Full speed ahead!Power packs in action at sea

Page 12

HYDRAULIKPRESSE06/08

Issue

03/2

008

24

14

04

The Gotthard Tunnel: the building project of the centuryGearing up for an underground attack

The sixth tournamentHANSA-FLEX teams playing football in the Czech Republic

En route: fi rst im-pressions from the XWORLD Tour“Every day was an adventure”

Editorial 03

En route: first impressions from the XWORLD Tour – “Every day was an adventure” 04

New at HANSA-FLEX: quality-controlled industrial hoses 06

Industrial hoses: from tunnelling to the food industry 07

Oil drilling: drilling whatever the climate – Cost-effective transportation of oil rigs 08

Logistics: visit to the central warehouse. Everything to hand – Reliably partnering the branches 10

Industrial installation: tugging and towing – Power packs in action at sea 12

The sixth tournament – HANSA-FLEX teams playing football in the Czech Republic 14

In the thick of it instead of on the sidelines – HANSA-FLEX stirs things up with girl power in Berlin 15

Engineering / unit construction: fast assembly for mobile stage 16

Food for the steel industry – Oil Service keeps scrap shears in trim 18

No airhead when it comes to oil treatment – There’s something in the air 20

Groundbreaking ceremony – IHA sets standards 21

Won over by the kit concept – A farmer who loves his job 22

Tunneling: gearing up for an underground attack 24

Social engagement at Darmstädter Tafel – Helping to ensure well filled stomachs 26

Facts & Figures 26

Quiz, Training seminar schedule, Preview 27

CONTENT | IMPRESS

Content

ISSUE JUNE 2008

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 2008HYDRAULIKPRESSE

HYDRAULIKPRESSE

02

The Management Board

Uwe Buschmann Thomas Armerding

Dear reader,

As a system partner for hydraulics and Europe’s No. 1 company for fluid technology, HANSA-FLEX can offer its customers everything from a single source. People know about this – but we understand a true system partnership to be rather more. We therefore develop and offer our partners concepts that will help them improve their performance. For example, a service programme structured by HANSA-FLEX for tunnelling and large construction sites.

Here we support customers by offering our many years of experience and expertise, which we have already demonstrated during numerous international projects in the technically challenging sector of tunnelling. HANSA-FLEX is geared to the needs of tunnelling companies, which operate under great pressure in terms of time and costs. Everything has to go like clockwork, with multitasking often being the order of the day. HANSA-FLEX is used to handling orders quickly and unbureaucratically by dispatching teams of service tech-nicians and mobile workshops to tunnelling sites. As for example during the work currently underway on the Gotthard tunnel in Switzerland, which is described in detail on page 24.

The principle of “everything from a single source” also holds good for tunnelling sites: The smaller the number of suppliers, the more smoothly the internal processes will go. As a system partner for fluid technol-ogy HANSA-FLEX helps to optimise the procurement process and supplies industrial hoses, which are used in tunnelling as suction and pressure hoses for water and air. At the newly opened central warehouse for industrial hoses at Telfs in Austria HANSA-FLEX also stocks other such hoses for the mining, construction and food industry as well as for wastewater management.

Setting the course for the future: this is how HANSA-FLEX sees the second central warehouse for hydraulic connection technology, which it plans to set up to back up the existing facility described on page 10. It will also use the new organisational software from SAP scheduled for introduction throughout the company on 1 July 2008. To ensure this gets off to a smooth start, everyone at HANSA-FLEX has shown great engagement while preparing for the launch, something that has not been exactly easy. Our thanks goes once again to all our staff for supporting implementation with the high level of commitment and willingness to learn they have shown.

HYDRAULIKPRESSEFOREWORD

Editorial

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XWORLD

The XWORLD Tour started a few weeks ago. Currently at the sixth stage, it has now reached the oasis city of Kashgar in China. The fi rst participants have already returned to the daily grind from their stint of the tour – and were riveted by what they had seen!

“I’d never have set off on such a trip by myself,” en-thuses Jutta Steinmetz from Bremen. She took part in the fi rst stage from Bremen to Istanbul, com-menting “Belonging to the group was a fantastic experience”. She was particularly impressed by the

high level of off -road driving, which took partici-pants through the striking landscapes of Bosnia and Serbia, far away from civilisation. In addition, “the people in the group were simply brilliant - it was a once-in-a-lifetime experience with unforgettable impressions.” Jutta Steinmetz also greatly liked the joint consultation held every morning, working out how the destination for that day was to be reached. “That might work - or it might not”. Jutta Steinmetz also fell in love with the Toyotas used on the tour: “I’d have rather not got out at all at the end!”

In Istanbul Josef Pertler then got in to take part in the third stage, which ran from the Turkish capital to Astrakhan. The man from Lower Bavaria works for HANSA-FLEX as a member of the fi eld team based in the Regensburg area. This means he is not fazed by mountains – but crossing the Carpathians, one of the absolute highlights of this stage – was a fantastic experience for him. “It was simply out of this world, with ravines, valleys and wild streams. We did an awful lot of off -road driving, travelling at 2,000 metres above sea level. The tour managers

did a fantastic job, agreeing with the participants which route was to be taken each day.” And as it oc-casionally went through regions without any roads at all, plenty of off -road driving was of course in-volved. “Sometimes we were on the road until 11 pm. Quite often we weren’t even sure whether the path was really going to lead us to our destination or whether we’d have to turn back - that was great,” comments Josef Pertler, still overwhelmed by his experiences weeks afterwards. In the Carpathians the excellent equipment of the XWORLD vehicles came into its own for the fi rst time. “A truck car-rying wood had sunk into a quagmire. We pulled it out with the cable winches on our Toyota Land Cruisers. But as the cardan shaft on the truck was broken, this manoeuvre was doomed to failure. We gave the lorry driver a lift to the next village 17 km away, where he’d be able to get hold of a replace-ment shaft,” reports Josef Pertler, describing this little adventure on the tour.

Impressions to last a lifetime

Pertler also waxed lyrical about the evenings spent by the group around the camp fi re in Ukraine and Russia at the end of the day. He would have liked more time to photograph all the new impressions assailing him. After the rather monotonous journey through the endless areas of Ukraine the partici-pants met with a surprise: At the border between Ukraine and Moldova they discovered a completely new state! Although it is not internationally recog-nised, Transnistria or the Transnistrian Moldovan Republic (as it is known offi cially) not only has its

En route: fi rst impressions from the XWORLD Tour“Every day was an adventure”

Ltr: Knut Diers, Enrico Kieschnick, Tanja Lamprecht, Josef Pertler, Christian Lamprecht

Wide Kazakh plain

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own currency and fl ag, but also – it goes without saying – a set procedure to enter the country. It was no easy matter to gain admission to this land of some 550,000 inhabitants, just 3.5 square kilome-tres in size. “It took ages before we could continue our journey”.

The participants then proceeded to Russia, where Josef Pertler was particularly struck by the warm hospitality shown by the locals. “They waved, clapped and honked their horns in the villages and at the side of the road when the XWORLD convoy came past”. The atmosphere was quieter when the participants arrived at the memorial commemorat-

ing the “Battle for Stalingrad“, which they visited on the eleventh stage of the tour. “An atmosphere that was at once impressive and oppressive.” Pertler’s verdict after completing the stage from Istanbul to Astrakhan in Russia via Bulgaria, Romania and Transnistria: “A trip I’d never have undertaken by myself.”

The party also included Tanja und Christian Lam-precht on the third stage of the XWORLD adventure tour. They returned “exhausted, yet happy.” They had won their places on the trip via Toyota Deut-schland and took part “in a magnifi cent tour”. Both are convinced that “the many impressions and ex-periences from this journey will never leave us our whole life long”. “On the trip we met wonderful people and saw diff erent countries from the other side, not just as tourists – and got to drive fantastic cars”. The Lamprechts were constantly bombarded by new impressions and experiences. Their many photos will help both of them to remember every detail of the XWORLD tour for years to come. “This trip was the fi nest and most varied we have ever undertaken.” Tanja Lamprecht can only advise any-one who is also after such an experience: “There’s nothing that can match up – you simply have to take part in the tour yourself.”

The XWORLD team is able to assist a stuck timber lorry trailer

Memorial in Volgograd

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NEW AT HANSA-FLEX

Tunnelling is one of the technically most challenging construction projects there is. It calls for top perform-ance in conjunction with tough working conditions, not to mention very tight deadlines and stringent safety regulations. When the customer calls, he wants a hose line right away.

This is something the team at HANSA-FLEX‘s Inns-bruck branch experience on a daily basis: They have provided active support to tunnelling contractors for many years now. And not just for hydraulics, but more and more for industrial hoses too as custom-ers increasingly want to obtain line engineering for fl uids from a single source.

