RepoRtTHE MAGAZINE FOR VOITHIANS

InsIght

better safety for higher quality

Focus

A good yeAR

MIlestones

valuable waste

on sIte

the future is hybrid

#1 | 2012

Masthead

Publisher:Voith GmbHCorporate CommunicationsSt. Pöltener Str. 4389522 Heidenheim, Germanywww.voith.com

Responsible for the publisher:Lars A. Rosumek

editors-in-Chief:Dr. Eric Marzo-Wilhelm, Gudrun Köpf

editorial office:Phone: +49 7321 37-6996Fax: +49 7321 37-7107E-mail: gudrun.koepf@voith.com

In collaboration with:Burda Creative Group GmbH/ BurdaYukom Publishing GmbH, Munichva bene publishing GmbH, Munich

Printer: Wahl Druck GmbH, Aalen

Paper: Voith Report is printed on RecySatin. It consists of 80% recycled fiber and was produced on a Voith paper machine.

Photo credits: Cover, pp. 3, 5 (2), 10, 15, 16, 17, 18, 21, 26–27, 28 (3), 30, 31 Dawin Meckel; pp. 4, 8 Hans Herbig; pp. 9, 36 C. Wesser; p. 14 Wolfgang Simlinger; p. 23 Rüdiger Nehmzow; pp. 34–35 Dirk Krüll; p. 39 Corbis/Angelo Cavalli; p. 43 Fotolia/Graça Victoria; pp. 44–45 ddp images/Morry Gash; p. 45 Shutterstock

All other photos provided by Voith

Copyright:The copying and reproduction of articles and pictures require the prior consent of Voith GmbH.

Voith Report is published in German, English, Portuguese and Chinese.

Cover: elisangela alves de Oliveira, a welder for Voith in são Paulo.

report 1/2012 | 03

even though we are already a couple of months into the new year, my team and I would like to wish you an excellent start as well as much success in your professional and personal lives. together with all of you, we are looking forward to another exciting year in Voith’s company history.

In the last fiscal year, Voith once again set new records. on a particularly favorable note, all Group Divisions made a positive contribution to this outcome, while sales were even-ly distributed across the regions. the “Focus” section of this edition looks back on the highlights of a successful fiscal year.

In the last issue of Voith Report, we wrote extensively on how the Group is establishing roots in various regions and we revisit the topic in this edition. In the “Insight” section, for example, you can read about the opportunities that China’s new five-year plan resent to Voith and its core markets. Join us as we follow Frank Frech, a fellow Voithian, who may be in Dubai today, in taiwan tomorrow and in France the day after that, as he ensures our customers equate the Voith name with first-class quality and first-class service anywhere in the world. Discover how the engineers in our regions keep working on cutting-edge, innovative technological solutions: Can valuable raw materials currently lost in waste-paper recycling be collected and re-used? Can intelligent drive systems ensure that buses operate more quietly and with a higher fuel efficiency in the future? take the chance to join us in our anniversary celebrations in Brazil, Germany and, for the first time, in China. And take a look forward with us. In his greeting at the start of the year, Ceo Dr. Hubert Lienhard discusses Voith and explains how our company is preparing for the months ahead.

We hope you enjoy the read!

Sincerely yours,

Lars A. rosumekSenior Vice president Corporate Communications

Dear Voithians,

editorial

04 | RepoRt 1/2012

FOCUS

2011: The year in review WORLDWIDE Where were the most impressive projects, where were milestones set for the future and what were some of the major events for Voith in the last fiscal year? We have compiled the highlights for you in a fascinating photo retrospective.

The Fiscal year in FigureshEIDEnhEIm In fiscal year 2010/11, Voith expanded its market positionand achieved a record sales volume and number of orders. take a look at the key facts and figures from our most recent Annual Report.

a good year

greeTing From dr. huBerT lienhardWORLDWIDE “the world around us is changing and so must we if we want to be as successful tomorrow and beyond as we are today,” emphasizes the president and Ceo in his message to employees.

conTenT 10 12

24

maSthEaD

EDItORIaL

InbRIEF

02

03

06

1232

08

12

report 1/2012 | 05

INSIGHT

rosy outlookSHaNGHaI Voith is developing and manu-facturing products for China’s domestic market at three Chinese locations.

An AttrActive employerSHaNGHaI How Lily Wang is looking for China’s top managers.

better sAfety for higher quAlityWORLDWIDE Voith’s global accident fre-quency rate continues to drop significantly.

26

30 31

ON SITE

behind the fruits of the loomFRaNKENMaRKT A heavyweight, high- precision giant.

brAking for the environmentBOcHuM eleven city buses equipped with hybrid drives have been on the road since the middle of 2011.

fAcility mAnAgement 2.0STuTTGaRT the story behind DIW’s service program to offer flexible solutions for customers.

surgicAl precisionBOTTROp Why exchang-ing filters at a coal mine proved delicate work.

32

34

36

37

MILESTONES

on the right trAckSÃO pauLO Voith is well placed to capitalize on the potential of monorails.

vAluAble wAsteHEIDENHEIM thanks to CtC technology, treat-ing waste paper can produce recyclable ma-terials and heat energy.

38 40

paNORaMa

the world is his workplAceWORLDWIDE Catching up with the globe- trotting Frank Frech.

lovely AppletonappLETON engineer Dan Birr on living and working in the city on the Fox river.

decAdes of serviceWORLDWIDE Voith honors long-time employees around the world.

42

44

46

1526

40 44

06 | RepoRt 1/2012

IndIa Last fall saw Voith win three contracts to supply a range of systems to hydroelectric plants as well as successfully com-pleting a further project on the subcontinent.

September witnessed the granting of a deal to deliver tur-bines, generators and electromechanical equipment for the 96 MW Rongnichu hydro power station in northeast India. In the same month, Voith obtained a contract for the Sainj project, a 100 MW hydroelectric plant in the Himalayas. Voith will be responsible for providing two pelton turbines, generators and all of the electromechanical equipment. Meanwhile, in october,

successful timesthe Karcham Wangtoo hydro power station in northern India was successfully completed and placed into operation three months ahead of schedule. As part of a consortium with Andritz, Voith supplied, among other things, the generators for the 1,000 MW facility. the project was completed in a record time of just 45 months.

And to cap a successful period, in November, Voith was awarded a project for the Singoli Bhatwari hydroelectric plant. the company will supply three Francis turbine units along with all electromechanical systems. //

The large-scale contract in Karcham Wangtoo was completed in record time. The hydroelectric plant has an output of 1,000 MW.

In BrIef

report 1/2012 | 07

In BrIef

Germany Voith chose the truck Grand prix, held at the Nürburgring in Germany, to publicly present the world’s first secondary water retarder. the new retarder’s continuous braking performance is up to 30% higher than before and uses the engine coolant as the operating medium. As a result, it is maintenance-free, while also ensuring higher brak-ing power and availability. thanks to its extremely compact design, it requires 50% less installation space and is 35 kg lighter than comparable oil re-tarders. By handling up to 90% of all vehicle braking operations, the new retarder preserves the main brakes and decreases brake dust emissions by up to 80%. the first vehicle to utilize the new water retarder is the current Mercedes-Benz travego edi-tion 1, offering a braking power of up to 520 kW, over 700 hp. thanks to the retarder’s pump effect and the resulting greater coolant flow rate, the continuous braking output is 20 to 30% higher in comparison to previous oil retarders. //

BrazIl the Daimler Group recently presented Voith Industrial Services in Brazil with the environmental Leadership Award in the “outstanding environmental proj-ects” category. of the 70 entries related to further developing environmental protection and sustainability in companies, a jury selected the 10 best ones. Voith secured second place with its integrated flora protection project, which focuses on using environmentally friendly pest control methods at Mercedes-Benz do Brasil in São Bernardo do Campo, a 150,000 m² area near the Serra do Mar state park. Instead of spraying pesticides, the rampant insect activity in the Mercedes gardens was brought under control with the use of traps, neem oil and different natural predators. //

AWArD for SuStAINABILIty

from left to right: Prof. Herbert Kohler, Chief environmental Officer, Daimler aG; roberto von adamek, General manager Operations, Voith Serviços Industriais do Brasil; Guilherme Heinz, Senior manager Corporate Quality, mercedes-Benz do Brasil; Dr. Thomas Weber, Board of management, Corporate research and mercedes-Benz Cars Development, Daimler aG.

