TÜV SÜD Journal 1/2014 (english version)

TÜV SÜD

journal EST #16 TO THE T future belong to Webinars: Does the

distance learning?

AY #24 ON THE W s its g: Technology weave Smar t clothin fashion. way into the world of

OINT #28 TO THE P mmies: What Crash-test du go boom? happens when things

# 01

Industry t4.0 laden ein Schiff ge

2014

d f e f t O c r e e n d t n f o n c u k e u Th Die Z a d t s i k i t s i n g o o i L t e u resvhoorl Es komm

Editorial

Dear Readers, We are in the midst of a revolution – a revolution that is creeping up on us ever so slowly and is slipping under the radar of many people. But the ultimate impact of this change will not come in one fell swoop, and it will not be resolved in a few short years. There will be no loud signal heralding the advent of this event. Rather, this revolution will evolve in many tiny steps. In the end, we will live in a totally different world.

We are talking about the »fourth industrial revolution,« a phase of human history that is based on the increasingly connected world in which we live. The prophets foresee a world in which products and factories will automatically communicate with one another, enabling a component to instruct a production-line robot on how that particular part should be used. This »Internet of Things« will open up a world of new possibilities for customers and manufacturers – in our cover story, we describe this as »individualized mass production.« But these »smart factories« pose their own set of dangers: How can companies that are part of highly connected systems ensure process security? And how can they protect fully integrated production operations from crippling external attacks?

»For nearly 150 years

protecting humans, the environment and goods from the harmful Secure plants, processes effects of technology has been our mission.« and data were and are the core concerns of every industry. This was also the case during the first industrial revolution in the 19th century, when the predecessor company of the TÜV SÜD Group began to inspect steam boilers. Today, in the face of »Industry 4.0,« we are also working hard to ensure that we remain a skilled and reliable partner for our customers in these times of unparalleled change.

Best regards,

Dr-Ing Axel Stepken Chairman of the Board of Management of TÜV SÜD AG 2 TÜV SÜD Journal

Table of contents

#06

COVER STORY

For roughly four decades now, computers and robots have been altering the face of industry.

Today, this sector has a revolution on its hands, a phenomenon caused by the increased connectedness of products, people and machines.

To the

On the

To the

What‘s on people‘s minds around the world? We take a closer look at technical and social trends.

A look at the world of tomorrow: These innovations could soon be indispensable parts of our lives.

Get to the bottom of it! Our »add value« pages make complex issues understandable.

#16 Distance learning Digital media have created permanent changes in initial and further training. American educator Kathleen King discusses the pros and cons.

#22 Technology is in fashion Clothes make the person – and promise to do much more: Outfitted with smart electronics, jackets, pants and the like have the potential to make our daily lives easier.

#28 Falling victim To protect humans, crash-test dummies put their heads and artificial bones on the line during car-development research. Just what happens when things go boom?

#18 Urban plan On paper, the city was designed to be a bustling metropolitan area. In reality, the northern Chinese city of Kangbashi is more like a ghost town. Is it possible to plan urbanization?

#24 Much more to come Hardly ready for the scrap heap: Cars powered by internal combustion engines still have some drive left in them. Huge amounts of potential are lingering in engines and vehicle bodies.

#30 Adviser: The right way to sit An office worker will spend about 80,000 hours of his or her professional life sitting in a chair. For this reason, it is particularly important to find a model that is both comfortable and ergonomic.

#4 TÜV SÜD in focus #14 5 minutes with TÜV SÜD

#21 On location #31 Dates/Imprint

#32 5 minutes with TÜV SÜD #34 The final say

TEST

WAY

POINT

TÜV SÜD Journal 3

TÜV SÜD im in focus Bild

When things

DON’T WORK

It is used to working up a sweat. Up to 39 tons of steam roll through the turbine of the Bavarian waste-incineration plant every hour and keep the operation moving. Today, however, the steel giant equipped with the 3.5-meter rotor is not running smoothly. The turbine is shut down and a call is placed to Martin Winterstein and Dr Stefan Buse. The two mechanical engineers of TÜV SÜD provide consulting assistance around the world regarding the development, assembly and operation of stationary gas-, water- and steam-powered turbines. But they also travel to the operational site when they need to get to the bottom of a problem. It could be anything – operator error, manufacturing mistakes, assembly oversights, you name it. »Frequently, there is more than one cause. It is often the complex interplay of operational-, assembly- and manufacturing-related factors that creates a problem,« Buse says. »Such cases require painstaking detective work.« And it has to be done quickly. The reason is obvious: The operator loses real money every minute that a turbine is offline and is not producing power. Nonetheless, the two TÜV SÜD experts keep their cool – and focus on being meticulous. Or, as Winterstein says: »We have never blown a fuse.« More information: www.tuev-sued.de/en/turbine

4 TÜV SÜD Journal

TÜV TÜVSÜD SÜDinim focus Bild

More on this Topic

in our Magazine App

TÜV SÜD Journal 5

Titelstory Cover story

6 TÜV SÜD Journal

Cover Titelstory story

THE THING OF THE FUTURE Text: Timour Chafik | Illustrations: Marie Luise Emmermann, Skizzomat

Steam engines, assembly lines, computers – each of these inventions set off an industrial revolution. Today, we are on the verge of our fourth such transformation. The Internet of Things – connecting products, production and customers – will revamp business processes once more.

TÜV SÜD Journal 7

Cover story

A

t 15 minutes into the film, ar­ guably the most famous actor of all times becomes part of a huge, heavy machine. He’s squeezed between gears that are as tall as a human being, is tossed back and forth be­ tween the wheels, and can do nothing else than turn the huge cog over and over again.

The little guy with the mustache is used as industry’s plaything, a tiny cog in the im­ mense gears of business that do to him what they will.

The silent film »Modern Times«, made by and starring Charlie Chaplin, is one loud, uninterrupted criticism of the industrial­ ized world of work in general and of Tay­ lorism in particular. People are a produc­ tion factor, no more and no less, Frederick Winslow Taylor concluded at the beginning of the 20th century. As a way of optimally using and increasing their productivity, he suggested that companies should simply di­ vide work into as many small units as pos­ sible. These units, he argued, should be so small and easy to do that no particular men­ tal ability was required to perform them any

New challenges for IT security Connectedness will be a key feature of pro­ duction processes of the future. Constantly changing information will be passed back and forth among people, equipment and products. A cyberphysical system with numerous interfaces to the outside world will be created. And each one will be a potential target for manipulation.

Furthermore, in Industry 4.0, a threat is posed not only to companies’ data security, but also to production security and the safety of employ­ ees and the environment. The most important ways to counter such threats are analyses, in­ spections and tests. TÜV SÜD helps companies perform these tasks: It provides expert advice, examines plants and processes, evaluates risks and tests the IT security of systems.

8 TÜV SÜD Journal

»The fourth industrial revolution is turning

production logic

on its head.« – Professor Wolfgang Wahlster, Managing Director of the German Research Center for Artificial Intelligence

longer. Individuals with overarching plan­ ning and managing responsibilities – Taylor called them »bosses« – can direct the »sum of the dumb« in a totally uncomplicated manner to reach a predefined goal.

