magnetised 2014
TRANSCRIPT
KG
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EBITAREVENUE NET PROFIT EBITAREVENUE NET PROFIT
DIvISIon InDuStRIal
IMS ICS IDS PCS aCS CvS HDS
DIvISIon autoMotIve
KenDRIon GRouP SeRvICeS
01Volume 06 | 2014
“My favourite magnet is the big double-acting
spreader solenoid LED 165, we build for one of
the well-known elevator manufacturers.
With a diameter of 160 mm, a length of
386 mm and a weight of 39 kilos it is one of
our biggest electromagnets. Double-acting
means that it incorporates two solenoids in
one. It has two coils and two anchors which
control the lifting movement. The LED 165
releases the elevator brake. With over 5000 N
power it pushes the springs together and thus
lifts the brake. Spring force closes the brake.
The assembly line for this magnet was the first
one in Donaueschingen to be based on the
‘one piece flow‘ assembly principles. The last
part of the fully integrated assembly process is
attaching the identification label, after which
the completed magnet is lifted into its final
packaging with the help of a crane. In 2013 we
built 1,200 solenoids of this particular type.
Forecasts for 2014 show increasing numbers!”
Gerhard Schneider, Assembly Manager
Industrial Magnetic Systems,
Donaueschingen, Germany
My favouritemagnet…
2013 annual results
Final sprint for strong overall resultsKendrion finished 2013 with a strong fourth quarter, which demonstrates an overall
upward trend for the year in full. The company has laid a solid foundation for growth in
the years to come and expects further recovery of its home markets in 2014.
“Acquiring Kuhnke and integrating it into the
Kendrion organisation has brought about a major
leap forward, both financially and in other ways,”
says Kendrion CEO Piet Veenema. “We have actually
entered another league and as a result we have
renamed our Mid-term Plan ‘Designed to grow’. The
financial objective contained in ‘Designed to grow’ is
revenue of EUR 450-500 million by the end of 2015.
While this may sound like a very large increase when
compared to the EUR 354 million in revenue in 2013,
it is important to note that Kuhnke only contributed
to the results for slightly over six months last year.
An entire range of new projects will be launched in
Germany, China and the USA starting in 2014. So we
are convinced that our new Mid-term Plan is realistic.”
New projects
Kendrion recently announced its biggest order ever.
Newly developed electromagnetic parts for shock-
absorbers in cars will account for between EUR 350
and EUR 500 million in revenue over the next ten years.
“And this is only one of the projects in our pipeline. We
are making preparations for a new project in Villingen
(Germany) and have overcome some initial problems at
Kuhnke and are now moving full steam ahead. We have
had two major product launches recently in the USA. All
of our locations have been ‘furnished’ and brought up
to standard over the past few years.
We are financially strong, have a sound balance sheet
and good management in place. What better starting
point for further development and growth could you
wish for? The organisation is ready for the next step
and we are now shifting our main focus to the market
and sales activities.”
Internal development
CFO Frank Sonnemans: “We will, however, naturally
continue to develop our company’s internal
organisation within the context of our strategy. Completing
the implementation of our IT project HORIZON is a major
objective, which will be directly followed by extending and
further optimising its functionality. Risk management is
another area of interest in which we will develop further
action plans where necessary. We are also looking closely
at extracting more value from our strategic sourcing
through further coordination of Kendrion’s purchasing
operations.” Piet Veenema: “We also want to and indeed
must accelerate and extend our business in China and the
USA. And, of course, our growth calls for a critical review of
our management structure. We consequently now want to
build a division structure in Industrial in the same way that
we have done in our Automotive business.”
Balanced ratio
The main concern of Piet Veenema and Frank Sonnemans
for the near future is the imbalance between Kendrion’s
two core activities, Industrial (35%) and Automotive (65%):
“While they both represent totally different circumstances
and markets, they are equally important to Kendrion. Our
concern is that we expect to see Automotive grow much
faster, which will leave Industrial comparatively further
behind. In order to maintain a balanced ratio, we are going
to have to achieve further growth in Industrial activities, also
partially through acquisitions. But we must first focus on
integrating Kendrion Kuhnke into our organisation.”
FAVOU
RITE
20131 20121
2013 2013 2013 2012 2012 2012
1 EBITA and net profit adjusted
for non-recurring items.
