Number 40 | May 2008 | ENGLISH
WOCO. POWERED BY INSTINCT. With the Instincts of a Wolf Woco Group Magazine
KEY TECHNOLOGY Core Competencies of the Automotive Business Unit
SENSING WHAT THE CUSTOMER WANTS EFFBE – Expertise in Diaphragms
Woco.
Powered
by
instinct.
EDITORIAL
instinct.
Woco. Powered by Dear Staff Members and Employees, The past two years at Woco have progressed with the aims of focusing on our core competencies and defining our future role in the global automotive value chain. To achieve this, we have now devised a positioning strategy for our competitive environment and implemented it creatively. We want to communicate our expertise and our close proximity to our customers in an unmistakable, concerted presentation on the market. Close Proximity to Customers as We Live It The basis for this presentation is close proximity to customers as we live it. This closeness to our customers is essential for our survival, and it is essential to continue to develop it. We want to continue to expand our position as the preferred supplier, as the innovative original developer and component producer. In doing so, we will have to work constantly on the following items:
Growth in International Markets The German carmakers exceeded the five-million-unit mark for their production outside Germany last year. This has also motivated us to put greater effort into the continued development of our global structure so as to attain greater efficiency. Our customers are under greater public pressure because of the CO2 discussion. These customers are now working on new generations of engines with lower CO2 emissions to ensure their innovation leadership with regard to global competitors. These engines will need more efficient and more precise control, faster turbo exchange, and targeted thermal (heat) management, as well as new products peripheral to the engine (engine add-on parts). This is the job for Woco and its core competencies!
Sincerely,
* Improving productivity in core processes * Focusing our product portfolio with a high degree of globalization
* Effectively directing our production sites in growth markets
* Efficiently managing our inventories * Improving our purchasing performance
2
WOCO Magazine 40/2008
Martin Wolf
CONTENTS
4
9
2
EDITORIAL
3
CONTENTS
4
UNIFIED OUTWARD PRESENTATION THE NEW CORPORATE COMMUNICATIONS
6
WOCO. POWERED BY INSTINCT. WITH THE INSTINCTS OF A WOLF
9
KEY TECHNOLOGY CORE COMPETENCIES OF THE AUTOMOTIVE BUSINESS UNIT
12
SENSING WHAT THE CUSTOMER WANTS EFFBE – EXPERTISE IN DIAPHRAGMS
12
15
STAYING POWER WANTED PRODUCTION IN THE DESERT
18
A FEEL FOR CHINA NEW MIXING PLANT FOR PTE
22
THE RIGHT TOUCH A PRIMER IN EFFECTIVE LEADERSHIP
24
GOAL-ORIENTED SEARCH AT THE PROCESS LEARNING FACTORY
18
27
REMARKABLE INDUSTRIAL IMAGE PROCESSING
28
TELEGRAM
28
IMPRINT
22
WOCO Magazine 40/2008
3
wocoINSIDE
Investments in the brand, the image, and the corporate communications are investments in the future! They improve the perception and value of the company. “We at Woco” asked Prof. Gottschalk for his opinion on the reorientation of Woco’s corporate communications.
Prof. Gottschalk on the Reorientation of Woco’s Corporate Communications
Unified OutwardPresentation The erroneous assumption is still prevalent that it is
Prof. Bernd Gottschalk
4
only by investing in hardware – plant and machinery – that future profitability is positively influenced. What is often overlooked is that the human factor – human capital or software, if you will – is of increasing importance, and that what is known as the immaterial field of branding helps to create long-term, permanent value. Also worthy of revision is the assumption that brand image is primarily a matter for motor vehicle manufacturers, but not for the products of their suppliers. It was not as if the suppliers were unaware of the priority of brand value for the car as a final product; this had an indirect impact on the supplier’s production volumes and success. But it is clear that corporate identity (the personality of the company) and branding (brand building) as markers of differentiation play an increasingly important role for suppliers as well – especially in an era of global
WOCO Magazine 40/2008
presence. After all, nothing is deadlier than succumbing to product substitution and being perceived as capricious! Differentiating our company from our competitors is key to our success. This is why it is wise for Woco to use a new, uniform presentation to present its strategy, its intelligent products, its motivated team, its know-how, and its traditions to customers, the general public, employees
After earning his advanced Dr. rer. pol. degree, Prof. Gottschalk worked in various capacities at Daimler-Benz AG until 1996, most recently as the company’s management board member in charge of the commercial vehicles division. He served as president of the German auto industry association, VDA, until 2007. He has been the senior managing partner of GCG Gottschalk Consult GmbH & Co KG since 2007. Woco managed to attract Prof. Gottschalk last year to serve on our Advisory Board.
