02 Contents
Contents
PIONEER 16/21 TÜV Rheinland's Rail Transport Empire Wonder Woman on the Track
22/25 The Tai-Chi Philosophy of Rail Transport
26/31 Safety Commitment for Rail
SPOTLIGHT 04/09
36/39
Mainland China / How to Stand Out from the Crowd inTransforming Industries
Contributed Sto
How About Mo
10/13
FEATURED SERVICE
Taiwan / Industry Transformation in the Greater China Region: Threat or Opportunity?
32/33
14/15 Hong Kong / The "Re-Industrialization" of Hong Kong’s Manufacturing Sector
How Toshiba’s Converter Transformers Won Over Italy
34/35 Why Energy Management Is Easier Than You Think!
Contents 03
TÜV SAFE BUY
GLOBAL NEWS FLASH
40/42
48
Attention All Testing And Accreditation Personnel: How to Explain Your Job to Your Parents in One Minute!
Cooperation with IESE Business School
48 TÜV Rheinland at the VDA Technical Congress
CLIENT STORY 43/45 Inventus Power Guangdong
ory /
ore Quiet?
46 CRRC Corporation
47 Schindler Elevator Corporation
49 Supporting a Safe Infrastructure in Barcelona
CLOSER Credit
How to contact us
Chief Editor
Ricky Xu
Editor
Clare Zhang Michelle xia Emma Hsu Isaac Yuan
Publication Date
ISSUE 25
2016.08
Tel
+86 400 883 1300 (China mainland) +852 21921022 (Hongkong) +886 2 25287007 (Taiwan)
service-gc@tuv.com
Website www.tuv.com
SIGN UP FOR OUR NEWSLETTER NOW >
04 SPOTLIGHT
Mainland China
How to Stand Out from
in Transformi
In terms of bottleneck breakthroughs,
its mobile phone brand “Honor”,
how manufacturers address issues
initiating its full-scale transformation.
such as quality improvement, brand
At CES 2016, Huawei announced
establishment and restoration of
a shipment volume of 108 million
consumer confidence is complicated
smartphones for 2015. This made
yet profound. CLOSER has gained
it the fourth phone manufacturer in
Two months ago, the State Council
information on the successes of
history to realise a shipment volume
circulated the Initiatives to Fully
certain enterprises on their way
of over 100 million units within a year,
Implement the Quality Development
to transformation and hopes their
following Samsung, Apple and Nokia.
Plan 2016. Partially due to the
achievements will enlighten readers. Besides its great success in the
persistence of an army of overseas shoppers and their “spending sprees” when travelling, quality improvements in electric rice cookers, smart toilet
Huawei initiates stringent quality control for “Honor”
domestic market, Honor successfully penetrated 74 countries and regions in the global market. Through
seats and air purifiers are targeted
With the onset of strategic
marketing drives in such locations as
in the government campaign, which
transformation in the domestic
India, Germany and Japan, Huawei
can be seen as a feeble attempt to
market, Huawei earned its reputation
successfully established its
redress Chinese consumers’ extreme
and became a leading force. As early
brand foothold in European
lack of confidence in local products.
as 2013, the company launched
and Asian markets. In early
SPOTLIGHT 05
As early as 2012, China’s manufacturing value added outperformed that of the US and the country became the world’s largest manufacturer. Yet despite this achievement, China falls short of being a real manufacturing powerhouse. The profitability of industrial enterprises in China remains stagnant while Chinese industrial leadership and top brands in the global market are a rarity indeed. Therefore, how to facilitate the transformation and upgrading of Chinese manufacturing continues to be a major issue discussed among government bodies, industrial circles and in academia.
m the Crowd
ing Industries
2016, the demanding US market was
innovation and high quality. It scaled
“secured”. On this journey, Huawei
up product quality requirements to
overcame difficulties and obstacles
reach stringent standards. In May
with outstanding performance,
2015, Huawei destroyed 17,307
representing an achievement that
functioning mobile phones in
other domestic brands have found
Shenzhen with a total value of almost
Upon product inspection, the non-
difficult to replicate.
RMB20 million. During transportation
compliance rate of this batch of
of the phones, the vehicle’s tires
products was only 1.4%. However,
As sales constantly rose, Huawei
caught fire, a rare event but one
there was no guarantee that there
continued on its quest for product
that nevertheless affected a portion
would be no safety concerns for
of the phones in the containers.
a year for the compliant products. Most consumers believe that in cases such as this, the destruction of non-compliant products would suffice. However, Huawei made this deliberate act of “goodwill” to restore the confidence of Chinese consumers in local products by aligning itself with stringent requirements. Through such
06 聚焦
actions, it wanted to awaken domestic enterprises’ c o r p o r a t e c o n s c i e n c e f o r p ro d u c t i o n a n d manufacturing, thereby bolstering confidence in their own products and striding forward in overseas markets. Constant product innovation and positive branding image help Huawei and Honor to reshape the impression of “Made in China” in the international arena. This sets not only a good example, but also a benchmark for other smartphone manufacturers in the domestic market.
Customer Focus Represents the Necessity for the Transformation of Traditional Enterprises Although Chinese home appliances continue to linger in a downturn, Midea has persisted on its own path of transformation. From 2011 to 2015, the Midea Group reported a turnover increase of only 3.2%, but its profit margin surged by more than 100% (105.2% to be exact). Meanwhile, its number of employees was slashed by almost 50% (46.4% to be exact). Despite fewer employees, more work was
Leading Products
completed and more money was generated. Efficiency was improved and profitability strengthened. This is the current status of a transformed Midea. Over the last three decades, “mass production at lower cost” has been the slogan for the development roadmap for Chinese domestic enterprises, including Midea. In times of robust demand, low cost is the key to success, while production capacity is the advantage. When demand is weak, however, the redundant production capacity becomes a heavy burden on enterprises. Mr
Three Core Drivers for Transforming Midea
Fang Hongbo, President of the Midea Group, understands this market principle well. He thus proposed the following three goals, which have become the three core drivers for transforming Midea.
- Leading Products - Global Operations “Product and customer focus” has become the paramount task for Midea. All employees, from senior management to production line staff, persist in four critical phrases:
Global Operations
聚焦 07
customers, experience, focus and star products. As Mr Fang explained, “Take customers, for example. We invest a lot in this area. If you do not truly understand customers, you disrespect customers or you do not relate to customers or form any sort of connection, there will be no system of data, and obstacles to operations will arise, not to mention other customer demands. We excel in connecting with our customers, which has proven fruitful.” He went on to explain the key concepts of mobility and digitisation. Previously, Midea did not complete the full digitisation of PC terminals. To date, however, it has accomplished the digitisation of mobile phone terminals, which are mobilised, digitised and connected to its big-data logistics system. Smart application is Midea’s vision. However, the company’s Chief Technology Officer explained that
EfficiencyDriven
smart application is not a simple addition. In fact, it is established on core functions and represents the results of expansion and smart upgrades based on exploration of customer demands. Smart application must be based on products, whereby product function is 1 and smart application is 0. It is an iterated upgrade. Without the “1”, smart application as “0” will remain just a concept and bear no fruit. Xiaomi takes “Just for Fans” as its branding concept, a perfect endorsement of being “customer focused”. According to the book Engagement, Mr Li Wanqiang, co-founder of Xiaomi, believes that engagement aims to open a gateway to enable customers to access the process of
08 SPOTLIGHT
US$10.77 is spent on cotton, yar n and buttons, US$1.22 on cutting, US$8.35 on stitching, US$4.61 on logistics transport and the final cost is US$24.95. This shirt’s retail price on Everlane is US$55, while products of a similar kind are priced at around US$110. The company’s website introduces the procedures relating to the production process and interesting stories. Even information about its factories is listed on the website in detail, including photographs of its manufacturing plants and workers.
making products, providing services, building a brand and marketing, which in return creates a brand that grows together with customers. As a result, four fifths of Xiaomi’s updates originate from netizens and one third is directly developed by customers. This capitalises on public wisdom to realise customer participation.
Transparency represents a path to build branding differences in retail Every November 11 is a 24-hour shopping spree in China. Each year, a new astonishing online sales record is achieved. But why has no retailer of domestic products become famous overnight? Across the Pacific Ocean, however, Everlane, established only in 2011, became an overnight success in the e-commerce sector. In 2014, its gross profit surged to US$18 million from US$8.1 million. What led to Everlane’s miracle? Everlane takes pride in its transparency policy. Its product positioning is very clear: to eliminate intermediaries, which provides consumers with high quality apparel at low prices. Each article on its official website elaborates on all relevant information. On the label of a product, consumers can not only see where the product was made, but also discover its cost structure. For example, on the label of a white T-shirt, consumers will find the following:
SPOTLIGHT 09
The company’s website introduces the
demonstrates an everlasting indicator
creates differentiated advantages for
procedures relating to the production
for product excellence. Amid the
products, thus becoming the testing
process and interesting stories. Even
constant emergence of popular
solution favoured by overseas buyers.
information about its factories is listed
products is there any need for an
on the website in detail, including
independent institution to engage in
Led by TÜV Rheinland, the
photographs of its manufacturing
performance verification in addition
t r a n s p a re n c y t re n d i s c u r re n t l y
plants and workers.
to various marketing strategies? With
altering global consumption habits.
its stringent corporate tradition and a
The QR code on the test mark is
Products and consumers represent
sophisticated technical development
our initial design. Scanning the QR
the root of any corporate growth,
team, TÜV Rheinland can provide
code will allow access to testing
which is TÜV Rheinland’s prime
a solid guarantee for customised
information about a certain product,
commitment for developing its
verification services.
unravelling the information barrier
service products. In addition to allaying safety concerns, quality
between consumers and enterprises. TÜV Rheinland provides quality-
Meanwhile, our product traceability
testing solutions for the research and
system unveils product secrets
development of various consumer
behind raw materials, production,
products, including fitness-for-use
logistics and other processes, clearing
testing accepted by home appliances
away obstacles for premium products
and other consumer products. This
in the market. Correspondingly, dissymmetry of information is everywhere in the growing e-commerce sector. Purchasers fail to understand the conditions of suppliers at remote distances and are left with no alternative but to conduct on-site inspections. To facilitate this, TÜV Rheinland has introduced the Corporate Identity Mark. Each enterprise has its own individual ID. Through scanning the QR code or searching for an ID number, all of the relevant information about the factories audited by us can be located in our system, including factory qualifications, production capacity, research and development capacity and quality management capacity. Through a simple and highly efficient approach, a partnership between buyers and sellers can be quickly established, enabling outstanding domestic manufacturers to achieve even greater success.
