The blades are being exported to more than 70 countries. One of the main markets is Germany. Kinkelder is working in close cooperation with their German distributor “Werner Thelen OHG” for more than 40 years already.

Key users of Kinkelder saw blades are manufacturers and suppliers of tubes and profiles that are applied in the automotive industry, the Oil & Gas sector and the world of construction.

Kinkelder saw blades are typically used on fully automated sawing lines, where very high standards are set regarding speed, quality and sustainability.

Flying cut off Besides cutting tubes on off-line machines, Kinkelder is specialised in demanding Flying cut off applications. This includes single-, twin and orbital saws, with or without ID scarf.

These Flying Masters series are dedicated to perform on in-line sawing applications for ERW tube and pipe manufacturing, in order to address the specifics of this market.

The Kinkelder Flying Master series help you to: • Reduce downtime • Increase line speed • Improve blade life • Cut through a heavy ID scarf • Produce a bur free cut • Remove X80 and P110 from your problem list

“One recent product has been a pressure reservoir for Land Rover, where also the automated production line was engineered inhouse,” he says. “In parallel, we are developing new approaches for a further integration of additional functions in the aluminium pistons for automotive air-spring systems.”

He adds: “Air-spring components for cars have been a niche area to date but we do see this growing, especially in midrange vehicles.”

Bringing added value In total, Voestalpine Rotec has eight companies – seven of these are in Europe and one is in the USA. There are two manufacturing sites in Germany: at Annweiler, there is production, as well as management, administration and research and development, while at Sülzfeld, the company has an airbag pressure vessel facility.

While central Europe, Poland and the USA will remain key markets for the group,

Dr Weiel is in no doubt that Voestalpine Rotec will be following its customers to Asia, specifically China.

“We have to move to these markets while also focusing on bringing added value here in Europe,” he says. “In order to achieve the organic growth we are looking for, we will have to move away from just making single components, to concentrate more on areas such as the assembly of n more complex sub-units.”

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ADVANCING THE TECHNOLOGY

OF MACHINE TOOLS DANOBATGROUP is a leading Spanish manufacturer of specialist precision machine tools. The company’s main focus is to introduce innovative solutions to help its clients remain ahead of their competitors on the global market.

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ast December the sheet metal division of Spain’s DANOBATGROUP celebrated its 50th anniversary. The business began in 1962 in the town of Elgoibar, in the Basque country of northern Spain, but it was not until some six years later that the division began to produce machine tools for sheet metal processing. Today, the division’s machines include technologically advanced machines such as electric punching machines, sheet metal flexible lines, automatic panel benders and fibre laser cutting machines. The sheet metal division exports its products to worldwide markets under the DANOBAT brand.

DANOBAT itself was founded in 1954 as a supplier of specialist precision machine tools. The DANOBATGROUP was established in 1980 in order to manage the company’s growing product portfolio and the Group later became a member of MONDRAGON Corporation, a company among the top 10 Spanish industrial corporations. The DANOBATGROUP also includes the operations of the SORALUCE company, a specialist manufacturer of hightechnology CNC metalworking machine tools, located in the nearby town of Bergara.

Today, the DANOBATGROUP’s machine tools cover a wide range of manufacturing

technologies, from milling, grinding, turning, drilling, cutting, punching and bending to specialised equipment for the railway industry. Its machines are widely used in the aerospace, automotive, capital goods and oil and gas industries and are playing a key role in the manufacturing of components for wind turbines.

Continuous growth In 1986, DANOBATGROUP opened IDEKO, its technological research and development centre, which specialises in developing new technology relating to machine tools. By 1992 the company had established sales and service offices in Germany, France, China, USA, Brazil and Japan. Several significant acquisitions followed, including the purchase of the German market leader Overbeck and the long-established British engineering company Newall.

In 2004, DANOBATGROUP created a new production facility called Goimek, dedicated to

the machining of high precision components.

The expansion continued, and in 2005 DANORAIL was established to supply equipment for railway maintenance. This was followed three years later by the opening of a new plant for the construction of equipment for railway rolling stock parts production, into which €12 million was invested.

In 2008, together with a well-known casting company as a partner, a company called Lakber was established. Lakber’s objective is to provide solutions to the wind turbine component OEMs. wind turbine component production is carried out on Soraluce milling machines. In just a few months, LAKBER became a worldwide reference in both mass production and prototype machining of sophisticated wind turbine parts.

In 2010 DANOBATGROUP started the construction of a production factory in Pune, India, which became fully operative in 2011.

It also opened new facilities in China.

A strong team ethos Today, DANOBATGROUP is the market leader in Spain, and is aiming to establish solid international leadership around the world.

The majority of its business is conducted on a global level, with the core export markets being Germany, Italy, China and Russia.

Although DANOBATGROUP is a global player, it bases its success on the commitment and active involvement of its employees. In fact, every one of its employees is a shareholder in the company, which is the strongest incentive to contribute to its growth and success.

Sales director, Óscar Urdangarin, explained “The human capital is the essential axis of our company, and we are committed to offering competitive and profitable solutions to all our customers worldwide. We apply our expertise and technology to promote our customers and to provide them with added value and the necessary competitive edge to advance on the global market. We continuously develop our products and refine our solutions, which can be solutions for a certain piece our customer requires or ‘turnkey’ solutions for a fundamental element of the production process. This is what sets us apart from other companies.”

He continued: “Another key feature that sets us apart is that we are a one-stop shop. Our customers do not have to deal with different suppliers and therefore different technologies, different qualities and techniques of after-sales, different know-how, different business attitudes and even a different language. We provide integral solutions that cover all technical and aftersales needs in one contract. This approach has already proved successful in Germany, Italy, Russia and China.”

Innovation The main vehicle to implement this goal is the technological research and development centre, IDEKO. It works on specialist innovations and the creation of state-of-the-art Industry Europe 203

machine tool products to supply the group with groundbreaking technological solutions.

Within the centre there are more than 120 researchers, including 27 PhDs, working on product engineering, mechanical engineering and control engineering. Óscar Urdangarin added: “Every research project has a specific objective; it is applied and practical research that responds to the day-to-day situation of our customers. It may look at the geometry, vibrations or the exposure to extreme temperatures.”

Innovation is a key value for DANOBATGROUP. Óscar Urdangarin explained: “We look at innovation in terms of four aspects: product innovation, or in other words, the application of new technologies for the production of solutions and machines to achieve the highest possible competitiveness for our clients; innovation on the market; innovation in the supply chain and also innovation in the organisation, as we are prepared to take on new challenges, countries, industries and technologies.”

DANOBATGROUP also works on fundamental ground-breaking innovations, which require high-volume investment. Óscar Urdangarin explained: “We have now completed a solution for the manufacture of equipment for the automated production of composites made of fibre. The fibre products are used

for applications such as the construction of boats, which used to be carried out manually by craftsmen. However, they are also applied in the railway, aeronautical and energy sectors.

Now we have been able to implement technological solutions that automate the production process. This new structure may revolutionise fibre processing and may even come to replace metal in certain applications.”

New products “Another example of technological innovation is the development of products and technologies for the machining of large components. This is a growing trend that has brought changes not only in our product range but also in the production model, which has had to implement new manufacturing facilities for large machines (investment in new pavilions and logistics).”

DANOBATGROUP has strengthened its product portfolio and diversified its offer with the creation of a new generation of large machines including, for the first time, DANOBAT vertical lathes and grinders and a new family of SORALUCE milling machines. These allow large equipment solutions to meet the demand by customers in the wind energy sector and for those who need equipment capable of turning and grinding pieces of up to 5 metres in diameter and milling components up to 6 metres vertical.

We specialise in manufacturing prototypes made out of wood, polystyrene, aluminium, resin, etc.

MODELOS ARNO S.COOP. C.I.F.:F-20 67 75 71 Polig. Ind. Mendarozabal, Pab. A-17 20850 MENDARO (Gipuzkoa) (Spain)

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Tel.: +39 943 756 294 Fax: +39 943 755 243 E-mail: modelosarno@modelosarno.com www.modelosarno.com

“This new generation of machines has been well received in the European market,” says Mr Urdangarin. “In fact, we have already closed several contracts for the supply of DANOBAT vertical lathes to German and Italian companies. Also, we have won several contracts to supply the new DANOBAT vertical grinding and the new SORALUCE millers, introducing the highest degree of automation to provide higher working speed and precision.”

International expansion At the end of 2008 DANOBATGROUP was awarded the contract – the largest ever order in the Spanish machine tool industry’s history – to renew the Russian railway system.

The contract included the delivery of two turnkey automated production lines, one to handle blocks for manufacturing complete train axles – up to 50,000 units a year – and a second line to produce bogies and railway carriage supports.

DANOBATGROUP’s global expansion continues with the installation in February 2013 of its first laser cutting machine in India, in a subcontracting company near Mumbai. This will soon be followed by a second laser machine in Bangalore. With these installations, the DANOBATGROUP is continuing to consolidate its brand in the strategically important market n of India.

FROM STRENGTH

TO STRENGTH KCM 2000 is the largest producer of lead and zinc alloys in Europe.

Its privatisation in 2000 heralded a new dawn of investment and product innovation. Recent major investments will help it to increase its productivity even further.

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he KCM 2000 Group comprises ten synergistic companies and is one of the biggest industrial groups in Bulgaria.

The group is set to become the single most important influence in the economic success story of the country. KCM employs more than 2000 people, all of which are focused on developing system solutions and innovative products in the field of mineral raw materials, process engineering and trade.

All KCM 2000 Group companies are committed to improving the sustainabil-

ity and environmental wellbeing of their diverse operations. Subsequently, the company has been awarded the quality certifications; ISO 9001, ISO 14001 and BS OHAS 18001 in support of the management of these processes.

Continued investment KCM manages its own extensive zinclead mining facility near Plodiv as well as a large engineering and industrial service company and is a major shareholder in the

country’s largest industrial and commercial zone complex.

KCM has made significant investments in a number of key facilities in recent years.

These include a state-of-the-art battery recycling facility, a wastewater termination plant and a zinc roasting and sulphuric acid facility. All of which make a significant contribution to improving the reduction in the company’s carbon footprint. According to the project objectives, the use of recycled raw materials in the manufacturing pro-

cesses will be significantly higher as a result of these strategic investments.

In the third quarter of 2010, the company also commenced another major investment project costing more than €100 million. This was for the erection of a totally new lead facility that employs the latest environmentally friendly technology. This is in addition to an investment for the upgrading of the company’s zinc manufacturing facility. The key markets for the products manufactured in these plants are batteries for the automotive market and galvanised products for the building and automotive industries.

KCM’s domestic market for its smelter products is around 10 per cent of total production, with the majority of the products going for export to Turkey, Greece and other

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Mediterranean countries. However, with its new production facilities in place, the company is now moving into Western European markets for the sale of its zinc alloys.

The company plans to produce a wider range of alloys for a variety of applications including those for protection against corrosion. In addition, all types of precious metals are manufactured through KCM’s smelter, including alloys for coins as well as for gold and silver specially treated for banks and ‘rolled’ precious metals for industry.

Focus on Europe and technology KCM’s non-ferrous metals smelter is dedicated to the recovery and refining of metals and to producing products for customers both in the Balkans and in western Europe.

KCM’s chief executive Nikola Dobrev said, “We will continue to focus on both our local and export markets. However, South Eastern Europe and Western Europe are our core geographical markets today, with countries such as Turkey and Israel also becoming increasingly important to us. We are committed to ensuring that our business remains competitive and sustainable and that we will continue to develop new, innovative solutions for our customers.”