wocoINSIDE
(and those who want to join the company), and the financial community. Branding creates profit margins – if branding is used to tell customers about our even greater quality, uniqueness, and close proximity to the customer. Branding creates trust – inside the company and outside. Branding promotes attractiveness – for a family company, this is especially important, as the stable element of family responsibility differentiates the company in our modern industrial society in a very positive fashion from anonymous mass society. And finally, branding creates standing! This is the foundation, particularly in a global field of competition, that facilitates the creation of a long-term strategy plan. Companies are personalities. Each has a character of its own. This identity is a gem that must be polished. It has its roots in the company’s own history, in a résumé that in part even spans generations. As in the case of Woco: in the people from senior management all the way to the sales representative in the field, but above all in the creativity, the in-
novative force, and the quality that the people in the company project into the development of unique products and processes. These building blocks, in the end, are the secret of the company’s unmistakable identity. This is by no means a mechanical listing of factors in the form of a bullet-point list, but instead a highly emotional endeavor! Brands make hearts throb! Wolves stay together and are a very special, intelligent species. They have a pronounced ability to sense what is new and trustworthy. They know what customers expect from international business. Woco is innovative, appealing, future oriented, and it believes in its roots and in accepting its responsibilities. And because this is how things are, there are also good reasons for management to go on offense expressing this in a reorientation of the company’s corporate communications. It is a profitable investment in the future! ❚ Prof. Bernd Gottschalk
WOCO Magazine 40/2008
5
wocoINSIDE
After defining our strategy for our future role in the globalizing value chain and focusing on the core competencies of Woco, the Corporate Communications Department and the communications agency Damm & Bierbaum faced the challenge of bringing both elements together into one brand profile, working on positioning the company in its competitive field, and then applying all of this creatively.
With the Instincts of a Wolf.
Woco. Poweredby
instinct.
Positioning (according to David Ogilvy: What a product does – and for whom) must fit the strategy of the company, be grounded in the company’s history, distinguish it from its competitors, and above all be relevant to its customers. Our main message to our customers is: Closeness. Deep market knowledge and truly close proximity to the customer make Woco a global partner for developing, producing, and supplying automotive and industrial components. With the Instincts of a Wolf The “Woco Team” at the Damm & Bierbaum In over 50 years of the company’s history, an inagency: from left: Kerstin Lautenschläger, tuitive skill has become Dirk Damm, Sandra Bollhöfer, Antje Endler apparent that makes Woco unmistakable: A distinct feel for technology trends *
* An ability to sense the demands of the customer and the market
6
WOCO Magazine 40/2008
* A broad view for spotting changes * A touch for entrepreneurial decision-making * Finally, a passion for implementing and realizing all of this It is the confident instinct for doing what is right for the company’s development that drives Woco. This instinct, in combination with experience, know-how, and expertise, distinguishes Woco from its competitors, and it creates a closeness to the customer and the market. Hence the Claim: Woco. Powered by instinct. The claim substantiates the personality of the company, concentrates the central message on a single point, emotionalizes the promised services, and creates a globally uniform basis for identity. What is instinct? Evolutionary theory provides the following definition: “Instinct describes the possibility of responding to specific triggers with vital behaviors that are well coordinated by the
wocoINSIDE
WE ARE WHERE WOCO NEEDS US TO BE The team of DAMM & BIERBAUM, then still under the name “cd communication”, has handled the communication affairs of Woco Group since 2000. The core competency of this Frankfurt-based agency is the successful positioning and leadership of brands – for well-known regional, national, and international customers. For business target groups as well as end users. Managed by its own proprietor as Woco is, the agency is dedicated foremost to long-term cooperation based on trust. After all, a deep understanding of the interests of the customer is of fundamental importance, in particular when dealing with demanding products and subjects. Thus, since the two companies began cooperating, many large
and small projects have been successfully brought to fruition: the grand opening of the MAS building in 2001, countless Supplier Day events, the image film, brochures and annual reports, communications for the new corporate strategy, and – last, but not least – the company history in celebration of the company’s anniversary last year. Antje Endler has been responsible for concept and text from the beginning. The design has been marked by the signature style of Sandra Bollhöfer since 2005. Kerstin Lautenschläger has been in charge of production, and co-owner and General Manager Dirk Damm has lent the customer his personal advice and care.
innate abilities of animals and humans and by the coordinating systems in the central nervous system...” A highly developed instinctive behavior, for instance, allows invertebrate animals like bees or ants to perform spectacular feats. William James wrote a definition in 1872 that is still useful today. According to this, instinct is the capacity to behave in a manner such that certain objectives are attained, even without prior knowledge of these objectives. Konrad Lorenz traces instinct to physiological processes, to the way nerve cells fire in the brain. McDougall relates seven main instincts to seven emotions. Thus, for instance, the instinct for curiosity can be traced to surprise, and the fight instinct can be traced to anger. If a person touches a hot cook top, for instance, the burning sensation has to be felt before the person can react on instinct, and it is only then that the intellect begins work-
ing on the problem. Instinct – the reaction of the body, to put it simply – is the response to the sensation, perceived through the sensory organs (eyes, ears, nose, skin, etc.). Instinct could be defined as the registering system of the body or its experiences in life. We can rely on our instincts. Woco is guided by the force of instincts and continues to evolve on this basis. We have chosen the wolf image as the messenger for this claim. The wolf best embodies the instincts that define Woco, and it is derived directly from the company’s history. The aim is to use the wolf, therefore, in advertisements featuring products from our business units; we will run the ads in several selected automotive periodicals in the second half of 2008. We and the Damm & Bierbaum agency are proud to present these advertising themes to you in “We at Woco,” and we hope you like them as much as we do. ❚ Anke Wolf WOCO Magazine 40/2008
7
The softer the sound. The more meaningful it is to hear it.
We sense the needs of our customers before they are expressed. Our instincts and many years of expertise enable us to develop technology that is closer. To the market. To the customer. To the future. >> 9-11 – Key Technology >> 12-13 – Sensing What the Customer Wants
8
WOCO Magazine 40/2008
wocoINSIDE
Carmakers are under pressure of the public’s perceptions because of the CO2 discussion. They are continuing to work on new generations of engines with lower CO2 exhaust to ensure their innovative lead in global competition. This will require a more efficient and precise control, quicker turbo exchange on turbochargers, and targeted thermal management.
