Industry Europe – Issue 26.2

VOLUME 26/2 – 2016

The world of European manufacturing

TURBOCHARGED GROWTH FOR BORGWARNER HUNGARY HOFFMANN GROUP – YOUR PARTNER FOR QUALITY TOOLS NEW PLANT AND A NEW RANGE FOR VALMEX HEAT EXCHANGERS

WHEN ROBOTICS MEETS THE IOT

OPINION

PETERMERCER

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Next please FTAs are all very well but free trade itself is better.

ON

his visit to the UK in April, US President Barack Obama warned that Britain would go to the ‘back of the queue’ for a trade deal with the US if it voted to leave the European Union. A lot of fuss was made in the media about the mortal blow this might be for the Brexit cause but it’s doubtful that it made most Brits shake in their sensible shoes.

After all queues are part of the national folklore. As the Hungarian writer George Mikes once observed, “An Englishman, even when he is alone, forms an orderly queue of one.”

Admittedly he made that joke in 1946 when we’d been forming orderly queues, with our ration books, throughout the war. No doubt national mores have moved on a bit in this age of instant gratification but there are still very few riots even outside Apple stores when the new iPhone arrives. Of course even the English might start throwing things if it got as bad as Venezuela, but for now we are mostly content to wait quietly for our turn.

But we might have to wait a long time yet before we get a trade deal with the US, even as a member of the EU. Indeed, being in the EU may well make the wait interminable. Negotiations on the US/EU Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership (TTIP) have been creaking on for more than three years now. It was supposed to be wrapped up by the end of 2014 but even official EU spokespeople admit that ‘much work remains to be done’.

And even Mr Obama must have noticed that trade deals are not very popular these days, above all in the US. Many Americans blame the huge job losses and stagnant wage levels they are enduring on the 1990s NAFTA trade deal with Canada and Mexico – although the deluge of cheap imports from China, which has no trade deal with the US, is the most obviously important cause of

the loss of competiveness of so many US industries. Even Hillary Clinton has bowed to union pressures to row back on her previous enthusiasm for free trade – now it’s just part of the agenda of big business and Wall Street – while Donald Trump is, characteristically, more blunt – “it’s not free trade, it’s stupid trade” – and those Mexicans and Chinese had better watch out.

Meanwhile many people in the EU are not very enthusiastic either. Unions, NGOs, environmentalists and many others across the continent are lobbying against an agreement that they see as benefiting big business and global corporations while threatening EU and national regulations on everything from food safety, GMOs and finance to fracking and renewable energy. Even in the UK, which is probably more supportive of TTIP than any other of the EU’s 28 members, unions see it as a potential threat to the National Health Service and their determination to keep essential services, and their members’ jobs, firmly in the public sector. A Unite spokesperson was unequivocal –”TTIP is about deregulation and a race to the bottom on standards.”

So it would not be good to put your money – or your vote – on this deal going through anytime soon. The forces of protectionism, on both sides the Atlantic, may be too strong, especially now that we can see all too clearly there are many losers as well as winners from the globalisation of industry, commerce and trade.

Going it alone?

So Mr Obama’s warning may be irrelevant. If the UK stays in the EU it is unlikely to see a US trade deal in the near future. But would it take even longer if it left? And would it make much difference either way?

What often seems to be forgotten in this argument is that while the EU has estab-

lished a ‘single market’ for its members, it has been from the outset a customs union that maintains a protective wall of tariffs and other barriers against non-EU countries. This increases prices of, in particular, agricultural and manufactured goods for all EU consumers, including, of course, those in the UK. So the EU’s interest in promoting global free trade is limited. In fact, it does not even have free trade agreements with Japan, Australia or Canada (never mind the US) largely because of the protectionist attitudes of many of its 28 members. By contrast, Switzerland has managed to agree an FTA with Japan, China and Canada.

So would Britain, free of EU constraints, not be able to conclude its own FTA with the US and with those other countries too? It might even be able to get an FTA with the EU itself. But would it need to?

What’s undeniable is that the UK does not need a trade deal to trade. Not even with the EU. The two largest exporters to the EU are the US and China and the fact that these countries have no influence at all on the EU’s rules seems to have had minimal impact on their success. As for the UK, 70 per cent of its exports are already traded at world prices to non-EU countries under WTO rules. Would it be such a problem if the other 30 per cent were similarly traded at world prices? Protecting farmers may be a political necessity in some EU countries but agriculture in the UK, at a mere 1 per cent of GDP, could easily be taken care of by direct grants.

So, the best outcome for the UK, should it leave the EU, could well be trading on the basis of WTO rules without so-called free trade agreements with any country. Not least because trade agreements are not really free trade at all. No country needs to wait in line, not even for the US President; they can just get out there and sell. n Industry Europe 1

CONTENTS Editor Peter Mercer

IT Support James D’More

Deputy Editor Victoria Hattersley

Production Manager Tania Balderson

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

Administration Amber Dawson Kayleigh Harvey Advertising Manager Andrew Briggs Sector Managers Matthew Howe Milada Preslova Massimo Ragazzo Helen Leisi Anna Dudek Stephen Moore Eniko Kovacs Pavlina Kutlakova Jesse Roberts Kevin Gambrill Mauro Berini Clayton Green Dominic Kurkowski

Art Director Gareth Harrey Art Editor Rob Czerwinski Designers Leon Esterhuizen Paul Abbott Web Development Neil Robertson

Comment 1 4

Opinion Next please Bill Jamieson Brexit – or vote again?

Automation Industry 5

7 10

The future of manufacturing: robotics and the IoT A revolution in automation technologies

Automation news The latest from the industry Clean skies Sustainable future for aerospace

News 14 16 18 19 20 21 22

Winning business New orders and contracts Linking up Combining strengths Moving on Relocations and expansions Industry people Appointments Technology spotlight Advances in technology Notice board New products and processes India News The latest from the Indian market

Reports 12 23 24

Introducing drupa 2016 Highlights from this year’s show Focus on Germany Allan Hall reports from Berlin Focus on France Ian Sparks reports from Paris

Automation & Tooling

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COMMENT

BILLJAMIESON

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Executive Editor of The Scotsman

Brexit – or vote again?

As they said of England on a previous momentous occasion – it’s not over till it’s over. Maybe not even then.

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ll over bar the shouting? British voters will soon be voting on whether to hit the Brexit button or remain in the EU. If the weight of dire warnings from senior business figures, the UK Treasury and the Bank of England is any guide, an overwhelming vote to Remain would seem assured.

Many of the UK’s biggest companies would wish to remain in the EU. And the continuing signs of an economic slowdown add to apprehension about what the future holds. But that view, particularly across the small and medium sized enterprise (SME) sector comprising 5.2 million companies or 99 per cent of all businesses, is not unanimous. Many small firms struggle with ever-encroaching EU regulation.

And ‘what the future holds’ is what most concerns them. This is not just about staying in the EU as it is. It is about staying in the EU as it will look in 2025 or 2035. What sort of organisation is it? And how will it develop?

Pro Remain supporters say that fears of ‘ever closer union’ are exaggerated. However, a report last year by the five presidents of EU institutions advocated the strengthening of monetary union by 2025, a eurozone Treasury and ultimate political union.

John Longworth, former head of the British Chambers of Commerce, has sought to counter some of the fears over Brexit.

Contrary to the belief that Britain’s economic health is dependent on EU trade, he points out that just six per cent of businesses export to the EU and only 13.3 per cent of the UK economy is associated with exports to the EU – yet the other 87 per cent is burdened with the costs and regulations of Brussels.

What of concerns that we can only do business internationally if there is a trade deal? The vast majority of world trade takes place between countries who have no trade deal. China, for example, trades with both the UK and the EU without a trade deal. And the UK enjoys a trade 4 Industry Europe

surplus in services with the US with whom we have no trade deal.

Business understandably hankers after security and political stability. But that is not guaranteed in the EU. It faces social and political turbulence as a consequence of mass immigration from the Middle East and Africa. Far Right parties are on the rise in France, Germany, Spain and the Netherlands. That social democratic consensus is under challenge. France has also had to face violent demonstrations against the government’s proposed labour reforms.

Many of the UK’s biggest companies would wish to remain in the EU. And the continuing signs of an economic slowdown add to apprehension about what the future holds. But that view...is not unanimous.

Remain campaigners can point to a deluge of studies and forecasts warning about Brexit. But even here there is no unanimity.

Last month eight economists argued that the UK would flourish outside the EU. Certainly, the weight of established economic opinion has favoured Britain staying in. But that does not mean that the dissenters can lightly be dismissed. They include Professor Patrick Minford, formerly one of the ‘wise people’ advising the Treasury in the early 1990s, and Gerard Lyons, former chief economist at Standard Chartered Bank.

The Bank weighs in The ‘Remain’ case was bolstered by Bank of England Governor Mark Carney’s letter

to MPs warning that Britain risks a period of weak sterling, higher prices and lower growth if we vote to leave the EU. The BoE’s analysis is that a 10 per cent fall in sterling would push prices up 2.75 per cent over four years, raising the annual inflation rate by about 0.75 per cent a year.

But any boost to growth would not apply in the case of Brexit because “if increased uncertainty were a key underlying cause of this depreciation, aggregate demand might be affected…Greater uncertainty could lead firms to postpone some investment projects and households to defer some spending.”

But even among Bank governors there is no unanimity. Interviewed recently, the previous Governor Mervyn King said he was deeply unimpressed with the current debate, which he reckons consists largely of “exaggerated claims about either the cost of leaving or the benefits from leaving.”

Nor was he interested in “all these letters signed by various people telling us what to do.” King pointed out that far too often economic forecasts turn out to be plain wrong and that nearly all the claims made during the 1975 referendum campaign were hugely inflated.

“The idea that somehow it’s either going to be bliss if we leave or a complete disaster...is a gross exaggeration.”

As for the report from the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) claiming that leaving the EU would result in three per cent lower growth than would otherwise be the case by 2020, many have questioned the credibility of projected forecasts of lost household income a decade out.

And ‘Vote Remain’ always has an escape hatch. In the unlikely event of a Brexit vote, would not the UK not be asked to vote again in a second referendum in the best EU tradition – as the first was clearly ‘a n rogue poll’?

THE FUTURE OF MANUFACTURING:

ROBOTICS AND THE IOT Connecting robotic manufacturing to the IoT is the key to enabling manufacturers to drive down costs whilst transforming the way they do business.

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rom the Industrial Revolution’s flying shuttle to computerised automation and robotics in the 20th century, the manufacturing industry’s relentless focus on efficiency means it has strong track record of applying new ways of thinking and new technologies to old problems. So it’s a natural fit for this dynamic, forward-thinking sector to embrace the power and potential of the Internet of Things (IoT).

With manufacturers worldwide also searching for ways to control rising labour costs, the IoT is primed to help the sector continue to push the boundaries of innovation. And the scope is huge. According to the Boston Consulting Group, today robots perform around 10 per cent of manufacturing tasks but that figure will have soared to 25 per cent across all manufacturing industries worldwide by 2025.1

When IoT meets robotics Connecting robotic manufacturing systems to the IoT unlocks huge additional potential for improvement. Interconnected smart devices can not only share information but send it to the cloud for analysis too, enabling data-driven decision making. From supply chain management to quality control, almost the entire process can be continuously optimised in this way.

Industry Europe 5

But manufacturing is a vast, diverse sector, encompassing a whole host of different systems and processes. An out of the box, off the shelf approach is often not possible.

On paper, this presents a challenge to the integration of IoT robotics into the manufacturing industry. Designing robotics systems is often a complex process. A whole host of subsystems from multiple vendors have to be identified and integrated, and that’s before the cost of installing, calibrating and programming the robots themselves is considered. The set-up costs are high, likely running to many times the purchase price of the robots themselves.

But what if you could create tailored programs and systems for individual manufacturers’ requirements, yet deploy them quickly and efficiently?

The NEXCOM solution This is the solution offered by Intel customer NEXCOM. Working with a range of providers, they have developed pre-integrated and prevalidated IoT solutions for a range of robotics applications. These systems incorporate components from many leading vendors and allow manufacturers to deploy robotics with much less development and risk.

Robotic production lines contain many competing demands, from actuation controls 6 Industry Europe

to data processing to operational intelligence.

When IoT is factored in, there are even more considerations to think about, including smart robots and big data technologies.

NEXCOM’s family of controllers, powered by Intel processors, have the capacity to streamline the delivery of this entire system. The multi-core processors run at high speeds, performing numerous jobs simultaneously. It makes economic sense too, saving money by allowing several legacy processors to be replaced with one Intel processor. Intel® IoT Gateways are also used to ensure a smooth and secure transfer of data to the cloud.

The technology in action NEXCOM reports that a company manufacturing wet wipes sought an automated solution to coordinate its conveyers, sensors, gluing, and labeling equipment, which previously required up to 15 workers per production line. But the manufacturer believes that, with the NEXCOM solution, it can reduce its staffing needs by around 30 per cent, and it’s hoping to replicate the system on its other assembly lines for different products.

When it comes to what’s possible with IoT and robotics technology, we’re taking the first important steps on a journey that could

go almost anywhere. Innovations in this field have the potential to not just improve processes and working conditions, but also to save money at the same time. Manufacturing has always been at the forefront of efficiency and innovation. With the Internet of Things, it is equipped to once again challenge the status quo and forge a new path in n the name of progress.

Boston Consulting Group (BCG), “Takeoff in Robotics Will Power the Next Productivity Surge in Manufacturing,” February 10,2015, www.bcg.com/news/ press/10feb2015-robotics-power-productivity-surge-manufacturing.aspx.

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NEWS

New developments in the Automation industry

INDUSTRYNEWS

Motion controller also handles automation functions ABB to power and Kollmorgen PCMM is a new motion controller which can control flood barrier TfromhealsoINMOCO run automation and logic functions. Available in the UK it can co-ordinate up to 128 axes or system to protect Venice fully synchroniseof Daventry, 32 axes without the need for a PC.

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BB will supply the complete integrated electrical and automation system for Mo.S.E. (the Italian acronym for experimental electro mechanic module), a flood barrier system designed to block the high tides and storm surges that enter the Venetian Lagoon year after year through three inlets and regularly flood the historic center of Venice. ABB received the automation order in 2015 and the electrical order in early 2016. Together the orders total more than $38 million.

The innovative solution will utilise ABB’s Internet of Things, Services and People concept to manage data signals from more than 50,000 devices and coordinate operation of the entire flood protection system, consisting of flood barriers, navigation locks, and breakwaters to shield the lagoon from rising sea levels, winter storms and spring tides.

ABB’s market-leading Symphony Plus automation software platform will control the raising and lowering of the barriers according to pre-set parameters whenever high water approaches or leaves the lagoon. Further to that, ABB will also provide an integrated electrical automation solution enabling remote operators to control the power network thus ensuring a stable and reliable supply for the entire project.

Visit: www.abb.com

Delta exhibits at Hannover Messe 2016

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elta, a leader in power and thermal management solutions, recently exhibited at Hannover Messe 2016 an enhanced spectrum of automation and energy management solutions for smart factories, green buildings, renewable energy systems, EV charging networks and more.

The PCMM provides a compact yet powerful and cost-effective hardware platform, ideally suited to modular or stand-alone machines that must combine flexibility with performance. Both the motion control and the automation functions are programmed in the standard IEC 61131-3 languages using the intuitive Kollmorgen Automation Suite’s Integrated Development Environment (KAS IDE).

The PCMM is plug-and-play compatible with Kollmorgen’s broad range of motion control solutions and has Kollmorgen Workbench integrated into it so that it can provide axis configuration and diagnostics.

At the heart of the PCMM is a powerful high speed CPU, which gives it the capabilities for use with a broad range of applications. There is also an alphanumeric display for easy set up and fast diagnostics and a removable SD memory card for simple file storage and reloading.

Visit: www.inmoco.co.uk

TRUMPF implements pilot factory for Industry 4.0

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achine tool and laser specialist TRUMPF is taking the next step in the practical implementation of Industry 4.0. Its in-house show, INTECH, took on April 19–23, 2016 at TRUMPF headquarters in Ditzingen, and the company used the event to showcase its connected pilot factory.

TRUMPF has taken its sheet metal production unit – comparable to a traditional sheet metal manufacturing enterprise – and switched it over to work following digitalised process flows. The result draws intensively on elements from TRUMPF’s own TruConnect solution as well as the digital business platform AXOOM. For instance, an MES system monitor displays and evaluates machine statuses – a paperless and interactive solution that delivers a stream of live production updates straight to mobile hand-held devices.

As one of the pioneers worldwide, TRUMPF has been hard at work in recent years putting Industry

4.0 into practice. “Industry 4.0 can seem like a bit of an abstract topic, and that’s why we want and indeed must get close to our customers, show them what it’s all about and answer the many questions they might still have,” stresses Mathias Kammüller, executive vice-president and head of the Machine Tools division.

Visit: www.trumpf.com

Delta’s smart integrated factory solution features ‘customer-centric’ logistics management, real-time monitoring and management via the VidaGridTM internet cloud service.

The company’s innovative, comprehensive and energy-efficient portfolio of automation solutions at Hannover Messe 2016 included many highlights, such as

for example: Delta’s Integrated Factory Control Platform integrates the mid-range PLC AH500 Series as a host controller, the SCADA System DIAView and the industrial energy management system DIAEnergie for real-time manufacturing process monitoring. All data is managed by the Industrial PC IPC Series.

Visit: www.deltaww.com Industry Europe 7

NEWS

New developments in the Automation industry

Comau’s Racer3 is Product of the Year 2015

Mitsubishi Electric variable speed drives deliver big energy savings

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omau’s Racer3 won the ‘Product of the Year’ award in the category ‘Industrial Robots’ during the 13th edition of the contest organised

by Control Engineering Poland with the aim of rewarding the best technology and innovations The award, presented during the 4.0 Industry Conference held in Warsaw, was preceded by two voting phases for a total duration of six months. In the first phase, registered products were screened by a jury whose members were representing universities, technical institutes, media and industry professionals. The product selection was then made available to Control Engineering’s readers, who voted Racer3 to a victory.

Comau’s Racer3 is the latest robot presented to the market and, deservedly, represents a new paradigm in the company’s rich technological offering. Built entirely in aluminum and magnesium, Racer3 weighs just 30kg, and features a maximum reach of 630mm and payload of 3kg.

Thanks to its compact size and extreme velocity, the robot is perfect for applications such as assembly, material handling, machine tending, dispensing, pick & place, etc.

Visit: www.comau.com

Baumüller: New ejector drive for plastics processing machines

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ith a new version of the three phase current synchronous motor DSC, Baumüller, the Nuremberg-based provider of drive and automation solutions, offers a compact and quick-accelerating drive.

This DSC 135 derivative was designed as an ejector drive with particular emphasis

8 Industry Europe

hen one of the largest mushroom producers in Ireland, Codd Mushrooms, looked at how to save energy within its factory chilled water system, and at the same time boost reliability, it turned to Mitsubishi Electric and its systems integrator partner MPAC for a solution. The resulting PLC based control system using Mitsubishi Electric variable speed drives to control the various pumps and systems, has now delivered a saving of over 5400kWh in one week.

Based in Tullow, Co. Carlow in Ireland, and owned and run by the Codd family, Codd Mushrooms is Ireland’s most progressive mushroom farmer. Even though the company embraces technology, it also has a commitment to sustainability, and strives to be the most environmentally friendly mushroom farm in the world.

At the same time, as the company has grown and built new production facilities, it has maintained a clear focus on the benefits of automation, as director Raymond Codd explains: “Through progressive automation, we have been able to advance our production as the business has grown.”

Visit: www.mitsubishielectric.com

FANUC gets Swiss condiment plant out of safety jam

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wiss food manufacturer Hero AG has installed three FANUC 6-axis robots fitted with customised grippers to handle the heavy and labour intensive task of palletising the company’s jams and preserves. Operating around the clock, the closed cell provides a fast, reliable and accidentproof alternative to manually stacking boxes of jam as they leave the assembly line.

Loading the jam pallets was a task previously undertaken by five employees at the manufacturer’s headquarters in Lenzburg. It was a tedious and backbreaking job getting the boxes stacked and ready for distribution. Now, three FANUC M-710iC robots are taking the load.

Behind the installation was local automation specialist Robotec, who designed and tested the closed cell and integrated its special gripping technology onto the three FANUC robots.

Visit: www.fanuc.eu on the plastics industry. For this reason, the motor features a special mount for axial process force compensation in addition to a compact design and high dynamics.

Manufacturers of plastics processing machines also benefit from a special mechanical interface for spindle connection and the high overload capability of the motor. The DSC 135 offers a maximum

torque of up to approx. 560 Nm, a nominal torque of up to approx. 280 Nm, and a speed range of up to approx. 2000 rpm.

The drive can be operated with a multiturn encoder. Other encoder variants are also possible as optional extras. For maximum power density, the motors are also available with integrated water cooling.

Visit: www.baumuller.de

INDUSTRYNEWS VITRONIC strengthens its photovoltaics business

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ITRONIC, the specialist for machine vision solutions in the industrial and logistics automation, and traffic technology sectors, reports strong growth for its optical inspection solutions for the photovoltaics industry. The company, based in Wiesbaden, Germany, won orders during the first three months with a value that exceeds the excellent result for the first quarter of 2015.

Following the positive development of the previous year, with photovoltaics orders in the doubledigit million range, VITRONIC is also carrying this success through into 2016. Thus the company is continuing to establish itself in the Asian growth market as a leading supplier of efficient inspection solutions that cover the entire value chain of photovoltaics production.

All signals point to growth in the solar sector: in Asia in particular, leading manufacturers are planning to expand their production. Along with the growing sales of solar modules and solar cells, there is also a rising demand for automated systems for quality inspection that can integrate seamlessly within production sequence. This is a key factor in reducing manufacturing costs.

Visit: www.vitronic.com

Turnkey temperature monitoring system for wallboard production F luke Process Instruments has launched a new, complete turnkey solution for real-time temperature monitoring and documentation of wallboard manufacturing processes. The TIP900 system is an efficient quality control tool designed to help manufacturers quickly set up their line and improve yield. The infrared temperature measurement system creates highly detailed thermal images of the boards as they leave the dryer.

Analysing these, the system software detects moisture and density variations and identifies any faults, such as clumps or voids

in the plaster core, paper blows, edge burns or overlapping boards. The thermal images and any flaws are instantly displayed on a touchscreen, allowing the line operator to adjust the dryer for maximum board quality.

The dust-proof and Ethernet-enabled TIP900 system allows for remote access to all thermal images and graphs of all processed boards. The LogViewer database stores all recorded data. It can be searched with customised filters, enabling trend analyses and long-term traceability.

Visit: www.flukeprocessinstruments.comw

CeMAT 2016 puts spotlight on digitisation and automation

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umerous individual elements come together in logistics to make a functioning whole, as increasingly dynamic production and logistics processes become ever more closely intertwined.

Anyone who wants to compete successfully in the logistics growth market needs to consistently update their own holistic concepts and systems for optimised material and information flows – with an

emphasis on solutions. In response to this, reports Wolfgang Pech, senior vice-president at Deutsche Messe: “The second ever special ‘Innovative Logistics Solutions’ display being offered at CeMAT 2016 will demonstrate how innovative, complex logistics processes function in a production environment.”

The key attraction at the special display involves companies taking part in a joint exhibit

Rockwell Automation announces leadership changes

those roles while continuing as chairman of the board. Moret, 53, is currently senior vice-president of the company’s Control Products & Solutions segment.

Nosbusch said: “It has been an honour and privilege to lead Rockwell Automation over the past 12 years. While as a team we enjoyed tremendous success, I have no doubt that we are well positioned for an even greater future.

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ockwell Automation’s board of directors has elected Blake D. Moret, a 30-year veteran of the company, as president and chief executive officer, effective July 1, 2016. At that time Keith D. Nosbusch, 65, who has been president and chief executive officer since 2004, will transition from

(in Hall 27) representing a prototypical logistics chain, with real-world demonstrations of the latest technological advances. By allowing each exhibitor to contribute its own expertise and products, participating companies benefit from the practical presentation of their products within a process environment.

Visit: www.cemat.de Blake is the ideal executive to move Rockwell Automation forward in its next chapter.”

Moret said: “I am honoured to have the opportunity to lead Rockwell Automation and its talented employees into an exciting future. We have a deep management team, unmatched technology solutions and domain expertise across a broad range of industries.”

Visit: www.rockwellautomation.com Industry Europe 9

CLEAN SKIES Aerospace companies throughout Europe are developing new aviation propulsion technologies to reduce the environmental impact of tomorrow’s planes.

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lean Sky is the largest aviation technology research initiative ever launched by the European Commission. Under the effort, over 600 partners have joined forces to develop new technologies to further improve the environmental compatibility of aviation in the future.

MTU Aero Engines, Germany’s leading engine manufacturer, has a key role in the project. “Our work doesn’t stop at developing new technologies for our high-pressure compressor and low-pressure turbine modules; we also qualify new partners for the European aerospace industry,” explains Dr Rainer Martens, chief operating officer at MTU Aero Engines.

Clean Sky aims at strengthening the European aviation industry and enhancing its international competitiveness. The two central tasks in pursuit of this objective are to develop advanced aircraft and engine technologies, and to qualify and integrate new partners from research and industry. In the industrial sector, the focus is on small and medium-sized enterprises.

10 Industry Europe

MTU Aero Engines, Germany’s leading engine manufacturer, is taking a lead role on both fronts. It has already developed SAGE 4 (Sustainable And Green Engines), one of five Clean Sky engine demonstrators that was tested in Munich late last year. The demonstrator is based on a geared turbofan engine and incorporates a number of innovations, including components – blades for example – that are made from new materials and come in a new design. In addition, the demonstrator features components produced using new manufacturing techniques. Advanced simulation methods and measurement techniques are also among key new developments.

Partners from industry and research are participating in this sub-project alongside MTU. Most of the new companies and institutes to join MTU’s innovation value chain come from Germany, but not all: some are based in the United Kingdom, Italy, Austria and Sweden. “Our objective was to bring together the best in class, and that’s exactly what we’ve done,” explains Dr Jörg Henne, senior vice-president Engineering and Tech-

nology at MTU. “The cooperation under Clean Sky provides the partners with an opportunity to get a foothold in the European aviation industry for the first time, or to establish themselves in a specific segment of the industry.”

Meggitt For Meggitt Polymers and Composites (formerly Cobham Composite Technologies), the work under the Clean Sky programme marked the first time the British specialist for carbon fibre materials cooperated with MTU. Together the two companies developed a new high-temperature material for a seal carrier with a honeycomb structure: The innovative carbon-fibre-reinforced inner ring will be installed in the high-pressure compressor.

“The main challenge of the project was selecting a composite material system which would meet the design requirements of a high-pressure compressor and of course for such a high temperature environment, in which typically it has been difficult to utilise composite materials,” explains Matthew Denmead, design engineer at Meggitt.

The weight of parts made from carbon fibre materials is up to 400 per cent lower than that of parts in metallic materials, such as titanium.

Denmead says: “The use of high temperature composites in aero engine applications is becoming more and more widespread throughout the industry. High temperature composites have a great potential to drive weight out of future engine designs.”

iwb application centre iwb Anwenderzentrum Augsburg, which is part of Munich’s technical university (TUM), is no stranger to MTU. Under the Clean Sky initiative, the two partners joined forces to develop a simulation tool to analyse additive manufacturing processes that permit engine parts to be built up layer by layer. The aim was to gain a better understanding of these processes and to improve the quality of the parts thus produced, while keeping an eye on costs. The advantage for the manufacturer is that computer simulations can now replace time-consuming experimental investigations and trial production runs. The partners’ work specifically focused on the additive process used by MTU to manufacture borescope bosses for the high-speed

low-pressure turbine for the geared turbofan powering the A320neo. These parts are being produced by the selective laser melting process, or SLM for short.

Hexagon Metrology As part of the Clean Sky activities, Hexagon Metrology worked on the development of a new measuring and inspection system.

The metrology specialists from Wetzlar have already demonstrated their expertise in the field of quality assurance in several projects conducted jointly with MTU. The task they had to tackle this time was finding an integrated, fully automated solution for the surface and dimensional inspection of blisks. Blisks (blade integrated disks) are high-tech components manufactured in one piece that eliminate the need to fix separately manufactured blades to the disk. They are currently used in compressors for military and commercial applications.

So far, measurements and inspections have had to be performed in several steps. So the experts decided that it was time to make a change for the better. “In the industry there is a clear trend towards integrating several measuring processes into one single system,” explains Stefan Fall, project manager at Hexagon

Metrology. In a joint effort, the two companies came up with a practicable and efficient solution for the inspection of blisks. Says Fall: “We can now offer our customer extended functions for our measuring systems, such as – in this special case – the visual inspection of blisks. This marks another milestone in the development of automated and flexible systems using sensors that can be optimally adapted to solve complex measuring tasks.”

Before the new technologies, materials and processes developed as part of the Clean Sky initiative can be implemented in practice, they first had to prove their worth in extensive testing at MTU: Incorporated on the SAGE 4 demonstrator, they were put to the acid test in the company’s test cell in Munich. Dr Jörg Henne says: “Following detailed analysis, the results will be available to us soon. But from what we’ve seen so far, we are very confident that everything will turn out as we had hoped.” The newly developed technologies will then be used on the next generation of geared turbofan engines to further improve their eco-efficiency. n For a full collection of press releases and photos, go to http://www.mtu.de Industry Europe 11

Introducing drupa 2016 The print and media industry is changing. New technologies are establishing themselves and disruptive technologies emerging. Messe Düsseldorf’s drupa, Europe’s quadrennial, premier event for the print world, will again be listening to the pulse of the industry this spring. With the headline themes of print, functional printing, packaging production, multichannel, 3D printing and green printing, drupa responds to and reflects this change.

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ith all 19 halls of Messe Düsseldorf once again sold out, drupa will be the focus of the global print industry at the end of May, and the stage for many of the year’s biggest product launches and announcements. Alongside the exhibition, the organisers have worked hard and innovated to ensure that the show is also the place to be for top-level discussion about today’s big trends, challenges and opportunities.

‘touch the future’ Under the motto of ‘touch the future’, drupa 2016 will focus more heavily on future-orientated technologies such as printed electronics, 3D printing and inkjet printing with its industrial applications. These innovative technologies are driving the market forward and are opening up significant opportunities and growth potential worldwide, primarily in the field of packaging, functional and industrial printing.

“We recognised the growth potential of these markets very early on and successfully set in motion the special ‘PEPSO’ (Printed Electronics Products and Solutions) exhibition at drupa 2012, for example,” explains Werner M. Dornscheidt, chairman of the Messe Düsseldorf board. “At drupa 2016 we 12 Industry Europe

will cover this topic with additional events in the specialised programme and in the form of special shows, known as ‘touch points’.”

The market for 3D printing is developing even more dynamically. The global market volume is currently estimated at around US$ 2.2 billion. The Association of German Machine and System Engineers (Verband Deutscher Maschinen- und Anlagenbau) that recently founded the company Additive Manufacturing, is anticipating an annual growth rate of 25 per cent. “We have therefore developed the ‘3D fab+print’ brand specifically for this market segment,” says Werner M. Dornscheidt.

“At drupa and other relevant Düsseldorf trade fairs, we are joining forces with other exhibitors in 3D printing technology and bringing greater focus to the entire topic of 3D”.

The response from the industry to this strategic realignment at drupa is clearly positive, as confirmed by the level of registrations.

Claus Bolza-Schünemann, chairman of the drupa exhibitor advisory board and executive president of Koenig & Bauer AG, welcomes the new drupa. “In the online age,” he comments, “there has been much discussion in our sector about the usefulness of trade shows. However, the internet simply cannot

replace direct contact with people and ideas in the global print and media marketplace, or indeed direct experience of the latest technologies and solutions for this enormously varied market. At drupa 2016 we are again expecting lively interaction for both tried & trusted and the very latest ideas in all areas of print and crossmedia.”

Crossmedia and multichannel The internet and digital communication overall has changed print in a fundamental way. This is emphasised by the current ‘drupa Global Insights’ report entitled ‘The effects of the internet on printing – the digital flood’. Interaction is the name of the game.

Big data, web-to-print, variable data printing and internet-supported tools such as augmented reality and QR codes characterise and impact the entire cosmos of printed products and the complete workflow. Here drupa is pulling out all the stops with its highlighted topic of multichannel printing.

Hewlett-Packard, an active member of the drupa committee since 2013 and a top ten exhibitor at drupa, confirms the new direction: “Communication between people is evolving just as quickly as technology,” reflects

Francois Martin, worldwide marketing director at HP Graphics Solutions Business. “The new crossmedia strategy at drupa with the integration of digital and analogue printing as well as print and online will show that the printed product continues to play a key role in communications. Change in an industry requires courage and firm decisions. The realignment does exactly that and I hope that everyone realises that a new journey is beginning. The new drupa stands for effective and sustainable communication in a social, mobile and cloud-based world.”

drupa cube The drupa cube, the conference and event location at drupa 2016, promises a lively and relevant forum for discussion. The primary partner for development and delivery of innovative content for drupa cube 2016 is international innovation firm The Medici Group and its founder and CEO Frans Johansson. Johansson caused somewhat of a furore with his 2004 book The Medici Effect, and since then has been the go-to expert for the concepts of thinking and acting outside fixed limits and the ‘out-of-the-box principle’. Worldwide brands such as American Express, IBM, Nike, Volvo and The Walt Disney Company have already been drawing on the strategic expertise of The Medici Group. Now drupa is doing the same.

“With The Medici Group, we have precisely the right partner at our side for drupa cube. A consistent approach to change management is absolutely necessary to master the challenges in the print, packaging and media sectors,” says Sabine Geldermann, director at drupa.

In his opening keynote on 31st May, Frans Johansson will base his talk on the drupa

theme ‘touch the future’ and ‘Intersectional Thinking’. The core question that will be addressed is ‘what happens when technological revolutions meet an industry that has been around for a millennium?’ The second keynote on 2 June will build on this and explore key situations where one can forge a route to a future vision. The third keynote speaker on 6 June, Silas Amos (founder of Silas Amos Ltd. Design Thought), has worked as a designer and strategic partner for several firms in the FMCG industry, including AB InBev, Bacardi, Diageo, Heinz, Mars and Unilever. The final keynote will be held on 8 June with Shane Wall, chief technology officer at HP and global head of HP Labs, as the speaker.

There will be a mix of the following five sessions across the eleven days: Business Evolution: twelve 30-minute slots are aimed primarily at decision-makers in the printing industry who are focusing on increasing efficiency and profits within their companies. Accordingly, both ‘best practices’ and business models, as well as investment strategies and human resources management will be discussed. Already on the list of speakers are: Ronan Zioni/HP, Neil Falconer/ Print Future, Ulbe Jelluma/Print Power and Chris Bondy/RIT’s School of Media Sciences.

Technology: eleven 30-minute slots will focus on technological innovations and their new areas of application. How can these innovations be integrated into existing workflows and what will be the consequences?

These and other topics are aimed at decision-makers and management at printing firms, and will also appeal to all other drupa visitors who have an interest in technology. The following speakers have already

committed to participate: Chris Bondy (RIT’s School of Media Sciences /USA), Joanna Stephenson (DataLase/UK) and Lilach Sapir (Massivit 3D printing/Israel).

Intersectional: these six sessions, led by The Medici Group, will focus on ‘Innovation @ the Intersection’ and will encompass the six highlight topics of drupa 2016 (multichannel, print, functional printing, 3D-Printing, packaging production and green printing). In each interactive lecture slot, several of these highlight topics will be combined with one another using specific application examples, such as functional printing & packaging print, 3D printing & sustainability or multichannel & print.

C-Level: the four invitation-only slots in this programme segment are aimed at a fixed, defined subscriber group at management level as well as at exhibitors and visitors. These C-level sessions will directly follow the four keynotes and are formatted as interactive workshops where strategic insider knowledge is conveyed. The keynote speaker whose talk precedes each session will act as the moderator.

The strategic and creative design of the programme and on-site implementation have been entrusted to London-based brand experience agency FreemanXP. “Just as Gutenberg revolutionised communications by converging the spoken word with print, we are seeing new crossroads that are spawning unimaginable results in every sector. Be it personalisation of printed products, ‘fabbing’ or even human organ printing, drupa is a showcase for how we ‘Touch the Future’ of print,” added Jordan Waid, vice-president Brand Experience, FreemanXP EMEA. n

Industry Europe 13

NEWS

New contracts and orders in industry

PowerCell Sweden receives order from South Korea

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ordic leading fuel cell company PowerCell Sweden AB has received an order for a prototype of the PowerCell S2 fuel cell stack. The customer is a strategically important global player that will initially use the PowerCell S2 on the South Korean market. It will use the prototype to micro-CHP (Combined Heat and Power) for housing on the South Korean market.

