issue 03/2011
the man group magaZineforum
Lift to in the heavens
How the world’s tallest
transportable free fall tower
travels with MAN trucks
spinning for safety
What helicopter gears must
bear in the testing facility of
RENK Test System Systems
worLd in motion
Why global mobility will
increase sixfold six-fold in in the
decades to come
Musical MaritiMe voyage
this massive hall of MaN Diesel & turbo’s Primeserv academy usually serves as
a training site for engineers working on huge ship engines. this summer, it became
the venue for a special concert played by the augsburg Philharmonic orchestra,
with its musicians seeking “Far-away Maritime Worlds”, and invoking melodies that
reflect the magic of the seas. the musical voyage was visually framed by one remaining
diesel giant at the back of the stage and a four-stroke single cylinder unit dating
back to 1906, set up next to the glass frontage of the hall.
masthead
MAN ForuM – the MAN Group magazine
is published four times a year in German and English.
Published by MAN SE,
Andreas Lampersbach, Corporate Communications,
Ungererstrasse 69, 80805 Munich, Germany
www.man.eu
editors-iN-ChieF Claudia Weber, Inés Gutiérrez,
Tel.: +49. 89. 36098-384, Fax: +49. 89. 36098-382,
E-Mail: forum@man.eu
PublishiNg house Burda Creative Group GmbH/
BurdaYukom Publishing,
Konrad-Zuse-Platz 11, 81829 Munich, Germany
Tel.: +49. 89. 30620-0, Fax: +49. 89. 30620-100,
www.burdayukom.com
editors Klaus-Peter Hilger (resp.), Kirti Letsch
iNterNAtioNAl editors Patricia Preston,
Asa C. Tomash
MANAgiNg editor Marlies Viktorin
CoNtributors Katharina Becker, Dr. Martin Kaluza,
Christine Karl, Verena Nitsche, Barbara Rott, Marcus
Schick, David Selbach
CreAtive direCtor Anita Mrusek
Art direCtor Robert Neuhauser
Photo editors Michelle Otto (resp.),
Elke Latinovic, Anka Müller, Benno Sänger,
Cover F1online
ePP Silvana Mayrthaler
ProduCtioN Wolfram Götz (resp.),
Franz Kantner, Cornelia Sauer
PriNtiNg Pinsker Druck und Medien GmbH,
84048 Mainburg, Germany
Printed on Galaxi Supermat
reProduCtioN permitted with reference.
Any changes must be coordinated with the editors.
CoPyright ©2011 by MAN SE
and Burda Creative Group GmbH
>>> iN tANdeM toWArds suCCess
First entering the job market or embarking on a career
is often not easy. Conflicts must be resolved
and far-reaching decisions be made. In such situations,
it helps to exchange ideas with someone who
has already been through them. This is precisely the
point of mentoring: People with experience in life
and their professions act as mentors, standing by
the side of those who are at the onset of their careers.
MAN supports numerous programs, where
students or junior executives are accompanied by a mentor for a certain period of time.
What our author Katharina Becker did not suspect, was how much the old hands also
profited from the exchange with young people. Apparently, guiding and supporting others
can be a way to explore one’s own self (page 20).
>>> Meet the big MAN
Since this spring, the agricultural machinery manufacturer
Krone has been traveling the western United States to present
its forage harvester of the latest generation in action. The
motto of the road show is “Meet the big MAN,” a reference to
the MAN diesel engines up to 1,078 hp strong that drive the giant
machines. The interested audience was especially impressed
by the smooth running of the motor, reports Hartwig
Janssen, North American Krone sales manager: “We often
heard that the machine doesn’t sound like a diesel at all.” A
statement, by the way, that had our author Martin Kaluza
take notice. For MAN agricultural machinery customers had said the almost identical thing
before: The tractors built by MAN under the designation ‘Ackerdiesel’ until 1963 were already
considered atypical of diesels at that time—and ran extra smoothly (page 42).
>>> MeetiNg the Future With oPtiMisM
In March of this year, 219 children lost their parents on the
east coast of Japan. This is only one of the sad statistics emerging
from the Tōhoku earthquake and the resulting tsunami. In
her conversation with Ko Sasaki, the president of MAN Diesel
& Turbo Japan Ltd., our colleague Kirti Letsch was moved by
the optimism shining through when he spoke about the future
of his country. In April 2011, MAN SE donated generously
to the SOS Children’s Village in Fukuoka. The funds are designated
for the construction of a second SOS Children’s Village
in the center of the area affected by the earthquake (page 9).
forum 03/2011 03
contributors
04
standards
02 PERSPEcTIVE
03 conTRIbuToRS
03 MaSThEad
47 foRuM quIz
30
20
42
10
news
06 Additional traineeships; record sales for MAN
Latin America; compressors for gas storage
project; new MAN Board member; contribution to
SOS Children’s Village in Japan; hybrid truck test
interview
10 ‘mobility could increase sixfold’
Stephen Perkins heads the think tank for future
traffic, logistics and environmental issues at the
OECD in Paris. An exchange about the worldwide
mobility needs of tomorrow.
feature
14 master of free fall
At 66 meters in length, the Power Tower is
the highlight at every fair for those with heads
for heights. MAN trucks carry the world’s tallest
free-fall tower from town to town.
technology
26 powerful all-rounder
It feeds a small town with energy, balances
electricity supply fluctuations of wind turbines or
melts plastics: a close-up of the new six-megawatt
gas turbine of MAN Diesel & Turbo.
30 surge of savings
Recently introduced and revolving very slowly, the
G-engine of MAN Diesel & Turbo allows for the
application of even larger ship propellers. The result:
fuel savings of up to seven percent.
32 groundwork for iron birds
Helicopter gears must meet the highest of
reliability standards. At the RENK Test System
GmbH site in Augsburg, Germany, they are
tested to the very limit.
company
20 the value of experience
Within the MAN Group, mentoring programs
are a vital instrument for HR development:
Participants relate how they work and how to
benefit from these plans.
38 looking for the best solution
The new Service Engineering department at
MAN Truck & Bus keeps a very close eye on
the customer. On how to improve structures
and processes for optimized service quality.
forum 03/2011 05
contents
42 from motor plow to giant chippers
For the last nine decades, MAN machinery has
worked the land. Once motorized by 21 hp, the
strongest agricultural equipment now runs with
up to 1,078 hp. The milestones of a long tradition.
46 closing words
Be it during training or rising through the ranks of
management—intensive facilitation and personal
guidance play a key role at MAN, explains Chief
Human Resources Officer, Jörg Schwitalla.
06
news
perfect double: Comedian Max giermann posing as
goalkeeper oliver Kahn in the “Man kahn” campaign.
> CaMpaign
Bus comedy with Oliver Kahn
together with the Man soccer team bus,
the legendary german goalkeeper oliver
Kahn and comedian Max giermann, known
from the “switch reloaded” television
sketch show, are the stars in 12 video clips
created by Man se. the first episodes of
the german version are already live at www.
Manschaftsbus.de. Kahn and giermann—
playing the role of Kahn’s trainee—travel
across germany in Man’s football team
coach, experiencing the humorous side of
everyday soccer life. “Man kahn” is the title
of the comedy series, borrowed from the
company’s brand campaign slogan, “Man
kann” (“We are your Man”). the two actors
waxed enthusiastically about the campaign
concept: “the idea of the double Kahn
convinced me immediately,” says the goalie
of his first comedy role. “i have hardly ever
laughed as much as during filming with
Max giermann. He is a perfect double.”
and giermann adds: “filming with oliver
Kahn was fabulous. i’m looking forward
to the next episode.”
> Career opportunities for young people
Additional apprenticeship places
Man ramps up its training capacity,
creating additional apprenticeships
at its sites in germany.
For the start of this year’s vocational training program, the MAN Group will be
taking on one more trainee than originally planned at each of its German production
sites. This marks the company’s contribution to the campaign launched by
the IG Metall metals union in North Rhine - Westphalia under the slogan “One
extra training slot per company”, which MAN Diesel & Turbo has already taken
part in. According to Jörg Schwitalla,Chief Human Resources Officer at MAN SE,
“fostering young talent is a key factor in MAN’s ability to compete. We need young
and motivated people to remain globally competitive with our products and
services in the future.” Participating in the campaign, adds Schwitalla, will give
even more young people the opportunity to develop their talents, ideas and desire
to perform well, as they become acquainted with the diverse range of MAN’s technologies.
Overall, there are about 2,000 trainees working in MAN’s German plants
and sales offices, with the worldwide total at around 2,900.
Photos: Hauke Dressler, SOS Kinderdorf
> rECOrd SALES
Reaching the half million mark
After a mere 15 years, MAN Latin America has just produced
its 500,000th vehicle at its factory in resende,
Brazil. Located in the south of the federal state rio de
Janeiro, the plant produces trucks of the Constellation,
Worker and delivery series as well as bus chassis for the
Volksbus model. The sales figures were also a cause for
celebration: With 5,200 vehicles sold, July 2011 was the
best July in company history. in the first half of 2011,
MAN Latin America had already reinforced the position
of market leader in the truck segment that it has held for
the last eight years, by increasing its market share from
28.1 to 30.6 percent.
New truck delivery: Almost one truck
out of three rolling on the streets of
Brazil comes from MAN Latin America.
> SOS ChiLdrEN’S ViLLAgE
Employees lend a hand
forum 03/2011 07
Energetic employees make for
enthusiastic children: MAN supports commitment
to young people and their offspring.