Clear instructions, clear objectives and clear ways to reach them: This was the principle of work from the first to the third industrial revolution. It was applied to pro­ ducing everything from weaving looms in Manchester to cars. Certainly, work was always done in various worlds of mecha­ nization, automation and digitalization, but always one after the other. Production step by production step. Today, the fourth revolution is emerging on the horizon. And it will bring about fundamental changes in processes. The individual will become a Taylorist boss, frequently without know­ing it. And the end product, the result of indus­ trial manufacturing, will have its own set of brains. It will be a part of a network that will not only connect individual ma­chines and production facilities, but also open itself to the outside world. The »Internet of Things« will link the factory with suppliers and cus­ tomers, constantly exchange information with a range of sources, and be designed to continuously expand its base of knowledge in the process.

The blank object will call the shots

Professor Wolfgang Wahlster, a member of the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences and the Managing Director of the German Research Center for Artificial Intelligence

in Kaiserslautern, describes the paradigm shift occurring in manufacturing this way: »Production logic is being completely turned on its head. The blank object is now calling the shots.« The product that will be created is equipped with a sort of shopping list con­ taining a wish list for further processing. »In the marketplace of production equipment, the blank object will seek out the machinery capable of turning it into the correct object.« A simple package of granola can be used to illustrate Wahlster’s point. On a chip, which acts as a product’s digital memory, the package carries information about the ingredients that must be added. The package will search for the filling stations for raisins, barley flakes and dried fruit in the »market­ place of production equipment.« Analysis of the purchasing behavior of all customers has already shown which mix is in demand at the moment when the package containing the cereal goes to consumers. The mixing ratio of ingredients was stored on the chip some time ago and communicated to the equipment.

The system steers itself

The basis of Industry 4.0 is formed by the link among people, machinery and prod­ ucts as well as the exchange of information among these groups. This network consists of self-directed, knowledge-based produc­ tion systems. Such networks are also known as cyberphysical systems. They collect and process data from the physical world – things like the sales figures of individual granola

Cover story

Granola production following the fourth industrial revolution: The packaging contains information about the particular mixture that is in demand and directs itself to the appropriate filling stations.

Cover story

»Now that the Web has worked its way into all other areas of life and business, it is creating

smart factories.« – Professor Wolfgang Wahlster

10 TÜV SÜD Journal

Cover story

Three books, one topic: informative reading about the fourth industrial revolution Applied CyberPhysical Systems

The Silent Intelligence Just how far has

The Intelligent Web The author directs

Articles by researchers and practitioners use specific examples to explain the management mechanisms of the Internet of Things.

Sang C. Suh et al., Springer, 256 pages

the Internet of Things come?

Experts from more than 30 companies like Google, Ericsson, AT&T and SAP report on their experiences. Daniel Kellmereit/Daniel Obodovskis, DND Ventures, 166 pages

the »innovation lab« of the Indian automaker Tata and shows how Big Data will shape the type and production of economic goods.

Gautam Shroff, Oxford University Press, 296 pages

mixes – and provide them to network-based services that can be used in the planning, production and distribution of products.

But just how far along is the fourth in­ dustrial revolution? »The extent to which Industry 4.0 has changed business can only be guessed at. The potential and opportu­ nities are immense. But, at the moment, we can only see true changes in several niches,« says Wolfgang Dorst, Head of the Industry 4.0 Department at the German IT trade as­ sociation Bitkom.

Revolution in the bag

To see just how far things have come, Wolf­ gang Dorst only has to look in his brief­ case. The value chain has already reached this far. But that’s not all: There is actual production at work here. »To exaggerate a bit, the smartphone I bought a year ago is being produced over and over again every time the software is updated,« Dorst says. »It is changed, modified and updated – the

manufacturer is in constant contact with me and can offer the right services directly to the actual product. As a result, the com­ pany not only supplies an industrial prod­ uct, but also passes on immaterial goods, software and services at a later time.« This is the revolution within the revolu­ tion. Data are constantly being exchanged, sent and received among customers, produc­ ers, suppliers and logistics operations. The contact with customers is never interrupted.

They give feedback – directly to the man­ ufacturer or indirectly at such places as social networks, professional forums and commentaries. It is all information that can flow into the development and production processes of Industry 4.0. As a result, con­ sumers become a part of the production industry.

Digitalization creates individualized mass production. The outcome: Factories equipped with several product lines have to be built for a market that constantly de­

»If you think radically about the trajectory of the revolution, you could say that

mass production

as we know it today will no longer exist.« – Karin Frick, economist at the Gottlieb Duttweiler Institute in Switzerland

mands new things and still needs the old products. Economies of scale lose their significance. »If you think radically about the trajec­ tory of the revolution, you could say that mass production as we know it today will no longer exist,« Karin Frick says. The econ­ omist and trend researcher at the Gottlieb Duttweiler Institute in Switzerland says she thinks that hyperlocal markets will arise as part of the industry of the future. »In Indus­ try 4.0, the 3-D printer is what the weaving loom was in the first industrial revolution,« she says. And such printers will be located at home, not in a factory, Frick adds. The 3-D printer is the critical tool in the purest form of subsistence economy, a decentral­ized in­ dependent business environment based on an individual’s own needs.

The ideal network

Industry is becoming more democratic, opening itself to external areas and forming links with a number of different sources. But this development also means developing a new understanding of production and pro­ cess security: An ideal »Network Industry 4.0« will give up a large amount of its pow­ er – and, as a result, will cede total control over a system that must open itself if it is to continue to remain competitive.

More on the topic: www.tuv-sud.com/embedded TÜV SÜD Journal 11

Points of view

Points

Karin Frick, Head of Research at the Gottlieb Duttweiler Institute in Rüschlikon, Switzerland

»Humans must not be run over by artificial intelligence.«

A

n industry made up of small units will be the ultimate outcome of the fourth industrial revolution. Consumers and products are coming closer together once again. The concentration of the economy on a single site could be eliminated as a result.

»Industry 4.0 will give life to an economy of decentralized, small units in which consumer behavior will radically change: The shirt that I made myself with my 3-D printer will mean something completely different to me than a €10 shirt bought in a store. The consumer de­ velops a completely new relationship with the product.

But a fourth industrial revolution also in­ volves effectively managing and, above all, evalu­ ating the use of artificial intelligence. Everything will be based on software – and software can be programmed at will. As a result, it becomes pos­ sible to do many things that are unimaginable to us today. As artificial intelligence increasingly does our work and thinking for us, we must take that much more care to ensure that we maintain the upper hand on this intelligence.

In the Internet of Things, machines communi­ cate with one another and make decisions – it will be a responsibility of the entire society, if not an ob­ ligation, to ensure that humans remain part of this communication and retain the ultimate decisionmaking authority. A new logic of business practices also requires a new logic of responsibility.«

Industry 4.0 What are the challenges?

12 TÜV SÜD Journal

Points of view

T

hose who open themselves to new things like Industry 4.0 become vulnerable. After all, it is humans themselves who are the weakest line of defense against external attacks.

This line can be reinforced only through systematic security management.

»From the tiniest sensor in a machine to complex resource planning systems – in Industry 4.0, the number of interfaces that could be well protected in the past with firewalls is increasing. More communication is needed.

Companies must open themselves up, and this increases the opportunities for potential attackers.

Nonetheless, most attacks will still be launched on the typical way: through e-mails, USB f lash drives or simple Web surfing. In Industry 3.0, the weak links in the line of defense were those places where people were directly involved. It will remain this way in Industry 4.0.

What has changed is the blast radius. In the United States, attacks are regularly launched in critical infrastructure, including energy providers. In Germany, by contrast, attacks are designed to steal know-how. To fend them off, it takes a concentrated, detailed securitymanagement system: identifying weaknesses, sketching out threats and taking action. A high degree of security can be gained with rel­atively little effort.«

of View

Holger Junker, Department Head at the German Agency for Security and Information Technology, Bonn

»IT security will become increasingly important in efforts to protect knowledge and infrastructure.«

The impact of the fourth industrial revolution will extend well beyond factory floors. Due to the increased connectedness of products, people and machines, IT and production systems are more vulnerable.

