New water treatment plant opened BercoSul takes its ... - Berco S.p.A

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Free copy
Quarterly Publication
Year 8
No. 31 - 3nd Quarter 2002
Editor: Giovanni Micheletto Ferrara Law Court registration n. 17/94 - 05/12/1994
ENVIRONMENT
New water treatment plant opened
EDITORIAL
BercoSul takes its first steps

Contents
Environment
NEW WATER TREATMENT PLANT OPENED
Editorial
BERCOSUL TAKES ITS FIRST STEPS
Consolidation of the new affiliated company
Safety
HEALTH & SAFETY AT WORK
Berco complies with european safety management
New Technologies
ANOTHER NEW “PALLETECH” LINE
The boring of large-size track links
New Technologies
OLD MORANDO KL12 LATHES RETROFITTED
Another facet of Berco technological innovation
News
BUSINESS GROWING IN CHINA
Distribution contract with USG renewed
World Trade Fairs
IRAN CONMIN 2002, Theran - Iran
DORKOMEXPO 2002, Moscow - Russia
TIAF 2002, Theran - Iran
News
UNDERCARRIAGE SCHOOL
Two technical training seminars organized in Malaysia
CHILE, MINING ACTIVITY CONSOLIDATED
Simma signs an important agreement
Inside Berco
BICYCLE LOVERS
A SATURDAY MOTORBIKE RIDE IN THE MOUNTAINS
BERCO GRAND PRIX
BERCO SOCIAL CLUB GRAND PRIX
“STELLA AL MERITO DEL LAVORO”
THIRD ON THE WINNERS’ PODIUM
BERCO MEETS THE SCHOOLS
Meetings & Activities
“ThyssenKrupp best” COMES TO BERCO
SPECIAL GUESTS
“ITALY MATERIALS MANAGEMENT CONFERENCE”
ENVIRONMENTAL EDUCATION
Berco News is a quarterly magazine published for the employees, customers, suppliers and
friends of Berco. Its articles and photographs can be reproduced only if expressly authorised
by the editor.
Cover photograph: Visit to the new water treatment plant after the opening ceremony
The following have contributed to this issue: S. Di Mauro, M. Fabbri, L. Guzzinati,
C. Lambertini, A. Margola, G. Neodo, B. Panin, S. Salvi
Published by:
BERCO S.p.A.
Marketing and Communications Department
Via 1° Maggio - 44034 Copparo (FE) Italy
tel. +39 0532 864431 - fax +39 0532 864462
e-mail: marketing@berco.com
Editor: G. Micheletto, tel. +39 0532 864116 - fax +39 0532 864462, e-mail: gim@berco.com
Text: Marketing Department
Art and graphics: Silvia Ungaro
Photos: G. Micheletto, Mirco Rivaroli and others
Printer: SIACA ARTI GRAFICHE
N° copies: Italian 5,000 - English 4,000
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Environment
NEW WATER
TREATMENT
PLANT OPENED
Third stage of Berco’s
environment strategy completed
INAUGURATION
The opening ceremony for
Berco’s new water treatment
plant took place on Friday the
28th of June in the presence of
the public authorities, illustrious
guests and the press. Also, to
mark the occasion, a short
conference entitled “Target: Zero
Pollution ” was organised on the
subject of safeguarding the
environment, in which Giovanni
Bertoni, Berco’s Managing director,
gave an enthusiastic account of
the environmental policy that
Berco has been following for
years: “our goal is to build a
company that can respond to the
challenges of globalisation; a
company that cares for the
environment, conserves resources,
prevents pollution, defends our
environmental heritage and
protects the wellbeing of the
community in the context of
continuous improvement and
sustainable growth.”
A NEW WATER
TREATMENT PLANT
The Berco factory in Copparo
has grown in size considerably
over the last three years to keep
pace with increasing market
demand, and an obvious
consequence of this growth has
been an increase in the amount
of effluent process water.
For several years now, Berco has
been committed to keeping its
production processes to
environmentally compatible levels,
and has adopted an environmental
management system that
conforms to the ISO 14001
Standard (it was ninth company
in Italy to obtain the certification,
in January 2000). This standard
defines what companies have to
do to guarantee the protection
of the environment, starting from
compliance with state laws and
local authority regulations and,
over time, adopting an increasingly
all-inclusive approach that reduces
all factors with a significant
environmental impact.
It was actually this management
system that dictated the need
to install a new water treatment
plant, in response to the newly
increased demand for the recovery
and recycling of effluent water.
The new water treatment plant,
installed at a cost of 2.5 million
euros, meets the requirement of
recovering the greatest possible
quantity of water.
Berco’s water consumption in
the year 2000 was 357,787 cubic
metres. The cost of the supply,
treatment and disposal of the
total quantity of water used in the
factory in that year amounted
to 540 thousand euros.
The new installation will allow an
annual saving of 520 thousand
euros and uses the most advanced
technology in the country, with
an air-bubble mixing system for
the fluids in the tanks and a
highly sophisticated measuring

