hydraulik - HANSA-FLEX Hydraulics Canada Inc.

08/08 

08 

20 

28 

Issue 04/2008 

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HYDRAULIKPRESSE 

A new dimension 

in off shore wind 

turbines 

Heading out to sea 

Hose lines 

Safe layout and 

installation – 

testing – 

avoiding risks 

The RedBook 

HANSA-FLEX 

expansion strategy 

focuses on global 

customer proximity 

Jumbo dredger “Pirat X” 

Power for the JadeWeserPort 

Page 18

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CONTENT | IMPRESS 

Content 

Editorial 03 

XWORLD, pure adventure – The participants are thrilled 04 

Systems for wind and waves – GAB Neumünster serving customers along the coast 06 

A new dimension in offshore wind turbines – Heading out to sea 08 

Something new every day – Nicole Böddeker manages the Warburg shop 10 

In conversation with: Christian van der Veen – “With X-CODE we can win over any customer” 12 

Putting a brake on the wind – Nothing revolves without Svendborg Brakes 14 

Machinery exhibition in Ilmendorf – First hand customer experience in a gravel pit 16 

FLEXXPRESS hydraulics service – Number 799 closes the gap 16 

Virtuoso pipe-bending for a jumbo dredger – ”Pirat X” a distinctive presence at JadeWeserPort 18 

Hose lines – safe layout and installation – testing – avoiding risks 20 

Like a leaf in the wind – Vacuum process assures technical edge 22 

Trade fair announcements | Training seminar schedule 24 

X-LOGO project enhances process expertise – SAP launch “with slightly square wheels” 26 

The RedBook – HANSA-FLEX expansion strategy focuses on global customer proximity 28 

A donation to gladden children’s hearts 28 

Quiz | Figures & facts | Preview 30 

02 


Editor/publisher: 

HANSA-FLEX Hydraulik GmbH 

Zum Panrepel 44 · 28307 Bremen 

Germany 

Phone: 0421 - 48 90 70 

Telefax: 0421 - 4 89 07 48 

E-Mail: info@hansa-flex.com 

www.hansa-flex.com 

Compilation: Dietbert Keßler, Enrico Kieschnick, 

Horst Otto (PAPP Werbeagentur) 

Layout: Jan-Christoph Fritz 

Print: Berlin Druck · www.berlindruck.de 

Responsible for contents: Wolfgang Rink 

Frequency: Bimonthly 

Subscribe to the on our website. 

PEFC/04-31-0976 IVW certified 1st quarter 2008 

ISSUE AUGUST 2008

ISSUE AUGUST 2008 

Dear reader, 

The objectives for the development of HANSA-FLEX as a hydraulics system partner have been clearly defined: 

By 2017 the HANSA-FLEX network will comprise 1,000 service stations spanning across more than 60 

countries, with a workforce of some 5,000 people generating an annual turnover of around one billion Euros. 

In order to achieve these ambitious goals we will continue to build on two key factors in our success to date: 

customer proximity and an uncompromising attention to customer satisfaction. 

One of our major investments into customer service was concluded with the going live of the new SAP platform. 

By implementing this new software we have realigned our processes more closely to our customers 

and strengthened the HANSA-FLEX group to achieve its targeted growth. We would like to take this opportunity 

to thank all the HANSA-FLEX staff for their tireless commitment to the successful launch. Further 

we would like to express our gratitude to our customers for their patience and understanding when things 

sometimes did not quite go to plan. 

At HANSA-FLEX the definition of customer satisfaction is based on a high-performance product range and 

an unwavering commitment to service. This is illustrated by Kanban warehousing, just-in-time or kitting 

solutions, as well as plant-in-plant manufacturing partnerships with our OEM customers. These services are 

complemented by our tailored parts service and the deployment of our FLEXXPRESS service vans throughout 

Germany and internationally. For more information regarding the expansion strategy of the HANSA-FLEX 

group please check out the article on page 28. 

Being close to our customers for us also means having a presence at trade fairs and exhibitions. This autumn 

we will be demonstrating our calibre as a hydraulic systems partner at SMM in Hamburg, GALA Bau in Nuremberg 

and HusumWind in Schleswig-Holstein. 

A visit to our stand at the HusumWind fair will be of particular interest to development engineers in the wind 

power industry. At the fair we will be demonstrating how HANSA-FLEX can assist with key support in the 

design of onshore and offshore installations right from the development phase. Our detailed know-how in 

offshore line engineering is crucial in shortening the customer’s time to market. Our expertise in the offshore 

sector was further enhanced by the recent opening of the northern region Subsystem Engineering centre. 

This competence centre serves as a base for the development and manufacture of HANSA-FLEX specialist 

offshore subsystems for the power generation from wind and wave energy. To find out what our offshore 

experts can do for you please refer to the article on page 6 of this issue. 

The Management Board 

FOREWORD 

Editorial 

Uwe Buschmann Thomas Armerding 


03 

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XWORLD 

From Urumqui to Ulan-Bator – a territory seldom 

accessed by any westerner. One of them was Bernd 

Hommels, who explored the region on-board a Toyota 

Land Cruiser on the seventh stage of the XWORLD 

Tour. 

“Getting to visit areas that you would hardly ever 

see as a private individual was what really attracted 

me to the XWORLD Tour” the management consultant 

and passionate off road fan reveals. He is no 

stranger to adventure, having previously crossed 

South America by motorbike and driven his own 

rally cars through Poland, Slovenia and Italy. In 

choosing to cover stage seven – over mountain 

ranges, on the Mongolian steppes and across the 

Gobi desert – he certainly opted for a challenging 

and diverse segment of the tour. 

“Impressive landscapes, great campfi res, cooking 

our own food from what we were able to fi nd locally, 

sleeping in the camp – it really was an adventure” 

Bernd Hommels recounts with enthusiasm. 

He personally enjoyed the up to 10 hours’ driving a 

day, over very rugged terrain. “Gravel, sharp-edged 

rocks, desert dust, snaking mountain roads in the 

Altai range – we had a bit of everything, and we really 

put the cars through their paces,” he recalls, the 

fascination of the experience still vivid in his mind. 

04 

XWORLD – pure adventure 

The participants are thrilled 

In all phases the tour guides maintained their focus 

on the safety and security of the participants, 

so even those who simply could not get enough of 

drinking in the magnifi cent landscape were satisfi 

ed to the full. The tour guides also kept the convoy 

well up to speed. “The guides drove at the head of 

the convoy, making the pace, and the group would 

gradually become more strung out as the journey 

progressed, so the drivers at the back occasionally 

had to really put their foot down to catch up,” Hommels 

relates, evidently from personal experience. 

Great distances 

The fact that the tour was no leisure drive in the 

country was demonstrated by the wear and tear 

on the vehicles. “We regularly had to retighten all 

the bolts on the fl oor panels, and there were frequent 

fl at tyres - mostly caused by the sharp rocks 

when driving off road. To be able to work safely 

underneath the cars, we simply drove them up a 

step somewhere. And it was amazing how skilful 

the locals were when it came to improvising a tyre 

repair.” 

Something else that amazed Bernd Hommels was 

when he was suddenly overtaken by his own rear 

wheel. “It might have been that, because of the 

frequent wheel-changing in the desert, the areas 

between the wheel bolts and the rim were not entirely 

free of sand, causing the bolts to work loose 

over time until, ultimately, the car was just sitting 

there in the sand. It was a real job to get it mobile 

again, but we managed.“ 

Improvisation was called for because, despite thorough 

preparations, there was always an edge of 

uncertainty. The whole thing then became a real 

challenge to the local tour guides too, as well as to 

Melina Lindenblatt, “whose friendly manner always 

kept up the spirits in the group.” Even when the convoy 

had to take a 250 kilometre detour when one of 

the border crossings was found to be in a restricted 

military zone, or when nine of the ten watering 

holes marked on the map turned out to be nothing 

more than salt fl ats. “The water got a bit short, 

and we counted the bottles more than we normally 

would have. But surprises like that are part of the 

fun. I for one will certainly be doing the XWORLD 

Tour again,“ Hommels asserts. “XWORLD off ers a 

perfect combination: you can feel safe and secure, 

while enjoying the freedom of being able to experience 

something truly extraordinary.” 

Caught on camera 

The eighth stage of the XWORLD Tour was a circular 

route starting and ending in Ulan-Bator, the 

capital of Mongolia. But let’s hear from one of the 

participants themselves. “After a day relaxing in 

Ulan-Bator (which means, roughly, “red hero“), we 

set off on our trip across Mongolia. Immediately after 

leaving the city we were confronted by proper 

off road terrain. The roads marked on the maps as 

being fi nished were barely started, and conditions 

were also extremely dry. Clouds of dust quickly enveloped 

each of the Land Cruisers - something of a 

hazard, because it was not possible to tell if a vehicle 

in front had suddenly stopped. On that day we 

ISSUE AUGUST 2008


were stopped in our tracks by a mighty sandstorm. 

We couldn’t go on, because it was impossible to see 

even beyond the end of the bonnet. The storm was 

followed by a curious rainfall of sand and water, 

through which we slowly probed our way forward 

in conditions of atrocious visibility. Soon we were 

held up yet again, this time by the fi rst fl at tyre. 

We spent the night near Bulgan, the principal town 

in the province of Bulgan-Aimag, at a Yurt camp. It 

rained heavily overnight, and the next morning all 

the routes heading north had turned to mudbaths. 

For our off roaders it was no problem, and skilful 

teamwork also saw us master the fi rst river crossings, 

but then we were brought to a halt as the 

water levels rose ever higher. So, half way along our 

route, and seeing that there was no realistic chance 

of getting any further northwards, we decided to 

turn back to Bulgan. We got together with our tour 

guides to plan a new route, and decided to head for 

somewhere drier. 

The off road driving became more and more challenging, 

with more and more rocks along the track 

playing havoc with the shock-absorbers and tyres. 

The mountain ranges provided a stiff test of all our 

driving skills. But the hard work behind the wheel 

was rewarded by what we saw when we looked out: 

increasingly dramatic landscapes, and a sense of 

space which is barely describable. We experienced 

a unique interplay of colours, and began to see wild 

horses, yaks, sheep and goats and soon also the fi rst 

camels. That night we slept at a Yurt camp on the 

shores of a lake. 

XWORLD 

Sand between the teeth 

At Altai, the provincial capital of Western Mongolia, 

we drive over scree fi elds, see glistening glaciers 

and cross the fi rst of the desert-style terrain. The 

day-long stage runs passes along the cliff s and 

gorges of the virtually unknown Gichigniy-Nuruu 

range. For two days we cross a magical landscape, 

spending the night amidst volcanic mountain scenery 

at a Yurt camp. 

Travelling on rarely-used gravel tracks, we reach the 

Gobi desert, cross many dried-up river beds, and 

struggle to fi nd our way using our GPS navigation 

systems. Our modern equipment eventually helps 

us reach the dunes of the Southern Gobi, and as we 

pass through the dunes it takes our breath away! 