So, responsible actions and security considerations must walk hand in hand.

TÜV SÜD Journal 13

5 minutes

New software standard: support for manufacturers of medical devices

Comprehensive services for the photovoltaics industry

Excellent service quality in China

A number of changes to the process of approving medical devices for use in the European market are on the horizon. One such change involves the implementation of the international standard IEC 62304, which specifies life cycle requirements for software within medical devices and standalone medical-product software.

To make it easier for manufacturers to provide documentation for approval processes – even those in other countries – TÜV SÜD offers product-related certifications.

Southeastern Asia is investing in photovoltaics for its energy needs. Countless large-scale power stations that turn sunlight into electricity are popping up, in Thailand and Malaysia, in particular. As one of only a handful of companies in the region, TÜV SÜD has begun offering a range of services related to these resource-conserving power plants, including services covering safety and grid compatibility. Among its customers is Malaysia’s largest provider of solar electricity, Cytech.

Daimler Trucks and Buses China Ltd. leads the pack when it comes to service quality. TÜV SÜD acknowledged this by presenting the company with a certificate at a special ceremony in late 2013. The company is now the first and only manufacturer of trucks and buses in Asia certified according to the VDA 6.2 standard. This quality standard for automotive service providers was established to improve the efficiency and performance of companies.

markus.wagner@tuev-sued.de

shirley.lee@tuv-sud-psb.sg

zheng.cui@tuv-sud.cn

Electric vehicles help the seriously ill

The Björn Schulz Foundation in Berlin rang in the new year on a happy note: The organization, which provides seriously ill children and their families with nurs­ing care and psychological support, received three new electric vehicles. Volker Blandow, head of E-Mobility at TÜV SÜD, and Frank Schneider from Verband der TÜV e.V. (VdTÜV) gave the foundation‘s president, Jürgen Schulz, the keys to three Nissan Leaf models in early January 2014. The three vehicles will primarily be used for out­ings: trips to the zoo, to the lakes in the region and to other beautiful locations. »The cars will solve many logistical challenges,« Schulz says. »Our employees and the fam­ilies we support will spend less time dealing with the complicated transportation needs they often face.« Volker Blandow (second from left) was especially pleased to be a part of the charitable effort: »I cannot think of any better use for these electric vehicles,« he explains. »The children and their families will put them to good use every day.« The e-cars are part of a showcase project supported by the German government and financed by the TÜV companies that are VdTÜV members. The project has also gifted three cars each to the Albert Schweitzer children‘s villages and to a neighborhood assistance program. volker.blandow@tuev-sued.de

14 TÜV SÜD Journal

5

Certified components for mega wind farm

TÜV SÜD is certifying two offshore transformer platforms for the planned Gemini wind farm, owned by Typhoon Offshore. The certification of the 300-megawatt high voltage transformer platforms will be performed as part of the approval process conducted by Dutch author­ities. TÜV SÜD had already been brought on board to certify 150 support structures for the wind farm‘s offshore turbines. With this new job, the service provider will provide support during the entire de­velopment process With installed capacity of of the offshore wind farm. The Gemini wind farm will be located on the North the Gemini wind farm will supply Sea, approximately 55 kilometers north of the Dutch island of Schiermon­nikoog. around 785,000 households with The transformer platforms convert the environmentally conscious green alternating current from the wind turbines to a direct current and efficient­ electricity each year. ly transport the electricity to shore.

TÜV SÜD has many years of experience in the certification of wind turbines and their attendant components. The experts support planners, erectors, investors and operators, among other professions, in conducting risk analyses, developing occupational safety concepts and performing quality control checks during construction.

600 MW

ulrich.knopf@tuev-sued.de

5 minutes

Chinese clothing and shoes for the world market TÜV SÜD has set up a new testing center for textiles and shoes (»softlines«) in the Chinese megacity Xiamen. The laboratory complex – the company‘s first in the Chinese province of Fujian – opened its doors in mid- in Xiamen complements existing November 2013. From this new location, TÜV SÜD facilities in Beijing, TÜV SÜD will be able to help local companies sell their products on the global market. Lo- Guangzhou, Shenzhen, Wuxi, cated in Xiamen‘s Tong‘an District, the facility Hong Kong and Taipei. offers tests covering the entire value chain of footwear, textiles, bags, toys and consumer goods. The complex is comprised of three different labs outfitted with state-of-the-art testing equipment. The bundling of these services in one testing center provides customers with a clear competitive edge in terms of time and cost.

Satisfaction with TÜV SÜD services high

THE Laboratory complex

misha.lu@tuv-sud.cn

minutes

with TÜV SÜD Recognition for TÜV SÜD standard

How satisfied are vehicle owners with the range of vehicle-related services provided by TÜV SÜD service centers? TÜV SÜD searches for the answer to this question in an independent customer survey once a year: Approximately 2,400 structured interviews covering an exhaustive list of questions were conducted in 2013. The result: The level of satisfaction held steady at a very high level. On a scale from 1 to 6 – with 1 being the highest score, TÜV SÜD received an average rating of 1.5. It was given particularly high scores for staff friendliness and inspector expertise. Vehicle defects were explained in a friendly and easily understandable manner. One particularly pleasing result was that 95 percent of customers said they would recommend TÜV SÜD to others – even though around 20 percent of respondents had not passed the vehicle roadworthiness test. The branches in Ansbach, Leipzig and Passau received the best results in the TÜV SÜD customer survey. lars.kammerer@tuev-sued.de

TÜV Report 2014: light-induced headaches

TÜV SÜD‘s green electricity standard EE01 comes »highly recommended.« This was recently determined by the independent con­sum­er portal Label-online. One thing was viewed in a particularly positive light: The certification criteria for the EE01 standard go well beyond the legal requirements. Power must come from 100 percent renewable sources, and at least two-thirds of the surcharges for green power products must be used to increase renewable energy capacity.

In addition, the EE01 certificate requires that 30 percent of the power generation units are not older than 36 months at the time the certificate is first awarded. klaus.nuernberger@tuev-sued.de

When vehicles fail the roadworthiness test as a result of safety-related defects, the lights are the most common source of the problem. This is the result of the latest TÜV Report 2014 that was released in December 2013. The reason is easy to see: Problems with car lighting systems have topped the list of defects for years – but the number of defects has fallen slightly for the first time: Seven percent of 3-year-old vehicles leave the testing lanes in a bad light. Among 11-year-old vehicles, every fourth car has significant defects. But light is slowly emerging at the end of the tunnel. The main reasons for the improvement include reduced voltage fluctuations and the longer life span of such modern lights as xenon headlamp bulbs. The rising prevalence of onboard diagnostics has been resulting in early detection and timely replacement of defective headlights. The TÜV Report is published each year by Verband der TÜV e.V. (VdTÜV) and is regarded as one of the most important independent sources of information for car drivers and buyers of used vehicles. The report is based on the results of the vehicle roadworthiness tests conducted at all TÜV companies in Germany. As the largest provider of roadworthiness tests, TÜV SÜD contributed approximately 4 million results to the report. johannes.naeumann@vdtuev.de

TÜV SÜD Journal 15

To the test

TO T H E TES T

ASED #16 WEB-B N EDUCATIO N #18 URBA G PLANNIN

DISTANCE LEARnING Digital media have permanently changed the face of initial and further training. Many courses and seminars are now conducted online. In the following interview, Professor Kathleen King discusses how e-learning stacks up against classroom courses.