system for gauging the amount
of pollutants in the fluids.
The new unit collects, treats and
drains all the effluent produced
in the factory: water from
industrial processes (mixtures of
lubricants, coolants, penetrating
fluids and detergents), solutions
from hardening processes and
general drain water (sewage from
factory toilets, water from cooling
towers, meteoric and washing
water). All these different types
of water are pre-treated and
then subject to a biological
oxidation treatment to eliminate
the oxygen-consuming organic
substances still dissolved in the
sewage. In addition, sensors have
been installed for the continuous
monitoring of the final effluent,
linked to a sluice valve that
automatically shuts off the entire
factory drainage system and gives
off an alarm if the pre-set limits
are exceeded.
The lower energy consumption,
improved use of raw materials
and waste minimisation all
combine to reduce environmental
impact.
CONSTANT COMMITMENT
The creation of this new system
is the latest in a series of steps
in an environmental policy that
has been applied for years with
a constant level of commitment.
Berco encourages the use of
environmentally friendly transport,
such as by rail and sea, and has
started to use recyclable materials
for packaging. It has changed
its painting procedures,
introducing water-based paints
and has reduced its output of
polluting substances.
Finally, it should be noted that last
autumn, in 2001, Berco opened
a new dump-site, in full
compliance with ISO 14001
Standard specifications, and
initiated a landscape reclamation
scheme on the site of the old
dump.
The new plant
The biological treatment tanks Visit to the plant
The guests during the inauguration ceremony Supervision and control station
Physical and chemical treatment system The last stage of the plant, the filtering and pressing
system for dehydration of muds
3

4
Editorial
BercoSul
takes
its first steps
Consolidation of the new affiliated
company with numerous projects
for OEMs and mines
Group picture at the CASE factory in Piracicaba (San Paolo)
Above: Group picture at the CNH HQs in Belo Horizonte (Minas Gerais)
A sugar cane harvester
One of the track chain assembly lines in BercoSul
Above: BercoSul main entrance
BercoSul was founded just a
short while ago but it is
already taking its first steps in
the conquest of the Brazilian
market, with a number of different
projects.
A ‘NEW’ REMOTE
BERCO FACTORY
At the new factory in Diadema two
track chain assembly lines, a roller
assembly line and a painting line
for components, are already
operational, and a third one is
to be started up in the autumn.
The transfer of ‘assembly’ jobs
from Copparo to Diadema has
been under way since March.
This means that products that
were once sent to Brazil as
‘finished’ and ready for sale are
now being sent out from Italy in
completely disassembled kits
(CKD), to be assembled and painted
locally. This stage will be completed
by the end of the year, with the
transfer of all the assembly of
Berco components for local OEMs
and the aftermarket to Diadema.
JUST-IN-TIME.
The Diadema BercoSul warehouse
supplies the Komatsu factory in
Suzano with all the components
for the production of the D61
and D41 dozers (exported all over
the world) and the PC200 and
PC150 excavators on a just-intime
basis. As regards the CNH
group, Diadema supplies the
Fiatallis factory in Belo Horizonte
with components for the various
dozers (7D, FD9, FD110 and FD170)
and excavators (FX215). In
addition, over the next few weeks,
arrangements will be finalised
for supplying several other
factories, such as CASE (sugar
cane harvesters) and other local
manufacturers.
AFTERMARKET
As well as supplying OEMs, plans
are being drawn up for BercoSul
to supply aftermarket products
directly to the most important
dealers and customers in the
country. An ample stock of
undercarriage components is

already being built up for all the
machinery on the Brazilian market,
i.e. the CAT D4, D6, D8, 320, 330,
all the Fiatallis and Komatsu
machines and all the other
machinery (D10, D11, D375, D475,
rock-drilling machines, etc.)
working in the many mines and
quarries all over the country. A
series of marketing schemes (visits,
advertising, mailing, internet site,
events, etc.) have been planned,
starting from the autumn, with
the aim of spreading the word
about Berco and its high-quality
products amongst the vast
Brazilian public. Brazil is second
only to the United States in the
number of construction companies,
with the biggest ones (with a
total of more than 2000 earthmoving
machines..!!) working on
sites all over the world.
MINES
The mines deserve a special
mention. Brazil has more than
1500 mines, including several
hundred of the biggest opencast
mines in the world (iron,
bauxite, gold, etc.), situated in
the Minas Gerais area and Parà
and Amazonia states in the north.
Berco has been supplying some
of these mines for a few years, but
the development of this market
has been greatly hindered by the
products not being available
‘locally’ and having to be shipped
from Italy. Now this has all
changed. A stock of products for
big mining machines, including the
D11R, is already being built up
at BercoSul. And so, at long last,
Komatsu factory in Suzano (San Paolo)
there are now all the conditions
for this market to be developed,
with the satisfaction of Berco’s
quality products being made
available to all.
The important award given to Berco by Komatsu do
Brazil on June 21st
Left: Berco personnel visiting Komatsu
Below: Iron mine in Itabira
Below left: one of the machines at Itabira with
Berco undercarriage
BN31 • 3rd Quarter 2002 5

