The cusTomer magazine of Knorr-Bremse rail Vehicle sysTemsEdition 34 | dEcEmbEr 2012

EfficiEnt. tEchnology. WorldWidE.EfficiEnt. tEchnology. WorldWidE.

Informer

Edition 34 | december 2012Informer

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E-NEWS-0034-EN This publication may be subject to alteration without prior notice. A printed copy of this document may not be the latest revision. Please contact your local Knorr-Bremse representative or check our website www.knorr-bremse.com for the latest update. The figurative mark “K” and the trademarks KNORR and KNORR-BREMSE are registered in the name of Knorr-Bremse AG. Copyright 2012 © Knorr-Bremse AG – all rights reserved, including industrial property rights applications. Knorr-Bremse AG retains any power of disposal, such as for copying and transferring.

Editorial dr. albrecht Köhler, 03 member of the Executive board,Knorr-bremse rail Vehicle Systems

nEWS in briEF the latest information 04

coVEr StorY tomorrow’s world 06 interview with andreas Hämmerl, 08 Head of business development andPlanningFuture megatrends 10Global markets 12rolling stock 14

contEntS

ProJEctS locomotive brake control system for 16 Plasser & theurer

QUalitYintegrated management system 18

location“Factory of the Year” competition 19

comPanY Knorr-bremse Global care e. V. – 20 Helping people to help themselves

tradE FairS review innotrans 2012 22outlook 2013 23

muharremz / Shutterstock.com

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Editorial

Dr. Albrecht Köhler, Member of the Executive Board

of Knorr-Bremse Rail Vehicle Systems

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2012 is drawing to a close, and this is perhaps a good moment to look back at the past twelve months. it has been an eventful year that has seen the launch of a number of fascinat-ing projects, the making of important decisions for the future and, of course, the conclusion of some excellent business deals. but one particular event during the past year stands out: innotrans 2012. there was a huge sense of anticipation – even among people outside the rail industry – when industry rep-resentatives gathered in berlin to present the rail products of tomorrow – and the day after.For Knorr-bremse the focus was on systems competence and innovations enabling resourc-es to be saved across the entire life cycle of a product. these are crucial aspects if we are to be able to respond adequately to the latest megatrends.the end of a year is also a good opportunity to look to the future – to examine, for example, the overall context in which global rail transportation is going to develop. in this edition of the informer we take a closer look at the latest study of world markets published by con-sultants Sci Verkehr, identifying global trends and summarizing the prospects for various markets and rail vehicles. and an interview with our Head of business development and Planning offers an insight into how Knorr-bremse is preparing for these changes.of course these are not the only topics covered by this december edition. We also look at a specialized construction machine for which Knorr-bremse is supplying a specially adapted locomotive brake control system. and we report on the “Factory of the Year” competition in which Knorr-bremse budapest was so successful. another article well worth reading is about the new training center recently opened with the support of Knorr-bremse Global care near the company site in Faridabad, india. the voca-tional training on offer at the new center should help young people to support themselves and lead more independent lives.i hope you will enjoy reading this edition of the informer. and, of course, i wish you a relaxing christmas break and a good start to the new Year.

Kind regards

Dr. Albrecht Köhler

InformatIon for Knorr-Bremse’s worldwIde

customers and BusIness partners

ImprInt:Publisher:

Knorr-Bremse Systeme für Schienenfahrzeuge GmbH

Marketing: Tanja MohmeMoosacher Strasse 80

80809 MunichGermany

Tel. +49 (0)89 3547 0Fax. +49 (0)89 3547 2767

www.knorr-bremse.com

Realization: KB Media GmbH, Silvia ReichertLayout, graphics: Cathrin Huber

Text: Thorsten RienthPrinted by: Pera Druck GmbH

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Edition 34 | December 2012Informer

