NEWS & EVENTS > Berco at Bauma China for the first ... - Berco S.p.A

BercoNewsenglish edition > year 14issue 56 > december 2008Free Company Information PeriodicalEditor-in-Chief: Silvia UngaroAuthorisation of Court of Ferrara n° 17/94 of 5-12-1994Poste Italiane S.p.A. - Spedizione in Abbonamento Postale - D L. 353/2003 (conv. in L. 27/02/2004 n°46) Art. 1, comma 1, DCB FerraraNEWS & EVENTS> Berco at Bauma China for the first time> MinExpo 2008: three days amongst the giantsFROM THE SUBSIDIARIES> At the foot of the Balkans a newfactory at the service of Berco Track Systems

EditorialDear readers,IN THIS ISSUE:2 EDITORIAL4 NEWS & EVENTSMinExpo 2008:three days amongst the giants5 FOCUS ONMINING: development prospectsin the North American coal industry6 FROM THE SUBSIDIARIESProduction starts in China7 NEWS & EVENTSBerco at Bauma China for the first time8 FROM THE SUBSIDIARIESAt the foot of the Balkans a new factoryat the service of Berco Track Systems9 FROM THE SUBSIDIARIESBerco UK: a very intense year10 ENVIRONMENT & SAFETYEnvironmental Management System:it’s not just the environment thatbenefits11 PRODUCTS & SERVICESThe Lynx2000 grinder arrives in BrazilBercoNews is a periodical published for Berco employees,customers, suppliers and friends. The articles and photos canbe copied only if expressly authorised by the Editor.Cover: Bauma China 2008Published by: BERCO S.p.A. - Communications DepartmentVia 1° Maggio, 237 - 44034 Copparo (FE) ItalyTel. +39 0532 864116 - fax +39 0532 864462,e-mail: berconews@berco.comEditor-in-Chief: Silvia UngaroTel. +39 0532 864116 - fax +39 0532 864462,e-mail: s.ungaro@berco.comEditorial Committee: E. Bacilieri, S. Bottacin, L. Guzzinati,S. Mastellari, G. Neodo, A. Bavarone, R. Robbiano, S. Salatini,S. SalviEditorial Secretary: D.RoversiTel. +39 0532 864 270 - e-mail: d.roversi@berco.comGraphics and pagination: Communications DepartmentPrinted: Chinchio Industria Grafica S.p.A. (PD)Circulation: Italian 4.200, English 5.300as you all know, our2007/2008 financial yearended on the 30th ofSeptember.A year in which, insteadof the long-awaited signsof recovery in ourmarkets, there was adifficult process ofconsolidation andtransition, culminating ina financial and economic crisis generally defined as “theworst of the last seventy years”.I feel neither compelled nor entitled to add to the vastamount of information and expert analysis that we hearand read every day about the causes and consequencesof the current general economic crisis.Therefore I shall limit myself to a few simpleconsiderations, with regards to our company, givinghighlights of the past financial year summed up asfollows.The first is undoubtedly the persistence of the big dropin demand in North American markets that began in2007, linked to the financial crisis and the standstill inconstruction.The second is related to the very big rise in raw materialand energy costs that lasted right to the end of July,caused more by speculative factors than actual marketconditions.And the third is the result of a collapse in demand onEuropean markets as well, starting in August, followedby collapses on the Russian, Indian and Asian markets.Despite all this, our production volume reached 243,000tons, just slightly below the target of 250,000 tonsachieved in the previous year, a reduction of less than3%.This result would be highly satisfactory, if it were not forthe fact that in the meantime, over the last few months,the economy plummeted even further, creating moredifficulties and challenges ahead thus forcing us toreschedule production for the October-December trimesterand probably for the January-March trimester as well.There are no simple solutions or easy short cuts forgetting through times like these. Of one thing, though,we are absolutely certain: the human factor can andmust make the difference.Our “team”, with its directors, managers, office staffand workers at all levels, has all the required ingredientssuch as professionalism, sense of responsibility andmotivation to face up to and manage this difficultperiod of transition leading to the recovery, which,despite there being, as yet, no visible signs of it, willsurely come. The "seniors" among us, whose 30 years ormore of loyalty to the company and are soon to be