6
Safety
HEALTH & SAFETY AT WORK:
TOWARD THE NEW CERTIFICATION OHSAS 18001
The European workplace safety
directives issued at the
beginning of the nineties, now
commonly referred to in Italy
simply as the ‘626/94’, had the
effect of broadening and
generalising the span of attention
on the question of health and
safety at work. The predominantly
technical perspective of the fifties
was radically transformed into an
approach based more on the
need to actually understand
hazard situations, and the
conviction that the only way to
minimise and resolve problems
was by studying and analysing
them thoroughly.
And so, the law sets companies
the primary tasks of analysing
the work processes in the
production cycle, identifying the
potential hazards to workers,
planning and creating (where
concretely possible) improvement
measures aimed at continuous
hazard reduction, assessing
residual hazards and, finally,
keeping workers informed about
the hazards they are exposed to
that cannot be practically avoided
or further reduced with preventive
technical measures.
The new aspects of the 626/94
Law Decree were therefore already
significant in their own right, in
that they shifted attention from
an exclusively or predominantly
technical approach, centering
on machine and workplace
requirements, to a complex set
of factors which, in order to
obtain new improvement margins,
called for a new, more decisive
and clearly defined way of
working, based on the increased
awareness and motivation of
BN31 • 3rd Quarter 2002
Berco complies with European safety management system directives
those in charge of the work
processes and the workers
themselves, focussing attention
on the importance of the
organisation of the work, internal
procedures and operational
instructions, training and, in
general, on organisational and
managerial systems capable of
ensuring continual, generalised
awareness of all the problems
related to workplace health and
safety.
But the 626/94, whilst taking
the credit for putting
organisational and management
problems to the fore and
emphasising the role of training
in hazard prevention and
containment, did not, as such,
specify the standard and
obligatory methods to be used to
ensure observance of the many
new legal requirements.
It was felt, therefore, in order
to be more consistently certain
about the legal requirements in
the context of continually
improving performance, that
there was a need to make
reference to a set of methods
and rules in which all the
technical, organisational and
procedural obligations of the
company were clearly stated in
a logical and organised sequence,
with a more precise allocation of
the roles and responsibilities of
the various key figures encharged
with ensuring safe working
conditions within the company
itself.
This need (felt not only in Italy
but all over Europe, as the 626/94
refers to European directives, in
particular the 89/391/EEC
Directive) led to the drafting of
the European OHSAS
(Occupational Health and Safety
Assessment Series) 18001
Standard, in 1999. This series,
currently the only one that can
actually certify observance of
uniform quality standards in
workplace health and safety
management at an international
level, ensures more efficient and
specific control measures in
accordance with the law, more
efficient use of resources and
greater control of workplace
safety. Furthermore, it has been
extended to cover the full range
of activities and tasks performed
by the company and is based on
criteria recognised at a European
level.
The standard, when applied,
ensures the application of a
Workplace Health and Safety
Management System by means
of a cyclic sequence of operational
stages, as described below:
• assessing the initial situation;
• defining a company health
and safety policy;
• identifying the applicable laws
and regulations;
• identifying the hazards and
risks for all workers (internal
employees, freelance workers
and contractors);
• setting specific goals in line
with the general policy
commitments;
• drawing up programs for
achieving the goals (priorities,
times, responsibilities and
resources);
• defining program management
procedures and methods;
• making the company structure
sensible for the achievement of
the set goals;
• implementing monitoring,
checking and inspection
procedures to ensure that the
system functions; initiating
appropriate corrective and
preventive actions in relation
to monitoring reports;
• carrying out periodic reviews
to assess the system’s
effectiveness and efficiency in
achieving the set policy goals,
with the instigation of corrective
measures as and when
appropriate.
In order to comply with legal
requirements and ensure the
better management of workplace
safety, Berco has decided to
implement a safety management
system and obtain the OHSAS
18001 standard certification.
This standard, it should be noted,
sets out the company’s
responsibility for workplace health
and safety by means of its
voluntary compliance to a process
of continuous improvement,
which is organised and
implemented in the company
and certified by an external
agency.
Berco, which has already obtained
the environmental certification,
now intends to extend the
organised and certified
management system to another
area of fundamental importance,
i.e. the protection of workers’
health and safety in the
workplace, thus further confirming
its commitment, as a leading
company on the world market
and in the country, to being fully
aware of its ethical and social
corporate responsibilities.

ANOTHER NEW
“PALLETECH” LINE
The boring of large-size track links
and the machining of components
for tractors with rubber track belts
with the new flexible “PALLETECH
FH8800” system
Two years after launching the
flexible master split link boring
system in June 2000, with its
MAZAK FH880 horizontal
machining centres combined
with the rapid tool change system
known as “PALLETECH”, Berco
has decided to continue with
the same production technology
by installing a new “Palletech”
line, even more modern and
faster than the previous one.
The new system – operational
since May 2002 – is made up
of 4 Mazak FH8800 machining
centres (each with a magazine
of 40 tools) and a rapid pallet
changeover device functioning
with 0° to 180° rotation, which
is even faster than the pallet
transfer system on the other
FH880 transfer system. Here too,
the semifinished pieces are
mounted on the faces of 20
“work-holder cubes” and moved
by a shuttle system that stops at
the machining centre, which is
set up to perform all the various
machining operations. Each work
cycle starts with the “touching”
by a RENISHAW touch-probe,
in order to gauge the height of
the pieces and ensure the
accuracy of the machining. This
device also allows out-of-cycle
tooling with subsequent presetting
on the machine, resulting
in considerable savings in total
machining times.
The line will be used for the
production of a wide range of
components and will be run by
a small number of operators, i.e.
just 3 per shift, who, at the same
time, will also be responsible for
FMS supervision and workpiece
loading/unloading from the three
work stations on the line.
In particular, the following parts
will be machined on the new
line:
• large-size D11NR / R994/ D475
track links, etc. (rough and
final boring on pin and bushing
side, drilling and boring of nut
seats, rear spot-facing for snaprings
on tempered steel);
• Undercarriage components
(tension links or idler groups)
for agricultural tractors with
rubber track belts, such as the
John Deere 8000T and 9000T.
(Work cycle: boring, milling
and drilling on nodular cast
iron);
Maximum machining quality
and flexibility combined with
great savings in set-up times
and lead times in general are
the main advantages that the
new line is able to offer,
advantages that translate into
even higher quality and even
faster delivery times for Berco
customers.
New Technologies
BN31 • 3rd Quarter 2002 7