Through the next day too, the mighty desert is our 

highway, as we head towards its outer edges and 

the Khuislin-Naiman-Nuur national park. We spontaneously 

decide to take a detour to a monastery 

near the Orchon falls. Sadly the excursion proved 

too much for the Hilux backup vehicle, and it broke 

a spring! We drive cautiously on to Karakorum: a 

UNESCO World Cultural Heritage Site and former 

heart of the Mongol Empire. It also off ers an opportunity 

to have the Hilux repaired. On the return 

journey to Ulan-Bator we use our winches to help 

pull a number of stranded cars out of the mud. Exhausted 

but happy, we return to the civilisation of 

Ulan-Bator, having driven 3,440 kilometres, more 

than 3,000 of them off road, over sand and rock. 

05 

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NEW AT HANSA-FLEX 

Between Kiel and Hamburg - and thus between the 

North Sea and the Baltic - lies the town of Neumünster. 

Since April 2008 it has been the home base of 

the HANSA-FLEX northern region specialist centre of 

competence for Subsystems Engineering (known for 

short as GAB), sharing the facility with the newly 

established Neumünster branch. The location’s proximity 

to the coast is refl ected in the structure of the 

regional customer base. 

This new location has closed a gap in the 

HANSA-FLEX network between the cities of Kiel and 

Hamburg and at the same time has established a 

subsystems engineering service facility in a region 

which is home not only to many manufacturers of 

wind turbines but which also off ers major potential 

for new business from the neighbouring ports and 

their lively shipping trade. Of course, Subsystems 

Engineering Director Martin Reumann is also targeting 

customers in other industries who may be 

interested in HANSA-FLEX subsystems manufacture, 

installation and commissioning or indeed the 

company’s range of service and repair off ers. 

Off shore expertise shortens lead 

times in development 

Its high level of expertise in the off shore sector, in 

particular, makes the subsystems manufacturer 

the ideal partner for businesses in the wind energy 

06 

Systems for wind and waves 

GAB Neumünster serving customers along the coast 


fi eld. Companies driving forward the development 

of off shore wind power plants are subject to severe 

time constraints. That is where HANSA-FLEX can be 

a major help to design departments, especially in 

view of the hydraulics specialist’s years of experience 

in off shore operations as a partner to shipyard 

and engine-building customers. HANSA-FLEX is 

glad to place that wealth of know-how at the disposal 

of its customers. The acknowledged quality 

of HANSA-FLEX components is affi rmed by numerous 

certifi cates and approvals, including from Germanischer 

Lloyd. 

Optimisation starts at an early stage 

HANSA-FLEX is currently deploying its specialist 

know-how in the construction of a prototype wind 

turbine in the new six-megawatt class. All the pipelines 

and hoses are of sea water-proof design. And 

the optimum routing and attachments for the lines 

are also specifi ed in conjunction with the manufacturers. 

The close-by HANSA-FLEX branch, headed 

by Finn-Steff en Döring, means the Subsystems Engineering 

team has the full range of pipeline and 

hose components readily to hand. Consequently, 

hydraulic hoses can be customised precisely to the 

layout of a system. The lengths are calculated according 

to the actual routing, and the angular positioning 

relative to the fi ttings is precision-set. Only 

then is the hose pressed into shape. All hoses are of 

course X-CODE marked, enabling the manufacturer 

to call upon a complete hose list to order components 

when the six-megawatt plants go into full 

production. This means re-order times are greatly 

reduced when a replacement is needed. 

Swift response and order fulfi llment 

The northern region Subsystems Engineering 

division is also able to respond quickly to order 

requests thanks to its backing from the wellstocked, 

effi ciently organised and quality-certifi ed 

HANSA-FLEX component warehouse (known for 

short as HKO) based in Weixdorf near Dresden. This 

means Martin Reumann has a complete picture of 

how quickly all the components can be available 

right from the concept design and quotation phase 

for a new subsystem. If a customer stipulates the 

use of components from specifi c suppliers, they can 

of course also be bought-in. 

Testing under full load and high 

pressure 

Before new subsystems are shipped from the Neumünster 

facility, they are tested under full load on 

state-of-the-art test rigs featuring motor outputs 

up to 110 kW. A specially prepared test station is 

available for acceptance-testing of electrical and 

hydraulic functions in the presence of customers. A 

particular feature is the 2100 bar test rig for ultrahigh 

pressure hydraulic hoses. Test pressures of 

such a magnitude are essential, as hydraulic testing 

is always carried out at double operating pressure. 

Ultra-high pressure subsystems and hoses are used, 

among other applications, in the shipping industry, 

such as for the tools to pull the heavy pistons of 

ships’ building-high diesel engines. Many operations 

at wind power plants are likewise only manageable 

with the use of ultra-high pressure hoses. 

Hydraulic screw tools are required, for example, to 

tighten the bolts which join together the tower and 

the foundations, as well as the individual tower 

segments. 

The GAB express subsystems service also of course 

includes responding to needs without being de- 

ISSUE AUGUST 2008


NEW AT HANSA-FLEX 

pendent on a specifi c manufacturer’s products. 

The centre has the capability to repair third-party 

subsystems. That situation frequently occurs when 

ships dock in Hamburg, Kiel, Lübeck, Rostock or 

Wismar urgently needing repairs to subsystems 

originating mostly from non-German manufacturers. 

GAB is well prepared to meet those challenges, 

taking orders at short notice and carry out on-board 

repairs, repairing hoses or supplying and installing 

hydraulic components and so helping ships keep to 

their tight schedules and avoid unnecessary time in 

port. 

Retrofi tting optimises performance 

at minimal investment cost 

Although the Neumünster centre off ers every kind 

of technically feasible new subsystem, the team 

faces a particular challenge in customising and optimising 

existing subsystems to enhance their performance 

and perform new tasks. In this retrofi tting 

work the team demonstrates the full extent of 

its experience and skills. Recently, for example, they 

devised an automation concept for an operator who 

had previously worked with a hand-operated pump 

but, in the face of increasing complexity associated 

with larger numbers of orders, was looking to enhance 

effi ciency while retaining as much of the 

existing systems as possible. The order was carried 

out successfully, just as the customer wished, at 

minimal cost! 

Yet even the best subsystems cannot function if 

the issue of oil care is neglected. Dirt-contaminated 

hydraulic fl uid is the most frequent cause 

of unscheduled machine downtimes, as Martin 

Reumann repeatedly advises his customers. Even 

if the oil still looks in good order, micrometre-sized 

particles such as dust, paint abrasive or metal fi lings 

may cause subsystems to malfunction. To meet 

those challenges, the HANSA-FLEX northern region 

Subsystems Engineering division is equipped with 

all the gear to provide fl uid servicing, from particle 

counters to rinsers, and its staff are trained to off er 

customers rapid diagnosis and optimum solutions. 


07 

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OFFSHORE ENGINEERING 

Electricity generation from offshore wind turbines 

may well play a major role in Germany’s future energy 

and climate control policy. The advantage of 

offshore installations is that the wind blows more 

strongly (at much higher speeds) and more continuously. 

The offshore wind parks spreading across wide 

areas of our coastal waters have enormous potential 

to generate energy. 

In order to work really productively, offshore wind 

parks should be situated well away from the coast. 

This means the technical demands placed on offshore 

installations in terms of tower construction, 

cable laying and servicing are correspondingly 

high. They not only have to withstand the wind and 

waves, they also have to be highly technically reliable, 

so as to ensure low-maintenance, trouble-free 

subsequent operation. Any servicing of the wind 

park carried out at sea costs money, and has to be 

done by service technicians shipped out specially. 

The gigantic offshore wind parks operated by the 

Bremerhaven-based Multibrid GmbH essentially 

consist of a foundation, a tubular steel tower and 

08 

A new dimension in offshore wind turbines 

Heading out to sea 


the gondola – which is in effect the engine room, 

housing the generator and a 116-meter diameter 

rotor. 

Multibrid specialises in the production of highperformance 

five-megawatt offshore wind turbines. 

Highly-qualified specialists work together 

with component suppliers to ensure the ongoing 

development of Multibrid technology. Multibrid’s 

M5000 is the world’s first wind turbine designed 

exclusively for large-scale offshore parks. Its design 

enables it to be quickly and easily installed on-site. 

The only assembly work is to join together the 

tower, gondola and rotor; all the other components 

come pre-assembled and ready to run. Concerted 

development efforts have resulted in technical solutions 

which set new standards and are optimally 

attuned to conditions at sea. 

Sea water-resistant materials and compact gondola 

design are key. Like the rotor, the gondola is 

designed to be light-weight, so as to aid transport 

and installation. This is vital, because of course all 

the components – and the equipment needed to 

assemble and install them – must be dragged on 

pontoons by ocean-going tugs to the park location. 

Large floating cranes swing the components 

into position, constantly buffered by the wind and 

waves. 

Salty air must be kept out 

To meet the special needs of the offshore environment, 

the Multibrid M5000 features a hermetically 

sealed encapsulation to provide the systems 

with permanent protection against corrosive sea 

spray. That is a vital factor determining durability 

of components and systems at sea. The encapsulation 

process prevents any penetration of ambient 

air into the gondola or hub of the wind turbine. 

An air conditioning system mounted to the base of 

the tower filters the ambient air as it is drawn in 

and separates off water and salt particles. The conditioned 

air generates a pressure in the tower and 

gondola which ensures it passes through the plant 

ISSUE AUGUST 2008


at a controlled volumetric fl ow rate. The pressure is 

continually adapted to the ambient pressure in all 

weather conditions and operating states, so that no 

contaminated air is able to penetrate. As a result, 

no corrosion due to salt or humidity can occur inside 

the wind turbine. The volumetric fl ow can also be 

used to control the temperature in the gondola. 

The encapsulation also protects the highly dynamic 

motorised angle adjuster system of the three rotor 

blades, which is concealed entirely inside the rotor 

hub. 

Well lubricated out at sea 

Because of the constant winds out at sea, the slewing 

ring for the blades is subject to particularly high 

stresses. As a result, it has to be continuously lubricated, 

by means of a special ring main which feeds 

the gear oil. The tight bearing tolerances involved 

mean that ultra-clean oil circulation is essential. 

HANSA-FLEX was contracted by Svendborg Brakes, 

the brake manufacturer and Multibrid’s general 

contractor on the project, to fabricate this ring 

main for the Multibrid M5000. The stainless steel 

ring main piping is bent precisely to shape by the 

specialists at the HANSA-FLEX pipe-bending centre 

in Schönebeck, working closely to the drawings 

provided by Multibrid. It is then assembled by installation 

teams from the pipe-bending centre at 

the customer’s production facility. It sometimes 

happens that the pipe shapes have to be readjusted 

once on-site, because the machine housings of 

the wind turbine are large-scale cast-metal items 

which can be subject to minor dimensional inaccuracies 

during manufacture. 

