Maintenance in the chemicals and pharmaceuticals industry – a ...

55151_Globe_1_2006_englSV 03.07.2006 10:27 Uhr Seite 1 

INDUSTRIAL SERVICES 

WESTERN EUROPE 

Page 3 

Gas project in Norway 

Pioneering not only requires innovative new 

ideas but also the ability to remain ahead of 

market trends. Only few pave the way until many 

are able to reap the benefits. Rheinhold & Mahla 

realised early on that industrial maintenance 

constitutes a key parameter for industrial competitiveness. 

By systematically pooling complementary 

maintenance activities, the Group has 

established itself as a leading European-wide 

provider of “Solutions for Industrial Services”. 

Most recently, this has been reflected in the integration 

of special maintenance activities for the 

chemicals and pharmaceuticals industry. 

GL BE www.rheinhold-mahla.com 

Allowing customers to concentrate on 

their core strengths 

The chemicals and pharmaceuticals sector is one of 

the leading industries in Germany with undisputed 

economic importance. The industry has been undergoing 

fundamental change since the nineties. 

Mounting pressure to innovate in a bid to survive 

global competition has forced companies to refocus 

on their core strengths. The resultant structural 

changes at the large chemical construction sites are 

now unleashing positive effects and generating new 

impetus in the market. To harness these benefits, 

companies must create the appropriate infrastruc- 

offering an extensive array of maintenance services 

for many years. If anything, we have entered a 

further dimension by amassing key maintenance 

skills which are of crucial importance for the 

chemicals and pharmaceuticals industry. 

GLOBE: What are these skills? 

Töpfer: In the chemicals and pharmaceuticals 

industry, they cover E/I&C as well as analysis technology, 

which plays a key role in the production 

process and calls for highly specialised knowledge. 

We have gained greater expertise, which ideally 

supplements our previous skills. Let me give you 

one example: Today, process analysis technology is 

vital in technical production activities to ensure the 

fully automatic identification of material concentrations.The 

roughly 80 measuring processes available 

and the wide range of applications can only be 

deployed properly and efficiently by an analysis 

specialist. For this reason, maintenance and servicing 

of capital-intensive plant and equipment play 

a particular role. R&M’s engineers have superb 

skills which allow customers in the chemicals and 

pharmaceuticals industry to organise maintenance 

activities more efficiently and at less expense. 

GLOBE: How does this growth in expertise fit into 

your overall strategy? 

Töpfer: As a strategic partner to our customers, 

we align the maintenance processes to match the 

production processes. This also involves steadily 

extending industry-related plant and process 

expertise and simultaneously linking it with intelli- 

ture. This also involves service partners, which 

accompany these companies at a strategic level. 

Innovative prowess as success factor 

For industrial service providers, this means developing 

innovative maintenance solutions tailored to 

meet the customer’s specific situation. Yet, this is 

possible only if the technical expertise is combined 

with intelligent methods and management skills. 

There are multifarious parameters involved in 

lowering maintenance costs, optimising processes 

and boosting productivity on a sustained basis and 

they can only be mastered by a service provider who 

gent integrated maintenance models. We now have 

a technological lead in the chemicals and pharmaceuticals 

industry as well and are able to offer our 

customers bespoke solutions ranging from project 

solutions to main contracting and full services, while 

integrating mechanics, E/I&C as well as insulation, 

scaffolding and corrosion protection. 

GLOBE: What does this specifically mean for the 

chemicals and pharmaceuticals industry? 

Töpfer: Our maintenance experts are waging war 

on high cost pressure. This they are doing by scrutinising 

all key maintenance parameters and the life 

cycle costs of plant and equipment in the chemicals 

and pharmaceuticals industry and offering efficient 

solutions. This includes planning, installing and 

maintaining process analysis and measuring equipment, 

qualifying, calibrating and servicing laboratory 

equipment, repairing and calibrating measuring 

and controlling systems and performing field bus 

services. As well as this, we have the necessary 

equipment and thus alleviate our customers of 

the need to maintain capital-intensive heavy-duty 

facilities of their own. 

GLOBE: You will be exhibiting for the first time at 

ACHEMA 2006, the world’s key industry for the 

process industry. What do you hope to achieve by 

doing this? 

Töpfer: By showcasing our entire range of “Solutions 

for Industrial Services”, we want to provide 

the industry with new impetus and show ways of 

harnessing economic advantages by optimising 

ISSUE 1/2006 

The in-house paper for the employees and 

business partners of the Rheinhold & Mahla Group 

Maintenance in the chemicals and 

pharmaceuticals industry – a question of expertise 

When you hear the word “maintenance”, you may first only think of necessary repairs and regular checks of machinery and equipment with 

the aim of maximising the service lives of expensive acquisitions. Yet, over the past few years, the provision of industrial services has evolved 

into a sector going far beyond this. An economic and productivity factor, it must be viewed in a more global context as a contribution to site 

preservation, plant safety and sustainability. Rheinhold & Mahla is one of the industry pioneers which has been helping to shape this trend 

by developing numerous effective maintenance models and, indeed, is continuing to do so. By broadening its range to accommodate the 

specific requirements of the chemicals and pharmaceuticals industry, the Company is setting new standards in the marketplace once more. 

“We have entered a new dimension with 

industrial maintenance” 

Thomas Töpfer CEO of Rheinhold & Mahla AG 

GLOBE: Mr.Töpfer, with the acquisition of the technical 

services business at the Höchst and Griesheim 

industrial estates last year, you are materially 

focussing on the chemicals and pharmaceuticals 

industry. Does this mean that you are entering new 

territory? 

Töpfer: No, definitely not. We are one of the leading 

industrial service providers throughout the 

entire process industry and enjoy an excellent 

European-wide position in the refinery and energy 

sectors as well as in the chemicals and pharmaceuticals 

industries. This not only applies to other European 

countries but also to Germany itself, where 

global players such as Bayer or BASF are amongst 

our long-standing customers whom we have been 

like Rheinhold & Mahla pools these skills within its 

own organisation and offers a suitably wide range 

of services. 

In order to ensure smooth operations, the sensitive 

technical processes and ancillary plant and equipment 

used in the chemicals and pharmaceuticals 

industry require modern E/I&C and analytical 

technology as well as highly qualified employees 

who are masters of their areas of expertise. With its 

centres of excellence, notably R&M Industrieservice 

Höchst GmbH, Frankfurt, and R&M Industrieservice 

Griesheim GmbH, Rheinhold & Mahla is able to 

meet the core requirements of the chemicals and 

pharmaceuticals industry and combine this with 

conventional maintenance services for the process 

industry. In this way, it covers the entire gamut 

of activities encompassing engineering, highly 

specialised E/I&C technology as well as insulation, 

scaffolding and corrosion protection. 

processes and structures. Targeted at reduced life 

cycle costs, greater equipment availability and 

reliability, more efficient spare parts management, 

transparent resource deployment planning, 

improved scheduling of shutdowns and lower 

failure rates for consumables, Rheinhold & Mahla’s 

strategy is committed to meeting customers’ 

individual requirements and achieving measurable 

savings in maintenance, greater production quality 

and plant reliability. 

GLOBE: Thank you very much for the interview. 

Industrial Services 

Central Europe 

Page 2 Maintenance packages for Bayer and Lanxess 

Page 3 Acknowledged testing authority: the laboratory 

at R&M Industrieservice Höchst 

Page 5 Toho Tenax investing in new production facility 

Western Europe 

Page 10 Modernisation of refinery at 

Europoort/Rotterdam 

Page 11 Pelletiser at the Northern Polar Circle 

Eastern Europe 

Page 4 Euromont Group strengthening 

service business 

Page 12 MOL oil group modernising maleic anhydride 

plant in Hungary 

Technologies 

CONTENTS 

Page 7 Crystal Harmony renamed Asuka II 

Page 4 R&M Gerber supplying General Electric with 

noise suppression enclosures for Nigeria 

1


2 

Bayer facility in Leverkusen from the air. 

Chemicals group Bayer AG is one of Rheinhold & Mahla’s oldest customers. The successful 

business relations have now culminated in the signing of main contracts covering several 

key maintenance activities. In a series of maintenance service packages for Bayer and 

Lanxess, R&M Industrieservice Düsseldorf GmbH will be operating at four main chemicals 

plants in Germany. 

The Düsseldorf-based R&M companies entered 

2006 with a flying start, after several main contracts 

covering an extensive range of maintenance 

services had been signed at the end of 2005. 

This is further proof demonstrating that R&M’s 

“Solutions for Industrial Services” strategy is 

meeting with strong customer support. Bayer AG 

and listed spin-off Lanxess AG, which comprises 

the chemicals business and part of the polymer 

operations previously going under the Bayer 

name, are placing store by Rheinhold & Mahla’s 

maintenance skills on a very broad basis. Last 

autumn, the chemicals groups awarded the 

two Düsseldorf-based R&M companies several 

maintenance contracts going far beyond the 

technical construction activities of insulation, 

scaffolding and corrosion protection and additionally 

entailing ancillary heating, pipe and 

apparatus construction and assembly. The 

contracts have been signed for a period of 

two years and cover the key chemical sites in 

Dormagen, Leverkusen, Krefeld-Uerdingen and 

Brunsbüttel. 

Bayer’s largest site is in Leverkusen, which is also 

one of the best known facilities in the chemicals 

and pharmaceuticals industry. With further sites in 

Germany, Bayer is one of the world’s top suppliers 

of products and services in the areas of health, 

nutrition and high-quality materials. The dynamic 

trends in the chemicals industry have also left 

traces on Bayer. After restructuring its operations 

and streamlining its range, the chemicals behemoth 

has undergone radical change over the past 

few years and is now entering attractive growth 

markets with renewed vigour. The company 

operates in the global market with three 

potent divisions – HealthCare, CropScience and 

GL BE 

Multi-year main contracts signed 

Rheinhold & Mahla awarded maintenance 

contracts by Bayer and Lanxess 

MaterialScience. Based in Leverkusen and a 

global player in its segment Lanxess AG 

comprises certain divisions spun off from Bayer 

and primarily concentrates on developing, 

producing and selling high-quality chemicals, 

rubbers and plastics. 

Support for the successful realignment 

Bayer AG and Rheinhold & Mahla have been 

working together successfully for decades. Originally 

involving only insulation, the joint activities 

have since been extended substantially with 

targeted growth in capabilities at the Düsseldorf 

site. “With our close proximity to the customer, we 

are able to identify trends early on. In this way, 

we can support customers more efficiently and 

provide them with solutions offering measurable 

advantages,” explains Michael Erkelenz, the 

executive vice president in charge of the Industrial 

Services Central Europe Division. “At our 

Düsseldorf site, we have been focussing on organic 

extensions to our activities and our technical 

facilities in the interests of heightened customer 

and service orientation. With the establishment 

of the ISP Service Company in 1999, we have 

Coal power station in Pa¸tnów set to be a reference project with R&M Izomar’s participation 

EU standards driving modernisation 

in Poland 

Polish utilities are spending heavily on new heating power stations and modernizing existing ones in an effort to meet strict EU 

environmental protection rules. At the moment, one of the most efficient and ecologically most advanced coal-fired power stations in 

Poland is being built close to the town of Pa¸tnów. Polish Rheinhold & Mahla company, R&M Izomar Sp. z o.o., Warsaw, is supplying 

extensive insulation services for the project. 

The town of Pa¸tnów is located around 200 km 

southwest of Warsaw. Not far away, Poland’s 

third largest heating power station, an ultra-modern 

lignite-fuelled facility, is being built on a site 

housing a government-owned power station. 

Designed with an output of around 460 MW, the 

Pa¸tnów II power station is to go into operation in 

28 months’ time. 