“The South Korean market is strategically important for PowerCell and we are naturally delighted that we received an order of our fuel cell stack PowerCell S2 from this important global customer,” said Per Wassén, CEO of PowerCell Sweden AB. The PowerCell S2 complements the company’s first-generation fuel cell stack, the PowerCell S1 (1-5 kW). PowerCell S2’s power range of 5–25kW creates an attractive application field in stationary and mobile power supply as well as a range extender for electric and hybrid vehicles.

Visit: www.powercell.se

Vallourec supplies OCTG for deep geothermal power project

Saab to supply Taiwan Taoyuan International Airport V D

efence and security company Saab has been selected by Air Navigation and Weather Services (ANWS), a division of the Taiwan Civil Aeronautics Administration, to deliver a Tower Automation System for the Taiwan Taoyuan International Airport’s (TPE) new control tower.

Saab’s Integrated ATC Automation Suite combines numerous capabilities into a seamless controller working position that will help ANWS enhance flight services and support an increasing number of operations. The system builds on Saab’s proven tower automation components, such as its A3000 Advanced Surface Movement Guidance & Control Systems (A-SMGCS), electronic flight strips, and surveillance data fusion, to provide a new level of controller decision support tools. This includes advanced A-SMGCS functions like automated safety nets, integration with the airport ground lighting system, and future routing and guidance capabilities.

“Air Navigation and Weather Services is facing tremendous pressure to keep up with increasing traffic while simultaneously improving the safety and efficiency of operations. Saab’s Integrated

KAEFER Energy secures major contract with BP Norway

BP

Norway has announced that its offshore ISS maintenance contract will be completed by KAEFER Energy in the next few years.

The maintenance contract has a duration of three years plus the possibility for three more extensions of two years. The annual turnover is expected to be more than NOK 180 million.

14 Industry Europe

ATC Automation Suite helps address these needs and provides controllers with a powerful toolset to enhance flight services,” says Anders Carp, head of Saab business unit Traffic Management.

Visit: www.saabgroup.com

“This is a huge contract,” says Bård Bjørshol, CEO of KAEFER Energy. “The contract comes at a time when the entire oil and gas industry faces major challenges, and so it contributes to increased job security for our employees. The contract is likely to involve around 200 people and will provide jobs for many of our employees for years to come.

allourec is delivering close to 1500 tonnes of seamless OCTG to Geothermie Holzkirchen GmbH for the geothermal power project at Holzkirchen, in Bavaria, Germany, which is planned to start operating in 2017.

Most of the tubes were produced at the Vallourec mills in Mülheim and Düsseldorf.

Geothermie Holzkirchen GmbH uses geothermal sources in the Alpine Foreland to generate clean, green energy and heat.

The project calls for the drilling of two wells to a depth of nearly 5000 metres, the first of which is now under way. This initial well will bring the geothermal water to the surface at a temperature of 140°C. A steam generator and heat exchanger will then transform this hot water to produce electricity and heat. Once cooled, the water will then follow its loop back down into the calcareous aquifer, descending through the second well.

Commissioning of the new geothermal plant is scheduled for 2017. It is expected to cover up to 80% of the heating needs for the town of Holzkirchen and will reduce annual CO2 emissions by nearly 10,000 metric tons when compared to the plant’s alternative energy source.

Visit: www.vallourec.com KAEFER Energy has worked actively to improve the operations and project execution. In this respect, an extensive Lean programme was implemented three years ago. As a direct result, we have experienced significant improvements in current contracts, which is also reflected in feedback from our customers.”

Visit: www.kaefer.com

WINNINGBUSINESS Valmet Automotive purchases over 250 robots for GLC production

V Peikko delivers wind turbine technology to Metsälä wind park

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eikko Group’s Finnish subsidiary Peikko Finland Oy will deliver foundation components to the Metsälä wind park in Kristiinankaupunki, western Finland. The wind park will have 23 turbines with gravity foundations, to which Peikko will deliver anchor cages. In addition to these, Peikko will be responsible for foundation design and deliver anchoring components to the 11 turbines with rock foundations. The foundations will be completed by the end of 2016.

“We are glad that our foundation technology is being used in the large Metsälä wind park project.

We have cooperated with EPV Tuulivoima in gravity foundations for a long time. Metsälä is the first project in which EPV will utilise Peikko’s new rock anchoring foundation,” says Esa Rusila, managing director of Peikko Finland Oy. Visit: www.peikko.com

almet Automotive has signed an agreement with technology group ABB for the delivery of over 250 industrial robots to be installed in the new Mercedes-Benz GLC SUV body shop. The GLC production will start in Finland in early 2017.

The agreement is the largest robot deal ever in Finland. The robots will be delivered to Valmet Automotive during this year, increasing the robot total of Uusikaupunki plant to over 500 units.

The deal further consolidates Valmet Automotive’s position as the pioneer of production automation and the leading robot user in Finland.

The current Mercedes-Benz A-Class body shop has 200 ABB robots. The greater robot number in the GLC body shop is due to different body structures and production processes, and increased production efficiency. The automation level will exceed 90%.

Visit: www.valmetautomotive.com

Australian Government selects DCNS for Future Submarine programme

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he Australian Government has selected DCNS as its preferred international partner for the design of 12 Future submarines for the Royal Australian Navy.

The Australian Government stated: “The decision was driven by DCNS’s ability to best meet all of the Australian Government’s requirements.

These included superior sensor performance and stealth characteristics, as well as range and endurance similar to the Collins Class submarine.

The Government’s considerations also included cost, schedule, programme execution, throughlife support and Australian industry involvement.”

“This success has been made possible thanks to the strong teamwork between the French authorities, DCNS and our industrial partners,” said DCNS chairman and CEO, Mr Herve Guillou.

“France and Australia have been allies for more than 100 years and we look forward to further strengthening this time honoured relationship and honouring the trust the Australian Commonwealth Government is placing in us for this ground breaking project,” Mr Guillou said.

Subject to discussions on commercial matters, the design of the Submarine will begin this year.

Visit: www.dcnsgroup.com

Minesto orders turbine prototype from SCHOTTEL HYDRO

The order of the so-called Power Take Off system is the first result of the strategic technology partnership between Minesto and SCHOTTEL HYDRO. During 2016 and 2017, SCHOTTEL HYDRO will deliver a customised turbine solution which will optimally fit the requirements of Deep Green.

“We are very pleased to have completed and verified the turbine design for Deep

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inesto has together with German tidal turbine manufacturer SCHOTTEL HYDRO completed the turbine design of Minesto’s tidal power plant Deep Green.

The Swedish marine energy company has now placed an order for a prototype of the turbine, with delivery in early 2017.

Green. The turbine’s performance has been improved by about 10%,” said Martin Edlund, CEO of Minesto.

The development of the turbine has resulted in a larger rotor diameter. The design has been established and verified through model tests by German Schiffbau Versuchsanstalt in Potsdam.

Visit: www.schottel.de Industry Europe 15

NEWS

Combining strengths

Inwido to acquire Lämpölux of Finland

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Tyman to acquire Giesse of Italy T

yman plc, a leading international supplier of engineered components to the door and window industry, has announced the acquisition of Giesse, an Italian based manufacturer of hardware for aluminium windows and doors.

The acquisition represents a strategic opportunity to add a design-led hardware offering to Schlegel, the group’s international division, with a presence in the EMEAI and other markets. The acquisition is in line with the group’s strategy to develop and extend the Group’s product portfolio through a combination of internal R&D and targeted acquisitions.

Louis Eperjesi, chief executive of Tyman, commented: “The acquisition of Giesse represents a strategic opportunity to add an initial hardware offering to our international division, Schlegel, as we seek to expand the range of engineered components we can offer our customers in all regions. Giesse offers an excellent fit with our business model and significantly broadens our coverage of the aluminium window and door market in Europe as well as giving Tyman local presence for the first time in a number of markets worldwide.”

Visit: www.giesse.it

nwido, Europe’s largest supplier of windows and doors, has signed an agreement to acquire 83% of the shares in the Finnish window and door company Värmelux Oy that owns and runs the business under the brand name Lämpölux, with an option for the remaining 17%.

At six years old, Lämpölux is a young brand that sells and installs windows, doors and garage doors in wood and wood/aluminium through 18 sales offices throughout Finland. The company, which was founded by the current management and is co-owned by its management and CapMan, has no proprietary production but is a customer of Inwido Finland, among others.

“This is a very good acquisition for us,” says Håkan Jeppsson, president and CEO of Inwido.

“Lämpölux brings expertise in sales, marketing and installation, providing an excellent complement to our existing operations in Finland.”

Today, Lämpölux has about 180 employees and annual sales of about €29 million. The company is headquartered in Oulu, Finland.

Visit: www.inwido.com

Fluor finalises acquisition of Netherlands-based Stork F

3M and Festool announce strategic collaboration

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M Company and TTS Tooltechnic Systems AG & Co. KG, maker of Festool brand products, have announced a strategic collaboration to provide customers in the global automotive collision repair industry with a new and comprehensive surface preparation and finishing system. The collaboration

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luor Corporation has closed its acquisition of Stork Holding B.V. Fluor announced in early December 2015 that the company had agreed to purchase 100% of Stork’s shares from UKbased private equity firm Arle Capital Partners.

Stork is a global provider of maintenance, modification and asset integrity services associated with large existing industrial facilities in the oil and gas, chemical, petrochemical and power markets.

Founded in 1827, Stork has long-term relationships with a diverse range of customers. It has operations in Continental Europe, the United Kingdom, the

Middle East, Asia-Pacific and the Americas. Stork’s business model is primarily based on ongoing operating budgets that are less impacted by capital spending plans and volatile commodity prices. The addition of Stork’s capabilities to the Fluor portfolio will help meet customers’ needs throughout the full lifecycle of an operating plant.

Stork, along with Fluor’s current Operations & Maintenance organisation, will be led by Stork CEO Arnold Steenbakker and reported financially under the Global Services business segment.

Visit: www.stork.com

brings together 3M’s best-in-class abrasives, global sales and distribution capabilities with Festool-branded premium power tools, dust extraction technologies and exceptional customer service to deliver a comprehensive portfolio of offerings to customers in the automotive aftermarket.

As part of the strategic collaboration, 3M’s Automotive Aftermarket Division (AAD)

will eventually become the exclusive supplier of 3M and Festool Automotive Systems products in the automotive aftermarket.

“We are proud to enter into this collaboration with 3M to offer a premium surface treatment system for body shops,” said Christian Oltzscher, chief sales officer, TTS Tooltechnic Systems AG & Co. KG.” Visit: www.festool.com

LINKINGUP Schenck Process and Fagerhult acquires LED Linear GmbH strengthen the Fagerhult ently delivered very strong financial perforSandvik Mining sign global T0strategically Group’s position in the professional lightmance with an organic growth of over 40% in ing market as well as adding leading comple2015. They have an excellent track record of partnership agreement mentary product ranges, Fagerhult has acquired innovation, delivering a range of leading linear

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andvik Mining and Schenck Process have signed a global partnership agreement. The partnership provides increased crushing circuit productivity for Schenck Process double and single deck high capacity banana screens and Sandvik high productivity cone crushers. It also enables a single service provider approach to support customers throughout the entire plant life cycle.

Schenck Process Business Unit Minerals & Metals is a leading supplier of solutions for screening applications in mining. Sandvik has a reputation as a leading supplier of crushers and crushing technologies. This cooperation provides in-depth understanding of mining customers’ equipment, together with process knowledge that will enable them to raise their crushing plant performance.

“This partnership agreement allows our customers to raise their overall crushing and screening plant productivity by focusing on process efficiency in its entirety, as opposed to individual pieces of equipment,” comments Mary Verschuer, president Minerals & Metals, Schenck Process Group. “Midtier miners are often looking for a system solution across the crushing circuit and with this partnership they will benefit from the best solutions from the Sandvik and Schenck Process product line in a single offering.”

Visit: www.schenckprocess.com

BASF and Avantium to establish joint venture

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ASF and Avantium have signed a letter of intent to establish a joint venture (JV) for the production and marketing of furandicarboxylic acid (FDCA), as well as marketing of polyethylenefuranoate (PEF), based on this new chemical building block.

The JV will use the YXY process® developed

100% of the shares of LED Linear GmbH based in Neukirchen-Vluyn, Germany.

LED Linear GmbH manufactures linear LED lighting fixtures, LED modules and other lighting fixture components primarily for the indoor and outdoor commercial sector. Typical application areas include commercial offices, retail, hospitality, infrastructure and high-end residential buildings. The company has successfully established a global sales presence with more than half of the net sales outside Europe, mainly in North America and Asia.

“LED Linear GmbH has world class linear LED lighting solutions, a cutting edge integrated manufacturing capability and award winning products and brand. The company has consist-

architectural lighting solutions. With the addition of this company to our group we see several strong synergies from selling their products through our distribution channels to leveraging their strong LED competence,” comments Johan Hjertonsson CEO Fagerhult Group.

Visit: www.fagerhult.se

Siegwerk to take over ACTEGA Colorchemie

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iegwerk Druckfarben AG & Co. KGaA, one of the leading international suppliers of printing inks for packaging applications, labels and catalogues, has signed a contract to purchase the printing ink manufacturer ACTEGA Colorchemie GmbH and its subsidiaries. The latter company, which belongs to ALTANA’s ACTEGA Coatings & Sealants division, develops and manufactures water-based flexo printing inks, particularly for printing on corrugated board packaging.

by Avantium in its laboratories in Amsterdam and pilot plant in Geleen, Netherlands, for the production of FDCA. It is intended to further develop this process as well as to construct a reference plant for the production of FDCA with an annual capacity of up to 50,000 metric tonnes per year at BASF’s Verbund site in Antwerp, Belgium. The aim is to build up world-leading positions in FDCA and PEF,

“With its extensive range, its high brand awareness and its pronounced service competence, ACTEGA Colorchemie fits excellently with Siegwerk,” says Hugo Noordhoek Hegt, president Packaging EMEA and a member of the management board of Siegwerk. “Due to the merger, we can open up new segments and further enhance our profile.”

By acquiring ACTEGA Colorchemie, Siegwerk is once again expanding its packaging printing offer. The aim is to bundle the strengths of the two companies and to bring together their technological competence and strong service orientation. By integrating the products of ACTEGA Colorchemie into its portfolio, the global printing ink manufacturer can target the needs of its customers even more effectively.

Visit: www.siegwerk.com and subsequently license the technology for industrial scale application.

FDCA is the essential chemical building block for the production of PEF. Compared to conventional plastics, PEF is characterised by improved barrier properties for gases like carbon dioxide and oxygen. This can lead to longer shelf life of packaged products.

Visit: www.basf.com Industry Europe 17

NEWS

MOVINGON

Relocations and expansions across Europe

Freightex opens new branch in Poland Multimillion pound design centre to

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reightex has officialy opened its first Polish branch in the city of Wroclaw.

The city is strategically positioned for European logistics as it is close to the German and Czech borders and with prime access to motorways in all directions.

Kris Koronkiewicz, branch manager, says: “Wroclaw is a great city for logistics with many established businesses such as LG and Amazon already here plus a lot of investment in logistics parks in the surrounding area.”

The branch will build on existing strong customer relationships offering a wide range of intra-Europe routes and in addition will fast track new supplier development. Kris continues: “We will be growing our staff numbers quickly to build our account management team and have been impressed with the quality of people we have recruited so far. It is an exciting time to be here.”

Visit: www.freightex.com

SKF builds to last

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KF is currently building the world’s most powerful large size bearing test centre on its Schweinfurt ‘Werk 3’ site. This pioneering project is now one major step nearer completion – weighing in at around 3000 tonnes, it took just two days to cast the foundations for the larger of the two new test rigs. Around nine metres wide, six metres deep and 22 metres long, the pit that had to be filled for the base of the future SKF test rig was the size of two detached houses. It had to be filled quickly to ensure the concrete could set correctly.

The base is such a huge block because of the enormous forces likely to be unleashed by the test rig that will be anchored to it. The colossus among test rigs is intended in particular for the testing of gigantic rolling bearings for wind power. “It will be the first test rig in the world capable of testing not just a single main bearing but a complete bearing unit all at once,” says SKF’s senior vice-president, Technology Development, Bernd Stephan, hinting at the dimensions of this unique installation. “The bearings themselves can have an external diameter of anything up to six metres, being intended for turbines in the 10 megawatt class. The test rig can subject structures of that kind to dynamic forces in all directions that, when combined, are many times greater than on the strongest test installation currently available.”

Visit: www.skf.com

Siemens opens facility for 3D printing metal components

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iemens has opened a production facility for metal 3D printed components in Finspång. The investment of around 200 million Swedish Krona (€21.4 million) is the first step in the company’s plans for the mass manufacture and repair of metal parts with additive manufacturing.

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bolster UK innovation in transport

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new multimillion pound centre of design excellence to support UK innovation in the transport industry and boost efforts to bridge a shortfall in essential creative skills will be opening at Coventry University in 2017.

The announcement of the National Transport Design Centre (NTDC) comes as a new report from the Automotive Council UK identifies a need for improved education provision for the vehicle design sector to meet urgent demand for creative roles such as modellers.

State-of-the-art features of the NTDC, which forms a key facility for the University’s existing Centre for Mobility and Transport, include:a six-metre interactive power wall which allows users to explore detailed design and engineering concepts in virtual reality; and a projection mapping system which can cast digital images onto 3D objects below, helping designers to assess how multiple options would appear on full-scale models.

Visit: www.coventry.ac.uk

Vygon Group opens subsidiary in Finland

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ygon, the specialist single-use medical devices group, has opened a subsidiary in Finland. Vygon has already been present in Finland for more than 30 years via a network of distributors “The new subsidiary will increase sales and offer a wider range of quality medical devices. In line with Vygon’s ethos, value life, we aim to improve the standard of care in Finland by partnering with clinicians,” said John Yates, vicepresident for central, northern and eastern Europe. Finland, a country of 5.5 million people, has seen health expenditure increase steadily over recent years.

“After creating Vygon Sweden in 1999, Vygon Denmark in 2005 and Vygon Norway in 2012, the opening of a Finnish subsidiary as we enter 2016 will further strengthen Vygon’s Nordic presence,” said Stéphane Regnault, chairman of the Vygon managing board. “The Nordic and Scandinavian regions currently make up 9% of the area turnover for northern, central and eastern Europe for Vygon. The sales goal for Finland is 10.4% of the Nordic and Scandinavian region total turnover,” he continued, “This new development will speed up the group’s international growth as part of the VygView 2022 project. Our overall goal within the northern, central and eastern European area is to return with a consistent overall double digit percentage growth year on year in line with our 2022 objectives.”

Visit: www.vygon.com

Siemens already uses rapid prototyping as a standard procedure and rapid repair in some commercial applications. This is a long-term investment to build up the skills and experience to lead to new ideas and developments in the field.

The facility features Direct Metal Laser Sintering machines from German AM leader, EOS, which cost around $850,000

each. Electro Optical Systems was founded in 1989, and diversified into laser sintering of thermoplastic powders in 1994. EOS currently believe metal 3D printing has the biggest potential, particularly in aerospace and medical, and consequently, are focused on the development of their metal 3D printing portfolio.

Visit: www.idtechex.com/3dmetals

NEWS

INDUSTRYPEOPLE Stephan Winkelmann new CEO of quattro GmbH

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tephan Winkelmann (51) has been appointed the new CEO of quattro GmbH, a 100% subsidiary of AUDI AG, which produces and distributes the high performance R and RS models. Winkelmann was president and CEO of Automobili Lamborghini SpA since 1 January 2005. Heinz Hollerweger (62), the current head of quattro GmbH, is to retire after almost 40 years.

“With his experience from more than 11 years in charge of Lamborghini, Stephan Winkelmann will be a key contributor to the further growth of quattro GmbH,” says Rupert Stadler, chairman of the board of management of AUDI AG. As CEO of Lamborghini, Winkelmann was responsible for substantial investment in the future of the company from 2005 onwards.

He developed Lamborghini into one of the world’s leading manufacturers of super sports cars. He succeeds Heinz Hollerweger (62), who will be retiring.

Heinz Hermann Thiele appointed honorary chairman of Knorr-Bremse supervisory board

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he departing supervisory board of Knorr-Bremse AG has named Heinz Hermann Thiele (74) honorary chairman. The entrepreneur and proprietor of Knorr-Bremse has been honoured for his tireless efforts on the company’s behalf over a period spanning decades.

As supervisory board member Hans-Georg Härter underlined: “The name Heinz Hermann Thiele will always be associated with the rise of Knorr-Bremse to become the world’s leading manufacturer of braking systems for rail vehicles and commercial vehicles. He took over the company in a precarious financial state in 1985, and through his determination, hard work and entrepreneurial vision transformed it into a jewel in the crown of German industry. The supervisory board wishes to thank Heinz Hermann Thiele for his life’s work, and appoints him its honorary chairman.”

Lars Stenqvist joins Volvo Group management

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ars Stenqvist has been appointed member of the Volvo executive board and executive vice-president of Volvo Group Trucks Technology, the Volvo Group’s technology and product development organisation for trucks.

He will also hold the title of Volvo Group chief technology officer Lars Stenqvist was born in 1967 and has been active for many years in the heavy vehicles industry, with several years of international experience. Today he is working for the Volkswagen Group as head of research and development for trucks and buses. Before then he worked within the Swedish truck maker Scania.

Lars Stenqvist replaces Torbjörn Holmström, who will be employed as the Volvo Group’s senior advisor on research and development.

Jason Morin new general manager Boliden Tara J

ason Morin has been appointed general manager of Boliden Tara Mines, and will take up his position later this spring. Jason has extensive experience of the mining and smelting industries. His most recent position was as general manager and director with Newmarket Gold in Australia. Prior to this he has held a number of senior management roles within the mining, smelting and manufacturing industries, including as general manager of operations in Canada, France and USA. Jason will report to Mikael Staffas, president Boliden Mines.

The Boliden Tara underground mine is Europe’s largest zinc mine. The mine had in 2015 an annual production of 2.2 million tonnes of zinc and lead ore.

Nicolas Chamussy to become Airbus Group’s new Space chief

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he Space Systems unit of Airbus Group SE will receive new leadership on 1 July 2016 with the appointment of Nicolas Chamussy, 48, as its executive vice-president.

Presently serving as chief of staff to Airbus Group CEO Tom Enders and a former manager in Defence and Space, Chamussy

will follow François Auque, 59. Chamussy will become a member of the Airbus Defence and Space executive committee and report to Dirk Hoke, the CEO of Airbus Defence and Space.

“With Nicolas Chamussy, our Space business will have one of the group’s most talented and versatile younger-generation executives as its new leader,” said CEO Tom Enders.

Industry Europe 19

NEWS

TECHNOLOGYSPOTLIGHT

Advances in technology across industry

Dublin Institute of Technology captures first prize at Alltech Innovation Competition

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lobal animal health and nutrition company Alltech has announced the 2016 winner of the Alltech Innovation Competition hosted at its European headquarters in Dunboyne, County Meath, Ireland. Dublin Institute of Technology (DIT) students Daniel Morgan, Ryan Williams, Jack O’Farrell and Stephen Walsh were awarded the overall prize for their outstanding competition entry Vikasa community, a social enterprise venture centred on the growth and harvesting of the moringa tree.

Moringa seeds have the ability to purify water and the leaves are some of the most nutritious in the world, while the trunk can be used to pro-

duce biochar. The team investigated the application of moringa in Nepal, one of the poorest countries in the world. After recent earthquakes, there has been a lack of safe drinking water and an increase in malnutrition across the country.

“Vikasa community believe the moringa tree can tackle these issues. Moringa is a native of the sub-Himalayas, but there is a huge lack of awareness and education around its properties and indeed its efficacy as a water purifier, nutritional supplement and various opportunities in commercial application,” said Morgan.

“We applied design thinking to Third World problems and an Irish nonprofit has invited us to

Malawi in July to implement our idea. Winning the Alltech Innovation Competition adds additional value to our proposal,” continued Morgan.

Visit: www.alltech.com/news.

Siemens presents the world’s thriftiest traffic light

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iemens has used new technology to improve the energy efficiency of traffic lights by more than 85%, a huge benefit for city budgets and for the environment. A typical intersection with bulb-based technology and around 55 traffic signals (red, yellow and green) can now avoid more than 6000 kilograms of harmful carbon emissions a year. This has been made possible by installing so-called ‘1-watt technology’. The first pilot projects are up and running in Bolzano, Italy and in Bietigheim-Bissingen near Stuttgart in southern Germany.

One-watt technology uses digital LED driver modules. This eliminates the need for load resistors and switching elements in the signal light units which until now have consumed most of the energy. Compared with the 60 watts sometimes

Royal Navy uses pilotless aircraft to navigate through ice

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tiny pilotless aircraft, built by the University of Southampton, has launched from the Royal Navy’s ice patrol ship HMS Protector for the first time to assist with navigating through the Antarctic.

The 3D-printed aircraft, along with a quadcopter, scouted the way for the survey ship so she could find her way through the thick ice of frozen seas.

It’s the first time the Royal Navy has used unmanned aerial vehicles in this part of the world. The Service has been operating ScanEagle ‘eyes in sky’ from frigates in the Gulf for the past couple of years, which feed vital live imagery back to ships on maritime security patrols.

The craft launched from Protector are smaller and less hi-tech, but still provided the icebreaker with real-time high-quality information courtesy of a detailed picture of the surrounding environment from a perspective that is only available from the air.

Developed by experts at the University of Southampton University, the Laser-Sintered Aircraft – shortened to SULSA – is made of nylon, printed in four major parts and assembled without the use of any tools. It is the world’s first ‘printed’ airplane.

Visit: www.southampton.ac.uk 20 Industry Europe

consumed by incandescent bulbs, the electricity required by individual traffic light signals can be slashed to just one or two watts. State-of-the-art LEDs with extremely low power consumption still retain full light intensity. In addition to power costs, the 1-watt light units also reduce service costs. Optical monitors continuously check the state of the LEDs. It is conceivable that in the future it may be possible to predict when units will fail, thus enabling preventative maintenance of signal light units. Siemens is the first ever manufacturer worldwide to monitor not only voltage and current, but also the luminosity of the LED signal light units. With this multi-layered monitoring concept, the 1-watt traffic light achieves the highest level of safety in road traffic (SIL 3).

Visit: www.siemens.com

NEWS

NOTICEBOARD New SPECTRO xSORT Penso unveils lightweight composite rail door rail door designed and made in initial interest is anything to go by, we expect handheld XRF analyser Acomposite the West Midlands has been unveiled at a this to add up to £2m per year to our sales.” major international show in Paris.

Penso, which employs 220 people across its two Coventry sites, showcased its latest innovative product that is expected to offer a 30% weight reduction on the current aluminium model.

“We have been working on this exciting project for some time, so it was a big moment for the company when we unveiled it,” explained Daniel Hurcombe, managing director. “A lot of firms have been looking at R&D, but very few – if indeed any – have gone to the next level and actually produced a lightweight rail door out of composite material.

“This is a major attraction for the train operators and manufacturers and we are currently targeting a number of companies in Europe. If

Penso, which offers a complete turnkey engineering service including design, feasibility analysis and niche production, believes it has come up with a solution for producing carbon fibre components quickly and cost effectively.

Visit: www.penso.co.uk

Sulzer introduces high-efficiency recirculation pump

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PECTRO Analytical Instruments has announced a major new upgrade of the SPECTRO xSORT handheld X-ray fluorescence (XRF) spectrometer – delivering improved speed and precision in the analysis of light elements.

The design, performance, and simple operation of the SPECTRO xSORT handheld spectrometer make it ideal for performing positive material identification (PMI) for infrastructure integrity testing at refineries, power plants, and petrochemical complexes – as well as scrap metal analysis and sorting in the recycling industry.

The SPECTRO xSORT Alloy model delivers grade identification in seconds. The even more powerful SPECTRO xSORT AlloyPlus analyses most alloys in two seconds, and identifies alloys based on light elements such as aluminum, magnesium, silicon, phosphorus, and sulfur in seven seconds.

The new SPECTRO xSORT analyser is available in different models. The SPECTRO xSORT Alloy employs an innovative silicon PIN (Si-PIN) detector and delivers grade identification of metals in seconds without extensive analysis. The SPECTRO xSORT AlloyPlus (Combi) features a top-of-the-line silicon drift detector (SDD) and provides reliable, high-productivity measurement and analysis.

Visit: www.spectro.com

ulzer has introduced a new efficient submersible recirculation pump type ABS XRCP 800 PA with a completely new design. The new pump series is developed for the pumping and recirculation of activated sludge in wastewater treatment plants during the nitrification and denitrification process, as well as for the pumping of storm, surface, and river water. It complements the submersible recirculation pump series ABS RCP. Like all Sulzer submersible pumps and mixers, the new XRCP 800 PA pump series offers an economical and reliable option for wastewater treatment applications. For the customers,

the low energy consumption of the pump brings savings in total life-cycle costs and reduces the environmental footprint.

The submersible recirculation pump type XRCP is designed as a compact, waterpressure-tight unit, including the propeller and bracket. The well-proven automatic coupling system uses a single guide rail and guarantees a quick and economical installation.

The XRCP is available in two standard material versions; cast iron and stainless steel.

The maximum temperature of the medium for continuous operation is 40°C (104°F).

Visit: Visit: www.sulzer.com

New waterproof plug and socket outlet from MARECHAL

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ARECHAL ELECTRIC has launched a new waterproof plug and socket-outlet IP66 / IP67 with ‘de’ protection mode (ATEX). They can be used in zones 1 & 2 (Gas) and zones 21 & 22 (Dust).

They are certified according to IECEx standards.

Featuring the DECONTACTOR™ technology with integrated load-break switch, the user does not need to couple it with a switch. A red button on top of the socket outlet facilitates the disconnecting operations even when the product is on.

The DECONTACTOR™ and MARECHAL® DX ranges have, according to the model, compact and robust metal housings. This choice of material contributes to the outlet’s excellent mechanical strength and its long life expectancy. It also provides for use at low temperatures down to -55 °C. The main industries using the company’s DXA1 include food & beverage, chemicals, refineries, offshore platforms, oil and gas.

Visit: www.marechal.com Industry Europe 21

NEWS

INDIANEWS Metalite Hitex launches road safety solutions For India’s highways

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etalite Hitex Group has announced the immediate availability of two new road safety surfacing and repair products designed specifically to meet the needs of India’s highway infrastructure network. This is the first product launch from the company which is a recently announced joint venture between Hitex International Group, the leading global provider of road safety and surfacing solutions, and Trans Metalite India, the New Delhibased supplier of highways infrastructure solutions.

According to Finn Goff, group commercial director, Metalite Hitex Group: “These innovative road surfacing and repair products are made in India at our new manufacturing plant at Bawal in Haryana.

Fortum plans investment in Indian solar power

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innish firm Fortum is planning to invest €200400 million (Rs 1500 crore – Rs 3000 crore) in solar power projects in India, joining firms from Canada to Japan that are looking to tap into the country’s growing renewable energy sector.

The government plans to increase solar power generation capacity to 100 gigawatts (GW) and 60 GW of wind power by the end of 2022.

“India is the first country Fortum has decided to enter, as the country offers one of the best solar resources and sound government support for development of the sector. The country provides a good platform for Fortum to further develop its business in solar energy and also elsewhere,” said a company statement on Tuesday.

Currently, the company’s solar activities are exclusively based in India, where it has 15 megawatts (MW) of capacity.

The company is targeting a gigawatt-scale wind and solar portfolio. It has a total power generation capacity of about 13,700 MW, mostly through hydropower, nuclear energy and combined heat and power plants that use a variety of fuels such as biomass, waste and fossil fuels.

Visit: www.fortum.com

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They have been developed using a unique blend of materials to ensure that road surfaces maintain their stability in a wide range of temperatures from 1–50 degrees and will last several summers.”

The new products include a reformulated version of Texband, the UK’s leading highway patch repair system for open seams, joints and cracks of up to 40mm wide in bituminous road surfaces. To help counter the increasing number of accidents on India’s roads, Metalite Hitex Group is also providing new skid-resistant surfacing treatments at busy junctions, pedestrian crossings and roundabouts.

Visit: www.hitexinternational.com

Ashok Leyland sets its sights high in defence

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shok Leyland Defence Systems, a division of Hinduja group’s flagship Ashok Leyland brand, has contracted US-based defence contractor Lockheed Martin to develop combat vehicles for the Indian Army. The technology sourcing agreement with Lockheed is the latest in a string of partnership deals from Ashok Leyland to step up its defence play and to reach a turnover of Rs 5000 core over the next five years.

Since its inception in 1998, Ashok Leyland’s defence arm has relied heavily on strategic alliances to win big contracts. Over the past decade, it has signed three deals with overseas players to boost its technological know-how. It is now looking to do the same with Lockheed.

Nitin Seth, president (light commercial vehicle & defence), Ashok Leyland, says the right technological support is critical to the success of a company

trying to make a mark in defence manufacturing, given the huge initial costs involved in developing products. “It is not that we cannot develop our own technology, but considering the time it takes and the money that is required, it is better to source (platforms) which are in service,” says Seth.

Visit: www.ashokleyland.com

Liebherr-Hausgeräte to invest in Indian manufacturing unit

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iebherr Appliances India, a wholly owned subsidiary of Germany-based Liebherr-Hausgeräte GmbH, has announced the establishment of a manufacturing plant for its cooling appliances in Aurangabad, Maharashtra. The company is investing Rs 500 crore in the first phase of this project.

The unit, spread over 35,000m2, will produce approximately 500,000 cooling appliances each year specifically for India and its neighbouring countries. The unit will begin production from 2018 onwards and create 1000 jobs.

Detlef Walther, director, Appliances Division, Liebherr-Hausgeräte, said: “Appliances, specifically tailored to meet market requirements in India and its surrounding regions, will be produced at this plant from 2018 onwards. Targeted market analyses have already been undertaken. As part of our India strategy, we will be coming up with Liebherr’s first monobrand showroom in Mumbai very shortly. With the unique atmosphere created within this purpose-built showroom, both retailers and customers will have the opportunity to find out more about Liebherr refrigerators and freezers.”

Visit: www.liebherr-appliances.com

EURO-REPORT

FOCUS ON...

Germany Allan Hall reports from Berlin on a guide on how to look like an English gentleman.

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German style guru peddling English sartorial elegance to his countryman has written what he says is the ultimate guide to dressing like – and therefore becoming – a gentleman.

Years spent watching bowler-hatted Patrick Macnee twirling his brolly in The Avengers – as well as the tweedy antics of the country set in All Creatures Great and Small – have led to the latest edition of Bernhard Roetzel’s envogue meisterwerk entitled ‘Der Gentleman’.

‘Kissing buttons’ on jacket cuffs or more sensibly spaced ones? Should the side pockets on a double-breasted suit be in angle with the lower pair of buttons? And who is the best-dressed man: the Prince of Wales or Italian designer Luciano Barbera?

If these and other conundrums about clothes – and pipes, colognes, moustache brushes, pomades and other accessories essential to daily dandification – need solving, look no further than between the covers of the 400-page tome.

Which, interestingly, comes at a time when the German clothing industry is enjoying a turnover of €73,35 billion with big names like Boss, Adidas and New Yorker enjoying worldwide success. With 340,000 people employed in the German clothing manufacturing industry it is one of the top ten most important businesses in the country.

But, sadly, tailoring is a dying art with nary a bespoke cutter to be found anywhere in the country. That is why Roetzel looks abroad for the finest in clothing – and for the style model he insists all Germans aspire to emulate.

Available in English for his non-Teutonic disciples, ‘The Gentleman; A Timeless Guide to Fashion’ is a precise guide in how to look, smell and project class and smartness to stand out from the pret-a-porter crowd.

Putting on the style Hanover-born Roetzel, who believes Germans have a deep need to emulate the style

which many Britons have now forsaken for jogging pants and nylon hoodies, first wrote his homage to pinstripes and hand-made shirts in 1999. Now the latest edition has so much more: there is a chapter on hand-tailored underwear, the best place to buy walking canes, how to store your Falcon pipes for longevity and smoking satisfaction, how a waxed coat gets waxed and just how good is the Mecca of bespoke – Savile Row – in these days of illimitable mass production?

