Spring 2014 www.bannerbatteries.com
TION COMPLE 2014 MN IN AUTU E-MOBILITY
AGM TECHNOLOGY FOR THE BMW I3
NEW HIGH-BAY WAREHOUSE CUSTOMER SERVICE
Banner WEBSHOP WILL BE ONLINE SOON
AUTOMECHANIKA 2014
INFO AND FUN AT THE Banner MOUNTAIN LODGE
SPACE FOR ANOTHER 10,000 PALLETS.
THE POWER COMPANY
Banner
EDITORIAL
Dear Reader, Although for Banner the 2013/14 financial year had its ups and downs, we were nonetheless able to emulate the group’s sales revenues of the preceding twelve months. This was due largely to business with AGM batteries for environment-friendly, start-stop vehicles. Over 20 per cent of our production volume already relates to this segment and therefore the further development of this battery technology constitutes a major focus of our research activities. We are particularly proud of the latest quality awards for our products. In December 2013, the respected Swedish organisation Testfakta honoured our Power Bull premium battery with a “best in test” rating. Moreover, in March 2014, the readership of the influential motoring magazine “Auto, Motor & Sport” once again named Banner as one of Germany’s best-known battery brands. In order to further improve customer satisfaction, we have planned numerous activities. The enlargement of our warehousing capacity by an additional 10,000 pallet spaces will enhance both the availability of our products and our ability to deliver punctually. Furthermore, the Banner Webshop will offer our clientele an additional, efficient ordering possibility and with the Banner Service Tool, in 2014 we will be bringing onto the market a simple aid for the exchange of batteries in start-stop vehicles. As an innovative and future-oriented partner, we look forward to a continuation of our excellent teamwork in 2014.
Mag. Thomas Bawart Technical CEO
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Andreas Bawart Commercial CEO
BÜFFELPOST
Banner
PROJECT
MORE SPACE – MORE POWER
FACTBOX
IN ORDER TO BE ABLE TO BETTER COVER DEMAND DURING SEASONAL PEAKS, A MODERN, FULLY AUTOMATIC HIGH-BAY WAREHOUSE HAS BEEN UNDER CONSTRUCTION AT THE LINZ PLANT SINCE AUTUMN 2013.
FULLY AUTOMATIC HIGH-BAY WAREHOUSE OBJECTIVES:
In cooperation with Messrs TGW from Wels in Upper Austria, the work will be concluded in autumn 2014. The new high-bay facility will then offer 10,000 additional spaces for the storage of our products. The warehouse at the Banner plant in Linz will have a length of 78m and a height of 20m. The 10,000 additional pallets will be stored along three lanes in double rows with two pallets always one behind the other. The transfer from battery assembly to the warehouse will take place fully automatically using AGVs. These have an intelligent control
system that ensures smooth warehouse administration. The pallets are controlled fully automatically via their contours and weights, and are then handed over to the transport system. Pallets that are unsuitable for storage are automatically transferred to a predetermined area for NIO (not in order) items and are thus removed from the high-bay warehouse.
• Saving of external storage costs. • Space savings and increased material flow efficiency. • Possibility of further warehouse enlargement.
FACTS & FIGURES: • High-bay storage silo with three rows and double pallet stacking • Approx. 10,000 spaces
The new storage facility will be protected against fire by an oxygen reduction system. This injects nitrogen into the atmosphere, thereby lowering the oxygen concentration in the air to a point at which combustion is impossible.
• Three shelf stackers • Pallet transport technology • System control • Warehouse management system
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THE POWER COMPANY
Banner
SELECT CHARGERS
INNOVATIVE CHARGING TECHNOLOGY FROM Banner AN INTERVIEW WITH JOSEF BERGER, THE INDUSTRIAL BATTERY BUSINESS AREA MANAGER. In line with its reputation as a complete supplier, Banner naturally provides the ideal charger for every type of battery. Banner chargers are intelligent devices, which not only stand out due to their attractive design, but above all technical innovations. Successful active inverter technology with the revolutionary Ri charging process (8 kW and 16 kW performance classes) adapts to the needs of the battery and only feeds in current to the extent that is actually required. How do Banner SELECT chargers differ from standard devices? As a rule, chargers operate Conversion of AC into DC (electrical process using 50 Hz transformer technology, HF or AIT. 7% power loss.
Energy input (100% AC)
with a pre-set, fixed charging characteristic and are not adaptable to the battery status. In standard chargers, the excess energy is transformed into heat and is thus lost.
losses during both the initial charging and post-charging phases. The cool and protective charging provided by the Ri process guarantees maximum battery life.
