Rittal White Paper

Magazine of the Friedhelm Loh Group Issue 02 | 2016
Magazine of the Friedhelm Loh Group
Friedhelm Loh Stiftung & Co. KG XWW00026EN1611
Rudolf-Loh-Straße 1 Issue 02 | 2016 EXPERTISE Cooling technology – High-tech from Northern Italy
35708 Haiger, Germany EXPERIENCE Automotive industry – Stahlo fulfils the highest standards
Phone +49 2773 924-0 COMMITMENT Integration – Results of a pilot project for refugees
Fax +49 2773 924-3129
E-mail: info@friedhelm-loh-group.com FOCUS EXTREMES

www.friedhelm-loh-group.com Top performers

Editorial

The Courage to Dare

Dear readers,

Boldness is a trait of character. An act of will. It enables people to
dare to take action, achieve exceptional results and not be de-
terred by risks – as so vividly expressed by the word “audacity”.

What actually drives people to be bold and to risk going to ex-
tremes? Why do athletes, and even engineers for that matter, push
things to their limits and beyond? It’s the great, often unparalleled
opportunities that present themselves in these moments. The
chance to make the impossible possible. To venture forth into un-
charted territory, where no one has gone before.

This determination is something that we’ve taken to heart at the Dr Friedhelm Loh
Friedhelm Loh Group from the very beginning. We wouldn’t be here Owner and CEO of the Friedhelm Loh Group
today if we hadn’t had the boldness to always try new things and
take risks. And that this still holds true today is demonstrated by
our current investments at our German locations: with 250 million
euros among other things, we’re completely realigning Rittal’s pro-
duction landscape here in the region. In Haiger, in the state of
Hesse, a completely new, state-of-the-art factory for the production
of compact enclosures is coming into being.

Beginning in 2018 and according to the principles of the Indus-
trial Internet of Things (Industry 4.0), sheet metal processing, paint-
ing and enclosure assembly will be completely digitally networked
and equipped with state-of-the-art machine technology. Using our
customers’ configuration data, customised products will be pro-
duced on short notice – and even starting at batch size 1.

We’re also moving into uncharted territory with the establishment
of the Rittal Innovation Center in Haiger. The Innovation Center
makes Industry 4.0 tangible in control and switchgear engineering.
Working with innovative partnerships, we’ll develop solutions there
with our customers to make them more competitive and thereby
more successful.

All of this – and more – to benefit our customers. For you. You can
see how this is achieved in this issue of be top with the selected
real-world examples from Eplan, Cideon, Rittal and LKH. Not to
mention Stahlo: since May, the Steel Service Center has been de-
livering top quality sheet steel as a series supplier to the major
league of the automotive industry. And that’s uncharted territory, too!

I hope you enjoy reading the magazine and find inspiration within
its pages! Sincerely,

Dr Friedhelm Loh 03

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Contents

Cover stories Experience

22 14 Beyond all Limits 56 Cleaned, cooled, conserved

Cover story: Extremes People are pushing their limits every day, whether in Xylem achieves more energy-efficient water treatment with the
sports, in adventure or in technology. As they did with help of Blue e+ cooling units.
36 the construction of the massive Gotthard Base Tunnel.
60 Boosting pride in work
State-of-the-art production 22 “I know my limits”
In order to increase its competitive position, Scheuch worked
72 The wingsuit jumper Ellen Brennan is considered the with Cideon to replace its design and development software.
world’s fastest flying woman. She talks about fear,
Integration challenges and calmness. 62 It’s the data that counts

Expertise Automation specialist Blumenbecker achieves high efficien-
cies in its entire manufacturing process with digital processes
28 Unbelievable tool and consistent data management.

Thanks to Eplan software applications, Canadian electrical 66 Quality on the line
supplier 3 Phase Power Systems can now process its orders
more than twice as quickly. Volkswagen counts on high-quality blanks from Stahlo – for
the factory in Gera, Germany, the cooperation is the highest
30 When the earth rocks accolade.

Functioning IT helps with reconstruction after natural disas- Cosmos
ters – as it did in Christchurch, New Zealand.
70 News in brief
34 Made for Life!
The Rittal Foundation supports the Peter Härtling School in
Why even rust-free steel can develop spots of rust and how boosting social skills – and other news.
to take proper care of the material.
Commitment
36 High-tech made in Italy
72 In the thick of things!
Innovative technology from northern Italy enjoys an excellent
reputation – and Rittal is also manufacturing there according Rittal’s one-of-a-kind pilot project Qualification for Refugees is
to Industry 4.0 criteria.
catching on.
40 Fire in the data centre
66 Standards Dtthiooenbyctsehou,teuorprpgeherYa@rdanooivtsimfutreoeiispuerasqo.idacurruthloeectem?tesrolimattSeiiomcpi-mrnliosisapmhns,tl-:ysi!auombgoanguielts-
So that data doesn’t fall victim to flames, Rittal offers a variety
Partner for the AUTOMOTIVE industry of fire detection and protection systems. 03 editorial
06 Snapshots
62 42 Malfunction? Consider it fixed! 12 Around the world

Data consistency OPC UA technology used by Eplan and Murrelektronik 26 Magazine: Strong partners
simplifies the location and repair of malfunctions in complex
systems. 54 Magazine: Well equipped

44 Factory of the future 78 Top performances – Be top!

In mid-August, the cornerstone for a new modern building 79 Publication details
was laid in Haiger, Hesse – a compact enclosure factory
operating according to the principles of Industry 4.0.

52 digitisation POTENTIAL

Dr Karl-Ulrich Köhler, Chief Executive Officer of Rittal
International, speaks about digitisation and German industry
as drivers of innovation.

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Snapshots Rittal delivers IT racks, Liquid Cooling Packages, cold-aisle housings and the RiZone data centre infrastructure management platform.
At the individual locations WUND handles a wide variety of tasks, including visitor management, gastronomy and numerous building
Holiday feelings control systems, for instance watering the palm trees.
Link tip: www.therme-erding.de/en
The Therme Erding is not only the world’s largest thermal baths – with saunas, thermal healing pools, slides and a wave pool – but
also a holiday paradise with 365 days of summer. Twenty-six slides, the aforementioned wave pool and 25 saunas are just a few of the
attractions for warmth, water and wellness. But ensuring that the processes in this wellness oasis all run seamlessly requires sophisti-
cated technology behind the scenes. The spa and pool worlds of the WUND Group therefore use IT infrastructure solutions from Rittal.

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Snapshots systems, the company depends on the ERP system from SAP. With support from Cideon, the company has also introduced the Autodesk

Yellow gold Plant Design Suite and an integrated SAP PLM solution. Now the Neuman & Esser Group can easily manage CAD data and documents

Oil and natural gas continue to be the most important global energy sources. The majority of the world’s population – by now more than across all company processes. The result: higher rates of reutilisation, lower error rates, extremely shortened turnaround times and
seven billion people – depend on them in their everyday lives. But regenerative energies are gaining ground every day and will play an
increasingly important role in the future. The Neuman & Esser Group delivers oil-free and water-cooled piston compressors for both significantly more efficient order fulfilment. Link tip: www.neuman-esser.de/en
segments – oil and natural gas – as well as regenerative energies, specifically biogas. For the development and production of these

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Snapshots switchgear system housed in a TS 8 enclosure system. In order to cool the intricate electrical technology required, Xylem depends on

Clean water cooling units from the new Blue e+ series in the enclosures (you can find a full report on page 57). With this new generation of cooling

Water management – supplying fresh water and treating wastewater – is a significant part of the infrastructure in modern societies. And units, Xylem saves money when manufacturing these systems, and their customers benefit from lower operating costs thanks to the
as is the case for infrastructure facilities everywhere, energy efficiency is the name of the game. One energy-consuming process is the
production of ozone, which is required to treat water. The company Xylem manufactures ozone generators that are particularly energy energy-efficient cooling units. Link tip: www.xylemwatersolutions.com
efficient with their patented electrical design (see the picture). The high voltage of 5.5 kilovolts for this ozone generator is generated in a

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Around the World Belgium

Faster – Better – Everywhere Well brewed

Global Player. The Friedhelm Loh Group has a global presence with 78 subsidiar- How many cases of beer fit in a warehouse?
ies around the world. Ideas from Germany are in demand on every continent. For Belgium’s Moortgat Brewery, around 25
per cent more since summer 2015. The rea-
Canada son: a new palette stacking machine, the me-
chatronic foundation for which was developed
Under the Sea by machine builder IMA on the basis of the

Around two-thirds of the Earth’s sur- 25 %newest insights from Eplan Experience.
face is covered by water. This is clearly
evident in the three great oceans that
surround the world’s landmasses. Yet
to this day, only a very small part of the
world’s oceans has been explored by
humans. To change this, the Canadian
company Aspin Kemp and Associ-
ates has developed power and propul-
sion systems that also work for mari-
time applications. The company,
founded in 1996, relies on the large
TS 8 enclosures from Rittal, thanks to
their comprehensive certifications.

Brazil England Croatia China

Really bright Extremely connected Ready for a holiday? Big Data in “Talent City”

Nothing less than the world’s most Ten machines, ten manufactur- The airport in Dubrovnik handles more than 1.5 million It is located at the heart of China’s high-
state-of-the-art particle accelerator ers, ten interfaces – this is now passengers each year – and the numbers are rising. tech stronghold Guiyang: International
is currently being built in Brazil. Its a thing of the past for Saint Unsurprisingly, the operators are now planning to con- Talent City. For the past three years, this
goal: to generate a super-bright light – Gobain Performance Plas- struct another terminal to deal with the growing influx 125,000-square-metre site has housed
also known as synchrotron radiation – tics. Since 2015, with the as- of visitors. The stated goal: to escort around 3.5 million countless start-ups and global players.
by accelerating electrons to the speed sistance of Eplan Electric P8 passengers along their journeys annually. For its IT in- To provide them with the necessary IT
of light. Researchers at the Labo- and the Eplan Data Portal, the frastructure, Dubrovnik Airport is counting on a fully ­infrastructure, the Chinese government
ratório Nacional de Luz Síncroton company has networked the equipped data centre from Rittal. has opened an absolutely top-notch data
hope that the microscopic effects this machines at its English facility centre. Equipped with comprehensive
produces will provide insights into in Bristol into integrated production lines. The result: higher 3.5 m. IT solutions from Rittal, the companies
the structure of molecules. Enclosures efficiencies, more accurate documentation and significantly re- l­ocated here can draw on the technical
from Rittal will be utilised for this pro- duced susceptibility to errors. i­nfrastructure of Talent City’s operator, the
ject starting in 2017. state joint venture Guizhou Wing Cloud
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12
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Cover story E x tremes Excellence
without limits
Beyond
all People are
limits pushing limits

Extremes. Higher, deeper, further: what drives athletes and engineers to every day,
keep pushing beyond their limits? whether in
sports or
Text: Boris Hänßler technology. And
boundaries are
there to be
broken through.
This is also true
for Friedhelm
Loh Group as
shown by the
following
examples.

75

The new Blue
e+ cooling units

from Rittal
require 75 per

cent less
energy on
average.

Freediving
Freedivers can go up to 120 metres in depth
without any sort of technical aids. Some of the
world’s best in this discipline can hold their
breath for up to twenty minutes.

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Cover story E x tremes

“ Cave diving is like a puzzle for me:
I love to do something that nobody
has done before me.”

Jill Heinerth, cave diver

J ill Heinerth is one of the cause of it. Although they intensely experi- free themselves from the social world’s eve- And the project completed its entire run chines – steel giants measuring 400 metres
world’s best divers. In the without a single fatality. long with a drilling head measuring about
Antarctic she dove 40 ence fear, they make a rational decision to ryday rules, restrictions and limits. Once The engineers’ pluckiness paid off in the 9.5 metres across – drilled more than 85 Ledfal Mine Datacenter
metres at a water tem- end: according to the Guinness Book of kilometres of the main tunnels, grinding
perature of minus 1.6 de- keep going. A mountain climber explained those who push their own personal limits World Records, it became the world’s their way through hard stone and creating Gigantic
grees Celsius. While highest cable-stayed bridge when it ear-splitting noise in the process, while ski-
deep below the surface to the researchers: “Sometimes I just want to the extreme have overcome their fear, opened in autumn 2012. It’s held in place ers cheerfully glided over the snow-cov- The Lefdal Mine Datacenter in Måløy,
she came across a cave by 76 steel cables spanning up to 520 me- ered slopes above, never noticing a thing Norway, one of the preeminent data centre
system, colourful sea squirts, starfish and to turn around and run away, but I can’t do this is replaced with a feeling of harmony tres. As Sanchez explains with some pride: going on about 2,000 metres beneath projects, is due to come online in late 2016.
other bizarre sea creatures. “Most people “You could put heavy lorries from one end them. The total volume of the material re- Located in a former mine adjacent to a fjord,
think I’m an adrenaline junkie,” she says. that of course, because I’ve come to keep and a deep connection to nature. Similarly, of the bridge to the other and nothing moved from the Gotthard Base Tunnel is the world’s largest data centre will be
“But the description doesn’t fit. Frankly, I’m would happen.” equivalent to five times the volume of the powered and cooled solely by wind turbines
quite risk-averse. Cave diving is like a puzzle on going, and that’s how I face the fears. technicians, engineers and scientists want The company Herrenknecht in Schwanau, Cheops Pyramid. and hydropower. A tunnel system stretching
for me: I love to do something that nobody Germany, also has experience with seem- over six storeys with 75 chambers offers
has done before me, to dive where no one Once you’ve done that often enough, you to overcome limits to achieve successes ingly impossible undertakings. “Our entire Through the mountain at 250 km/h 120,000 square metres of space for
has ever been, and it’s not about the adren- operational area is in extremes and we’re The first high-speed trains will begin rushing infrastructure with a total capacity of 200
aline, but instead, during preparation, to put have the feeling that experience will help with extreme technical performances that always moving in difficult environments,” through the Base Tunnel at between 200 to megawatts.
all the pieces together like a puzzle so that says Josef Gruseck, Member of the Man- 250 kilometres per hour towards the end of
it works in the end.” you get out of any difficult situation.” previously seemed unachievable – but with- agement Board of Traffic Tunnelling. The 2016. The travel time from Zurich to Milan will
There are plenty of adventurers like Hein- company builds tunnels in Peru, Tibet, then be just two hours and forty minutes – an
erth who go to extremes. Some run ultra- People who get to know extreme athletes a out taking an irrational approach. The risks Mongolia, beneath the Bosporus or in the immense time savings for both freight trans-
marathons in the debilitating heat of the middle of Hong Kong. Whether one of the port and for tourism. “The greatest accolade
Sahara Desert. Others climb Mount Everest bit better emerge with a different picture: for people and the environment must be mobile tunnel factories must be assembled we could receive as a company was that the
without oxygen tanks. A few parachute to in the desert at 50 degrees Celsius, in the Swiss trusted in Herrenknecht technology,”
the Earth from the stratosphere. Every one they’re people who consciously take a calculable. middle of a megacity, at 4,000 metres says company Chairman of the Board of
of them is risking their lives each time. Ex- above sea level or after being transported Management Martin Herrenknecht.
treme athletes are all too often portrayed as calculated risk to test limits and to As they were for the Baluarte Bridge across icebound streets and rivers – these The tunnel builders take their jobs very seri-
egoists who don’t want to grow up, have an environments place high demands on tech- ously and they have great respect for the
unhealthy relationship to fear or are patho- advance humankind or them- in northern Mexico. Running a nology, logistics and people: extreme tem- power of nature. “You always have to utilise
logically fearless. In actuality, most take peratures and elevations, tough geological quality to generate quality,” Gruseck says.
their fears quite seriously. selves. Ultimately, no outstand- length of 1,142 metres, it con- conditions, immense dust generation, diffi- That’s one of the reasons why these tunnel-
The psychologists Eric Brymer and Robert cult-to-reach locations. During projects ling professionals depend on Rittal technol-
Schweitzer at Queensland University of ing achievements are possible 130 nects the costal city of Mazat- lasting several months at an altitude of ogy. Enclosure systems from the TS 8 se-
Technology in Brisbane, Australia, exam- without a human vision and the lán with the federal state of 4,000 metres, oxygen tents are a normal ries, compact AE enclosures and busbar
ined how extreme athletes deal with anxi- courage to try. Durango, which has a rugged part of a team’s work equipment. Herren- systems are all used in many of the gigantic
ety. Their study quotes a base jumper: “The knecht recruits employees from around the systems that drill through the masses of
intensity of the fear I feel is horrible. The Engineers also accomplish ex- kilowatts of terrain of mountain ranges that world who are qualified and ready to tackle rock and simultaneously master the con-
idea that we don’t have any fear or love our the challenges. struction of the tunnel walls. Which is also
fear is nonsense! Nobody does this be- treme performances, some- cooling output the inhabitants call el espinazo One of the greatest of these was the Got- the case for Herrenknecht’s latest and most
cause they love fear.” They eventually came thing that outsiders sometimes will be able to del diablo – the devil’s back- thard Base Tunnel – two 57-kilometre-long massive tunnel boring machine: assembled
to the conclusion that the athletes practice consider madness and then, be generated bone. The bridge brought an tunnels, a once-in-a-century project through in late August, the drilling giant weighs
their sports despite the danger and not be- when a project’s complete, by the cooling isolated, impoverished region a the Alps. Herrenknecht tunnel boring ma- 4,800 tonnes and with a diameter
marvel at: fascinating installa- units that Rittal small economic boom, but first
and its partner

tions such as the Skyrail Rain- Hewlett it had to be built – and across
forest Cableway, a 7.5 kilome- Packard the 400-metre-deep gorge of
tre scenic cableway running Enterprise are the Río Baluarte.
above the Barron Gorge Na- When engineers first visited the
tional Park in Queensland, Aus- jointly location about ten years ago,
developing.

tralia, or the flood protection 7.6 they had to ride horses for four
system costing 14 billion dol- hours just to get there. Unper-

lars that is to protect New million turbed, Mexican companies
Orleans from further catastro- downloads of got to work, transporting 12,000
phes. And not least, the tre- CAE and CAD tonnes of steel over 20 kilome-
mendous Gotthard Tunnel, files of Rittal tres of bad roads. A construc-

bringing Europe even closer components tion site arose at dizzying

together. Engineers often have have taken heights, where 1,300 engineers
similar motives to adventurers. place through and labourers spent years on
Earlier research into extreme Rittal’s website end. “We set up an entire vil-
athletes showed that they and the Eplan lage,” says Salvador Sanchez,
Data Portal.

wanted to use their sports to one of the project’s engineers.