1 354million
1 23.9million
1 14.3million
1 284.9million
1 22.3million
1 13.6million
Kendrion quality meeting
On the heels of the world quality day, organised by the World Alliance for Quality, Kendrion organised its own internal quality meeting. Kendrion quality people from various locations travelled to meet their colleagues.
Benefits
This second quality meeting was organised by Industrial Drive System in Villingen (Germany).
Twelve Quality Managers discussed adapting the fundamental characteristics and principles
for quality in the organisation to a similar understanding within Kendrion. The exchange of
information and experiences between different sites with different cultures was interesting.
Different solutions were shown and their implementation in the organisation explained. After
discussing best practices, the benefits of using these tools were shown.
Results
One major result of this meeting was the start of a common platform within the Kendrion
network. Soon after the meeting the directory was installed and the first action lists went live.
This directory will also be useful for the exchange of data or tools between the locations. With
this additional feature the network between the Kendrion companies is further reinforced.
The participants agreed to organise the next quality meeting at Kendrion Kuhnke GmbH in
Malente, Germany.
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01 | 2014 MAGNETISED
Kendrion Suzhouat AA-level
At the end of every year the Suzhou (China) labour security
bureau reviews and assesses the labour security policy
and practical approach of different companies. These
companies are audited by the government. Of all these
companies only 101 were rated with an ‘A-level’. And only
two employers were awarded an ‘AA-level’. Kendrion
(Suzhou) Co.,Ltd. was one of these best two companies!
This implies Kendrion is regarded one of the best
employers in Suzhou. Cissy Hu, the Kendrion Suzhou HR &
Administration Manager: “We are proud our HR work has
resulted in high employee satisfaction and high prestige
of the company, with this positive audit as our ultimate
reward.”
PC
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IDS
IDS
Kendrion on ‘marketplace for education’On 7 February 2014 Kendrion (Donaueschingen/Engelswies) GmbH (Germany) took part in the
information day ‘marketplace for education’, organised by the vocational schools in Sigmaringen.
Many interested students and parents were informed about different companies and their training
opportunities. Kendrion was presented by the training supervisor Mr Hipp and several trainees from
our location in Engelswies. In this way Kendrion generated of lot of attention for the company itself
and its educational opportunities in the Sigmaringen area.
IMS
Best employeraward for KendrionK
GS
Every year German news magazine Focus - in
collaboration with XING, the leading social
network in German-speaking countries and
‘kununu’, Germany’s largest employer rating
portal - organise the ‘Top National Employers’
Award. We are proud to tell you that Kendrion
has been rated one of the best employers in
Germany, chosen from a total of 800 employers
with more than 500 staff in 22 branches. The
extensive survey was based on data collected
from some 20,000 employees and more than 23,000 employers,
expressing their opinion on such diverse aspects as quality of
leadership, career opportunities and employer image.
From left to right: Fritz Wälde, Dieter Depping, Laurids Plocher, Wolfgang Mayer, Rainer Wilcken, Thomas Gaetje, Stefan Steimle,
Olaf Lehnert, StefanTeudt, Ulrich Grage, Iris Techel and Horatiu Boborodea.
At the end of 2013 the Kendrion business units IMS, IDS en PCS decided to donate money, normally spent on Christmas gifts, to charities. Who did they decide to support?
Christmas gifts to charities
IMS - Doctors Without Borders
Industrial Magnetic Systems chose Doctors Without Borders (MSF), an
independent international medical relief organisation, with 19 sections
worldwide.
IDS - baku yie, together as one
Industrial Drive Systems decided to support a regional organisation, active
in Ghana: ‘baku yie - together as one e.V.‘. The organisation focuses on
education, community and fair trade and among other things sponsors
children for whom it would otherwise be impossible to attend school.
PCS - The Tables
And finally Passenger Car Systems which donated its money to a local
charity, called the ‘Tafel‘ (‘Table‘). The goal of the organisation is to
redistribute good quality but wasted foodstuffs to those in need.
IMS
IDS
PC
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MAGNETISED 01 | 2014
Kendrion Kuhnke at Medica-COMPAMED
Joint message to the worldAt the end of 2013 Kendrion Kuhnke was one of the numerous exhibitors at the Medica-COMPAMED in Düsseldorf (Germany), the high-tech solutions trade fair for the global medical technology sector. A total of nineteen huge exhibition halls was filled to the brim with the newest products and latest innovations of medical high-tech companies from all over the world.