Before being placed in the water, it is essential that 

the ring main should be thoroughly cleaned once 

again and fl ushed out, in order to boost the reliability 

of the plant. This process safely removes any 

contamination which might have penetrated into 

the pipes, such as during the construction phase. 

This key task was undertaken by the HANSA-FLEX 

Fluid Service, using fi lters with a mesh size of 6 μm 

OFFSHORE ENGINEERING 

absolute. To be completely sure, the Fluid Service 

staff fi ltered through the 80 litre-capacity tank 25 

times. A particle meter then delivered the confi rmation: 

everything was clean, and ready for longlife 

service at sea. 

The Multibrid M5000 is currently being tested 

onshore prior to installation of the fi rst off shore 

turbines - scheduled to take place before the end 

of 2008 - at the planned “alpha ventus” test site 45 

kilometres north of the island of Borkum. The park 

will be situated at a suffi cient distance from the 

coast so as to be no longer visible from the shore 

due to the curvature of the Earth. Applications have 

now been submitted for a total of 40 off shore wind 

parks on the North Sea and Baltic coasts of Germany. 

German off shore technology is among the 

world’s leaders. 

Fluid service 

minimises wear 

E� ective � uid servicing safeguards trouble-free 

operation not just at di� cultto-access 

o� shore wind parks. The � uid 

service o� ered by HANSA-FLEX is a reliable 

means of preventing component 

wear and operation malfunctions. Only 

an oil � lm of less than 10 μm ensures 

frictionless operation of the machinery. 

Provided 100 percent clean oil is used. 

A � uid service by HANSA-FLEX reliably 

holds back the creeping process of oil 

contamination. 

The � uid service covers sampling and 

analysis, service interval scheduling and 

systems optimisation, through to installation 

and technical support for secondary-� 

ow � lter systems and supply 

of � lter elements. The services extends 

the life of the hydraulic � uid and so optimises 

process safety. 


09 

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HANSA-FLEX BRANCHES 

Something new every day 

Nicole Böddeker manages the Warburg shop 

Head of the HANSA-FLEX shop in Warburg Nicole Böddeker 

In January 2007 the hurricane “Kyrill” brought turbulent 

times to many people, including the manager of 

the HANSA-FLEX Shop in Warburg. As the sole counter 

salesperson, managing the shop practically by 

herself, Nicole Böddeker really had her hands full. 

She is responsible for ensuring that everything runs 

smoothly at HANSA-FLEX in Warburg, even when 

things get stormy. 

The storm also uprooted numerous trees around the 

region, creating a feast for bark beetles. To prevent 

further loss of trees, all the fallen trees had to be removed 

from the forests quickly. The customer base 

of the shop in Warburg, which opened its doors 

back in 2004, includes wind turbine operators but 

also, crucially, a large number of agricultural and 

forestry specialists, and they were now queuing 

at the counter looking for emergency replacement 

hoses for their machinery. Behind the counter, 

Nicole Böddeker had everything under control, 

even providing a cup of coff ee for all the waiting 

customers. She has plenty of experience in making 

decisions on her own initiative and reacting to 

challenging situations confi dently and professionally. 

She provides advice, puts together replacement 

hoses, orders spares from the HANSA-FLEX 

specialist centres of competence and books the 

10 

HANSA-FLEX installation service where customers 

need it. Field sales are handled by Franz Vössing, 

ensuring a continuous fl ow of orders into the shop. 

Nicole Böddeker learned her trade at the 

HANSA-FLEX branch in Paderborn, where she began 

in 2000 after having decided that the trade in which 

she had been apprenticed, enchasing, provided too 

little of a challenge over the long term. Enchasing 

- the chipless shaping of smooth metal surfaces - 

demands a high degree of skill and absolute precision. 

For Nicole Böddeker that’s no problem. She 

has had a knack for technical skills since her childhood 

on the family farm, when even in young years 

she would tinker around on faulty machinery. So it 

is no wonder that she so readily turned her hand to 

working with hydraulics, and pretty soon was making 

up her own replacement hose assemblies. She 

also rapidly learned the theory and the technical 

features of the broad product range, enabling her to 

deploy her extensive skills and knowledge exactly 

where needed. Equipped with all those attributes, 

the talented young woman had no hesitation in 

accepting the management’s off er to take over the 

shop in Warburg, to maintain and develop its role 

in servicing HANSA-FLEX customers on a local level 

within the territory of the Höxter group. 

No off -the-shelf solutions 

Nicole Böddeker was glad to accept the challenge, 

and remains enthusiastically committed to her customers 

and her partnership with them. “The great 

thing is that there are no off -the-shelf solutions, 

because every customer comes to us with specifi c 

needs. And I am always glad when I am able to 

meet those needs to the customer’s satisfaction“. 

If a part is not available in the shop, Nicole Böddeker 

is able to obtain it quickly from the nearest 

HANSA-FLEX branch. If customers cannot collect by 

closing time at 5 p.m., she even sometimes leaves 

the parts for them with the people at the drinks 

shop across the road. “My aim is always to provide 

the customer with a reliable solution.” That is also 

why Nicole Böddeker always advises her customers 

to mark their hoses using the computerised X-CODE 

system. She is proud to report that almost all her 

customers in Warburg make use of the extremely 

useful labelling system. The X-CODE enables Nicole 

Böddeker to retrieve all the relevant data and applicable 

specifi cations from the computer as soon 

as a telephone order comes in, making for a much 

smoother and faster production process. 

Nicole Böddeker also applied her inherent optimism 

and enthusiasm when it came to introducing 

the SAP system across the HANSA-FLEX Group. Just 

a few weeks after having introduced it, she reports: 

“The changeover at the Warburg shop has been 

smooth. The preparatory training was particularly 

useful.“ And if something doesn’t quite work out 

perfectly straight away, her motto is always: “Just 

keep calm”. 

ISSUE AUGUST 2008

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IN CONVERSATION 

Christian van der Veen has been working at 

HANSA-FLEX for 22 years, and has played his part in 

the company’s rapid expansion during that time from 

14 centres to the present total of more than 330. Initially 

he worked in sales at the Münster branch, then 

he was branch manager in Bielefeld. Today, as regional 

manager of the Osnabrück group, he is responsible 

for 13 service centres and seven FLEXXPRESS vans. 

At the Osnabrück branch Christian van der Veen 

learnt all about the wholesale business and export 

selling, and it is a field in which he still enjoys working. 

A passionate salesman, his relationship with his 

customers is warm and collaborative, and founded 

on a strong sense of trust and confidence. “Customers 

must be able to rely on promises you make. Af- 

12 

In conversation with: Christian van der Veen 

“With X-CODE we can win over any customer” 


ter all, they are making sourcing decisions on which 

their jobs rely.” That is why Christian van der Veen 

believes in building up that mutual trust and confidence, 

rather than in making a quick sale. “Only 

when the customer comes back and buys from us 

again can we be sure that we have done it right.” 

HYDRAULIKPRESSE spoke to the regional manager 

about customer service and more. 

HYDRAULIKPRESSE: 

How does a passionate salesman enthuse his customers 

about HANSA-FLEX? 

Christian v.d. Veen: 

Step by step. The first thing is to establish trust, 

to show commitment to meeting the customer’s 

needs, and to reaffirm that commitment 

on every order! That is 

the best foundation for developing 

healthy business relations. 

So the key is first to listen, let 

the customer talk and set out his 

requirements. Then I can work 

out a tailored solution without 

having to overface him with the 

full range of our products and 

services. 

A salesman must identify where 

there is potential to enhance and 

expand a relationship. Customers 

are usually grateful when we advise 

them of potential improvements, 

and when we are able 

to make their processes more 

efficient by reducing the spread 

of their supplier base. 


As regional manager, you 

handed over almost all your 

existing customers to field sales 

colleagues at the beginning of 

2008. Do you miss that direct 

contact with customers? 


I can’t switch off from selling, and I take time to 

provide my field sales staff with the most efficient 

support I can. They schedule joint visits to new 

leads, or include me in meetings with existing key 

accounts. In that way, I am kept up-to-date on customers’ 

expectations of HANSA-FLEX. And, armed 

with knowledge of the available capacities within 

the HANSA-FLEX Group, I am able to help devise 

concepts and contribute to quick decision-making 

where required. 

I place great value in ensuring that field sales staff 

are able to spend most of their working hours actually 

out in the field. I believe they should have time 

to talk to their customer, because that is one of the 

key ways of keeping the orders rolling in. To help 

them do that, the in-house staff at the branches 

handle most of the administrative tasks. That include 

product searches, drawing up quotes and 

dispatching deliveries, so the sales team can keep 

focussed on new challenges. 


To what extent does X-CODE influence sales? 


X-CODE is a powerful tool in acquiring new business. 

Almost 90 percent of replacement hoses dispatched 

from the Osnabrück group service centres 

are marked with X-CODE. Our customers have long 

been aware that it is the ideal way to optimise their 

original equipment supply and parts ordering processes. 

Many businesses are operating cost-cutting 

programmes – and that is where we focus when 

attempting to acquire new accounts. Frequently 

service departments hold large volumes of parts 

in stock, so as to be able to replace faulty hydraulic 

hoses quickly in an emergency. That ties up capital, 

and is costly in terms of inventory management – 

even in some cases resulting in over-stocked articles 

being written off. 

We are at present designing a process in conjunction 

with one of our customers to switch the re- 

ISSUE AUGUST 2008

placement hose supply service for a large production 

line to a rapid-response X-CODE system. More 

than 500 different hose assemblies will in future be 

carried within the X-CODE system. That will enable 

the customer gradually to run down its costly stockholding 

operation. 


Customers are expecting more and more from 

HANSA-FLEX. How do you, as a system partner, respond 

to those demands? 


The rapid growth of HANSA-FLEX brings new challenges 

on a daily basis. This is what we have been 

finding. Misunderstandings sometimes arise with 

regard to time windows and process workflows in 

our hydraulics service partnerships. Customers expect 

the usual fast response. Our task is to convey 

a sense of realistic targets. It is simply a fact that a 

cylinder repair involving replacement of the entire 

seal set may be a lengthy job, as may the engineering 

for a unit for which the construction and installation 

work demands different time budgets than 

for merely supplying replacement hoses. That is 

what we have been finding, and we are working on 

conveying those findings to our staff and customers. 


Could you elaborate on that? 


We have to improve our system skills even more, 

and optimise all our processes to that end. XLOGO 

is a project by which the HANSA-FLEX head office is 

making a conscious effort to shape the transition to 

the company’s role of being a system partner. we in 

the Osnabrück group are complementing the process 

with our own initiatives, by offering training 

courses at the branches to teach all the staff about 

the new possibilities open to them. In that way we 

will achieve the greatest possible benefit for our 

customers. 