KEY
Technology
Core Competencies of the Automotive Business Unit
Technological Trends The primary trend in the automotive industry in 2008 continues to be the issue of reducing emissions (CO2, NOx) in combination with considerable further cuts in fuel consumption. The guidelines issued by the European Commission for European carmakers to reduce CO2 emissions on average for vehicle fleets to 140g CO2/km in 2008 and to 120g CO2/km in 2012 have confronted manufacturers with major challenges. The OEMs are considering various technological approaches in order to be capable of meeting the demanding targets:
* Increasing the content of biofuel in regular fuel * Turbocharging * Downsizing the overall vehicle (reducing piston displace-
ment while keeping output unchanged) * Thermal management / rapid engine warm-up * “Diesel-gasoline” (a combination diesel engine (fuel consumption) and gasoline engine (emissions)) * Direct injection * Reducing the overall weight of the vehicle * Exhaust gas recirculation * Hybrid vehicles (gas-electric and diesel-electric drive) * Hydrogen drive / fuel cells Technological Solutions and Woco Products Woco has the technological solutions and product recommendations in its product portfolio to achieve the objec-
Picture 1: Pneumatic actuator to control variable turbo geometry and detect the switching point
INNOVATION IN ACTUATORS Pneumatic Actuators with Integrated Sensor Systems
* On the basis of HALL effect sensors for constant course control, e.g., to control variable turbo * Used geometry (VTG) for switching point detection (OBD) * And (see Picture 1) The system developed by Woco offers considerable cost advantages over systems presently available on the market.
WOCO Magazine 40/2008
9
wocoINSIDE
Picture 3: The coolant valve allows for the coolant flow through the engine to be controlled
Picture 2: Hybrid air intake for Chrysler for the Dodge RAM pick-up truck
10
tives in all the fields above. Resistant materials are necessary in order to allow for a higher proportion of biofuel in the overall fuel (biofuels are very caustic on rubber seals and gaskets). Woco, for example, supplies fuel tank sealing rings made of an especially designed NBR type (NBR = nitrile butadiene rubber, synthetic rubber). Among other things, this permits material uniformity for diesel and gasoline engines. Volkswagen is the first carmaker to use the solution introduced by Woco to make gaskets and seals uniform throughout the whole company (see Picture 6). Woco provides specific air intake systems for hybrid drive vehicles. Woco developed such a system for Chrysler’s first hybrid vehicle in the USA. The 5.7l V8 Hemi is the power plant for the Dodge Ram pick-up truck (see Picture 2). The intake system, with its especially designed high-tech airflow system, achieves improved acoustics, even when cylinders are shut off. There is no need for additional conventional resonators. Pressure loss and flow velocity are actually improved in contrast to conventional series-production intakes, despite the extremely tight installation space. This product will go into series production mid-year. Woco is also developing air intakes and resonators for hydrogen drive and fuel cell models. Downsizing, reducing the size of the powertrain – perhaps by reducing displacement or turbocharging – requires specific added parts like pneumatic actuators, acoustic-act-
WOCO Magazine 40/2008
Picture 5: Switching valve to control the temperature of the urea tank on AdBlue systems
ing resonators, near-field shields, acoustic covers and caps. Woco also designs and produces these items. To reduce the weight of the vehicle on the whole, metal can be in part replaced by plastic. Woco, for instance, is working on developing compressor housings for turbochargers of plastic. Cylinder head covers of plastic have long since replaced those made of metal. Woco provides pneumatic actuators and electrical valves to manage heat, such as for rapidly warming the engine. One example for this is an actuator with an end position
wocoINSIDE
Picture 4: Special fuel tank filler tubes with one opening for fuel and one for urea
sensor for activating the bypass flap on the EGR cooler for the exhaust gas recirculation system. This enables the cooling channel to be bypassed, and, hence, the injection of heated exhaust, which in turn enhances the heating of the engine and catalytic converter. The desired side effects are a reduction in the noise of “diesel ping” after cold starts and a reduction in cold start emissions. Coolant valves to block off the volume flow through the heating system heat exchanger allow for control of the coolant current in the engine and the heat exchanger for a targeted temperature distribution, and with it an improvement in cold start properties. This results in lower emissions and lower fuel consumption (see Picture 3). An actuator with an integrated electric-switch valve serves to operate a multi-louver damper. This serves to reduce losses in cross-flow. Engine cross-flow determines around 15 percent of the cw value (flow resistance coefficient), and thus the air resistance of a vehicle. The flaps are only open for around one third of vehicle operation, and they enable quicker and more targeted engine warm-up, thereby increasing temperature and reducing cold-start emissions.
Pneumatic actuators serve to reduce emissions in the area of exhaust gas reprocessing. Here, Woco supplies actuators with position sensors to control the exhaust gas recirculation valve in the so-called vacuum-EGR cycle (exhaust gas recirculation). Exhaust gases are taken from behind the particle filter and reintroduced before the compressor. This lowers nitrogen oxide emissions. Reductions in nitrogen oxide emissions are also facilitated by the admixture of urea (AdBlue, Bluetech) to the exhaust gas. In diesel vehicles, the SCR process (selective catalytic reduction) converts nitrogen oxides in the exhaust into water and ammonia. Electric valves and special gaskets are needed for this and Woco develops and supplies them. Shown in the picture is a special fuel tank filler port with one opening for fuel and one for urea. The switch valves serve to control the temperature in the urea tank for AdBlue systems. Controlling the flow of coolant through the heating coil in the urea tank allows temperature control of the urea in order to achieve the necessary urea viscosity (see Picture 4 and 5). ❚
Dodge RAM Pick-Up Truck
Picture 6: Tank gasket of resistant synthetic rubber
Uwe Reichert / Bernhard Wolf WOCO Magazine 40/2008
11
wocoWORLDWIDE
The company EFFBE was founded by Fritz Brumme in 1949 and integrated into Woco Group in 2000. With 60 years of experience and expertise, EFFBE became the leading manufacturer of diaphragms worldwide. Today, “diaphragms” and “EFFBE” are synonymous. The EFFBE brand is well known not only in Europe, but worldwide for its quality and as a yardstick in all facets of diaphragms.