As of fall 2011, MAN Group employees can contribute half of one
workday to a pilot project to help at the vocational training center of
the SOS Children’s Village in Nuremberg. “MAN doesn’t just strive to
commit to social causes as a company. Our employees also wish to
do their share and we want to support that,” says Yvonne Benkert,
senior manager for Corporate Responsibility at MAN SE, who
initiated the project. The SOS Children’s Village currently supports
some 800 young people with challenging backgrounds who are just
entering their working lives. Remedial teaching better qualifies
them for vocational training or a job. In the meantime, the adjoining
day care center looks after their children. MAN staff can now
participate in four different projects: Renovating the youngsters’
communal quarters, offering job interview training to adolescents,
servicing the outdoor play equipment at the day care center or
reading aloud to small children indoors. If the Nuremberg pilot
project proves popular with employees, more projects are planned—
even on an international scale.
08
news
> EmployEE survEy
Every vote counts
lively interest: About
80 percent of all mAN
staff took part in
the employee survey.
From India to Brazil, from Denmark to South Africa: This year,
47,200 employees of the MAN Group had the opportunity of
participating in a Group-wide employee survey—with data privacy
and anonymity the number one priority. A response rate of
80 percent made for outstanding participation. The results of the
survey will provide a basis for discussing MAN’s strengths and
potential for improvement, as well as introducing concrete changes.
Based on the results, the Management Board of MAN SE has
identified a number of top issues for the MAN Group. The objective:
Continue to move MAN forward and boost employee satisfaction
levels. Jörg Schwitalla, Chief Human Resources Officer at MAN SE,
explains: “Apart from getting more openness and honesty into our
communications processes, we also need to make an even stronger
effort in making customers the focus of all our activities. And: We
intend to live our MAN management culture and make it tangible.”
radial compressors of this type
are supplied to the Netherlands
by mAN Diesel & Turbo.
> powEr supply
Compressors for gas storage project
The Abu Dhabi National Energy Company (PJSC) is currently
building western Europe’s largest gas reservoir in
the Netherlands. The gas storage facility will be built in
Alkmaar, near the North Sea, and feature a capacity of
4.1 billion cubic meters. MAN Diesel & Turbo was commissioned
to supply the entire compressor technology.
In all, the company will be delivering six compressor
systems. While proving highly efficient, MAN’s compressors
are also notable for their highly eco-friendly operations.
For example, the hermetic sealing of each unit ensures
that no gas can escape. Gas reservoirs are needed
in order to balance out seasonal fluctuations in consumption,
ensuring that a reliable supply of natural gas
is available at all times.
> humAN rEsourcEs
René Umlauft appointed to the Board
As of september 1, 2011, rené umlauft was
appointed a deputy member of the mAN sE
management Board. At the same time, the Berlin
native (46) became the cEo of the mAN division
mAN Diesel & Turbo. umlauft had been working
for siemens since 1991, most recently serving as
head of the company’s renewable Energy Division.
New appointment to the
mAN management Board:
As of fall 2011, rené
umlauft serves to bolster
the power Engineering
business unit.
Photo: Simon Katzer, Hauke Dressler
ko sasaki is president of MAn diesel &
Turbo Japan. in July 2011, he visited
the sOs Children’s Village in Fukuoka.
> A CALL TO ...
Ko Sasaki
MAN Forum: Hello, Mr. Sasaki. The events in
Fukushima earlier this year shocked the entire
world. How are you doing today?
Ko Sasaki: We are gradually recovering from the
catastrophe. In economic terms, things are looking
up, and progress is being made with the shutdown
of the Fukushima I atomic power station. At the
same time, the nuclear contamination of agricultural
products is alarming. The government needs
to take faster action to deal with this.
What is the mood like in the country?
Fairly optimistic. People’s willingness to help is astonishing.
A great many volunteers, including
many young people in particular, have come forward
to help with the work of reconstruction. There
is clear determination to recover from the catastrophe
and make a positive step forward.
You recently visited the SOS Children’s Village in
Fukuoka. Does it house many earthquake victims?
Fukuoka is too far from the affected area—about
1,100 kilometers. So SOS Children’s Villages want to
open a new place in Sendai. A generous donation
made by MAN SE should help to make this possible.
How could the work of the SOS Children’s
Village be described?
It is important for us to raise awareness and acceptance
levels for the Children’s Villages. The Children’s
Village in Fukuoka was only set up in 2010.
Until that time, there were few institutions of this
kind in Japan. Orphaned children are mostly sent to
children’s homes—foster families hardly exist at all.
There is growing interest, however. Since the Children’s
Village in Fukuoka opened a year ago, it has
already had 1,800 visitors.
What impressed you the most on your
recent visit?
It made me aware of what a lot of ground we have
to make up in this area. I was very impressed by
how passionate the staff members of the Children’s
Village feel about their work.
> ExpAnsiOn
New MAN site in Munich
> Hybrid TruCk TriAL
Customer tests in Munich
forum 03/2011 09
Easy access: the new MAn offices are
well connected with the public transport
network and the freeway.
since the beginning of 2011, the MAn Group has hired well over
1,000 additional staff members at locations in Munich. Thus, the
company is now opening a new business location, moving into
spacious offices in the parkstadt-schwabing complex located in
the north of the city. beginning in the fall of 2011, the 20,600
square meters of office space has housed employees of the sales
subsidiary MAn Truck & bus AG and MAn Finance international,
as well as some corporate departments of MAn sE.
MAN Truck & Bus is currently putting its new hybrid truck to the test in
Munich. In cooperation with wholesaler Arndt GmbH Co. KG, two MAN
TGL 12.220 Hybrid distribution trucks are used. The test operation is
intended to provide key empirical values that MAN can use for the
further optimization of its hybrid truck. Stefan Kerschl, project leader at
MAN Truck & Bus, comments: “Reliability, economy and environmental
friendliness are the crucial factors for hybrid drives if they are going to
succeed on the market. Using them in delivery vehicles will give us
valuable performance data under real conditions.” MAN Truck & Bus
expects the TGL Hybrid to cut fuel costs by as much as 15 percent.
10
interview
‘Mobility could increase sixfold’
In the coming years, trucks and buses will become increasingly important for the transport of passengers and
goods, forecasts Stephen Perkins, head of the Joint Transport Research Centre of the International Transport Forum
at the OECD in Paris. He explains how mobility can still be managed in a world with nine billion people.
MAN Forum: The world’s population is expected to reach the
seven billion mark this fall. In 2025 it will be eight billion,
and by 2050 more than nine billion. Is the volume of transport
increasing at the same rate?
Perkins: Actually, it’s increasing even faster. The number of passenger
kilometers will be multiplied three or four times over the
same period. In China, the number of trips taken could very likely
even be multiplied by six. This development also depends on the
question of whether China will follow the Japanese model—with
highly concentrated big cities and a well-developed public transport
system—or rather imitate the European and North American
pattern, with far-flung residential settlements.
Is that why mobility is increasing more rapidly than the
population? Because the Chinese are emulating the Europeans?
No, it is because incomes are rising. More and more people commute
from the suburbs to the city, the number of business trips is
growing and people take more holidays. The volume of freight is
rising at a disproportionate rate, because increasingly production
operations are distributed around the globe. It is still very much
cheaper to transport small quantities of unfinished products just
in time for final assembly than to ship big consignments which
have to be put into intermediate storage at the plant.
A growing proportion of freight transport is being handled
by road, by truck. Why is this?
Roads are everywhere, with a greater reach than other transport
modes. They are flexible, suited for the growing commercial
sector and also provide the first and final legs for other transport
channels. Road’s main competitor is rail. If the rail system were
to carry all of the forecast growth in freight, enormous investments
in infrastructure would be required. So it’s all about
making transport and logistics as efficient as possible. In this
regard, long trucks can also help reduce the number of vehicles
on the primary routes.
In many countries, high-capacity trucks are a controversial
topic. Critics are afraid that they present an increased risk of
accidents, because these vehicles are so difficult to control.
They are not difficult to control. In fact, they are equipped to
higher standards than the average vehicle. Braking performance
is better. The length of the vehicle means the benefits of some advanced
safety technologies such as lane guard systems are particularly
significant. Until such advanced technologies are required
on all vehicles, there is an opportunity for voluntary agreements
or special licensing arrangements for higher-capacity vehicles to
be equipped to the highest standards. The costs of these systems
can be easily covered, as long trucks are much more profitable
than conventional vehicles.
Will air travel, road and rail at least be more effectively
interlinked in future?
It’s hard to say. The problem is always the same: Reloading a consignment
from one mode of transport to another costs money. But
logistics businesses have strong incentives for finding the most efficient
combinations, as the transport operations of companies like
DHL and TNT show every day. Allowing the market to drive efficiencies
on all the modes is important to achieving efficient system-wide
intermodal links.
What about oil prices? How can road transport continue to
look more appealing than rail in future, when the cost of gas
goes on mounting as it has done in the past?
Despite increases in oil prices, other factors like labor and capital
weigh heavier in transport costs, and overall transport costs account
on average for only a few percentage points of the final cost of
goods. The cost of gas could continue to rise for quite a while without
changing the situation, and in real terms today’s oil price is only
around 10 percent higher than the peak in the second oil crisis in
1980. In addition, manufacturers such as MAN are developing technologies
to optimize engines, improve aerodynamics and reduce
Photo: Prisca Martaguet
“Long trucks are much more profitable
than conventional vehicles.”