Available to customers round the world

Taking advantage of its experience over recent years, HANSA-FLEX responds to the needs of customers. The entire service program for indus-trial hoses is bundled in Austria for all HANSA-FLEX branches. The founding of an independent subsidi-ary, HANSA-FLEX Industrieschlauch GmbH in Telfs, has created a capable company that will in future serve the needs of HANSA-FLEX customers all over the world. It also provides all branches with fast access to high-quality hoses. There HANSA-FLEX

concentrates on the industrial hose sector – with the exception of hoses for off shore applications – so guaranteeing a comprehensive range of stock for fast delivery, including all necessary connectors and even customised hose lines ready for installation.

Handling industrial hoses is nothing new for this hydraulics system partner. Until now the hydraulics service provider had only stocked a limited selec-tion of industrial hoses at the central warehouse in Bremen, available to all customers as bought-in items via the branches.

However, since launch of the new business for in-dustrial hoses in February 2008 some 1,400 diff er-ent articles are now kept in stock. Optimum avail-ability at all times combined with high quality: the perfect complement to the hydraulic components. The delivery programme off ers a wide range of industrial hoses. The range includes hoses for air and water, wastewater hoses as well as hoses for applications in the chemical and food industry. Nor should we forget the hoses used to convey abrasive media. We can produce hoses for concrete with nominal widths of up to six inches according to customer dimensions, sending them out fully pre-assembled.

How it all started

It is above all the many building sites based around the nearby Brenner tunnel, one of the largest con-struction projects of this decade, that will benefi t from the service now off ered by Telfs as there has always been close cooperation between tunnel-ling contractors and the Innsbruck branch. These companies want a fast response whenever hy-draulic systems fail. It is not easy for tunnel bor-ing machines to catch up again after unplanned stoppages. The existing site containers with a fully equipped workshop to produce hydraulic hose lines on the spot were revamped by the team from Inns-bruck and designed to be more user-friendly. They got together with customers to develop workshop containers which would combine well structured storage systems, simple machines and a good se-lection of primary materials. They managed to win over contractors from the tunnelling and mining sectors – there are meanwhile 13 such workshops to be found near tunnel construction sites and around 80 throughout Europe.

In the course of this cooperation it soon became clear that customers were hoping to obtain all fl uid lines from a single source to cut down on the

Quality-controlled industrial hosesTo hand when needed for tunnelling, industry or construction

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NEW AT HANSA-FLEX

number of suppliers involved. This reduces interfac-es and minimises the internal costs of administra-tion for Purchasing, Accounts and Controlling. This realisation combined with the expertise acquired by the Innsbruck branch over the years culminated in the founding of a new division in Telfs.

A no-compromise approach to quality

Both HANSA-FLEX staff and customers receive ex-pert advice from Telfs, so ensuring that they are provided with the best hose for the specifi c ap-plication. Like the central warehouse, the store for industrial hoses is also able to deliver the required material within 24 or 48 hours. Customers are in-structed on site about the special properties of each hose by HANSA-FLEX staff . In other words, which hose is used for what purpose, and the safety regu-lations that need to be observed in each case.

It goes without saying that all industrial hoses kept in stock off er the high levels of quality and reliability that people have come to expect from HANSA-FLEX for connection technology in the hy-draulics sector. The standard laid down for hose lines is consistently applied by HANSA-FLEX, work-ing in cooperation with hose manufacturers. Prod-ucts which fail to satisfy these requirements are not accepted in its delivery programme. The relevant standard specifi es the minimum requirements to be satisfi ed by industrial hoses. Suppliers who fail to guarantee these qualities are not accepted as HANSA-FLEX partners. „We are not going to depart

from the straight and narrow,“ were the words used by managing director Thomas Jäger to indicate HANSA-FLEX‘s refusal to make any compromises regarding the quality and safety of industrial hoses, either today or in the future.

All hoses undergo close quality checks at Goods Re-ceipt. Involving for example measuring wall thick-nesses and burst pressure – in the low pressure range threefold safety is required from hoses. In the interest of customers and to protect both man and the environment.

Industrial hoses: from tunnelling to the food industry

HANSA-FLEX industrial hoses are used as suction and pressure hoses to convey water, air, foodstu� s and abrasive media for applications in mining, construction, wastewater treatment and the food processing industry. The central ware-house contains some 1,400 standard ar-ticles, with the option of stocking extra items where needed. In addition to a comprehensive range of accessories such as couplings and nipples. Everything in tried and tested quality, certi� ed accord-ing to DIN EN ISO 9001. And customer support in the form of a well designed product catalogue, expert advice and trained sta� .

Sigrino: Assembly of tunnel boring machine (TBM) by the Gotthard-Tunnel

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07ISSUE JUNE 2008

OIL DRILLING

Petrol prices are rising, car drivers groaning – and things do not look set to improve in the near future. Crude oil remains a sought-after raw material. Round the globe almost four billion tons of crude were pro-duced in 2006. Russia came in after Saudi-Arabia as the second-largest oil producer at some 490 million tons and is also among the frontrunners when it comes to natural gas.

Ten percent of the world‘s primary energy comes from Russia, with its oil reserves being put at 50 billion barrels. 70 percent of this oil is in Siberia alone. There the unchecked demand for oil and gas is resulting in more and more new boreholes - work that in such latitudes naturally takes place under especially harsh conditions. It is not only the Sibe-rian winter that can be extreme with temperatures down to -60 degrees Centigrade but also its very hot summers, sometimes reaching 45 degrees, so making enormous demands on both man and tech-nology. Work still goes on down to -45 degrees dur-ing the icy Siberian winter, and the requirements on the equipment used for drilling are no less extreme. In this hostile environment oil companies use rigs manufactured by Bentec from Bad Bentheim. This drilling rig specialist has been in operation since 1888 and is in demand as a business partner at gas and oil fields all over the world.

Bentec drilling rigs are always geared to the spe-cific requirements of each site. In the Siberian oil fields drilling is carried out down to some 2,500 - 3,000 m and lasts between 90 and 120 days, with machinery working non-stop on site. The drilling head has to be changed several times in this period. During the process the drill pipes are removed each time, stripped down into 9-metre segments and then reassembled. On the work platform of the rig help is available in the shape of the so-called Iron Roughneck, a hydraulic device with automatic control that is used to securely screw the drill pipes back together again. And this is by no means the only task on the rig that is made easier thanks to hydraulics. Just heaving the heavy drill pipes onto the platform calls for the use of two hydraulic wire

cable hoists, so-called rig floor winches, each with a lifting force of five tons.

Tomorrow is today

The oil rigs used by Bentec in Siberia are put togeth-er as a complete train containing all necessary units, containers and equipment and are then transported to the next drilling site on rails. Here a rail track first has to be prepared and the subsurface stabilised. The train plus equipment then slowly sets itself in motion. Propelled along metre by metre by mighty cylinders. These two cylinders slowly push forward this enormous load: the 40-metre drilling rig alone weighs 500 tons, and the entire unit some 1,500 t.

The workers constantly extend the line with 9-me-tre sections of track which they dismantle behind the unit and reposition in front of the train. This logistical method avoids laborious dismantling and reassembly of the installation. It provides for economical transportation of the complete system without trucks getting stuck in the quagmire or a crane being required for set-up.

To move the entire train, the rig has to be lifted from the steel plates and set down on support wheels. Lifting cylinders are used for this task. Four hy-draulic, individually controlled cylinders at each of the four corners of the platform raise the rig so the steel plates can be removed. The rig is then slowly lowered onto the wheels. During subsequent drill-ing the 16 lifting cylinders and the insertion of steel plates under the rig allow it to be kept level. Even ground frozen solid by permafrost will gradually thaw under the supports during drilling and start to give. The feet of the oil platform are then underlaid with steel plates.

Flared and screwed connections

Oil rigs are technically sophisticated systems. The hydraulic control concept was developed and re-alised by Wesselmann Engineering working in cooperation with Bentec. This family firm, which is

Drilling whatever the climateCost-effective transportation of oil rigs

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OIL DRILLING

already being managed by the fi fth generation, de-signs and produces hydraulic and electronic control systems for demanding clients all over the world. The particular strengths of this small company are project planning and manufacture of complete sys-tems, either purpose-built or in serial production according to customer specifi cations. It sets great store by the use of high-quality components. This is where HANSA-FLEX comes in. Dieter Trommler of Wesselmann, who is responsible for coordinating the execution of orders from Bentec, has chosen HANSA-FLEX as its service partner, entrusting the industrial installations branch at Oldenburg with the hydraulic pipework for the project. Wesselmann Engineering and HANSA-FLEX have been working together successfully for over ten years. „It was only logical to continue our cooperation with this chal-lenging project,“ comments Dieter Trommler, allud-ing to the satisfactory experiences of the past.