At the Kendrion Kuhnke booth Daniel Grosse, Sven
Desens and Veronika Engel enthusiastically informed
every visitor about the opportunities a cooperation
with Kendrion would have in store. “With our presence
at this most important trade fair for the medical sector
in the world, we served two purposes,” explains Daniel
Grosse, Manager Fluid Technology at Kendrion Kuhnke
and responsible for the medical sector. “To start with,
we showed our joint Kendrion Kuhnke power to a
wide international audience. In Europe we are quite
well-known but worldwide we are not as strong yet as
we would want to be. We invited business relations to
come and visit us and we have been able to tell them
about our integration with Kendrion and our continued
focus on the medical sector. Secondly, we wanted to
remain updated on trends and developments, on ‘old’
Kendrion CSR Lottery 2013
Help our students in IndiaIn December 2013, we held a CSR Lottery to benefit
underprivileged students in our community project in Pune,
India. Fabulous ‘sustainable’ prizes - including a solar backpack,
DVDs, laptop sleeves and drinking bottles - were awarded to
ten lucky colleagues in the Czech Republic, Austria, Switzerland,
Germany, India and the Netherlands. The winner of the first
prize (a mountain bike) decided to donate the value of the prize
to the Indian student project instead of accepting the bike.
Around 600 tickets were sold altogether - enough to help build a
life for two new students! Many thanks to all of you who bought
a ticket or were involved in organising the lottery!
and ‘new’ players in the market and of
course on what our competition is up to.
Being there definitely helped to get the
broad picture.”
Fields of interest
In medical technology Kendrion Kuhnke
focuses on dental care, dialysing, respiration
and anesthetics and analysing. The most
promising markets are the analysing and
respiration/anesthetics markets. For these
market segments we develop and produce
complete systems with a high level of
technology integration.
In retrospect Daniel Grosse, Sven Desens
and Veronika Engel judge Kendrion’s
participation in the Medica-COMPAMED in
Düsseldorf in 2013 as a great success. In line
with the company’s motto ‘Plug & Play Fluid
Handling for Analysers and Ventilators’ they
showed Kendrion Kuhnke’s expertise in
development and production of complete
systems. They could welcome many
national and international visitors for great
discussions at the Kendrion Kuhnke booth.
ICS
CSR
KG
S HORIZON update
In January 2014 with the IFS implementation at the Prostejov plant
in the Czech Republic, the key user and the HORIZON team delivered
a faultless ‘going live’. A real boost in preparation for the more
complicated implementations at the Kendrion Kuhnke and
Kendrion US plants.
Looking back at the Prostejov implementation Günter Köster (IT
Director) and his colleagues on the HORIZON team concluded it had
been the most perfect ‘going live’ so far: “No failures, no fatalities,
not even minor problems. This is definitely the result of all the
experience we have built up over time. You can rightly say that by
now we have learnt the trick for a successful implementation, in close
cooperation with the key users in Prostejov and Eibiswald.”
But HORIZON is already moving on to the next station. US plant
Kendrion (Mishawaka) will go live on 1 April, immediately followed by
Kendrion Shelby (USA) in May. Günter Köster: “Kendrion (Shelby) will
be rolled out by a parallel team, provided for by IFS and managed by
the Kendrion core team. The HORIZON core team itself will focus on
the IFS implementation at the Kendrion Kuhnke plants in Malente and
Sibiu. We will have our finger in the test scenario pie in the USA and
will monitor the concepts we worked out in the other integrations in
Europe.”
Streamline
The implementations at Kendrion Kuhnke and Kendrion (Shelby) are challenging,
technically and from a business process perspective: “Process wise these recent
acquisitions are run along different lines and bring in new activities, such as
electronics production. We will have to develop new knowledge, for instance on
traceability issues. Implementing IFS with interfaces to other expert systems offers
opportunities to also fine-tune and streamline these processes.”
All things going according to plan, the implementation at Kendrion Kuhnke
will be finished on 4 August. After that the smaller Kendrion companies in
Switzerland, Brazil, Mexico and China will be integrated in the HORIZON
programme and then the HORIZON focus will be shifted to optimisations and
improvements at division, business unit and group level and to the support of
Kendrion’s further growth.