Stephen Perkins, head of the Joint Transport Research Centre at the OECD
12
> personal profile
Stephen Perkins
stephen perkins heads the Joint Transport
research Centre of the international Transport
forum (iTf) at the organization for
economic Cooperation and Development
(oeCD) in paris. The iTf is an international
government organization that serves as a
transport policy think tank for its 52 member
states and organizes an annual meeting
of all ministers of transport in leipzig,
Germany. The newest member nation is
China, with official accession proceedings
currently underway. after completing his
studies in energy economics and environmental
science at imperial College london
and the University of east anglia, perkins
worked for the international energy agency
(iea) in paris, another oeCD branch. at the
iTf, the 51-year-old British national focuses
on regulation issues and pricing models
designed for managing congestion and reducing
environmental pollution.
drag and rolling resistance. All these improvements could reduce
fuel consumption and CO 2 emissions by 20 percent.
Do you think that electrical drives and hybrid truck engines are
the shape of the future for trucks?
The development of hybrid and electrical drives is moving fast
and I wouldn’t like to try to forecast the future here, but present
trends in the long-distance haulage market indicate that the diesel
engine has a clear advantage. For the inner city, for short-distance
trips, hybrid and electric drives are viable, however, and
have a great advantage in terms of noise. And at ports and on
plant premises where pollutant emissions are a problem, electric
drives are already taking over, such as in the ports of Los Angeles.
Back to infrastructure: You’ve said that it is hard to imagine how
existing roads will cope with so much more traffic. Isn’t this
especially true in fast-growing countries like China and India?
India has just launched a major road expansion program. And
China probably actually has more infrastructure capacity than it
needs—at least in critical areas like ports. The roads of western industrial
nations are in principle sufficient to handle the expected
growth—provided that money is invested in better transport management
systems.
Really? Central Europe is already choked by traffic jams...
Away from ports and other major freight generators, traffic jams
are mainly caused by passenger cars, so traffic management solutions
have to address cars as well as trucks. The best thing would be
a flexible toll, where the prices would vary in accordance with road
use, based on clearly defined and fair regulations. Technically, it
could be based on the German Toll Collect system, for instance.
Couldn’t intelligent control systems also help to regulate the
flow of traffic? By GPS and autopilot?
Photo: Prisca Martaguet
> freight traffic
Trucks will become the
backbone of global trade
experts forecast that the share of truck
traffic will grow to 73 percent of overall
freight traffic by 2030. especially china
will see a much increased significance
of trucks as a means of transportation.
Source: Transport Outlook 2011,
International Transport Forum
2005
2030
2050
92
89
Yes, indeed. Although the main advantage of the road system is
that drivers can decide for themselves how and where to travel.
Navigation systems that are permanently online and communicate
with one another can help guide traffic away from congested
links, however.
You seem to be assuming that there isn’t going to be any change
in the demand for mobility. Yet many young people in the
west are not actually concerned any more with having a car of
their own and are looking for alternatives.
That is indeed true. And there’s a whole raft of innovative approaches
which meet this trend. Car sharing for instance. Electrical
cars, provided at small charging stations around the city, similar
to hire cycles, are to be piloted in a number of cities including
Paris. You could also imagine contracts of the sort you get with a
mobile phone. The customer buys the electric car and rents the
battery, as that is the most expensive element.
84
SOUTH AMERICA
72
77
81
54
48
40
NORTH AMERICA
PACIFIC
EUROPE
25
89
86
90
CHINA
OTHER COUNTRIES
forum 03/2011 13
And in parallel to this, societies are getting older all the time.
Don’t we need quite different strategies to cope with this?
Of course. People of advancing age tend to use cars less and are
more likely to rely on public transport. But then public transport
needs to be geared to accommodate them—with low-floor buses,
easily accessible seats and hand holds. All features that benefit
other users too. The trend is designing public transport systems
to be accessible for all.
So will trains and buses become increasingly important for
passenger transport?
It’s a similar situation to that with freight. Rail-based systems
can’t just be developed overnight. But if you keep a lane free for
buses, as is the case today in many parts of London, you have
created massive new capacity at a stroke. In cities, of course, buses
can also use an electrical drive system. In any case, they have
a big future ahead of them. <
46
87
91 94
56
Photos: Sorin Morar, imago/Peter Widmann
>>> “Any of you without a last will: Not
making it was a mistake!” Addressing her
guests, Christina Bruch-Schneider does not
exactly mince words. Then she pushes the
button. And down it goes. From a height of
63 meters. Straight as a die, at a speed of 15
meters per second. We are on the 66-metertall
Power Tower, the highest transportable
free fall tower in the world. ”You all still look
fine,” whoops Christina Bruch-Schneider
master of free fall
The soaring and regal highlight of every funfair: the Power Tower.
MAN trucks carry the colossus across Germany—
and to its seasonal pinnacle, the Munich Oktoberfest.
Several steel floor slabs
provide the basis for the
180-ton giant.
into the microphone. “But that was only for
starters. Part two is still to come.” And with
that she fires the gondola and its ten and a
half thousand kilos back up to the 13th story
of the Power Tower, with its 32 ecstatically
screaming and foot-stomping passengers.
“You want more? You can have more!”
“Experience enhancement through
commandos” is the term in show business
circles. And Christina Bruch-Schneider can
forum 03/2011 15
feature
issue those like no other. That is why patrons
are flocking in droves, craving the
adrenaline kick that comes with speed and
acceleration. And the dizzy altitude is another
factor in this extraordinary thrill
ride. The Power Tower is among the top attractions
at every fun fair and festival. To
make this amusement ride shine in all its
glory, showman Ewald Schneider has to
meet a huge logistics challenge each and
16
feature
every time. It takes about three days for him
and his team of nine to 20 assistants to set
up the 180-ton cult tower, which occupies
an area of 21 by 22 meters. As this is such an
elaborate procedure, the family business
attends only major events—such as the famous
24-hour endurance race at Le Mans,
the Winter Wonderland in London, the
Hamburg Dom festival and, of course, the
Munich Oktoberfest.
Reliable MaN fleet
The Schneiders and their Power Tower travel
with an entourage consisting of five traction
vehicles—all made by MAN—plus 11
trailers and attachments. Even on the Autobahn,
the tower makes an impressive showing—a
spectacular convoy. It takes five trailers
to carry the mast alone, conveniently
disassembled into six parts, from one festival
to the next. Just a few days ago, Ewald
Schneider added a new, specially manufactured
motor tractor with crane to his pool
of MAN vehicles. The truck was used for the
first time at the Fall Festival in Rosenheim,
Upper Bavaria. The next stop was the famous
Munich Oktoberfest. “It’s the perfect
vehicle,” enthuses Schneider. 44 years old,
he was born in Eastern Westphalia and now
resides in Munich. Indeed, the MAN vehicle
is a real showman’s truck. The silver 33.540
TGX with a six-cylinder power set has been
specially designed with three axles. Its tail
02
01
03
1. Part of the gondola swings into view. The cabin
can accommodate 32 brave passengers.
2. Practiced choreography: The team needs around
three days to get the tower set up.
3. The size of mill wheels, these brake disks catch
the cabin just a few meters off the ground.
supports a regal telescopic crane for lifting
massive loads. “This way, the truck helps us
with setting up and dismantling and it is
also powerful enough to pull our trailers,
which weigh tons,” says Schneider during
set-up in Rosenheim.
colossus of MaNy toNs
Such multitasking capability is a top priority
for show people when it comes to their
vehicle fleet. “We clock between 30,000 and
40,000 kilometers per year. That isn’t much
for a traction unit,” observes Schneider.
With its MAN fleet, the family company
transports the individual tower components,
gondola elements, supports, the
workshop container, as well as the personnel
vehicle and accommodation caravans to
about 10 events every year. The heavyweight
record is set by the tower’s central
unit, weighing in at 58 tons. With its two
1,200 hp electric motors, the gears, cable
winches and brake disks, it provides the
foundation as well as the physical centerpiece
of the structure. Four projecting steel
struts give the tower a secure base. Setting
it up the way its inventor intended requires
a high degree of experience and accurate visual
measurements. “The base and the load
carrying points have to fit together perfectly,”
says Ewald Schneider. “Basically, we are
rebuilding the foundations from scratch
each and every time.” And the team does it
Photos: Sorin Morar
Operated by remote control,
the telescopic crane of
the MAN truck is ideal for
lifting heavy loads.
18
feature
with great diligence. Experts from the local
planning authorities and the TÜV, Germany’s
quality standards authority, check meticulously
to make sure that all safety regulations
are followed.
One of the biggest challenges for the
troupe is that of positioning complex technology
and high-end equipment securely in
a very confined space. While setting up the
tower, every switching maneuver and every
manual operation must be absolutely accurate.
Everything runs according to a practiced
setup plan. After all, pitches at festivals
are valuable commodities.
tough job, but never boring
In order to assemble the five tower elements
with their brightly colored lights down to
the nearest millimeter, a special big crane
moves into action. Using a kind of joystick,
the crane driver lifts parts weighing tons
from the flatbed trucks arriving in close
succession, swings them like toys into the
air and places them precisely on top of one
another. This calls for maximum concentration
from the whole team. “Show people are
jacks-of-all-trades, because they must be
lending a hand wherever it’s needed,” says
Schneider, describing the job profile. This
applies both to assembly and to operation.