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Cover story E x t re me s 1

Urbanisation million pieces of
The megacity’s growth continues to device and
challenge traffic planners. Tunnels are an
effective tool, as is the case here at the component data
construction site installation for the were download-
subway in Singapore.
ed by users
from the Eplan
Data Portal in
June 2016. The
portal currently

provides
661,263 data
sets from 157
manufacturers.

14

-fold security
for load testing
against fracture

– Rittal
enclosures are
rock-solid, and
clearly much

more robust
than the 8-fold
protection as
required by the

standards.

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Cover story E x tremes “ Our entire operational area is in
extremes and we’re always moving
Overcoming limits in difficult environments.”
Every tunnel is different. For every project – in
this case, the Eurasia Tunnel in Istanbul – Josef Gruseck, Member of the Management Board
Herrenknecht develops a prototype for the of Traffic Tunnelling at Herrenknecht
tunnel boring device beforehand. Some are as
large as small factories. of 15.87 metres is Europe’s largest tunnel knecht considers themselves well taken ing of value creation. We’re always trying
to develop suppliers into true value crea-
20 boring machine. The machine will be carv- care of. “We build for a wide variety of re- tion partners.” And Eplan Pro Panel can
even help with manual tasks. “We incorpo-
ing out a new road tunnel in the Apennines quirements, it’s almost always a prototype, rate links to smart PDFs to provide spe-
cific instructions for our colleagues who
near Florence, Italy. so to speak, so the first shot has to be a work directly with the machines, so that
they know how assembly and installation
Various aspects play a role when choosing bullseye. That’s why it’s important to us to must take place.”
The Eplan Data Portal also plays an impor-
components for such an enormous con- know that we can depend on the compo- tant role in designing the tunnel boring
machines. The database, which currently
struction project. “We’re working in the nents,” Mattes continues. What’s more, the includes device data for more than 660,000
components, won over the tunnelling spe-
construction industry, therefore the enclo- company aspires to reuse these proto- cialists with its comprehensive macros.
Mattes: “The quantity and accuracy is im-
sures must be resistant to torsion,” says types. “With standardised components, we perative for us, since a machine of this
magnitude easily involves up to 1,500
Reinhold Mattes, Director of Electro- can achieve advantages with logistics pages of wiring plans.”
Technical advances and boldness will con-
technology at Traffic Tunnelling, ex- and assembly as well as disassem- tinue to ensure that athletes and engineers
keep breaking through new limits. There
plaining one of the important se- bly,” Gruseck says. Built-in compo- are plenty of visionary ideas that may be
more likely to greeted with patronising
lection criteria for these extreme nents that complement the TS 8 smiles: A bridge between Africa and Eu-
rope? A space elevator that can bring peo-
environments. Herrenknecht standard noticeably reduced ple to the moon? A trans-Atlantic tunnel?
Crazy ideas? Who knows! As Franklin D.
manufactures the load-bear- 1,800 turnaround times for commis- Roosevelt famously pronounced, express-
ing base/plinth for the enclo- sioning. ing a sentiment first credited to Michel de
Montaigne: “The only thing we have to fear
sures themselves, which en- Stahlo’s new Extreme value creation is fear itself.” n
sures that the subassemblies slitting line can But before a tunnel boring ma-
for the drive and drill process, generate 1,800 chine ever begins digging its
for debris removal and for the way through masses of stone,
deploying of the tunnel wall newtons of
tensile strength.

elements are installed to be Starting in 2017, making an important contribu-
vibration resistant. Thanks to that means 61 tion to international trade
the IP 55/66 protection cate- strips of steel routes and advancing urbani-
gory, the extreme amounts of can be slit into sation, Herrenknecht further
dust or even potential water five-millimetre- counts on Eplan software. The
thick slits at the

ingress pose no problem for same time. company uses Eplan Pro Pan-

the technology installed in the el for designing and building

enclosures. IP 55 the control enclosures and
“We source our Rittal enclo- switchgear systems. The soft-

sures through distributors, just is the protection ware supplies all the data rel-
in time, and can therefore ex- category of evant for manufacturing. And
actly plan the assembly with- Rittal roof- since Eplan Pro Panel inte-
out have to keep large inven- grates existing automation
tories,” Mattes reports. “The mounted fans technologies, Herrenknecht
(previously IP

fact that Rittal also produces 43). This means can process the enclosures
in China naturally helps us for they’re suitable and assembly plates in no time
projects in Asia.” Because the at all with the assistance of the
company requires both stand- for use in Perforex machining centre
ard as well as customised so- harsher from Rittal Automation Sys-
industrial
environments.

lutions, Rittal’s flexibility and tems. As Gruseck explains:

dependability means Herren- “This matches our understand-

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Cover story I nterview E llen Brennan

I know my limits 02 | 2016 | Magazine of the Friedhelm Loh Group | be top Interview partner
Who? Ellen Brennan (28), also known
Interview. Ellen Brennan is known as the world’s fastest as the “World’s Fastest Flying Woman”
flying woman. She says that going to extremes has made What? Wingsuit jumper
her more relaxed. Where? Born and raised in the United
States, since 2009 she’s been living in
Interview conducted by Boris Hänßler Chamonix, France, not far from Mont
Blanc.
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Cover story I nterview E llen Brennan

How did you get into wingsuit jumping? “We only get one life, just
Ellen Brennan: I was never very good at one try, which is why I
team sports, like football for instance. Since
my father was a skydiver, I thought: maybe always want to have the
that could be something for me. After all, I’m newest and best equipment.”
completely on my own when doing it.
Ellen Brennan, wingsuit jumper

How do you mean?
Brennan: Because I decide all by myself
when and under what weather conditions I
jump. And which gear I use, how I prepare
for my jump and which techniques I use –
that’s all my sole responsibility.

So you first got started with skydiving – First, you have to acknowledge that you’re shorter jumps or higher ones. But I also Inner happiness
and what came next? scared: that your stomach is feeling queasy, know my limits. I find very short jumps too Ellen Brennan (28) loves extremes – and prefers jumping from cliffs in a wingsuit to playing football.
Brennan: The next thing I tried was base your hands are sweaty or your heart is rac- dangerous, aside from which I pay attention After landing, the body releases a lot of dopamine and puts her into a sort of state of intoxication.
jumping. Then I saw a few of my friends ing. Then I take a step back and take a deep to the weather before I try out something For Brennan, it’s the best feeling.
jump in wingsuits. It seemed boring to me at breath in order to calm my body. When I’m new, as well as to my mood, whether I’m full
first, but when I saw them glide over the val- feeling scared, I often have a narrowed field of energy or tired. I don’t take any unneces- Brennan: That depends on the accident. If jump for a week after that. But when I ana- because I was scared I’d fly away. I’ve
ley like birds, I understood how exciting it is. of vision, in which case I look for a point off sary risks. someone makes a mistake doing something lysed the videos, I saw that it wasn’t as overcome all of that. Today, I’m much less
Jumping is an adventure. I see the world in in the distance and focus on it. Starting from I would never do myself, then that doesn’t dangerous as I had thought. Nevertheless, anxious. A job interview, for example,
a way that most people never get to see. there, I open my eyes to the immediate en- What role does technology play in wing- scare me. But with accidents that could I don’t ignore something like that. It’s im- would have scared me half to death back
vironment, to the rocks, flowers, birds or suit jumping? have happened to me, too, I take a really portant to me that I always keep learning then. Today I’m easy-going about it. I have
Extreme athletes say that they feel closer trees. This is how I calm down and my body Brennan: It’s essential. There have been hard look at those to learn from them. new things. the feeling I can do anything if I want to.
to nature through the sport – is it similar relaxes a bit. many advances over the past ten years; the Those types of accidents remind me how
for you? wingsuits have been influenced by para- fatal mistakes can be in this sport when Do all wingsuit jumpers share a similar Thank you for this interview. n
Brennan: I have great respect for the moun- What does flying through the air feel like? gliding technology. There are aerial inserts you get too careless. mindset?
tains. When I jump, I have to work with the Brennan: That’s difficult to describe if that inflate during flight and stabilise you. Brennan: I think there are two groups of
conditions that nature provides. When I start you’ve never experienced it yourself. As But at the end of the day, I have to blindly Have you ever ended up in dangerous wingsuit athletes: people who have very
hiking uphill, I’m already paying attention to soon as I jump, it takes just a few seconds trust the technology. We only get one life, situations? stressful careers and considerable re-
the mountain, its condition, the trees, the and my nervousness disappears, the ten- just one try, which is why I always want to Brennan: I once jumped with a wingsuit sponsibilities, such as doctors or firemen,
wind, the temperature – to all of these de- sion is gone. I get a feeling of physical free- have the newest and best equipment. I also that I had flown with twenty times, but from and people who simply love life and are
tails. Once, early one morning, I met a local dom and inner satisfaction. It’s unbelievably use video analysis, especially when I’m test- a higher location. I was moving too long in happy when they are up in the mountains.
woman and asked her whether the wind fun, and then I really want to make the most ing new equipment. the wrong direction, was flying at the But what they all have in common is that
always blew that way at that time. She had of it. If I know the course well, then I can also wrong angle and got closer to the cliffs they cope well with stressful situations.
no idea. And that astonished me. That’s look at the surroundings, the mountain Accidents continue to happen. What do than I had planned. There were a few sec-
when I noticed that I perceive nature differ- goats, an eagle, but the best feelings don’t you think causes them? onds when I thought I’d lost control. How does this sport affect you person-
ently. come until after the landing. That’s when a Brennan: The technology is so well-engi- ally? Has it calmed you down?
lot of dopamine gets released into the body neered that product defects seldom cause And then? Brennan: When I was little, I was shy. My
Are you nervous before a jump? Are you again, which is why it can become addic- accidents. The majority of accidents hap- Brennan: When I landed, I cried and fellow students used to bully me. My moth-
fearful? tive. It’s like falling in love every single day. pen because the people either don’t have thought how dumb I had been. I didn’t er couldn’t push me too hard on the swing
Brennan: I’m always nervous. If you aren’t, enough experience or have too much and
then you’re crazy. It’s not natural to stand at How important is it for you to constantly get cocky.
the edge of a cliff and jump off it. I can get be on the lookout for new challenges?
a handle on the nervousness, but if I were Brennan: Very important, otherwise it gets How do you feel when you hear about ac-
really afraid I wouldn’t jump. If I’m feeling boring. I can jump closer to the ground, do cidents?
fearful, then I prefer to stand down. I would
be too tense to control my body.

How do you overcome your fears?
Brennan: There are various techniques.

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Magazine Orientation during Simulation
change Anhand von Simulationsergebnissen kann
IBM and LKH den Faserverlauf von glasfaserverstärk-
Rittal: Entrepreneurship AWARD ten Kunststoffen berechnen.
a solid
partnership Dr Friedhelm Loh, owner and CEO of the
Friedhelm Loh Group, received the “Con-
The companies strengthen nected World” Leadership Award from the
their long-standing col- Vogel Business Media publishing house,
laboration which honoured him as an “impressive per-
Rittal has extended its existing part- sonality” in the “Energy” category. “Your
nership with IBM in Europe, the Mid- entrepreneurship and creativity inspire in-
dle East and Africa and is now work- dustry and society. Your vision provides a
ing worldwide with the IT consulting point of orientation in a world of digital
firm on the planning, construction, change.” The media company publishes
operations and service of data cen- many of the most successful trade journals
tres. As part of the collaboration, in the German-speaking world.
IBM is offering more IT infrastructure
components from Rittal in its project Dr Friedhelm Loh Meeting of experts
business. This includes products The owner and CEO of the Friedhelm Loh
such as IT racks, climate control so- Group was delighted to receive the award. Vibracoustic and LKH present a plastics expert day
lutions, power supply and monitor-
ing systems, security solutions and As a result of their smooth collaboration on various R&D and standard projects, Vi-
standardised RiMatrix S data centre bracoustic invited LKH to an expert day in Hamburg to present the latest findings
modules. “These days, companies on plastics to employees. Over 30 participants from different departments at the
want to build a fail-safe IT infrastruc- global market leader in the field of automotive vibration control technology attend-
ture with transparency in cost calcu- ed the specialist presentations. The LKH team presented its expertise in the most
lations. Working with IBM, our modu- diverse areas of plastics processing and structured project management. Marcus
lar and pre-certified container Kiesewetter, a member of LKH’s R&D team, demonstrated the possibilities of highly
solutions facilitate fast, simple con- cutting-edge simulation software that allows LKH to recognise and rectify design
struction of cutting-edge, sustaina- problems early on. Plastic is also replacing steel as a material in Vibracoustic pro-
ble data centres,” says Rittal’s Man- jects; in addition to such advantages as weight reduction and nearly unlimited
aging Director Sales and Marketing component design options, it offers new possibilities for component integration.
Hans Sondermann. During the expert day, both companies were also given the opportunity to examine
current problems.
Link tip:
For more information about Rittal’s data 1 TU Kaiserslautern Research contract
centres, please visit www.tinyurl.com/ The Institute of Technology is working on a
rittal-ibm Million Downloads research contract for LKH. LKH joins transfer initiative

26 Success for Eplan Data Portal LKH has been a member of the Rhineland-
Palatinate transfer initiative since July 2016.
This June, the Eplan Data Portal, launched This creates closer links between the Heili-
eight years ago, recorded one million parts genroth plastics specialist and the econom-
data downloads. Currently, device data for ic and scientific communities. The regional
over 660,000 components, as well as over government initiative fosters the develop-
1.2 million variations, are available via con- ment of products and services and brings
figuration at the Portal. One hundred fifty- the right cooperation partners together. LKH
seven manufacturers are represented, in- has already awarded a research contract in
cluding world-famous names like Cisco and the area of “Lightweight Construction and
Hyundai. The portal saves users consider- New Materials” to TU Kaiserslautern (Insti-
able time by allowing them to integrate veri- tute of Technology).
fied, up-to-date data directly into Eplan pro-
jects via drag-and-drop. Link tip:
More about the initiative at www.transferagentur-
rheinland-pfalz-saarland.de/transferinitiative

02 | 2016 | Magazine of the Friedhelm Loh Group | be top 27

Expertise E lectrical design

Incredible tool

Efficiency. Shorter processing times, a more integrated data flow and greater macro
precision: Eplan has been supporting 3 Phase Power Systems with their electrical de-
signs since 2013. Together, they contribute to Canada’s power supply.