Interview: Sylke Dersch

Professor King, what impact has digitalization had on learning?

It offers access to an exhaustive range of knowledge and creates new ways of providing further training. Every individual can decide what he or she wants to study when and where. There are no set schedules, restrictions on attendance or registration deadlines as you have with classroom courses.

Under what circumstances do students retain the most of what they have studied?

When the courses are broken down into freely selectable modules and into units that last 10 minutes to 20 minutes. This best suits students’ attention spans when they are studying. Other ideal additions include virtual dialogue situations, virtual group

»E-learning can also improve social skills.« – Professor Kathleen King As a result, e-learning is easier and more convenient. But is it also more effective?

In an ideal situation, it is because it can be better tailored to individual needs.

16 TÜV SÜD Journal

work and as many interactive elements as possible.

What particular demands do webinars place on students?

The very first requirement for e-learning is the ability to use the necessary technology, including the Internet, tablet PCs and platforms like YouTube. These abilities must be continuously honed. Furthermore, students taking courses in a virtual environment must be very self-disciplined, be able to man­age their time well and be capable of understanding audiovisual content. For these reasons, webinars are certainly not suited for everyone as the main medium of learning.

Can webinars completely replace traditional forms of learning?

You will always have certain subjects that are difficult to teach in a distance-learning environment. In this regard, I am thinking about technical topics, soft skills and complicated theoretical subjects.

What do you recommend to companies when they are developing their furthertraining courses for employees?

To the test

More on this Topic

in our Magazine App

Professor Dr Kathleen King Kathleen King is a faculty member of the Department of Adult, Career and Higher Education at the University of South Florida in Tampa (USA).

In her research, she focuses on the topic of distance learning. She also serves as a coach for managers. King has published about two dozens books and written more than 150 academic articles. She also writes a blog at www.transformationed.com.

The key is to first ask employees what and how they like to learn and to get some feedback about training courses. All of this information should be incorporated into future training courses.

What will the future of e-learning look like?

The potential of virtual worlds will be in­ creas­ingly used to promote critical thinking, communication skills and teamwork. In this manner, e-learning can improve soft skills in

addition to teaching work-related subjects.

Studies I have conducted found, among other things, that some introverts gained self-confidence in online forums and then improved their social skills in real life. In the wake of these changes, they attended increasing numbers of further training courses. A positive cycle was put into motion.

More information on this topic: www.tuv-sud.com/academy

TÜV SÜD Journal 17

To the test

One country, one time of day, two photographs: In the top picture, Pudong pulsates with life. In the 1990s, though, this district in Shanghai was much like Kangbashi (bottom) – the Chinese city without people – is today.

Urban PLan 18 TÜV SÜD Journal

To the test

The rule of thumb goes like this: To generate economic growth, you need highly efficient cities.

In applying this rule, countries like China are systematically expanding their cities. But just how plannable is controlled top-down urbanization?

I

t is the dawn of a new era in China! For a decade and a half, the industrial nations of the world have been keeping their eyes trained on China with a mixture of fascination and fear – as it has produced growth rates of more than 10 percent year after year. But, now, the »work­ bench of the world« intends to apply the brakes to its turbo­ charged growth. The country’s political leadership wants to make an about-face, turning its back on an economy pow­ ered by the export of generally low-priced consumer goods and shifting to a slower, more sustainable form of growth. It is an approach in which domestic consumption will play a stronger role. And it is an approach that is designed to fill the yawning gap between life in the country’s cities and its rural regions that shapes life in modern China.

Urbanization: To Chinese prime minister Li Keqiang, this word appears to be one of the keys to the country’s longrange development. The economist and lawyer, who wrote his dissertation on the topic of modernizing urban and ru­ ral areas, wants increasing numbers of farmers to move into cities. His aim is to raise the level of urbanization to 60 per­ cent by 2020. Beijing expects that 1 billion Chinese will live in urban areas by 2030. This will create a huge foundation for planned prosperity.

To create this base, China needs massive, modern munic­ ipal centers. Ideally, they should be completely new and ex­ actly planned to meet residents’ needs. Places like Kangbashi in Inner Mongolia, an autonomous region in China. Color­ ful garlands dangle from the ceiling of a six-story shopping center. Small perfume shops and computer stores populate the lower levels. Lingerie, washing machines, aquariums and dishes – everything large malls have to offer – can be found

These homes on the outskirts of Kangbashi were built by the government. Most of them are vacant, even though prices have fallen sharply. Originally, one square meter of living space cost 20,000 yuan, or €2,400. Today, it’s only 3,000 yuan.

on the upper levels. But the shopping center in this new ma­ jor city has one problem: Shoppers are nowhere to be seen. »I have 10 customers on a good day,« Xia Ming bemoans. The store owner, who is in his mid-50s, sells ladies’ hosiery for 10 yuan a pair, or about €1.20. »To help us out, the govern­ ment sometimes waives the monthly rent of 1,000 yuan,« he explains. »But I still don’t earn more than 20,000 yuan a year.« That’s about €2,400: too little to lead a decent life.

After all, living in Kangbashi is not easy on the pocketbook.

The cost of living is far above the national average. Never­ theless, Xia Ming moved here. The government lured him and many other small shop owners with subsidies, promis­ ing that customers would come. Indeed, Kangbashi has a definite appeal. It is one of China’s biggest provinces and has one of the country’s largest reserves of natural resources. It is home to a sixth of China’s coal deposits and one-third of its gas reserves.

Highway through the middle of nowhere

But since coal prices, the lifeblood of the economy here, began to plunge, Kangbashi has taken on the quality of a ghost town. Kangbashi was drawn up to serve as the home of 300,000 people. The government says the city now has 100,000 residents. The total includes all of the government officials who work here during the day but make the 25-ki­ lometer commute at the end of their workday to their homes in the old city of Dongcheng. Together, the two towns form the city of Ordos. The road from the new to the old is a fourlane highway passing by a gigantic skeleton that once was to become an athletic stadium and 50 apartment buildings that rise 50 floors into the blue sky. Most remain empty.

TÜV SÜD Journal 19

To the test

at the mutual fund company Pioneer Investments. »A new wave of people will settle in these cities and spend more mo­ ney on consumer goods only if they are granted complete rights.« Here, too, hopes are being directed at Li Keqiang, the farmer’s son who has become prime minister. Until the law is changed, the municipal government of Ordos is moving ahead with the expansion of Kangbashi. Major investments continue to be made in infrastructure projects as well as in private- and public-sector buildings. Fast-paced growth like that seen in Kangbashi can only be generated »by cheap mo­ ney,« says Michael Pettis, a professor of finance at Tsinghua University in Beijing. State-run banks are not issuing loans with market-based interest rates, Pettis says. Instead, they are offering fixed, low rates.

Positive gains take time A prime example in Pudong: The urbanization plans of the Chinese government bore fruit in this district of Shanghai.

Ghost towns like this are scattered throughout China. Other, much smaller ones are located in Dantu and Anting in the Jiangsu province, in Erenhot in Inner Mongolia and in parts of Zhengzhou, the capital of Henan province. Are these cit­ies harbingers of the end of the belief in planned urbanization?

One point must be made at first: There are enough people who could move into these new municipal areas and cities.