It can happen that the boss has to repair a
transformer, or the electrician may have to
stand in at the cash desk or whip the crowd
01
03
into a frenzy. “It may be a tough job at times,
but it’s never boring,” says Christina Bruch-
Schneider, who is busy with her bookkeeping
even while the tower is being set up.
Ewald Schneider and his wife were literally
born into the travelling show circuit
and its business. She comes from a long line
of an established Düsseldorf showbiz family.
“I grew up with big wheels and rollercoasters.
I’m the eighth generation of my
family to be touring folk festivals.” Her hus-
02
04
1. Ewald and Christina Schneider both come from
long-established show-business families.
2. A canine guest throughout Germany: Oskar the
Dog never misses a festival.
3. The Schneider outfit takes its principal attraction,
the Power Tower, from one city to the next.
4. The MAN fleet arrives early in the foothills of the
Bavarian Alps; assembly in Rosenheim can begin.
band can look back at 250 years of folk festival
history carved into his family tree. “My
great-grandfather had hippodromes, with
pony rides as the special attraction. I was
presented with my first autoscooter at the
age of 16. That was my first step in the direction
of independence.” The Schneiders have
three children, aged 18, 15 and six. Just like
their parents before them, they are educated
at boarding schools. Will they be going
into show business as well? “We’ll have to
see about that,” says Christina Bruch-Schneider.
“School takes priority. We are all well
aware how hard and laborious this job is.”
Family with a Fun Fair gene
Ewald Schneider junior, the 15-year-old,
seems to have already developed a taste for
the family tradition. During his school
breaks, he helps set up the tower, assisting
his father in lifting the last unit of the
brightly colored backdrop to its lofty position
with the telescopic crane of the MAN
TGX. “Power Tower” is written on it in red
lights, together with “13th Floor”. As the last
component of the façade is screwed into
place, the glamour is already palpable. The
plastic seats with their orange safety bolts
gleaming like life jackets are still vacant as
yet. The gaze is drawn up and further up, to Morar
the very top of the tower. Yes, indeed: “Any
Sorin
of you without a last will: Not making it was
a mistake!” Let the good fair times roll. < Photos:
The Power Tower is considered
the tallest transportable
free fall tower in the world.
In less than five seconds, it
drops from a height of more than
60 meters to ground level. This
earned the tower an entry in
the Guinness Book of Records.
> RecoRd fIGuRes
Power Tower – the fastest route
between heaven and earth
Total height: 66 meters
drop: 63 meters
speed rising: 6.5 meters per second
speed falling: max. 15 meters per second
Weight of the gondola (loaded): circa 10,500 kilos
Passenger capacity: 32
Total weight of the equipment: circa 180 tons
20
The value of experience
Talent, diligence and a little luck are generally considered indispensable
success factors. Yet young professionals need role models just
as urgently. With tailored mentoring programs, the MAN Group supports and
nurtures men and women in their career development.
Properly sowing the seeds: From the beginning, mentors offer advice and inspiration to career entrants.
Photos: www.saengerphotodesign.de
“What mentors teach
their mentees can’t
be learned from books.”
Harika Yücebilgiç, talent management
specialist at MAN SE, Munich
Deeper roots, faster growth: Mentees tap the networks of their mentors to learn more about the company environment.
forum 03/2011 21
company
22
“Mentors experience a real
sense of appreciation that they can
pass on their experience.”
Martina Zimmermann, head of Worldwide Organization Personnel
Development, MAN Diesel & Turbo, Augsburg
Sustainable growth: Through mentoring programs, companies pass on valuable expertise to the next generations.
Photo: Kenji Aoki
>>> Harika Yücebilgiç is certain: “Mentors
can teach their mentees what can’t be
learned from books.” As talent management
specialist at MAN SE in Munich, Yücebilgiç
manages MAN’s mentoring program at the
Technical University of Munich (TUM).
Since 2007, the commercial vehicle and engine
manufacturing company has supported
programs at TUM whereby alumni—former
students of the university—assume a
year-long mentorship for current students.
This involves not only entry into professional
life, career planning, leadership and
technical issues, but also personal matters,
such as juggling family commitments and
professional life, work-life balance, or conflict
management. In addition to first-hand
support, mentors offer their protégés access
to their own networks to facilitate internships,
diploma theses or job placements.
“MAN considers it a fundamental
social responsibility to provide support today
for the generation of tomorrow,” says
Jörg Schwitalla, Chief Human Resources Officer
at MAN SE and patron of the TUM
mentoring program. “Our experienced
mentors offer students an important jumpstart
for their careers. On the other hand,
we get to know motivated young people,
who contribute new ideas to the company.”
MAN’s commitment also emphasizes its
appeal as an employer, by strengthening
the company’s reputation and assisting in
personnel recruitment.
aluMni for students
Is an internship advisable after studying
abroad? How can doctoral work be reconciled
with family commitments? These and
other questions are the topics of discussion
for Robin Sonneborn, who took up his mechanical
engineering studies at TUM in May
2011, and for his MAN mentor Sven Eisenbach.
Now working for MAN Diesel & Turbo
in Augsburg, the computational engineer
says that while a student, he had been grateful
to talk to friends of his parents about career
issues. “It does help to exchange views
with someone who has already had the experiences
that still lie ahead,” says Sonneborn.
When asked if she would like to join
the TUM program as a mentor, Fernanda
Kleffmann did not hesitate for a second. “I
really liked the idea. It was something I’d always
wanted to do,” says Kleffmann, who
comes from Brazil and now works as a logistics
project manager at MAN Truck & Bus in
Dachau, near Munich. Since the spring of
2011, she has been mentoring 26-year-old
mechanical engineering student Kerstin
Schmidt-Thrö. They meet once a month to
discuss job applications, contact networks
or planning trade fairs. “I enjoy sharing my
expertise,” says the 33-year-old. “This kind
of mentoring isn’t a monologue at all, but
rather an exchange. I also tell her about my
projects. We meet at eye level, that was very
important to me.”
The idea of mentoring was resurrected
just a few years ago to benefit HR development.
And yet it is by no means a passing
fad. The concept dates back to Greek mythology:
Before setting off for the Trojan
war, Odysseus asked his confidant named
Mentor to look after his son Telemachus in
his absence, introduce him to society and
stand by him as fatherly figure and advisor.
Referring to this story, mentoring today describes
the specific exchange of information
between people on different developmental
and hierarchic levels.
The first mentoring programs deliberately
targeted the advancement of women,
who are rarely found in top positions even
with outstanding abilities. Contact with
persons in executive positions is particularly
useful to them. Traditionally shaped by
industrial production, MAN is industry average
with a female ratio of about 11 percent.
In order to boost this figure—not least in
forum 03/2011 23
company
view of skilled labor shortages—MAN proactively
supports promotion programs to
encourage women in technical professions,
such as the mentorING scheme (ING being
the German abbreviation for engineer) at
the Technical University of Munich. Female
students of electronics and IT, mechanical
and construction engineering, computer
sciences, and physics receive the support
and advice of an experienced mentor for a
year at a time and can attend numerous
events on topics such as career planning,
professional bearing or how to make a good
impression, or job application training.
external Mentors
Tanja Reissenweber is another beneficiary
of targeted advancement for women. When
the 40-year-old took up her first management
position at the Bavarian home loan
bank LBS, she was proposed for the crossmentoring
program, an initiative by Munich’s
social services department, aimed at
female executive staff, which brings together
mentors and mentees from different
companies in pairs. “I wanted a clear view of
my career goals,” explains Reissenweber.
Her mentor came from MAN—an advantage,
she thinks. “I wouldn’t have been so
open with someone from my own company.”
And besides, the relevant issues in the
two companies differ less than some would
assume: leadership issues, self-presentation,
compatibility of family and career.
“We used a project in order to make Tanja
Reissenweber more visible in her company,”
says her mentor Wolfgang Weiss, personnel
developer at MAN Truck & Bus Germany,
one year and many meetings down the line.
“He helped me recognize the value of my
contribution and to stop playing it down as
something to be taken for granted,” says
Reissenweber, in appreciation of her mentor.
“He was very skillful in asking me pointed
questions and thus helped me in heading
24
company
off in the right direction.” She now has a
better view of her career. Although being a
committed executive she has deliberately
decided against taking the next step on the
career ladder. Unlike in the past, however,
she now contemplates the idea of going into
business for herself, she says. Just like Tanja
Reissenweber, female junior executives at
MAN can also benefit from experienced
mentors at other Munich companies such
as Allianz, Siemens and Wacker Chemie.
international exchange
Martina Zimmerman, head of Worldwide
Organization Personnel Development,
could never have imagined the enormous
interest that young people would have in
the experience of the older generation. Last
year, MAN Diesel & Turbo in Augsburg
launched an internal mentoring program
with 10 mentoring pairings. In it, executives
with international experience support
selected young talents beyond location
and national boundaries. “The feedback
was quite overwhelming,” reports a
rather pleased Zimmermann.
Now in its second year, the mentoring
program has been extended to 17 pairings.
Be it in Augsburg, Zurich, Oberhausen, Berlin,
Copenhagen, Dubai or India—mentors
are meeting with their mentees from a variety
of departments. The objectives here
are as varied as the individual personalities.
