MAN_Forum_1201_e

issue 01/2012

in the Phoenix bellyHow MAN trucks are dispatched on their sea voyage to Down Under

For Power and heatMiniature thermal power stations and the potential they have for energy supply

win-win strategyWhy customers are attending school at the MAN Academy

Packed bumper to bumper, thousands of vehicles cover the car terminal of Bremerhaven—awaiting their shipment in huge car carriers that resemble floating parking garages rather than ships. With a handling volume of more than 1.6 million vehicles per year, Bremer-haven is Europe’s largest automotive port. MAN trucks are also shipped to all corners of the earth from here.

the Man grouP MagaZineforum

> 25 years of MaN foruMa magazine with tradition: since late 1986, MaN forum has been tracking the progress of MaN as it evolved into the leading european industrial company of today. This quarter century has witnessed the publication of 45 issues, with hun-dreds of people interviewed, many locations visited and new technolo-gies introduced. readers can look forward to fascinating reports cov-ering drive systems, transport and energy topics—all in a new design starting with the next edition.

mastheadMAN ForuM – the MAN Group magazineis published four times a year in German and English.published by MAN SE, Andreas Lampersbach, Corporate Communications, Ungererstrasse 69, 80805 Munich, Germanywww.man.eueditors iN ChieF Claudia Weber, Inés GutiérrezTel.: +49. 89. 36098-384, fax: +49. 89. 36098-382, e-mail: [email protected] publishers Burda Creative Group GmbH /BurdaYukom Publishing, Konrad-Zuse-Platz 11, 81829 Munich, GermanyTel.: +49. 89. 30620-0, fax: +49. 89. 30620-100, www.burdayukom.com editors Klaus-Peter Hilger (resp.), Tobias Birzer, Kirti Letsch, Vanessa Plodeck iNterNAtioNAl editors Patricia Preston,Asa C. TomashMANAgiNg editor Daniel FinkAuthors Katharina Becker, John Henderson, Dr. Martin Kaluza, Barbara Rott, Marcus Schick, David SelbachArt direCtor Kathrin von EyegrAphiCs editors Michelle Otto (resp.), Elke LatinovicCover: Hauke Dresslerepp: Silvana MayrthalerproduCtioN: Wolfram Götz (resp.),Franz Kantner, Cornelia Sauer priNtiNg: Pinsker Druck und Medien GmbH, 84048 Mainburg, GermanyPrinted on Galaxi SupermatreproduCtioN permitted with reference. Any changes must be coordinated with the editors. Copyright 2012 by MAN SE and Burda Creative Group GmbH

>>> orChestrAted trAvelConsidering its small size, with a population of just 5.2 million, Scotland has given the world a considerable number of famous inventions over the course of history. Today, it is the Scots’ inno-vative road transport solutions that amazed our author John Henderson: In 2011, MAN Truck & Bus succeeded in boosting its sales figures in Scotland by 61.8 percent. The TGX with its waste gas recycling system is a popular choice with truckers. Among them is Michael Cameron, who drives for the Royal Scottish Na-tional Orchestra. His articulated truck from MAN carries the equipment of the 90-strong orchestra, made up of musical instruments worth millions. An exciting job, as witnessed by our author on the passenger seat en route to the Edinburgh Festival (page 14).

>>> trACtor iN XXl ForMAtThe cockpit embellished with rosewood veneer, bright red suede seats—and 650 hp under the hood: Europe’s most powerful Bulldog is not just popular with lads of all ages. As our author Vanessa Plodeck found out, when she visited the owner and constructor Ludwig Streitberger in Ingolstadt. She had not expected to be offered the chance to go on a spin herself on the seven-meter-long, four-meter-high and twenty-ton colossus—which made

her experience all the more unforgettable. Ludwig Streitberger made his dream of the most powerful tractor come true by incorporating a six-cylinder ship’s diesel engine from MAN in a vintage tractor of the Schlüter brand. This converted gargantuan Bulldog was named appropriately: Pro Giant (page 20).

>>> ACross the seAs to dowN uNderAfter concluding their visit to Europe’s largest car shipping terminal in Bremerhaven, our author Martin Kaluza (right) and photographer Christoph Engel took a last sightseeing tour of the terrain. When they reached the top floor of a parking garage, the mild afternoon light revealed a strange and unusual vista below. A vast expanse stretched before them, made up of roughly 100,000 vehicles. Somewhere in the metal landscape also were vehicles made by MAN. On their visit to Bremerhaven, Kaluza and Engel observed MAN trucks and bus chassis being loaded aboard for their voy-age to Australia. The units were shipped on a gigantic car carrier, driven by an MAN engine with an output of nearly 23,000 hp (page 30).

forum 01/2012 03

contributors

04

company20 �‘we�shall�build�the�strongest�one’

Ataheightoffourmeters,awidthoffiveanda

lengthofseven,thiswheelerisEurope’smost

powerfultractor.Thejuggernautispoweredbya

MANshipdieselenginewithanoutputof650hp.

28 �in�the�year�of�the�dragonChinaisoneoftheworld’smostimportant

growthmarketsforcommercialvehicles.

AnewshowroominShanghaiwillassistMAN

Truck&Businfurtherestablishingitsbrand.

36 �school�for�smooth�operatorsMAN’strainingcentersallovertheworldoffer

awiderangeofcoursestoMANcustomersevery

day—withexperiencedspecialiststeachingin-

depthMANtechnologyknow-howtoattendees.

40 �room�for�innovationMANDiesel&Turbopresentsthelatesttechno-

logicaldevelopmentstoitscustomersatthe

Research&DevelopmentForuminAugsburg.

Alookatthemostinterestinghigh-techexhibits.

42 �into�the�desertOthercountries,othercustoms:Havingsetup

aserviceworkshopforMANDiesel&Turboin

Qatar,twoengineersrelatetheirexperiencesin

thehotdesertcountry.

46 �closing�wordsTheMANGroupcanlookbackonaprofitable

fiscalyear.FrankH.Lutz,CFOofMANSE,

expectsdiminishedeconomicgrowthand

aslightdeclineinbusinessresultsfor2012.

news06 FrameworkagreementwithShell;newCFOat

MANTruck&Bus;recordrevenueforMAN;

awardsformarketingprojects;marketleadership

intheBraziliantruckmarket;MANDiesel&Turbo

newsponsorofGerman“YouthScience”contest.

interview10 �‘serving�new�segments�is�vital’

Increasingly,globalizationandinnovativetruck

networkinghavebecomenecessaryfocalpoints

formanufacturers.WolfgangKrenzofthestrat-

egyconsultingfirmOliverWymanexplainswhy.

feature14 �touring�in�concert

TheRoyalScottishNationalOrchestraspends

muchtimeontheroad.DriverMichaelCameron

haulstheorchestra’sinstrumentsfromplaceto

place.MANForumrodealonginhistruck.

30 �trucks�in�the�underbellyThousandsofpassengercarsandtrucksare

shippedfromBremerhavenintotheworldon

adailybasis.Adayinthelifeofthecarcarrier

Grand Phoenixrevealsthelogisticsbehindit.

technology24 �power�plant�at�home

Duetocogenerationtechnology,apartment

buildingswiththeirownpowerplantinthebase-

mentarenolongerutopia.MANForumexplains

howtheMANengine-poweredsystemworks.

standards02� perspective03� contributors03� masthead47� forum�quiz

forum 01/2012 05

42

contents

36

30

10

40

06

news

> Market leader

MAN strengthening its position in Russia

With more than 7,600 trucks and 220 buses sold, MaN truck & Bus has once again positioned itself as market leader among european commercial vehicle manufacturers in russia for the financial year 2011. MaN’s share in the market for trucks over 12 tons reached 26 percent in the european brands sector. to further solidify its position on the russian market, MaN is investing some €25 million to build its own plant in St. Petersburg. Production of heavy trucks of the tGS WW class will commence there in mid-2012.

> CoNtraCt SiGNed

Shell relies on compressors from MAN Diesel & Turbo

Shell and MaN diesel & turbo are continuously expanding their business relation-ship, which already dates back several decades. Both companies have signed a framework agreement for the duration of six years, specifying the delivery of new compressor systems to Shell sites all over the world. this includes a wide range of radial compressors, used in both onshore and offshore facilities operated by the energy company for the piping and processing of gas. in addition, another five-year contract was signed for the supply of spare parts and services to existing systems. “We are delighted at this opportunity to continue our long-standing business rela-tionship,” said Uwe lauber, managing director of MaN diesel & turbo Switzerland and head of the oil & Gas business unit.

forum 01/2012 07

> aCqUiSitioN

Stronger commitment in India

MaN truck & Bus has acquired the remaining shares in the former indian joint venture MaN ForCe trUCkS Pvt. ltd. the company was founded in cooperation with the indian company ForCe Motors back in 2006. MaN had already increased its share in the company from 30 to 50 percent in 2008. ForCe trUCkS manufactures heavy trucks of the Cla series for the indian market and for export to asian and african countries.