Over the past few decades, the productivity of Chinese agri­ culture has sharply risen. This development has forced many people to leave villages and move into cities where work is easier to find. The goal of Chinese leaders is for 20 million people to move into urban areas every year. But this has not happened yet. A key reason for this is the hukou system. Since 1958, it has been dividing the Chinese population into two classes: urban residents and rural inhabitants. Citizens are only entitled to receive government support, purchase land or enroll their children in school in the city where they were born and registered. Rural inhabitants who moved to the city became second-class citizens with no social-insurance rights.

There are about 200 million of these types of citizens in Chi­ na, according to Tom Miller, the author of »China’s Urban Billion.« They live in slums. Many of them are building the cities of which they are not allowed to be a part. If they lose their jobs, they are forced to return to their rural homes.

Do cities like Kangbashi have a future? The chances do not look too bad! After all, the success of planned urbanization can take time. Recent examples can be found not only in outof-the-way inland provinces, but also in the boom regions along the coast. The best known is probably Pudong, the

»Cities must

be given time to develop.« – Professor Albert Speer new, state-of-the-art district of the economic center Shang­ hai. In the mid-1990s, Milton Friedman, the Nobel Prizewinning economist, described the district as a »monument for a dead pharoah.« Back then, the city must have looked a lot like Kangbashi does today. But Pudong now has more than 5 million residents. It is home to the financial and com­ mercial center of Shanghai. The new district boasts one of the highest GDPs per capita in all of China.

The morale of the story? »Cities must be given time to develop«, says Professor Albert Speer, an architect and urban planner at the helm of AS&P’s Frankfurt office who oversees large-scale projects in such megacities as Istanbul, Cairo and Shanghai. »I fear that we are not patient enough.« Next to more time for urban development to take hold, what else does he want to see in Europe or Asia? »Regard for residents, environmental conditions and the employment situation. It is important that cities think about these aspects: Where are we coming from, and where do we want to be in 20 or 30 years?«

Bold predictions

»Reforming the hukou system is the key to the success of urbanization,« says Jack Lin, who oversees Asian business 20 TÜV SÜD Journal

More information on the topic of urbanization: www.tuv-sud.com/urbanfuture

On location

People:

Hot iron

W

hen pipes begin to glow and materials are brought to their physical limits, René Siemermann and Claas Lehmkuhl are in their element. That’s because things can re­ ally heat up when the two mechanical engineers get to work.

Siemermann and Lehmkuhl regularly inspect how well pipes and other building components withstand the constant exposure to the heat in the high-temperature zones of the Mannheim power plant. For five years, they have been test­ ing whether electricity can be generated with steam that ex­ ceeds temperatures of 700 degrees Celsius under real-world conditions – nearly 100 degrees more than during »normal operations.« »This would be considerably more efficient and easier on the environment than the way we have been doing things,« Siemermann explains.

Innovative ideas that make conventional coal- and gasfired power plants better and cleaner – these are also part of the energy revolution.

The two TÜV SÜD experts, who also are trained me­ talworkers and welders, are particularly proud of such a project: Europe’s largest district heating accumulator tower went into operation in Mannheim in mid-2013. It can store hot water with an energy content of 1,500 megawatt hours – enough to heat approximately 100,000 households for up to eight hours. »In periods of low demand, the power plant can fill the accumulator tower in order to react more flexibly and ultimately do without almost an entire unit,« Siemer­ mann explains. One of Europe’s most state-of-the-art coalfired power plants, which is being built directly next to the accumulator tower, is also regularly inspected by the two TÜV SÜD experts. Their job: quality control and site super­ vision. »We don’t just inspect the components,« Siemermann says in summing up their work. »We understand what the customer wants. Our goal is to ensure maximum availability of the entire system.« Both engineers also enjoy pushing the limits when they’re not at work: René Siemermann takes his mountain bike on long tours through the nearby Palatinate Forest, while Claas Lehmkuhl has a different ambitious goal. He has been spending up to 18 hours a week training for a very special competition in July 2014: the Triathlon Challenge in the Franconian town of Roth.

René Siemermann (left), Claas Lehmkuhl and the power plant in Mannheim where they work.

More information on this topic: www.tuv-sud.com/power-energy TÜV TÜV SÜD SÜD Journal Journal 21 21

Aufthe dem Weg On move

On the Move

RT #22 SMA G CLOTHIN ER #26 BETT S ENGINE

It is called a »Hövding,« a device that looks like a scarf, but functions like a bicycle helmet. It is already being used in Sweden. When an accident occurs, an airbag forms a protective covering around the rider’s head and neck (see the photo on the far right).

TECHNOLOGY IS IN FASHION

MORE ON this TOPIC

in our Magazine App

22 TÜV SÜD Journal

On the move

Clothes make the person – and when engineers team up with fashion designers, they can do much more.

Outfitted with electronics, jackets, pants and accessories will be able to make our lives easier.

Text: Sandra Lehmann

Haute couture is also experimenting with smart clothes: Smoke-emitting jets encompass the wearer of the »smoke dress« by designer Anouk Wipprecht, in a mystical layer of fog as soon as someone approaches. Right: the scarf airbag called »Hövding.«

C

apes that turn the wearer invisible or hats that sprout rabbits – for centuries and centuries, people have dreamed of owning clothes that possess mag­ ical powers. Chemistry has enabled some of these dreams to come to true. Take the discovery made by Robert W. Gore: If you just work with polytetrafluoroethylene in the right way, the U.S. chemist discovered in 1969, it is possible to produce textiles that are waterproof, but breathable. Elec­ trical engineering is now expected to produce something as revolutionary. The idea is that it will provide clothing with artificial intelligence so that jackets, pants and the like can become »smart clothes.« The term applies to textiles and accessories outfitted with electronic components that can measure, monitor, control and communicate with other devices via the Internet or Blue­tooth technology. At the IFA electronics trade fair held in 2001 in Berlin, smart clothes were discussed for the first time before a large audience. More than 12 years later, the textile industry‘s research departments are working on a number of functions: jackets that are capable of recharg­ ing cell phones, undergarments that can help detect breast cancer at an early stage, and clothes that change color when ozone levels climb high. But very few ideas actually make it out of the inventors’ labs and into the wardrobe. Up to now, only athletic wear has really proven that smart clothes have the potential to become a mass product. One example of a product currently on the market is shoes that count the

number of strides people take while jogging. They wirelessly send the data to an armband that uses GPS to determine the route covered, the difference in altitude and the number of calories burned.

Technically and fashionably following the trend

What makes smart clothes succeed or fail? »A piece of smart clothing must be on trend in both technical and fashion terms,« says Gerhard Schröder, a fashion and technology blogger from Essen, Germany. »It will become popular with customers only if it is just as chic as a traditional piece of clothing is. One other important factor is that the product must be easy to use.« This, however, is frequently not the case. Electronics, the heart of smart clothing, are temperamental. They do not like water, high washing temperatures or spin cycles. And even when it is possible to remove the electronics before cleaning – it is only after considerable effort. »The industry has to make some significant improvements here and develop ways to protect the technology,« Schröder says. For this reason, it will be a num­ ber of years before people‘s closets are filled with smart clothes, he adds. »In the meantime, individual signature products like Google Glass are creating social acceptance for the new acces­ sories and clothing.« More on the topic of clothing: www.tuv-sud.com/softlines TÜV SÜD Journal 23

On the move

New high-performance engines use precious met­ al spark plugs. Alloys of iridium or platinum de­­ liv­er optimal combustion.

24 TÜV SÜD Journal

On the move

MUCH MORE TO COME Hardly ready for the scrap heap: Cars powered by internal combustion engines still have lots of life left in them. Huge amounts of potential are waiting to be tapped in engines and vehicle bodies.