» nEWS Further high-speed orders From JapanJapanese train operator Jr East was clearly impressed with the systems supplied in the past by Knorr-bremse for its E5 and E6 Shinkansen high-speed trains: the company ordered bogie equipment for 17 of its new E7 trains. the order includes brake discs, ultra-compact, weight-optimized brake calipers and high-performance iSobar sintered brake pads. the trains, each of which will consist of twelve multiple units (ten out of twelve cars will be equipped with Kb products), are scheduled to go into service in spring 2015 on a new high-speed route between tokyo on the east coast and Kanazawa in the west. only days after signing the contract with Jr East, Knorr-bremse also succeeded in expanding its customer base for the Japanese Shinkansen when it landed another or-der – this time from operator Jr West, which is to install Knorr-bremse bogie equipment in ten of its new W7 Shinkansen trainsets, each of which consists of twelve multiple units (again, ten out of twelve cars will be equipped with Kb products).

encouraging news From technologies lankathe 2011 acquisition of technologies lanka, a well-known manufacturer of electronics applications for rail vehicles by US company Knorr brake corporation, has already started to pay dividends. the company, with its headquarters in la Pocatière, canada has received a number of new orders for various HVac and door sys-tems, for example from bombardier and nippon Sharyo. it is even the preferred supplier of HVac controllers and inverter systems to bombardier for the bay area rapid transit district (bart) program. Since the takeover, technologies lanka’s order book has expanded sixfold. in addition to the recent orders, Knorr-bremse can now also offer linear drive technology for door systems (see picture).

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systems For los angelesKnorr-bremse is set to benefit from an order recently placed by los angeles metro with Kinkisharyo international, the US subsidiary of Japanese manu-facturer Kinki Sharyo, for a base order of 78 light rail vehicle car sets: Knorr brake corporation was awarded the contract to supply brakes, doors and HVac systems. this is the first time Knorr brake corporation has been award-ed all three systems.delivery of the car sets is due to begin in the last quarter of 2015, but Knorr-bremse is to supply subsets for installation in two prototype vehicles in the first quarter of 2014. the metro operator – los angeles county metropoli-tan transportation authority – has also taken out an option on a further 157 units, which could be scheduled for delivery up till 2020.

pkp intercity trainsupgrading oFWith a fleet of more than 3,000 passenger cars, PKP intercity S.a. is Poland’s biggest rail operator. in order to keep its fleet up to date the company is not only investing in new vehicles but also up-grading older ones. Work has already started on the first two phases of the process: the purchase of 25 new passen-ger cars, for which Kb Poland is offering HVac and braking systems, and the refurbishment of 68 cars, which will be equipped with air conditioning systems produced by merak. at the beginning of September, PKP intercity made a call for tender for modernization of a further 150 cars. Kb Poland is tendering for the supply of brakes, doors and air conditioning systems.

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Informer Edition 34 | December 2012

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tomorroW’S World

tHE marKEt For tEcHnoloGical rail ProdUctS HaS nEVEr bEEn biGGEr. in their latest forecast, independent consultants Sci Verkehr predict that by 2016 the value of the global market will have increased to EUr 168 billion from its current level of EUr 143 billion. the main beneficiaries of this rapid growth will be the mass transit and freight sectors, but high-speed trains are also set to grow in importance worldwide. according to the Sci study, the driving forces behind this development are urbanization, globalization and climate change.

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Informer Edition 34 | December 2012

“thE coUrSE iS AlWAyS SEt in thE PASt – BUt With thE

fUtUrE in mind”

tHE inFormEr SPoKE to andrEaS HÄmmErl, Head of business development & Planning, about the planning process and how to access new markets.

Knorr-Bremse is one of the major Euro-pean players in China. How did that come about?andreas Hämmerl: it was already pretty clear back in the 1980s that rail travel in a country like china, which has so many ma-jor cities with more than a million inhabit-ants, was going to become hugely impor-tant. So Knorr-bremse based its strategy on this assumption. it started to pay off in the early 90s, when we delivered the first metro systems to china. then, in 2005, we re-ceived the first orders for high-speed trains and locomotive systems. We now have sev-eral joint ventures up and running, as well as own production facilities, and are well positioned in the chinese market.

the markets are different in china, india, russia and Japan, but the basic principle of how to gain access is the same: the course is always set in the past, but with the future in mind.