> PerSoNNel

Change in CFO team

Jörg astalosch was appointed the new CFo of MaN truck & Bus aG as of January 1, 2012. astalosch has a background in engineering and electronics and had been working as assistant to Professor Ferdinand k. Piëch, Chairman of the Volkswagen Supervisory Board. Previously, the 39-year-old had worked for audi aG in the US. astalosch assumed the position from former CFo karl Gadesmann.

The energy enterprise Shell and MAN Diesel & Turbo have long

cooperated in the course of international projects, including

the world’s largest Gas-to-Liquid complex in Qatar.

Russia is an important

sales market for MAN

Truck & Bus.

Jörg Astalosch,

CFO of MAN

Truck & Bus

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> aCColadeS

MAN awarded marketing prizes

MaN’s campaign “die Bundesliga fährt MaN” (Bundesliga rides MaN) received the “2012 Sports Marketing award.” With its soccer league partners, MaN had implemented an innovative communications strategy around “MaNschaftsbusse” (MaN team coaches). “With its creative idea that fed all media channels, the project made its mark,” stated jury mem-ber Marcel Cordes. in November, MaN had received the econ award for corporate communications with its “MaN kann” (“We are your MaN”) image campaign.

08

> leaSiNG aGreeMeNt

Ford in England counting on MAN TGX

on a leasing basis with a contract duration of five years, MaN truck & Bus will supply 185 MaN tGX tractor trucks to the Ford Motor Company ltd. in Great Britain this year. in 2013, another 185 trucks will be delivered to replace the existing fleet. With a total of 370 vehicles, this order represents one of the larg-est ones to be received by MaN truck & Bus in Great Britain in recent years. Ford will be using the new fleet of trucks for the shipment of engines, gear systems and other components between its British sites.

MAN Forum: Hello, Mr. Bucher. Thank you for taking the time. How does a young man like you become involved with Engineers without Borders?Simon Bucher: Quite coincidentally, as a matter of fact. I was a works student here at MAN in 2009. One day I received an e-mail from my university, seeking additional founding members for the Nuremberg regional group. So what was the strongest incentive for you to participate?Well, I am keen on technology, and Engineers Without Borders is all about tech-nical projects, after all. That is what interested me most.As well as helping people …Yes, of course. I don’t want to come across as a do-gooder. Fact is, however, that I feel privileged to have been raised in Germany. We have many opportunities here and do rather take it all for granted. How do you mean that?Even as children, we are constantly surrounded by technical equipment. We can’t imagine it any other way, yet in Africa many never come in contact with technology at all and therefore can’t develop an understanding of it. As they are no less deserving than we are, we’re motivated to improve their prospects.What does that look like, specifically?Initially, we investigate the need situation—such as a school plagued by ongo-ing power outages. We then look for sponsors, who are willing to grant us financial or material help. In our last project, for example, MAN offered to contribute an engine for a power generator. When the basic parameters are in place, we carry out the project.And if they aren’t?They we’ll put it on the back burner for the time being. There is no point, after all, in supplying expensive machinery to Africa when it is merely gathering dust down there because nobody knows how to operate or service it. Unfortu-nately, this is an all-too-common phenomenon—which has nothing to do with sustainable aid, however.

> a Call to …

Simon Bucher

Simon Bucher is a component developer

at MAN Truck & Bus in Nuremberg.

In early 2009, the 27-year-old and a few

other engineers founded the local group

of Engineers Without Borders.

Ray of hope in Africa:

Among other

projects, Engineers

Without Borders is

committed to

providing electricity

for schools.

> CoMMitMeNt

Support for young scientists

For the first time, MaN diesel & turbo has assumed a sponsor-ship role for the regional augsburg activities of “Jugend forscht” Germany’s annual science competition for young people. in early March 2012, 119 up-and-coming scientists presented their ideas and research projects at augsburg’s technical University. “the contest is an effective way of getting young people excited about technology—a goal we also pursue here at MaN diesel & turbo,” says Michael Melzer, head of Group Communications at MaN diesel & turbo Se. this year’s competition was publicized under the slogan “We appreciate your mind.” Boys and girls up to the age of 21 were invited to compete. the winners of the regional and federal state competitions are qualified for the national final, scheduled to begin in erfurt on May 17.

> aNNUal aCCoUNtS

2011 a record year for the MAN Group

MaN Se looks back on a successful fiscal year. its revenue in 2011 rose by 12 percent to a record €16.5 billion. operating profit came to €1.5 billion, a 43 percent increase over 2010. return on sales rose by 7.1 percentage points to reach nine percent. these excellent figures are in large part due to the Commercial Vehicles business area, which achieved a 19 percent increase in revenue and a return on sales of 7.7 percent. even though the Power engineering business area showed a slight decline of 4 percent in revenue, to €4 billion, with a 12.8 percent return on sales, its performance still remained at a high level. the MaN Group’s earnings after tax (eat) amounted to €247 million.

> GroWth Market

Still top of the class in Brazil

With 50,829 newly registered trucks over five tons and a market share of 29.7 percent, MaN latin america suc-ceeded in defending its top position on Brazil’s truck mar-ket for the ninth year in succession. in addition, 11,139 buses of MaN’s Volksbus brand were sold, which amounts to a 32.2 percent share of the bus market. overall, MaN achieved an 18 percent increase over its 2010 sales.

Germany’s annual youth

science competition

“Jugend forscht” was held

for the 47th time in 2012.

Coveted trophy: the Sports

Marketing PrizeVolksbus: MAN’s

successful brand in Brazil

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interview

‘serving new segments is vital’According to the Commercial Vehicles 2020 study conducted by the Oliver Wyman consultancy, truck manufacturers must increasingly seek solutions to extend the operational life of a vehicle. Author Wolfgang Krenz explains which challenges are ahead for the commercial vehicles industry.

MAN Forum: Mr. Krenz, what will a truck driver’s typical workday look like in the year 2020?Krenz: Well, the operator will still be driving the truck—yet with much more interaction with the vehicle, including immediate feedback and also some computer override during driving. Upon getting up in the morning, the driver will take a look at his mobile device to actually find out where he needs to go. There will be automatic rerouting for traffic jams and suggestions for refueling at the cheapest stations in the area. Drivers will receive feedback when waiting too long to change gears, thus pushing up fuel con-sumption. There will be a lot less paperwork, as in courier services today. Any engine failure will not only be reported to the driver in the cab, but also to headquarters, where perhaps even the com-puter then decides whether to continue the journey or not.

Other than innovative networking, will trucks also become “greener” over the next decade?Aerodynamics and lightweight construction are a far cry from having been exhausted, and much will happen in that area. Long trucks are another concept for moving more freight while utiliz-ing less energy. We’ll also see more optimized management of

both individual drivers and overall traffic flow. If all truck drivers started driving in a highly fuel-efficient manner at once, we would probably get the single most dramatic impact in terms of efficiency.

Are trucks with electric drive an option?Hybrid trucks will be built in series and will have become the technological standard in many different varieties by 2020. These range from purely regenerative braking to nearly all-electric vehicles—at least in some areas of distribution transport. Still, I can’t quite imagine a solely electric heavy truck, even for medium-range distances. Whether or not this could be consid-ered especially green would also rather depend on how the elec-tricity is generated.

When surveying the traffic congestion in urban areas, one might wonder whether trucks have any future at all. …They definitely do. Road freight transport will account for the same percentage of total freight volume over the years ahead, if not more. Trucks share their infrastructure with cars. And roads present a scalable system. The distribution of goods to and within cities is inconceivable without trucks. Yet the market has stopped growing in the developed, industri-alized nations, has it not? Growth comes from China.That’s not quite right. Over the next few years, growth in devel-oped countries will actually exceed that of China—which is main-ly just an after-effect of the financial crisis. Indeed, the long-term trend clearly indicates demand shifting to Asia, particularly to China. That is not due, however, to demand declining that much in developed countries. No, growth in the emerging markets is just all the more stronger. In the coming years, China will be in-vesting billions in the expansion of its road infrastructure. In ad-dition, Southeast Asia, the Middle East and Africa are becoming more attractive markets for truck sales.

“In the future, factors that increase the operating life of trucks will render a more important competitive edge than the vehicle technology itself.”

> COmmuniCAtive truCKs

intelligent trucks will drive growththe worldwide market penetration of networked trucks will grow, due to mobile application technology.

Source: Oliver Wyman Study Commercial Vehicles 2020: Going Green, Growing Global

3 %

7 %

15 – 20%

2007

2020

2010

forum 01/2012 13

interview

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How come? Manufacturers are setting new technical standards with every new model generation. Two trucks from different makers are substantially distinguishable from each other. Perhaps. Yet it’s key not to forget that trucks are capital goods, with a low level of emotional attachment. If at all, then in terms of attracting good drivers, who are notoriously hard to find. I can draw them with a premium brand. We have recognized, however, that service components that increase uptime, meaning the truck’s actual operating time, will be a key competitive factor in the future. As an OEM, I would then not just deliver vehicles, but also provide remote diagnostic and scheduling systems.