MORE ON this TOPIC

in our Magazine App

Text: Sandra Lehmann

T

he first car, the Patentmotor­ wagen, that Carl Benz patented in 1886, used about 10 liters of gasoline and had less than one horsepower. For roughly the next 100 years, engineers focused on boosting horsepower and gave little thought to mileage. This be­ gan to change in the 1980s when the mantra be­came: »Improve mileage.« As part of this shift, automakers are fo­ cusing on downsizing. They are working on smaller engines that have less displacement and, thus, better fuel efficiency to produce

To save fuel, developers are turning their attention to variable cylinder deactivation. In situations when a car does not need its full power, a V8 engine may run on four cylinders.

TÜV SÜD Journal 25 27

On the move

as much power as a big engine. These gains are achieved through the use of one or more turbochargers that compress air before it is mixed with fuel in the combustion chamber.

The physical trick used in the process is this: During the same period, more air flows into the engine – and the engine’s performance increases in proportion to the amount of air introduced. Fuel-saving secondary effects of this downsizing effort include lower engine weight and less internal friction resulting from the engine‘s reduced displacement. A new study conducted by the Institute of Mo­ tor Vehicles at the RWTH Aachen Universi­ ty says up to 17 percent of fuel can be saved through downsizing.

Less produces more

»Reducing weight, friction and driving resis­ tance has a huge amount of potential,« says Detlev Richter, who oversees environmental

on engines escapes in the form of heat con­ tained in the exhaust. The same amount is lost through the cooling system. And this occurs even though the thermal energy produced in both cases could be converted into mechani­ cal or electrical energy.

Some automakers are beginning to tap this potential and are employing a two-step technology found in state-of-the art gas-fired and cogeneration power plants. In the first step, the waste heat is used to convert a work­ ing fluid into steam. In the second step, the steam drives an expansion machine that pro­ duces mechanical energy through expansion.

This energy can then help the internal com­ bustion engine power systems or the entire vehicle.

One other hot topic is exhaust gas recir­ culation: Noxious nitric oxides are created by the high combustion temperatures that occur within an internal combustion engine.

even further, resulting in additional gasoline or diesel savings of up to 4 percent.

Learning from the diesel engine

Some of these technologies are already being used in diesel engines. Gasoline-powered engines still have some catching-up to do.

Direct fuel injection is one example. In this technology, the process of mixing the air and fuel is shifted to the combustion chamber.

It is now standard in diesel engines. But in vehicles equipped with gasoline engines, the technology is primarily used in luxury cars. While the injection pressure in die­ sel en­gines is between 2,000 and 2,500 bar, gas­oline engines use only 200 to 400 bar. If this pressure were raised, up to 8 percent of fuel could be saved, according to the Aachen study. These savings are achieved by the tight­er compression of the air-fuel mixture in the combustion chamber, produced through the

»Internal combustion engines

have a future – particularly in combination with other driving systems.« – Professor Michael Bargende and drive technologies at TÜV SÜD. The lighter the car, the less power needed to move it. A reduction of 100 kilograms in a vehicle’s weight can result in 0.5 liter of fuel savings per 100 kilometers. Such reductions can be achieved by using such lightweight materi­ als as aluminum, magnesium and fiber-re­ inforced plastics. In looking at the future of new vehicles, the TÜV SÜD expert sees pro­ mise in friction-reducing coatings, alternati­ ve lubricants in the engine and transmission as well as body shapes that focus more on aerody­nam­ics than on design.

Another way to improve gas mileage is to minimize thermal losses. About one-third of energy used by the latest internal combusti­ 26 TÜV SÜD Journal

Instead of escaping into the environment, these pollutants can be used to save energy.

Two options are available: As part of internal exhaust gas recirculation, the intake and ex­ haust valves are opened simultaneously for a few moments. The exhaust gas combines with an air-gas mixture in a process that lowers fuel consumption. External exhaust gas recir­ culation has an even bigger savings effect. In this process, emissions flow through a sepa­ rate pipe into the engine where they combine with fresh air before entering the combustion chamber. This process uses up to 15 percent less fuel, according to the Aachen University study. If the exhaust gas is cooled before being mixed, the gas mixture can be compressed

cooling effect of the directly injected fuel.

The conclusion to be drawn from these many options: »Internal combustion en­gines have a future,« says Professor Michael Bargende, head of the Institute for Internal Combus­ tion Engines and Automotive Engineering at the University of Stuttgart. »For each in­ dividual mobility challenge, we will have to find the best solution. This will require a combination of various promising driving systems. And internal combustion engines are definitely one of them.« More on this topic: www.tuv-sud.com/automotive

On the move

Taking a closer look at engines, exhaust levels TÜV SÜD operates a Europe-wide »emissions network« as part of its effort to assist auto­ makers and suppliers with homologation – that is, the testing of vehicles’ approvability – and with the measurement of exhaust gas.

This network includes an exhaust gas lab in the southern German city of Heimsheim, an emissions lab in Roztoky, Czech Republic, and the Technology and Environmental Center in the southern German town of Pfungstadt. The test­ing company’s network of labs is equipped with all necessary measuring equipment not only for cars, commercial vehicles and mo­bile devices equipped with internal combustion engines, but also electric and alternative drive systems. The tests are done and the measurements recorded in accordance with a number of international standards. The lab in Heimsheim, for example, specializes in emis­sion regulations in Europe, Japan and the United States.

In conventional engines, valves are controlled by the camshaft.

They open and close at the rate of the camshaft’s rotation.

Using a new type of valve man­ agement system, the timing and frequency of the opening and closing are re­moved from this process and become more efficient as a result.

TÜV SÜD Journal 27

To the point

TO T H E P O INT

IDENT #28 ACC CH R E S EA R ING T #30 SIT PRETTY

Text: Thomas Weber

They are stand-ins who are the stars of safety: To help protect human beings, crash-test dummies put their heads and artificial limbs on the line. Here is how these life-sized dolls work.

#1

Ideal lineup The process begins with a casting call. Different types of special dummies are used depending on the type of crash that will be tested. The special­ist for front-end crashes is named Hybrid III. It is 1.80 meters tall and tips the scales at 77 kilos – just like the average car driver. Pedestrians, pregnant women and children also wait in the wings.

#2

Dress rehearsal Can the dummy costing up to €300,000 actually do what it is designed to do? To find out, its measuring instruments are calibrated and functional tests carried out. In one such test, a dummy will be dropped from a height of 40 centimeters.

FALLINg 28 TÜV SÜD Journal

To the point

#3

Makeup & wiring Up to 200 sensors (primar­ ily velocity, force and angle measuring devices) in all parts of the body are connected to recording instruments. A dab of powder is applied to the head and knees so that impact areas are visible later.

#4

And action!

The sled, equipped with a car seat, is brought up to crash speed. The crash itself lasts only a few milliseconds. A high-speed camera records the action.

#5 Preview A single crash produces about 10,000 bits of data. Engineers and emergency physicians analyze them with the help of computers. The aim is to estimate the risks of impact for humans and to minimize them.

More on this topic: www.tuv-sud.com/automotive Blue shirt, a pair of pants, shoes: The dummies are specially dressed for the crash tests. After all, they should be just like humans, from the movement of their spinal column and extremities to their appearance.

#6

Fit for the sequel After five crashes at most, it is time for some treatment. The dummies are reconditioned and their measuring devices recalibrated. They wait in an air-conditioned room for their next role. Their sensitive technology cannot handle fluctuating tempera­ tures. For this reason, the tests are conducted under standard­ ized conditions.