Our rapid growth demands that we plan resources 

skilfully, so that the branches remain flexible 

enough to provide the rapid assistance customers 

expect. Nothing must be blocked by the demands 

of mass production. That is why we have centred 

large-scale hose assembly production runs in 

Bielefeld and Lingen, where we recently recruited 

three new members of production staff. Expertise 

in hydraulic components is provided by Helmut 

Jahnert, who supports the branches. A permanent 

industrial installations team is also an essential requirement 

for the Osnabrück group, so as to keep 

the FLEXXPRESS colleagues free and not dilute the 

rapid-response concept. 


Are there any ideas about expanding production 

operations? 


At the Agratechnika 2007 agricultural show in 

Hanover, HANSA-FLEX exhibited its products and 

services as a system partner to agricultural machinery 

manufacturers. We are undertaking collaborative 

discussions with all of them, and we are also 

IN CONVERSATION 

familiar with the requirements of manufacturers 

who are routinely bringing out new combines or 

beet harvesters for world markets – those are the 

kinds of dimensions to which we are adjusting in 

order to provide our customary levels of service 

quality in that sphere. 

But let me make it clear once again: We are aware of 

our responsibility in terms of our partnership with 

our customers. We must always keep the promises 

we make. Our goal remains to attain high levels of 

customer satisfaction, and we are working inten- 

In conversation: Christian van der Veen, regional manager from the Osnabrück group 

sively on it. We are coming up with new ideas, new 

concepts, and above all we are recruiting new staff 

and integrating them into our teams so as to manage 

our growth efficiently and safeguard quality. 

HYDRAULIKPRESSE 13 

H��

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INDUSTRIAL INSTALLATION 

Nothing goes around without brakes! At least, not 

the turbine of a wind power plant, which could not 

operate without powerful braking systems. 

The heart of a wind turbine is in its gondola. Like a 

ship’s engine room, it houses all the driving units 

and subsystems, ensuring reliable operation of the 

plant and continuous electricity generation. It also 

houses the brakes, which intervene to control the 

motion when the gondola is automatically rotated 

to the ideal position to make maximum use of the 

wind power during operation. Once aligned to the 

wind, the brakes hold the gondola head stable in 

position to ensure the hub, with the rotor blades attached 

to it, rotates smoothly. 

Most of the systems, which are deployed by virtually 

every manufacturer in Europe, America, China and 

India, originate from Svendborg Brakes, the world 

market leader in wind turbine brakes. Founded way 

back in 1893, Svendborg Brakes is a leader in the 

14 

Putting a brake on the wind 

Nothing revolves without Svendborg Brakes 


fi eld of industrial braking systems. Since the early 

days of wind power use back in 1989, the company 

has been involved intensively in the manufacture of 

hydraulic, electronic and mechanical braking systems. 

It produces for the fast-growing wind power 

sector, for the mining industry, for off shore and onshore 

oil rigs, as well as for crane manufacturers. 

Since 1999 the Wind Know-how Center of Svendborg 

Brakes has been based in the town of Bünde 

in Westphalia. It is not by chance that the company 

has attained its position on the global market, as 

sales director Max Altenähr explains: “The key factors 

are the certifi ed high quality of our products 

and, of course, the technical support we provide. 

We supply customers with brakes which precisely 

meet the demands of their markets. We develop 

and test custom solutions to that end.” 

All manufacturers are seeking the optimum method 

of enhancing the effi ciency of their wind power 

plants. Svendborg Brakes develops tailored braking 

systems conforming in design and manufacture to 

the precise specifi cations laid down. The centre in 

Bünde is investing rapidly in targeted research and 

development to deliver ever more effi cient braking 

systems. To remain at the forefront of global 

developments, Svendborg Brakes is today already 

busy developing the brakes of the future. While 

6-megawatt plants are the current state-of-theart, 

its wind engineers are working on the nextgeneration 

7.5-megawatt systems. 

Brakes for all conditions 

In Bünde, Svendborg Brakes manufactures rotor 

brakes and azimuth brakes as passive and active 

machine elements as well as compact hydraulic 

power units. The rotor brakes reliably hold the rotor 

steady when in service mode so that service technicians 

cannot be injured by unexpected rotation. Svendborg 

Brakes off ers an additional safeguard with 

its newly developed rotor-lock, to lock the rotor hub 

in place when at a standstill. 

The function of the azimuth brakes is to brake 

the gondola and hold it in the optimum position 

aligned to the wind direction so that the wind does 

not move it in an uncontrolled manner. The gondola 

is also braked lightly when the gear mechanism is 

rotating the head into its working position. This is 

done to ensure that the gear wheels have a smooth 

frictional connection and wear is minimised. 

ISSUE AUGUST 2008

Information on the direction and strength of the 

wind is supplied by a anemometer mounted on the 

gondola roof, which transmits all the relevant data 

to the wind turbine’s automatic control system. It 

then rotates the gondola into the wind and locks it 

immovably in place by the azimuth brakes. 

The engineers from Bünde are involved at an early 

stage of planning the new wind turbine to ensure 

the brakes are correctly dimensioned. For the systems 

to run virtually trouble-free over some 25 

years of electricity generating operation, the demands 

they must meet are high. Thorough and extreme 

test series safeguard the long-term availability 

of the brakes. The complete package undergoes 

testing in Bünde. Hendrik Voß, head of technical 

support, is proud of the range of test rigs the company 

operates - covering all possible test cases, and 

all built in-house. There is even a low-temperature 

test chamber, enabling testing under Arctic conditions 

down to -40 degrees Celsius. 

“Frog” and “Toad” on continuous 

duty 

All the brake components are placed under the 

microscope of testing, including brake tests, reallife 

tests, full and part load tests and endurance 

tests. Friction tests and brake lining limit tests are 

conducted by Svendborg Brakes on a rod-type test 

rig by application of brute force: two powerful hydraulic 

cylinders drag the rod with a pull force of 

more than 100 tonnes through the brake shoes to 

simulate braking. Dynamic and static test series are 

also employed to check the rotor hub braking under 

full load. 

On the “Toad”, a test rig for the azimuth brakes, the 

cast steel brake calipers must prove that the can 

withstand a minimum of 20 million braking cycles. 

On the “Frog“ rig the brakes are subjected continuously 

to alternating operating pressures of 0 

to 180 bar in order to test their material strength. 

Only when 20 million cycles have been undertaken 

without trouble is the quality mark passed. 


HANSA-FLEX assisted in constructing the test rigs 

by providing tailored hose lines and components 

from HKO in Dresden. The business relationship 

with Svendborg Brakes began four years ago. Today 

HANSA-FLEX supports its customer’s prototyping 

by means of the FLEXXPRESS service, ensuring 

the practicalities of hydraulic line engineering are 

quickly and effi ciently handled. The service technicians 

fabricate the hose lines, documenting all the 

data for subsequent mass production. HANSA-FLEX 

then supplies ready-to-install connecting elements 

such as hose lines and screw fi ttings in kit form for 

integration into the braking systems in production. 

The commitment shown by HANSA-FLEX to its customer 

extends well beyond the line engineering 

though. It also provides specially fabricated stainless 

steel blanking plugs for instance. They are manufactured 

in large volumes precisely to the drawing 

specifi cations of Svendborg Brakes in Shanghai. The 

plugs close off all the openings in the brake systems 

for factory testing purposes. This ensures that no 

dirt can penetrate and that the residual hydraulic 

fl uid in the system does not leak out. 

Unquenchable thirst for knowledge 

Svendborg Brakes makes use of training centre 

INDUSTRIAL INSTALLATION 

As Svendborg Brakes operates on markets all over 

the world, HANSA-FLEX is ideally matched to it as 

an expert global service provider. Coordination 

meetings are currently being held to deliver the 

customary high standard of HANSA-FLEX service 

quality for a new customer in Ukraine through the 

Dnepropetrovsk branch. 

Engineers, technicians and staff from the Wind 

competence centre in Bünde attend the “Components 

1, 2 and 3” training courses held at the 

HANSA-FLEX training centre in Weixdorf near 

Dresden in order to refresh their knowledge and 

skills in hydraulic line engineering. Hendrik Voß, 

head of technical support at Svendborg Brakes, 

is unstoppable in his praise of the training centre: 

“The well structured and clearly laid-out 

training documentation package is very impressive, 

and the practical exercises in constructing 

hydraulic circuits on the experimental units underpin 

the theoretical learning.” 


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FLEXXPRESS 

Machinery exhibition in Ilmendorf 

First hand customer experience in a gravel pit 

Technical expertise and close attention to customer 

needs are the key attributes valued by Heinz Ziemer 

and Alois Plattner, the directors of construction 

machinery service operation Z & P Baumaschinen 

Service GmbH. They recently hosted a machinery 

exhibition revealing the latest additions to their 

product range in a gravel pit. The exhibition, titled 

“Kiestage 2008“ (roughly translated as “Gravel 

show 2008“), attracted more than 1,000 existing 

customers and potential new leads to view the over 

50 new machines on display. 

The Z & P show featured the full JCB range, from 

mini and chain excavators, through multi-purpose 

rigs, telescopic loaders and vibration rollers to the 

16 

4.5 cubic-metre Kawasaki wheel-loader. In fact, 

Z & P is the general agent for Kawasaki in Bavaria. 

All the visitors had the opportunity to operate the 

machinery themselves, putting each unit through 

its paces around the gravel pit. 

Z & P also invited its hydraulic connecting systems 

partner HANSA-FLEX to exhibit its products and 

services at the “Kiestage” show. The Manching 

branch gratefully took up the invitation, with fi eld 

sales executive Johann Leppmeier taking the opportunity 

to set up an information stand for industry 

specialists attending the event. Two FLEXXPRESS 

vans and FLEXXPRESS service technician Wolfgang 

Pötsch were also on hand, and one of the vehicles 

FLEXXPRESS hydraulics service 

Number 799 closes the gap 

In May 2008 FLEXXPRESS 799, the 100th van to join 

the Germany-wide fl eet of service vehicles, was put 

into operation. HYDRAULIKPRESSE talked to Mirko 

Krušlin, manager of FLEXXPRESS Germany. 

: 

Number 799 is the 100th FLEXXPRESS van to go into 

service. Where is it operating? 

Mirko Krušlin: 

Service technician Andreas Große Bardenhorst and 

his FLEXXPRESS 799 van are covering a stretch along 

the A30 motorway, closing a gap in the territory of 

the Salzbergen branch up to the Dutch border. 

: 

As usual, the unit carries some 2,000 diff erent 

spares, with many articles targeted at the specifi c 

regional customer base. Have there been any other 

changes? 

from the X-WORLD Tour was an additional attention-grabber. 

The HANSA-FLEX mini excavator was 

a great attraction to younger visitors, challenging 

them to try out their handling skills. 

Mirko Krušlin: 

We are continually modernising our FLEXXPRESS 

fl eet, and recently we updated the look of them. 