acknowledged in a prize giving ceremony on the 20thof December, have already lived through similar crisissituations in the past, from which the company hasalways emerged, somewhat leaner perhaps, butdefinitely strengthened in all respects. Theirexperience and learnings can and must provide theyounger generation with the support, trust andguidance necessary to cope not only competently, butalso bravely and determinedly, with the challenge ofthe forthcoming months as we await the return tonormality. As far as I and those with whom I workmost directly are concerned, I assure you that noeffort will be spared to increase our productivity, withregard both to investment and the implementation ofaction plans aimed at optimising our costs andwinning new markets.Our primary objective, together with attainingpositive results for the company, has always been toguarantee the maximum level of employment allowed bythe market situation, not only for the sake of the futureemployment of our workforce, both in the Italianfactories and foreign branches, but also for the localsupply chain and economy.As the festive season approaches, and in times ofwidespread crisis such as these, the desire and need toexchange the customary greetings becomes moreheartfelt than ever.Therefore, may I wish yourselves and your families allthe very best for a peaceful Christmas and, above all, ahappy and better New Year!Tonnellate (x 1.000)300250200150100500180‘00AM - AfterMarketOEM - 1st equipment181 180 180‘01‘02‘03200,3‘04230‘05243 250 243‘06‘07‘08Production trend over the last 9 yearsBruno SaturniManaging DirectorThe winning drawing in the“Christmas on Tracks 2008”competition, open to allemployees’ children, by AndreaBurini, aged 7.BN56 > december 20083

News & EventsMINEXPO 2008Three daysamongst the giantsGoing against the trend of the world economic crisis, themining industry appears to be undergoing steady growth,thanks above all to demand in developing countries and thetrend in the energy market, which seems as though itseriously intends to free itself from the dominance of oil.4MINEXPO 2008 EDITIONMINExpo is the only mining fair inNorth America and the mostprestigious in the world. Every fouryears, in Las Vegas, this event bringstogether all the major representativesof the world mining industry and thewhole universe that surrounds it. Thisyear saw the previous edition’sattendance record broken (44% up onMINExpo 2004), with 38,500 visitorsfrom all over the world and almost1,300 exhibitors. It occupied a surfacearea of about 180,000 square metres(30% more than the 2004 edition) ofthe Las Vegas Convention Centre.A MARKETGOING AGAINST THE TRENDDespite the difficult world economicsituation, most visitors bore witness tothe fact that the mining industry isundergoing steady growth. With manysectors of industry struggling forsurvival, in the mining industry thereis actually great demand for equipmentand skilled personnel. The growth isparticularly evident in developingcountries, where there is increasingdemand for mining products andmachinery. The popularity of the coalextraction industry is blooming, due tothe worldwide interest in developingenvironmentally friendly coal-basedtechnology, capable both of meetinggrowing energy demands and of beingan alternative solution to oil. Marketanalysts expect exports of UnitedStates coal, comprising no less than27% of world reserves, to growexponentially over the next threeBN56 > december 2008years, with the consequent positiveeffect on mining equipment sales inthe years to come. This conviction isconfirmed by the fact that most of themachines on show were already soldand, for some, there were waiting listsof almost two years.THE BERCO STANDBerco took part in the fair with a standin two sections, one dedicated todozers and the other to excavators.On show in the former section was alarge-size triangular undercarriage fordozers, part of the Berco range fortrack chain pitches of up to 350 mm.This was accompanied by a sprocketfor the same machine, displayed in anunfinished state to highlight one ofthe main techniques underlying thecharacteristic the quality of the Bercobrand, hot forging. Berco has beeninvesting in the technology for thedevelopment of this production processfor over twenty years.In the excavators section of the stand,a section of a track chain for a 120-ton excavator was displayed, togetherwith a section of a track chain for anR994 excavator. Trade fairs are alwaysgreat occasions for exchange andcomparison, presenting opportunitiesto renew relationships with existingcustomers and make new contacts forthe future. For us, the outcome of thisedition of MINExpo was definitelypositive and we expect the meetingsthat took place during the fair todevelop into growth opportunities forboth ourselves and our customers, oldand new. The success of ourparticipation in this important eventcan definitely be partly attributed tothe synergic relationship that has beenestablished between the Americanbranch and the Copparo headquarters,a working relationship which yet againdemonstrated how coordinating effortsin the attainment of specific companygoals always brings the best results.We would like to take this occasion toexpress our special thanks to all thosewho visited the Berco stand, especiallyour customers and dealers, andwe hope to see you all again atMINExpo 2012!Antonio PelàBerco of America