Years spent watching bowlerhatted Patrick Macnee twirling his brolly in The Avengers – as well as the tweedy antics of the country set in All Creatures Great and Small – have led to the latest edition of Bernhard Roetzel’s en-vogue meisterwerk entitled ‘Der Gentleman’.

Roetzel has made a life and a handsome living out of tapping into what is no doubt a rich vein of envy of the ‘old enemy’. He first admired English style watching old movies as a child, then later as a student in London marvelled at clothes old and new, from top fashion houses to second hand boutiques where he was an avid shopper. Back in his homeland Roetzel, 49, set about transforming a passion into his trade. He has seen The Gentleman published in 19 languages, but it was originally written from the heart for his fellow Germans.

He said of the latent love affair that he believes is waiting to be consummated by his countrymen with the ‘English look;’

“When I was 21 I tried to look exactly like the Englishmen I admired. Some were characters on TV like John Steed or Siegfried Farnon, others were people from real life that I had seen on the street or in books. I think Germans have always admired the classical British way of dressing. I think this longing exists in most of them.

“Men are the biggest clothes nuts in the world. I have never heard of women discussing topics like buttonholes or the distance between buttons on cuffs. Being one of the most eminent nuts myself, I love my fellow nuts and these discussions. My own appearance has been discussed and criticised frequently, but who says that I’m perfect? The day I stop learning is the day when the grass starts growing over me, I guess.

“Only very few people rely on creativity and intuition when it comes to dressing.

People want to show that they belong to a group. They don’t want to be eccentric. If you like the style that I explain in my book ‘Gentleman’, you will be eager to learn all the rules you need to know to master this style. If you prefer creativity, you will probably dress in a different way.”

But steeped as he is in the mores of Jeeves and Wooster, the world never stays still and this foreign emissary for a vanishing world of style admits that he now often goes to Vienna for a suit instead of London – even though ‘the look’ remains the same.

Berlin fashion maven Ulrich Wehmeyer said: “The Roetzel take on the look can be achieved with German suits, colognes, accessories – particularly in a city like Hamburg where the English look is dominant.

Not only in clothes and shoes, but also in restaurants, tea rooms and comestibles like biscuits, jams and pastries.

“But it will take a long time for the dress-down Friday crowd to become smart enough to create a ‘German’ look that anyone might want to follow!” n Industry Europe 23

EURO-REPORT

FOCUS ON...

France Ian Sparks reports from Paris on good news for France’s shipbuilding industry and not so good news for football fans and gourmets.

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rance has just secured one of the most lucrative defence contracts in history by winning a €35 billion deal to build submarines for Australia.

Two years ago, it seemed that a rival bid from Japan had the contract in the bag. But after a series of blunders by a group of Japanese ministry officials, corporate executives and diplomats, the French naval contractor DCNS has now swooped in to clinch what has been dubbed the ‘defence deal of the century’ and left Tokyo’s dream of fasttracking a revival of its arms export industry in tatters.

Industry experts said Japan’s loss came about after bidders failed to commit to providing skilled shipbuilding jobs in Australia, and did not predict the fall from grace of former prime minister Tony Abbott – a close ally of his Japanese counterpart Shinzo Abe – who was ousted from office in 2015.

Meanwhile, the boss of France’s DCNS naval contractor Herve Guillou began muscling in on the deal by persuading French Defence Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian to visit Australia and start the pitch for France.

Le Drian then wooed the Australians by evoking the countries’ shared history, and travelled to Albany in the country’s south-west, where officials had gathered to commemorate the 100th anniversary of the first sailing of Australian soldiers to fight on France’s Western Front during World War One. Then in September 2015, Japan’s key ally Abbott was deposed by Malcolm Turnbull and France’s DCNS hired Australian submarine industry expert Sean Costello to spearhead their bid, who won over US defence companies Lockheed Martin and Raytheon, one of which would eventually build the submarine’s combat system. And late last month, France learnt it had won the deal.

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Japanese officials have now said they would like Australia to explain why they lost so they can learn from the ‘painful and bewildering’ experience.

Milking the fans Elsewhere in France, the hotel industry has come under fire for hiking its prices by up to 80 per cent during this summer’s Euro 2016 football championship. A new study has revealed that the average room price in the ten host cities has almost doubled during the tournament from June 10 to July 10.

The survey by consumers group Que Choisir compared prices on match day with the cost one week earlier. The highest increase uncovered by the group was at the Best Western in Marseille, which raised prices by over 1100 per cent on match nights.

The Hotel Ibis beside the Stade de France in Saint-Denis, near Paris, which is set to stage seven matches including the final, has hiked room rates by almost ten times when games are played.

A separate survey by holiday comparison site Likibu found private flat and house rentals had also jacked up their prices by 71 per cent in Lille, 60 per cent in Toulouse and 53 per cent in Lyon.

But in Paris, private landlords had only raised prices for short term rentals by 12 per cent due to a huge amount of competition in the market.

The Euro 2016 tournament will see 51 matches played in the cities of Bordeaux, Lens, Lille, Lyon, Marseille, Nice, Paris, SaintDenis, Saint-Etienne and Toulouse.

A spokesman for Que Choisir said: “Hotels are charging as much as they can possibly get away with during the tournament. We can only advise fans to shop around, but not to expect to be staying anywhere for a bargain price.”

UEFA officials have also warned fans against buying black market tickets and hos-

pitality packages which may be worthless.

The governing body said it had tried to take down numerous unauthorised websites illegally offering to buy or sell tickets for championships.

The Football Association runs its own England Supporters Travel Club and always urges fans to only purchase tickets via official channels.

Foie gras crisis Also in France, producers of the controversial delicacy foie gras say they will lose millions from a three-month ban on production that started on Monday, prompted by an outbreak of the virulent H5N1 bird flu in the south-west of the country.

The ban means that breeders in 18 departments are not allowed to have any ducks or geese in their slaughterhouses or production rooms until mid-August.

H5N1 is highly lethal to birds but does not infect humans easily, although when it does it is fatal in about 60 per cent of cases, the World Health Organization says.

Marie Pierre Pe, spokeswoman for producers’ federation Cifog, said that 4000 jobs would be affected by the ban, adding: “This interruption to our business will cause large cash flow problems, additional wage costs linked to the temporary unemployment of around 4000 workers, and fixed costs that will have to be paid despite us not having any income.”

The ban also means there will be nine million ducks fewer on the market this year, meaning that the price of all duck-based products for consumers will be certain to soar. The production of foie gras has long been a battleground between animals-rights campaigners and defenders of France’s gourmet traditions.

Force-feeding – known as ‘gavage’ in France – has been banned in several countries but is n legal in France.

QUALITY TOOLS FOR

GLOBAL MARKETS The Hoffmann Group is Europe’s leading system partner for quality tools. A combination of trading, manufacturing and service competence has given rise to a modern, progressive company which serves over 135,000 customers worldwide and achieved its first billion in turnover in 2014. Romana Moares reports.

Hoffmann Groups eShop - thanks to responsive web design available for all e-devices.

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he Hoffmann Group wrote the first chapter in its story back in 1919. Ever since its early days the business has grown organically, pursuing its path to success using a simple recipe: a passion for quality tools that create perfect results in customers’ hands.

Almost one hundred years later, Hoffmann, now Europe’s largest tooling logistics provider, boasts impressive figures: with its worldwide partners and around 2700 staff, the company serves global leaders as well as small and medium size businesses in over 50 countries, currently offering 500,000 listed items of which 65,000 are in stock. With a comprehensive customer service and 99 per cent delivery quality certified by TÜV, the company ensures that its customers experience efficient cooperation on a partnership basis.

In 2014 the Hoffmann Group reached a significant milestone: For the first time in almost 100 years of history, its annual global turnover has crossed the billion threshold to come in at €1.047 billion. This represents an increase of 8.9 per cent compared with the previous year.

Reinhard Banasch, CEO

Martin Reichenecker, Chief Sales Officer

Industry Europe 25

Unparalleled offer Inside the company’s product catalogue, printed in 18 languages, an unparalleled range of more than 65,000 articles showcase the very latest its in-house GARANT premium brand, HOLEX quality brand and 500 leading manufacturer’s brands have to offer. The range covers tools used for machining, clamping, drilling, milling, cutting and many more.

“The bestseller, successfully growing for over 40 years, is our own product range, the exclusive GARANT premium brand, covering around 25,000 items,” says Reinhard Banasch, the group’s CEO. In July 2015, the Hoffmann Group made an evolutionary step in machining technology with its GARANT MasterSteel HPC milling cutter – the new HPC roughing end mill offers an impressively long service life, high metal removal rate and excellent tool life.

“GARANT allows our customers to benefit from the technical knowhow and solutions expertise of the entire Hoffmann Group. We offer a premium range of products for all areas of application, from machining, clamping, measuring and assembling through to complete sets of works equipment from a single source,” says Mr Banasch.

In a test on high-alloy tool steel the MasterSteel outperformed the competition to the extent of an 83 per cent longer tool life. In addition, during field tests with welded fabrications of ST52 and an extremely high number of flame-cut edges, the MasterSteel displayed a 150 per cent longer tool life at the same time as achieving 66 per cent higher feed rates. As the CEO points out, the user benefits twice over: using GARANT MasterSteel, they can work longer and faster.

Largest in Europe Reinhard Banasch further explains that it is the range of modular as well as mono grinding tools currently enjoying the biggest sales and further growth of this product group is expected. “In addition to the grinding tool range we would like to further grow in the area of 26 Industry Europe

The 46th issue of the catalogue lists more than 65,000 quality tools.

tailored workstations and storage solutions. To support this, we opened our own Logistics Centre near Munich in 2014,” he adds.

It is worth mentioning that, since 2009, the Hoffmann Group has been operating Europe’s largest Logistics Centre in Nurnberg, boasting 36,000m² and 60,000 positions per day. “The latest development in the field of store logistics has been the centre of our attention for some time,” says Mr Banasch. “Should we come to the conclusion that justified, necessary investment is further needed in this area, we will go ahead.”

As Europe’s largest tooling logistics provider, the group can ensure over 99 per cent supply availability, an error rate of just 0.1 per cent, and preferred-supplier status among more than 95 per cent of customers. Every single day, Hoffmann consistently pursues a zero-error policy to provide 60,000 items – with turnaround times of 24 hours in Germany and 48 hours throughout the rest of Europe.

Going stronger Does the group plan further capacity expansion? “In principle, it is not true that family businesses like ours need to grow at all costs, unlike companies listed on the stock exchange,” says Mr Banasch.

Industry Europe 27

Opened in 2014: Logistics Center for workstations in Odelzhausen near Munich.

“We do want to grow further but this growth needs to be carefully controlled. Other aspects of the business are important for us also, such as the well-being of our staff, our environmental impact and social awareness. We will strive to secure healthy growth while making sure that all of these other aspects are carefully considered also.

Potential investments will reflect these considerations.”

The group has consolidated its market position both internationally and in Germany, which remains, as before, its most important market.

Nevertheless 28 per cent (€46 million) of the group’s overall turnover was generated internationally. It believes there is still great potential for growth worldwide, and has plans to enter additional new markets this year.

“Our model as a system partner with a unique, three-fold combination of trading, manufacturing and service expertise is not only being successfully embraced in Europe, as our international experience shows. We are therefore convinced that we can support small, medium-sized and large companies throughout the world in optimising their procurement processes and improving productivity. We are n perfectly equipped for the task,” Mr Banasch concludes.

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Investing into the future of the manufacturing competence of Hoffmann Group: CEO Reinhard Banasch with manager colleagues in December 2015.

Industry Europe 29

DRIVEN BY INNOVATION W Machinery, based in the western part of the Czech Republic on the German border, is a major producer of sophisticated conveyor systems, filter stations and comprehensive plant and equipment covers. Over the past few years, the company has gone from strength to strength and now plans to open a new manufacturing plant to meet rising demand. Romana Moares reports.

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STOS Machinery is the successor of a local company that for many years produced conveyor belts for machine tool manufacturers. In 2006 the company was taken over by its current owner Machinery Equipment Technology Group a.s., with its single shareholder and managing director Mr Michael Ondraschek, who set a new direction for the business – to become a system manufacturer, ranking amongst the top European companies in its field. He has not only succeeded in achieving this goal, but exceeded it: ASTOS, having transformed from a simple product manufacturer into a comprehensive solutions provider, is now a recognised player on a global scale.

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Stability through diversification Michael Ondraschek’s objective was to diversify the company’s product portfolio to lessen its vulnerability to market fluctuations.

“When I took the company over, I knew the only way forward was to transform it into a sophisticated engineering business producing bespoke products with high added value and, rather than a single product manufacturer, operate as a general contractor. The fact that we have succeeded in achieving this goal has been demonstrated by rising sales as well as increasing demand from new customers,” he says.

As a result of this diversification, ASTOS survived the recession years relatively unharmed and managed to penetrate new markets outside Europe. “We provide unique solutions for our customers’ very individual technological needs. Reliability, quality, long service life even in the most heavy duty conditions and, last but not least, low operating costs are some of the reasons why numerous companies have chosen to pursue a long-term partnership with a.s. ASTOS Machinery,” he explains.

The core business continues to be conveyors and conveyor systems. These include chip conveyors and magnetic conveyors for CNC machines and presses, and a unique, patented solution – a circular chip conveyor developed from numerous applications of the special scrape conveyor.

The second business is the production of machine covers. The range includes designing and manufacturing various types of products such as CNC machine covers, booths (stationary and moving) and covers for entire production lines, from jacketing machines to highly customised solutions. These typically include small to mediumsized CNC multi-axis machines, large vertical lathes, horizontal boring machines, grinding machines and production lines. The third pillar is the production of coolant filtration and separation instrumentation, such as different kinds of belt filters (PF) and magnetic separators.

All three product groups are growing and all are expected to remain important parts of the company’s portfolio.

Innovative approach Mr Ondraschek knew that the only way to secure lasting success for the company was to focus on innovation. All three areas of the business are therefore moving steadily towards more sophisticated, Industry Europe 31

complex solutions. The conveyor systems are provided with automated controls to communicate with other technologies, while the filtration systems now represent a technologically comprehensive product meeting the highest parameters. Significant developments have also been made in machine coverings both in design and actual

manufacturing. The company has recently applied for an EU grant to support a four-year project aimed at filtration innovation: the objective is to develop a unique solution which would move the company to a higher level still. “The conveyors and conveyor lines currently make up about 60 per cent of our business, filtration systems represent about 25 per cent and the rest is machine covers,” explains the director.

To support product development and innovation, the company has established its own product design subsidiary in a prestigious R&D location – the Innovation Park Bory near Plzen, which houses numerous international industry leaders and their product development departments. The subsidiary recruits new experts every year, and today employs 15 designers and specialists.

For industry leaders ASTOS’s quality and expertise were confirmed two years ago when the company won the largest and most prestigious contract in its history – delivery of an automated conveyors system for Toyota Motor Corp. for its body shop in manufacturing plant in St. Petersburg. The contract was won within a Europe-wide tender and ASTOS was the single non-Japanese technology supplier. Toyota chose in this case not one of its traditional Japanese suppliers but a relative ‘newcomer’.”

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“The project was a big success and confirmed our reputation as a trusted supplier. We won a subsequent contract for a second part of the line for this Toyota plant the following year. The irony is that success in the export markets has improved our position locally: as a result of the partnership with Toyota we were contacted by Skoda Auto, who had not considered us seriously before. We were invited to participate in a tender for Skoda’s plant extension and now are among the three finalists,” says Mr Ondraschek.

But although the Skoda contract would be significant for the company’s growth, ASTOS is not dependent on it. Sales are rising in all of its EU markets, with recent successes including a contract for one of the biggest conveyors ever made in Europe – a carousel with a table of 16m in diameter made by a local producer. “We were considered the only company capable of producing a conveyor in such dimensions,” says the managing director proudly.

A strong reputation He explains that the next challenge for ASTOS, which today employs about 150 people, will be to increase its production capacity and to start establish another production location . “We have started to look at potential locations but that choice will depend on whether we win the contract for Skoda,” he says, and confirms that increased capacity is essential to enable further growth.

Judging from increasing demand and inquiries from such distant locations as South America, Australia and India, one may assume that the company’s future looks rather promising. “We are pleased that we have achieved such a strong position in the market and that we have become a key strategic partner for our customers. We receive positive feedback on all continents, which certainly promotes and spreads the reputation of ASTOS. We can be truly proud of what our team has n achieved,” Mr Ondraschek concludes.

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MACHINING THE FUTURE KOVOSVIT MAS, a leading European supplier of machine tool technology, is now capitalising on its extensive investments over the past few years. The company is going through substantial expansion, in terms of both its markets and its product portfolio.

Romana Moares reports.

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OVOSVIT MAS boasts a 75-year tradition in machine tool production and has, over the years, received many awards for its technical contributions to machine tool development in the Czech Republic and abroad. Long service life, solid workmanship and stable and accurate performance are among the attributes that have won the company many prestigious customers around the world. Some of its machines installed worldwide in the 1950s are still in operation today. MAS has also the edge over its competitors thanks to its sophisticated hi-tech products and deliveries of complex turnkey engineering projects, capitalising on rising demand for such machines in global markets.

Kovosvit’s financial performance has improved steadily in recent years; forecast figures for 2015 are in the range of around four billion Czech crowns, higher than ever before. Roughly 60 per cent of production output is sold in export markets, mainly Russia, the CIS, Poland and the EU.

Four pillars The company’s business has been divided into four divisions.

The first is the MAS MACHINE TOOLS division, representing Kovosvit’s core offering and covering R&D as well as the production of traditional and innovative machine tools and technologies.

Next comes MAS HYDRO, specialising in deliveries of turbines and technological units for the hydraulic power generation sector, with a particular focus on low-flow locations where conventional turbines cannot be deployed.

The third area of business is the MAS FOUNDRY division. Kovosvit MAS is one of the very few Czech companies which has had its own foundry from the very beginning. Its castings are supplied not only to

the company’s other divisions but also represent a highly sought-after article for the automotive, railway and power industries. 60 per cent of castings are exported. The newest division is MAS AUTOMATION, the core business of which is delivery of robotic workstations and automated production lines tailor-made to match specific customers’ requirements for highly efficient and economic solutions.

Good year “In 2015, the company achieved several important milestones, such as the completion of the aforementioned MAS AUTOMATION division. We have now achieved the first important acquisitions in this segment,” says commercial director František Švec.

MAS HYDRO, supplying turbines for the hydraulic power sector, has also grown rapidly and expanded to new markets. “A typical turbine utilises hilly terrains. Our solutions are universal – we can produce and install turbines even at lower altitudes including extreme geographical locations, thus saving investors up to 30 per cent of investment costs, while maintaining the required power generation outputs,” he explains.

MAS HYDRO has succeeded in winning customers in important markets such as Germany and Italy, and has also completed a substantial delivery to Japan. “Currently we are in the process of negotiating four new projects in Italy and an extensive project for Egypt. The latter will involve the delivery of four large pumps for a water treatment plant and the refurbishment of 15 older pumps,” says the commercial director.

MAS FOUNDRY has also expanded to Western markets. As a result of a CZK 100 million investment and timely diversification of its production, the division now supplies its castings mainly to Germany, Switzerland and the UK. The oldest and largest MACHINE TOOL division has Industry Europe 35

experienced similar growth: it has recently won new projects in India and hopes to succeed in Poland and France in the power, railway and automotive sectors. “We are also negotiating several major turnkey deliveries for the defence and aerospace sectors in Russia,” adds Mr Švec.

Leader in its sector Since 2011, when the company changed hands, an extensive investment programme has been implemented with the aim of introducing innovative production technologies, restructuring the production and administrative premises, as well as staff and student training. “This trend also continued in 2015,” says the sales director, mentioning new investments worth €140 million in R&D and various product innovation and development projects. These include the acquisition of the latest sophisticated grinder for the production of precise multi-functional machine spindle units worth €30 million, the €20 million modernisation of the testing room and modernisation of both the production halls and heating system.

As mentioned earlier, the company’s success has been boosted by the introduction of sophisticated new products. Its latest product development projects included the MULTICUT 630 and MCU1100V-

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5X machines, innovation of the SP 280 machining line, the SP 630 prototype and several others. Now the main emphasis has shifted to deliveries of tailor-made complete engineering assemblies, which include robotic units and offer buyers substantial cost savings and more efficient production processes.

In the future, the company will support the further development of all four businesses. “We expect growing sales in all our divisions,” confirms Mr Švec. “The main focus will be on changing the MAS MACHINE TOOLS portfolio in line with a growing emphasis on hi-tech machines to provide customers with sophisticated machine tools, as well as on increasing the volume of turnkey deliveries from the MAS AUTOMATION division. These are our main tasks for the n near future,” he concludes.

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WOOD INDUSTRY

SPECIALIST

The SCM Group is a leading producer of woodworking machinery, industrial components and iron castings.

Laura Travierso talks to technical director Federico Ratti to find out more about its global presence and state-of-the-art solutions.

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ased in Italy, for over 60 years SCM Group has designed and produced a wide range of woodworking machinery, industrial components and iron castings for various applications including furniture, door and window frames or for the nautical, aeronautical and automotive sectors.

“The company’s core business, as one can imagine, is represented by woodworking (69 per cent of sales), followed by machinery for other materials (22 per cent of sales) and industrial components (9 per cents),” begins Federico Ratti. “The Group realises 90 per cent of its turnover through exports, divided into the following areas: 47 per cent western Europe; 25 per cent America; 15 per cent eastern Europe; 9 per cent Asia and 4 per cent to the rest of the world.”

With 20 subsidiaries worldwide and over 350 selected dealers, SCM can produce the widest range of machinery for wood processing. It clients range from large industrial companies to the smallest craftsman, all supplied from its three main production sites in Italy (Rimini, Vicenza and Bergamo) and plants in China and Brazil.

Research and development “Our R&D division has a great deal of experience which always allows us to offer the best solution for any application,” says Mr Ratti. “Our aim is to constantly develop our technology and knowhow to supply customers with high performance solutions that set the technological benchmark for the industry. The use of an advanced PLM (Product LifeCycle Management) system allows for

the rationalisation of design through a rigorous process of product development and the identification of shared functional platforms and modules.”

The company has developed three dedicated centres of expertise, which are: The Csr research consortium, dedicated to studies and tests relating to vibration, acoustic optimisation, safety and operator-machine interaction, energy efficiency, dust reduction and fluid dynamics; the Dmc hi-tech research laboratory, whose goal is to design and create innovative solutions for the use of machines with flexible abrasives; and the Crif research centre for the casting industry.

Software means evolution “Software is the most important development for this business. We are developing the software of the future, which means smart and user friendly. This means opening up new frontiers and making new projects effectively possible,” says Mr Ratti. “All those involved in the production process no longer need to be familiar with sophisticated technology programming, because the entire process know-how is contained in the software. How can we shift to this tech approach?

With an advanced software dedicated to all the different machining technologies for a fully integrated software experience. In this way software is the king, and we work to make it easy to use.”

From the very beginning, SCM Group has been working with artisans, firms and large industries with the aim of developing everyday design solutions for wood products, marble, plastic, Industry Europe 39

Electro Adda Electro Adda is the reference technological partner for highly specialized companies in different sectors. The ability to produce custom-made and high quality motors is highlighted in the cooperation that Electro Adda can assure to SCM GROUP. SCM and Electro Adda have started their relationship since 1950 and they well represent the rising family companies which were destined to grow over time until today. At first, SCM work in the field of machines for woodworking starting from the “Invincibile”, a classic machine in short widespread all over the world and Electro Adda in the field of the electric motors. The relationship of mutual esteem between the founders of these two companies brought Electro Adda to develop electric motors suitable for the field of machines for woodworking and to have SCM not only as a customer but also as a Partner with whom to share their experiences.

This relationship of mutual esteem is not failed over time, in spite of the different ways and size of rise, the different type of products and manufacturing technologies.

Electro Adda still provide to SCM Group trusted and efficient electric motors that meet specific requirements, such as standard machines, working centres, plants for panel processing, systems for window and door frames, technologies for the plastic working, glass, marble and composite materials.

A relationship between SCM and Electro Adda which from the founders has come until today thanks to a collaboration that has never been stopped which continues successfully for more than 60 years.

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composite materials and glass. “SCM Group is now able to offer complete support in the development phase of a new project,” adds Mr Ratti, “from the research to design optimisation. We are able to follow every single phase, from the very beginning to post sale. Our partners will never be alone.”

Breaking news: Powerflex boring machine This new automatic boring machine for furniture making is developed for large volume production in small batches. With a high quality output and absolute precision, the sturdy single-body mechanical structure ensures the absence of vibrations and can be configured with up to 26 machining heads and 660 independent spindles. All this is combined with extremely high productivity with programme changes in just a few seconds and 80m/min. axis positioning speed, thanks to the high performance of the operating units.

shopping mall, where the customer witnesses the manufacturing of its personalised furniture. The working area has been designed in order to support, completely automatically, all the operations such as cutting, boring, routing and tooling of wood panels in a complete range of dimensions and shapes. The system can be used by a single worker empowered by advanced HMI control and automatic machine set-up for different production batches, and n will then run in a continuous flow.

A new challenge: Close to the Customer Close to the Customer is a pilot project developed in cooperation with the European Union. In essence, the concept is a local, flexible manufacturing facility for green personalised furniture (literally) Close To the Customer in terms of time, space and cost.

The project will involve the construction of a working centre, equipped with an anthropomorphic robot working as a loading/ unloading system, able to automatically manage the panels stock and the feeding panels to the machine. The ultimate implementation envisions a ‘green factory behind a glass pane’ directly in the

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TMA AUTOMATION: Cartesian robot

EXPERTS IN INDUSTRIAL AUTOMATION SYSTEMS OMRON Industrial Automation is an international manufacturer of advanced industrial automation systems.

OMRON Electronics Polska, a company from Warsaw, is OMRON Industrial Automation’s sales representative in Poland. Dariusz Balcerzyk reports.

Tools Factory: The company Tools Factory produces machinery for processing plastics. We differentiate two main types of machinery, which we produce: machines for thermoforming, that is, Vacuum Thermoformers SMARTLINE, as well as cutting plotters CNC MASTER CUT, widely used in the production of 3D forms and processing of mouldings, they are modern and well-equipped, constructed in accordance with the requirements of the end user.

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Applications in the food industry: fruit and vegetable sorting machine. Producer: Sorter Company.

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ince its establishment in 1933 in Osaka, Japan, as Tateisi Electric Manufacturing Co., OMRON has provided innovative solutions and advanced technologies. Today the company has more than 37,000 employees in 36 countries working to provide products and services to customers in a variety of fields, including industrial automation, electronic components industries and healthcare. OMRON’s consolidated net sales in 2014 were estimated at Yen 847.3 billion, whereas its net income in 2014 was Yen 87.4 billion. The Industrial Automation Business accounts for the largest part of the group’s net sales (39 per cent).

The company has its head offices in Japan (Kyoto), Asia Pacific (Singapore), China (Hong Kong), Europe (Amsterdam) and the US (Chicago).

The European organisation has its own development and manufacturing facilities, and provides local customer support in all European countries.

In Europe, OMRON is represented by three main companies: Industrial Automation, Electronic Components and Healthcare. For over 30 years OMRON Europe has been consistently meeting the requirements and demands of the European market, and has achieved an average annual growth of more than 11 per cent over the last 10 years.

Hi-tech solutions As part of the global OMRON Corporation, OMRON Industrial Automation is a worldwide company and leading manufacturer of technologically advanced industrial automation products and application expertise. From its European headquarters near Amsterdam, the company operates locally in every European country and is dedicated to providing automation products and customised solutions for any industry. Since its European logistics centre is located in Amsterdam, 97 per cent of its deliveries can be fulfilled in 24 hours.

“We are a provider of complete control systems for industrial automation. OMRON has been present in Poland since 1997, although its products have been well known in the country since the 1980s,” says Mr Michal Jedrzejczak, the OMRON Electronics Polska country sales manager. “The company’s product portfolio includes: PLC drivers, industrial computers, HMI panels, industrial networks, motion control devices, inverters, sensors, vision systems, safety systems, servo drivers, temperature controllers, relays, timers, counters, monitoring systems and many other industrial components. Packaging and material handling are the two main groups of advanced industrial automation products we sell in

Applications in the plastics industry: vaccu, thermoformer. Producer: Tools Factory.

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TMA AUTOMATION: Cartesian robot

Poland. They are primarily offered to machine producers and end-users from such industries as automotive, pharmaceuticals and food. Machine producers have a large share, which can reach up to 40 per cent of our total sales. OEP’s annual sales in 2014 are estimated at PLN 51 million (more than €12.4 million). In 2015 we expect further sales growth.”

Where material handling is concerned, OEP offers four kinds of robots. The Delta Robot Series can handle up to 200 picking operations per minute and can be synchronised with multiple conveyors to perform on-the-fly Pick & Place operations. The NJ controller offers a response time of two ms when controlling eight Delta robots or one ms when controlling four robots. The Scara solutions are especially effective for heavy part handling in combination with high speed cycles. The wide reach and payload ranges from 120mm to 1200mm and from 1kg to 50kg, allowing for precise adjustment of the robot to the application.

Cartesian robots are a popular solution for carrying a variety of materials on production lines. They are used primarily in packaging, sorting and scanning. OEP also offers modern six-axis robots.

In order to increase its foothold in the intelligent robots market, in September this year (2015) OMRON entered into an agreement to acquire US-based Adept Technology Inc., a global leading provider of intelligent robots, autonomous mobile robot solutions and services. By adding Adept’s technology to its current offering, OMRON will be well positioned to provide manufacturers in the automotive, digital devices, food and beverage, packaging and other industries with solutions to the challenges facing them.

Sysmac Automation Platform is another kind of product aimed at machine producers. “Sysmac is the latest machine automation platform from OMRON with integration throughout: from controller to software,” explains Mr Jedrzejczak. “The guiding principles behind the Sysmac automation platform are: one control for the entire machine or production cell; harmony between machine and people; and open communication and programming standards. The result is a powerful and robust automation platform with a new Machine Automation Controller, that integrates motion, sequencing, safety, networking and vision inspection, a new software (Sysmac Studio), that includes configuration, programming, simulation and monitoring and a fast machine network (EtherCAT) to control motion, safety, vision, sensors and actuators.”

Customer support OMRON Electronics Poland’s activity is not limited to the sale of industrial automation products. “A no less important part of our business activity is technical support, which the company provides to its customers,” asserts Mr Jedrzejczak. “We can help our clients to implement our products into their machines and to start up the production. Furthermore, we do not leave them alone after they purchase our products. They can count on the help of our specialists at any time and we support them in solving any problems concerning industrial automation. I dare say that the technical support we offer our customers is probably our most n important advantage over the competition.”

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TOWERING SUCCESS ESAB is a global leader in the design and manufacture of welding and cutting equipment and related consumable products. The company continues to see strong growth and recently won a contract to provide consumables for the world’s longest three tower, cable stayed bridge. This achievement has been announced in tandem with its launch of a new, advanced range of gas equipment and pressure control products. Philip Yorke reports.

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SAB was founded in Sweden in 1904 by Oscar Kjellberg, who developed the world’s first coated welding electrode. This resulted in the launch of a company whose uncompromising standards have helped to create the history of welding itself. In 2012 ESAB was acquired by the Colfax Corporation, one of the world’s leading diversified industrial manufacturing groups. Colfax, like ESAB, is a solidly customer-focused company that places a strong emphasis on constant innovation and improvement.

Today ESAB is a recognised leader in the welding and cutting industry. From its time-honoured processes in welding and cutting technology, to revolutionary technologies in mechanised cutting and automation, ESAB’s welding filler materials, equipment and accessories bring solutions to customers around the globe.

ESAB is represented in almost every country in the world by either subsidiaries or carefully selected approved agents. Sales and support is established in more than 80 countries worldwide and it operates 26 manufacturing plants across four continents.

High-spec consumables ESAB was recently awarded the contract to supply welding consumables for construction of the new 1.7-mile road bridge over the Firth of Forth in Scotland that connects Edinburgh with Fife. The new bridge has the world’s longest three-tower cable-stayed bridge, and the overall scheme encompassing the bridge and the connecting road network is Scotland’s biggest transport infrastructure at an estimated cost of more than £1.3 billion.

Thirty-five thousand tonnes of steel will be required to construct the huge bridge which is almost three kilometres long. A composite steel 48 Industry Europe

tub/concrete deck superstructure will carry two lanes of traffic plus a hard shoulder in each direction. This will be supported by steel cables attached to three slender concrete towers of up to 210 metres high.

Currently ESAB’s experts are working in conjunction with the project consortium, the Forth Crossing Bridge Constructors (FCBC) and their senior welding engineer, to finalise the selection of consumables and to optimise welding procedures. Given the complexity of the project, a combination of up to seven welding consumables will be utilised to achieve the optimum balance of weld quality and productivity across the different welded joints and materials required.

On a project such as this, where very demanding deadlines must be met, the supply chain is of paramount importance. To this end ESAB has entered into an agreement with local distributor IWS of Dunfermline.

Stock will be held at its premises, which is located just 15 minutes from the bridge, thus ensuring the shortest possible lead times.

New product range launch ESAB also recently announced the launch of a new range of gas equipment which will extend its current brand portfolio in Europe.

The all-new product line combines leading Victor® and ESAB gas

apparatus and pressure control products in the most comprehensive selection offered by any manufacturer in the world. The new line includes gas regulators, torch handles, oxy-fuel cutting tips and their attachments, as well as flow meters and welding and cutting equipment. These innovative new products cover the entire range of user needs from general industrial to heavy-duty mill and foundry requirements. They represent the most modern and advanced gas apparatus technology available today and provide superior quality reliability, safety and performance. With this new product line in place ESAB will phase out the Murex Saffire, Elite and Sabrecut brands.

There are innumerable product highlights across the entire new range range and these include the ESS3 Single Stage regulators which feature an advanced, user friendly design that protects the outlet hose connection, relief valve, gauges and regulator terminals from any damage. The housing cap is a zinc aluminium alloy that is twice the yield strength of brass and the cap is mated to the forged brass body with six stainless steel bolts. The unique Shock Limitation and Absorption Mechanism (SLAM®) protects the regulator and cylinder valve in the event of a cylinder fall and can absorb more than 5000lbs of force.

The company’s new ETS4 Multi-Stage Regulators also deliver strong performance even as a cylinder empties and inlet pressure decays.

Edge regulators feature a more efficient internal flow path, which in turn improves consistency when running from a full to empty cylinder.

ESAB’s G Series Single Stage regulators are based upon a more traditional regulator design with contoured, colour-coded knobs to indicate gas type, plus better comfort when adjusting gas pressure.

These regulators feature a high strength alloy bonnet with nearly twice the yield strength of forged brass, which in turn provides n exceptional product durability.

For further details of ESAB’s latest innovative products and services visit: www.esab.com

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RIDING HIGH The Erwin Hymer Group is the European brand leader in the design and manufacture of luxury motor homes and caravans. The company continues to exceed all expectations with the continuous launch of new and innovative products. Philip Yorke reports on its cutting-edge technology and latest trend-setting designs.

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he Erwin Hymer Group represents the best in German quality engineering and cutting edge design and is acknowledged as the clear European market leader in the business of premium motor homes and caravans. The company operates four distinct business divisions. These are: Hymer Motorhomes, ERIBA Caravans, Hymer Original Parts & Accessories and Hymercar, which together form the company’s four pillar activities.

Erwin Hymer Caravans was founded in Germany over 50 years ago when Erwin Hymer followed in his father’s footsteps and returned from Dornier to the family’s agricultural vehicle business in Bad Waldsee, Germany.

Shortly afterwards an event took place that would define the innovative engineer’s future. The renowned German engineer, Erich Bachem asked Hymer whether he could build him a caravan and Hymer was able to achieve this with style. With the ERIBA prototype completed in 1957 and by 1961 Hymer had built his first motorhome, the Caravano. Since then the company has never looked back and it set the standard by which all other caravans and motorhomes are judged. Today Erwin Hymer is responsible for the design and manufacture of its eight independent brands

that offer every conceivable recreational vehicle for every need and requirement, from low-priced entry models to luxury class premium vehicles.

