TÜV SÜD Journal 2/2015 (english version)

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TÜV SÜD

JOURNAL EST #16 TO THE T cure are signatures, ID check: Just how se scans? fingerprints and iris OVE #24 ON THE M An interview with TÜV SÜD Foundation: rst Schneider the new chairman, Ho OINT #28 TO THE P w does water Sk yscrapers: Just ho p floor? actually reach the to

# 02 2015

S SMART ROBOT

D O O H D L I H LEAVING C BEHIND


Editorial

DEAR READERS, Will robots soon take over our everyday lives? In industrial production, smart machines have been integral members of many plants for a long time now. Over the past few years, rudimentary robots have also been becoming members of our households, performing such chores as cleaning all by themselves. We are now about to enter the next era: machines that will be able to work with people. The challenge is to guarantee safety and minimize the chance of injury when people and machines work together. Such collaborative robots must be equipped with all sorts of new qualities: They must be able to react much better to their environment and particular situations than previous models could. TÜV SÜD is also involved in interesting research projects being conducted in this area. By the way: Digitization also plays a major role in TÜV SÜD Journal. For more than two years now, you have been able to read individual issues of the magazine by using an app on your Android or iOS Download now at www.tuv-sud.com/journal tablets. We have now given the app a small optical makeover. The digital version of our customer magazine now provides you with even more additional features, background information and clear structuring. I hope you enjoy this edition!

TÜV SÜD journal app for Android and iOS:

Best regards,

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

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Table of contents

#06

COVER STORY Just how smart are the latest robots? A visit to a research lab in Genoa.

To the

On the

To the

TEST

MOVE

POINT

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 daily lives.

Get to the bottom of it: Our »addedvalue« pages make complex issues understandable.

#16 Key technology We are regularly asked to prove our identity. There are all sorts of ways to do this: from a written signature to voice recognition. An overview.

#22 Electrifying Elevators, stages, beer tents, factories – TÜV SÜD has been ensuring the safety of electrical systems for more than 100 years now. A travel back in time.

#28 Rising water A high-rise shower: Just how do the world‘s tallest skyscrapers manage to produce enough water pressure hundreds of meters above the ground?

#18 Urban visions In 2050, nine billion people will be living on Earth – most of them in metropolitan areas. To freshen these concrete jungles, architects and urban planners are bringing nature back to the city.

#24 Overcoming doubts For five years, the TÜV SÜD Foundation has been helping young people get excited about natural sciences. An interview with the new foundation chairman, Horst Schneider.

#30 Consumer adviser: cracked window A piece of gravel tumbles from a dump truck travelling in front of you – and then you have a problem: a small crack in the windshield that can quickly become a safety hazard. Five tips.

#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 TÜV SÜD Journal 3


in focus TÜV SÜD im Bild

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TÜV TÜV SÜD SÜD in imfocus Bild

Lap

BY LAP The roaring sound of their motorcycles is something that gets bikers‘ hearts racing: Ducati is one of the world‘s most widely known motorcycle producers. The company based in Bologna, Italy, with the long tradition has been turning heads with its bikes for decades now. One of its heroes is Chaz Davies. The Briton who was born in 1987 and wears the number 7 regularly finishes at or near the top in the international races he rides on his super bike. Ducati is also among the leaders when it comes to sustainability. TÜV SÜD has awarded ISO 14.001 environmental certification to the company‘s production facilities and proving grounds. In the process, TÜV SÜD analyzed not only energy efficiency and emissions, but also the manufacturer‘s chemicalhandling procedures and emergency contingency plans. At the conclusion of their job, TÜV SÜD‘s specialists were able to determine that Ducati is a leader off the racetrack as well. More information: www.tuv.it

TÜV SÜD Journal 5


Cover story

A robot that is just as smart as a human being. Such visions still belong to the realm of science fiction. But not for much longer: This particular idea is moving, step by step, toward becoming an everyday reality. With his »iCub,« the Italian robotics expert Giorgio Metta has set off on a mission to copy the human brain. A visit to his lab in Genoa. Text & photos: Timour Chafik

HER LOOKING LITTLE The iCub is a creation of Giorgio Metta (right). The robot child has 29 twin brothers in laboratories scattered around the world.

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T

he way that Signore Giorgio Metta is standing next to his little brainchild, you begin to think he just might gently stroke the machine's shiny plastic head at any moment. Perhaps, he will even slip a pair of knee socks over the metal legs of his creation to ward off the chill. Such is the life of proud fathers: It is their job to take care of their daughters and sons, hug them, console them, feed them and rock them to sleep. And, once they have grown a bit, to help them learn to walk. Not this little guy, though – he is already quite capable of moving from one place to another all by himself. He took his very first tentative steps on a stage covered by smooth linoleum flooring and filled with the glare of harsh lights. Protruding from his back was a thumb-sized tube that snaked its way back to a phalanx of high-


Cover story

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E'S AT YOU, GUY! performance computers that recorded and analyzed every slight movement it made. Just like every other proud father. With cameras and recording devices, they track the growth and progress being made by their offspring for the whole world to see and hear. And once their little darlings have left the nest, they can proudly say things like: »I always knew they would make something of themselves.« Not Giorgio Metta, though. The 45-yearold has this to say about his own electronic offspring: »Actually, he's really pretty dumb.« But Metta doesn't hold this against him and gently strokes the robot's metal shoulder. At the moment, the electronic tyke is limply dangling like a marionette in a framework made of steel and belts, his eyes shut. You can only hope that it didn't happen to hear his father's put-down. The robot's torso gives off a pale blue light.

Produced in an open-source process

Giorgio Metta is the father of a robot child. Or to be even more precise: He is the father of 30 robot children who all share the name iCub and live their electronic lives in institutes located in Tokyo, Munich, Genoa, London, Paris and Chicago. iCub: The name is drawn from the »Jungle Book,« a collection of stories in which animals bestow the name of »man cub« on the human boy Mowgli. Giorgio Metta loves fantastic stories. During his adolescence, he devoured science fiction. Then, in 2001, he began to write futuristic stories of his own. As the world entered a new millennium, he was working as a postdoctoral associate at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and decided that the time had come to build a humanoid, a being that can learn as TÜV SÜD Journal 7


Cover story

»People have always dreamed of becoming

– robotics expert Giorgio Metta

Side by side Until recently, Japanese factories used protective fences to separate workers and robots from each other – for safety reasons. Today, each group works side by side – thanks in part to the prototype CR-35i developed by the FANUC Group. TÜV SÜD Japan recently inspected and certified the functional safety of the control unit used in this collaborative robot. It is equipped with sensors and can work with operating personnel in the most confined places. The machine comes to an immediate stop if it happens to come in contact with a human. In the future, the CR-35i could do difficult jobs in the automotive industry, mechanical engineering, and the electrical and electronic industry.

Bella Macchina: A blueprint of iCub bears a strong resemblance to drawings made by Leonardo da Vinci.

The robot child improves its motor skills by playing with balls.

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Cover story

TH HREE BOOKS, ONE SUBJE ECT: AR RTIFIICIAL L INTE ELL LIG GENC CE Developmental Robotics Robotics

Artificial Intelligence The standard

Professor Angelo Cangelosi and psychology Professor Matthew Schlesinger explore how the cognitive patterns of children can be transferred to robots. MIT Press, 410 pages

work by IT Professor Stuart Russel and Google researcher Peter Norvig. It provides readers with an overview of research into artificial intelligence. Pearson, 1,132 pages

humans do. He then called a former professor of his, Giulio Sandini, and told him all about his plans. He said he wanted to create an artificial child. This was to be a child to whom parents and teachers would explain the workings of the world. And, above all, it was to be a child capable of creating something bigger from the sum of informational tidbits it had been fed. No flesh. No blood. Just technology. »I firmly believed we would be able to build a robot based on the human model,« he says. As part of his work, he was determined that the iCub would not be developed in a secret laboratory tucked away in some ivory tower. Rather, the iCub was to be the product of open-source development: All codes, all plans and all research results were and are published, a trove of material available to the entire scientific community. The EU chipped in €8.5 million to help finance the interdisciplinary project that went by the name »Robotcub« at the time. Three years later, hundreds of researchers launched their effort to develop a child-like humanoid. Is artificial intelligence life?