In Siberia, far away from civilisation, what re-ally counts is guaranteed availability and safety for man and the environment when using hydraulics. Wesselmann decided to use fl ared connections for the stainless steel pipework in view of the enormous temperature diff erences and resulting expansion behaviour of the pipes along with the

high operating pressures of 250 bar. These screw couplings show clear benefi ts for this application: They absorb vibrations and can be relied on to cope with any expansion. In the case of repairs they have an advantage over welded connections as they can be dismantled and reassembled without being damaged. To rule out any leakage, the connection included ZR OO spacer rings (components with O-rings).

The HANSA-FLEX fi tting team headed by Bernd Nieder and Thorsten Klische always got down to work with their mobile worksite no matter what the weather was doing. The very fi rst trial run showed that there were no leaks – drilling could now go ahead in Siberia.

Life cycle costs minimised by � aring

The term “� aring” describes a process used to create detachable pipe connections. The ends of the pipe are � ared out using a

mandrel. Normally the pipes are joined to-gether using a union nut and the 37° � ared connection without any other sealant. For use in Siberia ZR OO spacer rings have been incorporated in the joint as a precautionary measure. This reduces the possibility of any leakage, while allowing the conventional 24° conical � tting (olive-type � tting) to be used. Compared with welded pipes, the � ared connection can also be easily dismantled so maintenance, servicing and repairs are all possible without any great e� ort.

Oil drilling under extreme conditions:Drilling derricks of Bentec must bear the vast temperature diff erences in Siberia

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LOGISTICS

Shortly before 5.00 pm at the central warehouse: The final orders for the day are now coming in. The stor-age/retrieval units are dashing up and down the six aisles of HANSA-FLEX’s warehouse, delivering trays of ordered goods to the picking stations. All spare parts ordered by 5.00 pm will be dispatched with the night service all over Europe that very same day and will be ready for use the following morning. Customers can rely on this.

The central warehouse in Bremen ensures that orders for parts are in stock and deliverable at all

times. Every HANSA-FLEX branch offers fast access to spares. Here they can rely on a well-assorted manual store, which is constantly supplied with goods according to suggestions for possible orders based on previous experience. Should a certain part be unavailable, local branches will of course help each other out by organising its transfer between sites. This is in line with their code of honour – but also avoids high stock levels at individual branches.

Everything is in the capable hands of Christine Linz, from goods receipt through quality and quantity

control to storage, picking of the goods and prepa-ration for dispatch. The central warehouse is staffed by a team of 49 working in three shifts, colleagues the branches know they can rely on. In 2007 alone the central warehouse dispatched 7,200 tons of goods via forwarding agents and 550 tons as ex-press traffic. This corresponds to 1.21 million re-trievals from stock – so-called picks from the ASPW (automatic small parts warehouse) and 7,300 km of hose line.

Most of these picks involved the basic supplies for setting up new branches. This spring 12 new sites were kitted out. A total of 323 branches are cur-rently supplied from the central warehouse, and this is set to rise.

Safeguarding growth

The team employed at the central warehouse, who are backed up by their colleagues from Quality As-surance, have thus got their hands full. But let us look back in time: In 1989 the storage facility, which until then had been organised with manual station management under Wolfgang Rink, was changed over to the manually run central warehouse. Chris-tine Linz was already employed as deputy store manager in those early days. In 1995 she then took over joint control of the warehouse with Theodoro Kleba as Wolfgang Rink had been appointed to a new role in Marketing.

The changes at the central warehouse closely re-flect how HANSA-FLEX has developed into a system partner. If it originally contained goods worth some three million euros, it now stocks products totalling 19 million. This safeguards the dynamic growth of the company. On this basis the sales of the HANSA-FLEX group grew by more than 15 percent in 2007. And the first few months of 2008 indicate growth of similar proportions. The company natu-rally has to take account of this trend. In April the shareholders of the HANSA-FLEX group decided to set up a second central warehouse in the south. An external team of experts as well as the Logistics de-partment of HANSA-FLEX are currently engaged in

Visit to the central warehouse – everything to hand Reliably partnering the branches

The automatic warehouse for small parts in Bremen

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LOGISTICS

identifying a site that will satisfy all logistical and economic requirements. Construction is due to start in 2009, with completion of the new warehouse already scheduled for 2010.

It gets even better

Here the aim is not merely to relieve the work-load on the central warehouse in Bremen – the new storage facility is to duplicate its stocks – but also to reduce the logistical costs and times for HANSA-FLEX. The latest warehousing technology will be used to help cut the picking error rate even further, which is already very low at 0.3 percent. Major improvements are expected, in particular from new visual picking aids.

Another factor here is introduction of the new SAP software, and Christine Linz is very busy with this project at the moment. Calling on her years of ex-perience, she ensures that all processes associated with the central warehouse are included in the WM (Warehouse Management) module, i.e. all aspects of materials management/control and materials processes. This involves for example accurately log-ging all master data for materials in the run-up to the launch. When SAP shortly goes online, there must be no hitches to ensure customers are sup-plied with the parts they need without fail. Incor-porating a warehouse with all its many diff erent processes in software means that each employee

needs to be involved. Christine Linz is proud that “in her team everyone pulls their weight”. Staff are already undergoing specifi c training in dealing with the new management program. “No-one will be left to muddle on by themselves,” comments the manager of the central warehouse. She is especially proud that her team is an example to the workforce in terms of commitment, motivation and reli-ability in work processes. She repeatedly stresses that, “The level of service achieved by the central warehouse for our branches and customers is only possible through teamwork”. And things will be no diff erent at the new central warehouse.

Sta� employed at the central warehouse:

Artur Arkulary, Kai-Uwe Asendorf, Walter Batzke, Holger Beckmann, Ralf Blavius, David Buchcik, Christian Budack, Algi-mantas Budrezkas, Andreas Burr, Brigitte Daize, Holger Giesecke, Oliver Gumlich, Alfred Harms, Alexander Hartwig, Daniel Heitmann, Heinrich Ho� mann, Christoph Humbold, Kirsten Kaup, Ingo Klumbies, Arnold Koletzek, Gregor Koletzek, Peter Kurpiela, Iris Kämna, Antoon Langejans, Sabine Laue, Waclaw Lesniak, Christine Linz, Alexej Lomakin, Axel Meyer, Brigit-te Müller, Lieselotte Müller, Viktor Müller, Frank Oetting, Hans-Hermann Ohsmer, Dirk Otto, Manfred Petendra, Christian Plagwitz, Manfred Pohl, Ste� en Rei-chel, Uwe Riemann, Ralf Peter Schmidt, René Schneider, Andre Schrader, Stefan Schwarz, Konstantin Spielmann, Holger Strobel, Halim Türkyilmaz, Norbert Ven-ohr, Matthias Wrissenberg.

Christine Linz (beige blazer) and her team from HANSA-FLEX cenral warehouse in Bremen

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INDUSTRIAL INSTALLATION

During a raging storm the 224 metre long and 40 me-tre wide transport ship “ZHEN HUA 10” ran aground off the Dutch coast, with five gantry cranes each weighing 2,000 t on board. Call for the ocean-going tug “JANUS” from the Hamburg salvage company Harms Bergung. This giant managed to tow the jum-bo-sized container ship back to the high seas.

In the maritime logistics sector ocean-going tugs are becoming increasingly popular and solving heavy-weight transport problems at sea. They are used to move oil rigs or offshore work platforms and to tow heavy cargo loads, including complete boat sections or ships, over the oceans.

Tremendous force is required for all these tasks. “JANUS” and “URSUS”, currently the most power-ful tugboats available at Harms Bergung, boast a bollard pull of 220 t. This is sufficient to shift even ocean liners. It is in fact possible to achieve a bollard pull of 230 - 237 tons if output is stepped up to 110 percent. Bollard pull is the term used to describe the tractive power of a towboat. Ocean-going tugs are driven by four engines each with a total power of 14,000 kW, operating according to the so-called master-slave principle. The two master drives are each rated at 4,000 kW, and the two slaves at 3,000 kW. Whenever conditions allow, for example when navigating rivers, only the slave is used. This saves the large engines for high-performance applica-

tions while simultaneously reduces fuel costs. But the master drives remain ready for action in any situation. They are always maintained at operating temperature and can therefore be immediately cut in at any time. The propellers driven by the engines each have a diameter of approx. 4.40 m.

Smart technology and pure force

The ships, which are over 60 metres in length, are built for Harms Bergung of Hamburg at the long-established Mützelfeld shipyard in Cuxhaven. It takes around nine months to build a ship. The steel shell alone takes four months, while the remaining time is spent on installing all units and equipment as well as fit-out. When HANSA-FLEX’s industrial installation team is summoned to the shipyard, the towboat “URSUS” is in the dry dock, with its lead ship “JANUS” having already been delivered in October 2007. The term “lead ship” is used to refer to the first ship in a class, which in this case con-sists of two vessels. The next class of more powerful tugs is already under construction as the market is constantly calling for greater propulsive power and bollard pull.

