ThinkNowThinkTomorrow ThinkGreen

Sustainable production

Increasing flexibility without sacrificing eciency

A breath of fresh air in China

Powering personal transportation

The Corporate Magazine No 07 | May 2015

Eco-friendly solutions for tomorrow

ThinkNow

ThinkGreen

ThinkTomorrow

Contents

Leadstory

3 | Editorial

4 | Spotlight

6 | Increasing flexibility without sacrificing e�ciency Key imperatives for the automotive industry

10 | Powering personal transportation Flexible production is a must

13 | “Powering your brand” Interview with Gerald Jude

14 | A breath of fresh air in China Strict new pollution controlls

17 | Who is who

18 | Around the globe

DaVinci No 07 | May 2015 © Eisenmann SE

Circulation 9,700Publication frequency biannualPublisher Eisenmann SE, Tübinger Straße 81, 71032 Böblingen, GermanyEditorial Lead Tanja Thoma-LyEditorial Team Kristina Müller-Poschmann, Sina SpiethLayout Maike Dahmann, Anita HemetsbergerContact davinci@eisenmann.com, Phone: +49 7031 78-1185Printed by O�zin Scheufele Druck und Medien GmbH & Co. KG, Tränkestraße 17, 70597 Stuttgart, Germany

EditorialContents

3

Dear readers,

According to a UN forecast, the Earth’s population will exceed nine billion people in the year 2050, and will rise as high as 13 billion by 2100. Many of these people aspire to a consumer lifestyle typical of highly industrialized nations. This is already putting excess strain on the environment.

China, in particular, has caught up with other countries within just a few short decades. Today, the nation has reached the point where it is addressing its ecological problems. These issues are now being openly discussed, with air pollution very high on the agenda (see page 14).

Combatting air pollution continues to play an important role in more mature economies, too. In this context, expectations on the automotive industry are especially high. Around the world, legislation is being enacted to drastically lower the carbon emissions of new cars. And earlier this year, the German Bundestag (Parliament) approved a new law designed to incentivize the use of electric cars. However, the transition to greener transportation options will be gradual. It will involve re-thinking and re-engineering development and manufacturing in the automotive industry. This poses both opportunities and risks (page 10).

What new technologies and processes are needed to overcome these challenges? How can automakers meet demand in a more flexible, more e�cient, and more resource-friendly way? Eisenmann is supporting OEMs with this transformation to a new era of mass production, providing expert advice and assistance – with a particular focus on painting and application systems (page 6).

At the end of the day, we have to ensure that the environmental impact of our economic activity does not become a burden for future generations. As a company, we are willing to play our part.

I hope you will find this issue of DaVinci both interesting and informative.

Dr. Matthias von Krauland Chief Executive O�cer

Spotlight

4

World’s most advanced paint shop for Tesla Motors

+++ Automotive Systems +++

+++ Acquisition +++

Eisenmann has secured the deal to build Tesla Motors’ new paint shop. The US automaker contracted Eisenmann to construct the new facility in Fremont, California. The deal, running to nine figures, is the most valuable in Eisenmann’s history.

Tesla plans to expand production capacity from 30,000 to 500,000 units annually between now and 2017 – and two fully automated painting lines from Eisenmann will help to accomplish this goal. The highly flexible E-Shuttle 300 conveyor system will be deployed in the pre-treatment and electrocoating lines for the Model S and Model X. Moreover, the resource-e�cient and eco-friendly electrostatic paint overspray removal system, E-Scrub v.2, will be installed in the car body painting line, the E-Cube in the coating line for plastic components. The scope of supply also includes skid conveyors and eight dryers. The entire paint facility will be managed and monitored using the E-MES modular production control system.

Tesla in the fast lane: US-based Tesla Motors, the shooting star among electric car brands, is forging ahead with its plans to revolutionize electromobility.