EFFBE – Expertise in Diaphragms
Sensing What the Customer
Wants worldwide that is capable of offering customers a complete product range:
EFFBE manufactures its products at three locations, and each has its own manufacturing focus: * EFFBE Habsheim, France, produces Reciflex diaphragms, pure rubber diaphragms, and flat diaphragms EFFBE CZ Zlin, Czech Republic, produces diaphragms for gas meters and oxy-acetylene gas
*
ZGS Zlin, Czech Republic, produces Reciflex diaphragms and layup diaphragms
*
Jean-Michel Butterlin, Directeur Générale of EFFBE France S.A.S.
12
We have combined the expert center and sales at EFFBE Habsheim in order to provide customers with better service. We give our full attention to our customers from the beginning of the project all the way to the start of series production, and they profit from the technical support of our expert center in Habsheim. Considering the importance of any diaphragm at the heart of a piece of equipment, our customers At home in the indusdeeply appreciate our support and try: the Business Unit consulting services. EFFBE is the Measuring and Control only diaphragm manufacturer Systems
WOCO Magazine 40/2008
* Flat diaphragms, molded diaphragms (Reciflex) of diaphragm materials * So-called lay-up diaphragms (one side of elastomer, one side of fabric or fiber) * Pure rubber diaphragms * Diaphragms with inlays * Special diaphragms for gas meters
Any industrial system fitted with our diaphragms profits from the tight precision and reliability of EFFBE. The main benefits are:
* Very high sensitivity / good responsive behavior due to the lack of friction, even under difficult operating conditions * Economy (in comparison to piston systems) * Flawless sealing properties * Permanent reliability thanks to proven materials (elastomer and textile) * Maintenance-free characteristics
Business Units Industry * Industrial Antivibration Systems (IAV) * Measuring and Control Systems (MCS) * Pipe System Components (PSC) * Household Appliances (HHA)
wocoWORLDWIDE
A sampling of EFFBE diaphragms
1: The EFFBE Habsheim plant in France
1 3 2 2: The EFFBE CZ Zlin plant in the Czech Republic
3: The ZGS Zlin plant in the Czech Republic
Design Depending on the application and the customer’s specifications, EFFBE defines a design in the form of a:
* Flat diaphragm * Plate-shaped diaphragm * Creased/flanged diaphragm * Rolled diaphragm Materials used: We offer our customers a whole range of materials that are matched to the application and environment (temperature, medium, pressure, etc.). We use the following elastomer materials:
* NBR (nitrile butadiene rubber) * ECO (epichlorhydrine rubber) * EPDM (ethylene propylene dien rubber) * HNBR (hydrogenated nitrile butadiene rubber) * VMQ (silicone) * FVMQ (fluorosilicone) * FPM (fluorocarbon rubber)
As well as the following fabrics / weaves:
* Polyamide * Polyester * Polyarylamide * Cellulose Applications Our diaphragms are found in * Control systems * Pump systems * Measuring instruments / systems, etc. Thanks to its know-how and recognition by its customers, EFFBE has diversified its activities into various fields of industry: gas, pneumatics, automotive industry, hydraulics, water, etc. But EFFBE has also understood the need to use the opportunity to expand its export business. Today, we can proudly point to our global presence in 42 countries, which translates into constant production of 1,100 different products in an annual volume of over 120 million diaphragms (with diameters ranging from less than 10mm to 2 meters). â?š Guy Stimpfling WOCO Magazine 40/2008
13
The more distant the goal. The greater the perseverance.
We sense that it is worth the fight before others know the reason. Our instincts and many years of expertise enable us to develop technology that is closer. To the market. To the customer. To the future. >> 15-16 – Staying Power Wanted
14
WOCO Magazine 40/2008
YOU ARE
Alexander Widmayr has been the plant manager at Woco Motherson Ltd. in Sharja for half a year now. Thirty years ago he began an apprenticeship to become a tool maker at Woco. He then went on to work in various departments (e.g., Technical Engineering, Project Management) before he was attracted to working in the “desert” in Sharjah.
WOCO
United Arab Emirates
Staying Power Wanted
You are Woco
Production in the Desert Production in Sharjah Woco Motherson Ltd. processes liquid silicone (ca. 200 tons per year), solid silicone, and various plastic materials. Processing is done at eight automated and 10 manual injection molding machines with a locking pressure of 40 to 110 tons. The plant is in operation for two 12-hour shifts, seven days a week, and 360 days per year. The product range extends from simple gaskets and individual tube gaskets to diaphragms with and without backing (carrier) plates. Sand as a Starting Point “Sand” is the basic input material for all silicone; the chemical formula for sand is Si-O2. Silicone is chains of Si-O-Si... When we receive the material from our suppliers, it is often as thick as honey, and it is also just as sticky (this depends on the Shore hardness). The material arrives separated into A and B components, and most of it
Woco and Motherson joined forces in 2001 to set up the Woco Motherson Ltd. (FZC) joint venture and together set up the plant in Sharjah. Lutz Becker was in charge of the plant right from the start, and he did an excellent job of setting things up. After Mr. Becker left this post in October of 2007, Alexander From the product catalog of
Widmayr assumed plant management. The location currently
Woco Motherson Ltd.: frame
employs a workforce of 60.
gaskets, mat gaskets, O-rings, diaphragms and individual tube gaskets
WOCO Magazine 40/2008
15
YOU ARE
WOCO
Alexander Widmayr, Plant Manager, Woco Motherson Ltd.