To protect both man and the environment when in action, “JANUS” and “URSUS” not only have power-ful engines on board but also a whole lot of smart technology. Large cable winches, to attach ships and work platforms, a deck crane, the hydraulic steering gear and naturally fire-fighting equip-ment, so-called fire monitors. If a fire breaks out on an oil platform for instance, the tug can spray itself with water from its on-board fire equipment to cool down the ship and so escape unscathed from the hazard zone. The ocean-going tug is also used for fire-fighting: the monitors are designed to pump 1,200,000 litres of water per hour to comply with the fire-fighting regulations, the FiFi standard.

Working at a shipyard is not a soft option

The Mützelfeldt shipyard, which was founded in 1895, has specialised in building ocean-going tugs

Tugging and towingPower packs in action at sea

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Ocean-going tug „URSUS“ in the graving dock Mützelfeldtwerft in Cuxhaven

INDUSTRIAL INSTALLATION

since 1910. Here MAN-Ferrostaal is in charge of the engineering, with only equipment from lead-ing manufacturers being installed in its ships. The steering gear for example is made by Hatlapa, and the transmission system from MAN’s subsidiary Renk. Schottel drives and four CATERPILLAR MAK engines ensure pinpoint accuracy when manoeu-vring. Quality that is demanded by the market. The giant vessel is steered with a DP2 system for dy-namic positioning, allowing the captain to control all functions using a joystick and to keep the tug bang on course. There are two of each main system on board to ensure that the tug can do its work should equipment unexpectedly fail.

The steering gear and deck cranes depend on reli-able hydraulics to function properly. This is why the shipyard has entrusted HANSA-FLEX with in-stallation of the line engineering for the technical equipment. Supervised by Sven Siemer from the Bremerhaven branch, HANSA-FLEX Boffzen was put in charge of the installation work on the latest ship-building project “URSUS”. Service technicians Daniel Schnakenberg, Marco Lange and Michael Borchers spent six weeks at the Mützelfeldt shipyard, work-ing under the management of Falk Simon. On this assignment they were responsible for bending stainless / non-stainless steel pipes and preci-sion piping for the hydraulics into all conceivable lengths and shapes and installing them on the ship. They of course also laid all hydraulic hose lines. “We were given a fantastic job on the beautiful coastline of the North Sea - sea air guaranteed at no extra charge,” was the verdict of the fitters from the We-serbergland region. Such an assignment, working on the construction of a new ship, is something special: It is not just that many different contractors are simultaneously working to tight deadlines in all corners of the ship, something that calls for careful coordination, but that the strong sea breeze also whistles through gaping portholes or openings for the drive shafts on the ship. “Someone always had a cold,” but the job still got finished on time.

Reliability through prevention

Before commissioning, the entire hydraulic sys-tem was carefully flushed through to remove any contamination from the installation process. This task was performed by the FLEXXPRESS service technician Volker Brodowski with the Fluid Service. Whenever a ship, pontoon or offshore platform is attached to the cable of the tug later on, reliable manoeuvring is required to avoid any damage; this means all equipment has to function perfectly. Decontamination of the hydraulic system is thus advisable as it increases reliability and minimises wear.

HYDRAULIKPRESSE 13

HYDRAULIKPRESSE

ISSUE JUNE 2008

HANSA-FLEX WM

HANSA-FLEX’s international football tournament has become a tradition at Whitsun. So to speak the football world championship of the hydraulics service provider. This year 26 teams took part in the tourna-ment, that was held in the Czech Republic from 10 to 12 May 2008.

The event was hosted by Team Elastefl ex from the Czech Republic, who beat HANSA-FLEX Croatia last year, albeit only after a penalty shoot-out. This Whitsun weekend the 26 teams met up where the air was thin: Jan Güttler, managing director of Elastefl ex and Skodock, had chosen the skiing area of Dolni Morava 600 m above sea level as the venue for the matches. It was there, close to the Polish border, that staff from the Czech Republic welcomed their football-mad guests at a delight-ful holiday complex, accommodating both the players and their accompanying fans. In total over

400 HANSA-FLEX staff and their relatives turned up. During preparation and staging of the tournament the Czech workforce were enthusiastically assisted by the sales team from Bremen, who also looked af-ter scheduling of the matches, as well as the travel arrangements for all teams and fans.

The spectators had no reason to regret coming: right from the start all teams demonstrated great ambi-tion and sporting skill in the group games taking place on the Saturday of Whitsun. The qualifying round was played in four groups, with each match lasting ten minutes. Things then got really exciting on Whit Sunday, when the winners of each group faced each other in the fi nal matches, which from the last sixteen were played in the knockout sys-tem. There was no mucking about. The teams from Belgium and Croatia soon proved to be particularly successful. These two teams then faced each other in the fi nal, which ended in a victory for the players from Belgium after a dramatic game with penalty shoot-out.

There was great jubilation as HANSA-FLEX man-aging director Thomas Armerding presented the trophy to the team from Belgium at an emotional award ceremony. Next year they will be defending the title in their own country, the venue for the next tournament. The teams placed in the tour-nament were each presented with a certifi cate to

remind them of their participation in the exciting HANSA-FLEX 2008 football tournament. After the award ceremony there was no rest for tired legs on the dance fl oor as the fi nal match was followed by a fun-fi lled party. And as soon as tasty Czech speci-alities appeared on the table, everyone was already looking forward to next year!

The sixth tournamentHANSA-FLEX teams playing football in the Czech Republic

The winning team from Belgium

14ISSUE JUNE 2008

HYDRAULIKPRESSE

HANSA-FLEX’s new branch in Berlin has got off to a successful start. By opening the Tempelhof site at the end of 2007 HANSA-FLEX has not just extended its network but also responded to the wishes expressed by numerous customers, who found the existing branches of Henningsdorf, Marzahn, Ludwigsfelde, Spreenhagen and Vogelsdorf around the city too far away.

With the Tempelhof branch HANSA-FLEX is now also applying its corporate strategy to Berlin. Here the objective is to extend the network of branches region by region to off er customers complete cover-age in the near future, i.e. a HANSA-FLEX partner will be available within a radius of 25 -30 minutes by car. Located on the city highway leading to the big new airport of Schönefeld, the site is particu-larly handy for customers based around the airport. It off ers an alternative to the many building con-tractors and demolition companies in the area. Redevelopment of the new airport started in 2006, and the work is scheduled for completion by the end of 2011. It is planned that Berlin Brandenburg International airport will then handle 22 - 25 mil-lion passengers every year.

Charm off ensive with girl power

HANSA-FLEX fi eld team member Sylvia Belling tire-lessly combs the region in search of new customers for the Tempelhof branch, including the city centre. Thanks to her extensive experience in the hydrau-lics sector, she has already made a major contribu-tion to ensuring the new branch got off to a good start. On site she has won wide acceptance with her specialist knowledge and open, friendly manner. At the counter of the new branch some customers will recognise a familiar face. Here Jens Falkenberg is in charge of service and manufacturing spare hose lines. He worked as a FLEXXPRESS service techni-cian in Berlin for seven years and therefore off ers a wide knowledge of hydraulics.

Scoring points with service in a hotly contested market

The restructuring already underway in the sales regions of the HANSA-FLEX branches around Ber-lin also helped the Tempelhof site quickly build up a regular local clientele. Some customers now

enjoy being closer to “their” branch. The company has meanwhile also managed to get listed by certain customers who had previously considered HANSA-FLEX to be too far away. Given the large number of hydraulics providers in Berlin, it is im-portant to not just be based nearby, but to also score points through quality of service. As a system partner for hydraulics HANSA-FLEX is therefore well positioned in Tempelhof, particularly as the network of the branches in Berlin off ers them wide scope for combining their services quickly and easily. This also allows the company to take over complex jobs, even including industrial installation projects.

Fair stand at InnoTrans 2008

HANSA-FLEX’s branches in Berlin are also joining forces to attend InnoTrans, the most important railway fair, being held in the city this September. HANSA-FLEX holds a licence from the German rail-way authorities and is listed by Deutsche Bahn as a supplier with quality capability. The Berlin branch-es also work for the ICE Ausbesserungswerk Berlin, DB‘s railway workshop, under the supervision of re-gional manager Detlef Ströming. It is here that the fi rst and second generation of ICE high-speed trains undergo repair and maintenance.

BRANCHES

In the thick of it instead of on the sidelines HANSA-FLEX stirs things up with girl power in Berlin

© M

esse

Ber

lin G

mbH

HANSA-FLEX is also represented at the railway fair InnoTrans

Henry Baake, head of maintenance for plastics injection molding of NOVAPAX in Berlin, is a new and content HANSA-FLEX customer (seen here in conversation with Sylvia Belling)

15

HYDRAULIKPRESSE

ISSUE JUNE 2008

ENGINEERING / UNIT CONSTRUCTION

The big truck painted yellow and blue and sporting the EDEKA name now pulls up at the shopping centre. In just a few minutes it will turn itself into a stage, which will soon be surrounded by spectators. There is a carnival atmosphere: a band is playing, flags wave in the wind, and balloons round off the colourful picture. EDEKA is celebrating its 100th anniversary – together with its customers.