New Technologies
OLD MORANDO KL 12
LATHES RETROFITTED
Another facet of Berco technological innovation and know-how
applied to production processes
Radical changes, unmatched
by any of our competitors on
the world market, have taken
place in the sprocket and sprocket
rim manufacturing process.
The entire work cycle, from the
hot forging of the sprockets on
the maxi-press (already operational
for more than 200 different earth-
TURNING AND DRILLING
IN A SINGLE OPERATION
THE REASONS
BEHIND THE CHOICE
For more than two years now,
the machining process in the
Copparo factory sprocket
department has been subject to
intensive renewal and upgrading
work, with the introduction of
‘new’ vertical turning lathe centres
obtained by the retrofitting of
six old MORANDO KL12 vertical
turning lathes.
The old Morando KL12 lathes line
8 BN31 • 3rd Quarter 2002
moving machines!) the heat
treatment with differential
quenching and stress relieving,
the turning and drilling of the
mounting flange right through
to the painting has been planned
and engineered by Berco
engineering down to the finest
detail.
These machines, built in the
sixties (installed in Berco in ’68),
i.e. several years before the largescale
introduction of continuous
numerical control, are equipped
with a relay programming system
known as ‘cabled logic’. Despite
the age, the supporting structure,
the hydraulic clamping
mechanism on the self-centering
chuck and the double vertical
carriage (with a four-position
turret on the right carriage) are
still in a good state and, in
particular, the sturdiness and
working capacity are absolutely
unrivalled for this type of machine.
On considering all these factors,
together with the high cost of
buying new lathes of the same
size and type, Berco decided to
go ahead with the ‘retrofitting’
(i.e. reconditioning of mechanical
parts and upgrading of functions
with the installation of electronic
systems) of the six old machines,
despite the fact that project
completion times would be longer
than for the purchase of new
machines.
COMPLETE RETROFITTING
Turning and drilling in a single
operation, especially with small
and medium sized batches, can
result in shorter set-up and
materials handling times and
reduced drilling costs. With this
in mind, the left-hand carriages
of the Morando turning lathes
have been transformed into drilling
and tapping units and a brake
has been fitted to the main spindle
line, together with an encoder,
for the continuous control of both
the position and speed of the
self-centering chuck.
These drilling units, powered by 16
kW brushless motors, consist of an
ISO 50 taper bore spindle (with the
coolant passing through the tool)
with a maximum speed of 1500
rpm.
A 6-tool magazine has been
installed on the right side of the
machine, giving autonomy both
in the production of batches with
twinned tools and in machining
cycles requiring different tools.
The basic mechanical retrofitting
involves both the ‘X’ and ‘Z’
movement axes on either carriage,
with the application of recirculating
ball screws and the rebuilding of
the counter-guides with the
application of play-adjustment
gibs.
As regards the electronic and
control systems, brushless motors
(with Siemens drives) have been
installed, with encoders for
controlling the axis position and
speed, together with latestgeneration
840D digital numerical
control.
Finally, a tool measurement unit
has been installed on each of the
two vertical carriages, consisting
of a MARPOSS gauge mounted
on a protected telescopic arm,
allowing the rapid set-up of new
tools inserted in the tool magazine
(to be used in the left carriage
or in the turret on the right
carriage).
All these interventions of
retrofitting, mechanical overhauling,
application of new tools and
functions and directed at improved
safety of the system (be it for the
machine itself or for the operator)
in the end has let us construct a
completely new vertical lathe
equipped with the most modern
technologies which does not find
an equivalent in the commerce
of new machines.
THE SCENARIO
The first two machines, already
in place in the factory, are nearing
completion and will soon be ready
for the first machining trials. A
third turning lathe, the same as

The new retrofitted lathes line The “new” lathe at work
the first two, and a fourth bigger
one with a 1400 mm diameter
self-centering chuck are currently
being retrofitted and will be ready
for installation in October 2002.
The reduction in process costs,
as compared to a traditional work
cycle with turning and drilling in
two separate operations on old
machines, is estimated to be in the
region of 35%.
The metamorphosis in the sprocket
and idler machining department
is already clearly evident. It started
in ‘99 with the installation of
two MAZAK MEGATURN A12N
turning lathes with milling and
drilling units. Then there was the
first retrofitted MORANDO KL12
turning lathe in 2001, then the
CNC COREMU VTL 14 turning
lathe and the 2 MORANDO KL12s
In March of this year, in Copparo, the renewed contract for
the distribution of Berco products in China was signed. The
company, USG Products Shanghai Ltd. (a branch of USG Products
Ltd of Singapore), is based in Peking and has been active in
China since 1994. In 8 years, thanks to its constant market
development work, USG has won important shares of the market
with the Berco undercarriage, in both the OEM (with the main
local manufacturers) and aftermarket areas. Sales have accelerated
particularly rapidly over the last 2 years, with a growth of more
than 50%, and this year too, despite of the world economic
crisis, the Chinese market has shown a positive trend with sales
even higher than last year.
with milling and drilling units,
and the transformation will finally
be completed in autumn 2002
with the retrofitting of all the
other machines.
The newly restructured
department is now capable of
producing sprockets of all sizes
(including those for mining
machines) and of rough-grinding
the hubs and finishing the
fabricated idlers for N –series
and KOMATSU big dozers. When
running at full production rate,
the output capacity will be about
120,000 sprockets a year, along
with the production of much
smaller quantities of casted and
fabricated idlers and components
such as hubs for sprockets and
reduction gears (Russian T170
tractors).
BUSINESS GROWING IN CHINA
Distribution contract
with USG renewed
In the picture Mr Toh Chee Lit (USG Shangai President) Mr Bertoni’s
shaking hand after the signing of the agreement
BN31 • 3rd Quarter 2002 9