The Eisenmann family announced the acquisition of 100 percent of LacTec GmbH’s equity. LacTec GmbH is a leading provider of robotic paint-ing systems. “Our skills and resources in paint application and paint supply are an ideal match,” states Bruno Geiger, COO/CTO at Eisenmann.

LacTec GmbH is now part of the Eisenmann family

“By pooling our abilities, and through a strong combined global presence, we will be even better placed to fully meet the needs of our customers around the world, and to more e�ec- tively exploit market opportunities.” LacTec GmbH has approximately 100 employees at its headquarters

in Rodgau near Frankfurt am Main, and will remain an independent organization. LacTec generates around 50 percent of revenues with auto-motive OEMs.

Spotlight + trade shows

5

Trade showsJuly 2015

08. - 1 0. 07. ALUMINIUM CHINA

Shanghai, China

August 2015

03. - 06. 08. CAR Management Briefing Seminars

Traverse City, USA

25. - 27. 08. SWANA’s Wastecon

Orlando, USA

September 2015

02. - 04. 09. CHINA COMPOSITES EXPO

Shanghai, China

09. - 1 0. 09. SAE BRASIL

Caxias do Sul , Brazil

October 2015

04. - 07. 1 0. Euro PM2015 Congress & Exhibition

Reims, France

1 5. - 1 7. 1 0. PaintExpo EURASIA

Istanbul, Turkey

1 9. - 22. 1 0. Biocycle REFOR15

Boston, USA

20. - 23. 1 0. ceramitec 2015

Munich, Germany

27. - 30. 1 0. CeMAT ASIA

Shanghai, China

28. - 30. 1 0. International Supply Chain Conference

Berlin, Germany

November 2015

03. - 04. 1 1 . Car Body Painting 2015

Bad Nauheim, Germany

09. - 1 2. 1 1 . FABTECH

Chicago, USA

For current events, please go to www.eisenmann.com

Online surveyWe would like to thank everyone who took

part in our survey. Your feedback and suggestions will help us make our company

magazine even better. We have notified the lucky winner of the

weekend in Florence, who was drawn at random from the participants.

Change of management in Environmental Technology

+++ Management +++

James McMillin, who had led the US and Canadian sales team in Environmental Technology since 2010, assumed responsibility for the business unit in January 2015.

McMillin has extensive experi-ence in industrial sales. He began his career in sales in 1988 after graduating from Northern Illinois University, USA, with a degree in mechanical engi-neering. He has since held leadership positions at various enterprises, and has worked in strategic marketing and business development, in addition to sales.

+++ General Finishing +++

Major contract signed with Magna

Magna Assembly Systems de Mexico, one of the world’s largest manufacturers of plastic bumpers, has tasked Eisenmann with building a painting line – Magna’s largest to date. Eisenmann is to provide a one-stop, turnkey solution, including paint supply and application systems. The line will be built in Magna’s new production plant in Santiago de Querétaro, approximately 150 km northwest of Mexico City. Installation will begin in August, and the line will enter operation in March 2016. The contract is worth seven figures.

ThinkTomorrow ThinkTomorrow

6

Carbon dioxide is a greenhouse gas, and contributes to climate change. As a result, governments around the world have begun to take steps to significantly cut vehicle emissions. The European Union aims to reduce emissions from new cars to below 95 grams of carbon dioxide per kilometer by 2020. In the USA, the CAFE standards have defined a target of 121 grams per kilometer; in China, the goal is 117 grams, and in Japan, 105 grams. Manufacturers exceeding these thresholds face punitive levies of 100 euros or more per vehicle.

ThinkTomorrow

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7

Climate-change legislation and social megatrends are putting the automotive

industry under pressure to change.

It is driving the development of new, innovative technologies, materials and

processes to increase manufacturing e�ciency and flexibility. And within this

context, painting and application systems play a key role.