10 SPOTLIGHT
A new industrial revolution is spreading like
Region: Taiwan
Industry Transformation in the Greater China Region:
Threat or Opportunity?
SPOTLIGHT 11
HTC in Taiwan appeared to be a sinking ship but the company still actually has a surprising amount of R&D capability stashed away. Part of HTC’s tur naround strategy was its R&D investment
which are so common in video games,
Due to the fact that the device may
can all cause physical discomfort. The
be worn for extended periods of time,
2012 London Olympics promotion video
bio-compatibility is another important
in 2007 and the childbirth theme from
factor that must be considered during
a vampire movie in 2011, for example,
the design of VR equipment. If sub-
all distressed audience so much, that
standard materials are used in a device,
ambulances were called to the scene.
extended use of VR equipment by the
Some people even experienced epileptic
consumer may lead to skin allergies.
seizures.
Staring at a nearby screen for a long-
in VR technology. The company saw
time may also lead to headaches, eye
the boundless potential of the gaming
New technology can bring new business
fatigue and motion sickness. In extreme
i n d u s t r y a n d re a l i z e d t h a t f o r t h i s
opportunities but also hidden dangers
cases, symptoms such as photosensitive
generation of gamers, pretty 3D graphics
as well. First, on the physical level, the
epilepsy, hearing damage, radiation
are no longer enough – what they want
average VR headset weighs up to 300g
damage and skin contact damage may
is an immersive experience. After many
and can still cause discomfort when worn
all be possible. There are currently no
years of development, the level of realism
for a long time; another safety concern
specific international safety standards for
offered by HTC Vive has proven to be
is whether the design of the device is
VR goggles or helmets at the moment.
breathtaking and most gamers have been
sufficiently ergonomic; second, on the
The safety of VR devices can only be
praising HTC’s latest innovation to the sky
physiological level, motion sickness
examined against existing standards for
as well. It is worth noting that the actual
may induce dizziness, nausea, vomiting
now. These existing standards, however,
human body is not as invincible as the
or even epileptic seizures in VR users.
do not provide a comprehensive test of
heroes in video games. The eyes and the hands become tired more easily when VR devices are worn for extended periods of time. Zooming, shaking and sudden stop,
VR devices. Now, VR devices are set for mass distribution to the market. A safety standard specific to VR devices is essential to ensure the safety and comfort of users. TÜV Rheinland is now studying this field and working to bring about a standard for the manufacturing industry that will help ensure consumer safety.
12 SPOTLIGHT
Foxconn is the largest OEM group in Taiwan. The group started out in electronic manufacturing. Despite of its long years of success, its CEO, Terry
Gou’s “technology service” is in fact
at Foxconn by concentrating on the
Gou sensed the way the wind was
“manufacturing as a service.” Rather than
development and production of smart
blowing was changing. In 2015, Taiwan’s
simply producing tangible products, it
robots. In the past, robots were only used
manufacturing sector lost 10% of its
also expands upwards in both directions
in an auxiliary role. Their responsibility
total value. Foxconn, like the rest of the
of the value chain smile curve. Expanding
will continue to increase in the future and
electronics industry, was faced with an
to the left along the smile curve enhances
Foxconn now plans to replace 70% of
aging population and rising labor costs
the company’s R&D capability and
the conventional workers in the group’s
but its business revenues continued to
improves the quality of service provided
factories over the next two years.
increase every quarter. In 2015 Q4 it even
by the company in the planning and
grew by 2.56% compare to Q3. A review
design of new products; expanding along
Right now however Foxconn’s main
of Foxconn’s public statements over the
the right side of the smile curve enabled
source of business is the mobile
past three years showed that Foxconn
the company to work more closely with
phone OEM. Robotic usage is mainly
Chairman Terry Gou foresaw the doom
the customer. In other words, Foxconn
concentrated and in front-end high-
of the electronics OEM industry. He also
sought to provide customers with more
precision lamination and back-end
pushed hard to transform Foxconn from
comprehensive support services, expand
assembly/transportation. Conventional
an OEM service provider into a technology
its service channels and also helped
manpower is still heavily used throughout
service company based around robotics
brand customers with end consumer
the manufacturing process, so workers
and cloud technology.
marketing (channel development) and
often work shoulder-to-shoulder with
maintenance. To optimize the production
robots. Safety will therefore be the top
process, improve yields, “save more
issue for these robots. Poorly designed
manpower on complex tasks and replace
machinery or improper operation by
(jobs with) poor conditions”, Gou decided
workers often lead to death or injury. In
to accelerate the pace of automation
Taiwan alone, there were nearly 6,000 machinery-related accidents in 2014. Safety standards are particularly important for equipment such as robots used in complex applications. If the safety of a robot was not properly tested and verified, such a robot may overheat and start a fire, or cause burns to nearby personnel; robot casing or parts may also be a shock hazard resulting in circuit damage or personnel being killed by electrocution.
SPOTLIGHT 13
To boost factory productivity, increase
The transformation of multi-national
can be combined with the push for
yields and reduce costs without
enterprises is a long and difficult process.
transparency in the testing, inspection
sacrificing safety, smart robots are crucial
IBM is an excellent example because it
and certification industry inspired by
to Foxconn’s plans to introduce Industry
has continued to maintain sustainable
TÜV Rheinland, this will increase market
4.0. Robot safety is essential to the
growth after multiple transformations.
confidence in their product quality and
smooth operations of the production
Foxconn and HTC are very different
safety, and eliminate obstacles to market
process so TÜV Rheinland is the best
from IBM on the industry and company
entry. The certification mark ID system
choice for ensuring robot safety due to
l e v e l , h o w e v e r, s o t h a t t h e y c a n ’t
pioneered by TÜV Rheinland will greatly
their reputation for rigor. TÜV Rheinland’s
directly duplicate the success of IBM
boost transparency and trust, eliminating
professional technology team can also
and can only use its experience with
market concerns on new products and
draw on Germany’s accomplishments
transformation as a reference. For
technologies, lead to more successful
in mechanical engineering to provide
manufacturers like Foxconn and HTC
transactions and help the company reach
dependable guarantees to companies like
that have experience with successful
new heights.
Foxconn that plan to introduce robots in
transformations however, if their wealth of
their production lines.
experience and powerful R&D capabilities
14 SPOTLIGHT
Region: Hong Kong
The “Re-Industrialization” of Hong Kong’s Manufacturing Sector
Toy manufacturing industry’s three major periods of change Following the rise in labor and land costs and the imposition of trade quotas on Hong Kong by European countries and the U.S. in late 1970s, and China’s reform and opening up to the outside world in 1979, most manufacturing establishments of the toy industry in Hong Kong moved to the Chinese mainland, resulting in a near total disappearance of blue-collar workers from Hong Kong. The toy manufacturing establishments were concentrated in the Pearl River Delta region in Guangdong Province. Due to cheap labor and land costs there, most of the toy factories expanded to five to 20 times their original scales. Toys made during the period were mainly reverse mold plastic toys, including dolls and cars. In the 1990s, the world saw fast technological developments and a booming consumer market. Electronic toys, multi-functional and inter-active toys became popular. The toy industry moved from a low-technology laborintensive production mode to a technology-intensive production mode.
Some toy makers started strengthening vertical integration, which highlighted the importance of electronic component manufacturers, software developers and games programmers. Toys made during this period were mainly remote-control toys, including robot toys and remotecontrol cars. Into the 21 st century, the technological developments came faster. Most children started owning smart devices at the age of eight. Many plastic toy makers felt the need for transformation. The toy makers in Hong Kong thus focused their efforts on developing smart, high-tech toys, bringing WiFi-controlled and Cloud-controlled toys into market. There was much interaction between such a toy and its user. In the case of a toy drone, the user can control it via a smartphone app while connecting with social media at the same time. To meet the market demands for smart and inter-active toys, renowned toy maker VTech produced age-appropriate and gender-specific toys. Toys of today can be controlled via a smartphone.