GettING A fIrSt peeK At the NeW WAter retArDer

Voith’s new water retarder was introduced at the Truck Grand Prix at the nürburgring.

DoNAtIoNS for reCoNStruCtIoN

JaPan Voith is donating €100,000 to support the construction of a solar power system in an elementary school in Motomiya, Japan. the town, with a pop- ulation of 31,000, is only around 60 km from the fukushima nuclear power plant that was struck and damaged by a cata-strophic earthquake in March 2011. More than 800 buildings were destroyed in Motomiya, including the research and development center of Voith IhI paper technology (VpIt). the decision to help out the elementary school was a joint agreement between all of Voith’s Japa-nese offices and, as part of a celebratory ceremony, the three Voith Managing Directors Masataka Sunaga, Keishi Sugimoto and hirofumi Morita presented the donation to Gigyo takamatsu, mayor of Motomiya. //

08 | RepoRt 1/2012

WorldWide Belt conveyors used in surface mining often carry raw materials over long distances. For the drives of these conveyors, Voith has developed the new turboBelt 780 tpXL coupling, which is designed to be used under extremely harsh conditions, from the Arctic Circle to the equator, from deserts to rain forests. A Brazilian mining opera-tor is already planning on using the new couplings to transport iron ore. other core markets include the United States, Canada, South America, Australia and South Africa. //

StURdy CoUpLing

… Voith Hydrodamp vibration dampers have now been installed in various tractor models from almost all well-known manufacturers. the damper has be-come an essential component in the agricultural machinery sector and it is easy to see why: the Hydrodamp allows low-rpm driving – and thus lower fuel con-sumption – while also using its hydraulic damping to protect the drive shaft from over-loading. the Hydrodamp comes in four variants, which were introduced by Voith at Hannover’s Agritechnica last november, the world’s biggest agricultural technology trade fair. //

lightweight, with a high load-carrying capacity and versatile formability, carbon fiber components offer many advantages. Voith manufactures them in Garching, near Munich, helping to shape part of the future.

1,000,000

GerMany the first center dedicated solely to the research and production of Voith composites has begun operations. the facility in garching, near Munich, will produce carbon fiber com-ponents for Voith’s own use and develop industrial manufacturing processes to also create components from carbon fiber-enhanced plastics (CFep). Voith Composites was founded in 2010 as the development and production center for carbon fiber products within the Voith group. With around 50 employees at the garching site, the company is now looking to further expand its expertise in the area of fiber composites as well as continuing to build on its development partnership with Audi. //

neW CenteR FoR CoMpoSite MAteRiALS

report 1/2012 | 09

WorldWide Voith has always taken compliance very seriously. Now, employees can receive intensive training on the core elements of the binding Code of Conduct directly via the intranet. e-training developed in-house helps familiarize indi-viduals with the structure of Voith’s compliance and makes them aware of important topics such as antitrust law as well as how to identify and prevent corruption.

the online program is available in 24 languages. Any employee with access to the intranet can participate in the

training, which is mandatory – Voith’s Code of Conduct applies worldwide and at all times. It defines the rules and conduct that every Voithian must be familiar with when it comes to correct behavior in day-to-day operations. In the e-training’s initial basic course, the primary focus is on antitrust law as well as identifying and preventing corruption – situations that can cause tremendous damage to a company and potentially jeopardize its existence, even if they stem from ignorance or negligence. Later, the training program will cover other major topics that fall under the Code of Conduct, such as fairness in dealing with others, non-discrimination, data protection pro-visions and maintaining business confidentiality. this will ensure that compliance – ethical behavior that conforms to defined rules – is comprehensively addressed.

Learning the material is made quick and easy by the e-training’s simple layout. participants go through individual information modules, with their understanding tested via a set of questions at the end of each block. And anyone who doesn’t pass first time can repeat the training as often as necessary; trial runs and scores are not saved and only the names of those who successfully pass the program are stored in the personnel database.

the e-training is helping Voith take the next major step to ensure that it can continue to comply with proven standards and values in the future. the program’s multilingual, worldwide availability will help employees to be better prepared for an increasingly globalized work environment and make it possible for them to complete this important training on site and in their native language. //

Voith employees can find compliance-related e-training on the intranet under “Compliance” on the “General Voith Favorites” portal.

a matter of compliance

in Brief

10 | RepoRt 1/2012

I hope you all enjoyed a good start to the new year and I would like to wish you, your family and friends all the best for 2012.

the 2010/11 fiscal year was another successful year for Voith. A large part of this success was due to you, the Voithi-ans who give their best every day with great commitment and dedication to ensure our continued success. For this, I would like to thank you on behalf of the Corporate Board of Manage-ment.

thanks to your efforts, Voith is a dynamic and growing international company. the world around us is changing and so must we if we want to be as successful tomorrow and beyond as we are today. We have tackled new challenges step by step. Last year saw changes at every level of the company, but one thing is very important to me in this context: We will not give up our identity and values – who we are and what we stand for. our corporate culture is shaped by our Voith values: professionalism, respect for individuals, col-leagueship, openness, reliability and integrity. We have em-bodied these values over the last 145 years of our history and passed them on from one generation to the next. We will retain these positive values even in a rapidly changing world and continue to strengthen them.

Dear Voithians,

report 1/2012 | 11

the structure of our four Group Divisions – Hydro, Industrial Services, paper and turbo – has proved successful and will serve as the firm basis for our business activities in the coming years.

But what will 2012 bring for our company and what envi-ronment will we be operating in? What will happen with the european debt crisis? Will the US economy and labor market pick up? Is growth slowing in the global economy? even the economic gurus cannot predict with certainty how 2012 will develop. Nevertheless, we at Voith can look to the future with confidence. With our products and services, we provide an-swers to questions that preoccupy people all over the world. the future issue of a secure, environmentally friendly energy supply is just one of those. We hold one of the crucial solutions to solving this dilemma with our expertise in hydroelectric power. our customers can significantly reduce their raw mate-rial and energy consumption with new processes for fiber preparation and paper manufacturing. We help customers run their facilities more cost effectively while preserving resources with our modernizations and services. our drive system solu-tions for rail and road vehicles allow millions of people to travel safely from one location to another in an ecologically sound manner as well as enabling goods and commodities to be transported efficiently and sustainably to their destination.

Voith’s contribution to the growth of national economies is more than the sum of its products. We are so successful

today because you – our employees – take on responsibility in our four Group Divisions and innovate with a true pioneering spirit. this spirit has always been the foundation of our entre-preneurial activity at Voith. that also means that, while indi-vidual projects may not always run exactly as planned, this cannot and will not prevent us from looking out for opportuni-ties, assessing the risks and seizing them when we think the time is right. I am once again relying on your courage, open-ness and trust in 2012. What has made us strong since the time of our founding fathers is our willingness to deal openly with any situation and gain the right knowledge from it to find the road to success that we have paved together. this funda-mental principle will continue to guide us.

I wish you all much success and, above all, good health for 2012. I am looking forward to taking on this exciting year with all its challenges together with you.

Best regards,

Focus

“thanks to your efforts, Voith is a dynamic and growing international company. the world around us is changing and so must we if we want to be as successful tomorrow and beyond as we are today.”Dr. Hubert Lienhard, Chairman of the Corporate Board of Management

12 | RepoRt 1/2012

FOCUS | 2011: The Year in review

While 2011 may have been a turbulent year for much of the world, it was essentially a good one for Voith. the Group unveiled technical innovations, opened new work facilities, brought numerous plants into operation and successfully filled its order books.