Building on its substantial experience gained during the company’s restructuring process and the implementation of new plant and technology, KCM is also able to offer a wider range of technological consultancy services. These include conceptual, technical and economic research,

specialised high-tech and laboratory testing procedures, the design of new systems and installations using AutoCAD and inventor professional 2010 software and the licensed monitoring of equipment.

Additional solutions and production know-how are also available in fields such as continuous lead slag fuming, zinc dust production, the production of zinc and lead alloys, the processing of fluids and the recycling of waste water cooling as well as the recovery of gold from gravity concentrate.

Conceptual investments KCM’s most recent conceptual investment project is the ‘Process Innovation and Production Increase Project (PIPIP). This was started in 2008 and finalised in 2012.

The PIPIP’s main objective was to achieve environmentally appropriate and competitive production of non-ferrous and precious metals, alloys and chemical products. The concept included energy saving processes and options for the processing of recyclable materials, as well as for the reduction of n green house gases and emissions.

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CONSTRUCTING ENERGY-EFFICIENT STEEL SOLUTIONS Ruukki is a market leader in the design and manufacture of energy-efficient steel construction products for a broad range of industrial applications. Philip Yorke takes a closer look at a company that continues to expand, setting new standards in quality and efficiency and outperforming the market.

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nitially known as Rautaruukki, the company was founded in Finland in 1960 by the Finnish government in association with a number of leading Finnish industrials. The reason behind this cooperative venture was to ensure the availability of raw materials for the Finnish shipbuilding industry as well as for other steel-dependent industries.

With its early commitment to quality and innovation, Ruukki was the first company in the western countries to produce steel using the cost-efficient ‘continuous casting’ method. The success that the company enjoyed as a result of this innovation was exceptional, and by the end of the 1970s it was employing more than 7000 people. By the 1990s, following major investments in new plant and technology, the company expanded into the construction business and at the same time acquired a leading Finnish steel roof manufacturer: Rannila.

In 2004 the company’s steel business began to focus on the manufacture of special steel products to meet the demands of the world’s most challenging construction and engineering projects.

In October 2012, another milestone was reached with the creation of Fortaco in association with CapMan managed funds,

which has become Europe’s leading manufacturing partner for the engineering industry.

Today, Ruukki provides its customers with energy-efficient steel solutions for better living, working and moving. The company is operational in over 30 countries worldwide and has a workforce of over 12,000 people, of which more than 5000 are employed outside Finland. The company is quoted on the Nasdaq OMX Helsinki stock exchange and in 2011 recorded net sales of €2.8 billion.

New challenges driving business opportunities Ruukki’s vision is to become the leading global provider of energy-efficient steel solutions in order to build a better living environment for all, together with its customers.

The company has a worldwide network of dealers and distributors in the Nordic countries, Russia and elsewhere in Europe, as well as in the emerging markets of India and South America.

Today Ruukki is responding to the increasing demand for greater energy efficiency and this is driving its commitment to produce more innovative, energy-efficient steel solutions.

The overall objective is to cut energy costs

throughout the life–cycle of an end-user product or solution. The company offers a broad portfolio of engineering products, including building solutions, infrastructure solutions, steel products, mineral products and stainless steel and aluminium products.

In the building components sector, Ruukki’s energy-efficient steels are at work in steel frame structures, steel pile foundations, facade claddings, load-bearing sheets and prefabricated roof elements. Ruuki’s commitment to innovation is also contributing to major road and bridge infrastructure projects throughout the world. Its coils, sheets and plates include hot and cold-rolled steels, colour-coated steels and metal-coated steels. Precision tubes, pipes and hollow steel sections are also created by Ruukki to optimise energy efficiency and are the result of the company’s ongoing investments in its manufacturing processes and its firm commitment to R&D.

Leading the field in environmental management As one of the world’s largest companies in its field, Ruukki takes its responsibilities concerning the environment very seriously.

A company spokesman said, “Improving Industry Europe 209

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Jaana Transport Oy is a Finnish family business established in 2003. We specialise in transportation brokerage and freight forwarding. Working across Russia, other CIS countries and the Baltic, we provide transportation and logistics services, quickly, flexibly and reliably. When you need an advanced bid for any transportation related assistance regarding licensing issues, customs papers, or even the payment and delivery terms you can rely on us to provide fast, friendly and expert advice. www.jaana-transport.com

energy efficiency is one of the most costeffective ways to combat climate change.

We aim to provide our customers with environmentally effective solutions and to continuously improve the level of environmental protection and energy efficiency of our operations.

“As a fully recyclable material, steel forms a good base for energy-efficient construction solutions. Our recyclable, wear resistant and high-strength special steel products improve the material efficiency of lifting, handling and transportation equipment and reduce energy consumption.”

Energy efficiency is systematically promoted at all Ruukki’s production sites as part of its ISO 14001 environmental management

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programme. Each and every person at Ruukki is responsible for their own environmental performance. In-house training provides employees with the means to manage the environmental impacts of their jobs. The company also encourages its subcontractors to take environmental issues into account during their own business operations. In addition, Ruuki constantly evaluates the impacts of its ‘logistical’ supply chain. By optimising transport routes and schedules, unnecessary transportation can be avoided and thereby minimise energy consumption.

Ruukki and Fortaco leading Europe In December 2012 Ruukki and funds managed by CapMan agreed to combine units of

Komas and units of Ruukki Engineering division, to form a new company, Fortaco. The new company will be a leading manufacturing partner for the engineering industry and Europe’s largest player in its field. Fortaco is expected to generate pro-forma net sales of around €270 million in 2013 and will have a total of more than 2600 employees.

The company has been formed from the compatible and complementary units of Ruukki and Komas. Some of the Ruukki engineering units in Hungary, Poland, Slovakia and Finland have been transferred to the new company. Fortaco represents a new ‘Tour de force’ in Europe for the development and manufacture of energy-efficient steels and n innovative engineering processes.

EXPANDING

GLOBAL

Vifor Pharma, the pharmaceuticals business of the Swiss Galenica Group is a market leader in several key areas relating to prescription and non-prescription products and services. Industry Europe looks at the latest from the company.

PRESENCE

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ifor Pharma can trace its foundations back to a pharmacy in St Gallen, Switzerland, which was established by Conrad Ferdinand Hausmann in 1872. Hausmann’s interest in infusion products led to the development of many new preparations at that time and this subsequently resulted in the foundation of the ‘Hausmann Laboratories’ in St Gallen.

By 1957 Galenica was involved in the production of hospital supplies and iron supplementation products. The success of this business prompted the acquisition of the manufacturing company Vifor Ltd and Cooper Ltd, both of which were active in the sale of hospital and pharmaceutical products.

The acquisition of the Canadian pharmaceutical company Aspreva Pharmaceuti-

cals in 2008 and of OM Pharma in 2009 led to the creation of what is today a globally active, fully integrated and specialised company, Vifor Pharma Ltd, with a rapidly expanding range of products and projects.

Today Vifor Pharma has two main areas of focus: iron deficiency anaemia, which is linked to a host of illnesses, and Consumer Healthcare (OTX and OTC products).

New partnerships Vifor Pharma is continuously forming new distribution agreements to expand its market outreach. In May 2012, for example, it signed an exclusive agreement with Debiopharm for the distribution and commercialisation of Pamorelin LA in Switzerland. This

is a drug treatment for prostate cancer and endometriosis in Switzerland.

Josef Troxler, general manager of the Swiss affiliate of Vifor Pharma, said of the agreement: “With Debiopharm we have found a renowned Swiss partner. This move will enable us to provide patients and doctors with an innovative product in the areas of oncology and gynaecology.”

In January this year Vifor Pharma expanded its distribution network even farther afield when it signed a distribution agreement with China Medical System Holdings Limited for the Vifor products Maltofer and Uro-Vaxom. The former is an oral iron supplement and the latter is for the prevention of recurrent urinary tract infections. The

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agreement is for 10 years from the date of the first commercialisation of the products in China, and will be automatically extended for another five years if sales targets are met.

Niche market expansion Vifor Pharma has traditionally focused on producing its own pharmaceuticals and in-licensed products for sale in Switzerland, France, Germany and Italy. However, a division was formed in 2010 to promote contract manufacturing outside of these regions. This was in part prompted by the acquisition of a UK healthcare company called Potters and partly by market forces.

It has allowed the company to offer and deliver a very competitive package.

Vifor Pharma remains a niche-market company that will appeal to the small- to mediumsize pharmaceutical houses. Companies like Astra Zeneca and Novartis fall outside its remit simply because of the scale of their global operations. For medium-size pharmaceutical companies, however, it can provide a truly dedicated service package to develop and validate preparations of all kinds from our numerous manufacturing sites. These could include solid, liquid (oral dose form) and semisolid (topical applications) from its manufacturing facilities at Fribourg in Switzerland, whilst in Basel it can manufacture enemas (or clyster) and suppositories.

One of the company’s main strengths is its relatively small size, which means it can

offer greater flexibility and a more dedicated customer service. Its teams work closely together to offer a regulatory service that delivers the right documentation as well as the best manufacturing and analytical services. In house it has technical regulatory specialists with extensive experience in their field. It also has procedures in place to help ensure that it maintains some product flexibility for possible variations over the lifetime of the product.

Today Vifor Pharma enjoys an increasing global presence. While the manufacture of all products is located in Switzerland, the UK and Portugal, commercialisation is managed by a wide network of affiliates and distributors throughout the world.

Putting quality first The success of Vifor Pharma is based not only on the extensive expertise it has developed in-house, but also on its reputation for consistently achieving the highest standards of quality and precision – a traditional Swiss hallmark.

Vifor Pharma quality management is based on three simple principles: to produce safe products of the highest quality, to meet international compliance standards and to ensure high levels of customer satisfaction. This philosophy is visible through the organisation. The objective is to provide high quality products to clearly defined specifications and within the delivery terms and conditions required.

In addition, Vifor Pharma has its own dedicated research laboratories, which are equipped with facilities for all state-of-the-art

analytical methods, such as liquid and gas chromatography (HPLC) near-infrared spectrophotometry (NIRS) and atomic absorption analysis, as well as UV/VIS spectrophotometry. The Vifor Pharma quality organisation supports its customers in all development processes including analytical method

validations, follow-up stability studies and annual product reviews. It also manages all batch release activities, such as batch record reviews and the establishment of certification, as well as handling all modifications or product improvements through change-management n or supplier audit and qualification.

ConsiGma™ Wet Granulation and Tableting Line Installed at GEA’s test centre in Belgium

LEADING THE WAY GEA Group’s Pharma Systems division is leading the way in continuous processing technologies, backed up by the support of sister companies in other GEA Group divisions. Felicity Landon reports.

T

he pharmaceutical market is known for being highly regulated and therefor slow in adopting new technology – but technology leader GEA Group has been having some substantial success in introducing a radical new approach to the sector.

GEA’s Pharma Systems division has led the way in the development and implementation of continuous processing and it continues to move forward with 216 Industry Europe

innovative solutions for its customers. Its ConsiGma™ continuous manufacturing platform includes a high shear granulation and drying system with a modular design ensuring plug flow, first-in first-out, avoiding back mixing, providing a consistent quality and allowing for critical quality control in-line. The most recent addition to the platform is a fully integrated continuous direct compression line.

The system allows for building quality into the process, to measure in-line and to adjust parameters to meet high-quality target levels.

“Our achievements in continuous processing are getting a lot of attention – the pharmaceutical industry is usually slow in adopting radical new solutions, but it seems that we have developed something that, even in these times of slow growth, is attracting interest,” says Kris Schoeters, product manager con-

ConsiGma™ 1 Inspired lab-scale continuous processing for fast, easy R&D

tinuous processing at GEA Pharma Systems.

“The number of requests we are receiving is amazing,” he adds. “All kinds of pharma companies want to do tests with us or are buying equipment, and in just a few short years we have established ourselves in this area.”