The enormous truck was specially developed and built for the 100th jubilee of the German grocery wholesaler by Spezialfahrzeugbau TUNGER exklusiv GmbH. This new company, which was only founded in 2005, has already carved out a name for itself in the field of special-purpose vehicles, in particular the construction of such promotional vehicles. In recent years their popularity has grown among event organisers and branded article manufacturers and they are now increasingly in demand, whether as a stage for shows, a mobile catering kiosk or for transporting racing cars. This normally involves vehicles with a gross weight rating between 6.5 to 12 t – making them exempt from the Sunday traf-

fic ban on trucks (up to 7.5 t) and/or the German motorway toll (up to 12 t). TUNGER exklusiv fits out such trucks for promotional events.

Another mainstay of this company’s business is the construction of special-purpose vehicles e.g. for the fire services, police and the transportation of abnormal loads. This regularly involves the use of the hydraulic changeover system, another unique product from TUNGER exklusiv.

The event trucks supplied under the name of PRO-MOLINER are delivered ready for use, with project planning and customised manufacture being car-ried out from a single source. TUNGER either buys in the required base trucks or is provided with vehicles by the customer. It then rebuilds them according to its own design. Suggestions and wishes expressed by the customer are naturally incorporated in con-struction of the trucks, with the specialists from TUNGER demonstrating careful attention to detail. When it comes to designing such trucks, custom-ers – and above all the event agencies – generally

have very specific requirements. The EDEKA truck for example has a number of special features that ensure the vehicle can be turned into a mobile stage in a matter of minutes - and is also simple to operate thanks to the hydraulics. Whether an extendable stage, side sections for use as service areas for guests or the lift for the upper level, eve-rything is moved using hydraulic systems. Even the axles are hydraulically adjustable so that vehicles can travel to sites which would not otherwise be easily accessible. The hydraulics system of the integrated stage is de-signed to ensure it is quick to set up and dismantle. This is particularly useful for roadshow events run-ning to tight deadlines. The hydraulics system also ensures that few staff are needed on site to get the promotional vehicle ready for use. The design of the trucks is geared to the customer: everything has to be simple to operate and must function reliably on a long-term basis. There could be nothing worse than being unable to get off to a punctual start at a fair or major promotional event because the stage or side extensions are jammed. Such situations have to be ruled out. TUNGER exklusiv therefore makes high demands on quality and functionality, relying on the product quality offered by HANSA-FLEX.

Benefit: System compatibility

The recent start-up TUNGER has been partnered by HANSA-FLEX right from the outset and calls on the experience of this hydraulics service-provider even when just at the design stage. The Zwickau branch is in charge of the manufacturer from Vogtland, starting with the engineering to the provision of all components and subassemblies. Hannes Müller of HANSA-FLEX works hand in hand with designer Peter Eickworth from TUNGER exklusiv to ensure that each hydraulic system is complete. This in-volves dimensioning and routing the hydraulics. HANSA-FLEX Hydraulic Components supplies all parts needed for the special-purpose vehicles – from cylinders, valves and control blocks to pumps and units. “As TUNGER exklusiv generally manufac-tures small series, we are constantly facing new

Fast assembly for mobile stageThe right vehicle for every event

Easy setup of customised trucks by means of hydraulics

HYDRAULIKPRESSE16ISSUE JUNE 2008

HYDRAULIKPRESSE

ENGINEERING / UNIT CONSTRUCTION

challenges as a hydraulics specialist,” says Hannes Müller, explaining why he especially enjoys dealing with this customer. Here it is the system compat-ibility of HANSA-FLEX that really counts: the Zwick-au branch is assisted by the neighbouring specialist centres of competence in Dresden in terms of engi-neering, unit / system construction and all hydrau-lic components.

Innovative changeover stroke system

TUNGER exklusiv also received help from HANSA-FLEX with its latest development, a con-tainer for the fi re services. This custom-made ve-hicle body features a special changeover system that can be hydraulically lowered right to the ground. This in-house development by the vehicle engineering company was also helped on its way towards series production by HANSA-Flex. The con-tainer, which off ers logistical benefi ts in mobile ap-plications, is designed as a changeover body with a

lifting / lowering function mounted on the chassis of a 7.5 t base vehicle. It can be used as a mission control centre for the fi re services, police or disaster prevention, as a site offi ce or even as a sales kiosk or stand booth at trade fairs. The integrated hydrau-lics means that the changeover system provides for stepless adjustment to every loading height in a horizontal position. The container can be lifted or lowered within two minutes: an operation that is carried out entirely independently of the base vehi-cle thanks to the integrated electro hydraulic drive! In 2006 TUNGER exklusiv built a similar changeover system for the fi re services in Alzey. It was designed as a breathing protection container which can be set up quickly and which has already proved its worth in practice. The latest project is in fact already a repeat order. All pumps, units, control systems and pipework and hose lines are also being supplied by HANSA-FLEX. Renowned companies such as RAMEDER Anhängerkupplungen and VKF Renzel from Isselburg also use the innovative hydraulic lowering system as a mobile fair or sales stand.

Fast access to engineering and hydraulic components

When serving the customer TUNGER exklusiv, the HANSA-FLEX Zwickau branch relies on the expertise of the HANSA-FLEX specialist centres of com-petence for engineering, unit / system construction and hydraulic components.

Under the system supplier concept they are responsible for tasks ranging from the layout of a hydraulic system to in-stallation and commissioning and keep a well-coordinated stock of over 4,500 hydraulic components. Specialists from both operations advise the customer during the project planning of hydraulic systems in agreement with the relevant branch.

Other bene� ts:• Available through any HANSA-FLEX

branch• Project planning and construction of

� uid systems and plant• Database-aided design• Provision of design data for customer

drawings• Fast and fl exible production of units

and hydraulic cylinders• Provision of hydraulic assemblies

ready for installation

Custom-made PROMOLINER by the company Tunger on the occasion of the 100. anniversary of the supermarket chain EDEKA

HYDRAULIKPRESSE 17

HYDRAULIKPRESSE

ISSUE JUNE 2008

OIL SERVICE

Food for the steel industryOil Service keeps scrap shears in trim

Recycling scrap is one of the oldest recycling methods there is: today scrap is virtually the only raw material used by many steel works. Older readers may well still remember the travelling scrap-iron collectors of the past. In the meantime trading in scrap has become a lucrative market.

The reclamation of scrap is one of the few instances of true recycling. This involves using a base mate-rial to manufacture a new product of equal quality as metal can theoretically be melted down and re-processed any number of times without major loss-es. In industry the secondary raw material scrap is just as important for manufacturing as the original iron ore. Compared with the use of scrap to produce steel, extracting steel from iron ore takes almost four times as much energy. Per ton the saving cor-responds to the average energy consumption of a four-person household over six months. Given the

high level of economic effi ciency, some 460 million tons of scrap steel is recycled per year.

Each year AlbaMetall in Berlin-Spandau processes approx. 100,000 tons of scrap steel, selling it on to steel works to be melted down for new steel. At AlbaMetall a large trough next to the scrap shears is fi lled with a collection of scrap steel items that have to be free of glass, rubber, wood or similar materials contained in the previous product. This collection of scrap is then crushed by powerful hydraulic cylin-ders with a piston diameter of 250 millimetres and a stroke length of up to 8.5 metres, applying a force of 1,000 tons. A jumbo-sized pair of shears fi nally cuts up the compressed material into individual packages each weighing around 500 kg. Raw mate-rial for the steel industry, which is added one by one to the red-hot steel in the melting pans and simul-taneously also acts as a coolant so that the molten mass does not burn through. The scrap shears are naturally an essential part of AlbaMetall‘s plant for processing the continuous deliveries of scrap. At the same time the steel industry is impatiently awaiting this valuable material for its production. It is thus essential to ensure that there is no interrup-tion in the availability of the scrap shears.

Recently however the main pumps for the hydrau-lics at AlbaMetall kept on failing at AlbaMetall. To track down the cause, technical works manager Ilona Klaue arranged for a sample of oil to be taken and analysed by a laboratory. After all, the hydraulic system of the scrap shears contains 14,000 litres of oil! On the advice of Detlef Ströming, HANSA-FLEX regional manager in Berlin, AlbaMetall consulted Rudi Apic from HANSA-FLEX’s Fluid Service to ob-tain a professional assessment of the analysis re-sults. He found that although the additive package and the viscosity of the oil were perfectly satisfac-tory, the sample contained a signifi cant amount of metal particles. These little metal cuttings in the oil act like sandpaper when the pumps are in opera-tion, damaging seals and causing increased wear to pump components. So impairing performance and ultimately resulting in complete failure of the system.