Today, throngs of researchers and interested people travel from all parts of the world to meet with Giorgio Metta, the Director of the »iCub Facility« in Genoa. They all want to shake the hand of artificial intelligence, look it in the eye and play ball with it. People who want to see how it can hold a stuffed octopus or a red plastic ball or how it can maintain its balance while standing on one leg just

have to travel to a place located roughly 12 kilometers north of the Italian port city. A narrow serpentine road takes them higher, past rows of apartment buildings erected in the 1970s whose balconies form a panoply of colorful laundry flapping in the wind. Soon, they will see a light-brown, seven-story mass of concrete pressed against the hillside. Standing outside the building, they would never guess this is home to one of Italy's leading research institutions: the Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia. Inside, on the fifth floor and behind walls of glass, people are busy working on the human machine named iCub. This is where Giorgio Metta has his tiny office, one whose walls are interspersed with small children's drawings by his real son, Fabrizio, and huge images of the iCub. The place is also filled with metal hands, metal faces and metal arms. Here, a torso. There, one shoulder. Next to them, a pair of eyes stares blankly into space, the pupils dilated in order to allow as much light as possible to work its way into the high-speed cameras stored within. The team constantly tinkers with its creation, turning screws, rebooting the system, updating software, repairing components and programming the machine. When the technicians are in a good mood, they call the robots »cucciolo,« the little pup. At other times, they call them Bluey, Blacky or Lilly, depending on the color in which the machines glow. And when the technicians are feeling really good, they play ball with them. A robot's life seems to be filled with all sorts of adventures.

C Cambridge Handb book of Artificial IIntelligence In this bbook published by Keith Frankkish and William M. Ramsey, sscientists from a wide range of d disciplines explore the subject oof artificial intelligence. Univversity Press, 366 pages

Intelligent robots: humans vs. machines Eleven soccer players take on ten robots – with the help of TÜV SÜD, such a match will become a reality some time soon. Smart Segways that have been programmed with the tactics of a team like FC Bayern or Real Madrid will tremendously improve soccer teams' practice sessions. The Segways will play just like real players: They will fake out opponents, close space and play defense. »Many teams are interested in the system. But only after its safety has been assured,« says Dr Detlev Richter of TÜV SÜD. The problem: In places where robots work so closely with humans, they must be able to »react intelligently« – an ability that includes maintaining safe distances from players to prevent injuries. For this reason, TÜV SÜD is conducting research to determine how such a system of complex sensors can be certified. It's an experience that can also be transferred from the soccer field to industrial plants: Here, too, working relationships between robots and humans will increase in years to come.

TÜV SÜD Journal 9


Cover story

Joint problems? For robots, such ailments can be fixed with the turn of a screw.

But just what sort of life are we talking about? The technological being standing next to Giorgio Metta is roughly the size of a 3- to 4-year-old. It is 94 centimeters tall and tips the scales at 22 kilograms. It keeps track of the world around it with the help of two huge eyes. It also has a total of 53 degrees of freedom, or freely selectable modes of movement. As a result, it is much more agile than most of its other humanoid relatives. When the iCub is booted up in the morning, that is, when the technology turns on the computers, it will tilt its head back, roll its eyes and spread its arms as if to say »catch me!«. In the process, it gently whirs, creating the impression that it is almost breathing. Is this really life? 10 TÜV SÜD Journal

Copying and understanding the brain

Metta built the iCub to get to the bottom of this question. »People have always dreamed of becoming creators. They have always thought about bringing something lifeless to life,« he says, sounding like a philosopher. But, a moment later, he slips back into the world of science and says: »We design, build and create something. Through our creation, we understand how it works. When we create artificial intelligence, we enable ourselves to gain a deeper and better understanding of human intelligence.« In Metta's work, human beings – or, to be more precise, their brains – serve as a blueprint and a focal point of research. The institution director is trying to produce a copy of the brain. With this copy, he intends to gain

an understanding of it in order to reproduce certain aspects of it in robots. But he also knows that he has taken on an impossible task: »When you are talking about flexibility, movement control and adaptability, you simply cannot beat our brain – it is really the best example of a functioning cognitive system in nature,« he says. »Unfortunately, machines are pretty limited.« While talking, one of the four iCubs at the institute casts a somewhat serious look. It is trying to grab a red plastic ball. And, while at the moment the robot is not having much luck as the algorithms dictate, its eyebrows, two lines of red light arrayed on its forehead, point downward. Perhaps it is simply concentrating right now, this robot child. Whatever is going on, it's obvious the


Cover story

Time to hang out. The iCub takes a break from work. Employees working with Giorgio Metta connect the robot to analytic computers.

»I couldn't believe my eyes when I saw a robot react to

for the first time.« – Giorgio Metta, Director of the iCub Facility, Genoa

problem is weighing on its mind. A simple expression reveals this internal state, an act that enables the real human being standing in front of it to feel something else: a touch of humanity. The person thinks that indeed a bit of emotion has been implanted into this electronic brain. You want to help it, to teach it to grab the ball and to think further: »The robot child is putting itself into it,« you think. As a result, you feel empathy for it. Artificial intelligence is evolving

Giorgio Metta expresses it with a scientific term, something he calls »embodied cognition.« By this, he means the idea that the mind is no longer seen as an abstract information processor: »If we want to develop intelligence that is compatible with our own,

it needs to be packaged in a similar manner to our own.« »Intelligence of past times« tended to be incorporeal, he says, one in which a computer performs only the logical thinking and produces results – regardless of the casing. »Artificial intelligence in today's world is different. It reflects an understanding that we need a body in order to think logically and to interact with our environment.« Artificial intelligence in today's world is much more: Packed into a casing that resembles a small child, it awakens an observer's protective instincts. You speak more clearly and slowly to it. You also explain things more patiently to it because you instinctively expect a child to have less complex abilities than an adult. This is good for a robot, which, in this manner, can use its continuously re-

fined sensors and algorithms to learn. »I couldn't believe my eyes when I saw a robot react to my movements for the first time,« says Giorgio Metta. »It interacted with me! It was a feeling of life.« His son has a different perspective, though. His real son, Fabrizio, that is. When the boy was three, his father took him to the Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia and showed him one of the first iCubs. It was a disappointing experience for the boy: »It doesn't answer. It's not at all real,« he whispered in his father's ear. Real people are simply different from robots. They are so refreshingly unpredictable.

More information: www.tuv-sud.com/industrial-electronics

TÜV SÜD Journal 11


Point of view

Rolf Pfeifer is considered to be a robot guru. Before reaching retirement age, the mathematician and physicist directed the Laboratory for Artificial Intelligence at the University of Zurich. Today, the 68-year-old is in Japan, where he is conducting research on »Roboy« at the University of Osaka. Such a robot will be given the job of serving guests in the bar that Pfeifer plans to open once he really does retire. But, at the moment, retirement is the last thing on his mind.