Bright new star Recently Hymer launched its exceptionally compact and manoeuvrable integrated new motor home on a Mercedes chassis: the Hymermobil ML-1. The strength and competence of the new model combines the best of Hymer technology and lightweight construction with a unique level of living comfort and driving experience. The new Hymer ML-I is a bright new star in the company’s portfolio and is classically styled, exceptionally compact and manoeuvrable. This advanced, integrated motor home is based on a Mercedes Chassis developed for the Mercedes Sprinter. The new model embodies the latest drive system technology from Mercedes and is married to the patented Hymer PUAL lightweight construction and the driving and living comfort that that customers have come to expect from this premier company.

“With the Hymer ML-I we have achieved a balancing act by building a fully integrated motorhome on a Mercedes Sprinter basis

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with rear-wheel drive in the 3.5-tonne category,” said Berhard Kibler, head of Hymer Reismobile, explaining the features of the new model.

The latest model is available in three versions, starting with the frugal 4-cylinder unit with 95kW (129HP), the 120kW (163HP) version and finally the agile V6 cylinder unit with 141kW (190HP).

All three versions come as standard with safety sports suspension, which enables safe and relaxed driving in combination with optional 7G automatic gearbox with torque converter. The Hymer ML-I will be launched in the spring of 2016 and is expected to become the flagship Hymer brand and is bound to create unrivalled enthusiasm among its customers.

Unique RV individuality Hymer is leading the way again with an exclusive design study in close partnership with Stuttgart car manufacturer Mercedes-Benz.

The companies have joined forces to present a prototype based on the Mercedes V-Class, which sets new standards in terms of flexible interior solutions for recreational vehicles. When it comes to buying an RV, individuality, functionality and modern design are key. In an impressive design study, Hymer has now succeeded in combining these attributes to create a modular furniture concept. This in turn means that customers can enjoy an even more personalised motorhome leisure experience.

The study undertaken in collaboration with Mercedes-Benz has resulted in a prototype of the Hymercar, based on the car chassis of the Mercedes V-Class. The beauty of this system, which is unique within the premium sector, lies in the floor-mounted rails and adaptable furniture modules, which allow the vehicle interior to be readily customised on a modular basis, and modified or upgraded as necessary.

The huge versatility of the new model, offers a variety of innovative solutions to suit a customer’s individual preferences, ranging from a six-seater layout to a fully equipped RV, and all in a few simple steps thanks to two sliding doors and an extra-large tailgate. If extra storage space is required en-route for example,

the individual modules can be stacked quickly and securely. The kitchen unit can be easily installed on the sliding door side to allow access from the outside as well.

Exclusive package In August 2015 Hymer celebrated the sale of over 150,000 motor homes with an exclusive package for customers. Since then the company has seen a seamless continuation of this positive trend in its sales figures, and is now launching a further limited promotion as a gesture of appreciation. The first 150 customers to buy the Hyermobil Exsis-I 578 or Hymerbil Exsis-t 578 are being offered a unique opportunity to purchase an ‘experience package’ at a bargain price.

This is typical of a company that has its finger on the pulse in terms n of customer needs and market trends.

For further information about Hymer recreational vehicles and services visit: www.erwinhymergroup.com

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HEAVY-DUTY EFFICIENCY Fleetguard Filters Pvt ltd, Pune is India’s leading manufacturer of heavy-duty air, fuel, lubrication and hydraulic filters. Fleetguard is a JV with Cummins Filtrations Inc. and that was founded in 1987. Philip Yorke talked to Sadashiv Pandit, the company’s Executive chairman and CEO about its latest high-tech filtration products and move into new markets.

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a JV with Cummins Filtration Inc., Fleetguard Filters is an original equipment company that supplies state-of-the-art products to the world’s leading automotive and industrial engine and equipment manufacturers. Fleetguard operates five modern manufacturing plants in India, which are located at Hosur, Jamshedpur, Pune and Sitarganj and Dharwad. The company also manufactures coolants and related chemical products for a broad variety of commercial engines that provide a wide range of applications for markets such as the automotive, industrial equipment for construction, mining, agriculture, marine applications and power generation sectors.

Optimised, analysis-led design At Fleetguard Filters, virtual modelling and performance simulation is the key step to their product design development process. Analysis Lead Design (ALD) tools developed in FFPL, achieve this goal by design and performance evolution, as a result of the specific requirements demanded by its multinational OEM automotive customers. Fleetguard told Industry Europe that there are two main steps required for any design evolution: the ‘validation step’, and the ‘verification step’. In fact the verification step becomes an integral part of the company’s product

development process. Fleetguard believes that virtual modelling /coordinated development process significantly reduces lead-times and the overall costs of any new product development project.

In addition, Fleetguard offers unique, dedicated service proposals for its customers and guarantees the availability of all its products with a minimum inventory of products held at various customer locations. The company provides ‘single window’ operation for all customer requirements related to filters and coolants. The company works in close collaboration with its delivery partners to help them to improve their profitability and their return on investment (ROI) through better resource optimisation.

Today Fleetguard operates five state-of-the-art manufacturing facilities each of which is dedicated to the manufacture of specific set of products. The most recent investment has been in an advanced, fully automated facility in India that specialises in the design and manufacture of automotive filters and systems for new generation emission control engines.

Innovation driving exports sales Since its inception in 1987, Fleetguard Filters has placed a high priority on innovation and efficiency. The company began by design-

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ing and manufacturing filters for equipment used in the mining and construction industries before moving into the lucrative automotive market in the 1990s.

Today the company is a market leader in the development and manufacture of heavy-duty filters for the commercial truck industry.

Mr Pandit said, “Our export sales continue to grow as a result of our innovative products and competitive pricing policy. In Europe our presence is being enhanced through Cummins Filtration network. For this important market we are working on new technologies to meet the latest, and most stringent EU emissions regulations. Our new Plant covers more than 100,000 square meters and it will be producing sophisticated filtration products that contribute to the Euro V and VI standards.

“In addition, our plants are fully automatic and conform to ISO /TS certifications including ISO 14001 and other certifications focussed on the automotive components industry. We have our own R&D and advanced testing labs .We provide training programmes for our OEM customers.

Mr Pandit added, “Care of the environment is an integral part of our company culture and mandate and we are proud of our record when it comes to recycling and the saving of energy and waste

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water. At Fleetguard we plan to use solar panels extensively and also optimise the availability of our natural sunlight. Furthermore, we look after our local communities where we are aware of our social responsibilities as well as the safety and health of our employees and their families.

“We are very much a technology-led company which is both flexible and dynamic and where we are able to customise products and create innovative solutions and filtration systems for our customers.

Customisation is important for our OEM truck manufacturers [European /USA/Japanese origin], where new models in their original form are not designed for use on Indian roads and its rough terrain.

Therefore we customise solutions for any new models to suit the challenges of the Indian market.

“As far as the future is concerned we will continue to invest heavily in new product development in order to stay ahead of the field and will continue to grow organically. As far as Europe and other world markets are concerned, we are very optimistic that exports out of n India will have our footprints.

For further details of Fleetguard Filters’ innovative products and customer services visit: www.fleetguard-filtrum.com

TYRE TECHNOLOGY

Herbert Maschinenbau GmbH & Co. KG is a German manufacturer of tyre equipment and machinery, and develops tyre technology solutions in close partnership with tyre manufacturers the world over.

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H

erbert Maschinenbau GmbH & Co. KG is a family owned business headed by managing director Matthias Walter who, during the interview, was accompanied by his wife Sabine Walter. As we shall see, this structure brings benefits for both customers and employees.

Matthias Walter begins: “An obvious advantage of being a family business is the hassle-free decision making process – short communication lines between us and the customers make it possible to shorten the complete production cycle. An advantage for our employees is that they know the management and us, the owners, on a personal level, which creates a bond that turns into enthusiasm at the workplace. We have our own football team, brass band, and we give our employees private health insurance.”

Herbert was founded in 1905 by Leonhard Herbert in Frankfurt am Main and began by manufacturing tyre moulds. Later on it transitioned to the manufacture of machines for the vulcanisation of tyres and tubes. Herbert expanded its product portfolio with the production of tyre confectioning machines.

Matthias Walter: “Today, an important part of our business model is based on development partnerships with tyre manufacturers: they have their own machines, but nobody likes to keep working isolated in their own backyard – they come to us to see what the world of tyre manufacturing has to offer. Since we work for most of the world’s tyre manufacturers – Herbert is a meeting place for ideas, new concepts and production methods.”

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Turnover The company employs 450 people worldwide, of which some 300 work at the company headquarters in Hünfeld, in central Germany, between Frankfurt and Kassel. Thanks to the efforts of all its treasured employees, the company has been able to maintain a stable turnover growth of between 5–8 per cent annually.

Matthias Walter: “When I bought the company back from National Standard in 1991, we knew that the advantages of a family owned business could boost our relationships with customers; shorter decision cycles – less time spent on making calls back and forth – means getting down to business quicker. Our turnover for 2015 is €60 million, of which 20 per cent was generated in Europe, and 80 per cent in the rest of the world.”

Tyre moulds Of the €60 million turnover, the tyre moulds department took responsibility for €30 million in sales. Herbert is one of the very few in the tyre industry that has moulds with a 6.5 metre diameter – especially developed for earthmover tyres.

Matthias Walter: “Normally we invest between three and four million euros in new equipment per year. Last year it was eight million, in part for tyre moulds with a 6.5 metre diameter – which is quite rare in the tyre industry. As a matter of fact, customers from other industry sectors such as mining, wind energy and shipping industry

NAVIS AG NAVIS® Schiffahrts- und Speditions-Aktiengesellschaft is a group of companies active in all areas of national and international freight forwarding services. Established in Hamburg in 1956, NAVIS is now present with its own branch offices in Bremen, Hanover, Freiberg (German State of Saxony), Rotterdam (The Netherlands), Antwerp (Belgium) and Barcelona (Spain). NAVIS AG is family-owned company. Our independence has been maintained for the benefit of our customers.

The group of companies is therefore not only family-owned, but is also family-managed day-to-day and also throughout its long-term business development. The NAVIS group’s 2015 turnover of around EUR 100 million was produced by its staff of more than 180 employees. NAVIS AG, Hamburg, possesses the certified Quality Management Systems ISO 9001 and VDA 6.2. Furthermore, NAVIS obtained the status of “Authorized Economic Operator” (AEO-F) from the Customs Authorities.

At NAVIS, our philosophy is to provide our customers with an individual, all-round and highly personal service. Our comprehensive service means that our customers feel secure and are kept in the picture.

have shown interest in our know-how and production capabilities.

Of the €30 million sales generated by our tyre moulds department, between eight and 10 million euros are generated by sales of tyre moulds for the truck and earthmover sector.”

Herbert’s global investments Tyre manufacturers the world over work with Herbert, which is reflected in its employees working outside of Germany: the company employs 60 people in the USA, 20 in Russia, and their Czech partner company employs another 300 more.

Matthias Walter: “Everybody has heard the good news about Iran being welcomed again as a trading partner, and for us as well this is good news. We started doing business with Iran 20 years ago, and got hurt by the sanctions imposed some 13 to 15 years ago.

Getting back to business means we can make up for the decline in business we have felt on the Russian market, mainly caused by a weak ruble. The opposite is true for the dollar, which compared to the euro makes imports for Americans attractive. We have invested between three and four million dollars in new equipment in Akron,

Ohio, the tyre city of America, to locally serve the major American tyre manufacturers.”

Strategic partner quality award Since 2011, a major tyre manufacturer has presented a range of supplier awards to outstanding providers of goods and services.

The ceremony was held in September 2015 in Clermont-Ferrand, France, and out of 30,000 suppliers, of which 400 are recognised as being ‘strategic partners’, only three suppliers received a quality award in recognition of their exceptional contribution to the group’s high standards. Herbert was one of the three suppliers, and came first in the ‘manufacturing purchases’ category.

Matthias Walter concludes: “Of course we are very proud of having won this quality award. All of the major tyre manufacturers in the world trust us and like to work with us. We are in India, in the USA, in Finland, of course, in Indonesia and in Pakistan. They will all be glad to hear that we have just finished developing a new laser guided moulding process, and that in the course of 2016 we will be n introducing a water guided laser cutting process.”

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PIONEERING DRIVELINE-

ACTIVE TECHNOLOGY ZF Friedrichschafen AG is a global leader in driveline and chassis technology and recently enhanced its global position with the acquisition of another major global player, TRW Automotive. Philip Yorke reports on a company that has a combined turnover of more than €30 billion and looks at its latest active and passive safety technology. In addition, Industry Europe highlights the company’s special recognition of its top 14 suppliers worldwide.

ZF

Friedrichschafen AG is also known as the ZF Group and is headquartered in Friedrichschafen, in the south-west region of Germany known as Baden-Wurttemberg. Specialising in engineering excellence, it is renowned for its design, research, development and manufacturing activities in the automotive industry. It is a worldwide supplier of driveline and chassis technology for cars and commercial vehicles along with specialist plant equipment for the construction industry. It is also involved in the rail, marine, defence and aviation industries as

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well as in many other industrial applications. Prior to its recent acquisition of TRW, the company had 113 production locations in 26 countries with approximately 72,000 employees.

Driving technology forward ZF recently completed its acquisition of one of its main competitors, TRW Automotive of Germany. This will be incorporated into a new ZF division called Active & Passive Safety Technology. The

combined company operates under the brand name of ZF Friedrichschafen AG. “Today marks the day we combine the strengths of ZF and TRW into a worldwide leading systems supplier in the automotive sector,” said Stefan Sommer, ZF’s CEO. “We are all very excited about our plans for the future, with the combination allowing us to capitalise on strategic opportunities and create near and long-term sustainable value for our customers and employees.

“The combined company is a powerhouse of automotive technologies, ranging from driver assistance and occupant safety systems, to drivelines and transmissions, and braking and steering systems,” said John C. Plant, president and CEO of TRW. “This unique combination of advanced technologies comprehensively addresses the growing industry-wide trends of safety, fuel efficiency and autonomous driving.

“With pro-forma sales exceeding €30 billion and more than 130,000 employees, the combined company is a top three global automotive supplier,” added Sommer. “Together with TRW, ZF will be even better positioned to benefit from major trends in the industry by building on the strengths of both companies, remaining focused on current and future business needs, and managing the transition with an emphasis on creating value.”

Recognising supplier excellence During its supplier summit event held in Amsterdam in 2015, ZF Friedrichschafen AG honoured its best performing suppliers with 14 coveted supplier awards. Oil and lubricant supplier Fuchs Petrolub was recognised as its top global supplier in the category. This was the first global supplier summit, with both ZF and TRW jointly presenting the annual Supplier Awards. E Winkemann GmbH emerged from a multi-stage process to be honoured as the winner of the ‘Innovation’ category. For over 20 years the company from Plettenberg has been supplying ZF Friedrichschafen AG with precision punching parts that are installed in every one of the company’s 8-speed automatic transmissions, including thrust washers, which absorb axial loads during a rotating movement.

The countries of origin of the award winners in the ‘Production Materials’ category perfectly reflect ZF’s global orientation. The eight award winning companies are headquartered in seven countries: MAT Foundry Group (UK), Stamp (Italy), Murata Manufacturing (Japan), Sunil M-Tec (South Korea), Gruner Systemtechnik, UTT Technische Textilien (both Germany), WR Controls (Sweden) and Taigene Electric Machinery (Taiwan).

Winners of the ‘Non Production Materials’ category include Balluff GmbH, which has supplied ZF with sensors and systems for

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assembly lines, as well as Kontane Logistics, a tried and trusted logistics partner from the USA. The Esslingen-based family-owned and operated company Festo has been supporting ZF for decades with factory and process automation solutions, and Turin-based specialized multi-spindle machine tools manufacturer Vigel, which recently equipped the new ZF TRW plant in China Zhangjiagang with machining centers, was also among the award winning recipients in this category.

Paving the way forward Outlining the future of sensing technology and making automated driving available to all, ZF continues to pave the way for automated driving in all classes of vehicles. ZF used the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas recently as a platform to highlight its leading position in environmental sensing technology. Through its ZF TRW division, the company is reinforcing its unique capabilities of camera and radar technologies and showing how these are helping to enable safety and automated driving across the full range of vehicle segments.

The new S-Cam4 mono-camera features a new ‘form factor’ and is capable of supporting a wider field of view than the company’s current production camera’s in order to address future market requirements such as EURO NCAP’s AEB tests for crossing bicycles and other vulnerable road users.

Sommer said, “Our cameras also feature a lightweight design compared with competing sensors. We anticipate that both the S-Cam4 and TriCam are the smallest and lightest systems in their class, which is a distinct advantage in terms of not hindering the driver’s view and n minimising critical weight being located high up in the vehicle.”

For further details of ZF’s innovative automotive products and services visit: www.zf.com

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YANFENG HONOURS LEADING SUPPLIERS

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On 2 March 2016, at the Classic Remise in Düsseldorf, Yanfeng Automotive Interiors (YFAI) presented its annual European Supplier Awards to 15 of its leading suppliers, thereby honouring the partners’ outstanding achievements. As James Bos, vice-president for global procurement at YFAI, explained, “Our suppliers play an important role in our success. We are pleased to acknowledge the outstanding achievements of our suppliers with this award.”

Y

anfeng Automotive Interiors is the world’s leading supplier of instrument panels and cockpit systems, door panels, floor consoles and overhead consoles. Headquartered in Shanghai, the company has around 100 manufacturing and technical centres in 17 countries and employs over 28,000 people globally. Established in 2015, Yanfeng Automotive Interiors is a joint venture between Yanfeng Automotive Trim Systems Co., Ltd, a wholly owned subsidiary of Huayu Automotive Systems Co., Ltd. (HASCO), the component group of SAIC Motor Corporation Limited (SAIC Motor), and Johnson Controls – a global multi-industrial company.

The YFAI European Supplier Awards are a prestigious recognition

by YFAI of its leading supply partners. When choosing the winners, YFAI considered a number of key factors, including quality, costs, logistics, development, technology and service. The winning suppliers, depending on the overall score achieved, received a Platinum, Gold, Silver or Bronze Supplier Performance Award. Out of the 15 winners, eight companies providing plastics, resins, chemicals, foams, indirect packaging, and trim and metal components secured an award. Amongst them, IZO-BLOK SA from Poland received the Platinum Performance Award, recognising its expertise in the processing of foamed plastics and particularly its supplies of foamed

polypropylene to YFAI. Furthermore, this dynamic Polish company also received the Leadership Award in the Customer Satisfaction category, reflecting its proactive support for project start-ups and the optimal structure of its supply chain.

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The Silver Performance Award was presented to SABIC Innovative Plastics GmbH, a manufacturer of chemical products, plastics and metals, while the Bronze Award went to BASF Polyurethanes GmbH, Eurofoam Deutchland GmbH, A. Raymond GmbH & Co. KG, TR Fastenings Ltd., Coatex NV and J.H. Ziegler GmbH. Together with IZO-BLOK SA, nine further suppliers received the Leadership Award, for strengths such as sustainability, innovation, quality, customer satisfaction, global growth and continuous improvement in performance. MacAuto Industrial Co. Ltd. from Taiwan and A. Raymond GmbH & Co. KG from Germany were presented with the Quality award. In the continuous improvement in performance award, the winners were Xinpoint Corporation from China, TRICOR Packaging & Logistics AG and Polyvlies - Franz Beyer GmbH (the latter both from Germany). In the Customer Satisfaction category (where IZO-BLOK SA was awarded), recognitions went to Everwill Industries Ltd from China, ITW Automotive Release & Trim from Germany and Coatex NV from Belgium, who each also received a Bronze Supplier Performance Award. Last but not least, the supplier IEE SA from Luxembourg, which specialises in innovative solutions in sensor systems, was recognised with the Leadership Award in the Innovation category. Together with the YFAI innovations team, the supplier developed a heated armrest for door panels, which provides a more comfortable driving experience particularly in cold weather.

Innovative heated armrest solution Comfort, personalisation, energy efficiency and production flexibility drove the development of this new generation of heated armrests. Thinner and lighter than comparable products currently on the market, the heated armrest provides benefits in terms of energy efficiency. It uses a panel heating technology system, which is not only extremely comfortable but is also highly energy efficient.

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The heat produced by the panel reaches passengers more directly and quickly than the heat emitted by conventional vehicle HVAC systems. As a result, the driver can lower the heat coming from the HVAC system when using the heated armrest.

The new heated armrest is now ready for series production and the functional panel can easily be integrated into the existing door panel production process. This solution is cost-effective, as it uses the same equipment, foam carrier and materials as conventional, unheated armrests. Therefore, heated armrests can be made on the same production line as conventional armrests in a single just-in-sequence process.

Further comfort improvements In addition to the heated armrest, YFAI has recently introduced other innovations, such as the slim overhead console which improves comfort and spaciousness. The console is only 15mm thick and features an innovative sunroof control, offering virtually all functions of a traditional overhead console without interfering with the driver’s headroom. With this new overhead console, YFAI reduced the weight and space required by 55–80 per cent in comparison to conventional components. As a result, automakers can lower the rooflines while creating a feeling of greater spaciousness in the vehicle interior. The console offers most of the features and functions of traditional overhead consoles, including lighting for switches as well as the integration of lights, microphones and garage door openers.

Additionally, the driver can activate the emergency response button on the overhead console. With the press of a button, the basic lighting on the console changes to red and a clearly audible warning signal is sounded.

Illuminated door panels are another innovation, presented at the International Motor Show in Frankfurt in 2015. The prototypes of decorative fabric and leather door panels showcased the innovative integration of light guides for ambient lighting into large-scale

surfaces. The new light guides for ambient lighting are not only decorative, but also help to display vehicle status messages. The new technology is made possible by directly incorporating light guides into a lightweight support fabric combined with LEDs. This enables large-scale illumination with maximum design freedom. The thin material fitted with light guides forms a surface that is then used as a backlighting solution. Compared to the alternative flat lighting options, the solution offers a weight reduction of up to 25 per cent with this process. LEDs are an effective light technology, guaranteeing long service life and high colour intensity. The illuminated door panel surfaces fulfil a functional purpose as well. The full-scale ambient lighting structures and visualises vehicle status messages, such as red for the transition from self-controlled to autonomous n driving mode and blue for relaxed autonomous driving.

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GLOBAL LEADERS IN AUTOMOTIVE LED LIGHTING SG Automotive is a global market leader in the design and manufacture of LED lighting for the automotive and home appliance industries. The company continues to invest heavily in R&D as well as extending its product portfolio, as Philip Yorke reports.

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SG

Automotive was founded in Slovenia in 1977 by the Grah family and Alfred Schefenacker and was originally involved in the manufacture of automotive wire harness assemblies. By 1999 the company had expanded and its product offering included LED based electronic components for brake lights.

It subsequently moved on to produce more complex tail-light=cluster LED electronics. Another milestone was reached in 2008 when the company established a new company as a global supplier of commercial LED street lighting.

SG Automotive has maintained its commitment to investment in the latest production methods, including 3D robotic technology and developing tailor-made manufacturing procedures to increase efficiency and to speed up production times. Historically the company has been recognised for the fast growth of its production facilities and product diversification; however, today it is focused more on growth through its investment in new products and technologies.

Currently SG Automotive is the final stages of establishing a new holding company, Grah Automotive Holding, which will be the umbrella company for all companies in the Grah Group. Owing to the influx of new business the group plans to increase its investment in its production capabilities with the procurement of state-of-the-art machines.

Today the Grah Group employs more than 1000 people and operates six primary production plants, with four located in Slovenia, one in Serbia and another in the USA.

Patented innovation During the formative years of SG Automotive the company was focused on optimising its production processes. However, it soon became apparent that in order to add value for its customers, the company needed to invest in R&D to design and create new

automotive component products. One of the company’s first major projects was to design a completely new warning light for a leading OEM and this all-new LED-based product offered many advantages.

The latest LED technology guarantees long life, low energy consumption and is able to provide different lighting functions.

Other products developed exclusively by SG Automotive include a new licence plate illumination unit that utilises the latest LED technology. This patented solution relies simply on one evenly illuminated plastic holder, which replaces the traditional two bulb light system.

This new design offers significant cost savings in terms of energy and manufacturing processes and many of the company’s customers have expressed an interest in adopting this attractive, new licence plate solution.

The redesigning of existing automotive illumination sources with new LED technology has become a speciality of SG Automotive.

With the latest LED technology there is now a wide spectrum of options open to the company’s design teams. It currently has more than 60 million LEDs flowing through its production facilities worldwide every year and over 140 different components in production at any one time.

Flexible advantage As a privately owned company, SG Automotive is able to make quick decisions to meet the latest market challenges and to change its manufacturing priorities to suit its customers’ needs. “For sure our biggest advantage is our flexibility. We have a big portfolio of products which means that we have unparalleled know-how and experience. We are producing electronic parts and wire harnesses ourselves, which is another advantage since we don’t need to buy in ‘semi-products’ on the open market, or from our competitors.

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“In our lighting sector we have also developed a new generation of LED street-lighting this year, which will shortly be in serial production. Furthermore we have developed electronic products for induction appliances which will also be in mass production later this year.

The potential for this market is huge and we have already signed our first major contract with a well-known OEM,” said Davor Strmsek, SG Automotive’s sales manager.

Expanding market The automotive industry is one of the few sectors that continues to experience strong growth and SG Automotive has continued to invest in new technology in order to support its ‘top-drawer’ OEMs. These include brands such as Mercedes-Benz, Audi, Porsche, VW, Ford, Bentley, Nissan and Toyota. In addition, SG Automotive acts as an OEM ito clients like Adria, Thorn, Franke, Man and Land-Rover.

Furthermore the company is a system supplier to many global companies and maintains a strong partnership with Philips Lumileds, which is an important partner of SG Automotive.

An SG Automotive company spokesman said, “The automotive sector is one where customer demands are getting higher and our main goal is to be the solutions supplier of choice in tandem with our strategic partners. Our latest developments in assembly processes have produced highly efficient systems and in some lean processes and customised technologies we are creating a new competitive edge for our customers.

“Today we are well placed to fulfil our vision to become a global leader in the EMS and OEM business, and to satisfy the most demanding challenges in the field of automotive electronics, street n lighting and home appliances.”

For further details of SG Automotive’s latest innovative LED products and services visit: www.sga.si 72 Industry Europe

LEADERS IN POLISH CONSTRUCTION INDUSTRY CFE Poland is part of the Belgian CFE Group, a multidisciplinary group with over 130 years of experience in construction, real estate and dredging activities. The Polish arm of CFE began its activities as a general contractor in 1996. Piotr Sadowski writes for Industry Europe.

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O

ver nearly 20 years of operations, CFE Poland has gained extensive experience in the construction of shopping centres and department stores for leading retail chains (such as Carrefour, E. Leclerc and Platforma), completing the majority of these projects as the general contractor under the ‘design and build’ contract methodology (more on that later). The company has a stable turnover of approximately €50 million per annum.

“For a while we were also engaged in civil works, bridges and roads, but from 2002 we concentrated solely on construction,” explains Bruno Lambrecht, general director at CFE Poland. “That year we completed a project for the hotel industry and then in 2007 we finished our first residential project. In 2008 we completed the second float line for the Saint Gobain glass factory in Dąbrowa Górnicza, while in 2009 we worked on the ‘Przymorze’ commercial centre in Gdańsk. In 2013 we secured the ISO 9001 and 14001 certifications and we are now strengthening our position with the construction of the Greenwings and Promenada buildings in Warsaw.”

Recent investments CFE Poland constructs all buildings according to the strictest requirements when it comes to structure, safety and environmental protection.

The company’s projects are regularly recognised in prestigious competitions such as ‘Site of the Year’ (organised by the Polish Association of Civil Engineers and Technicians) or ‘Safe Site’ (organised by the National Labour Inspectorate), for the high quality of its construction works, short completion times, compliance with safety standards and the use of environmentally-friendly materials.

The company currently has many important projects in progress, one of which involves the first and second extension of the Atrium Promenada Commercial Centre in Warsaw, which upon completion will have been extended by 14,600m2. The project, as described by Mr Lambrecht, is a very prestigious one. Another important project realisation in Warsaw was the Wola Tarasy Residential Building, CFE’s own investment project covering an area of 9056m2.

It is important to note that CFE Poland not only concentrates on Warsaw, but has carried out and is currently engaged in major construction projects in other parts of the country. “In Gdańsk, for example, we

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are completing a four-stage project, Four Oceans, which will see the construction of four residential towers with 600 apartments covering an impressive area of 84,000m2,” says Mr Lambrecht. “It is also CFE’s own investment project and we are currently in the process of completing the third and fourth stage. Once finished, it will be a truly impressive set of residential buildings.” On the Baltic coast, in Darłowo, CFE Poland is also completing a project called Marina Royale, an apartment building of 6200m2 for Belgian clients, POC Partners. “The strapline for the project is ‘Closer to the Sea’, and so what makes this particular work really impressive is the fact that the apartment building is literally being constructed in the sea, within the marina, which will be a stunning construction when it is finished,” adds Mr Lambrecht.

Focus on green construction and value engineering CFE Poland is fully aware of the need for the current generation to build and behave in a sustainable and environmentally responsible manner.

It was in fact one of the founders of the Polish Green Building Council, now a recognised institution whose mission is to support all construction initiatives which have a positive impact on the environment.

Value engineering is another crucial focus for CFE Poland, an approach which offers an important pathway to really engage with and answer all the questions from investors relating to designs and buildings which meet high quality standards without becoming over-luxurious – and, thus, overly expensive for the investors.

“There is a tendency in Poland to sometimes overdo it, that is to create, for example, residential buildings which are far too luxurious,” explains Mr Lambrecht. “By engaging in the value engineering approach with our customers we are able to come up with standards that have an optimum balance between cost and quality. This approach also means that we invest time to really engage with our clients, get to know what they want, communicate well with them and concentrate on coming up with well-defined solutions and ideas before actual construction work begins.”

Another important methodology applied in the company’s works, mentioned in the introduction to the article, is the ‘design and build’ contract methodology. This approach is very efficient cost-wise, as it ensures that projects are very well-defined at an early stage and is set on

Tremend Sp. z o.o.

Tremend architectural and engineering company was established in 2010 and since then it’s developing dynamically, till now it has executed more than 100 projects, hired over 80 specialists working in three offices across Poland and on the investment sites. This architectural office is working with public buildings, railway stations, shopping centers, hotels, exhibition buildings, factories and more. Tremend has strong sense of design, which led to many won competitions. Beside design the company is also engaged with leading and supervising the management process with big scale investors.

Tremend is working with Polish, French and American investors.

the basis of a fixed price. It involves close communication with the investor from the very beginning, an interaction with the client which allows it to come up with the best possible project. “In addition, we are also able to offer DBFM methodology, that is, ‘design, build, finance and maintain’, which shows another aspect of our flexibility when cooperating with our customers,” adds the general director.

Mr Bruno Lambrecht – General Director of CFE POLSKA

Future growth CFE Poland’s market strategy is very much focused on longterm cooperation with clients, with whom the company has a strong track record. To date, CFE Poland has delivered all of its projects on time and has never had any major issues with customers post-construction.

“We plan to focus on good work and cooperation with international clients, focus on the industry with the aim to expand, as we are still a medium-sized company,” concludes Mr Lambrecht. “We also plan to grow through more of our own investments in residential projects.

Currently we are engaged in plans for four such investments – two in Warsaw and one each in Wrocław and Gdańsk – so the focus on growth through increased development of real estate will also be driving our n future development.”

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WINDOWS ON EUROPE Eko-Okna, based in Kornice, is one of Poland’s leading manufacturers of windows and doors with a growing reputation throughout the European market. Dariusz Balcerzyk reports.

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E

ko-Okna is a modern company, which has been developing dynamically for years. Appreciated for the quality of its products, it has won praise from customers both in Poland and abroad.

Today the company enjoys a strong position in the European market.

History of success Eko-Okna was founded in 1998. In 2006 it opened a store and warehouse in Belgium, markeing the beginning of the company’s expansion into foreign markets. The construction of a production plant in Kornice in 2009 was a turning point for its business activity. Thanks to this investment, the company increased its production capacity along with the number of employees and product range.

The year 2015 saw another milestone in Eko-Okna’s development when the third production hall was opened on an area of 20,000m2.

Recently, the company also boosted its production potential with the establishment of a paint shop for the powder painting of aluminum components, which allowed it to speed up its lead times considerably. In October 2015 Eko-Okna was transformed from a limited liability company into a joint stock company.

European-class player Eko-Okna’s head office is located in Kornice (Silesian province, Raciborz district). Production takes place at three production halls covering a total area of almost 40,000m2. The company employs nearly 2000 people with sales offices located in Lodz, Wroclaw and Katowice. Moreover, it has a showroom and a warehouse in Belgium. Last year it generated sales of around PLN 370 million (more than €90 million). This year it recorded a 30 per cent growth in sales.

Today Eko-Okna offers more than 30 different window and door systems made from PVC, aluminum and wood. It also manufactures sliding systems, roller shutters, sectional doors and mosquito nets.

The company’s daily production is estimated at 3.5−4000 windows.

It cooperates only with experienced suppliers who have the required certificates and are able to guarantee continuity and reliable deliveries. Eko-Okna uses profiles from such renowned profile producers as Salamande, or Aluplast, made according to well recognised German technology. For the production of windows the company uses fittings by MACO and G-U, which are characterised by high stiffness and strength. The products are sold through trusted partners

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to ensure quick delivery of the order, professional installation and competitive prices.

Successful investments and attention to quality at each stage of production have created a strong brand that is well known not only in Poland but also in many European countries. Over the past few years, the company’s exports have seen considerable growth. Its products are offered throughout Europe, apart from the Scandinavian markets and eastern Europe.

Eko-Okna considers each market to be a separate challenge that requires specific solutions. Its strategy is to provide its customers with what they need. Each customer, regardless of the country it is in, can choose its own product preferences.

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Eko-Okna cares about the quality of service and consistently develops its sales department by recruiting staff with language skills. Today its customer service department numbers more than 150 people. In the coming years the company is planning further expansion, and would like to strengthen its position in those markets which have already come to appreciate the quality of its products.

The high quality and complexity of its offer is what distinguishes Eko-Okna from the competition. Today, customers expect a comprehensive offering and to meet this demand Eko-Okna has created a kind of ‘one-stop shop’. It is able to provide the customer with windows as well as blinds, mosquito nets, doors and elements necessary for the installation of joinery.

The company also has its own fleet of 160 trucks, which is another advantage over its competitors. In the near future it will be increasing this by a further 30 trucks.

New product: glazed glass Eko-Okna constantly strives to improve the quality of its customer service. In the coming years it is planning to continue its expansion into the European market, aided by the upcoming increase in production capacity.

The company is proud to announce that in 2016 it will begin the production of glazed glass. This will be another turning point not only for the company but also for the industry as a whole. The new hall, covering an area of 25,000m2, will produce glass and allow Eko-Okna to be more flexible. In subsequent years, the company will also work on new products to further distinguish it from the competition and n help it maintain its strong position in the market.

Visit: www.ekookna.pl

Eko-Okna and Salamander – a successful combination What started one year ago is increasingly developing in a promising future - the cooperation between Eko-Okna, one of Poland´s leading manufacturers of windows and doors, and the Salamander Industrie-Produkte GmbH, one of the leading European system suppliers of energy-efficient window and door systems made of PVC. Convinced of the premium profiles Eko-Okna relies on the Streamline 76 system and the high thermal insulating bluEvolution 92 construction, in order to take full account of the market requirements such as certified passive house standards, optimum burglary resistance and a modern design. “We do appreciate the excellent cooperation with our strong partner in Poland and see numerous opportunities to raise the joint success as well as the extent of the business relationship to the next level”, Wolfgang Sandhaus - managing partner of Salamander - reports. As a reliable partner Salamander brings all its quality, timely delivery, expert service and a sophisticated product range to the benefit of its customers, which use the profiles in both renovation projects and new-builds, for residential and commercial properties.

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Imperial Tobacco Polska in Tarnowo Podgórne

Imperial Tobacco Polska Manufacturing in Radom

SUCCESS COMES IN TWOS There are two companies from the Imperial Tobacco Group which operate in Poland: Imperial Tobacco Polska SA, with headquarters in Tarnowo Podgórne near to Poznań, and Imperial Tobacco Polska Manufacturing SA, with headquarters in Radom. Together, the two companies employ around 1500 staff.