At the end of November, Rheinhold & Mahla’s 

Polish subsidiary, R&M Izomar, which specialises in 

fire-resistant bricking and high-quality insulation, 

was awarded a contract by general contractor SNC 

Lavalin for the execution of all insulation-related 

activities. This contract involves insulation with a 

total area of around 50,000 square metres, which 

is to be fitted between March 2006 and February 

2007. The most complex areas entail the boiler as 

well as the extensive canal system for flue gas and 

ventilation. “The art is to plan the entire project 

with great economic and technical precision right 

through to the execution stage,” explains Tomasz 

Kalejta, Vice President and Director of the Thermal 

Insulation and Construction Works Division at R&M 

Izomar. “This is only possible with exact timing, 

organization, quality and safety management.” 

Insulation for high temperatures 

up to 600°C 

Work on the boilers alone accounts for around 

ten percent of the entire volume. R&M Izomar’s 

task here is to design and assemble the exterior 

insulation. “As temperatures of 500 to 600 °C 

are reached inside the boilers, the insulation 

must be designed in such a way as to ensure that 

ensuing work to the exterior can be executed 

safely,” explains Tomasz Kalejta. 

All in all, the insulation is assembled in three 

layers comprising ceramic and mineral wool in 

different qualities and thicknesses based on 

Pa¸tnów II will be one of the most modern lignite-fuelled power stations in Poland. 

Photo: Bayer MaterialScience 

additionally given integrated services a strong 

weighting.” Since then, the two Düsseldorf R&M 

companies under the management of Hüseyin 

Kazanci have not only gained good references at 

the various Bayer sites but also at the newly 

formed Lanxess AG. This proactive corporate strategy 

has resulted in the emergence of integrated 

industrial maintenance solutions, opening up new 

markets for the company. With these new master 

contracts, R&M is now one of the most important 

service providers for Bayer and Lanxess with a 

total average of 250 to 300 employees stationed 

at the four sites. 

The customer as a partner 

Proximity and a broad range of services are not 

the only arguments which prompted a decision 

in favour of R&M. “We view the customer as 

our partner whom we accompany on its road to 

success in the international markets. As far as 

maintenance is concerned, we can clear all obstacles 

and help our customers to boost productivity 

and heighten plant reliability,” says Hüseyin 

Kazanci, the managing director of the two 

R&M companies in Düsseldorf. “This also involves 

ensuring continuity in our relations with the 

customer. We attach importance to providing a 

contact person at each level on a consistent basis. 

This encourages confidence and also forms the 

basis for constructive joint activities.” 

The organisational structure for the overall 

package has been finalised. Technical consulting 

and contact with the customer will remain in the 

hands of Michael Erkelenz and Hüseyin Kazanci, 

who have been overseeing R&M’s activities for 

Bayer and Lanxess for many years and maintain 

close contacts with the customer. At each of 

the locations, the permanent construction sites 

are to be realigned to allow for the inclusion of 

the extended services. A site manager and an 

additional coordinator will be stationed on site 

to supervise the various activities. “A long-term 

relationship with a customer stands and falls with 

the quality of the services. That’s why we name a 

separate construction manager for each activity. 

We make a strict distinction between execution 

levels and resources and have clearly defined 

areas of responsibility. This is the only way of 

ensuring ongoing compliance with quality and 

site safety requirements at the high level which 

the customer expects of us,” explains Michael 

Erkelenz. 

exact thermal calculations to ensure that the 

safety rules for boiler insulation are met. 

The first steps have already been completed: the 

specifications have been finalised and the schedule 

drawn up. In the interests of maximum transparency 

in all phases of the project, the schedules 

have been devised in close consultation with the 

customer and an organisation chart setting out 

contact persons and areas of responsibility completed. 

Extensive technical documentation was readied 

at the end of February, containing precise instructions 

as to chronological sequences and details 

of the work to be performed by engineers in the 

various modules. With the construction site now 

being prepared, the preliminary implementation 

phase is due to commence. Up to 15 construction 

containers are being set up at the site, with as 

many as 120 workers, engineers, construction 

managers and supervisors involved to ensure that 

everything proceeds according to schedule. 

“Technically complex insulation projects are part 

of our daily business. That’s why we don’t have 

any problem coming to terms with these requirements 

with a project of this magnitude. Yet, each 

site is different. Accordingly, we readjust to the 

customer’s requirements for each new project 

and organise our structures to ensure that our 

activities synchronise with those of the other 

contractors to optimum effect. This reflects our 

view of what service and customer orientation 

means and our definition of high-quality service,” 

says Tomasz Kalejta.


GL BE 

Spectacular North Sea natural gas project off the coast of Norway 

Ormen Lange safeguarding European energy 

supplies for decades to come 

The world’s longest submarine pipeline is currently being built in the North Sea. As of October 2007, gas from the Ormen Lange gas field 

will be flowing through “Langeled” over a distance of 1,200 km from the west coast of Norway via the Sleipner distribution station in the 

North Sea to Easington in the United Kingdom. The gas will be processed in Nyhamna on the Island of Aukra, roughly 120 km northwest 

of Ormen Lange, where a gigantic industrial complex is currently being built. Rheinhold & Mahla Industrier AS is supplying most of the insulation 

for this spectacular project. 

The Ormen Lange gas field was discovered at a 

depth of 800 to 1,100 metres in 1997 by Norwegian 

oil and gas company Norsk Hydro. 

With a capacity of around 400 billion cubic 

metres, it is the second largest gas field in 

Norway. As a result, Ormen Lange is set to make 

a decisive contribution to European energy supplies 

over the next 30 to 40 years. In fact, the 

annual output of a maximum of 20 billion cubic 

metres will be sufficient to supply the annual 

requirements of 10 million UK households and 

contribute around 20 % to annual Norwegian 

gas exports. 

Processing for the market 

Before the gas is sent on its journey of 1,200 

kilometres via the “Langeled” submarine pipeline 

from the west coast of Norway to eastern England, 

R&M Industrieservice Höchst testing laboratory 

Acknowledged testing authority in the 

chemicals and pharmaceuticals industry 

Process instrumentation plays a key role in the chemicals and pharmaceuticals industry on account of the stringent demands made of 

product quality. As a neutral authority, the testing laboratory at R&M Industrieservice Höchst, Frankfurt, is at the vanguard of process 

technology. The laboratory not only scrutinises conventional process instrumentation systems but is also an accredited competence 

centre for the Profibus PA and the only centre of excellence named by the Fieldbus Foundation in Europe. 

Field equipment measures the process performance 

of the plant and transmits the readings to controlling 

systems. In the chemicals and pharmaceuticals 

industry, systems must operate without a hitch 

in extreme ambient conditions. Dust, heat, cold, 

pressure or vibration necessitate robust and reliable 

equipment which additionally satisfies explosion 

protection requirements. 

For the past 50 years the laboratory operated by 

R&M Industrieservice Höchst GmbH has been 

testing the proper functioning of field equipment 

for process instrumentation used in chemicals and 

pharmaceuticals process technology. Initially established 

as an internal testing laboratory at Höchst 

AG, the laboratory has developed into an independent 

and user-oriented examination authority 

since the nineties.At the same time, laboratory staff 

are increasingly also examining process instrumentation 

field equipment developed for the intelligent 

digital fieldbus technology. Producers from all over 

Europe as well as the United States have retained 

it must be processed for use by the market. To 

this end, an extensive processing plant is being 

built in Nyhamna on an area of some 1,500,000 

square metres. After being extracted from the 

ground at high pressure, the gas will be forwarded 

to the Nyhamna onshore station via 

pipelines and initially cleansed in a multi-stage 

process. The still untreated gas/water mixture will 

be sent through filters to remove slag, sand and 

particles of earth liable to damage the plant. In 

the next stage, the gas, water and oil-based 

condensate will be separated. The condensate 

will be stored in ground tanks so that it can be 

sent to industrial sites by tanker for further 

processing. The purified water will be returned to 

the sea. A further plant will compress the gas so 

that it can be transported in liquid form to the 

United Kingdom via the submarine pipelines. 

Reliable partner for insulation sought 

Work on constructing the plant commenced in 

spring 2004. Rheinhold & Mahla Industrier AS, 

Stavanger, which has an excellent track record 

in complex offshore and onshore projects, was 

awarded the contract to supply insulation for almost 

the entire project. The dimensions of the plant and 

the differing technical requirements in connection 

with the process modules call for considerable 

expertise. The main contractor, Aker Kvaerner Stord, 

one of the largest Norwegian shipyard company, 

therefore assigned R&M with the task of engineering 

all the insulation. This includes material planning 

and procurement, staff and resource deployment 

planning, subcontractor coordination, specifications, 

documentation and final assembly as well 

as project management. In this connection, top priority 

is being given to safety and protection of the 

Standardised testing 

The field devices used for process instrumentation 

undergo extensive testing including exposure to 

different temperatures and vibration in standard 

processes. The requirements have been 

defined in the form of standards as 

well as recommendations issued by 

NAMUR, the association for automation 

technology in the process industry. 

Specialist in fieldbus technology 

Fieldbus technology has been meeting 

with growing interest in the chemicals 

and pharmaceuticals industry for a 

number of years now as this digital 

technology not only supplies more 

information but does so with greater 

speed and precision. “Only two fieldbus 

systems, the Profibus PA and the 

Foundation Fieldbus are suitable for 

use in the chemicals and pharmaceuticals 

industry,” explains Sven Seintsch, 

environment. R&M Industrier safeguards all areas in 

which insulation work is performed and handles the 

necessary approval-application processes, working 

instructions and certifications. 

Following the completion of preparations in the first 

quarter, the R&M teams were able to commence 

work on site at the end of April 2006. “This posed 

new challenges for us as there is no room for error 

in the quality of the work performed on such a 

project. Our quality and on-site safety network must 

be strong enough to avert all errors and accidents,” 

says Peter Matthiasen, project director for R&M. “In 

our view, it is not sufficient for only management 

to be aware of this responsibility. Rather, each individual 

employee must be conscious of the fact 

that he or she plays a decisive role in every activity 

performed. We make sure that this is the case – 

something which our contractor also knows.” Once 

the plant goes into operation at the end of 2007, 

the team will have every right to be proud of 

having been involved in a project which is a true 

pioneering feat in the history of the oil and gas 

industry. 

A new onshore plant is being built on the Island of Aukra in north-western Norway. Tapping the Ormen Lange gas field and building the submarine pipeline from Norway to 

the United Kingdom is one of the most spectacular projects of our times. 

the laboratory’s services for testing their equipment 

to ensure that they are ready for the market and 

meet the stringent requirements of the chemicals 

and pharmaceuticals industry. 

Field equipment is tested at the laboratories of R&M 

Industrieservice Höchst GmbH in Frankfurt to determine 

its functioning status and interoperability. 

an engineer who has been with R&M Industrieservice 

Höchst since 1999. The laboratory has 

conducted extensive tests on the two competing 

types of fieldbus technology, resulting in accreditation 

as a Profibus competence centre in 2002 

and certification by the Foundation Fieldbus as a 

centre of excellence in 2004. 

Fieldbus technology with clear benefits 

for maintenance as well 

Although the chemicals and pharmaceuticals 

industry has not yet seen any boom in fieldbus 

technology, the testing laboratory at R&M 

Industrieservice Höchst already conducts an even 

number of examinations of conventional and 

digital E/I&C systems. “Looking forward, we 

will doubtless see a shift towards fieldbus technology,” 

says Sven Seintsch. “This is because there 

is a growing trend in favour of bus technology 

with reinstrumentation and new equipment. There 

will be a greater variety of devices and also 

systems with extra features.” 

R&M Industrieservice Höchst is already offering 

equipment producers application-related testing 

for the development phase. 