Increasing flexibility without sacrificing e�ciency

T he automotive industry faces fundamental, inescapable chal- lenges – for example, the

finite character of fossil fuels and rare metals. There is also a growing awareness of the need to minimize the environmental impact of cars and trucks. And demographic change in the highly industrialized nations has caused a shift in consumer expectations and preferences; there is now greater emphasis on comfort, convenience, and state-of-the-art functionality, such as advanced driver assistance and driver drowsiness detection. Additionally, there is the need to provide efficient transpor- tation for densely-populated emerging markets and megacities. A further issue is the existence of highly divergent thresholds for carbon emissions around the world. Against this background, Eisenmann and Stuttgart-based TMG Consultants have carried out a joint study of the key imperatives within the automotive industry.

ThinkTomorrow ThinkTomorrow

8

Overcoming challenges and managing costsThe pattern of demand is shifting – primarily to China and Asia in general, but also to the USA, and Central and South America. OEMs are expanding production in these regions, building vehicles to the same quality standards as in their domestic markets. However, as demand is also increasingly volatile, manufacturers are looking to pool their international resources in a way that makes it possible to share production tasks more evenly. In response to these challenges, the variety of technologies encountered in cars is growing, as is the number of vehicle variants and configurations. At the same time, consumers’ quality expectations continue to increase, and cost pressures continue to mount.

Against this background, the concept of one-piece flow is gaining traction. This approach theoretically enables mass customization, with each car being an entirely unique configuration, including its paintwork. This requires the manufacturing process as a whole to be extremely agile, with the ability to respond to each customer’s individual preferences. And this extends to painting – one of the most energy-intensive steps in production. “We supply systems that operate seamlessly, as if there were no paint changeovers taking place,” says Ralph Meier, Head of Application & Robotics at Eisenmann. This business unit is responsible for key challenges such as paint atomization, changeover and consistency. Atomization is not directly related to one-piece flow; however, systems such as the VarioBell enable precise metering, and therefore play a vital role in high-quality, e�cient painting, with even application and high throughput.

››

Low paint wastage, rapid changeoverIn an era of mass customization, the VarioBell and VarioCharger systems make it possible to switch quickly and easily from one color to the next. Together, they not only minimize wastage during changeover, they also reduce the time required for this task to under four seconds. This is possible because VarioCharger’s parallel metering cylinders are operated alter-nately, allowing one to be filled while the other is in use. The Application & Robotics business unit employs a variety of experts to ensure these technologies deliver on their promises. For example, to overcome the issues associated with coat consistency – which can range from watery to jelly-like – and variations in coat structures. “In some projects, we will have a team with over 100 years’ combined experience in diverse fields working hand in hand to achieve the best possible results,” explains Meier.

To meet consumers’ tastes and preferences in this new era, the automotive industry requires more than just suitable application methods. Paint shops as a whole must be fully flexible. Eisenmann has identified, and in some cases developed solutions for, the following challenges: shops must be able to process multiple types of car body on a single line, allowing manufacturers to respond rapidly to changes in market demand. Additionally, coating systems need to process a variety of materials, such as sheet steel, aluminum and plastic. Within volatile markets, paint shops will have to be fully scalable – permitting the number of units to be ramped up quickly without a significant increase in costs.

ThinkTomorrow

Ralph Meier, Senior Vice President, Application & Robotics

9

Close collaboration with OEMsClimate change, social megatrends, innovative technologies, materials and processes all impact how OEMs and suppliers collaborate. The latter must broaden their – at times very limited – viewpoint, and consider the production process as a whole. For example, Eisenmann’s core competency is paint shop, but the company has a deep understanding of body-shop, assembly, production and many other technologies and processes. In the future, however, plant engineers will have to communicate with OEMs much earlier in order to determine the skills and technologies required to meet their goals. For painting, in particular, the key is to enhance flexibility and agility without sacrificing the e�ciency of mass production.