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Agnieszka Świergiel President of Board of ITPL

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mperial Tobacco’s companies in Poland are continuously investing in the future, mainly through the installation of new machines and technologies. The most important investment of Imperial Tobacco Polska was the construction of a modern factory in Tarnowo Podgórne near Poznań. Numerous modernising investments were also completed in the Imperial Tobacco factory in Radom.

The success of both of the companies can also be attributed to the quality of their products, and timely and reliable completion of supplies to the Polish as well as foreign markets. The high quality of manufactured products was confirmed in 2011 when Imperial Tobacco Polska received the title of the Laureate of the Highest Quality Programme of Quality International 2011, in the category QI Order – management of the highest quality; meanwhile the company in Radom received the Polish Quality Prize in 2012. The companies also undertake a number of activities in order to ensure compliance with regulations and customs authorities, resulting in several certifications. In 2010 Imperial Tobacco Polska SA received the Authorised Economic Operator (AEO) Certificate from the Customs Office in Poznań, while in 2012 Imperial Tobacco Polska Manufacturing received the same certification from the Customs Office in Warsaw. Both of the companies were thus recognised by the customs authorities as business entities which meet the requirements of the Union Customs Code. The AEO status, given in one of the member states of the European Union, is automatically recognised across the entire Union.

Katarzyna Wolińska – President of Board of ITPM

products and semi-products used in the manufacturing of tobacco goods (for example, specialist filters, cut tobacco). Imperial Tobacco Polska Manufacturing is one of the largest manufacturers of tobacco products for global markets within the Imperial Tobacco Group. The company has high flexibility in the production for diverse markets which have different legal regulations.

In March 2011 Imperial Tobacco Polska completed the expansion of the production factory in Jankowice near Poznań, with the addition of a production and storage hall covering an area of approximately 10,000m2. Thanks to this investment the factory significantly improved the process of production of cut tobacco. In November 2013 the construction of a modern production hall was completed, covering an area of 13,000m2. Currently Imperial Tobacco Polska is also finalising the expansion of a very modern high-storage facility.

Customers and achievements The direct customers of Imperial Tobacco Polska in Poland are tobacco wholesalers – country-wide, as well as local. The clients include, amongst others: Eurocash, Jeronimo Martins Polska,

Domestic market and exports Imperial Tobacco Polska is one of the largest tobacco companies in the country, manufacturing tobacco products and tobacco accessories for the domestic and export markets. It is the leading supplier on the domestic market for the sale of tobacco and holds third place in the cigarettes market. The market share in sales of tobacco products (cigarettes and smoking tobacco) reached 20.8 per cent for the previous fiscal year (Ex-factory data for fiscal year 2015). Imperial Tobacco Polska is also one of the leading distributors of cigars and cigarillos, with an estimated market share of around 10 per cent.

Imperial Tobacco Polska Manufacturing is engaged in the production, for both the domestic and export markets, of tobacco

Exports destinations from the factory of Imperial Tobacco Polska Manufacturing in Radom Industry Europe 81

Production lines in Imperial Tobacco factories in Poland

Lidl, Makro Cash&Carry, PT Dystrybucja and Żabka Polska. The company is also closely cooperating with retail clients, on the basis of loyalty programmes, when it comes to displays of products and product information. Abroad, the customers of products manufactured by Imperial Tobacco in Poland are companies from the Imperial Tobacco Group, including in France, Germany, Italy, Belgium and the Netherlands. Recently, Imperial Tobacco Polska Manufacturing has managed to enter into new export markets, including China, Egypt, Greece and Switzerland.

In September 2014 Imperial Tobacco Polska Manufacturing received the title of ‘Ambassador of the Polish Economy’ in the ‘Exporter’ Category. The competition was organised under the patronage of the Minister of Foreign Affairs and its goal was, amongst others, to recognise and promote businesses which achieve success on international markets, as well as to promote good international business practices. In June this year Imperial Tobacco Polska Manufacturing received the ‘Leader of Polish Exports 2015’ Title and Trophy of the Association of Polish Exporters, recognising the company’s ongoing engagement in export activities, which in turn helps to build a positive image of the Polish economy both at home and abroad.

A responsible employer Imperial Tobacco in Poland strives to foster the best possible working environment. Cooperation and building of positive mutual relations is crucial to creating a friendly workplace. Both companies put a lot of emphasis on looking after their staff, particularly through organising regular health-focused programmes.

As part of its staff welfare programme, both companies have introduced the ‘Junior’ initiative for future and young mothers, which 82 Industry Europe

is aimed at supporting future mothers, as well as helping women return to work after their maternity leave.

The companies also look after their employees who are close to retirement age and have created the ‘Gold Programme’ especially for them, which offers motivational benefits such as additional medical tests, extra days of annual leave and the possibility to submit a request to change working hours.

The safety of its staff, both in the workplace and outside of it, is very important for Imperial Tobacco in Poland. For this reason numerous staff safety projects are being carried out, including, amongst others, the recently introduced S-Factor programme, preceded by workshops and staff surveys, which is aimed at engaging staff more closely in improving safety. In September 2014 Imperial Tobacco Polska Manufacturing secured first place in the ‘Workplace Health and Safety Good Practices’ competition organised by the management of the Poland-wide Association of H&S Employees.

The companies have a very extensive H&S culture, which is visible not only on posters, but can also be seen in the behaviour of staff.

Both companies have implemented internship and stipend programmes, which prepare young people finishing their studies to take up their first professional employment. In recognition of this, in 2011 Imperial Tobacco Polska received the European Medal in the competition organised by the European Economic and Social Committee in Brussels.

In February 2015 both Imperial Tobacco companies in Poland received, once again, the Top Employer Poland 2015 Certificate for their unique recruitment policies. International research carried out by the Top Employers Institute identifies the leading global employ-

ers: those who create excellent working conditions, look after talent and strive to continuously improve their recruitment practices. At the heart of the process in the Top Employers project is the fact that all participants must undergo a process of detailed research, independent audit, and meet the high standards defined by the research.

Thanks to this the prize is an objective confirmation that Imperial Tobacco companies in Poland are good places to work.

Joining to fight the black market Both Imperial Tobacco in Poland, as well as the entire Imperial Tobacco Group, have for many years actively engaged in supporting the relevant authorities in the fight against the smuggling of tobacco and fake products. On 27 September 2010 the Imperial Tobacco Group signed an agreement with the European Commission, focusing on cooperation in fighting cigarette smuggling in the European Union.

In May 2015 Imperial Tobacco Polska launched an internet website, www.stop-szarej-strefie.pl, whose aim is to fight the illegal market through supporting Polish authorities in the fight against fake and smuggled tobacco products, as well as reaching people who have knowledge of locations where the illegal trade of tobacco products takes place.

Imperial Tobacco in Poland has for many years been actively engaged in supporting the customs authorities, police and border control across the country in fighting crime on the tobacco market.

Since 2003 the employees of the company have carried out over 30 training sessions for these authorities. Training courses, organised by the company, focus on the scale and sources of tobacco products smuggling, as well as the best methods for distinguishing legal n products from illegal ones.

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STEPPING OUT Lloyd is a leading European shoe manufacturer and offers a diverse range of shoes and accessories for men and women. Industry Europe finds out how the company continues to lead the way.

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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 worldwide. In addition, Lloyd has recently launched an entirely new shoe concept called the ‘BioExtralite’ 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.

A company spokesperson said, “We have been very encouraged by the success of our ‘Concept Stores’. 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 well-established 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 Germany for certain collections. To promote its port-

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folio 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 pan-European 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.”

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 characteristics. 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-com86 Industry Europe

postable. 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 the most n eco-friendly manner.

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CLASSIC COSMETICS BARWA, a company from Krakow, Poland, is a modern cosmetic manufacturer that prides itself on a long and rich tradition. It is particularly well known for its production of various types of soaps. Dariusz Balcerzyk reports.

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ARWA was founded in 1949 as a soap manufacturer. In the 1960s the company expanded its product range to include shoe polish and floor paste, followed by the launch of hair dyes, tailors’ chalk, office mucilage, animal marking ink and its Pucyk cleaning paste. The last of these was the prototype for the Oli paste, which is still included in the product range today.

In 1977 BARWA’s product range was further broadened by special soaps in bars. Since then, it has manufactured many kinds of soaps suited to a wide range of customers. In total, the range included 11 kinds of soap, including sulphur, undecylenic (manufactured up to the present day), salicylic, ichthammol, calamus and hop as well as tar soaps.

The next stage of the company’s development was marked by the introduction of creams for hands and feet, shampoos and liquids for intimate hygiene. October 2000 saw its change of legal status from a Work Cooperative to a Limited Company. As of 2004, all soaps

made by BARWA are manufactured on the basis of natural plant chips derived from palm oil. In 2007 the construction of the company’s new headquarters and production plant was completed.

In May 2014 the company updated one of its leading product lines, Barwa Siarkowa (BARWA Sulphuric), designed for oily and skin and acne. Not only did it introduce a new packaging design, it also began selling a new product – a prolonged-action moisturising cream created specifically for women. The year 2014 also saw the launch of the Pefect House line – so far the only Polish cosmetics line of household scents. In 2015, the Barwa Naturalna (BARWA Natural) and Barwa Ziołowa (BARWA Herbal) lines were given a facelift with a new packaging range. The company has also introduced a novelty hair conditioner in an aerosol spray.

BARWA began exporting its products in 2013 and they are now available throughout Europe and the Middle East. The products

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intended for export markets may differ from those offered in Poland, since BARWA is able to adapt its portfolio to the needs of local markets and consumer preferences.

Combining modernity with tradition Today BARWA is a modern company that is growing steadily, in terms of technological infrastructure, human resources and its machine park. Since its foundation, it has been guided by the philosophy of combining modern technology with a strong tradition in this sector. It uses the very best traditional recipes and ingredients, then combines them with the latest production technologies. To offer excellent quality, effective and safe products, BARWA constantly invests in its research and development laboratory, operating in accordance with ISO 9001:2008.

A significant part of BARWA’s production is focused on soap bars which are available in many variants, from the traditional grey, to special soaps profiled for the needs of the skin (sulphur undecylenic, zinc) and the cologne Premium series. The company relies on the natural composition of its products. Classic shampoos based on herbal extracts, nettle, chamomile, birch, black radish or horsetail are very popular with today’s consumers. There are also body care products, including: butter and high quality essential shower and bath products, and creams for hands and feet. For younger consumers there is BEBI series: flakes for washing and soap bars, shampoos and bubble baths in colorful packages and with different scents. BARWA Siarkowa (BARWA Sulphuric) is another hallmark of the brand. This range is based on colloidal bio-sulfur, which, in combination with other active ingredients, is the perfect solution for those struggling with acne.

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Growing online business BARWA products are widely available throughout Poland, both through the traditional channels (supermarkets, drugstores and pharmacies) as well as online. The introduction of its online sales site was a very significant moment in the history of the. To meet the demands of its customers, in 2014 the company launched its modern and very intuitive online store (www.sklep.barwa.com.pl), through which its entire product portfolio is available. Since then it has seen its online sales increase month by month and there is every n indication they will continue to do so. www.barwa.com.pl

SPARKLING RESULTS Dreher is Hungary’s leading brewery and has a strong brand portfolio and is now part of the SAB Miller Group. The acquisition has since helped Dreher’s beers to become some of the world’s best-selling brands. Philip Yorke looks at a company that continues to achieve strong growth by setting new standards and creating innovative craft beers.

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reher was founded by Antal Dreher in Budapest more than 160 years ago and he is still recognised as the most important person in the Hungarian beer market. His name is synonymous with quality and is endorsed by the locality, tradition and the consistency of the beers produced under his name. This in turn has generated an exceptionally strong brand loyalty amongst Dreher’s consumers.

Throughout its long history, the company has maintained its high standards of purity and creativity. In 1993 the brewery became a member of the South African Breweries (SAB) and shortly afterwards reinstated the original company name of Dreher Sorgyarak.

In 2002 South African Breweries merged with the Miller Brewing Group to create the SABMiller Group, which is now the second largest brewing company in the world with distribution agreements in over 60 countries and spread across six continents.

Growth in premium brands Today Dreher Breweries offer high quality local and international brands, whilst its traditional beers still dominate in terms of volume sales. However, the growth in premium beers and new ‘craft beer innovations’ such as the company’s dry-hop and tank beers, are seeing strong growth. The biggest premium selling brand remains the company’s traditional beer, the characteristic Dreher Classic. Other traditional brands include the special dark beer, Dreher Bak, and the non-alcoholic Dreher 24. In addition there is the smooth tasting pale beer Arany Aszok, which is also available in a non-alcoholic version.

A special brand in the SAB Miller portfolio is Miller Genuine Draft that has a light and refreshing taste owing to its special cold-filtering technology. Both the Czech brand Kozel and Hofbrau Munchen, which are brands with hundreds of years of tradition, are both licenced to be brewed by Dreher Breweries locally. However, HB Weissbier is still imported from the original German brewery.

In 2015, and recognising the growing international popularity of cider, Dreher introduced ‘Kingswood’, a sparkling cider that has further strengthened the company’s international portfolio. “Our company is very open minded and innovative, but our main focus is on quality. We have a consistent strategy, an excellent team and a Industry Europe 91

strong portfolio. As a result of top quality ingredients, tradition and innovation, Dreher Classic is the most widely spread premium beer in Hungary. For the Czech beer lovers we offer the first and best known pilsner in the world, Pilsner Urquell. And our offer for young party-goers is Miller Genuine,” said a company spokesman.

On-going investment programme Dreher has a tradition of investing in its facilities and the latest brewing technology. Since the company was acquired by SAB Miller the investment programme has significantly increased with a recent investment of more than 500 million HUF for a modern warehouse that can store over 35,000 hectolitres of beer. This realignment also helps Dreher to reduce its CO2 emissions. The company has invested further in the latest ‘Dry Hop’ gun technology for its craft beer range.

Dreher also invests in people and provides a livelihood for over 8000 families directly and indirectly in sectors such as catering, logistics and marketing. The majority of suppliers are small and medium size domestic businesses from which the brewery sources goods worth more than 15 million HUF per year.

Recently Dreher breweries appointed a new managing director in Hungary from SABMiller Poland. Rob Cooper joined Dreher prior to being a director at the group’s Polish subsidiary. Formally Cooper has worked at a senior level with Diageo and Campari. “I think every region has different consumer habits, tastes etc. For that reason the best beer producers pay special attention to the country or region from where they operate, which is our secret as well. As Hungary’s

leading beer company we focus on the Hungarian people and we want to satisfy their demands.”

Cooper Added, “We are always happy when we can bring an innovation that becomes successful in more regions, such as ‘dry-hop’.

Consumers are more and more interested in beer specialities and craft beers that bring out the true variety and flavours of the beer itself. This is especially true in the case of tank beer, which is an unpasteurised n beer that provides a richer taste for beer drinkers.”

For further details of the innovative beers available from Dreher visit: www.dreherrt.hu

Hidrofilt Kft Hidrofilt Kft has been operating in the field of technological water treatment and industrial wastewater treatment since 1990. The innovative use of their diverse technological backgrounds enables the company to offer high quality solutions for the most various water treatment tasks.

Services • Design, production and implementation of water treatment systems • Maintenance and repair of water treatment systems • Operation of water treatment systems • Salt-free water supply • Water examinations, field examinations by mobile lab • Supply of components for water treatment systems Equipment • Industrial water softener systems • Multimedia and active carbon filters • Iron, manganese, arsenic removal. Reverse osmosis technology for salt removal • Reverse osmosis technology for salt removal • Chemical dispenser and dispenser systems • Chlorine and chlorine dioxide dispenser systems

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Industry Europe 93

Locations in Teesside | Humberside | Midlands

OPTIMISED ENGINEERING SOLUTIONS

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Intelect UK is a market leading engineering company that provides hightech expertise to the food and beverage manufacturing industries, water utilities, energy and heavy industry sectors.

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ntelect was founded in Middlesbrough in the UK in 1997 by the four existing directors of the company working under the leadership of Francis Cormican. Today the Intelect brand leads the field in its chosen disciplines and has turnover in excess of £20 million per year.

Simple values driving growth Since it was formed in 1997, Intelect has blossomed into an engineering powerhouse on the strength of the work commissioned by many of Europe’s leading brands, including Nestlé, Mars, PepsiCo and Walkers.

In the past 12 months alone the company has gained many other major contracts from food and beverage brands such as KP Snacks and Tetley Tea. Its position in the market is enhanced by the fact that it is one of the strongest independently owned engineering companies to specialise in the installation of food process and packaging equipment. Its ability to innovate and tailor-make its services to suit a precise need has helped promote it to the industry’s top table.

Mr Cormican said, “The culture has always been friendly with a family feel. The organisation has grown from the initial four people to associated companies with over 200 directly employed personnel. Our values have always been very simple: to give a dedicated service and value for money. It’s nothing more elaborate than that. We find if we stick to these values we have plenty of repeat work and we build up great customer relationships. Our core strength is our employees: we have assembled a

very disciplined and experienced workforce that is fully competent in all aspects of food industry manufacturing, packaging and distribution.

“The defining features of Intelect UK are its reliability and being able to offer the full turnkey solution. We are finding more and more these days that engineers want a one-stop solution. That is, a company that can manage the customer’s engineering needs from initial concept and installation of machinery to the installation of services and commissioning, both mechanical and electrical. This is in addition to us providing fully compliant automation and control with relevant control panels, software and a dedicated team of experienced personnel to cope with the installation of equipment within demanding time constraints.

“These services are all backed up by our engineers and unrivalled project management experience. Intelect holds all of these disciplines inhouse which ensure we can supply the optimal quality and reliability that our customers have come to expect from us.”

Innovation built-in Research and development have always played a pivotal role at Intelect as industry attitudes and specifications have changed over the years, especially with reference to hygiene, infestation prevention and, more recently, allergens. The company also remains innovative in relation to the installation of its products and how it designs and

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manufactures platforms and conveying systems with these considerations in mind. The electrical installation techniques have been adapted over the years from enclosed trunkings to open, full-welded stainless steel basket trays that can easily be washed down. It always considers the whole production cycle of the product with the need for on-going access, maintenance and so on.

Mr Cormican added, “Our growth has been organic over the 18 years we have been in business, but we see potential to work with the many companies who have not heard of the Intelect brand name – the smaller food manufacturers who do not have the full engineering support and back-up of some of the larger organisations. We think that a total engineering solutions company such as ourselves will be a perfect fit.

“Our short-term goals are to continue consolidating our position as a leading expert within the field and to expand the brand which is Intelect. Our medium-term goals are to expand our workforce, build upon our very strong customer base and be the company of choice when a food process/packaging project is being discussed.

We successfully exhibited recently at the Foodex trade show at the NEC Birmingham in April and were very excited to be involved. This

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international event gave us a unique platform to explain to both new and potential customers about the services we can offer to the industry as a whole.”

Close inspection “Intelect ensures at all times we are ahead of legislation: we are currently accredited to ISO9001:2008 and more recently BS EN1090 for steel fabrication for platforms and access.

“All electrical installation work is inspected and tested by fully qualified engineers and is completed in accordance with the British Standard BS7671 and the NICEIC governing body. All electrical work is closely supervised by the company’s own NICEIC qualified supervisors to ensure that electrical work is compliant with the current version of the IET Wiring Regulations and in accordance with the Electricity at Work Act 1989.

“These, coupled with our health and safety accreditation, ensure at all time we offer a first class service to both our client and our employees.” n For further details of Intelect UK’s innovative products and services visit: www.intelectuk.com

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POLISH BREAD, BELGIAN TECHNOLOGY The Belgium-based company La Lorraine Bakery Group is celebrating the 15th anniversary of its presence in Poland. Last October, during his visit to Poland, His Majesty the King of Belgians Philippe I cut the ribbon at the official opening ceremony of the company’s freezer high-bay warehouse. Dariusz Balcerzyk reports.

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Lorraine Bakery Group is a 100 per cent Belgian family enterprise. It was founded in 1939 by Gerard Vanherpe, and since then it has remained in the hands of the same family, employing a total of more than 2800 people and achieving a consolidated annual turnover of nearly €600 million. Over the past 15 years, the group realised a 10 per cent annual growth, operating from 10 production units – three of which are in central Europe.

La Lorraine Bakery Group exports to more than 25 countries. The long-term vision of the group and its successful growth have earned it the prestigious award ‘Entrepreneur of the Year 2012 in Belgium’.

Investing in Poland It was in 1925 in Nowy Dwór Mazowiecki, near Warsaw, that a familyowned bakery was established. Through generations of management by the Nowakowski family the bakery was developed into a major 98 Industry Europe

production company. At the end of 2005 it was purchased by La Lorraine Bakery Group, and thus the plant in Nowy Dwor Mazowiecki became an important part of a dynamically developing international company. In 2011, it changed its operating name and now continues its activities as La Lorraine Poland.

The Polish company has undergone a huge transformation, with its production capacity being expanded to 10 modern lines. The fully automated, ultra-modern freezer high-bay warehouse is the group’s largest investment outside Belgium. “The opening of such a large magazine with a capacity of 16,000 pallets is a crucial step in the development of our company,” says Guido Vanherpe, co-owner and president of La Lorraine Bakery Group.

The warehouse represents an investment worth €21 million and its implementation took about two years. This is the first step of a long-

term investment plan up to 2020, with a total value of around €50 million. Over the next three years La Lorraine Poland plans to increase its production capacity at the Nowy Dwor Mazowiecki plant by 50 per cent. To achieve this goal the company plans to purchase new production lines. Soon, the newly launched magazine may be too small, which is why the company is going to double its storage capacity over a period of three years. Today, the plant is capable of storing 16,000 pallets, but strives towards a goal of 30,000 pallets.

“In terms of turnover, Poland is our second largest market, just after Belgium. We no longer perceive Poland as a foreign market, but as our ‘second home’. Since the acquisition of the Nowakowski bakery in 2005, we have invested around €70 million.

Considering the expected sales growth in the coming years, the importance of our Polish operations will continue to grow. Annual

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sales in Poland for 2014 were estimated at €75 million, while the sales of the whole group reached €568 million. In recent years, we increased our annual sales in the Polish market by an average of 15 per cent. At the same time the whole group grew by around 10 per cent. As you can see, sales growth in Poland exceed the

Lesaffre Polska SA Lesaffre Polska SA is a manufacturer of compressed and liquid baking yeast, as well as ingredients for the baking and cake-making industry. Over the 160 years Lesaffre has developed an enormous portfolio of international brands, which are renowned in the industry and often set the standards on the market.

The following brands can be found in the assortment: • Baking yeast: red and green Perfekta, l’Hirondelle, Bene-via, the system for cooling and distribution of liquid yeast Kastalia Premium as well as industrial installations for liquid yeast. A novelty amongst the yeast brands is the platinum Perfekta, which is characterised by high growth strength and quality at the highest standard.

• Yeast for domestic use: the ‘Drożdże Babuni’ line (‘Grandmother’s Yeast).

• Sourdoughs and aromas for breads • Baking and cake-making mixes and baking improvers Innovations exceeding clients’ expectations Lesaffre follows an active policy of implementing the results of tests focusing on new consumption trends and new production methodologies. The Group has gained many important successes in developing the baking industry: adaptation of yeast to new bread baking processes of bread, modernization of the traditional sourdough, development of specialist yeast dedicated to different types of products.

The company holds the FSSC 22000 Foods Safety certificate and the ISO 14001 Environmental Management System certificate.

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average growth in all our markets. It is for us an important and promising signal,” adds Mr Vanherpe.

Besides its Nowy Dwor Mazowiecki location the group owns nine other modern bakeries, seven of which are in Belgium, and the remaining two in central and eastern Europe – in the Czech Republic and Romania. In 2016 the company plans to open another bakery in Turkey.

As much as 85 per cent of its production in Poland is sold on the local market, while the remaining 15 per cent is exported to several countries in Europe.

For La Lorraine Poland, each client is important. Retail trade is the largest channel with which it cooperates. Despite the fact that the company cooperates with the largest retail chains in Poland, more and more retailers are investing in the ‘bake-off’ technology and bake directly at points of sale. The company is also developing its sales to the HoReCa sector and intensifying cooperation with several large wholesalers through which its products may hit the restaurants and hotels throughout the country.

‘Bake off’ technology La Lorraine Poland offers a combination of traditional quality products with innovative, environmentally friendly technologies. It offers

deep-frozen products, intended for further baking at the point of sale. The offer includes basic products, namely: kaiser rolls, rolls, baguettes and bread, as well as original products with added value, such as ciabattas, artisan rolls and half-baguettes, and artisan loaves of bread – some baked in a stone oven and some with the addition of unique, natural ingredients that significantly enrich the recipe. In addition to bakery products, the offer also includes French pastries and donuts, muffins or salty snacks.

‘Bake-off’ technology is a combination of two processes: baking and freezing. Bakery products are partially baked (70 per cent) and then frozen to keep their nutritional value as well as high quality and

freshness. This method allows stores to bake bread, depending on the current demand for the group of products in a given time of day, and to effectively manage the amount of goods on the shelf. The biggest advantage of ‘bake-off’ technology is the indisputable freshness and quality of the products. This is in line with the international consumer trend for clean and clear labels – that is, without the addition of ‘E’ additives and preservatives or other types of ‘E’ substances including emulsifiers, stabilisers, regulators or other artificial n colourings and flavourings.

We will be pleased to host you on our website: www.llbg.com

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MEAT SPECIALIST The Slovak MECOM Group is a member of the Carnibona Group, the strongest and fastest growing player in the meat-processing sector in central Europe. Incorporated 20 years ago and based in Humenné, MECOM is now on a mission to reach customers further afield. Romana Moares reports.

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he Carnibona Group, founded in 2008 by through the combination of a number of major meat processing companies with a long tradition in Slovakia, Hungary and the Czech Republic, is one of the key investment projects for Penta, one of the largest central European investors, which manages a portfolio of companies with total revenues of €4.9 billion (2014). Penta first acquired the number-one producer in Slovakia, the MECOM Group, followed by the Hungarian Debreceni Group, thus initiating a consolidation of meat-processing producers in the central European region, and creating the strongest grouping in the market. Schneider, the leading Czech meat producer, was added in 2012.

The Carnibona Group consists of three independent entities each covering one of the three markets. The Slovak MECOM Group operates two production plants, the same as Hungarian Kaiser, with Czech Schneider running a single meat processing plant in Pilsen.

Of the 1300 people employed by Carnibona, about 900 work in the two Slovak MECOM plants.

“The reason for the consolidation of the three entities was the wish to utilise the benefits of synergy and to centralise the product

portfolio,” says Ladislav Čechovič, marketing and sales director of MECOM Group. “Before, each plant offered more or less a very similar range while now each of us focuses on our strengths. However, all group departments are centralised from operations to marketing and sales, meaning each department has one director responsible for all three countries, using and applying the same reporting practices, processes and systems,” he explains.

Number one in Slovakia The MECOM Group is the largest producer of meat products in Slovakia, with a 28 per cent market share. It operates two production plants, in Lučenec and in Humenné, both modern facilities which are upgraded and extended on an on-going basis. “Each year we invest considerable sums in increasing production efficiency as well as on installing new lines to maintain the high standard of our products as well as meeting the auditors’ requirements,” says Mr Čechovič, adding that each plant is fully IFC (International Food Standard) certified.

MECOM’s portfolio includes durable meat products, soft salamis, soft meat products and specialities. Its flagship is the fermented

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product category, made in the Humenné plant, in which the company has the biggest market share. “We plan to further improve our position in this category,” confirms Mr Čechovič. “Another group which is growing is the ham category, for which we also want to provide more commercial support.”

MECOM knows the meat-processing sector very well and is continually looking to develop the most unusual combinations and

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recipes; at the same time, with each new experiment emphasis is placed on sustaining traditional Slovak tastes. Great care is given to each ingredient and additive as well as to the packaging – they all must comply with the most stringent quality and health requirements. “We choose our suppliers carefully and engage only those who are able to provide the top quality that we require,” says the sales and marketing director.

In early 2016 the company opened a brand new unit – an Innovation Centre in charge of product development and innovation in line with customer preferences.

Innovation – the way forward Generally speaking, the meat production market has been stagnant in most countries. While meat consumption is slightly falling in all categories, this is partly offset by rising preferences for quality and customers’ willingness to spend money on more expensive premium products.

“In line with the current focus on healthy living, the trend is quite clearly moving towards higher-quality products with lower content of additives and preservatives,” Mr Čechovič confirms, adding that one category on the rise in all three markets is hams, with demand for fermented products growing also in the Czech Republic and Slovakia.

While central Europe remains the key market for the Carnibona Group, some products are successfully sold in other countries such as Russia, the Ukraine and Germany. Growing demand has been reflected in increased capacity at one of the Hungarian plants, the group’s largest investment last year.

The group’s strategy for the next three to four years is clearly set out: to become the producer with the lowest operating costs, bringing higher value to the market in the form of new products and innovations. “MECOM Group’s vision is to become the preferred supplier of high-quality meat products in central Europe and to inspire consumers n to prepare good and tasty food,” Mr Čechovič concludes.

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CREAM OF THE CROP Minerva is one of Greece’s great success stories and many of its edible oil and dairy food products are European brand leaders. Philip Yorke spoke to operations manager, Mr Apostolos Kirikos, about this customer-oriented company that has continued to invest throughout the recent difficult trading period and has grown its product portfolio as well as its market share.

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inerva entered the Greek olive oil market back in the early 1900s and has since grown to become one of the largest and most successful speciality brands in the European food market. This remarkable success is in no small part owing to its customer-focused approach, with a dedication to meeting the precise needs of clients wherever they are.

A programme of continuous investment has allowed Minerva to constantly broaden its product portfolio with the objective of meeting the nutritional needs of the modern day consumer. Most significantly, it recently completed the strategic acquisition of the country’s leading vinegar brand, along with its manufacturing facilities and employees. As a result, Minerva can now offer one of the finest balsamic vinegars on the market.

Minerva is also renowned for the high quality of its olive oils and cheeses, while its margarines and butters are based upon traditional Greek recipes and tastes that support the values of a healthy Mediterranean diet. The strategic partnerships that the company enjoys in the field of functional food, such as cholesterol lowering dairy products and its entry into the organic food market, place Minerva among the top food companies in Greece.

The company’s on-going investment in new, innovative products and its commitment to protecting the environment sets the benchmark for others in the field. Today Minerva operates three state-ofthe-art factories in Greece and has its own milk collection zone.

New products driving sales Minerva sees itself as more of food production company than an edible oils business. New products are being launched all the time in both its Greek and export markets. In addition to the abovementioned acquisition of the country’s leading vinegar brand, some

of the more recent new product successes include its ‘TOP’ range of Balsamic Glazes, one with Pomegranate and Vanilla and another one with honey and lemon; and Benecol Max, which maximises the efficiency of the stanols used in the cholesterol lowering process.

In tandem with one of its business partners, PZ Cussons, Minerva keeps investing in the local economy and its people, despite the challenging financial environment. As testament to its on-going investment programme, the company plans to launch new ranges of products in the months ahead.

Minerva’s exports are also growing year-on-year as a result of its ability to deliver market specific products with the relevant premium packaging designed to meet its customers’ needs and those of the local culinary culture. Minerva has also been moving increasingly into products that promote a healthy diet and lifestyle. In April 2011, inspired by Greek nutritional habits, Minerva Benecol Lefko was created, which is a unique cheese product, made from 100 per cent Greek sheep & goats milk that helps to reduce cholesterol.

Minerva’s Benecol range of products reduce high levels of LDL Cholestrol by up to 10 per cent in just 2–3 weeks thanks to the plant stanol esters they contain. Today over 70 clinical studies have proven the effectiveness of plant stanols in reducing cholesterol.

Growing export drive Minerva has exported its products worldwide since 1950 and to all five continents. They are distributed through an extensive international distribution network, which in turn provides the consumer with an opportunity to get to know the real taste and quality of Greek food products.

Today Minerva is present in all the world markets of its choice, however it is still looking to expand its distribution network and to increase the sales of its products to its existing export markets.

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Minerva has created a ‘basket’ of Greek traditional products that include all the basic ingredients of the Mediterranean kitchen, with the aim to make the Minerva brand the ambassador of quality of Greek food products .The unique combination of Greece’s climate, sea and sun, as well as the technology involved in the production of high-purity Minerva products, guarantees the authenticity and of this global brand.

Enhancing the Minerva brand, the company has acted as the pioneer when it comes to the development of sustainable food manufacturing in Greece. Conscious of the importance that sustainability has to evolution, Minerva actively participates in the global initiative for sustainable development. Continuing to look ahead, the company is producing its Horio Sustainable Extra Virgin Oil using the best agricultural practices of the day, to protect the environment through water optimisation and minimal use of pesticides.

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New generation facilities Minerva has created an investment programme that fulfills its long-held vision of becoming one of the most advanced and efficient state-ofthe-art food production facilities in Europe. Following its investments, its factories in Greece set new standards in high-tech production methods, whilst at the same time respecting the needs for sustainable production methods and protection of the environment.

This new generation of Minerva factories continues to be upgraded with further investments in new technology in order to cater for the growing demands placed upon it by the launch of the latest innovative Minerva products.

Despite the economic slowdown in Europe the company has installed a brand new line for its margarine and butter bricks with alu-foil wrapup as well as another new line for sleeving round glass bottles. At its Ioannina factory it has made a significant investment in a new packaging lines for cheese, as well as investing in advanced, energy-saving equipment for more efficient plant operations. Finally, at Minerva’s vinegar factory at Piraeus a new mixing tank was installed to enhance glazes n production, which is one of the key products driving growth.

For further details of Minerva’s innovative food products visit: www.minerva.com.gr

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SHAPING FLAVOURS Hams, sausages, smoked meats, roast products, aspics… all of the highest quality, with a high percentage of meat, and mostly gluten free. This is the product offering of the Czech family-run company Váhala, which developed from a small local meat processing plant into a recognised and trusted processed meat and meat specialities supplier to the central European region. Romana Moares spoke to company co-owner and managing director, Mr Ladislav Denk, to find out its recipe for success.

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áhala started as a one-man business and, over the years, has developed into a modern, successful European enterprise.

Established in 1933 by the joining of two butcher shops, its founder, Robert Váhala, had a clear business concept: to provide high quality meat products to the region. The business grew rapidly and its reputation was spreading fast until the early 1950s when the company was nationalised. However, its founder never stopped working to get his business back and made sure that all of his five children were educated in food related subjects so that they could take over.

It was only in 1989, some 40 years later, that the meat-processing factory was returned to the family – Robert Váhala then decided to pass the business to his five children and in January 1991 operations were resumed under the name of Váhala and Co., Production and Sales of Meat and Delicatessen Products. “The name is perhaps a bit too long but the family wanted to express the core business in the title,” explains Mr Denk.

Production was quickly re-launched and Váhala’s reputation soon spread outside the region, first to the rest of the Czech Republic,

then to Slovakia, Hungary, Germany and Austria. Today about 20 per cent of its output is exported. “The key market still remains the Czech Republic,” says the managing director, “However, we are proud that we have achieved success in the very demanding markets of Germany and Austria.”

A new structure When he walked back into his old plant in 1988, Robert Váhala could still recognise the original machines he had installed over 40 years before. Hardly anything had been modernised and the whole operation was badly in need of complete refurbishment and extension. Several reconstructions followed until 1997 when further capacity expansion in the old plant (located within the town boundaries) was no longer possible. At this time, the strategic decision was taken to build a factory on a greenfield site which would meet the strictest of EU standards and offer potential for further growth.

The first stone of this new site was laid in 1997 and the plant was commissioned a year later. It was the company founder, Robert Váhala, who, at the age of 88, cut the tape to start the new factory.

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“We did not want to build a huge operational unit but rather progress step by step and that is what happened. Several extensions were built and production capacity gradually increased in several stages to meet growing demand,” says Mr Denk.

Váhala has remained a family-run business up to the present day – in 2012 its ownership structure was given a new lease of life when several of Robert Váhala’s grandchildren took over. “The company now employs about 250 people in the two plants – the former factory has been transformed to house delicatessen production such as salads, spreads and aspics (about 10 per cent of total output) while the new factory makes a wide range of meat products such as smoked meats, hams, sausages and many more,” explains Mr Denk (the husband of one of Robert Váhala’s granddaughters).

Serious commitment Reflecting on the company’s future development, Mr Denk says Váhala will continue to invest in new technologies to sustain the high quality of its products and to remain competitive. This year, it plans to invest in cooling, smoking technology and other new machines.

