A comprehensive insight In Motion trainee programOur new trainee program offers many benefits and is an excellent launch pad to a career with AVL Germany.› Page 11

Racing fever at workRacing cars with AVL technologyThe company‘s racing experts develop, simulate and test the hottest cars in international motor racing.› Page 6 - 7

AVL has a lot to offer its employees:Exciting and highly varied projects, collaboration with international teams and the best automotive manufacturers in the world, as well as excellent ca-reer prospects in all three busi-ness areas. The world‘s largest company for the development of powertrain systems is on the lookout for innovative people with a passion for tomorrow‘s mobility and an interest in other cultures.

› Page 2 - 3

Be part of it Simulation is the keyThe experts at AVL‘s Business Unit AST specialize in the development of simulation and software tools designed to speed up powertrain development.› Seite 12 - 13

IMPRINT: PUBLISHER AND PROPRIETOR: AVL LIST GMBH, HANS-LIST-PLATZ 1, A-8020 GRAZ, TEL. 0043-316-787-0. EDITORIAL, LAYOUT & PRODUCTION: SCOOP NEXT LEVEL MARKETING.

Passion CareerINFORMATION MAGAZINE OF AVL HUMAN RESOURCES

2013

RACING

COVER STORy

AVL GERMANy SIMULATION

Most Wanted by AVL: Visionary Experts

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BECOME A FAN AND FOLLOWER: facebook.com/AVL.List twitter.com/AVL_List

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for teamwork and intercultural open-ness, who are also happy to travel. A constant eagerness to learn and, most important of all, a pioneering spirit in research are qualities we are looking for in people willing to join us. If you are interested in new technical approaches and do not mind thinking outside of the box, then you’ve come to the right place."

Fostering talent Stephan M. Baron, Head of AVL Group Human Resources: "Our talented em-ployees need encouragement and development – and we have excellent programs that take care of just that.

AVL is a global player in the automotive in-dustry. The company‘s technologies and achievements are already incorporated into innumerable large engines, passenger cars, heavy-duty vehicles and two-wheel-ers, as well as in a variety of small engines and off-road drive systems. Divided into three major Business Units, AVL covers a broad spectrum of areas focusing on the powertrain. Powertrain Engineering (PTE)

Shaping the Future of Mobility

standing career opportunities with AVL. open to innovation Among many other projects, Uwe Dieter

Business Unit develops instrumentation and testing systems capable of identifying potential for improvement at a very early stage in development. In the Advanced Simulation Technologies (AST) Business Unit, simulations are developed for indi-vidual powertrain components and the overall system. The achievements made in all of these areas are the result of cre-ative employees who are offered out-

"IF you don't MInd thInkIng out oF the Box, then you've coMe to the RIght plAce."

Uwe Dieter Grebe

AVL is shaping the future of mobility with its broad portfolio of products and services. the company is now looking for people who are willing to devote their passion to this very exciting challenge.

Cover story2

develops and optimizes efficient and en-vironmentally friendly drive solutions. For the rapidly growing demands placed on the development of drive systems, the ITS

"heRe At Avl theRe ARe MAny dIFFeRent

yet equIvAlent oppoRtunItIeS to BuIld A cAReeR."

StePhAn M. bAron

Grebe, the new Executive Vice Presi-dent of the Global Business Develop-ment, Sales & International Operations in Powertrain Engineering, is planning to make greater use of opportunities resulting from the carbon emission re-duction requirements. This, and AVL‘s international working environment mean that the employees at AVL need to have certain skills to be successful. According to Uwe Dieter Grebe: "We are seeking people with a capacity

Uwe Dieter Grebe, executive Vice President of Global business Development, Sales & international opera-tions Pte

COMMENTHElMuT lisT, CEO AVl

As an established partner to the au-tomotive industry, AVL has gained global leadership in the development of efficient and environmentally friendly drive systems. Like no other company of its kind, AVL not only produces in-strumentation and test systems for powertrain engineering, but also sim-ulation models. In all these business areas, we are on the lookout for new employees who are willing to dedicate their creativity, passion and ambition to find new solutions.

Never before was there such a wide and fascinating variety of drive tech-nologies than there is today. The scope ranges from efficient internal combustion engines and various hy-brid solutions to all-electric drives with or without range extender. The jobs that involve their development are just as fascinating and diverse as the tech-nologies themselves.

Being part of a close-knit global team, committed engineers at AVL addition-ally get a chance to take unconven-tional paths, which often take them outside the traditional boundaries of physics. As a home of innovation, AVL offers the ideal environment to foster creative ways of thinking and acting, remaining true to our motto: We are constantly moving forward and we will never stop.