Does Banner technology now allow the use of this excess energy? Banner SELECT charging technology only provides the amount of energy that a battery can absorb. As a result, the battery does not heat up unnecessarily and the energy efficiency of the charging process is thus increased. The adjustment of the current to the interior resistance of the battery enables the prevention of energy
What other characteristics does the new Banner SELECT possess? Apart from a reduction in the energy requirement, the charging device is itself some ten per cent lighter and more compact. In addition, the possibility of on-the-spot servicing enables the avoidance of tiresome downtimes. LED strips across the entire width of the device show the battery status, while indirect ventilation ensures that no dust settles on the live parts.
Battery charging using a characteristic. The better the characteristic, the greater the amount of energy that can be stored by the battery (electro-chemical process).
Energy available for charging
93% charger efficiency
Innovative & powerful: the SELECT chargers
Energy available for industrial trucks
90% charging efficiency
Service • For the first time, Banner charging device components can be exchanged or refitted on the spot. • Servicing can be completed by service technicians. • Data storage. Even if defect components are replaced on the spot, all the relevant data remains stored in the device.
Ri process efficiency of 84% (= overall efficiency level)
Difference in the level of efficiency between standard chargers and SELECT
BATTERY EXCHANGES
The Banner BATTERY SERVICE TOOL NEW ON THE MARKET. Banner’s in-house developed service device for the exchange of batteries in vehicles with battery management systems has been on the market since May. This practical tool facilitates battery changes in modern start-stop vehicles of complex design and allows workshops to avoid expensive investments in comprehensive diagnosis stations. Ideally, the manual device is used in vehicle component companies, tyre retailers, quick service operations and independent workshops, which apart from battery sales also offer battery changes as a service.
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The Banner Battery Service Tool gives an automatic recommendation regarding the suitable replacement battery, erases the special manufacture error code that in the case of battery wear indicates the need for a change, and reads the new battery into the vehicle system. In particular, this practical tool is indispensable as an aid when dealing with BMW, Audi and VW models.
When it comes to battery changes, the Banner Battery Service Tool is indispensable.
BÜFFELPOST © BMW AG
Banner
E-MOBILITY
BUFFALO POWER FOR THE NEW BMW i3 Banner AGM BATTERY BRINGS ELECTRICAL SYSTEM STABILITY. As a supplement to its lithium-ion battery, the BMW i3 is also fitted with a small Banner Running Bull BackUp battery. This AGM battery stabilises the vehicle’s electrical system and supplies the 12V consumers (e.g. interior lighting). As a consequence, the BMW i3 packs genuine buffalo power!
Above all, the Banner Running Bull AGM stands out due to a combination of top starting performance and three times the cyclical resistance of conventional starter batteries. Moreover, the BackUp battery incorporates recombination technology and is thus maintenance-free. These features
nning Bull
Banner Ru
BackUp
make it an ideal energy store that can withstand the extreme loads derived from the multiple starting procedures in modern start/stop vehicles. The Banner Running Bull is also able to deal with the permanent charging and discharging processes in micro-hybrid vehicles.
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THE POWER COMPANY
Banner
R&D
WHICH BATTERY TECHNOLOGY IS BEST FOR START-STOP MICRO HYBRID SYSTEMS?
From 2015 at the latest, the new start-stop hybrid systems will represent a standard feature. This transformation must also be reflected by battery technology modifications, as with this new technology the battery must make an increasing contribution to the supply of the vehicle’s electrical system.
Energy recovery is a battery technology challenge In order to use their storage capacity to the full, batteries must be able to accommodate a marked charging increase, demonstrate higher cyclical resistance and enhanced robustness with regard to deep discharge. The employment of additives such as special carbon products in the active mass can have a decisive influence upon these characteristics. Indeed, tests on the next AGM battery generation have already provided highly promising results.
external influences and as opposed to standard starter batteries, also demonstrate superior cyclical resistance. In future, this type of battery will also have to incorporate an even higher degree of cyclical immunity in extreme ambient temperatures and still greater cold start reliability. Banner testing has already shown that above all, a construction with optimised internal resistance derived from efficient separator materials in combination with an especially robust mesh design and modification of the negative active mass can provide a significant improvement in output data. The task now is to coordinate the individual improvement measures in a perfect battery design. This balance will then provide the basis for the next steps towards the launch of serial production.