“We are committed to maintaining and further spreading the good name of the company and gaining a stronger foothold in the central European markets. We will continue to honour the dedication of Robert Váhala to the highest standards of quality. The feedback from customers indicates that we have, so far, succeeded in this goal and n we intend to continue doing so in the future,” claims Mr Denk.

Preferred by customers Váhala’s meat products can be bought from most of the major retailers such as Ahold and Globus, but the company also operates its own retail network covering the whole of the Czech Republic.

Its focus is on top quality raw materials, a high meat percentage, natural ingredients and spices and reduced levels of salt – all of which is exactly in line with current customer preferences. Most of its products are also gluten free.

The product range is updated on an ongoing basis. “Each year we introduce new or improved products and the best possible quality is always our priority. Right now we have several new products in the pipeline which are expected to increase sales significantly,” says Mr Denk, but refuses to reveal more at this stage. However, he points out that the company is aware of its social role as well: recently, for example, a new type of ham has been launched to support the reconstruction of a national monument, destroyed in fire. A certain percentage of sales from the ham, which bears the name of the national monument, will go to the reconstruction fund.

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BAKERY VISIONARIES Gostol line in Italy for baking of variety of bakery products

DEPANNER - automatic depanning of bread from tins

Gostol bakery lines, producing bread round the clock in Belgium

The Gostol Group is a European market leader in the design and manufacture of fully automated bakery production lines and equipment for manufacturing bread and bakery products. The company continues to develop ground-breaking automated ovens and baking equipment that increase efficiency and save energy. Philip Yorke reports.

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lthough founded in 1992, Gostol has a long tradition of machine building and casting which began back in 1947. Today the company designs and manufactures state-of-the-art equipment for the baking industry and is owned by the joint stock company Gopek d.d. The company’s headquarters and main production facilities are located in Slovenia with other bakery equipment components being produced at its plants in Bosnia and Herzegovina.

The company’s ‘long-lifespan’ industrial baking equipment is sold under the well-known brand name ‘Gostol’. It includes equipment for dough preparing, dough dividing, dough moulding and equipment for fermentation, baking, cooling and advanced robotic equipment that offers fully automated solutions. Today it offers complete turnkey solutions for producing bread and bread products in medium and large sized industrial bakeries.

Robotisation driving sales The Gostol Group’s core business comprises complete turnkey production lines for industrial bakeries including a wide range of bakery equipment for dough preparation, dough moulding, fermentation, baking and cooling.

The company’s latest robotisation programme includes: a 2D ROBO VISION SYSTEM for detection of products; a family of robotic machines for delidding and depanning of the bread type DEP-DEL; a family of robotic arms for the handling of pans and lid used on ROBO MOVE automatic pan lines; and a robotised warehouse for the storage of two types of ROBO – SKLAD 1.050/2 pans.

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In addition, the company has developed a robotised composition product for dough preparation known as RoboMix, as well as robotised warehouse storage systems.

Gostol’s RoboMix has become a flagship product as its flexibility allows the use of different mixing procedures for dough preparation.

There are also other unique features such as automated regulation of temperature and the control of moisture during pre-dough and dough production. Easier maintenance of equipment is yet another product benefit.

Automation and efficiency do not stop with robotisation at Gostol: the group has built several Cyclothermic tunnel baking ovens that are designed to optimise energy efficiency through the recuperation of electrical energy, steam and gas. The company works in close cooperation with its clients to ensure the best products and offers custom made turnkey solutions for its clients. More than 95 per cent of its revenue comes from the sale of highly specialised bakery lines, which are tailor-made to meet each customer’s specific needs.

However, the company’s success is not simply based on its high quality, energy-saving products, but also its ability to build longlasting partnerships with its customers and key suppliers that include SKF, Danfoss, Lenze and Weishaupt.

Fully automatic lines The fully automated production lines designed and produced by Gostol give the operator easy and faultless control of the entire production process. Some of the company’s key European markets

Nice looking, tasty product, comming from Gostol oven in Italy

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Gostol presents its innovations at one of the leading trade exhibitions in bakery bussiness, September, 2015 in München

The biggest thermoil oven, made by Gostol - 216m2 baking surface, 6 decks prepaired for loading at Gostol - Gopan headquarter in Slovenia

Loaded thermoil oven at Gostol facilities, prepaired for exceptional transport to Finland

are Belgium, Romania and Finland. Each country in the EU has its specialisations in terms of bread and bakery products, and regional technologies for bread making vary greatly. Gostol’s long experience in the bakery business enables it to adapt bakery equipment solutions for bakeries according to customers’ specific technological requirements. The company’s unrivalled expertise in the design, development, construction, equipment and commissioning of complete industrial baking lines is a major factor in winning contracts.

Gostol’s industrial bakery lines produce bread and bakery products with a high hourly production capacity. Its main goal is to work with the client to find the optimum solution for their bakery and to build long-lasting business partnerships.

On Gostol’s bakery equipment, clients can produce: long loaves, round bread, tin bread, buns, rolls and a variety of other baked goods besides.

Value-added services Gostol also offers its clients complete customer support, beginning with the most efficient solution for bakery production and the best possible equipment solution. This includes the construction of bakery equipment, assembly, delivery and commissioning as well as the training of operational staff and after sales support activities.

A company spokesman said, “Customers usually come to us with their specifications for bread or bread products and the precise production capacity they wish to achieve in their bakery. We are able to offer them the benefit of our experience from the initial idea for the project to its realisation. We can therefore establish a brand new bakery production line with strong, soundly engineered bakery n equipment from beginning to end.”

For further details of Gostol’s innovative, energy saving bread ovens and complete industrial lines for bakeries visit: www.gostolgroup.eu

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One of the largest manufacturers of home appliances in India, Godrej Appliances has recently added products for the premium sector to its portfolio. Emma-Jane Batey spoke to business head Kamal Nandi to learn how this strategy has already proved successful.

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odrej Appliances was founded in India in 1958 and made the very first refrigerator in India. Steadily growing and developing over the next nearly six decades, the company today is in the top four Indian appliance manufactures.

As part of a 118-year old group, Godrej Appliances has managed to retain the very best of its heritage with a thoroughly modern approach to innovation, development and manufacturing. Business head Kamal Nandi spoke to Industry Europe to explain how this philosophy has characterised the company's success for over half a century. Mr Nandi said, “Our constant endeavour has been to delight consumers with relevant technology that will make their lives brighter. Godrej Appliances was the first Indian company to manufacture refrigerators and has now become synonymous with the category. Godrej has created many milestones in the Indian appliance space – be it in the environment/energy efficiency space or a pure consumer delight space."

The Godrej Appliances product portfolio includes Refrigerators, Washing Machines, Air Conditioners, Microwave Ovens, Medical Refrigerators and Mobile Food and Beverage Coolers. The Refrigerator segment is Godrej's largest and it offers a wide range of 118 Industry Europe

attractive, modern products in frost-free, direct cool and 'American’ style, from 231 litres to 430 litres. Mr Nandi continued, “The Refrigerator segment is very important to us as we have long been a leading name in this field. We continue to innovate and create fresh products across our range, with our state-of-the-art facilities able to manufacture everything efficiently, reliably and effectively.”

Great range For washing machines, Godrej offers both fully automatic and semi automatic units in a range of attractive colours to suit various interiors.

Ranging from large 8kg capacities for families to smaller 6kg machines, they are offered in both front loading and top loading versions. Mr Nandi noted, “Our range of washing machines has been designed with innovative features and avant-garde aesthetics keeping in mind the fast evolving lifestyle of Indian consumers, after a thorough analysis of consumer insights derived through an iterative research process.”

Godrej Appliances' air conditioning units are available as split or window units, with discreet units in 1T, 1.5T and 2T available in white, black and silver. The microwave ovens come as specialist pizza and kebab ovens or convection, grill and solo models.

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With innovation playing a key role in Godrej Appliances' success for many years, its latest development is just one initiative in a long line of customer-focused developments. Mr Nandi explained, “We have recently moved into the premium and super-premium segments and this is already proving to be a very successful move. 0ur new NXW range of premium and super-premium refrigerators have been gaining great feedback from our customers.”

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Time for premium performance Mr Nandi continued, “For many years we have been largely present in the mid-segment but we identified a good opportunity for making premium products as we were conscious that our customers and potential customers were becoming more discerning and expecting higher performance and greater added value. We therefore moved up to the next level and truly addressed our customers' needs by

creating sub-brand NXW. Earlier this year we launched our new range of premium refrigerators under this sub-brand and gradually we plan to introduce more products from other appliance categories as well. They're great – they offer the best of the very latest technology, the best of additional features and the best of added value for our consumers. We've already had terrific feedback from our customers and we know that this will continue to be an important element of our future growth strategy.”

Godrej Appliances has also recently moved into two new sectors – medical refrigeration and mobile food and beverage refrigeration,

with new products and ranges available. Currently the fourth biggest manufacturer of appliances in India, Godrej Appliances is aiming to push into the top three within the next three to four years. Mr Nandi concluded, “Our move into the premium and super-premium segments is certainly a part of this – we're looking to move up the ladder.

We also know that our enhanced knowledge of premium products will add further value to our existing ranges, so it's a very positive development. We have invested in our machinery and in training our employees to ensure that we are getting the maximum performance n at every stage of the production process.”

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OPTIMAL FOOD PRESERVATION As well as being at the cutting-edge in energy efficient products, the Embraco range of hermetic compressors and cooling solutions offers optimal food preservation, as Anita Costamagna, EMEA Marketing Manager at Embraco, explains to Barbara Rossi.

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mbraco Europe Srl is part of Embraco, a leader in hermetic compressors for household and commercial refrigeration at a global level. Embraco was established in Brazil (Joinville) in 1971 and, over the years, has extended its activity to all the other continents. Today the company supplies its products in over 80 countries, thanks to its production facilities based in Brazil, Italy, China, Slovakia and Mexico. It also has a commercial and logistics site in the US (equipped with a warehouse) and one in Russia.

Embraco has an output of 37 million compressors a year, a 9600-strong workforce and a team of 500 engineers and technicians (in addition to which it collaborates with another 200 engineers belonging to various universities, especially the Federal University of Santa Caterina in Brazil). There is a particularly close working relationship with 122 Industry Europe

the Polo department of this university, which is specialised in refrigeration and collaborates with Embraco on several product development projects, such as for new materials and noise reduction.

The activities at Embraco are organised into four divisions, respectively dealing with household refrigeration, commercial cooling solutions, distribution and after-market, and new business. Ms Costamagna says, “For both household and commercial refrigeration our core products are compressors and condensing units, but we are also able to supply complete refrigeration solutions. Our distribution and after market division serves distributors and small OEMs. At European level in particular, these three business units have reached a comparable turnover generation, making our business stable in profit sources. The New Business is the youngest division and is

dedicated to investigating business which is not directly linked to compressors, and how these can be put to a different use. Through this unit we manage ideas and develop opportunities for new customers with new applications.”

The company employs a vertical production model and its products are sourced from its various plants around the world. The choice of which plant supplies a certain product often depends on where production is more competitive or where we can have free production capacity.

This has proven to be a real strength, because it has allowed Embraco to maintain competitiveness in different markets. “As Embraco Europe Srl we supply Europe, Africa (especially North Africa) and the Middle East, however our products might be sourced from any of our plants, keeping the same quality levels required for top markets.”

Fullmotion and Wisemotion “In China we also have a separate business unit, EECON, which develops and markets electronic control systems. These are employed in several of our products. In fact, as well as offering On/ Off technology compressors, we offer their variable speed counterparts: Fullmotion technology compressors. The advantages offered

by Fullmotion compressors are increased efficiency, extremely low noise levels (we actually offer the quietest compressor on the market) and more stable temperatures inside the refrigerator system (translating into better food preservation). Our latest development is Wisemotion technology compressors, where these advantages are even further optimised (thanks to the fact that the compressor speed can be almost zero). Furthermore, Wisemotion compressors do not require the use of oil as a lubricant and therefore can be positioned anywhere (and not necessarily at the bottom of the fridge). It is the first and only oil free linear compressor in the world.”

Recent investments have been channelled into commencing production of On-Off and Wisemotion technology compressors in Mexico, as well as implementing the manufacturing of Fullmotion technology compressors in Italy. Every year significant investments

are made into R&D, which works on two levels: optimisation of current core products and researching new technologies. The latter activity bears its fruits in the long-term, as it has the potential to lead to the creation of new products. “It is thanks to this type of work that we have been able to develop our Wisemotion technology compressors. Over the years we have obtained more than 1200 patents.”

Sustainable goals There is a real commitment to environmental friendliness at Embraco, accompanied by an equal level of care for workplace health and safety and socially minded initiatives. The company complies with the World Class Manufacturing system, aiming for zero workplace accidents and wastage. All employees are actively encouraged to report any unsafe practices, should these occur. In fact, a BBS (BehaviourBased Safety) policy is implemented. With regard to the environment, Embraco is engaged in reducing CO2 emissions and water wastage at all of its plants. The company has won the Best Company to Work For award in Brazil in 2014 and in Slovakia in 2015.

“Innovation, quality and sustainability are central to our activity. We do not intend to compete at the bottom end of the market. While from 2008 to 2013 we increased our production capacity by about 7 per cent a year, since then we have been focusing on rationalisating our production to increase productivity and offer products of an ever greater added value.”

Future growth prospects “Geographically we are present all over the world. Embraco is by far the market leader in North and South America. We are focused on increasing our market penetration in Asia-Pacific, Europe itself and Industry Europe 123

Lazzero Tecnologie Environmental laws, supported by the technical improvements, reduce more and more the limits of refrigerant emissions into the atmosphere.

Lazzero Tecnologie, since over 25 years, develops smart solutions for the Industrial Leak-Testing of HVAC&R components and for all types of refrigeration compressors, supplying the most important international players, including Embraco and Dorin.

The consolidated expertise in the tracing gas technology with Helium and Mass Spectrometry proves LT to be a strategical partner in Leak-Testing. Joining high sensitivity and test speed, automation and objectivity of the results, LT equipment assures a safe, reliable and environmentally friendly test, greatly improving the quality level of the products.

Each project respects the user’s needs, bringing to a unique custom-tailored equipment.

The last realization successfully concluded for Embraco Europe is characterized by an innovative solution that allows the testing of different compressor models in the same testing chamber, with quick setup.

Moreover, thanks to the competence in the hermetic and semi-hermetic refrigeration compressors field, LT can provide powerful testing benches for safety controls and performance checks, including the oil filling option, too.

Finally, a very important aspect in leak-testing regards the need for certified micro-flow elements. LT’s metrological laboratory is able both to realize and to offer the regular calibration service in accordance with the ISO standards, of reference leaks with the required flow value.

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the Middle East. For the European division another important market is North Africa, extending to South Africa for household refrigeration. Turkey and Russia are also strong in terms of demand from the household refrigeration segment, while in Italy there is a strong demand for commercial refrigeration and the after-market. For these segments France and Germany also play an important role.”

Embraco is a company in a state of continuous improvement and evolution, and all potential levers of cooperation could be considered if they fit in with the Embraco strategy of high quality and cutting-edge technology. “We have recently started a partnership with Dorin, one of the most important manufacturers of semi-hermetic compressors for refrigeration in the world. Thanks to this collaboration, in 2016 Embraco will start distributing the Dorin compressors in Brazil, in order to fulfil demand in the industrial and commercial refrigeration sector. Embraco will guarantee technical assistance and supply services, spare parts and components to customers all over the country.

“The European market in general is not growing at a very high pace. In Europe the household refrigeration market is a bit stagnant, so I think the best way to develop business in a sustainable way is to always understand what customers want. Of course, the same user experience approach can be extended to the commercial and after-market segments. I think it is important to make customers perceive not just the advantages of our compressors in terms of energy efficiency, but also with regard to better food preservation and the monetary savings this implies for any European family, who waste hundred of euros a year in spoilt food.

“In terms of commercial applications, we are trying to talk with end-users. Equally, we try to communicate with installers in the after-market segment. This strategy requires a significant effort, but it pays off in the long-term. We really have a lot to offer. In fact, in October we took part in a conference at the Milan Expo, talking n about what Embraco does to preserve food quality.”

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A FORCE IN THE MARKETPLACE Italian company Industrie Ilpea SpA is a world leader in the production of magnetic gaskets for refrigerators (the company’s core business), other extruded plastic, moulded rubber and magnetic components. Ross Davies spoke to CEO Dr Paolo Cittadini about its innovative research and development activities and dedication to customer service in the marketplace.

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ith its headquarters in Malgesso-Varese, Italy, Industrie Ilpea SpA currently employs a workforce of 3800 people worldwide. Since being founded in 1960, Ilpea has also undergone a number of changes and significant events that have contributed to its global success. These include merging with the American group Pantasote Inc in 1970, which facilitated integration into the international markets, and also the subsequent buyout of the European Pantasote companies, with the aid of several international banks, in 1989. In 2001, Ilpea acquired Holm Industries Inc., a company that had previously purchased the American plastic business of Pantasote, thus further globalising its industrial footprint with plants in the US and Mexico.

The group’s activities are divided into three divisions, as explained by its CEO, Doctor Paolo Cittadini: “We serve three main markets: the appliance, the automotive and the building products markets, through three main operations. Firstly there is the manufacturing of plastic materials and innovative components, which we develop and codesign with our customers, the most important of which is magnetic gaskets for refrigerators that are produced in several plants worldwide.

Secondly, we manufacture technical rubber components for which we have three large plants in Italy, Poland and Mexico. Lastly, we have a division for magnetic products which was set up in 1968 primarily for refrigerator gaskets, but has since expanded into products for various industrial uses, with two plants in Europe and the USA.”

These three divisions have given Ilpea the opportunity to serve a broad range of industries with its plastic materials division alone serving a plethora of market sectors from household appliances, its main market, and car components, to window frames and shower units in the construction industry. Similarly, Ilpea’s rubber components division targets production fields such as rubber gaskets for laundry, the car and railway construction industries, while its magnetic products division supplies components for various applications ranging from magnetic sensors for ABS and EDS for cars, to electric motors and promotional gadgets.

Investments in R&D I asked Doctor Cittadini if Ilpea has made any recent investments to expedite growth: “We have sought to make investments in emerging markets such as Mexico, Brazil, India, Turkey and Poland where we recently inaugurated several new plants, in addition to the premises we acquired after the takeover of Holm Industries in 2001. We also invested in a new production facility in Russia in 2008 and are currently exploring possible future growth in Korea and China,” says Dr Cittadini.

Ilpea’s three divisions, although sharing the same industrial and market ambitions, each have specific, independent sales structures, marketing strategies and research and development centres. Ilpea has made constant strides in promoting innovation in the work place. “R&D is very important to us in developing the best technological products.

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For example, on behalf of our customers, we are constantly looking for ways of reducing energy consumption. With regards to our core business, we are also seeking to develop magnetic gaskets for refrigerators that seal more efficiently,” explains Doctor Cittadini.

Operating in laboratories with the most modern analytical instruments, Ilpea’s R&D engineers create innovations such as flexible plastic material for high insulation gaskets, PVC free compounds, co-extrusion of soft and rigid materials reinforced with metal inserts, special compounds for slush hides for cockpits and highly automated processes for several automotive components and appliances. Ilpea has handled such diversification while adhering to its environmental values including the complete recycling of all products.

Ilpea’s global presence is demonstrated by its vast array of clients.

With regard to its PP and PA tubes for gasoline and water for automotive applications, and plastic and rubber components such as windshield frames and flocked side windows, it serves such worldwide OEMs as VW, GM, Chrysler, Audi, Fiat and Seat. Ilpea-owned trademarks include Galvarplast, Isoskin, IOS, Pulverox and Oximag.

Delivering customer service Ilpea also strongly believes in communication as an important element of business relations, deeming customer satisfaction to be the most vital requisite. Dr Cittadini explains: “Although our marketing approach may differ for each division, it always focuses on delivering optimum customer satisfaction. This service entails co-designing products with customers and developing the components as quickly 128 Industry Europe

and as accurately as possible, providing continuous technical assistance. Also, we have always made a concerted and deliberate effort to construct our production facilities close to our customers, wherever they may be located.”

When asked about future growth, Dr Cittadini answers. “Whether it is in technology, developing new products – which we are always striving for – or in our customer relations, innovation is the most important thing. Yes, the global recession has affected us just as it has affected everyone but it has also galvanised us to react by developing new ideas. The global presence of our company in several emerging markets such as Brazil, India, Mexico, Turkey, Poland, Hungary and eastern Europe has also allowed us to offset the negative effects of the crisis affecting our mature markets such as western Europe and the USA. While still concentrating on Europe and the USA, where we still have a strong presence, we will also be looking to further expand in other emerging countries, such as China and Korea where the appliance and automotive markets are quickly improving and production costs are very competitive. We believe this n is where our customers will head, so we will do the same.”

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HIGH-PERFORMANCE

POWER SOLUTIONS

Wärtsilä is a global leader in the development and manufacture of lifecycle solutions for the marine and energy markets. The company continues to optimise its innovative technologies and to maximise the environmental and economic performance of vessels and power plants worldwide. Philip Yorke reports.

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ärtsilä is a global company that produces complete lifecycle power solutions for the marine and energy markets, including power plants for oilfields, engines for crude oil pumping, and compression solutions for gas gathering and processing. As a means of power generation, Wärtsilä’s engines provide a higher level of efficiency than traditional power plant alternatives. In 2014 the group’s net sales totalled more than €5 billion with around 19,000 employees. The company currently has operations in over 200 locations in almost 70 countries worldwide.

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Smart power Designing and building power plants for utility companies and industry has been at the heart of the company’s business activities for decades. Wärtsilä has already delivered over, 4700 plants ranging from 10MW to over 600MW in more than 170 countries worldwide.

The company’s ‘Smart Power Generation’ power plants are based upon multiple internal combustion engines and are able to run on gaseous or liquid fuels, including bio-fuels. They provide industryleading energy efficiency, as well as fuel and operational efficiency and

in addition, help to integrate wind and solar power into the grid. As one of the world’s foremost engineering, procurement and construction (EPC) contractors and lifecycle support providers, the company also supports its customers with project development, financing and project services according to their requirements.

Today Wärtsilä has the broadest offshore product portfolio on the market. It includes power generation, vessel positioning and environmental compliance solutions. The company also offers complete electrical and automation solutions, emission control, oil & gas handling, pumping and inert gas systems, water management and customised vessel design.

know-how are absolutely essential. Wärtsilä was selected because of our strengths in both these areas. The contract highlights once again the value of proven, sophisticated and integrated system designs that Wärtsilä produces for the global marine market,” Says Riku-Pekkaa Hagg, vice-president, Ship Design at Wärtsilä Marine Solutions.

“The new vessel will be the most sophisticated asset in our fleet.

It will carry out operations in very deep waters and in often difficult conditions. We believe the Wärtsilä design will meet all our requirements for successful operations,” said Mr Huang Yan, director of Deep Diving Technology Centre, SSB.

Unique marine capabilities

Wärtsilä has an important role to play in meeting the world’s increased demand for energy in a sustainable way. This is the cornerstone of the company’s commitment to sustainability and its portfolio of environmental products and services is geared towards solving different environmental problems. Particular emphasis lies in optimising lifecycle efficiency, minimising environmental impact by reducing air and water emissions and minimising waste volumes from both land-based power plants and ship installations.

Wärtsilä is well known for optimising offshore performance through developing integrated solutions engaged in every stage of field exploration. The company’s cutting edge technology recently played a vital role in it securing a major contract to supply the ship design for an entirely new type of deep water dive-support vessel. The new ship is to be built for China State-owned Shanghai Salvage Bureau, one of the largest professional salvage companies in China. The contract with Wärtsilä was signed in January 2016.

The advanced Wärtsilä design features a unique combination of specialised capabilities, including deep water salvage operations to a depth of up to 6000 metres, deep water pipe laying and construction work and saturation diving operations for up to 24 divers using two diving bells.

All the design features are based on a single platform operating with DP3, the highest class of Dynamic Positioning. When built this will be the world’s first SAT diving support vessel with multi-lay and ultra- deep water construction capabilities. “For a complex vessel like this involving the needed sub-sea equipment, both extensive experience and broad

Optimising lifecycle efficiency

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Katsa – Geared for You Katsa Oy is a power transmission supplier. Over the years Katsa has become one of the leading supplier of high precision gear wheels, variety of turning devices and customized gearbox solutions.

Main customer segments of Katsa are marine & off-shore, vehicles & rail, mining & construction, pulp & paper, steel & metals, energy & wind and general machine building. Typically Katsa’s products are for demanding applications.

Integrated engineering, manufacturing and assembly capabilities lead to flexible, cost efficient, reliable and on-time deliveries.

Gearbox designs include cylindrical, planetary, conical and worm gear type of gear designs and their combinations. Katsa has references of high-speed gearboxes with several thousands of rpm, but on the other hand there is an extremely large install base of different turning devices with slow speed features. Operated power can vary from low to 3-7 MW depending of the operating speed. Current assembly capacity supports gearboxes up to 15000 kg. www.katsa.fi/en

The company’s sustainability approach is based on economic, environmental and social performance. Wärtsilä strives to improve its procedures and performance across a wide front. Its overriding focus is on ensuring profitability, providing environmentally sound products and services and ensuring responsible business conduct.

As a technological enabler the company’s responsibility is to develop such products and solutions that allow its customers to develop their own business in a sustainable way.

Unrivalled flexibility

produce a new and viable solution. The outcome of all the company’s dual-fuel development work has resulted in unprecedented flexibility, both in terms of fuel choice and operational performance.

Since natural gas has low levels of harmful emissions and is relatively low in price, such flexibility is increasingly seen as being the key to compliance with environmental legislation and to controlling escalating operational costs. Flexibility allows the most cost-effective and most readily available fuel to be used wherever possible and gas to be used where feasible and where environmental regulations n restrict the use of conventional liquid fuels.

For many decades, Wärtsilä has paved the way for improving the performance and reliability of gas engines. As with many successful innovations, various strands of different technologies have been combined to

For further details of Wärtsilä’s innovative energy products and services visit: www.wartsila.com

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SMOOTH OPERATORS Chugoku Paints B.V. is one of the market leaders in the development and manufacture of specialised paints and coatings for the marine industry. Philip Yorke talked to Wim Versteeg, the company’s sales director, about its ultra-smooth anti-fouling formulations that are revolutionising the market.

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hugoku Paints B.V. is a subsidiary of Chugoku Marine Paints Ltd of Japan. The company has been developing unique paint formulations since it was founded in 1917. As one of the company’s premier European operations, CMP Europe’s main office in the Netherlands is the hub for its European business development activities. CMP is a global operator with a service network in over 30 countries and more than 80 locations worldwide.

CMP Europe’s product portfolio includes a wide variety of specialised paints and coatings which are being supplied to almost all major operators in the marine industry.

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New anti-fouling technology A few years ago at the Nor-shipping trade exhibition in Oslo, CMP launched its latest innovative marine paint product known as SeafloNeo. This break-through in anti-fouling technology further extended the company’s technological lead over its competitors. This unique paint can be applied in the conventional manner and creates a smooth finish that is unrivalled in the marketplace. In fact it is so smooth that it significantly reduces friction and therefore cuts fuel consumption by up to 5 per cent. This product does not rely on the commonly used silicone compound but rather a different, unique polymer.

An important extension to this range of advanced anti-fouling products was launched earlier this year when CMP held a presentation of its latest anti-fouling paint, ‘Seaflo Neo-S Premium’. This revolutionary new product has been developed based on new biocide technology and contains ‘Selektope®’, a highly effective anti-barnacle biocide. This new biocide has been authorised under ‘BPR’ (Biological Product Regulation) in the EU. ‘Seaflo Neo-S Premium’ is a high-tech product that has been proven to perform very successfully as an anti-fouling paint for outfitting periods at new shipbuilding sites in Korea, China, Japan, etc. where quite often severe fouling environments are encountered.

Innovation driving growth The company’s R&D development centre is based in Japan and focused on producing more environmentally-friendly formulations for paints and coatings. CMP Factories worldwide are able to produce the same precise formulations ensuring that all CMP customers worldwide are guaranteed an identical, consistently high quality product.

Reliability is a priority at CMP with the company aware that this is one of the product benefits that keeps it in a market-leading position.

“CMP is supported by a broad customer base. Their confidence and trust in our cutting-edge technology and superior products underpins our success in both our domestic and global markets. All our products are designed and developed based on clearly focused research activities, and distributed via our highly organised global service network,” said Versteeg.

“In terms of expansion, we have made an important acquisition to boost our foothold in the Italian market with the purchase of the leading marine paint manufacturer: ‘BOAT’. We have also been developing our business in the Scandinavian markets where we have a new sales organisation in place in the /Oslo area that is already helping us to gain a growing share of the Norwegian market.

Until recently the shipbuilding market has been slow but it is now picking up with our sales in Asia, China and Korea all seeing strong growth. In fact in these markets we achieve 95 per cent of all our

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new-building contracts. Overall we are seeing growth in excess of 10 per cent per annum and our global sales are now more than US$1 billion,” added Versteeg.

Strong performance The company’s strong performance and long history in Japan has continued to play an important role in the development of its latest anti-fouling paint technology. CMP stays closely informed of the marine industry’s changing regulations and is dedicated to developing paints and coatings that meet the strictest biocide requirements.

“Most of the marine industry’s major players are aware of CMP, therefore it is for us to share the special features and benefits of our paints and coatings with them. The fact is that ships don’t lie, so if vessels coated with our products still perform well after five years, customers will be satisfied and happy to continue working with us. Forced by the current unfavourable market circumstances, the industry is price sensitive too, of course, so we need to ensure that our products perform well and are competitively priced,” commented Versteeg.

CMP endeavours to promote industrial growth with the environment very much in mind and continues its creative and innovative approach n to produce optimal solutions that satisfy its customers’ needs.

For further details of CMP’s latest products and services visit: www.cmp.co.jp/global 136 Industry Europe

METAL EVOLUTION VÍTKOVICE CYLINDERS is a major manufacturer of high-pressure seamless steel cylinders with a unique, more than century-long tradition. Unlike its many global competitors, it has emerged from the difficult years of the last recession stronger than before. Romana Moares reports.

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ÍTKOVICE CYLINDERS is an important member of the VÍTKOVICE MACHINERY Group, which comprises more than 60 production and engineering units with annual aggregate sales of €1 billion and employs about 8500 people around the world. The group will soon celebrate its 200th anniversary and is currently one of the largest engineering groups in Europe as well as the most important Czech engineering group.

Wide range The steel cylinders are produced in three holding companies in the Czech Republic, Poland and Argentina. All three companies work closely together and their production programmes complement each other. With this unique synergy, the VÍTKOVICE MACHINERY Group is able to produce 1.5 million high-pressure seamless steel cylinders each year. The Czech company, VÍTKOVICE CYLINDERS, has been operating under its current name since 2005 but its core business is not new, as steel cylinder production started here as early as 1906.

The Czech company, which today employs about 420 people, manufactures and markets not only steel cylinders but also pressure tanks, high-pressure accumulators and grinding balls. However, the most important aspect of its production profile are the seamless steel cylinders, which represent about 75 per cent of total output. The current product portfolio includes a wide range of high-pressure steel cylinders and pressure vessels produced by using backward extrusion from steel billets or the technology of production from seamless steel tubes. The possible applications for these products are very wide, from small-volume cylinders for breathing apparatus to large pressure vessels used in trailers and containers for virtual pipelines.

In December 2008 a unique production line was introduced to produce steel cylinders by means of the backward extrusion method.

This production technology is intended for steel vessels of such enormous diameters that it hadn’t been used at all until that time.

Innovation – the key to success “Product development is one of the factors which has contributed to our strong position in today’s market. Unlike several of our competitors, who had to close their European plants during the recession, we have grown,” says Ivo Brabec, the company’s sales director.

“Each year we introduce dozens of new product innovations to match customers’ requirements but we also offer our own solutions.

The focus today is on a new generation of the 300-bar cylinders in line with the current trend for small volume, large capacity cylinders with improved safety parameters. This is the direction in which we will develop our portfolio,” he explains.

Mr Brabec adds that other competitive advantages include the ability to offer the highest technical parameters at a reasonable price and the fact that the company currently offers the largest product portfolio in the world, ranging from tiny 0.8-litre cylinders to 6-metre, 550-litre products. “However, it was our innovative approach that saved us in the difficult year, as well as the ability to introduce nextgeneral cylinders,” he stresses.

The cylinders are sold to major players in the technical gas and CNG sectors in global markets, with only a fraction remaining in the Czech Republic. Key markets are the EU countries, but the company also reaps considerable success in the CIS countries and many faraway destinations, such as Australia.

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– which represents a huge benefit for our customers; new developments in the area of hydrogen technologies, where demand for safe, high-pressure cylinders will increase; and development in the automotive sector with increased deliveries of CNG cylinders.”

“And last but not least, we must consider composite cylinders – these will become an important part of our product portfolio in the n future,” he concludes.

Looking to the future After the last two major investments in 2008 and 2011 when new, state-of-the-art production lines were commissioned, increasing total production capacity by 40 per cent, the group is now aiming at maximising efficiency in all three steel cylinder plants. “In the last two years, the volume of orders has grown considerably and hopefully this will remain so,” says the sales director. He goes on to say that the company is expecting to achieve a turnover of 2.5 billion CZK in 2015.

“In the near future we are planning to make another development leap. Basically, we expect significant further growth in three main areas: developing our new product – stainless steel cylinders

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MOULDING THE BUSINESS

OF TOMORROW

Innovation and customisation are the main strengths of Farina Presse Srl, the leading Italian manufacturer of advanced equipment for hot metal forging. Daniele Garavaglia talks to sales manager Claudio Di Stefano about the company’s clear-cut vision of growth in emerging automotive markets.

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takes courage, as well as some consolidated know-how, to launch the production of the largest hot metal forging press ever built in Italy: a super press with a force of 8000 tonnes, 17 metres in height and weighing over 750 tonnes, whose assembly itself called for the erection of a purpose-built industrial warehouse.

“The machine has been running for a few months at one of our Italian customers’ plants, with excellent feedback as regards its operation,” says Claudio Di Stefano. Founded in 1932 by Domenico Farina, it is now managed by the brothers Domenico and Paolo Civardi. “The company’s philosophy has always consisted of moving ahead with confidence and caution, taking into account the fall-out on employ-

ment while always remaining open to innovation. The production of a 8000-tonne press has also shown our trust in and respect for our employees, who are our biggest asset.”

Automating the hot forging process Established as a metal cutting die construction workshop, Farina Presse grew quickly and the first machines were built to test dies.

In the 1970s, production focused on hot forging, something that required more complex equipment and special technology. From then on, the company’s production shifted to hot forging presses, extending its range to all the machines required to complete and Industry Europe 141

automate the hot forging process. Some examples are hot forging lines, automatic die change systems or robots that automatically handle pieces.

“The entire press manufacturing process, right from engineering design up to assembly and final testing, is managed by our staff at our facility in Suello (Lecco). Over time, we have identified and selected a number of suppliers with whom there has been a relationship and trust. They contribute to the quality of our products, even with high precision machining, ensuring reliable, safe and durable components,” says Di Stefano.

An exceptional range Farina Presse’s product range is exceptional for its quality and breadth: it meets any power and design requirement, offering complete lines for 750-tonne hot forging up to the 8000-tonne super press. All its processes comply with quality (ISO 9001), environment (ISO 14001) and workplace safety certifications (BS OHSAS 18001).

However, this is not the result of mass production: “Each machine is tailor-made. Unlike our foreign competitors, we adopt a reverse engineering strategy. Our customers explain what piece they need to produce, the dies they must use and the energy they need: then we design and manufacture the customised machine according to their requirements and specifications.”

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Thanks to this problem-solving approach, Farina Presse has made inroads into foreign markets. It produces complete systems for the suppliers of the major automotive groups (Volkswagen, Daimler-Benz, FCA, etc.) and other sectors such as oil & gas and medical equipment, with very important installations in Europe, China, the United States and Mexico. Exports account for 65–70 per cent of the €20 million turnover.

Continuous investments in innovation How can a small enterprise with around 50 employees compete in the global market with large German, Russian and Japanese giants? According to Claudio Di Stefano, it is down to the company’s “continuous and massive investments in technological innovation, through the analysis of market demand and the development of technical improvements.”