Scan the code with your smartphone and discover the world of AVL!

aVL Fact and Figures:

Chairman and Ceo: Prof. Dr. h.c. Helmut ListFounded: 1948employees: More than 6,000aVL Headquarters:AVL LIST GmbHHans-List-Platz 1A-8020 Graz, Austria

Cover story 3

StePhAn M. bAron, Director human resources AVL Group

The relevant supervisors are respon-sible for their employees‘ professional development. In appraisal interviews, they find out what careers the people in their team would like to pursue." Em-ployees are also given a chance to build their career at AVL‘s affiliates in opera-tions all over the world. "To get ahead at AVL, it is not necessary to climb the ladder to the management level. We promote functional career paths and attach great importance to ensuring that engineers can build a career in their specialized technical areas of ex-pertise. At AVL there are many different

yet equivalent opportunities to build a career," adds Stephan M. Baron.

The prospect of climbing the career ladder within the company is only one of many incentives. Uwe Dieter Grebe points out that AVL fosters a corporate culture that values its employees. "All employees at AVL can rest assured that the company will always treat them on an individual basis and with utmost consideration. There are a variety of programs designed to promote well-being at the workplace. AVL is aware of the fact that, given the high demands on the staff, adequate pay and flexible working-time models are an absolute must. Accordingly, besides standard flexible working hours, our employees also have the choice of individual solu-tions like working part-time or working from home."

AVL develops and tests all five elements of the electrified powertrain:

The internal combustion engine still offers con-siderable scope for optimization and develop-ment potential.

The transmission has a great impact on the proper functioning of the entire system. Each element has its own control unit which has to be programmed and integrated with the others.

The electric motor is becoming increasingly im-portant in the automotive industry.

AVL is working very hard on the battery to raise the attractiveness of electrified vehicles.

The Powertrain World App supplies compre-hensive Information on the five elements and delivers multimedia content to demonstrate the fascinating world of powertrain development.

Download the app now (for ioS and Android)!

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"It’s been very fulfilling and satisfying for me to see the way that AVL has been able to connect to the major US trans-portation companies,” he says. “We’ve been able to support them effectively and help them with their corporate mis-sions. At the same time we’ve become market leader in most of the things that we do."

Manvel says that there are great oppor-tunities for people who want to work for AVL.

American Innovators and technical entrepreneurs

InternatIonal4

across the world, there is also the pos-sibility for many of our staff to travel and work in global teams as well as across the six locations we have in the US."

He says that they’re looking for a par-ticular person to join them.

"We’re looking for a technical entrepre-neur who can work really well in a team with their colleagues, and who can re-late to the challenges faced by OEMs as well. We have a team that’s passionate about innovation; if you are too then you should consider a career with AVL."

More than 400 employees in North America

North America Four of AVL's 13 test factories are in North America.

AVL Headquarters in Graz

Don MAnVeL is on the lookout for passionate innovators and technical entrepreneurs to work for AVL north America.

AVL north America Chairman Don Manvel has been with AVL for the past decade and says that it’s been a fabulous ten years.

"For technical employees AVL offers a unique opportunity to exercise and de-velop their technical expertise and work on cutting edge new technologies and projects."

"It gives a lot of space for a technical person to work in. It’s not overly struc-tured or confining. We call it technical entrepreneurism."

"And for all of our employees it is great to work for such a world-renowned, highly respected technical company. Because many of our customers work

More than 6,000 employees worldwide AVL Affiliates

AVL is deeply involved in global vehicle battery development activities. Volker Hennige, Head of Global Battery Com-petence Team. "The battery is one of the five elements of the electrified powertrain. Without the battery neither a hybrid nor an electric drive could be implemented – that is why AVL is also very active in the field of batteries. We are not a producer of batteries or battery cells though. Our development work starts with cell testing and benchmarking. The cell is the small-est unit in a battery. Based on this knowl-edge, we create simulation models which allow us to simulate the modules – the second-smallest unit in the battery – elec-trically and thermally. This, in turn, serves as a starting point for defining the way the battery pack is configured in view of its size, weight and vehicle-specific require-ments. Further work we do includes the entire software development and the de-velopment of the hardware for controlling and monitoring operational safety."

Especially where hard and software devel-opment for battery management systems (BMS) is concerned, AVL's international work environment becomes particularly striking: "At our technical center in Cali-fornia, our activities concentrate mainly on hardware design. At the Regensburg location, we create application and basic

energetic people Wanted

"there can be no electric mobility without batteries.

consequently, we are working on a key technology and

shaping the future of mobility"VoLker henniGe, head of

Global battery Competence team

AVL's Global battery Competence team works internationally on innovative solutions for tomorrow's electric vehicles.

InternatIonal 5

software. At the headquarters in Graz, our experts chiefly focus on the so-called core functions which involve determin-ing the state of charge (SOC), determin-ing the battery's 'health' (SOH), energy balancing and cell error detection," says Hennige, summing up the close collabo-ration between AVL's different centers of excellence.