Such systems would be most prevalent in developed markets though, wouldn’t they?For the most part, yes. Simply put, the market will look like this in 2020: On the roads of Europe and the United States, we will see networked and ecologically efficient rental vehicles. After several years of operations, these trucks are sold as pre-owned trucks to emerging markets. Working jointly and in parallel with local partners, manufacturers in these markets will rework the tech-nology of the last model generation. And will be competing di-rectly with the Chinese and Indians. <

You have warned that Western manufacturers are at risk of losing these markets to Chinese producers. Why is that?The Chinese are taking a very clever approach in that regard. The Dongfeng brand, for example, is highly active in Africa and offers vehicles that meet these markets’ requirements very well: They have a simple design, are sturdy, adapted to the climate and don’t feature lots of onboard electronics. At the same time, a new mid-class segment is developing in these regions, as there is an enor-mous gap between the top standards of Western vehicles and those of local providers in emerging markets. By 2020, this new mid-class segment will have garnered a market share of 20 to 30 percent. This is precisely where European truck manufacturers cannot afford to miss the boat and instead should attempt to set up joint ventures with local manufacturers, for instance, in order to get a slice of this market. MAN is pursuing the right strategy by having acquired a stake in the Chinese firm Sinotruk.

You also predict that economic cycles will become increasingly shorter and more volatile. What does that mean for commercial vehicle manufacturers such as MAN?The real and financial economies have become very closely inter-twined. In the past, when the US would experience a recession, Eu-rope knew that it would take another two years to affect us. Those days are over. Nowadays, the upswings and downswings amplify each other on a global scale. In addition, businesses are reacting much more rapidly. The implication for truck manufacturers is that they must position themselves with even more flexibility. One possible answer to the challenge of extreme economic fluctu-ations could be the expansion of rental and leasing concepts. This would not require a radical change to the business model of OEMs, the original equipment manufacturers. While the core competen-cy might still remain the actual production of vehicles, the busi-ness model needs to be broadened. Rentals, used vehicle utiliza-tion and risk management must be extended. Short-term truck rental is another promising model for the future.

After-sales service, mobility guarantees or 24-hour repair service are now already standard with many truck manufac-turers. Is there really that much left that can be done? A lot has been done already. However, the entire range of all ser-vices is not available everywhere throughout Europe, let alone worldwide. Our surveys indicate that businesses have come to see very little difference between actual trucks, namely the hardware, made by different manufacturers.

“European truck manufacturers must not miss the boat in emerging markets.”

> PersOnAl PrOfile

wolfgang Krenz

Wolfgang Krenz is a partner at the munich office of the con-sulting firm Oliver Wyman, a member of the global manufac-turing industries Practice organization, and is considered one of Germany’s most prominent experts on the commercial vehicle industry. After completing a business degree special-izing in marketing and administrative organization, he began his career at Oliver Wyman in 1995. Krenz is considered an expert on sales and after-sales in various segments of the capital goods sector. During his tenure at Oliver Wyman, his accomplishments have included consulting on the reorgani-zation of european sales for a leading commercial vehicle manufacturer, on product strategy development for a truck manufacturer and on optimizing after-sales for a leading trail-er supplier. Krenz co-authored the Oliver Wyman studies Commercial Vehicles 2015, Commercial Vehicles 2020, Retail Networks in the Commercial Vehicle Industry and the Truck Customer series.

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forum 01/2012 15

touring in concertThe most valuable possessions of any orchestra are certainly its instruments. All the more important to protect them against damage during travel. MAN Forum escorted Royal Scottish National Orchestra truck driver Michael Cameron on one of his trips.

feature

Every summer, the Edinburgh International

Festival takes place in the shadow of

Edinburgh Castle (left). Founded in 1891,

the Scottish National Orchestra has around

90 musicians today.

reportageforum 01/2012 1716

>>> The conductor raises his baton, signal-ling the beginning of perfectly balanced in-teraction between strings, wind and percus-sion. This is the Royal Scottish National Or-chestra rehearsing at Edinburgh’s Usher Hall. There is a certain excitement in the air, as the musicians will be playing to a full house tonight in Scotland’s famous concert hall. Once the performance commences, the audience will have no idea of the organi-zational orchestration that has taken place before: Only a few hours earlier, the musi-cians and their instruments were still 80 ki-lometers away in Glasgow, where the sym-phony orchestra is based.

Strict adherence to ScheduleAt eight in the morning, Michael Cameron, the driver of the Royal Scottish National Or-chestra, is standing next to his truck in Claremont Street in Glasgow’s West End. He has been driving for the orchestra for al-most six years and clearly enjoys his work, especially as he now sits behind the wheel of a new truck: a TGX from MAN, coupled with an air-conditioned trailer from the firm Gray & Adams. “Now we finally have enough space for all the musical equip-ment,” says Cameron. “To organize larger performances, we often had to hire extra transport in the past, but now we can load up all the instruments, along with the

1. On arrival in Edinburgh, the crew

conveniently unloads the instruments via

the tail lift of the articulated truck.

2. The team is well-acquainted with the

requirements of the instruments. Every

move is practiced.

3. As parking space is limited in Glasgow’s

narrow streets, the equipment is

transported through the side door.

4. Heading for Edinburgh: a view of the

M8 freeway from the driver’s cockpit.

5. Michael Cameron at the wheel of his

new MAN TGX. His laid-back driving style

delivers the load safely to its destination.

6. In the air-conditioned trailer, fluctuating

outdoor temperatures cannot negatively

affect the sensitive equipment.

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wardrobe and the water boxes, without any need of stacking.”

This morning, Michael is assisted by two experienced stage hands, Andy and Davie. Parking is limited in the narrow alley, so the men must load the freight, securely packed in rolling flight cases, through the side door. A list specifies just which of the orchestra’s instruments need to be taken to Edinburgh. About 75 percent are required for today’s performance. Michael is aware that he will be able to unload at Usher Hall with the support of the truck’s tail lift, so he closely pays attention to where each flight case is stowed. This will save time later on. In any case, trips such as these are always planned down to the last detail, for as Michael puts it, “In this business, delays are not an option.” Within the hour, the men have finished loading. Michael rewards himself with a quick cup of tea, and then leaves right on schedule—first through the narrow streets of Glasgow’s center, then onto the M8 freeway heading east.

a muSical lifeMichael plays piano and guitar himself and has had a passion for all kinds of music ever since his childhood. “My father was a singer and played percussion. There was always music played in our home,” he recalls. He freely admits that his professional career

feature

“Now we finally have enough space for all our musical equipment.”Michael cameron, driver of the royal Scottish national orchestra

01

04 05 06

Usher Hall (right), Edinburgh’s famous

concert venue, is the second home of

Scotland’s national symphony orchestra.

02 03

Michael Cameron and his

team carefully unload

the instruments for an

upcoming concert.

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has not exactly taken the straightest course throughout his life. He once worked as a driver and gofer for several film production companies in London and also tried his hand for a couple of years as a tour manag-er for bands. In the meantime, Cameron has adopted a somewhat more settled life-style. Sitting directly by the sea on the Rosneath Peninsula, with a view of the Firth of Clyde, his idyllic home is just one hour away from the headquarters of the Royal Scottish National Orchestra in Glasgow, where he has a permanent job as a driver and assistant to the stage manager, who is responsible for event engineering.

This is the first articulated truck that Michael has had the opportunity to drive. He needed to take extra lessons to upgrade his license and qualify to drive HGVs. So far, he has been very happy with the perfor-mance of his new truck and is especially fond of the automatic gears: “In compari-son with my old 22-ton truck, it’s a differ-ence of night and day. Indeed, it’s true that it took me a little while to get used to the TipMatic. All the same, I certainly wouldn’t want to give it up and go back to a manual transmission,” he enthuses.

On the approach roads to Edinburgh, the traffic is sluggish, somewhat ruffling Michael’s schedule. He repeatedly checks his watch. A soccer game between the local

team Hearts of Midlothian and English club Chelsea is about to begin. And the annual music festival in the Scottish capital is al-ready in full swing. He sits behind the steer-ing wheel, however, remaining cool, calm and collected. His essential goal is to get the fragile load safely to its destination.

orcheStral preferenceSUpon arrival at Usher Hall, a team of five al-ready awaits to unload the musical equip-ment from the tail lift of the trailer. Now commences Act Two of Michael’s perfor-mance for his team: During the process of setting up the instruments on stage, he must keep in mind any and all preferences of every individual musician. He also ad-heres to the conductor’s preferred way of arranging the orchestra, a performance ar-chitecture that he knows by heart. Due to his warm and outgoing nature, Michael is very popular with the members of the or-chestra, and it’s a two-way relationship. “I like the different personalities among the players,” twinkles Michael, “and that is very fortunate, as I actually spend more time with them than I do with my wife!”