Burj Dubai – an architectural masterpiece
A look at the production hall
comes to us in the desert via oceanic shipping. This material (liquid silicone rubber = LSR) is a two-component system in which both components are pumped through a proportioning machine and mixed in the process. The mixed material (A and B components along with any coloring agents) is then pressed into an injection-molding machine under pressure, where the material is quickly vulcanized at a tool temperature of between 180 and 220 °C. Cycle times of 15 seconds have to be achieved. Because the material viscosity is already very low, and is reduced even more in processing due to the shearing action on the material as it is injected into the tool (cavity), a lot has to be invested in the precision of the tools. The material is formed into the desired end products above (diaphragms, gaskets, etc.) with a vulcanizing rotor system (chips) or with various cold channel systems (open nozzles or needle valve systems). The relatively small, very light finished parts produced in this fashion are then sent to Germany via air freight. ❚ Alexander Widmayr
16
WOCO Magazine 40/2008
The United Arab Emirates, UAE in short, comprise the emirates Abu Dhabi, Ajman, Dubai, Fujairah, Ras al-Khaimah, Sharjah, and Umm al-Quwain. Sharjah is the third largest of the seven after Abu Dhabi and Dubai. Dubai is known above all for its many spectacular construction projects. According to local information, all of the construction projects in and around Dubai should be finished between 2010 and 2012. Streets and hotels are under construction everywhere, around the clock. The biggest, most impressive construction site at the time is the Burj Dubai. Upon completion, it will be the tallest building in the world (at a height of 818.76 meters).
The more obscure the trail. The more there is to learn from detecting it.
We sense where it is worth looking while others rest in confidence. Our instincts and many years of expertise enable us to develop technology that is closer. To the market. To the customer. To the future. >> 18-21 – A Feel for China >> 22-23 – The Right Touch >> 24-25 – Goal-Oriented Search
WOCO Magazine 40/2008
17
wocoWORLDWIDE
Wuxi
Polymer-Technik Elbe GmbH has evolved into an international enterprise in the rubber processing industry since its inception in 1992. The company’s international nature is based on its procurement policies on the one hand, and on the other on the Woco corporate philosophy of following the customer to wherever the customer needs Woco.
Setting up the Mixing Plant for Polymer-Technik Elbe GmbH at Wuxi, China
A Feel for This internationality quickly led to the practice of sending mixtures – essentially limited in their shelf-life – worldwide, whether to supply locations in South Africa, Latin America, Canada, India, or China. This was in pursuit of the principle of offering the customer – primarily in the auto industry – one single standard for “Made by Woco” worldwide. Following this strategy meant developing production and mixing concepts that made supply deliveries worldwide possible. This came about even though this quality strategy stands in stark contrast to an age-old mixing business principle: “It only makes sense to supply vulcanization plants that are within a distance of 1,000km from the mixing plant.” Yet over the years, increasingly Groundbreaking ceremony: in the Wuxi National High Technical intensified competiDevelopment Zone: from left, Franz Josef Wolf, Dr. Wolfgang Keil, tion and the marked Siegfried Meißner, and representatives of the city of Wuxi shift in currency priorities to the dollar and the increasingly important renminbi, the Chinese currency, resulted in a situation in which it became impossible
18
WOCO Magazine 40/2008
to supply certain locations from Germany economically. Predicting this situation far in advance, Mr. Franz Josef Wolf cleared the way for building an additional mixing plant for PTE in China. Wuxi – The Chosen Location A company exploratory trip was thus led by Mr. F. J. Wolf in February of 2004 to look for a suitable location for PTE in China among other things. In the end, Wuxi was chosen – a city in Jiangsu Province, about a three-hour drive west from Shanghai. Jiangsu Province is in eastern China, reaching up to the southern offshoots of the northern plains and the plains of the Yangtze delta. The province is bordered on the east by a coastline over 1,000km in length; Shanghai is to its east, Zhehiang Province to the south, Anhui Province to the west, and Shangdong Province to the north. An area only slightly greater than one-fourth that of Germany is home to nearly as many people. Jiangsu Province with its 102,600 km2 of area has a population of nearly 80 million. This is one of the most densely populated regions in all of China. The main cities in Jiangsu Province, aside from Wuxi, include the provincial capital of Nanjing and the city of Suzhou. An almost ideal infrastructure for rapid economic development was built in recent years in the entire region, as well as in part in neighboring provinces. Wuxi is situated directly on one of the most important traffic arteries in the country, which runs from Shanghai to Nanjing. The
wocoWORLDWIDE
Wuxi administrative district produces the tenth highest rate of gross domestic product in China. All larger cities have dedicated industrial zones, created specifically for industrial companies to locate. These industrial zones – Wuxi maintains industrial zones with a total area of around 200 km2 – have attracted countless companies from around the world to set up operations here. This has brought about the spontaneous creation of near-model “clusters,” industrial relationships that represent the whole supply chain in automotive manufacturing. A large number of customers are concentrated here in a fashion quite unknown in Europe – customers who need rubber mixtures for producing tires, cars, cables, electrical goods, and white goods. The Chinese Market It was in 2003 that the cable industry approached PTE about producing mixtures for a very special project: the maglev train in Shanghai (Transrapid). At the time, our mixtures were processed exclusively in Germany, and the traveling field windings produced with them were exported to China. Yet at the time it was already clear that most of the production should be done on site in
case of follow-up projects. Our customers thus asked us to face the challenge of China. After the cable industry, other customers followed in requesting direct supply in China – whether for producing control belts, friction lining, treads, seals, or rubber-metal parts. Nearly all producers of such products have by now come to China and are located nearby, whether in Shanghai, Suzhou, Taicang, or elsewhere. Among these are countless companies that Polymer-Technik Elbe has had business relationships with in Europe for years. Others are setting up operations or are looking for suitable locations in direct proximity to our new mixing plant. The decision in favor of the Wuxi location was for one of the fastestgrowing industrial regions of China, Jiangsu Province. The task at hand was clearly defined: Our customers expect consistent quality – even in China – in order to meet the high standards of the car industry. Wuxi Elbe Polymer Technology Ltd. is facing this challenge today in Wuxi.