ThinkNow ThinkNow

Against this background, vehicle manufacturers face a variety of challenges: in many cases, they will need to radically re-think and re- engineer their production processes. Andreas Dibon, Head of Sales Engi-neering at Eisenmann’s Automotive Systems business unit, states: “How-ever, the growing popularity of EVs is primarily going to create new opportunities. After all, the need on the part of automakers to be extremely agile did not just arrive with the advent of electric propulsion.” Flexibility and adaptability are al-ready central requirements within car manufacturing. The number of variants and configurations is growing, and OEMs are adopting cutting-edge materials (e.g. composites) and new assembly methods (such as adhesive bonding in place of welding).

Electric vehicles will change the way we travel, and revolutionize the auto industry’s development and manufacturing processes. Eisenmann technology helps OEMs address and resolve the challenges this paradigm shift entails.

E lectric vehicles (EVs) are almost silent, emit zero emissions, and can play a key part in the smart

power grids of the future. As a result, they are gaining in popularity across the globe. In a study published in March 2015, management consultants Kienbaum predicted that by 2025, 25 percent of cars sold in Germany would be electrically powered. This suggests that the skeptics – who argue that EVs are too expensive, too heavy, their range too limited, and recharging stations too few and far between – will be proven wrong. In fact, the EV market is already thriving. O�erings include various hybrids, battery-driven sports cars, fuel-cell-powered vehicles designed for longer journeys, and e-buses with inductive charging.

EVs and hybrids are already performing many of the tasks associated with their diesel- and gasoline-engined counterparts. However, there is a sig- nificant shift to be observed in the way these cars are created. Automakers are no longer converting existing models – by simply swapping their conventional powertrains for electric drives. Instead, an increasing number of cars are being developed from scratch as electric vehicles. Based on a modular design approach, they can accommodate diverse e-drive types.

Powering personal transportation

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10

ThinkNow

Bees use electric fields to communicateAs they fly through the air, bees acquire a positive electric charge by flapping their wings. They pass on that charge to other bees and use electric fields to communicate.

11

ThinkNow ThinkNow

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This new era calls for innovative solutions in plant engi-neering. For example, Eisenmann’s compact E-Shuttle conveyors play a key role in the pre-treatment and dip-coating of hybrid bodies. These structures typically combine multi-layer composite elements with CFRP components and lightweight metal floors. In the first quarter of 2015, strategy consultants Roland Berger stated that this represented the future of EV design. Examples of cars based on this approach include BMW’s i project models – the i3 and i8.

Only purpose-designed production-plant systems will permit OEMs to take full advantage of the unique possibilities of EVs in terms of packaging, exterior and interior design, and lightweight construction. State-of-the-art adhesive bonding also plays a pivotal role, with traditional weld- ing almost entirely eliminated. With this in mind, Intec Bielenberg, an Eisenmann Group company specializing in tech-nology for viscous materials, has developed a system for the application of two-component adhesives for the BMW i project.

Organic developmentThere are many reasons why electric vehicles have gained less market share than had perhaps initially been expected. First, there are too many diverse charging systems – and not enough charging stations available for public use. Furthermore, if too many people concurrently charge their EVs on mains power supplied to their households, it can cause spikes in grid load. Researchers are currently trying to find ways of tackling this problem. For example, experts at the Advanced System Technology (AST) branch of the Fraunhofer Institute of Optronics, System Technologies and Image Exploitation (IOSB) have developed a computer program that calculates the maximum number of vehicles that can be simultaneously charged on a power grid.

However, a study published by Hanover’s local publically owned energy utility (enercity) in January 2015 shows that EVs, when intelligently managed as a pool, can be harnessed as a form of “o�-grid power storage and virtual power station”, and used to even out fluctuations in load. These ideas are not

science fiction, they are entirely feasible. Connected cars are already becoming increasingly prominent in the automotive market. They draw upon smart onboard electronics and Internet connections to enable the intelligent management of their batteries.

Automobile manufacturers do not have to worry about a lack of demand for EVs: as a study by Continental in 2015 indicates, young people today still want to have their own four wheels. However, they are not interested in no-frills

electric models – but in truly attractive products. The main selling points are not performance and speed, but rather the ability to integrate with a wide range of digital services, and to connect with the environment and technical infrastructure (car-to-x connectivity).