“Industry 4.0” The phrases “Made in China 2025” and
“Industry 4.0” have been frequently heard in the manufacturing industry in recent days. They refer to how to increase competitiveness by enhancing the output value as well as product quality and quantity. Industry 4.0 is basically an application of the Internet, which links the manufacturing system to the Internet of Things and the Internet of Services. It covers smart products, intelligent logistics, intelligent buildings and smart grids, which form a smart factory system. We believe that we are entering the fourth industrial revolution, which is intelligent manufacturing based on cyber-physical systems. Hong Kong has a fairly good foundation and great potential for robotic technology, information technology (IT), the Internet of Things and wearable devices. It excels in intellectual property protection, WiFi/ Bluetooth module production and a labor force comprising both local and foreign nationals. This is a way out for Hong Kong. VTech is of course one of the first to take advantage of this edge. It makes the most of creative ideas and technological advancements in the form of intelligent manufacturing, which ranges from transitioning to automated production systems,
SPOTLIGHT 15
In the 1950s and 60s, the manufacturing industry was a pillar industry of Hong Kong. Plastic flowers, textiles and plastic toy businesses were in full bloom as Hong Kong-made products were sold in every corner of the world. In the 1980s, Hong Kong replaced Japan as the world’s largest exporter of toys. Hong Kong’s market share of toys and dolls accounted for more than 60% of the world trade. In the following two decades, there have been three major periods of change in Hong Kong’s transition from a “manufacturing-based” economy producing items popular around the world to a “design-based” economy. Let’s take a look back at the history.
replacing human labor with robots or robotic arms, to speeding up molding processes via 3-D printing technology. The aims are to enhance productive efficiency, upgrade product quality, reduce time to reach the market and increase production flexibility. Traditional industries can thus catch up on the Big Data trends and the Internet of Things developments. There is new hope for Hong Kong in its move towards re-industrialization. Technology research and development and product production are not necessarily to be confined to a specific place. Besides promoting local technology development and high valueadded manufacturing industries, Hong Kong also makes good use of the Internet to recruit research specialists from different places, coordinate production lines at different sites and retain high value-added production processes. In fact, the entrepreneurial environment of Hong Kong keeps improving under the assistance of the local government. Hong Kong is now a fast-growing business hub for innovators, attracting a lot of start-up companies and talents from overseas with its outstanding geographical location and business environment. Despite having only prototype products, these people
choose to do business or settle in Hong Kong, where they set up a base for more advanced research and development, and testing. With the support of production lines on the Chinese mainland, they can find their way into the Asian market and other markets around the world.
The future of toys Children love electrical and electronic toys because these toys feature dazzling lights and sounds. Being powered by a battery, such toys pose greater risks to children than the ordinary ones, however. They can cause cuts and puncture wounds, common hazards associated with ordinary toys. They might even cause more serious harms like electrical shocks or burns. Starting from boiler inspection in the industrial revolution of the early 20th century to the Industry 4.0 nextgeneration transformation of today, Germany’s TÜV Rheinland has been focusing on a sustainable and safe interaction among man, technology and the environment. It supports the industry all the way through a successful transition to Industry 4.0. Industry 4.0/
digitization is expected to bring about radical changes to the manufacturing of goods and the provision of services. The demands for IT security, safety services and communication standardization will increase a lot. TÜV Rheinland plans to launch the “connect to future” (C2F) operation mode that will encompass a digital factory, smart energy, smart devices and the future workplace. Children’s toys are required to meet certain legal requirements. TÜV Rheinland is the world’s leading provider of inspection, testing and verification services for toys. A number of toy makers now apply for a “Toy Proof” mark from TÜV Rheinland. Compared with the commonly-seen CE mark for toys, the Toy Proof mark means greater safety. The toy testing laboratory of TÜV Rheinland has been authorized by Germany’s DakkS, Hong Kong’s HOKLAS, and China’s CNAS to test toy products according to their respective standards. As a testing organization appointed by the European Union (EU), the lab is also a third-party testing body accredited by the U.S.’s CPSC, Brazil’s Inmetro, and Japan’s MHLW to ensure the safety of toys.
16 PIONEER
TÜV Rheinland's Rail Transport Empire
Fields of Expertise One-stop service for certification, consulting, testing, inspection and training • • • • Engineering consulting for overall systems • • Provide training about various international quality and safety standards
PIONEER 17
The footprint of TÜV Rheinland is visible everywhere from the Maglev Transportation System in Shanghai, airport express metro in Taiwan, the tram system in Kaohsiung and the high speed rail in Singapore and other Asia-Pacific region. "Security" has been the top priority in rail transport due to the fact that rail transport is the arteries of the cities. Railways
TÜV Rhineland has been involved with the research and development of the high-speed maglev security technology years. We are very proud to see that the investment in the construction projects has promoted economic growth and quality of life. TÜV Rheinland has the privilege to participate in different rail transport projects and assemble teams from different countries and expertise according to the different demands of the projects. We ensure the quality and safety of work of our experts. The following articles are about these unsung heroine and heroes.
18 PIONEER
Wonder Woman on the Track Interview with Jennifer Wang, Vice General Manager of Rail at TĂœV Rheinland, Greater China
PIONEER 19
“This is a very challenging industry
Closer: Women are a rare breed in rail
where every party has its own interests
transportation. How did you get into this
at stake. I’ve played many different
industry?
roles in this industry. Regardless of the roles, you always have to deal with
Wang: I got into rail transportation by
government agencies. Now my role in
a stroke of luck. My first job was gem
(hereinafter referred to as
the rail transportation industry is that of
appraisal. Staring at diamonds all day long
“TÜV Rheinland”) main
a consultant or independent third-party.
soon got boring for me. Then I received
business segments is serving
In comparison with the others in the
a letter of acceptance from Mitsubishi
industry, I have a better idea about the
Heavy Industries, which was how I got my
mindset and needs of different parties.
start in rail transportation. At the time, I
This gives me a broader and more
had no idea about rail transportation at all
This includes the provision of
complete perspective on the environment
so I attended classes after work and on
Independent Verification and
so I can better balance the needs and
weekends. Once I received my certificate,
requirements of all sides. Due to the
I began working in auditing. Later on, I
unique and challenging nature of this
joined Bombardier Transportation and
industry, many of my former colleagues
Taiwan Railway Administration,
gained an in-depth understanding of mass
have now left the industry. I have been
transit carriages. I was then persuaded
Kaohsiong Mass Rapid Transit
able to maintain my enthusiasm for the
to return to Mitsubishi Heavy Industries
Reconstruction Bureau as
industry because to me, it is not just a
to oversee the management of contract
job. It is a calling. My work gives me the
and design documents at their Japan
chance to participate in the infrastructure
head office. Eventually I met Mr. Vincent
development of different nations. I also
Tan, my current superior, by chance, who
Rail. Taiwan is a relatively
protect the safety of passengers so
recommended that I join TÜV Rheinland.
small market compared to
that they can have moother and more
neighboring regions so the rail
enjoyable rides. I felt a great sense of
One of TÜV Rheinland Group’s
the major railway and mass t r a n s i t s y s t e m s i n Ta i w a n .
Validation (IV&V) services to the New Taipei City Government,
well as assessment services to the Bureau of High Speed
business line of TÜV Rheinland Taiwan led by Jennifer Wang is gradually expanding into international markets by providing train or rail-related services in Australia, the Philippines, Malaysia and Singapore. They have gone as Africa as well. Although there are only eight members in the rail transportation sales team in Taiwan, they have been active across five continents and are a key player in the global rail transportation sector.
purpose in my job.” concluded Wang, speaking of the nature of her work.
20 PIONEER Closer: TÜV Rheinland is always introducing new services to rail transportation. What drives these changes? Wang:Sensitivity to industry developments, pioneering vision and the development of solutions based on different customer requirements. It has always been our philosophy to provide our customers with services of the highest quality. We deal with all kinds of projects and every project is unique in its own way. For example, there was a derailment in the city of Makati in the Philippines (part of the Manila metropolitan area) that was widely reported by CNN and other major media outlets. When the Filipino government asked TÜV Rheinland to investigate the cause of the accident and recommend improvements to the railway system, I was on the team sent to the scene of the accidents. We conducted a preliminary assessment at the scene and asked our overseas colleagues to carry out an onsite accident investigation. At the request of the Philippine National Railways and
with the doors. This was particularly
the Department of Transportation and
inconvenient for the elderly and disabled.
Communications, we also performed a
To upgrade Taiwan’s railways and improve
complete safety inspection of all railway
passenger comfort, the doors must be
tracks in Manila. When the dust finally
modified without compromising vehicle
settled and the trains started running as
safety. This was a very costly and time-
normal, I asked the passengers about
consuming project with very little actual
their riding experience. They replied that
profit. However, the unlimited future
the tracks feel more stable now and the
business opportunities matter more to
trains do not shake or sway as much.
me than the short-term payoff. I see it
After the improvements suggested by our
as an opportunity to prove to TRA that
C l o s e r : Yo u m u s t h a v e h a d m a n y
team were implemented and certified,
TÜV Rheinland is different from the other
extremely challenging projects after all of
passengers also reported that track noise
service providers and that we have
these years in the industry. Can you tell us
felt less intrusive.
the right expertise to provide such a
a little bit about these projects?
service. My goal was to convince TRA Apart from accident investigations, we
to entrust TÜV Rheinland with more of
Wa n g : P r o v i d i n g r a i l w a y s y s t e m
also assist with upgrades to railway
their projects. I also took into account
Verification and Validation (V&V) services
e q u i p m e n t . T h e Ta i w a n R a i l w a y
of the possibility that Mainland China
to the Taoyuan International Airport MRT
Administration (TRA), for example, asked
will have similar demands in the future.
was a great challenge, because all of
us to provide our safety assessment
Due to the abundant experiences
the parties involved in the projects were
services as part of the train door
with door reconstruction and platform
all major industry players. This meant
reconstruction. TRA is a company of long
standardization accumulated by the
everyone insisted on doing things on
history and the train platforms were built
Taiwan rail business line, we can provide
their own terms, making coordination
at different times so there were variations
the same service to the Mainland Chinese
extremely difficult. TÜV Rheinland was
in height. The train carriages were also
railways in the future. We can also help
the only company capable of and willing
purchased at different times from different
with the training of rail transportation
to take on the challenge of coordinating
manufacturers so the height of the train
personnel in Mainland China to ensure
all of these companies during design,
doors were not standardized either,
that there is always a pool of talents
production and validation. These were all
making it difficult to align the platforms
available.
very challenging large projects that took a
PIONEER 21 build a railway but they do not really
brought to TÜV Rheinland?
understand the design, execution and validation process. That is why they
Wa n g : A l l re c e n t t r a n s p o r t a t i o n
look for trustworthy partners like TÜV
systems are now connected via wireless
Rheinland. Our competitors at the
networking. Hackers can hack into
time included Lloyd’s Register Quality
the frequencies and signals reserved
Assurance of UK, Mott MacDonald
for transportation systems to gain
Engineering Consultancy, TÜV SÜD, and
unauthorized access to the central control
TÜV NORD. Some of these established
system of rail transportation. Once this
brands underestimated the capabilities
happens, they can open and close the
of our team and this cost them the
doors, or cause two trains to collide
project. Our client commented that our
head-on. This undoubtedly poses a
competitors were slow in their response.
massive threat and challenge. Our team
The attentive and professional service
will do everything we can to research
offered by TÜV Rheinland naturally stood
the situation and assist operators with
out from the crowd.
patching their security vulnerabilities. We can also provide white-hat hackers to
Closer: What are the future trends of rail
probe the security system of operators for
transportation?
potential security vulnerabilities and stop the attacks before they happen.