How does Knorr-Bremse decide when to get more involved and when not to?andreas Hämmerl: on the basis of our long-term corporate strategy we define which individual markets and product areas look promising. before making im-portant decisions like these, Knorr-bremse carries out detailed monitoring, segmenta-tion and analysis of the markets concerned. our planning department has developed sophisticated tools that systematically cap-ture, analyze and process the required data (for example operators’ vehicle procure-ment plans) from various different sources. the tools are fed mainly with information from within the company but also from ex-ternal sources.

What exactly do you mean by external sources? andreas Hämmerl: in this context, Sci Verkehr is an important partner for us, because it enables us to compare various different viewpoints and check our own in-sights for plausibility. but factors such as the economic and de-mographic developments in certain re-gions, the impact of megatrends on future vehicle technologies and levels of demand for these technologies also play a role. the same goes for any changes in the political environment that affect demand for new

vehicles. With proper interpretation and processing, this information can provide an important basis for decision-making – for example in terms of defining strate-gic goals or launching the marketing and product planning processes needed to achieve these goals.

Planning is all about identifying growth markets. How do you succeed in building a reliable platform for decision-making using information that can sometimes be unreliable? andreas Hämmerl: that is the greatest chal-lenge. but as a globally operating company with sales and production sites in all impor-tant markets worldwide, Knorr-bremse has one major advantage – we are very familiar with the markets and have close links with fleet operators and international vehicle builders. these enable us to build up the necessary expertise to forecast market de-velopments. our planning stretches far into the future, and obviously there are uncertainties involved. We work with scenarios that can be used in the short, medium or long term, depend-ing on the planning horizon involved. con-stant reality checks enable us to come close to mirroring actual developments.

It takes years to implement strategies. What happens in the period between the start of the planning process and a product actually being ready for market launch? andreas Hämmerl: of course you have to be convinced that the project is important

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for the future of the company and is likely to be successful. but in a rapidly changing environment you obviously also have to regularly check whether the situation has changed and the course taken is still the right one. You have to be able to respond to changes and – in individual cases – even decide to put a project on the back burner. luckily that doesn’t often happen.

What role do customers play in the strate-gic planning process?andreas Hämmerl: customer benefit is ob-viously central. We maintain close contact

and ongoing dialogue with customers – and they tell us very directly what their spe-cific requirements are. it goes without say-ing that customer needs play a crucial role in our planning processes. to meet their re-quirements we offer system solutions that deliver clear value-added across the entire product life cycle. it’s a win-win situation: the customer benefits from our products, and we benefit from the demand for them.

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Informer Edition 34 | December 2012

fUtUrE mEgAtrEndS

urbanization a few years ago, mankind crossed an important threshold. Since 2008, the majority of the world’s population has been living in cities. according to calculations by roland berger School of Strategy and Economics, some 180,000 people are migrating from the country to the city every single day. if this trend continues, then by the year 2030, 4.9 billion people – 59 per cent of the earth’s population – will be living in cities. on the basis of projections such as these, the Sci study concludes that by far the biggest growth in the rail sector will take place in urban mass transit systems. the reason they are so certain is that such networks are the only way to guarantee mobility in rapidly expand-ing urban conglomerations. the focus in future will not only be on expanding existing networks but also on building new ones – and on reducing noise pollution.