“With one pairing, the emphasis will
be on management issues, while another
might focus on how to position oneself
during an international assignment in such
a way that headquarters will also notice,”
relates Zimmermann. In addition, she says,
the mentoring program encourages knowledge
transfer and cooperation between departments
and across national boundaries.
These cross-corporate exchanges are
also important to Bernhard Frey. As head of
Personnel Marketing at MAN Truck & Bus in
Munich, he is responsible for its Graduate
Program, where he himself serves as a mentor.
While it began at the national level back
in 2003, the program has been expanded to
cover 40 locations worldwide. Supported by
an experienced executive from their main
department who acts as a mentor, trainees
pass through a series of company postings
over the course of 15 months—including
some abroad—to become better qualified
for their future professional responsibilities.
The prospect of jumping on her career
ladder with an overall view was particularly
attractive, says his trainee Antje Bolenz.
Alongside her work in the HR division, the
business administration graduate has had
placements in communication, management
support and production—enabling
her to not only broaden her expertise, but
also to establish valuable contacts within
the company. “Moving from one office to
another and assuming new responsibilities
all the time isn’t easy. I need to adapt rapidly,”
reports the 27-year-old. “It is our goal
that trainees will network together and cooperate
in an interdisciplinary way,” says
her mentor, Frey. “We want engineers working
with controllers, and developers with
HR managers—that is precisely what the
company needs.”
open to feedback
MAN expects its trainees to meet the highest
standards in this regard. “We want the
very best graduates in all sectors: engineers,
marketing specialists, HR officers,
technicians, production technicians,” says
Frey. “They must deliver performance, be
willing to learn, cope with conflicts and remain
open to feedback.” Bolenz not only
appreciates that her mentor tells her about
her strengths, but also values his pointing
out what she still needs to work at. No matter
what challenges she is encountering,
important issues with him, and he takes
the time to listen. “I have the feeling that he
always drops everything he’s doing whenever
I should need his help.”
Mutual benefit
Still, not only does the generation of upand-coming
executive staff stand to benefit
from mentoring—mentors in turn can
profit from this intensive dialog with the
young. “Mentors experience a real sense of
appreciation by their company that they
can pass on their experience,” explains
Martina Zimmermann.
In addition, mentors can share their
experiences with others in their position at
MAN networking meetings. The process of
helping and advising another person is also
a personal discovery, says mentor Sven
Eisenbach, describing his own experience.
Mentoring made him reflect on what he
himself did upon first finishing his degree
and at changing situations at the beginning
of his professional career. Considering
his past motivation, he says, has helped
him to develop further. And it actually
happens quite often that old hands can
learn something from these whippersnappers.
Mentor Wolfgang Weiss compliments
his mentee Tanja Reissenweber: “I admire
the ease with which she reconciles family
and a career. I would never have managed
that feat myself. She has actually taught
me: Yes, it’s possible.”
During the ongoing contest for the
top talents, mentors also serve as figureheads
for the company. “Well-qualified individuals
are needed at every level,” points
out Eisenbach. “The intensive support program
offers the opportunity to recruit a
truly outstanding staff member.” As witnessed
by Thomas Grimm, a designer in the
truck product management department of
MAN Truck & Bus: His mentee is now working
at the same company. <
her mentor is involved. She discusses all Photo: Gallerystock/Mark Laita
“Mentoring isn’t a
monologue, but rather
an exchange.”
Fernanda Kleffmann, Logistics Project Manager,
MAN Truck & Bus, Dachau
“The intensive support program offers
the opportunity to recruit a
truly outstanding staff member.”
No mentoring sans controlling: Upon conclusion of frequently long-term support, the mentees’ development process is jointly discussed.
forum 03/2011 25
Sven Eisenbach, computational engineer,
MAN Diesel & Turbo, Augsburg
Powerful all-rounder
A newly developed gas turbine from MAN Diesel & Turbo can generate
an output of six megawatts of electricity—sufficient power to supply
a small town of 13,000 households. One outstanding feature is the turbine’s
economical size: It could easily fit into a double garage.
oIl Cooler
Keeps the lubricating oil for
the gas turbine system
at the right temperature.
Input aIr fIlter
makes sure that only filtered air
enters the gas turbine, without any
particles or foreign matter.
Control system
this electronically controlled and
computer-monitored communication
unit links the entire package
with the customer’s control room.
Infographics: Horst Kolodziejczyk/Hokolo 3D
Chimney
Power-heat cogeneration
utilizes fuel twice as effectively—producing
both
electricity and heat, which
would escape through the
chimney in other systems.
This allows for actually
utilizing about 80 percent
of the applied energy.
auxiliary Gear uniT
links the starter motor as a
drive with the gas turbine.
heaT exChanGer
here the exhaust heat from the
turbine turns water into hot
steam that can be used for other
applications, such as drying
or melting a variety of products.
Gas Turbine
The system’s centerpiece. newly
developed by man Diesel & Turbo,
it features a high degree of efficiency,
low emission levels and low maintenance
requirements.
GeneraTor
The gas turbine
drives a generator
and thus supplies
electricity.
Power Gear uniT
Converts the rotary speed of the gas turbine
to the required generator speed. For powergeneration
purposes, this amounts to 50 hertz
in europe and 60 hertz in the us.
28
>>> Shimmering like silver, the metal piece
rests on your skin, nestling into the palm,
smooth and cool. Merely the size of a
thumbnail, the object has the ideal dimensions
and design of a mislaid earring. Far
from it, though. This tiny thing measuring
just 17 millimeters actually turns out to be a
compressor blade in the original format. It is
part of the 11th and smallest compression
unit of the new gas turbine made by MAN
Diesel & Turbo.
The new member of MAN’s gas turbine
family is designed to tap additional market
potential, especially in the field of decentralized
energy production. Such applications,
which must work quickly, reliably and independently
of the rest of the power grid, require
machines of the six-megawatt class—
previously missing from the company’s
portfolio. To close the gap, the smaller drive
designed at the Oberhausen plant now supplements
the more powerful THM turbines
from MAN Diesel & Turbo, which work as
heavy-duty turbines with an output of more
than 10 megawatts.
> Six-megawatt gaS turbine
Compact size, efficient energy yield
Similar to a car engine, the gas turbine is a drive machine comprising several components.
the power unit owes its name to the hot gas generated in the combustion
chambers, 01 causing the turbine blades 02 to turn. thus, thermal energy is converted
to mechanical energy, which initially drives 03 the compressor. in the twinshaft
design represented here, the compressor and the gas generator turbine 04
form a single unit. the same housing contains the effective power turbine 05 , which
is also used as a mechanical drive in gas or oil pipelines, or else serves to produce
power through a generator. in order to initiate the overall process, ambient air is first
sucked into the system through the inlet housing 06 . the adjoining compressor is
equipped with 11 rows of blades of varying sizes. the largest blade is about the size
of a slice of toast; the smallest is about as large as a dime. Step by step, the air is increasingly
compressed and driven into the combustion chambers at high pressure.
Here the air blends with a gaseous or liquid fuel, ignites and combusts. One part of
the air intake is diverted from the combustion chambers and serves to cool the surrounding
environment, which can reach a temperature of
up to 1,200 degrees Celsius.
3D
Kolodziejczyk/Hokolo Horst Infographics:
Thorough markeT analysis
Kicked off six years ago, the development required
a substantial specification document:
The resulting product needed to be long-lasting,
robust, easy to maintain, low in emissions
and versatile. In addition, it required a
high degree of efficiency when working at
less than full capacity. Due to experience
06
03
04
gathered in recent years with the technology explains Volker Langusch, project manager test center developed specifically in Ober-
to improve the output and efficiency of the for Sales in the Process Industry Gas Turhausen, the complete system—comprising
THM series, the development team found it bines sector. Take the test compressor, for in- the compressor, the turbines and peripheral
easier to achieve these ambitious targets. In stance: Fitted with blades in the original size, units—underwent its first performance tri-
addition, setting up a comprehensive net- it passed all tests perfectly.
al from November 2010 to February 2011.
work of partnerships with universities, re- Tested at another institute, the com- The outcome was satisfactory: Hundreds of
search institutes and other companies bustion chamber proved its functionality measurement devices proved that the new
proved extremely useful. “This way we could with regard to the desired emission levels gas turbine remained within the desired
test the functionality of many individual for nitric oxide and CO2, as well as the unit’s limits in all segments. “Starting with the
components in advance, which accelerated stability and cooling of hot components. first ignition, we went from zero to a
the development of the overall system,” This cleared the way to a prototype. At the 100-percent performance in just a week,”
01
02
02
05
lauds Sven-Hendrik Wiers, head of Gas Turbine
Development at MAN Diesel & Turbo
in Oberhausen. Nothing remained to hinder
a market launch in December 2010.
Based on a detailed analysis of customer requirements,
the turbine will become available
in either a single-shaft or a twin-shaft
version in the future. The difference: The
two-shaft machine serves as a mechanical
drive, such as for compressors in the oil and
gas industry. In this design, the turbine part
is divided up into a gas generator turbine
and a power turbine, with independent rotary
speeds. In the single-shaft design, all
the compressor and turbine systems are
lined up on the same shaft.
used in mini power stations
Due to its compact size—about four meters
high, three meters wide and eight meters
long— the gas turbine can be used wherever
electrical energy is needed: in remote
locations like an oil platform, for instance,
or as a mini power plant for residential areas.
