Cool performance MAHLE Behr

COOL PERFORMANCE

MAHLE Behr Industry GmbH&Co. KG is a global leader in the development and manufacture of thermal management systems for a wide range of non-automotive and industrial applications. Philip Yorke takes a closer look at the innovative products that are shaping the industry’s future and the opportunities created by the company’s investment in new plant and the launch of its new MCC cooler platform.

MAHLE Behr Industry is headquartered in Stuttgart, Germany and is one of the world’s leading original equipment manufacturers. The company develops advanced engine cooling and air-conditioning systems that are used in a wide variety of vehicles, engines and transmissions. MAHLE Behr Industry provides complex cooling and air-conditioning systems for railway and special vehicles, ships, buses, construction and agricultural machinery. This is in addition to cooling systems for large engines, generators, wind and solar energy systems and high-performance electronics, as well for the aviation industry.

For many years now MAHLE Behr Industry has been the number-one brand in Europe with a market share of more than 70 per cent in cooling systems for railway vehicles as well as for cooling systems for special vehicles. In recent days the thermal management for renewable engery source like wind turbine is becoming more and more important.

Delivering technical innovation

MAHLE Behr Industry has always been at the forefront of progress and innovation in engine cooling and air-conditioning technology. Today the company has major manufacturing facilities in Mylau, Reichenbach, Freiberg and Schwäbisch Hall in Germany, in Grand Rapids, Michigan, USA and since 2010 in Tianjin, China. The company also operates sales offices in France, England, Korea and Italy and has a worldwide network of representatives. Currently, further expansion is being actively pursued in Brazil and India.

Innovation and quality form the basis for MAHLE Behr Industry’s success. With its well-established management system, it sets the standard for company-wide project

quality management programmes. Consequently it is an innovation leader in the international market for engine cooling and air-conditioning systems for off-highway applications. MAHLE Behr Industry has the advantage of developing and manufacturing all its key components in-house. These include components such as, air coolers, fans and fan drive units, as well as readyto-assemble modules. The company is also fully committed to a programme of sustainability in line with the stringent EU legislation coming into force in 2014 and as a result, it predicts improving prospects for sustainable growth in the years ahead.

Dr Michael Loehle, managing director of MAHLE Behr Industry, said, “As a consequence of the new tier IV final exhaust gas legislation, heavier demands have been placed on engine cooling systems and components. Exhaust gas cooling and the increasing complexity of cooling systems for large engines lead us to expect sustainable growth in this area. The same applies to engine cooling and cabin air conditioning in construction and agricultural machines. Increasing demand and growth in alternative power generation, such as thermal management in the combined heat and power generation from gas and diesel engines, as well as wind power and solar plants, have resulted in new opportunities for growth.”

New modular core concept

MAHLE Behr Industry is a thermal management specialist and in this respect provides complete engine cooling and air-conditioning systems and cooling modules, as well as well as air-conditioning modules. This not only includes all main heat exchangers, such as coolant coolers, charged air, exhaust gas, fuel and electronic coolers, but also system components such as fans, fan drives, thermostats, pumps and piping.

Mr Loehle added, “Today we are also developing and industrialising a large number of new products in order to fulfil our customer’s future requirements competently, flexibly and costeffectively. One such example of this is our new MCC (Modular Core Concept) cooler platform. Even in small quantities, coolant coolers, charge air and oil coolers based on this new platform can be flexibly adapted as fin-andtube coolers. These can be optimised for cost and weight considerations, in order to meet our customers’ installation constraints and requirements. New exhaust gas coolers contribute to compliance with strict requirements of the Tier IV Final Exhaust gas legislation. At the same time we are constantly developing and optimising our product range.”

“We expect our company to grow in a clear and sustained manner, and the expansion of our activities into non-European markets will be a major contributing factor.”

Increasing global production capacity

MAHLE Behr Industry not only continues to invest in new technology and innovation, but also in production facilities to meet the growing global demand for its products. At the present time, the company MAHLE Behr Industry has six production plants and the company also utilises other locations worldwide of the parent companies MAHLE Behr and as well as from strategic partners throughout the world. This enables MAHLE Behr Industry to supply its customers using local manufacturing facilities whenever and wherever appropriate. For example, this could be in Russia, Brazil or India. The company continues to invest in new production facilities and is planning the construction of new plants in a number of additional locations in order to meet the increasing global demand for its innovative, high-performance and compact heat exchangers. n