Focus onMINING: developmentprospects in the NorthAmerican coal industryTHE ROLE OF COAL IN THEFUTURE OF NORTH AMERICAOn the 16th of January 2008, Kraig R.Naasz, President and CEO of theNational Mining Association, theofficial voice of the North Americanmining industry, opened the fourthedition of the “Annual State of theEnergy Industry” with a longintroduction on the role of coal in theenergy industry and the debate onclimate change, referring in particularto the United States, given its greatwealth of coal deposits: no less than27% of all world reserves, the highestconcentration in any single nation.Currently, coal generates 50% ofavailable energy in the United States,a figure which is expected to reach57% by 2030. What should be takeninto account, though, is that in thesame period, a population growth of300 million units is forecast, with a40% increase in energy demand.The accessibility of this mineral, theneed to become independent of thecountries that control the productionof oil and, last but not least, theenvironmental awareness developed inEurope resulting from the industrialapplication of the Kyoto Protocol, haveall contributed strongly to the desireto develop the coal extraction industry.Since 2003 this desire has been furthermotivated by the “FutureGen” projectand the development of the first evercoal-based simultaneous electricityand hydrogen production plant, a plantdesigned to reduce noxious emissionsto zero and eliminate carbon dioxideemissions by sequestration andunderground storage. The plant, whichis to be in Mattoon, Illinois, will havea power of 275 MW and will beoperational by 2012.The investment was 1.75 billiondollars, 1.5 billion of this having beenprovided by the project sponsor, USGovernment Department of Energy(http://www.futuregenalliance.org/).This ambitious project, that, if thisprototype will be successful, willinvolve the construction of more plantsof this kind, is based on theassumption that there will be furtherdevelopments in the coal industry andall its correlated market.THE FUTURE OF “MINING”This prospect for development in theNorth American coal industry opens upfurther growth scenarios for Berco inmining, an area in which the companyhas been making large-scaleinvestments both in process, with thecreation of new production systemsand lines specifically for themanufacture of large-size components,and in logistics, with the expansion ofits organisation in order to provide thecustomer with a more complete,effective and efficient service.NOT JUST “GIGANTIC” MACHINESDon’t forget that mining doesn’t justmean huge machines, but also all theservice machinery and equipmentneeded for working in a mine. Thesemedium-size machines could also beinvolved in the expected growth overthe next few years. In this area, Bercohas a wide range of products that addto the quality of the offer, a qualitywhich, it should be noted, guaranteesbetter performance and maximum lifeeven in the harshest conditions and, inaddition, the best value for money inrelation to the number of hoursworked. And so, for the years to come,Berco confirms its growth target inthis sector, as the current world crisisseems to be avoiding those marketareas involved in the manufacture ofproducts in some way linked tosafeguarding the environment.Silvia UngaroCommunications Department ManagerBN56 > december 20085

From the SubsidiariesPRODUCTION starts in China“Safeguarding Berco brand quality” – this is the guiding philosophy of the operationalstaff at the new Chinese branch, which began its roller and track chain assembly work on the13th of September, using components produced in the Italian factories.6The 13th of September 2008, the day on which BercoShanghai Undercarriage produced its first batches ofrollers and track chains, will be remembered as animportant date in the history of the Chinese branch.Achieving this goal wasn’t easy: from a simple 12 m 2office manned by three people to a 5,200 m 2industrial building with a staff of 25 office andfactory personnel, in just 18 months. The facilitiesinstalled include a warehouse with capacity for about1,000 containers, a 