A Banner power pack The Running Bull AGM is a genuine power pack that is used primarily in premium class vehicles with braking energy recuperation. It stands out due to a maximum energy supply capability with excellent starting capacity and especially
The Running Bull with EFB technology The Running Bull EFB (Enhanced Flooded Battery) has been developed explicitly for vehicles with systems that do not possess brake energy recuperation. EFB technology ensures that these batteries are insensitive to
The further development of AGM and EFB technology will secure Banner a decisive technological lead in the growing start-stop micro -hybrid system market. In fact, these starter batteries already constitute 20 per cent of company production.
effective cycle resistance. Moreover, Banner is already working on the further development of the Running Bull, in order that more energy from recuperation can be stored in the battery.
Vehicle concept
Battery technology
Short description
Conventional
Starter battery with liquid electrolyte.
Low-cost, well-proven robust technology for engine starts.
Fuel savings Basis
Banner realisation As the quality leader, we provide batteries on every continent and are represented in Europe by 28 branches.
Start/Stop
EFB (Enhanced Flooded Battery)
A cycle-optimised starter battery with excellent vibration resistance for use in basic start/stop applications.
3-5%
The technology of tomorrow, available in the Banner portfolio since 2012.
Start/Stop
AGM (Absorbent Glass Mat)
A valve-regulated, extremely cycle- and vibration-resistant starter battery with 100% leak protection for use in vehicles with the highest power consumption levels and start/stop systems with brake energy recuperation.
5-8%
Available in the Banner portfolio for over a decade and established with leading OEMs.
Micro hybrid
Dual battery system
Dual battery concept consisting of a 12V lead-acid battery and a 48V lithium-ion battery.
8-15%
R&D cooperation. No serial production at present.
NEW IN THE RANGE
EFB TECHNOLOGY ESPECIALLY FOR ASIAN VEHICLES Banner EXPANDS ITS RUNNING BULL SERIES. As one of the first battery manufacturers in Europe, since April 2014 Banner has been meeting the special needs of Asian vehicles through the addition of the EFB 565 00 and EFB 595 00 models to its Running Bull product series. These answer the manufacturer specifications of
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Mazda, Mitsubishi and Subaru, who first fit this type of battery. Both the new batteries incorporate EFB technology with glass web sleeves on the separators, a friction welded lid with central degassing and
Running Bull now in versions for Asian vehicles
backfire protection. Also identical are switching 0, terminal 1 and the version without a bottom strip. The EFB types of Running Bull differ with regard to their size (D23 and D31 sets), capacity (65Ah and 95Ah) and cold starting (EN: 550A and EN: 760A).
Banner
BÜFFELPOST
CUSTOMER SERVICES
THE Banner WEBSHOP IS COMING SOON! Another step towards even better customer service will soon be taken with the launch of the Banner Webshop. From the autumn of 2014, B2B customers will be able to use this online platform to obtain information about our products quickly and easily. They can then order in comfort 24/7. The Banner Webshop will offer the following functions: • Personalised access by means of a customer number. • Product marking with the current customer prices. • Extensive order possibilities including quick article recognition, updates of the latest order, article searches via vehicle classification and the complete catalogue. • Documented order procedure and an archive for complete ordering transparency. • Integration of order-related information and service modules, e.g. technical data sheets. • A noticeboard with the latest product promotions and news. • Classification of the Banner numbers in line with customer article numbers. When it kicks off in autumn 2014, the Banner Webshop will initially be available in the German- and English-speaking sales countries.
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THE POWER COMPANY
Banner
Production
New ba batt battery tter e y use
Collection & recycling
Used batteries
Banner RECYCLING
A PIONEERING APPROACH TO RECYCLING EVERYTHING 1A – FROM PRODUCTION TO REUSE. Banner started to recycle used batteries 50 years ago by returning processed material to the new product manufacturing chain. New batteries are distributed by workshops and sales outlets and used batteries placed in special containers prior to collection by Banner. During recycling, a used lead-acid battery can be re-employed virtually in its entirety and in the EU circulatory recycling is already organised in an exemplary manner. Almost all the leadacid batteries in circulation are collected and reused, and this represents the highest recovery
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ratio amongst all the consumer and durable goods available. Banner battery recycling offers the following services: • The individual collection of used batteries, frequently in person by Banner battery specialists. • As confirmation of the correct return, from Banner you receive a legally valid disposal certificate, as well as free battery casings with or without a lid for the clean collection and interim storage of the used batteries between collection dates.
• Banner pays fair collection prices, which are always up to date and exclude intermediate trading. • The exact billing and weighing of the collected batteries takes place on the spot. • Recycling is carried out directly at the manufacturer’s premises. Entrust your used batteries to a strong brand. We guarantee the efficient recycling of your products. Your Banner advisor will be pleased to provide information regarding the company’s recycling services.