IRAN CONMIN 2002
Berco at the Teheran fair
The 5th edition of the Teheran
international construction
machinery equipment fair took
place from the 10th to the 14th
of June 2002. Berco was
represented at the fair by
KHAYBAR (the Berco dealer for
Iran), amongst whose exhibits
there was a D8N undercarriage,
and HEPCO, a local construction
company exhibiting an 18-ton
excavator with a Berco
undercarriage. Berco has been
working with Khaybar since 1988-
DORKOMEXPO 2002
Red Square ‘invaded’ (peacefully, this time)
by tracked vehicles
From the 27th to the 31st of
May this year, right in the
middle of the famous Red Square
in Moscow, the fourth edition
of the International Fair of
Highway and Urban Maintenance
and Works took place.
Amongst the many exhibitors,
there was the Russian
manufacturer CTZ with its new
190 HP D10 tractor, based on
the T170 model, the tractor that
Berco developed the entire
undercarriage for during the
course of last year.
The more than 100 CTZ dealers
in the countries of the former
Soviet Union were also very happy
with the agreement with Berco,
especially with the benefits this
brought in terms of the
undercarriage quality and
performance, which led to an
actual increase in business.
This fair is a very important stage
89, and since then, thanks to the
great efforts and professionalism
of the Iranian company, sales on
the Iranian market have been
constantly increasing. In particular,
over the last 2 years there has
been a significant rise in sales,
NEXT FAIRS
In the picture: Mr Poli (Berco Area
Manager), Mr Azim (Khaybar
Managing Director), Mr Fabbri
(Berco Commercial Director),
Mr Ghamshari (business associate
of Mr Poli), Ms Bonatto Revello
(Berco) and Mr Shaidi (Khaybar)
with increases of over 25%.
Berco’s activities are also
supported in Iran by Area Manager
Franco Poli, who coordinates
business and marketing operations
from the Teheran offices, offering
an excellent service to the
customers and making an
important contribution to Berco’s
image in the country.
>AUTOMECHANIKA
17-22 September 2002
Frankfurt, Germany
HALL 8.0 STAND H57
>BIMU
3-8 October 2002
Milan, Italy
HALL 20I STAND D03/C04
>SAIE
16-20 October 2002
Bologna, Italy
HALL 30 STAND B74
>BAUMA CHINA
5-8 November 2002
Shanghai, China
in the consolidation of the
relationship between Berco and CTZ.
After these positive beginnings, a
series of new joint projects are about
to be launched for the development
of new machines with Berco
undercarriages, naturally.

UNDERCARRIAGE SCHOOL
Two technical training seminars organised in Malaysia
The two training seminars,
organised by Triumphal
Associates Bhd and Berco Spa,
were held on the 4th and 6th of
March in Kuala Lumpur and Miri
in Malaysia. The two events, which
were also published in the local
press, were attended by more
than 250 guests, including
customers, dealer personnel and
engineers from all over the country.
In the course, the lecturer, Carlo
Bellini (Berco Product Support
Manager) used diagrams, photos,
films and a series of
demonstrations to explain to his
‘students’ how an undercarriage
works, the main types of wear
on different kinds of terrain,
methods and procedures for
CHILE, MINING ACTIVITY
CONSOLIDATED
Simma signs an important agreement
with the country’s main mining company
For the second time in a row, Simma S.A. the exclusive Berco dealer
for Chile, signed a ‘Servicing and repair’ contract with Codelco,
the country’s main mining company. The agreement involves the
supply of spare parts and maintenance for the CAT D9N, D10N/R
and Komatsu D375 A2/A3 machines at the open pit mines in
Chuquicamata and Radomiro Tomic, both situated in the north of
the country. As a result of the contract, Simma will carry out
undercarriage repair and maintenance work both in its Antofagasta
workshop/branch and directly in the field, with a specialised
engineer who will oversee the work of the tracked machines in the
mines on a round-the-clock
basis. The aim is to reduce
unscheduled machine downtime
to zero, in order to maximise
the output of the bulldozers
working in these big mines. The
contract, which will last 2 years,
is the well-deserved prize for
the professionalism and efforts
of Simma and the high quality
of the products and services
offered to this important customer
since 1999.
servicing and checking
components and the golden rules
to be followed for getting the
best performance results and
longer life.
From left to right: Andrés Jiménez
(Service & Parts Manager
Simma), Alberto Nuñez and Lev
Ayca (Codelco) and Italo Zaffiri
(Head of Simma’s Antofagasta
branch), immediately after
signing the contract.
The seminars proved to be an
excellent occasion for meeting,
talking and exchanging
experiences, with the guests
contributing in a lively way to
Wolrlwide News
the days’ proceedings with
numerous questions and
comments, making the event a
real success to be repeated in
the future.
T.I.A.F. 2002
4th Iran International Automobile Fair
The 4th edition of the International Automobile, maintenance and
repair equipment fair took place in Tehran from the 24th to the 28th
of June. Poshtiban Abzar Parts Company, Mr. Rouzbeh Ghafelehbashi
and Mr. A.Prampolini represented Berco at the fair. The new dealer for
Iran, for the event, put in place a nice stand that has drawn the
attention of many customers during the 5 days of the show. Iran is going
through a major phase of development and strong economical growth
(as confirmed also by the significant increase of sales in the undercarriage
market) and for this reason Berco has recently focused time and
resources together with the new dealer in order not to miss this
opportunity. The outcome is very encouraging, considering that, also
during the exhibition, a lot of commercial negotiations with new
customers have taken place and will certainly bring good results in the
near future.
BN31 • 3rd Quarter 2002 11