At the same time, fieldbus technology will continue 

to mature. “In the future, status-based maintenance 

will also be possible with this technology,” 

says Seintsch. “This is of particular interest with 

equipment which operates on a continuous basis 

and cannot be deactivated. The more information 

received at an early stage, the easier it is to avoid 

unscheduled shutdowns. And this means savings 

in the millions.” 

3


4 

GL BE 

Acquisition of Euromont Group strengthening service business 

Market leadership in the Czech Republic reinforced 

With a further successful acquisition, Rheinhold & Mahla has extended its leadership 

position in the Czech market. The Euromont Group a.s. is one of the top service providers 

for the petrochemical and power station industry. 

The economic upswing in Eastern Europe is continuing 

to make progress. The new EU members 

have evolved into an important growth driver and 

are unleashing veritable euphoria on the part of 

strategic and financial investors. Given these 

business opportunities and the upbeat outlook, 

Active in maintenance business for many years: Euromont at Česká rafinérská. 

companies are vying for top position in these key 

markets. In the industrial services segment, 

Rheinhold & Mahla is one of the most successful 

pioneers in these markets. In fact, the Company 

has been active in nearly all the main countries 

of Eastern Europe – including the troika of 

Poland, Hungary and the Czech Republic as well 

as Romania – for many years. The next chapter in 

the Company’s impressive performance in these 

countries, which has seen it evolve into the leading 

provider of industrial services, has now been 

written in the Czech Republic. With the recent 

acquisition of the Euromont Group a.s., Litvínov, 

the Company has further strengthened its 

leadership role in the Czech market. 

Focus on refinery business 

By taking a majority stake in Czech company 

Euromont mid last year, Rheinhold & Mahla 

added to its fold a company which from its headquarters 

in the key industrial centre of Litvínov 

is particularly at home in the maintenance of 

refineries and power stations. In addition to 

maintenance projects around the entire country, 

the two refineries operated by Česká rafinérská in 

Litvínov and Kralupy are amongst Euromont’s 

largest customers. With its roughly 500 

employees, the group has had maintenance 

contracts for these refineries for many years. Just 

recently, the operator confirmed the long-term 

joint activities by signing a main contract for 

mechanics, insulation, scaffolding and corrosion 

protection. 

Electrical engineering a core skill 

The range of services performed by the Euromont 

Group, which generates total revenues of around 

u 20 million and operates profitably, covers 

the whole gamut of maintenance activities such 

as mechanical and electrical engineering, static 

equipment with apparatus and steel construction 

for assembly work and repairs, insulation, corrosion 

protection and scaffolding as well as the 

full organisation and execution of shutdowns 

and audits. One of the company’s trump cards is 

electrical engineering, in which it holds special 

skills forming a useful pendant to the core busi- 

ness activities of Czech affiliate R&M Unimontex 

with its focus on mechanical engineering, 

pipeline construction and rotating equipment. 

Within the Rheinhold & Mahla Group as a whole, 

this safety-critical area, which forms an important 

aspect of maintenance work, will allow new 

potential to be tapped as well. The professional 

execution of complex cabling and electricity 

supply projects particularly during the preparation 

of time-critical shutdown phases calls 

for technical expertise, well developed project 

management skills and appropriate material and 

equipment. Euromont boasts first-class expertise 

in this area and has the necessary qualified 

electrical engineers who are masters of their 

trade. They ensure smooth production and 

project activities, thus guaranteeing that all electrical 

equipment operated is connected correctly 

to avoid injury and accidents and that work is 

performed free of any delay. This is an area 

which plays a key role in all types of maintenance 

activities. 

Solid organisation and management 

structure 

This transaction has demonstrated yet again 

that Rheinhold & Mahla is unrivalled in its ability 

to integrate newly acquired companies. As it 

is familiar not only with the markets but also 

with cultural factors, it was able to lay the 

foundations for efficient joint activities with 

Euromont. Under the aegis of the heads of the 

Industrial Services Eastern Europe division, 

Marcus Herrmann and Mathias Möller, R&M 

management attached importance to ensuring 

the clear allocation of responsibilities and the 

inclusion of Euromont in the Group’s serviceoriented 

culture. At the same time, key priority 

is being given to preserving Euromont’s solid 

organisational and management structures. 

Under the management of its CEO Jan Vopat, 

Euromont will be further extending its business 

with both existing and new customers in the 

North Czech power station segment and additionally 

tapping cross-selling potential within 

the Group by targeting new customers in the 

international market. 

Successful qualification for turbine type 9E 

R&M Gerber supplying General Electric with 

noise-suppression enclosures for Nigeria 

Gas business is booming and, along with it, the construction of gas turbine power stations. 

As a supplier of technical noise control systems, R&M Gerber has been concentrating on providing 

comprehensive services covering all aspects of noise control systems for gas turbines 

for many years. The company works closely with the customer to develop all-in custom-engineered 

solutions rather than relying on “off-the-rack” products. Among other things, this has 

led to a close partnership with General Electric (GE). As part of its most recent project, R&M 

Gerber is supplying a series of noise-suppression enclosures for the Type 9E gas turbine. 

Last year, R&M Gerber was one of the few 

suppliers selected by General Electric as being 

able to comply with the stringent noise control 

requirements for the Type 6B turbine. R&M had 

developed highly effective jackets specially for 

this turbine (see Globe 2/2005). 

Now, the GE Group has awarded R&M’s noise 

control specialist the “first piece” qualification 

for the Type 9E gas turbine, which GE will be 

assembling at a gas turbine power plant in 

Nigeria. In January 2006, GE ordered further 

noise-suppression enclosures from R&M Gerber. 

“Our engineering and development departments 

were well prepared. GE specified a test of the 

complete ventilation systems. The many years of 

experience which we have with GE turbines helped 

us with the technical design and construction. The 

fact that we were also able to qualify for this type 

is a tremendous success,” says Rainer Ewert, 

managing director of R&M Gerber. 

The Dortmund-based company sought the assistance 

of Romanian affiliate R&M Nimb Cernavoda S.A. for 

the production of the enclosures. Just under two 

years ago, it had completely overhauled its 

main production facility in Buzau and invested in 

modern production technology. For this reason, 

the sub-construction of all the noise-suppression 

enclosures ordered is being handled there under 

the supervision of R&M Gerber using 600 tons 

of steel. “As the steel sub-construction and the 

noise-suppression enclosures will be actually 

assembled in Nigeria, we performed a full-scale 

trial run of the steel structure in Romania. Given 

the tight schedule, we remain in close contact with 

our affiliate at all times and are on site during 

decisive phases of the project up until testing 

and collection by the customer in Romania,” 

explains Carsten Haritz, managing director of 

R&M Gerber. 

have now been defined, each unit is specified for 

the individual location in line with the customer’s 

requirements. For this reason, the noisesuppression 

elements are produced directly at 

the company’s plant in Simbach, where they 

are packed and readied for collection as GE 

itself is responsible for transporting the enclosures 

to Nigeria. 

The engineers in Dortmund went to great 

A considerable part of the production activities 

requiring R&M Gerber’s specialist skills is 

lengths to achieve qualification for the new performed internally. Although the noise- 

Type 9E gas turbine. suppression enclosures for the Type 9E turbine Function testing of the ventilation system.


GL BE 

Toho Tenax building new production plant in Heinsberg 

Maintenance as a site advantage 

In response to rising demand for carbon fibre, the leading European producer Toho Tenax 

Europe GmbH is extending its production capacity in Heinsberg. In October 2006, an 

additional production plant with an output of up to 1,500 tons of carbon fibre a year is to 

go into operation. During construction of the plant, Heinsberg-based R&M HIMA, R&M IKR 

Bitterfeld and R&M Industrieservice Höchst, Frankfurt, are demonstrating how three 

different companies with individual specialist skills are able to work together in perfect 

harmony. 

Carbon fibre is a synthetic product characterised 

by high rigidity, stiffness and strain resistance. It 

is used in numerous industries particularly aviation 

and space technology, high-performance 

machinery and automobiles. Prominent areas of 

use include the new Airbus A380, the world’s 

largest passenger aircraft, and Formula 1 racing 

cars. 

With an annual output of some 8,200 tons of 

carbon fibre, the Japanese Toho Tenax Group is 

one of the world’s leading suppliers. Its German 

subsidiary, Toho Tenax Europe GmbH, alone produces 

1,900 tons a year at its two plants in 

Heinsberg. 

Safe production and high reliability 

crucial 

The decision to go ahead with the investment 

was preceded by extensive benchmarking on the 

part of the Japanese parent. Ultimately, Heinsberg 

won out on account of the very good infrastructure 

at the site and particularly also the local 

technical services. In this connection, a key factor 

was the presence of R&M HIMA, which provides 

companies at the Heinsberg industrial estate 

as well as in the neighbouring region with comprehensive 

support. “Companies are becoming 

increasingly aware that efficient maintenance has 

a direct impact on productivity and are acting 

accordingly. The decision in favour of the Heinsberg 

site is doubtless related to the fact that with 

our Regional Cooperation Management (RKM ® ) 

we are able to guarantee the availability of all 

plants and offer customers economical alternatives 

with respect to material and personal 

resource management,” explains Volker Wirkus, 

managing director of R&M HIMA. “The shutdowns 

alone regularly require additional per- 

sonnel capacity and corresponding expertise. It 

is not viable for companies to hold these 

additional resources themselves.” 

With the construction of the new plant, R&M 

HIMA is responsible for the entire cabling (E/I&C 

systems) as well as the delivery of brackets and 

assembly material. In addition to this, a main 

maintenance contract has been entered into with 

Toho Tenax. 

Complex pipeline 

A key component of the new plant is the pipeline. 

The furnaces in the new Plant 3, in which thermal 

processes are primarily performed, are linked 

by numerous pipes. Construction of the system 

calls for extensive specialist knowledge and a 

great deal of experience in the assembly of 

pipelines. With its excellent references in chemical, 

petrochemical and power station plant engineering, 

R&M IKR GmbH Bitterfeld is handling 

the entire pipeline construction. 

The contract entails the delivery and assembly of 

the piping including fittings and safety valves. In 

this connection, the precise design of the piping 

with the plant and close coordination of the 

suppliers of the plant components are of crucial 

importance. “The close proximity to R&M HIMA 

is of great advantage for us in many different 

ways,” explains Lutz Nöbel, project manager 

at R&M IKR. “We are able to store pipes and 

material there, meaning that we can reduce 

logistic resource requirements but still act very 

flexibly and swiftly.” 

Prefabricated piping using CNCcontrolled 

bending machines 

In view of the plant specifications, it was decid- 

ed that for time and cost reasons it would make 

more sense to prefabricate the piping in a 

manner which has since become standard in the 

Not only of advantage for the chemicals 

and pharmaceuticals industry: pipe bending 

minimises welding seams. 

Major project at Dow Chemical 

in Spain 

International chemicals group Dow Chemicals 

is extending its in-site technology at its facility 

in Tarragona (Spain) by building a new 

production facility. As part of modernization 

activities, an additional production unit for 

manufacturing olefin-based highly elastic 

textile fibres DOW XLA* is being built. The 

fibre owes its success to the ease with which 

it can be processed, its resistance, easy care 

and comfort. With the construction of the 

new plant in what is known as the Tarraco 

project, Dow Chemical plans to substantially 

increase production capacity at the site 

in order to respond more effectively to strong 

market demand in Europe in the future. 