BÜFFELPOST
Banner
APPRENTICESHIPS AT Banner
THE START OF A SUCCESSFUL CAREER A PRIZE-WINNING COMPANY WITH PRIZE-WINNING APPRENTICES. final results of the company’s young employees, but also official awards. On November 6, 2013, Andreas Bawart and Human Resources Manager, Claudia Gerstl, went to the Chamber of Commerce to collect an INEO certificate, which is presented to companies that provide exemplary apprentice training with a special focus on innovation, sustainability, commitment and orientation, and thus differentiate themselves from other firms in a positive manner.
Banner’s successful apprentices
The success of Banner’s apprenticeship training scheme is not only confirmed by the excellent
Outstanding apprentices Apart from the INEO certificate, we are equally proud of the individual performance of our trainees. In July 2013, Melanie Aigner, Martina Capan and Alexander Wahl completed their training in wholesale trading. Alexander passed
with honours and is already working in the Industrial Battery Business Area. Melanie Aigner has also stayed at Banner and is acting as an assistant to the CTO, while Martina Capan has opted for another branch and is now using her know-how at a different company. In 2014, Nina Konyen, Marlene Moser and Christoph Bawart will also be taking their finals and are currently preparing for the examinations, having already completed their last year at vocational college. In addition to scholastic success, it should also be stressed that Banner attaches great value to social skills and activities.
PEOPLE
NEW BRANCH MANAGER IN GERMANY WISHING HARALD WEISS EVERY SUCCESS! Following his assignments as a sales advisor for Banner starter batteries, on November 1, 2013, Harald Weiß took over the management of the Banner branch in Allershausen near Munich.
Harald Weiß, the Allerhausen/Germany branch manager.
RENÉ RISOM THE NEW MAN IN DENMARK TOP QUALITY IS ALSO WINNING THE DAY IN THE NORTH! René Risom took over as the head of the Banner branch in Denmark on September 1, 2013. His aim for Banner Denmark is nothing less than making it, “The preferred battery supplier in Denmark and Sweden.” In addition, he intends to put a great deal of effort into making the quality of Banner batteries better known in Scandinavia. Above all, sales of the Power Bull and Running Bull series are going well in the Nordic countries and as René Risom says: “I would like to consolidate this trend because quite simply Banner stands for top quality.”
In his private life, having spent five years in Munich, René Risom is an enthusiastic Bayern Munich fan. He also enjoys cooking and savours a glass of wine, as evidenced by his penchant for coq au vin. René Risom also finds Austria the best place to ski and in summer likes nothing better than light, Italian cuisine. As a break from his assignments as the Banner branch manager, he goes to rock concerts, listens to e-music and loves a good book. Not surprisingly, among René’s favourites are crime stories from the Danish author Adler Olsen.
René Risom, the Danish branch manager.
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THE POWER COMPANY
Banner
ll for solar
Energy Bu
NEW MARKETS
ns
applicatio
BULL POWER IN NORTH AFRICA Following an export drive in 2010, the Banner brand is now known in North Africa. After a start in Morocco and Algeria, we are currently delivering to Egypt, Tunisia and Libya. Moreover, the importers are making every effort to raise the profile of Banner starter batteries throughout the region. Although local producers dominate the market in the North African nations and import barriers, the required expensive checks through test
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institutes and various customs and excise duties all serve to hamper trading, we have not been deterred from establishing our batteries in the region. The excellent quality of our starter batteries has been proven in the hot climes of North Africa. Indeed, in the desert regions of Algeria that remain unconnected to the public power grid, the Banner Energy Bull 95751 is used in the solar segment for domestic lighting.
BÜFFELPOST
Banner
JUBILEE
Banner NEULINGEN-GÖBRICHEN CELEBRATES ITS 20TH BIRTHDAY The Banner branch in Neulingen-Göbrichen opened in 1994 with a small team of three. Two members of the original crew are still at the branch. These are Ralph Steudle, who delivered his first Banner batteries in his Black Forest sales area with a VW bus and Ulrich Schmidt, who having worked as an industrial battery sales advisor for the past 23 years, knows the Banner range inside out. Batteries for Baden-Württemberg and the Saarland In the meantime, Neulingen-Göbrichen supplies the Baden-Württemberg and Saarland sales patch with a staff of two sales drivers and two sales advisors, who are in direct contact with the customers, and six employees in the warehousing and administration areas. Gunnar Bär has been the
branch manager since 2013 and says that above all, he appreciates the collegial teamwork at Banner. Among the branch’s customers are leading companies such as Kässbohrer, Kubota (mini-diggers) and Hyundai with whom long-term partnerships have been cultivated. The focus at the branch is on starter batteries for cars and commercial vehicles.