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TEAM
TEAM: Marketing
Organising marketing for growthJanine Kostermann, Kendrion’s new Marketing & Corporate Communications Manager, joined the company some three months ago. She has used her time so far to get to know Kendrion and her marketing colleagues: “Kendrion is ambitious and innovative, but also down-to-earth and very much hands-on. The business units each run their own operations and I see it as my task and responsibility to understand what they are doing and what they need, so that the marketing team can offer support in the most effective way.”
“We have a great story to tell,”
says Janine Kostermann. “Not only
to engineers and technical people
on the customer side, but also to
stakeholders in other areas, finance,
suppliers or HR for instance. In
essence it’s the same story but we
will have to tell it in different ways
and with differences of emphasis.
I consider that part of my job. Focus
in my work will be on what business
units and divisions bound, what
business units can learn from each
other and developing Kendrion as a
strong global brand in the market.
During my introduction I have seen
some great examples of marketing
practices: segmented campaigns
with clear objectives, monitoring,
customer satisfaction surveys and
marketing research projects. In an
integrated marketing approach all
these aspects play their own vital
role and ensure that marketing
contributes to the development and
success of the entire company.” In
an increasingly competitive world,
structured marketing is of growing
importance. As already mentioned
by Bernd Gundesweiler (CEO
Division Automotive) in an earlier
Magnetised: “No matter how good
a product is, no one will buy if they
don’t know it exists, and if they don’t
understand and believe it can meet
their needs”.
Marketing as integrated element in the business cycle
Strengthening structured marketing, increasing Kendrion’s awareness globally,
extending our marketing activities in the USA and developing marketing as element
in the development and implementation of our business strategy are Janine’s
priorities. All aimed at making Kendrion’s market and innovative power even
stronger and more visible than it is now: “In my opinion innovation is also about
core competences, skill sets and innovation attitudes. Our products are the outcome
of all these elements. We should therefore communicate about these as well.”
Joining forces, looking for synergies
Marketing within Kendrion is, as it should be, organised close to the customers
in the business units, but experience and knowledge is shared on a regular basis
throughout the company. The bigger Kendrion grows, the more challenging the
mission to make marketing a strong team: “While at the same time retaining
the typical pragmatic Kendrion approach,” stresses Janine. “Having said that, we
have two concrete projects we are working on at the moment: finishing the new
corporate design manual as to support our presence in the market in an identical
way and further rolling out the new website.”
Ashok Leyland introduces Gemba to Kendrion
Gemba is a Japanese word, literally
meaning ‘crime scene’ or ‘real place’.
If the police are investigating a crime
the most obvious place to do so is the
crime scene itself. Likewise, in industry
Gemba places special emphasis
on the participation of shop floor
operators in resolving problems they
encounter on the shop floor and also
in suggesting improvements which are
documented and tracked. The ‘Work
Place’ is where the work is done, value
is created, problems are owned and
solved and the operators or office
personnel actually do their work.
Gemba Communication Center
Ashok Leyland has been practising
Gemba for the last five years and
experienced benefits in terms of
profit improvement, eliminating
waste, employee motivation and
improved product quality. Hence
they started to implement the
Gemba concept at their key suppliers.
The plan for the implementation
was worked out by the quality
department of Ashok Leyland in
cooperation with Kendrion Gemba champion Satyen Kurale. In
January 2014 the special Gemba Communication Center at Kendrion Pune was
officially inaugurated by Ashok Leyland and Kendrion Pune.
Monitoring key parameters
A Gemba Communication Center is a designated area on the shop floor. In
the center there are six display boards, called Our Company, Our Family, Our
Gemba, Our Strength, Our Performance and Problem Solving. Information is
updated regularly and the key parameters are monitored under these different
headings. The separate Problem Solving board is used to document and solve
daily problems, encountered on the shop floor. Active participation of all the
employees is essential and highly appreciated. In introducing Gemba Kendrion
Pune and Ashok Leyland reinforce their strong mutual commitment and
cooperation.
HD
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Cv
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Ashok Leyland is Kendrion Pune’s (India) major customer. The Indian
manufacturer of trucks and buses selected Kendrion (Pune) as a key
supplier and initiated the implementation of the Gemba philosophy
at the Kendrion plant in India.