Six divisions Within the GEA Group, he points out, continuous processing is not such a new idea.

The group, which reported revenue of €5.4 billion in 2011 and employs about 24,500 people worldwide, is divided into six divisions – food solutions, farm technologies, heat exchangers, mechanical equipment, refrigeration technologies and process engineering – the last of which includes the Pharma Systems business.

GEA Pharma Systems is a global specialist in solid and liquid dose technology. It has a range of manufacturing and technology sites and research facilities across the UK,

Switzerland, Belgium, Germany, Denmark, India, China, Singapore and the United States, creating a global supply chain. Its central continuous processing test centre is in Belgium, where experienced engineers, technicians and industrial pharmacists can demonstrate the company’s continuous tableting line and explain about the pharmaceutical industry’s move towards this technology, to improve production quality in the most efficient way.

Central process development centre GEA has invested heavily in its central process development centre in Wommelgem, Belgium; this facility has a clean room environment so that customers can view the kit in action and actually try it out with their own products.

“We have a line with continuous processing through powder dispensing, granulation, drying, tableting etc, so they can really see what they are buying before they make the decision,” says Mr Schoeters. “This year we

are expanding our clean room again, and new equipment will be coming in by June.”

GEA Pharma Systems also has a central R&D team in the UK which can do preliminary work, rapid prototype development, feasibility testwork etc.

Continuous processing is in use in many other industries which are served within GEA – particularly the food sector, says Mr Schoeters. “But it is relatively new in the pharma industry. A big benefit from our point of view is that we already have experience in other industries within GEA. We can learn a lot from our sister companies and have the experience in-house already. Some of our competitors are really focused on a certain product – and that may limit them.”

Authorities such as the FDA (US Food & Drug Administration) have made it clear that they want to see the industry move forward in technologies such as continuous processing, and that will be a key driver, he adds.

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ConsiGma™ for Direct Compression

GEA Process Engineering Offices and test centre in Belgium

Lighthouse Probe™ technology: A compact and cleanable in-process optical probe for use in powder processing

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ConsiGma™ single dryer cell with Lighthouse Probe™ integrated

In recent presentations the FDA has highlighted the potential economic and quality advantages both in development and manufacturing, and stressed that there are no regulatory hurdles to implement continuous manufacturing using a science and risk-based approach. Nevertheless, they recommend early and frequent discussion with the agency during the implementation as experience is still relatively limited.

While continuous processing is easy to apply, it also needs to be assessed on a caseby-case basis. “It might seem easy to move over to continuous processing for high-volume products but each time, you must bring up the business case and see what the benefits are.

In some high-volume cases it may be better to leave it to existing technologies because it might cost more to change, while for smaller volume products – which at first sight may not seem likely candidates – continuous processing might offer significant benefits, both costwise and quality-wise.”

Flexible and environmentally conscious Continuous tablet manufacturing allows the pharmaceutical industry to bring products to the market faster, in a more flexible and environmentally conscious way, says Mr Schoeters. “There is no process scaleup, as time is the only relevant factor in a continuous process.

“Continuous processing can dramatically reduce development time and costs, and it offers a compact system – about one-third of the size of a classic granulation line.

Development time and amount of product required can be reduced 10 times !”

Modular construction means the line can fit perfectly into any R&D department or existing solid dosage suite, including of a tablet press, and the concept fits with the Quality by Design philosophy, he adds.

“Continuous processing is becoming more and more important in the pharma industry. GEA Pharma Systems is taking the lead in introducing this innovative

technology with our ConsiGma continuous tableting lines.”

The ConsiGma system handles flexible batch sizes, from 500g to many tonnes, and has been used for the testing of more than 100 formulations. According to Mr Schoeters, there is an increasing demand from the industry for complete solutions.

GEA Pharma Systems has recently been working with a US client, constructing a full production plant from dispensing powders through in-line blenders, full granulation line, roller compaction, tableting and coating.

When it is complete, the line will be dismantled, shipped out to the customer from the Belgian test centre, and then reassembled and commissioned at the client’s plant, by a GEA team of technicians.

“We are doing projects all over the world and continue to invest in order to meet the demand – the expansion of our test facility in Belgium is of particular significance this n year,” says Mr Schoeters.

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INNOVATOR IN THE

ANTIBIOTIC ARENA Xellia is a speciality pharmaceutical company and a global leader in the development and manufacture of active pharmaceutical ingredients (APIs) and finished dosage form products (FDFs), mainly in the antiinfective segment. Philip Yorke talked to Carl Aake Carlsson, the company’s president and CEO, about its latest pipeline products and new delivery system platforms.

X

ellia can trace its roots back more than 100 years to a small, apothecary business that was founded by a group of pharmacists in Oslo, Norway in 1903. After initial success with traditional remedies, the company experienced a financial downturn in the 1930s. Under new, visionary management, the company was invigorated and took up production of the new ‘miracle drug’, penicillin and a few other, selected antibiotics, in the late 40s and early 50s.

This landmark achievement heralded the beginning of a long and propitious journey for Xellia into manufacturing and sales of a range of fermentation-based and semi-synthetic antibiotics. Xellia is currently a world leading supplier of vancomycin, bacitracin, polymyxin B, colistimethate sodium (CMS) and amphotericin B, in addition to several other antibacterial and antifungal substances and a few corticosteroids.

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Xellia is a privately owned company that operates five highly automated, state-ofthe-art manufacturing facilities. These are located in Denmark, Norway, Hungary and China, and work under strict regulatory control with long-standing approvals from all relevant authorities, including the US FDA. The company is also present with sales offices and labs in Chicago, Singapore, Tokyo and Zagreb.

Xellia sales are continuing to grow in the 70 or more countries where it is operational and it currently serves over 700 pharmaceutical and healthcare customers. In order to meet the increasing global demands for new formulations and treatments, the company is developing advanced dosage forms using its own active pharmaceutical ingredients. These comprise innovative, proprietary delivery systems and formulations designed for use in topical, inhaled

and injectable applications. Most of the company’s APIs are available both in bulk and as selected FDFs. Xellia is seeing consistent growth in all areas of its operations, both in its highquality fermented and semi-synthetic APIs as well as in its FDFs and delivery system products. Today, Xellia employs more than 850 people worldwide and in 2012 recorded sales of approximately $ 220m.

Improving antibiotic productivity and quality In order to provide customers with highquality products at a competitive price, Xellia continuously strives to enhance its processes and to optimise productivity. Key technologies include advanced methods for microbial strain development such as metabolic engineering, as well as fully automated, state-of-the art fermentation and purification processes.

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Furthermore, Xellia is developing semisynthetic APIs involving complex, strictly controlled chemical reactions, utilising innovative, route-of-synthesis procedures. The company has particular focus on injectable antibiotics and has established lyophilisation facilities that can handle high product volumes and most vial sizes. This capability has positioned Xellia as one of few ‘one-stop’ providers of injectable FDFs for industrial customers.

Expanding product range and market reach Mr Carlsson said, “In addition to improving our production processes and product qualities, we are continuously expanding our generic API pipeline as well as our FDF offering. As part of our long-term strategy, we are also developing new chemical entities (NCEs) that are related to our current antibiotics. Some of these have proven to be less prone to resist-

ance development than most other, newer drugs and are thus in increasing demand for treatment of life-threatening, multi-resistant infections. As part of our approach we are doing basic research on our production strains and fermentation broths, for which we are receiving governmental research grants.

“We are also developing new delivery systems and have recently entered into a 50/50 joint venture (Pharmaero) with Scandinavian Health Ltd in Sweden, in order to develop products based on a new aqueous droplet inhaler (ADI). This is technically the most advanced proprietary platform system for administration of inhaled FDFs on the market today. The ADI device delivers a slow aqueous aerosol mist as opposed to the traditional dry powder formula, and requires only a fraction of the dosage and very short administration time compared to conventional nebulisers.”

Xellia is furthermore developing a novel proprietary, ready-to-use (RTU) infusion delivery system comprising a multi-department infusion bag that is easy to use and contains both drug and diluents in one dual-chamber presentation.

This considerably eases the administration process and reduces medication error within every day hospital environments.

Carlsson added, “We are a truly global operator and are expanding our business by moving into evolving pharmaceutical mar-

SAI To make a partnership truly deliver, it takes commitment on both sides. At SAI we have been both surprised and delighted with the significant support and effort Xellia has put into the tech transfer which has been a critical factor in completing the validation of one of the most complex small molecules in many years as stated by Xellia themselves.

Also in terms of handling unexpected deviations they have shown maturity and a long term view which has cemented the partnership further.

SAI is proud to part of Xellia’s supply base and considers the collaboration a great example of how an Indian and Western can partner for mutual success.

kets such as Asia and eastern Europe. Until recently these markets were less regulated and considered to be un economical for an operation such as our own; however, today they are catching up to western European standards in many respects, and especially in the field of pharmaceuticals and healthcare.

“With demand for our anti-infective products and treatments increasing year on year we have invested considerable resources in our new, highly automated production facility in Taizhou, China. This adds significantly to our overall global production capabilities and will also provide a stepping stone for our entry into the growing Chinese market itself.”

Global technical support programme Xellia has its own global technical support team to provide answers on a range of technical issues. These include questions relating to analytical methods, product specifications, production processes and stability data, as well as storage conditions and packaging materials.

Xellia’s Global Technical Support team also accompanies its regional managers to various markets where more complex issues may be discussed on the customer’s n premises at their request.

For further information on Xellia products and services, visit: www.xellia.com

COMPLETE CAPABILITY Contract biopharmaceutical manufacturer and developer CMC Biologics A/S is highly competent in delivering complete biologics to customers worldwide. Emma-Jane Batey spoke to vice-president of business development, Roland Hecht, to see how this ambitious company is planning continued success.

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stablished in Copenhagen in 2001, CMC Biologics A/S today has more than 350 employees and over 60 clients worldwide. A key step in its global development came in 2007 when it acquired the US contract manufacturing arm of the ICOS Corporation, ICOS Biologics, which has further enhanced its ability to develop, manufacture and deliver high-quality biologics across five continents.

A complete end-to-end biologics capability is the foundation on which CMC

Biologics’ success has been built. The company has continued to add standalone possibilities to its offer, resulting in a wider client base and a broader portfolio. Vicepresident of business development, Roland Hecht, explained to Industry Europe how this has been achieved. He said, “We are still in a very exciting growth period, which has been going on for some time! We have been focusing on ensuring we can offer our clients worldwide the best of both a full biopharmaceutical contract manufacturing

service and the ability to pick and choose standalone elements if they prefer. We can work with clients on any aspect of their biologics development and manufacture.”

Mr Hecht pointed out that the intense phases involved in getting a biologic product ready for the commercial market are perfectly suited to CMC Biologics’ skilled and experience workforce. He said, “When a new pharmaceutical drug is being developed, there are all manner of tests, phases and improvements needed to get the drug to the point where it

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Quality Research Deserves Quality Logistics Please Let Us Help You Succeed CMC Biologics A/S and World Courier For several years CMC Biologics A/S and World Courier have worked together, supporting the research, development and transport of time and temperature sensitive samples and products done by CMC Biologics and its partners throughout the world.

During the time World Courier has been entrusted more than 1000 temperature controlled shipments ranging from 0,1 kilo to + 1.000 kilos.

Each shipment transport tailor made with best possible means of transport and routing, utilizing our entire range of qualified packaging from Dryshipper (Cryo), over Dry Ice handling to + 20 ULD containers and a fleet of highly qualified temperature controlled vehicles.

Supporting the SOP framework of CMC, we have taken on every day logistic challenges ranging from high value, one of a kind samples, APIs, harvest samples, to vials and powders.