Professor Pfeifer, we already have self-driving cars and stock-trading machines: Technical systems are now able to do more and more different jobs and are even better at some of them than humans. Should we be worried about losing our jobs to them? You are right. There are a great many individual jobs that machines can do better and faster than people. Furthermore, they do not make mistakes and never get tired. They have a great many strengths, and we profit from them. But I don't think we have anything to be worried about. Actually, we should be happy about them. Are people's fears about becoming obsolete unfounded? At the very least, you can say there's no rational basis for them. Sure, we'll no longer need people to do certain jobs. But we will need them to do other things. After all, someone has to invent, construct, maintain and monitor the machines. Will we soon have a robot that can do everything? If you are talking about a robot that has human qualities, then the answer is quite clear: no. Such a robot would have to get hungry and thirsty, show emotions and understand how its digestive system works. Its physiology would have to be similar to human physiology. But this will never be the case. 12 TÜV SÜD Journal

DON'T Robots will en


Point of view

OF VIEW »Robots need a body in order to interact intelligently with their environment.«

Because the mind needs a body in order to grow? Exactly. In terms of human evolution, intelligence has always developed as part of an organism. Our brain is part of our body, which maintains a relationship with the environment and interacts with it. Communication with the environment is carried out through our bodies. Our brains process the information. The humanoid robot »Roboy« that you developed has a body and facial expressions. It can also wink and shake hands. That's right. Still, something is missing. The ability to manipulate things, for instance, or to interact socially. We have language, and we can interpret facial expressions and body language as well as respond to them in the appropriate way. So far, robots have been able to do such things only to a very limited degree. Can humans' ability to learn be transferred to robots? As a rule, robots equipped with the right sensors can learn something about their environment. And they really have to.

WORRY rich our lives

Because sensors are a key requirement for people and machines to safely work together? Correct. Conventional industrial robots that perform such tasks as welding together car bodies have no sensors and are not designed to interact with people as a result. By contrast, sensitive robots are capable of interacting with society. Even if they run into a person, nothing much will happen because their shells are soft and pliable. Will robots set our tables at home or clean the windows anytime soon? I think robots will become a part of our living environment and our daily lives in the future. The unanswered question is whether they will be humanoid robots or specialized machines. I also think we'll get used to them and we'll enjoy living with them. TÜV SÜD Journal 13


5 minutes

German world market leader TÜV SÜD

Guide to better global market access

TÜV SÜD Japan tests medical devices

TÜV SÜD has once again been included in the »Lexicon of German Global Market Leaders.« In the completely updated edition published in spring 2015, the 700-page book introduces readers to German companies that are world leaders in their particular industries. The TÜV SÜD brand stands for independent testing and certification services around the world, the authors wrote.

The market for electrical and electronic products is very international. For this reason, it is vital for manufacturers to have a good understanding of the most important approval requirements in worldwide markets. A new guide prepared by TÜV SÜD helps them gain a fast and clear overview of all relevant regulations. The free e-book can be downloaded from www.tuv-sud.com/gmaguide.

TÜV SÜD Japan is now permitted to certify »specially controlled« medical devices – that is, Class III medical devices – for the Japanese market. The company is one of only two accredited certification organizations appointed by the Japanese Ministry of Health. As a result of this decision, TÜV SÜD can expand the services it provides to the global health-care market.

boris.gehring@tuev-sued.de

heidi.atzler@tuev-sued.de

kosuke.shirako@tuv-sud.jp

Globally comparable consumer standards for cars

Better comparability, more practical relevance, one standard for all: These are the objectives of the Worldwide Harmonized Light Vehicle Test Procedures – or WLTP. Beginning in 2017, the new global emissions and consumer standard will be introduced step by step in the EU and in many other countries. In Europe, it will replace the New European Driving Cycle (NEDC) as a standard for the approval of new vehicle models. As one of the leading providers of comprehensive vehicle-homologation services, TÜV SÜD has already ramped up for the new cycle in its exhaust-gas labs in Germany and the Czech Republic. The major differences between the new WLTP standard and the old NEDC are: vehicle classifications based on weight and power, higher speeds, longer testing times, dynamic operational profiles and vehicle-specific gear-shift points. This will simplify global homologation and make it easier to compare vehicles. Countries that will use the standard include EU members, China, India, Japan, South Korea, Russia and Turkey. pascal.mast@tuev-sued.de

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5

Ultrasound tomography for special testing jobs Components in factories, industrial facilities and power plants must undergo regular inspections. But current processes used for nondestructive testing based on such technologies as ultrasound have reached their limits for many components because, in part, the components are becoming increasingly Ultrasound tomography can complex. For this reason, components be used to inspect like industrial valves, pressurized pipes and steam boilers must be inspected using a different, more individual process that previously could not be to ensure safe continued operations. optimally accessed or inspected. TÜV SÜD has just created a form of highly developed ultrasound tomography (sampling phased array) for special inspection jobs and practical use. On the basis of the results, findings can be identified and evaluated much better than before. The new type of inspection system was produced in a partnership among TÜV SÜD, the Fraunhofer Institute for Non-Destructive Testing and I-Deal-Technologies, Saarbrücken, Germany.

COMPONENTS

hans-christian.schroeder@tuev-sued.de


5 minutes

Hardly any rules for private smartphone use Many employees use company devices like laptops or smartphones for private purposes – but very few companies have rules governing such usage, according to the latest findings of the TÜV SÜD Data Security Indicator. »Action needs to be taken,« says Rainer Seidlitz, the authorized officer at TÜV SÜD Sec-IT GmbH. »And the reason in companies: try it yourself at is clear: The use of some applications can www.datenschutzindikator.de provide access to sensitive data because very many rights are granted to the provider. For this reason, companies should introduce effective compliance rules and inform their employees about them.« Companies that take appropriate technical and organizational data-security steps will also be complying with an important legal regulation.

Stadtwerke Japan puts its trust in TÜV SÜD

DATA SECURITY

rainer.seidlitz@tuev-sued.de

minutes with TÜV SÜD Praise for technical inspections Independent inspections of hazardous technical facilities provide Germany with an unprecedented level of safety. That is the conclusion reached in the 2015 Facility Safety Report released by the Verband der TÜV e.V. (the association of TÜV companies) at the end of April 2015. But the inspection experts expressed their concerns about the high number of defects found in elevators and the large amount of elevators that still have not been inspected as required. Experts estimate that 660,000 elevators are subject to inspection in Germany. But they say only about 508,000 elevators were reported for inspection by their operators in 2014. The Facility Safety Report contains the results of regular, independent inspections conducted by accredited bodies on elevators, pressure equipment and facilities that pose explosive hazards.

TÜV SÜD has begun to advise Stadtwerke Japan, a newly created subsidiary of the Japanese company West Holdings. A partnership agreement was concluded in March 2015 by Toshihisa Nagashima (West Holdings), Volker Blandow, Global Head of e-Mobility at TÜV SÜD AG, and Dr Andreas Stange, Managing Director of TÜV SÜD Japan (see photo). The advisory support is initially limited to one year. It covers such areas as new business models, decentralized energy supplies and the evaluation of technology options. The core business of the new Stadtwerke Japan is developing decentralized administration for municipal infrastructures, with a special focus on energy supply in the beginning. Other typical infrastructures for public services, including the water supply and sanitation, trash removal and the local heating supply, are scheduled to follow. West Holdings established Stadtwerke Japan in preparation for the upcoming liberalization of the Japanese energy market. But the new company‘s business objectives are much broader. volker.blandow@tuev-sued.de

Training for offshore wind energy Taiwan invests in the expansion of offshore wind energy: By 2030, 600 units with a total output of 3,000 megawatts are to be in operation. The necessary measurements of the units and wind farms are to be performed by the Metal Industries Research & Development Center (MIRDC) in Kaohsiung, Taiwan. As a rule, measurements will be made of power curves, load limits and acoustic emissions in accordance with international standards and guidelines. To speed up the expansion of offshore wind energy in Taiwan, MIRDC has hired TÜV SÜD to carry out a broad training program. During the courses comprising the program, representatives from government agencies, manufacturers, wind farm operators and other market players will learn about the content and application of the international standards governing offshore wind energy. The program is scheduled to last for two years. It will include the development and implementation of inspection and certification processes as well as training of participants in Taiwan and Germany.

johannes.naeumann@vdtuev.de martin.webhofer@tuev-sued.de

TÜV SÜD Journal 15


To the test

KEY TEC

TO THE TES T ING 16 PROV NTITY YOUR IDE N AND #18 GREE THE CITY

Every person is unique. The essence of an individual's identity can be found in his or her eyes, voice and many other biometric identifiers. Will these personal characteristics soon make keys and numeric codes obsolete?