12
Inside Berco
BN31 • 3rd Quarter 2002
Bicycle lovers
In what is now a time-honoured
tradition, on the 6th of April of
this year the 6th edition of the
Berco Bicycle Rally took place,
an essential date in the diaries of
all bicycle lovers amongst Berco’s
past and present employees.
The event saw about 60 riders
astride their beloved bicycles,
following a route of approximately
Yet again, on the 23rd of June
this year, there was the ‘Berco
Grand Prix – Town of Copparo” a
traditional Copparo race dating
from the fifties that has been
resurrected and sponsored by
Berco. The race, a 145.6 km course
over 28 laps, is reserved for the
‘Elite’ and ‘Under 23’ categories.
They started in 80, but only 15
made it to the finish. The torrid
heat was too much for most of the
competitors in this third edition
50 km on a cloudy, windy day.
Although the ride is noncompetitive,
with no final placings,
it is, however, an occasion that
brings great satisfaction, with
many little personal challenges
and triumphs.At the end of the
‘race’, the participants gathered
in the factory yard to replenish
their energy with a good meal.
A SATURDAY MOTORBIKE RIDE IN THE MOUNTAINS
On the 22nd of June of this year the Company Social
Club organised the much-awaited 2002 edition
of the Berco Motorbike Rally. The first group of
50 motorbikes left Copparo at 8:00 on the Saturday
morning and headed off towards Cittadella (near
Padua) where they met up with another 20
motorcycles ridden by their friends and colleagues
from Castelfranco. Then, all together, they set
off for the Asiago mountain plain, going through
the towns of Marostica, Breganze, Salcedo,
Lusiana, Asiago and Gallio and then down through
Enego towards Valsugana. Next stop for the
group, about eighty bikers and pillion riders in all,
was a small restaurant next to the river in Cornale
for lunch. One of the finest sights was undoubtedly
the long stream of motorbikes snaking its way round
the hairpin bends on the road leading down from
Enego to Brenta.
The 6th Berco bicycle rally
BERCO GRAND PRIX
National bicycle race for amateurs
of the Grand Prix, organised by the
Millo group of Copparo.
After a series of initial skirmishes,
the race was taken over by a
breakaway group of about thirty
riders at about 40 kilometres
from the finishing post. Further
breakaway attempts were
thwarted, with the number of
competitors falling drastically
under the fierce heat of the sun.
First across the finishing line was
Leonardo Caneschi from Bologna.

Berco Social Club Grand Prix
Race reserved for the Company’s teams of the region
On Saturday June 22nd the first edition of the “Berco Social Club
Race” took place in Copparo. The race is reserved for amateurs
that are members of the “Unione degli amatori del Ciclismo” of
the Emilia Romagna region.
The race, starting and finishing in front of the Berco plant, had a
course of 100km. 28 company’s teams took place to the competition
and the Berco team received a nice cup after finishing the race at
the 7th place. At the end of the event, all the 19 members of the
team were very satisfied for the good result and celebrated together
with a nice meal.
“STELLA AL MERITO DEL LAVORO”
The greatest award for devotion to work
On the 1st of May 2002, the presentation
ceremony for the "Stella al Merito del
Lavoro" (‘star of merit for services to
work’), the highest award in the Italian
Republic for employees in the world of
work, took place in the Bologna’s
Municipal Theatre. Amongst the 11
people from Ferrara receiving awards
there was Claudio Vaccari, a Department Supervisor at Berco.
Our warmest congratulations to Mr. Vaccari for the efforts made
and the recognition obtained.
THIRD ON THE
WINNERS’ PODIUM
Berco team in European company football tournament
Berco team in European company football tournament
Industrial prizes aren’t enough for Berco: now it’s on the hunt for sporting
trophies as well. The two company football teams (11-a-side and 7a-side)
took part in the European Company Football Tournament, in
Prague, where they played against big names such as Lufthansa,
BASF and Philips. The teams were accompanied by a total of 52
organisers and supporters. And Berco honoured its name by winning
a glorious third place in the tournament.
BERCO MEETS
THE SCHOOLS
Student stages and training schemes
For years, Berco, on the basis of agreements with the technical
and commercial institutes in the Ferrara and Treviso provincial
districts, has been organising student training stages in its
factories.
The stages are generally towards the end of the school year and
can last from three to six weeks. The students, aged from 17
to 19, are assigned to a tutor, generally the manager of the
department in question, who follows their progress throughout
the experience and organises the stages in the department on
the basis of the students’ choice of subjects.
The stages start in the assigned departments with an explanation
of the workplace health and safety rules. Finally, accompanied
by the department supervisors and more skilled workers, the
students have the opportunity to verify the theories learnt at
school and to get to know the world of work in a context
characterised by its high level of professionalism and technology,
taking part in the production process first hand. And then,
very often, at the end of the stage, the company gives the
students the chance to be employed with a regular short-term
contract during the summer, up to the start of the next school
year.
This year, in the Copparo factory, three stages have been
organised, with the CESTA vocational training centre in Copparo
and the ITIS and IPSIA technical high schools in Ferrara, with
a total of 18 students being placed in different areas of the
company. A fourth scheme has been agreed with the accountancy
and IT course of the Ferrara Technical and Commercial High School,
in which two female students will be placed in the Supplies
Management Office and Planning, Logistics and Machine Tools
Management Office for about a month. In Castelfranco, two
schemes have been organised with the Treviso Technical and
Professional High School, in which four students will be deployed
in various departments in the month of June. Here too, as in
Copparo, Berco will employ the students for the rest of the
summer, along with another 11 from the technical high schools.
BN31 • 3rd Quarter 2002 13