External view of Wuxi Elbe PolymerTechnology
Start and Completion of Wuxi Elbe Polymer Technology The ground was broken on March 3, 2006, in the presence of our managing partners (Woco Group and Vorwerk AuWOCO Magazine 40/2008
19
wocoWORLDWIDE
Automatically weighing lampblack and lightcolored fillers for each line
The employees of Wuxi Elbe Polymer-Technology
Online test right on the production line
totec) along with numerous public figures. Yet construction only actually began in mid-May 2006. Our new mixing plant had by now been completed and begun production. The finished structure is a production building with over three levels and a total of around 12,000 square meters of production, warehouse, and office floor space. The grounds of this facility of around 40,000 square meters offer enough area for added construction. Production takes place in two 190 liter mixers with paddles laid out to alternate in opposition to one another. The lower site has two rolling mills each: one collecting mill and one blank out mill, each with a stockblender. The mills are fitted with separate motors, speed adjustment, and hydraulic gap adjustment so as to be able to handle even more difficult types. Depending on the product portfolio and the delivered forms required, up to 12,000 tons per year of black and colored rubber mixtures can be produced. The entire plant The exhibit of Wuxi Elbe Polymer concept was designed for flexibility in Technology in Shanghai: keeping with our Wittenberg producPTE employees speak to customers tion philosophy. Aside from wig-wag stacker, feed strips, and granulates, special formats of materials can also be produced using down-stream process equipment. Special attention was devoted to the weighing
20
WOCO Magazine 40/2008
and process technology in order to ensure a consistent level of quality. Materials The selection of suitable raw materials is of particular importance in producing rubber mixtures. Local raw material suppliers were qualified in advance so as to address the exchange-rate problem mentioned earlier, as well as all the logistical challenges involved in delivering raw materials from Europe, for instance. The company has a state-of-the-art laboratory for incoming goods and development for qualifying such supplies. This was and is the only way to qualify new raw inputs and suppliers and to pursue the necessary material and product developments for our customers. To prepare for our Chinese activities, we began intensively taking a closer look at local Asian raw material markets in 2005. Numerous Chinese raw materials were first analyzed in the laboratory in Wittenberg, and then tested on a much larger scale. Databases for comparing Chinese raw inputs were set up accordingly and then transferred to Wuxi. Now, in collaboration with our customers, we are working on new releases for their products based on the materials we chose. Workforce Probably the most significant factor in the success of any company, however, is the selection and qualification of
wocoWORLDWIDE
suitable employees. The city of Wuxi, with its 4.35 million residents as well as countless schools and training facilities, offers sufficient potential. Not long after our managing partners gave us the task of creating a new mixing plant in China, two Chinese chemists were signed up to spend over 18 months in Wittenberg right after completing their schooling in China so that we could prepare them for their future duties. Besides teaching special knowledge and skills for producing mixtures, learning German was also part of the training regimen. Additional workers followed to learn how to maintain and repair our equipment. Today, we employ a total of 50 workers in the departments of Development, Quality Assurance, Production, Maintenance, and Sales. We also managed to attract Mr. Duncan Kerr Thomson to our company from his 18-year career at the company Gates, of which he spent eight years as its general manager in Asia. It should also not be ignored that what has been achieved would not have been possible without the effective support from Wittenberg. Numerous employees from Production, Engineering, and Maintenance spent
several months in Wuxi to help set up and start operation of the mixing plant. Exhibit in Shanghai Once the building and plant were completed, they were put through a test run in mid-2007. We already had a good number of customer contacts, and countless visitors had expressed their interest in receiving supplies from PTE in China, but our new enterprise still decided to exhibit at China Rubber Tech 2007 in Shanghai to present itself to a specialist audience for the first time. Over 40 serious customer contacts resulted. Company representatives from China, the USA, Europe, Russia, India, Australia, Turkey, Israel, and Arab countries visited our stand at the expo to gather information and chat. The international character of the attendees suggests the increasing importance of China as a business location, even for the rubber-processing industry. So there is a lot of work for our young team in Wuxi to do! â?š
Illuminated and almost 90 meters high: Buddha statue at Lingshan
Dr. Wolfgang Keil WOCO Magazine 40/2008
21
PEOPLE &
CULTURE
Motivation, guidance, orientation, delegation – these and similar key terms are the ones read and heard everywhere in training and seminar offerings on the subject of leadership. And these course offerings are everywhere. There is hardly any professional provider of so-called skills training who fails to claim the corresponding portfolio to be his or her own. But how great is the demand? Are these the specific issues and questions on the minds of company leaders?