W

hen people need to get cash in Japan, they usually have to lend themselves a hand. The process works like this: The customer will hold his or her hand in front of a scanner built into the automated teller machine. The ATM will then verify the identity of the customer and spit out the desired amount of money. Biometric recognition systems

FACIAL RECOGNITION Cameras run beams of light over a person's face, producing an exact virtual copy of it. The system uses the 3D facial scan to produce vector points that can be employed to identify the scanned individual. The data can be used by people who want to log into computer networks – and possibly for border control purposes in the future.

like palm vein recognition and fingerprint scans to unlock smartphones are slowly but surely becoming a part of our daily lives and are replacing, step by step, conventional identification and legitimation processes like numeric codes and door keys. But just how secure are the most popular new systems? Which applications are they best suited for? And how do they work? An overview.

FINGERPRINTS Every fingerprint is one of a kind. But it is not particularly well suited for checking an individual's identity – after all, it can be copied from the surface of a device like a tablet computer screen and then reproduced. To prevent this, the latest devices use various biometric sensors. These devices produce images of friction ridges and conduct a biodetection process using ultrasound or infrared rays. Depending on the security level, the scanners can read one or all ten fingers. Fingerprint processes are also being increasingly used to secure data storage devices like hard drives and flash drives.

PALM VEIN RECOGNITION The pattern found in the veins that run through an individual's hands and fingers also creates a unique data combination. An infrared scanner »reads« handprints, finger veins and palms. The real trick: The oxygen-deficient blood carried by the veins absorbs more rays than the surrounding tissue does. This produces an individual pattern that can be compared with the stored reference data. This process is particularly well-suited for use in grimy settings (like workshops and factories) and is considered very difficult to forge – it works only with a functioning circulatory system.

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To the test

HNOLOGY DNA ANALYSIS DNA analysis is the most accurate identification method of all and is also one of the most important instruments used to solve crimes. Criminals are frequently prosecuted only on the basis of the results produced by a »genetic fingerprint.« In health care, this process is used daily to determine such things as a child's parentage or a patient's genetic predisposition to particular diseases.

VOICE RECOGNITION While many authentication processes rely on visible features, voice recognition focuses on nonvisual characteristics. The system compares a speaker's frequency pattern with an existing pattern. Even though this process is susceptible to disruptions from background noise, it is currently considered to be one of the most secure ways to check a person's identity. The technology can even be used to identify a person on the telephone if the connection is strong.

IRIS SCAN At the very latest, moviegoers have known since the 1983 James Bond film »Never Say Never Again« that the human eye is unique and contains more patterns than fingerprints. State-of-the-art systems can now identify about 260 individual identification points. This is how it works: Once a scan has been done, an algorithm translates the digital images of the iris into numerical values that are compared with a stored template. The risk of misidentification is virtually zero – even identical twins do not have the same iris textures. Iris scanners are frequently used in high-security areas like research labs and computer centers. But keep one thing in mind! The iris code can still be cracked. Frequently, it just takes a good photograph to trick the scanner.

SIGNATURE Is the good old signature about to reach the end of the line? Probably not – even though it is not a particularly secure way to prove identity and is relatively easy to forge. But it does have one critical strength: You just need a pen and a piece of paper to use it.

TÜV SÜD Journal 17


To the test

hi ng ton Post hi na, the Was rted , pou red recent ly repo between 2011 more concrete the United and 2013 than ur y. The entire 20th cent e th in d di es an ever Stat anging faster th ch is y tr un co huge n Chinese an 40 0 mil lio th e or M : re befo ropolises ra l areas to met ru om fr e ov m will w ill not be des. But China ca de g in m co known in re the megatrend he w e ac pl ly on the – the 21th n ta kes hold io at iz n ba ur as es around e centur y of citi th be ill w y ur cent king shape ot her issue is ta ne O . ld or w e th een urba n w ba la nce betw ne A l: el w as d in these must be create re tu na d an e lif to nature! e motto is: back Th s. ie it ac eg s are m u rban center In pa rt ic u la r, erging and w ild fire in em ke li g in ad re sp 50, arou nd untries. In 20 co ng pi lo ve de late Ear th, ople w il l popu pe on lli bi ne ni w ill live in ajorit y of them m e rg la e th d an today, the areas. But, even an lit po ro et m any regions generated in m g in be th ow gr limits. The is reaching its ld or w e th of just a few summed up in be n ca m le ob pr emissions, ck, smog, CO 2 lo id gr : ds or w ted Nations ption. The Uni um ns co gy er en s consume etropolitan area m at th es at m ti es resources – four ths of al l ere th y hl ug ro ree percent ey cover just th even though th rface. of the Ear th ‘s su cities are time, though, e m sa At the change. They ress and social centers of prog t, business ion, employ men promote educat olution of wel l as the ev and cu lture as lopment. In d political deve civil societ y an ds, urban tomorrow‘s tren ts are anticipation of ient is itec ts and sc planners, arch eating bold veloping and cr already busy de the future t how cities of new ideas abou king shape of the trends ta could look. One combat the ld is a way to around the wor e virtua lly s of cities and th concrete jungle nges faced logistics chal le unmanageable idents are an areas: Res by met ropolit ck to work een thumbs ba putting their gr has ta ken a SÜD Journa l in cities. TÜ V n urban lab ok at the gree far-reaching lo in high-rise n design trends Singapore, gree ta l visions d environmen construction an of a science somet hing out that look like fiction film.

C

18 TÜV SÜD Journal

UR B V IS


To the test

Will metropolitan areas of the future achieve a livable balance between concrete and vegetation? The Hotel Parkroyal on Pickering in Singapore is an excellent example of it (photo left). In a research project called »City of the Future« (illustration below), the Fraunhofer Society is looking for answers – to such questions as how we can sensibly use available space in the future.

B GREENthLe Atiny

N A B S N IO

, with e living on Earth b ill w le p o e p n io n In 2050, nine bill areas. To freshe n ta li o p o tr e m in ding and most of them resi s, urban planners ct e it h rc a s, le g n ging these concrete ju proaches to brin p a s u o ri va g n ki een ta scientists have b e city. nature back to th a Selig Text: Mar tin

the city-state on ng hi et Si ngapore, m so of Malaysia, is re tu ec it sout hern tip ch ar lab for green e th s, of a tropical ar ye an n ing. For le op pe and urba n pl n il lio area of 5.4 m metropolitan nge of areas ra e id w a ng in has been worki d to create stainabi lit y an to promote su spite of its ta l ba lance – in an environmen are bringing ers. Residents many sk yscrap ngle. Wit hin to the urban ju nature back in has seen the ars, Singapore a matter of ye at specia lizes re industry th rise of an enti ise buildings nery to high-r in adding gree nd layers of disappear behi – gray facades e ox ygen and ts that produc climbing plan promotes e government absorb heat. Th as t a way of restation effor this vertical fo the entire ality throughout improving air qu l, but also ra ly nature in gene the city. It‘s not on tu ing a re rn to ak m ‘s at th e ur agricu lt ighborhood rdens where ne are city. Smal l ga sp s and inach an be t an pl s public resident e rooftops of th on up g ten the poppin n gardens shor ba ur e es Th . gs ly cut buildin or ts, significa nt sp an tr of s ce pensive distan help replace ex d an s on si is CO2 em li ke New Western cities lin have food imports. er B d trea l an on M , go ca hi C York, g. rooftop farmin cause also discovered ju so not st be ne do ve ha ey un, a And th ing. Steffen Bra en rd ga of y jo of the r Inst itute the Fraunhofe at er ad le ization team ent and Organ em ag an M k or Future« for W the »Cit y of the of r de un fo co e of the and a , formulates on ve ti ia it in ch s facing resear ching question ar er ov al ic it cr ly, city most and, increasi ng rs ne an pl n urba this way: the world in nd ou ar s nt sensibly reside ll off the feat of pu e w l il w »How al ly and ace – horizont sp e bl la ai av g usin vertically?«