Standing from left to right: Maria Frank (Automotive), Martin Ahlers (IMS), Iris Uras (IMS), Renard Risse (CVS), Marloes Withagen (KGS) and Marie Cavalieri (ICS). Sitting from left to right:
Beate Hermannstädter (IDS), Olga Liske (PCS), Martina Bodenlos (IDS) and Janine Kostermann (KGS). Not present: Uwe Dettmann (ACS), Martin Schwellinger (CVS) and Wilma Stuiver (KGS).
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Kendrion Kuhnke joins CSR Board
At the beginning of this year Kendrion Kuhnke joined the Kendrion CSR Board. The themes, topics and issues discussed there - e.g. employee satisfaction, supply chain responsibility and energy reduction - are of major importance to the company.
Human Resources is vital to an organisation
like ours. That is why Kendrion Kuhnke has
always been involved in all kinds of educational
activities. Besides the company’s involvement
in regular practical courses, company visits and
the participation in Girls‘ Day the support of
several other projects should be mentioned.
One of the projects Kendrion Kuhnke has been
involved in ever since the start 15 years ago
is the regional ‘Azubi/Schüler‘ project which
helps pupils decide what vocational training to
go for. Every year pupils and Kendrion Kuhnke
trainees get together in teams to exchange
information on technical professions and
occupations.
Road map
In more or less the same way Kendrion Kuhnke
is involved in the regional mentor programme
of the Talent Development institute. 16
participating pupils profit from the experience
of company mentors, while developing a
personal road map for their educational
and professional career. Kendrion Kuhnke
maintains similar links with other educational
institutions in the area, such as the Hoffmann-
von-Fallersleben-Gymnasium in Lütjenburg,
Germany.
Integration
Kendrion Kuhnke actively participating in
the CSR Board offers the possibility to discuss
these and other relevant topics and building a
network with the other Kendrion locations. At
the CSR Board meeting in Markdorf (Germany)
the Kendrion Kuhnke representatives Wencke
Volkmann and Kathrin Grahl met their fellow
board members and learned about the
goals for 2014. In the meantime in Malente
specialists from the Board and their appropriate
colleagues have started dealing with pending
CSR questions and tasks. Kendrion Kuhnke
sees this as a further step of their integration
within Kendrion and looks forward to the
cooperation.
CSR ID
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Industrial Drive Systems (IDS) has modernised its ‘excitation system mounting‘
department. The newly bought CTX 310 Ecoline lathe has been in operation since
February. Optimisation simplifies the work and generates higher output because of a
process speed-up, quicker processing cycles and improved process monitoring.
Fully automated
Further advantages of the new machine are reduction of down times, higher flexibility
and the handling of virtually all brake sizes. “The improvements in comparison with
the old lathe are immense. Just to give you an idea: with the old system the protection
door had to be opened and closed manually approximately 200 times per shift. This is
now fully automated“, says industrial engineer Artur Schulz.
Further optimisations planned
To complete the workplaces a servo press for caulking
the brakes, an electric screwdriver with automatic screw
supply and a lift/lower station as well as a measuring
station are installed. The acquisition of a new triple
staple system, a new dust extractor, a FiFo (first
in - first out) roller conveyor and lift/lower stations
is in progress. IDS intends to modernise all its four
workplaces for excitation system mounting for the
production of permanent magnet brakes.
Refit IDS excitation system workplaces
Wijgert Gooijer, Andreas Herzfeld, Wolfgang Mayer, Volker Buhl, Josef Porta,
Kathrin Grahl, Wolfgang Mayer, Wilma Stuiver, Wencke Volkmann,
Beate Hermannstädter and Heinz Jankowski
Market introduction KOBRA and greensigned
Back in a big wayAt the trade fair SPS IPC Drives in Nuremberg (Germany) at the end of November 2013 Kendrion’s business unit Industrial Drive Systems (IDS) introduced KOBRA, its first product under the greensigned label. Feedback and reactions were very promising. In 2014 sales leads should convert into first orders.
“With KOBRA we have launched
not only a revolutionary new
product but also a completely new
umbrella brand, greensigned,” says
IDS Business Unit Manager Michael
Bernhard. “Based on our experience,
we knew there would be a market
for this product. So in contrast to the
past we decided to set off developing
a product on our own initiative. In
order to get feedback well before
the official market introduction we
invited a group of chosen customers
to share their views and opinions
with us. We discussed technical
details, the characteristics and
specifications of the product and the
greensigned concept itself. Feedback
was very positive and encouraging.”