Tomorrow, the papers will carry glow-ing reports of the concert. By then, Michael will have long since returned to Glasgow—where he will already plan the next perfect-ly orchestrated tour. <

“I certainly wouldn’t want to give up the MAN TipMatic for a manual transmission.”Michael cameron

01 02

1. The artists’ entrance to Usher Hall

in Edinburgh. For almost a hundred years,

the concert hall has been a landmark for

artists, culture lovers and musicians.

2. Musicians of the Royal National Scottish

Orchestra pick up their instruments.

3. The morning after: Michael Cameron

maneuvers his MAN truck in front of Usher

Hall and the musical equipment is loaded

back.

18

feature

03

20

‘We shall build the strongest one’He is known as the king of tractors. And it’s a well-earned title indeed: Ludwig Streitberger of Ingolstadt built Europe’s most powerful tractor, on the basis of a 1973 classic old-timer.

The “Profi-Gigant,” or Pro Giant, is powered by a 650-hp MAN marine engine.

forum 01/2012 21

company

>>> Capable of snapping a tree trunk with one single blow, a heavily muscled bear with mighty paws swings on the starter key that Ludwig Streitberger currently turns in the ignition. Once the engine starts on this giant tractor, it evokes the sound of huge predators growling: a full, deep, undulating rumbling. And Ludwig Streitberger smiles. He appears like a jovial sort of guy, someone who enjoys his traditional roast pork on Sundays and a round of cards. Yet his favorite toy weighs in at 20 tons, features 650 hp and takes up the former potato barn at his farm in Grasheim, near the Bavarian town Ingolstadt, nearly up to the ceiling: the Pro Giant, currently the most powerful tractor in Europe.

Streitberger collects Bulldogs. He once owned 28 of them: Lanz, Schlüter, all of them valuable old-timers. But at some point he longed for something new: He en-visioned a very special kind of Bulldog, stronger than any that came before. A 1973 Schlüter Profi Trac 3500 was the first in this giant tractor’s long line of predecessors. Sit-ting behind its wheel, our trained auto me-chanic is grinning like a schoolboy. The tractor is an exclusive specimen, as the manufacturer had only built four of this model before going out of business in 1993.

Its engine had seen better days, however, and Ludwig Streitberger therefore resolved: “Now we’ll make something extraordinary. We shall build the strongest one ever.”

The tractor fan sought advice from ev-ery available expert. Eventually, he ap-proached somebody from MAN, who in-spired the decisive idea: A boat engine, strong enough to power a large motor yacht. He finally found the right unit for his ambi-tious project on the Internet, a “12.5-liter, six-cylinder MAN D2876 with 650 hp and 2,350 nm of torque,” as Streitberger recalls enthusiastically. High-powered Bulldogs have always been his passion. At the age of 52, he can no longer recall when this fasci-nation started: “They have always been part of my life, as far back as I can remember.” Even as a baby, his mother took him out to the fields on a Bulldog, and he learned how to operate one himself at age six. At 19, he purchased the first tractor of his very own.Of the 28 vintage models he once owned,

“By the time I had put everything together, from the engine to the tires, I must have covered at least 100,000 kilometers while canvassing Europe.”

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1. With double wheels

mounted, this colossus

weighs 20 tons, and still

a good 17 tons without.

2. Attention to detail:

The bear on the key ring

pendant is a modified

Schlüter logo.

3. A man and his toy:

constructor Ludwig

Streitberger and his

Bulldog machine.

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only eight are left these days. The “Profi Gi-gant” (or Pro Giant), as Streitberger chris-tened this custom Bulldog, cost him the equivalent of a nice house, so a number of his older favorites had to be sold. The con-version process was more complex than he had originally thought: 650 hp generate a high amount of heat, requiring suitable cooling. A charge air cooler with a water vol-ume of 40 liters was the solution, yet due to a lack of space, the front had to be extended by 170 millimeters. The hood alone there-fore measures 3.5 meters from the steering wheel, which is the exact maximum length legally permitted to still receive a permit for public roads. Streitberger installed propeller shafts and an intermediate transmission to

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> Pro GIANT650 hp of muscle Engine: MAN D2876, six-cylinderHorsepower: 650 hp Displacement: 12.5 litersTorque: 2,350 nm Fuel tank capacity: 1,100 litersLength: 7.12 metersWidth: 4.80 metersHeight: 3.75 metersWeight: 20 tons

get the tremendous power of the marine diesel engine from the hood to the axles be-low. Additionally, the engine is slightly tilted backward to compensate for the height dif-ferential. Overall, the colossus measures 7.12 meters long and 3.17 meters wide, yet scores an impressive width of 4.8 meters with dou-ble wheels attached. The only original com-ponents left are the frame elements, axle carriers and axles, while Streitberger and a small team of friends built everything else themselves. It took him nearly four years. In addition to the many day and night shifts that the tinkerer pulled in his garage, he also undertook lots of travel to obtain individual parts: “By the time I had put everything to-gether, from the engine to the transmission, exhaust and tires, I must have covered at least 100,000 kilometers while canvassing Europe,” he says.

He filed for a patent on the finished product, so the tractor is now named the Pro Giant and no longer registered as a Schlüter Profi Trac. Even the bear on the key is a modification of the Schlüter Bear logo,

designed specifically for the Pro Giant. “Looking at the Giant as it is now, I would never sell it—even though I do receive attractive offers,” says Streitberger, maneu-vering his monster tractor to take an ele-gant turn in his farmyard. “Four-wheel steering,” he says, “it’s as maneuverable as a small car. Basically, any kid can drive it.”

Several times a year, Streitberger goes on tour to present his gargantuan tractor at fairs where farmers display their tractors and harvesting machinery and to attend tractor-pulling contests. There he can really dive into off-road action, showing off his two sets of eight gears plus another eight off-road gears. He considers the Giant too valuable for fieldwork during the rest of the year: “It’s really more of a collector’s item.” The next official opportunity to see the Giant live is at the Tractor Pull contest held in Notzing, Up-per Bavaria, in July 2012. There won’t be any more appearances this year—Streitberger is busy. He’s working on a secret project, which he can’t talk about. He will merely reveal that it is about lots of horsepower. <

1. Birds’ eye view:

The cabin is perched

more than two

meters up in the air.

2. The tractor’s heart:

a MAN boat engine

3. The front axle can

be pneumatically

engaged per keystroke.

4. retrofitted: front

camera with LED lights

“Looking at the Giant as it is now, I would never sell it—even though I do receive attractive offers.”

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companyThe double-wheeled Pro

Giant travels to contests

on a tractor rig.

Power Plant at homeProducing heat and electricity with a power station of one’s own is simple—with a cogeneration plant. MAN Forum offers the case scenario of a meat market to explain how it works in practice. The key component of this facility is a natural gas engine from MAN Truck & Bus.

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Guest rooms As the guest rooms are very popu-lar in spring and summer, the heat from the cogeneration plant is mainly used for generating hot wa-ter rather than heating at that time.

sales roomRefrigerating the display counters takes up

the bulk of power in the shop. The digital scales, register and slicer, as well as other

electrical equipment, are also connected to the internal distribution network.

private quartersThe proprietor’s apartment also benefits from the cogeneration

plant. Assisted by MAN’s natural gas engine, the system in the

adjoining room simultaneously produces heat and electricity.

restaurantThe power plant keeps both

restaurant and kitchen supplied with cheap and envi-

ronmentally friendly energy.

meat marketAll year round, the butchery is the main consumer of the electrical and thermal energy produced. Hundreds of liters of hot water are needed daily to maintain hygienic safety standards. Special equipment such as the meat grinder, bone saw, sausage filling ma-chine and curing plant are just as de-pendent on a constant power supply, as are the cold stores and the stoves.

Boiler roomIn spite of its size—width of one meter,

height of 1.9 meters and length of 2.4 meters—the established boiler room

can accommodate the installation of a complete cogeneration plant, along with

boiler and heat buffer storage tank.

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>>> A rattling bone saw, the grinding mo-tions of a vast meat grinder and the sau-sage-filling machine churning out sausage specialties: It is six o’clock, and the butch-ery is in the midst of its morning rush. This is the time when the demand for power hits its peak. A little later in the day, the ad-jacent sales shop, the kitchen, restaurant and guest rooms will also need an abun-dance of electricity and heat.

feed-in compensationBoth forms of energy come from a home-made source, produced cheaply and ecolog-ically by a combined heat and power plant, or CHP. Basically, the unit consists of a 40-kilowatt combustion engine, a generator and heat exchangers. Due to its compact build—the cogeneration plant is no bigger than two standard washing machines—the entire system was easily accommodated in the 12 square meters of the meat market’s

In view of its composition, this gas con-tains more sulfur and ammonia than con-ventional natural gas, and can therefore be more aggressive in certain circumstances. “Thus, the materials of our combustion en-gines must meet the challenges of these demands in order to safeguard the re-quired robustness and reliability,” states Werner Kübler, head of development at MAN Truck & Bus in Nuremberg.