Wang: Trams will be the future trend in Taiwan. Densely populated areas like
Closer: What threats or opportunities will
Taipei need Metro but trams are more
the rapid advancements in big data and
suited to the less densely populated
IoT over the last few years bring?
areas like Keelung and Danhai. There are many advantages to tram such as
Wang: Big data offers many advantages
low-carbon, high energy-efficiency and
for rail transportation. If station
convenience. Trams are more robust
management is willing to provide the
than buses and more flexible as well,
data, we can assess station efficiency
allowing them to better handle surges
and performance based on use station
in passenger numbers or poor weather.
traffic, train punctuality and failure
Its maintenance costs are also lower
frequency. Internet-of-Things can also
than Metro. The government is therefore
be applied to rail transportation as well.
introducing supporting measures that will
Current railway intersection sensors are
encourage the population to use all forms
over-sensitive and often detect people’s
of public transport.
presence when there aren’t any. The
great deal of time and effort. The ultimate goal was customer satisfaction.
accuracy of the sensors still needs to be Upgrades to older public transport may
improved. Therefore CCTV still plays a
be another trend. Taipei MRT has been
crucial role during the transition. MRT may
Apart from the Taoyuan International
in operation for 20 years so there is a
introduce cameras with facial-recognition
Airport MRT, the Danhai Tram project
strong demand for system upgrades and
technology to monitor station traffic. It can
i s o n e o f o u r d e p a r t m e n t ’s re c e n t
analysis/upgrade of existing carriages.
also be used for smart law enforcement
major projects. We beat many strong
TRA’s signaling system needs to be
and tracking of suspects. Advancement in
competitors to secure the project. My
standardized and upgraded although it
technology is introducing many variables
team always works actively to develop
currently does not have the capability
into the future of rail transportation. We
new markets. We started cultivating
to systematically upgrade these traffic
must continue to change with the times,
and managing our relationship with
signals on a large scale. This represents
identify new opportunities and constantly
prospective clients long before there are
an excellent opportunity for TÜV
innovate in order to take advantage of the
even projects to bid on. We frequently
Rheinland because we do possess
opportunities created by these variables
look for opportunities to help our
relevant expertise.
and maintain our company’s competitive
clients to show them TÜV Rheinland’s
advantage.
professionalism and dependability.
Closer: There have been many hacker
O u r c u s t o m e r s h a v e o n l y a ro u g h
and terrorist attacks targeted at rail
understanding of the project in their
transportation in recent years. What
hands. They know that they want to
threats and challenges have these
For more information, please contact: hicy.gao@tuv.com
22 PIONEER
For customers of TĂœV Rheinla
Systems has always been sy
excellence. Customer feedbac
always full of praise for the rev
years of industry experience, pr process and extensive knowl
customers receive more than ju
They also enjoy a very sati
experience on quality managem
management of the review exper
Systems has become leaders corporate development as well.
The Tai-Chi Philosophy of Interview with Liu Zhonghua, Manager of Rail Transport and Aviation & Aerospace and Tai Chi Master
Rail Tra
PIONEER 23
and, Management
ynonymous with
We are fortunate to interview Mr.
After joining TÜV Rheinland, Liu not
ck in particular is
Liu Zhonghua, the Manager of Rail
only helped lay the foundations for
Transport and Aviation & Aerospace,
International Railway Industry Standard
Management Systems, at TÜV
(IRIS) certification at TÜV Rheinland
view experts. Their
rofessional review
Rheinland today. Though the interview
but also supported the development
edge means that
ran for just 40 minutes, our brief
of the AS9100 international aerospace
ust a certification.
conversation with Mr. Liu revealed to
quality management system business.
us how he impressed his clients and
He was therefore very active in both
became the top practitioners of the
surface and air transportation. Over
industry.
the past 8 years, Liu led by example in
isfying learning
ment. As a result,
rts in Management
s in sustainable
ansport
promoting system management know-
Know what you have and
how among large companies in order
be grateful; know what
to let executives comprehend on the
you lack then you can improve; know what you lack to possess ambition
nature of AS9100/IRIS standards and their business implications. At the same time, he continued to recruit and build an elite team made up of executives from CRRC Qingdao Sifang Co., Ltd.
Mr. Liu said it was fate that brought
(hereinafter to be referred as "Sifang")
him to TÜV Rheinland eight years ago
as well as veteran IRIS reviewers who
(November 2008). At the time, he was
had worked at China Railway Rolling
the manager of the systems department
Stock Corp. (CRRC) and Beijing
for a well-known international
Railway Signal Co., Ltd. (CRSC). The
certification organization in the Central
team brought together previous industry
China area. He was also among the first
experience and know-how from vehicle
group of IRIS-certified senior reviewers,
assembly, signals of communications
a UNIFE-certified IRIS reviewer
and brand name enterprises. All
instructor and Fudan University-certified
members possess at least four different
m a n a g e m e n t b e s t re p re s e n t a t i v e
qualifications such as ISO90001,
lecturer who had provided management
ISO14001, OHSAS18001, AS9100
system services to companies such
or IRIS. There are even some elite
as Siemens, Bombardier and Alstom.
instructors with all five qualifications,
When Liu met with VP Fang Weimin,
far surpassing other competitors.
they became instant friends so he
Even more importantly, Liu and his
joined TÜV Rheinland.
team extracted the essence of these
24 PIONEER
certification standards so that the core
management. Having a professional
days over 5 sessions for the president
elements of ISO90001, ISO14001 and
mindset comes first because the
and vice president of Sifang, the
OHSAS18001 can be implemented
passion for management systems will
industry leader. The training provided
through IRIS and AS9100. Companies
be reflected in the professional image
by TÜV Rheinland gave Sifang a clear
that complete their IRIS and AS9100
of the team. Start by convincing the
idea on the content and importance
certification therefore gain an
customer and once the customer
of IRIS. This led to the subsequent
understanding of what other areas
can see the benefit, the word-of-
decision to remove all Sifang suppliers
of quality management that require
mouth will spread. The brand will
without IRIS certification after
attention.
also grow and become stronger.
September 30, 2016, because they
Even more importantly, use patient
realized that a problem at any point
communication and on-site reviews to
in the supply chain creates potential
win over the customer and their top
problems throughout the entire supply
executives in particular. The customer
chain. Sifang therefore required all
Though Liu feels that it was fate that brought him to TÜV Rheinland and he appreciates the opportunity, his approach to team management is based on being content and continuing to improve. In his own
will then remember you and treat you like an "indispensable" partner.
suppliers to pass IRIS certification and named TÜV Rheinland as its
words, "Know what you have and be
Though China is now preparing to
preferred certification service provider.
grateful; know what you lack then you
compete in the global high-speed
In addition, Sifang's technical center
can improve."
rail market, companies without
also decided to require IRIS training
IRIS certification cannot enter the
certificate for all technical personnel
European market. CRRC has therefore
from the relevant departments. This
confirmed that it will make IRIS
meant that technical personnel must
Liu has always followed the
certification a tender requirement. In
undergo training at TÜV Rheinland
principle of winning trust through
2015, Liu and his team launched a
and compete. Those who fail to
professionalism in customer
public training course consisting of 25
make the grade will have their salary
Indispensable
PIONEER 25
reduced by two grades. Such a level of commitment throughout the company ensured that proper practices are enforced. CRRC Changchun Railway Vehicles Co., Ltd., another industry leader, carried out a 20-day rolling IRIS training course in 2013 as well. They hoped that Liu's instruction will provide their organization with the most direct and complete training on IRIS. Once the philosophy has been
Unity in literature fosters cultural elegance, unity in war leads to honor and strength, unity between people leads to a harmonious society, unity in body leads to good health, unity in mind leads to happiness, and unity of all three creates a Tao to follow in life.
embraced by the entire top
OHSAS18001 provides businesses with boundless knowledge to learn, endless room for improvement, and limitless motivation for improvement. The protection and guidance of the IRIS system ensures sustainable corporate development. The most important concept that he tries to convey to businesses is that "Sales represent past success, systems ensure future safety."
management, practicing proper
Liu referred to classical literature
certification throughout the entire
when introducing his family name.
The customers of Liu and his team are
supply chain among all technical
As an expert in Tai Chi, he himself
spread throughout the leading vehicle
personnel within the organization
was like his family name skilled in
and signals of communications
creates boundless opportunities for
both the literary and martial arts.
companies in the industry. All of these
TĂœV Rheinland.