200 m 2 incoming goods testinglaboratory, a small test sample preparation workshopof about 100 m 2 , a roller assembly line and a trackchain assembly line, and in the meantime asignificant order portfolio has been built up.Furthermore, a turnover of 13 million euros isforecast for 2009 with the startup of machining andheat treatment lines for locally procured castings.There has been no lack of difficulties: customsinspections and continuous surveillance bygovernment agencies have delayed machine startupsBN56 > december 2008considerably, but the tenacity of our Chinesecolleagues and the technical support from our Italiancolleagues, to whom we extend our special thanks,have made it possible to get the lines up andrunning well ahead of schedule.Currently, roller production is at about 150 items pershift and is expected to go above 180 per shift bythe end of the year.Assembly of chains complete with track shoes beganwith the FL4 model. The current production rate isabout 6 chains per shift and, again by the end of theyear, is expected to exceed 8 per shift.In this startup period we have paid special heed tothe input given by our management: “safeguardBerco quality“. For this reason, Berco ShanghaiUndercarriage, as well as training engineeringpersonnel, has also concentrated on incentivatingquality.The first shipment was dispatched at the end ofSeptember, well within the times requested bycustomers.Our first customers were Kobelco and BobCat, butnew contacts have already been established withimportant manufacturers, both local andinternational.In these uncertain times in the world economy, thedriving force provided by the Chinese market is ofprime importance, not only for the development ofBerco Shanghai Undercarriage but also for the Bercofactories in Italia, given that the roller shells, tracklinks, pins and bushings are manufactured exclusivelyin Italy.Flavio FornerBerco Shanghai UndercarriageTechnical Supervisor

News & EventsBerco atBauma CHINAfor the first timeThe 2008 edition of Bauma China was heldfrom the 25th to the 28th of November. Thefair, one of the most important internationalevents in the construction industry, obviouslyattracted a large number of major companies.This becomes evident when we look at someof the main figures:- total exhibiting area: 210,000 m 2- more than 1,500 exhibitors from 30countries- more than 100,000 visitors- Bauma China 2008 was significantly bigger(+ 40%) than the 2006 edition, in terms ofboth exhibiting area and number of visitors.Berco participated directly in the fair for thefirst time with its own stand of 110 m 2 , set upby the Chinese branch, exhibiting products forexcavators, mini excavators, dozers andundercarriage maintenance machines.Berco’s participation in the fair was importantbecause it was a way of announcing itspresence in China with a new branch andproduction plant.There were many visitors to our stand in the 4days of the fair, and important contacts weremade, both OEM and aftermarket.Our staff were involved in detailed technicalbusinessmeetings with a number ofinternational OEMs, such as Volvo, JCB, Terex,SANY, John Deere and Wirtgen.In addition, information was exchanged andexisting joint work schemes were consolidatedwith other leading OEMs.It was also noted during the fair that demandfor heavy machinery undercarriage is high,thus giving Berco a growing number ofopportunities to gain a foothold in the FarEastern aftermarket.Despite the world economic crisis, theconstruction industry in China hasreconfirmed its growth trend, as demonstratedby the 400 billion euro infrastructureincentive scheme recently funded by theChinese government.Berco has no intention of letting thisopportunity to enter the Chinese market passby, and has formulated a specially tailoredstrategy to strengthen its position as aleading manufacturer of undercarriagecomponents, not only in the NAFTA area or onthe European market, but alsoin the vast expanses of Chinaand South East Asia.Yi ZengBerco Shanghai UndercarriageGeneral ManagerBN56 > december 20087