Text: Lisa Krekel

A n additional module? Newly ar- tion of data. Often, the incoming orders 3 Phase Power Systems
ranged components? A modified have only minimal differences to projects
cut-out on the enclosure? For a that have already been archived. Bursting
long time, what for customers was just a with energy
phone call meant something completely More precise with just one click
different for Dwayne Donaldson, Senior “Today I can copy the template from Eplan 3 Phase Power Systems, a supplier of elec-
Electrical Designer & Project Manager at Electric P8 with just a click and automati- trical components, is headquartered in Brit-
3 Phase Power Systems in Canada: it cally import the electrical design data into ish Columbia, Canada’s westernmost prov-
meant more work. After every change, he Eplan Pro Panel,” Donaldson explains. ince, where the company develops technical
and his team had to amend and modify “Previously I had to create a new directory solutions for an uninterrupted power supply.
drawings, prepare new drilling patterns folder and then copy over and painstak- The spectrum of products runs the gamut
and pass on the information to manufactur- ingly modify each individual file.” This of- from converter devices to motor control units
ing and warehousing. So, back in 2013, it ten led to problems in manufacturing. to switchgear systems and drives with varia-
was unsurprising that Donaldson came to “Sometimes components were missing or ble frequencies. Rittal technology is often
a decision: things can’t go on like this. the wrong ones were selected,” Donald- used at 3 Phase Power Systems as well. The
He and the company needed a more effi- son recalls. “We were constantly running company’s main clients include the mining,
cient solution. During his research, Don- around trying to find the needed parts.” oil and gas industries as well as vendors in
aldson came across the software solutions This was a problem, especially for time- the area of renewable energies.
from Eplan. Since then, quite a bit has sensitive projects – after all, many of the
3 PHASE POWER SYSTEMS changed at the headquarters of 3 Phase company’s customers are directly involved
Power control solutions of the Canadian Power in southern Vancouver. One of the with ensuring the power supply nation-
company are deployed in a number of best examples of this: those smaller orders wide. Greater data consistency and preci-
industries, including the minining industry. mentioned above that repeatedly landed sion weren’t just desired, but were actually
on Donaldson’s desk. “Instead of having to essential. “We’ve been able to achieve a
28 produce new technical drawings and drill- precision of 97 per cent for our macros, as
ing patterns for every single one of them, compared to an estimated 60 per cent in
now I can just forward a PDF to manufac- the previous system,” Donaldson says.
turing with the 3D view of the switchboard, The company is supported by the Eplan
including the drill holes,” Donaldson says. Data Portal in this, with around 1,500 mac-
But there’s also been a lot of progress ros – altogether, the Eplan Data Portal pro-
made in the area of turnaround times. “For vides around 660,000 parts records.
larger projects we used to need about six “We’ve certainly downloaded hundreds of
weeks from receiving the order to delivery,” parts macros from the Eplan Data Portal.
Donaldson says. “Today we need just two.” It’s an incredible tool.” n
The reason for this dramatic acceleration
in turnaround is the sophisticated reutilisa-

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Expertise E arth quake safety I t was 12.15 p.m. – time for the lunch
break for many employees at Orion in
When the earth Christchurch, New Zealand – when the
ROCKs ... ground began to shake from one of the larg-
est earthquakes to ever hit the city on the
Natural catastrophe. Earthquakes like country’s southern island. On 22 February
the one that struck Christchurch, New 2011, the quake, measuring 6.3 on the Rich-
Zealand, often destroy large amounts of ter scale, needed just 25 seconds to dam-
infrastructure. The functioning IT systems age thousands of buildings and cause 185
at energy supplier Orion helped ensure deaths. “It was something I hope I never
a speedy reconstruction. have to experience again,” says Neville
Digby, an Orion employee. The company,
Text: Dr Jörg Lantzsch which used to be headquartered in the mid-
dle of town, runs the electricity grid in the
30 be top | Magazine of the Friedhelm Loh Group | 02 | 2016 02 | 2016 | Magazine of the Friedhelm Loh Group | be top greater Christchurch area and has 195,000
customers – both private homes and busi-
nesses – that it supplies with electricity.
After the earthquake, the infrastructure in
the entire region around Christchurch was
also hard hit: many streets were initially im-
passable, water mains and wastewater
pipes burst and the power supply failed in
around 80 per cent of the entire urban area.
It was an enormous challenge for Orion –
but the company itself had also fallen victim
to the quake: the building that housed Ori-
on’s company headquarters was substan-
tially damaged. And the company’s data
centre in the building’s first storey was also
seriously affected.
Senior Systems Engineer Digby, who is re-
sponsible for the company’s IT systems,
recalls: “The server room, which was six
metres wide, sank about 60 centimetres on
one side.” Nonetheless, the IT enclosure
systems and the LCP air/water heat ex-
changers survived the shaking, which in-
cluded vertical accelerations of up to 2.2 g,
so that the servers could initially be kept
running.

Risks of aftershocks
“Of course we quickly had to find a replace-
ment,” Digby says, “if for no other reason
than entering the damaged building was
really very risky.” Strong earthquakes like
the one in Christchurch are always followed
by aftershocks, which can then sometimes
cause damaged buildings to collapse. The
company’s employees remained uninjured
by the natural catastrophe for the most part;
they got off quite lightly, all things consid-
ered: just one employee was slightly injured
by a door that slammed shut due

Heavy damage
In Christchurch, New Zealand, the Cathedral of
the Blessed Sacrament wasn’t the only building
that was seriously damaged in 2011. The data
centre of the regional energy supplier Orion was
almost completely destroyed.

31

Expertise E arth quake safety

“ After only five hours all the
systems were operational at
the new location – I’m certain
that’s a new world record.”

Neville Digby, Orion employee

to the quake – a black eye the only visible ing systems, uninterruptible power supply, the energy supply for the greater Christch- Earthquake simulation
sign. Relatively quickly, the company was climate control system and fire alarm and urch area was secured. The effects of shocks and vibrations can be
able to get all employees into an older, two- extinguishing system. The raised flooring After the earthquake, Orion decided to build simulated in the Rittal Test Laboratory. Here a
storey building close by that remained prac- has 30 centimetres of space, more than a new headquarters several kilometres out- TS 8 enclosure with an earthquake kit is shown.
tically undamaged by the quake. enough for cabling. With this plug-and-play side of the city centre. The data centre
But the data centre required a fast solution. concept, the data centre is ready for opera- naturally also had to be relocated for the Better earthquake-proof
“A container solution, like the Rittal Data tions directly upon delivery – only the energy move, which displayed yet another strength
Center Container (RDCC) was something supply and network cabling need to be con- of the RDCC. “We powered down all the Almost all of the world’s countries
that we had once considered previously,” nected. systems at the old location in the city centre are potentially endangered by
Digby says. “After the earthquake, we then “To move all the hardware from the old data at 10.30 a.m.,” says Digby. “At 3.30 p.m., all earthquakes – especially where
quickly decided for that solution. But it still centre into the RDCC, we knocked a hole in the systems were operational at the new tectonic plates meet. In order to take the
took twelve weeks before the RDCC arrived the wall of the old server room and trans- location – I’m certain that’s a new world re- various hazards into account, different
in Christchurch. The RDCC is housed in a ported all the components across a tempo- cord.” After powering down, the container earthquake risk zones have been defined
purpose-built container. All the components rary outside stairwell,” Digby explains. A just had to be loaded onto a lorry with a which describe how likely a quake is and
are already included: server racks, including week after the RDCC arrived, all the IT sys- crane and then, after being driven eight at what strength it could hit.
the power supply, access controls, monitor- tems were once again fully functional and kilometres, once again lifted by crane into When discussing earthquake safety, the
its new location at the new company head- safety of buildings is often paramount.
quarters. This makes sense since damage to build- Shaken, not destroyed
For Digby, the concept of a mobile data ings usually leads to the majority of casu- There are three standards of particular im-
centre has already proven its value: “With alties as well as to most of the property portance for the seismic safety of switchgear
the mobile RDCC, the data centre isn’t tied damage suffered. Nonetheless, technical systems worldwide: DIN EN/IEC 60068-3-3,
to a building and, in case of an emergency, infrastructure such as electrical switch- IEEE 693 and Telcordia GR-63-CORE. To
can quickly and easily be transported.” gear systems and data centres must also meet these standards, Rittal customers can
Meanwhile, Orion has purchased a second be effectively protected against earth- easily retrofit their enclosures with an earth-
RDCC as a backup system and set it up 14 quakes as well. quake kit. Whether it’s struts, gusset plates
kilometres away. That way the company is Important precautionary measures must or base/plinths: even small measures requir-
definitely prepared for any extreme situa- be taken for the installation of electrical ing just a few easy steps can increase stabil-
tions that might arise in the future. n switchgear systems and IT infrastructure ity. But even without added protection, Rittal
depending on the level of earthquake enclosures – depending on the application
hazard, the standards for which may dif- and respective configuration – are ready for Earthquake kit
fer from country to country. use in earthquake risk zones. After all, the With optional seismic upgrade accessories,
enclosures are regularly subject to labora- the construction of the enclosure frame
tory testing for their earthquake safety. according to framing principles can be
Mounted on shaking tables, they must with- reinforced to such an extent that the TS 8
stand the shock load without any structural also fulfils the high standards of Zone 4
or functional damage. according to GR-63-CORE.

Data centre arrival Link tip:
The new Rittal data centre arrived at Orion in You can find a whitepaper on the topic of
Christchurch twelve weeks later. Damage from earthquake safety for enclosures at
the earthquake was still clearly visible. www.tinyurl.com/rittal-earthquake

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Expertise S ta i n l e ss S t e e l “Good care is important”

MADE FOR LIFE! Interview. Marcus Wassenberg, at the stainless steel
manufacturer Aperam, explains why “rust-free” steel can
Stainless steel. Enclosures made of steel with the “rust free” rust and how to properly care for this material.
quality seal are extremely robust and look great. Whether or
not the steel actually develops small rust spots depends on a Is the term “rust-free” confusing
number of factors, some of which can be controlled. because such “rust-free” steel can
actually rust under certain conditions?
Text: Beate Schwarz Marcus Wassenberg: The term “rust free”
is perhaps a bit inexact technically
T he secret of rustproof steel? It’s hidden Of the approximately 100 types of stainless speaking, but rightfully established as a chemical industry, pharmaceuticals –
behind the letters Cr, the chemical steel with the attribute “rust free” produced trademark, and it continues to be suc- proper application is an absolute neces-
symbol for chromium. If the element is globally, Rittal has filtered out a handful of cessful. It can potentially be misleading sity. Otherwise permanent damage can
added during production, it forms an ex- good ones. These are suited for daily use un- for private consumers since they often occur, for instance due to chlorides. In
tremely thin protective layer of chromium ox- der extreme conditions on the one hand, and don’t know enough about how to deal with many cases we as manufacturers find that
ide on the steel’s surface. The alloy doesn’t the focus on a few but outstanding materials the terminology and the various material end users often aren’t supplied with any
make it invulnerable, however. “The term ‘rust enables efficient, cost-effective manufactur- properties. As a European manufacturer explicit care instructions. Provided the
free’ is a bit misleading,” says Joachim ing on the other hand. As an example, rust- we’re happy to advise our clients about material is suited to the application and a
Becker, Director of Quality Management and proof stainless steel type 1.4301 is appropri- applications. Because in practice, the person understands how rust-free
head of the test laboratory. “If the surface ate for the high hygiene standards of the food question frequently asked is: “corrosion- stainless steel “works”, product made of
gets damaged or if the steel isn’t suited to the and pharmaceutical industries, while rust- resistant to what?” Simplifying things, you stainless steel are often made for life!
environment or application, even so-called free stainless steel type 1.4404 would be the could say that “non-rusting steel” in the
rust-free steel can rust.” first choice for maritime applications. as-delivered condition is “rust free” and Are there alternatives to non-rusting
The alloy on the surface protects the steel from “Rittal applies a coating to the surface de- will remain so when factors such as steel?
water and oxygen. In addition, it offers self- pending on the requirements,” Fabrizius ex- processing, environment, application and Wassenberg: There are of course
healing powers: if there’s damage, the chro- plains. “The coating prevents the steel from care continue to ensure this. alternatives to rustproof stainless steel in
mium oxidises very quickly at that spot so that coming into contact with oxygen and water, individual areas. But aside from traditional
the “wound” closes and the protection is re- while offering additional protection against Can the properties continue to be users, rust-free stainless steel is increas-
stored. But if particles of another metal remain damage and abrasive chemicals in addition improved upon? What sort of research ingly being deployed in other areas.
stuck to the surface, corrosion can result. to the chromium alloy.” Before this powder is taking place? Hardly any other material combines so
“Typical examples include non-rustproof coating is applied, the sheet steel undergoes Wassenberg: Our research and develop- many specification requirements. And
screws or damage caused by the fork of a a nanoceramic pre-treatment. This environ- ment is continually working on improving although its manufacturing is relatively
forklift,” Becker says. Even the smallest parti- mentally friendly pre-treatment process our current materials and on new materi- energy-intensive, the final product is up to
cles carried through the air can cause rust. “It further improves corrosion protection. Steel als. Since the fundamental parameters 100 per cent recyclable in the majority of
can suffice if an angle grinder is used nearby.” treated in this fashion can withstand are often defined according to particular cases and can be used again for subse-
This phenomenon is referred to as flash rust. 720 hours of salt spray testing according to norms, development usually focuses on quent material without any degradation at
DIN EN ISO 9227 and come out unscathed. factors such as improved workability or all. And since there is an increasing focus
Finding the right type of steel Despite this, the same maintenance proce- lower costs without any loss of corrosion on sustainability, new, interesting fields of
Along with physical damage, abrasive chem- dure applies to enclosures and all items properties and processing. The impulse application keep opening up for rust-free
ical compounds can cause rust, such as chlo- made of rustproof steel or stainless steel: often comes from industry and the stainless steel.
rinated air from swimming pools. “Acids can regularly wipe them down with a rag and wa- processors themselves – they basically
corrode the chromium oxide layer,” explains ter. And there are special cleaners for bur- determine what’s needed.
Andreas Fabrizius, Laboratory Engineer for geoning rust blooms. n
Materials and Corrosion Protection Technol- What’s the best way to care for stain-
ogy. “An enclosure installed on a drilling plat- Link tip: less steel, whether it’s flatware or an
form in the harsh North Sea is exposed to You can find a whitepaper on this topic at enclosure?
concentrated salt.” This is why choosing the www.tinyurl.com/flash-rust Wassenberg: Although different materials
right type of steel for the planned application are used in these cases, what can be said
is so important. “When we discuss the con- is that both materials should be kept far
figuration of enclosures with customers, we away from corrosive media. Erosive
first analyse the requirement and then select applications that destroy the material’s
the suitable steel,” Becker says. passive layer should also be avoided.
Usually pure water and a mild detergent
are more than enough for gentle care.
Where the use of other substances is
required – in areas such as medicine, the

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EXPERTISE B lue e + cooling units

HIGH-TECH MADE IN ITALY

Technology. Innovative technology from northern Italy has an excellent reputation.
Cooling technology is particularly popular. This is another reason why Rittal produces its
Blue e+ series here in accordance with Industry 4.0 criteria.

Text: Lisa Krekel and Joscha Duhme

B icycle manufacturer Sarto is lo- ufacturing Engineering, is very familiar with STANDARDS ENABLE FLEXIBILITY insider tip: Sarto
cated halfway between Venice this internationally recognised site for tech-
and Padua. Virtually unnoticed by nology and production location. In fact, The flexibility gained is also possible be- Professional athletes consider racing
the general public, this small company has Rittal also stands for innovative and high- cause new standardised work processes bikes from Italian bicycle manufacturer
been building state-of-the-art, handcrafted quality cooling solutions “made in Italy.” ensure that “we are no longer moving half- Sarto an absolute insider tip. Founders
bicycles for over 60 years. For interna- Since 2015, the company has been pro- finished equipment from one stage of work Antonio and Enrico Sarto invest several
tional cycling pros and fans, a bike from ducing Blue e+, its new series of cooling to another. Instead, one or more employees years of research and development in
this time-honoured manufacturer is con- units, in Valeggio sul Mincio, a small town working in semi-autonomous groups over- every model because they have one
sidered an absolute insider tip. Approxi- south of Lake Garda. On average, Blue e+ see cooling units up to their completion,” primary goal: to be better than the
mately 2,500 one-off models leave the fac- saves users 75 per cent of the energy pre- says Benner. To that end, the production competition.
tory every year, each one tailored to a viously required for enclosure climate con- planning team from Rittal headquarters in Each bicycle is tailor-made to a custom-
customer’s individual needs, then rein- trol. The secret of the highly efficient cool- Herborn is already involved in the product er’s individual needs. That’s why it is no
forced with carbon fibres and tested re- ing units lies in a unique combination of development phase. “Not only can we de- surprise that only around 2,500 of these
peatedly. This is precisely how Antonio passive and active cooling. A special fea- termine which assembly sequence is the one-off models leave the “manifattura” in
and Enrico Sarto, the two founders of the ture of the Rittal plant in Valeggio: new fastest and most efficient, we can also inter- Pianiga each year.
company, envision “perfection made in cooling units are produced in compliance vene directly during development to opti-
Italy.” To that end, they made a conscious with Industry 4.0 principles, on a total area mise assembly,” says Heilmann. Thus, after 02 | 2016 | Magazine of the Friedhelm Loh Group | be top
decision to establish their “manifattura” in of nearly 9,000 square metres. At this detailed analyses, the Manufacturing Engi-
the heart of the Veneto region, known plant, Rittal also assembles recooling neering department can determine at which
around the world as a site for innovation in units, chillers, heat exchangers and ther- point a given manual action is to be carried
technology and production. moelectric coolers. out when the product is first assembled. “At
From the food and beverage industry to “Conversion to Industry 4.0-compatible the same time, as a result of our notes during
the textile industry to heating and climate production doesn’t suddenly happen at the design phase of the components, they
control technology, countless sectors have the flip of a switch. It is an ongoing pro- are easier to assemble – using retainers for
settled over the years in this high-tech re- cess,” notes Nicola Salandini, Plant Direc- lifting devices, for example. As a result, work
gion of northern Italy. Still, since the 1950s, tor at the Valeggio site. The initial lean steps can be carried out more ergonomi-
the focus has unquestionably been on production measures were already being cally in the long run,” says Heilmann.
heating and climate control technology. implemented in 2012. In addition, the com- In 2015, Rittal also digitised the assembly
Veneto is now home to about 150 cooling pany introduced a modular production line for Blue e+. This is not only noticeable
specialists, approximately 60 per cent of system. “This allows us to adjust serial at the plant, but to customers as well –
the total number throughout Europe. “This production of various devices quickly and thanks to products of the highest precision
is further supported by the locally based flexibly, even if the geometries and dimen- and quality. “This is the first production line
University of Padua, which is extremely sions are completely different,” explains equipped with touch screens. As a result,
well regarded in this field,” adds André Tobias Heilmann, Team Leader Assembly our employees always have a picture of the
Benner, explaining this concentration of Processes at Rittal Manufacturing Engi- current assembly status and work instruc-
expertise. Benner, who works at Rittal Man- neering. tions,” explains Salandini. “Until now, this
required a lot of paper, which is