globalization as markets become increasingly global, demand for raw materials is soaring, espe-cially in rapidly developing countries such as china, and growing volumes are being transported between continents. at the same time, extraction of raw materials is on the increase in countries like South africa, brazil and australia. the quantities involved are already far too large to be transported by truck after being shipped to major ports.increasing transport volumes and a desire to avoid time-consuming sea journeys has led to serious consideration being given to a rail link connecting china with turkey and

muharremz / Shutterstock.com

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climate change there is another development that is driving the long-term expansion of the rail market. the Sci study concludes that in recent years, politicians and members of the public all over the world have become increasingly aware of the need for sustainability and for modes of transport that minimize the impact on the environment. this fact alone means that rail is set to play a more prominent role in the worldwide transport mix. in terms of passenger and freight kilometers, rail is considerably more en-vironmentally friendly than virtually all other transport modes – and is likely to remain so for the foreseeable future. according to pro-rail lobby “allianz pro Schiene”, modern elec-tric multiple units use between 30 and 40 per cent less energy than their predecessors. Economic considerations are also increasingly important. the inexorable rise in energy prices means rail transportation, with its relatively low energy consumption, is becoming increasingly attractive.

the rest of Europe. russia is also working on a north-south link with india. the Sci sees the task of meeting increas-ing demand for rail transportation as a particular challenge to the public purse. High initial infrastructure costs mean that investment – particularly in urban and high-speed networks – is much more de-pendent on political support than in the case of other transport modes.

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Informer Edition 34 | December 2012

gloBAl mArkEtS

north america the north american market is a classic freight market, with almost half of all goods transported by rail. the number of pas-sengers has also increased significantly in recent years, but rail still only accounts for less than 5% of all passenger transporta-tion. now, though, as US politicians focus increasingly on climate policy, greater at-tention is being paid to the potential for transporting passengers by rail. Policymak-ers have been discussing corridors for new high-speed rail links, but the current eco-nomic uncertainty means these are only likely to be realized in the longer term.

central and southern america the main developments in the rail market in central and Southern america are to be found in densely populated, economically dynamic countries such as brazil, argen-tina, chile and Peru. Up till now, market growth has been driven almost exclusively by the freight sector, but things are chang-ing, with overcrowded road networks and rapid urbanization causing policymakers to focus increasingly on modern local public transport networks. this development is also being driven by upcoming sporting events such as the soccer World cup in bra-zil in 2014 and the olympic Games in rio de Janeiro in 2016.

middle east/ aFrica Some of the world’s most ambitious rail transportation projects can currently be found in the Gulf States. in other parts of the region, though, civil war and rela-tive poverty preclude the introduction of modern rail transportation systems. this means that in the medium term the market

– which is still dominated by foreign manu-facturers – is confined to the Gulf States and certain north african countries. there is, however, one exception in the far south of the continent – South africa is currently planning a number of major projects in both the passenger and freight sectors.

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western europethe overall economic climate has led to the shelving of various infrastructure projects in recent years, but the fact remains that as Europe grows together in political and social terms, demand for rail transporta-tion is likely to increase. according to the Sci study, future market developments depend crucially on resolution of the debt crisis. once this has happened, the revival

of rail transportation in the industrialized countries of Western Europe can continue. in the Sci’s view, this would include a fur-ther upgrading of the rail infrastructure in central Europe, where the capacity of cer-tain major rail links is already overloaded.

eastern europe the Sci reports that the ageing fleet of lo-comotives and rail cars in Eastern Europe urgently requires renewal – and this should benefit large numbers of small local manu-facturers of rail technology with their rela-tively low labor costs. manufacturers have considerably improved product quality in recent years, but future development of the market continues to depend crucially on public investment in the rail sector.

commonwealth oF independent states (cis)Passenger transportation in this region has been slowly declining for many years, but freight volumes are increasing as the economy expands. the russian state rail-way rZd, in particular, is investing heavily in infrastructure – the best known example being the high-speed rail link between moscow and St. Petersburg. many russian cities are also planning to modernize their mass transit systems – a development that is also likely to get under way in the former Soviet republics.

asia in general terms, the rail sector in asia is highly diversified. Good quality passenger rail facilities are taken for granted in Japan, but are only in their infancy in the smaller countries of South East asia. in china, the focus for many years was on building a

modern high-speed network, but priority is now being given to expanding local urban and intercity links. the Sci is predicting a similar development for india.

australia/paciFicin this region only the markets in australia and new Zealand are of any significance. With the exception of certain cities, there is little rail passenger transportation in either of these countries, but the freight business is all the more important, with several oper-ators modernizing or even expanding their existing networks. the burgeoning iron ore and mineral extraction industry in australia remains a major growth driver.