Also involved is Spanish R&M company 

Rheinhold & Mahla S.A., which is responsible 

for supplying the entire thermal insulation for 

the new plant in conjunction with its affiliate 

R&M Industrial Services Polska Sp. z o.o. A 

total area of 31,000 square metres requires 

insulation. The project commenced in July 

2005 and is expected to be completed by 

September 2006. 

pharmaceuticals industry. For this purpose, R&M 

IKR involved its Frankfurt-based affiliate R&M 

Industrieservice Höchst GmbH, which has the 

Skilled on-site maintenance offers advantages: 

Toho Tenax was convinced by the 

favourable conditions in Heinsberg. 

necessary CNC-controlled bending machines and 

produces roughly 40,000 metres of bent piping 

each year in nominal sizes of DN 25 to DN 100 

together with the necessary documentation. 

Integrated into the Group last year, R&M Industrieservice 

Höchst has extensive skills in this area 

and supplies the chemicals and pharmaceuticals 

industry with pipes for a wide variety of different 

applications, including PTFE-lined pipes. In fact, 

R&M Industrieservice Höchst is the leader in 

this area. 

Reducing welding seams 

The piping pools for the new Toho Tenax plant 

are prefabricated by R&M Industrieservice 

Höchst on the basis of isometric diagrams and 

supplied to the site on time. The pipes are 

bent using the cold-bending method for which a 

corresponding process examination has been 

completed. As they are necked out up to a 

nominal width of 150 mm, it is not necessary 

to weld on any T pieces. “The advantage of 

bent pipes is obvious,” says Ralf Butz of 

R&M Industrieservice Höchst, who is in charge 

of the Heinsberg project together with his 

colleagues Michael Stern and Harald Hofmann. 

“Plasma welding, bending and necking-out 

reduce the number of welding seams. This, in 

turn, means a minimum number of hand 

welding seams and a correspondingly lower 

source of potential errors.” 

Preliminary units have already been installed. 

During the assembly phase, the employees of 

the three R&M companies operate hand in 

hand. “This works excellently,” says Volker 

Wirkus of R&M HIMA. “We will be finishing up 

here on schedule in June.” 

5


6 

GL BE 

Traffic light controlling system installed at QVC 

Project tasks handled by trainees 

These days, good tradesmen are rare. That is why Rheinhold & Mahla’s training programmes 

not only provide technical instruction and encourage solution-solving skills but also offer a 

strong grounding in practical experience. At R&M HIMA GmbH, Heinsberg, trainees were able 

to put into practice what they had learned in a special supervised project. 

R&M HIMA currently has roughly 26 young 

trainees. The theoretical and practical training at 

R&M HIMA is also offered to trainees of other 

25 years with the company: 

Buttke, Joachim 1 Jan 

Untrieser, Jürgen 2 Jan 

Daipi, Ramiz 2 Jan 

Forler, Manfred 2 Jan 

Richter, Peter 7 Jan 

Gauweiler, Hans-Jürgen 21 Jan 

Kosiolek, Werner 29 Jan 

Düssler, Lothar 11 Feb 

Nöbel, Lutz 11 Feb 

Grammel, Rudi Wilhelm 1 March 

Müller, Hans-Hubert 3 March 

Schulz, Klaus 3 March 

Engler, Andreas 3 March 

Straube, Frank 27 March 

Münz, Irmgard 1 Apr 

Gruchel, Friedel 6 Apr 

Steffan, Manfred 14 Apr 

Mertens, Peter 14 Apr 

Pendelj, Milenko 21 Apr 

Scherrers, Hans-Dieter 24 Apr 

Oldenschläger, Horst 1 May 

Akioui, Mohamed 2 May 

Schüssler, Dieter 5 May 

Lmajfi, Abderrahman 6 May 

Buschmann, Siegfried 13 May 

Häse, Karlheinz 21 May 

Goldschmidt, Rainer 1 June 

Babic, Ante 2 June 

Sruk, Slavko 9 June 

Büttner, Uwe 9 June 

Linden, Wilfried 9 June 

Flechsenhar, Erich 23 June 

Gückel, Michael 1 July 

Peggen, Reiner 1 July 

Haack, Theodor 1 July 

Fröde, Claus 14 July 

Hoffelder, Edwin 15 July 

Fechter, Peter 1 Aug 

Opaschofski, Jörg 1 Aug 

Andres, Dieter 1 Aug 

Klinger, Rudolf 1 Aug 

Brings, Gerd Peter 1 Aug 

Dinnon, Herbert 1 Aug 

Kahrau, Ulrich 1 Aug 

Michalowski, Manfred 1 Aug 

Prein, Jürgen 1 Aug 

Müller, Frank 1 Aug 

Kleinwegener, Ralf 1 Aug 

Horwarth, Josef 4 Aug 

Sentis, Johannes 4 Aug 

Derichs, Reinhard 4 Aug 

Gansweid, Ferdinand 4 Aug 

Verbocket, Frank 4 Aug 

Küppers, Franz-Willi 4 Aug 

Canto, Liliano 11 Aug 

Valenski, Reinhold 11 Aug 

Kahlbom, Ingo 11 Aug 

Paß, Karl-Georg 15 Aug 

von der Stück, Heinz 18 Aug 

companies such as QVC. On the strength of 

the favourable experience gained with R&M’s 

training facilities, the market leader in tele- 

R&M’S LONG-SERVING STAFF 2005 

Thielsch, Volkmar 1 Sept 

Martin, Thomas 1 Sept 

Behle, Erich 1 Sept 

Kowaczek, Donat 1 Sept 

Mollnow, Klaus 1 Sept 

Müller, Oliver 1 Sept 

Tanke, Rolf 1 Sept 

Gruber, Stefan 1 Sept 

Jarosch, Alexandra 1 Sept 

Ott, Yvonne 1 Sept 

Richter, Frank 1 Sept 

Fischer, Klaus Michael 1 Sept 

Fiedler, Michael 1 Sept 

Heller, Andreas 1 Sept 

Urban, Christoph 1 Sept 

Wagner, Joachim 1 Sept 

Weckler, Reiner 1 Sept 

Henninger, Willi 1 Sept 

Jungheinrich, Bernd 1 Sept 

Özocak, Sinan 1 Sept 

Gayk, Armin 1 Sept 

Schmidt, Heike 1 Sept 

Fischer, Jens 1 Sept 

Ludwig, Jörg 1 Sept 

Oehler, Dietmar 1 Sept 

Heil, Andrea 1 Sept 

Mazar, Bozo 1 Sept 

Steingraf, Dirk 1 Sept 

Thalmann, Lutz 1 Sept 

Krieger, Klaus 1 Sept 

Korthals, Stefan 1 Sept 

Tänzer, Harry 1 Sept 

Winkler, Grit 1 Sept 

Kolowski, Jürgen 1 Sept 

Roth, Steffen 1 Sept 

Lux, Peter 8 Sept 

Abdilamid, Mehmedi 8 Sept 

Seip, Memeti 8 Sept 

Sinan, Memedi 8 Sept 

Arzt, Helmut 15 Sept 

Beer, Martin 22 Sept 

El Kassimi, Taib 22 Sept 

Yavuz, Abdulla 30 Sept 

Dziwisch, Renate 1 Oct 

Jourdan-Einig, Stephan 1 Oct 

Dwornik, Peter 1 Oct 

Schlüter, Manfred 1 Oct 

Roth, Uwe 1 Oct 

Zinnkann, Oliver 14 Oct 

Hornberger, Andreas 21 Oct 

Steffan, Hans-Arnold 17 Nov 

Zimpel, Karl-Heinz 20 Nov 

Reichardt, Gerhard 01 Dec 

40 years with the company: 

Henrich, Lucian 11 Jan 

Haase, Heinz 14 Feb 

Senol, Toni 15 Feb 

shopping decided to carry out a special project 

with the assistance of the trainees in Heinsberg. A 

new traffic light system was to be installed at the 

QVC distribution centre in the interests of heightening 

safety during loading operations. QVC 

retained the services of R&M HIMA including its 

junior trainees for the development and implementation 

of the special traffic light system 

required for this purpose. 

The up-and-coming young mechatronics and electronics 

specialists set about their work with great 

motivation. Under the supervision of training 

manager Anton Thuy, they produced the necessary 

sensors, control boxes and electronic controlling 

components and assembled them at the QVC site 

at the load gateways. Prior to this, the trainees 

were also involved in the development of the 

controlling systems. Indeed, their first task was 

to develop a solution for this. The project proved 

to be a complete success. The traffic light system 

is working perfectly and making a material contribution 

to site safety at QVC. At the same time, the 

task was a highlight for the trainees as well. Anton 

Thuy is also satisfied: “Our trainees were able to 

gain initial experience in developing a solution 

for the customer on the basis of a specific problem 

in line with the ‘Solutions for Industrial 

Services’ mission statement.” 

Highly motivated: junior trainee Simon Storms 

assembling the new traffic light system. 

Diefenbach, Erhard 22 March 

Wege, Hartmut 22 March 

Arnold, Klaus 1 Apr 

Czommer, Bernhard 1 Apr 

Greipel, Helmut 1 Apr 

Viehfeger, Rudolf 1 Apr 

Juha, Karl-Heinz 1 Apr 

Lang, Hans 1 Apr 

Pospiech, Walter 1 Apr 

Roder, Klaus 1 Apr 

Wilms, Jakob 1 Apr 

Thuy, Toni 1 Apr 

Giesen, Hans 1 Apr 

Nobis, Peter 1 Apr 

Scheinkönig, Rudolf 1 Apr 

Grünewald, Paul 1 Apr 

Morban, Gerhard 1 Apr 

Riemer, Rudolf 1 Apr 

Mieger, Bernd 1 Apr 

Czarkowski, Juergen 1 Apr 

Honder, Peter 1 Apr 

Amann, Thomas 20 Apr 

Schröder, Günther 31 May 

Schmitt, Günter 02 Aug 

Hoffmann, Willi 27 Aug 

Müller, Lothar 30 Aug 

Schäfer, Horst 1 Sept 

Rachner, Rainer 1 Sept 

Bohne, Wolfgang 1 Sept 

Heynen, Rainer 1 Sept 

Uhlig, Magdalena 1 Sept 

Alter, Helgen 1 Sept 

Schob, Botho 1 Sept 

Zollweg, Christine 1 Sept 

Killen, Wilhelm 17 Sept 

Herrmann, Bodo 11 Oct 

Hausmanns, Dieter 1 Nov 

Petzet, Helmut 1 Nov 

Suluk, Leopold 9 Dec 

Abroad too, we have a large number of loyal 

employees: 

25 years 

Belgium 

Sels, Luc 6 Aug 

Vermeire, Luc 1 Sept 

Bastiaens, Dirk 8 Sept 

Norway 

Jacobsen, Jan 1 Jan 

Edlund, Ivan 1 Feb 

Dahle, Terje 3 March 

Guliksen, Geir 4 June 

Bolm, Walter 31 July 

Nilsen, Tor Arne 8 Sept 

R&M arnholdt 

furthering intra- 

Group collaboration 

The construction manager meeting 

was held at the offices of scaffolding 

specialist R&M arnholdt GmbH, Gelsenkirchen, 

on 10 to 11 November 2005. 

The purpose of the meeting, which was 

attended by a total of 58 executives 

from five branches, was to promote the 

spirit of networking within the Group 

under the “Solutions for Industrial 

Services” mission statement. Managing 

directors Klaus-Günter Lemke and 

Winfried Hofmann described in tangible 

terms how new potential can be 

unlocked when different members 

within the Group work together. Industrial 

scaffolding, which is R&M arnholdt’s 

key line of business, is one of 

the core skills of the Rheinhold & Mahla 

Group and forms a central element of 

the integrated services package alongside 

insulation and corrosion protection. 

By encouraging integrated collaboration 

amongst the R&M specialists, 

Rheinhold & Mahla is responding to 

growing market demand for efficient 

service package in tandem with strong 

service orientation. 