From the SubsidiariesAt the foot of theBALKANS a new factoryat the service of BERCO TRACK SYSTEMSComplete “turnkey” undercarriage systems:an all-European challenge.The complete systems are actually designedand assembled at the factories in Copparo,Imola and the new Apriltsi branch in Bulgaria.Berco Bulgaria was formed on the 25th of July andwas fully ready for operation on the 1st of October2008, extending the Berco project on the supply ofcomplete systems, which began in October 2007 withthe purchase of Forteq.The location of the newly formed branch is Apriltsi,surrounded by the Central Balkan mountain chain,just two hours from Sofia with easy access viamotorway and rail.The industrial plant covers a surface area of about30,000 m2, with a main production building of about3,000 m2 and smaller buildings fitted out aswarehouses.The main activity being themanufacture of frames,with components fromthe Imola factoriesbeing welded here inthe Bulgarian branch.Production capacity isabout 500 frames a month.Currently, the branch has 35 employees workingunder Managing Director Plamen Peevski.The newly acquired facility has been thoroughlymodernised and restructured in these months,involving, on the one hand, the buildings, resultingin the standardisation not only of the plant, but alsothe administrative, IT and management processes.The new factory will make the newly created BercoTrack System division more competitive, furtherincreasing production capacity in response to theever more pressing need to respond to the demandnot only for complete systems for excavators,compact track loaders, asphalt pavers,road planers and rockboring machines,but also forw e l d e dstructuressuch asexcavator arms, rotary boxes, loader arms, lowerframes and other accessory structures for earthmoving machines. At a time when manymanufacturers and sub-suppliers have turned toSouth East Asian countries for their main ofsupply of complete steel structures, Berco hasdecided to keep its productionbase in Europe, in orderto be able to exercisemore direct controlover the entireprocess and face up tothe challenge fromemerging countries in amore cost-competitive way.With a strategy based on keepingdesign and production closely integrated, Berco isable to guarantee its customers high standards ofreliability in deliveries and manufacturing quality.At just over a year from the purchase of Forteq,we can safely say that we’re satisfied: the TrackSystems division is fully active, new projects havebeen launched with many others in the prototypestage and Berco engineering is currently workingon a number of new requests.All this is further evidence of the considerabledevelopment possibilities for Berco Track Systems.Matteo FrabettiAdministration DepartmentLuca BarattoniTrack System Division8BN56 > december 2008

From the SubsidiariesBerco UK: a very intense yearThe British branch has just ended its third financial year, withlots of things achieved and many more plans for the future.The Christmas period, perhaps morethan any other, is a time when youlook back and make an assessment ofthe year just ending.Looking back at the last twelvemonths, we can say that they werereally intensive, highly eventful andlived in two completely differenteconomic contexts: the former full oftrust in a very healthy market (withturnover growing by 30%), the latter -evident as from May - in rapid declineand characterised by an almost verticaldrop in demand.Nevertheless, despite this suddenslowdown, by the end of the yearBerco UK had achieved a turnover of51 million euros, in line with 2007,with a growth in profit over theprevious year. The organisationalstructure grew as well, rising to 25units, and work was done onoptimising internal structures andimproving assembly line productivity(getting up to the rate of 12 trackchains a shift).Great efforts were also put intomaintaining the excellent standards ofservice to the two main customers,with the attainment of the KomatsuUK’s prestigious “Supplier of the Year”award.NEW PREMISESThe most important project of the yearwas undoubtedly the move to newpremises in Spennymoor, near Durham.With the rental contract on theMiddlesbrough building about toexpire, the search began for biggerpremises (about 14,000 m2), bigenough above all to housenew track chain assemblyand complete frame subassemblylines, becausethese are the activities thatBerco UK is banking on toincrease its business in theyears to come.After completing thebureaucratic necessities(contract, permits, etc.),work began at the end of’07 on fitting out thebuilding, with jobs such theinstallation of two bridgecranes and a paint boothand the electricity, gas andcompressed air circuits, etc.This work went on for fivemonths.The office move was done atthe beginning of May, andthe goods and stock movebegan in May and lasted 4-5weeks, with no interruptionin the flow of deliveries tocustomers.On the 18th of July we werefinally able to celebrate therelocation to the newpremises with a Berco UKOpen Day.This began in the morningwith a press conference,followed by an inaugurationceremony and an officialpresentation. Guests werethen