A Good YeAr

12 | RepoRt 1/2012

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FOCUS | 2011: The Year in review

RepoRt 1/2012 | 13

The new Limberg II pumped storage power plant in the Austrian Alps (see p. 22).

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FOCUS | 2011: The Year in review

A new production site for water turbines is inaugurated in St. pölten, Austria. Within Voith Hydro’s worldwide pro-duction network, it is the competence center for the milled pelton wheels used for particularly high-drop heights. employees and their families were also invited to the opening ceremony, making it an enjoyable event for young and old. (2)

Voith signs a contract to supply equip-ment to the Belo Monte power plant in Brazil. the company’s scope of deliv-ery comprises four Francis turbine generator sets, including the complete electromechanical gear and automation systems. With a total installed capacity of 11,233 MW, Belo Monte will become the world’s third-largest hydroelectric power station.

JANUARY

MARCH

FEBRUARY

1 2

Voith takes over the rights and patents to a sludge treatment technology used in the recycling of waste paper. De-inking sludge is created when print col-ors are removed from waste paper and, until now, had to be disposed of as waste material. thanks to the new CtC technology, it is now possible to extract valuable minerals and energy from the sludge. (1)

RepoRt 1/2012 | 15

FOCUS | 2011: The Year in review

In February 2011, Voith’s new RAVE concept tugboat successfully passes trial runs in a test tank. The design was jointly developed with Robert Allan Ltd., a Canadian ship designer. In contrast to the configuration on a Voith Water Tractor, RAVE is equipped with two Voith Schneider Propellers, one in the bow and one in the stern.

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FOCUS | 2011: The Year in review

Voith opens a new office in Dubai’s technopark. the new building was constructed in two years on a surface area of 12,000 m². Voith turbo in Dubai will cover all business areas and support the entire Middle east region.

the Saudi Arabian oil company Saudi Aramco orders 40 drives, four Vorecons (see photo), four geared variable-speed couplings and 20 membrane couplings to expand the infra-structure in the Shaybah oil and gas field. (2)

At Zhumadianshi Baiyun paper in China, Voith successfully puts the pM 8 paper machine into operation. With a wire width of 5,850 mm, the system is configured for a maximum speed of 1,400 m per minute. the pM 8 produces copier and offset paper in a basis-weight range of 60 to 120 g per square meter.

APRIL

1 2

RepoRt 1/2012 | 17

FOCUS | 2011: The Year in review

Voith announces two orders for hydro-electric plants in China. For the Da tang Yantan Hydro power Company, Voith will expand the existing Yan tan power plant and supply generators for two 340 MW units.

For the Huanghe Hydropower Develop-ment Company – currently building the Yang Qu hydroelectric plant on the Yellow River – Voith will supply three Francis turbines with a capacity of 400 MW each. the two projects will create a combined capacity of 1,880 MW of climate-friendly power generated from renewable energy. Currently, China produces 22% of its electricity from hydro power and the government is planning to expand the existing capac-ity to 380,000 MW by 2020.

MAY JUNEFollowing pune and Chennai, Voith opens a third Indian business location in Bangalore, where it will take over the maintenance of the toyota Kirloskar Motor production facilities. (1)

Voith delivers the first Francis turbine wheel destined for the Xiluodu hydro-electric project on the Jinsha River in China. the total scope of delivery for Xiluodu consists of three 770 MW machine units comprised of Francis turbines and generators. (3)

Stora enso, a Finnish-Swedish paper and packaging manufacturer, awards Voith the contract to deliver a new paper machine to produce corrugated base paper. the production line will be locat-ed in a plant in ostroleka, situated north of the polish capital of Warsaw. At a speed of 108 km/h, the pM 5 will pro-duce 455,000 metric tons of corrugated base paper a year.

3

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FOCUS | 2011: The Year in review

1

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FOCUS | 2011: The Year in review

JULYthe pM 32, the first of three identical cardboard machines, is put into opera-tion at Nine Dragons paper in Dong-guang, China. Also in China, Shandong Sun paper activates the Voith pM 24, which can produce 420,000 metric tons a year of wood-free, coated paper in a basis-weight range of 52 to 105 g per square meter. (2)

Deutsche Bahn recognizes Voith turbo Lokomotivtechnik (VtLt) for its product quality and business service, giving it a grade of “outstanding,” the highest possible rating.

on 25 July, Voith officially inaugurates its new Corporate Service Center in Shanghai. the center will support the Group Divisions and the Voith compa-nies in China. (1)

Voith introduces the Alden turbine at the HydroVision International trade fair in Sacramento, California. It increases the survival rate of fish that accidentally encounter the runner to 98%.

Voith obtains a three-year extension to a contract to produce parts of the maintenance and tool management pro-grams at Volkswagen’s motor produc-tion facility in Chemnitz, Germany.

the world’s first commercially operated wave power station is officially put into operation in Mutriku, Spain. Voith sup-plied 16 Wells turbines for this facility, which have a combined output of 300 kW and can produce enough electricity for 250 households. (3)

2 3

20 | RepoRt 1/2012

FOCUS | 2011: The Year in review

Voith successfully completes the pre-paratory work to install the first 1 MW tidal current turbine at the european Ma-rine energy Centre (eMeC) off the coast of the orkney Islands, Scotland. For the foundation work, a special offshore con-struction vessel is brought in. the “North Sea Giant,” which is 161 m long and 30 m wide, is one of the largest ships of this type ever built. the vessel is driv-en by five Voith Schneider propellers (VSp), each of which has an output of 5,160 hp. the VSp technology also gives this special-purpose ship active roll stabilization so that it can function safely and reliably in rough seas and difficult weather conditions. (1)

only five months after placing the Dong-Hae pM 1 into operation, the Moorim paper Group signs the final inspection

papers for its new production line. the pM 1 produces wood-free, coated and uncoated papers in South Korea. the integrated factory concept enables the customer to operate a non-stop pro-duction line, extending from wood pulp to the finished product.

For the first time, Voith takes part at the Ideenexpo (an “idea” trade fair) in the German city of Hannover. the objective is to generate excitement among children and teens about engineering and technology-oriented jobs. Remote- controlled water tractors, a variety of papers to feel the difference in textures, a full-sized ship’s bow and much more serve to inspire tinkerers, budding engi-neers and everyone else who attended the trade show.

AUGUST

1

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Jahresrückblick 2011

Measuring 131 m long and 30 m wide, a crane ship used to install wind tur-bines is equipped with the most power-ful Voith Inline thruster (VIt). Rated at 1,500 kW, its propeller has an interior diameter of 2.3 m.

SEPTEMBER

2 3

FOcUs | 2011: The Year in review

the Rheinfelden hydroelectric plant at the German-Swiss border is put into operation with a festive celebration. After just under eight years of construc-tion, the operator can now provide three times the hydroelectric power from the Rhine thanks to four Voith bulb tur-bines. In total, power generation rises to 600 million kW-hours a year, which can supply 170,000 households with envi-ronmentally friendly electricity. (2)

the number of work-related accidents worldwide in fiscal year 2010/11 drops to an average of 4.7 per one million working hours – the first time the figure has dropped under five (see p. 31). (3)

22 | RepoRt 1/2012

FOCUS | 2011: The Year in review

In october, the Limberg II pumped storage power plant is put into operation in the Aus-trian Alps. For this project, Voith supplied two Francis pump turbines, each with a ca-pacity of 240 MW.

pump storage power plants have a key func-tion in this time of changing energy policies. they serve as massive energy storage devices and can thus compensate for the irregular yield from solar and wind power. If too much electricity is on hand, the pump turbines transfer water from the lower basin to a higher-positioned reservoir. If the demand for electricity increases, water from the upper basin is released, which falls on to the pump turbines that then pow-er the generators. (1)

“�Last�year’s�excellent�figures�clearly��confirm�our�long-term�strategy�aimed�at�sustainable�and�profitable�growth.”�

Dr. Hubert Lienhard�at�the�press�briefing�on�annual�results�in�Stuttgart,�13�December�2011.