New solution
With an eye-catching, green (!) and recyclable stand, addressing
to OEM’s, system integrators and end-users, IDS drew a lot
of attention at the trade fair. Michael Bernhard and his crew
could boast of some 120 serious sales leads, more than ever
before: “Mid January we started contacting and visiting
these potential customers. We have supplied first interested
companies with samples and protoypes and have received
numerous requests for information, mainly from new contacts.
In the past we completely lost the market for spring-applied
brakes. By developing a completely new solution, offering
technical benefits and added value from a sustainability and
environmental perspective we are back in a big way.”
Strict criteria
In product development energy saving, recyclability, CO2
reduction and extended life cycles are rapidly becoming
standard requirements. With many of its strategic products
Kendrion is at the heart of these developments. “The
greensigned label will help us, the market and our customers
become aware of our power in this field. Greensigned products
comply with strict criteria for sustainability and environmental
aspects. Companies taking their corporate social responsibility
seriously not only aim at selling ‘green’ products but also want
their production facilities to live up to the expectations and
demands of stakeholders and the general public. Greensigned
can be part of their answer.”
IDS
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Presentation seminar for Kendrion trainees
Career advisor Martin Wehrle once said: “The best sleeping drug
in this world is not on prescription and freely available. You take it,
when entering a congress hall or when settling at a conference table.
This sleeping drug freezes your thoughts, changes congress rooms into
dormitories and transforms lively faces into masks. It is called Power
Point.” For this reason it is essential that young people in particular
learn to transfer the content of their presentations and talks to their
audience in an interesting and comprehensible way.
At the end of 2013 the Kendrion locations Villingen, Donaueschingen,
Engelswies and Markdorf (all Germany) therefore organised a
presentation seminar for their 3rd and 4th year trainees. The trainees
were coached by Marion Eckert-Merkle. In a day she taught the
youngsters the basic principles of presenting ideas and thoughts, such
as: the first five sentences of a presentation are decisive for its success
and a balance should be found between content and entertainment.
KG
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Marion Eckert-Merkle (second on the right) with trainees from the locations Villingen and Donaueschingen.
Introducing Lean to Commercial Vehicle Systems
The benefits of doing things differentlyCv
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Bernd Friedrich gathered his Lean
experience when working for a big
automotive supplier for 14 years.
As the CVS Production Manager
he could not resist looking into
opportunities to increase efficiency
and to reduce waste: “We have been
very successful in the past and have
applied production principles which
are oriented on industry standards
and, due to lower production
volumes, more on craftsmanship
than on high volume production
methods. But we experience
now that our markets more and
more require stable and efficient
When Bernd Friedrich joined Kendrion in 2011 he saw the posssible benefits of introducing the Lean Production principles to Kendrion (Markdorf) in Germany. Two and a half years on he is busy planning Lean implementations in all of the CVS subsidiaries.
production methods. Therefore
we have decided to transform our
organisation from craftmanship to
Lean Production, basically meaning
producing value without waste of
efforts. Or ‘muda’, as the Japanese at
Toyota originally called it. There are
seven kinds of muda: transportation,
inventory, motion, waiting, over-
processing, over-production and
rework and defects. A full swing Lean
implementation, like the one we did,
includes them all.”
Actions
“We initiated all kinds of actions and
changes, such as the transformation of the simple work benches into assembly
lines per product family; the set-up of lines according to the ‘one piece flow’
principle in L or U shape, thus minimising walking times; ergonomic design of
the workstations; placing material in reach of the worker; separating value
adding from non value adding tasks; and visualisation of key figures on quality,
productivity and delivery performance to involve all workers. We are seeing very
good results already, but we have not finished yet. At the same time we have
started similar projects in our other locations. At Kendrion (Pune) in India we
could design the fan clutch and solenoid assembly lines on Lean principles straight
from the start and the local team is doing an excellent job there. So we decided
to use the expertise of our Indian colleagues to roll out Lean Production to other
subsidiaries as well. We are now preparing for the implementation at the plant
in Nanjing, China next May. Here we even decided to move to a new factory
building to be able to fully optimise production.”