shown round thefactory, followed by thecustomary toast.Numerous customers,suppliers, friends and local authoritiestook part in the event, including localMP Helen Goodman, the guest ofhonour.In the afternoon, after the guests hadleft, it was the turn of the employeesand their families, they too having thechance to have a look round Berco UK.FUTURE PROJECTSAlthough the difficult economicsituation and continuous talk of therecession hitting Europe and Americaleave little room for optimism,nevertheless, at the same time,difficult periods are a unique occasionto look for new stimuli, discoveruntapped resources and develop newideas and projects to lay the basis forstrong future growth.Despite the drop in sales, Berco UK hasredoubled its efforts and is working onnumerous projects, both internal (suchas the ISO 9001, ISO 14001, OHSAS18001 and Investor in People qualitycertification schemes), and external(such as, in particular, thedevelopment of the aftermarket andthe supply of complete frames formobile crushers and screens).The challenges are ambitious, but theenthusiasm and dedication of theBerco UK team are bound to achievesatisfactory results in the near future.Giovanni MichelettoGeneral Manager, Berco UKBN56 > december 20089

Environment & SafetyENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT SYSTEM:it’s not just the environment that benefitsThe sizeable investment required for the introduction and maintenance of an EnvironmentalManagement System is justified by the considerable benefits that derive from it, both materially and interms of company image. Berco is fully aware of this fact and works constantly to ensure that itsEnvironmental Management System (EMS) is ever more integrated and effective.The aim of EnvironmentalManagement Systems isto identify the mainenvironmental factors of acompany, keep them undercontrol and coordinateall the activities that impactthe environment, withthe assignment ofspecific responsibilities.Environmental problemsthus become an integralpart of companymanagement, with thesetting of voluntary goals,the attainment of which ismonitored by the companyitself. Berco has been ISO14001 certified since 2000and had its third inspectionfor renewal in October 2008.The inspection forconformity to theISO14001:04 Standard wasparticularly thorough andthe three inspectorsgathered objective evidenceof conformity (ornonconformity) to the Standardrequirements by means of checkingdocuments, surveys in departments,observation of activities and staffinterviews. On completing their visit,the inspectors concluded that therewas a growth in the professionalexpertise of the Environment andSafety group and in the maturity of theEMS, but that this now had to bedisseminated to all areas/departments.For this, they suggested nominatingorganisational reference persons forenvironmental questions in the variousdepartments-areas. They also pointedout the need to redefine roles andresponsibilities with the drafting of anew company organisation chart. Inoverall terms, the assessment of thecompany was positive, and theprogress made in reducing energy, oiland solvent consumption and in themanagement of atmospheric emissionswas acknowledged. But we mustn’t reston our laurels: the certifying agencyspecified an exacting course of actionto follow if we are to improve ourenvironmental performance at Berco.Having an Environmental Management System, infact, means taking on important commitments interms of time, energy and capital, not only in theimplementation stage, but also and above all inthe maintenance stage. Given that developing anEnvironmental Management System and operatingaccording to its principles is a voluntary choice ofthe company, you may ask why an organisationdecides to bear these considerable costs. As wellas being aware of environmental problems, acompany that makes this kind of choice knowsthat it will get a range of different benefits. Theimmediate advantages are "environmental ", suchas reducing impact, lessening accident risk andbeing more sure of compliance withenvironmental standards, thus reducing the riskof legal action.The medium and short term benefits that standout are the lower supply and waste disposalcosts, derived from savings in raw materials andenergy and lower waste production. Finally, thereare the benefits of a more "strategic" type, bethey external, with the creation of a better imagewith the public, institutions and customers, orinternal, with the improved employee efficiency,motivation and participation.Saverio SalviEnvironment and Safety ManagerMAIN BENEFITS DERIVING FROM