The transition to electric propulsion will not happen overnight: it will be an organic, evolutionary process. In the decades to

come, the automotive industry will have to develop and market many kinds of solutions concurrently – and an ever-increasing proportion will be electrically powered. The ability to respond to these dynamic market processes is one of the central issues in next-generation automobile manufacturing. Andreas Dibon states: “The best way to prepare for these fast-approaching challenges is to invest in advanced modular production systems today.”

“The best way to prepare for these fast-

approaching challenges is to invest in advanced

modular production systems today.”

ThinkNow

13

Gerald Jude,Managing Partner of meerdesguten

BRAND IDENTITY, a communications and brand-development agency based

in Wiesbaden and Berlin, Germany.

“Powering your brand” Gerald Jude not only praises BMW for technical innovation but also for the story behind it. He has been driving a BMW i3 since September 2014.

M  r. Jude, what impact is the growing importance of e-vehicles having

on car brands?It depends how serious manu-facturers are about facing up to the radical changes taking place in the world of personal transportation. Technical innovation alone does not change a brand. Every strong brand is based on a narrative that is shaped by emotions, experiences, and fulfilled promises. BMW is demonstrating how innovation can create new oppor-tunities, o�erings, and product ideas: their ‘i’ electric vehicle project has already led to the development of the i3 city car and the i8 sports car. The i3 is a truly intelligent car, an answer to the needs of today.

Do innovative vehicle concepts have the power to influence customers’ perception of the brand?When an innovation makes sig-nificant waves, it can transform an entire brand. Or electrify it, so to speak. Apple – formerly seen as a conventional computer manufac-turer – achieved that with the iPhone. And the fact that there is so much talk about Apple entering the car market indicates just how powerful the brand is. Even Apple’s critics believe it has what it takes to enter a completely new sector – the electric vehicle industry.

But do we somehow doubt that the established car marques are capable of this kind of innovation? I think they are. In recent years, we have seen automotive marques change through the adoption of new powertrain technologies and car usage initiatives. I can well imagine that the big brands will continue to shake things up in the future – with new smart personal transportation solutions that are shared, available on demand, and electrically powered.

ThinkGreen

14

“In the long term, smog threatens

to stymie economic growth.”

China’s economy is booming – but its growth comes at a hefty price. Pollution in 90 percent of the nation’s major and megacities regularly exceeds the defined thresholds for fine particles and other air contami-nants. For many people, smog and chronic illnesses are part of everyday life. Industrial air treatment technologies play a pivotal role in combatting these problems.

A breath of fresh air in China

T  he month of January 2013 remains ingrained in the memory of Beijing’s hardened inhabitants. Out on the street, each breath drew in air polluted with

32 times the fine particles limit recommend by the World Health Organization (WHO). Conditions are not always this severe. But thicker shrouds of smog, the alarming increase of fine particle levels in the air, and other air pollution phenomena have become part and parcel of living in the

country’s industrialized regions. This puts the health of many people at risk – and in the long term, threatens to stymie economic development.

Smog is a health hazard – and the dirty downside of economic success. It’s a scenario Europe experienced and largely overcame some time ago. The

environmental threat brewing in China today is reminiscent of past pollution in Europe’s major manufacturing centers – particularly during the age of industrialization, but also during Germany’s Wirtschaftwunder boom in the 1950s.

Today, however, awareness of the risks posed by pollution is much greater. And China, too, is addressing the issue. In late February 2015, the film Qiong Ding Zhi Xia (Under the Dome) by television journalist Chai Jing vividly portrayed the far-reaching and dangerous impact air pollution has on health. The two-hour documentary struck a chord with the Chinese public; within just a few days, it was viewed more than 100 million times by Internet users. The short film Smog Journeys from Chinese director Jia Zhangke, shot in collaboration with Greenpeace and released in January 2015, also spotlighted the topic.