OCTOBER

the Voith-developed Steamtrac is tested in a towboat oper-ated by thyssenKrupp Veerhaven, a Dutch shipping company. the Voith Steamtrac is a compact, modern exhaust heat utilization system for combustion engines that decreases fuel consumption as well as toxic gas emissions. Voith’s innovative development had already been successfully tested in a biogas facility. the Steamtrac can be implemented in ships and industrial plants as well as rail and road vehicles. (2)

NOVEMBER

DECEMBER

RepoRt 1/2012 | 23

FOCUS | 2011: The Year in review

1

2

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profitable growth on a high level

Focus | 2011: An overview

24 | RepoRt 1/2012

Voith strengthened its market position in all Group Divisions during fiscal year 2010/11, achieving a record sales volume and number of orders.

Fiscal year 2010/2011 was an extraordinarily good time for our company. Record-breaking figures were achieved in sales and orders received, and for the first time the order volume exceeded the €6 billion mark. particularly welcome is the fact that our results grew even more than our sales. All Group Divisions contributed to this growth. We also com-pletely eliminated our net debt; in fact, we even built up a positive cash balance.

sales continued to increase considerably. In fiscal year 2010/2011, Group sales amounted to €5.6 billion and ex- ceeded last year’s level by 8%. All four Group Divisions are in excellent shape. of the total sales, Voith Hydro accounted for

22%, Voith Industrial Services for 18%, Voith paper added 33% and Voith turbo contributed 27%. these results highlight the significance of a diversified and balanced portfolio. A further factor for success was the relatively even distribution of sales throughout the Group overall. In regard to total Group sales, the Americas, Asia and europe (not including Germany) accounted for around 25% each, while Germany contributed a little over 20%. our objective is clear: We want to be as rooted in our in-ternational markets as we currently are in Germany.

The amount of orders received reflects a high volume of new business. In fiscal year 2010/2011, the Voith Group secured new orders worth €6.4 billion, which equates to a

2010/2011: Another good year

orders received€6.358 billion

+ 20 %

equity ratio22.1 %

+ 18 %

operational result*€416 million

+ 18 %

Net debt

– €52 million= net cash balance

Sales€5.594 billion

+ 8 %

Net income€200 million

+ 64 %

* before non-recurring result

Total sales €5.594 billion

By region

Americas 23 %

Asia 27 %

Germany 21 %

europe ex. Germany 27 %

other 2 %

report 1/2012 | 25

profitable growth on a high level

Focus | 2011: An overview

report 1/2012 | 25

gain of 20% over the previous year. By the end of our fiscal year on 30 September 2011, the order balance had increased to €6 billion.

the four Group Divisions contributed between 16% (Voith Industrial Services) and 31% (Voith paper) to the consolidated orders received, with Voith Hydro achieving the highest growth. thanks to several large-scale projects, including the Belo Monte contract in Brazil for what will be the third-largest hydroelectric station in the world, Voith Hydro was able to boost its received orders by 81%, contributing 28% to the overall orders received. Voith turbo contributed 25%, while Voith paper maintained its high level from the previous year and once again surpassed the €2 billion mark.

staffing levels have been markedly increased. In 2010/2011, we created more than 900 new positions across the Group, thereby bringing the number of employees above 40,000.

New capacities were selectively built up and take into account the individual requirements of the Group Divisions in the respective regions. In both Germany and Asia respectively, approximately 650 employees were hired. In the rest of europe (not including Germany), we created 75 positions, while in the Americas, the number of employees dropped by 470.

As in the past, most of our personnel work for Voith Industrial Services (18,464 employees). At the end of the fis-cal year, Voith paper had 9,937 employees, Voith turbo had 5,965 and Voith Hydro counted 5,345. //

Total employees 40,691

By region

Americas 27 %

Germany 43 %

europe ex. Germany 18 %

Asia 11 %

other 1 %

Total orders received €6.358 billion

By region

Americas 30 %

Germany 19 %

europe ex. Germany 28 %

Asia 21 % other

2 %

InsIghts

26 | RepoRt 1/2012

Rosy outlookIn its most recent five-year plan, the Chinese government is focusing on sustainable growth, renewable energy and expanding the country’s transportation infrastructure – a great opportunity for Voith. The company develops and manufactures products for the domestic market in Shanghai, Liaoyang and Kunshan.

InsIghts

reporT 1/2012 | 27

InsIghts

28 | RepoRt 1/2012

report 1/2012 | 29

InsIghts

X iluodu is one of the country’s larg-est construction sites. If you were to place New York’s Empire State

Building inside, it would disappear com-pletely. The hydroelectric dam is currently being built in a 400-m-deep ravine on the Jinsha River, a branch of the Yangtze. Last summer, Voith delivered the first turbine runner for this massive project; in all, Voith Hydro will install a total of three 770 MW Francis turbines at Xiluodu from its Shanghai facility. When the hydroelectric power plant begins operations in 2013, it should produce 13.9 GW hours of electricity a year, making it the most powerful plant of its kind worldwide.

no other country is erecting more large-scale power stations than the world’s fastest-growing economic power. The International Energy Agency predicts that the People’s Republic will need three times as much energy by the year 2035. Right now, coal is still fueling the rise, but black gold is contributing to global increases in greenhouse gases that dam-

age the environment. For that reason, the government is now investing in sustainable growth and renewable ener-gies. China currently produces 22% of its electricity through hydro power, but the country plans to expand this from today’s level of 220 GW, to 380 GW by the year 2020.

Martin Andrä, CEO of Voith Hydro in Shanghai, anticipates “that some projects may need to be accelerated.” Andrä can already celebrate two major orders today. Voith will supply the generators for two 300 MW units for the Yan Tan hydroelectric dam on the Honshui River as well as three 408 MW Francis turbines for the Yang Qu hydro power plant on the Yellow River. Guoqing Chen, Vice President Voith Hydro Shanghai, is proud that his employer has been involved in every ma-jor hydro power project in the country. “And the most important thing is,” adds Chen, “that every customer has been extremely satisfied with the high quality and reliability of our work.”

In Kunshan, not far from Shanghai, Voith is continuing to develop its Paper City. Office buildings and production facilities are currently being expanded – with an exemplary ecological concept. An increasing number of components and replacement parts will be manufac-tured there in order to supply the fast-growing market in China more quickly and efficiently. Complete paper machines are already being produced on location as well as fiber processing plants (par-ticularly for paper recycling), automation systems and roller covers and fabrics for

paper machines. Voith began producing rolls years ago in Liaoyang, in the coun-try’s northeast.

However, Voith doesn’t just sell paper machines, it also offers its custom-ers support and service throughout the entire life cycle of its products. “We stand by our customers for their everyday production,” confirms Robert Kietaibl, Senior Vice President of Voith Paper Fabric & Roll Systems Asia. Employees in the three service centers for fabrics and roller covers work to ensure that worn parts are replaced on schedule – a major benefit for the manufacturers. “This enables them to save energy, water and fibers,” explains Kietaibl; an impor-tant factor given constantly rising costs in these areas.