With regards to the nature of IRIS,
companies are willing to recommend
he referred to a classic quote from
TĂœV Rheinland to their supply chain
"Zhong Yong": "This EQUILIBRIUM
partners as well because they all
Once the philosophy has been
is the great root from which grow all
believe that maintaining unified
embraced by the entire top
the human acting in the world, and
standards is the only way to eliminate
management, practicing proper
this HARMONY is the universal path
defects and achieve better quality.
which they all should pursue." The
In combining universal values with
word "HARMONY" describes IRIS
certification requirements, Liu not
certification perfectly. Though it is a
only help customers understand
foreign import, it has much in common
our profession but also accept our
with the Confucian philosophy passed
philosophy as well. This is what
down through the millennia in China.
makes him a true grand master, who
The certification that combines the
conveys the truth, passes on the
essence of ISO90001, ISO14001 and
knowledge and clarifies the confusion.
supply chain among all technical personnel within the organization creates boundless opportunities for TĂœV Rheinland.
26 PIONEER
In early morning, the crowded subway marks the beginning of a day for urban cities. People wait for the next Maglev eagerly at dusk. Backpackers rely on trains to explore the world when they go on vacations. Before the Chinese New Year, the passengers must endure the ordeal of sitting in the overcrowded train carriages for hours before they could finally see the smiling faces of their families. High-speed rail, subways, trams, and maglev trains make rapid, long-distance travel possible. As a moving medium of transportation connecting cities and towns, the high occupancy of railways makes “safety” the top priority, when every rail transportation systems is being designed. The TÜV Rheinland experts have been working hard on the trains and rail transits around the clock, from the stage of design review, system evaluation, verification and validation, to the final stage of safe operation of the system. Today, let’s meet these unsung heroine and heroes from TÜV Rheinland who spent days and nights working on the railways.
Safety Com
Vincent Tan: The prophet of the rai safety operation
The charming Vincent is a Chinese Sing who is also the head of the Rail Business Li Rheinland Greater China and Asia Pacific Some years ago he set up the Greater C team by himself in Shanghai. Today, the bu growing and booming on the right track. “ business, we are defined by three Ps. Ove years, we have been very successful in Project and Product assessment services. next few years, we will focus on the last P People. ” said Vincent.
In 2015, Singapore celebrated its 50th Nati and the Singapore Mass Rapid Transit Co (SMRT) offered the free rides on National promotional activity. In addition to the festi organized by government, all kinds of pro activities would also draw in many ven
PIONEER 27
mmitment
for Rail
ilway
gaporean, ine of TĂœV c regions. China Rail usiness is “In the rail er the past the 2 Ps, . Over the P, which is
ional Day, orporation Day as a ive events omotional ndors and
customers. At that time, over 200,000 people were estimated to gather around a certain subway station that was closest to the event venue, and the passenger flow was estimated to be 5 times more than usual operations. The police, fire brigade, and the government agencies were extremely concerned about the potential stampede. In order to respond to the heavy passenger flow and to prepare beforehand a variety of plans, TĂœV Rheinland was consulted to provide solutions. This project was a perfect fit for the new Passenger Flow and Station Integrity (PFSI) assessment service that we recently developed. Vincent and his team of experts used the cuttingedge simulation software and accurately predicted the passenger flow. They analyzed the opening and closing timing of the gates of the automatic fare collection system, anticipated the bottleneck areas on the station platform, and simulated and designed more than 20 emergency scenarios. Our plans helped the authorities to effectively control the passenger flow at the station and secured the safe operation of the day by preventing any incidents. With this project being awarded PFSI certification, it was a great success to both parties.
28 PIONEER
Felix Fang: The guardian of maglev safety in China Felix, a polite and amiable gentleman, is among the founding team of Rail division in TÜV Rheinland Greater China. He is the safety expert of rail system. He has took part in railway projects throughout many parts of China as well as the rest of Asia-Pacific. Since 1970's, TÜV Rheinland has been involved in the research and development on safety related technologies for high-speed maglev in Germany. In 2002, when the world's first high-speed maglev line was put into commercial operation in Shanghai, TÜV Rheinland performed the safety assessment successfully. With the continuous progress in maglev technology, medium-low-speed maglev transit system is expected to be the new spotlights and brings about changes in improving transportation capacity in urban cities. In 2014, TÜV Rheinland performed the safety assessment for China's first commercial medium-low-speed maglev project. Felix and his team was responsible for this project. With TÜV Rheinland's auditing, testing and assessment, China's first medium-low-speed maglev was put into commercial operation successfully on December 26th, 2015.
PIONEER 29
Harrison Wang: The driving force behind rolling stock manufacturers from China to Europe China Railway High-speed (CRH) currently has the most comprehensive technology in high-speed railway systems, the best capability in technological integration, the longest operating mileage, the fastest operating speed and the largest scale of construction in the world. CRH is the representative of China’s high-end manufacturing industry, whose technology and equipment have an increasing influence in the international arena. CRH’s “Go Out” approach has become a long-term national strategy. It was under such an inspiring circumstance that China Railway Rolling
Stock Corporation (CRRC) won the order to export completed vehicles to Macedonia. It is China's first project with completed vehicles export to Europe. TÜV Rheinland is a Notified Body accredited by European Union, and we enjoy a high reputation on the international market. Entrusted by CRRC’s Zhuzhou Electric Locomotive Co., Ltd., we provided TSI assessment and certification services for EMU and DMU exported to Macedonia. Having been a mechanical engineer in the railway industry for more than 10 years, Harrison manifests completely the rigorous and yet bold temperament of an engineer in him. He has a deep knowledge on rolling stock engineering as well as the design of various key safety-related subsystems. Harrison is quite familiar with European standards and meanwhile knows China’s industry very well. He has assisted the client to solve problems at all stages, come up with feasible solutions, and thus facilitated them to enter into European market seamlessly.
30 PIONEER
Jennifer Wang: The“wonder woman” of the rail safety Taiwanese women are often described as intellectual, and Jennifer is no exception. Jennifer‘s experiences in studying aboard and in managing multinational corporations, together with her thoughtful and meticulous approach, have earned the trust of her clients. Among the swarm of technical experts in TÜV Rheinland, Jennifer, with her international perspective and exceptional project management skills, has been able to play an important role in this male-dominant industry. J e n n i f e r w a s re s p o n s i b l e f o r h e r verification and validation project of the
Taoyuan International Airport’s Mass Rapid Transit (MRT). This MRT is the first in Taiwan that directly connects a city to an airport. However, the slope of certain areas in the local terrain posed severe challenges to the system design. She is in charge of overseeing the process from design inspection to test verification. She checked the design for the client from the very beginning, work continually until the functions and performance of the design to be verified completely during testing. Jennifer was able to coordinate TÜV Rheinland's global professionals to carry out the i n s p e c t i o n o f t h e p ro d u c t i o n a n d installation as well as laboratory tests. Her professionalism and dedication have deeply impressed the clients. A solid, trusting, and long-term relationship is established as a result.
PIONEER 31
Rover Jan: Safety assurance of the Kaohsiung Tram System TÜV Rheinland is Rover's first and only job so far. He is also a very valued member of the Taiwan Rail division. He has dedicated himself to the meticulous study of rapid transit RAMS and V&V for over 10 years, implementing projects all over Taiwan. The Kaohsiung Municipal G o v e r n m e n t w a n t s t o o ff e r i t s citizens a fast and convenient transportation, of which the safety should not be compromised in any way. In 2013, the municipal government invited TÜV Rheinland
to provide independent verification and validation service on the Tram Train (LRT) project. Rover was leading this project. TÜV Rheinland’s approach began with the design, for rolling stock, signaling and power supply systems. Any operation related risks, he has identified them at design stage and then offered suggestions for improvement. During the phases of manufacturing, installation and testing, Rover and his team performed witness on site for all safety-related functions to ensure all were in consistent with the contract and the design. They have always performed their job in an extremely stringent and conscientious manner, throughout its entire engineering life. Often at times, when one set of tests was completed for the day, the next round of testing started on the same night. Meanwhile, after
considering other pedestrian-related safety concerns, they further tested the electromagnetic compatibility on the roadside signals to ensure the interference to the pedestrians was at the minimal level. After two years of dedication, they successfully completed the evaluation on the project. The people of Kaohsiung can now ride on the most modern and convenient mode of transportation with a peace of mind. Whether it is Vincent, Felix, Harrison, J e n n i f e r o r R o v e r, t h e y a re a l l perfect models of TÜV Rheinland‘s employees who are devoted to the rail business. It is with such a dedicated group of colleagues who adhere to their tradition and belief in safety and independence that everyone may travel with ease because they know every journey, exploration and homecoming trip is safe and secure.
For more information, please contact hicy.gao@tuv.com
32 FEATURED SERVICE
In order to ease the power shortage in Italy, the TERNA Group, the one and only power transmission company in the country, decided to build a network of high-voltage DC (HVDC) transmission and transformation in 2013. The project, MONITA, was set up as a result, which proposed to supply Italy with electricity via a network of submarine cables from Montenegro.