After all, the turbine’s six-megawatt
output can provide power for a small town
of around 13,000 households. MAN’s developers
are talking about a “world-class” machine
that is so economical of space that it
would fit into a double garage. Another
market for the gas turbine is in the field of
regenerative energy, as sun and wind do not
always deliver power consistently. What to
do in the case of light rain, overcast skies
and no wind? For a reliable source of power,
a regenerative energy supply needs backup
power plants to balance these fluctuations.
To this end, gas turbines can be expected to
also play an increasingly important part in
future energy production.
Last but not least, there is also increasing
demand for gas turbines in power stations
that work according to the power-heat
cogeneration principle. This technology results
in a more efficient use of energy than
when heat and power are produced separately.
In combined gas turbine and steam
turbine systems, for example, the exhaust
gases from the turbine can be directed to a
waste heat boiler that produces steam. This
drives a downstream steam turbine that
yields additional electricity. The steam’s residual
energy content at the turbine outlet
can be condensed in a cooling tower or used
to generate more heat. In comparison with
pure gas turbine operations, this results in
a significantly higher degree of efficiency:
Just in terms of electricity production, the
efficiency gain is well above 30 percent. In
coupled operations, a fuel utilization level
of around 80 percent is also achievable,
which in turn helps to improve the system’s
environmental balance.
In addition to eco-friendliness, the developers
also focused on the economic aspects
of the new product. “With a projected
life cycle of 30 years or more, the initial investment
is negligible,” emphasizes Sven-
forum 03/2011 29
technology
“Starting with the first ignition, we went from
zero to a 100-percent performance in just a week.”
Sven-Hendrik Wiers, head of Gas Turbine Development at MAN Diesel & Turbo, Oberhausen
“A comprehensive network of partnerships allowed us
to test the functionality of many individual components in
advance, which accelerated machine development.”
Volker Langusch, project manager for Sales in the Process Industry Gas Turbines sector
Hendrik Wiers. Fuel costs and maintenance
play a decisive role here. Nobody can predict
what the price of natural gas is going to
be in 20 years’ time. Other fuels—such as
synthetic gases, biodiesel and bioalcohol—
are therefore growing increasingly important.
With its six small combustion chambers,
the design of the new gas turbine
makes it easily adaptable for a variety of different
fuels.
easy maintenance
The new gas turbine was also designed with
an advantageous approach to servicing in
mind—an important sales argument for
customers. While a complete turbine replacement
can be carried out within just
72 hours, inspections hardly cause any interruptions
to normal operations. This is
due to a sophisticated maintenance system
developed by MAN Diesel & Turbo. It involves
online monitoring that detects abnormalities
and introduces appropriate
measures immediately, as well as a device
known as a borescope. In rather the same
way as an endoscope is used for arthroscopy
of the knee joint, it allows for examining
the interior workings of the turbine without
any disassembly. Another advantage of the
new product from Oberhausen is that all
components of the gas turbine system—
from engineering through to the service
package—are supplied by a single source.
Whether set up as a mini power station
in the neighborhood or used as a backup
system for solar and wind power generators:
The good old gas turbine will continue
its powerful spin, adding to the energy mix
of the future.
30
technology
Surge of SavingS
No less than a revolution in marine engine design: The G-type from MAN Diesel & Turbo features a longer piston lift
that reduces engine speed and thus supports the use of ship propellers with an even greater diameter.
>>> The concept is rather straightforward:
Slowly rotating ship propellers with a comparatively
high diameter are considerably
more efficient than smaller ones with
greater rotational speed. When it comes to
large-bore two-stroke engines that require
no gears but are driving the propeller directly,
the outcome is obvious: The larger
the propeller, the lower the speed that the
engine must provide. And precisely this
task was accomplished by MAN Diesel &
Turbo’s recently developed ultra-longstroke
engine. Its core characteristics allow
for lower engine speeds, larger propeller diameters,
and thereby significant fuel savings,
and correspondingly reduced carbon
dioxide emissions. According to Ole Grøne,
senior vice president for Low-Speed Sales
and Promotions at MAN Diesel & Turbo,
the G-type engine represents “the most
revolutionary development in our engine
portfolio over the last decade, ever since
the successful introduction of the electronically
controlled ME drive.”
New ship desigN waNted
Based on further reductions in the engine’s
rotary speed, the G-type engine supports
the use of propellers that can surpass the
previous diameter by up to a meter. This reduces
consumption by 4 to 7 percent in
comparison with MAN Diesel & Turbo’s established
S-ME engine series. These S-type
models with a long piston lift and low en-
the past as the principal drive of tankers and
bulk goods freighters. More often designed
for speed, container ships have generally
been fitted with engines of the K-series,
which have a shorter lift and higher engine
speed. Responding to the economic pressures
of recent years, however, shipping
companies have increasingly been favoring
> PoTeNTiAl sAviNGs
Looking at lower cost
The G-type engine’s fuel consumption
(sFoC) is up to seven percent less than
that of traditional two-stroke engines.
Standard operations (S-type)
Part load operations (g-type)
Low load operations (g-type)
170 SfoC g/kWh
160
the S-models—combined with a bigger propeller—for
these goods carriers as well. “The
time was ready for our even more efficient
G-series,” says Ole Grøne, explaining the decision
to introduce the new model in the fall
of 2010. In order to create space for the bigger
propeller, shipyards must now redesign
the layout of ship sterns. This signals a radical
shift in shipbuilding and engine design.
Optimized eNgiNe cONtrOls
Nowadays, customers are primarily focusing
on their operating costs, as the high fuel
prices of recent years have caused those to
just about explode. The optimization of fuel
consumption therefore became a key issue
for engine developers, who are striving to
meet this challenge through a combination
of the most recent process parameters.
These include factors such as low load optimization
options, turbocharger switch-off
mechanisms and variable turbine geometry.
In addition, the implementation of
varying cylinder spacing also results in the
reduction of engine block weight.
Among the first to tap the benefits of
the new generation of two-stroke engines
for its fleet is the Greek shipping company
Thenamaris. Soon after the market launch,
the Athens-based company ordered four Gtype
engines to power four of its container
ships. The first of these goods vessels is
scheduled to leave the shipyard in South
Korea in August 2013, charting the course to
Papsch
150
Christoph
50 60 70 80 90 100
engine torque in percent
gine speed have been traditionally used in the seas of the world. < Photo:
Massive momentum: New ship engines
from MAN Diesel & Turbo facilitate the use of
larger propellers, which saves fuel.
32
technology
Groundwork for iron birds
Helicopters must meet the highest standards of reliability,
particularly their gear units. RENK Test System GmbH, a subsidiary of
Augsburg-based Renk AG, offers custom-tailored test beds
that drive them to the utter limit.
Photos: Clip Dealer, Jan Greune
A mechanic gets everything set up
for the assembly of the main rotor
flange, which serves as the mount
for the gears undergoing testing.
34
technology
>>> “In constructing test systems, fixed
standards are no use for us at all. Everything
is customized and designed to meet
the customer’s individual requirements,”
says Mathias Karrer. The managing director
of RENK Test System GmbH (RTS) is conducting
a tour of the test system manufacturer
in Augsburg, where modern factory
workshops alternate with historic brick
buildings. “And so our employees’ job is
never daily routine—instead they are continuously
engaged in ground-breaking
work.” Karrer feels rather enthusiastic about
Software experts check the measuring
technology of a test bed destined for Asia.
the richly varied work. Currently, his staff is
focusing on the construction of test facilities
for helicopters.
This subsidiary of Renk AG, where
MAN holds a majority interest, specializes
in turnkey test systems and shares a production
site with the parent company. Some
of the office buildings and workshops date
back to the early 20th century—when today’s
specialized gear systems manufacturer
Renk was a workshop for making cog
wheels. RTS develops and produces test systems
for railed vehicles, wind power plants
and the automotive and aviation industries.
In one of the assembly halls, two helicopter
test beds are under construction. Painted a
bluish gray, these steel juggernauts almost
reach the ceiling. They are surrounded by
what initially looks like chaos: Cabinets
containing electronic power units are set
up in a long line, with a start-up container
stuffed with computers and monitors in
the middle, surrounded by crates filled
with individually customized mechanical
and electronic parts. And yet this apparent
clutter actually has a system. Both test
units will leave the plant before the end of
this year, one headed for the United States,
the other to Asia. To this end, they are first
broken down into assembly modules,
packed into boxes and dispatched to their
destination, where RTS staff will put them
back together according to very detailed assembly
instructions.
TesTs before delivery
“Any test bed always exists for the purpose
of imitating reality for the test object,” explains
Jörg Cordes, who is key account manager
for aviation test systems and managing
director of RENK LABECO Test Systems, the
affiliate in the United States. “The essential
advantage of a test bed as compared with
testing under real conditions lies in the fact
that you can reproduce the parameters in a
controllable and continuable environment.”
In the case of helicopters, test systems are
used in research and development, as well as
for quality assurance in production and the
maintenance of gears. In the research sector,
test beds are used for the optimization of a
prototype, assessing and improving its functionality
and performance. Such testing processes,
which also check wear and tear of test
objects, can last more than 200 hours.
In quality assurance, test beds form
the last link in the production chain: Every
finished gear system is subjected to a test
run in order to check its functionality in the
On the 5.5 meter-high
test bed, helicopter gears
are tested for resistance
to different kinds of stress.
Photos: Jan Greune
36
technology
shortest possible time. This also serves to
meet legal provisions, especially the flight
safety regulations issued by the US Federal
Aviation Administration in the case of helicopters.