ThinkGreen

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Eisenmann technology can be harnessed to create tailor-made air treatment solutions for diverse industries, compa-nies, and emission types.

Oxidation or filtration: Eisenmann’s exhaust air purification processesThere is a variety of methods available for removing contami-nants from exhaust air. After filtration, the most important are thermal oxidation (TO), regenerative thermal oxidation (RTO) and adsorption. The choice depends on the volume of air to be treated, the type and concentration of contaminants, the commercial value of recoverable materials, and whether it is possible to recover and return waste heat to the production process.

For details of our products, visitwww.eisenmann.com/exhaust-air

Exhaust Air Treatment

The situation is grave. In major cities, concentrations of suspended particulate matter smaller than 2.5 micrometers in diameter (PM 2.5) are extremely high. This significant health threat stems from multiple sources. In Beijing, for example, experts believe that the manufacturing industry, road tra�c, and electricity and heat generation each account for about a third.

ThinkGreen

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Dr. Johann Halbartschlager, Vice President, Environmental Technology, China

China

Germany

1,059

738

759

1970

2013

9,997

Emissions in millions of metric tons: a comparison between China and Germany

Emissions

comparisonChina and Germany

comparisonChina and Germany

As a result, China is planning a variety of steps to counter air pollution.

In summer 2014, the government decided to take five million older, dirtier cars, o� the roads. The country is also a leading global market for local, zero-emission transportation options, such as electric scooters. Renewables, including solar and wind energy, are also playing an ever greater role. In fact, in 2013, China invested more money in eco-friendly energy generation than in coal and nuclear power plants.

The nation is facing up to its envi-ronmental and resource conservation problems, mirroring the e�orts made by Europe, the USA and Japan a number of decades ago. However, the challenges are immense. Finding sustainable solutions for industry, transportation, and energy will entail radically reengineering processes in many areas.

A high priority will be to tackle the pollution created by manufacturing. This will help China to achieve sustainable economic growth – and to breathe more easily.

“Today, all plants in China must incorporate exhaust air purification systems,” explains Halbartschlager. “Depending on local pollution levels, the challenges facing the Chinese provinces are very diverse. Increasingly, government agencies are not only imposing limit values for VOCs (volatile organic compounds), but for VOC loads (kg VOC/h), too – which can drive down the permitted limits even further.”

Who is who

17

Saving resources enhances quality of lifeDr. Michael Schlipf lives his beliefs professionally as well as in his private life.

 I n the course of your career, the e�cient use of energy and resources has become your specialist subject. What is it about this field that interests

and motivates you? Responsible consumption of resources is a way that we can contribute to the conservation of primary energy reserves. I am very interested in the Club of Rome’s climate goals, and in what steps could be taken to achieve them. I work closely with the automotive industry, and am therefore closely involved in ongoing e�orts to cut carbon emissions. For this reason, I am fascinated by lightweight construction technology and its impact on our business, plant engineering, and on sustainability.

What do you consider to be the greatest waste of energy in everyday life?Heating a non-insulated building with electric radiators.

Was there a particular experience in your life which shaped your attitude towards the use of energy and resources? When I was a child, our home was heated by a traditional tiled wood-burning stove; we had to collect, chop, and carry the wood. That’s when I started to appreciate the cost associated with the energy and heat generation. Twenty years ago, when I went to Beijing for the first time, I could literally feel the air pollution. After just one day, my eyes were inflamed. It brought home to me what impact environmental pollution has on the Earth and our quality of life.

What does sustainability mean to you?For me, sustainability means longevity. And it also relates to the environmental impact of using a particular product, and the resources consumed to manufacture it. Moreover, sustainability is about reducing the need for maintenance, and ensuring a product can be repaired, and is not simply thrown it away.

If you look at your own lifestyle, what is the most sustainable product you own?My car. I drive a diesel engine. It is the third one I’ve had, and the first two clocked up over 300,000 kilometers with only minimal maintenance.