Conservation of resources is also very much on the agenda for Voith Turbo. The aim of China’s latest five-year plan to expand the country’s transportation infrastructure is giving the Group Division some momentum. Current Executive Vice President of Voith Turbo in Shanghai, Martin Wawra, was, until last year, Head of Voith Turbo Scharf-enberg in Salzgitter, Germany. As a mechanical engineer, he is intimately familiar with the minute details of railcar couplings. He is proud to report that Voith has just developed a B-Metro-Scharfenberg coupler, which is tailored specifically to the Chinese market. Jason Hu, Vice President Rail in China, adds: “We are producing the new short couplers in our plant with local materials. When it comes to quality, we’re cer-tainly not taking any shortcuts.” //

A real project of the century, the Xiluodu hydro power plant is being built in a 400-m-deep ravine. starting in 2013, it will be one of the most powerful hydroplants of its kind in the world (above).

APP gold East Paper in Zhenjiang, China, manufactures art paper using paper machines from Voith (below left). Voith produces couplers developed especially for Chinese metros as well as many other components for railcars and buses in shanghai (below right).

30 | RepoRt 1/2012

Ms. Wang, all four Voith Group Divisions in China have their own personnel teams. What task will your depart-ment take over in the Corporate Service Center?We will be coordinating the teams in China and Germany, and serve as an intermediary between the two. We are a strategic partner that supports all operationally active companies in China. our objective is to implement uniform standards and procedures in tasks relating to personnel recruitment, devel-opment and our It systems.

Voith currently has around 3,000 employees in China. In five years, that figure is expected to grow to at least 5,000. How do you plan to accomplish that?We need to recruit new employees, while also keeping experienced ones. In regard to the latter, we have to be able to offer them development opportunities and improve their qualifi-cations. Voith needs to have managers in China. If we hire 2,000 new employees, we need to train 5% of those to be supervisors and managers – and I mean real Voith-type leaders. these are individuals who understand and exemplify Voith’s values and can meet our high-performance-related expectations. to do so, we will have to develop and implement the necessary programs from which all Voith Group Divisions in China can then benefit.

And how do you go about recruiting new employees?We are planning on setting up a training center where young engineers and graduates from technical schools will be

trained to meet Voith’s special requirements. one objective of the Competence Center is therefore to build good relation-ships with universities and technical schools from which we can then recruit apprentices and trainees. In addition, we obviously also use all conventional channels for recruiting purposes, especially in regard to employees with pro- fessional experience.

How many colleagues do you have at the moment and what are some distinguishing characteristics of this team?

our team currently consists of four experi-enced professionals who have worked for international companies in the past.

Was it difficult to assemble a team in such a short time frame?It wasn’t easy – there are a lot of vacan-cies in China for HR professionals. How-ever, Voith is a good company to work for. Young employees have an opportunity here to choose their own career path, to

be innovative and to advance professionally. And it’s a great work environment. the new offices are right in downtown Shanghai, plus German technology companies such as Voith enjoy an excellent reputation in China. these were all reasons why I chose to start at Voith.

Do you have an overarching objective for Voith that you are aiming for?Voith does not yet have the visibility here that other companies do. our goal is for us to be a well-known and highly sought-after employer on the job market. //

an attractive employerIn the middle of last year, Voith opened its new Corporate Service Center in Shanghai, where a team was set up to handle a range of cross-divisional HR tasks.

InSIGHt | InterVIeW

Looking for Voith’s next top-notch employees: Hr Director Lily Wang is going all out with various recruiting programs to make Voith one of the top choices for job applicants.

report 1/2012 | 31

T his encouraging number is the result of a wide-ranging campaign to enhance workplace safety that

began six years ago. The main focus is on the factories and workshops, where objects weighing many tons are often worked on. Ensuring safety via routine practices is simply not possible in these circumstances and a skilled worker often has to determine the best way to store, turn or secure a part being worked on. Experience, concentration, caution and attentiveness are required.

In Brazil, for example, the campaign for improved safety began in the found-ry, a tough environment subject to a number of risks. Training was accom-panied by various changes across the factory floor – lighting was improved and paths for vehicles and pedestrians clear-ly marked to boost order and clarity in the workspace. These measures were preceded by a survey of all employees on the safety practices of their superiors.

A training program was developed specifically for Voith to change safety awareness, with certain aspects included to reflect the results of the survey.

Similar measures also gave production facilities in Heidenheim a new appear-ance. Here, too, there are new floor markings for vehicle paths and walkways, for areas where large parts are stored and also for certain work zones. Objects like cables and hoses that people can easily trip over have disappeared from the floor. The new arrangement is also used in cabinets and drawers for tools and measuring instruments, on the shelves for storing parts that are being worked on and hooks for hanging webbing slings. The principle is a simple one: Every ob-ject has its own place.

One particular secret to the pro-gram’s success has been the inclusion of all employees; In numerous classes and workshops, they were asked to make

suggestions according to how they thought safety could be improved. Work processes are discussed and reviewed on a daily basis: How can inflammable ma-terials be stored safely? What needs to be considered when setting up ladders? According to Head Safety Engineer Ulrich Weiße, it is crucial “that safety is an everyday topic. Seven years ago, there was just one safety lesson a year.”

In addition, there are special events such as Heidenheim’s health and indus-trial safety days or the safety week in São Paulo, where family members are en-couraged to get involved: Children are asked to draw pictures of what they know about the risks and safety measures in their parents’ workplace. The goal is to reinforce the understanding of the need for accident avoidance within the whole family. An event such as the drawing contest has proved so successful that it has now become a fixed part of the Voith calendar in São Paulo. //

BeTTer SafeTy for HigHer QualiTy

inSight

the number of accidents at Voith has continued to fall markedly. During the last fiscal year, the accident frequency rate fell to 4.7 accidents per million working hours. Between october and December 2011, the rate even dropped to 3.5. Ceo Hubert Lienhard expressed his gratitude to all employees for this achievement via the intranet.

on site

32 | RepoRt 1/2012

on site

A loom at Voith? It’s a strange, but not completely rare sight. The forming fabric used by paper machines is manu-factured on huge weaving machines at various Voith production plants, like the one shown here in Frankenmarkt, Austria. Apart from their basic principle, however, these weaving looms have little in common with the wooden frames that some may remember from their childhoods. The dimensions alone are impressive: with a weaving width of 15 m, they are 8 m long, 3.5 m high and weigh about 100

metric tons. Yet, they are highly precise, technically sophis-ticated machines. Up to 90,000 threads are spooled and a maximum of 12 filling bobbins serve as shuttles that send the weaving thread flying across the breadth of the ma-chine. Up to 87 km of filling thread are used in going back and forth. Depending on the application, Voith can vary these fabrics in thread count, stability and design. In all, the company has more than 40 weaving machines in operation around the world to manufacture forming fabric. //

reporT 1/2012 | 33

behind the fruits of the loom

34 | RepoRt 1/2012

On Site

Braking for the environment In Germany’s Ruhr region, 11 city buses equipped with Voith hybrid drives have been in operation since the summer of 2011. they help regional transportation to save fuel, while also playing an active role in climate protection.

W hen Michael Mutzenbach steps on the brake pedal, one of the things he is doing, besides decelerating, is helping the environment. For the last 12 months,

the 53-year-old has been driving buses for the Bogestra (Bochum-Gelsenkirchener Strassenbahnen AG) transportation company, which are equipped with a parallel hybrid drive from Voith. “We use up to 15% less fuel on our routes,” he explains.

The principle is actually quite simple. Whenever the driv-er slows the bus by braking, the energy that is released is stored in devices known as “supercaps” located on the vehicle’s roof. These high-performance capacitors are charged by the braking

report 1/2012 | 35

energy and, in contrast to storage batteries, they are not subject to wear and tear. When the bus accelerates again, it uses this energy to reach a speed of around 15 km/h, before the diesel engine automatically kicks in to take over.

In the summer of 2011, Bogestra placed 11 buses complete with Voith drive systems into service. After successfully completing initial test runs on selected routes, the vehicles from Polish manufacturer Solaris are now operating on many routes. The transportation company is more than satisfied with its experiences to date. “We’ve not had a single malfunction,” reports Jörg Filter, who is Head of the Infrastructure and Vehicles division at Bogestra. In fact, thanks to the supercaps, the diesel engine is protected somewhat, while the capacitors themselves are entirely maintenance-free. The performance statistics speak for themselves: Particulate emission is reduced by up to 90% compared to conventional diesel vehicles, carbon dioxide emissions are cut by 30% and the discharge of nitrogen oxides is lowered by almost 40%.