TÜV SÜD Journal 19


To the test

ESIGN nces LIVINGofDde sign en ha

the is on The beauty ti geta nery: Lush ve a as utilit y of gree le ro easingly bigger e im play ing an incr pr .A t for buildings el ot design elemen H e th een high-rise is example of a gr apore. It ng Si in g ckerin Park roya l on Pi itectural the Woha arch was designed by German e help of the firm w it h th -metern Taraz. The 89 architect Schiri w n and tween Chinato ta ll building be ed a coat strict has trad the banking di of jung le for a blan ket of hotel gray shrubber y ees, ferns and green. Pa lm tr lconies, d ly cu rved ba grow on broa terraces. e Balinese rice built to resembl e green enta l trick: Th The environm ore than building are m areas on the is means: as its layout. Th tw ice as large ants grow ice as many pl More than tw ground. g than on the on the buildin ed the us opical regions »In the past, tr in the e ing st yle as thos very same build Steel, . ys itect Taraz sa have West,« the arch le op rete. Today, pe rise« glass and conc gh the »tropica l hi begun to view pe of building. as a discrete ty was pulled eering success A similar pion architect by the Italia n off in Europe erticale,« ith his »Bosco V Stefano Boeri w rn part he st in the nort a vertical fore towers, in ri designed tw of Milan. Boe s ta ll, er d 112 met 80 meters an onies. lc ba it h oversized rubs respectively, w sh 0 0 trees and 5,00 is to He then had 90 b jo ‘ . The plants planted on them r-condit ioning for ra l ai generate natu sidents and prov ide re the apar tments . Each fe li l qualit y of w it h exceptiona ss to a ce ac tments has of the 113 apar Boeri ‘s . st re a patch of fo small garden or to the rn tu e shou ld re . The message: Natur ed ud and birds incl iona l city – insects at rn te won the In « le ca ti er V co »Bos e tw in d last year. Th be a Hig hrise Awar to ed w consider nery towers are no ee gr w ample of ho ings pioneering ex ild bu e to high-ris of es ca n be added ti ci r fo »prototy pe al ur and of what a ct te hi rc er man A the futu re« (G look like. Museum) w ill

20 TÜV SÜD Journal

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M


To the test

O R MIC S E I T CI

FICTIONto unify ORGANIC w cal vision of ho

The futuristic »farmscraper« of the Belgium architect Callebaut. Tomatoes, lettuce and zucchini grow right outside the apartment door.

The most radi as produced ban settings w baut. nature and ur ct Vincent Calle ite ch ar an gi el B by the chitect calls ect,« as the ar The »archibiot re and its to relocate natu himself, wants and fuse – s ems to citie st sy l ta en nm enviro high-rise chitecture. The ar e th ith w them ch major designed for su s ha he gs in build mething enzhen look so Sh d an s ri Pa as cities the sides s that grow on m oo hr us m e ctures like th world, these stru l ea id an In s. etables of tree lf-sufficient. Veg se y el et pl m co will be nds make ildings. Fish po bu e es th in oduced grow well. Energy pr as re he es m ho their is used to and solar units es in rb tu d in by w rtments, ovide heat. Apa pr d an od fo rants, cook theaters, restau , as m ne ci s, office e here, too d businesses ar an s er nt ce ss fitne distance. is within walking ng hi yt er ev d – an s – which rnment of Pari ve go ty ci e th For s by 75 CO2 emission its t cu to s nd inte ed a city Callebaut design – 50 20 by t en perc at suck up s full of plants th er w to ith w er cent gnificantly t oxygen and si ou n ur ch , og capital. sm in the French ity al qu r ai e ov impr ly generate tal towers not on en nm ro vi en e issions Th ounts of CO2 em am d ce du re y pl shar sport and the loss of tran of lt su re a as h less fresh ey also use muc Th s. st co g in ol co d collected hydroculture an of e us ca be er wat baut designs essence, Calle In . er at w in ra litan areas. ithin metropo w s ie it -c ro ic m and energy s vision, food hi to ng di or cc A ry places uced at the ve od pr be ld ou sh and used. be consumed ill w ey th re he w to describe ady a new word re al is e er th nd A greenhouse d of high-rise, ee br id br hy is th . t: »farmscraper« and power plan n: More informatio /urban-future m co d. su w w w.tuvTÜV SÜD Journal 21


On the move

Inspection of electrical equipment

ON THE MOVE TRI#22 ELEC ET Y CAL SAF N ON A #24 A M N A MISSIO

ELECTRIFIED For more than 100 years, TÜV SÜD has been ensuring the safety of electrical equipment. A journey back in time. HIGH TIMES

T

he roots of TÜV SÜD reach back about 150 years – in the beginning, the most important job performed by the Dampf kessel-Revisionsvereine was inspecting steam boilers. Then, the era of electricity began at the end of the 19th century – looking back, the history of TÜV SÜD also tracks the history of

1878

1882

electrification. With its many services and expert assessments, which were always on the cutting edge of the times, the company has been the driving force behind all sorts of technological developments involving electricity.

The oversight of electric mountain railways became one of the jobs performed by the Bavarian Boiler Inspection Association.

In 1912, the Bavarian Interior Ministry recommended the inspection of lightning protection systems. In 1914, electrical consumer products like vacuum cleaners began to be tested as well.

More information: www.tuev-sued.de

1890

1910

1912

1913

THE GROTTO GLOWS The first electrical power plants were built around the world. One of the first customers: King Ludwig II of Bavaria, who used electricity produced by his own power plant to light up the Venus Grotto at his newly constructed Linderhof Palace.

PREMIERE Germany‘s first power plant for alternating current began operations in Bad Reichenhall.

PIONEER VON MILLER Oskar von Miller succeeded in transmitting direct current over a long distance for the first time. The current traveled 60 kilometers from Miesbach to Munich. In Nuremberg, Germany‘s first electric street lighting system went into operation on June 7.

22 TÜV SÜD Ü Journal

Start of the Mittenwald railway and, beginning in 1913, the Ausserfern railway as the first true electric heavy-rail lines in southern Germany.

1895-1914

The number of power plants jumped from about 150 to more than 4,000 within two decades.


On the move

MOVING UP In Munich, electric elevators became subject to regular inspection.

SAFE FILL-UPS

MAKING A MARK

Beginning immediately, electrical equipment used at filling stations also became subject to inspection.

TÜV Bavaria became a member of the Association Safety Symbol (Trägergemeinschaft Sicherheitszeichen). With the inspection of electrical equipment, the safety symbol can now be issued for certain devices in addition to the certification mark of the German Association for Electrical, Electronic & Information Technologies.

TÜV SÜD AND THE FEST The »Regulation Governing Fire Protection at Theatrical Productions and Expositions by Persons« took effect in 1927: Electrical equipment in rooms being used for events became subject to inspection. Even today, rides at the Oktoberfest, fairs and amusement parks around the world are inspected.

GLOBAL EXPERTISE With the spread of globalization, the range of TÜV SÜD‘s areas of expertise has grown as well. For a long time now, its most important jobs have included testing consumer goods in manufacturers‘ home countries.

Since 1967, TÜV SÜD has also been inspecting electrical equipment used in beer tents.

1920

19181924

1927

1931

1967

Completion of the Walchensee power plant, the world‘s largest storage power station at the time.