No matter what the fuel of choice, the functional principle of a cogeneration plant remains the same. An engine drives a gen-erator, which then produces electricity. Running the engine generates heat, which can be utilized through heat exchangers in the cooling-water system—either for heat-ing or hot service-water supply. The engine and the heat exchangers are all combined in a single block unit, together with the con-trols. Based on MAN’s standard truck drives, the natural gas and biogas engines were specifically developed for operating in a co-generation plant and optimized in terms of permanent availability. After all, the en-gines have to work 365 days and around the clock in a cogeneration plant, adding up to more than 8,000 hours a year.

The market potential of these perma-nently available systems is altogether enormous. By 2020, sales are expected to reach more than 100,000 systems per year on average in Germany alone. The reason is simple: Other than in the case of estab-lished renewable energy sources, such as wind energy and solar power, heat and electricity from a cogeneration plant are 100 percent available 365 days a year and 24 hours a day. MAN Truck & Bus already is well-positioned in this growth market: Business in drives for cogeneration plants with an output of between 37 kW and 420 kW is now the highest-volume and most profitable sector in the company’s external engine business. <

spaces and guest rooms, as well as supply-ing hot water for the meat market. Even though heating is not really a necessity in the spring and summer months, the guest rooms are very popular with tourists—with large quantities of hot water flowing through the pipe system. Any thermal en-ergy left over will be transferred to a hot water reservoir that is acting as a buffer.

enormous market potentialOther than utilizing natural gas, MAN en-gines in a cogeneration plant can also run

on fuel sourced from biological matter, so-called biogas. CHPs that service agricultur-al properties mostly burn biogas, which is derived from fermented renewable re-sources, animal waste and plant matter and today is the only regenerative source of energy that is storable. CHPs for the con-version of energy into electricity and heat are set up either directly at the generation site or the biogas facility, or configured as a satellite CHP—where the heat is needed, for instance. Biogas delivery is then con-ducted through corresponding pipelines.

“The emissions of carbon dioxide, dust, sulfur dioxide and nitric oxide per generated kilowatt are drastically reduced—a real environmental benefit.”Ingo Schlüter, Kuntschar + Schlüter, a heat engineering company and electrical installations specialist

former boiler room. It now simultaneously generates heat and electricity based on the principle of cogeneration, assisted by a nat-ural gas engine from MAN. Producing heat and electricity right on site of usage is a par-ticularly efficient approach. While overall efficiency of such systems can reach up to 90 percent, power production in traditional large-scale power stations reaches an aver-age of 40 percent. Thus, nearly two-thirds of the energy produced is lost as waste heat and emitted to the environment.“Another advantage of cogeneration plants is their splendid emissions level,” says Ingo

Schlüter, authorized signatory of the sys-tem engineers Kuntschar & Schlüter in Wolfhagen-Ippinghausen, near the German town of Kassel. The company has special-ized in this intelligent concept of com-bined heat and power production, and has for years sourced engines for their cogen-eration plants from MAN Truck & Bus in Nuremberg. “The emissions of carbon di-oxide, dust, sulfur dioxide and nitric oxide per generated kilowatt are drastically re-duced—a real environmental benefit,” ex-plains Schlüter. Carbon dioxide emissions alone are cut by 58 percent. Another ad-vantage: As a cogeneration plant is de-signed for a certain base load and contin-ues to produce heat and electricity at all times, any superfluous power can be fed into the public grid. Thus, the owner of this cogeneration plant will also receive feed-in compensation.

HiGH enerGy efficiencyThe produced thermal energy should also be utilized on site without any transfer losses, preferably at a rate of 365 days a year. The cogeneration plant installed at the butchery works according to that prin-ciple. It never produces more heat than could possibly be used by any outlet locat-ed between the roof and the basement. The system supports a complex of residential areas and commercial premises encom-passing 3,000 square meters—although its focus does vary according to season. In the fall and winter, the thermal energy is mainly dedicated to heating all the living

> HeATiNg sysTeMs coMPAred

Suitable alternative to conventional boilers cogeneration (cHP) plants can reduce both emissions and primary energy requirements.

source: Berlin energy agency

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> How A 40-kilowATT coMBusTioN eNgiNe works

heat and electricity from a single unitNo matter what kind of fuel is used or the size of the system, the functional principle of a cogeneration plant with an MAN engine remains identical. The engine (1) drives a generator (2), which produces electricity. The heat of the engine is transferred through a heat exchanger (3) via the cooling water system (4 + 5) to the heating cir-cuit of the building, and thus used either to heat the interior or produce hot water (6). The incoming gas pipe (7) supplies the fuel, which is delivered to the gas mixer (9) through a gas conduit (8). The control unit (10) regulates the precise ignition of the engine, while the throttle valve (11) oversees the quantity of the gas mixture for the desired engine output. As an electronic controlling element, the actuator governs the throttle valve and so forms part of the engine’s speed and output control system. ex-haust gas heat is also supplied via a water-cooled waste gas pipe (12) and a waste gas heat exchanger (13) to the heating circuit. The cooled waste gas is emitted to the environment by way of the waste gas outlet (14).

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companyforum 01/2012 29

network of MAN Truck & Bus in the south-east region of the country.

MAN has enjoyed a presence in China for more than a century—and not just with its commercial vehicles either. Back in 1903, the Bavarian company was already involved in the construction of a railroad in the Shan-dong province. MAN’s Commercial Vehicles business area has had a foothold in China for 15 years and now plans to raise its profile and boost its penetration of the market—includ-ing an expansion of its dealer and service networks. “We want to take the MAN brand closer to the customer,” says Lim. The first step will be an authorized dealership in the

eastern province of Jiangsu, with long-term plans to also enter the western part of the country. In focusing on the increasing local need for mobility, Lim is pursuing a thor-oughly pragmatic strategy—as he wouldn’t want to trust just luck, after all.� <

MAN Truck & Bus has opened a new showroom in Shanghai. Establishing a new presence in the southeast of China emphasizes MAN’s strategic focus on the huge growth market in Asia.

In�the�year�of�the�dragon

>>>�Bright red flags and flowers adorn the new MAN showroom on its opening day. In China, the color red is a symbol promising happiness and prosperity. Naturally, Benny Lim, managing director of MAN Truck & Bus China is familiar with Chinese color theory. From his point of view, the new showroom marks “an important step in opening up the Chinese market.” China is one of the world’s largest and fastest-growing markets for commercial vehicles. Today, already half the trucks produced worldwide are sold here. The newly estab-lished trading operation in China’s econom-ic boomtown serves to expand the sales

1. The new MAN Truck & Bus Center

in the metropolis of Shanghai, China

2. Benny Lim, managing director of MAN

Truck & Bus China, at the opening ceremony

3. The latest MAN models

are displayed on the sales floor.

4. Flags in the color of happiness and

prosperity decorate the entrances.

01 02

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Historically, the dragon was the

emblem of the Chinese emperor.

Today, it symbolizes strength,

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reportage

Hafen: Rampenabsenkung

30

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forum 01/2012 31

reportage

Hafen: Rampenabsenkung

Das ist eine ildunterschriftVitiis

nument aute pa aut et laccus dem

aliciam, corempo ritiis ea is nimet

et id quatiasi volorest, omnis dus

30

trucks in the underBellyEurope’s largest shipping terminal for cars sits in Bremerhaven. MAN trucks are also dispatched from here—such as in the hold of the Grand Phoenix. This car carrier is powered by an MAN engine with an output of nearly 23,000 hp.

Dawn of a long day: By the time the

Grand Phoenix leaves the harbor

basin in Bremerhaven this evening,

thousands of vehicles will have rolled

up the gigantic loading ramp.

forum 01/2012 31

feature

Lowering the ramp

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featureforum 01/2012 3332

>>> At nine o’clock in the morning, the Grand Phoenix enters the harbor basin of the car terminal in Bremerhaven. In the bone-chilling cold, two tugs are dragging the giant ship to the quay wall. The dock worker at the receiving end of the mooring rope stands in front of a vast wall of steel almost two hun-dred meters long and rising up about thirty meters. The Grand Phoenix is a car carrier, a ship specialized in vehicle transport. Car car-riers are easily recognized, as they somehow resemble a floating cardboard box. The huge face of the ship wall is smooth and devoid of any windows, with no openings aside from a second loading hatch in the middle. At the hull, the main loading ramp descends slowly, offering a glimpse of the ship’s maw that will spew out row after row of new Japanese cars in the coming hours—only to swallow German ones. Twenty MAN vehi-cles will also be boarded today. Essentially, the Grand Phoenix is an oversized parking garage. “Its 12 decks can fit up to 6,500 passenger cars, if it carried only cars,” says Christian Weber, sales & marketing manager at Höegh Autoliners, the shipping company that oper-ates the vessel. “In our trade jargon, that makes for 6,500 CEUs, or Car Equivalent Units.”