The decision was quickly made when, in 2009, Voith proposed entering into a collaboration on hybrid vehicles with one of the biggest transportation companies in the Ruhr region. “We really profited from our long-term relationship with Bogestra,” says Helmut Zimmermann, Project Manager at Voith. Filter adds, “We’ve already been working together suc-cessfully on conventional drives for more than 10 years and it was clear to us that if we wanted to test hybrid technology on a large scale, it would be best to do it with Voith.”

The project was carried out as part of a range of public development programs. The state of North Rhine-Westphalia subsidized eight of the vehicles and Germany’s Federal Ministry of Transportation provided funding for the other three. Jörg Filter is convinced that without such development funding, hybrid drives for commercial vehicles would not currently be possible and he is aware that it may take a few more years until the systems really catch on. “Nevertheless, hybrid drives are a transitory technology for which it’s critical to collect as much information as early as possible. In that way, we will be able to safeguard Voith’s leadership in innovation.”

Of course, image plays a significant role too. Almost every day, driver Michael Mutzenbach is asked by passengers about his bus with the eye-catching green design. Students are particularly receptive to it, he says – “They think it’s great to

be riding in an environmentally friendly bus.” A display behind the driver’s seat provides passengers with a “live” image of the braking and accelerating energy flowing through the bus in real time. They also notice that the ride comfort is different; The hybrid buses run smoother and more quietly.

For the drivers, the new generation of buses have changed little in terms of driving, “We just need to be a little more gentle when braking and accelerating,” says Mutzenbach. The fact that he’s sitting at the wheel of a high-tech machine also increases the driving pleasure. Or as he puts it simply, “I just love driving these things.” //

Sylvia Niessen with two-year-old Hanna and five-month-old Justus. She likes the fact that she is helping the environment whenever she rides Bogestra’s hybrid buses.

ON SiTeThe bright green hybrid buses from Bogestra are sending a clear message on the roads of the Ruhr region.

36 | RepoRt 1/2012

When the lights go on at night at the compound of e.wa riss Netze GmbH, an energy provider based in Biberach, Germany, everything is perfectly illuminated. that’s because DIW equipped the premises with LeDs.

They did so with good reason. “Last year, there were two break-ins at the compound,” reports Michael preiss, Ceo of e.wa riss. these are likely to be a thing of the past, though, as the brightly lit grounds no longer offer dark corners for burglars to take advantage of. In addition, the LeDs use less energy and last longer than the old lighting. “We’re very satisfied with the project and will also offer this type of lighting to our customers. For us as an energy provider, this is an additional consulting service we can provide,” says preiss.

Also satisfied is panjörg Salzmann, Head of Business De-velopment at DIW. “It’s clear that in this industrial area, e.wa riss’s compound is much more brightly lit than the surrounding properties. the other companies are going to take notice – and make the switch to LeD lamps too. Such projects belong to a new portfolio that DIW describes as FM 2.0 (where FM stands for “facility management”): Services for special requirements that extend beyond normal facility management. Converting conventional lighting to energy-saving LeD technology is a new concept that promises success. thorsten eck, Chairman of the Board of Management at DIW, explains. “the new lighting systems are impressive because of their bright light and the

fact that they generally decrease energy consumption and Co2 emissions by well over 50%.” the long operating lives of LeDs and their lack of heavy metals reduce maintenance costs tremendously, while disposal is also no longer a problem. “We can develop the entire lighting concept as well as calculating the return on investment,” says eck. “We deliver a lighting sys-tem that is optimized for a given purpose, independent of its manufacturer, and we take care of installation and maintenance in high-ceilinged production halls as well as other buildings.”

FM 2.0 combines conventional facility management with production-related services such as maintenance and retrofit-ting. “our FM 2.0 service spectrum is what makes us stand out from our rivals,” eck explains. DIW has 30 locations in Germany and nine in Austria where a total of more than 8,000 employees work. the company can offer flexible packages to meet the highly diverse needs of various industrial customers.

“Combining facility management and servicing is our primary market advantage,” states eck. “Based on our tremendous experience and broad capabilities, we know exactly how we can support our customers. this understanding of, and prox-imity to, production-related matters is our strength.” //

Facility ManageMent 2.0

Michael Preiss, CEO of e.wa riss, on the company’s grounds in Biberach.

ON siTE

report 1/2012 | 37

on site

“it was like performing surgery,” re-calls Udo Limanski, a facility manager for Voith Industrial Services. the old filter could not be hoisted through the roof of the nearly 30-m-high building, so a big hole had to be punched through the wall. With the help of a crane and other heavy equipment, the two old filters were pulled out through this opening and the new filter installed.

Between eight and 15 Voith employ-ees worked on the installation project for a total of 14 days. In addition to exchanging the filters, the corresponding piping also had to be connected. While this was going on, the fine coal sludge was re-routed to other filter systems, enabling production to continue. “Con-tinuity is our top priority as a shutdown costs money,” explains Limanski.

the prosper mine extracts around 3.2 million metric tons of coal a year from depths of almost one kilometer. In what is a unique feature for mines in Germany, the coal is not transported up in buckets, as is usually the case in other mines, rather it is carried by a network of con-veyor belts that are part of a 125-km-long network.

Processing systems transform the raw coal into marketable products. “Customers determine what heating va-lue the coal should have, what size of coal they want and what the ash content should be,” explains Limanski. the processing facility’s parameters are then adjusted according to the customer’s requests. Voith Industrial Services is responsible for system maintenance and

installation. ruhrkohle AG, the mine operator, awarded the contract for instal-ling the filters, with a further one replaced in February 2012 and another set to be exchanged in early 2013.

Interestingly, the installation of the three new filters actually replaces five smaller ones. the resulting advantage is that the mine can keep fewer spare parts in the warehouse and the maintenance costs are lower than for the older equip-ment, which originally dates back to the 1970s. In addition, the new disk filters have a higher capacity and dehumidifi-cation of the filter cake is increased by 2%. “By 2013, prosper will have a uniform system in operation that will function more efficiently and more cost-effectively than the old one,” sums up Limanski proudly. //

A new filter in the treatment facility of the prosper coal mine has been separating coal dust and water more efficiently since the fall of 2011. the real challenge of this project involved removing the old, cumbersome components and installing the new ones – without interrupting operations.

Surgical preciSion

Washing coal

only half of the raw coal mined actually consists of coal, with the other half made up of water and non-combustible material or rock. to extract the usable coal, the raw coal brought to the surface is taken to the processing facility, where it is screened into various grain sizes and “washed” to separate it from the rock. Washing produces raw sludge consisting of ultra-fine coal, stone and water. the sludge is treated in a flotation process, separated into coal concentrate and flotation tailings and then drained on filters in a vacuum process. the objective is to reduce the coal’s water content as much as possible as the clients want to generate electricity in the power plants, not evaporate water.

Precision work in Prosper: A truck-mounted crane had to bring in the new filters through a hole in the wall 30 meters above the ground.

38 | RepoRt 1/2012

Milestones

report 1/2012 | 39

on the right track

Milestones

são Paulo: the Brazilian metropolis is home to 10.7 million people and extends 60 km from north to south, and around 80 km from east to west. Seven million cars nudge their way through streets and roads prone to seemingly endless traffic jams. And as São paulo is one of the host cities for the 2014 FIFA World Cup, the influx of cars and people will soon become even greater. A monorail is ex-pected to relieve some of the pressure and will run on a 24-km route between the Vila prudente and Cidade tiradentes districts. the train will carry 500,000 passengers daily, including soccer fans from around the world.