In 2005, we were once again able to congratulate numerous employees who have been with our company for 25 or 40 years – we thank them all for their loyalty and look forward to 

continuing our successful work together in the future! 

Poland 

Drus´, Krzysztof 4 Jan 

Suchocki, Tadeusz 3 Feb 

Adamowski, Wiesław 6 Feb 

Wiraszka, Waldemar 16 Feb 

Ciastowicz, Ryszard 18 Feb 

Sławiński, Ireneusz 14 March 

Recz, Jacek 27 Apr 

Wrzesień, Leszek 24 May 

Oktaba, Waldemar 23 June 

Grabarczyk, Tadeusz 15 Aug 

Mościbrodzki, Zdzisław 16 Aug 

Nowakowski, Maciej 19 Aug 

Bis, Andrzej 30 Aug 

Potrzebowski, Henryk 13 Sept 

Gątarczyk, Marek 14 Sept 

Tlaga, Jeremiasz 15 Sept 

Marek, Krzysztof 20 Sept 

Bieniek, Janusz 24 Sept 

Szajkowski, Andrzej 28 Sept 

Moz˙dz˙onek, Grzegorz 28 Sept 

Mazurkiewicz, Marek 28 Sept 

Korościk, Marzenna 9 Nov 

Jarzec, Zbigniew 12 Dec 

Gos, Bogusław 29 Dec 

Portugal 

Mendes, Armando 3 Jan 

Hungary 

Szántó, Ferenc 7 Jan 

Nagy, József 16 Jan 

Lohárt, István 30 June 

Vinkler, István 7 July 

Árva, József 21 July 

Kormos, István 31 July 

Koczánné, Kincses Erzsébet 18 Aug 

Lytwyn, Istvánné 13 Sept 

Martus, Jahrea 14 Oct 

40 years 

Poland 

Zacharz˙ewski, Piotr 14 March 

Toczyski, Stanisław 25 Sept 

Michalski, Władysław 22 Nov 

Z˙ elazko, Bogdan 05 Dec 

Czech Republic 

Feuereisel, Josef 1 March 

Komárek, Jirˇí 2 May 

Hungary 

Laskai, Imre 9 Jan 

Bolega, András 19 July


GL BE 

Danish Interior going beyond the call of duty for international shipbuilding project 

Tight-rope walk with the authorities 

When the medals are awarded to the athletes, the myriad of people working in the background who help to make the race a success are rarely 

mentioned. This is also true of many an international project in which the race against time assumes Olympian proportions. During the conversion 

of the Crystal Harmony luxury liner into the Asuka II, all the strings were held by a single woman in Aalborg, for whom national borders effectively 

ceased to exist. 

It was autumn and the days were growing shorter 

in Aalborg, in the North of Jutland, Denmark. 

Sometime very late at night, the lights were 

still on in Elsebeth Baekgaard’s office at Danish 

Interior. In fact, the nights had been turned into 

days to ensure that the necessary work could 

be performed around the clock. In August 2005, 

Danish Interior had been awarded a major 

contract for the conversion of cruise liner 

Crystal Harmony. The ship was to be completely 

modernised, after which it would travel the 

international seas under Japanese flag. Danish 

Interior was responsible for a large part of the 

interior outfitting for the public areas such as the 

Mah-Jong room, the casino, the lounge, the club 

room complete with dance floor as well as the 

Lido garden and cafe and the art gallery. This was 

supplemented by several utility rooms including 

From the United States to Canada: The Crystal Harmony was turned into the new Asuka II in only 

four weeks. 

the main galley and the guest laundry as well 

as the officers’ recreation rooms and some 

cabin work. The completion of a preliminary 

examination by Danish Interior experts on board 

the Crystal Harmony in Alaska marked the beginning 

of hectic times for all parties concerned. It 

soon became clear how many specialists, assemblers, 

interior decorators and site managers 

would be necessary to completely refurbish the 

vessel within the space of only four weeks. The 

project management determined that 160 qualified 

staff had to be assigned to the ship to do the 

job. Around 90 went on board in Los Angeles on 

25 November 2005 to start work during the voyage 

to Victoria, Vancouver Island in Canada. The 

rest joined them in Victoria, where the vessel was 

converted at Victoria Shipyard in the following 

four weeks. Over Christmas the vessel sailed to 

Japan for the work to be completed during a 

short idle period at the Mitsubishi shipyard in 

Yokohama. 

No shortage of red tape 

Yet, what does it actually entail for 160 European 

assemblers and experts of different 

nationalities to be sent to work on board a ship 

travelling from the United States to Victoria in 

Canada? Elsebeth Baekgaard knows a thing or 

two about this as she was the one who fought 

the battle with the authorities. “You cannot 

imagine the amount of coordination needed to 

ensure that all papers and documents are 

available on time,” says Elsebeth Baekgaard, who 

has considerable experience in this area. But she 

Major scaffolding tasks for new terminal at Fryderyk Chopin Airport 

knew what to do and was aware that a number 

of night shifts were inevitable. 

Danish Interior had secured the services of 

proven partners from its network of sub-contractors 

to complete the volume of work required for 

this project. For Elsebeth Baekgaard this meant 

liaising with several companies and determining 

the names of the employees assigned to the project. 

“What made this task so complex, of course, 

was that all visas, papers and documents are 

issued personally in the name of individual 

employees. This means that it is not possible to 

transfer the papers to another person at short 

notice.” As a result, it was additionally necessary 

to apply for papers for reserve staff to cover all 

contingencies. To make matters worse, different 

immigration and labour provisions apply to 

the individual European countries. Those requiring 

visas had to go to the embassy in person. 

Elsebeth Baekgaard initially collected all the 

necessary information for the individual countries 

from the authorities, lodged applications and 

ensured that all employees were aware of the 

rules applicable to them. In doing so, she did not 

want to leave anything to chance as there was 

too much at stake in ensuring that all specialists 

were able to board the ship. She spent the days 

on the telephone and at the fax machine checking 

and rechecking everything; at night, she sent 

e-mail messages to authorities and employees, 

issuing reminders, setting deadlines, providing 

information and, if all else failed, coming up with 

alternatives. 

A big sigh of relief when the team 

embarked the vessel 

Elsebeth Baekgaard was not able to sit back until 

the 160-strong team had gone on board the ship. 

Now, it was up to others to make sure that the 

next stage of the job was completed just as successfully. 

The staff turned the Crystal Harmony 

into a very special luxury liner. In December 2005, 

the new Asuka II, which can hold 720 passengers, 

was presented to the parent company NYK 

Line (Nippon Yusen Kaisha) on time. 

Warsaw attracting more and more guests 

The appeal which Warsaw is exerting on tourists and business travellers is continuing 

to grow. The resultant sharp expansion in aircraft passenger numbers has rendered 

extensions to Warsaw’s Fryderyk Chopin Airport necessary. In constructing a second 

terminal, the operator wants to create the basis for turning the airport into a key hub for 

flights to and from Central and Eastern Europe. 

Named after the composer and pianist Frédéric 

Chopin, who was born near Warsaw in 1810, 

Fryderyk Chopin Airport is located in the southwest 

of the Polish capital and is the country’s largest 

airport. In fact, it handles roughly 60 % of total 

Polish passenger numbers. There are direct links 

with numerous European countries as well as with 

Africa, America and Asia. The airport is capable of 

handling 34 flight movements an hour. 

Last year, more than seven million passengers 

arrived at and departed from Fryderyk Chopin 

Airport, equivalent to an increase of 16 % over 

2004. In the course of the year, the airport 

will be able to accommodate substantially 

Protective covers were used to ensure continued work on 

the steel structures of the jetways during the winter. 

larger volumes as the new Terminal II will have a 

capacity of 6.5 million passengers. 

Scaffolding aligned with special 

funnel form 

Polish scaffolding specialist R&M plettac has 

played a key role in the construction of the new 

terminal. The R&M company initially produced 

module scaffolding for the facade of the newly 

built control tower. As the outside walls are 

designed to form a funnel with a 10 degree 

incline, it was necessary to use suspended 

scaffolding. Consoles, to which bar joist scaffolding 

was attached, were mounted to the tower 

at a height of 18 metres. It was additionally 

fastened using two taut steel cables 

at the corners of the roof carrier of 

the tower. R&M plettac then affixed 

further module scaffolding, which was 

aligned with the inclined external 

walls. These activities were completed 

within ten work days. 

This is not the first time that the Polish 

R&M company had used this assembly 

system, having previously utilised this 

method in 1996 in the construction of 

the control tower facade on the Island 

of Krk in Croatia. 

Protective cover for passenger 

bridges 

R&M plettac was also involved in the 

Scaffolding for the new control tower at Terminal II. 

construction of 16 new jetways allowing safe and 

direct passenger access to the aircraft. This job 

entailed building an all-encompassing protective 

cover for the steel construction of the bridges to 

ensure that work could continue in the winter 

months so as to avoid losing any time. 

Frame scaffolding with a height of 13 metres was 

used for the wall assembly. At the same time, it 

formed the supports for the aluminium roof car- 

riers for the protective cover. In this connection, 

the roof was covered with 660 g/m 2 heavy tarpaulins. 

Lighter (160 g/m 2 ) tarpaulins were adequate 

for the walls. With this cover in place, it 

was possible to complete anti-corrosion coating 

without any hitches. At the same time, hot air 

blowers were used to heat the sites thanks to the 

flame-proof material of the cover. 

The new terminal is to go into operation this year. 

7


8 

R&M Prefal demonstrating its 

insulation skills for Andritz 

Within the space of a few months, R&M Prefal Lda. 

has been awarded a second elaborate insulation 

contract by austrian paper machinery producer 

Andritz in Portugal. Following the extensive activities 

at the paper mill operated by the Portucel- 

Soporcel Group in Figuera da Foz (see Globe 

2/2005), the Portuguese R&M company fitted out 

the insulation for a new boiler as well as plant 

equipment and pipelines at the Portucel-Soporcel 

facility in Cacia-Aveiro between August 2005 and 

February 2006. 

With a height of 60 metres, the new boiler 

has been designed to ensure more efficient use of 

energy at the paper mill. Thus, the steam produced 

INDUSTRIAL SERVICES 

Central Europe 

BSB Isoliertechnik GmbH, Oberhausen 

Rubbish incineration plant,Allington/UK 

R&M’s job: 40,000 m 2 heat insulation 

Customer: Lentjes GmbH 

Construction schedule: 01/2006 to 06/2006 

R&M E.M.S. GmbH, Cloppenburg 

Gas storage tank Rüdersdorf 

R&M’s job: 2 gas drying plant and storage tank 

Customer: EWE AG, Oldenburg 


Gas tank T4 Empelde, Hannover 

R&M’s job: 1 gas drying plant 

Customer: GHG Gasspeicher Hannover GmbH 


Neerstedt Z3 

R&M’s job: Reconnection of an acid gas plant including 

construction and conversion work 

Customer: Exxon Mobil Production Deutschland GmbH 


R&M WSI Wilhelmshaven GmbH 

Overhauling of fire protection facilities, Rheinberg 

R&M’s job: 2,600 m2 of fire protection insulation to 

brackets, columns and frames 

Customer: Solvay Infra GmbH 


R&M International GmbH, Oberhausen 

LNG Mugardos, Spain 

R&M’s job: 22,000 m2 low-temperature insulation 

Customer: Tractebel Gas 


Yamaver 5, Riyadh/Saudi-Arabia 

R&M’s job: Engineering, delivery of materials and 

supervision for 26,000 m2 of heat insulation 

Customer: Krupp Polysius AG 


OKI Isoliertechnik GmbH, Pforzheim 

AVI,Amsterdam/Netherlands 

R&M’s job: 22,300 m2 of heat insulation 

Customer: NEM-Leiden 


Interior insulation of a boiler, Jebel Ali/ 

United Arab Emirates 

R&M’s job: 4,880 m2 of heat insulation, engineering 

and delivery of materials 

Customer: NEM-Leiden 


SCR plant (DeNOx plant), Le Havre, St.Avold, 

Gardanne/France 


Customer: Alstom France 


R&M Industrieservice Düsseldorf GmbH 

Water pipes/glass-fibre reinforced pipes, Düsseldorf 

R&M’s job: Construction of 800 m of piping 

Customer: Henkel KGaA, Düsseldorf 


General contractor for overhauling pipe bridge, 

Düsseldorf 

R&M’s job: Approx. 25 t of steel construction including 

static engineering and insulation/scaffolding/corrosion 

protection 

Customer: Henkel KGaA, Düsseldorf 


Modernisation of boiler and absorber, Hamm 


Customer: MHB Hamm Betriebsführungsgesellschaft 

mbH 


is recycled back into the plant to cover its own 

requirements, while the excess volume is converted 

into electrical energy and sold. The boiler can 

generate a maximum of 185 MW of electricity 

per hour. At the same time, the output of harmful 

emissions has been reduced as the modern 

technology fitted to the boiler burns hazardous 

gases before they enter the atmosphere. 