Farina Presse’s latest patents include a balancing cylinder safety device, a slider regulation device, and a new system for press energy recovery during upstroke and braking. “Such innovations are

conceived and developed by our research and development office, in collaboration with university departments for research on materials and processes. We are also responding to a call from the European funding programme Horizon 2020; we have just received the seal of excellence for a project on energy recovery,” he adds.

Focusing on global markets The company’s growth strategy is therefore strongly connected to the evolution of demand and its ability to satisfy it: “Our main market is Europe and all of our sales in non-European countries are spawned by European customers who open production plants in other continents. But we are directly approaching markets such as China, in order to serve a high-level target that works for European customers first hand. We are also trying to establish a more structured presence in Turkey and North America, where the hot forging production level is rather undeveloped and where we could leverage n all our technological know-how.”

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METAL SPECIALIST

The Czech company STEELTEC CZ, a member of the HUSQVARNA Group, is an important metal processor providing first class services from product development and assembly to surface treatment and delivery. It has achieved remarkable success with its garden tools, sold worldwide. Romana Moares spoke to Mr Rostislav Zabystrzan, the company’s managing director, about its development within the international group and its plans for the future.

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he core business of STEELTEC CZ, based in Třinec, is large series engineering metal production from sheet metal pressing through welding, grinding and mass powder coating to final product assembly. In 2007, the company was acquired by HUSQVARNA, a global leading producer of outdoor power products including chainsaws, trimmers, robotic lawn mowers and garden tractors. Husqvarna and Gardena are the group’s core brands but there are also additional regional brands.

STEELTEC CZ has its own tooling shop and aims to provide customers with a comprehensive service covering product development and preparation, mass production and final product assembly, followed

by delivery of packed products. With regard to its position within HUSQVARNA, the majority of the company’s products are exported.

Production capacity is spread across two plants. The first one covers metal processing operations up to welded pieces. These are then forwarded to the second plant for coating and assembly.

“Each year we extend not only the product portfolio and series for the HUSQVARNA Group but also the amount of services offered to external customers, particularly in the area of our key competence, which is a closed production cycle of metal processing from pressing, welding and grinding to large scale powder coating and assembly,” explains Mr Zabystrzan.

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The company is rather unique in terms of its staff – of its 480 employees about 180 are people with varying degrees of disabilities work within the so-called sheltered workshop, located in the coating and assembly plant. “The sheltered workshop has proved to be beneficial for all parties involved and we are proud to support people with limited working capacity in this way, enabling them to be selfsufficient and fully integrated into society. We, in turn, gain valuable workforce and competitive advantage with regard to financial benefit for the customer,” confirms the managing director.

For global brands About 80 per cent of all STEELTEC CZ’s activities are for the Group, to which it supplies the famous garden tool combi systems sold under the HUSQVARNA and GARDENA brands. STEELTEC CZ is the largest producer of handheld spin lawn mowers worldwide for both brands. Other garden tools include various types of lawn mowers, rakes, cultivators, hoes, garden tractor components, pressing tools and metal components. Production for customers outside the Group in the area of large series metal processing is offered mainly to utilise capacities in low seasons, says the managing director.

STEELTEC CZ also makes an in-house developed product – ECOPRESS – a patented hand press for PET bottles and cans. The press is designed to be the simplest and most effective press for plastic bottles used in homes, companies and schools and may be an effective tool in the collection and subsequent recycling of plastic bottles.

Modern technology In the last 2–3 years the company has modernised all of its key technological processes with a view to increasing automation and produc146 Industry Europe

tion effectiveness. In addition to semi-automated welding machines, it has several fully robotised workstations. With the support from EU funds, a new TRUMPF 3030 laser cutter was purchased recently, expanding technological capability to process sheets of up to 20mm of thickness and covering demand for low volume production.

Considerable investment was also made into expanding the sheltered workshop (assembly) and upgrading the coating shop. The modern, fully automated powder coating shop, where pieces of up to 50kg can be treated, now meets the strictest of environmental requirements, using the latest technologies. Surface treatment is provided for steel, aluminium and galvanised sheets, covers, profiles, tubes, frames, welded parts and structures.

future we will be able to reduce the sizes of series according to customers’ requirements. The garden tool sector shows a positive trend and we want to capitalise on this development,” says Mr Zabystrzan.

The company is not just a manufacturer but also an important social partner for the region. STEELTEC CZ has been involved in an educational project to promote waste sorting in companies as a result of which it has been awarded with the ‘Corporate Social Responsibility’ certificate. It is further looking to continue and extend its sheltered workshop to provide tangible support for disadvantaged citizens. n

Responsible company “Our products are first sent to the Group’s wholesale store in Ulm, Germany, from where they are distributed around the world. Our garden tools can be seen literally on all continents,” says the managing director, adding that as global demand for garden tools in increasing, so can the company expect further growth.

Regular staff training and focus on lean manufacturing are to support the continuous improvement of all business processes. Like any manufacturer, STEELTEC CZ must face the challenge that comes with the shortage of technical skills, but this should not hinder further growth. “We will always remain a large series manufacturer but in the

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PIPING HOT Welspun is a global industrial conglomerate that enjoys market leadership positions in virtually all its many business sectors. The company has seen expediential growth in its steel pipe business as well as in its infrastructure division.

The group is headquartered in Mumbai, India and it continues to invest heavily in new technology and company acquisitions worldwide. Welspun is forecast to increase its turnover eight-fold over the next five years. Philip Yorke reports.

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elspun has come a long way from its early beginnings when its main activity was the manufacture of home textiles.

Since then the company has supplied steel pipes for major companies in the oil and gas sectors that include Chevron, Saudi Aramco and Kinder Morgan. In fact such has been the success of its pipeline division that some years ago, the private equity company Apollo Global management invested $500 million to meet Welspun’s immediate funding needs and to help it to implement its ambitious growth plans.

Headquartered in Mumbai, India, the Welspun Group has numerous global operations that span Europe, the Middle East and South America. Today Welspun is active in a diverse range of business activities including textiles, steel, line pipes, infrastructure, oil and gas.

In addition, the company is involved with the majority of the ‘Fortune 100’ companies. The company was founded in 1985 by the entrepreneur and current chairman, B K Goenka, who has brought Welspun from a small retail towel business to a well-recognised global leader.

From strength to strength Following the purchase of the UK-based towelling products company Christy, Welspun moved up a gear to expand further into the manufacture of large welded steel pipes and has since become India’s premier exporter and number two in the world in this sector.

In another bold move, the company entered into the engineering and construction sector by acquiring a majority stake in MSK, a major player in the Indian construction market and this was followed in the same year by the acquisition of Leighton Construction, another major player in the Indian construction market. Leighton is a technology leader in the offshore oil and gas industry with a particular emphasis on complex tunnels and it is the steel pipes business that has proven to be the most successful for Welspun.

In November 2015 Welspun Corp Ltd (WCL), the flagship company of the $3 billion Welspun Group, announced its consolidated financial results for the half year ended 30 September 2015. Growth was a significant 270 per cent year on year with total income of Rs. 25.033 million. Commenting on the results, Mr B.K. Goenka, chairman of the Welspun Group, said, “Despite sluggishness in energy prices and related slowdown in project spending, we continue to find opportunities due to our global scale and reach across major markets. Outlook across the Americas and a few other markets has been positive and has enabled a healthy order book. This coupled with our continued focus on cost-optimisation and strengthening financials makes us ideally poised for the challenges ahead.”

Comprehensive pipe solutions The Welspun Corporation is a one-stop service provider that offers complete pipe solutions with an unrivalled capability to manufacture pipes ranging from half an inch to 140 inches, along with highly

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specialised coatings, double jointing and bending. With a current capacity of more than 2400 million MTPA in Dahej, Anjar and Mandya in India, as well as Little Rock in the USA and Dammam in Saudi Arabia, Welspun takes pride in being the preferred supplier to most of the Fortune 100 oil and gas companies.

With its unique portfolio of products and extensive experience, Welspun has undertaken some of the world’s most challenging marine and land-based projects in different parts of the world. The company is investing heavily in new technology and cutting edge

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manufacturing processes, which are supported by its own state-ofthe-art facilities and global operations. Welspun’s Line Pipe industry caters for the needs of energy and water resource management companies, where its special line-pipes are used to construct crosscountry pipelines for the transportation of oil, gas, petro-products and water in the safest and most environmentally friendly manner, Demand for pipelines remains strong and over the last few years, energy usage patterns have seen a significant shift in favour of natural gas and away from oil. Welspun’s domestic pipe market

remains strong and is dominated by the transmission of water supply projects. Demand for water in the MENA region is being driven by multiple geographical levers that include Iraq and parts of Africa.

In addition, the project work that commenced recently on both gas and water pipeline projects in Saudi Arabia has added significantly to its leadership in pipeline technology

Global, local focus The future for Welspun looks positive and going forward the company plans to continue with its policy of globalisation in order to increase its local presence. This is particularly true concerning the supply of steel pipes for the oil and gas sector. This makes good business sense

when considering that the company’s competition is decreasing as the market itself demands more specialised steel pipe products.

To facilitate this on-going shift in market forces, Welspun is decentralising its management structure to a regional, more local level in all its broad geographical markets. The company is also dedicated to providing the customers with these exclusive projects a total solutions package, which includes complete supply chain solutions.

In turn this means that the final product will be delivered directly to n Welspun’s client’s premises wherever they may be.

For further details of Welspun’s innovative range of products and services visit: www.welspun.com

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FAST FLOWING TECHNOLOGY Part of the $18 billion O.P. Jindal group, Jindal SAW Limited started operations in 1984 and is now the undisputed leader in the pipe industry.

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indal SAW Limited is a leading global manufacturer and supplier of Iron & Steel pipe products, fittings and accessories with manufacturing facilities in India, the USA, Europe and UAE (MENA).

Customers include the world’s leading oil and gas companies, mining companies, engineering companies and authorities dealing in irrigation and water resources engaged in the construction of oil and gas exploration, transportation, power generation, supply of water for drinking and irrigation purposes and other industrial applications.

The products include SAW Pipes (Long Seam & Spiral Seam), Ductile Iron Pipe & Fittings, Seamless Tubes & Pipes, Mining & 152 Industry Europe

Pellets. In addition, the company also offers a wide range of valueadded products & services such as pipe coatings, anode installation, Monel sheathing, bends fabrication and connector casings.

Philip Yorke spoke to the company’s chief operating officer, Mr O.P. Sharma, about its continuing success in the oil and gas sectors and its move into new world markets.

New horizons Jindal SAW has a unique business model well diversified in terms of strategic locations, markets, products, industries and custom-

ers. This business model is built to hedge the organisation against various risks which allows it to operate and perform well in difficult economic and geopolitical circumstances. The domestic and export markets are well balanced.

In keeping with its company’s traditions, Jindal Saw is never content with its latest successes and is constantly striving to improve its services and to seek new horizons. In this respect the company is achieving rapid progress in the urban services sectors with water, waste-water and solid waste management, as well as domestic transportation and logistics solutions.

Sharma said, “We are looking at a fast-changing market that brings with it its own challenges. Where oil and gas has traditionally dominated as the driving force for growth, we now see the growth in demand for water transportation as global warming influences our weather patterns. For example, the rainy season in India has been reduced by a whole month now so water is becoming a scarce resource, not just in India but in many countries throughout the world.

We have the capacity to meet the increasing demand in India where we have an excellent footprint. However, we are also increasing our

presence in the continents such as North America, Latin America, Middle East and Africa, where there are new gas fields in operation as well as an increased need for water transportation.”

He added, “We continue to invest heavily in new technology and production capabilities; in fact we are now producing over two million metric tonnes of high quality iron & steel products every year and we will increase this capacity by up to 30–40 per cent over the next few years. With the acquisition of Spiral Pipe facility in the United States and OMMA (operations, maintenance & management agreement) in India, the capacity of SAW pipes manufacturing has now reached 3.4 million MT per annum, thereby making us the world’s largest manufacturer of SAW Pipes in the world. We will continue to grow organically but although the door is not closed concerning acquisitions, we are not actively looking to acquire companies at the present time.”

He further added: “I am proud to say that we have never lost a customer, and we have robust systems developed for overall excellence and management to support our customers globally. We have supplied about 75,000km of pipes in India alone and have supplied Industry Europe 153

about 25,000km of pipe products to our customers in the Middle East, North America, Latin America, Europe, Africa, CIS, South East Asia and Australia. Despite the fluctuations in the global market place n we are well positioned to meet the challenges of the future.”

For further details of Jindal Saw’s innovative steel products and services visit: www.jindalsaw.com

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HIGH-TECH CORE VALUES Sonoco Alcore is part of Sonoco, a global provider of consumer packaging, industrial products and protective packaging. The Sonoco Group is a global leader in a broad range of packaging businesses from rigid paper, flexibles and plastics to industrial products such as tubes and cores, reels and spools.

It is also one of the world’s largest recyclers. Philip Yorke talked to Florian Heil, Sonoco Alcore’s new segment and key account manager, and Markku Ronnila, the company’s product manager for paper mill cores, about their next generation products and move into new markets.

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onoco is a $5 billion global provider of industrial and consumer packaging that was founded over 115 years ago in Hartsville, South Carolina, USA. The company’s first product was a coneshaped yarn carrier used for winding and transporting yarns. Since most of the textile cones of that day were wooden, paper cones were a novelty and this resulted in the company soon becoming the leading manufacturer of cones in the United States.

Sonoco has grown consistently and today leads the world in its chosen packaging disciplines with 330 operations in 34 countries worldwide that serve customers in almost 100 countries on five continents. Like Sonoco, Sonoco Alcore works in close collaboration with its clients to develop and deliver innovative solutions that enhance and optimise manufacturing businesses’ efficiency and profitability.

Sonoco Alcore delivers tube and core solutions and services to its customers in the paper, film, man-made fibre, yarn, metal and construction industries. The company has a sales and technology group dedicated to these specific markets and has the knowledge and capabilities to identify and solve the most challenging issues facing these industries. Today Sonoco Alcore takes a holistic approach to providing customised solutions to meet its customers’ individual needs.

Next generation technology Sonoco Alcore is the leading provider of cores for all printing and writing grade core applications. Recently this important division appointed a new segment and key account manager for its PMC, EMEA operations. Florian Heil comes from a background in corrugated packaging with experience gained with market leaders. His appointment heralds a new era in the creation of innovative products and enhancement of customer services at Sonoco Alcore.

In response to the evolution of highly advanced printing technologies and the introduction of unprecedented winding speeds and reel widths, Sonoco Alcore has developed a new generation of highperformance paper mill cores for the printing industry. M-Cores are proven to offer superior performance under the most demanding operating conditions due to their world-class straightness, bending stiffness and higher E-modulus values, even when compared with traditional high-grade paper mill cores used in the printing industry.

Sonoco Alcore is also the leading provider of high quality cores for rolled pulp and non-woven materials. The company’s vast range of core sizes and features are designed to meet every application and to reduce overall operating costs.

Ronnila said, “We tailor-make core products for each and every requirement and location and our RFID cores help significantly when it comes to operational savings and logistics. We make cores for wide web applications and in 2011 invested heavily in new, patented technology. We develop packaging paper cores for winding speeds up to 3000 metres a minute and our new technology means that these speeds can be achieved without the risk of vibration.”

Heil added, “We are the clear technology leaders, we sell total solutions and we can offer turnkey solutions for our customers. We are committed to creating innovative products that add value and efficiency to our customers’ manufacturing processes. We have two labs in Finland and one in Germany dedicated to core technologies involving such things as dynamic strength and constant speed. We have plants throughout Europe and have three facilities in Russia.

You will be able to learn more about our operations in Russia and our latest products at the Rosupack, Moscow trade fair from the 14–17 June this year, where we will have a major presence.”

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Leading the field The company’s well-known M-core™HT series of cores lead the field and are designed for high-speed rotogravure and offset printing processes, as well as for all other high performance applications. Sonoco Alcore offers a complete line of additional printing and writing-grade cores customised to meet customer’s specific applications, including sheeter cores for internal and external cut size operations.

In addition to it’s M-Core HT cores, Sonoco Alcore also provides cost-effective, high quality cores for linerboard and bleached board applications. The company offers a wide range of cores with customisation available for unique applications.

Core solutions for Industry In another example of how the company improved its customers’ efficiency and profitability, Sonoco Alcore provided an innovative solution for a leading Tissue paper manufacturer. The customer wanted to know the re-use ratio of the tissue cores within its production process and to reduce its inventory levels. The solution was to implement

sonoco Alcore’s SR-350 Intellicore tissue core, which utilises RFID technology to track core usage throughout the mill. The company installed four RFID reading points within the mill, which included the first stock point, after converting, return to stock point and the end of the production process to allow the company to replenish the stock levels as required. As a result, Sonoco Alcore was able to dramatically reduce the stock levels for its customer, thus freeing up working capital which in turn generated significant cost savings. In addition the SR-350 improved re-use ratio and runability, decreased vibrations and significantly reduced the number of machine stops.

It is also worth noting that Sonoco Alcore is committed to protecting the environment and its cores are 100 per cent recyclable and made of recycled corrugated containers. Furthermore, the Sonoco Group has established metrics to measure progress towards its reduction of energy consumption, greenhouse gasses and other air n emissions, as well as its water usage and wastes.

For further information about Sonoco paper mill cores and customer services visit: www.sonocoalcore.com

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ELECTRONIC INK AND SMART PACKAGING: A PERFECT MATCH Palladio Group and E Ink Introduce PhutureMed™, an Advanced Packaging Solution for Pharmaceutical Products

As the world’s leading developer and producer of electronic paper displays, E Ink Corporation provides the technology for a wide range of consumer and industrial applications, including E-Book Reader (such as Amazon Kindle), smart phone and watches, electronic shelf labels, and information and promotional signs. Elisabeth Skoda spoke to Hui Lee, the company’s Senior Director of Business Development, to find out more about E Ink, the operating principles behind electronic paper, and exciting new applications for the packaging industry.

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Ink is proud to be the market leader in the field of e-paper displays.

Best known for revolutionizing the way people read books, further advances in electronic ink technology allow it to be used on a range of different surfaces, opening up a range of exciting application opportunities for the packaging industry.

A technology with vast potential Ms. Lee explains the working principle that lies behind the varied types of electronic ink displays: “Electronic ink consists of small charged color particles in a transparent fluid on a flexible substrate. The color particles are charged with opposite polarities. When a positive or negative electric field is applied, the corresponding charged particles rise to the top of the compartment, where they become visible to the viewer. The particles remain in place when the electric field removed - so the displays do not need power to maintain the image.”

Electronic ink has several key advantages compared to other display technologies. The displays are reflective, which means they reflect ambient light just like traditional paper versus LCD or LED displays which shine a bright light towards the viewer. Hence, E Ink displays are clearly visible under direct sunlight. E Ink displays are ultra-low power. Electronic ink is bistable, requiring no power to maintain an image. Just like paper, the image will not change until a new image is displayed without requiring any power at all. This opens up electronic ink displays to a wide range of low power applications. Thirdly, E Ink material is flexible making for an interesting value proposition in packaging applications.

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Using YoTa phone as an example, Hui Lee, Sr. Director at E Ink demonstrated how to turn a ordinary space into a smart surface

Ideal for smart packaging According to a recent report from IDTechEx1, the global demand for electronic smart packaging devices will grow rapidly to $1.45 billion by 2023. Electronic smart packaging addresses the need for brands to reconnect with the customer, the IDTechEx report notes. It identifies the main factors driving this rapid growth as aging population, more demanding and wealthier consumers, changing lifestyles, stricter legislation as well as concern over crime and terrorism.

Today more than ever, products that stand out on the shelf, efficiently deliver a brand’s story and engage customer loyalty are of key importance. Brands face stiff competition, so it is important to stay ahead of evolving packaging design standards to quickly match evolving consumer demands and technologies. E Ink is ideally positioned to deliver the goods to make this possible.

E Ink’s display technology can provide an intuitive interface that consumers can easily interact with. Product information and advertising content can be seamlessly integrated into one smart surface that enhances consumer experience and contains person-

IDTechEx.com, Smart Packaging Comes To Market: Brand Enhancement With Electronics 2014-2024 (Raghu Das, Dr Guillaume Chansin)

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E Ink temperature monitoring solution – folding carton designed by YFYJupiter Limited

alized content. This has the potential to become a new advertising medium that can revolutionize how CPG companies advertise to their customers.

Smart packaging is a fast growing market that has the potential to alter the role of packaging in the marketplace. It can facilitate better business by enabling premium pricing, more efficient supply chain management, improved security and brand protection as well as waste reduction. Brand owners are keen to use smart packaging, as long as it can provide a useful function, not just a gimmick, that adds real value to their brand.

“E Ink’s low power, paper-like display technology is well suited for this exciting market which allows packaging to have a higher function and provide a richer experience to consumers,” says Ms. Lee. An exciting application is the ability to change a battery-less E Ink display via a mobile phone. A NFC-enabled phone is able to generate RF signals carrying both the information and the energy necessary to update the display. NFC serves both as a means to change the display content and as a power source, hence avoiding the need for a battery.

The image on the display can be changed using an app and simply holding an NFC enabled phone over the display. This opens up exciting possibilities for packaging manufacturers and brand owners.

The E Ink display module incorporated into the package has built-in temperature sensors and RTC timers. The module records a temperature log of all events the package is exposed to during storage and usage. The unique properties of the E Ink display ensure that relevant information will continue to be displayed even in the event of complete loss of battery power. This provides confidence to the supplier and the patient that the medication has not been compromised.

“Temperature monitoring is key for properly shipping certain products.

We added a temperature sensor which can be programmed with different temperature ranges. If the temperature is ever above or below the range defined, a warning message will be displayed. Previous packs of this kind just had an indicator or a red light, but with the E Ink display it is possible to have more descriptive text or graphic on the display, such as ‘warning’ or ‘void’, making the message very clear and thereby saving the need to educate a partner or distributor on what an indicator light may mean,” Ms. Lee points out.

PhutureMed™ can also be programmed to provide a time log to register when the medication was taken by the patient. This vital information can be recalled, analyzed and shared with doctors or health practitioners. This can remove any uncertainty by the patient about whether they have taken their medication at the required times.

“Often it can be difficult, especially for older patients, to remember if they took their medicine or not, with potentially dangerous consequences, if they miss a dose, or, even worse, take a dose twice. With PhutureMed™, the patient can press a button on the pack whenever he or she takes the medicine, and the pack will show the date and time on which the last medicine was taken,” Ms. Lee adds.

At present, PhutureMed™ is at the prototype stage and is available for engagements with pharmaceutical companies.

It’s all about timing An integrated timer can be used within a pack to record the last opening event and for counting. For example, a timer can be programmed to calculate the expiration date after a specific action. This is a key feature for example in pharma and cosmetics products.

“In the case of a cosmetic bottle the storage lifetime can be three years. But after initial opening, the product will expire in six months.

Making pharmaceuticals interactive In the pharmaceutical industry, traceability, authentication and compliance issues are major topics, with major regulations, such as the US “Drug Supply Chain Security Act” and the EU’s Falsified Medicines Directive to become fully operational in 2017 and 2016, respectively. A more proactive approach is needed, and E Ink is playing an important part in securing adherence to regulations.

In the autumn of 2015, E Ink announced a collaboration with the Palladio Group, a world leading packaging solutions provider for pharmaceuticals. The result of this cooperation was PhutureMed™, an advanced packaging solution which supports a number of features to monitor the quality of medicines shipped to patients and improve medication adherence of patients to prescribed drug therapies. The E Ink display module is integrated within the paperboard carton for secondary packaging.

“PhutureMed™’s integrated E Ink display and sensors constantly monitor ambient conditions and show patients or customers if the medication was handled correctly or if it was kept in too hot or too cold conditions, something that is critical for biopharmaceuticals and medication with active ingredients,” Ms Lee explains.

E Ink smart surface technology brings the physical and digital world together

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E Ink temper evidence design with conductive ink – folding carton designed by YFYJupiter Limited

E Ink display used for shipping label

E Ink headquarter office, Hsinchu Taiwan

The manufacturer cannot predict when the customer opens their product so the manufacturer cannot provide adequate help or guidance.

Plus, in most cases, the customer doesn’t remember when the bottle was opened, so the timer tracking feature adds considerable value. ” Ms. Lee explains.

The timer can also be programmed to provide a personal message every 24 hours. The message can be used for promotional purposes in a retail environment, where customers see different messages displayed on the same product at different times of day.

create customizable wallpaper and flooring to make ordinary space more interesting, or in travel, with electronic luggage tags. When we started, our focus was on consumer electronics, but as Dr. Frank Ko, Chairman & CEO of E Ink highlighted in the company meeting, we see E Ink on every smart surface, offering an unique and interactive experience. We are working together with eco system partners to make E Ink technology more efficient and adaptable and more easy to use,” n she concludes.

Working with conductive ink Ms. Lee also demonstrates a concept design of a carton that uses conductive ink as an activation trigger inside the box. This is the result of a collaboration with the global packaging company YFY Jupiter.

“Instead of pressing a button, we can use conductive ink as trigger.

Conductive ink is printed at two different places on the inside of the box. When the box is closed, the two conductive ink materials connect, and when the pack is opened, the disconnection of the conductive ink material sends a signal to the MCU. The signal can be programmed as tamper evidence for anti-counterfeiting designs. The E Ink display will display a warning on the pack, showing clearly that it has been opened.

This sample is open for a range of different designs,” she explains.

The sky is the limit As the leading electronic paper supplier in the world, E Ink puts a lot of effort in R&D, and Ms. Lee sees endless possibilities.

“We see great potential for the technology, and the possibilities are endless, whether it is in smart packaging, or in architecture, to 160 Industry Europe

Visit: www.eink.com or for business inquiry, please contact Hui Lee at hlee@eink.com

About the company E Ink Corporation was founded in 1997. As the world’s leading innovator of digital signage and electronic paper display technology (EPD), it delivers its advanced display products to the world’s most influential brands and manufactures such as Amazon.com, Barnes & Noble, Casio, Citizen, Kobo, Motorola, Samsung and Sony, enabling them to install extremely durable, low power displays in previously impossible or unimaginable applications and environments. Under the name of E Ink Holdings, the company is now a subsidiary of YFY Group, a major Taiwanese corporation.

TURBOCHARGED GROWTH BorgWarner’s production complex in Oroszlány, Hungary is one of the BorgWarner Group’s foremost producers of turbo systems, also producing emission systems and torqtransfer (TTS) systems. Industry Europe looks at recent developments, including the opening of its new production facilities, latest products and continued focus on sustainability.

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-based BorgWarner Group is a global leader in highly engineered components and systems for powertrains with manufacturing and technical facilities in 58 locations in 19 countries throughout the world. The group’s stated mission is to deliver innovative powertrain solutions that improve fuel economy, emissions and performance, and ultimately help us all to live in a cleaner and more energy-efficient world.

The group has been present in Hungary since 2001 when its turbocharger factory was established. Initially it focused solely on the assembly of turbochargers to serve the Audi factory in Hungary, but it soon began to manufacture the products themselves as well. From the very beginning the company has seen strong growth, doubling its turnover year-on-year.

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BorgWarner’s turnover growth for its Hungarian operations has been accompanied by regular capacity expansion, with enlargement of its facilities taking place in 2003, 2004 and again in 2007.

A further investment of €26 million in 2013 has meant that the turbo plant is today the second largest of BorgWarner’s global turbocharging technology manufacturing facilities.

Continuous investment Today BorgWarner already has three constantly growing business units on its Oroszlány site. These are BorgWarner Turbo Systems, BorgWarner Emissions Systems and BorgWarner TTS. The first two are owned by the same legal entity, BorgWarner Oroszlány Kft, while BorgWarner TTS is a separate legal entity. Together, the Oroszlány complex employs more than 1400 people and covers an area of 35,000m2.

BorgWarner Turbo Systems’ Oroszlány production profile includes BV turbochargers with variable turbine geometry, turbochargers with waste gate for diesel and gasoline as well, and turbochargers with twin scroll. The products from this business unit are used by personal car, light/medium/heavy truck and commercial vehicle manufacturers (although the Oroszlány plant itself mostly serves the PC market). It serves many globally renowned European automotive companies.

In July last year (2015) the new BorgWarner TTS production site was officially opened. The background of this business unit goes back

to when BorgWarner acquired the Hungarian company Haldex’s AWD (All-Wheel Drive) division in 2010. This operation has now been moved in its entirety to the new plant in the Oroszlány complex. It produces hydraulic pumps for ‘preemptive’ AWD systems, complete transfer case units for Jaguar Land Rover and related spare parts for OEMS. This facility is one of the most modern of its kind today with a much larger floor space (covering 3300m2) than ever before in its history. It employs more than 150 people.

October 2015 saw the culmination of yet another major investment when the BorgWarner Emissions Systems plant (covering an area of 25,000m2) was opened at the Oroszlány complex. The opening ceremony for this facility was attended by a mixture of government officials, customers and BorgWarner representatives.

The building of this plant was partially achieved through government subsidies, a part of which was used to further increase the Turbo Systems plant capacity.

BorgWarner Emission Systems manufactures advanced products including exhaust gas recirculation (EGR) tubes, valves and coolers as well as thermostats – all key technologies for modern engines aimed at reducing emissions. In addition to this comprehensive range of products, the facility is also highly energy efficient: it uses waste heat from air compressors, recycles rainwater for lawn irrigation and benefits from reduced energy consumption owing to its use of LED lighting and solar power.

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Latest coupling solution One of the most significant new additions to BorgWarner’s range has been the latest Gen V coupling, which enables car manufacturers to build efficient, accurate and highly controllable AWD vehicles.

The Gen V is an electric-hydraulic system that uses a patented Centrifugal Electro Hydraulic actuator system and a wet clutch pack to provide the very fast and accurate torque on demand AWD solution.

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Essentra Components With over 50 years expertise in general protection, Essentra has become a major supplier of components to the specialist vehicle, automotive and other industries.

As an innovative designer and manufacturer, Essentra specialises in caps and plugs, masking products, hydraulic protection, cable management, and many more.

Essentra plc is a FTSE 250 company and a leading global provider of essential components and solutions. Through its strategic business units, Essentra focuses on the light manufacture and distribution of high volume, essential components which serve customers in a wide variety of end-markets and geographies, providing a global presence with local support.

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TTS opening: Dr Petra Pana, Vice State Secretary for Foreign Trade; Judit Czunyiné dr Bertalan, Educational State Secretary; Stefan Demmerle, President and GM, BorgWarner TTS; Zoltán Lazók, Mayor of Oroszlány.

Gen V technology can be used for a large number of applications, including: advanced axle technology such as FXD for front wheel driven cars to transfer the torque between right and left on the same axle; and different AWD applications such as torque transfer from front to rear axle when mounted in the rear axle, or split torque between front and rear axles. The system can be used in many different kinds of vehicles, providing the optimal solution for passenger cars, sports cars as well as fully equipped off-road vehicles.

technologies being produced in the Turbo business unit allow for constant growth, as two-thirds of the output coming from BorgWarner’s factories is still made up of its globally renowned turbo systems. n

Growth prospects A spokesperson for BorgWarner informs us that all three of its Hungarian business units offer excellent opportunities for development moving forward. Emissions and TTS are particularly exciting because these are being built up almost from zero and are already seeing rapid expansion (with up to 400 new employees expected on-board in the near future). Furthermore, the advanced and innovative turbocharging

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POWER YOUR FUTURE! Leading Turkish power generator manufacturer Aksa Power Generation is well known for creating high quality, environmentally-friendly generators with low noise levels and lower fuel consumption.

Emma-Jane Batey spoke to marketing manager Ergun Yilmaz to find out more.

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ounded in Turkey in 1968, Aksa Power Generation is today listed 175th on the Turkey Fortune 500. Initially manufacturing electric motors for the automotive industry, Aksa Power Generation produced its first generator in 1984 and, soon after, began specialising in machines for the supply of electrical power.

Incorporated in 1994 under the Kazanci Holding umbrella, Aksa has been the domestic market leader in power generation for nearly 20 years and is among Turkey’s largest industrial companies and exporters. Marketing manager Ergun Yilmaz spoke to Industry Europe to explain how the company has grown and developed. Mr Yilmaz said, “Aksa Power Generation is one of the leading brands in our field and our capacity for rapidly responding to the needs of our global customers, together with our extensive range of gasoline, diesel and natural-gas powered generators, is what has helped us gain this position over 20 years. We totally understand our customers’ priorities and, thanks to our huge global network of sales and support services, we can promise our customers that we’ll always be there for them.”

operations in the time to come. We are continually evaluating investment opportunities. At Aksa, we always aim to keep pace with change in the most rapid and extensive manner as this is what enables us to assert our difference and to help to take Turkey into a position of technology leadership in the generator industry.”

Investment, coupled with a respect for innovation and development, is certainly yielding results for Aksa Power Generation. In 2015 the company was awarded with Doosan Engine’s ‘best customer’ award, Ergün Yılmaz Aksa Power Generation marketing manager

Technology leader Aksa Power Generation’s state-of-the-art manufacturing facilities cover a 20,000m2 closed area in Istanbul, a 100,000m2 closed site in Changzhou, China and a further facility in Lousiana, USA. Furthermore, another facility in China is planned for the near future as Mr Yilmaz explained, “We have started on the construction of a new auxiliary manufacturing site in Changzhou which will add a further 40,000m2 to our capabilities there. This has been a major investment for us and we will certainly maintain this programme with further investments in our Industry Europe 171

it received first prize in the New Market-Market Diversity ‘export stars’ and has also gained the ‘export stars’ award from the Istanbul Minerals and Metals Exporters Association. Mr Yilmaz continued, “We are very proud to have won these awards, especially as we take great care in the customer service we offer to all our global customers.

Aksa Service provides our customers with the best after sales service thanks to our 85 service points across Turkey and our 300 dedicated

technical service employees. We’ve also got an extensive spare parts stock and a 24/7 continuous after sales service. Furthermore, we offer our service in all of the countries to which we export our generators and we have regional directorates in all the continents of the world, as well as regional service points in all territories.”

Around the world That’s pretty impressive given that Aksa Power Generation exports more than 50 per cent of its products to over 160 countries worldwide, supported by its 12 global offices and 75 sales points. Mr

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Yilmaz added, “We have our own offices in the UAE, Algeria, China, the UK, Iraq, the US, Kazakhstan, Russia, Singapore, Ghana, South Africa and Vietnam, as well as maintaining our activities in more than 100 other countries with our network of distributors. Aksa Power Generation also provides rental activities, which is Turkey’s largest fleet of rental generators and rental mobile generators. There is also our AGRP (Aksa Global Rental Power) division, which offers an IPP concept in mobile power plant platform with capacities ranging from 1MW to 150MW. AGRP provides fast-track solutions to urgent needs for short- to medium-term power needs in any region of the world.”

Such a respected global power partner is bound to work with some of the world’s biggest names, with Aksa proudly partnering with John Deere, Mitsubishi, Volvo, Doosan, GM, Perkins, Mecc Alte and Stamford. Mr Yilmaz noted, “Many of our customers are among the leading manufacturers in their field. We are proud to work with such respected partners over more than 20 years.”

This positive attitude, coupled with an extensive high quality product portfolio of power generators, is what will ensure that Aksa’s success continues. Mr Yilmaz concluded, “Our target is to maintain the strikingly strong acceleration that the Aksa Power Generation brand has shown in recent years. We aim to increase our export figures to $1billion by 2023 and to become one of the top three manufacturers n in our global market.”

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ENERGY FOR THE FUTURE The leading Czech turbine and boiler manufacturer EKOL, which has become one of the major players in its sector on a global scale, has recently been acquired by a new owner. Romana Moares spoke to the company founder and managing director, Mr Stanislav Vesely, about what made him sell his company and what this milestone means in terms of its further development.

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rno-based EKOL’s core business is the delivery of complete energy generation units of up to 100 MW (including design, production, erection and commissioning), making it one of the leading European producers in its sector. Since its establishment in the early 1990s by the current managing director Mr Vesely, EKOL has won customers for steam and gas turbines in many countries in Europe and further afield. Export represents approximately 90 per cent of production and until today the company has delivered and commissioned over 250 environmentallyfriendly modern combustion chambers for various types of gas turbines.

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The name EKOL is derived from the word ‘ecology’. From the very beginning, the company focused on producing designs to reduce emissions of harmful substances in burning fossil fuels in gas turbine combustion chambers and this has remained the focal point up to the present day. “Environmental upgrades of gas turbines have been our contribution to the worldwide movement for environmental improvement. With our scientific and research staff, experience and the latest technology, we can offer our lowemission solution for any gas turbine,” says Mr Vesely.