City officials will be relying on a prov-en and advantageous transportation system: Monorails run on their own track, which is supported by pillars so that it can pass over streets and buildings. they save space and are es-pecially safe and reliable, while they also run on rubber tires, making them particularly quiet. “every day, monorail systems around the world carry hun-dreds of thousands of people safely and efficiently,” enthuses Kim pedersen, president of the internationally active Monorail Society.

the German city of Wuppertal, for example, has had a successfully operat-ing overhead railway since 1901. Many

countries are currently planning new monorail projects and Voith is firmly involved in this trend. the “expresso tiradentes” line in São paulo operates 54 trains based on Bombardier’s Innovia Monorail system, which incorporates Voith technology in the form of auto-matic and semi-permanent couplers. In addition, Voith is also supplying 380 cooling units that protect all critical traction components from overheating.

in the new saudi King Abdullah eco-nomic City, currently with around a million inhabitants, plans are also under-way to build a monorail for residents. the planned city is being developed on the coast of the red Sea and is expect-ed to be home to two million people by 2020. Its monorail is planned to begin operation in 2014, reaching speeds up to 60 km/h and Voith will be providing couplers, semi-permanent couplers and cooling units.

Set to operate on a considerably larger scale, however, is Mumbai’s new monorail system. It is intended to provide some relief to the continuous traffic chaos that clogs the Indian city. planners want all inner-city stations to be reachable in one hour, for which they are planning to build 15 routes that will make up a network stretching up to

100 km. When completed, the system will be able to carry 2.2 million people on a daily basis. Voith’s participation in this project involves supplying complete vehicle head modules: the Group is shipping 30 of these modules to India for the first 15 trains, with their retract-able couplers to be supplemented by 45 semi-permanent ones. //

Monorails are a means of transportation with a promising future. More and more megacities are relying on this reliable, space-saving and quiet technology in which Voith is one of the leading suppliers.

taking a load off the streets during the 2014 FiFA World Cup: When complete, the new monorail in são Paulo will carry 500,000 people a day through the megacity.

Dubai is just one of many cities opting for a monorail transportation system.

40 | RepoRt 1/2012

Around 400 million tons of paper, paperboard and cardboard are produced around the globe each year, a quarter of which on Voith paper machines. And the trend is on the rise, driven predominantly by economic growth in emerging coun-tries. For the most part, paper consists of wood fibers or pulp, while the manu-facturing process consumes tremendous amounts of water and energy. the prob-lem is that energy is expensive and water and pulp are scarce commodities in many places of the world. For that rea-son, the Voith Group has set an objective to sustainably minimize the consumption of these resources.

the company has already made ex-cellent progress in this endeavor, as exemplified by its engineers developing

Valuable wastethe processing of waste paper is developing into a rapidly growing future market worldwide. Using innovative technology, Voith is able to convert residual paper sludge into mineral materials and heat energy during the recycling process.

Milestones

report 1/2012 | 41

the Integrated ecoMill (IeM) concept. “We want to incorporate sustainability into both the processes and the paper mills at the same time and in such a way that they stand out environmentally and economically from conventional plants,” says mill expert Markus oechsle from Voith paper on the idea behind the IeM. “We can accomplish this by combining all of the mill’s processes in a highly integrated manner. We also make a point of integrating the mill into its local region and are able to adapt it to customer re-quirements.” At a project in tunisia, for example, the operator had access to large amounts of natural gas, although water was in short supply. “Using the natural gas, we generated energy for seawater desalination. With these types of adaptations, we can try to find the most cost-effective solutions for a given region and customer,” he explains. Another example pertains to a compre-hensive water management program as implemented by the Integrated ecoMill in perlen, Switzerland (see box).

The IEM strategy now includes a new component known as controlled thermal conversion (CtC) technology. It transforms paper sludge generated by the processing of waste paper into mineral materials and thermal energy. Generally, the sludge is incinerated, which is not an optimal solution. Since its energy content is minimal, incineration is not very efficient while, during com-bustion, a quarter of the sludge ends up as ash, which is costly to dispose.

the CtC technology was developed by experts at the Minplus-CDeM Group based in the Netherlands, which Voith took over in January 2011. the Dutch company proved the technology to be

industrially viable in a pilot facility in Duiven, where sludge from several paper mills has been processed since 2007. “Crucial to the development was the increasingly difficult problem presented by sludge disposal,” remembers Dr. Joep Biermann, who played a significant role in developing the CtC. “It was clear to us that a long-term solution had to create extra value. As a result, we recognized that the sludge’s value lay in the minerals it contains.”

the minerals in question are kaolin and calcium carbonate, which are added to the wood pulp to give the paper cer-tain properties. For the process, paper sludge is first mechanically dried, result-ing in a content consisting of half water and half solid matter. In turn, the solid element contains around 50% minerals. A heat treatment at 700-800°C follows, whereby the kaolin is transformed into metakaolin. part of the carbonate is removed from the calcium carbonate in a process equivalent to lime and cement burning. the CtC process also produc-es steam, which the paper mill can use to dry paper or generate electricity via a turbine. Ultimately, the minerals are successfully put to industrial use.

A large market beckons: Waste- paper processing produces more than 25 million metric tons of paper sludge worldwide. Interested parties are already stepping forward in europe and North America, but oechsle is already thinking even further ahead, saying, “right now, we can control the entire manufacturing process, but in the future, we need to be able to control the entire plant. the first IeM project in perlen is operating successfully, so we can safely say that our strategy is feasible and we can be competitive with it.” //

Waste paper is a valuable resource and an essential component of sustainable paper manufacturing.

MIlEsTonEs

Perlen sets the example

Comprehensive water managementSwitzerland-based perlen papier AG demonstrates how fresh water consumption can be substantially reduced. In addition to the Voith pM 4 paper machine, the company also runs the new pM 7 – the first system to be developed based on the IeM concept (see Report 1/2011). Both systems take fibers extracted from waste paper and use them to produce newsprint.

the entire paper mill uses a comprehensive water management system that covers everything from waste-paper processing stages on both machines, to the wastewater treatment system. Sensors measure the water quantities, while a computer controls how much more is added. the resulting process water is purified with special “kidney” filters and fed back into the process. “theoretically, we could take that process water, as dirty as it may be, and transform it into drinking water,” says ewald Budweiser, Head of the Mill Concept department at Voith. the perlen paper mill has also had its purification facility upgraded, meaning highly purified clean water flows into the fish-filled reuss river that starts in the Gotthard Massif mountains.

Combined, these measures have reduced water consumption by an average of 33%, while perlen also sets an example when it comes to saving energy. In contrast to the phased-out pM 5, the new pM 7 requires 5% less electricity and 10% less thermal energy per metric ton of paper produced.

42 | RepoRt 1/2012

C urrently, Frech is in the Heiden-heim workshop, preparing for his next assignment. In two days, he

will fly to South Africa for a week. It’s a familiar destination for him and one he has been visiting for nearly two decades. His colleague Gary, who works in the paper mill there, has long been a friend and when the schedule allows, he shows Frech some-thing of the countryside and its people.

Usually, though, there’s no time for sightseeing. His assignments are care-fully timed; as long as Frech is working on a machine, the factory is not making money. “Every minute counts,” he points out. Frech may spend most of his time in hotels, paper mills and airports, but insists he has no desire to change his job. “It’s intense and yet extremely diverse. I have some degree of independence and people expect me to offer solutions in difficult situations. Take a recent example

in Koblenz where we wanted to reduce the machining time from 50 to 20 hours by using a new process. The roller sur-faces had to be accurate to the microm-eter. Would it work? It was a real test of nerves – and we passed. Having clients satisfied with the outcome is what keeps me motivated,” he says.