HYDRAULIKPRESSE18

HYDRAULIKPRESSE

ISSUE JUNE 2008

AlbaMetall in Berlin recycles scrap for the iron and steel industry

OIL SERVICE

How does this come about?

Rudi Apic then asked himself how such metal parti-cles could get into the oil circulation. After inspect-ing the system, he discovered that the cuttings were being caused by the piston rods of the hydraulic cyl-inders. The heavy pressure plate for the compression trough is moved by four cylinders, each measuring 250 mm in diameter and with a stroke of 2.5 m. The feed cylinder is also involved here. The cylinders are constantly exposed to mineral-based and metal dust that is released during fi lling and cutting and is deposited on the pistons. In addition, metal parts may accidentally fall onto a piston when the trough is fi lled with scrap. This leaves little scratches on the piston rod, so producing metal dust as well. For Ilona Klaue another cause was the proximity of the scrap shears to the grey cast iron scrap processing plant. This installation also releases very fi ne metal dust, which then gets into the system via the oper-ating cycle of the hydraulic cylinders.

The fi rst step: Partial fl ow fi lter system

In consultation with Rudi Apic, Ilona Klaue then opted for a partial fl ow fi lter system with a fi lter mesh of 6 μm. HANSA-FLEX initially rented out this fi lter system to the customer so the company could assess the effi ciency off ered by this solution. The system was installed by FLEXXPRESS service tech-nician Uwe Gätkens and the plant operator was re-sponsible for changing the fi lters. Further analyses were carried out at regular intervals during the test phase. They indicated that the next step would be to try a fi lter mesh of 3 μm. Although this brought about a marked reduction in the number of metal particles in the oil circulation, the level was still too high.

The cause was soon discovered: the extremely fi ne cuttings of grey cast iron, which were deposited all round the scrap shears. Not leaving out the large tank containing the 14,000 litres of hydraulic oil, supporting four tank breather fi lters (TBF) with suction sockets approx. 100 mm in height together with the fi lter housings. And things do not stand still inside the tank: the operating cycle of each of the large cylinders ends by feeding 1,600 litres of oil back into the tank – within just four seconds! This corresponds to a gas displacement rate of ap-prox. 24 m/min inside the tank – the tank is thus a heavy breather! The pumping eff ect occurring around the intake sockets of the TBF mean that the fi ne grey cast iron cuttings deposited on the hydraulic tank are swirled up and sucked into the tank. The TBFs installed by the customer cannot cope with such great emissions of fi ne dust – they are simply not large enough.

Given these fi ndings, AlbaMetall is planning to lengthen the tank sockets tenfold to 1,000 mm and install larger fi lter housings. At the same time the customer plans to reduce the fi neness of the fi lter elements from a fi gure of 10 μm at present down to 3 μm. This solution, which not only signifi cantly re-duces the levels of dust introduced, will also greatly increase the service life of pumps, seals and valves and simultaneously reduce the amount of mainte-nance required for the plant. Planning is complete – it is now only the work itself that needs to be car-ried out.

HYDRAULIKPRESSE 19ISSUE JUNE 2008

HYDRAULIKPRESSE

Ilona Klaue, Production Manager for AlbaMetall, in conversation with Uwe Gätkens, FLEXXPRESS service technician

TRAINING CENTRE

Precise control and positioning is a benefi t of hydrau-lic systems. Anyone can see this at construction sites when the man driving the excavator is aiming for a precise spot with his shovel or grab. But the fi ne con-trol off ered by hydraulics is soon lost if air gets into the hydraulic oil.

This will cause the oil to “bounce” as air can be com-pressed. Readjustments then have to be made with every operation, so wasting valuable time. But the consequences are even worse for the mechanical system: The hydraulic cylinders start to rattle, re-sulting in premature wear, and the hydraulic system becomes very hot. Air has no place in oil, although a certain percentage is always dissolved in it. Leak air can however produce foam, occurring as surface foam or dispersed bubbles in the oil and causing major malfunctions. When looking after oil, special attention should be paid to the air content, as con-fi rmed by HANSA-FLEX oil expert Ulrich Hielscher in an interview with HYDRAULIKPRESSE.

Air bubbles in oil most frequently cause the so-called diesel eff ect, which cannot be missed when at an advanced stage. “Hydraulic oil becomes dis-coloured instead of being clear,” explains Ulrich Hielscher, describing the most obvious feature.

Such discolouration is brought about by soot par-ticles. “Fresh hydraulic oil contains up to around 9 percent of dissolved air. A natural air content that has virtually no eff ect on operation. Things only be-come critical when additional air from outside gets into the oil,” warns the expert.

How does the diesel eff ect come about?

But just nine percent of air may impair operation. “For example, when the oil is already rather old or oils with a diff erent formulation have been mixed. The same also applies to turbulent fl ow sections (vacuum) in a hydraulic system. This may greatly in-crease the air level, preventing the surplus air from remaining fully dissolved in the oil and allowing it to escape in the form of little air bubbles.”

This generally occurs at the hotter components in a system such as a hydraulic pump or hydro motor. Here air bubbles can sometimes be seen simply fi zzing out. If there are then signifi cant or rapid fl uctuations in pressure, as is common in hydraulic systems, this is followed by small explosive reac-tions between the oxygen from the air bubbles and the hydrocarbons from the oil. This produces brief

yet highly detrimental pressure and temperature loads, similar to combustion with a diesel engine. However, the air bubbles often do not contain a suf-fi cient number of oxygen molecules for complete combustion, producing fl akes of soot, which may discolour the oil and fi lter elements black.

Although the diesel eff ect does not impair the vis-cosity and the hydraulic properties of the oil, it may damage the seals of the hydraulic components as it often occurs at sealing lips. The materials of the hydraulic hose lines may also be aff ected. This ef-fect additionally points to cavitation, a phenom-enon that is caused by an excessively high level of dissolved air.

Foaming through too much air

Too much air in the oil causes the dreaded forma-tion of foam: here air bubbles rising to the top of a tank produce foam on the surface. The oil expert knows that foaming can be minimised “by the cor-rect positioning of return lines in the tank as well as designing tanks with smoothing plates.” Min-eral oils also contain chemical additives designed to prevent foaming.

If such defoamers fail, this may produce foam on the oil surface just like leak air, contamination or mixing diff erent types of oil. The tendency of the hydraulic fl uid to foam increases with the age of the oil, soiling and condensation. “Once the pump has taken in foamy oil, it may cause serious mal-functioning of the system, followed by rapid failure of the pump.”

No airhead when it comes to oil treatmentThere’s something in the air

Cavitation damages on an axial piston

Too much air in the oil causes the dreaded forma-tion of foam: here air bubbles rising to the top of a tank produce foam on the surface. The oil expert knows that foaming can be minimised “by the cor-rect positioning of return lines in the tank as well as designing tanks with smoothing plates.” Min-eral oils also contain chemical additives designed to prevent foaming.

If such defoamers fail, this may produce foam on the oil surface just like leak air, contamination or mixing diff erent types of oil. The tendency of the hydraulic fl uid to foam increases with the age of the oil, soiling and condensation. “Once the pump has taken in foamy oil, it may cause serious mal-functioning of the system, followed by rapid failure of the pump.”

1. Step: movable rod drags liquid away from groove

2. Step: a sudden rise in pressure results in an ignition of the air/oil mixture

Rod movement

Air bubbles due to low pressure

The sealing burns within the area of the air bubbles

Damage symptoms Stick-slip e� ect

HYDRAULIKPRESSE

20ISSUE JUNE 2008

IHA

On 18 April 2008 the fi rst cut of the spade was made for the International Hydraulics Academy (IHA) in Dresden-Weixdorf at a ceremony attended by local dignitaries. Thomas Armerding and Jürgen Böttger both took up the spade at the ground-breaking ceremony.

“The issue of training and development and R&D is becoming increasingly important in the hydraulics sector. This is why the HANSA-FLEX group is involved in the International Hydraulics Academy at Dresden-Weixdorf. This is how to deal with the shortage of specialist staff in the growing market for hydraulics,” stressed Uwe Buschmann in his speech at the ceremony. From autumn 2008 the fi rst students are due to take

part in a three-month course which follows on from a regular training programme, at the 2,500 m two-storey complex in Dresden. Small classes with fi ve or six participants are planned so eve-ryone can be provided with personal attention. Tutors have practical experience of hydraulics or teach at technical colleges. The course also includes job shadowing and work placements in industry. The IHA caters for the issue of R&D through close cooperation with Dresden Univer-sity and Institute of Technology.

Groundbreaking ceremony IHA sets standards

But how can leak air even get into the oil of a hy-draulic system from outside? “This is generally due to leakages in pipes, fi lters, fl ange connections or pumps,” says Ulrich Hielscher, explaining the prob-lem. “An oil pump takes in air for example when its seals are worn or the fi lling level in the oil tank is too low or high. The surplus air no longer dissolves in the oil, producing a stable layer of foam on the surface.”