VICTIM TÜV SÜD Journal 29

To the point

Advice:

Do you sit correctly?

An office worker will spend about 80,000 hours of his or her professional life sitting in a chair. For this reason, it is particularly important to find a model that is both comfortable and ergonomic.

1

3

A matter of settings The key to the correct way to sit is to set the height of the seat, backrest and armrests properly. If your lower arms are placed on the armrest at a 90-degree angle to your body, you will lessen the strain on your shoulders and neck. Ideally, your thighs and lower legs should also form a 90-degree an­ gle. The backrest should extend to your shoulder blades.

2 Well

adjusted High-quality office chairs provide lumbar support, a curvature of the backrest in the lower back area. It will adjust itself to the nat­

Best foot forward

ural form of the spinal

The star base of the chair should be wide enough to ensure stability. But watch out: If it ex­ tends too far, it could trip you up.

column and take the stress off the backbone.

A test pays off. To ward off such problems as tight muscles, headaches and nagging back pain, you should take your time while selecting your office chair and put the various models through their paces.

4

A colorful world The wheels will determine just how well you can roll the chair. A color-coding system helps you make a selection. Hard wheels with a single-color lateral face are designed for soft flooring, like carpets. But if the floor is hard, you need soft wheels with two-color lateral faces.

More on product testing at TÜV SÜD: www.tuv-sud.com/ps 30 TÜV SÜD Journal

5

Ideal compass Is a chair ergonomic? Is the gas spring safe? Certification marks like »Ergonomically tested« by TÜV SÜD immediately show whether safety and quality standards are being met.

Academy | dates

Training tips TÜV SÜD Academy A selected seminar series is introduced in each issue of TÜV SÜD Journal. This time, the feature topic is: Modular training for lean production managers More than ever before, companies are faced with the challenge of offering solutions in a cost-efficient manner. They can do so by designing lean production processes. Working as a further-training partner, TÜV SÜD Academy helps companies carry out this effort.

The specific focus of the new training program for lean production managers is the systematic optimization of production and logistics processes.

The program comprises the base module of »lean management tools – production-optimization instruments« as well as advanced various modules: Lean production – planning game for KANBAN, JIT and KVP Lean supply chain management – supply chains and systems for key performance indicators Lean TPM – total productive maintenance Lean set Up – setup time minimization The courses are held throughout the year at locations across Germany. All modules can be booked individually.

More information and available dates can be found online at: www.tuv-sud.com/academy

02/03/04 CALENDAR

You can experience TÜV SÜD in person at the following trade fairs, congresses and events. Our team of experts is looking forward to meeting you.

More information on the dates: www.tuv-sud.com/corporate-events

February E-world, Essen, February 11–13, 2014 Visitors to this leading trade fair for the energy and water industry will find TÜV SÜD at booth 322 in Hall 1. Here, they will be able to learn about such things as certification of green power, biomethane and »green« hydrogen.

March EWEA, Barcelona, March 10–13, 2014 At this European wind-energy conference and exhibition, TÜV SÜD will be located at booth 7B100. It will inform visitors about everything from business-site appraisals to the certification of offshore and onshore wind stations. mipim, Cannes, March 11–14, 2014

wolfgang.humburg@tuev-sued.de

During the largest international real-estate trade fair, TÜV SÜD will talk about its services re­ lated to the embedded value and sustainability of commercial property. Focal points will include construction control, energy-related building management and due diligence services.

Imprint Publisher: TÜV SÜD AG, Westend Street 199, 80686 Munich Owners: TÜV SÜD e.V. (74.9 %), TÜV SÜD Foundation (25.1 %), Westend Street 199, 80686 Munich Head of Corporate Communications: Matthias Andreesen Viegas Project Manager and Editor in Chief: Jörg Riedle Contact: +49 (0)89 5791-0, info@tuev-sued.de Realization: Medienfabrik Gütersloh GmbH, Neumarkter Street 63, 81673 Munich Printing: Eberl Print GmbH, Kirchplatz 6, 87509 Immenstadt Photo credits: Anouk Wipprecht (23), Corbis (13, 15, 17, 18, 19, 20, 24, 25, 30), Fotolia (12, 27), Großkraftwerk Mannheim (21), Hannes Söderlund/imagebank.sweden.se (22), Hoevding (23), Illustration: Skizzomat (1, 6, 7, 8, 10), Illustration (34, 35): LULU*, Jan Scheutzow (4, 5), Messe Hannover (3), TÜV SÜD (2, 14, 15, 21, 32, 33) TÜV SÜD Journal appears quarterly. Articles in the magazine are copyrighted. TÜV SÜD Journal is printed in a climate-neutral manner on paper from sustainable forestry.

carbon neutral

Light + Building, Frankfurt/Main, March 30 – April 4, 2014 During this biennial trade fair for architecture and technology, about 2,300 international exhibitors will present new products in the areas of lighting, electrical engineering, house and building automation, and construction software.

April Hannover Messe, Hannover, April 7–11, 2014 The core topics of the world‘s most important industrial trade fair will be industrial automa­ tion and IT, energy and environmental technologies, industrial supply, production technologies and services as well as research and development.

natureOffice.com | DE-141-715247

print production TÜV SÜD Journal 31

5 minutes

TÜV SÜD certifies rail industry

Certification of particularly sustainable buildings in Asia

One click away from a classic-car expert

The green light has been given for streamlined authorization processes for railway vehicles with regard to EU harmonization: The Rail segment of the TÜV SÜD Group is one of the first companies in Germany to be named a designated body with an interim function by the German Railway Authority.

As a result, TÜV SÜD is able to assist manufacturers with the certification of subsystems and vehicles in accordance with EU Directive 2011/217/EC.

Singapore is an environmental and sustainability pacesetter: The city-state has committed itself to becoming the tropic’s leader for sustainable buildings.

The Singapore Green Building Council (SGBC) began working with TÜV SÜD in this area in October 2013.

Over the next five years, the service provider will val­ idate the conformity of all certificates issued under SGCB guidelines.

In just a few weeks, the first springtime outings with classic cars will start. Owners who want to get their historic vehi­ cles ready for the road right now, have a particular question, or need special assistance are just one click away from the right contact person at TÜV SÜD ClassiC. At www.tuevsued.de/oldtimer, the specialist for these automotive gems has set up a comprehensive database that quickly finds the right expert for car owners.

klaus.bosch@tuev-sued.de

shirley.lee@tuv-sud-psb.sg

oldtimer@tuev-sued.de

TÜV SÜD certifies computer centers under a new standard

Information security is a key factor in a company’s success. For this reason, it is important to rely on an ISO 27001 management system that includes adequate monitoring and control mechanisms. But for data-center operators, this standard frequently does not go far enough because it primarily evaluates organizational processes. MS has developed a new standard that is specifically designed for data centers and also covers technology and infrastructure. LEW TelNet GmbH, a subsidiary of Augsburg-based Lechwerke AG, is the first company to be recognized as a »TÜV SÜD certified data center.« Among other things, its operational processes, energy supply operations, employee training programs and building safety were reviewed.

Rainer Seidlitz (left) of TÜV SÜD presented the award at the end of 2013 to Johannes Stepperger, managing director of LEW TelNet GmbH. TÜV SÜD also offers its own certification for high-security data centers. rainer.seidlitz@tuev-sued.de

32 TÜV SÜD Journal

New testing process for composite materials in plane construction

5

The heavier a plane is, the more fuel it uses. In developing new planes, manufacturers began using particularly light materials that are especially strong some time ago.