Due to its comprehensive knowledge not only of the individual component but also of the entire electrified powertrain, AVL's

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"We work together across countries and departments"Volker Hennige: "With battery devel-opment being a subject that involves a multitude of different disciplines, we are looking for people with widely dif-fering qualifications. We need chem-ists who have a good understanding of the cell, electrical engineers and physicists for setting up the electrical, electronic and BMS development and mechanical engineers for designing the battery pack. We employ math-ematicians mainly in the area of reli-ability analysis. Simulation experts with specialized knowledge in chemistry,

thermal processes or mechanics are entrusted with all kinds of simulation and modeling activities. Apart from that, we are not only looking for peo-ple with a university degree. Particu-larly in the area of battery pack testing and configuration, we are interested in graduates of higher technical schools, for example the Austrian HTL, special-izing in mechanical engineering, elec-tronics and electrical engineering (HTL = Höhere Technische Lehranstalt). Trained radio and television engineers are also welcome to join us."

focus on the battery has given the com-pany an interesting bridge function be-tween automotive manufacturers and cell producers. It is knowledge that is high in demand all over the world – and concentrated in AVL's Global Battery Competence Team. Volker Hennige: "To complement our team we are looking for lots of 'energetic' people with most differing qualifications (see information box below) who are interested in help-ing us find new, innovative solutions for electric mobility."

A battery, developed by AVL, for a high-perfor-mance electric vehicle with 675 V of nominal voltage and 28 kwh energy content.

"We Make Racing cars go Faster"Michael, it is a largely unknown fact that AVL is very active in the motorsports sec-tor. Please could you give us a short over-view of the areas AVL Racing is involved in for its motorsports customers?

resl: To put it briefly, we make rac-ing go cars faster. We cover the entire spectrum, from design and calculation to component manufacture and the testing of complete drive systems. Here at AVL, we can even simulate, optimize and test electrified drives, along with the entire electronic control system. We offer our customers novel solutions, which they might never have thought of themselves.

In which racing series does AVL work with racing teams?

resl: We have customers in all of the major racing series around the globe: Formula One, NASCAR, the Le Mans

series, DTM, the World Rally Champion-ship, the World Touring Car Champion-ship and many others. The majority of our activities for these customers, however, are subject to very strict non-disclosure agreements.

What does AVL know about racing en-gines what its customers don’t know?

resl: Let’s take the new Formula One engine, for example. The new regula-tions from 2014 onward require the use of a 1.6-liter six-cylinder DI turbocharged engine with energy recovery system. AVL has received a lot of inquiries about this particular engine type, which is practi-cally unknown to many racing teams. AVL has extensive expertise in this area and is in a position to help Formula-One teams optimize and test this new engine type. The same applies to all aspects of electrification, such as the new generator

raCIng6

interView with MiChAeL reSL, Director Motorsports Marketing & Lead Development.

coupled with the turbocharger.

Where do AVL racing engineers do their job? Do they also work at the racing track itself?

resl: AVL Racing has several locations: At the headquarters in Graz, at AVL’s affil-iates, for example at AVL Schrick in Rem-scheid and in Charlotte, North Carolina (US), where we have established a spe-cial racing center for our NASCAR series customers. Our employees also work at the supporting factories and directly on site with the racing teams – and even at the racing track itself, of course.

Is there cooperation between the racing department and the serial electrification experts at AVL?

resl: yes, there is a very lively exchange between the two departments. On the one hand, motorsports is always one step ahead of serial development, for ex-ample where the development of the For-mula One KERS system is concerned. In this respect, motorsports is at the cutting edge of automotive technology. On the other hand, we in the Racing area benefit from the extensive knowledge AVL has gained concerning all elements of the electrified powertrain, and from the long-standing experience of our colleagues.

What do you expect from new employ-ees in the Racing department?

resl: To me, the most essential require-ment is a basic technical understanding coupled with a good portion of inquisi-tiveness. The ideal candidate has had a technical education, is fluent in one or two foreign languages and may even be a kart racer. Candidates may enjoy messing around with cars, but most of all, their heart must beat for motor-sports!

"Avl is looking for engineers

whose hearts beat for motorsports."

the test Bed as a virtual Racing track

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From simulation to the tests where the racing car, rigged to the test bed, races around a virtual racing track: insights into the fascinating work of AVL racing experts.

MAtthiAS DAnk and GerhArD SChAGerL with the "Ferrari technology Award", which AVL received in 2011 in recognition of its longstanding collaboration and commitment to the development of test beds for the engines of Ferrari.

aVL supports Formula student Formula Student is an in-ternational design competi-tion, where students compete against each other with racing cars they have designed and built themselves. The judg-ing criteria for the submissions range from the vehicle's overall design to its business plan. The dynamic events judged include acceleration, cross acceleration and high-performance track endurance.