36 be top | Magazine of the Friedhelm Loh Group | 02 | 2016 37

EXPERTISE B lue e + cooling units Customer survey

INDUSTRY 4.0 YOU CAN TOUCH Satisfied
The automated assembly line of the new customers
Blue e+ cooling units brings the principles of
Industry 4.0 to life. In Valeggio, employees Marco Villa
also produce cooling units, chillers, heat Managing Director
at Rittal Italy
exchangers and thermoelectric coolers.
For the second time since 2013, Rittal has
now almost completely eliminated. Employ- conducted a survey of its customers in Italy
ees now simply scan a bar code over the – with excellent results. Rittal received a
device and, in seconds, all necessary infor- positive evaluation from 367 industry and IT
mation is displayed on the screen, including customers. “We find it both validating and
particularly critical work steps, which are encouraging that the quality of our products
now prominently indicated,” adds Benner. is considered our greatest strength, for which
The implementation of barcode scanning we receive better ratings than the competi-
facilitates a) documentation of a workpiece’s tion,” says Marco Villa, Managing Director at
production status, b) work instructions and Rittal Italy. In May and June 2016, respon­
c) verification as to whether the proper com- dents evaluated their experiences with Rittal
ponent is actually installed in its intended on a scale of 0 (not at all satisfied) to 10
location. Moreover, components used can (completely satisfied).
be traced back much more easily. “We know
exactly which compressor was installed in though it is our aim to evaluate the quality counts first and foremost. “Our employees 8.8
a device, for example, and when it was of our products before they are completed, log in each morning with their personnel
manufactured by our supplier. In the event it is more important to us to ensure their code. Each individual is putting his or her Rittal received an average of 8.8 out of ten
of a quality problem on the part of the sup- quality throughout assembly by using in- reputation on the line to vouch for a high possible points from its Italian customers
plier, we can determine exactly which of our novative processes that virtually eliminate quality of production,” says Benner. This for product quality. They characterised it
customers were delivered the device and defects,” says Heilmann, adding: “Even cuts down on working time while reducing as the greatest asset of the company. In
notify them specifically,” explains Benner. with optimised assembly processes, it is the risk of error. The system now creates 2013, customers had given Rittal a score of
With these “traceability” measures, there is impossible to recognise from the outside fully automated quality protocols, in place 8.4 points.
a complete profile on every cooling unit. whether an individual component might be of the written ones every employee was
Acid test faulty. This is why we check all important once obliged to complete. It is already 8.0
At the end of the assembly process, the functions, such as temperature sensors or evident that Rittal is prepared for “la quar-
team in Valeggio puts each cooling unit the performance of the device.” Every day, ta rivoluzione industriale.” n Italian customers gave Rittal an average of
through a 100 per cent function test. “Al- about 450 cooling units leave the plant after 8.0 out of ten possible points for sales and
passing this acid test. consulting – 0.3 points more than in 2013.
38 be top | Magazine of the Friedhelm Loh Group | 02 | 2016 Before the end of the year 2017, further
optimisations are planned for the Italian 8.5
plant, which is to serve as a pilot project
for other sites worldwide. This includes Rittal managed 8.5 – 8.9 out of ten points for
configurators, which customers can use for internationality, competence and reliability.
chillers and whose parts, sequence and Customers gave Rittal Italy 8.0 – 8.4 points
process lists are then immediately trans- for being innovative, solution-oriented and
ferred to production. Fully automated ware- responsible – an outstanding evaluation.
house management is another scheme
that will soon be introduced at Valeggio, +30 %
with “Pick2Light” systems that quickly di-
rect employees toward the appropriate Rittal’s Net Promoter Score is +30%. This
components. Until then, their “good name” key figure is calculated based on answers to
the question: “How likely are you to
recommend Rittal?” It is an important
measure of customer loyalty.

02 | 2016 | Magazine of the Friedhelm Loh Group | be top 39

Expertise Fire protection

Data protection is a burning issue

Fire. Even data can fall victim to fire. Early fire detection and an active extinguishing sys-
tem protect IT systems, thereby preventing data loss and downtimes in an emergency.

Text: Dagmar Puh

E ndless lines at check-in desks, hours must be flooded with nitrogen, you need a Products
of waiting and even cancelled flights pressure release in the space and arrange-
– anyone who wanted to fly with a ments for protecting people.” Visual and Protection
certain American airline between 8 and 12 acoustic signals would warn of the incom- Made by
August 2016 went through a nightmare. The ing gas. For small IT applications, it often Rittal
reason for the chaos: a power failure that makes more sense to implement fire pro-
caused a fire in a data centre which, in turn, tection at the level of individual IT racks. Rittal offers various fire alarm and extin-
completely crippled the airline’s IT systems. guishing systems. One example is the Rittal
Experts estimated the losses for the com- No easy choice DET-AC III family of products for closed
pany were in the high double-digit millions. The selection of extinguishing agent is server enclosures. It is made up of an early
The damage to the company’s image was also of utmost importance: “At customers’ fire detection system as well as an active ex-
probably much greater. sites it’s happened that we’ve found work- tinguishing system. Novec 1230 is used as
This example demonstrates how important ing sprinkler units over the server enclo- the extinguishing agent. Just two litres in a
it is for companies to protect their IT infra- sures.” Naturally the extinguisher should 19-inch rack of one height unit suffices to
structure from fire. Institutions including the neither be conductive nor leave residues, extinguish a volume of 2.8 cubic metres. The
Department of Homeland Security in the so that the electronics aren’t compro- built-in emergency electricity supply can
United States and the Federal Office for mised. Inert gases such as argon and ni- bridge a gap of up to four hours without volt-
Information Security in Germany compel trogen meet these requirements, as do age supplies during a power outage. The in-
companies to undertake “state of the art chemical extinguishing agents such as tegrated smoke extraction system works
technical and organisational measures” to Novec 1230. They either displace the oxy- with a two-step system. An integrated CAN
prevent disruptions if an IT failure at their gen or remove the heat from the fire. To bus interface allows this fire protection sys-
company could have implications for the best guarantee this, it’s advisable to suf- tem to be directly connected to existing
general public. Yet even companies whose ficiently seal the rack. This prevents the alarm systems.
server enclosures or data centre only cover extinguishing agent’s concentration from
their own IT infrastructure may be neglect- plummeting and the fire from flaring up FLIGHT CANCELLATIONS
ing the seriousness of this topic. “Unfortu- again if the power supply hasn’t been dis- A power failure caused a fire in the data
nately they underestimate the fact that fires connected. In any case, it should be ar- centre of an American airline, resulting in the
are more common than one might think,” ranged that the power supply be inter-
says Bernd Hanstein, Vice President IT rupted in the case of fire. cancellation of countless flights. It’s an
Product Management at Rittal. Many com- The third pillar of fire protection is an early incident that demonstrates the importance of
panies have gaps in their fire protection fire detection system, which should in-
systems that, in an emergency, could lead clude a highly sensitive smoke detector well-protected IT infrastructure for the
to massive data losses and downtimes in and an “active” smoke extraction system. smooth running of day-to-day business.
company operations. Pipes installed in the rack constantly ex-
Protecting sensitive technology is definite- tract air from the server enclosure and di-
ly complex. Since many operators have no rect it across the smoke detector. “Other-
idea how to find the suitable solution for wise it can sometimes take a long time for
their own data centres, Rittal offers support smoke to arrive at a smoke detector, espe-
with consulting services and suitable prod- cially if the cooling system directs air hor-
ucts. “The first question when establishing izontally in the rack,” Hanstein says. So
an extinguishing system is that of size,” that fire protection remains active even
Hanstein explains. Is it enough when the when there’s a power failure, the solution
system protects individual racks? Or must should also have a built-in emergency
an entire room be covered? “You must bear power supply with batteries. n
in mind that room solutions often require
follow-up investments,” he says. “If for in-
stance in the case of fire a whole room

40 be top | Magazine of the Friedhelm Loh Group | 02 | 2016 02 | 2016 | Magazine of the Friedhelm Loh Group | be top 41

Expertise O P C U A Malfunction? Consider it fixed!

! Communication protocol. On the basis of OPC UA technology, Eplan and
Murrelektronik are demonstrating how to facilitate fault diagnosis and troubleshooting in
Fault in the system complex systems. This innovative type of diagnostics is a springboard for Industry 4.0.
Comprehensive communication protocols
Text: Rebecca Lorenz
are available to locate the cause of
the original fault. Eplan uses OPC UA, T he very mention of the word “mal- device information, they can diagnose the Murrelektronik GMBH
which is expected to establish itself as a function” causes plant operators and condition of components, initiate the replace-
service technicians to break out in a ment or take other action to correct the fault,” Leading
communication standard between sweat. Until a malfunction is located and says Dieter Pesch, Senior Vice President of supplier
machinery and IT. fixed, each moment that passes brings it Product Management and Development at
closer and closer to an emergency. Even a Eplan. This also makes the system suitable Murrelektronik GmbH develops, produces
42 be top | Magazine of the Friedhelm Loh Group | 02 | 2016 simple short circuit can paralyse an entire for electricians with no knowledge of PLC, and sells electrical and electronic automa-
plant. Reactivity during commencement of since they can perform diagnostics using a tion technology. The company, with head-
operations, maintenance or repairs deter- wiring plan. In addition, separate diagnostics quarters in Oppenweiler in Baden-Württem-
mines the duration of shutdowns – and the programming of individual PLCs is no longer berg (Germany), is one of the leading
resulting costs. “However, traditional fault necessary. companies in the field of mechanical and
diagnosis is usually complicated and time- “In general, OPC UA technology is of interest plant equipment, from enclosure to
consuming,” says Thomas Michels, Eplan to all Eplan Electric P8 users, since compre- interface to field. Murrelektronik employs
Head of Product Management. “Often, hensive preventive diagnostics can be im- around 2,200 people across the globe.
when technicians consult paper documen- plemented with very little effort,” adds
tation for the causes of a mechanical mal- Wiedemann. It is also suitable for users with
function, they have only incomplete informa- their own mechanical and plant engineering.
tion. Even when tracing faults via signals Expanding the diagnostics options can be
from a programmable logic controller (PLC), substantially more cost-effective, particu-
they are also dealing with a variety of PLCs larly when it comes to small-batch produc-
and interfaces from a wide range of manu- tion of special-purpose machines, rather
facturers.” Negotiating a number of different than implementing detailed diagnostic pro-
standards takes considerable time during gramming via PLC.
diagnostics. This is why Eplan and Murrele- OPC UA also serves as the springboard for
ktronik have been researching a pragmatic Industry 4.0 projects. As workpieces in the
solution approach since early 2016: a direct Smart Factory go through individual produc-
connection between wiring plans and ma- tion modules – equipped with order and
chines and their automation components production data on barcodes or transpond-
using the OPC UA (Open Platform Commu- ers, which the modules use to control the
nication Unified Architecture) communica- system components – human intervention
tion protocol. “This makes communication would be limited to administration. “In order
possible, regardless of manufacturer and for this to work, we need to ensure not only
platform, from the shop floor level all the way the availability of the data, but also the ar-
to Eplan Engineering,” explains Wolfgang rival of the right data in the right format and
Wiedemann, Head of Application&Sales at the right place at the right time,” explains
Support Business Unit Automation at Mur- Michels. “To do this, we use the interface to
relektronik. OPC UA. Without it, it’s nearly impossible to
master this new complexity with more and
No knowledge of PLC required more automation components for control
The great advantage of this approach to find- and data acquisition in production machin-
ing solutions is that the data from different ery.” n
controllers is available via OPC server ac-
cess. “An error can then be displayed in the
wiring plan via an OPC client and Eplan soft-
ware, enabling maintenance engineers to
identify it right where it occurs. By viewing the

02 | 2016 | Magazine of the Friedhelm Loh Group | be top 43

EXPERTISE I nv e s t m e n t s

An overview of the investments promise. The high-bay warehouse will have The factory
space for over 21,500 pallets for large-scale of the future
By 2018, a state-of-the-art, Industry enclosures and an automated small parts
4.0-compliant compact enclosure plant will warehouse, which will provide adequate Investments. Rittal is investing a total of 170 million euros in a new, Industry
be built at the Haiger site. It is projected that storage space for Rittal standard products 4.0-compliant compact enclosure plant. In mid-August 2016, the company laid
extensive automation and digitisation will and accessories. In addition, the plant the cornerstone of the new building in Haiger (Hesse).
reduce the production time of compact grounds house the Rittal Innovation Center
enclosures to five days. The grounds also and the headquarters of the Friedhelm Loh Text: Rebecca Lorenz
house the newly opened Global Distribution Group, as well as a future training centre.
Center, which provides the ideal conditions 02 | 2016 | Magazine of the Friedhelm Loh Group | be top
for adhering to the 24/48-hour delivery

44 be top | Magazine of the Friedhelm Loh Group | 02 | 2016 45

EXPERTISE I nvestments

The new site H inges, turn-lock fasteners and gland “Our three-stage production – sheet metal A good reason to celebrate
plates: as if by magic, the fresh processing, painting and assembly – is digi- On 19 August 2016, the cornerstone of the new compact enclosure plant
To the max supply of building components is tally networked throughout and equipped was laid in Haiger. In attendance were (left to right) Carsten Röttchen,
whisked into the warehouse via conveyor with processing machinery from Rittal Executive Vice President Production; Dr Karl-Ulrich Köhler, CEO of Rittal
24,000 belt as soon as it is unloaded from the truck. Automation Systems,” explains Carsten International; Mario Schramm, Mayor of Haiger; Wolfgang Schuster, District
A manual comparison with the bill of deliv- Röttchen, Executive Vice President Pro- Administrator of the Lahn-Dill district; Dr Friedhelm Loh, with his wife
square metres of production space is being ery is unnecessary, because everything is duction. “Ultimately, we want to work as Debora; and Hesse Premier Volker Bouffier.
built at the Haiger site. The new plant will be done digitally here. efficiently as possible, not only at, but also
one of the largest Rittal plants in the world. And it is no surprise that the operation of among our respective locations.” Rittal Innovation Center
the adjacent state-of-the-art 3D laser centre Along the value chain, Rittal employees pursue intensive communication
290 is also data-based. The high-precision ma- A paradigm for the future with customers at the newly opened Innovation Center, where they can
chine cuts, drills and mills holes and re- Röttchen is referring to the future joint pro- discuss new and optimised solutions for the value chain in control system
employees will be working in the plant cesses in all formats in panels and even duction network formed by the production and switchgear engineering.
starting in 2018. On the basis of an integrated entire enclosures; after all, the exact manu- sites in Haiger, Rittershausen and Hof. Their 02 | 2016 | Magazine of the Friedhelm Loh Group | be top
flow of data, they will produce compact facturing data is received directly from the machine parks will be digitally networked to
enclosures as ordered by customers. customer’s configuration. work together in perfect coordination. Once
If the stock of mounting plates is running tested, this paradigm will serve as a model
250 m low, driverless transport systems deliver a for the company’s international production
fresh supply, entirely self-organised and sites as well.
Rittal will be investing 250 million euros in its just in time. Long downtimes and technical “Of course, I can understand how the
German sites in the years to come. This is hiccups become a thing of the past thanks mountains of data to be processed and
the biggest capital expenditure in company to knowledge-based systems. When cer- critical security considerations might deter
history. tain threshold values are exceeded, an some companies from taking a radical
alarm is automatically triggered that initi- step like this,” says Dr Loh. “But produc-
9,000 ates the ordering of replacement parts and tion in networks is crucial to the future of
informs the employee about the upcoming Germany as an industrial location. This is
compact enclosures are projected to leave repair. the only way we can generate sufficient
the state-of-the-art plant in Haiger each day. Processing companies around the world productivity to be prepared for interna-
To achieve this, production will be highly are still debating these cutting-edge pro- tional competition.”
automated. duction processes. At Rittal, things are dif- A new, direct link from customer to produc-
ferent, because the company is unafraid to tion demonstrates the sincerity of Dr Loh’s
take the Industry 4.0 plunge. To do so, the declaration. With the opening of the new
enclosure technology system provider will plant in Haiger, future orders will be submit-
have invested about 250 million euros in its ted to production directly via the online
German locations in Haiger, Hof and Rit- shop and the Rittal Configuration System
tershausen by the end of 2018. The corner- and processed automatically (see p. 48 for
stone was laid in Haiger in mid-August more information on the Rittal Configuration
2016, in the presence of customers, em- System). As a result, processing will be-
ployees, journalists and politicians. come much faster and production time will
Dr Friedhelm Loh, owner and CEO of the be reduced to five days.
Friedhelm Loh Group, explains the invest- In addition, the newly opened Global Distri-
ment: “Although our plants are already bution Center, located right next to the
among Germany’s most cutting-edge pro- planned location of the new compact en-
duction facilities, we are going one step closure plant in Haiger, will also dramati-
further in order to remain competitive in the cally accelerate the delivery time of orders.
long term.” In concrete terms, this means At an over 4,000-square-meter, 32-metre-
that as of 2018, up to 9,000 compact en- tall facility, products will be automatically
closures will be produced daily at the transported to their storage location in min-
24,000-square-metre facility in Haiger utes for pick-up.
alone – and production will be highly au- “As a supplier, we’ve observed that our cus-
tomated. tomers want to keep as few parts