Serving destinations on every continent, and the affiliated challenges within documentation and local legislation.

World Courier Profile

World Courier delivers its specialized logistics services across the full “life cycle” of the clinical trial process, beginning with pre-trial coordination between biopharmaceutical companies, CTSs, CROs and Central Labs.

The company then manages the logistics and transport of all trial materials, packaging, scheduling and routing. Once a trial is underway, World Courier assists with regulatory and permit issues and manages the import of bulk drugs and supplies into centralized storage depots.

We also handle the intra-country distribution from investigational drug storage depots to clinical trial research sites, coordinate patient sample logistics, and manage drug return and destruction procedures. Represented in more than 50 countries with 152 owned offices, we maintain a 24/7 support for our clients.

Clinical Trial Supply Depot Network:

With company owned GMP compliant facilities, comprehensive SOPs and a proprietary CTM management software system, we offer an unparalleled service.

We are strategically located in Australia, China, India, Latin America, Russia, Japan, Singapore and South Africa to help in the most demanding regulatory environments.

World Courier Ground Europe: Specialists in intra-European temperature-controlled ground transport for the pharmaceutical, biotech and healthcare industries.

Utilising state-of-the-art refrigerated vehicles, highly trained drivers and staff, continent-wide SOPs and advanced telematics including realtime satellite tracking, WCGE also provides customers with the added assurance of complying with all relevant GDP/GMP guidelines as required

by EU regulatory agencies.

Core service offerings focus exclusively on premium on-demand 24/7 transport services within Europe for the distribution of temperaturesensitive clinical trial, bulk product and finished product shipments at all critical temperatures ranges.

GxP compliance - QMS

The basis of World Courier’s GxP Policy rests largely with established precepts of Good Distribution Practice (GDP), Good Storage Practice (GSP), Good Manufacturing Practice (GMP) and Good Clinical Practice (GCP) as they relate to each business individually (transport and storage) and follows all relevant guidance documents supporting these practices.

World Courier has also put in place an independent Quality Management System that complements its GxP policy and conforms to leading international quality management and oversight programs. World Courier also complies with other quality systems such as the ISO 9000 series.

For contact information visit www.worldcourier.com COPENHAGEN: +45 32 46 06 80 | HELSINKI: +358 9 8700 3300 | OSLO: +47 63 94 62 00 | STOCKHOLM: +46 8 594 414 80

can be commercially approved by the relevant health authority. With our teams able to offer both the testing and the development of biologics on a contract manufacturing basis, we have created an enviable list of leading clients.”

Investment in excellence CMC Biologics is committed to ongoing investment in its state-of-the-art facilities. Mr Hecht continued, “We have two sites – our original facilities in Copenhagen and our site in Seattle which we acquired with ICOS. Both of the sites are fabulously well-equipped to enable us to continue our work. Part of the reason we are achieving such impressive growth is the fact that we have these excellent facilities.”

In 2011, the Seattle site underwent a major rebuild. This major investment programme guaranteed that CMC Biologics could make a better process flow for commercial production for its clients across North America as well as for a growing list of clients in Asia.

Mr Hecht told Industry Europe how plans for further investment in CMC’s Copenhagen site will be completed in the next two years. He said, “We are investing nearly €5 million in our Copenhagen site to offer a unidirectional product flow. This will ensure that our internal clean rooms are totally pure: we will have different entrances and exits so that there is no cross over of either personnel or materials,

making CMC Biologics one of the cleanest, purest facilities in the industry.”

Mr Hecht continued, “Investment is needed on both the commercial and the production site to support future success.

We are committed to being a commercial biopharmaceutical contract manufacturer and a reliable partner for our clients, so we take our ongoing investment and personnel training programmes very seriously.”

Small scale to large scale CMC Biologics’ facilities and capabilities mean it is able to deliver whole or part development projects for small scale to large scale manufacture. The company works closely with its

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pharmaceutical clients in order to understand their precise requirements, and it then works with its highly skilled staff and extensive technical facilities to deliver the commercial product.

The ongoing success and continued investment will help to maximise CMC Biologics’ future potential. The company has ambitious plans to work with new global pharmaceutical clients as well as continu-

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ing to maintain strong relationships with its existing clients. A new site is also expected to be acquired and upgraded in California as part of an expansion plan in the USA. Mr Hecht concluded, “We aim to further our global reach in terms of client development and it is up to us to build positive relationships with more large pharmaceutical companies as well as small to mid-sized

bio companies that are looking to develop products with an experienced global partner.

CMC Biologics is already in the global top ten of biotechnical contract manufacturing companies, but we want to be in the top five within the next five years. We believe that our capabilities, our investment, our personnel and our excellent client partnerships will n help us to make this happen.”

COMPOUNDING SUCCESS Continuing innovation enables Buss AG to maintain its position as market leader in compounding technology.

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uss AG is the global leader in kneaders for demanding compounding solutions.

Based in Pratteln, Switzerland, Buss has been refining this technology for sixty years and has achieved significant advances both in technical leadership and in market positioning, above all in the BUSS core segment of temperature and shear sensitive plastics compounding.

Buss is familiar with all its customers’ processes and their differing requirements.

Its focus is primarily on the niche market segments of the plastics, aluminium, chemical and food industries. Its competencies include PVC pelletising, cable compounds, masterbatches, calendar feeding, thermosets, powder coatings and toners, foodstuffs and anode paste. Buss has accumulated extensive know-how in these technologies over many years. Specific processes are tested and validated for customers in its laboratories to keep them ahead of competitors.

Buss separated from the Coperion Group by friendly agreement in January 2006 and has since been once again a free agent on the market, with a clearly defined strat-

egy of the development of Buss Kneader technology. It has its own subsidiaries and representatives as well as its own corporate identity. The company believes that its owes its strength not to size but to its commitment to innovation, flexibility and speed of response to customer needs

such as: mixing, fusion, plasticizing, homogenizing, disperging, degassing, dissolving, reacting, crystallising and pelletising. The extremely wide application range extends from pastry to thermoplastic and thermosetting products and elastomers.

The Buss Kneader

BUSS offers customers comprehensive services packages to ensure sustainable plant reliability and productivity. The basis of these packages is the fast-response service organization that has been established for all the BUSS Kneaders sold globally to date. This service organization is focused on worldwide locations that can supply customers with practically every wearing part and numerous other spare parts within 24 hours. Furthermore, the BUSS service hotline is globally available to customers for support and assistance on a 24/7 basis, 365 days per year.

BUSS has greatly expanded its services in recent years with customized service and inspection agreements. These enable customers to decide the extent of service and maintenance delegation to BUSS, and they

The BUSS Kneader was first introduced more than sixty years ago. Its distinguishing features are a housing with kneading teeth, and a kneading screw that performs an axial oscillation with each revolution. To enable both these motions simultaneously, the screw flights have openings through which the kneading teeth pass. The combination of rotational and axial motion in the BUSS Kneader generates a highly dispersive mixing action throughout the kneading chamber – rather than only in part of it. It is due to this homogeneous action without stress peaks that the BUSS Kneader mixes so efficiently while at the same time minimizing the temperature rise caused by shear energy input to the melt.

Today Buss Kneader polyvalent systems are ideal for numerous industrial processes

Comprehensive services

invariably facilitate downtime planning and maintenance cost budgeting. With modernization arrangements, plant owners can benefit in full from the optimization potential that arises after some time. And for upgrading kneaders with conventional 3-flight screw technology, BUSS offers a selection of retrofit kits – e.g. for converting individual zones to 4-flight technology. Depending on the product and the machine configuration, this can increase throughput by up to 20 per cent.

The BUSS Academy bundles BUSS compounding know-how and makes it available to customers. Their personnel can undergo thorough training here on BUSS Kneader features and operating behaviour.

For specific compounding applications, customers can work out with our experts the optimal operating parameters for their existing machinery. And they also gain useful information on effective spare parts logistics and emergencies management. In this way, BUSS customers can significantly improve their compounding line efficiency at low outlay, and minimize downtime. Here again, BUSS is truly a problem solver for its customers.

Single source supply

Four years ago Buss AG delivered the world’s largest cable compound line to Kabelbedrijven Draka Nederland B.V.,Emmen. Maximum throughput is 4500 to 5000 kg/h, depending on formulation.

The comprehensive production line, extending over four floors of the plant building, can process eight different PVC formulations using one and the same kneader screw geometry, without any other conversion

outlay. Right from the startup in March 2009, this compounding line has met all the owner’s expectations particularly with regard to product quality, dependability, operating convenience, and minimal product changeover times.

Decisive for unmatched cable compound quality is the BUSS quantec® 110 EV Kneader at the heart of this line. With a nominal kneader screw diameter D = 110 mm and processing length L = 15 x D, this high-performance Kneader features the innovative four-flight technology already practice-proven in more than 100 compounding lines. Thanks to the enlarged intake zone, even the biggest filler volumes are handled without problem. The mixing and kneading screw configuration enables exceptionally homogeneous colored compound production with high fillers content.

To build up the necessary pelletizing pressure, the PVC compound is transferred through a cascade ducting system to a single-screw discharge extruder. This is followed either by dry or water-mist pelletizing, whichever is preferable, at a relatively low pressure to minimize temperature peaks on the die plate.

BUSS was responsible for the entire plant engineering, from heater-cooler premixer and gravimetric feeding system into the compounding line, to PVC pelletizing, cooling and drying for storage or bagging.

The overall concept worked out by BUSS in teamwork with the customer also met some important additional requirements, including integration of the entire compounding system in the existing plant, and time-saving erection with minimal impact on

the ongoing production. BUSS engineering also covered the comprehensive central control system, focusing in particular on precise coordination between the heatercooler mixer and the compounding line, above all for startup, which now takes only a few minutes.

With regard to the customer’s demanding requirements, BUSS technical director Stefan Nägele points out that “Above all for such a complex PVC compounding line, it was decisive that BUSS assumed overall responsibility ranging from engineering, manufacturing and procurement to erection and commissioning. Without this singlesource supply, it would hardly have been possible to complete the entire plant so rapidly and cost-effectively or to attain such consistently high product quality and short product changeover times thanks to the comprehensive control system”.

Buss also recently completed a major order for China’s aluminium industry. In January 2011 China ordered two anode paste compounding lines from the Swiss company. These lines process petroleum coke and pitch into high grade anode paste for making electrolysis anodes used in the aluminium industry. Each line, both of which were installed in South China by the end of 2011, has a capacity of 40 t/h. Production startup was early 2012.

This order further strengthens the market positioning of Buss AG as provider to the aluminium industry in China – where more than ten such compounding lines are n already operating. www.busscorp.com

OPTIMISING THE PERFORMANCE

OF INDUSTRIAL FILMS Dupont Teijin Films is the world’s largest producer of polyester films for manufacturing industries.

The company specialises in film products and services for advanced magnetic media and photo systems, as well as for the electrical, packaging and industrial markets. Philip Yorke reports on a company that continues to optimise its products through innovative R&D and reveals its current focus on the growing renewable energy market.

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upont Teijin Films is a fifty-fifty joint venture between DuPont and Teijin and is the world’s leading differentiated producer of polyester films. The company was formed in January 2000 when the US chemical giant DuPont combined its polyester film operations with leading Japanese chemical company Teijin. Together they represent many of the best-known film brands in the world, such as Mylar, Melinex, Tetoron and Teijin polyester films. This global business also encompasses other existing joint ventures with DuPont, such as the Hongii Films Foshan Co of China. In 2012 the company recorded sales of more than US$1.1 billion and today employs more than 3000 people worldwide.

Research and innovation driving sales Dupont Teijin Films has always led from the front regarding technological innovation and one area that is seeing strong growth globally is the renewable energy sector. The company has therefore continued to invest

heavily in this area to produce the most efficient photovoltaic films on the market.