How Toshiba’s Converter Transformers Won Over Italy Toshiba won the MONITA EPC contract
report based on the technical
had to be available immediately. The
for ±500-kV DC transmission and
specifications of the TERNA Group. TÜV
designed output of the HVDC power
transformation in early 2014, in which
Rheinland was chosen to provide the
e x c e e d e d 1 , 0 0 0 M VA , w i t h e a c h
C h a n g z h o u To s h i b a i n C h i n a a n d
valid certification for Toshiba.
converter transformer reaching 230 MVA. In the past, subject to testing capacities
Toshiba in Japan would jointly provide the converter transformers required for
Under the MONITA project, Italy and
(power generators for experimental
the provision of HVDC transmission. To
Montenegro required six converter
purposes are four times larger than short-
enter the European market, the products
transformers each, as well as standby
circuit capacities, but the short-circuit
required third-party certificates issued by
products on each side. If the converter
capacities of power generators for this
an accredited body and a conformance
transformers malfunctioned, replacements
round of experiments amounted to 14,000 MVA) and testing fees, the short-circuit capacities of converter transformers were extrapolated based on a simulated
About Changzhou Toshiba Transformer Company Limited
calculation technique. When the MONITA
Founded in 1995, Changzhou Toshiba Transformer Company Limited is a
project was launched, the TERNA Group
Sino-Japanese joint venture, the 50% equity interests of which are currently
prescribed special design requirements
held by Shandong Electrical Engineering and Equipment Group Co Ltd
for the transformers and determined the
(an enterprise directly under the State Grid Corporation of China) and the
necessity of a model testing report issued
Toshiba Corporation (Japan). By production scale, the enterprise yields a
by a recognised institution in Europe. The
monthly output of 18 large transformers and an annual output of 65 GVA
TERNA Group believed that only an on-
transformers. With advanced equipment, Changzhou Toshiba enjoys its
site test would enable the reappearance
capacity to manufacture and test transformers with an alternating current of
of transformation failure and the
1,000 kV and direct current of ±800 kV.
verification of designed calculation results, while ensuring that a short circuit could
FEATURED SERVICE 33
德國萊因TÜV團隊、客戶日本東芝和使用者TERNA主管合影
be withstood by the operating circuit.
In early December, the test was deemed a success under the previously proposed
This test on unexpected short circuits
short-circuit testing scheme. By February
of large converter transformers marked
2016, routine testing subsequent to a
an industry first in China, and was one
short circuit was achieved. Toshiba’s
of only very few carried out globally. Our
products passed all tests under the
engineers calculated the loop resistance
technical specifications of the user.
and formulated a stringent and safe testing
Following the issuance of the TÜV
scheme, which was accepted by the
Rheinland certificate and report, Toshiba’s
TERNA Group. When the TERNA Group
converter transformers were granted
inspected the testing laboratory, the
approval to enter the European market.
engineers explained the implementation rules in detail and addressed and clarified
During the entire project period, our
any technical issues raised by the TERNA
engineers were praised by Toshiba and
Group. Eventually, both Toshiba as the
the TERNA Group for their communication
manufacturer and the TERNA Group
skills and technical capacities. In line with
as the user were satisfied with the
the continued exuberant demand for
technical capacities of TÜV Rheinland,
products with high-voltage power, TÜV
and approved and determined the
Rheinland’s localised teams are in the
experimental plan.
optimum position to provide domestic manufacturers with a convenient one-
In October 2015, Toshiba’s converter
stop service, in which a one-time test can
transformers were subjected to a routine
lead to global acceptance.
test under observation by TÜV Rheinland.
For more information, please contact gavin.chen@tuv.com.
34 FEATURED SERVICE
The “Quality China series – Green Energy Summit” coorganized by the TÜV Rheinland Group (hereinafter referred to as “TÜV Rheinland”) and the World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF), the largest independent environmental protection group in the world, was held in April this year. As a long-time partner of WWF, TÜV Rheinland hoped that the summit will help promote the newest ISO 50001 energy management system standards, which, in turn, could give many energyintensive companies more incentives to effectively cut back on energy consumption and reduce carbon emissions while maintaining sustainable development. At the Paris Climate Change Conference held at the end of November last year, China committed to reduce its total CO2 emissions from domestic production in 2030 by 60 ~ 65% compared to 2005. For Chinese businesses, this will completely change the business environment and p u t t h e m u n d e r i m m e n s e p re s s u re . T h e C e r t i f i c a t i o n a n d A c c re d i t a t i o n Administration (CNCA) had in fact issued a notice on the “Implementation of Pilot P ro g r a m s f o r Ve r i f i c a t i o n o f E n e rg y Management Systems” encouraging energy-intensive industries such as steel, non-ferrous metals, coal, electricity, chemical engineering, building materials, paper-making, light industry, textiles and mechanical manufacturing to introduce an energy management system (EnMS)
Why Energy Management is Easier than You Think! verification. The notice hoped that these industries will try to accumulate experience with the implementation and management of EnMS verification. If tangible results are achieved by these test industries, the system will be promoted throughout the country and a comprehensive EnMS review system progressively put into place. In addition to the strong government support for EnMS, many international enterprises such as Apple, Microsoft,
Google the ind and ca overco Apple transfor chain a renewa Bonnie of bicyc compan energy through invested City’s multi-n suit no environ but als econom
First, th allows f opportu costs. W EnMS using a gravity booste installa also red
FEATURED SERVICE 35
e and Hilton Hotels have also joined dustry push on energy conservation a r b o n e m i s s i o n re d u c t i o n . To ome the image of “Poison Apple”, CEO Cook is pushing for a rmation throughout the entire supply and is progressively introducing able energy during production. Tu (杜綉珍), Executive VP and CFO cle maker GIANT, also said that the ny pioneered the movement to cut consumption and carbon emissions h cycling in Taiwan. GIANT has also d more than NT$50 million in Taipei YouBike bike-share system. The national enterprises are following o t o n l y b e c a u s e o f i n c re a s i n g nmental awareness in recent years so because of the many hidden mic benefits.
he introduction of the EnMS system for the identification of energy-saving unities and reduction of production When SKF of Sweden implemented at its Jiading campus in China, a centralized liquid supply system for feeding and installing inverter pumps ed energy efficiency by 25%. The ation of solar panels on the factory duced electricity costs by 220,000
RMB each year; second, EnMS does not require a new system to be built from scratch. It can be completely integrated with the existing quality and environmental systems. Delta Electronics’ Dongguan site, for example, used just a smart AC control system, energy recovery devices and solar power to reduce its power consumption by 24% to date. Production output even increased by 30% over the same period. Third, the introduction of EnMS is eligible for government subsidies. These subsidies are currently available in the Huadong region of China. For large and supply chain enterprises, EnMS offers an excellent way of using energy consumption to measure quality and ensure that the downstream supply chain conforms to requirements. In the near future, energy conservation, c a r b o n re d u c t i o n a n d c a r b o n c re d i t trading will all have an % effect on company % credits supplied expenses. If the carbon by the government is notinenough to satisfy Increase production requirements, Increase inthen businesses Energy Efficiency must conserve energy. Failure to reach Energy Efficiency energy conservation standards can have only two outcomes: The first is financial penalties, and the second is the need to purchase more carbon credits in order to expand production. is therefore DecreaseEnMS in
25 25
$22K $22K
Decrease in Power Consumption Power Consumption
25 25 %%
% 24 24 %
Increase in Increase in Energy Efficiency Energy Efficiency
Decrease in Decrease in Power Bills Power Bills
$22K $22K
% 30 30 %
Decrease in Decrease in Power Consumption Power Consumption
24 24 %%
Increase in Increase in Production Capacity Production Capacity
an excellent way to save energy, reduce carbon emissions and lower costs. Apart from reducing costs, it can also boost the external image of the company, comply with regulatory requirements, reduce the green barriers to international trade and expand the overseas market. In the future, ISO 50001 may become a requirement in international exports as well. The EnMS verification provided by TÜV Rheinland originated in Europe. Germany has the highest rate of adoption out of all European countries. Many German businesses that introduced this system improved their industrial efficiency through effective energy management rather than new technologies. EnMS can also help businesses integrate their energy efficiency targets with their industrial-commercial management targets without compromising on either. They can even continue to make improvements to existing systems as well. According to the latest ISO statistics, the growth rate of ISO 50001 is extremely high compared to all other management system standards. TÜV Rheinland possesses extensive technical experience and years of experience on energy management and climate change for the industrial sector. It is also a CNCA-approved EnMS development organization. TÜV Rheinland currently has more than 30 experts specializing in energy, low-carbon emissions and climate change. They provide professional and effective energy management services to companies such as Volkswagen, Daimler, BASF, Continental, Daikin AC and Yingli Solar.
If you would like more information, please contact Amanda.Chen@tuv.com
36 FEATURED SERVICE
How About More Quiet?
The world is becoming noisier. Traffic is the main cause of it. It creates a constant barrage of noise that makes many people sick. The
problems of our time is already well underway.
FEATURED SERVICE 37
The latest defense against aircraft noise
NOISE COSTS BILLIONS
measures just a few centimeters. You have to look very closely to make out
Irritating sound is damaging to both
the so-called vortex generator on the
people and the economy. Job-related
huge wing of an Airbus A320. But the
loss of hearing is suspected in around
small corrugated metal plate is highly
13,000 employees per year here in
effective. Bolted on in front of the tank
Germany. There are about 7,000 cases of
pressure equalization hole – a round
noise-induced hearing loss, making this
opening underneath the wing – it prevents
by far the most commonly recognized
oncoming air from making a loud, high
occupational disease. An estimated three
sound – similar to blowing across the
million Germans can't get the noise out
top of a bottle. This reduces the noise
of their head – they suffer from tinnitus.
of a landing aircraft by up to 4 decibels
The cost of noise – retraining programs,
(A) – a definite improvement given that
therapies, hearing aids, work incapacity,
a difference of 10 dB(A) is equal to
early retirement – is estimated by the EU
halving the noise level. Lufthansa has
to be between 0.2 and 2 percent of the
been retrofitting its A320 fleet with this
gross domestic product in Europe as a
internally developed component since
whole. For Germany alone this would
2014. It will help make the world a little
mean a figure of between 6 and 60 billion
quieter – an urgent undertaking. As early
euros per year.
as 1910, German physician Robert Koch predicted: “One day mankind will have to combat noise just as relentlessly as cholera and the plague.” Today, in its Green Paper on noise protection policy the EU Commission declares noise to be “one of the biggest environmental problems in Europe”*. But what actually is noise? “Sound is a physical phenomenon. Noise is sound that causes inconvenience and makes people sick,” says Dr. Wiete Schramm, occupational physician with TÜV Rheinland (see interview). And nowadays noise is omnipresent. Thirteen million Germans are exposed to a level of noise both day and night that is damaging to their health. Some five million work under noise exposure. Throughout Europe there are an estimated 125 million people who suffer constant exposure to noise – in other words one in four of the total population.