1975

1997

2005

ROOFTOP POWER The world‘s largest solar-power roof system at the time was installed by Siemens on the roof of the trade-fair center Neue Messe München.

POWER PARK

1930-1950

Around 1930, the first interconnecting feeder on the high-voltage level (220 kilovolts) for power transmission between regional networks. Thanks to this development, such operations as coalfired power plants in Rhine mining areas could be linked to hydroelectric plants in the Alps. By the middle part of the century, a 220-kilovolt grid had been created to link the major power plants between the Ruhr region, central German mining areas and southern Germany.

19501980 With the addition of major power facilities (anthraciteand lignite-fired stations as well as nuclear and pumped-storage power plants), major power plant technology reached its apex.

The world‘s largest solar park at the time was opened in Mühlhausen near Neumarkt in the Upper Palatinate region of Bavaria.

1980-1999 The 1980s and 1990s saw a gradual shift in energy policies – renewable energies spread.

TÜV SÜD Journal 23


On the move

AWAKENING

ENTHUSIASM For five years now, the TÜV SÜD Foundation has been helping more young people reach one conclusion: Yes, I want to become an engineer or scientist. Horst Schneider, a former member of the Board of Management at TÜV SÜD AG, has now taken over the reins of the foundation. An interview with the new chairman of the TÜV SÜD Foundation. Interview: Marc Müller

Mr Schneider, how did you get interested in technology? Even as a small child, I wanted to know how things worked. I come from a family of craftspeople – and it was perfectly normal for us to repair things ourselves. This curiosity has always been a part of my life. In school, I loved math, physics and similar subjects. My decision to study mechanical engineering can also be traced back to this time. And, by the way, I would make the very same decision today. What do you tell young people about why they should become engineers? Just do it! You won‘t regret it. Anybody who likes to get to the bottom of something and improve living conditions for people and the environment will always feel right at home in this job. As an engineer, I have all sorts of career options. As a manager, consultant, specialized expert, teacher or researcher – worldwide. Engineers are urgently needed 24 TÜV SÜD Journal

everywhere. Optimal opportunities, in other words!

you put yourself into it, you will get a lot out of it.

Was this variety a reason for your career choice? Definitely! Even as a young engineer at TÜV SÜD, I had a new and exciting job to do every year. Things like the market entry in Austria, France and Turkey; the expansion in northern Germany with TÜV Hanse; and the development of new services.

For instance, you can become Chairman of the TÜV SÜD Foundation. Mr Schneider, the foundation has a broad range of promotional activities – from elementary school projects to international scientific exchange programs. One particular focal point is teacher training. Which areas do you plan to concentrate on? One focal point of the foundation‘s work will be promoting science and research as well as education in technical areas. We will be able to achieve our goals only if we really emphasize the value of natural sciences and technology. For this purpose, we need dedicated and enthusiastic experts who can talk not only about risks, but also in particular about opportunities. Such enthusiasm is frequently awakened by school teachers – and we urgently need more of them. One critically

You began your career in 1975 at the company that was then known as TÜV Bavaria. You ended it as a member of the Board of Management – an impressive career … TÜV SÜD has integrated hierarchies – that helped me. I started as a mechanical engineer then was a vehicle expert, head of the vehicle division, Managing Director of TÜV SÜD Auto Service and a member of the Board of Management. I passed through all levels. If


On the move

»This

curiosity has always been a

part of my life.« – Horst Schneider, TÜV SÜD Foundation

Being in places where people get excited about technology and natural sciences: Horst Schneider in a lecture hall at the Technical University of Munich.

TÜV SÜD Journal 25


On the move

»Just do it!« This is the advice Horst Schneider gives to young people considering engineering careers – because they offer exceptional growth opportunities.

Horst Schneider A new exciting job every year: In a career extending across more than four decades, the college-trained engineer advanced through each hierarchal level at TÜV SÜD, from fledgling expert to the Board of Management. On May 1, 2015, he became Chairman of the Board of Management of the TÜV SÜD Foundation. The organization sponsors many projects conducted at schools, universities and museums that are designed to get young people excited about natural sciences and technology as well as to support their professional education. The focal points of the foundation‘s work include promoting science, research, education, training, environmental protection and accident prevention.

»Our economy does not live from raw materials. Rather, its lifeblood is

innovations.« – Horst Schneider important element of the foundation‘s work will be to encourage the next generation of science teachers. The foundation works with other foundations on many projects. How important are these partnerships? Really important, in order to advance certain subjects. When we are able to bundle interests with partners, we have more power, more ideas and more impact. This is the only way for us to tackle a wide range of topics with our limited budget. 26 TÜV SÜD Journal

One central goal of the foundation is to do something about the shortage of experts: Why are so few people attracted to technical jobs – in spite of the tremendous opportunities they offer? Two key reasons are demographic trends and doubts about technical innovations. Unfortunately, this skepticism is fairly widespread in Germany. But our economy does not live from raw materials. Rather, its lifeblood is innovations in products and services. These doubts are frequently the

reason why many young people rule out a technical education from the very beginning. But there are signs that some are rethinking their decisions. This is particularly the case with young women because of the secure jobs being offered and the exceptional growth opportunities.

More information: www.tuev-sued-stiftung.de


On location

People:

»The State Gallery Stuttgart has set up a solid structure for a quality management system on the basis of ISO 9001,« says Jürgen Krummeich of TÜV SÜD.

An eye for art and quality

S

o much money has rarely been spent on contemporary art: For a record price of €41 million, a painting by Gerhard Richter was auctioned off in February 2015. The bidding took place in London, at the Sotheby’s auction house. Five works by the German artist are on display at the State Gallery in Stuttgart – to view at a rock-bottom price beginning at €5, along with works by Lucas Cranach the Elder, Luca Giordano, Edgar Degas and Franz Marc. Each year, roughly 250,000 people visit the museum. To handle this flood of people, all departments at the gallery must work smoothly together – from research and security to human resources, accounting and logistics. The Stuttgart organization is the first art museum in Germany to begin setting up a quality management system on the basis of the internationally recognized standard ISO 9001. »The objective of such quality management systems is to create the most efficient working processes possible,« says Jürgen Krummeich, the lead auditor for management systems at TÜV SÜD. After all, invested money and invested work shouldn‘t simply disappear into thin air. Rather, they should benefit art and art lovers. Jürgen Krummeich, an art lover himself, examined and reviewed the QM system used by the museum, a program that was implemented by Dr Sabine Hirschle of the museum. After all: »The certificate acts as a calling card for visitors, sponsors, cooperation partners and the public sector. Ultimately, it demonstrates we handle money in a sustainable and responsible manner.« The certificate is valid for three years. At that point, recertification is required. With this goal in mind, Dr Hirschle and the State Gallery continue to work on their quality management.

More information: www.tuv-sud.com/iso9001-2015

TÜV SÜD Journal 27


28 TÜV SÜD Journal rnal

hen the first high-rise buildings began to dot the city skyline in the 20th century, engineers found themselves tackling a new challenge: delivering water to floors located high in the sky, and doing this not just with the help of good old water towers connected to a labyrinth of pipes running underground. The first solution involved mechanical pumps and water tanks that were installed on roofs to produce water pressure. Today, the pressure comes from below – computer-controlled booster systems generate stable water pressure from the ground floor to the penthouse on the very top floor.

W

Text: Julia Feldhans

Water-pressure booster systems are called onn when there is not enough water pressure to provide upper floors with stable supplies. As a rule, these systems consist of a water tank andd several computer-controlled pumps. With the help of a governor, they produce pressure according to need. When a large amount of water er is required, the pumps will work faster. The tank nk ensures there will be enough water even during peak periods of usage.

PRESSURE PRODUCERS S

#1

Skyscrapers jutting nearly one kilometer into the sky – architectural visions that create new challenges for planners and builders – and that pose one simple question: How will water come out of a shower head on the 160th floor? A five-point tutorial.