A total of 11,000 square metres of insulation 

was supplied, with the coating made of stainless 

steel. Roughly 40 technicians from R&M Prefal 

performed excellent work under the aegis of 

project manager José Gonçalves and site 

supervisor Tito Mendes. 

ISP Service Company, Düsseldorf 

Overhauling approx. 360 m of pipe bridge, 

Dormagen 

R&M’s job: Insulation/scaffolding/corrosion protection 

Customer: BayerIndustry Service GmbH & Co.OHG, 

energy provider 


Overhauling approx. 50 m of pipe bridge, 

Leverkusen 

R&M’s job: Insulation/scaffolding/corrosion protection 

Customer: BayerIndustry Service GmbH & Co.OHG, 

energy provider 


R&M arnholdt GmbH, Gelsenkirchen branch 

Isophorone chemicals, Herne 

R&M’s job: 250,000 m3 of all-round scaffolding 

Customer: Degussa AG 


R&M arnholdt GmbH, Rheinland branch 

Construction of new blast furnace, Duisburg 

R&M’s job: 35,000 m3 of all-round scaffolding, 

18,000 m3 of facade scaffolding 

Customer: ThyssenKrupp Stahl AG 


R&M arnholdt GmbH, Eastern branch 

Shutdown of Jänschwalde power station, Peitz 

R&M’s job: Approx. 56,200 m3 of scaffolding, 

approx. 25,000 m2 of facade and suspended scaffolding 

Customer: Vattenfall Europe Generation AG 


Shutdown of Boxberg power station 

R&M’s job: Approx. 17,000 m3 of scaffolding, 

approx. 8,500 m2 of facade and suspended scaffolding 

Customer: Vattenfall Europe Generation AG 


R&M arnholdt GmbH, Northern branch 

Shutdown of Brunsbüttel power station 

R&M’s job: Approx. 12,000 m3 of scafffolding 

Customer: nuclear power station Brunsbüttel 


Shutdown of Brokdorf power station 

R&M’s job: Approx. 13,000 m2 of scaffolding 

Customer: nuclear power station Brokdorf 


R&M IKR GmbH, Bitterfeld 

Shutdown of Shell Germany 2006, 

Harburg refinery 

R&M’s job: Assembly of piping at CD2 (cat cracker 

division) plant and CD2 furnace project 

Customer: Shell Deutschland Oil GmbH 


R&M WSI Leuna GmbH 

Biodiesel Cargill, Frankfurt/M. 

R&M’s job: Assembly of equipment, piping, insulation 

and scaffolding 

Customer: Lurgi 


Eastern Europe 

Euromont Group a.s., Litvínov/Czech Republic 

Waste water pipes made of fibre glass, Záluzˇí/ 


R&M’s job: Dismantling, delivery, assembly of new 

fibre-glass piping including insulation and electric heating 

Customer: INELSEV s.r.o., Most 


R&M MainServ Sp. z o.o., Warsaw/Poland 

Auditing work to boiler, Warsaw/Poland 

R&M’s job: Delivery and assembly of various components 

for boiler, modernization of ventilation channels 

Customer: ZUSOK – The Solid Communal Waste 

Utilisation Plant 


GL BE 

Modern boiler 

technology reduces 

harmful emissions at 

the Cacia-Aveiro 

paper mill. 

CURRENT PROJECTS 

Delivery of compact steam generator, 

Warsaw/Poland 

R&M’s job: Integrated performance of all installations, 

delivery of all equipment and components and well as 

testing and start-up 

Customer: Institute of Haemotology, Warsaw 


R&M Nimb S.A., Cernavoda/Romania 

Construction of a glass batch plant, 

Calarasi/Romania 

R&M’s job: 350 t steel construction 

Customer: Zippe Industrieanlagen GmbH 


R&M Unimontex s.r.o., Most/Czech Republic 

New piping for transporting polypropylene, 

Litvínov/Czech Republic 

R&M’s job: Prefabrication and assembly of stainless-steel 

and aluminium piping, total of 30 t 

Customer: Zeppelin GmbH 


Construction of new drying plant, Jihlava/Czech 

Republic 

R&M’s job: Assembly of equipment and 80 t steel 

construction 

Customer: Kronospan CR spol. s.r.o. 


Conversion work on destillation plant 11, 

Litvínov/Czech Republic 

R&M’s job: Assembly of equipment, piping and 360 t 

steel construction 

Customer: Chemoprojekt, a.s. 


R&M SI s.r.o., Prague/Czech Republic 

Insulation for a filtration plant, Melník/ 



Customer: ZVVZ a.s., Milevsko 


R&M TS Hungary Kft., Budapest/Hungary 

Gas turbines/intake system, Sagunto/Spain 

R&M’s job: Internal R&M project – prefabrication 

and assembly of steel constructions of around 130 t, 

25,000 hours 

Customer: R&M Gasturbinen Systeme GmbH, Bremen 


R&M TS KeMont Kft., Tiszaújváros/Hungary 

LE-MIRO/furnace, Karlsruhe 

R&M’s job: Planning, production and assembly of a 

decomposition furnace with steel construction of 254 t 

and plant components of 280 t 

Customer: Selas Linde GmbH, Höllriegelskreuth 


R&M TS Duna Kft., Budapest/Hungary 

Bio-ethanol plant, Szabadegyháza/Hungary 

R&M’s job: Planning, production and assembly 

of 110 t of steel construction, assembly of plant 

components (150 t) 

Customer: Hungrana Kft., Szabadegyháza 


R&M plettac Sp. z o.o., Ostrzeszów/Poland 

Grevenbroich (Frimmersdorf)/Germany 

R&M’s job: Assembly of scaffolding of 225,000 m3 Customer: R&M Industrieservice Düsseldorf GmbH 


Western Europe 

Rheinhold & Mahla Prefal Lda., Lisbon/Portugal 

Maintenance, Sines/Portugal 

R&M’s job: Thermal insulation 

Customer: Masa 


Maintenance, Porto/Portugal 

R&M’s job:Thermal insulation 

Customer: Petrogal S.A. 


Maintenance, Sines/Portugal 

R&M’s job: Heat insulation and corrosion protection 

Customer: Repsol YPF S.A. 


R&M Industrie Services B.V./ 

R&M Spreeuwenberg B.V., 

Zwartewaal/Netherlands 

MLO shutdown, Moerdijk/Netherlands 

R&M’s job: 250,000 m3 of scaffolding, 7,500 m2 of 

low-temperature insulation and 11,500 m2 heat 

insulation 

Customer: Shell Moerdijk Chemie 


R&M Industrie Services B.V., Zwartewaal/ 

Netherlands 

LHC shutdown,Terneuzen/Netherlands 

R&M’s job: Scaffolding, low-temperature and heat 

insulation, ancillary heating and noise insulation 

Customer: Dow Chemical 


Rheinhold & Mahla S.A., Madrid/Spain 

Maintenance contract and new investment project, 

Huelva/Spain 


Customer: Cepsa (TotalFinaElf) 

Construction schedule: 2006 to 2009 

TECHNOLOGIES 

Ship Technologies 

Danish Interior A/S, Aalborg/Denmark 

Color Magic, Rauma/Finland 

R&M’s job: Turn-key delivery of a buffet area 

of around 1,750 m2 Customer: Aker Finnyards 


R&M Ship Technologies GmbH, Bremen 

45 m SWATH motor yacht, Bremen 

R&M’s job: Turn-key outfitting of a mega yacht 

with owner area, crew area, gallery 

Customer: Abeking & Rasmussen 


R&M Ship Technologies GmbH, Kiel 

68 m motor yacht, Rendsburg 

R&M’s job: Turn-key outfitting of crew area, 

gallery and pantries 

Customer: Kröger Werft 


65 m motor yacht, Rendsburg 

R&M’s job: Turn-key outfitting of crew area, 

gallery and pantries 

Customer: Kröger Werft 


Technical Noise Control 

R&M Gerber GmbH, Dortmund 

Delta project, Nigeria 

R&M’s job: noise suppression enclosures 

for gas turbines 

Customer: GE Belfort 


Kazpipe, Kasachstan 

R&M’s job: 7 intake systems, enclosures and 

exhaust systems 

Customer: MAN Turbo AG 

Construction schedule: 05/2006 to 09/2006


GL BE 

R&M arnholdt assisting with overhaul of Walsum mine 

Complex scaffolding job for coal bunker 

The scaffolding experts at R&M arnholdt are playing a key role in the thorough overhaul of the coal bunker in the pit of the Walsum mine. The 

Gelsenkirchen-based R&M company has been working for Ruhrkohle AG/Deutsche Steinkohle AG in North Rhine-Westphalia under the terms 

of a main contract for many years. 

The German mining industry has its roots in the 

Ruhr region. As early as in 1927, the Walsum 

mine was constructed and, with the commencement 

of coal mining in 1939, became one of the 

most important employers in the region as well 

as materially influencing local economic structures. 

In 1969, the mining operations of Deutsche 

Steinkohle AG (DSK) were amalgamated into 

Ruhrkohle AG (RAG). Since then, roughly two million 

tons of high-quality pit coal a year have been 

mined in Walsum, most of which is used to supply 

power and heat station operators around the 

entire country. 

Last autumn, RAG/DSK decided to thoroughly 

overhaul the coal bunker in the pit of the mine. 

The first phase of the project was executed from 

October 2005 until March 2006. R&M arnholdt 

was involved from the beginning of the planning 

phase right through to execution. 

Overhauling necessitated the removal of the tips 

of the gables at a height of 20 to 30 metres on the 

outside walls on the eastern and western side of 

the bunker. This was done by means of core drilling 

and concrete sawing. R&M arnholdt assembled 

working and safety scaffolding to ensure that all 

activities could be completed safely. 

Funnels had to be kept free 

The scaffolding for the southern, western and 

eastern sides of the bunker posed a major challenge. 

Scaffolding was assembled at a height of 

Furthering environmental protection 

New Alstom plant in France 

In response to increasingly stringent environmental 

protection rules, French energy groups EDF and 

SNET are modernizing their plants. No less than 

four sites are to be fitted with new SCR (selective 

catalytic reduction) systems, also known as DeNOx 

equipment, which are being supplied by French 

plant engineering company Alstom. These systems 

reduce the volume of nitrogen in flue gas. At the 

end of last year, R&M companies OKI Isoliertechnik 

The reactor at the Emile Huchet power station is 70 to 90 metres high. 

7 metres to ensure that the interior walls 

above the bunker funnels could be overhauled. 