46 be top | Magazine of the Friedhelm Loh Group | 02 | 2016 47

EXPERTISE I nvestments “Production in networks is
crucial to the future of Germany
Value stream: as an industrial location.”
from customer to customer
Dr Friedhelm Loh, owner and CEO of the
In the future, from enclosure configuration and ordering to production and delivery, digitisation and networking will be the basis for Friedhelm Loh Group
efficient process steps. For Rittal, Industry 4.0 means not only increased utilisation of sensors and profitable data evaluation and
analysis; rather, Industry 4.0 means networking different production systems and integrating them into the entire Rittal value chain – in stock as possible,” says Andreas Nögel, out and discuss them. “The Innovation duction and delivery are the express goals
from customer to customer. Vice President Global Logistics at Rittal. Center is intended to serve as an intensive of the new, future-oriented site in Central
“This trend will intensify in the future, so- and fruitful point of exchange for us and our Hesse. To that end, Rittal is already plan-
Ordering lidifying the importance of guaranteed de- customers,” confirms Jan-Henry Schall, Di- ning its next capital investment. “The
Customers use the Rittal Configuration livery times.” Rittal already promises that rector of the Rittal Innovation Center. “Re- G­ lobal Distribution Center, the Innovation
System, developed by Rittal and Eplan, items ordered will be delivered to the cus- gardless of whether it is praise, criticism or Center and the new compact enclosure
to build their compact enclosures, which tomer within 24 hours. In remote regions questions, every suggestion is welcome.” plant in Haiger are just the beginning. Our
they can order at the online shop. with weak infrastructure, this delivery time In fact, the intense communication with cus- next project is the construction of a new
can rise to 48 hours. tomers, partners and suppliers is firmly an- plant for stainless steel enclosures in
Verification “Thanks to the state-of-the-art logistics in- chored in Rittal’s history: many products R­ ittershausen.” And it will also be Industry
The system verifies that all parts have frastructure in the new Global Distribution which are now an integral part of the com- 4.0-compliant, of course. n
been correctly selected. Standard prod- Center, we have been able to increase the pany’s portfolio were created exactly this
ucts are available immediately. The sys- quantity of shipped products by 50 per way. “I would estimate that, in the 55 years
tem forwards custom orders to production. cent, cut lead times in half and increase de- of the company’s existence, about two-
livery quality by over 50 per cent,” explains thirds of our 1,500 patents came about
Manufacturing Nögel. This clear improvement in efficiency through a mutual exchange of ideas with
During manufacturing, the necessary in- provides the best conditions for keeping our customers,” says Dr Loh.
formation and machine programmes are and surpassing a given delivery promise.
automatically created from configuration “Step by step, we are developing Haiger as Focus on customers
data. Manufacturing and logistics work to- a future-oriented location,” Dr Loh asserts. From standardised large-scale enclosures
gether in a coordinated and self-organ- It goes without saying that this is only to the Micro Data Center to Blue e+ cooling
ised manner. ­possible with the cooperation of customers units, Rittal’s success story is closely inter-
and employees. “They are the focal point woven with the needs of its customers.
Delivery of all we do; after all, our company would “That’s why it is all the more important for
Both standard products and custom not exist without their ideas and input.” us to not only train employees and custom-
solutions are sent to the customer via ­System products or software solutions, it’s ers at the Innovation Center, but to work
the Global Distribution Center. all the same: Rittal’s motto was and is “listen with them as well in finding solutions to op-
and give it a try.” This is another reason timise the value chain in control system and
Value creation the company and its affiliates Eplan and switchgear engineering,” says Schall.
“The Rittal System Configurator is a Cideon have opened the 1,200-square- In Haiger, this means that visitors to the In-
perfect example of data consistency metre Rittal Innovation Center very near the novation Center scrutinise each individual
in the value chain, in total compliance Global Distribution Center and the planned process step from engineering to systems
with Industry 4.0,” declares Maximilian compact enclosure plant. “These are the technology to system configuration. “Only
Brandl, Managing Director of Eplan. questions we must ask ourselves again and by analysing, discussing and grasping
The foundation of the new tool is again,” notes Dr Loh. “What can we do to every single station in the value chain can
precisely managed data that is provided improve our products, our logistics and the we discover previously hidden efficiency
by Rittal and processed for the Eplan value chain for the customer?” potential,” says Schall. “In addition to new
Data Portal with Eplan support. Supple- To find answers to these questions, Rittal automation options, this also includes cost
mented by the standard in the Eplan would like not only to present its customers savings and shortened lead times.”
Engineering Configuration, smart CAD with innovations and explanations, but also Increasing productivity, developing con-
data is generated for use. “Further to invite them to the new spaces to try things sistent innovation and accelerating pro-
processing of digital Rittal enclosures
using Eplan Pro Panel is integrated, 02 | 2016 | Magazine of the Friedhelm Loh Group | be top 49
in order to complete the construction of
digital models with automation compo-
nents,” explains Brandl. “All process steps
go hand in hand – it’s the ultimate in data
consistency and error reduction!”

48 be top | Magazine of the Friedhelm Loh Group | 02 | 2016

EWxISpSeErNtise I nvHeesstsi teinotna g Berlin MODEL
Hesse’s Minister President
In the heart of Hesse Cologne Volker Bouffier (right) listens
attentively to Dr Friedhelm Loh
Rittal has been manufacturing housing and enclosure technology in Haiger for over 55 years. Frankfurt as Dr Loh uses a model to
The company has made a major contribution to the development of the region as a successful am Main introduce the new factory in
location for business. The ground-breaking ceremony at the compact enclosure plant and the Haiger at the Hessentag
opening of the Global Distribution Center (GDC) solidify Rittal’s commitment to the region and Munich political summit.
its future-oriented development. In addition to its accessible location in the heart of Europe,
there are other good reasons why Central Hesse is poised to compete in the global market. Multifaceted and a great place
to live
50 be top | Magazine of the Friedhelm Loh Group | 02 | 2016 02 | 2016 | Magazine of the Friedhelm Loh Group | be top
The Lahn-Dill district, known as the Land of
Kings for its many castles and palaces,
borders the Westerwald, the Rothaar Moun-
tains and the Taunus. Haiger is the ideal
starting point for hikes on the 154-kilometre-
long Rothaarsteig. Johann Wolfgang von
Goethe, who worked as an apprentice in
Wetzlar, extolled the surrounding countryside
for its indescribably beautiful nature.

From Haiger to the whole world in 24
hours…48 hours, tops! Thanks to its excellent
geographical location and optimal access to
transportation, Rittal can guarantee speedy
deliveries. The production site is located in the
heart of Europe near the border between
Rhineland-Palatinate and North Rhine-West-
phalia. By connecting to the motorway network,
transports reach fourteen countries in ten
hours by car (six in under five hours).

Another advantage of the geographic location is
the proximity to universities such as those of
Frankfurt, Darmstadt, Giessen, Marburg,
Kassel, Siegen, Koblenz, Cologne and Bonn.

Many goings-on
Rittal has maintained a close-knit relationship
with Herborn – where it is headquartered –
since its founding in 1961. This is yet another
reason why the company supports cultural
events in the town, including the Hessentag,
which took place in Herborn this year.

51

Expertise Dr K a rl -U l ric h K öh l e r

Digitisation potential

Innovation. Digitisation: a matter for American IT corpora-
tions? In a conversation with the ZVEI (German Electrical
and Electronic Manufacturers’ Association), Dr Karl-Ulrich
Köhler, CEO at Rittal, demonstrates how German industry
is also playing a major role.

Text: Johannes Winterhagen, courtesy of „Ampere – Das Magazin der Elektroindustrie“

T he low-rise building is inconspicu- the Friedhelm Loh Group (Rittal’s parent Eye on the future
ous from the outside except for the company) for over ten years. Since July, Dr Karl-Ulrich Köhler has been
sign reading “Innovation Center.” In Germany, digitisation is often associat- CEO of Rittal International Stiftung & Co. KG
It is probably an office space, or maybe ed with IT companies from the United as well as Chairman of the Management
an exhibition hall. Inside comes the sur- States. On the other hand, Köhler coun- Board of Rittal GmbH & Co. KG.
prise: a light-filled hall containing high- ters: “The medium-sized electrical industry
tech production machinery. “You are in the is a major economic factor with substantial tion and Research implements a 320-mil- to learn from mistakes.” Networked value In spite of these positive conditions, the Through the glass pane of the conference
right place,” says Karl-Ulrich Köhler invit- innovative power.” When companies focus lion-euro programme to “strengthen medi- chain structures, so typical for the German overall situation needs to be viewed criti- room, he points to the model factory. “This
ingly. Rittal’s CEO explains why we are in on digitising individual sub-steps of indus- um-sized businesses.” economy, are helpful in quickly sharing and cally, Köhler warns. He considers China is the proper platform for developing these
Haiger walking into a sample production trial processes or, as in the case of Rittal, In any case, even in a digitised, globalised increasing knowledge – as is a vocational the main major competitor after the United solutions.” n
of enclosures: “At our Innovation Center, on the entire value chain, new ideas can world, Köhler does not feel that the family training system that is unparalleled in the States. China’s new five-year plan, which
we can map the entire value chain pro- be implemented extremely quickly. business model is obsolete. “In a knowl- world. Even if the small town of Haiger is not continues into 2020, stipulates that 60 per Link tip:
cess of our customers. We see this as a edge-driven industry, longevity is an advan- renowned for the hipness of its establish- cent of future economic growth should For more information, head to
working environment where our develop- Investing in innovation tage. And family-owned companies nurture ments, Köhler is not worried about finding r­esult from advances in science and www.tinyurl.com/Ampere-Industrie-4-0
ers work on new solutions together and As a matter of fact, according to a study a mindset of constant reinvestment.” This is young talent. Currently, Rittal receives more t­echnology. Digitisation plays a crucial role
with customers.” At an assembly worksta- on the capacity for innovation in the Ger- also important because so far no one has applications each year than it has employ- in this process. “Policy in Germany and
tion, Köhler enthusiastically demonstrates man economy, the electrical industry in- the all-encompassing solution for Industry ees worldwide. Köhler is optimistic: “We ­Europe must respond to this government
how a digitally pre-designed enclosure is vests 9.9 per cent of its sales revenue in 4.0. “We are all on a learning curve. Com- have considerable options and we want to f­ocus. Companies will have creative
made. Each individual step is displayed innovation. This also includes investment panies need a culture that allows them use them.” and needs-driven solutions,” says Köhler.
on a tablet in exactly the right order. This in equipment used for research and devel-
will preclude the possibility of an improper opment. The electrical industry is on a par
installation; Kohler sees this as just one with vehicle manufacturing and signifi-
example of the potential inherent in com- cantly more innovative than the chemical
plete digitisation – from planning to order and pharmaceuticals industry, which in-
and manufacturing right through to the vests 7.7 per cent of its sales revenue in
utilisation phase. the future. However, the same study re-
Köhler, who is no stranger to handling a veals that 78 per cent of the total expend-
screwdriver, is obviously very much at iture on innovation is accounted for by
home in his new job. He has only chaired large companies. The authors warn that
the Management Board since 1 July of this “the share of small and medium-sized en-
year after being employed by various terprises (SMEs) has been declining for
steel corporations for over 35 years, most many years.” A problem with this observa-
recently as a CEO. It is rare for a high- tion is the fact that SMEs are defined as
level executive from a large publicly trad- companies with a maximum of 499 em-
ed enterprise to move to a family busi- ployees; all others are statistically classi-
ness. “The size of the company is fied as large enterprises. “One might won-
irrelevant to me,” says Köhler. “It’s more der if this is an adequate categorisation,”
about the systems approach: ‘Think big, cautions Köhler. “Family businesses like
act fast.’ And that is precisely the kind of us, without the resources of a DAX-listed
culture that I’ve found here.” This came as corporation, but with 11,500 employees
no surprise to Köhler; after all, he had worldwide, fall through the cracks” – when,
been a member of the Advisory Board of for example, the Federal Ministry of Educa-

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Magazine

Eplan Platform 2.6

Now also in Turkish

The new Eplan Platform version 2.6 in-
cludes Turkish as an additional software
language and numerous technical up-
grades. Many functions have been opti-
mised to simplify the integration of the
Eplan Platform into existing customer pro-
cesses. Examples of new functions in-
clude terminal design and project data
management, the depiction of piping in
fluid power engineering and optimised IT
integration. With the addition of Turkish,
the Eplan Platform is now available in a
total of eighteen languages.

Link tip:
For more information on the Eplan Plattform
head to www.eplan.de/platform

Inventx AG This Swiss company is the IT partner for leading banks and financial institutions.

Business At the bank

IBM and Rittal implement data centres for Inventx.

With the help of Rittal and IBM, Swiss bank services provider Inventx built two new
data centres in Switzerland. Rittal delivered server enclosures for the compact instal-
lation of IT components and, working with IBM and Inventx, developed a climate-
control concept which will optimise operating costs. Moreover, Rittal and IBM won
the company over with intelligent cable management for efficient maintenance work
and system expansion. Both data centres are classified to Tier Level 3, so they are
nearly 100 per cent error free and failsafe.

Ship permits simplified Volume deliveries

Rittal busbar systems save time and costs for certification Stahlo supplies Volkswagen

Control panels that are used on ships or tifications for vibration stability and fire and received approval from the interna- EuroBLECH, the international technology
other offshore applications are subject protection along with affidavits for tional classification societies. With Rittal trade fair for sheet metal processing in Han-
to special certification ordinances. short-circuit resistance, insulation ca- busbar systems, plant manufacturers over, Germany, marked a milestone for
While the IEC 61439 and IEC 60529 pacity and thermal resistance. Control can now simplify their certification pro- Stahlo. The Steel Service Center for the
standards that apply to control systems panels installed in closed areas such cesses during inspections of the overall Friedhelm Loh Group is now an authorised
and switchgear engineering are gener- as machine rooms must be able to defy system and clearly save both time and volume supplier for automobile manufac-
ally used, these certifications are insuf- temperatures of up to 55 degrees Celsi- money. The classification societies have turer Volkswagen in Zwickau, Germany.
ficient for the maritime requirements of us as well as vibrations with the require- at their disposal all the relevant product Stahlo thus demonstrates its claim to be a
the international classification societies ment of 0.7 grams in the frequency information, including the products’ “major league” Steel Service Center that is
Lloyd’s Register, DNV GL and American range of 5 to 100 Hertz. testing reports, user manuals and tech- able to supply automobile manufacturers
Bureau of Shipping. The Rittal RiLine busbar systems, Maxi- nical parameters. and suppliers. “The cooperation with Volks­
Accordingly, busbar systems and asso- PLS and Flat-PLS, have now success- wagen Zwickau is very valuable to us,” says
ciated components must also have cer- fully passed their environmental testing Stahlo Managing Director Guido Spenrath.
Stahlo won the contract after comprehensive
quality testing at the production site in Gera, Valuable contract win
Germany. Stahlo will immediately begin de- Stahlo establishes itself as a Level 1 supplier with the Volkswagen contract.
livering contoured blanks for outer panel
components of the VW Golf VII Variant.

54 be top | Magazine of the Friedhelm Loh Group | 02 | 2016 02 | 2016 | Magazine of the Friedhelm Loh Group | be top 55

EXPERIENCE Xylem Cleaned, cooled, conserved
56
Cooling technology. Xylem, a market leader in ozone systems, attaches great
importance to high energy efficiency. Xylem relies on Blue e+ cooling units to keep
their enclosures cool.