Frank Frech values the close contact with the people he encounters. “I get to know more about their life and I see sights no tourist ever would, even when it’s business-related, as it often is.” His personal contacts can also benefit his employer, as they did in Bangladesh, for example. During one assignment, Frech was asked whether he could examine a pending repair in a neighboring paper mill. He could and Voith went on to win the contract.

And the 43-year-old has plenty of other stories to tell. There’s the time he

The world is his workplaCe“I guess you have to be a little crazy,” says Frank Frech when asked why he has been part of the company’s field staff for the last 20 years. He is on the road for between 170 and 200 days a year for Voith. the 43-year-old supervisor is a trained milling mechanic, specializing in the surface treatment of paper machine rollers.

Panorama

always on the move: Frank Frech repairs a roller at Gascogne Paper in mimizan on the French coast of the Bay of Biscay.

report 1/2012 | 43

was almost on-board a plane that crash-landed in Hong Kong; as it turns out, his customer needed him one day longer than planned and, fortunately, he never boarded the flight. Nor will Frech forget the assignment in 2007 in Saint John, New Brunswick, on Canada’s eastern coast. A critical measuring device had failed and the necessary replacement part was nowhere to be found in the whole of North America. A colleague from Ra-vensburg had to fly in with the part so that Frech could complete the job.

All’s well that ends well? Not quite. In the meantime, a blizzard had swept over Canada and 1.5 m of snow fell in just a few hours. Frech and his colleague’s return flight was cancelled, even though the next customer was already waiting in Germany. The only way to get there was to fly out of Halifax. However, the ride

there was every driver’s nightmare: 900 km on a snow-covered highway. After 12 hours of skidding and sliding, they finally arrived at the Halifax airport safe and sound – and on time.

“Travelling constantly between Asia, Africa, the Middle East, America, Aus-tralia and Russia, does he have any time for a private life? It can be done, Frech says. He manages with extensive support from his wife, who looks after the fam-ily on her own in their native Aulendorf near Ravensburg, Germany, while he is away. They have two children, 16 and 13 years old.

“Sometimes they regret that I am away so much,” says Frech, “but when I am at home, I concentrate entirely on my family and tell my children about my experiences. I bring them presents, but more important are the stories about foreign cultures.” //

PAnorAmA

Saint John in the Canadian province of new Brunswick: Frech was caught in a blizzard here in 2007 that forced him to drive 900 km through deep snow to get to the closest open airport.

44 | RepoRt 1/2012

W ith a population of 75,000, Appleton is just one of the numerous towns that

make up the “Fox Cities” along the Fox River.

Its history goes back to the first European fur traders, who settled and worked with the native Americans along the Fox River Valley. In 1853, Appleton officially became a city and also set up the first paper mill in the region. The paper industry has driven the city’s growth ever since. It’s not surprising, then, that Voith Paper also has long-established roots in the area (see next page).

Appleton’s residents enjoy living here for many reasons. It has a well-known center for the performing arts, world-class art galleries, museums, restaurants, pubs, live music venues plus a huge and very popular farmer’s market, and even its own annual “Ok-toberfest.” Personally, I love to go to

the farmers’ market on Saturday morn-ings during the summer. It’s a place where people come together to buy fresh fruits and vegetables from the local farmers and with everything from freshly picked strawberries to roasted corn on the cob, there’s something there for everyone to enjoy.

For fun and recreation, there are around 30 parks where you can really get back to nature. Plus, there are many organized running events for all age groups. Since childhood, I’ve always enjoyed participating in organized sports such as football, soccer, baseball or basketball and I still play flag football. Speaking of football, Green Bay isn’t far away, which is the home of the famous Green Bay Packers, who won the Super Bowl in 2010. In fact, they’re so popular that over 86,000 fans are still waiting to get season tickets and experts

LoveLy AppLetonDan Birr, 27, has worked at Voith for six years as an engineer in Appleton, Wisconsin. In this article, he talks about living and working in the city on the Fox River.

PAnorAmA

report 1/2012 | 45

say they’ll probably be waiting for 900 years!

Door County, which is about a two-hour drive from Appleton, is also one of the most popular vacation spots in the United States. My wife Heather and I love visiting this picturesque region every summer where we can go kayaking, cycling and hiking or tour a vineyard and enjoy some great food. Even at other times of the year, though, there is still plenty to do outside, whether skiing in the winter, playing golf in the spring or enjoying the colors of the changing landscape in the fall.

We both love our hometown and have decided to build our own house here. As an engineer, I was able to prepare the construction plans myself, before my father and I went on to finish the roof, walls and flooring together. Heather and I can hardly wait to move in, especially as our first child will be born in June! //

Fresh local produce is available at the Saturday farmers’ market.

Panorama

our plant

Voith paper’s history in Appleton goes back to 1883, when the Valley Iron Works – a small blacksmith’s shop – first opened its doors on the Fox river. Its reputation grew quickly when it began to produce milling equipment and waterwheels. Later, it manufactured specialized equipment for paper mills and the growing paper industry along the Fox river – eventually becoming a licensed manufacturer of Voith equipment.

today, Appleton is the headquarters of Voith paper’s North American systems operations, with 265 employees working in its automation, paper machine and fiber & environmental solutions units. the primary focus is on replacement parts, conversions and services, but we also produce larger components for paper machines and fiber processing plants.

In addition, Voith paper’s production facilities for fabrics and roll systems are also located in Appleton. Here, advanced press felts for paper machines are developed according to our customers’ special requirements.

Appleton Wisconsin, USA

a factory building on

the Fox river from

appleton’s early days.

Dan Birr and his wife Heather break the

ground for their new home.Sheer madness: appleton’s football fans contribute to a fantastic atmosphere whenever the nearby Green Bay Packers play.

46 | RepoRt 1/2012

DecaDes of serviceIn the fall, Voith honored its long-time employees around the world in an annual celebration. this continues a long-standing tradition: Back in 1949 in Heidenheim, Dr. Hanns Voith was the first to publicly express his gratitude and appreciation for the experience, knowledge and loyalty of his long-time employees. We captured a few moments from the biggest events held in Heidenheim, São paulo and Shanghai.

shanghaiReel Memoriesthe celebration in Shanghai was Voith’s first ever in China. Honored were 313 employees with 10 or more years of service in the country. Some had the opportunity to present material about their time at Voith; one documentary video, for example, showed how Voith’s technology contributed to the country’s development over the years and de-cades. the song “We Are Voith” empha-sized the team spirit that exists here. (1)

são PauloMultimedia SurprisesIn São paulo, all the attention revolved around 50 employees who had each worked at Voith for 25 years as well as three others who have been with the company for 40 years. A video took a look back at the long service of these individuals before the honorees were presented with a custom-made magazine documenting the evening’s finest mo-ments and pictures. In the photo (2), honoree Hebe Brandao happily receives his memento from osvaldo San Martin, the Ceo of Voith Hydro in São paulo.

heiDenheimMusical HighlightAt the celebration at the Group’s head of-fice in Heidenheim, one employee could look back on 50 years of service for the Voith Group. together with representa-tives of the Voith family, a total of 52 em-ployees with 40 years of service and an-other 130, each with 25 years of service, celebrated their milestones. A sensation-al performance by “Los Crachos,” a band consisting of Voith trainees, served as the event’s musical highlight. (3)

PanoRaMa

report 1/2012 | 47

panorama

2

1

3

Los AngeLes – MetropoLIs oF sUperLAtIVes

WInd energY – technoLogY oF the FUtUre

shAnghAI – the groWth engIne oF chInA

DREAMS in XXXLCLOSE TO THE WIND

RISING HEAT IN THE FAR EAST

# 2 | 2011

THE MAGAZINE FOR POWER TRANSMISSION

PERSPECTiVES

Publisher:Voith GmbHCorporate CommunicationsSt. Pöltener Str. 4389522 Heidenheim, Germanywww.voith.com

For more information about us, please go to: www.voith.com

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hypower#20 | summer 2011

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