Test beds also play a major role
when it comes to the maintenance of helicopters:
Choppers must prove their functionality
in flight at regular intervals. This
includes disassembling the gears and testing
them on the test bed. “The test criteria
for helicopter gears include the rotary speed
of the rotor, the torque, the oil pressure of
the gears and the oil temperature. The gears
are subjected to stress in order to test all
these variables,” explains Jörg Cordes. The
computer technology controlling the test
system is housed in a number of measurement
and control cabinets. To ensure stability
and user friendliness, RTS utilizes not
only commercially available hardware components,
but also operating systems that
are developed in-house.
The key component of these test facilities,
however, is RTS’s own automated RENK
Dynamic Data System (RDDS) for all control,
monitoring and visualization functions.
It puts the gears through a simulation
which imitates reality perfectly. It allows for
conducting virtual flights that simulate extreme
conditions, which could not be performed
for real without considerable risk.
About 80 percent of orders received
by RTS in Augsburg come from abroad. The
In the test workshop of RENK Test System GmbH in Augsburg, the test system is graphically
represented as a hydraulics diagram. This offers a detailed overview of the individual components.
market for test beds is a rather small universe,
with everybody acquainted with everyone
else. “There’s only a limited group
of experts in this particular field, with perhaps
some 50 individuals worldwide,” comments
Cordes. “We have orders coming in
from all over the world because we are wellestablished
on the market and also maintain
a good network.”
In the middle of the shop floor, a software
engineer and a start-up engineer are
currently busy calibrating the measurement
technology of the test bed destined
for Asia. This is a so-called multi-model
gear testing unit, where the gears of different
helicopter models—ranging from 6 to
15 tons in total weight—can be subjected to
trials. There is a designated pallet for every
gear type that helps maneuver the assigned
test object onto the test bed.
Customized teChnology
On average, it takes five to seven years
from drawing up the first development
plans for a helicopter test bed until the
unit is delivered to the customer. And delivery
times actually range between one to
three years. “The manufacturers approach
us with their ideas, or with specifications
they have already drawn up, and we develop
the test systems on that basis,” says
Cordes, explaining the process. In the case
of helicopter manufacturers, the development
phase of gears generally runs parallel
to the construction of the test units. “In
the best-case scenario, our systems will be
finished just in time to test the prototypes.”
But when this ideal can not be
achieved, RTS needs to build its own dummy
gears to ensure that the test bed is precisely
dimensioned for them.
The completion of the development
process and internal commissioning of a
system does certainly not mark the end of
an order for the team in Augsburg. “The assembly
staff working on the test bed at
RENK Test System are the same people who
will set it up and take it into operation onsite
at the customer location,” points out
Mathias Karrer. Among additional services
offered by RTS is the training of the customer’s
own employees. “We work to individually
design everything to meet the
needs of the customer. Custom-tailored
testing technology: That would probably
describe it best.” <
Photos: Jan Greune, Colourbox/Alex Fiodorov
MAN employees from R&D,
Aftersales and workshops bring
together their experience to new
product development.
Illustration: Debut Art/James Carey
Looking for the best soLution
Development, central Aftersales and workshops work closely together in MAN Truck & Bus
product developments—courtesy of the new Service Engineering department.
The goal: optimized technology over the entire vehicle life cycle and satisfied customers.
>>> Sometimes, the devil is in the detail.
Which would also apply to highly developed
engine technology. When the particle filter
must be removed prior to valve clearance
adjustment in a bus engine, for example,
the resulting extended stay in the workshop
drives up costs for a basically straightforward
service. “And that is not what the inventor
had in mind,” says Georg Pachta-
Reyhofen, Chairman of the MAN SE Board
of Directors. “The competitiveness of commercial
vehicles is increasingly decided by
the life-cycle costs. While maintenance
costs play a relatively small role, at less than
20 percent, the manufacturer, in contrast,
yields much control over them.”
AheAd of Their Time
Against this backdrop, the MAN Board of
Directors assigned Wolfgang Kuchler, former
head of Information Management at
MAN Truck & Bus, to set up a new department
in fall of 2010. This MAN Service Engineering
is responsible for working out precise
reliability guidelines in cooperation
with Research and Development, Aftersales
and workshop practitioners, relating optimized
diagnostic methods and bringing in
new insights as early as the product origination
stage. “The costs of repairs and maintenance
always depend on how the aggregates
are structured, which diagnostic possibilities
exist and how their degree of dissection
ProBLem SoLuTioN
A conducted search for errors in the workshop
includes the evaluation of information from
development and Aftersales and results in
competitive problem solving.
and replacement-part logistics look,” explains
Kuchler, who heads the Service Engineering
outfit today. “Unlike troubleshooting,
which is organized in a single unit at
MAN Truck & Bus, we in Service Engineering
are not concerned with handling the
finished product. We are more active much
earlier in the product engineering process,
meaning the time when the ‘product DNA’
evolves, if you will.” The service engineers
must therefore always stay a little bit ahead
of their time. “In addition, we’re always
forum 03/2011 39
company
looking at the later application of a new vehicle
or aggregate over the entire life-cycle,”
says Kuchler. In order to accomplish that,
the 42-year-old electronic engineer and his
team are in close dialogue with those in
charge at MAN Aftersales, with customer
advisors and workshop foremen. “Our principle
is that of ‘lessons learned‘. We take the
very concrete market needs, the demands
and problems of everyday life on-site, all
the experiences from the Aftersales environment
and integrate them into the creation
of the product.”
The Bigger PicTure
That is not always an easy task, as target
conflicts keep flaming up at the interfaces
between development, production and aftersales.
Are glued or bolted joints better?
How detailed and complex should aggregate
disassembly become? Kuchler’s experience:
“The answers coming from the preassembly
staff are often quite different
from the response in maintenance facilities.”
Production and initial assembly, for
example, might favor a bumper made from
one piece, says Kuchler. In case of damage
or a partial repair, however, the workshop
could please customers with a separable
variant and the advantages in terms of
costs and handling. Looking at the bigger
picture is not a new habit for MAN. “It’s
new, however, that we have established a
Joachim Götsche,
Aftersales – Service Engineering
MAN Truck & Bus Salzgitter
“Combustion residue from the engine must be removed
from the filter, so that the filter can be used over the
entire life-cycle of the vehicle. ”
system for this process through service engineering.
Individual employees have always
instinctively contributed their experience
to the creation of the product. That
approach now follows a comprehensive
plan,” says Kuchler. The team of Service Engineering
employees reflects the company’s
competence range, from foremen in
the workshops to development engineers
with doctoral degrees, he adds. “It is always
necessary to take an integrative overall
view in order to create added value,” emphasizes
Kuchler. “After all,” he says, “this
is also about the MAN customer promise
to provide efficient transport solutions
with immediate repair and maintenance
service to reduce the idle time of vehicles
to a minimum.”
extracting the optimum
The most important accomplishment of every
MAN service engineer is the ability to listen
closely. Only then, knows Kuchler, can
problems be transformed into solutions.
“We are meeting the market’s many challenges
with a comprehensive view. That also
always requires flexibility to deliver optimum
service for the customer.” On his flip
chart, Kuchler has drawn two possible connections
between a problem and a solution
with several quick strokes: One long, squiggly
line and another, line which is short and
direct. “Competitive solutions to problems
are possible only when everyone works together
to reduce the complexity of the individual
components in production and process
design, as well as in the customers’ expectations,”
is how Kuchler explains it.
Particle filters provide one example
for this approach. They collect soot particles
from the exhaust which continually
burn at an exhaust temperature of more
than 350 degrees Celsius— without leaving
any residue. The result is a vehicle with the
level of sustainability demanded by both
Illustrations: Debut Art/James Carey
“Innovative customer and service-oriented product
development requires the right information at the right time,
at the right place and of the right kind. ”
customers and legislators, meaning lower
particle and gas emissions with lower consumption
levels of fuel and oil. “Hower,
combustion residue from the engine, socalled
oil ash, makes for a gradual clogging
of the diesel particle filter,” explains
Joachim Götsche of Service Engineering at
MAN Truck & Bus in Salzgitter. “Such residue
must be removed from the filter, to
allow for its utilization over the entire lifecycle
of the vehicle.” This is in the interest
of saving costs, protecting resources and
adhering to the required environmental
standards in operation, emphasizes
Götsche. Together with developers and
hands-on staff in the workshops, the team
is now searching for an ideal process
design. “For us, it’s about weighing the advantages
and disadvantages between either
central cleaning and the installation of
exchange parts or cleaning in the respective
workshop and re-installation of the
original part afterwards.”
Curiosity and Love of detaiL
From such considerations and the ongoing
critical observation of different aspects of
solving complex questions, the service engineers
are working out checklists for product
development that meets the requirements
Wolfgang Kuchler,
Aftersales – head of Service Engineering
MAN Truck & Bus AG
of Aftersales. “We are information refiners,”
says Kuchler, summing up the task of his department.
“With changes of perspective and
permanent information exchange, we are
systematically expanding our database-supported
treasure of knowledge.”
This flows directly into the requirement
and system specifications book for everyone
participating in the process. Kuchler
is certain: “Innovative customer and serviceoriented
product development requires the
right information at the right time, at the
right place and of the right kind.” He and his
team are working on that every day—with
professional curiosity and love of detail.
