Annual Report 2010 - Knorr-Bremse AG.

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Projects
During 2010 Knorr-Bremse further strengthened its market position in the commercial vehicle
sector with a wide range of different projects. In Russia, for example, a new torsional vibration
damper assembly line was opened, and in Kecskemét, Hungary, the one millionth air treatment
unit was produced. In response to growing demand in the Chinese market, Knorr-Bremse also
paved the way for transferring an entire disc brake assembly line from its German site in Aldersbach
to Dalian, China.
New damper assembly line opens in Russia
In May 2010 a new assembly line for dampers started up at Knorr-Bremse KAMA in Naberezhnye
Chelny in the Russian Republic of Tatarstan. This joint venture between Knorr-Bremse and Russia’s biggest
truck manufacturer, KAMAZ, produces torsional vibration dampers for the Russian market. Currently
some 250 truck dampers leave the assembly line during every shift. Locating production in Naberezhnye
Chelny has considerably increased supply chain flexibility, as products previously shipped
from Europe to Russia can now be produced locally.
This establishment of local production facilities in Russia is part and parcel of Knorr-Bremse’s global strategy
of ensuring that products are manufactured directly in the market in which they are to be sold as far
as possible. The strategy has proved highly successful: since it was first set up the new Russian joint venture
has grown steadily and expanded production despite the difficult economic circumstances.
Milestone in Kecskemét
A milestone was passed in the production of air treatment equipment at Knorr-Bremse in March 2010,
when the company’s plant in Kecskemét, Hungary turned out its one millionth APU (Air Processing
Unit). The APU in question is a pneumatically controlled unit for air treatment in commercial vehicles
that combines several different functions in a single item of equipment. Among other things, it comprises
an air dryer with pressure regulator, as well as a four-circuit safety valve with one or more integrated
pressure limiters. Production of the one-millionth APU is a further step forward in the long
success story of Knorr-Bremse: The first such units to feature in a standard production model appeared
in the Mercedes Actros truck over ten years ago. Since 1997 Iveco and DAF have also been using air
processing units from Knorr-Bremse to replace their previous stand-alone air dryers and multi-circuit
safety valves.