Ulrich Hielscher however points out that foam may also be caused by contamination. “Not only by visible dust and water particles, but often by other factors such as residues from elastic sealing compounds, water from steam jets containing fat solvents, lubricating or fi tting grease, as well as residues from anticorrosion agents, metalworking fl uids or antifreeze.” Another cause involves incom-patible oils. Especially when bio-oil on a synthetic ester basis is mixed with a detergent HLP hydraulic oil or a bio-oil on a saturated ester basis with an un-saturated ester. Caution is also advised when HLP hydraulic oils are mixed with engine oil.

If hydraulic systems are to function smoothly, the pressure medium should absorb and transport as little air as possible. And must quickly release any air taken up. Such air elimination or so-called air release capability (ARC) is laid down in DIN 51 381: “Measurement of the time in minutes required until release of the air bubbles contained in mineral oil down to 0.2% v/v of the initial value.” The air re-lease capability deteriorates as the temperature of the pressure medium rises. The ARC value obtained when testing oils thus indicates their capability to release air which is blown in and dispersed in the oil.

With bio-oils the ARC fi gure is adversely aff ected by mixing with mineral oil, with this often increasing from a just about acceptable time of 10 minutes to 20 minutes. Values are no better when diff erent types of bio-oils are mixed; here cavitation damage or the diesel eff ect should be expected.

Take a breath: the consequences

If too much air has been absorbed by hydraulic oil, this will have serious consequences: The oil be-comes compressible. Air bubbles will escape at the hot points in the system and produce a hydrody-namic lubricating fi lm, something that frequently causes major malfunctions in oil-carrying systems. The potential for damage is already in the air.

HYDRAULIKPRESSE

21ISSUE JUNE 2008

Thomas Armerding and Jürgen Böttger during the laying the foundation stone of the International Hydraulik Akademie (IHA)

KITTING

Won over by the kit conceptA farmer who loves his job

In the 1970s Michael Horsch dealt with relatively large agricultural operations. He was interested in boost-ing productivity and cutting costs in arable farming, and this prompted him to develop technical solutions, ranging from soil cultivation and sowing through fer-tilisation and crop protection to harvesting. In 1984 this culminated in the founding of Horsch Maschinen GmbH, a company whose agricultural machinery is meanwhile used in agricultural regions throughout the world under all kinds of conditions.

Soil cultivation has been practically re-invented by Michael Horsch, who still farms the land. The more shallow work method he has propagated offers many benefits for the earth. The stony ground in his local region prompted Michael Horsch to think about tilling the land without ploughs. Innovative ideas and technical systems spawned new machin-ery for soil cultivation and sowing. At the same time he has always striven to reduce costs for farmers in terms of fuel and machine wear. Horsch has be-come a popular manufacturer thanks to constant improvement of its machine technology. This agri-cultural machinery manufacturer from Schwandorf was to be found only recently at the AGRITECHNICA fair in Hanover. There he presented a number of new products which attracted considerable attention.

One of these was the model Terrano, a four-bar semi-mounted heavy-duty cultivator, which is ideal for shallow cultivation with a working depth of between 3 - 20 cm. Thanks to its different coulter point systems, the Terrano is suitable not only for mixing in stubble but also loosening soil thorough-ly, featuring working widths of up to nine metres. Additional soil consolidation can be performed with the Optipack, which is fitted to the Terrano as a trailer unit.

The model Pronto is a high-volume seed wagon for universal sowing technology under all conditions. It guarantees perfect seed placement and a high sowing speed with working widths between three and nine metres. Thanks to stepless hydraulic depth adjustment a sophisticated disc system with tyre packer ensures optimum preparation of the seed

bed, distributes seed grains accurately in the drill and then ensures effective reconsolidation. Both machine series are designed for use in medium-sized cultivation areas.

Striking out on new paths at Ronneburg

Both the Terrano and Pronto are manufactured at Horsch’s new factory in Ronneburg near Gera, one of Europe’s most modern factories for agricul-tural machinery. Now that the production site at Schwandorf is working to capacity, further growth is being ensured through the extra manufacturing capacity offered by the new facility in Ronneburg, which covers an area of 15,000 m2 , i.e. the size of three football pitches.

HANSA-FLEX has supported the agricultural machinery manufacturer Horsch at its plant in Schwandorf since 1993. In 2001 HANSA-FLEX re-gional manager Frank Dahms agreed to optimise the supply relationship with Friedrich Lehner, head buyer at Horsch. The idea they came up with was as follows: A “kitting” concept for the hydraulic line engineering was to bring about a marked improve-ment in cost structures for the manufacturer. This concept was first introduced on a small scale at the Schwandorf plant, and the company was won over by its experiences with it. From the outset Horsch was therefore firmly resolved to engage HANSA-FLEX as its kitting partner when drawing up the designs for the new factory at Ronneburg.

Assembly kit for farm machinery

The design and production specialists at Horsch analysed each stage of assembly beforehand, pin-pointing the position at which each component should be placed in the kit. Arranging parts in a clear and orderly manner so they are within easy reach for the individual fitters at the installation sites. They no longer waste time searching for com-ponents but can concentrate fully on their work. Special boxes were also developed for the kitting process, designed to ensure that parts are stowed

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away securely to prevent any damage during ship-ment to the assembly line.

Another benefi t of the kitting concept is the turnaround principle. This means that the empty boxes are then returned by the installation sites to HANSA-FLEX, where they are replenished with new parts. This not only reduces packaging costs but is also more environmentally friendly. But the con-cept has another eff ect: Horsch and HANSA-FLEX realised that the cost-cutting impact would be even greater if the kits included components from other suppliers such as nuts and bolts for this as-sembly stage. HANSA-FLEX was asked to reorganise the supply process in partnership with the vendors already working for Horsch so that they delivered their components to HANSA-FLEX where the kits are put together.

Marching to the beat of production

The kitting system got off to a successful start at Horsch with opening of the new factory in Ron-neburg. HANSA-FLEX ensures just-in-time delivery of the kits, fully synchronised with assembly of the model in progress. Whenever the chassis of an ag-ricultural machine appears at the beginning of the production line, the line engineering is simultane-ously provided. Although everything goes accord-ing to plan, continuous optimisation is also car-

ried out. “This process is designed to be dynamic,” comments Volker Unger, in charge of this task at Horsch. “Technical modifi cations also go through quickly and are then immediately implemented by HANSA-FLEX when producing the hose lines.”

Kitting has allowed Horsch to reduce its stor-age costs while boosting performance. “It is HANSA-FLEX’s claim to support OEMs in their abil-ity to compete,” remarks regional manager Frank Dahms, mentioning the further cost benefi ts achieved by minimising interfaces. “HANSA-FLEX takes care of this for customers, making their order-ing processes simpler. They only have one supplier for a complete assembly stage – and for invoicing and controlling as well.”

KITTING

© Horsch Maschinen GmbH

Kit conceptreduces costs

Kitting describes the compilation of en-tire assembly kits containing everything needed for installation of hydraulic line engineering. In other words, curved pipes, hose lines in various dimensions, screw � ttings and mounting technology. Valves are even included in some special kits. Each kit contains 60 to 100 parts de-pending on type.

Valves are even included in some special kits. Each kit contains 60 to 100 parts de-pending on type.

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© Horsch Maschinen GmbH

Agricultural implements from Horsch are equipped with assembly sets in order to minimise downtimes and further expenses

The drilling head with 58 rotating cutters gnaws its way through the mountain. Powered by 5,500 hp the tunnelling machine drills into the gneiss, driving the Gotthard Base Tunnel through the mountain slowly but surely. A pioneering achievement for the 21st century, opening up new perspectives for rail traffic through the Alps.

Today’s mobile society is forced to invest in mod-ern transportation projects if it is to cope with the ever-increasing levels of freight traffic crossing the Alps by road and rail. Here the aim is to prevent traf-fic breaking down altogether and to preserve the quality of our environment. We need to strike out on new paths. 200 tunnelling projects are sched-uled for the next few years alone.

One of them is the Gotthard Base Tunnel, which at an impressive 57 kilometres is set to become the world’s longest tunnel. As many as 150 freight trains already run on the Gotthard axis every day. Once the tunnel is completed in 2017, this is due

to rise to over 200 trains a day, corresponding to a transport capacity of 40 million tons of goods each year.

The Gotthard Base Tunnel, which is being built in different sections, will then allow trains to speed through at up to 250 km/h. They will run in two sin-gle-track tunnels, spaced at 40 m from each other and linked every 325 m by connecting galleries. To date contractors have excavated 70 percent of the tunnel structure: a total length of 153.3 km (includ-ing all shafts and connecting galleries).