Today, increasing amounts of composite materials, including carbon-reinforced plastics, are being used. Because new materials require new testing processes, TÜV SÜD has The airplanes of the future will devel­oped the Testing Automated Robotized be up to Ultrasonic System (T.AU.R.U.S.). It will be used to conduct nondestructive tests of airlighter thanks to the use of plane components for Boeing, among other composite materials. things. T.AU.R.U.S. is designed in particular for small and midsized components with complex geometries. The system combines conventional ultrasound devices and mechanical testing equipment with special software. »As a result, we achieve a high flow rate for test objects without hurting the testing quality,« says Valter Capitani of TÜV SÜD Bytest, a TÜV SÜD Group subsidiary that specializes in materials testing. By doing so, the new system creates a time and cost advantage for the company’s customers in the aviation industry. In turn, this creates an important edge in international competition.

20 percent

valter.capitani@tuv.it

5 minutes

TÜV SÜD employees drive electrically Across Germany, TÜV SÜD is committed to the innovative electric cars made by BMW and has become the first testing organization to use the new BMW i3 as a pool vehicle. Employees may use the vehicles for business trips or customer visits in various regions of Germany. In using the vehicles, the company has sent a clear signal regarding electric cars’ safety and suitability for everyday use. »Individual mobility of the future is electric – we deeply believe this,« says Bernhard Kerscher, managing director of TÜV SÜD Auto Service. »By selecting the BMW i3, we are clearly expressing our commitment to electric mobility. Our colleagues make local trips without generating any emissions and the operating costs are considerably lower as well.« The experts of TÜV SÜD are certain the employees will really enjoy driving the electric vehicles. After all, as electric-mobility service providers, they know electric vehicles inside and out. For years, TÜV SÜD has been working in many areas to help electric mobility quickly and surely become a reality. vincenzo.luca@tuev-sued.de

minutes

with TÜV SÜD

Better management of used vehicles

Ninety-one days – it takes this long on average for a dealer to sell a used vehicle. It is a long period because the time that the vehicle is parked on the lot costs the dealer real money. The evaluation system TÜV SÜD in Motion (TIM) now helps minimize these costs.

The special feature: The system provides an interface to the software AlphaController that many used-car dealers employ to manage their vehicles. All data and documents related to the vehicles can be accessed online from any work station in real time using AlphaController. And, of course, the results of TÜV SÜD expert assessments are available as well. Thanks to this option, car dealerships save time and money and preserve their independence. robert.becht@tuev-sued.de

Partnership for the energy revolution

Successful in South Korea with the KC Mark

TÜV SÜD and the government-run Korea Testing Laboratory (KTL) will work closely together on implementing IEC 61850. A mem­ orandum of understanding on the partnership was signed at the end of 2013. The international standard IEC 61850 forms the basis of communications in smart grids. It was devised in response to the global push to use renewable energies: As part of this effort, electrical grids must be brought up to the latest standards. One essential requirement for integrating various systems into the grids is the communication capabilities of individual devices and complete units. This standard is increasingly being used internationally for communications between smart electronic devices in the the smart gird. It is applied in all areas – production, transmission, usage, photovoltaic and wind-energy systems, electric vehicles, storage units and smart homes. The partnership set up between TÜV SÜD and KTL applies to the performance of conformity tests, IEC 61850 certification as well as training and consulting services regarding all smart grid issues.

In terms of industrial automation, the world is growing together. TÜV SÜD helps the manufacturers of systems and components meet the requirements of international markets – like South Korea. Here, such devices as electric equipment, telecommunication components and products with industrial applications must bear the KC Mark. For this purpose, TÜV SÜD offers a number of services, including design testing in a laboratory, the preparation of test reports and the provision of the appropriate documentation. All necessary tests and certifications are offered locally by the re­spective TÜV SÜD national subsidiary. One particularly important point: By complying with safety standards and having comprehensive documentation, manufacturers and operators can keep the risk of accidents and the resulting liability to a minimum.

maurizio.scavazzon@tuev-sued.de jc.rode@tuev-sued.de

TÜV SÜD Journal 33

The final say

Technological leap Researchers are busy developing a new generation of televisions that will revolutionize much more than sports broadcasting.

A

s the Olympic Games approach each time, the television industry and retailers hope that the miracle of Munich will repeat itself. The event occurred in 1972. Color televisions had been around a long time by then.

But there was hardly anyone who could afford one – that is, until the Summer Games rolled around. The upcoming gathering of the world’s top athletes caused sales to skyrocket.

The Olympic Games are approaching once again this year. But is there a new television technology that you just have to buy before they begin?

Scientists and developers around the world are working on one at any rate. With this technology, 3-D images will emancipate themselves from fixed screens and be proj­ ected into the room as moving holograms.

This type of image transmission is a dream of mankind, says computer scientist Volker Hahn, who has been conducting research in this area for years at such organizations as the Fraunhofer Institute for Computer Graph­ics Research in Darmstadt, Germany. To get a feel for the technology, he urges people to think of a famous scene from »Star 34 TÜV SÜD Journal

The final say

MORE ON THE TOPIC

IN OUR MAGAZINE APP

Wars« in which the robot R2-D2 enables a virtual of image of Princess Leia to appear before Obi-Wan Kenobi and Luke Skywalker and to ask for help.

It may sound like science fiction, but it is already a reality. Alex Butler and his team at Microsoft Research in Cambridge have succeeded in making holographic figures walk through a room. These objects still may resemble something produced by a laser show in the 1980s. »But we are working to make the 3-D scenes more realistic,« Butler says.

Unfortunately, the new 3-D televisions will not be available for this year’s major sporting events. But this could be a good thing. After all, who wants to have a ski jump­er land on a coffee table or in the middle of the couch?

TÜV SÜD Journal 35

Despite the efforts of many countries to reduce their carbon footprint, global emissions of greenhouse gases are climbing.

What can be done to stop them?

CO2 emissions per citizen in tons

MORE ON this TOPIC

IN OUR MAGAZINE APP

38.2

21.0

17.4

16.9

11.7

9.1

7.1

6.5

5.9

5.1

2.1

1.4

Qatar

United Arab Emirates

Australia

United States

Russia

Germany

United Kingdom

Italy

China

Switzerland

Brazil

India

Source: International Energy Agency, 2013

USING ENERGY EFFICENTLY

T

he situation has become so severe that the International Energy Agency felt compelled to issue a special report at the end of last year: a new version of its »energy climate map.« Its alarming message: Worldwide emissions of greenhouse gases continue to rise. More than half of carbon dioxide emissions are produced by just five countries: China (23 percent), the United States (16 percent), India (5 percent), Russia (5 percent) and Brazil (4 percent). The leaders in CO2 emissions per capita is Qatar, followed by the United Arab Emirates and Australia (see the table).

The agency’s conclusion: Despite the strides made in some countries, the goal set by governments around the world to cap the average rise

of global temperatures at 2 degrees Celsius can be achieved only if fast action is taken. The biggest lever is the energy sector, the agency said.

It is responsible for about two-thirds of greenhouse gases because more than 80 percent of global energy comes from fossil sources. As a result, the agency calls for an end to the subsidies provided to fossil fuels – in 2011, $523 billion in government aid was provided – and for targeted energy-efficiency programs. These two steps alone could cut emissions by about half, the agency said. Examples include the introduction of energy efficiency standards for buildings, particularly in terms of lighting, heating and air conditioning, as well as improving engine systems in industry and transportation.