Matthias Dank, Head of Instru-mentation at AVL Racing: "AVL Racing supports the Formula Student teams of the Technical University Graz and FH Joan-neum by making its simulation systems and test beds available to the students. These tools are then operated by the students themselves after they have been instructed by an AVL supervisor who, by the way, is a former Formula Student team member himself. In the past years, the TU Graz even submitted two cars at once, one of which was an all-electric racing car. Its bat-tery and electric motor were op-timized by students at AVL. The collaboration with the students is very exciting and has even resulted in several very good job prospects for members of the Formula Student team with AVL!“

Simulation is getting more and more important in motorsports. Especially if you are entering completely unchartered territory, as is the case with the interna-tional automobile federation FIA with its new electric racing series Formula E. "On behalf of the FIA, AVL has been us-ing its VSM simulation software (Vehicle Simulation Model) to run numerous sim-ulations. In hundreds of "virtual races" we figured out what battery capacity, what electric motor performance and what vehicle weight would be best for the new racing series. Based on these results, which also included variable aerodynamics, we created the Formula E regulations," explains Gerhard Scha-gerl, Manager of AVL Racing Engineer-ing. VSM simulation is additionally being used very successfully in many teams all over the world to tune the cars optimally to the racing circuit or to simulate the best strategy for the race.

"Simulation is by far the most cost-ef-ficient method to try out and optimize components or an entire racing car. Simulation is followed by tests on the test bed," said Matthias Dank, Head of Instrumentation and Test Systems for racing vehicles. "Basically we are capa-ble of testing all powertrain components of a racing car – either individually or as an overall system. We are provided not only with special test beds for the elec-tric motor, a KERS system and the suit-able battery, but also with a high-perfor-mance powertrain test bed which can even be used to test a Formula-1 racing car, for example." To make test bed tests as realistic as possible, simulation tech-nology is applied that even allows the car to race around a virtual race track. Matthias Dank: "And if, at this point in time, some part of the powertrain is not yet finished, we can even replace it with a virtual model."P

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Othmar Peier, Senior Program Manager in Hybrid Engineering: "In its position as technology supplier to customers across the globe, AVL has been busy develop-ing hybrid vehicles for many years, both in the area of pre-development and in vehicles which will not be on the market for another two or three years." Although these vehicles contain some key AVL technology, this is not being made pub-lic. "Here we act as service provider to a car manufacturer (OEM), and AVL's con-tribution to innovative drive engineering often remains a well-kept secret."

As a hybrid vehicle has two drive sys-tems, the complexity of the powertrain is increased considerably. The combus-tion engine and the added electric motor must complement each other perfectly. Otherwise it is impossible to achieve op-timal consumption and emission values. To ensure this harmonious interaction, development work requires extensive knowledge of the individual powertrain elements – engine, transmission, electric motor, battery and control electronics – as well as a profound understanding of the overall system. Crucial to functional quality is also the software that is used to define the optimal operating strategy. To coordinate – in other words calibrate

"I do Feel RAtheR pRoud IF I See A vehIcle I helped to deSIgn."othMAr Peier, hybrid Drive expert

in a hybrid vehicle, there are two different drive systems which have to harmonize perfectly for the system to function smoothly. it is a challenging field for the specialists at AVL who, thanks to their expertise and the most advanced development tools available, master this difficult task for customers all over the world.

HybrId drIve8

– this functional quality, AVL has devel-oped a number of groundbreaking tools which enable engineers to determine the ideal "team play" by simulation and, in a

further step, on the test bed, where AVL tests can be run in a very realistic driv-ing environment. Only then can the test drives begin with a prototype on a real road.

"A particular strength of AVL is that all these capabilities – simulation, test bed expertise and engineering – are offered under a single 'global' roof. Especially

if complex hybrid drives are to be de-veloped, this is a major advantage and makes work in this area very interesting and diverse. On top of that, the hybrid

drive is a key technology for tomor-row's mobility – so choosing a career with AVL certainly puts you at the very forefront of automotive engineering," says Othmar Peier, adding with a smile: "As an AVL employee, I always enjoy spotting a vehicle on the street that has a drive I helped to design. In moments like that, I do feel rather proud to be an AVL insider."

"We create harmony"

the AVL L.i.V.e test vehicle with hybrid drive which is used for testing concepts for overall energy requirement optimization. the very latest AVL instrumentation was integrated in the vehicle.

Frank Beste, Senior Program Managerfor Electric Drives at AVL, says that: "We at AVL have been thinking long and hard about the kind of drive solu-tions tomorrow's mobility requires. In other words, we have been trying to 'look into the future' for some years now. We want to figure out as best as we can what our customers' require-ments will be in the future, and try to actively shape these requirements, so that AVL will always be positioned as a cutting-edge technology provider."