The vans are specifi ed to the Euro 4 emissions 

standard, so FLEXXPRESS can deliver the necessary 

service even in areas subject to traffi c restrictions 

in the event of pollution alerts. That is particularly 

important to our customers, as some towns and 

cities are going to be introducing strict limits and 

rigorous sanctions on any infringement. 

As a brand new feature we have installed 

“FLEXXPRESS Mobility“, a telematics system whereby 

jobs are assigned and delivery notes logged by 

way of a digital pen. At the press of a button, the 

data stored on the pen is transmitted to the control 

centre where it is read and processed. This has 

made the whole job handling process much faster 

and more effi cient, as all relevant data is logged immediately. 

This also means our customers are able 

to optimise their own accounting procedures, such 

as for hire vehicles. 

ISSUE AUGUST 2008

Toyota Hybrid Synergy Drive. 

Die Technologie im ersten Hybridfahrzeug der Welt. 

Schon vor über 10 Jahren entwickelt, als CO2-Reduzierung noch nicht in Mode 

war. Mit mehr als einer Million begeisterten Fahrern und Unmengen an 

eingesparten Emissionen. Der Toyota Prius 

mit Hybrid Synergy Drive. 

Die Zukunft atmet auf. 

toyota-prius.de 

Abb. zeigt Prius Sol. Kraftstoffverbrauch Prius kombiniert 4,3 l/100 km (innerorts 5,0 l/außerorts 4,2 l) bei CO2-Emissionen von 104 g/km im kombinierten 

Testzyklus nach RL 80/1268/EWG.

�� 


OFFSHORE HOSES 

Dredging operations have been in progress on the 

North Sea coast since May 2008. Off Wilhelmshaven, 

the JadeWeserPort is a new deep-water port being 

built to handle the large container ships of the future. 

To cope with the more than 40 million cubic metres of 

sand needing to be cleared to construct the port, off - 

shore suction dredgers are busy feeding the sand into 

a 3.2 kilometre siphon-type pipeline, along which it 

is then pumped to the 450-hectare storage dump. 

On completion in 2011, the JadeWeserPort will provide 

northern Germany with a deep-water terminal 

for mega-carriers carrying their more than 12,000 

TEU (Twenty Feet Equivalent) standard containers. 

On the 1,725-metre quay, with its 18-metre 

draft, multiple large-scale container ships of up to 

430 metres in length will be handled simultaneously 

by way of 18 large-scale Post-Panamamax 

container bridges. The JadeWeserPort will become 

the easternmost deep-water port of the so-called 

Nordrange, along Europe’s North Sea coast. From 

the terminal, feeder traffi c will carry the containers 

to Scandinavia and the Baltic. The JadeWeserPort is 

planned to handle 2.7 million containers a year. 

18 

Virtuoso pipe-bending for a jumbo dredger 

”Pirat X” a distinctive presence at JadeWeserPort 


The main contractor on the new port is Papenburgbased 

construction company Bunte. Founded way 

back in 1872 in the Emsland region of northern 

Germany, it has developed from a transport company 

delivering supplies to building sites into a 

Germany-wide construction and related services 

business with divisions operating in the fi elds of 

roadbuilding and public-sector underground engineering, 

railway and waterway construction, civil 

engineering and specialist foundation engineering. 

The fi rst stage in the construction process is 

to dredge the sand away. It will take two years to 

clear the required area. At the same time, in August 

2008, driving of the sheet piles will begin. Some 

80,000 tonnes of steel will be installed as retaining 

structures for the quay wall and foundations. 

“Pirat X“ – power based on 

hydraulics 

To dredge the sand in order to construct the new 

port, Bunte deployed a special suction dredger 

designed and developed by its own in-house engineers 

in Papenburg. The 20 million Euro dredger 

“Pirat X“ is not only Germanys’ most state-of-theart 

and powerful dredger, it is also one of four 

comparable models in the world. The 104-metre 

long and just under 17-metre wide “Pirat X“ is a 

so-called suction-cutter dredger, delivering around 

10,000 horsepower output. At the front end of 

the suction pipe a cutting head rotates to free the 

sand from the sea bed. Three pumps then convey 

some 12,000 cubic metres per hour of water and 

sand mixture from depths of as much as 50 metres 

through the pipe to clear the terminal area. 

The “Pirat X“ involves lots of hydraulics. It starts 

with the ladder, featuring a special cutting head 

and suction pipe, which can be lowered and positioned 

36 metres down by a hydraulic winch to 

dredge sand from the sea bed. A special pile driven 

hydraulically into the sea bed holds the ship in position 

while it is dredging. The same pile is also used 

by the dredger to pull itself slowly along, by way of 

hydraulic cylinder. 

ISSUE AUGUST 2008

The jumbo suction cutter dredger „Pirat X“ from 

the building contractor Bunte in Papenburg 

dredges and frees the sand from the sand bed 

in the newly built JadeWeserPorts. Germanys‘ 

most state-of-the-art dredger is equipped 

with a suction pipe and a rotating cuting head 

to convey sand from depths of as much as 50 

metres. 


HANSA-FLEX showing at SMM in Hamburg 

O� shore hoses for marine applications 

In September HANSA-FLEX will be presenting 

its skills and know-how as a service 

partner for o� shore industrial hoses at the 

leading marine industries trade fair SMM in 

Hamburg. Among the products it will be 

The engineering for the suction dredger was carried 

out in-house by Bunte. For the pipework 

HANSA-FLEX Industrial Installations in Oldenburg 

was contracted. The contract involved fabricating 

the roughly 1,400 metres of piping and laying it on 

the dredger. To complete the work, the team headed 

by Thorsten Klische from Wilhelmshaven and Bernd 

Tietjen from Bremerhaven spent three months 

on-board. During that time they worked through 

storms and high winds to ensure the dredger was 

ready to begin its operations on time. 

To support the on-site operations, a service workshop 

container was provided at the service centre, 

fi tted out by HANSA-FLEX with all the tools and 

machinery to carry out mobile pipe-bending. Even 

though construction drawings and dimensional 

specifi cations were provided, short-notice changes 

to routing and customer design modifi cations during 

the construction phase demanded a great deal 

of fl exibility from the fi tters. 

OFFSHORE HOSES 

presenting are special hoses to carry fuel 

or lubricating oil, water or compressed air, 

executed as pressure or suction lines, available 

in nominal widths from 25 to 200. 

The specialists from the Hamburg area 

HANSA-FLEX branches in Wilhelmsburg and 

Stellingen will be on hand to provide advice 

and assistance on issues such as hose layout 

and potential applications. Whether for 

rugged on-board deployment, in o� shore 

wind turbines, on drilling rigs or in stationary 

power stations – industrial hoses from 

HANSA-FLEX always come in the customary 

high quality of Europe’s leading vendor of 

� uid technology products. Those quality 

standards are a� rmed by certi� cation from 

numerous classi� cation bodies and insurance 

companies. 

Virtuoso pipe-bending can 

minimise cost 

To provide the rapid response needed, the experienced 

pipe-bending specialists recorded all the 

lengths and geometries in situ and, based on that 

data, used the mobile pipe-bending machine to 

bend the pipes as required and then immediately 

installed them. “It was a continual race, demanding 

a fair degree of physical fi tness“ says Clemens Otte, 

manager of industrial installations at Oldenburg in 

praise of his team. The targets to which the staff 

worked were ambitious. Their aim was to make 

full use of all the properties of the pipework so as 

to minimise the number of screw fi ttings - a major 

saving given that they cost 20 Euros each. Moreover, 

using fewer screw fi ttings in a piping system 

also reduces the risk of leaks. That was a key factor 

particularly when dredging in the sensitive coastal 

waters of the North Sea, so as to prevent the water 

being contaminated by hydraulic fl uid for example. 


H��

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HOSE LINES 

Hose lines – safe layout and installation – 

testing – avoiding risks 

In addition to pipes, hoses are preferentially used to 

transmit hydraulic power in plant and machinery. 

Hoses are characterised by 

• their natural elasticity and fl exibility 

• adaptability to site conditions 

• eff ective damping with minor pressure fl uctuations 

• prevention of vibration transmission 

• weight saving compared to pipes 

• easy storage 

• tested reliability and safety with verifi ed tracking 

The key is to make full use of those attributes at the 

design stage, implement them in a way tailored to 

the specifi c needs of the application and maintain 

them eff ectively throughout operations (fi gure 1: 

Hoses). All involved are called upon to act in a responsible 

manner, and it is also important that any 

errors, defects or damage should be admitted. Conformance 

to standards and regulations in design, 

installation and operation is an essential foundation 

stone. Another key factor is planned training 

of the personnel involved. The law demands maximum 

safety measures for the sake of personnel 

and the surrounding area. Technical advances are 

continuing apace in the fi eld of hydraulic hoses as 

in other areas. On the one hand, hoses are being developed 

which off er much higher capabilities than 

stipulated by the standards; on the other hand, the 

stresses upon them are increasing. 

Hydraulic hoses are increasingly being subjected to 

higher operating pressures, shorter plant and machinery 

cycle times and longer running times. The 

life of a hose is limited. “Hydraulic hoses are safety 

components, and because of the totality of stresses 

acting upon them they are subject to a high degree 

of wear,” comments Helmut Wetteborn from the 

HANSA-FLEX Training Centre (fi gure 2: Hoses in a 

hydraulic system). The technically and economically 

optimum deployment of hydraulic lines demands 

conformance to safety standards. Those safety 

standards can only be upheld by a responsible approach 

to the use of hoses as industrial components 

and by implementation of the laws, regulations, 

guidelines and basic safety rules in practice. 