The company’s on-going commitment to innovation, combined with its market-driven product development capabilities, has led to the development of a high-performance film that is seeing strong demand worldwide from the world’s solar panel manufacturers.

Despite Europe’s temperamental climate, it remains by far largest market for solar panel installations with a 70 per cent global share. This huge demand is thanks in part to the Pan-European government support of special grants to promote renewable energy systems for domestic applications as well for industry. Today as China and Japan both begin to embrace solar energy production in a significant way, the market for photovoltaic modules is set to increase dramatically.

This is particularly good news for the company’s state-of-the-art production facility located in Dumfries in Scotland, which makes the special photovoltaic films.

More than 280 people are employed at the

extensive 100 acre site, which also makes products for a wide variety of other industrial applications. These include food packaging, medical test strips, labels and ID cards and now in addition, a new film designed specifically for the solar energy market.

This new film forms the ‘backsheet’ of the solar panel which provides vital electrical insulation and resistance to moisture and extreme temperatures. Traditionally, ‘backsheets’ were based largely on a fluoropolymer material which until now provided much better resistance to weathering than polyester film. However, the boom in the photovoltaic market, combined with a shortage of fluoropolymer materials, created a gap in the market which DuPont Teijin were quick to capitalise on.

Moray Mackenzie, the site and operations manager at the Dumfries plant said, “Traditional polyester films offer inherently poor resistance to UV and water degradation. However, our in-depth experience and understanding of developing UV resistant Industry Europe 235

film and also hydrolysis-resistant film has allowed us to bring the two properties together. This has resulted in a unique range of high performance polyester films that offer excellent outdoor weathering resistance.”

Currently DuPont Teijin Films have a 15 per cent share of the global photovoltaic market and they have ambitious plans to grow that market share to more than 20 per cent within the next few years. This is sig-

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nificant growth indeed when one considers that it is an industry that is seeing consistent growth of over 15 per cent, year on year.

Hygienic, value-added polyester films As the inventor of the world’s first heatsealable and dual, ‘ovenable’ polyester films, the Mylar® brand is the trusted market leader in convenience packaging solutions for virtually any food fresh or frozen.

However, as consumer lifestyles constantly change and food safety becomes an increasingly important issue, DuPont Teijin is not resting on its laurels. The company’s scientists are taking the unique thermal and mechanical properties of Mylar® polyester films and providing value-added functions that include reduced cooking times, improved taste and texture and the control of harmful pathogens such as campylobac-

ter, and the avoidance of cross contamination during the cooking process.

At its global Technology Centre based at Wilton in the UK, DuPont Teijin Films targets its considerable innovation resources to meeting today’s hygiene challenges, which were recently fuelled by recent publicity about food safety and the need for new solutions.

Using novel process capabilities, the company has engineered an active, functional effect into its polyester film which can effectively meet the real microbial challenges, such as MRSA and Ecoli, which occur in everyday situations, particularly in the healthcare and food preparation areas.

Other related work streams within the company’s R&D centre at Wilton are also making progress towards the on-line detection of sub-micron contamination and surface damage, as well as the understanding of adhesion forces at play between contamination and process surfaces. This research forms part of a wider programme to increase barrier performance through intrinsic cleanliness, thus establishing the first steps towards the n OLED/OPV process.

For further details about DuPont Teijin Film’s latest innovative film products and services visit: www.dupontteijinfilms.com Industry Europe 237

CONTINUED SUCCESS The Indian group Carborundum Universal Ltd, or CUMI, specialises in abrasives, ceramics, refractories and electrominerals. Industry Europe looks at the latest developments at the company and how it maintains its successful operations.

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UMI’s story began in 1954, with the tripartite agreement between the USA-based Carborundum, the UK group Universal Grinding Wheel Co., and India’s Murugappa Group. The group has risen to become a leading global player in the fields of abrasives, ceramics, refractories and electrominerals.

At the beginning, the focus was on absorbing the manufacturing technology and knowledge of its joint venture partners in order to meet the requirements of the Indian market.

The second major developmental phase saw the exit of the JV partners and a major drive towards developing internal R&D know-how.

New JV partners and alliances were forged to reinforce growth areas in super abrasives (through partnerships with Wendt GmbH), in fibre refractories (through an agreement with

UK-based Morgan Crucibles) and collaboration with US specialist Coors sparked the growth of its ceramics line.

Today, CUMI operates in over 18 plants in India and in six main overseas sites, located in Russia, China, South Africa, Australia, Thailand and Canada. In addition, the group boasts eight subsidiaries and four JVs. Its products are available in 42 countries and in several key markets it has its own distribution companies and sales alliances.

Product diversity CUMI manufactures and delivers custom-built products and seeks to supply ‘European quality at Asian prices’. For example, with regard to its abrasives business it offers an integrated system solution. Its business strategy is to manufacture at the lowest cost locations in

India, Russia and China and to provide local deliveries using local forces and application engineering within markets including the Americas, Europe and Asia.

The group’s joint venture with Wendt India Ltd and the Chinese-based Jingri-CUMI Super Hard Materials Company Ltd enabled CUMI to reinforce its position within the super abrasives market at global level, while remaining the market leader within India.

The group always seeks to add value in all of the areas in which it operates through offering high end variety and diversity. For example, its range of bonded abrasives comprises in excess of 20,000 varieties. It also supplies a diverse range of metal working fluids for grinding applications, as well as an extensive array of power tools used in metal and wood working, construction and decoration applications.

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Its range of ceramics product lines is equally varied, and it is the established market leader in industrial ceramics in India, where it is also the only manufacturer of metallised ceramics. In addition, CUMI has also carved out its reputation as the Indian market leader in super refractory products, and its ceramics portfolio also includes numerous anticorrosion products as well as bioceramic lines such as ceramic wound dressing solutions. It delivers customised solutions to coal washeries, power plants, 240 Industry Europe

cement plants and steel plants in Australia and the Americas through its local subsidiaries.

CUMI’s ranges of electrominerals include silicon carbide, brown aluminium oxide and white aluminium oxide. It is one of the leading players in aluminium oxide grains within the Indian market. The group also manufactures mullite, bubble alumina and other speciality products in smaller quantities.

In addition, the acquisition of Volzhsky Abrasive Works has made CUMI the

number two player in the world in silicon carbide production. In its Indian production facility, the powdered form of silicon carbide is then converted into photovoltaic cells for higher end market applications.

Leading position CUMI’s R&D programme draws together in-house capabilities and joint programmes with research institutes. It holds over a

dozen patents in various key areas of ceramics and abrasives. It works globally with top research institutes on an ongoing basis, allowing it to remain at the forefront in its field.

This approach, together with the group’s commitment to cutting edge quality, environmental protection and improving local communities through continuous investment in safety and health project gives it a major

competitive strength in these undeniably tough economic times.

CUMI’s strategy involves three key strands: firstly, organic growth based on proven world class processes such as Sigma, Lean etc. The second strand involves inorganic growth through the strategic acquisition of niche technologies and markets. The third is innovative product and n process development.

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STRONG IN ABRASIVES Ekamant AB, based in the town of Markaryd in Sweden, produces coated abrasives for furniture manufacturers and other industrial purposes. Industry Europe looks at the latest from the company.

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kamant offers a wide range of high-quality coated abrasive products to customers throughout the world. Its products can be found in large manufacturing plants to small woodworking shops from China to the USA. In addition to reinforcing its leading position in the wood industry, its aim is to achieve a strong presence within the global metal, automotive and composites industry.

Ekamant’s abrasives cannot be bought in a DIY store. The many different kinds of abrasives sandpaper the company produces are intended to satisfy the specific requirements of wood industries, from making grand pianos to building the cabins of boats or kitchen cabinets.

Ekamant was founded in 1928 and employs around 430 people. Three years ago, it began

to sell abrasive products for metals, car bodywork and for composite materials such as fibreglass. However, abrasives for wood still account for around 90 per cent of the company’s turnover. Ekamant’s origins are in wood, and the wood industry is still the biggest focus.

Ekamant produces abrasives that are designed for use in the wood industry in the form of wide and narrow belts or discs. At its main factory in Småland, the company makes the abrasives in jumbo reels, before sending the reels on to conversion plants placed in the different local markets.

Global supplier Exporting belts directly from its factory in Småland would be expensive, so Ekamant has subsidiaries in various European countries to do the job of converting the reels. Småland is also where the retail giant, IKEA, first began, and Ekamant has been supplying IKEA’s furniture subsidiary, Swedwood, for a number of years. It also sells to small-scale businesses, such as producers of hand-made cabinets.

Globally, Ekamant has subsidiaries in Indonesia, China (Beijing as well as Schenzen), Poland, Estonia and South Africa. Outside these areas it has a distribution network in over 50 countries, many of which it has been working with for a number of years.

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Know-how and automation are both major assets for the company FILATURES ET TISSAGES DE SAULXURES SUR MOSELOTTE in France.

FTS runs 1 spinning and 1 weaving unit with high technical performance for the production of industrial fabrics. These find applications in a wide range of sectors including abrasive coatings supports, special textiles for cable lining, or any other industrial use.

Our ability as a partner for the production of individually tailored coating supports or special technical textiles has been well proven. Developing specific and innovative fabrics in direct collaboration with our business partners has enabled us to constantly diversify and meet the most stringent demands in terms of technical performance. The straight quality concept ‘Made in Vosges’ is a guarantee of the highest standards.

Our facilities include an 8000m2 automated weaving unit specialising in Open End yarns. The spinning unit at Bâmont produces around 18 tonnes of yarn per day, amounting to 10 million meters of fabric yearly. Our raw cotton is chosen with the greatest care and mostly comes from Central Asia and the US, as well as a smaller percentage from Greece and Brazil.

The high quality of our products begins with an independent testing laboratory in Le Havre, following by quality control at the FTS lab.

Customers’ purchasing criteria mainly relates to the fibre quality: its resistance, its fineness, its whiteness and its length. A large number of tests are continuously carried out in the areas of regularity, resistance, metric counting etc, as well as on the running yarn and cloth-fabric production.

Quality criteria – such as weight, resistance and thread count – are closely analysed in our laboratory. Our famous quality standard is what makes us such a reliable business partner and gives us our global reputation.

At a time when change is the only constant, FTS is looking forward to providing stable business and innovative solutions.

+33 329 257 394

www.tgl.fr

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In March 2012 it began a new distribution partnership with the company Stailing, located in Moscow. Stailing is a converting company with extensive experience in the Russian wood industry. The new partnership is part of Ekamant’s long-term strategy to strengthen its presence in eastern Europe and widen the accessibility of its abrasive products.

Range of accessories In addition to its range of coated accessories, Ekamant offers a number of accessories. Its abrasive brushes and brush strips can fit all kinds of machines for finishing and cleaning wood and lacquer. Its finishing concept, meanwhile, includes a wide range of polishing compounds and accessories to achieve a high gloss finish on clear and pigmented lacquers.

It also offers foam-backed abrasives to sand a variety of materials to an adequate finish. These include sanding pads, sanding sponges, super profile pads for sanding narrow profiles, and Ekablue-soft which is suitable for the less aggressive sanding of narrow profiles and hard-to-reach areas.

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In the area of machine accessories, Ekamant produces graphite cloth in various sizes, chevron support belts, backing pads for angle grinders and backing pads for random orbital sanders. Lastly, ‘EKA-BRITE’ is a nonwoven product designed for cleaning and polishing a variety of materials such as wood, metal, composites and all kinds of lacquer and paint.