14
Meetings & Activities
“ThyssenKrupp best” COMES TO BERCO
Innovations, improvements and transfer of "best practice" within the TK Group
The “ThyssenKrupp best”
program, launched in the
group a few months ago,
continues to grow in importance,
so much so that the Chairman of
ThyssenKrupp AG, Prof. Schulz,
has decided to take personal
responsibility of the scheme (see
photo).
“ThyssenKrupp best” (‘best’ stands
for ‘business excellence in service
and technology’) was born out of
the need to cope with a general
weakening in the world economy,
which, when combined with a
marked increase in competition,
has made it increasingly difficult
for our group to achieve its set
targets.
The “ThyssenKrupp best” program
is based on the awareness of
the fact that our group has a
pool of highly qualified personnel
and that, in order to use its
potential to the best advantage,
BN31 • 3rd Quarter 2002
Prof. Schulz
activities have to be structured
in such a way as to work better,
faster, and in a more efficient
and customer-oriented way. The
consequence of this will be an
overall increase in performance.
The proposed approach will then
become a permanent component
of the work culture in
ThyssenKrupp, multiplying know-
how and transferring the method
within the Group itself.
Berco’s ‘kick-off meeting’ in the
scheme was held on the 23rd
of April this year, in the presence
of Prof. Willi Predöhl,
“ThyssenKrupp best” activities
coordinator in the Technologies
Division, together with Dr. Bertoni,
Dr. Saturni, Dr. Schmitz-
Meimbresse, Dr. Bacilieri and
Doctors Vallese, Marzari, Baraldi,
Neodo, Micheletto and Guzzinati.
The meeting formalised our
company’s participation in the
project and laid down guidelines
on responsibilities, spheres of
action and times.
Ludovico Guzzinati was named
as coordinator of the program
in Berco.
Following this, on the 6th of
June, there was an opportunity
to learn more about Pl@za, the
IT communications platform
SPECIAL GUESTS
International ThyssenKrupp delegation
visits Copparo
supporting “ThyssenKrupp best”,
where all the data and
information on the hundreds of
current projects in the Group
are stored.
Karsten Edelburg, from the
ThyssenKrupp Technologies
Division, is in charge of Pl@za,
and he illustrated the system
capabilities in the context of
the first four Berco projects, on
roller assembly, roller components
management, shoes machining
and seal groups manufacture.
Anna Trevissoi has been made
responsible for Pl@za in Berco.
Over the next few months there
will be regular meetings to
monitor the progress of the
projects and increase Berco
personnel’s involvement in the
“ThyssenKrupp best” program.
In May of this year, 10 members of the ThyssenKrupp
Workers’ Council, accompanied by the Technologies
Division Human Resources Director, Goetz Sadtler,
visited our factory in Copparo.
The delegation arrived in Ferrara on Thursday the
16th of May and, after visiting the city, had an
initial meeting over dinner with company
representatives and members of the Copparo factory
Joint Trades Union Committee.
The Managing Director formally welcomed the
guests together with the Joint Trades Union
Committee on the morning of the17th, giving
them a brief outline of the history of Berco, the range
of products and facts and figures on the personnel,
with particular emphasis on the investments that
have had to be made over the last few years