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Informer Edition 34 | December 2012

HEaVY diESEl locomotiVES For tHE FrEiGHt marKEtS oF aUStralia, SoUtH aFrica and tHE USa, high-speed trains for rapid rail links between urban centers in the industrialized nations, metros for the rap-idly expanding cities of asia – the Sci study on worldwide rail transport markets reviews the challenges the industry will face in coming decades.

growing Freight volumes boost sales oF new locomotivesthe Sci predicts a further increase in de-mand for new electric locomotives – but annual growth between 2011 and 2016 is likely to be very slow, at an average of 1.6%. the explanation for this modest growth de-spite increasing freight volumes is a simple one – the new locomotives are much more efficient. in the past, operators had to use two or three locomotives for certain jour-neys, but now a single, usually more pow-erful locomotive is sufficient. the same effect can be observed in the case of diesel locomotives, but here the market for new vehicles is set to expand more rapidly during the same period, with average annual growth of 4.2%. this will be driven mainly by three regions: north america, where expansion of rail transpor-tation is set to boost the market for new lo-comotives by an average of 14.3% per year, Eastern Europe (12.5%) and the common-wealth of independent States (ciS) (6.4%). in the case of these last two regions, the main reason for expansion is the relatively advanced age of the current fleet, which makes extensive purchases of new vehicles unavoidable.in asia, following recent high levels of de-mand for high-speed trains, the Sci is predicting a decline of just over 11% per year to 2016. annual increases of 5.9% in Western Europe and the ciS will not com-pletely compensate for this, and worldwide

demand for high-speed trains will drop by 1.7% per year. However, strong growth of 7.4% per year is predicted for the aftermar-ket business in the high-speed sector.

big growth in small marketsthere is likely to be growth in demand for urban mass transit systems in all regions of the world, driven mainly by expanding passenger numbers in major cities. the Sci is predicting above-average growth for metros, EmUs, dmUs and lrVs especially in hitherto low-volume markets. in the case of lrVs, annual growth rates of 40.3% (australia/Pacific) and 28.5% (asia) can be expected. in Western Europe, which currently has some 27% of all the world’s

mEEting dEmAnd

the future of the rail technology market can be summed up in one word: diversifica-tion. demand for different types of rail ve-hicle is going to reflect the sheer diversity of the various markets around the globe.

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lrVs, the market will expand by 2.6% per year. the global figure is 3.8%. the picture is a similar one for EmUs. From a relatively low base, the markets in africa and the mid-dle East will expand by an average of 27.5% per year up to 2016. in the case of dmUs, the highest annual growth rate can be ex-pected in the ciS (22.1%), australia/Pacific (12.5%), africa and the middle East (11.0%).metros continue to be a success story. al-though the asian market is already worth EUr 2.5 billion per year, it is set to grow by a further 4.6% per year. in central and South-ern america, major world sporting events will boost growth, and – together with the ciS – these regions should see double-figure annual growth rates. the bottom line for the world as a whole is 4.5%.

rising demand For Freight and passenger cars drives growthFollowing a decline in freight transporta-tion volumes in 2009, some regions still have over-capacity when it comes to freight cars. but growing demand over the next few years is likely to compensate for this. according to the Sci study there is go-ing to be particularly strong market growth in Western Europe (15.3%), Eastern Europe (17.4%) and north america (11.4%). annual global growth to 2016 will average 5.2%.there is unlikely to be any overall change in demand for passenger coaches up to 2016, but a shift in demand patterns is likely, with new orders declining in Western and Eastern Europe, central and Southern

america, africa, the middle East and austra-lia/Pacific, but increasing in north america and the ciS.