Text: Dr Jörg Lantzsch and Hans-Robert Koch

Water treatment F reshwater provision and wastewater electronics for the frequency converters. Award
Freshwater processing is tremendously treatment have a very high energy Part of the heat produced is dissipated by
important for both domestic and industrial requirement. Purification of domestic water cooling. “Oscar” for
customers. It requires a great deal of power wastewater accounts for three to five per To protect the other components from over- cooling
and efficient technology. cent of the electricity consumption in a pri- heating, Rittal cooling units are also in-
vate home. Processing and transport of stalled in the enclosures. The temperature Rittal’s Blue e+ cooling units won over the
be top | Magazine of the Friedhelm Loh Group | 02 | 2016 freshwater for households, agriculture and inside the enclosures should remain at jury at the 2016 RAC Cooling Industry
industry, along with purification of industrial 35 degrees Celsius. If temperatures are Awards. Energy efficiency and CO2
wastewater, are also associated with a high higher, the loss rate of a programmable savings of up to 75 per cent as well as
level of energy consumption. Pumps con- logic controller increases significantly. The worldwide applicability led to Blue e+ being
sume a large portion of this energy. Elec- service life of some components (e.g. fre- named the first winner of the international
tricity is also required for the production of quency converter capacitors) is also short- award, making the cooling unit the de
ozone, with which water is processed in an ened at higher temperatures. Losses must facto “Refrigeration Product of the Year.”
environmentally friendly manner. However, be avoided in ozone systems in water man- “We are very pleased to receive this
since ozone has a short half-life, ozone pro- agement, which rely on high availability. “In award,” said Dr Thomas Steffen, Rittal’s
duction equipment must always be installed the past, redundant systems were often Managing Director Research and Develop-
on site, i.e. at the waterworks or the waste- built so that the wastewater treatment or ment. “It shows that Blue e+ is not only
water treatment plant. water processing could go on under any an innovative product for our customers –
At Xylem Services GmbH in Herford (Ger- circumstances,” recalls Richardt. “Today, it also supports climate protection.”
many), about 250 employees develop, pro- our systems have an availability of nearly
duce and market ozone systems and UV 100 per cent.” Award winners
water disinfection systems, known world- To ensure a maximum temperature of Steffen Wagner, Director Product Manage-
wide by the brand name Wedeco. The larg- 35 degrees Celsius in the enclosures, two ment Climate Control (left) und Jörg Knetsch,
est systems can produce up to a tonne of cooling units from Rittal’s new Blue e+ se- Project Director Research and Development,
ozone per hour. The amount of ozone re- ries are used, each with a six-kilowatt cool- accepted the award on behalf of Rittal.
quired is dependent on the amount of wa- ing output (right). Units with this much cool-
ter. In addition, the type of pollution must be ing output have only been available since
taken into consideration. “The ozone pro- the introduction of the latest generation.
duction needs to be adjustable depending Two years ago, Xylem supplied an ozone
on the application,” explains Franz-Josef system with identical output to the same
Richardt, Global Product Manager Ozone customer. “At that time, we had to install five
Systems at Xylem Services GmbH. different cooling units in the enclosures in
order to achieve the necessary cooling out-
20 kilos of ozone per hour put,” recalls Richardt. Since the cost pres-
A system that produces one kilogram of sure from customers is generally high,
ozone per hour has an electrical power Richardt is pleased about these savings.
consumption of approximately five to six “The new cooling technology is a great in-
kilowatts. The system currently under re- dividual savings for ozone systems, not
view can produce up to 20 kilos of ozone only because of the reduction in the num-
per hour and thus has a total connected ber of units, but also because of the lower
load of more than 100 kilowatts. The power installation costs.”
loss of a system like this, which is convert-
ed to heat in enclosures, is about eight per Savings in the five figures
cent. The greatest amounts of heat are gen- Blue e+ series cooling units have a signifi-
erated by the transformers and the power cantly higher level of energy effi-

02 | 2016 | Magazine of the Friedhelm Loh Group | be top 57

EXPERIENCE Xylem

“ High energy efficiency and
the resulting savings in
operating costs are a major
advantage of our systems.”

Franz-Josef Richardt, Global Product Manager at
Xylem Services GmbH

ciency than previous models. Hybrid op- unit for the respective voltage range or use as Richardt knows: “Rittal delivers the en- Potent pairing
eration in particular, with its combination of an additional transformer. “Thanks to the closures and the proper cooling technol- To achieve a maximum temperature of
heat pipe and compressor cooling, can new units, we no longer need to do that,” ogy with exceptional reliability. Since we 35 degrees Celsius in the enclosures, two
result in major energy savings in part-load says Richardt. “Every transformer we elim- are currently experiencing lead times in cooling units from the Rittal’s Blue e+ series
operation. The cooling is designed for an inate means not only fewer costs, but also production of just four weeks due to high are used, each with a six-kilowatt cooling
enclosure temperature of 35 degrees Cel- less power loss.” demand, a systems supplier like Rittal is output.
sius with an equivalent external tempera- In addition, the UL listing of refrigerators is very important to us.” n
ture of 35 degrees Celsius. At lower exter- of particular importance in the internation- 02 | 2016 | Das Magazin der Friedhelm Loh Group | be top
nal temperatures, as one finds in moderate al market. Permit formalities and regula- Link tip:
latitudes almost year-round, cooling units tions vary depending on where the system For more information about Blue e+ cooling
require significantly less energy. In addi- is in operation. “When we put a system into units, please visit www.rittal.com/de_de/blue_e/
tion, compressor cooling operates in an operation in the USA, for example, it is im- plus/public/en
energy-optimised manner. Frequency-con- portant that all components have a UL list-
trolled components allow the cooling unit to ing,” says Richardt. “This makes the whole
always provide just as much cooling power permit process much easier.” International
as is currently required. A further advan- availability of components and proper ser-
tage is that the enclosure temperature has vice (or spare parts supply) are also im-
significantly reduced fluctuations, which in portant to Xylem. After a system is com-
turn leads to lower thermal stress on the missioned, technicians from the local
components in use and longer service life. Xylem distributorship usually handle ser-
“High energy efficiency and the resulting vice. And with an internationally estab-
savings in operating costs for the customer lished supplier like Rittal, they have a com-
are a major advantage of our systems,” petent local contact.
stresses Richardt, making a simple calcula- “On the whole, we rarely need to take ad-
tion: “Our systems run virtually round the vantage of the service option,” Richardt
clock. If the enclosure cooling has a power clarifies. “We are sold on the quality of the
consumption of two kilowatts, at 8,500 op- Rittal cooling units and there were very few
erating hours per year this will quickly lead complaints in the past several years.” The
to a five-digit sum that the customer can current system is being tested extensively
save on energy costs over the lifetime of the in Herford before delivery to Taiwan. The
system.” The specific savings depend cooling units are pushed to the limit of their
mainly on external temperatures at the in- capacity. The system will not be put into
stallation site. operation at the customer’s site until all
However, the Blue e+ cooling unit series tests have been successfully completed.
offers advantages not only in terms of en- In the system intended for a wastewater
ergy efficiency. Multi-voltage capability is treatment plant in a chemical factory in
particularly important for international com- Taiwan, the entire electrical engineering is
panies like Xylem. Whether the system is housed in TS 8 enclosures from Rittal. “En-
delivered to the USA, Japan, Mexico, the closures with a power supply are always
UK or Germany, the cooling units can han- an integral part of every system we pro-
dle the local voltage range. Previously, duce,” explains Richardt. Xylem relies on
Xylem had to either install a suitable cooling Rittal for enclosures for several reasons,

58 be top | Magazine of the Friedhelm Loh Group | 02 | 2016 59

Experience S o f t wa re

Boosting pride in work

Cideon. Economically logical. Technically correct. And coherently communicated.
The engineering experts from Cideon demonstrate how new software can be success-
fully positioned at a company. Experience shows: communication is everything.

Text: Ulrich Kläsener

S cheuch is currently bringing togeth- jects.” Dr Schrenk touches upon a simple Ventilation and environmental technology
er what belongs together: design fact that often becomes a stumbling block The SEPAS Plus extraction system from the technology
and development. The digital cen- when introducing new software: non-ac- experts of Scheuch Ligno GmbH is mainly used in the
trepiece of both departments, which are ceptance and failure of the new solution wood processing industry.
scattered across the globe at several differ- due to a lack of or poor communication.
ent company sites, is a new product man- Ideally employees are precisely, coherently same applies to the use of social media ductive utilisation of the new software. At organisational measure that proved very at a variety of events. All praise aside, the
agement system. Implemented in close and frankly informed about upcoming channels, which provided communicative the same time, the need to control and effective. First, the workstations for a small normative power of the facts on the ground
cooperation with Cideon, Scheuch, the changes early in the process and intro- penetration “from outside”. regulate the process can be reduced.” pilot group were converted after intense has taken hold. Project Director Treml: “The
Austrian experts for ventilation and environ- duced to the topic step by step. If this “Fundamentally, what’s at stake for the en- Good communication also naturally in- familiarisation with and briefings on the new system enjoys enormous popularity among
mental technology, can now simply and doesn’t happen, reactions become more tire progression of the project is participa- cludes close communication between system. From that time on, the pilot group the colleagues. Everyone is happy that
easily exchange all types of product data polarised. tion, motivation and orientation for the em- the service provider and customer, which has functioned as a driver for the participat- there was a changeover and that the sys-
– independent of time, location, language, ployees – it’s impossible without it,” says Cideon supported at Scheuch with a land- ing Scheuch workforce. tems were harmonised. After all, it has also
department and even individual know-how. Before it comes to a boycott Dr Schrenk. “That’s why communication tai- ing page. The manufacturer of the standard The status today is that the introduction of made the work a lot easier.” n
“Our goal is to create a future-oriented en- The worst-case scenario: those responsible lored to the addressees can be called the software was also brought on board, and the PDM system went off in an exemplary
gineering environment,” says Scheuch’s at the company prohibit any open discus- most important part of a good project cul- they dealt with system integrator Cideon manner. Pride in this new modernisation at Link Tip:
Managing Director Stefan Scheuch, a grad- sions within the company and simply in- ture. At the point where those affected be- and end customer Scheuch in customised the company is spreading. Not least this is www.cideon.de
uate engineer (Dipl. Ing.) – the company struct employees to use the software and come participants in a process, where they ways. Accompanied by continuous em- due to the extensive coverage of the migra-
replaced 180 workstations as part of this “learn to live” with the process. This is un- see personal and company-wide benefits ployee information at Cideon and Scheuch tion in specialist magazines and company
process. But what Scheuch and Cideon ac- doubtedly the wrong path to take in a day in the new solution, that’s when there is a about the state of the project, in conjunction publications. The major project was high-
complished together cannot solely be re- and age that requires employees to be pro- swift increase in the chances for timely, pro- with classic training, there was yet another lighted as an example of “best practices”
duced to key identifiers such as shorter active and think for themselves; mindlessly
project turnaround times, improved product following orders, as in the old days, stifles
quality and increased flexibility within pro- innovation. In practice, such an approach
jects. Even with all the digitisation, people undermines the goal of increasing efficien-
remain the ultimate designers of their work- cy with the new solution: discontented, un-
ing processes. And these processes have motivated employees criticise the software
undergone significant change at Scheuch and/or the process – in the best case they
with the replacement of the old 2D/3D work- do this openly, or in the worst case there is
stations. an unofficial boycott with the establishment
“Acceptance of the new system was the of a “shadow IT landscape”. The sobering
first hurdle that we had to clear,” says lesson: money gone up in smoke, wasted
Scheuch Project Director Sascha Treml, time, a loss of trust and motivation within the
also a graduate engineer. “Good, intelligent company, increased absences from work
standard software is just the backbone for and employee turnover, a missed chance
smart comprehensive solutions.” Cideon to increase productivity and a tarnished
Linz Managing Director Dr Harald Schrenk reputation for the service provider.
adds: “When we look at business process- If for no other reason, IT service providers
es as a whole, as we did at Scheuch, and and customers should work out a precise
need to change some of them, what comes communication strategy, as Scheuch did.
first and foremost is involving all the em- To start, a short animated film informed em-
ployees. This means including every indi- ployees about the fundamental decision of
vidual planner, designer, builder and sales- reorganising engineering processes. Com-
person at the company. As a service munication professionals bestow kudos:
provider, what we have to bring to the table the necessary commitment was transferred
is our expertise and years of experience “from above” subtly, but understandably
with communicating IT implementation pro- and clearly to the relevant target group. The

60 be top | Magazine of the Friedhelm Loh Group | 02 | 2016 02 | 2016 | Magazine of the Friedhelm Loh Group | be top 61

Experience B l um e n b e c k e r

It’s the data that counts

Workflow. Automation specialist Blumenbecker uses digi-
tised processes and consistent data management to ensu-
re a high level of efficiency from planning to delivery – all in
the spirit of the Industrial Internet of Things (Industry 4.0).

Text: Dr Jörg Lantzsch

W ith its white walls, clean floors sequent processes and production steps GOOD PLANNING
and calm yet busy working at Blumenbecker. Business processes (e.g. From now on, from engineering all the way to
environment, Blumenbecker purchasing, costing and logistics) and pro- shipping, consistent data management is
Automationstechnik’s sunlit production hall duction alike rely on this data. Data quality, standard procedure for team leader Martin Settele
in Beckum (Germany) does not look the of course, is key. “The data must be accu- and the entire Blumenbecker company.
way one would normally picture the metal rate to prevent obstacles in production,”
and electrical shop of a switchgear manu- explains Peter Kindt, Team Leader for Con- 02 | 2016 | Magazine of the Friedhelm Loh Group | be top
facturer. Wherever you look, across over trol Technology. The geometric dimensions
8,000 square metres of floor space, there are important, for example, in ensuring that
is clarity and order at the workbenches and everything fits into the enclosure as plan-
machinery, rather than bustling chaos. ned in the assembly design.
From the receiving area, one has a view of Blumenbecker maintains an internal data-
production all the way to quality control. base with about 70,000 different compo-
The over 100-metre-long facility, where eve- nents, of which 15,000 to 20,000 are utilised
rything seems to be perfectly organised, is, regularly. For each component, there are
among other things, the work of Heinz- also 3D files for assembly design. The com-
Josef Schmitz, who manages switchgear pany accesses a lot of component data in
production at the medium-sized company. the Eplan Data Portal. At this web-based
He is visibly proud of the excellent organi- platform, designers will find 660,000 re-
sation in the production hall, which has cords and some 1.2 million variants of con-
been in operation since 2014: “We have figurable parts data sets from 157 manu-
optimised workflow inside the hall in all pro- facturers. Unfortunately, not all vendors
cesses to achieve a high level of efficien- provide their data and not always in the
cy.” From electrical engineering to produc- proper quality, requiring the staff themsel-
tion to shipping, every process is grounded ves to intervene in many cases. “A high
in consistent data management. “We con- level of quality is necessary to make the
sider the automation of our processes best use of the data provided here. Rittal is
through digitisation an important step to- exemplary in this, which is why the compa-
ward Industry 4.0,” Schmitz points out. ny is one of our main suppliers,” says Kindt.
Twice a week, a Rittal truck comes to deli-
Success factor: electrical ver enclosures, housings, power distributi-
engineering on systems and climate control compo-
“A system’s electrical engineering is the nents to Blumenbecker – just-in-time, in
foundation of all subsequent activities,” effect. The design tools come from Eplan,
says Martin Settele, Team Leader for Con- which is part of the Friedhelm Loh Group,
trol Technology. Without a good foundation just like Rittal. Blumenbecker uses the
here, a high level of efficiency cannot be Eplan Electric P8 CAE system for electrical
achieved in production. Settele and his engineering; Eplan Pro Panel, the 3D engi-
team are responsible for electrical enginee- neering tool, is used for the creation of the
ring and assembly design. Team members 3D prototype. Seamless re-use of data is a
create a virtual 3D prototype in which all major benefit of the systems. The software
enclosure components are placed. The generates the control data from electrical
parts lists from electrical engineering and engineering and assembly design data,
the 3D prototype form the basis of all sub- which enables the machinery to

62 63

Experience B lumenbecker “A high level of quality is necessary
64 in order to make the best use of
the data provided. Rittal is exemplary
in this.”