A Primer in Effective Leadership
The Right
Touch
Sigmund Freud (1856 – 1939)
Woco has come up with its own answer to these questions with its own future company leaders program (FNK program, in the German abbreviation) – now already in the second generation! The question asked at the beginning of the program to promote future company leaders was about the typical tasks of a lead manager, the so-called leadership skills. Informing, planning, setting goals, and making decisions: These are the more or less often heard key words used to describe the range of tasks of ONE lead manager. To keep things from getting stuck with the simple description of a state of being, the Woco FNK program starts at precisely this point: the targeted development of skills relevant to leadership. By dividing the program into three parts that build on one another (orientation, basic, advanced), the essentials of effective leadership can be developed in a focused, systematic manner. Effectiveness! – This quite simple noun may be the key to successful
22
WOCO Magazine 40/2008
leadership. By what other yardstick should a lead manager be measured if not by effectiveness? Yet this assumes that the task of leadership can be defined and developed, and that it is not the result of charismatic “hocus-pocus.” Over the two-and-a-half year development course, the future leader participates in a total of 13 seminars that focus on various aspects of the subject of leadership. Participants explore the fundamentals of project management, business theory, and of course their own leadership personality qualities, alongside classic subjects like moderating, presenting, and directed conversation. The objective is to equip potential future leaders with the necessary tools and teach them how to use them. The purpose here is also to dispense with old models of behavior: “Being a leader means being decisive.” This is not fundamentally wrong, but many often forget that, aside from issues, there are employees involved – indi-
PEOPLE &
CULTURE
“ICEBERG” MODEL MATERIAL LEVEL
“Skills Training” “Skills” are the capabilities that – along with expertise in specific fields of study – deter-
Content
mine a person’s professional success. The term “soft skills” is often heard. Among these above all are social, communicative, and methodological skills. “Skills training” courses
Motivation Envy Liking/antipathy Status Anxiety Alliances Hurt Power struggles Taboos Jealousy
are programs of study for training and imparting these skills.
Under the table
Under the rug
The iceberg model traces its origins back to the founder of psychoanalysis, Sigmund Freud
Basement
RELATIONSHIP LEVEL
vidual people. And this task of being equally responsible and effective in dealing with one’s employees as a supervisor is the objective and the task of systematically developing future leaders.
(1856 – 1939), and shows how the emotional component of consciousness remains hidden
The results speak for themselves. One or two future leaders from the first training group have already established themselves as actual leaders. The current crop of trainees has also had occasional opportunities to prove their own effectiveness as supervisors. It will remain important to have the right touch in the future when picking and developing future leaders. After all, effective leaders are and will always be the link connecting employees and the company’s success. ❚ Andreas Noll WOCO Magazine 40/2008
23
PEOPLE &
CULTURE
Woco works with the Process Learning Factory (Prozesslernfabrik CiP), an education and research initiative of PTW, the Institute for Production Management Technology and Machine Tools at the Technical University of Darmstadt, in part supported by McKinsey & Company. The goal is to create a realistic production environment with real products. Students and employees of the contract partners (Woco is a contract partner) can learn and apply the methods of lean manufacturing and the tools for permanent productivity gains in the process chain: Permanent transfer of knowledge is assured.
Training on the Subject of Increasing Productivity at the Process Learning Factory
Goal-Oriented Search As a contract partner, Woco can take advantage of 40 man-days of training and education in the methods of lean management at the Process Learning Factory for its employees at all levels of the company. Why a Process Learning Factory In the past, a small number of enterprises have shown that they could substantially increase their value for customers and employees by using process orientation and applying the methods of lean production. Most enterprises, however, have not been able to realize these successes. The difference was not in the methods used. Successful enterprises have managed to train employees at all levels of hierarchy and learned to simplify the application of the newly acquired skills. What Makes CiP Unique? CiP distinguishes itself from other learning factories foremost in its uniform approach. The 500-square-meter factory reproduces all the stages of an efficient production process – from planning and manufacturing control to maintenance and even quality assurance. This results in maximum realism in practice and in learning effects thanks to real products.
24
WOCO Magazine 40/2008
What Does CiP Offer Contract Partners? CiP provides a platform for increasing productivity together with others.
* Training and additional education of employees at all lev-
els (from the skilled production worker to the senior manager) in the methods of lean management
* Solutions for individual problems with specialist support
of PTW staff in the framework of projects, college research papers, and thesis research at contract partner companies
* Optimization of the operative system using the methods of lean manufacturing
* Best-practice forum to exchange ideas and information between theory and practice and with other companies
* Special events on current subjects and trends PTW provides its cooperation partners the care of student projects on individual research topics of the company
PEOPLE &
CULTURE
CiP reproduces all stages of an efficient production process
A look at the Process Learning Factory CiP
Training is offered in methods of lean management
in the realm of up to two minor projects per year. The staff of PTW are intensively involved in resolving issues and solving problems. Within the Process Learning Factory, CiP is meant to become established as a best-practice forum for exchanges between theory (academia) and practice (industrial firms) and for exchanges among industrial firms themselves. Partners are informed about research findings and added developments in the methods of efficient production management at special events on current subjects and trends. Training and education for operative levels encompasses nine training modules that build on one another and can be completed within a year. â?š Hermann Lauer WOCO Magazine 40/2008
25
The smaller the movement. The more important it is to spot it.