GmbH, Pforzheim, and Rheinhold & Mahla Prefal 

Lda. of Portugal were awarded the contract for all 

insulation work entailing a total volume of more 

than 40,000 square metres. The power plants 

are located in different places in France. OKI will 

be responsible for performing the work at the 

Emile Huchet site in Le Havre and the Gardanne 

site, while Rheinhold & Mahla Prefal will be 

handling the two power stations in Cordemais. 

“What made this so difficult was that the openings 

of the 36 funnels had to be kept clear,” 

explains branch manager Dieter 

Butzek. “This meant that it was 

not possible to use standard 

scaffolding in this case.” R&M 

arnholdt’s scaffolding experts 

took a different approach to 

solving the problem. They produced 

the substructure for the 

Removed side of the coal bunker and construction of a new steel buttress and supporting wall. 

The engineering required ahead of the job 

was very demanding as the four power stations 

are not identical. “This necessitates separate 

project planning for each of the power stations,” 

explains Klaus Grüner, managing director of 

OKI Isoliertechnik. “Our engineers are working at 

fever pitch to complete and document all calculations, 

dimensions and isometrics in such a way 

that the work can be performed on time at 

the actual site.” 

Priority being given to site safety 

OKI has assigned four construction managers to the 

sites to coordinate and supervise the extensive volume 

of work involved so that the tasks at 

hand can be completed efficiently and simultaneously. 

They are working with the R&M affiliate 

in Portugal as well as R&M Izomar Sp. z o.o. of 

Poland, which will be providing the necessary 

manpower using Group resources.Work on the new 

SCR systems is being performed at heights of up to 

90 metres above the ground. In spite of the tight 

schedule, top priority is being given to site safety. 

To guarantee smooth operations and to meet the 

strict site safety requirements in this international 

project, OKI has also found a reliable solution to 

the language problems: one employee capable of 

speaking fluent French has been assigned to each 

team. The schedule for connecting up the new systems 

is tight. At all sites, work must be completed 

within four weeks, with three plants to be up and 

running by September 2006 at the latest. Last year, 

plant engineering company Alstom praised OKI for 

its work in Sweden. Now in 2006, these projects 

also have the makings of becoming key references 

for Rheinhold & Mahla, forming the basis for longterm 

relations with the customer founded in 

a spirit of mutual trust. 

support level at a height of 7 metres by using 

trussed beams and tubular steel coupling material. 

This ensures the necessary stability and static 

support. Thereafter it was possible to assemble 

the working and protective scaffolding for the 

overhauling activities. 

All told, the four-strong R&M arnholdt team 

under the supervision of construction manager 

Eyyup Kücük assembled roughly 30,000 cubic 

metres of scaffolding. In addition, all scaffolding 

was covered with non-flammable tarpaulins to 

keep dust to a minimum during the completion of 

the activities. 

PERSONNEL 

Mr. Andreas Frey (40) 

assumed the position of 

head of Central Department 

Group Business/ 

Corporate Communications 

on 1 May 2006 and 

in this function is supporting 

CEO Thomas Töpfer. 

Mr. Frey originally joined Rheinhold & Mahla AG 

on 1 February 1996 and has hitherto been head 

of the Management Board Office. 

Mr. Robert Huber (42) 

commenced his duties as 

head of Central Department 

Legal on 1 January 

2006. Mr. Huber has been 

with Rheinhold & Mahla 

AG since 1 March 1994 

and was previously in 

charge of the Legal Department. 

Mr. Tobias Zaers (35) 

will be assuming the 

position of head of 

Central Engineering at 

Rheinhold & Mahla AG. 

Mr. Zaers will act as 

partner for all technical 

questions and matters 

related to the QSU standards. In this function, 

he reports directly to the CEO. With a degree in 

engineering, Mr. Zaers was previously technical 

manager and member of the management of a 

company in the consumer health sector. 

9


10 

GL BE 

All in one: Insulation, scaffolding, ancillary heating and fire protection 

Rheinhold & Mahla awarded contract 

for KPE project in the Netherlands 

In a major modernization project, the Dutch subsidiary of the Kuwait Petroleum International 

Group is overhauling its refinery facility at the Rotterdam Europoort to prepare for the future. 

Located in the heart of Europe, the site is to be extended and turned into a key hub for crude 

oil products for distribution across North Western Europe. Rheinhold & Mahla was awarded a 

contract for a comprehensive package of services. 

The refinery at Europoort, Rotterdam, processes 

crude oil which it derives from the Gulf state of 

Kuwait, turning it into high-quality paraffinic or 

aromatic base and process oil. KPE is already 

operating a modern refinery at the Europoort 

facility alongside an international distribution 

centre for Q8 brand fuels and lubricants. 

The site comprises a petrol and lubricant plant 

and manufactures product for Q8 Oils, the Kuwait 

Petroleum’s marketing company. It is not least 

of all the refinery’s central location in the port of 

Rotterdam as well as the good storage and transportation 

facilities which prompted the decision 

to modernize and extend the site for even greater 

use in the future. The Dutch R&M companies 

received contracts for a whole of services. 

Exemplary collaboration with the customer 

Rheinhold & Mahla is well known in the market 

place as a provider of service packages. The 

various Netherlands and Belgium-based companies 

are now working together in a tightly 

meshed network to assemble bespoke packages 

covering scaffolding, insulation, fire protection 

cladding and ancillary heating for pipelines. 

There are proven joint activities with the local 

piping construction company M.O.B. Montage 

Onderneming Benelux, which Rheinhold & Mahla 

contracted for the KPE project with all its core 

capabilities including engineering skills. 

By ship to the site 

Work on the project commenced in mid October 

2005. In this connection, the major plant 

components, particularly the furnace, piping and 

pipe bridges had largely been pre-assembled at 

the M.O.B. site in order to minimize disruption to 

refinery operations. “For one thing, there is only 

limited storage and space on the refinery site 

and, for another, assembly during ongoing 

operations would have necessitated additional 

safety, approval and site protection activities,” 

explains Richard Hildenbrant, who oversaw the 

project for R&M. 

The heavy and bulky modules were pre-assembled off-site to avoid disruption 

to refinery operations. 

The new plant components was transported on pontoons to the refinery. 

Considerable technical planning was also 

required to organize the transportation of the 

parts to the final site. This posed considerable 

challenges given the weight and also the dimensions 

of the individual components. With a 

weight of over 70 tons in some cases, a width of 

eight metres and a height of almost ten metres, 

it was clear from the outset that it would not be 

possible to transport the parts on public roads. 

The only viable alternative was to handle most of 

the transportation on water. At the same time, 

individual components such as the pipe bridge 

with its fire-protection cladding had to be 

dismantled in order to avoid exceeding the maximum 

shunting space of eight metres available 

at the refinery. 

At the end of November, the modules were finally 

loaded onto two pontoons with a length of 52 

metres each. Propelled by a push boat and tugs, 

the heavy load found its way to the refinery. The 

modules were unloaded at the Beneluxhaven 

Helping to shape the Company’s 

fortunes over the past 20 years or so 

At the end of 2005, Werner Spies, general agent and head of Central Department Legal/General Administration at 

Rheinhold & Mahla AG, and Frank Kunze, head of Central Deparment Corporate Communications and member of the 

Supervisory Board at Rheinhold & Mahla AG, retired after many years of service for the Group. 

Over a period of several decades, they both made 

decisive contributions to the Company’s success 

and, in their respective positions, helped to shape 

the Rheinhold & Mahla Group’s corporate culture. In 

the speech which he gave at the official farewell 

ceremony on 6 December 2005, Thomas Töpfer, 

CEO of Rheinhold & Mahla AG, stressed the remarkable 

contributions made by the two gentlemen, 

who had both helped to write part of the Company’s 

history. Thomas Töpfer particularly stressed 

his appreciation of the work performed by the two 

gentlemen during the important years of dynamic 

growth and strategic realignment. 

Werner Spies joined the Rheinhold & Mahla Group’s 

holding company on 7 July 1972 and became head 

of Central Department Legal in 1978. Between 

1992 and 2003, he was additionally in charge of 

Central Department Personnel. In July 1999, he was 

appointed general agent of Rheinhold & Mahla AG. 

Frank Kunze first came to the Company on 

1 September 1987, assuming the position of head 

of Central Advertising/Marketing, after which he 

was appointed head of Central Department Corporate 

Communications in 2000. In mid 2002, he was 

elected to Rheinhold & Mahla AG’s Supervisory 

Board as a representative for the executive staff. 

Since 1 January 2006, the Central Department 

Legal has been under the management of Robert 

Huber, while Bettina Gaebel has assumed operative 

responsibility for corporate communications, 

which has been assigned to the new Central 

Department Group Business/Corporate Communications 

under Andreas Frey. 

During an official ceremony, R&M’s 

CEO Thomas Töpfer (middle) bade 

farewell to retirees Werner Spies 

(left), general agent and head 

of Central Department Legal/ 

General Administration at 

Rheinhold & Mahla AG, and Frank 

Kunze (right), head of Central 

Department Corporate Communications 

and a member of the Group’s 

Supervisory Board. 

P&O Ferries quay, after which they completed the 

last few metres of their journey on land. The 

entire operation, which involved negotiating 

eight bridges and a lock, took around seven 

hours. 

Yet, there was still a fair amount of work to be 

completed before the plant could go into operation 

at the end of March. Work on thermal insulation 

and the connections with the existing plant 

equipment together with the related scaffolding 

was completed on site. For this purpose, it was 

necessary to shut down the refinery for a brief 

period of time. All parties were satisfied with the 

way the joint activities turned out. “Having only 

a single contact partner for four types of activity 

takes an enormous load off our shoulders,” 

says M.O.B. director Herbert Heumer. “Decisionmaking 

is simpler and there is substantially less 

need to coordinate.“ With the acid test passed for 

more efficient package solutions, further projects 

using this constellation are now in the offing.


The history of iron ore mining in Malmberget goes back to 1660. Spurred by strong global 

demand for steel, the facility is growing in importance. 

GL BE 

R&M network demonstrating its capabilities in Sweden as well 

Project in Malmberget requiring 

international collaboration 

Above the northern Polar Circle, everything revolves around light or the lack thereof. Insulation work on the new pelletiser at the iron ore 

mine in Malmberget in the north of Sweden thus has to be completed to an extremely tight schedule in the few short weeks of summer 

2006. Five R&M companies from three different countries are working on the project. Acting as subcontractor to German plant engineering 

company Outokumpu Technology GmbH, Rheinhold & Mahla is responsible for engineering and material sourcing including assembly 

and project management for scaffolding and insulation. 

Swedish mining company LKAB is one of the world’s 

top suppliers of refined iron ore products. The company 

boasts a history of ore mining spanning 250 

years right up to the present day. Since around 

1870, LKAB has been mining the ore reserves in 

Malmberget in North Sweden. In 1972, the first 

pelletiser went into operation to make processed 

iron ore lumpy in the form of burned pellets with a 

diameter of 10 to 16 mm for use in the smelting 

process in the blast furnace. In 2004, LKAB decided 

to order a further pelletiser from Outokumpu 

Technology. The entire system is to go into operation 

in autumn 2006. 

R&M E.M.S. GmbH main contractor at INEOS Vinyls Deutschland GmbH, Wilhelmshaven 

Shutdown completed under 

special conditions 

R&M E.M.S. GmbH, which has been providing maintenance services for PVC producer INEOS 

Vinyls Deutschland GmbH in Wilhelmshaven as a main contractor for the past three-and-a-half 

years, faced a particular challenge when the plant located at the INEOS site was to be shut 

down in March 2006. Over a period of around one month, up to 200 employees from R&M 

E.M.S. GmbH were deployed at the site to execute extensive modifications alongside the 

normal maintenance and repair work. 