FACTBOX On Saturday, September 20, 2014, the 20th birthday of the Banner branch in Neulingen-Göbrichen will be celebrated in appropriate style. An extensive programme will ensure entertainment for both young and old.
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THE POWER COMPANY
Banner
SeaHelp, the marine breakdown “truck�.
COOPERATION
SUPPORT FOR SEAHELP OPERATIONS BOATS THE MARITIME BREAKDOWN SERVICE WITH Banner POWER. Banner batteries are not only used in road traffic, but also in sea-going boats. Two of the new craft of the maritime SeaHelp breakdown service have been fitted with Buffalo Bull SHD PROfessional starter batteries and Energy Bull service batteries, in order to secure assistance on the high seas.
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SeaHelp has a total of 22 bases in Croatia, Slovenia, northern Italy, Sicily, the Balearics and the German Baltic coast. The breakdown service covers the entire stretch of the Adriatic from Venice to Dubrovnik, the area around the Balearics and the German section of the Baltic. In order to meet future challenges and accommo-
date its growing numbers of members, SeaHelp is to add another eight new boats to its fleet by 2016. The first of these, which were fitted with Banner batteries, were launched at the Technomarine dockyard in Poland in May and during the coming water sports season will be in operation at the bases in Lunat and Mali Losinj.
Banner
Tough guys under way. BÜFFELPOST The mecapark team with extremely vibration-resistant Banner batteries.
ECO RACE 2014
FROM FRANCE TO AFRICA Banner FRANCE AND THE MECAPARK TEAM GET GOING. tions
The Africa Eco Race 2014 proved to be an ideal test for the durability of Banner’s Running Bull. The e 6,500km-route from Saint Cyprien in France via Spain led to Morocco, Mauritania and Senegal with h the the he finish in Dakar. The rally, which took place at the beginning of the year, was extremely intensive with no less than eleven stages in eleven days.
e applica ull for extrem Running B
In their “Allroad” category, the team colleagues Gaétan Gé and Didier Bigot in a Bowler Wildcat TD5 captured a sensational second place and were ranked thirteenth overall. The Banner Running Bull in the 250hp rally car proved to highly vibration resistant and several starts per day were no problem. Moreover, even in tricky situations, bull power never failed to get the car moving again.
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THE POWER COMPANY
Banner
MEETING POINT The Banner alpine lodge, a fixed point at the Automechanika
Banner OFFERS AN OPEN INVITATION TO THE AUTOMECHANIKA 2014 IN FRANKFURT FUN AND INFORMATION AT THE Banner ALPINE LODGE. In September 2014, Banner will again be represented at this leading automotive industry fair in Frankfurt. Around the typical Banner alpine lodge, from September 16-20 the company will be providing information regarding its latest battery technology developments. Everyone is invited to come to Stand E21 in Hall 3.1. and Banner is looking forward greatly to interesting discussions with both its customers and business partners. The diversity of products on display at the Automechanika in Frankfurt is globally unique with over 4,500 exhibitors presenting everything from
workshop equipment and vehicle components to innovations in the IT, electronics, care, tuning and accessories areas, and environmental and recycling concepts. The biannual fair also serves as a platform for OEMs, which means that their latest innovations and technical developments will also be on view. In 2012, almost 150,000 visitors from around the world gathered information about what’s new in the automotive industry.
REVIEW
SNIPPET
Banner at the CEMAT 2014
Bulgaria – Easter eggs with bull power!
Under the motto “Up and away!” the Banner alpine lodge set up shop at the leading international trade fair for intra-logistics in Hanover from May 19-23, 2014. One highlight was the presentation of the new Banner SELECT charger, which adapts perfectly to actual battery needs. Also on display on the stand were the Traction Bull Bloc Gel for use in the small traction area and the Traction Bull, which owing to its liquid electrolyte has even greater staying power.
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This year, Samuil Kuliv, the 8-year-old son of a Banner sales partner provided his Easter eggs with a very special design by artistically painting the Banner bull on their shells.
Banner WISHES ALL ITS CUSTOMERS A GREAT SUMMER … ... AND MANY RELAXING HOURS OF SUNSHINE TO RECHARGE THEIR BATTERIES.
THE POWER COMPANY Banner
IMPRINT: Media owner, publisher: Banner GmbH, Postfach 777, Salzburger Strasse 298, 4021 Linz Telefon +43/(0)732/3888-0, Fax Ext.-21399 Responsible for the contents: Banner GmbH, Andreas Bawart. All rights reserved. Reprints only with written permission. Publishing house location: Linz
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THE POWER COMPANY