Extensive know-how Around 90 per cent of Ekamant’s sales come from exports. This is owing in part to its strong local distribution networks which have built up a high level of customer loyalty over the years. All its sales people are technical specialists with extensive knowledge of wood processes. They can offer advice on how to run the sanding machines and can make the right adjustments to them.

Ekamant offers an innovative product in response to the European fashion for hardwood floors. Clearcut is a high performance abrasive with an aluminium oxide grain coating. It is designed for sanding floors made of

hard wood species like oak, cherry, walnut, beech, birch etc. As parquet floors become increasingly popular throughout Europe, Ekamant has developed the Clearcut to follow the more advanced demand and competitiveness of the surface treatment of the hard wood flooring industry. Ekamant’s focus has been to develop a product with paper backing with good pressure and heat durability when used n for tough sanding applications.

OPTIMISING WEAR World leader in providing value added comminution solutions, Belgium-based Magotteaux has been extending its capabilities and its global reach since it became part of a Chilean group.

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dvanced materials specialist Magotteaux develops, manufactures and markets products, services and systems that optimise the comminution processes of its industrial customers. Comminution is the process whereby solid materials are reduced in size by methods such as crushing or grinding. Magotteaux supplies a wide range of optimised solutions to industries involved in comminution, from mining, coal power stations, quarries and large-scale recycling to the dredging industry.

A pioneer in advanced metal, ceramic and composite materials, Magotteaux specialises in developing and manufacturing grinding products and wear resistant parts. Its capabilities are based on a deep understanding of the production processes of its different customers, the specific wear mechanisms (abrasion, corrosion, impact etc) involved and all aspects of the material.

The company’s services cover everything from pre-sales (audits, analyses, diagnoses) and sales (installation, supervision, and fine-

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tuning) to after-sales (performance followup, real-time mill management etc).

Based in Liege, Belgium, and originally operating as a foundry, Magotteaux pioneered the use of composite materials in the manufacturing of high added value products. This patented technology which combines an increased resistance to wear and shocks enables it to offer solutions differentiated from standard steel and iron foundry products. Starting in the late 1980s, the so-called Metal Matrix Composites family now includes several solutions applicable to specific fields:

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Although Magotteaux is not an OEM (Original Equipment Manufacturer), the Group designs and manufactures specific machines such as vertical shaft impactors, classifiers, filling sensors, automated ball addition systems etc, always with a view to optimize the customer total cost of ownership.

Today Magotteaux employs about 2,400 people and has a market footprint of above 450,000 tons of grinding media and castings. The Group operates through a network of 13 production units, located in Europe, North and South America, India, China and Thailand, and 27 sales offices worldwide

as well as several Technical Centers. Total turnover amounted to approximately €550 million in 2011.

New horizons In 2011 Magotteaux became part of the Chilean mining and industrial group Sigdo Koppers SA. This purchase significantly complemented Sigdo Koppers’ business and has made it the leader in the Chilean mining and industrial sectors as well as an important international player.

At the time of the acquisition Juan Pablo Aboitiz, CEO of Sigdo Koppers, commented:

“The purchase of Magotteaux represents a unique milestone in the 50 year history of Sigdo Koppers. It is a demonstration of the company’s aim to add value to the group for the benefit of all its stakeholders. We are delighted that Magotteaux will join our group. It is a superb internationally oriented company, with high quality management and excellent development perspectives. This is why we will retain Magotteaux’s successful existing business model, including its personnel, its brand name and its existing production, R&D and other sites. Magotteaux’s headquarters will also remain in Wallonia. The purchase of Magotteaux is consistent with the group’s decision to focus on the mining and industrial sectors. We plan, with our own resources, to help and support Magotteaux’s expansion plans, and to create a worldwide group provider of mining and industrial services for the benefit of our clients.”

Bernard Goblet, Magotteaux CEO and representative of the owner-managers

declared: “The integration of Magotteaux into SK Group is a superb answer to the search initiated in 2006 for a long term industrial shareholding anchoring for Magotteaux.

Magotteaux Group will be one of the main entities within the SK Group and will maintain significant autonomy. Our integration in the SK group brings new opportunities for our company and for the professional developments of all Magotteaux employees.”

Since becoming part of Sigdo Koppers, Magotteaux has made a number of strategic acquisitions that haven enabled the group to become the only global provider of the complete range of grinding media solutions including low chrome (cast and forged), high chrome and ceramics (beads that are used in ultra-fine grinding stirred mills).

The company’s global expansion also continues. Its most recent development is the opening of a new production unit in Thailand that is entirely dedicated to the manufacturing n of vertical mill parts.

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THE FABRIC OF SUCCESS PGI (Polymer Group Inc.) is one of the world’s leading producers of nonwovens and a global technology-driven developer, producer and marketer of engineered materials. It is currently repositioning itself to meet future growth opportunities.

P

olymer Group Inc. (PGI) is a leading global engineered materials company, focused primarily on the production of nonwovens for the hygiene, wipes, medical, and industrial markets.

With one of the largest global platforms in the industry, PGI operates 13 manufacturing and converting facilities throughout nine countries. More than 3,000 employees worldwide power the company’s purpose – to be the premiere partner of choice for companies seeking innovative products that simply perform better and offer superior

value. PGI achieves this by delivering exceptional customer service and innovative solutions that help its clients succeed.

PGI’s extensive experience makes it a total-systems supplier for many of its clients, which include multi-national and regional consumer and industrial product manufacturers. A big part of what makes this possible is PGI’s global reach and international market expertise.

PGI is strategically located near many of its key customers in order to increase its effectiveness in addressing local and regional demand.

Its manufacturing facilities reach across North and South America, Asia and Europe. In Europe alone it has plants in France, Spain and the Netherlands.

Hygiene and healthcare PGI is the leading global supplier of nonwoven fabrics for hygiene products. It meets demanding specifications for components in baby care (diapers and training pants), adult care (adult incontinence diapers, underwear, briefs and pads and bed under-pads) and feminine care (napkins, panty liners and tampons).

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In the healthcare sector PGI is the number one global supplier of nonwoven fabrics for infection control, medical apparel and wound care.

Its products are used in surgical gowns and patient drapes, healthcare worker and patient apparel (isolation gowns, patient gowns, headwear, footwear, warm-up jackets, scrub suits, lab coats, etc.), face masks, wound care substrates, CSR wrap and transfer wrap and medical accessories (Back table covers, Mayo stand covers, patient screens, bed linens, baby blankets, etc.)

Cleaning fabrics PGI is also the premier worldwide manufacturer of nonwoven cleaning fabrics and finished packaged wipes. Its Chicopee subsidiary is built on more than 60 years of experience as a former Johnson & Johnson company and today offers a wide array of wiping products to meet every consumer and professional need. PGI operates two Chicopee divisions: North America and Europe. Each location provides unrivalled expertise in wiping applications and industry-leading technology that delivers high quality products with enhanced characteristics, such as superior absorbency, strength, durability and softness. Chicopee Europe provides finished, packaged wipes

and roll goods engineered for automotive, aftermarket, foodservice, building care, industry, health care, consumer home care and consumer personal care applications.

Industrial fabrics PGI’s Industrial Group offers a broad range of high-performance and high-value engineered fabrics that employ a variety of process technologies, fibers and resins to create the right system for any application.

Its Construction, Cable Wrap and Home Furnishings products include fabrics for flooring, concrete reinforcement fibers, telecommunications cable wrap, house wrap, window shades, bedding and flame retardant components and furniture. Its Agriculture, Filtration and Food Packaging products serve applications in air and liquid filtration, components for filtration, tea bags, food tray liners and thermal packaging. Automotive & Acoustics product applications include trunk liners, wheel well liners, package trays, partial mold barrier, dash insulator, deck lid and auto acoustics.

Planning for the future In 2012 PGI announced began implementing a new internal operating framework – realigning and repositioning its organization to consolidate the benefits of its global footprint, align resources and capabilities with future

growth opportunities, and provide for a more efficient structure to serve existing markets.

The major components of the organizational change include heightening the focus of concentrated resources around PGI’s global markets, with a consolidated strategic approach to each of its geographies and scalable innovation capabilities, gaining further efficiencies through a focused and standardized approach to world-class operational excellence across the supply chain and combining the strengths of the company’s existing U.S. and Latin American footprint to create a consolidated Americas region that contains greater efficiencies to serve broader markets.

“PGI has evolved from a collection of segregated companies and units in the 1990s to our current globally organized company with four, major regional footprints,” said Veronica M. Hagen, chief executive officer. “We are now ready to move the company boldly to new levels of competency, ready and capable of realizing the full potential of our global footprint for competitive advantage.”

These changes are the result of PGI’s long-term planning and evaluation to respond to market dynamics, resource new growth opportunities, and benefit from the company’s global scale. In designing the new operating framework, PGI is creating a more sustainable future for its customers and employees. n

SETTING NEW STANDARDS IN ELECTRIC RAIL TRANSPORTATION 252 Industry Europe

Koncar Electric Vehicles is a regional market leader in the development and manufacture of eco-friendly, electric rail transport systems. Philip Yorke talked to Tomica Kolman the company’s sales director about its latest ‘low level entry’ electric multiple units, its advanced modular trams and its eco-friendly locomotives.

K

oncar Electric Vehicles was founded in Zagreb in 1970 under the name Electric Locomotives as part of the Koncar Electrical Industries Group of Croatia. The company has specialised from the outset in designing and producing energy-efficient electric rail vehicles and equipment. Koncar Electric Vehicles is headquartered in Jankomir, an industrial area of Zagreb where its modern state-of-the-art factory is located.

This extensive facility was designed specifically for the development and assembly of rail vehicles and is strategically located close to the city’s main road and rail networks.

The main products and services offered today include the development, design and manufacture of locomotives, trams, electric multiple units and light rail vehicles. In addition, the company provides fully warranted after-sales technical support, as well as a full rebuilding, refurbishing and repairing service for all its electric rail vehicles and equipment.

Koncar has always been committed to an on going programme of research and development and in the early 1980s it

developed one of the world’s first ‘thyristorised’ electric drive locomotives, thus setting new standards in energy-efficient rail travel. Based upon this outstanding success, Koncar initiated the production of a new generation of tram cars in the 1990s, which in turn inspired the company’s current on going development of light weight rail vehicles. Today the Koncar Electrical Group employs more than 4000 people and in 2011 recorded sales of over €400 million.

A growing market for ‘green’, energy-efficient vehicles Koncar is seeing a significant increase in demand for the latest versions of its TMK 2200 and TMK2100 model city trams. The TMK2200 is an ergonomically designed 100 per cent low-floor tram with an articulated body consisting of three to five passenger compartments. These tramcars offer air conditioning, ergonomic seating and panoramic windows, in addition to fine-tuned hydraulic suspension with rubber cushioned wheels for optimal ride comfort. The com-

pany’s main customers for these state-ofthe-art ‘green’ vehicles are in its domestic market with the prospect of selling to Turkey, Serbia, Bulgaria, Bosnia, Romania, Hungary, Macedonia – the list goes on.

This TMK2200 has been serving the people of Zagreb since 2005 and to date more than 140 low-floor trams have been delivered. The new TMK2100 tramcar is a three-part modular city vehicle designed for the transportation needs of a larger number of passengers and is a kind of predecessor to TMK 2200. A total of 16 DC driven trams were delivered to Zagreb’s main tramcar operator, ZET Zagreb, during the 1990.

Kolman said. “The Koncar Electronics group is composed of 20 integrated engineering companies, all of which are committed to delivering the most energyefficient and cost-effective, electric rail transport vehicles. Together we are able to offer an unrivalled range of products and services from transformers, specialised vehicle equipment and testing facilities to complete, ready-to-run locomotives, trains

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Thermo King Athenia™ Modules Provide Increased Energy and Operational Efficiency The recently launched Thermo King Athenia™ range of bus air conditioning modules helps transit agencies save energy, lower costs and increase sustainability. The new modules can be used in hybrid and diesel engine driven buses.