20 

Thorough inspection – no compromise 

when it comes to safety 

Implementing safety is a shared process with differing 

levels of responsibility but a single common 

aim. In selecting and designing components, designers 

must allow for: 

• internal loading from actual pressures, pressure 

curves and pressure peaks 

• temperatures acting upon the hose and the interfacing 

• eff ects of hydraulic fl uids on the hose 

• attributes of the hose, such as strength, abrasion, 

electrostatic characteristics, permeability 

• protection against cracking, spontaneous leakage 

of hydraulic fl uid, external damage 

• infl uence of the hose mechanism, such as exclusion 

of inadmissible pull forces, sag, minimum 

bend radius, twist, torsion 

The hose manufacturer is responsible for ensuring: 

• use of tested and approved products 

• interfacing in accordance with works standards 

• quality testing based on pre-determined standards, 

such as mandrel testing, static pressure testing 

with verifi cation 

• marking of hoses to specifi cation and additionally 

as appropriate, such as by X-CODE 

• delivery as per agreement and in line with requirements 

The operators of plant and machinery are responsible 

for ensuring: 

• appropriate use of hoses in accordance with their 

designated purpose 

• routine monitoring and systematic checking by 

authorised personnel qualifi ed in line engineering 

• detection and repair of defects 

• routine replacement of hoses 

This active assumption of responsibilities is backed 

by legal requirement. The works carried out and 

the actions of the personnel involved are further 

detailed and stipulated subject to the constraints of 

health and safety legislation, product safety laws, 

the European Machinery Directive and Pressure 

Equipment Directive, and company-specifi c safety 

regulations. Those regulations explicitly make 

mention of hydraulic hoses. With regard to active 

assumption of responsibility, the regulations in 

question are: 

• assessment of solutions based on prescribed 

risk analysis in accordance with DIN EN 982, DIN 

24343, VDMA 24572 

• systematic monitoring by means of inspection by 

authorised personnel with specialist knowledge 

in accordance with DIN EN 982, DIN 20066, still 

applicable ZH1/74 (to be replaced by BGR 237) 

• disclosure and prevention in accordance with DIN 

EN ISO 9001 

The required routine workplace instructions, verifi 

ed by logs, are a central pillar in the chain of responsibilities 

encompassing safety, testing, maintenance 

and inspection. The duties entailed are 

founded principally on regulations BGI 5100, on 

draft BGR 237 and on visual inspection - that is to 

say, the nine-point programme laid down in DIN 

20066 (fi gure 3: Problematic hose length). Responsibility 

for routine inspection lies with the operating 

company. Inspections should be carried out within 

a defi ned cycle, but also following repair work or 

any technical modifi cations to plant and machinery 

at the existing or new location. The operating 

company is familiar with the operating conditions 

and the residual risk encountered. HANSA-FLEX is 

able to assist by training personnel in the appropriate 

line engineering skills. The operating company 

then designates the personnel concerned as duly 

authorised, thereby meeting its responsibilities in 

this respect. Alternatively, qualifi ed HANSA-FLEX 

staff conduct the inspection in a responsible manner 

on behalf of the operating company. The specific 

standards covering plant and machinery stipulate 

the content and scope of inspection criteria applied. 

The specifi c experience gathered by the authorised 

personnel conducting the inspection is also logged, 

such as by way of checklists. However, the basis for 

ensuring safety in operation of plant and machinery 

is in all cases the nine-point programme laid 

down in DIN 20066. 

ISSUE AUGUST 2008


The programme covers: 

• damage to the outer layer through to the inlay 

• brittleness of the outer layer 

• Deformation deviating from the natural shape of 

the hose or line 

• leaks 

• damage or deformation of the hose fi ttings 

• hoses working loose from their fi ttings 

• installation instructions not followed 

• corrosion to fi ttings aff ecting function and 

strength 

• maximum storage and/or service life of hose or 

line exceeded 

Overpainting of hose lines contrary to marking 

requirements. Carrying out repairs to hose lines is 

prohibited. The DIN EN 982 basic safety standard 

prohibits any such negligent action. Carrying out 

repairs is classed as grossed negligence. (fi gure 4: 

Negligence). Responsibility for upholding the inspection 

intervals lies with the operating company. 

The frequency of inspection is set according to the 

experience of the operating company, or as recommended 

by standards. Helmut Wetteborn sums up: 

• plant and manufacturing systems subject to normal 

requirements: 12 months 

• plant and manufacturing systems subject to increased 

requirements: 6 months 

• stationary hydraulic systems: quarterly to halfyearly 

• mobile hydraulic systems: after 400 to 600 operating 

hours 

• mobile hydraulic systems in rough applications 

and subject to high operational safety demands: 

after 250 operating hours 

• energy-feeding chains: at least once a year 

If designed and confi gured properly, and installed 

in accordance with their intended use and taking 

into consideration the hose mechanism, and if subjected 

to systematic monitoring, hoses are safe and 

will last for the specifi ed service lives: 

• reliability 

• safe energy transmission 

• freedom from leaks 

1. Hoses 

HOSE LINES 

2. Hoses in a hydraulic system 

3. Problematic hose length 

4. Negligence 

21 

H��

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WIND ENERGY 

Like a leaf in the wind 

Vacuum process assures technical edge 

Innovative architecture 

The new Enercon offices in Magdeburg are designed in the shape of a sine wave. The building, which 

was officially opened in 2006, was awarded the Magdeburg Architects’ and Engineers’ Prize. The award 

highlighted the sinusoidal wave design as being “unique and unmistakeable”. 

The massive rotor blades rotate to the rhythm of 

the wind. Wind turbines have long been a feature 

of the landscape in many areas. That is also true in 

the German state of Saxony-Anhalt, where manufacturer 

Enercon operates three production facilities 

in Magdeburg. In Saxony-Anhalt alone there are 

already more than 2,000 wind turbines currently in 

operation. And 40 percent of the state’s total electricity 

consumption is generated by wind. 

Demand continues to grow. The Enercon corporation, 

based in northern Germany, is one of the largest 

manufacturers in the sector, having constructed 

1,250 installations in the course of 2008 alone across 

all its business units. Enercon has a roughly 50 percent 

share of the German market, and forecasts 

annual growth of around 20 percent in plant construction 

projects through to 2015. Since its founding 

in 1984, Enercon has constructed over 13,000 

22 

wind turbines worldwide. The three Enercon manufacturing 

facilities in Magdeburg employ a total of 

3,800 people, over a total area of 750,000 square 

metres. The sites manufacture all the components 

of a wind turbine, including the towers and gondolas, 

rotor and stators, as well as the switchgear and 

rotor blades, based on a „modular principle similar 

to a Lego construction kit“. The prefabricated components 

are subsequently installed on-site, which 

means by that stage everything must fit together 

perfectly, with no complications. And the installation 

work often has to be carried out at dizzying 

heights of over 100 metres. 

Enercon focuses on onshore wind 

turbines 

Enercon’s production focus is on onshore wind turbines. 

Director of the Rothensee-based rotor blade 

manufacturing centre, Volker Ziem, explains the 

underlying strategy: “The advantage of wind turbines 

is that they can deliver power to consumers at 

a local level. They enable us to generate electricity 

close to where the demand is, and the plants can 

also be financed at favourable terms by local power 

companies. That cuts costs for the consumers, and 

also makes sense ecologically.” 

Germany’s Renewable Energies Act (EEG) is forcing 

the manufacturers of wind turbines continuously to 

improve their efficiency so that they are more costeffective 

for the operators. This trend is illustrated 

by the two-megawatt class category of plant, 

which is now the standard. The initial prototype 

went online back in 1995. The latest plants now 

generate 70 percent more electricity than the early 

models, and that ongoing development is vital, because 

the increasing cost resulting from high steel 

and copper prices can only be covered by selling 

higher volumes of electricity. 

Just recently Enercon has moved into the six-megawatt 

class, constructing three type E-126/6 MW 

plants near the towns of Emden and Cuxhaven in 

northern Germany which went online last Autumn. 

They are currently the most powerful wind plants in 

the world, generating electricity for 20,000 households 

and providing the base know-how for subsequent 

mass production. 

Tailwind for new solutions 

Enercon is responding to the growing demands 

placed on two-megawatt class wind turbines with 

a series of new developments. The geometry of 

the rotor blades, for example, has been subjected 

to a fundamental modification, so as to make even 

more efficient use of the wind. As a result, the turbines 

run more smoothly, and produce less noise. 

Since Enercon in Magdeburg produces all rotor 

blades in-house, in lengths from 30 to 39 metres, 

it is continually coming up with fascinating new 

technical solutions. Back in 2004, for example, 

it replaced the laminating process, in which the 

fibre-glass mats for the rotor blades were coated 

ISSUE AUGUST 2008

in an open process, by a vacuum infusion method 

which resulted in a much more even covering and 

also, incidentally, greatly improved working conditions 

on the factory fl oor. When manufacturing the 

upper and lower shells of a rotor blade, specially 

designed moulds are employed to enhance the 

surface properties and dimensional stability of the 

blades based on optimised geometries. The upper 

and lower shells each have their own mould, into 

which glass fi bre and reinforcing material is infused 

according to a special plan. The moulds are 

hermetically sealed and high-performance pumps 

then generate a vacuum. Epoxy resin is then added 

to enhance durability in continuous operation. The 

fi bre-glass mats are saturated evenly with epoxy 

resin, providing them with a uniform quality fi nish. 

The prepared rotor shells are fi nally tempered at 

around 85 degrees Celsius. 

PTFE corrugated hoses guarantee 

trouble-free work-fl ow 

The liquid epoxy resin is fed to the blade moulds 

through a pipework system. Immediately before 

the resin enters the mould, the hardener is added 

to it in a mixer. The mixer and the moulds are connected 

by PTFE corrugated hoses from HANSA-FLEX, 

and the choice has proved to be ideal. The hoses are 

resistant to the solvents, and prevent epoxy resin 

from being deposited on the walls and clogging 

the lines. 


Hydraulics – the linchpin to 

achieve faster production 

processes 

Enercon recently optimised its rotor blade production 

processes by installing a so-called power-hinge 

supplied by a Canadian manufacturer. Whereas the 

upper and lower shells previously had to be brought 

together by cranes prior to bonding, the new machine 

enables the process to be speeded up. Supported 

on powerful hydraulics, the power-hinge 

quickly brings the components together in one 

simple operation. For this to happen, however, the 

work platforms around the upper shell mould have 

to be removed. The HANSA-FLEX branch in Barleben, 

which serves Enercon in Magdeburg, devised 

and installed a hydraulic solution featuring three 

power packs, hydraulic cylinders and the complete 

control and pipework systems. At the press of a button, 

the work platforms are hydraulically retracted, 

enabling the upper shell to be swung down onto 

the lower shell. With this system, branch manager 

Peter Mandel and his team succeeded in providing 

Enercon with a highly eff ective solution. 

WIND ENERGY 

A fl at bed trailer leaving Enercon premises in Magdeburg with two rotor blades – the optimised blade 

geometry enhances the effi ciency of wind energy plants signifi cantly 

A pioneering 

wind power plant 

(GroWiAn) 

The idea of using the wind as a source 

of energy really began to � y in Germany 

during the 1980s with the development 

of the so-called “GroWiAn” (Grosse 

Windkraftanlage) generation of largescale 

wind power plants. The publicly 

funded large-scale wind power plant in 

the Kaiser-Wilhelm-Koog municipality 

near Marne in the German state of Schleswig-Holstein 

served as a test bed for 

the technology. With a hub height of 100 

metres, it was long classed as the tallest 

wind turbine in the world. 

The � rst trial was conducted on July 6, 

1983. The plant, featuring many new 

technologies previously untested on 

such a scale, was never able to operate at 

full capacity because of shortcomings in 

its design and construction materials. In 

August 1987 it was dismantled. Still today, 

developers and designers of stateof-the-art 

wind power plants continue 

to bene� t from the know-how gleaned 

from this early pioneer. 