What steps do you take to reduce your own energy and resource consumption?I get all the hot water I need from a solar-powered water heater, and in the near future I will be installing a geothermal heat pump at my home.

Are there times when you take a slightly more relaxed approach to sustainability?When I’m on business travel. For example, I drive a long distance to and from work, and I travel by plane on business.

Where do you get your energy for the working day?I go walking in the forest, and I play the oboe and the English horn. I play in a chamber orchestra, and I play music with my sons – who play wind instruments, too.

And how do you start your working day?I have breakfast and read the news- paper. Then I get in my car and use the time it takes to get to work to make calls to China and get myself in the right frame of mind for the working day.

17

Dr. Michael Schlipf, Senior Manager Technology,

Automotive Systems

23 mill ion23 mill ionWith a population of 23 million, the region around Mexico City is the world’s second biggest conurbation after Tokyo. The metropolis itself ranks as the fifth largest capital city worldwide, with close to 9 million residents.

1.7 million1.7 millionBetween 1967 and 2003, some 1.7 million Volkswagen Beetles rolled o£ the assembly lines at the carmaker’s production plant in Puebla, Mexico. With 21.5 million vehicles sold, the Beetle was the world’s most popular car until 2002, when it was overtaken by another Volkswagen: the Golf.

Around the globeAround the globe

18

Mexico

 E xports are the driving force behind Mexico’s economy, propelling the Latin-American country into 14th place in a worldwide comparison. Its geographical location plays a central role: Canada and the neighboring

USA are the destinations for 85 percent of exports. Mexico has become a global player, particularly in the automotive industry. Internationally, it is currently the fourth-largest exporter of automobiles, and ranks among the top ten manufacturers. Last year, it produced 3.2 million cars, and exported a total of 2.64 million.

Since November 2013, Nissan, Mazda and Honda have opened new factories in Mexico for a total of 600,000 units annually. In 2014, Audi, Mercedes, Nissan/Infinity, BMW, Hyundai/Kia and GM all announced plans for new manufacturing facilities in the country. This, combined with high demand from the USA, played a part in setting new record highs for production and exports in 2014. And in early 2015, Toyota revealed its intention to build a second factory.

Eisenmann recognized Mexico’s potential as early as 1994, establishing a subsidiary in Puebla. Today, there are around 60 employees at this site. They serve domestic and global customers in the automotive industry, and in other fields of manufacturing. A further key focus is conveyor technology and environmental engineering. Over the last 20 years, Eisenmann México has installed over 100 systems.

MexicoMeeting demand in a challenging environment.

Mexico City

Rio Grande

Puebla

Puebla

Eisenmann Mexico subsidiary

23 mill ion

Around the globe

19

A breathtaking view: the Santuario de la Virgen de los Remedios church against the striking backdrop of the Popocatépetl volcano – only ten kilometers away from Eisenmann’s subsidiary in Puebla.

Sebastian Albeck, General Manager,

Eisenmann S.A. de C.V., Puebla, Mexico

“I believe that exports will continue to be the greatest driving force behind the Mexican economy for many years to come. But domestic growth should not be underestimated in the long term. Automakers and component suppliers, with their need for painting technology, are not only important mar-kets for Eisenmann – Mexico’s chemical, pharmaceutical, petrochemical, food, and electronics sectors are also evolv-ing, and have great potential for our business. Furthermore, new energy-consumption and water-recycling regulations are opening up new opportunities for our environmental technology.

However, Mexico remains a challenging environment for us. For example, certain system components are expensive but often without necessarily delivering the quality to match the price. To safeguard Eisenmann’s image and the quality of our products, we need to develop close partnerships with competitive local suppliers capable of meeting our high standards and with whom we cooperate closely.”

How do you bring

quality

to the surface?With technology from Eisenmann.

www.eisenmann.com

For more information, just contact us at:automotive-systems@eisenmann.com