The Athenia™ modules feature cutting edge technology which consists of a welded design that keeps refrigerant hermetically contained and meets anticipated environmental regulations from the European Commission and other governing bodies which will require reduced CO2 emissions.

The modules combine the hermetic system with Thermo King exclusive power electronics which in independent benchmark tests demonstrate a 15 percent reduction in energy consumption.

The design and simplified installation of the Athenia™ modules contribute to improved performance, reliability and reduced maintenance requirements.

and tramcars. Our modern production plants produce all our rolling stock and our assembly lines are supplemented by the components produced by other divisions within the Koncar Group.

“Everything that is produced by Koncar is developed and designed in-house with the exception of standard parts such as the wheels, air-conditioners, windows etc, so therefore all the design and technical knowhow is our own property, which includes everything from the design and development of motors, bogies and power-trains, to the overall design and testing of the completed passenger vehicle.

“Like all other engineering companies we are focused on developing more energyefficient processes and power units and our goal is to optimise every stage of production and create the most environmentally friendly engines possible. All our manufacturing and management processes are certified to meet the highest EU regulations including ISO9001 2008 and in relation to environmental protection, ISO14001. This also applies to the new diesel/electric trains that we are producing for countries where the terrain and power grids are not able to offer 100 per cent electrical supply coverage. In July this year we will become full members of the EU and this will open new doors for us in terms of exports.

Currently our main export region has been clearly focused on the former Yugoslavian and surrounding countries. However, in the near future we will be in a position to attract customers from both the EU and the former Soviet-block countries.”

Advanced electric multiple units Koncar maintains its leadership position in its chosen markets thanks to an on going commitment to continuous product devel-

opment. Kolman added, “Only companies which are able to base production upon research, can survive in this very demanding market. The synergy of our human and production technology resources has resulted in the development of an entirely new product; the low-floor electric multiple unit (EMU), which has been developed to meet the most stringent European and international standards.” The company’s low-floor EMU is considered to be its ‘knowledge product’ and a sum of its intellectual property and advanced technology.

This in turn has created new value in its

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electric-rail market sector and a platform for the company’s strong growth in the future.

The new EMU from Koncar boasts a number of innovative features including its own programming support system and comprehensive diagnostic monitoring devices, as well as smooth asynchronous drive systems with vector regulation. These units are capable of 160km/h with standing spaces for 250 and for 144 seated passengers, with vacuum toilets located in each compartment. These new high-tech vehicles are already in daily operation with the Bosnia and Herzegovina Federal railways and Croatian Railways. n

GEARS FOR INDUSTRY With 60 years of experience, know how and innovation, IG Watteeuw International NV provides gears, components and gear solutions to a broad range of industries.

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F

ounded in 1949 by Alfons Watteeuw, Industrial Gears Watteeuw, today headquartered in Oostkamp, Belgium, is specialised in manufacturing gears, components and solutions around the globe. The company has production sites in Belgium, Czech Republic, Romania and the People’s Republic of China.

Its principal focus is on low and medium lotsizes for railway, wind, marine, agriculture, compressor, aerospace, and lithography.

Today Watteeuw is a member company of the Gears Division of the Belgian BMT Group, an industrial, family-owned holding company

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with operations in glass and gears technology; It comprises several companies which are global market leaders in their fields. BMT Group’s aim is to achieve continuous profitable growth in all its divisions.

Whenever unique gear or component solution is required, Watteeuw comes to mind. It provides individualised gear and component solutions to enhance the business of OEMs, gearbox-leaders and the spare part market.

The company’s customers can rely on top quality products, individual customer service, research and development support and

logistic integration in their supply chain.

To quickly respond to global demand, Watteeuw’s production plants worldwide are all specialized in gear, shaft and assembly activities, including turning, hobbing, shaping, shaving, grinding, heat- and surface treatments and quality control.

The company’s portfolio of High quality and unique gears up to 2 meters in diameter are manufactured through state of the art ecological and lean processes. All gfear production is completely vertically integrated, including heat-treatment.

Global production Watteeuw’s production network is geared up to serve different markets in the best possible way, and that means managing market-oriented manufacturing units focused on lean manufacturing principles.

Watteeuw believes production units that specialise in serving different sections of the market not only offer greater flexibility in production but also allow it to respond to changing market conditions in the most cost-effective way. The factory in Suzhou, China, for example, manufactures and

assembles components, gears and transmissions. It started as a joint venture with the local manufacturer Amtech Precision Machinery Co. Ltd in 2001, but Watteeuw acquired 100 per cent of the venture at the beginning of 2006 The facility in Fraser, Michigan, is largely an assembly plant and distribution centre for transmissions, whereas the factory in Iasi, Romania, is an integrated supplier of machined components and finished gears. The inauguration of the Romanian facility in 1998 was seen as something of pioneering move for a Belgian

manufacturing company but it proved to be an excellent low-cost solution.

Watteeuw’s Czech subsidiary, IG Watteeuw ČR s.r.o., was founded in 1996, originally under the name of BMT ČR s.r.o. used until 2006, with the main focus on the production of gearbox components and gearbox assembly.

In the first four years, gearbox production prevailed over gearbox assembly, but from 2000, the ratio of manufactured parts to assembled gearboxes started to change markedly thanks to the contracts the company won for gearbox deliveries for railway, tramway and metro train manufacturers.

The world-renowned manufacturer of train sets, Siemens has become its biggest customer. It also supplies many other major customers in the rail industry including: Bombardier, Alstom France, Alstom China, CAF, Elin, Hitachi, Lucchini, Ansaldobreda, Mitsubishi Electronic, Vossloh etc. It also supplies Leitner (mountain cableway manufacturer), Airbus (aircraft manufacturer) and n farming machine manufacturers.

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FAST FLOWING INNOVATION Sulzer Pumps is a global leader in the development and manufacture of high-performance pumps and solutions. Philip Yorke looks at a company that continues to expand and diversify, whilst producing some of the most innovative technological advances in its sector.

T

he foundation stone for the multinational Sulzer company was laid by Jakob Sulzer-Neuffert, who established a foundry at Winterthur, Switzerland in 1834.

The company began by producing cast iron ingots but soon moved into the design and manufacture of products to meet the growing demands of the new industrial age.

The company’s fire fighting pumps and textile machinery quickly elevated Sulzer to that of market leader and it was soon to be recognised as a major innovator of specialised pumps for industry. The same quest

for innovation and high-quality engineering continues to be the driving force behind the company today, which is one that leads the field in high performance industrial pumps.

Today, Sulzer Pumps is a leading global provider in its areas of expertise. The company offers a wide range of products for engineered, configured and standard pumping solutions, and related equipment.

Sulzer Pumps’ key customers come from the oil and gas sectors, power generation, pulp and paper, water and wastewater and general industries.

Innovative technology and acquisitions boost sales Innovation has been the cornerstone of Sulzer Pumps’ success through the years and it underlies all its business activities today. Therefore, innovation is of crucial importance and a continuous priority for Sulzer Pumps, who continue to develop new, cutting-edge technologies for its customers. The latest examples include the new multi-phase subsea pump for oil production, and new technologies for advanced pumping solutions for the desali-

Sulzer Pumps’ subsea custom-built capacity test pool in Leeds, UK

Sulzer Pumps’ manufacturing in Bruchsal, Germany

Sulzer Pumps’ manufacturing facility for custom engineered high-energy pumps in Leeds, UK

nation industry. This is in addition to new technological concepts for the concentrated solar-power (CSP) markets.

Recently, Sulzer Pumps and FMC Technologies, Inc. signed a long-term and exclusive collaboration agreement for the supply of pumps for subsea applications and the further development of pumping technology of Sulzer Pumps. To prove the technology, a full-scale, complete pump/motor unit has been built, fully submerged and successfully tested at Sulzer Pumps’ engineered test pool in Leeds, UK. The company’s latest

solution will offer higher performance, and an even more reliable and cost-effective subsea boosting system for the oil and gas upstream markets.

China, thus bringing its most advanced pump technology to China for oil and gas production, hydrocarbon processing and for the support of various power generation markets.

Further strategic acquisitions took place in 2012, including the significant purchase of a leading provider of pumps and related equipment for the diverse global waste water markets. This strategic acquisition promotes Sulzer Pumps to that of a leading player in an area of growing global significance. In a similar move in 2012, another leading pump company was also purchased in Spain, in

Global facilities and service networks Sulzer Pumps has a global network of 21 manufacturing facilities worldwide with additional sales and service centres in more than 150 locations. To add to this unrivalled international capability, in 2010 the company invested over CHF30 million in a new, purpose built, state-of-the-art pump facility in Suzhou,

Sulzer Pumps Multiphase Subsea Pump System

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1 Hawke Street, Sheffield, S9 2SU Tel: +44(0)114 244 6708 | Fax: +44(0)114 244 3717 | Email: sales@ambco.co.uk

www.ambco.co.uk AMB Ltd. is a Sheffield based Precision Engineering Company involved in the manufacture of fully machined sub-contract components including Stellite™ and Colmonoy™ Hardfaced Wearparts, designed for wear-resistance, corrosion-resistance and heat resistant applications.

AMB Ltd. offer high quality machined components in a range of the preferred materials of modern industry.

We have a well-equipped machining facility together with a highly skilled workforce who are able to offer a wide range of machining operations and produce high quality, finished components to customer requirements.

A comprehensive wear control service is offered utilizing weld deposition methods for Cobalt and Nickel based alloys to a multitude of industries including; Pump, Valve, Oil & Gas, Petrochemical, Power Generation and the Steel manufacturing Industry.

AMB Ltd. has worked closely with The Sulzer Group within the UK and Mainland Europe for over 30 years, and have become a highly respected supplier in meeting the demands of modern Industry.

Hard-Facing processes on offer at AMB Ltd. include: CNC and manual overlaying using: Plasma Transferred Arc (PTA), Tungsten Inert Gas (TIG), Powder Spray and Flame Spray-fused coatings, with in-house Heat Treatment capabilities.

We have a comprehensive CNC capacity including Wire erosion and Electrical Discharge Machining (EDM), Multi-Axis CNC Turning, Milling, Grinding, Lapping and Honing, as would be expected of a modern machining facility.

Nickel based super alloys, Duplex, Super-duplex as well as conventional stainless steels, are typical materials we supply.

The Company demands exacting standards of quality and incorporates NDT including Dye Penetrate Inspection (DPI) as well as Positive Material Identification (PMI), and works within BS EN ISO 9001/2008, ASME and DEF STAN qualified welding standards.

order to reinforce the division’s presence in key water markets in Europe, the Middle East and Africa. Sulzer Pumps’ offering of water transport and desalination pumps was further enhanced due to these strategic acquisitions and its global service network strengthened as a result. Furthermore, a number of additional service centres, located in China, Columbia and Russia, were also added to Sulzer Pumps’ growing portfolio.

Expanding presence in emerging markets Sulzer Pumps continues to enhance its global footprint and to bring innovation and new solutions to improve its customers’ productivity performance. Recently the company’s presence in the emerging markets was expanded with additional service centres and a new packaging facility in South Korea.

Jacques deSalis, vice president sales Europe for Sulzer Pumps said, “Sulzer Pumps is committed to deliver the same high-quality pumping solutions and services to customers according to market and customer needs and remains the leading

pumping system solutions provider in the world. The company continues to drive technology leadership with an increased global presence and an increased offering of customer support services. In addition to further operational performance enhancements across the company, we are also committed to developing our people as well as further efficiency improvements, in order to meet the changing requirements of both our customers and the global market.”