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Informer Edition 34 | December 2012

SyStEmS for nEW SPEciAl trAck mAintEnAncE mAchinES

at almoSt 80 mEtrES in lEnGtH, tHE rm 900 HiGH-PoWEr ballaSt bEd clEaninG macHinE maKES SPEcial dEmandS oF itS braKinG SYStEm. Plasser & theurer, austrian suppliers of complete solutions for track con-struction and maintenance, have opted to use state-of-the-art technology from Knorr-bremse for the latest rm 900 version designed for the French market.

Plasser & theurer and Knorr-bremse have been working closely together for many years, with Knorr-bremse not only sup-plying air supply, brake control and bogie components but also the mGS2 wheel slide protection system based on ESra (Electronic System for rail applications). now, having already set new standards in their field by installing oil-free compressors, Plasser & theurer are again demonstrating their innovative approach by using Knorr-bremse’s electronic brake pipe control

system. the new high-power ballast bed cleaning machine developed by the com-pany for a French construction firm is to be equipped with bP compact – the latest generation of ESra-controlled locomotive braking system.

specially adapted, tried-and-tested componentsWith the help of a test rig, a new variant based on the tried-and-tested, universally

applicable bP compact modular system was developed to meet the demanding require-ments of the special vehicle manufacturer. Strict French regulations on brake control systems had to be met for a locomotive that was two to three times the normal length. and the system also had to be capable of being used for other versions, for example with up to three driver positions. in service mode the system operates by transferring the braking and release com-mands from the brake handle to the elec-

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tronic control unit, which converts them into control signals for a digital pressure regulator. all the gradients required for the standards are already stored in the software for the requirements of particular vehicles and countries. Space-saving installation in the vehicle has been made possible by creat-ing a further module for back-up operation on the same panel, enabling the same relay valve to be used for pressure transforma-tion. this also makes sure that the brake pipe control offers virtually the same high pneumatic performance in both service and back-up mode.

rigorous system testingas Plasser & theurer build vehicles with widely differing configurations and lengths, Knorr-bremse had to develop a hardware standard that was universally adaptable for

the company. it achieved this by keeping hardware variation to a minimum and com-bining it with different software packages. as a result the brake control system can be quickly installed in a wide variety of differ-ent vehicles and countries, enabling the vehicle manufacturer to react rapidly and flexibly to incoming orders. From the operator’s point of view, the system has the advantage that it guaran-tees a combination of maximum opera-tional functionality and economy, with the components and subsystems perfectly matched to the particular vehicle and na-tional standards. the intention of Plasser & theurer and Knorr-bremse was to try out the system for the first time on the French rail network, where par-ticularly stringent Uic standards apply to the brake pipe control. in the fall of 2012 the bP compact passed the required system tests by French railways with flying colors.

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Informer Edition 34 | December 2012

EnSUring long-tErm StABility of corPorAtE ProcESSES

tHiS SUmmEr, Knorr-brEmSE introdUcEd itS nEW ProcESS modEl. at its heart is a system of integrated process management that ensures the long-term stability of corporate processes and puts them on a user-friendly platform.

Just as companies themselves are con-stantly developing, so too do their pro-cesses have to be regularly adapted and updated – which is why Knorr-bremse rail Vehicle Systems introduced a new pro-cess model this summer. it is based on the long-established rEX process model and continues the division of processes into three areas: leadership, main and support processes. the proven local process drivers have also been retained.

greater acceptance and improved implementation For greater maturitythe updated model enjoys greater levels of acceptance, which means the degree of implementation has been improved and a greater level of maturity achieved. in addi-tion, all the relevant quality, environmental and health and safety standards have been incorporated into an integrated system of process management; and an extra ele-ment has been added: engineering servic-es, which includes the checking of internal standards, data management or technical documentation.Parallel to this, the user-friendliness of the system has also been improved. the system is more intuitive, with the relevant docu-ments never more than three mouse clicks away.