Turning point While the company has been going from strength to strength, Mr Vesely, who has been in charge of EKOL for 25 years, felt that the time had come for a strategic change. “We have been thinking of a strategic partner for some time, to enable further expansion and to progress to the next level on global markets. By that I mean deliveries of sophisticated capital equipment to major players in the power sector,” he says.

The vision was to choose a strong company in a similar business. In the end, the management opted for Chinese engineering company Xi’an Shaangu Power, which bought a 75 per cent stake with an option for the remaining share for the three to six years following the acquisition.

ShaanGu, a member of the Shaanxi Blower Group, is the largest Chinese producer of industrial compressors and one of the largest

Chinese companies focused on deliveries to the power engineering, metallurgical and petrochemical industries. Furthermore, according to its management, it wishes to become one of the leading world producers and suppliers in the field of turbines and boilers.

“After long and hard consideration, we have come to believe that the partnership would result in numerous synergies beneficial for both companies – they wish to establish a presence in Europe, we want to expand into South East Asia,” explains Mr Vesely. EKOL will also help the new Chinese owner to raise the technical standard of its own turbines, using the Czech company’s extensive know-how and experience. For this purpose a research and development centre in Brno is being established to secure both companies’ turbines unification with a view to reducing production costs, shortening delivery times and further improving market response.

Eastern promise Was it not difficult to sell the successful company to which Mr Vesely had dedicated a significant part of his life? “Of course the decision was not easy, but the fact was there was no one in my family, nor in the families of the other two Czech co-owners, who would take over. A strategic partnership was the only feasible way forward. By this we hope to secure further company development, particularly the transition from unit production to deliveries of whole power plants or heat & power plants, and expansion and a firm footing in markets outside Europe,” he reflects.

“Shaangu is able to finance large projects. It will be possible to reduce

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production cost as a result of the acquisition and thus to compete with other companies on the Asian market.”

For the time being, EKOL should supply Shaangu with steam turbines for driving compressors as well as for driving complete technological units that are supplied to the Asian market by the Chinese company.

The deal is the first case in which a Chinese publicly tradable company has acquired a Czech company. As mentioned earlier, both companies want to jointly establish a research & development centre for the development of compressors, steam turbines, gas turbines, boilers and power engineering equipment. They will cooperate with the Technical University of Brno and other technical universities in the Czech Republic and abroad.

New future EKOL’s product and service portfolio remains, so far, unchanged and the acquisition has shown its first tangible benefits: the Chinese have already ordered three turbines from EKOL, which, in

times of falling prices and reduced investment in the energy sector, hints at a promising future.

However, as a result of the stagnation in the conventional power sector, EKOL has been considering expansion into other sectors where its technologies find good use, primarily waste management. The wisdom of such a move has been evidenced by two major contracts for waste incineration plants in the Czech Republic and Poland. “Waste management is a business of the future with huge potential. Demand for incinerating stations will undoubtedly increase and we certainly want to capitalise on this development,” says Mr Vesely.

“Our main goal is to establish a position among the world’s leading manufacturers and impress the name of our company on the subconscious of the world and on industry professionals. EKOL should be a synonym for turbines for technical college students anywhere in the world,” he claims.

Given the continuous growth of his company over the past 20 years and his recent success with the Chinese, his aspirations may n not be far from the truth.

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TIME TO SWITCH Leading European provider of advanced drive train technology The Switch is now enjoying an increasingly strong global position thanks to a strategic partnership with Japanese company Yaskawa and an ever-more innovative product portfolio. Emma-Jane Batey spoke to CEO Jukka-Pekka Makinen to learn more.

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elsinki-based innovative energy company The Switch is a specialist in advanced drive train technology with a focus on developing, manufacturing and installing megawatt-class permanent magnet machines and power converter packages for wind, marine and special industrial solutions. Established in 2006, The Switch today employs nearly 200 people and posted net sales of €37.1 million in 2014.

In 2014, The Switch became part of the Japanese Yaskawa Electric Corporation, a world-leading provider of core technologies based on motion control, robotics automation and systems engineering. This strategic acquisition has already positively contributed to The Switch’s predicted growth, particularly in Asia.

CEO Jukka-Pekka Makinen: “This acquisition has worked out very well for us as our two core business areas synergise per-

fectly. Yaskawa is especially strong with robots and small drives and of course we are well known for our large drives; it’s a terrific marriage that gives us the full support we need to proceed and execute our business strategy for worldwide growth. A major part of our development strategy is to offer a more comprehensive product portfolio and to expand in South East Asia. Our acquisition by Yaskawa delivers on both these aims.”

Indeed, Yaskawa acquired The Switch to support both companies’ strategy development objectives and to strengthen their international presence, with The Switch playing a key role in Yaskawa’s System Engineering Division and serving as a catalyst for long-term growth. Mr Makinen continued, “As a strong Finnish company, we’ve been able to align ourselves with the strengths of Yaskawa as a Japanese company; they’re especially strong on issues such as

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quality management, qualifications and process reviews for example.

It’s already proving to offer a great strengthening of our foundations, whilst also giving us the global support to boost our products and our solutions.”

A global family Founded in 1915, Yaskawa employs over 15,000 people worldwide and reported net sales of €3.2 billion in 2014. Famous for its motor applications, advancement of industrial automation, the creation of mechatronics and cutting-edge robotics, the company is serving as ‘a gateway to Japan’ for The Switch. Mr Makinen said, “Our plans for growth are primarily focused on our domestic Finnish market and across South East Asia. Customers have long been able to buy our generators in Europe and Asia but, with the new opportunities presented by joining Yaskawa, we expect to see an even greater presence and high volume production.

We’ve already got full orders for drives, in the tens of millions, so we are in a good position going forward.”

With this potential for global expansion as part of the Yaskawa family, The Switch expects its performance in 2016 and beyond to exceed its previous achievements. The company plans to keep investing in both its facilities and its R&D capabilities, with the vast majority of its products representing long-term opportunities for its customers. Mr Makinen added, “Many of our customers are focused on wind power development and generation, and our products support their on-going aims to maximise the potential of advanced drive 180 Industry Europe

trains in ever growing powers in wind turbines. We are continually working on new models. At the moment, we are producing serial deliveries of components for 8 MW turbines.”

New generation Mr Makinen also explained how in the marine sector, the shaft generator application represents a strong opportunity for growth.

He said, “We’re skilled in making the most of the natural energy available, so, for example, with large ships that have big twostroke engines we can mount a generator which is equipped with our frequency converters on the main shaft. This can then lower the speed of the main engine while still feeding the required 50 Hz into the ship’s network. All of this saves emissions, saves fuel and, because the engine is turning at a lower speed, cheaper fuel can be used too.”

This latest innovation, which has been previously applied via a gearbox but never as a direct shaft generator, shows that The Switch continues to lead the way in the renewables, marine and industrial power generation markets. Mr Makinen concluded, “We’ve taken what we’ve learned in optimising drive trains in the wind turbine market and developed new high-speed motors, for example, that can be utilised in another industry sector to drive pumps and compressors without gearboxes. It’s an exciting time for The Switch and we’re more than ready to exploit the excellent opportunities n we’ve got as part of Yaskawa.”

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ELECTRIC MACHINES,

DRIVES AND COMPONENTS With 100 years of experience in the production of electrical equipment, TES VSETÍN aspires to be the global partner of choice for purpose-built rotating electrical machines, drives and components.

Piotr Sadowski writes for Industry Europe.

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Lukáš Konečný, Global Business Development director

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ES VSETÍN s.r.o. of the Czech Republic is a renowned European player in the field of power engineering, with expertise in design and in-house skills in the production of motors, generators, drives and subcontracting services. The company offers both serial and unit production solutions, to suit the individual needs of every customer.

“In the past five years we have experienced a major change in the ownership of the business, as it was acquired by a renowned private equity fund,” says Lukáš Konečný, Global Business Development director. “This has influenced the company’s strategy for the future and brought in a series of important investments. The biggest upgrade in our production offer has been the introduction of electric motors and generators over 5MW and assembly machines of 5–30MW. In addition, investments have been focusing not only on hardware, but also on design skills in the division, and the know-how of our engineers.”

typically no more than three machines are produced per series, and the design customisation – for hydro-power plants or other specific projects, for example – is crucial, with the machines being characterised by a high number of hours of engineering per machine.

TEC has the advantage of ensuring lower-cost for customers based on production efficiency per component, with the main customers located in surrounding countries (thus further reducing supply costs), mainly Germany, as well as Austria and France.

“Know-how is also of vital importance and something that the new owners have been investing in,” explains Mr Konečný. “Across TEM and TED we have 66 R&D and application engineers, constituting nearly 10 per cent of the workforce. This allows us to provide a high level of design customisation according to specific needs of customer application. We operate in a lean manner and develop solutions in a cheaper way, as the cost of engineering and R&D is lower.”

Three key divisions

New products

The company employs a stable workforce of 700 staff and grows by revenue through increasing the value per machine produced. Within TES there are three divisions: TES Electric Machines (TEM), TES Electric Components (TEC) and TES Electric Drives (TED). These generate roughly 35–40 per cent, 40–50 per cent and the rest, respectively, of the overall revenues. TEM focuses on the production of generators, motors, PMGs and test field equipment designed in-house. TEC manufactures subcomponents for other producers of rotating machinery, such as laminations, frames and endshields, shafts and other related parts, coils, wound stacks, and stator and rotor stacks, for customers who are the the biggest world producers of electric motors, generators as well as complete wind power plants. TED in turn focuses on a range of industries, from automotive to supplying the biggest European producer of electric switchboards. Products offered by TED include industrial automation and drives, test stands, special purpose machines and switchboards.

As Mr Konečný explains, what is really important is that there exists a clear synergy between the three divisions, with production and engineering also set up for small series production. Within TEM,

With increasing global investments in renewable energy sources, decentralisations of power production and the introduction of smartgrids for energy generation (so plants can be smaller and thus fall into the lower ranges of wattage offered in TES products), TES is in an excellent position to offer its customers cutting-edge and tailored products. For example, within TEM, generators for hydro-power plants, marine and other industries, including steam power, ranging from 300 to 30,000 kW, can be synchronous or asynchronous or with permanent magnets. Not many other competitors are able to offer such a Watt range. Wind-power plants can also be supplied with PMGs, with Watt range from 500 to 4000 kW. Furthermore, asynchronous motors are supplied to heavy duty industry branches, mining, steel production and other areas, ideal for the environments in which they are used as they have robust, firm frames and can withstand vibrations and dust pollution.

“Alongside TEM, TEC also offers a major element of stability for the company, as does TEM, where we are diversifying across the energy market, including into marine and steam power branches,” adds Mr Konečný. “Our products are also an answer to another Industry Europe 183

important trend, which is the search for low-speed machines with increased reliability of drives, where the use of gearboxes is avoided – for areas such as ski lift construction or the cement industry.”

Operating across Europe and beyond TES supplies its solutions to a wide range of customers, from producers of electric motors in the MW range to energy companies or facilities selling electric energy, power plants, hydro, steam power and geothermal energy producers. Manufacturing is centralised in Vsetin in the Czech Republic, with engineering offices in Brno and Prague, which means being close to very good technical expertise, including universities, institutes and test facilities.

“Our exports make up more than 80 per cent of the overall production with 70 per cent going to Europe, mostly western Europe, and the rest going mainly to North America, South America and Asia,” says Mr Konečný. “We are also actively engaged in wider geographical diversification, with sales offices in Peru, South Africa, Spain and a new office in the Philippines – the idea being to take advantage of the large potential of these markets and increase the sales of our machines there.”

Outlook for the future TES invests in completely new products, such as low speed permanent magnet machines for direct drive applications in energy production, ropeway applications, wave power plants and the marine sector. The common factor to invest into such new products is the general interest of customers in avoiding drives using gearboxes and increasing energy conversion efficiency. Other investments into equipment for production of high voltage coils or capability of own testing equipment are also an important part of the growth plan. The company is confident in the high 184 Industry Europe

quality of its existing products and solutions, thus the focus will primarily be on reinforcing its sales in the current and new markets, but also in those industries which offer important new opportunities. This includes renewable energy industrial branches, steam power generation, and other areas, including the marine industry.

As has already been mentioned in the introduction to the article, TES and its owners know that people are one of the most important elements for current and future success. It has motivation systems and KPIs beyond the job description in place, for all levels the company organisational structure. “We have a win-win philosophy for our people, as well as suppliers and customers, to ensure that all stakeholders benefit from our growth and success,” concludes Mr Konečný. n

OPTIMISING AIR-CORE REACTORS The Trench Group is a global leader in the design and manufacture of high-voltage components including instrument transformers, bushings and coil products. The company continues to see strong growth and has been responsible for some of the world’s largest power installations. Philip Yorke reports.

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he Trench Group was founded in 1954 by an Austrian electrical engineer called Alois Esslinger and the company was named after him until 1990, when it merged with Trench Electric of Canada.

From the outset the focus of the company was on the development and production of reactors for electrical power systems. In the 1950s the company helped to pioneer the revolutionary use of glass fibre reinforced plastic as part of the insulation of reactors. Today the Trench Group is a member of the Siemens family and consists of 12 plants and sales offices in eight countries with more than 3000 employees worldwide.

World’s largest air-core reactors Recently Trench completed an order for the world’s largest high-voltage current-limiting reactors, which are also the biggest AC dry-type air-core reactors of their kind anywhere on the planet. The 500kV grid in the north-east area of Shanghai had encountered serious problems with the available short-circuit current. Trench provided the optimal solution for the State Grid Shanghai Municipal Electric Power Company and is now reflecting on six months of satisfactory operation.

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An important node in the grid is the company’s Yanghang substation. It is the key 500kV station in the area with more than 500kV outgoing feeders, among which are two feeders connected to the huge Waigaoqiao fossil power plant in the north-east of Shanghai. Trench came up with the perfect solution, which was to deliver and install six phases of 500kV current-limiting reactors and related 500kV coupling capacitors for the substation.

Gu Enjie, head of domestic marketing for Trench China said, “This success is a success for the entire Trench project team. With several rounds of internal evaluation by customers and investigating electrical engineers concerning the manufacturing and site layout feasibility, the customer was convinced of our technical expertise and accepted our recommendations on the site configuration and its independent coupling capacitors.”

With this project once again Trench was able to demonstrate its technical leadership resulting from more than 60 years of experience, exceptional R&D and a clear commitment to meet the increasing challenges within today’s power industry.

Superior reinforced windings A Trench air-core dry-type reactor consists of a number of parallelconnected and individually insulated aluminium conductors. These can be small wire or proprietary cables which are custom designed and custom manufactured. These windings are mechanically reinforced with epoxy resin-impregnated fibreglass, which after a carefully defined oven-cure cycle produces a superior encapsulated coil.

Exceptionally high levels of terminal pull, tensile strength, wind loading and seismic withstand can be accommodated with this type of Trench reactor. This unique design can be installed in all types of climates and environments and will still offer premium performance.

Trench air-core dry-type reactors are installed in numerous polluted and corrosive areas of the world and continue to supply trouble-free operation. In addition to the standard fixed reactance type of coil, units can be supplied with taps for various inductance.

In addition, Trench utilises various other designs for reactors including iron-core and water cooled examples.

and distribution network has enabled Trench to serve some of the world’s leading ERPC companies. These include Siemens, ABB and GE Grid solutions, as well as well as countless utility companies throughout Europe and the rest of the world.

Over the coming months and years Trench will continue to seek to provide market-leading solutions and products of the highest quality to its clients across the globe. The company’s global network of manufacturing plants will enable Trench to ensure that it is present wherever customer needs or new market opportunities arise.

Within Europe for example the move to renewable energy is increasingly proving a unique opportunity within the power transmission sector. Within Germany for example, the implementation of the ‘Energiewende’ represents a vital change in focus that will spur the development of new, innovative technologies and infrastructure. As a market leader in power transmission solutions, Trench is well placed to play a major role in Europe’s energy transmission and that of other n regions of the world.

Proven power Throughout its entire history, the company’s deep commitment to the power industry along with its extensive investments in engineering, manufacturing and test capabilities, has allowed Trench to provide its clients with peace of mind through the exceptionally high quality and reliability of its products.

The components supplied by Trench are individually designed to reflect the needs of their intended applications and are further supported by a dedicated team of engineers that are ‘hands-on’ to provide the best in customer service and advice. The company also differentiates itself as a dedicated solutions provider through its highly developed research and development programme. This constantly addresses new technologies and their potential applications in high-tech reactor products.

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AN ENERGY EFFICIENT FUTURE Valmex SpA is building a production plant to manufacture a new line of stainless steel heat exchangers for condensing boilers, writes Barbara Rossi. Industry Europe talks to the company’s management control director, Francesca Capodagli.

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he Valmex roots go back to 1969, when MVM was established

by Severino Capodagli in Lucrezia di Cartoceto, in Fano area of eastern central Italy. In 1999 Valmex SpA was set up as a manufacturer of heat exchangers for wall-mounted boilers and in 2013 the MVM cold pressing activities were incorporated in the Valmex group.

A very recent and important development has been the strategic alliance with Orkli, which has acquired 40 per cent of Valmex’s shares, previously equally split between the Capodagli family and a Swedish industrialist. At the same time, the Capodagli family has increased its percentage of Valmex shares to 60 per cent, having purchased an additional 10 per cent from its previous partner, who decided to sell to Orkli and the Capodagli family for personal reasons. Based in the Basque Country, Orkli is part of Mondragon, the largest industrial cooperative group in the world. The synergy of the two groups – Valmex and Orkli – will aid the development of innovative solutions, favouring the acquisition of new markets and clients.

Today Valmex has 230 employees and a €60 million turnover, and sells its products in five continents. All company plants are based in Lucrezia di Cartoceto. The main Valmex facilities can also be found here, manufacturing heat exchangers, while the MVM cold pressing plant is just across the road. The company is currently building a new 10.000m2 production site just behind its main facilities, where it will be producing a new range of stainless steel heat exchangers for high efficiency condensing boilers.

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Francesca Capodagli explains, “The Valmex business unit is specialised in heat exchangers for wall-mounted boilers. Originally, we manufactured these products using copper and then developed a range of aluminium models, still for traditional boilers. While we still manufacture both of these product lines, in recent years we have started manufacturing aluminium heat exchangers – called ‘heat recovery exchanger’ – in response to market demand for increasingly energy efficient products. These products are able to recuperate some of the heat traditionally lost during the heat exchange process. As we believe that energy efficient condensing boilers will gain an increasing hold on the market, first of all in Western countries and then in the rest of the world, we will be manufacturing stainless steel heat- exchangers for condensing boilers in our new plant.”

Condensing boilers in Europe and beyond “In Europe all new boilers have to be of the condensing type, owing to new legislation that came into force recently (i.e. Energy Related Products Directive 2009/125/CE). Our new range of stainless steel heat exchangers for condensing boilers will accompany our existing line of aluminium heat exchangers for high energy-efficiency boilers.

We will also continue our production of heat exchangers for traditional boilers, because they are still in demand in non-EU markets.”

Obviously, the construction of the new plant and the development of new products have required major investments. The plant will

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be equipped with automated production lines and investments will also be focused on increasing the production capacity of aluminium heat exchangers for condensing boilers. The company expects an increase in production volumes thanks to growing demand for high energy-efficiency condensing boilers.

As previously discussed, since 2013 the MVM cold pressing activities have been incorporated into Valmex, in a dedicated business unit.

The company can offer mechanical and hydraulic presses up to 1250 tonnes. This business unit manufactures components used in Valmex’s production, which is therefore based on a vertical model but also supplies cold-pressed parts to external clients. One of the segments served is the white goods sector, thanks to the fact that Valmex is able to fulfil its high quality and aesthetical standards. The other segments served are large boiler manufacturers and the automotive industry. In addition to this, the company manufactures aluminium micro-channel units for the refrigeration and air-conditioning sector.

The export volume is very significant, as 80 per cent of production is supplied to foreign markets. “Most of our heat exchanger customers are based in Europe, but as their production often takes place in other regions throughout the world, our products can really be found everywhere. For heat exchangers, I would say that 80 per cent of exports are to Europe, with the remainder going to the rest of the world. With regard to aluminium micro-channel units, the split between Italy and export markets is even. This is a very fragmented market and, in terms of exports, we serve both EU and non-EU countries. As far as cold pressing components are concerned, 70 per cent of production is for the domestic market, with the remainder going to EU countries.”

While current volumes are expected to remain stable for aluminium micro-channel units and cold-forming parts, a volume increase is forecast for heat exchangers used in high energy-efficiency wall-mounted

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boilers. “Our strategy is to develop our high energy-efficiency range for both the EU and non-EU market, as I believe that in the years to come even the latter will have to implement the use of high energy-efficiency boilers. I remember that ten years ago environmental awareness in Italy was not so well developed and definitely not on a par with that of its northern European counterparts. However, things have changed and I expect the same to happen in other regions of the world. I have to say that the wall-mounted boiler market is very specific: for example, the use of this type of boiler is not widespread in the US. For us, potential markets could be China and Korea, but these are not strategic targets.

We will try to develop in these markets after 2019. Our strategic focus for the next few years will be an increase in volumes of products for high energy-efficient condensing boilers.”

Future focus Acquisitions are not part of the Valmex strategy, but cannot be ruled out. Volume growth will be accompanied by organisational growth (in terms of factory, office and staff levels). “In compliance with the Italian Act 231/2001, which states that a company is criminally liable for any breaches committed by its employees, we are developing an organic organisational model including an ethical code, internal regulations and a sanction system. For us this is a natural step, as we already had an ethical code and held several certifications, including UNI EN ISO 9001 and 14001, as well as BS OHSAS 18001.”

“The added value that we offer is the result of the work of our R&D department, which collaborates closely with our clients in order to supply heat exchangers tailored to their needs. Although not all of our products are customised, we offer this option. Our R&D is mainly staffed by young engineers, resulting in a high level of enthusiasm and n will to innovate.”

SYNERGY OF TRADITION

AND INNOVATION Minerva Boskovice a.s., a traditional producer of sewing machines, achieved record-breaking sales last year, increasing its turnover by 17 per cent to over one billion Czech crowns. Romana Moares spoke to company managing director and chairman of the board, Mr František Hrda, about its recent successes and its plans for the future.

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inerva has been producing industrial sewing machines for sewing garments, leather goods, technical textiles, footwear and automotives for over 100 years. The company currently offers over 160 sub-classes of these machines, made in a wide range of shapes and worktops, with various feeding and sewing machine accessories. One of its key competitive advantages is its research and development capability, focused on technology and product innovation. With a workforce of 750, the company is one of the largest employers in the region.

This year, Minerva is celebrating its 135th anniversary. The company was founded in Vienna as a sewing machine producer, but in 1938 its production was transferred to Boskovice in Moravia.

Minerva’s modern history started in 1990 when the business was

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privatised. Seven years later, the majority stake was acquired by German Dürkopp Adler. Since 2000, industrial sewing machines made by Minerva have been sold under the Dürkopp Adler trade mark. In 2005, as a member of the the Dürkopp Adler Group, Minerva became a member of the Chinese ShanGong Group.

Record breaking year Minerva exports most of its output and develops long-term contracts. For example, the company delivers hundreds of machines to the Indian Footwear Design & Development Institute, and continues its important contract for Guoli Automotive in China, which sews for large car makers such as Volkswagen. Last year, Minerva increased

sales in its traditional markets such as Germany, Italy and India and won a significant market share in America and Africa. This was supported by generally favourable conditions in global markets and, in particular, the growth of the automotive sector worldwide.

“In the past two years, the company has recorded a significant increase in demand for its products which was, in 2015, reflected in increased output and sales and continuous extension of capacity,” says the managing director. “In line with this development, headcount also increased and greater emphasis was put on speedy installation and full utilisation of new investments.”

These modern machines are provided with a DAC Comfort control unit specifically developed by the Dürkopp Adler Group for the control of the drive as well as of the main machine functions, while simultaneously controlling the step motors. They enable quick, precise and pre-defined setting of base parameters for the sewing of a particular product. The Premium machines are fitted with a smart M2M monitoring system (modem and telephone line connection with online data transfer), enabling remote monitoring of the sewing process, simple and quick programme change, failure reporting as well as remote central parameter setting for a particular sewing operation.

First class products

Focus on innovation

Industrial sewing machines account for 96 per cent of revenue. The main product groups are the medium-sized M-Type machines for automotive and technical textiles sewing. “Each year we introduce new types of products; the proportion of machines less than five years old is nearly 50 per cent,” says the managing director: “With regard to the lack of qualified human resources in the sewing sector, demand for sewing process automation is rising. This demand is fully met by the new Premium line sewing machines which we introduced onto the market in 2015.”

“To remain competitive in the future, product development competence is not enough – this must be supported by modern production technology to enable fast and efficient implementation of newly developed products,” says Mr Hrda, explaining that production is concentrated in a single operational facility in Boskovice, which boasts all the required types of technology including conventional chip machining, heat treatment, galvanic treatment as well as coating. All of these technologies are modernised on an on-going basis.

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Every year Minerva invests some 50–70 million CZK in development. Mr Hrda explains that most of this amount is directed at progressive CNC machining. To this end, the company makes good use of EU programmes. In 2012–2015 Minerva implemented three EU funded projects worth CZK 92 million, of which most was spent on capital assets. Within the Potential Programme this was the ‘Product Development Extension’ project, within the Innovation Programme the ‘Introduction of Mass Production of Direct Drive Industrial Sewing Machines’ and the ‘Introduction of Mass Production of Heavy Industrial Sewing Machines’ projects. These programmes are part of OPPI and audited by the Ministry of Industry and Trade within the European Regional Development Fund.

“Our objective for the future is to further develop and enhance our strengths. In addition to improving product development and the high technical competence of our employees, we want to further increase productivity in our key competences such as assembly and machining of basic cast iron castings,” says Mr Hrda, and continues: “In 2013 we set ourselves a target to achieve one billion in sales and 20,000 produced machines within five years. We met this target by last year, while increasing turnover by 40 per cent over two years.

Our next target is not to continue to increase output but to maintain current employment levels, to ensure highly productive and efficient production and offer a flexible response to customer requirements,” n Minerva’s managing director concludes.

Reliable partner As in any sector, sewing machines are subject to severe competition, particularly from Japanese, Taiwanese and Chinese producers.

“We can never compete with these on price, but only on quality, innovation and an individual customer approach, ensuring that our machines are the most reliable and productive. These are their key competitive advantages,” says Mr Hrda.

Minerva is fully export oriented: deliveries to the local market represent only about 2–3 per cent of overall sales. About 70 per cent of machines are sold to the parent company in Germany – these are primarily sewing machines for the automotive sector, used for sewing seats, headrests, internal upholstery, airbags and others. The remaining part of the output is sold to the shoe-making sector. After Germany, the most important markets are those of India and the Netherlands, followed by Italy, USA, China and Poland.

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DELIVERING

SURGICAL PRECISION

Molnlyke Healthcare is a world leading provider of single-use surgical and wound care products.

Philip Yorke reports on a company that continues to create innovative healthcare products and is seeing strong growth worldwide.

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olnlycke was founded in Gothenburg, Sweden in 1849 as a textile manufacturer. Today the company specialises in the development of innovative wound care and surgical products. Applications range from prevention of infection to acute care and home-care. The company is present in 33 countries worldwide and is active in more than 100. In addition Molnlycke operates its own state-of-the-art facilities with 14 production sites of which two are in the US, six in Asia and the remainder is spread throughout Europe.

As a healthcare pioneer it was in the 1940s that Molnlycke decided to focus on developing advanced wound-care products and has been responsible for many revolutionary healthcare products.

These include innovative wound dressings, surgical drape materials and a soft silicon based wound dressing adhesive. More recently the company introduced ProcedurePak, a hospital efficiency product and today can generate significant savings for hospitals, both in terms of time and money.

Thanks to regular investments in new plant and technology and a steady pipeline of new, innovative products, the company has seen steady growth from the outset and this has been enhanced by a string of strategic acquisitions. Some recent milestones include the company’s acquisition by Apax Partners in 2005, which subsequently merged with Regent Medical and Medkock medical – specialists in single-use surgical products. This followed Molnlycke’s own acquisition of Johnson & Johnson’s single-use surgical product line.

Investor AB, which was founded by the Wallenberg family, took over Apax in 2007 and has since owned Molnlycke Health Care. In 2011 the company began the construction of a new purpose-built manufacturing facility at Brunswick Landing in Main, USA and in 2014 announced its plans to expand its other US production site at Wiscasett, Main. A company spokesman said, “Recently we announced that we will be opening a new site in 2017 in the Czech Republic for our ‘Procedure Pak range, as this is going to play a key role in our business activities moving forward. Most of the business for this product is in the European Market.”

Minimising risk Reducing pain, shortening healing times and minimising the risk of maceration are standard benefits of Molnlycke’s advanced Mepilex® XT dressing. This soft, comfortable foam dressing is designed to beat a wide range of exuding acute and chronic wounds in al healing stages, including leg and foot ulcers and traumatic wounds. Using unique, integrated exudate channels, Mepilex XT is changing what foam dressings can do. Mepiex XT absorbs more fluid than any other foam dressing and absorbs both low and high-viscosity fluid, whilst at the same time minimising the risk of maceration.

Clinicians have confirmed that high-viscosity exudate is associated with sloughy wounds, which are distressing for patients and can be difficult to manage. Until now, foams have not been able to handle this type of exudate, thus making the comfort and conveniIndustry Europe 199

ence of these dressings unavailable to many of those people that need it the most.

Mepilx XT is designed to handle the full range of wounds in all their exuding healing stages. Mepic XT with Safetac offers greater comfort and less pain for the patient during dressing changes. It is now possible to extend good patient care at every stage of the wound-healing journey.

Cutting procedure prep-time Preparation time for surgical procedures can now be cut in half thanks to Molnlycke’s unique ‘ProcedurePak’ customised procedure trays. These special trays are assembled to contain all the single-use components required for any particular type of surgical intervention.

These packs replace a large number of individually prepared packaged items. ProcedurePak trays can generate significant savings in time and costs for both major and minor surgery procedures. Consequently, preparation time for surgical procedures can be cut by more than half compared to traditional preparation of the operating room.

Molnlycke carries a selection of more than 5000 components and packaging items from leading suppliers, making it simple to tailor

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trays to suit individual requirements. In addition all the company’s components and packaging products conform to the strictest standards to ensure patient and staff safety.

Advanced wound technology Molnlycke has developed a NPWT (New Patient Wound Treatment)system that has been designed to minimise unnecessary patient suffering. The ‘Advance® NWPT system with Safetac® not only minimises pain and stress for the patient but also prevents ‘skin stripping’ when dressings are changes, as well as maceration that can delay healing by causing damage to the peri-wound area.

These advanced dressings are easy to work with and apply or reposition as needed. ‘Advance® is also lightweight and easy to understand and operate, and a very quiet design that contributes to a less stressful NWPT experience on a day-to-day basis.

It also offers convenience because one system can be used for all wound types, either in hospital or at home. The Advance® system now comes with a highly flexible view-pad for easier dressing application. n For further details of Molnlycke innovative wound dressing products and services visit: www.molnlycke.com

Building a partnership with Mölnlycke Health Care “SGL has delivered excellent solutions for MHC since 2007. Through our global network and best-in-class partners, dedicated teams at all MHC locations and with the commitment of our top management, SGL has been able to partner with MHC to build and operate a world class supply chain. In an ever-changing business environment adding new markets, SGL is playing a very important role in ensuring that MHC can keep ahead of the competition and develop a world class service to its global portfolio of customers.

“SGL has a dedicated global team in place to work with MHC to continuously improve services and reduce costs and we are proud to be partnering with MHC in order to further grow their market share and develop new and efficient supply chain solutions for their sea- and airfreight needs,” says Kim Fisher, VP, Business Development Corporate Sales at Scan Global Logistics.

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TOP GEAR The Wikov Group has over 130 years of experience in mechanical engineering, passed down from generation to generation, and has focused on gear and mechanical gearbox manufacturing for nearly 100 years. Today, the company stands stronger than ever before.

Romana Moares reports.

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ikov Industry, a traditional manufacturer of precision gears and mechanical gearboxes, is headquartered in Prague and runs three operational facilities in the Czech Republic, all of which manufacture gears and precision engineering parts. Wikov Gear and Wikov MGI primarily make mechanical gearboxes and loose toothed parts, while Wikov Sazavan specialises in customised precision machining of various engineering parts.

The company, with its 800 people and a turnover of CZK 2 billion, has gradually developed a global network of sales and service subsidiaries on all continents. “We are an export-oriented, fully Czech-owned company, deriving its success from the combination of state-of-the-art machinery, decades of experience and high calibre people. This has enabled Wikov to manufacture high-end products with progressive design solutions and robust parameters,” says managing director Antonín Růžička.

The last five years were about significant investment, growing turnover and profits but also major changes in product portfolio.

While at the beginning of this period, it was primarily the gears for wind turbines that drove the company forward, in 2014–2015 this primacy was taken by special gears for offshore rig lifting equipment.

Gears for rail vehicles and cement plants also represent stable and important product groups.

New products Wikov’s core business, accounting for 80 per cent of total sales, is customised mechanical gearboxes to suit specific customer requirements.

“A large majority of our products are the result of our own design and

product development,” says the managing director. “Although we have the capability to make bespoke or tailor-made products according to customers’ documentation, we do not specifically seek such contracts.” He further adds that the company has been gradually increasing the proportion of repeated production, an important contributor to further development and growth.

Growth is also expected to be supported by a new product – a catalogued planetary gearbox, Orbi-fleX, for a wide range of applications. “The Orbi-fleX series covers output torque in the range from 121 to 2360 kNm with 22 standardised sizes. The whole line is based on a highly modular system with emphasis on top quality, good economics and short delivery time,” explains the director.

Last year Wikov also launched its own WiGuard remote diagnostic system for the 24/7 monitoring of the gear unit, so the engineers may respond to any changes in the gearbox performance. “Operators of our gearboxes will thus have an excellent tool to help them secure better preventive maintenance planning, reduced maintenance cost and, last but not least, enhanced service life of the whole driving unit,” claims Mr Růžička.

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Expanding capacities In terms of technology, Wikov ranks among the European leaders.

All profit is re-invested into production and measurement technologies, testing stations as well as in the improvement of offices.

Recent investment projects have included a new testing station for high-speed gears and the construction of a new administrative building, Wikov MGI, which will include a training centre, conference room, canteen and a large parking area. “After years of investing ‘merely’ into technology, the Wikov MGI project is a logical step, with the objective of significantly enhancing working conditions for our staff,” says the managing director.

Wikov’s key competitive advantage is its ability to deliver gears and gearboxes for a large portfolio of applications to a wide range of industry sectors. This is, according to Mr Růžička, the main pillar of stability for the group. “Last year, we profited from deliveries to the oil extracting

204 Industry Europe

industry; however, falling oil prices resulted in a decline of the whole sector. Nevertheless, immediately after this, the chemical, rubber and cement sectors started to pick up – this is where we now direct our marketing and sales focus. Similarly, we are in a good position to cover the fluctuations in the power sector, and respond quickly to increased demand for both gears for conventional thermal power stations and for driving units for wind and water turbines.”

Moving to complete units Generally speaking, customers now expect deliveries of complete driving units, i.e. not only of gearboxes but also motors/generators, clutches, brakes and controls. This is therefore the way forward for Wikov Group, and complete driving units have become part of its standard product offering. The company even offers to test some of its driving units in a freezing chamber (such products are fitted, for example, in wind turbines or rail vehicles operated in extreme cold temperatures).

Exports account for about 70–80 per cent of total sales. With the changing global market conditions, the territorial distribution of Wikov’s exports also changes. Traditionally, the markets of the European Union consume about 50 per cent of the company’s export sales. Some 10 per cent of Wikov’s gears are sold in Russia, and the rest go to other countries including the United States and China.

The managing director explains that in the future Wikov wishes to further increase its reputation as a producer of high quality, customer and project specific gears and drives. “Our objective for the next two years is to develop a modular design system for our gears, to be able to assemble tailor-made gear mechanisms from standard modules.

This should further improve our competitiveness, particularly in terms of better prices and shorter delivery times. In addition, we will continue to improve our competence to deliver complete driving units for n industrial and track vehicle applications,” he concludes.

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Zakłady Mechaniczne Kazimieruk

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