Annual Report 2010 - Knorr-Bremse AG.

60 RepoRt | RAIL VeHICLe SYSteMS
In June 2010 two workshops were set up for production of HVAC systems for high-speed trains. A
month later, three assembly lines went into service, producing, amongst other things, air heaters, exhaust
systems and mixing boxes.
Output doubled in Qingdao
Massive growth in demand for high-speed train door systems mean that IFE-VICTALL in Qingdao had
to double its average monthly output with effect from early January 2010. Expansion of the company’s
production capacity was also used as an opportunity to redesign processes in line with the principles
of the globally standardized Knorr Production System (KPS) and introduce the basic concept of a
“5-day factory”, in which the throughput time for a product is reduced to a maximum of five days.
First Gautrain line opened
The Gautrain’s first track section was opened in the South African capital
Johannesburg just in time for the start of the 2010 Soccer World Cup.
Knorr-Bremse’s contribution to the 24 modern Electrostar trains built by the Bombela Consortium cannot
be missed: the company has supplied the entire electro-pneumatic braking system including oilfree
compressor and sanding system. And Knorr-Bremse subsidiary IFE supplied each Gautrain with 16
access systems and four cab doors.
The new 80-kilometer express link is a showcase project when it comes to expansion of South Africa’s
public transportation network. Running at speeds of up to 160 kilometers per hour, the Gautrain is one