We sense change before others see it. Our instincts and many years of expertise enable us to develop technology that is closer. To the market. To the cutomer. To the future. >> 27 – Remarkable
26
WOCO Magazine 40/2008
wocoINSIDE
Industrial Image Processing – A Tool for Quality Assurance in Practice
REMARK ABLE Example of a possible application: an insulating mat with a drilled hole of Ø 1.5mm
The impetus for using image processing systems is the trend towards an ever-higher level of quality with the lowest possible reject and return rates. Systems with automated image processing have the advantage over manual inspection in that the former are fast, contact free, and can make documented judgments in choosing between good and bad products with a high degree of precision. Along with inspecting object surfaces, they can also inspect how well positioning and geometric dimensions are maintained. Computed tomography for industrial applications and special software algorithms can check and measure internal structures with great accuracy. While the speed of the ongoing development of all components continues undiminished, image processing systems have been out of the “ivory tower” for some time and have become an essential element of production and inspection. The often short timeframe for amortization in this area simplifies the technically smart adjustments to the dynamically progressing state of the art, thereby making them interesting from an economic standpoint. The reasons for using these systems at Woco are: * To meet customer standards * To increase inspection certainty * Economy
The potential applications for industrial image processing include: Object detection: Identifying objects or parts with regard to material flow control in flexible production. Position detection: Identifying part position in equipping and assembling processes. Shape and dimension inspection: Recording the technical measurements of geometric dimensions in initial sampling, series monitoring, and requalification inspecting. Surface inspection: The quantitative surface inspection measures and analyzes changes in the object’s surface. Faults, structures, and dimensions undetectable from the outside: New technologies like X-ray and tomography can be used to image the interior of materials so as to inspect them for defects or structures. The defects are made visible, and the dimensions of structures can be completely measured. Computed tomography: This technology was originally developed for medical applications. Systems using CT principles have been used in industrial applications for several years to inspect materials quickly and completely without disturbing them for initial sampling, process monitoring, and requalification inspecting. All required dimensions can be measured in connection with a CAD model and the appropriate software. ❚ Hermann Lauer Rotation axis
A cut through the
How computed
insulating mat with
tomography (CT)
0.05 insulating skin
works
X-ray source Production part X-ray detector array WOCO Magazine 40/2008
27
wocoTELEGRAM
Woco. Powered by
Employees The annual Group Meeting was held in Bad Soden-Salmünster in February. The Quality Prize was also awarded during this event: First place: Woco Motor Acoustic Systems, Inc. Second place: Woco IT, Rastatt plant Third: Kronacher Kunststoffwerke
Participants at the Group Meeting 2008
Sunil Vijay at the award ceremony on March 7, 2008
On March 7, 2008, Sunil Vijay, Plant Manager at Woco Motherson Advanced Rubber Technologies (WMART), was awarded a prize by KASEZ (Kandla Special Economic Zone) for the best plant in his category. The winner was selected according to a system defined by the Indian government which judged, among other criteria, the turnover and organization, orderliness and cleanliness of the plant and the surrounding property of the 161 companies located in the zone. Congratulations!
“I am happy that I can do my apprenticeship to become an industrial clerk at Woco. I like apprenticing here because I can gain a lot of experience, my supervisor and coworkers are very friendly and respectful, and they Melda Özmen, support me in the work I have to get done.” apprenticing industrial clerk
Annemarie Rehwald, Automotive machine operator
“I feel good working at Woco because they do everything for employees in terms of ‘safety at the workplace.’”
Siegfried Kirschbauer, goods receiving
“Here at Woco, I have not only learned how to deal with criticism constructively, but also that teamwork and openness about one’s goals makes them faster and easier to achieve.”
We at Woco – Employee Magazine of the Woco Group, No. 40 – May 2008 Publisher: Woco Industrietechnik GmbH, Hanauer Landstraße 16, 63628 Bad SodenSalmünster, Germany, Tel.: +49 (0) 60 56 /78-0, www.wocogroup.com Editorial Staff: Dr. Heike Beerbaum, Dr. Bernd Casper, Bernhard Eckert, Stefan Engel, Matthias Hackerschmied, Gerhard Hepp, Mark Keuneke, Karin Kropp, Thomas Mack, Anna Dagmar Metz, Dorothee Noll, Roland Schalk, Christopher Storch, Michael Weber, Anke Wolf, Dr. Anton Wolf, Bernhard Wolf, Mario Wolf Editorial Direction: Dorothee Noll, Anke Wolf Design and Layout: STRAIGHT – concept & design, Frankfurt a. M., Germany (www.straight-cd.de)
Bettina Kraus, secretary to senior management at KKW
28
Translations: Leinhäuser und Partner, Unterhaching, Germany
“I think it’s great that we get to work with people from different cultures. Getting to know other cultures makes it easier to understand one another and to reduce prejudice.”
Printed by: Druck- und Pressehaus Naumann GmbH & Co. KG, 63571 Gelnhausen, Germany Photos: Tim Flach, STRAIGHT – concept & design, Woco Gruppe, Uli Schwab, TU Darmstadt, Chrysler LLC, Werksfotos © Woco – Reprints only with prior written permission of the publisher
WOCO Magazine 40/2008
Editorial deadline: March 10, 2008