Annual Report 2010 - Knorr-Bremse AG.

MANAGEMENT REPORT
17
the acquisition of Anchor Brake Shoe LLC, West Chicago,
USA.
Knorr-Bremse subsidiary Knorr-Bremse Asia Pacific (Holding)
Ltd., Hong Kong, China, acquired the Australian heating,
ventilation and air-conditioning (HVAC) systems specialist
Sigma Transit Systems Pty. Ltd., Wetherill Park,
Australia. While Knorr-Bremse has to date supplied HVAC
systems primarily in China, Europe and the Americas, this
move will enable the company to access the growth markets
of Southeast Asia, India and Australia in particular. As a
result of the acquisition, the Knorr-Bremse Group is now
the world‘s leading manufacturer of rail vehicle HVAC systems.
By acquiring a majority stake in Heine Resistors GmbH, a
manufacturer of special-purpose resistors based in Dresden,
Germany, Knorr-Bremse subsidiary Microelettrica Scientifica
S.p.A., Milan, Italy, reinforced its capabilities in the
field of power systems. With decades of experience, Heine
ranks among the most renowned developers and manufacturers
of resistors for drive technology and rail vehicles.
Knorr-Bremse subsidiary Knorr-Bremse Rail Systems (UK)
Ltd., Melksham, UK, acquired the main electronic components
business of Precimax Precision Engineering Ltd., Bristol,
UK.
Overall, these acquisitions had no substantial effect on the
assets, financial status and profitability of the Knorr-Bremse
Group in fiscal 2010.
Major projects
Knorr-Bremse made good use of the healthier business environment
in 2010 to pursue its strategy of safeguarding
the company’s long-term health as well as to drive forward
numerous projects. Aligned with Knorr-Bremse’s regional
approach, this enabled the company to further enhance its
global market position in a series of business areas and
thereby ensure its commercial success.
As part of the ongoing strategic development of the
Group‘s production plants, the new Rail Vehicle Systems
plant in Budapest was opened in July 2010. As well as
boosting capacity, under the heading of the “5-day factory”
the new plant also implements innovative production and
logistics concepts based on the globally standardized
Knorr-Bremse Production System (KPS). The new development
and production facility replaces the old factory located
in the immediate vicinity.
At the new factory, Knorr-Bremse manufactures bogie
equipment components such as brake caliper units and
block brakes. The product portfolio also includes brake
control components, such as brake panels and valves, as
well as a virtually complete range of components for
freight cars and individual air supply elements. Along with
the production facilities, Knorr-Bremse has also expanded
the research and development function at the new plant.
The primary focus here is on brake actuators, software,
technical calculation and testing.
June 2010 also witnessed the official opening of a new
Commercial Vehicle Systems plant in Liberec (Czech Republic).
As a value stream factory, like the Budapest plant
this new facility too permits the KPS-based implementation
of advanced production and logistics concepts. In Liberec
Knorr-Bremse manufactures commercial vehicle
braking system components such as brake cylinders and
clutch servo units, foot- and handbrake valves, and air dryer
cartridges. When the transfer of operations had been
completed, the former production facility in Hejnice was
closed down.
In China the Rail Vehicle Systems division geared up to
meet the ever-increasing market requirements and invested
in the progressive expansion of production capacity. At