Rising water

ER IN #28 WAT APERS SKYSCR C KE D #30 CRA TIPS WINDOW

TO THE P O INT

To the point


DOUBLE TEAMING

The water supply system of Burj Khalifa, the world‘s tallest building at about 828 meters, is literally a lighthouse project: In the building located in Dubai, more than 160 floors must be supplied each day with nearly one million liters of water. This is made possible by six water-supply systems and seven booster units located in the basement and on two dedicated mechanical floors.

LIGHTHOUSE PROJECT BURJ KHALIFA

#4

Because every building has different water-pressure requirements, the water-pressure booster systems must be specifically designed to meet those needs. As a rule, at least two pumps are installed. This facilitates rotating usage (e.g., during a failure) and extends the system‘s life. The booster systems used in buildings with many usage points and widely fluctuating water needs (like hotels) frequently use additional pumps.

#2

The first booster systems were energy guzzlers as they maintained a constant level of pressure regardless of the demand produced at the usage points. Today‘s units use much less energy. To keep pressure losses and energy consumption as low as possible, they are computer-controlled and work with sensors that determine current demand.

THE NEW FRUGALTY

#5

In very high buildings, water-supply systems are frequently divided into several pressure zones equipped with their own boosters. This prevents excessively high water pressure from being created in lower sections of the building.

SECTION BY SECTION

#3

To the point

TÜV V SÜD ÜD Journal 29


To the point

Advice:

A cracked window! What now? A piece of gravel tumbles from a dump truck traveling in front of you – and then you have a problem on your hands: a small crack in the windshield that can quickly become a safety hazard. Five tips for handling a rocky situation.

1

Check with a pro The good news first: About 30 percent of rock-related damage to windshields can be repaired. The key factors: size and shape as well as the location on the windshield. To determine whether the windshield must be replaced or whether it can be repaired, drivers should head to a service center as quickly as possible.

Will a Band-Aid do the trick? Definitely not! Damaged windshields always pose a safety hazard – and repairing them is a job for pros.

2 When may repairs be made?

In Germany, the specifics are defined in the Road Traffic Approval Regulation. The crack may not be in the driver‘s field of vision, and it may be no more than five millimeters in diameter. The crack also may not be longer than five centimeters or located in peripheral areas of the windshield.

4

WHO FOOTS THE BILL A repair job using resin will usually set you back about €100. A new windshield will run you at least €500. The driver will pay the full bill or part of it if he or she does not have partial comprehensive insurance coverage or a policy with a deductible.

More on auto service: www.tuev-sued.de/auto_fahrzeuge

30 TÜV SÜD Journal

5

3

How the windshield is repaired

Service centers run by master mechanics use synthetic resin to repair cracks. Once the windshield has been cleaned and a vacuum pump has sucked air from it, the filling material is pressed into the hole and hardened with UV light. The finish includes cleaning and polishing the glass. Can amateurs repair damaged windows themselves? This is definitely not a job for them.

Safety and vision The fundamental rule is: Any windshield damage should be repaired as quickly as possible. The damaged area can grow unpredictably. And: every type of damage restricts a driver‘s field of vision and weakens the windshield.


Akademie | Termine

07/08/09 CALENDAR

Excellent further training wins

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 these dates: www.tuv-sud.com/corporate-events

JULY European Pressure Equipment Conference, Fürstenfeldbruck, 6/30–7/1/2015 Everything about retailing and approval requirements for pressure equipment. International Flow Measurement Conference, Coventry, UK, 7/1–2/2015 The latest innovations in flow measurement devices. Silvretta Classic Rallye Montafon, 07/2–5/2015 Legendary classic-car tour through Austria and Switzerland.

AUGUST Saxony Classic, Zwickau, 8/13–15/2015 A 610-kilometer-long rallye with 180 historical vehicles.

Any company that supports its employees with good training and talent management will also strengthen its competitiveness. Particularly in times when experts are in short supply, one principle applies: Companies determined to generate long-term success must optimally support their workforces by providing good professional development opportunities and by retaining talented individuals. To highlight the importance of this issue and to recognize model programs being conducted by companies, TÜV SÜD Academy has been joining with EuPD Research Sustainable Management since 2012 to present the German Education Prize – with some prominent support: The German Minister of Education and Research serves as the award‘s patron. More than 170 companies competed for the German Education Prize in 2015. Using a scientifically evaluated and proven assessment method, a team of experts selected the winners: Drawing on an extensive questionnaire competing companies submitted as a self-evaluation, the best eight applicants were determined in each category. The 11-member advisory board of experts then picked three finalists in each category. Afterward, these finalists underwent a comprehensive, one-day audit. The advisory board then used the audit reports as the basis for selecting the five award winners who were then honored at the end of April in Berlin. The awards were presented to Dornseif Winterdienst, Dentsu Aegis Network Germany GmbH, Dingfelder und Harder Mechatronic AG and AREVA GmbH. The Innovation Award was presented to Bayer AG!

SEPTEMBER anne.dreyer@tuev-sued.de

IMPRINT

CTIA Super Mobility, Las Vegas, U.S., 9/9–11/2015 Trade fair for mobile technology and networks. The Battery Show, Novi, Michigan, U.S., 9/15–17/2015 About 350 exhibitors will present the latest battery technologies. HUSUM Wind, Husum, 9/15–18/2015 International trade fair of the on- and offshore wind industry. IAA, Frankfurt/Main, 9/17–27/2015 The 66th International Motor Show for cars. LED Symposium, Bregenz, 9/22–24/2015 Exhibition and talks about cutting-edge lighting solutions. Smart Factory Innovation Forum, Munich, 9/24/2015 Start-ups and big players of Industry 4.0 will meet and talk.

Publisher: TÜV SÜD AG, Westend Str. 199, 80686 Munich Owner: TÜV SÜD e.V. (74.9%), TÜV SÜD Foundation (25.1%), Westend Str. 199, 80686 Munich Head of Corporate Communications: Matthias Andreesen Viegas Project Head & Editor in Chief: Jörg Riedle Contact: +49 (0)89 5791-0, info@tuev-sued.de Realization: Medienfabrik Gütersloh GmbH, Neumarkter Str. 63, 81673 Munich Printing: Eberl Print GmbH, Kirchplatz 6, 87509 Immenstadt Photo credits: corbis (2, 3, 12, 16, 17, 22, 23, 28, 29, 30, 32), Ducati (4, 5), dpa Picture Alliance (22, 23), TÜV SÜD (2, 14, 15, 16, 17, 27, 33); Timour Chafik (1, 3, 6, 7, 8, 10, 11), Gieraryhir /©shutterstock (1), oksanaSe/©Shutterstock (34, 35), Thomas Straub (25, 26), Fraunhofer Gesellschaft (18), Callebaut (20), Patrick Bingham-Hall (19), Staatsgalerie Stuttgart (27), Architect James Law Cybertecture www.jameslawcybertecture.com (28), Illustrationen: Dominika Przybylskas TÜV SÜD Journal is published quarterly. Articles in the magazine are copyrighted. TÜV SÜD Journal is printed in a climate-neutral process using paper from sustainable forestry.

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TÜV SÜD Journal 31


5 minutes

Certificate for Chinese wind-energy equipment

»TÜV SÜD Verify« facilitates test documentation

TÜV SÜD Czech tests according to IFS standard

TÜV SÜD has successfully completed type certification of the DF110-2500 wind turbine manufactured by the Chinese company Dongfang Electric New Energy Equipment in Hangzhou. Type certification must be issued before the turbine may be exported to international markets. It involves an assessment of the turbine's design, prototype testing and plant inspection.