The Grand Phoenix is one of the larger ships of the Oslo-based shipping company. Höegh owns 42 car carriers with capacities between 2,300 and 7,850 CEUs, with an addi-tional 13 being chartered under long-term agreements. The Grand Phoenix will be travel-ing via Antwerp, Le Havre, Southampton, Santander and South Africa to Australia be-fore finally continuing to Japan. This ship is

driven by an MAN engine with an output of almost 23,000 hp. A Höegh-operated car car-rier makes the journey from Bremerhaven to Down Under once a week.

masteRpiece of Logistics9:30 a.m. “The captain can ease up a bit at this time,” explains Weber. “Until the ship gets back under way, the port captain is responsi-ble.” He also works for the shipping company, but only goes on board whenever the ship is in port. On the ramp, new vehicles alternate with yellow shuttle cars. These belong to BLG Autoterminal Bremerhaven, the company op-erating the terminal. They carry the drivers from the ship’s interior to the parking spot where the next lot of cars is waiting for collec-tion—and vice versa. Port marshallers and lashers come on board in small blue buses, they are the experts in loading the cargo.

“It is essential that the loading ramp hits just the right shallow angle,” reports Christian Weber. Otherwise, the long trailers could get grounded or sports cars might scrape over the edge. As opposed to container ships, car carriers always depend on a certain water level for loading. Because Bremerhaven is close to the mouth of the Weser River, with tides making quite an impact, the car termi-nal has its own basin that is not affected by ebb and flow. Two lock gates separate the ba-sin from the river. When cars are loaded or unloaded, the ship draft does not change no-ticeably—for as loading technology goes, cars are made up of a whole lot of air. When the Grand Phoenix is fully loaded, its cargo weighs

1. The loading ramp has to be lowered to

just the right angle …

2. … otherwise trailers could get grounded

or low-slung cars scrape over the edge.

3. The team pilots the MAN trucks with an

accuracy of centimeters.

4. Secured tightly in the heaviest of seas:

Lashers fixate the cargo.

“Onto its 12 decks, the ‘Grand Phoenix’ can fit up to 6,500 passenger cars.”

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christian Weber, sales & marketing manager, höegh autoliners

checking the ramp

marshaling in the loading area

Loading preparations

affixing the maN truck

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They arrive here from factories in Munich, Salzgitter, Steyr in Austria or in Poland, on flatbed trailers or on their own wheels.

12:30 p.m. An icy draft sweeps the deck, although there are no openings to the outside. The cold air comes through win-dow-sized ventilation shafts in the side of the ship. A ventilation system expels the fumes from the deck area. In the middle of a still barely occupied deck, a young man in-troduces himself as Sasha. Marshalling the trucks is Sasha’s job. He waves them in to po-sition them as tightly as possible and folds down their wing mirrors—as he really needs the space. “With the mirrors extended, each

> ViTAL STATiSTicS of ThEGrand PhoenixShip type: car carrierYear built: 2005Shipyd.: toyohashi shipbuilding co.Length: 199 metersWidth: 32 metersDeadweight: 18,383 tonsMaximum load: 6,500 carsEngine: maN B&W 7 s 60 mcPerformance: 22,570 hp

in at between 8,000 and 9,000 tons. Contain-er ships of the same size carry loads weighing eight to 10 times as much.

maN tRucks foR austRaLiaOne car after another is driven out, scanned and parked in the vast port area. Car parks and parking blocks extend for kilometers. “We have parking space for 110,000 cars, 45,000 of them roofed over,” says Siegmar Brauer of BLG’s customer service department. Strung together, they would make up a traffic jam of 500 kilometers. In 2011, BLG handled 2,053,000 passenger cars in Bremerhaven, yet they are not the only vehicles to be loaded. The slower wheelers are parked in an area close to the quay wall. They belong to the

truck is a little wider than 2.5 meters. In the central area we have a clearance of 10 meters between two rows of pillars,” says Sasha. “If I didn’t fold down the mirrors, I’d only be able to fit three vehicles alongside one another instead of four.”

Having quickly consulted his loading plan, he jogs away to meet the next truck, which is just turning onto the deck. He directs the vehicle into a space between two trucks that are already parked, with centimeter accu-racy. As soon as the driver has jumped down from the cab, it is the lashers’ turn to ap-proach the truck. At front and back, the men attach belts to the truck, hooking the other end into the loops anchored in the deck floor and pulling the belt tensioners tight. Every vehicle on board needs to be carefully lashed in place—after all, they must not move around even in a heavy sea.

2:00 p.m. Change of shift. Out there, hundreds of passenger cars and dozens of high and heavy vehicles are still waiting. The loading process will continue well into the evening, before the ship finally departs the port. Siegmar Brauer takes a break to grab a coffee in the canteen. Even from here he can keep a close eye on the loading ramp of the Grand Phoenix at all times. <

“We also load boxes and even blocks of granite. Whatever

doesn’t roll already, we’ll make rollable.”

siegmar Brauer, BlG customer services

driver’s seat, merely a folding chair is fastened to the floor via metal ties in front of the steer-ing wheel. Together with seven of the trucks, the chassis are destined for Brisbane in the northeast of Australia. The other seven trucks will be unloaded in Fremantle, on the west coast. Last year, MAN shipped about 8,500 ve-hicles to destinations all over the world from various European ports. Most of them were loaded up in Bremerhaven.

To ensure that MAN’s trucks and bus chassis will make the best possible impres-sion upon arrival, BLG has already washed them. “This is part of the service during the winter season,” explains Brauer. Other than passenger cars, trucks are generally delivered not on a closed car train but rather by road.

“high and heavy” category: construction ma-chines, tractors, slag transporters, a mobile home. A motor coach sits secured on a trailer, which can be quickly lifted and shifted by small traction units. “We also load boxes or even blocks of granite,” observes Brauer. “Whatever doesn’t roll already, we’ll make rol-lable.” Last year, BLG handled almost 1.1 mil-lion tons of high and heavy freight here.

Featuring driver cabs in white, 14 MAN trucks sit in the high and heavy parking area waiting to be loaded today. They are on their way to Australia. In front of the trucks is a minimalist version of vehicular design: six MAN bus chassis, without any kind of super-structure. The steering column rises from the frame in solitary splendor, and instead of a

01

1. The MAN engine powering

the Grand Phoenix has an

output of about 23,000 hp.

2. The cars are loaded up

and en route to Down Under.

3. The cargo of a single day

is lined up bumper to

bumper in a huge area.

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getting ready for later loading

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Last operations at the port

checking the maN two-stroke engine

school for smooth operatorsMAN’s trucks, buses, engines and turbines are built for a very long service life. To ensure their high performance in the long run, however, the customers must operate them correctly. At the MAN Academies, they can learn how to best handle the equipment.

forum 01/2012 41

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>>> Workshop. The word conjures up oil stains on the floor, tools on the wall and die-sel fumes in the air. Yet entering the well-lit training workshop of the PrimeServ Acade-my at MAN Diesel & Turbo’s production site in Augsburg, most likely evokes the feeling of an oversized exhibition room for luxury cars. From the floor to the ceiling, every-thing in the 1,500 square meter building is of a bright and gleaming white, merely in-terrupted by the glass walls partitioning off the training rooms. Not a trace of oil any-where. And the bright red engines set up in the midst of the hall—as large as a truck trailer and weighing up to 100 tons—serve as a reminder that here are dimensions quite dwarfing those of mere passenger cars.

“We have some real-life hardware here, great for climbing on,” says Hermann Scheidt, head of the PrimeServ Academy in Augsburg. And he means that in a literal sense: The marine and power plant engi-neers, technicians and maintenance me-chanics who are trained here in handling

MAN’s diesel engines are not undergoing just theoretical training. Standing on lifting platforms, small groups approach the real object to practice the correct way of steer-ing, maintenance and minor repairs, such as the replacement of pistons, seals or bear-ings. “These marine and power plant en-gines are in service for at least 20 years, with most of them running for as long as 30 or 40 years. Proper operation and good maintenance are therefore essential,” explains Roman Schröder, responsible for PrimeServ Academies worldwide at MAN Diesel & Turbo. While other factors might also in-clude liability and guarantees, “above all we want to wow and enthuse our customers,” says Schröder, “for only satisfied customers remain loyal customers.”

In the past year, the PrimeServ Acad-emy has trained almost 4,000 participants at its six locations worldwide. Its list of cus-tomers includes well-known names such as the Royal Caribbean cruise company, the oil producer Transocean or Jan De Nul, the

manufacturer of marine dredgers, which is based in Belgium.

Every location features its own special-ty: Fort Lauderdale in the US focuses on en-gine maintenance for cruisers, for example, while the French site specializes in engines for power supply companies, and Korea serves the shipping industry. At the two academies currently under construction in Denmark, MAN customers will receive fur-ther training mainly on large bore two-stroke ship engines and marine GenSets.