Powertrain electrification opens up a multitude of new development fields for engineers. A particularly fascinating project which AVL's think tank came up with is the range extender which is based on a rotary engine and is used in the Audi A1 e-tron.

audI a1 e-tron 9

One of the results of AVL's work in the 'think tank' is the AVL Range Extend-er which is based on a rotary engine. "After AVL considered the concept promising, our customers needed to be convinced of the technology too. In the case of the Range Extender, it soon became clear that we needed a demonstrator vehicle too, which was to help customers experience the solution we had developed for them-selves," says Beste. "We implemented the Mini EVARE demonstrator here at AVL." The concept of using a compact and smooth range extender to solve the range anxiety problem associated with electric vehicles made a big im-pression on top engineers at Audi. The concept captures Audi's "Vorsprung durch Technik" (in English literally: ad-vancement through technology) claim like no other – and that was the start-ing point for the joint A1 e-tron project.

"This prospect has several aspects that make it particularly exciting for us. Since many different technology ar-eas have to be considered at once, a high level of interdisciplinary coopera-tion is needed – both at Audi and at AVL," the Senior Program Manager for Electric Vehicles explains. Within the AVL Group, electric vehicle experts in Graz and California work very closely with software and simulation special-ists in Regensburg, Remscheid and Hungary.

"What is really unique is the great way the different AVL areas network with each other. We often manage to bring together the most differing approach-es and use them to develop an entirely new solution. If, for example, a com-bustion-engine expert wanted to know an intelligent way to configure thermal balance and vibration design in a com-pact unit with the Range Extender's e-machine, this person would, figura-tively speaking, simply 'walk over to his colleague next door'. This close collab-oration extends across all areas – from simulation to instrumentation and en-gineering," Beste says. "This is unique worldwide and is what makes the work here so diverse and interesting for cre-ative people who are passionate about helping to shape the future."

An exciting collaboration

FrAnk beSte, Senior Program Manager for electric Drives, with the electrically powered Audi A1 e-tron prototype, for which AVL developed a range extender that is activated whenever the battery starts running low.

audi a1 e-tron MovieThe Audi A1 e-tron combines technologies from Audi and AVL in a trendsetting electric vehicle.

Scan the QR code with your smartphone and witness the

creation of an Audi A1 e-tron prototype with the AVL Range Extender.

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life and Work in china

AVL and its products are market leaders in China. in Shanghai, AVL is represented by a technical center and a further branch.

"you'll always get to your destination,

but perhaps not in the way you

planned."MArio wALentA

working and living in China – or at least travelling the country on a regular basis – is part of the job for many AVL employees.

InternatIonal10

AVL founder Hans List first estab-lished business relations with China in 1926, while he worked as a pro-fessor at the renowned Tongji Uni-versity in Shanghai. Ever since, AVL has been able to steadily expand its business in China. Today, AVL's suc-cess in China exceeds all expecta-tions. The company has evolved into a market leader and is represented by seven branches throughout the entire country. To secure its position and expand it further, AVL is developing new market segments with the help of committed employees, both from China and Europe.

Intercultural cooperation is central to AVL's achievements, and the ex-change between employees working at AVL affiliates around the globe is being strongly encouraged. Employ-ees who work together with custom-ers or colleagues in China can take part in on-site training courses on intercultural communication to pre-

pare for their activities. Being able to handle cultural differences is cru-cial, Mario Walenta, Managing Direc-tor of AVL ITS China, explains: "It is fundamental to understand the basic principles of the culture. For example, decision-making processes are far more characterized by connections and relationships than they are in Eu-rope. The Chinese term 'Guanxi' de-scribes a kind of personal network, which is crucial to people's business success. The trusting relationships Guanxi is based on may be a little re-served but they are authentic.“

accepting cultural differencesThe AVL Managing Director sees no problem in intercultural differences: "you just have to accept them. For instance, a decision-making process in China will always take a bit longer than it would in Europe. The important thing is to make sure that in China all business partners emerge as winners and that no-one loses face. Patience

and serenity will help you achieve your goals. And as China not only consists of metropolises like Beijing or Shang-hai, but also of many poorly developed areas, you sometimes also need to improvise." Mario Walenta puts it like this: "At the end of the day, you'll al-ways get to your destination, but per-haps not in the way you planned."

At AVL Technical Center in Shanghai almost 100 employees specialize in the development of drive systems – from design and simulation to devel-opment, testing and serial calibration. The close collaboration between the Technical Center and the Headquar-ters in Graz, as well as other affiliates, also helps to gain an understanding of the Chinese market. Klaus Denk-mayr, General Manager AVL Technical Center in Shanghai, has been living in China for a year: "If you live in a world metropolis like Shanghai you'll be of-fered things you wouldn't find any-where else.“

"In Motion" with Avl

officially top-class

nicola elsner is proud of the "top employer" title for AVL Germany

The next trainee program starts in October 2013. For job vacancies, information and applications, please visit www.willkommen-bei-avl.de.

