Annual Report 2011 (5.07 MB, PDF-File) - Oerlikon

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When a fine spray of fuel is fired into the engine’s combustion
chamber under 2 000 bars of pressure, there is tremendous
stress on injection nozzles, valves, piston rings, etc. Without
the high-strength carbon coating developed for this application,
the components would quickly become damaged and fail.
Oerlikon’s technologies account for up to 4 % of the fuel savings
achieved by state-of-the-art engines today. High-performance
coatings not only help achieve better fuel economy, but
also significantly lower emissions: the high injection pressure,
combined with higher fuel concentration, allow more complete
combustion. The higher the combustion level, the lower the engine’s
emissions. Since the introduction of high-pressure injection,
carbon dioxide and nitric oxide emissions from diesel engines
have plunged by some 30 %.
Another technology that plays a major role in environmental
protection is LEDs (light-emitting diodes). Oerlikon’s Advanced
Technologies Segment produces machinery that enables critical
process steps in LED production: application of a mirrored
and barrier layer, and the establishment of electrical contact.
The energy-conservation potential with high-brightness LEDs is
enormous. Compared to incandescent bulbs, LEDs such as
those fitted throughout Oerlikon Advanced Technologies’ facilities
have five to ten times more light output (50 lumens/Watt
compared with 5 – 10 lumens/Watt). This means they consume
just 10 % to 20 % of the energy required by filament bulbs to
produce the same amount of light. LEDs are the most energyefficient
light source currently available and therefore economically
and environmentally friendly: less cost, less CO2. In Switzerland,
for example, about 14 % of all generated electricity is
used for lighting households, offices, industrial spaces, etc.
Considering that lighting accounts for 50 % of the average
commercial electricity bill, the cost savings made possible by
switching to LED lighting is tremendous. The Swiss Energy
Foundation has determined that households alone have a savings
potential of 60 %.
Oerlikon Solar has become the technology and cost leader of
assembly lines that make thin film solar modules. Because the
viability of solar power generation depends largely on cost
Letter Information for Investors Operational Review Sustainability Compliance Corporate Governance
– measured in Euros or US dollars per Watt-peak (Wp) – Oerlikon
Solar focuses continually on lowering the manufacturing costs
of solar modules and further increasing their capacity, which
makes clean energy more economically attractive. The new,
fully integrated second generation ThinFab TM line allows customers
to produce the highest-quality thin film silicon modules
at costs of around USD 0.5/Wp – a new record in the industry.
The production of Oerlikon thin film silicon modules requires
less energy than all other the solar manufacturing processes
and the “energy payback time” of Oerlikon technology is less
than a year – these are unique benefits. Furthermore, Oerlikon
Solar modules are manufactured in an environmentally friendly
manner without the use of toxic substances such as
cadmium.
HSE: a company-wide system being developed
In terms of health, safety and environment requirements (HSE),
Oerlikon complies with local laws and regulations in force at
each of its production sites. These generally vary from location
to location and Segment to Segment. Related certificates
(OSHA, ISO) are obtained and updated solely on a decentralized
basis. A uniform, company-wide reporting, collection and
management unit is currently being assembled at Oerlikon’s
headquarters. The aim of this effort is to improve HSE transparency,
facilitate comparability across the Group and to ensure
uniform standards. These standards will be designed to help all
locations throughout the Group attain the world-class standards
achieved by Oerlikon’s state-of-the-art production units.
The company is striving to create a culture in which all occupational
accidents and illnesses, all environmentally relevant deviations
and all pollution are avoided. Oerlikon will drive the HSE
agenda from headquarters using additional personnel, uniform
company-wide guidelines, audits, a reporting system and incorporation
of targets into the company’s 3-Year Business
Plan. As a result of this work, HSE will become an integral part
of the company’s Operational Excellence efforts.
HSE steps being taken at all production sites include the recycling
of production waste, particularly leftover metal, as well as
packaging material, liquids and wood. Some of the company’s