Driving and intermediate headings

Extensive geological studies were required before demolition could begin and start-up of the tunnel boring machines (TBMs). It depends on the nature of the underground whether driving of the tunnel can be carried out using TBMs or explosives. Differ-ent types of rock and sediment layers have to be re-

moved, from the hardest granite to soft sandy stone. The progress of the driving work varies depending on the rock class, but under ideal conditions up to 25 metres is possible per day. In compact gneiss the tunnel can be advanced and supported simul-taneously while in poor-quality rock every metre blasted or bored has to be supported immediately, a time-consuming process. The construction time can be shortened by using additional tunnel access shafts from above or the side, so-called adits.

A TBM may be up to 400 metres in length, including the drilling head and all additional systems for the gripper. It is equipped with a crane, conveyor belt, control cab, a shotcreting machine and a trailer for workshop equipment. Given its size, this machine is far less mobile than the highly versatile method of blasting attack, which however only covers be-tween six and ten metres a day. The same steps are constantly repeated: drilling, charging, detonat-ing, ventilating, supporting and removal of muck. Whether blasting or using a TBM – tunnelling ma-chines make high demands on operators, mechan-ics and engineers. Underground building sites are characterised by the presence of computer-control-led TBMs, drilling jumbos with several drill trucks, spoil vehicles, laser equipment and hydraulically operated liners.

A new hose line in five minutes

All machines work under tough conditions and are equipped with complex hydraulics system. “HANSA-FLEX increasingly proves to be the right choice when tunnelling contractors are looking for a service partner,” says Paul Rentsch, managing di-rector of the Swiss HANSA-FLEX AG, describing his experience with supporting such companies over the years. This means that HANSA-FLEX’s hydrau-lics workshop containers are very welcome at the construction sites of the Gotthard tunnel. The con-tainers are located directly on site to provide direct access to all parts whenever a spare hose line needs to be manufactured. The equipment contained in

The Gotthard Tunnel: the building project of the century Gearing up for an underground attack

TUNNELLING

© H

erre

nkne

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The powerful drill head of a tunnel boring machine (TBM)

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the hydraulics workshops has been selected after years of experience in tunnelling. Streamlined structures and organisation ensure the men work-ing in the tunnel have a clear overview of all parts, even when they are under stress: everything is neatly stowed away in drawers and shelves, ready to hand at all times. The following rule applies: It should not take more than 5 minutes to produce a spare hose line. The work of the TBMs and drilling must not be interrupted as it is almost impossible to make up for lost time. This is why the hydraulics workshops, once kitted out by HANSA-FLEX, are of-ten piggybacked onto a TBM. This ensures they are always at the scene of action and keeps unproduc-tive time to an absolute minimum. Every third shift of the TBMs, which operate on a three-shift rota, is used to overhaul the machine.

Through the mountain with the mini

In addition, special HANSA-FLEX mini-containers are available for use as “base camps” by the fi tting teams on tunnel sites. They are also kitted out with all equipment such as a peeling machine and press as well as a stock of accessories. Positioned at cen-tral interfaces on the construction sites, they short-

en the time required to produce spare hose lines. This allows contractors to work independently on site with an eye to costs, for example when fi tting pipes to a concrete liner or a multi-head drilling jumbo.

Such a mini-container also arrives on a trailer when HANSA-FLEX Ittigen is called to tunnelling sites with its mobile installation service. If fi tting is not a quick job, the container is stationed on site. For instance, when a large TBM is to be started up at a new construction site or dismantled after a tunnel has been broken through. In such cases HANSA-FLEX’s dense network of branches comes in very handy, ensuring that spare parts are available at any time. This naturally also applies to indus-trial hoses for water/air and concrete, something of enormous benefi t to the staff responsible on site: reliable suppliers help to streamline the processes involved in tunnelling. But HANSA-FLEX also overhauls the complete line engineering on a TBM before it moves on to new tasks. Repairs to hydraulic cylinders and prompt delivery of sealing kits or new hydraulic units are assured by the specialist centres of competence within the HANSA-FLEX group.

TUNNELLING

Live images from tunnelling

See here for the latest live images from the tunnelling site via web-cam:

www.alptransit.ch/pages/d/webcam/index.php

NEW: brochure tunnelling

The new HANSA-FLEX brochure “Service partner for tun-nelling” is now available in every branch.

© AlptTransit Gotthard AG

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Amsteg: Concrete works on the inner shell of the Gotthard-Tunnel

ENGAGEMENT | FIGURES & FACTS

“It’s important to do something for people who don’t have an easy life,” comments Thilo Albrecht, head of the HANSA-FLEX Weiterstadt Group. And that is what he has done. It was at his prompting that the group decided to support the Darmstädter Tafel soup kitchen by making a monthly rent contribution of 500 euros.

Darmstädter Tafel is one of 750 similar organisa-tions throughout Germany which have set them-selves the objective of helping others, those who are in need through adverse circumstances. People who, for whatever reason, have slipped through the social welfare system. The soup kitchens collect food which is still of perfect quality but surplus to

requirements and still usable, and passes it on to people in need. Or they off er a hot meal at lunch-time free of charge. Founded in 1995, Darmstädter Tafel was modelled on another soup kitchen, Ber-liner Tafel.

In Darmstadt the organisation serves lunch to an average of 70 guests – sometimes almost double this number at the end of the month. To accommo-date such large crowds of people the soup kitchen started to look for new premises. With help from HANSA-FLEX Darmstädter Tafel was able to move to a new site in April 2008. Every lunchtime people in need are now served a hot meal that has been cooked in the organisation’s own canteen. They are aided by volunteers and the people who will be lunching there: the objective of Darmstädter Tafel is not just to provide others with hot food but to also involve them in the preparations. This allows them to be gradually reintegrated in society at the same time. And the HANSA-FLEX Weiterstadt Group is making a personal contribution here.

Social engagement at Darmstädter TafelHelping to ensure well fi lled stomachs

Gert Wentrup informs Luise and Claus Albrecht about the organisatin of the Darmstädter Tafel

Facts & Figures

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OpeningsJuneHANSA-FLEX Hydraulik GmbH Bildhauer-Moog-Straße 56736 Mayen-Kottenheim Germany HANSA-FLEX Hydraulik S.á.r.l. Rue Romain Fandel 4149 Esch-sur-Alzette LuxembourgHANSA-FLEX spol. s r.o. Rybnika 10 581 06 Jihlava Czech Republic

AnniversaryJune: HANSA-FLEX Gotha 5 years HANSA-FLEX Kassel 20 years HANSA-FLEX Stadtlohn 5 years HANSA-FLEX Timisiora/Rumania 5 years HANSA-FLEX Woippy/France 5 years Hy-Lok Vertriebs GmbH 10 years

July: HANSA-FLEX Beckum 10 years HANSA-FLEX Döbeln 5 years HANSA-FLEX Ittigen/Switzerland 15 years HANSA-FLEX Kaliningrad/Russia 5 years HANSA-FLEX Memmingen 5 years HANSA-FLEX Salzwedel 10 years HANSA-FLEX Wiesbaden 20 years

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

Editorial deadline: 23rd of July 2008

QUIZ | HANSA-FLEX CATALOGUES | PREVIEW

Preview

XWORLD adventure 2008/09 A fi lm team accompanies the tour through the Gobi desertJadeWeserPort How “Pirat X” washes the sand ashoreSvendborg Brakes Effi cient braking systems for wind turbinesTraining centre Safe handling of hydraulic hose linesMultibrid off shore wind generators HANSA-FLEX Fluidservice optimises availabilityIn conversation with... Christian van der Veen, Regional ManagerHANSA-FLEX branches Warburg and Turkey

08/08

Win one iPod touch

Answer Edition 04/08: B: 17 days – Winner: P. Trasser, Frankfurt a.M., Germany

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

(diagonal) widescreen Multi-Touch display; ear-

phones, USB cable, dock adapter, software iTunes for

Mac & Windows; PC system requirements: USB 2.0

port, Windows Vista or Windows XP Home or Profes-

sional 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.

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 post adress. The deadline for entries is

the 14th of July 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.

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

Question:When is the new central warehouse put to use?

A: 2009 B: 2010 C: 2011

27

New address booklet and English catalogues available

Schnelle Hilfe Weltweit 2008The new handy booklet contains addresses and driving directions of all HANSA-FLEX branches worldwide.

HANSA-FLEX Catalogue 1Now available – Catalogue 1 in English language. Content: Hoses, Tools, Hose protection, Hose fi t-tings, Hose mounts, Couplings, Safety engineering.

HANSA-FLEX Catalogue 2Content: Pipefi ttings 24° DIN 2353/french series, Flare fi ttings, Soldered connection parts, Valves, Hydraulik pipes, Adapters, Flanges, Measuring Technology, Tools, Accessories.

Address booklet and catalogues are available at your nearest HANSA-FLEX branch.

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It’s not a trick –it’s a system

www.hansa-�ex.com · info@hansa-�ex.com

Whether our spare parts service or supply concepts for OEMs: With our expanding world-wide network of branches we are never far away as your system partner for hydraulics

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