InternatIonal 11

AVL Germany recently launched a very special trainee program. For a period of 12 months, university graduates spe-cializing in mechanical engineering, electrical engineering or industrial engi-neering and management are given the opportunity to get closely acquainted with three of AVL's Business Units. AVL Germany developed a trainee program that grants university graduates a com-prehensive insight into powertrain de-velopment – at different locations and in changing areas where instrumentation and test systems are applied. Trainees have the opportunity to work in the ar-eas Service, Sales and Test Bed Sys-tems/Project Management or Instru-mentation and, if they like, they can even go abroad. Every trainee is given a men-tor who provides active support. For technically interested and open-minded individuals who have strong communi-cation skills and are willing to take on responsibility, this is a perfect launch pad for a career with AVL. What's more, from the very beginning trainees are given an employment contract for an unlimited period: within the 12 months a suitable task at AVL is found for every trainee in very close consultation with AVL and the trainee.

AVL Germany is "Top Employer Automo-tive 2012/2013". The certificate awarded by the CRF institute – a HR research in-stitution based in the Netherlands that operates all over the world – confirms that AVL Germany is one of the leading employers in all the critical areas of HR Management such as Benefits, Training and Corporate Culture. Nicole Elsner, Human Resources Manager, on the award: "We are delighted about the ac-knowledgment of the work carried out by our team."

AVL trainee Dustin Scheerle

What has impressed you most so far as an AVL trainee?

I'd say the most impressive expe-rience I had so far was a flight to Graz with my current supervisor to an internal kick-off meeting for a large-scale project in Germany. During those three days I was also given a tour of AVL's engine research and Compact test bed business divisions, besides the in-strumentation production and the development facilities.

What impression have you got of AVL so far?

A very positive one, because as a trainee you are immediately in-volved in day-to-day business and you get really good supervi-sion. You get around a lot and visit customers on site, where you can learn a great deal. This way I have already been able to gain a lot of practical experience at customers like Toyota Motorsport, Ford and others.

AVL trainee björn Loeper What has impressed you most so far as an AVL trainee?

I have had some very impressive experiences every day so far, so I can't really settle on a favorite. The work here is generally very varied. For example, I have a lot to do with our customer BMW, where AVL is implementing a number of interest-ing projects.

What impression have you got of AVL so far?

I have very nice and friendly col-leagues, which makes the atmo-sphere at work very family-like. There's something new to learn every day and you will always be challenged.

Questions put to...Questions put to...

if you want to work at the very forefront of future automotive development, you'll get every chance to do so in AVL's Advanced Simulation technologies business Unit (ASt).

sIMulatIon12

Simulation – the key to the Automotive Future

complexity. Gotthard Rainer: "We are additionally working very hard on mak-ing it possible to integrate our engine and powertrain development simulation models as real-time models into the test beds ('hardware in the loop'), so that we can use this development environment to represent a very realistic operating sce-nario."

"We support both the detailed simulation at a component and subsystem level and at the level of the overall system. While our simulation products used to focus heavily on the internal combustion en-gine, we spent the past years expanding our capabilities to include the other com-ponents and the entire powertrain sys-tem," Jürgen Krasser, Head of Software Development at AST, explaines.

Among the latest developments of AST that belong into this expansion category is the representation of the transmission

"Here at AST, we develop simulation and software solutions to speed up and optimize the development of the entire powertrain," says Gotthard Rainer, sum-marizing the activities of this AVL busi-ness area. With the electrification of the powertrain with its five elements – inter-nal combustion engine, electric motor, battery, transmission and control – the complexity in development has increased considerably. This is where the simulation tools developed by AST come in. They provide essential support to master this

ASt team playerSophie Bardubitzki is a software de-veloper and works in AVL's Advanced Simulation Technologies (AST) Busi-ness Unit. Whilst studying physics in Tübingen, Germany, Sophie Bardu-bitzky was already interested in solving physical problems with the help of mod-els and computer simulation. After that, she started gaining initial experience in the automotive industry in the areas cal-culation and simulation. She found out about AVL at a job fair in Stuttgart. "As it happened," says the simulation expert, "there was a job vacancy in the area I was particularly interested in – the simu-lation of physical issues."

Her job mainly deals with modeling ex-haust gas aftertreatment systems. "We are working on software that allows you to test and optimize the effect of catalysts. This involves analyzing the individual components, as well as the entire exhaust gas system so that we can maximize performance," the expert says. "By using simulation systems, we gain an insight into physical issues which either cannot be measured by performing experiments at all, or only with considerable effort. In addition, programming does have its creative sides; for example, if you have to create new models or speed up simulations. We work very closely together, both as a team and with our customers. On vis-its to our customers, I never cease to be intrigued by the way our programs are applied in the development process – this also means that I'm always familiar with state-of-the-art technology."