New academy iN OberhauseNIn Oberhausen, Maik Tiedemann eagerly ob-serves the construction progress of yet an-other PrimeServ Academy. For decades MAN has been training 30 to 40 specialists from the gas production, chemicals and power in-dustries every year at its site in the industrial Ruhr region, showing them how to handle compressors and steam and gas turbines. Yet once the “Glass Palace”, as the head of Turbo Service respectfully calls it, is finished, there

40

company

In MAN’s hybrid bus, the

high-voltage components

work with up to 800 volts.

Servicing these vehicles

requires extensive training. 36The number of Training cenTers operated by man

Truck & bus

worldwide

Training of about

25 000customers at man Truck & bus

mechatronic technicians drivers inspectors workshop staff

Training in how to lower

consumption during

operation is in high

demand by truck and bus

drivers worldwide.

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ment in the form of heat, this low-floor bus with a combined diesel and electric engine recycles it. The energy thus saved is used for pulling away—quietly and emission-free. Most automotive mechatronics engineers still lack training in this ultra-modern tech-nology, however. “These are high-voltage ve-hicles with charges of up to 800 volts. So you had better know what to touch and what not to,” explains hybrid trainer Florian Porzelt. Together with the energy storage and venti-lation units, the high-voltage system is locat-ed in the safest area of the bus: on the roof. To show customers how to safely connect or disconnect the engines and how to replace components of the hybrid system, the tech-nical trainers at the Munich training center had a model built of a hybrid bus roof. Mea-suring seven meters in length and two and a half meters wide, the model allows for com-prehensive and safe-guarded training in ze-ro-voltage conditions. Upon concluding the training course, participants receive a certif-icate recognized by the trade association, which asserts their qualification as a high-voltage specialist to work on hybrid vehicles with up to 1,000 volts—provided the power is switched off. <

will be five times as many students. “There will be a simulator that looks like the control room of a gas pipeline. Here trainees can practice regulating gas flow pressure, for ex-ample,” explains Maik Tiedemann. Extend-ing over roughly 1,200 square meters, the hall houses a whole range of training equip-ment such as a compressor that drives natu-ral gas through the pipes. “Trainers use it to demonstrate how bearings or seals can be re-placed, or how to access the rotary screw.” Another unit for training purposes is a steam turbine.

MAN Truck & Bus operates 36 training centers worldwide, where training is also a hands-on experience. “We school customers using our new engines, buses, trucks and undercarriages. They range from German Rail, Munich Airport and international transport entities to official review agencies such as Dekra and TÜV,” relates Christian Krombacher, responsible at Truck & Bus for the MAN Academy’s technical training worldwide. Whether in Munich, Salzgitter, Berlin, Menden in the Sauerland region, as well as at the 36 training centers abroad: Al-most 25,000 mechatronics engineers, driv-ers, testers and workshop maintenance staff

received instruction last year from the 80 fully qualified technical trainers. “Our cus-tomers depend on our products to make money,” Krombacher points out. “They can’t afford an engine failure on their concrete mixer or their cooler truck when it’s loaded with perishable pork.” Thus, he says, proper handling and servicing is crucial. In these times of continuously rising diesel prices, training courses in low-consumption driv-ing are also much in demand. “It might not sound like much, when a truck driver's more conservative driving style results in up to two liters less fuel over 100 kilometers. Yet when you look at a shipping company with several trucks covering 100,000 kilometers a year, it adds up to considerable savings,” emphasizes Krombacher.

haNds-ON traiNiNgTechnical training for the Lion’s City Hybrid has emerged as a new and significant topic at the MAN Academy. Urban transport pat-terns with their continuous stop and go are ideally suited for MAN’s hybrid buses, which are already servicing Munich, Paris and Barcelona. Whereas conventional buses release their braking energy to the environ-

Engineers and technicians from

power supply companies are

trained at MAN Diesel & Turbo’s

PrimeServ Academy in France.

30 – 40specialisTs

are trained every year at oberhausen in handling compressors as well as steam and gas turbines.

primeserv academy

6

4 000

locations worldwide

trainingparticipants

At MAN Diesel & Turbo in

Oberhausen, a steam turbine

is also among the exhibits for

training purposes.

Two new MAN Academies

are under construction in

Denmark. At these facilities,

customers receive further

training on large bore

two-stroke marine engines.

40

Stately and stream-

lined: In its Augsburg-

based Research &

Development Forum,

MAN Diesel & Turbo

presents the latest

technologies in

a modern high-tech

ambiance.


>>> “Engineering the Fu-ture – since 1758.” Across

the entrance area, the MAN Group claim is emblazoned in

large white letters on a deep blue wall. The real meaning of

those words is made impressively obvious here at the MAN Diesel &

Turbo Research & Development Fo-rum in Augsburg. Since September 2011,

this 250-square-meter space has served as an exclusive platform to present to custom-

ers, licensees, development partners and em-ployees the company’s state-of-the-art R&D re-

sults for the future.One highlight and so far the largest exhibit is an

SCR catalyst 4.6 meters long and 2.5 meters tall, de-signed to reduce nitrogen oxide in exhaust output

and a component of a highly advanced large common-rail diesel engine. For presentation purposes at the Fo-

rum, the catalyst was specifically modified to allow visi-tors a walk-through. Situated at the gallery of the large en-

gine hall C19 at the Augsburg plant, the exhibition offers tours conducted by specially trained staff members, who can

provide detailed information on every piece displayed—ranging from the imposing SCR catalyst, to cylinder heads over 1.5 tons, to

the VTA, a system for the electronically controlled adjustment of the combustion air supply.

Other than being the central location for numerous trade fair exhibits, the Forum primarily serves as a communications platform. There is a

lounge area for customer meetings, smaller receptions and workshops, which can also provide catering services as needed. The goal is to rotate the

exhibits on a regular basis and adapt them to the latest state of technology, thus offering customers the opportunity to learn about new technologies be-

fore they go on the market. In turn, MAN benefits from customer feedback, which can be factored into the development process at an early stage.

Six months after the official opening of the exhibition space, which is grouped into the three topical areas technologies, marine applications and power applications,

Nina Wenke, project manager marketing at MAN Diesel & Turbo, already notes a very favorable outcome: “The Forum has been very well received. On average, we are getting

three to four bookings per week.” As the Forum had been originally planned as only a mar-keting tool for the Marine, Power and Turbocharger business units, Wenke finds the interest

shown by partners in development and after-sales particularly gratifying. <

Room foR innovationAt the Research & Development Forum of MAN Diesel & Turbo, customers can become acquainted with new technologies and develop-ments even before market launch.

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Daily routine at the MAN

Diesel & Turbo workshop

in Qatar: A staff member

checks the external

diameter of a screw

connection.

company forum 01/2012 43

>>> As soon as Klaus Fraedrich returns home in the evening, he has to drop to the floor: Sarong demands a good cuddle. The Tibetan shih zhu—which can be translated from Chinese as “lion dog”—is a bundle of energy and spirit that needs to be tamed at the end of the day. “A quick spin around the house is a must,” says Fraedrich. That brief interlude is enough for the miniature ca-nine bombshell, however. It is hot here in Doha, the capital of the desert state Qatar.

Wealth built on gas and oilAt its widest point, the emirate on the Per-sian Gulf measures just 80 kilometers, the longest stretch extends over 160 kilometers from north to south. Merely 1.7 million peo-ple live here, just as many as the population of Hamburg. Due to its vast reserves of crude oil and natural gas, however, the tiny country has the highest per capita income in the world. Oil refineries, petrochemical industrial complexes and their suppliers set the rhythm of the economy. And that is pre-cisely why Klaus Fraedrich is here.

Originally from German Oberhausen, the 54-year-old engineer heads the service center of GTS Gulf Turbo Services, which was set up by MAN Diesel & Turbo as a joint venture with Petrotec Qatar in 2006. This workshop handles a wide range of tasks: The team of 70 employees repairs axial and ra-dial compressors, pumps, gears, ventilators, and mixers, as well as conducts tests of tur-bines or services rotating equipment on site at refineries and chemical plants. Services are provided around the clock. Customers come from Doha’s own industrial zone or nearby Abu Dhabi and Oman. “Nowadays, we are even asked to overhaul the complete rotating equipment of big industrial plants,” explains Fraedrich.

Fraedrich, who has found a new home in the desert together with his wife and daughter plus their dog, Sarong, cultivates

Into the desertIn the Emirate of Qatar, two German engineers have set up a service center for MAN Diesel & Turbo in an industrial park that sits in the middle of the desert—and today employs a staff of 70. A visit to the sweltering desert state.

