Annual Report 2009 - Von Roll

Description of segments 17MarketIn 2009, the global market for insulation products covered a volume of around CHF 2.1 billion. By2011, growth to CHF 2.4 billion is expected. The most important growth drivers are traction motorsand rotation motors. Traction motors are benefiting from the trend towards urbanisation in China,India and Russia, which is leading to the expansion of the railway systems. In addition, climate protectionrequires the replacement of older diesel engines with modern, electrical locomotives. Therotation motors segment is growing as a result of investment in basic industries such as oil and gasextraction, as well as cement, steel and engineering in China and India. In addition, subsidies foralternative energies are promoting the spread of wind power stations. Around three quarters of theinsulation market is accounted for by Europe and Asia. While the high-voltage area includes themajor globally active power station builders among its customers, the market is more fragmentedin the low-voltage area. Von Roll Insulation is a global market leader in insulation products and isalso well-positioned in the service business.Highlights 2009Von Roll Insulation launched an innovation in the area of mica tapes with DryFlex Mica Tape. Thenew product has excellent adhesive features and flexibility, which enables a considerable increasein efficiency in production for customers. The new mica tape product family will go into mass productionin the first quarter of 2010. In the area of liquid products, Von Roll Insulation brought a newproduct family of environmentally friendly, odour and solvent-free epoxy resin (EP) on to the market.In addition, a polymer was developed under the name UPAC, which can be enriched with variouschemical components. This means that Von Roll Insulation can offer a wide range of resins withdifferent properties, which are based on the same base material. The areas of use are correspondinglybroad, from industrial motors through to generators for wind turbines. In the area of flexiblelaminates, Von Roll Insulation was able to significantly increase sales to Asia, in particular for applicationsin electricity generation and transmission, as well as for traction motors.Case study: traction motorsVon Roll’s engineering achievements are usuallyinvisible, hidden away in places like the futuristichigh-speed trains that amaze us interms of how quickly and safely they transportus to our destination. The traction motors arebuilt into the bogies of locomotives and multipleunits, with the motive power being generatedby the rotating, magnetic field of the statorcoil and transferred to the drive wheels via agearbox. The electrical insulation used in transactionmotors is exposed to very high temperaturesand wear, so the high durability ofVon Roll’s insulation materials is a key factor inthe exceptional reliability of the motors.