38 FEATURED SERVICE
Noise protection is worth it: Noise-induced hearing loss is the most commonly diagnosed occupational hazard.
IT'S WORTH KEEPING QUIET
appliances are protecting the health and
the wheels, making them roll even more
work capacity of their employees,” says
noisily. According to European licensing
Wiete Schramm.
law, new freight wagons therefore have to be fitted with quiet, low-impact composite
So it's worthwhile to invest in noise protection. But where do you start? For many years, passive noise protection was the priority: headsets for workers, noise protection walls along highways and railway lines and sound insulating windows in the home – these were all designed to keep noise out. But this is no longer enough. The principle now is: noise shouldn't happen in the first place. According to the EU Machinery Directive, for example, devices must be designed so that they operate as quietly as possible. Manufacturers also have to provide noise level specifications if the dangerous threshold of 80 dB(A) is crossed. “Quiet machines are a competitive advantage: companies that purchase quiet
brake blocks. “They're relatively lowcost
TRAFFIC CALMING 2.0
and reduce noise levels every step of the way,” says Quernheim. Only quiet freight
However, machine tools, construction
wagons will be allowed in Germany from
sites and the neighbor's dog are not the
2020 onwards. The rails themselves will
main problem. The number one source
also be acoustically optimized:
of noise is traffic. Take the example of the rail traffic: it is predicted to increase
Tracks will be seamlessly welded
by more than 40 percent in Germany
so the familiar “do-dom, do-dom”
by 2030. Yet passive noise protection
railway sound will soon be a thing
along railway lines and houses is only
of the past.
sporadically effective and has its price: one kilometer of noise protection wall costs between 1.1 and 1.6 million euros. “It is more sustainable to combat noise at its source,” says Thomas Quernheim, rail technology expert with TÜV Rheinland. He advises the state sector on noise protection in the field of rail transport. Freight wagons are still often fitted with gray cast iron brake blocks which generate loud rolling noise and roughen
Steel bridge constructions actually magnify the sound of a train passing over them. A remedy here is a continuously damping gravel track bed. Regular grinding of the rails eliminates unevenness so that trains run more quietly.
FEATURED SERVICE 39
AS IF ON A CARPET
asphalt is twice as expensive as a normal
QUIET IS STILL NOISY
road surface. What's more, it crumbles Tires with low rolling resistance and
more quickly when covered in frost and it
Vortex generators for aircraft, quieter
open-pore silent asphalt are currently
involves a greater risk of black ice, since
industrial machinery and consumer
the preferred methods of reducing road
the road salt disappears into the pores.
appliances, silent brakes for trains: thanks
traffic noise. “Not only safety and fuel
The aircraft industry invests particularly
to modern noise protection technology,
consumption are important but also noise
heavily in noise reduction. This is because
the average maximum noise level has
sensitivity. Since 2012, noise has been
loud aircraft means bans on night flying
indeed been reduced for many people.
one of the three rating factors for the EU
and high landing fees. It is mainly the
However, the effect is not necessarily
tire labeling requirement. Low-resistance
engines that are so noisy. The faster the
obvious – after all, urbanization, traffic
tires of the latest generation already
turbine blades turn, the more noise is
and the global flow of goods are all on the
meet the highest standards and help
created. The German Aerospace Center
increase. The battle against noise is far
improve environmental conditions due to
has developed a fan which turns more
from over.
their lower fuel consumption levels and
slowly: due to the optimized number and
reduced noise emissions,” says Jochen
shape of the blades, it's not only quieter
Kock, Head of Fleet Consulting with
but is actually more powerful, too. Arched
TÜV Rheinland, who was involved with
winglets and aerodynamically trimmed
practical testing of low-resistance tires
chassis also reduces aerodynamic drag
for the chemical corporation Lanxess.
in aircraft. Engines require less propulsion
“Silent asphalt” consists of one quarter
and the noise level drops. Jet engines are
hollow spaces, absorbing half of the noise
now 80 percent quieter than they were
generated by cars driving over it. Up to
60 years ago. However, the cost and
now, however, this open-pore covering
technical effort required to achieve further
has only been used on roads with very
measurable noise protection is constantly
high levels of noise pollution: silent
increasing.
For more information, please contact:
40 TÜV SAFE BUY
Attention All Testing And Accreditation Personnel: How to explain your job to your parents in one minute! Or perhaps... If you were to try and explain it As a practitioner of TIC (Testing, inspection, and accreditation), how do I explain my work to others? I just say I work at TÜV Rheinland. I tell them I perform third party testing and accreditation services. TÜV is a German abbreviation for Technical Inspection Association (Technischer Ü be r wa c hung sverei n ); Wi ki p ed i a refers to us as an accreditation authority. Our company is among the top 7 international accreditation authorities in the world.
And I make a little joke to help them understand what TÜV means: it's what Germans bring — everything has to be TÜV accredited! After all, it's difficult for people to understand industries outside of their own. Thanks to the testing industry's professionalism and our engineer "warriors," people seem to... Well, they can never figure out exactly what our engineers do.
to your family and friends, you of misunderstanding:
TÜV SAFE BUY 41
Please just allow me to introduce myself once again. I'm a testing engineer for TÜV Rheinland. I test the safety of products and materials in the lab, as well as their quality and performance.
TÜV Rheinland project engineer I do on-site safety and quality assurance inspection to ensure projects are completed successfully.
42 TÜV SAFE BUY
TÜV Rheinland Inspectors
TÜV Rheinland Auditors
Inspection services provide
Auditors evaluate management
protection for both buyers and sellers.
various business processes.
Maybe we are strangers to you, but we're actually everywhere.
CLIENT STORY 43
It has been ten years, but Audy Quan, manager of the compliance engineering department of Inventus Power Guangzhou Design Center, still remembers vividlyy that cold night when that young engineer from TÜV Rheinland worked tirelessly alongside with him.
Inventus Power Guangdong That night, as Quan told Closer in a recent interview, in the winter of 2006, the wind howled through “Science City” in Guangdong. Outside, the dim illumination from the sparsely spaced streetlights made the statues of scientists, whose expression appeared so serious by day, seemed rather eerie in the pale moonlight. The night was dead silent in the software park, and as the last bus drove slowly past, the screech of its brakes seemed exceptionally shrill and out of place.
Just after ten o’clock, the lights were turned off yet another floor in the park’s Block C. Those working overtime find solace in one another’s lights, as silence can sometimes be a terrible force, leaving you feeling naked and exposed. They were the only two people left in TÜV Rheinland’s electrical laboratory at this time, listening to the unique b a c k g ro u n d m u s i c o f t e s t i n g instrument humming, and as they gazed soundlessly at the batterypack test data on the display
screens while comparing them to standards, a sudden gurgle broke the silence. The young engineer, Xie Tang, coughed in hopes that it would mask the sound of his hunger. This was when Quan finally realized that the two had been working on this project for more than a dozen hours now, and had not had anything to eat since a hurried breakfast in the morning. Of course, neither of them broke the silence until the project was completed. Quan was finally able to
44 CLIENT STORY
relax after finalizing the work at hand, ensuring the project’s delivery date as well as the company’s reputation. Even though all he had for dinner that night was some ordinary meat congee and stir-fried noodles, the relief he felt made it taste extraordinary.
his glasses, and got to work. “I
As Quan recalls, “That morning we had suddenly received an internal notification -- as there had been an error in the time estimate for a certain step, testing had to be completed that very day. Otherwise it would have a major impact on the project. I was not completely certain if we would be able to handle everything successfully on the same day with no preparation, as testing plan is always arranged ahead of time.” He concentrated on the details of what had transpired to date for a few moments, adjusted
promptly from Dongguan.”
immediately called the engineer at TÜV Rheinland and analyzed our project’s progress,” he says. “The concise and straightforward reply was, ‘We’ll do our best to expedite it. It will be alright.’ So I hurried over
speaking about the lasting impression he has left on clients, he states that, “clients do have emergency projects
Showing emotion, he adds that,
from time to time, and we try to
“I was especially touched by this
accommodate them. After all, it’s no
incident back then, which is why we
great mystery that TÜV Rheinland’s
have always chosen TÜV Rheinland.
development is closely tied to the
They never argue with you over
prosperity of clients’ businesses.”
miniscule details, and consistently
Blushing shyly, he continues: “Ten
d o t h e i r v e r y b e s t . Yo u re c e i v e
years have passed in the blink of
specific, solid, and comprehensive
an eye. Inventus Power has placed
service from both their sales and their engineering teams.”
immense trust in us over the years, expanding our service range from
The engineer on that project, Xie
single-product certification to in-
Tang, is now a section manager. When
depth cooperation in multiple product
CLIENT STORY 45
categories and across business lines for various export destinations such as Europe, North America, Australia, and India.” Inventus Power Guangdong serves as the R&D center for the American c o r p o r a t i o n , I n v e n t u s P o w e r. Established in 1967, the company’s headquarters are located in Chicago. Inventus Power is a leading brand in professional design and manufacture of rechargeable power systems. With over 40 years of outstanding experience, they are dedicated to providing innovative power solutions for the world. Their product line includes: lithium battery packs, battery chargers, high-efficiency power supplies, and more, providing continual power support for OEM industries in the medicine, data-
storage services, virtual electronics, safety facilities, military, aerospace, aviation, and other sectors. Inventus Power has witnessed the overwhelming changes and continual technological innovations in the power industry and market over the past 30 years in the Pearl River Delta region. After a boom in the 1990s, the traditional power industry faced a slow decline in terms of market development, due to a lower competitive threshold resulting from technological maturation. As the purchase of mobile terminals has grown increasingly more widespread, becoming an indispensable part of everyday
l i f e , d e m a n d f o r c o r re s p o n d i n g mobile power packs has grown in an upwards trend. Inventus Power has continually increased its investment and R&D in new products in this field, to ensure its competitive advantages and leading position in the market. Quan is fully confident in the future of company’s development. “Though the status of the world’s economy is yet unclear,” he says, “horizontal comparison will show that the Chinese market still holds enormous development potential. Thus, the domestic market will be one of our focuses in regard to future development. In addition, we are very optimistic about the outlook for industrial power products and applications in the professional medical field.”