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MA

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forum 01/2012 45

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falconry as his leisure activity in Arabia. He hails from the Sterkrade district of Ober-hausen—the very place where the St. Anto-ny Ironworks, the predecessor of MAN, was founded more than 250 years ago. This was also where Fraedrich’s colleague Kurt-Georg Schmid was raised. For 25 years the two men have been very close friends, bonded by a common temperament. “We guys from the Ruhr region are notorious go-getters. And we’re not afraid of challenges,” states Schmid. Fitting for this background, he was responsible for setting up the location in Qatar, handing over a well-established workshop with an extensive portfolio of customers to his successor Fraedrich in 2009. Today, Schmid is back in Oberhausen, where he manages the MAN PrimeServ ser-vice center network for compressors and steam turbines. Thus, he still maintains close ties with “his baby” in Qatar.

When Schmid arrived in the desert emirate six years ago, there was nothing

here but a factory shell measuring 1,800 square meters. “That was it,” he remembers. “No technology, no equipment and, above all, no staff.” In order to find qualified work-ers, the workshop manager had to make his way to India, where he had previously spent four years at an MAN Diesel & Turbo branch. “I succeeded in getting people to come to Doha for a year. They were familiar with our company’s product range. So we had experts on the job right from the start,” says Schmid, when describing his strategy. The men did a good job, and passed their ex-pertise on to their colleagues. “Today we can fill every position with our own people,” Schmid says with satisfaction. The GTS team now comprises a staff of 70: Germans, Filipinos, Nigerians, Sri Lankans and Indi-ans. In line with its growth strategy, that number should rise to 150 in future.

Welding such a diverse assortment of nationalities and cultures into a successful and committed team, requires a rich array

of experience—something that both Schmid and Fraedrich have in abundance. Schmid completed his training at MAN in 1975, qualifying as a machine fitter. After that he set out into the world, working on assembly. “I celebrated my 20th birthday in Sydney.” Then it was South Africa, South America and India. In between, he took time off for additional studies, completing a technical school and then continuing his expatriate life while taking on new chal-lenges around the globe.

tWo globetrotters in QatarFraedrich is a man of the same ilk. He is also a globetrotter, having worked abroad for 20 years and every continent. Yet he received the crucial impulse for his development in Oberhausen, where he worked as a member of the development team on MAN Diesel & Turbo’s legendary test stand for large ma-chinery. “That called for technical under-standing, innovative imagination as well as

persistence,” he says. “Either you can do it or you can’t, they said. I could—because I wanted to.” The most important thing he learned was the ability to find his feet in all kinds of situations. “That is crucial if I am to make intelligent use of the degree of free-dom I have here.”

Flexibility and a goal-oriented men-tality are qualities in demand at the Qatar branch. Among the customers are gigantic refineries, like that operated by Shell. In the setup phase, such a Gas To Liquid (GTL) plant with its eight big turbine trains can have 60,000 men working on it. “We might

even savor the thought of just how huge the dimensions of these industrial complexes really are,” Fraedrich says with enthusiasm. Among the toughest challenges are the complete system shutdowns. In the fall, an-other GTL unit will have to be put out of ac-tion completely for three months, in order to carry out all scheduled maintenance. These measures will include the replace-ment of two massive heat exchangers, each weighing 60 tons.

Multicultural teaMWork It’s an exciting market for Gulf Turbo Servic-es. Now that Qatar has been chosen for the football World Cup in 2022, the infrastruc-ture is growing at a headlong pace. The emir-ate moves in the dimension of superlatives. It is investing billions in the expansion of its airport and the extension of its rail and sub-way connections. “Here we recognize fur-ther opportunities for our company and the technical services we have to offer,” says an enthused Fraedrich.

In order to meet such challenges, Schmid at the Oberhausen head office and Fraedrich onsite in Qatar both strongly be-lieve in team spirit. “The team,” Fraedrich says, “is the backbone of our workshop. So we rented the accommodation for the work-force here in Doha, furnishing the rooms and shared kitchen facilities and setting up a social environment.” Made up of Muslims, Hindus and Christians, the mixed living community is getting on well. “Which is cru-cially important for the success of us all,” emphasizes Schmid. In addition, security is a top priority at GTS. This is not just a matter of safety in the workplace. To this end, all

employees receive work shoes and several work overalls. “That is something quite spe-cial for our people,” says Fraedrich. “They wear their work gear with pride, even in their time off.”

It makes him smile to think of some Indians and Filipinos who find it too cold in the winter—as they are used to much high-

er temperatures. Then, the thermometer reaches 25 degrees Celsius at the most, as compared with 50 or more in summer. “Sometimes we even need to supply winter coats and woolly hats,” Fraedrich says. And yet the chill does not impact the positive mood, as visible on YouTube. Under “GTS_2011_Christmas-Song” the team post-ed a video on the Internet portal, featuring their own choir performing the most beau-tiful Christmas carols.

Moments such as these might explain why Fraedrich doesn’t feel even a hint of homesickness. There are vacations to look forward to, after all. He won’t be yearning for white sandy beaches: The wanderer longs to return home and relax on the fam-ily farm in Kalkar on the Lower Rhine. And Sarong, the lion dog, will just tag along. <

1. Workers from all over the world form a harmonious team in the workshop.

2. Qatar is booming—and not just since it became a future host of the soccer World Cup.

3. Scarce commodity in affluent Qatar: Most workers come from abroad.

4. A GTS worker cleaning a pump housing by sand blast treatment.

5. Klaus Fraedrich (right) talking to a supplier in the workshop

6. Proud of his quality management certificate: Kurt-Georg Schmid (2nd from right)

“Our employees wear their work gear with pride, even in their time off.”Klaus Fraedrich, managing director, Gulf turbo services

company

03

05

06

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04

46

> The nexT issue is published in June 2012.

closing words

Phot

o: M

AN

, Erw

in F

leis

chm

ann

/Aut

obild

.de

>>> With the highest revenue in company history, the second-best figure ever for order intake and an operat-ing profit ranking third overall, MAN can look back on a very successful fiscal year. The record revenue was largely due to the Commercial Vehicles business area. Due to a continuously positive trend with regard to or-der intake and revenue, MAN Truck & Bus was able to triple its operating profit in 2011. This marks the end of the ripple effect stemming from the financial crisis of 2008, which still had an impact on the business figures for 2010. Once again, MAN Latin America was Brazilian market leader in 2011 for trucks over five tons—marking the best year in its history.

Subject to its delayed cycle, the Power Engineer-ing business area still felt the effects of the bygone cri-sis, resulting in a four percent revenue decline for the year 2011. Order intake and the operating profit have both increased, however, reflecting a positive trend. The greater part of revenue in Power Engineering was attributable to MAN Diesel & Turbo. Especially the de-mand for compressors and turbines was strong. The gear units and glide bearings manufacturer Renk also experienced a slight decline in revenue during the re-porting year. Order intake, however, was significantly higher than those figures. Primarily, the year 2011 saw growth in the sales of gear units for marine and wind power systems. Overall, the MAN Group once again

achieved profitable growth last year. Its return on sales rose from 7.1 to 9 percent—and thus represents a signif-icantly higher return than the long-term target average of 8.5 percent.

The positive development of order intake is un-doubtedly a good basis for successful business activi-ties in the future. Still, we are anticipating subdued eco-nomic growth worldwide for the year 2012. Even though we expect a stable demand for commercial vehicles in Europe, sales are likely to initially decline in Brazil—due to the introduction of Euro V emission standards. Overall, we are anticipating a slight decline in revenue for the Commercial Vehicles business area in 2012, with as much as five percent.

As for Power Engineering, on the other hand, we are expecting an increase in revenue of about five per-cent, based on the high level of orders received already. Thus—assuming that the financial and capital markets suffer no major upsets that could have effects on the real economy—we subsequently expect the overall MAN Group to experience just a slight decline in over-all revenue and operating profit for this year. In the middle and long term, however, our growth prospects remain very good, especially when considering the range of opportunities stemming from the cooperation with the Volkswagen Group. This enables us to face the future with confidence. <

Frank H. Lutz,

CFO of MAN SE

ExcEllEnt pErformancEThe MAN Group concluded last year with record revenue. In 2012, MAN CFO Frank H. Lutz expects slower economic growth and a slight decline in business.

Win a spin With EuropE’s strongEst all-WhEEl tractorSimply provide the correct answer to this question:Which of these terms describes the load capacity of a car carrier in trade jargon?A) DIS B) PAK C) CEU

Car carriers are ships specializing in the transport of vehicles. Europe’s largest terminal for cars and trucks is located in Bremerhaven. Last year, 2,053,000 passenger cars passed through the port. Driven by an MAN engine, the Grand Phoenix is one of these car carriers. It can accommodate up to 6,500 vehicles in its hold. Read more from page 30.

Send your answer by e-mail to [email protected] by May 31, 2012, providing your name and e-mail address and win a drive with Europe’s most powerful tractor on Ludwig Streitberger’s farm in Grasheim near Ingolstadt. Feel the vibrations of 650 hp and enjoy a spin on this 20-ton juggernaut. This will be followed by a guided tour of the historic city of Ingolstadt, before you conclude this eventful day at a beautiful hotel in the old part of town.

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