SoPhie bArDUbitzki, Software Developer

JürGen krASSer, head of Software Development at ASt

GotthArD rAiner, Vice President ASt

Simulation of the cooling process for multiple battery modules with AVL Fire.

dynamics by high-quality gearing simula-tion models. "One of our latest programs, which enables us to simulate noise gen-eration in gear teeth meshing, reflects the fact that engines are becoming quieter and quieter. This means that the noise emitted by all the other components has to get lower too," adds Jürgen Krasser. Nevertheless, the combustion engine re-mains a key priority in the simulation tools developed by AST.

With regard to the engine, almost anything can be simulated – from load change to combustion inside the cylinder to engine vibration and thereby induced noise. A particular focus, in this respect, is placed on the development of real-time capable engine models for calibration. This will not only support engine configuration, it will also make it possible to virtually integrate the engine into the powertrain system and into the overall vehicle in conjunction with the CRUISE software.

Vice President of AST, Gotthard Rainer: "With our CRUISE tool today we can pro-vide a multi-physical simulation system that allows the calculation of the physical phenomena mechanics, thermodynam-ics, flow and chemistry combined. This means you can optimize the complete drive system in view of energy consump-tion and CO2 emissions. For this excit-ing task we are looking for committed

employees who want to join us at the forefront of automotive development and help us design the vehicle of the future."

sIMulatIon 13

international and interdisciplinary Cooperation in simulation

Wanted by asT:

At AST in Graz, 65 employees work in Development, another 25 in Customers Services and 13 in Sales, Marketing and Admin-istration. At the AST operation in Slovenia, there are currently 35 employees working in the areas Support and Calculation. Around 60 developers work at the location in Croatia and another 15 work in Calculation/Application.

Project teams are usually staffed internationally, and the working

language is (usually) English. At the Graz facility alone there are no fewer than ten nationalities.

AVL's simulation business area additionally maintains close ties with university and extra-mural research facilities as well as in-ternational centers of excellence. AST employees frequently at-tend international conferences. It is also possible to write doctoral dissertations at AST.

ASt team player

Susanne Kutschi specialized in energy and environmental engineering before she joined AVL. "After studying Process Engineering in Graz and writing my doc-toral dissertation on the subject of mod-eling reactive barriers, I submitted an unsolicited application and joined AVL's Advanced Simulation Technologies Business Unit, where I worked in the 'ex-haust gas aftertreatment' area. AVL was my dream company," said the simulation specialist, who particularly loves the con-tinuously changing technical challenges her job involves each day. "Basically, it is all about describing the behavior of complex, physical systems without hav-ing to do complicated experiments. For this purpose, we create mathematical models which allow us to simulate such systems. The software we program sup-ports the virtual development process within AVL and at numerous customers all over the world."

Besides the technical challenge, Su-sanne Kutschi especially appreciates the close collaboration in the team. "The good collaboration with my colleagues is another reason why I love working in the Advanced Simulation Technologies Business Unit," the expert said who is now working part-time after her ma-ternity leave. In view of this work-time model, she said that AVL had supported her in the "best way possible." Susanne Kutschi also mentioned that the broad variety of further training provided by the company was an additional advantage: "At the moment I am attending a train-ing course at the Technical University in Graz. It is offered in the context of the 'Life-Long Learning' program."

SUSAnne kUtSChi, Developer of Simulation Software

"On the one hand, we are in need of domain experts who un-derstand physical systems. On the other, we need mathemati-cians and computer experts who are capable of converting mod-els and workflows into efficient simulation software," says Jürgen Krasser. AST consequently is not only in demand of physicians, chemists, mechanical engineers, electrical engineers and control technicians, but also of specialists who are able to convert physical problems into simulation models and software tools. Equally highly sought for are software experts: "Where this is concerned, we are not only interested in computer scientists, but also in 'hands-on' staff, who can help us design the graphical user interface, for ex-ample."

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In modern serial production, production-related details have to be considered at a very early phase of the development process for both quality and production costs to be optimized. "This 'design for manufacturing' also known as 'design for assembly' is becoming increasingly important in the overall development process," says Georg von Falck, Head of Plant & Production Engineering at AVL. "This means that if we have an en-gine, for example, we not only have to consider its performance, torque, weight and consumption, we also have to pay attention to the cost and quality aspects – and do so right from the start. For this to be done properly, it is fundamental to understand how the product is manu-factured. Only then is it possible to per-form optimizations at an early phase of development.