When asked how to break free from the stagnation traditional products face, Quan responds, “Developing new products is a very effective method. You cannot reach new places on old roads. It is through continual seeking of new opportunities and
development that one carves out a place for oneself amidst severe competition. Large-scale battery products with high capacity and high voltage, such as energy-storage systems, UPS, server power, etc., will be another focus for development as we move towards the future.” Quan stated in conclusion, “One of Inventus Power’s core competencies is satisfying and ultimately exceeding client requirements and expectations through continual improvements and adding value. The meticulous approach that TÜV Rheinland adheres to regarding interpretation of standards, testing methodologies, and testing reports, and their determined pursuit of service quality,
coincide precisely with our business philosophy.” This pursuit of high standard is the reason why TÜV Rheinland’s service is so essential to its clients. In the future, TÜV Rheinland will continue to work alongside with Inventus Power, overcoming one technical obstacle after another. Both will bring outstanding products from overseas to China, so that “Made in China” becomes a mark of quality known and respected throughout the world.
46 CLIENT STORY
CRRC Corporation With the consent by the Chinese State Council and the approval by the State-owned Assets Supervision and Administration Commission of the State Council (SASAC), China CNR Corporation Limited and CSR Corporation Limited united to form the current CRRC Corporation Limited (CRRC) on the principle of reciprocity, which is an A+H share company. With its headquarter in Beijing, the CRRC has 46 whollyowned and majority-owned subsidiaries and more than 170,000 employees. The CRRC is the world's largest supplier of rail transit equipment with the most complete product lines and leading technologies. The high-speed EMU products manufactured by the CRRC have become an important business card to show China's development achievements to the world. Its products have been exported to around 100 countries and regions in 6 continents. The export of products has also been changing to export of technologies, output of capital goods, and global business transformation.
Challenge ●
Through bus-grade air cylinders, develop a railway system products, includes motorcycle, bus, and locomotive air cylinders, and expanded the entire product line.
●
Continually advance our products, and helping us to gain a high level of approval for our end products from our clients.
In just a short period of time, from establishing a filing system to instituting a training organization framework, etc., they've provided us with a lot of support. Because of the technical abilities and
Solutions
professionalism of the staff at TÜV Rheinland, in just a short period of time
In regards to EN15085 certification, TÜV Rheinland's specialiized
we've been able to achieve accreditation.
professional knowledge has impressed the clients. Throughout
TÜV Rheinland is our trusted partner.
the course of the accreditation process, not only do they offer accreditation, they also help optimizing the business in other areas, such as product manufacturing and final inspection control. TÜV Rheinland offered the client with guidance every step of the way.
Dr. Wan Shengyun CRRC Corporation Limited
CLIENT STORY 47
Challenge
TÜV Rheinland has the top testing expertise, staff, and technical storage
●
The required standard is very industry-specific.
in the world. In our industry, if each
●
It is difficult to integrate top testing expertise, staff, and
company is armed with these things only
technical storage in the world
separately, it can be very challenging. Our customers trust TÜV Rheinland's
Solutions
evaluation procedures, and so do we. As TÜV Rheinland is able to provide
TÜV Rheinland provides more than just a testing procedure and a
rigorously professional standards and
report but a comprehensive consultation business
extremely strict testing requirements, their practices have received the approval
Due to the fact that the required standard is industry-specific,
of the industry.
TÜV Rheinland's engineers made the effort to meticulously study the standard. Eventually the understanding of engineers from the TÜV Rheinland has surpassed the manufacturer’s own engineers.
Hai Qiu Schindler (China) Elevator Co., Ltd. Escalator Division, R&D Escalators, Shanghai Works Head of R&D - AP
Schindler Elevator Corporation Founded in Switzerland in 1874, the Schindler Group is a leading global provider of elevators, escalators and related services with more than 55,000 employees in over 100 countries. Schindler's mobility solutions are utilized by one billion people all over the world every day. Schindler established the China's first industrial joint venture in 1980 and accomplished the process of becoming WOFEs in 2006. Now Schindler has about 100 branches located in every major city in China. With opening of the new plant in Jiading Shanghai, Schindler is committed to providing leading technology and excellent service to China market for a long run.
48 GLOBAL NEWS FLASH
Spain Cooperation with IESE Business School
Germany TÜV Rheinland at the VDA Technical Congress
On March 11th TÜV Rheinland signed a cooperation agreement with the IESE Business School. Barcelona-based Instituto de Estudios Superiores de la Empresa (IESE) is one of the leading business schools worldwide and belongs to the University of Navarra. IESE Business School main goals are the development
Automotive sector’s most important technology symposium in
and training of leaders as well as supporting business owners
Europe / Topics: vehicle safety, environment, electric mobility,
and senior executives.
exhaust testing and autonomous driving
As part of the agreement TÜV Rheinland can use the facilities of
The 18 th Technical Congress of the German Association of
IESE in Barcelona, São Paulo, New York, and Shanghai, the CV
the Automotive Industry (VDA) was held last week at Forum
database of all MBA participants, the interesting training program
am Schlosspark in Ludwigsburg. This event is the automotive
and has access to the research department of the school.
sector’s most important technology symposium in Europe with more than 600 attendees from numerous countries and high-
IESE has several centers in Barcelona, Madrid, Munich, New
ranking representatives from the automotive industry and the
York and Sao Paulo as well as associated business schools
areas of politics and science.
in Latin America, Africa, Asia, and Europe. Among the partner companies of IESE are IBM, Nestlé, PwC, Schneider Electric,
TÜV Rheinland was of course also there with its own information
Siemens, Solvay, Sony, and Würth.
stand. Holger Hütz, global Business Field manager for type approval and engineering, explains our involvement: “The key
The signing took place at IESE’s facilities in Barcelona. Photo
topics of the Congress were vehicle safety, environment and
(from left): Gonzalo de Castro (Managing Director of TÜV
electric mobility. This of course included the latest trends in
Rheinland Ibérica ICT), Luisa García-Valdecasas (Associate
type approval, exhaust testing and autonomous driving. A lot of
Director Corporate Development IESE), Thomas Biedermann
people wanted to talk to us about these topics, and we forged
(Chief Human Resources Officer of TÜV Rheinland), Vivian
new contacts and business relationships. Gunnar Pflug, Head
Hartmann (Associate Director Corporate Development IESE),
of the Technology and Traffic Safety Center, and Rudolf Gerlach,
and Tomas Tomeo (Corporate Development Director of IESE
Head of Vehicle Systems, from TÜV Rheinland also took part.
Business School). The event also focused on electric mobility, vehicle safety and electronics. Among other topics, there were talks on vehicle networking, automated driving and the further reduction of vehicles’ consumption.
GLOBAL NEWS FLASH 49
Spain Supporting a Safe Infrastructure in Barcelona
Quality controls by TÜV Rheinland
As a result of the inspection work done by TÜV Rheinland, over
TÜV Rheinland performed quality controls during two phases of
30 million passengers a year can now use intelligent elevators
elevator and mechanical escalation installation by ThyssenKrupp
and escalators in the Barcelona metro line 9 (L9) safely. TÜV
Elevators. The first phase was carried out from 2009 to 2011
Rheinland checked all equipment and elevators for the new line
with the opening of a section of the new line 9 in the northern
9 in December 2015 before the section linking Barcelona airport
part of the city. The second phase recently culminated with the
to the city center was opened in February. L9 now connects
opening in February 2016 of the section linking the airport to the
the El Prat Airport with the eastern part of the city and includes
city center.
15 new stations with 128 escalators and 52 elevators. These complement the over 600 escalators and elevators already in
Several services for company consortium
place. With a length of 47.8 kilometers with 52 stations, the Barcelona metro line is one of the longest underground lines in
The recent project has only been a part of several different
Europe.
services provided by TÜV Rheinland to the company consortium in charge of L9 Metro construction. These services included
Machine learning control system
among others: quality control inspections, construction supervision and initial statutory inspections. The total
The intelligent vertical and horizontal transportation equipment
infrastructure investments sum up to 15 billion Euro being the
in the new metro stations make them one of the most efficient
biggest of its kind in Barcelona City during the past ten years.
in the world. The elevators and escalators feature an intelligent, machine learning control system enabling the transmission of real time information on any of the stations. This system learns about rush hours, arrival of trains and number of passengers in order to optimize the movement of elevators. It therefore contributes to increased service quality and reduced energy consumption. In addition, their innovative entrances have been adapted for people with reduced mobility using modern escalators and cutting-edge elevators designed by ThyssenKrupp.
Celebrating 30 Years For 30 years in Taiwan, TĂœV Rheinland Taiwan has been committed to the harmony between mankind, technology and the environment. We would like to thank all of our clients, suppliers, professional associations and partners for your contribution to our success. We look forward to serve you for many more years to come. You and TĂœV Rheinland Taiwan. Together we light up for a brighter future.