Annual Report 2010 - Knorr-Bremse AG.

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Projects
2010 saw Knorr-Bremse further improve its capabilities, extending its product portfolio and thus
strengthening its market lead in many areas with a combination of newly established sites, joint
ventures and acquisitions. In China, for example, many of its production sites were expanded,
and in Munich the first and only testing center outside Russia for GOST-standard brake equipment
used in Russia and the Commonwealth of Independent States went into operation.
Brake equipment assembly in Russia
In September, Knorr-Bremse completed preparations for the assembly of disc brakes and compressors
in the Russian city of Voronezh. Production at the new facility promises to strengthen the company’s
presence in the country and enable even more Russian trains to be directly supplied with products
tailored to local market requirements. Knorr-Bremse’s collaboration with OAO Vagonremmash, a subsidiary
of Russian railway company RZD, is an important partnership that could bring further orders from
the Russian rail market.
The disc brakes manufactured in Voronezh will be initially installed in mainline passenger cars built by
OAO TVZ – but can also be used in other vehicle types. The oil-free compressors assembled at the same
plant are suitable for electric multiple units or locomotives.
Knorr-Bremse’s aim is to be able to deliver customized equipment from Voronezh for all Russian vehicle
types. To guarantee high quality standards the assembly line has been designed along the lines of the
Knorr Production System (KPS), with globally tested quality standards applied.
With its new production facility for disc brakes and compressors Knorr-Bremse is building on a long
tradition of business activity in Russia. Back in the 1960s, the former Knorr-Bremse parent plant in East
Berlin supplied braking equipment for Soviet passenger trains, and today, Knorr-Bremse equipment is
used in mainline trains, locomotives and multiple units. Prestigious Russian high-speed trains like the
Siemens Sapsan or the Alstom Allegro also use Knorr-Bremse braking equipment and on-board systems.