Lead

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ip P

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sses

Res

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MP1Engineering & Design

MP3After Sales & Technical Service

MP2Original Equipment

Manufacturing Process

MP4Marketing & Customer

Relationship ManagementMai

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Sup

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SP7

HSE Management

SP4

Customer Complaint Management

SP6

Supply Chain Management

SP8

Knorr-Bremse Production System

LP5

Human Resources

LP2Strategic Planning

LP8

Project Management

LP1

Leadership

LP7

Management System

LP4

Finance

LP3

Organizational Development

LP6

Innovation

LP9

Product Safety & Safety Steering

SP5

Processes Methods & IT Systems

SP3

Global Operations Resource Management

SP2Purchasing

SP1

Planning

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from 25 dAyS to 2

tHE traditional comPEtition to Find tHE “FactorY oF tHE YEar” iS onE oF tHE moSt KEEnlY contEStEd indUStrY aWardS in the german-speaking world and eastern europe. this year budapest, Knorr-bremse rail divi-sion’s biggest European production site, won the competition in the “Excellent Value Stream” category.

reducing throughput time from 25 to 5 working days within the space of three years is an extraordinary achievement for a factory that manufactures non-series prod-ucts for the rail market. So it is not surpris-ing that the underlying concept won them a prize in the annual competition orga-nized by the business journal “Produktion” in conjunction with corporate consultants a.t. Kearney.

short throughput times combined with high FleXibilitySteadily increasing demand meant the existing plant had reached the limits of its capacity, and Knorr-bremse therefore opened a new production facility in 2010. but during the planning process it soon be-came clear that the aim could not just be to construct a modern building for the devel-opment and production of brake compo-nents – there had to be tangible customer benefits as well. So during the course of the project the concept of a five-day factory came into being: throughput times for 80 per cent of production were to be reduced to five days – including initial machining (about 1.5 days), surface treatment (about 2 days) and final assembly (about 1.5 days).the newly developed concept combines two things that might seem irreconcilable: a high degree of product variation with low unit volumes; and extremely short through-put times with a high level of flexibility. two crucial factors in the success of the factory were a completely new approach to collab-

oration with suppliers and a strictly value-stream-oriented structure.

newly designed materials supply, improved collabora-tion with suppliersFrom the very outset the aim was to reorga-nize processes along the entire value stream, with a focus on improved flexibility, enhanced efficiency through shorter throughput times, maximum schedule effectiveness and even better product quality. to achieve this, Knorr-bremse completely re-designed its production areas and physical materials supply and at the same time radi-cally improved its order planning processes with the help of a specially developed it solution. in all three areas the emphasis was

on ensuring maximum parts availability and optimum utilization of production resources. and last but not least, Knorr-bremse consis-tently applied new methods and tools to im-prove collaboration with suppliers.

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Informer Edition 34 | December 2012

hElPing PEoPlE to hElP thEmSElVES

EVEr SincE 2005 tHE cHaritablE orGaniZation Knorr-brEmSE Global carE HaS bEEn SUPPortinG PEoPlE who through no fault of their own have fallen victim to environmental disasters, accidents, armed conflict, disease or poverty. at Knorr-bremse’s site in Faridabad, india, the organization recently opened a new training center for young people.

in december 2004 the world’s atten-tion was drawn to a distressing event in the indian ocean. a powerful under-sea earthquake triggered a tsunami that devastated entire coastal areas and killed more than 230,000 people. in mid-Jan- uary 2005, in a bid to respond as rapidly

and unbureaucratically as possible and supply help where it was most needed, Knorr-bremse set up a charitable organi-zation under the name of Knorr-bremse Global care. Within a year, no fewer than 13 projects had been launched in the ar-eas affected by the tsunami. now, seven

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years on from its foundation, the organi-zation has supported has supported over 100 aid projects in 40 countries on four continents and helped almost 300,000 people.