Peter Kindt, Team Leader for Control Technology at Blumenbecker

work in the production process – like CNC and labelled, we are very efficient in this Digitisation
machining centres, for example, that make step as well,” Schmitz notes. Instead of
holes, threads and cut-outs in enclosure a wiring diagram, team members will so- Utilising
parts and mounting plates. Cable assembly metimes use only a wiring list, on which potential
machines produce suitable cable harnes- they can execute all connections succes-
ses; automated cutting machines trim cable sively. Assembly and wiring of all compo- In its study “Digital Europe,” McKinsey
ducts and DIN rails. All machines rely on nents is followed by quality control, the Global Institute examined digitisation
the electrical engineering and assembly documentation of which is also based in the European economy. Its findings
design data. Based on this data set, com- on data originally generated during plan- revealed that Germany currently takes
ponents are assigned to a project and parts ning. In turn, data is required for the sub- advantage of only ten per cent of the
are labelled. “It is important for all produc- sequent shipping of the installations. In economic benefits of digitisation. If the
tion machinery and processes to have the addition to sizes and weights, this includes country were to make optimum use of
proper interfaces,” notes Schmitz. “This is information related to customs formalities. its digital potential, it could boost GDP
the only way for us to take advantage of Here, too, it pays off for Blumenbecker growth by one per cent a year until 2025.
consistent data management.” when the data provided is as complete as That translates into around 500 billion
possible – and this is standard procedure euros. According to the authors of the
Optimised processes at Rittal. “On the whole,” concludes Harald study, businesses should be constantly
Logistics within production is largely auto- Golombek, Managing Director at Blumen- on the lookout for digitisation options
mated as well. Staff members assemble all becker Automatisierungstechnik, “consis- for their business model. At the same
the components needed for a project on a tent data management, from planning to time, companies should use digital tools
trolley. The automated mini-load system production to shipping of the finished ins- to improve their internal processes and
tells them in which containers the various tallation, is the key to efficient manage- communication with their customers.
parts are located. In addition, a projector ment of our projects.” n
displays which components are to be put
together in assemblies. After this prepara-
tion, the components are installed in the
enclosure: the 3D assembly plans from Pro
Panel, in which the assembly of all top hat
rails, cable ducts and electrical enginee-
ring components is precisely documented,
simplifies the process and prevents errors.
During the final production step, the fully
assembled enclosures are wired. “Since
the cable harnesses are pre-assembled

be top | Das Magazin der Friedhelm Loh Group | 02 | 2016 A watchful eye and plenty 65
of elbow grease
Even during enclosure installation,
employees can access electrical
engineering and assembly design
data (top). The employees pre-­assemble
all the required components on a trolley.
(bottom).

02 | 2016 | Magazine of the Friedhelm Loh Group | be top

Experience S ta h l o Quality on the line
66 be top | Magazine of the Friedhelm Loh Group | 02 | 2016
Automotive. The raw material for a car body is almost as
delicate as an eggshell. Volkswagen’s steel suppliers need
to offer the highest quality – as Stahlo does.

Text: Julia Frese

W ith the luggage in the trunk, the precision, as does the supply of the blanks.
children buckled up in the back In order to be considered by VW Sachsen
seat and the GPS programmed, (Germany), suppliers must provide such
the beach holiday can now begin. The fam- precision – and Stahlo, the steel service
ily, cruising southward in their comfortable, centre, based in Dillenburg (Hesse)
brand-new VW Golf Variant, would find it and Gera (Thuringia), does just that.
impossible to imagine that the parts of their Volkswagen learned of the steel company
car were gliding on robotic arms through through the pro-active initiative of Stahlo’s
large factories just a short time ago. And employees: a team of four handles the ac-
even more so that their vehicle began as quisition of new customers. “Naturally,
steel coil only a few weeks prior to that. It when we approached VW, we were aware
takes just under ten days for a Golf Variant that this customer would have extremely
to undergo the transformation from raw ma- high standards,” explains Frank Werner,
terial to finished car. Its body contains Stahlo Quality Manager in Gera.
about 370 kilogrammes of steel. In addition to the high quality of material,
Only certain types of steel sheet come into there was another argument for working
consideration for the outer shell of an auto- with the company: its state-of-the-art blank-
mobile. The material must be both firm and ing line. This machine gives the material the
pliable, in order to provide the occupants shape it will need for its subsequent use as
maximum protection in the event of a colli- side panel, roof or tailgate. That was the
sion. Furthermore, the outer shell of a pas- decisive factor for Volkswagen.
senger car in particular must be as corro-
sion-resistant as possible. For this reason, One-stop service
the preliminary material is subjected to a In the initial stage, the material is straight-
special treatment right at the steelworks. ened to create a flat surface. The machine
The steel specialists apply a phosphate then punches the desired shapes out of
layer to cold-rolled sheet, which is then the steel plate. “Actually, we are the only
electrolytically galvanised. Both processes steel service centre in Germany that has
increase the resistance of the steel surface. a facility this cutting-edge,” says Werner,
This special treatment requires maximum not without some measure of pride. VW
S­ achsen is the first major volume custom-
Workmanship er for the blanking line at the Gera-based
The blanking line smoothes out the steel company. “The cooperation with Volks­
surface and punches out the shapes for the wagen is very important for Stahlo,” says
sides, roof and tailgate of the Golf Variant. Guido Spenrath, Managing Director of
Stahlo. Prior to this, Stahlo had

67

Experience S tahlo

“ The cooperation with Volkswagen
is very important for Stahlo.”

Guido Spenrath, Managing Director of Stahlo

already achieved a solid reputation in Ten times a week, a truck delivers the The Golf Variant
the region as an aftermarket sheet steel blanks to the pressing plant, located on the
supplier. over 400 acre site of the Volkswagen fac- Skin of
The Volkswagen managers particularly tory in Zwickau. The car body parts for the steel
praised the high level of cleanliness Golf, Golf VII Variant, Passat Variant and
throughout the Stahlo site. This was a cru- various Bentley models are built here in six The Golf Variant was first introduced in 1993.
cial factor, as the slightest impurity – even steps. A robot lifts each individual blank The Golf VII Variant, in existence since 2013.
a single hair – is immediately visible on the from its stack via an electronically activat- Since March, Stahlo has been supplying
material surface of the blanks. There are ed magnetic field and places it in its re- blanks for Golf Variant roof and side panels
few things more annoying to a new car spective pressing tool. At the end of the and since October for its tailgate as well.
buyer than discovering an already existing pressing procedure, employees check the With its state-of-the-art blanking line, the
imperfection on the paint job of one’s new sensitive steel surface for even the small- company produces 9,000 parts per week for
acquisition. In addition to the cleanliness of est scratches and impurities. Subsequent- Volkswagen. Right at the steelworks,
the site, Stahlo also scored high marks for ly, the car body parts are joined together electrogalvanisation is used to apply a
the competence of its team and the quality and receive several layers of paint. phosphate layer to the surfaces to prevent
of its steel. After the meeting, the coopera- Each day, the machines in the pressing corrosion. Ultimately, the body of a Golf
tion agreement was only a formality. plant mould more than 100,000 car body Variant contains about 370 kilogrammes of
components from about 340 tonnes of steel steel. The steel used in the outer shell must
Just-in-time delivery and aluminium. By way of comparison, a be ultra-strong as well as thin in order to
In Gera, Stahlo produces blanks for Volk- single Golf VII Variant body consists of provide occupants of the car maximum
swagen, which are first transported to their around 400 sheet metal parts. As cutting- safety in the event of a crash.
joint logistics centre in Glauchau. The parts edge as their production technology is,
are stored there, until VW orders them as Stahlo and VW also rely on tried-and-true
needed to Zwickau. This JIT (just-in-time) methods. Communication is one example:
manufacturing principle ensures that Stahlo “If there’s an issue, we pick up the phone
will be able to supply Volkswagen with the or stop by. That’s really easy,” says Werner,
necessary quantity of blanks at any time. laughing. n
This swing system has advantages for
Stahlo as well: trucks can be better utilised Quality Control
and empty runs to return the empty pallets A logistics system for the highest quality outer shell: locking posts ensure
avoided. This reduces costs and is environ- that no blanks on the pallets slide out of place (top photo). Stahlo Quality
mentally friendly. Manager Frank Werner (r.) invited Volkswagen Quality Assurance Manager
Due to the extreme sensitivity of the Steffen Neumann (l.) to visit the Stahlo facility. During the tour, Neumann
blanks, transporting them requires the ut- quickly recognised that the company was an ideal partner for VW.
most care and precision. “The blanks are
loaded onto specially modified pallets,” 02 | 2016 | Magazine of the Friedhelm Loh Group | be top
explains Werner. “They are equipped with
a system of eight locking posts.” This pre-
vents sliding and enables the blanks to
make it through every truck ride in optimal
condition.

68 be top | Magazine of the Friedhelm Loh Group | 02 | 2016 69

Cosmos

HELP for Italy

Italian subsidiary and owner
donate to earthquake victims in
the Apennines

Hundreds of people lost their lives when
an earthquake shook central Italy in
August 2016. In order to help alleviate
the enormous social consequences
of the quake, Rittal Italy, Kelvin and
Eplan – all subsidiaries of the Friedhelm
Loh Group – supported the Italian Red
Cross with a cash donation. The appeal
for funds quickly brought together a
total of around 50,000 euros, including
a m­ ajor donation by company owner
Dr Friedhelm Loh. The Italian Red Cross
General Secretary Flavio Ronzi thanked
the company for its donation saying,
“Thanks also to your support, we were
able to act promptly during this severe
emergency and are now additionally in
a position to continue our work over the
coming months.”

Devastation
On 24 August 2016, Central Italy was

struck by a severe earthquake that
caused widespread damage. The town

of Amatrice – and its Basilica di San
Francesco pictured.

Rittal Foundation celebrates anniversary

Foundation supporting social projects for five years

MAKING KIDS STRONG A midsummer day’s fun It’s already become an institution in the re-
gion of Middle Hesse: the Rittal Foundation.
The Peter Härtling School teaches self-confidence for everyone Employee football tournament Which isn’t surprising, because over the
past five years the foundation has sup-
When the more than forty elementary of after-school clubs, most of which are Thanks to the donation of 30,000 euros, The Rittal Cup saw a total of 56 matches ported around 150 projects in the areas of Lucky winner
school students frolic in the hallways of run by the students themselves. In addi- PHS can offer more courses and activi- before the team from Rittershausen, Ger- welfare and social work, culture and educa- Rittal employee Ralf Schneider and his wife
the Peter Härtling School (PHS), it’s really tion there are activities that involve the ties for the kids to expand and strengthen many, was declared victor. Employees from tion with a total of more than 650,000 euros. Manuela are happy about the raffle’s main
plain to see: everyone is happy to be school and students’ families. their interpersonal skills. Germany, Poland and the Czech Republic On the occasion of its anniversary, the foun- prize: a Smart Car.
here. That’s because the kids learn in “We were impressed by the close and came to participate in the football tourna- dation sent out an appeal for a very special
small groups across grades with individu- fruitful collaboration between the school, Link tip: ment. Dr Friedhelm Loh was also enthused donation campaign: a raffle as part of the
alised textbooks and materials – and do it parents and students,” says Rittal Foun- www.phs-wetzlar.de by the event: “We’ve seen matches charac- ground-breaking ceremony for the new fac-
all at their own speed. There are also lots dation Chairman Friedemann Hensgen. terised by fairness and team spirit.” The tour- tory. Raffle ticket sales had reached some
nament’s proceeds benefit social institutions 30,000 euros by the end of just one after-
in the region. noon. The donations will go to the Eschen-
burg Addiction Clinic, the “Sing & Act” choir
from Haiger and the Vocational Schools in
Dillenburg.

Link tip:
www.rittal-foundation.de

70 be top | MDaasgaMzaingeazoifnthdeerFFrireieddhheelmlmLLoohhGGrorouupp | 00x2 | 201x6 02 | 2016 | Magazine of the Friedhelm Loh Group | be top 71

Commitment Qualification for refugees

In the thick of things! L uck – it isn’t just a word to 27-year- employees to make it happen,” Hecker Social commitment
old Khaibar Fatehzada. It’s the rea- explains. “Mentoring refugees is very time-
Commitment. Two young refugees were able to start vocational training at Rittal as son that he survived the war in his intensive, mainly due to language barriers. Meaningful
part of the promising pilot project “Qualification for Refugees.” The company is taking homeland of Afghanistan unscathed. It’s And because the colleagues in the facto-
advantage of the experiences gained from this time for a second round of training – the feeling of having found a safe home in ries also naturally have targets that must Dr Friedhelm Loh
and is also making them available in a guidebook for other interested firms. Germany after months on the run. And it’s be met, it’s difficult to say: he’s there for 70 years old, owner and CEO of the
the chance to actually be able to realise his you now.” Friedhelm Loh Group.
Text: Rebecca Lorenz dream of a new beginning. “One year ago
I never would have thought that I would be Patience and passion “O ur society thrives because
72 be top | Magazine of the Friedhelm Loh Group | 02 | 2016 standing here,” Fatehzada says with a Sure instincts, plenty of patience and a of people who do more
wide smile on his face, looking around his passionate commitment: these are the than they have to. We want
workplace at the Rittal factory in Wissen- qualities that mentors definitely need to to send a signal with our
bach, Germany. “The contact with my col- bring to the job. “The first thing we had to commitment and encourage
leagues, the varied work, the possibility to do was identify who could serve as men- others!”
be standing on my own two feet – this ap- tors in the first place,” Hecker says. This is
prenticeship has simply changed every- also one of the important tips in the guide- Volunteers
thing for me.” book that Rittal has published to assist
Fatehzada has been training to become a other companies. “Our trainees need de- Without volunteers, integration would hardly
machine and plant operator at Rittal for a pendable contact people who are there for be achievable. People around the world use
good twelve months. It all started one-and- them when they have problems – whether their free time to get involved helping
a-half years ago with a three-month voca- on the job, in their studies or in their private refugees. be top asked Friedhelm Loh Group
tional internship. “Since I had worked as a lives.” Fortunately the company’s pro- employees why they do what they do.
salesperson in Afghanistan, I didn’t have nounced culture of supporting and helping
much in the way of technical knowledge others proves advantageous for Hecker RAINER HERGET
except what I had learned in school,” Fate- and his protégés. Whether it’s helping out 64 years old, Marketing
hzada says. “But I’ve always been inter- at a support agency, second-hand cloth- Training Support at Rittal.
ested in technology.” That was yet another ing organisation or an addiction advice Volunteers with the Catho-
reason that the “Qualification for Refu- centre – many Rittal employees volunteer lic Church’s programme
gees” pilot project, set up in spring 2015 to help the socially disadvantaged and to help refugees in Sinn,
by the Friedhelm Loh Group in coopera- have done so for years. “That’s probably Germany.
tion with the Rittal Foundation, the Lahn- because we all share similar values in a
Dill district and the Lahn-Dill Chamber of family-owned company,” Hecker explains. “P eople who’ve been forced to flee
Industry and Commerce (see be top “And those values are something we wish their homelands due to war and vio-
02/2015, page 76), seemed a perfect fit to practise in our daily lives – not just to- lence and seek shelter with us here
for him. “Our initial goal as part of the pro- wards the refugees, but also towards our should be received with dignity and
ject was to qualify young people for tech- fellow employees.” respect.”
nical training,” explains Matthias Hecker, Despite many preconceptions about refu-
Director Technical Training at Rittal. “And gees, Fatehzada and his trainee colleague
we did it.” Which means that the newest Eyobel Gebreyesus share these same val-
challenge for Hecker and his colleagues ues. “The two of them are on time and keep
is to facilitate as smooth a transition as tidy,” Hecker says. “They’re both extremely
possible for the young men from the pro- dependable and they accept responsibility.
tected training workshop into the real I can only say: I tip my hat to them.” And
world of the factory. “We rely on dedicated since both refugees are thankful for the trust
that has been placed in them by everyone,
being There for each other they’re very committed. “It’s important that
Trainers, trainees and mentors help each other I listen closely, look very carefully and
when there are questions or problems. The am always fully focused on the work,”
results speak for themselves: the first round of Fatehzada says. “If I make a mistake, that’s
the qualification project was a complete something I don’t want to repeat.”
success. But the one thing that’s still proving difficult
for the up-and-coming machine