(including those in employee
technical training) to keep abreast
of the growth and development
process in this period and to
guarantee the achievement of
future goals. In his account, Dr.
Bertoni also stressed that Berco
has been able to achieve its
On the 12th of June, in
Copparo, there was the first
“Italy Materials Management
Conference”, a working group
set up to identify the possible
areas of synergy in purchasing
between the various Italian
ThyssenKrupp companies.
The conference was organised
once again by Hans-Jörg Barth,
Manager of the ThyssenKrupp
AG Materials Management
Corporate Division, who has been
active for years in coordinating
the companies in the German
multinational and is constantly
searching for areas where savings
can be made in purchasing.
Amongst other things, Mr. Barth
is heading a working group known
as “TOOLS” which, for its work
here in Copparo in 2000, was
presented with the prestigious
“Synergy Award”, an annual
ThyssenKrupp Group award for
outstanding achievements in the
organisation, dissemination and
implementation of synergy
management processes.
Lately, Mr. Barth, as well as leading
existing working groups, such
as the one on machine tools and
robot systems, has also been
leading position in the world
thanks also to the efforts of all the
workers and the good trade union
relations in the company.
After the meeting, the Joint Trades
Union Committee members and
company representatives took
Dr. Sadtler and the ThyssenKrupp
involved with the creation of
new groups for developing
common strategies in purchasing
areas that are easier to manage
at a local level, in countries where
there are several ThyssenKrupp
companies (e.g. England, France
and Italy).
The 12th of June meeting, opened
by Giovanni Bertoni, was attended
by Winfried Schülke, Mr. Barth’s
union delegates on a guided tour
around the factory. Our guests
were thus able to see for
themselves the extent of
investment and technological
innovation at Berco, and were
particularly impressed by the
newly installed automated lines
“ITALY MATERIALS
MANAGEMENT CONFERENCE”
Synergy and cooperation between the companies in the ThyssenKrupp Group
co-worker, Klaus Herr of Rothe
Erde Metallurgica Rossi, Mario
Francescato of Novoferm
Schievano, Giovanni Perni of
ThyssenKrupp Acciai Speciali
Terni and, for Berco, Bruno Saturni,
Enrico Bacilieri, Leonardo Bellini
and Ludovico Guzzinati.
Amongst the various topics
discussed, particular attention
was devoted to the questions of
in the production areas, the maxipress
line and the new Lynx 2000
orbital grinder.
The union delegation’s visit ended
with lunch at the “Da Giuseppe”
restaurant amidst mutual gratitude
for a highly interesting experience.
electrical energy, methane and
telecommunications, and it was
decided to form a task force that
will take a careful look at all the
possible synergies in these areas
over the next few months.
The next Italy Materials
Management Conference is fixed
for the start of November,
probably in ThyssenKrupp Acciai
Speciali Terni.
BN31 • 3rd Quarter 2002 15

EDUCATION ON THE ENVIRONMENT
FOR BERCO EMPLOYEES
Training and awareness courses started in January
on safeguarding the environment in line with ISO 14001
Point 4.4.2 of UNI EN ISO 14001,
the standard applied by Berco
in its environmental management
system, is entitled “training,
awareness and responsibilities”.
This point stresses how proper
training and awareness of the
personnel in an organisation are
absolutely indispensable factors
in achieving the certification and
launching a process of continuous
improvement.
This need is further underlined
by higher management’s conviction
that all personnel, no matter what
their roles and levels, must be
made aware of the various
environmental problems related
to our factory if pollution is to
be prevented in an effective,
enlightened way.
And so, what began as compliance
with a point in the standard has
been developed into a valid and
important occasion for launching
an ‘environmental awareness’
campaign, based on the importance
of the company conforming to
an environmental policy and
centering on the explanation of
the commitments taken concerning
environmental protection and on
the possible consequences of the
work we perform. Each one of us
is an essential element in improving
the company’s environmental
performance, not only because
the things we do can have a direct
impact on the environmental
resources around us, but also
because the achievement of a
company goal is made possible
thanks also to the high value of
our individual input and actions,
as these too contribute to the
attainment of ‘good general
behaviour in relation to the
environment’.
In1999, when the concept of an
environmental management
system was first introduced, a
whole series of training courses for
Berco personnel was planned.
These courses are in 8-hour or
16-hour modules, in which staff
learn about the UNI EN ISO 14001
Standard, what it means to adopt
an environmental management
system and the most significant
environmental aspects of our own
particular situation (i.e. the
management of waste, dumps,
effluent, the production of noise
with an external impact, the
rationalisation of the use of
resources, etc.).
This year too, the scheduled
training meetings ran from January
to March, with two groups of
department supervisors and team
leaders from different Berco areas
attending the course in the rooms
made available in the CESTA
training centre on alternating
Saturday mornings.
A number of different topics were
touched on in the meetings:
‘sustainable growth’, voluntary
management systems, environmental
reference standards, waste, water,
air and soil.
In addition, all the environmental
procedures adopted in our factory
were looked at as a whole, with
descriptions of the pollution
prevention systems, discussions
on the daily problems arising and,
finally, remarks and suggestions.
And it was from one of these
suggestions that the proposal to
organise a ‘guided tour’ around all
the most significant environmental
aspects of our factory arose.
Consequently, on the 11th of April
many department supervisors and
team leaders could be seen
‘abandoning’ their departments
and the classroom for a while to
take a look at the ‘environmental
management’ of our factory first
hand, like a group of inquisitive
first-time visitors following the
strange route marked out by the
various features of the Ecology
and Environment Service.
And so, if the problem of water was
initially, for them, a procedure
based on simply calling out the
specialist service concerned, the
‘tour’ allowed them to look at the
entire question in all its finest
details: the new purification
system, a comparison between
the old and new systems, the
problems involved in controlling
water, and so on.
The same thing for waste: after
looking at the differential waste
collection methods in the
departments they went on to see
the old and new dumps with all
their special characteristics and
systems. The meeting was a
success, and we can say this with
great satisfaction because the
objective was achieved.
In thanking all those who took
part in the training experience,
not only for their attendance but
also for their precious suggestions,
we would like to end this article
with a comment made by one of
the participants: “When I asked to
see the new purification unit and
the new dump, I somehow thought
I was asking about something
not really all that essential, but now
I’m convinced that it was very
useful, and nothing like I thought
it would be”. Somebody else added:
“today, many of us have touched
on the real substance and scale of
the company with our own hands,
not only in the physicalgeometrical
sense, but above all
in the technological sense, with
an understanding of how it is
projected into the future in terms
of respect for the environment”.