INEOS Vinyls GmbH in Wilhelmshaven is one of 

the top producers of PVC in Germany. A subsidiary 

of INEOS, the company is the leading PVC producer 

in Europe and one of the global top five and 

manufactures vinyl chloride monomer (VCM) and 

polyvinyl chloride (PVC) at its Wilhelmshaven site. 

The shutdown, during which all plant components 

including the technical ancillary facilities were deactivated, 

was executed in March under extraordinarily 

difficult weather conditions. Among other 

things, the activities entailed maintenance and 

repair work, preparations for the periodic inspec- 

All hands on deck in the short summer 

Located around 70 kilometres from the northern 

Polar Circle, the small township of Malmberget has 

a population of a mere 5,640. The winters are long 

and severe, while in the brief summers the sun 

never sets. This fact has formed the key parameters 

for planning the insulation work for the new plant 

at the iron ore facility in Malmberget. Given the 

winter conditions in North Sweden, it became 

quickly clear that the assembly work to be 

performed by R&M would need to be scheduled for 

the months between March and August 2006 and 

that a large part of the preparatory work had to be 

tions of pressurised containers, modifications to 

and maintenance of various plant components, the 

construction of new connections to the existing 

pipeline for future plant extensions and the 

completion of a new run-off filter. 

With temperatures far below freezing, many activities 

were delayed. Yet, thanks to the concerted and 

flexible cooperation of all parties involved it was 

possible to complete the maintenance work almost 

on time without sacrificing safety and protection of 

the environment, two aspects to which top priority 

was given. 

completed at other locations to ensure that actual 

assembly could be completed swiftly in the short 

summer. In October 2005, Outokumpu in Oberursel 

awarded OKI Isoliertechnik GmbH, Pforzheim, a 

contract for the provision of engineering services 

and the delivery of materials and simultaneously 

asked Swedish-based R&M Isenta Lulea AB to carry 

out all scaffolding and insulation work in connection 

with the construction of the new pelletiser. 

The task assigned to OKI and R&M Isenta includes 

insulation for the gas channels, the electric filter, a 

desulphurisation reactor as well as various silos and 

tanks. Most of the preliminary work was coordinated 

and completed at the R&M site in Pforzheim. 

This included all the engineering plus the organization 

of the ordering processes for the material 

required and delivery to the construction site. 

In line with the customer’s requirements and 

specifications, drafts and lists of materials, details of 

volumes and directories of activities were prepared. 

This resulted in comprehensive documentation for 

assembly work on the site describing in great detail 

which material is to be used where and defining 

the thickness of the insulation and the materials 

required. In addition, it contains diagrams of 

the work to be performed as well as a detailed 

schedule. 

Perfect pooling of skills 

The planning phase was completed at the end of 

2005. This also involved combining the skills of 

several R&M companies. R&M Isenta Lulea AB, 

which has been performing maintenance services at 

the iron ore processing facilities in Malmberget for 

years, is responsible for preparing the construction 

site, overseeing construction and managing the site 

staff. At the operative level, it will also be handling 

the pipeline insulation. BSB Isoliertechnik, Oberhausen, 

will be in charge of project management, 

while Swedish company R&M Mixab AG will 

be handling all the scaffolding. Polish company 

R&M Izomar Sp. z o.o. will be involved in the 

complicated insulation work for the plant components 

and apparatus. In addition, the Warsaw-based 

company will be contributing an additional package 

of services entailing the prefabrication of the steel 

constructions for the construction of the channels. 

A supervisor at the site is managing all the activities 

which commenced in April and are currently being 

carried out at fever pitch. The personnel deployment 

plan provides for a peak number of up to 70 assembly 

workers to be assigned to the site, with roughly 

1,250 square metres of insulation to be fitted each 

week. The total volume of insulation stands at 

17,000 square metres. “We have a demanding job 

to complete,” admits Klaus Harzheim, project 

manager at OKI Isoliertechnik. “However, the crossborder 

collaboration is working perfectly, allowing us 

to cover our requirements of qualified staff from 

within the company and also to link our activities 

intelligently with the high engineering and planning 

quality offered by our specialist R&M companies 

and the specific site expertise of our local group 

member. All this is very beneficial for the customer 

as it ensures highly reliable planning.” 

The new pelletiser is to go into operation by the end 

of 2006 and will allow LKAB to increase its total 

production capacity from the outset from roughly 

2.5 million tons to 25 million tons per year. 

The new pelletiser in Malmberget will allow 

total production of fine ore and pellets to be 

increased to around 25 million tons per year. 

11


12 

GL BE 

Pooling services to heighten efficiency 

BASF Schwarzheide making use 

of specialist skills 

When two specialists combine their skills, the customer is the one to benefit. This at 

least is how chemicals behemoth BASF views the situation at its Schwarzheide site. It is 

utilising the services of two R&M companies for scaffolding and insulation, thus making 

the most of their specialist skills. In the main contracts entered into at the beginning of 

the year, BASF is linking the high quality of specialists with the economic advantages 

of pooled services. 

Schwarzheide in the German state of Brandenburg 

has a long tradition as a site for the 

chemicals industry. Way back in 1935, a factory 

for deriving fuel from local lignite was established 

at this location, with polyurethane foam 

produced there throughout the seventies. 

Expanding chemicals site 

Since German reunification, BASF has been active 

in Schwarzheide. Following the takeover of the 

Modernization of the maleic anhydride plant in Százhalombatta 

R&M TS Duna appointed general 

contractor by oil group MOL 

The efforts by Hungarian oil group MOL Rt. Dunai Finomító to modernize its refinery and chemical equipment in Százhalombatta are continuing to 

make progress. Following the conversion of a cracking plant last year and the construction of a desulphurisation facility one year earlier, it is now 

extending its maleic anhydride plant. Hungarian company R&M TS Duna Kft., Budapest, has been named general contractor for this project. 

Maleic anhydride is one of the most important industrially 

produced anhydrides and is used as a key basic 

substance in the chemicals and pharmaceuticals 

industry. Among other things, it is required as an 

input product for paints, lacquers and pharmaceuticals. 

Maleic anhydride is derived from the oxidation 

of normal butane. 

In order to increase plant output, a full-scale overhaul 

was necessary together with the construction of 

a new oxidation reactor supplied by Technobell. 

Following the modernization activities, which are 

to be completed by October 2006, plant capacity 

will increase by around 25 %. 

Long-term partnership paying off 

For the first time, MOL appointed R&M TS Duna 

general contractor for all technical assembly 

work, construction activities, plant instrumentation 

and mechanical work. This is the reward for many 

years of successful work. Thus, for example, the 

Hungarian R&M company played a key role in 

the conversion of the cracking plant last year. “This 

contract shows that integrated service for technical 

plants in Hungary is on the advance,” says project 

manager József Jánosi. “Against this backdrop, 

R&M’s ‘Solutions for Industrial Services’ mission 

statement is likely to give us a decisive edge over 

the competition.” 

site in 1990, the Ludwigshafen-based chemicals 

group invested in new production facilities and 

now makes basic polyurethane products as well 

as pesticides, water-based paints and foams, 

among other things, at this site. At the same 

time, BASF has created an infrastructure for 

the supply and disposal of chemical products. 

In addition, BASF Schwarzheide GmbH’s research 

and development department is working as a 

European development centre in the area of 

The scale of the contract is considerable. R&M TS 

Duna is organizing the preliminary work comprising 

engineering and planning as well as the prefabrication 

of the plant components and management 

and coordination of the various activities including 

The Hungarian R&M company is demonstrating 

its skills as a general contractor at MOL. 

One of the advantages of the modern BASF 

site in Schwarzheide is the efficient organization 

of the maintenance services for the 

chemicals and plastics industry. 

basic polyurethane products, managing and 

optimising the existing production facilities at 

the site and preparing investments in new production 

processes. For years now, BASF has been 

extending the site step by step, turning it into a 

chemical estate with a usable area of around 100 

hectares. At the moment, partner and external 

companies as well as related entities employ over 

500 people at the site. 

Further routine shutdowns planned 

for 2006 

This year, a number of production facilities 

in Schwarzheide will be undergoing scheduled 

shutdowns for the performance of repairs and 

audits. On average, these individual shutdowns 

last between five and ten days. 

plant instrumentation (E/I&C). To handle this 

enormous volume of work, R&M TS Duna will be 

utilising the services of partners and specialists, 

who will be integrated in the entire process right up 

to the start-up phase. 

Perfect planning ensuring smooth 

implementation 

Following the completion of the three-month 

preparatory stage, the project will be entering its 

next decisive phase during the planned four-week 

shutdown period in the summer. In this time, 28 

different plant components will be modified and 

assembled and pipelines constructed, for which 

30,000 person/hours alone have been set aside. In 

addition, the electrical system must be completely 

overhauled and plant instrumentation modernized 

including the full replacement of all hardware and 

software in line with the project specifications. This 

is when Rheinhold & Mahla’s extensive planning 

and management skills will come into their own. 

As well as this, the reactor will be requiring special 

attention, as special lifting and transportation 

systems must be prepared. This is because 

the reactor, which weighs around 200 t, will be 

supplied by ship and must be lifted using a special 

crane and moved to its ultimate destination using 

heavy-load transporters. 

Working together the trump card 

On the strength of its expertise, 

Rheinhold & Mahla was entrusted with insulation 

and scaffolding work at BASF Schwarzheide. For 

the two R&M companies R&M WSI Leuna and 

R&M arnholdt, Großräschen, the main contracts 

covering maintenance work, output optimization 

and the performance of shutdowns at defined 

units came into effect at the beginning of 2006 

for an initial period of one year plus an option 

for a further year. 

From the outset, R&M WSI Leuna and R&M 

arnholdt demonstrated the extent to which the 

networking spirit is embedded in the Group. 

Working in close consultation with each other, 

the two companies set up a site base. This also 

includes sharing office space. In addition, all 

processes are coordinated carefully. “The advantages 

for our customers are obvious. We offer 

the lean structures of an all-in-one operator 

without diluting our specialist skills,” explains 

Matthias Kopp, managing director of R&M WSI 

Leuna. “Relations between the two companies 

are also very good. This simplifies and speeds 

up the work in every respect as reliability and 

quality form our common foundation,” adds 

Ingo Halfter, branch manager of R&M arnholdt 

in Großräschen. 

High reliability 

In the meantime, the R&M teams have 

commenced their activities at the site and are 

ensuring smooth operations and high reliability in 

day-to-day maintenance activities. 

In addition, the shutdowns for the various units 

at the Schwarzheide site call for perfectly 

planned deployment schedules on the part of the 

two R&M companies in accordance with the 

customer’s shutdown plans. After only two 

months, BASF Schwarzheide stated that it was 

pleased with the highly professional style of work 

exhibited by the two R&M companies. The two 

affiliates are already being praised for their effective 

project organisation. 

The modernization of the Hungarian plant 

involves all types of maintenance activities. 

During the shutdown, roughly 200 people including 

subcontractors will be working at the site in 

peak times. 

PRODUCTION CREDITS 

Publisher: Rheinhold & Mahla AG, Munich 

Responsible for content: Thomas Töpfer 

Project management: Bettina Gaebel 

Editorial team: Bettina Gaebel (copy and editing), 

Beate Kneuse (copy), Ivonne Tröger (assistant) 

Editorial address: 

Zentralbereich Konzernaufgaben/ 

Unternehmenskommunikation, 

Gneisenaustrasse 15, D-80992 Munich 

Telephone +49 89 1 49 98-135 

Telefax +49 89 1 49 98-277 

e-mail: ukomm@rum.de 

Internet: http://www.rheinhold-mahla.com 

Reprinting with indication of source permitted/ 

please send copy. 

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