A new free app simplifies test documentation and maintenance that operators of systems subject to inspection and technical personal must perform. With the help of »TÜV SÜD Verify,« TÜV SÜD customers can easily and securely retrieve inspection reports, certification marks and stored data. The authenticity of documents can be checked in this manner. The app is available in Google Play (https://play.google.com).

Expanded certification services for food safety in the Czech Republic: The national subsidiary TÜV SÜD Czech has successfully completed an accreditation process and may now conduct inspections according to the IFS standard. The standard signals to retailers and consumers that food manufacturers comply with certain quality standards and have installed a management system to oversee this compliance.

alexander.trunz@tuev-sued.de

stefan.westermeyr@tuev-sued.de

ron.wacker@tuev-sued.de

Did you know that …

… TÜV SÜD has been operating internationally since the 1960s? In 2016, TÜV SÜD will celebrate its 150th anniversary – and will look back on an impressive history when it does so. One fact stands out: The service provider has been operating internationally for a half century: In the early 1960s, the company formerly known as TÜV Bavaria began to inspect industrial facilities in Belgium, the Middle East and Japan. About ten years later, the first branches were opened in Italy, Sweden and Japan. In 1987, it established a national subsidiary in the United States. Today, roughly half of TÜV SÜD's employees work outside Germany – and the total is continuing to rise. Working at more than 800 locations on four continents, they create more safety and added value. One other note: The name TÜV SÜD arose from history and has no regional restriction. As a result, the company is actually active in all compass directions and in many regions of the world. matthias.andreesen@tuev-sued.de

32 TÜV SÜD Journal

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5 minutes

New testing lab for leather products in India In Ranipet, a city in the southern Indian state of Tamil Nadu, TÜV SÜD has opened a stateof-the-art testing lab for leather and leather products. The new facility offers the entire range of lab services – from tests conducted under the European chemical directive REACH and the European RoHS directive to chemical, physical and More than 40 percent of India's mechanical tests of leather products and shoes. Tests are also conducted for the U.S. market. This leather exports come from the is the 14th lab being operated by TÜV SÜD at eight Tamil Nadu region. locations in India. The aim of their work is to help manufacturers boost their export opportunities and generate exponential growth – in recent years, this work has paid off as manufacturers have produced an average growth rate of more than eight percent. In a partnership with SITDA, an association of southern Indian tanners and leather exporters, TÜV SÜD will now help the industry meet international standards.

Gabriele Sommer joins board of advisers

LEATHER HUB:

niranjan.nadkarni@tuv-sud.in

minutes with TÜV SÜD

Action needed for elevators and pressure vessels In June 2015, the updated version of Germany's Industrial Safety Regulation (BetrSichV) took effect. This new regulation contains fundamental changes for operators of equipment subject to inspection – including in such areas as inspection requirements, deadlines and areas of responsibility. As an accredited inspection body, TÜV SÜD is informing facility operators about the changes. In one modification, passenger elevators must be regularly inspected no later than every two years by an accredited body. An interim inspection must also be conducted between the two main inspections – that is, no later than one year. An inspection sticker must be placed in the elevator. It must clearly say when the next regular inspection will be conducted. The month and year must also be stated. And: all passenger elevators must be equipped with a two-way communications system by the end of 2020. At www.tuev-sued.de/ betriebssicherheit, TÜV SÜD has prepared a detailed explanation about the changes to the regulation.

The head of the HR Corporate Division at TÜV SÜD, Gabriele Sommer, became the representative of the Verband der TÜV e.V. on the advisory board of the German Accreditation Association DAkkS this spring. Sommer has held a number of positions at TÜV SÜD during her 25-year career at the company, including specialist, auditor and manager. The advisory boards of DAkkS provide guidance and support regarding accreditation questions. They also ensure the objectivity and independence of DAkkS. gabriele.sommer@tuev-sued.de

New locations for private customers in Munich A major investment being made by TÜV SÜD in Munich is rapidly picking up speed: The company is erecting three new car-inspection centers at a cost of about €11 million. The centers are being built in the Munich districts of Moosach, Pasing and Westend The services will range from and will open this summer. As a result, TÜV SÜD will have made it much easier for customers to take care of such things as the vehicle to auxiliary lights. roadworthiness test or driving tests. The benefit: »The way to TÜV SÜD will be shorter for every car driver and motorcycle rider in the city,« said Patrick Fruth, the CEO of TÜV SÜD Auto Service GmbH. Customer waiting times will also be reduced. Until the three new service centers are opened, car drivers and motorcycle riders can continue to use the location on Ridlerstrasse in Munich.

EMISSIONS

patrick.fruth@tuev-sued.de

dieter.roas@tuev-sued.de

TÜV SÜD Journal 33


The final say

OF FOODS Archeological discoveries are offering insights into past societies – including the eating habits of people long ago.

B

efore they turn up on a plate, many foods have taken a long journey. It‘s a journey that will sometimes take them halfway around the world, something that can last a few weeks at the very least. To remain in good shape, the foods‘ sell-by dates must extend as far into the future as possible. This poses a challenge for biochemists and creates a job for inspectors like those at TÜV SÜD who determine whether the quality of food really is good. A Bavarian snack recently tested in the city of Regensburg had long since passed its sell-by date. The world‘s oldest pretzel is said to have come out of the oven around 250 years ago. But you can no longer eat this baked good, which actually looks more like a lump of coal. And that‘s too bad because the pretzel would have gone nicely with some mummy honey, a treat that allegedly never goes bad. The bees that produced the still golden bread spread that was found among burial objects in Egyptian pyramids stopped flying more than 3,300 years ago. But biochemists have determined the honey still contains intact pollen – of plants that grow today in Ethiopia and not Egypt. Still: Once thinned with water, the mummy honey still spreads easily. The discovery should be celebrated. With a swig of Altbier (»old beer«) that really lives up to its name? For about 170 years, a few cases of the beverage lay in the cargo hold of a ship that sank off the Finnish coast. The find has been examined by the VTT Technical Research Centre of Finland and the Technical University of Munich. Unlike today‘s brews, this beer from the mid-19th century tasted really bitter. The culprit was the varieties of hops rich in beta acids that were used to make the stuff. Brewers turn up their noses to such hops today. They now prefer milder types with alpha acids. Now, we just need the right set of plates. Fortunately, archeologists uncovered them in the Westphalian region of northwestern Germany. The ceramic plates spent about 3,000 years under the earth, where they apparently bided their time until the right topping came along. Well: Let‘s eat, drink and be merry.

34 TÜV SÜD Journal


The final say

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TÜV SÜD Journal 35


ON A STABLE GROWTH TRAJECTORY In 2014, TÜV SÜD boosted its revenue and earnings and increased its workforce once again.

MORE ON THE TOPIC

IN OUR MAGAZINE APP

REVENUE IN 2014

€2,061 M € (€1,939 million in 2013)

G

lobalization and digitalization: These two factors have fueled the success story of TÜV SÜD in recent years – and will continue to do so in the future. The company‘s results for 2014 announced at the beginning of May provided the latest evidence of this. TÜV SÜD is a global service provider that operates in more than 800 locations and over 50 countries. In the process, the company produces safety and economic added value for its customers and, as a result, for many millions of people around the world. Specifically, this means that TÜV SÜD‘s specialists

conducted about 5 million vehicle roadworthiness tests in Germany alone during 2014. More than 300,000 elevators safely whisk people from one floor to another thanks to their expertise. And: TÜV SÜD is the largest independent service provider for vehicle fleets in Europe – with more than 150,000 managed vehicles.The company is also multilingual – from English and German to Mandarin, Japanese, Italian and Portuguese. Today, about half of its employees work outside Germany. As a result, the company is right where its customers are. More information at www.tuv-sud.com/annual-report

2012

2013

2014

REVENUE

1,820.6

1,939.0

2,061.4

EBT (M€)

135.1

140.3

146.5

18,758

20,190

22,003

Number of employees 36 TÜV SÜD Journal


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