Focus on economic independenceimportant though it is to provide rapid, uncomplicated aid in specific emergen-cies, the core mission of the organiza-tion is more complex than that. its aim is always to help people in a region to help themselves in the long term. Global

care’s projects are an investment in an independent economic future for the re-cipients of these benefits. For this reason the principles involved are rather different from those of other aid projects. Knorr-bremse Global care does not just supply funding. the members of Global care - all of them experienced man-agers - work on a voluntary basis for the organization and usually assume the role of personal sponsors for individual proj-ects. their tasks include project visits and activities in the fields of project manage-ment and controlling. this close contact on the ground means they have a particularly strong commitment to the people con-cerned. this was the approach taken in the case of the project to build a new training center in Faridabad, northern india, which was officially opened in may of this year. the indian government is making great efforts to develop the country’s education system, but faces many challenges. Firstly, rapid population growth means it has to cope with increasing numbers of young people; and secondly, there is still great poverty in many parts of the country. in particular

children from less privileged households are often not able to complete their basic schooling because they have to start con-tributing to the family income while they are still young.

vocational training For 270 children per year this is why the organization Prayas Social Welfare Society has been providing free basic education by making use of unused school facilities in the afternoons. but voca-tional training is another area where there is a huge gap in supply, which is why Prayas SWS and Knorr-bremse india have now set up a vocational training center with help, advice and funding from Knorr-bremse Global care. the new center offers young people train-ing in a wide variety of different occupa-tions – car mechanic, electrician, fitter, lineman, locksmith, beautician, dressmaker, welder or secretary. the idea is to help them stand on their own two feet and lead independent lives. For many children it is often the only opportunity to escape from poverty.

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Informer Edition 34 | December 2012

PrESEnting oUr SyStEmS APProAch

morE ViSitorS, morE EXHibitorS, morE Floor SPacE rEntEd, 104 World PrEmiErES and bUSinESS dEalS WortH oVEr EUr 1.8 billion – innotrans 2012 broke one record after another. and it was a success for Knorr-bremse too.

at 2,515 company booths from 49 coun-tries of the world, more than 126,000 visi-tors from 140 different countries were able to find out about the latest products and services on offer in the global rail market. in terms of numbers of visitors, range of dif-ferent countries represented and total floor space rented, innotrans recorded figures well above those of the last exhibition two years ago.

“Efficient. technology. Worldwide.” was the motto under which Knorr-bremse show-cased its latest technologies. the focus was on the company’s global systems compe-tence as well as on product innovations that enhance safety and also help save re-sources across the entire life cycle.

compared with innotrans 2010, Knorr-bremse was able to welcome more cus-tomers from asia and the USa. and the company also managed to seal some im-portant business deals. next year, Knorr-bremse rail Vehicle Sys-tems will be attending the following trade fairs around the world:

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7– 9 march Eurasia rail istanbul, turkey28 – 30 April ASlrrA connections Atlanta, USA30 April – 2 may railtex london, Uk12 – 15 June korea railways & logistics fair Busan, South korea11 – 14 September Expo 1520 moscow, russia24 – 27 September trako fair gdansk, Poland28 September – 2 october railway interchange indianapolis, USA8 – 10 october nordic rail Jönköping, Sweden26 – 28 november Ausrail Plus Sydney, Australia

the year 2012is gradually

coming to a close and the holiday season

is approaching.We send you our

warmest greetings and wish you a happy

and successful new Year.

2013

EfficiEnt. tEchnology. WorldWidE.EfficiEnt. tEchnology. WorldWidE.

… to bE tHE SErVicE PArtnEr oF cHoicE. Providing innovative and competitive aftermarket solutions for our rail customers worldwide. | www.knorr-bremse.com |

passion