23 

H��

August 2008 

September 2008 

�� 


TRADE FAIR ANNOUNCEMENTS | TRAINING SEMINAR SCHEDULE 

Trade fair announcements August – September 

29. to 30.8.2008 Platformers‘ Days – Hohenroda/Germany 

www.platformers-days.de 

8. to 12.9.2008 Electra Mining Messe – Johannesburg/South Africa hall 6, stand K18 

www.specialised.com/exhibits/electramining/introduction.htm 

9. to 13.9.2008 Husum Wind Energy – Husum/Germany hall 4, stand C 32 

www.husumwind.com 

11. to 14.9.2008 MeLa – Mühlengeez at Güstrow/Germany MAZ FG, S-14 

www.mela.de 

15. to 19.9.2008 MSV – Brno/Czech Republic 

www.bvv.cz/msv-de 

17. to 20.9.2008 GalaBau – Nuremberg/Germany hall 7, stand 7-520 

www.galabau.info-web.de 

23. to 26.9.2008 InnoTrans – Berlin/Germany hall 23a, stand 130 

www.inotrans.de 

23. to 26.9.2008 SMM – Hamburg/Germany hall A1, stand A1.61 

www.hamburg-messe.de/smm 

24. to 27.9.2008 Expomac 2008 – Curitiba, PR/Brazil 

www.diretriz.com.br 

29.9. to 3.10.2008 ITM – Plovdiv/Bulgaria 

www.fair.bg/en/events/autumn08.htm 

Training seminar schedule of the IHA September 

1. to 5.9.2008 Grundlagen der Fluidtechnik Teil 2 Dresden-Weixdorf 

11.9.2008 Metallschläuche Grundlagenseminar Boff zen/Höxter 

11.9.2008 Grundlagen der Leitungstechnik Bremen 

16. to 19.9.2008 Umfassendes Grundlagenseminar über Schlauch- und Rohrverbindungstechnik Boff zen/Höxter 

22.9.2008 Grundlagen der Dichtungstechnik Eisenberg 

For further information please contact Mrs. Anne Schmidt (Internationale Hydraulik Akademie GmbH Dresden-Weixdorf/Germany): +49 - 351 - 413 97 19 

24 


in German only 

ISSUE AUGUST 2008

auma China offers: 

• over 1,200 exhibitors from 30 countries 

• national pavilions from Finland, Germany, Great Britain, 

Italy, Korea, Spain and the U.S. 

• 200,000 square meters exhibition space in 6 halls 

and on open-air exhibition grounds 

bauma China expects: 

• 100,000 visitors from 120 countries 

Build on 

Growth 

25 – 28 November 2008 

International Trade Fair for Construction 

Machinery, Building Material Machines, 

Construction Vehicles and Equipment 

Shanghai New International Expo Centre 

www.bauma-china.com 

Welcome to bauma China 2008. The leading exhibition for building machinery in Asia. 

NEW 

Your contact 

Messe München GmbH • Messegelände • 81823 München • Tel.: (+49 89) 9 49-2 02 58 • info@bauma-china.com 

The bauma China newsletter features the latest 

developments, news and background information. 

Order your free copy now: 

www.bauma-china.com

�� 


SAP SOFTWARE 

X-LOGO project enhances process expertise 

SAP launch “with slightly square wheels” 

Project manager for SAP implementation Jürgen Kaemena 

With its X-LOGO project HANSA-FLEX is enhancing 

its expertise as a hydraulic systems partner. X-LOGO 

aims to optimise the organisational structures and 

processes within the company to cope with the 

change. 

Over the almost 50-year history of HANSA-FLEX, 

its organisational concept has been departmentbased. 

Until just a few years ago, the company’s 

main thrust was as a supplier of replacement hoses 

and connecting elements on the parts market. 

Processes were easily manageable and counter 

staff were in control of all the procedures. However, 

the shift towards becoming a systems partner has 

changed the working culture and competencies 

within the business: Now it is necessary to think 

in terms of processes, and to build up the project 

culture. Counter staff have long been doing much 

more than just selling hoses. They have become an 

integral part of the systems partner identity. All the 

employees are integral to the unified whole that 

is HANSA-FLEX. They all work towards enhancing 

the standing of HANSA-FLEX on the market. The 

demands placed on individuals are becoming more 

complex. They are integrated into processes, and 

26 


have to ask themselves: what input do I receive 

from my colleagues upstream in the process, and 

what do I pass on when my own work is complete? 

X-LOGO now forms the basis for the introduction 

of smooth process workflows into the organisation, 

thereby helping to make planning of projects 

easier. To optimise logistics, to link the HANSA-FLEX 

Group to its specialist centres of competence and to 

strengthen the growing global network with the 

branches and FLEXXPRESS fleet, all the departments 

and the processes they handle are being subjected 

to review in order to improve their efficiency. 

What can SAP help to achieve? 

One element of this process, headed by Jürgen 

Kaemena as the management-appointed project 

manager, is the implementation of the SAP software 

system in all the divisions of the HANSA-FLEX 

Group. On July 1, 2008 the company’s IT systems 

were switched over - initially covering all the service 

centres in Germany. The experience gained from the 

switch will be applied later when the implementation 

rolls out to the international subsidiaries. 

What are the benefits of SAP? There were three key 

reasons for implementing SAP: firstly, it makes the 

rapid growth of the business more transparent to 

the management. All data can be retrieved and 

analysed in real time, enabling tighter central controlling. 

Investment decisions can now be based on 

solid facts, and the Group’s reporting practices have 

been simplified. 

Another key benefit of SAP is that the software is 

open for quick changes, so upgrades can be integrated 

more easily. This is important in the export 

business, for example, when new regulations have 

to be updated into the routine. One of those requirements 

from July 1, 2009 obliges HANSA-FLEX, 

as a certified exporter, to apply the “Atlas” procedures 

in its operations worldwide. This involves the 

digital transmission of customs-related data to the 

competent authorities. And for HANSA-FLEX, as an 

increasingly international business, that is key to 

establishing smooth global service operations. The 

main decision-making factor with regard to the 

implementation of SAP is its benefit to customers. 

Key accounts who already operate SAP themselves, 

for example, expect full compatibility in order to 

simplify their purchasing, accounting and financial 

controlling processes. Customers using other 

software packages can dock onto SAP by way of an 

integrated interface. Moreover, the system enables 

customer-related data to be recorded which, when 

evaluated, can be used to proactively recommend 

specific services to the customers concerned. 

One element of this proactive service strategy is the 

X-CODE marking system, which is also included in 

ISSUE AUGUST 2008

The so-called HANSA-FLEX Key Users – SAP consultants in charge of the development process 

SAP with all legends for X-CODEplus customers. It 

records all the information on every hose assembly. 

Customers can retrieve the data at any time after 

entering a password and draw upon it to provide indications 

of potential use in their own applications. 

HANSA-FLEX is able to track the running times of 

hose assemblies and notify customers in good time 

prior to the end of the specifi ed service interval that 

a revision is due. This tool helps customers improve 

the availability of their machinery and fulfi l their 

responsibilities in terms of safe operation. 

Platform for added customer 

service 

SAP is also a platform for future custom service offers. 

It enables data on HANSA-FLEX delivery capabilities 

to be quickly accessed. That is a key benefi t, 

because customer ordering processes are being 

initiated within increasingly tight time windows. 

Customers are also demanding to be continually 

updated on delivery status, and the medium-term 

aim is for such planning data also to be accessible 

over the Internet. 

HANSA-FLEX will be incorporating its entire supply 

programme into SAP. It can then be linked to customers’ 

ordering processes to generate a catalogue 

precisely tailored to the needs of the specifi c customer 

concerned, so aiding material procurement 

in customer departments. It is also conceivable 


that HANSA-FLEX might issue dedicated catalogues 

for specifi c trade fairs, to provide customers with a 

more readily accessible overview of what it has to 

off er in a particular fi eld. 

These examples in themselves illustrate that the 

change-over to SAP, with all its complex components, 

cannot be completed smoothly and 

simply overnight. As project manager Jürgen Kaemena 

says: “Mapping all the processes in SAP has 

proved more complex than we expected when we 

launched the project.” One of the admirable aspects 

in this context has been the enormous commitment 

shown by all the HANSA-FLEX staff responsible for 

the development process. These 40 so-called Key 

Users were nominated by their regional managers 

and have - in their leveraging role - tirelessly worked 

to coordinate the process improvement suggestions 

submitted by the wider workforce. All other staff 

underwent targeted training in preparation for the 

SAP launch and also showed a willingness to take 

on extra work to cover for their colleagues engaged 

on the project. “The whole thing started off with 

slightly square wheels,“ Jürgen Kaemena recalls, 

“but I’m sure soon things will be running perfectly 

smoothly. I am thankful that our customers and 

suppliers backed us by showing understanding for 

the occasional hiccoughs that occurred during the 

start phase.” Further SAP implementation is scheduled 

soon for Austria, Switzerland, the Netherlands, 

Belgium, Luxembourg and France. 

SAP SOFTWARE 

HANSA-FLEX ‘Key Users’ 

of the SAP launch 

Left to right: Timo Matusch, Frank 

Schulten, Norbert Wagner, Ste� en Kriegel, 

Vartan Günbilek, Jörg Heitlindemann, 

Christian Herrmann, René Rahneberg, 

Enrico Klus, Peter Schubert, Sabine Weidtkamp, 

Hendrik Allert, Patrick Marechal, 

Corinna Laukemann, Karl-Heinz Hagen, 

Michael Meier, Rainer Herold, Joachim 

Zühlsdorf, Tino Zeuner, Joachim Ebeling, 

Janine Müller, Beatrice Mendler, Alexander 

Eilert, Sebastian Walther, Yvonne 

Kutter, Christina Zinn, Marco Wahls, Andreas 

Rothe, Eveline Hesse, Christian Arnet, 

Svenja Hellmann, Tino Köcher, Jutta 

Marks, Conny Varges, Lolita Brosius, Aaron 

Farinas, Björn Schmidt 

Not pictured: Jürgen Röhnke, Steven 

Gersing, Jörg Röder, Michael Nowag, Uwe 

Coors, Klaus Dieter Streit, Jesper Christensen, 

Jörn Grimme 

27 

H��

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HANSA-FLEX IN 10 YEARS TIME 

The RedBook – HANSA-FLEX expansion strategy focuses on 

global customer proximity 

Export devision manager Frank Schmidt 

The objective of the HANSA-FLEX management is 

clear: to continue developing the Group into the 

world’s leading hydraulic systems partner. By 2017, 

HANSA-FLEX will have 1,000 service centres in at least 

60 countries. It will then have a workforce of 5,000 

people generating annual sales of one billion Euro. 

One of the instruments being deployed to attain 

these ambitious goals is the HANSA-FLEX RedBook. 

It is one of the foundation stones for achieving the 

strategic growth of the business. In all its efforts, 

the company is building on the factors which have 

brought it success to date: flexibility, close attention 

to customers’ needs, service and tailored stockholding 

with immediate availability of spares or of parts 

for OE customers. 