42
company
From motor plow
to giant chippers
Nowadays, MAN is rarely associated with making engines for
agronomical purposes—even though the company motorizes the
world’s most powerful chippers. And for many years, MAN even
manufactured its own range of agricultural machinery.
2011
Krone Big X 1100
MAN engines with an output of
up to 1,078 hp power the Krone
agricultural chipper. The top model of
the Big X series is the world’s largest
agricultural machine.
Photos: Holmer, Krone
2009
Holmer Terra Felis 2
Holmer’s 14.5-meter-long Terra Felis 2
is used for harvesting sugar beets.
Its MAN diesel engine features an
output of 340 hp.
>>> The home of the superlative is certainly
the United States. Be it Texas, Idaho, Oregon
of Colorado—the western part of the country
is covered by endless rows of corn and
wheat fields stretching along dead-straight
country roads. Upon harvest time, the roads
and fields are taken over by the fleets of the
agricultural contractors. Working around
the clock, gigantic harvesters load up the
lineup of trucks that carry the harvested
crops to their destination. With its big machines,
the northern German manufacturing
company Krone feels right at home here.
forum 03/2011 43
“Meet the Big MAN” is the motto of its road
show, which presents the latest generation
of the Big X agricultural chipper to the public.
The convoy will continue to travel the
American West right up to November 2011.
The goal is to demonstrate to dealers and
customers involved in the harvesting business
the powerful performance of the Big X
with its MAN V12 engine.
“We make the most powerful agricultural
machine available on the market today,”
says Hartwig Janssen, and with pride in
his voice. Janssen is Krone’s sales manager
for the North American region and part of
the road show’s organizational team. The
machine he refers to is the Big X 1100. Its
chipping gear covers an impressive 14 rows
of corn—more than any other harvester. It is
powered by an MAN engine with an output
of 1,078 hp. “To reach this kind of performance,
we previously equipped the giant
chipper with two engines from a competing
44
company
1957
MaN 4 s 2
The innovative and
pioneering 50-hp
four-wheel drive 4 S 2
1953
presents the ultimate
achievement in MAN’s
tractor production.
MaN as 542 a
MAN’s road tractors
were mainly used for
local goods transport.
company, each with 500 hp. Thanks to MAN,
we now achieve the same results with just
one engine,” says Janssen. To improve efficiency
in all operating modes, a power management
system allows for throttling engine
output when engaged in lighter work.
The use of MAN engines in agricultural
technology is certainly not new. For
many years, MAN actually made its own agricultural
machinery. In 1921, truck production
at the MAN works in Nuremberg was
not at full capacity, so the company started
manufacturing motorized plows. In those
days, the motorized plow was a technical innovation—which
was acknowledged with
an award from Germany’s Agricultural Association.
The plant built 300 units before
1955
MaN a 32 H
Equipped with the
recently developed
M-engine, the
Ackerdiesel
models were
quieter and more
economical.
discontinuing production. It was 1937 before
MAN would resume the production of
agricultural machinery, with the 50-hp AS
250 farm tractor.
PoPular collectors’ Pieces
MAN’s first post-war tractor was the 25-hpstrong
AS 325 model, introduced in 1947. It
came with the option of a two-wheel or
four-wheel drive and was the first tractor to
bear the MAN Ackerdiesel (field diesel)
brand name. These tractors enjoyed the
reputation of being powerful, modern and
solidly built—and the four-wheel-drive version
was an especially pioneering one. By
the early 1950s, the export business had
grown to delivering Ackerdiesel units to
60 different countries, generating almost
the same sales revenue as within Germany.
As the rising demand for trucks resulted
in the MAN plant in Nuremberg reaching
its limits, production—including tractor
production—was relocated to Munich in
1955. Although MAN continued to modernize
its tractor range in the next few years,
production was finally discontinued in 1963.
The company had decided to free up further
capacity for its expanding truck business.
Today, MAN’s Ackerdiesel machines are
popular among collectors. About half of the
53,000 tractors once built are thought to
have survived to the present day.
Even though MAN ended its own production
of agricultural machinery in 1963,
the company’s diesel engines continue to
be found today in a wide variety of agricultural
applications. MAN engines have powered
tractors made by Schlüter and Fendt
for many years and a range of many successive
models. Diesel engines built in the
Nuremberg plant were and still are used in
1948
Man as 325 a
MAN was the first
serial manufacturer in
Germany to build an
agricultural tractor with
a four-wheel drive.
massive agricultural machines, such as the
Holmer and Ropa beet lifter.
instant recognition
Engines for agricultural technology are the
focus of the Off-Road department at the Engines
Sales Unit of MAN Truck & Bus in
Nuremberg. “The main application areas of
the engines today are big harvesters, such
as agricultural chippers and self-propelled
mowing machines,” says Jürgen Haberland,
head of Off-Road Engine Sales for Industry
forum 03/2011 45
1921
Man Motorpflug
The motorized tractor
was a serial product
and represented
MAN’s first venture
into manufacturing
agricultural machinery.
and Agricultural Technology. “Currently,
we are marketing a new generation of industrial
V-engines and other serial engines
to meet the coming legal exhaust requirements.”
He considers the “Meet the Big
MAN” road show organized by MAN’s business
partner Krone an affirmation of the
company’s strategy. “It is quite a special experience
for us that a customer would place
marketing emphasis on the motorization
with our new V12 engine,” observes MAN
manager Haberland. Janssen from Krone
agrees: “The joint road show has been beneficial
for both companies. MAN hasn’t had
a very high profile in this sector of the US
market in the past. Now all of a sudden everyone
is talking about these engines.”
46
closing words
Jörg Schwitalla,
Chief of Human Resources
officer of MAN SE
WINNING smart mINds
To remain an attractive employer for junior employees,
MAN is committed in many ways—ranging from professional
training to mentoring programs.
>>> How can we attract motivated talents at an early
stage? Which strategies serve us well in order to retain
young employees at MAN over the long term? In these
times of skilled worker shortages, such questions remain
important. In order to prepare for the future,
MAN has taken action. We support, for example, individual
mentoring programs at universities, where MAN
employees accompany students enrolled in technical
degree studies as mentors. As a patron, I feel especially
close to the mentoring program of the Technical University
of Munich (TUM), where supervised students
can discuss their questions about job market entry and
career planning with their mentors. Personal contact
often results in the opportunity of an internship or a
thesis in the company. Other than this, there are internal
mentoring programs at MAN subgroups—such as
MAN Diesel & Turbo in Augsburg—where currently 10
pairings of students and mentors are learning from
each other.
Alongside university graduates, trainees are a
special focus point at MAN. For this reason, the MAN
Group placed one more trainee than originally planned
at the start of vocational training in September 2011 in
each German training site. We are thereby participating
in an initiative of the metals union IG Metall in
North Rhine-Westphalia. To remain strong in innovation,
we especially need young, creative people with a
lot of enthusiasm for technology. This year, 677 trainees
have started their professional careers in various locations
in Germany.
The fact that MAN is perceived as an attractive
employer is not only indicated by the high number of
applications for trainee spots, and the repeated placement
of our enterprise among the “top employers in
Germany,” but also in the rising number of employees
at different Munich locations in 2011. Since January,
1,000 new employees have been supporting central areas
in particular, such as Purchasing and Product Development.
In order to accommodate the strong growth
trend of the MAN Group, we shall be opening another
new location in Munich this year. Some areas of the
company headquarters of MAN SE will be moving to
Parkstadt Schwabing in the north of Munich in November
2011, in addition to MAN Finance International and
MAN Truck & Bus Germany.
Be it our mentoring programs or trainee placements—MAN
is investing over the long term in the
training, continued education and promotion of its qualified
employees. This is especially necessary to secure
the company’s global competitiveness in the future. <
TOPICS IN THE NEXT ISSUE: >FERTILE CONNECTION: How MAN STAYS CoMPETITIVE wITH EXTERNAL
CooPERATIoNS >FROM EUROPE TO INdIa: THE LIfE CYCLE of A MAN TRuCk >SOUTHaMPTON BOaT SHOw:
NEw SuPER YACHTS wITH MAN PowER >PUBLISHEd IN dECEMBER 2011
Photo: mauritius/Alamy
wIn an ExcURsIOn tO thE
wIntER wOndERland lOndOn
FORUM QUIZ
Simply provide the correct answer to this question: The gas turbine newly developed by MAN Diesel & Turbo features how many megawatts?
A) 6 B) 8 C) 10
Six years have come and gone between the first drawing on a blank sheet of paper and today’s endurance testing. About 200 people worked continually
on the idea, with many millions invested in the gas turbine that MAN Diesel & Turbo designed and developed. The result: Compact, efficient and multifunctional,
the miniature power plant can produce enough electricity for a small town with 13,000 households. Read more from page 24.
Submit your answer by e-mail to forum@man.eu by October 30, 2011, providing your name and e-mail address, and you could win an excursion to
London’s Winter Wonderland. Set up in Hyde Park, the Christmas theme park will delight you: Besides a plethora of carousels, a Ferris Wheel and
roller coaster, there is also a circus and the city’s largest ice rink. Enjoy the romantic mood of the German Christmas market or experience a thrilling ride
on the Power Tower. The world’s tallest transportable free-fall tower travels to London on heavy-goods vehicles made by MAN. Look forward to an unforgettable
winter event, including an overnight stay for two.
A view across the Oktoberfest in Munich. The world-famous beer
festival boasts numerous attractions, including huge fairground rides,
which are transported by special MAN trucks.
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