02 | 2016 | Magazine of the Friedhelm Loh Group | be top 73

Commitment Qualification for refugees

STEFAN SCHILLINGER and plant operators is the self-organised A lack of awareness was also a problem
48 years old, member of learning that is common in Germany. “Over for those responsible for the project – at
the Rittal Works Council. the course of the past year we’ve recog- Rittal, the Rittal Foundation, in the Lahn-
Volunteers with the nised that we cannot demand too much of Dill district and the Chamber of Commerce
Refugee Working Group the trainees from the very start,” Hecker and Industry – at its beginning, last year.
in Wetzlar, Germany. says. “The four-step method is much, much “We had no idea who would be coming to
better to convey the most important con- us,” Hecker recalls. “Schooling, vocational
“ Integration on the job for refugees is tents than having them read specialist training and desired career: we had to work
one of the essential prerequisites for texts.” The practical four-step sequence of all of that out ourselves as part of a trial
successful integration into society.” explain, demonstrate, replicate and practise working week.” Today things are different,
clearly takes more time for mentors – but is since in the meantime the Central Hesse
Winfried Becker also much more effective at conveying sub- Association for Economic Development,
64 years old, former ject matter. “Both sides feel understood and Training and Employment Initiatives
Technology and Service much more secure in the work,” Hecker ex- ­(Mittelhessische Gesellschaft für Wirt-
Center Director Technical plains. And the refugees already have schaftsförderung, Ausbildungs- und Be-
Planning at Rittal. enough on their plates in their everyday schäftigungsinitiativen) has taken over
Volunteers at Lichtblicke working lives. the analysis of the potential participants.
e.V. in Rennerod, The previously mentioned guidebook
Germany. Sticking point: language ­describes how this analysis proceeds.
The best example of this – the vocational “It’s much, much easier to approach young
“ Talk alone doesn’t help at all – only school. Because no matter if it’s in class, refugees in a targeted manner with this type
people who pitch in help to change a for homework or exams: despite their lack of qualification profile,” Hecker says. De-
situation and find understanding for of work-related knowledge of the German spite this, he finds a three-month vocation-
one another.” language, refugees don’t receive any ad- al internship continues to remain a good
ditional language assistance at the school. idea since the standardised placement test
Robert Habbaba “With the German course organised by the that all the other trainees take doesn’t make
47 years old, Trainer at Loh Academy, we have good support from sense for the refugees. “Tact and sensitiv-
Rittal. Dedicated to the very start,” Hecker says. “But so that ity is required when meeting the person,”
helping refugees gain trainees can successfully graduate from Hecker explains. “It’s only when you’ve met
vocational qualifications. school, we need to support them even fur- the young person face-to-face that you can
ther.” This is why Hecker has also initiated say: this will work out or it won’t.” That there’s
“ Good training provides refugees with homework assistance to accompany the a bit of truth to this statement became clear
long-term perspectives.” proven trainee-mentor model. Once a during the second round of the qualification
week, refugees can discuss the homework project that began in summer 2016. “From
Noah Kirschniok with other trainees and ask questions as the four candidates, this time we were able
20 years old, mechatron- needed. to offer three young men from Eritrea and
ics engineer trainee at All this makes it clear: solid language skills Somalia training positions,” Hecker says,
Rittal. A committed trainee are indeed the most important prerequisite happy to relay this news. Last year only two
mentor for refugees. for professional integration. This isn’t lost of eight refugees were able to begin voca-
on Fatehzada. “Where other colleagues tional training. “It’s a great success for us,
“I consider it my obligation to help only need about an hour to prepare for because we definitively want to continue the
people.” class and do their homework, I definitely project and lead by example.”
need four to five,” he says. And because Hecker again received support in selecting
he loves to read, chats with his peers in the applicants this year from a social
the local football club and regularly re-
ceives language training from Rittal’s Cor- Challenging career start
porate Communications Director Regina Transitioning from the training workshop
Wiechens-Schwake, his knowledge of
German has improved considerably over to the factory world is challenging for
the past year. “Sometimes I’m lacking a bit everyone: for the new trainees, but also for the
of awareness about the grammar, but I
hope I’ll have it soon.” trainers, who must rely on support from other
workers on the factory floor.

74 be top | Magazine of the Friedhelm Loh Group | 02 | 2016 75

Commitment Qualification for refugees

We’ve never lived any other way

Interview. Dr Bianca Dümling holds the Professorship for Migration, Integration and
Interculturality, the chair endowed by Dr Friedhelm Loh, at the College of the YMCA
Germany in Kassel. She researches the opportunities and challenges of migration.

worker. “They’re important contact people If the conditions are right, there’s nothing do following his two-year training pro- What exactly does integration mean
for us since they have direct contact to the stopping this project from being success- gramme. “When I speak German better, I
responsible authorities,” he says. It’s an ful. The experiences with Fatehzada and would like to follow up with the training to to you?
important advantage considering the Gebreyesus only prove it. “And since we become a mechatronic engineer,” he says. Bianca Dümling: I find that there are two
­hundreds of laws that apply solely to the begin rather with hands-on, less book-ori- “But if not, I’ll just keep learning and then sides to integration. On the one hand, it’s
hiring of refugees. “There are tolerated ented training and start from scratch, I be- work as a machine and plant operator.” n a task for people who have migrated. In
refugees, those who have long-term resi- lieve both trainees have great chances for Germany, they need to learn German,
dency status and those who have just ap- the future,” Hecker says, and then adds: qualify themselves for the labour market
plied for asylum,” Hecker says, listing just “My ultimate goal isn’t that they pass their and respect Germany’s Basic Law. On the
some of the things that must be consid- exams with the best possible marks. I just other hand, everyone who hasn’t migrated
ered. Those who wish to successfully nav- hope that they make it and in the end get is also called upon to act. They must
igate this legal labyrinth must closely good feedback from the plant manager.” create an atmosphere that promotes
c­ ooperate with the authorities – in the end And because his intermediate exams are integration and take an unequivocal stand
there’s often just a very thin line between already trending in the right direction, Fate- against xenophobia. This is important,
legal and illegal activities. hzada now has to decide what he wants to because it’s not a question of whether we
want to live in a multicultural society.
We’ve never lived any other way.

5 tips for integrating refugees into work life How can volunteers assist with

From refugee to employee integration?
Dümling: They can show kindness and
The Friedhelm Loh Group offers a guidebook for interested firms with related links for qualifying refugees for vocational training. The five most important affection. That’s very important. Along with Dr Bianca Dümling
lessons learned from the pilot project are as follows: having lost their material existence, many Thirty-eight years old, Dr Dümling was appointed to the College of the YMCA Germany in Kassel on
refugees have also lost family members. 1 September 2016. She previously worked in a refugee shelter in Berlin and directs the intercultural
Some are traumatised and have lost all work of the ecumenical network Together for Berlin (Gemeinsam für Berlin).
hope. Volunteers can encourage refugees
2. Learn German: To expand German lan- with interpersonal relationships so that
guage skills, trainee mentors, company they can better face the challenges of
alumni and volunteers can been deployed integration.
as contacts for educational, vocational and
eBlceoming pEostetanbl private challenges. Furthermore, apps and tration and laws. The “3+2 Arrangement” How can a helper express kindness? How important is it to sensitise volun- nothing else than to maintain our econo-
ishtial websites offer e-learning for language ac- that gives refugees and companies the cer- Dümling: Above all else, it’s important to teers about cultural differences? my and general prosperity over the long
neFtowromrks quisition. Occupational language skills are tainty of residency for three years of training be respectful to people and encounter Dümling: Of course it’s important to term. For companies in particular, the
w best learned at the workbench. and two years of work came into being from them as equals. Mutual support in their inform yourself about cultural characteris- diversity that people from different
GeLreamrann discussions from networks such as “We to- everyday lives gives refugees their dignity tics and differences. But as with Christian- cultures bring with them is a great
INTEGRATION OF 3. Find mentors: Along with a lack of lan- gether” (“Wir zusammen”). back. This of course can lead to misun- ity, every other world religion is extremely opportunity. New perspectives often lead
REFUGEES guage skills, refugees are often troubled by derstandings now and then. But it’s just diverse and is lived by each person to new ideas. I see another opportunity in
fears and loneliness. When trainers, men- 5. Be welcoming: A culture of helping and like any good relationship: you have to differently. So it can’t remain just “dry the strengthening of civil society. The fate
meFnintodrs tors, colleagues and volunteers are pre- supporting others that is put into practice work at it, since affection doesn’t just runs.” Conversations and active discus- of the refugees calls on all of us to
pared to engage with refugees and support within a company is indispensible for the develop on its own. sions bring a lot more. We have to learn re-evaluate our material wealth and our
1. Establish potential: Successful integration them with coaching, practical assistance successful integration of refugees. Setting not to reduce every conflict to supposed great freedom. Because those are things
through an internship starts with meeting and personal contact, the refugees more an example without being biased is the Are there other hurdles that hamper cultural differences. Instead I recommend that we’ve taken for granted for quite a
one another and determining the education- quickly achieve the required level of perfor- maxim for management and team leaders. swift integration? that people reflect on their own actions long time, looking at them from a new
al and vocational prerequisites. The state mance for their training and become better They provide orientation for their employees Dümling: The first things I think of are the and attitudes. All of us have thoughts that perspective can lead to more gratitude
employment agencies and Job Centers in and ensure for the acceptance of the new mass accommodations and the great aren’t always politically correct. But those and an improved relationship between
Hesse have access to the refugees’ stand- 4. integrated into their working environments. colleagues among the workforce. uncertainty regarding residency status. are ones you have to call into question, citizens.
ardised potential analyses. If these analyses Form networks: Close cooperation with These sorts of structural hurdles are not ignore.
have yet to be introduced, a trial working public authorities and sharing experiences RATGEBER AUSBILDUNG Link tip: probably easier to overcome than social
week is a good idea. within interdepartmental initiatives make de- hurdles such as prejudices and racism. What opportunities does migration
veloping an integration project easier while Quali zierung You can order or download We as a society will have to work longer offer for a society?
also leading to changes in politics, adminis- von Flüchtlingen the guidebook (only available on those. Dümling: We need migration – if for
für eine betrieb- in German) at www.rittal.de
liche Ausbildung

INHALT

3 Vorwort: Dr. Friedhelm Loh
4 Das Pilotprojekt
5 Tipps für Unternehmen
11 Fördermöglichkeiten
12 Interview: Ausbilder und Azubi
14 Auf den Punkt gebracht

FAMILIENUNTERNEHMEN INNOVATIONSFÜHRER GLOBAL PLAYER TOP ARBEITGEBER

76 be top | Magazine of the Friedhelm Loh Group | 02 | 2016 02 | 2016 | Magazine of the Friedhelm Loh Group | be top 77

TOP PERFORMANCES BE TOP!

On Fire An overview of the Friedhelm Loh
Group companies
Fire. Countless companies worldwide use Rittal’s fire prevention solutions to protect
their IT infrastructure – and for good reason. With few exceptions, fire is extremely de- RITTAL GmbH & Co. KG EPLAN Software & Service CIDEON Holding, CIDEON
structive, as shown by the following examples from around the world. Auf dem Stützelberg GmbH & Co. KG Software und CIDEON Systems
35745 Herborn, Germany An der alten Ziegelei 2 Wilthener Straße 32
be top! Phone +49 2772 505-0 40789 Monheim am Rhein, Germany 02625 Bautzen, Germany
www.rittal.com Phone +49 2173 3964-0 Tel. +49 3591 3744-0
Top performances are www.eplan.de www.cideon.de
the order of the day in RITTAL – The System.
all Friedhelm Loh Group Faster – better – everywhere. EPLAN – efficient engineering. CIDEON – efficient engineering.
companies. The record
holders on this page are Burning mountain STAHLO STAHLSERVICE LKH Kunststoffwerk
also in top form. GMBH & CO. KG GmbH & Co. KG
The earth in New South Wales in south- Kasseler Straße 27 Auf der Birke 2
eastern Australia has been on fire for 35683 Dillenburg, Germany 56412 Heiligenroth, Germany
Phone +49 2771 302-0 Phone +49 2602 99942-0
around 6,000 years. This makes the www.stahlo.de www.lkh-kunststoff.de
“Burning Mountain” the oldest
coal fire in the world. Located STAHLO – Processing steel straight LKH – We make more out of plastic.
in a nature reserve of the from the line.
Fiery fruit same name, the fire is
eating its way through
The Carolina Reaper is the hottest a 30-metre-deep coal
chilli pepper in the world. Its seam at a rate of
name comes from South Carolina – around one metre
the American state where it was per year. Over the
bred – and the Grim Reaper, the years, the fire has
personification of death. This covered a distance
chilli pepper is not for the faint- of six kilometres.
hearted, generating as much
heat as pepper spray. Publication details

It’s all about the bass Flames engulfed Some like it hot Be top Editorial staff Photo credits
Magazine of the Friedhelm Loh Group Stephanie Backhaus, Joscha Duhme, Lisa
Extinguishing fires with deep tones? Two Scared of fire? That’s something com- While an encounter with fire usually Issue 02 | 2016 Krekel, Rebecca Lorenz, English translation: Page 1: Istock; page 03: F.L.G.; page 4 (top): Ian Webb; page 4 (middle
American students have developed the pletely foreign to Egon Rusch from ends fatally for living creatures, North ISSN 2195-3198 Adam Blauhut, Paul Outlaw, Anthony B. Heric; left and right, bottom left and right): Michael Koch; page 6–07: THERME
first fire extinguisher in the world to put Austria. Known under the alias of American sequoias actually require the English copy-editing: Penelope Krumm; Con- ERDING GmbH; page 08–09: Fotolia; page 10–11: Michael Koch; page
out fires with sound waves. The device, Tanaris, back in October 2012 the flames to reproduce. Their cones – Publisher sultation: Martin Planer, 12 (left): Getty Images/Monty Rakusen; page 12 (bottom): fotolia; page
which looks like a vacuum cleaner, emits famous fire-eater needed just 60 sec- hanging at heights of up to 100 metres – Friedhelm Loh Stiftung & Co. KG 13 (top): Istock; page 13 (bottom): Getty Images/Visual China Group;
a deep-toned bass frequency that snuffs onds to put out 118 burning torches only open and release their seeds CEO: Dr.-Ing. E. h. Friedhelm Loh Authors page 14–15: plainpicture/Richard Robinson; page 17 (top): Robert Mc-
out the flames. The pressure waves with his mouth – a new world record! when exposed to heat rising from forest Rudolf-Loh-Straße 1, 35708 Haiger, Germany Stephanie Backhaus, Joscha Duhme, Julia Frese, Clellan; page 17 (bottom): Lefdal Mine Datacenter; page18–21: www.
caused by the bass separate oxygen from His most important technique: fires. The seeds sink into the soil, Phone +49 2773 924-0 Viola Görgen, Boris Hänßler, Saskia Kaufhold, herrenknecht.com; page 22–23: Picture Alliance/Shao Ying (M.); page
the burning material, thus preventing oxi- first take a deep breath in order to which has been fertilised by ash, and E-mail: betop@friedhelm-loh-group.com Ulrich Kläsener, Hans-Robert Koch, Lisa Krekel, 25: Ellen Brennan; page 26: F.L.G.; page 27: (top left): Martin Joppen;
dation. The students have already patent- then smother the flames with carbon begin to germinate. www.friedhelm-loh-group.com Dr. Jörg Lantzsch, Rebecca Lorenz, Dagmar page 27 (top right): F.L.G.; page 27 (bottom): TU Kaiserslautern; page
ed their invention. dioxide when exhaling. Puh, Beate Schwarz, Johannes Winterhagen 28: Fotolia; page 30–31: Picture Alliance/David Wethey (M.); page 32
Responsible editor (courtesy of of „Ampere – Das Magazin der Ele- (top): Orion; page 32 (bottom): F.L.G.; page 33 (top and bottom): F.L.G.;
Regina Wiechens-Schwake (V.i.S.d.P.) ktroindustrie“) page 34–35: F.L.G.; page 35 (top): Aperam; page 37–38: Sarto srl; page
38–39: Michael Koch; page 39 (top right): Michael Koch; page 40: F.L.G.;
Editor-in-chief and coordination Art-DireCtion page 41: Picture Alliance/Frank Duenzl; page 42: muehlhausmoers;
Hans-Robert Koch, Christian Abels, Christiane von Bonin, Katrin Kemmerling page 44–45: Martin Joppen; page 47 (top and bottom): Martin Joppen;
Patricia Späth, Peter Sting page 48: F.L.G.; page 49: F.L.G.; page 50–51: Stadt Herborn/H.D.
Image Editing Wieden; page 51 (top): F.L.G.; page 53: Markus Hintzen; page 54: plain-
Realisation and design Stefan Hirsch, Philipp Stiller, picture/Nick Dale; page 55 (left): Shutterstock; page 55 (right top): in-
muehlhausmoers corporate Anastasia Strelnikova ventx AG; page 55 (bottom): Volkswagen; page 56: Alamy Stock Foto/
communications gmbh Satoshi Kobayashi; page 57: F.L.G.; page 58–59: Michael Koch; page
Moltkestraße 123−131 Graphics and production 60–61: Scheuch; page 62–65: Michael Koch; page 66–67: Michael Koch;
50674 Köln Andreas Kellotat, Michael Konrad, Nikolai page 68 (top): F.L.G., page 68 (bottom): Volkswagen; page 69: Michael
Phone +49 (0) 221 951533-0 Schütte, Manfred Wirth Koch; page 70: Michael Koch; page 71 (top): Picture Alliance/Massimo
E-Mail: info@muehlhausmoers.com Percossi; page 71 (left): F.L.G.; page 71 (bottom right): F.L.G.; page 72:
www.muehlhausmoers.com Michael Koch; page 73 (top): F.L.G., page 73 (bottom): Frank Trams;
page 74: Frank Trams; page 75 (top and bottom): Michael Koch; page
76 (left): muehlhausmoers; page 76 (right): F.L.G.; page 77: private; page
78 (top left): Istock; page 78 (bottom left): Istock; page 78: (right) Istock;
page 78 (middle): Fotolia/Andrey Polichenko

© Friedhelm Loh Group 2016, ISSN 2195-3198

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78 be top | Magazine of the Friedhelm Loh Group | 02 | 2016 02 | 2016 | Magazine of the Friedhelm Loh Group | be top 79