COMPLIANCE WITH ISO 14001:04 SYSTEMLegal safeguard: Observance and documentation of all national, regional and local requirements, eliminating the risk of incurringcriminal or civil penalties.Reduced accident risk: Identification of inefficiencies in production processes thanks to better information on potentialhazards and correct management of plant, work procedures and emergencies.Cost saving: Thanks in particular to the optimisation of processes, these being: energy, raw materials, water supply, wasteproducts and the related optimisation of the raw materials used in the processes, energy consumption and pollutantatmospheric emissions.Competitive advantages: The gaining or maintaining of market shares, especially in countries with a strong environmentalculture, where the selection of products or suppliers is decided by the final customer.Improved company image: Better credibility with other economic actors, thanks to the use of the ISO 14001:04 logo.Improved relations with the authorities: When granting authorisations or making inspections, controlling authorities areable to take into account the efforts made by the company and the responsible attitude to the law, as evidenced by the certification.Staff motivation: Greater sense of responsibility and involvement of personnel in the attainment of eco-compatibleefficiency, thanks to the information provided and awareness shown by company management.10BN56 > december 2008

Products & ServicesThe LYNX2000GRINDERarrives in BRAZILIt gives us great satisfaction to see a companylike ThyssenKrupp Metalúrgica Campo Limpoamongst the customers that have chosen tointroduce a machine tool like the Lynx2000 intoits production processes.ThyssenKrupp Metalúrgica Campo Limpo is aThyssenKrupp Technologies company, part of theMechanical Components division, like Berco.TKMCL, together with the ThyssenKruppCrankshasft Co. and ThyssenKrupp Gerlach, is amember of the ThyssenKrupp Forging Groupwhich, with its factories in Europe, North andSouth America and Asia, is one of the leadingproducers of shafts and engine componentsin the world.TKMCL recently installed a double motorised headversion of the Lynx2000 grinder in its CampoLimpo factory, for final crank pin grinding on amachining line for 4 and 6 cylinder heavytransport engine crankshafts.Before shipment, the grinder had to go through apre-acceptance stage in the Berco factories,which involved the grinding of a hundred or socrankshafts with capability testing.Capability testing is a statistical technique foranalysing the capability of a production processto comply with requested design/drawingspecifications. During the subsequent machiningof the acceptance batch shafts, dimensional andform checking was done in our laboratory, withparticular reference to the roundness, linearity,cylindricity and angular and radial position ofthe crank pins.This type of analysis is particularly stringent as itrequires high precision machining with stabilityover time.The machine passed the test and was shipped. InOctober our engineers, working together withTKMCL engineers, completed the installationand started production with the grinder.The machine installed, a Lynx2000DW-Crank, isthe double motorised head version withautomatic workpiece clamping by means offloating jaws and is particularly suitable forgrinding medium ad large size crankshafts.Workpiece drive, in fact, is on both the workhead and tailstock side, thus guaranteeinghigh precision control of the shaft positionduring machining.The special features of this machine mean thatthe workpiece rotation and the position ofwheel in its orbital movement make it possibleto obtain extremely high precision in the crankpin roundness.With the conviction that this first order will bethe basis for further collaboration between thetwo companies in the development ofsubsequent production-line crankshaft grindersdesigned to customer specifications, we wishto thank TKMCL as of now for the opportunitythey have given us.We would also like to take this opportunity tothank Scuderia Ferrari, who installed aLynx2000 in 2004 for machining F1 singleseatercrankshafts. The continuousdevelopment of the machining process, in fact,allows us to extend our knowledge and furtherrefine grinding technology in a market whereabsolute quality has no limits.Orazio CappellatoDesign Service DivisionBN56 > december 200811

WHATEVER'S ON TOP...WE'LL TAKE CARE OF THE BOTTOMBERCO S.p.A.A Company of ThyssenKrupp TechnologiesVia 1° Maggio, 237Copparo (FE) 44034 - ItalyTel. +39 0532 864111Fax +39 0532 864259www.berco.commarketing@berco.com