Delivering high performance solutions worldwide A key strength of Sulzer Pumps is its extensive global presence and coverage in more than 150 locations worldwide. Recent major contracts awarded to Sulzer Pumps are testament to the performance and quality of their products. For example, the company will supply advanced pumping solutions for several Concentrated Solar Power (CSP) projects in Spain and India. These significant orders include the design, manufacture and installation of cooling water pumps, feed-water pumps, condensate extraction pumps and auxiliary pump pack-

ages. These major contracts further reinforce Sulzer Pumps’ position and commitment as a major supplier to the global CSP market.

Another success story relates to the supply of high-pressure feed pumps to several major Russian refineries that are undergoing major hydrocracking upgrade projects.

The scope provides for high-pressure feed pumps, which will supply feedstock to the process at high pressure and high temperatures and are the most important item of the refinery equipment.

In the dewatering industry too, Sulzer Pumps has been selected to supply 12 large dewatering pump sets to a copper mine in Zambia, which is one of the largest construction projects currently being undertaken in that country. Through its supply of high-efficiency pumps and superior–wear coatings, Sulzer Pumps will contribute to the reduction of energy consumption and overall life-cycle costs of mining equipment, whilst maintaining n the full productivity of the mine.

For further details about Sulzer Pumps’ high-tech products and services, visit: www.sulzer.com

SHAPING THE FUTURE OF

GLASS TECHNOLOGY With decades of know-how in glass processing and creating customized solutions, SCHOTT Flat Glass is the preferred partner of the household appliance industry.

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CHOTT is an international technology group with more than 125 years of experience in the areas of specialty glasses and materials and advanced technologies.

SCHOTT ranks number one in the world with many of its products. Its core markets are the household appliance, pharmaceuticals, electronics, optics, solar power, transportation and architecture industries.

The SCHOTT Group maintains close proximity to its customers with manufacturing and sales units in 35 different countries.

Its workforce of around 16,000 employees generated worldwide sales of approximately 2 billion euros for the 2011/2012 fiscal year, of which 86 per cent was generated outside of Germany. SCHOTT AG has its headquarters in Mainz, Germany, and operatesmManufacturing sites and sales offices in 35 countries. The Group is owned by the Carl Zeiss Foundation.

Home appliance solutions One of eight business units within the Group, SCHOTT Flat Glass creates aesthetic and custom glass solutions for home appliances

such as ovens, gas cookers, refrigerators, dishwashers, washing machines and in the area of kitchen and living.

SCHOTT® Flat Glass is a thermally toughened (tempered) float glass produced from a variety of raw materials. Available types include clear float, extra white, heat reflective, tinted and Stopsol®.

Due to its mechanical and thermal properties, processed toughened float glass or tempered glass is ideally used as a component in home appliances, commercial refrigeration applications and many other industrial areas.

SCHOTT’s products for ovens include optimized and customized glass solutions with a great variety of oven doors and control panels including control panels in different shapes and sizes, special printing on oven doors and low emissivity oven door glass.

SCHOTT® Hob Tops for gas cooking can be produced in almost unlimited styles: Satin, frosted, unlimited colours or mirror like. For brilliant results, clear float, tinted glass, coated glass with mirror effect, or extra white glasses are also available. The

company also offers a wide range of refrigerator shelves and decorative glass panels for refrigerator doors. .

SCHOTT® Flat Glass also offers a broad range of glass solutions for the kitchen itself - wherever special or highly aesthetic requirements are to be fulfilled. These include splash backs, glass sinks, cutting boards and worktop savers.

SCHOTT Flat Glass also produces highperformance solutions for commercial food display. Self-closing, condensation-free door systems are essential to displaying foods at the right temperature, while incurring the lowest possible energy cost. SCHOTT Termofrost® glass doors are the perfect choice for use in all types of cold rooms and cooler cabinets to display and store chilled products down to +2°C, and frozen goods down to -25°C.

Continuing innovation In 2012 SCHOTT launched two product innovations via the home appliance manufacturer Whirlpool.

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SCHOTT® CleanPlus is the most advanced easy-to-clean coating for inner oven doors with the longest lasting performance available on the market. A quick wipe with a damp microfiber cloth is all that is needed to remove food residues from the glass and restore the glass to its original perfection. This state-of-theart treatment repels spills and dirt from the glass surface, thus allowing it to be cleaned with minimal effort.

SCHOTT® CleanPlus retains its easy-toclean function for much longer than any other product on the market. Its benefits include outstanding durability and resistance to high temperatures and mechanical impact as well as chemical resistance. And because this treatment layer is invisible, it does not alter the colour of the glass. .

The other new product innovation of 2012 is SCHOTT® SeeClear. This SCHOTT innovation provides completely new design possibilities for mirror coated glasses.

Whirlpool launched this innovation in its BlackLine special edition of appliances from Bauknecht that consists of a built-in oven, a combi microwave and a combi steamer. In the BlackLine SCHOTT® SeeClear is used as an innovative frame design with mirror coating in the center and a black frame around, this provides a very special effect with different appearances of the glass oven front depending on the visual angle.

SCHOTT® SeeClear can also be used for control panels where it improves the usability, i.e. operating and display elements of home appliances become more visible

and more user-friendly. SCHOTT® SeeClear is a new technology that allows for mirror coatings on the front side of the glass to be removed in certain areas. This, in turn, opens up innovative new design options for appliance makers because it enables virtually any type of pattern or customer-specific design to be applied to the surface of mirror coated glasses, including even 3D patterns. Highlighted brand logos and design elements are other possibilities to apply this new technology.

Tenth anniversary in Turkey The Turkish company Orim has been part of SCHOTT Flat Glass BV for ten years now. During this period, SCHOTT Orim has managed to double its sales, furthermore expanded its staff from 350 employees in

2002 to nearly 600 today. The company serves its customers in Europe and Turkey from its headquarters in Çerkezköy and its second production site in Bolu.

The joint venture SCHOTT Flat Glass BV - that still traded under the name SCHOTT Glaverbel at the time - acquired the Turkish flat glass processing company Orim in 2003.

“Since then, we have managed to improve the quality of our products from year to year. Nevertheless, many new innovations, including high-quality refrigerator shelving systems and new business with glass for extractor hoods, have also contributed to our growth,” says Miguel Seidenfaden, head of SCHOTT Flat Glass. “The fact that we manufacture in a much more environmentally friendly manner today is yet another one n of our successful achievements.”.

Pemco International Pemco International is the leading global manufacturer of high performance coatings. For over 100 years we have been partnering with customers and suppliers around the world to introduce breakthrough solutions to the industry. Driven by innovation and a commitment to sustainability we are dedicated to the research, development and manufacture of products which today are indispensable in household appliances. Our highly temperature- and chemical resistant coatings are used on all kind of substrates as glasses for cookers, microwaves, fridges, cooking plates, further on metal cavities, burner caps, supports, pots and pans . Due to the principal mineral nature of our products they are sustainable, environmental friendly and physiological safe.

With a strong foundation in our existing markets, we are a growth-oriented entrepreneurial business, exploring opportunities to apply our skills and capabilities and bring innovation also to many other segments as mobility, health, energy & water.

‘Pemco - delivering today, developing for tomorrow’

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ADVERTISERSINDEX A Ahola Transport Oy AB Alfaplast SpA ALTEO Gardanne Alu Menziken Extrusion AG AMB Ltd Angenstein AG Annovi Reverberi SpA

H P 211 P 170 P 244 P 148 P 264 P 153 P 103

B Backstroms Mekaniska I Hofors AB P 196 Bamberger Kaliko GmbH P 244 Bategu Gummitechnologie GmbH & Co. KG P 256 Bekaert Bohumin sro P 81 Bitzer Kuhlmaschinenbau GmbH Outside back

H.Obrist & Co. AG Haenseler AG Hahl Filaments GmbH Harting Electric GmbH & Co. KG HOF Sonderanlagenbau GmbH

R P 164 P 215 P 188 P 44 P 222

Reiff Technische Produkte GmbH Rockwool AS Rolls-Royce Marine AS Rolls-Royce Marine AS Rothstein Draht GmbH Ruval International Srl

P 193 P 141 P 98

S

I Innse Cilindri ISOLITE GmbH Iviltra

J Jaana Transport Oy Jacam SA JM Separations BV

P 212 P 32 P 229

C C.A.R. – Centro Applicazioni Robots Srl Calcutta NV Camot SAS Ceratizit Deutschland GmbH Chimical Express Srl Chimico Oy Con. S.A.R. Soc. Coop Contitech Luftfedersysteme GmbH CTR Carbidedies Ltd

P 32 P 110 P 84 P 62 P 94 P 210 P 87 P 257 P 48

Dannenmann GmbH Delcon Oy DFD Cleanroom

P 152 P 145 P 222

E E Johnson & Sons Electronicon Kondensatoren GmbH ESL Shipping Ltd Eurocable Euromin SA Exide Technologies AS

P 133 P 144 P 210 P 178 P 207 P 102

F Faroil Srl Ferraro Group Flexso Srl Flogas Sverige AB Fortron Source Europa GmbH Fronius International GmbH

Kalottispedition Oy Kingo Karlsen AS Kirchhoff & Lehr GmbH Knorr-Bremse GmbH Kojzar Ltd Sp z.o.o.

KVT Fastening

P 37 P 58 P 66 P 255 P 98 P 126

L P 110 P 107

M Maxximap Meccaniche Morandi Srl Modelos Arno S. Coop Montan Group Multi’s Munksjö Arches SAS Munksjö Arches SAS Musterbuch sro Muuntösahkö Oy – Trafox

P 110 P 32 P 204 P 185 P 123 P 240 P 245 P 110 P 144

N P 32 P 169 P 70 P 196 P 126 P 44

G Gala Kunststoff und Kautschukmaschinen GmbH Garden Decorator Inc GEA Happel Belgium NV/SA Ghani Rasheed & Co GNB Industrial Power GR Produkter AB Grundfos

K

Lienesch BV Linak Actuator-System BV

D

Nautisk Forlag AS

P 174

O Obermeilen Oleochimica Italia Srl Omnova Performance Chemicals

P 165 P 94 P 251

P 114 P 218 P 118 P 107 P 91 P 168

Pemco International PET Processors (UK) L.L.C Petrus SA/NV Pixy AG Platex sro Poesia Holding AG Procudan AS

Saati SpA SAI Life Science Sartorius Stedim UK Limited Schaffner Group Schlüter & Maack GmbH Schmiedewerk Stoos Schmidlin Drapp SA Seco Tools Benelux Secop GmbH Sepiol SA Siderstamp SAS SIG Combibloc AG Sika Poland Sp. Z.o.o.

Sirius d.o.o.

Specodlew Sp z.o.o Step–Tec AG Synthesis SpA

P 268 P 223 P 229 P 42 P 156 P 152 P 157 P 261 Inside front P 98 P 70 P 165 P 75 P 254 P 29 P 40 P 94

T T-Plasztik Kft. P 129 Tata International Limited Inside back Tecomec Srl P 102 Teknosystem Spolka z.o.o.

P 137 Tes Technika P 75 Thermo King P 256 Tissus Gisele P 245 Trem Engineering P 264 Tyrolit – Schleifmittelwerke Swarovski KG P 249

U UK Dies Group Ltd Ultimate Europe Transportation Equipment GmbH

P 48 P 254

V Viteria Euganea SpA Voith Turbo GmbH & Co. KG

P 170 P 258

W

P P 232

P 103 P 78 P 174 P 182 P 189 P 168

P 268 P 237 P 98 P 254 P 244 P 55 P 225

Werner Thelan OHG World Courier Denmark

P 201 P 228

Z Zakłady Poligraficzne AJG

P 161