The trend towards globalization, in par-ticular, has nowadays made it necessary

"We then feed this overall understanding of the production process back to the development process and are so able to optimize it," von Falck explains. A typi-cal example would be a customer's wish to transfer engine production to China. "For this purpose, we would analyze the entire engine and calculate in detail what

to manufacture products at different lo-cations. At these sites, the supplier and cost structures are often very different. Nevertheless, a certain level of porta-bility of production capability has to be ensured, for example at a production facility in Asia – and always taking into account quality and cost of assembly.

"A Combination of engineering and business knowledge"

Plant & Production engineering complements the AVL Powertrain engineering portfolio by adding AVL's production capability which includes start of production (SoP). Georg von Falck, head of the business Area, describes his work and the interesting jobs available that deal with production process optimization.

Plant & ProduCtIon engIneerIng14

optimizing the entire Manufacturing processes

GeorG Von FALCk, head of Plant & Production engineering at AVL

to be able to ensure efficient serial production, Plant & Production engineering specialists have to consider a number of production-related requirements very early on in the development process.

The Plant & Production Engineering department is chiefly seeking engi-neers specialized in the areas mechanical engineering, electrical engi-neering and process engineering. The type of economic expertise and skills that, for example, industrial engineers are equipped with is also very highly sought after. Georg von Falck: "We are looking for employees with a very broad base of theoretical and practical knowledge. In the production area, we also attach great importance to having a profound understanding of how the powertrain components are manufactured – ideally in combination with economic knowledge and skills, for example pertaining to cost analysis, which forms an integral part of our work."

savings potential per component could be achieved. Our customer would then receive some constructive, manufac-ture-related suggestions as to how the engine could be built more cost-effi-ciently," Georg von Falck added.

To be able to support customers around the globe in the best way pos-sible, AVL has as many as 45 affiliates and tech centers positioned all over the world. Alongside the option of working at one of AVL's international operations for a certain period of time, foreign assignments in the context of visits to customers or suppliers are part of normal, everyday business for production specialists. "A particularly exciting aspect of our work involves inspecting and evaluating the produc-tion facilities at our customer's sites. This not only helps us learn about our customers' production systems and the applied processes. It also gives us an insight into our customers' manu-facturing philosophy. And this is funda-mental to finding the optimum solution for each of our customers," the expert explained.

Besides optimizing existing production facilities, an integral part of the activi-ties taken care of by Plant & Production Engineering also involves redesigning productions. For new production sys-tems that are established on green-field sites, AVL experts devise layouts and plan all processes and manufac-turing systems for customers around the globe.

The Plant & Production Engineering area is an extremely attractive area of work for anyone interested in help-ing to design environmentally friendly mobility solutions. Georg von Falck: "As a matter of principle, we always work with state-of-the-art technolo-gies that, among other things, help to reduce CO2 emissions. With our work we additionally achieve a considerable leverage effect: Because the things we come up with and implement for our customers are frequently manu-factured thousands or even millions of times over – and from a sustainability point of view this can have a huge im-pact.“

CustoMer servICes 15

CAREERThe exciting path you actively choose yourself.

AVLAn innovative spirit in a global organization.GOALSStaying true to myself.EMPLOYERMust suit my nature and give me plenty of space for my own deci-sions and ideas.TEAMDoing things "together" achieves more.TIME OFFEssential element for a healthy bal-ance of work and free time.

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AVL

operating Around the globeonce AVL has sold a test bed to a customer, it does not mean AVL's work is over. AVL Customer Services ensures that customers can make the most of their AVL products after commissioning.

Customer Services staff have excellent analytic skills and maintain a professional appearance.

eva egger, Manager hardware Service Global Customer Services instrumentation & test Systems, has been working for AVL for eight years.

The Customer Services Business Unit is responsible for all customer sup-port services concerning AVL systems installed at customer sites around the globe. Besides the ongoing Customer Service tasks, test beds, for example, which are usually included in a lot of AVL systems, undergo full maintenance services which are taken care of by AVL. For the annual maintenance services, service technicians are sent to the cus-tomer to perform the maintenance job within the shortest of time. Time pres-sure is not the only challenge, as the job also takes a high level of planning effort and logistics. That is why our employ-ees' qualifications and further training are of key importance. With its global training program, AVL Customer Servic-es ensures that its technicians are well equipped for any technical issues that may arise in their job.

AVL Customer Services works together with all AVL affiliates all over the world and employs around 500 employees in its service and support network. A spe-cial feature of AVL Customer Services is the AVL Skills Center, a technical train-ing center in Graz, set up for customers and employees, where a professional team made up of trainers conduct tech-nical training courses on AVL products.

eva egger in Word association interview

Fascinating aVL WhateVer you haVe in mind

AVL is the world’s largest privately run company for the development, simulation, instrumentation and test systems of pow-ertrain systems. We are looking for people who would like to help us shape the future of mobility. From the combustion engine to the electric motor.

Apply now to set things in motion.

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