28 

The foundations for expansion 

have been laid 

The construction of a second logistics centre in 

Europe and the enhancement of strategic purchasing 

activities are two factors which are helping 

the HANSA-FLEX Group to boost its competitive 

strength. By its acquisition of a holding in the International 

Hydraulics Academy (IHA) in Dresden, the 

company is at the same time establishing the resources 

needed to train large numbers of new staff. 

After all, well trained-staff are vital when it comes 

to keeping the promise of being the leading global 

hydraulic systems partner. 

The introduction of the SAP system in Germany in 

July of this year effectively brought the restructuring 

operations to their culmination. As a result, the 

processes and structures within the HANSA-FLEX 

Group have been made leaner and unified. This 

has created a model which will form the basis for 

efficient implementation of the system in other 

countries. 

Export Division is steering 

the growth 

The extent to which international expansion 

will contribute to the overall growth of the 

HANSA-FLEX Group was revealed when 

HYDRAULIKPRESSE spoke to Frank Schmidt, head of 

A donation to gladden children’s hearts 

the Export Division: “As early as in three years’ time, 

HANSA-FLEX Group turnover will be split evenly 

between domestic (German) and international 

sales. In 2007 Group companies outside of Germany 

were already contributing 38% of total earnings. 

Consequently, it is important not only to explore 

new markets but also, in parallel, to develop and 

adapt existing markets in a systematic manner. 

Essentially, that can be achieved both by further 

direct investments or acquisitions or by means of 

cooperation with partners.” 

RedBook concept outlines 

expansion processes 

“In developing the network of HANSA-FLEX 

branches we are guided by the RedBook. The 

RedBook is a log of all the experience gathered by 

HANSA-FLEX in opening up new markets and a 

catalogue of the factors which contributed to past 

successes. It sets out a standardised procedure for 

launching onto new markets and, by means of 

checklists and templates, ensures that all necessary 

actions - from market research to start of selling - 

are properly scheduled and their status routinely 

monitored. The aim of the RedBook is ultimately to 

provide a competitive edge enabling us to save time 

and human and material resources when making 

expansion decisions,“ Frank Schmidt explains. He is 

also eager to express thanks to his team for compiling 

the RedBook. 

The social commitment for which HANSA-FLEX is renowned is demonstrated both within Germany 

and internationally. Last year, export director Frank Schmidt suggested that, instead of distributing 

the usual Christmas gifts to customers and other business partners, a cash donation should be made 

to a deserving international cause. Thomas Armerding spontaneously responded to the idea and decided 

that a donation of 100 Euro should be made for every country in which HANSA-FLEX is represented. 

With a portfolio of 34 countries, this meant that a total of 3,400 Euro was raised. The funds from 

HANSA-FLEX were put to good use in bringing great pleasure to the residents of a children’s home in 

Brazil. A new recipient will be selected for the 2008 donation. If you have a suggestion, contact Frank 

Schmidt to discuss how your idea might be realised. 

ISSUE AUGUST 2008

HANSA-FLEX 

An initial approach to defi ning potential target 

markets - though only with short-term prospects 

- was provided by analysing and assessing the current 

customer base. Which customers already have 

international operations, and are they too using 

HANSA-FLEX locally? Customers like to be able to 

count on tried and proven suppliers, and are increasingly 

striving to reduce their overall global 

sourcing base. Consequently, HANSA-FLEX - with its 

network of in-house service centres (a key attribute, 

unmatched by other players on the market), its fl exibility 

and its willingness to realise custom concepts 

- is a welcome partner wherever it operates. 

The key is to talk to customers and respond to their 

ideas and planning. This is a challenge to all the 

sales staff in the HANSA-FLEX Group. They are the 

fi rst to hear about customers’ expansion plans. That 

intelligence can be utilised to devise strategies for 

successful cooperation both within Germany and on 

the international stage. It is therefore essential that 

such information should be passed on to the Export 

Division. A concept can then be jointly drawn up to 

provide the customer with optimum service and 

support. “This strategy of following in the wake of 

customer expansion forces us to become active and 

to analyse the new market based on the familiar 


M & A 

60 countries 

€ 1 billion 

5,000 employees 

1,000 service centres 

partners 

model. It also sometimes 

happens that customers 

of HANSA-FLEX international 

branches ask for 

assistance from Germany. 

Thus the international expansion 

of HANSA-FLEX 

often in turn generates 

new business back in 

Germany,” Frank Schmidt 

explains, illustrating the 

reciprocal benefi t of globalisation. 

In addition to existing 

customer contacts studies 

are also undertaken to 

fi nd out the countries in 

which HANSA-FLEX might 

be successful in establishing itself. This fi rst involves 

the Export Divison drawing up a desktop analysis, 

incorporating economic trends, the political situation, 

the country’s GDP and other macro-economic 

factors. In addition to information from customers, 

the level of competitive intensity in the country also 

provides an indication of demand for hydraulics. 

Selection of a suitable location is based on proximity 

to potential customers as well as on the availability 

of appropriately qualifi ed local personnel. “The 

HANSA-FLEX idea embodies the concept of globalisation. 

Products and services from the HANSA-FLEX 

portfolio most suited to the market in question are 

off ered, with some adaptation where necessary. 

That is to say, we have a unifi ed global market presence 

tailored to local needs,” Frank Schmidt asserts, 

drawing on his own practical experience. 

Customer benefi t is the key 

Will a planned market entry involve cooperation 

with an OEM or a parts service? Can Kanban warehousing, 

kitting, siting of production facilities or 

plant-in-plant partnerships help to open up the 

market? Can a mobile express hydraulics service like 

FLEXXPRESS be successfully established? 

HANSA-FLEX IN 10 YEARS TIME 

Once the decision on entering a market has been 

made, a number of fundamental issues are addressed 

and the staff in the Export Division conduct 

local surveys. “As well as contacting customers, we 

also visit suppliers, consult international chambers 

of commerce to tap into their expertise, and utilise 

information from trade fairs and exhibitions. All 

the information is incorporated into a business and 

fi nance plan which forms the basis for any investment 

decision. In this phase the company’s management 

places its trust in the work of the Division, 

so we are provided with the necessary freedom to 

implement plans,” Frank Schmidt explains. 

A strategic tool to propagate the 

corporate identity 

In terms of image, too, the RedBook dictates the 

uniform look of HANSA-FLEX branches all over the 

world. This includes the customary branding, featuring 

the red and white building decor and the 

company logo. It also lays down the standardised 

style of interior furnishings and fi ttings, right down 

to provisions for the obligatory cup of coff ee to be 

served to customers. The whole process is aimed at 

creating and maintaining a unifi ed HANSA-FLEX 

corporate identity; a global standard which is the 

foundation stone for business partners’ trust and 

confi dence in the business, in the same way that 

the look and style of a familiar fast-food restaurant 

promises consistency in the food it serves all over 

the world. 

This approach is underscored by staff training and 

by the consistent production of advertising and 

promotional material, catalogues, posters and so 

forth, in the unifi ed HANSA-FLEX corporate design. 

The fi rst new business unit to be based on this 

model was launched in August in Istanbul. More 

countries will be coming online through 2008 – 

Uzbekistan, Algeria, and authorised partners in a 

number of West African countries. 


H��

Simply answer the following question and the iPod touch 8 GB could be yours! 

Please send the answer in by Email to ma@hansa-fl ex.com 

or by post. Please do not forget to indicate your name 

and your postal address. The deadline for entries is the 

15th of September 2008. One entry per participant will 

be considered for the draw. Terms and conditions apply 

for legal recourse and liability. A cash payment for the 

prize is not possible. Employees and members of HANSA- 

FLEX are excluded from participating. 

Openings 

Preview 

The following topics will be run in the next edition... 

10/08 

iPod touch, 8 GB (holds up to 1750 songs), 3.5-inch 

(diagonal) widescreen Multi-Touch display; earphones, 

USB cable, dock adapter, software iTunes for 

Mac & Windows; PC system requirements: USB 2.0 

port, Windows Vista or Windows XP Home or Professional 

with Service Pack 2 or later, iTunes 7.6 or later; 

Mac system requirements: USB 2.0 port, Mac OS X 

v10.4.10 or later; iTunes 7.6 or later. 

Answer Edition 06/08: B: 2010 – Winner: T. Gebler, Stuttgart 

June 

HANSA-FLEX Hidraulines Jungtys UAB Pramones g. 1A 74111 Jurbarkas Lithuania 

HANSA-FLEX Hydraulik Ukraine Krasnozavodskaya strasse 36 A Dnepropetrowsk Ukraine 

Anniversary 

August: HANSA-FLEX Bremen-Nord 5 years 

HANSA-FLEX Koblenz 5 years 

HANSA-FLEX Olpe 5 years 

HANSA-FLEX Székesfehérvár/Hungary 5 years 

30 

�� 


QUIZ | FIGURES & FACTS | PREVIEW 

Win an iPod touch 

X-CODEplus optimises parts logistics Mitsubishi Papers utilising all the benefi ts 

The Meissen porcelain works A look behind the scenes 

XWORLD Adventure 2008/2009 Olympic Games at Beijing 

FLEXXPRESS Mobility Repair service made even more effi cient 

Schönebeck pipe-bending centre Launching with expanded capacities 

HANSA-FLEX branches Hungary and Salzbergen 


September: HANSA-FLEX Coburg 10 years 

HANSA-FLEX Liepaja/Latvia 5 years 

HANSA-FLEX Ulm 10 years 

HANSA-FLEX Wilhelmshaven 10 years 

Question: 

How many cubic metres of water/sand 

mixture can the ‘Pirat X’ pump per hour? 

A: 10,000 

B: 11,000 

C: 12,000 

Facts & Figures 

Total 

340 

184 

Germany 

182 

100 

Editorial deadline: 21st of September 2008 

ISSUE AUGUST 2008

More people view football than any other sport. 

We put major brands – like HANSA-FLEX – centre 

stage, where they are seen by millions of enthusiastic 

fans in the German Bundesliga, one of the leading 

football leagues in the world. 

Infront Germany offers eye-catching advertising in 

world-class settings, such as the Weser-Stadium in 

Bremen, the rewirpowerSTADIUM in Bochum and the 

Veltins-Arena in Gelsenkirchen – a guarantee of big 

audiences and strong visibility. 

Worldwide, Infront Sports & Media is a leader in football. 

An international full-service sports marketing company 

Infront Germany GmbH, Headquarters Frankfurt, Barckhausstraße 1, 60325 Frankfurt / Main 

Tel. +49-69-7079 836 0, www.infrontsports.de, germany@infrontsports.com 

PUT YOUR 

BRAND IN FRONT 

OF THE ACTION 

with 24 offi ces in 11 countries, we have developed 

innovative ways of linking brands with target audiences, 

through the magic medium of sport. 

For further information on Infront’s portfolio of sports 

properties and services please visit our international 

group website www.infrontsports.com. 

Together we stay „in front“.

hydraulik - HANSA-FLEX Hydraulics Canada Inc.

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