Benefits
After the Lean implementation in China the other CVS subsidiaries in the USA,
Mexico and Brazil are next in line. Project leader Bernd Friedrich is optimistic
although he is fully aware that Lean is not a concept, easily accepted and
implemented: “But once people start to work in this way and benefits show,
enthusiasm and commitment grow.”
EVENT
How to react in child emergencies
Under this motto employees of the Kendrion
Villingen (Germany) plant could take part in a
new activity of the Work & Life Balance project.
HR representative Sandra Hoer organised
this first aid training in cooperation with the
Red Cross district organisation Villingen-
Schwenningen. The training focused on
parents and grandparents and on employees
who have regular contacts with children. The maximum number of participants was
quickly reached, showing the positive response to the initiative. In three evening
sessions the participants learned how to react to classical children’s emergencies
and illnesses and how to avoid safety hazards. Apart from this, first aid measures
such as ‘stable side position’ and putting on bandages were trained.
IDS
PC
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Solenoid hikerOn 16 January 2014 Kendrion said
goodbye to Wolfgang Knöbel.
Wolfgang worked with Kendrion
and its predecessors for more
than 40 years (!). Through all
these years he made valuable
contributions to the development
of the company and its products
and was a highly esteemed
colleague. A tradition started by
Wolfgang, a passionate hiker,
was the annual Kendrion hiking
tour. As a personal tribute and
an appropriate farewell present
Wolfgang Keller from the PCS sales team built a ‘solenoid valve hiking
figure’ for Wolfgang Knöbel (see picture). On behalf of all Kendrion we wish
Wolfgang Knöbel many happy walks in good health!
PC
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Wolfgang Knöbel
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“Innovation has its own rhythm”,
Heinz Freitag says. “Just like with
music or in nature: it helps when we
work in a rhythm or a cycle of events.”
This is why several years ago Kendrion
launched the Kendrion Innovation
Day. External experts invited to this
special event share their ideas, and
Kendrion presents its innovations to a
selected group outside the company.
But, before reaping the rewards a lot
of ploughing, sowing, weeding and
pampering needs to be done. Some
of this work is carried out during
the Kendrion Inspiration Days. Heinz
Freitag: “What we began several
years ago is really taking off. We
have adopted the Innovation Day and
Inspiration Day as fixed events in our
calendar. The Inspiration Day at the
end of January was our first global
event: all US and German plants took
part. These events help us create an
atmosphere of curiosity. It was great
to see participants make concerted
Within the next few years, Kendrion intends to be perceived as the global innovation leader. Heinz Freitag, Chief Technology Officer, explains: ‘Everyone seeking a mechatronics or electromagnetism solution should automatically think of Kendrion, without prompting.’ However, how do you become a cutting edge company? By working to the rhythm of innovation! Kendrion’s annual Inspiration Day is part of the beat.
Stay curious, enjoy newnessK
GS
EVENT
efforts cutting across business units,
technological areas and individual
roles within the company. Of course
I’m never completely satisfied. We
have yet to succeed in persuading
our Czech and Indian colleagues to
attend. In addition, I’d like to see
the business units working on their
rhythm between events.”
Heinz Freitag is getting what he asked
for. Robert Lewin, Industrial Control
Systems’ Business Unit Manager, is
used to a structured approach to
innovation: “Several years ago we
formed small interdepartmental
teams, each focusing on a specific
industry. These autonomous teams
meet once a quarter. They have
specific, measurable goals and
continue to work on their assignment
between meetings. For us, the
Kendrion Inspiration Day was an ideal
occasion for the first joint meeting
of all our teams. These days offer
great opportunities for sharing
insights and for all participants to make a contribution to Kendrion’s technological
development.”
Global cross-pollination
The cross-pollination approach seems to be working. Henning Diel, Commercial
Vehicle Systems’ Head of Technology, can boast of quite some returns: “We
harvested 190 ideas during the last meeting! Our past innovation workshops
show that we need at least a hundred ‘rough’ ideas to ultimately identify one or
two really innovative concepts that are worth working out in detail. I was most
surprised by the ideas for an electric brake for cycles and frictionless transport
for logistics centres.” Gerald Puchner, Industrial Magnetic
Systems’ R&D Manager, was also gratified by
his participants’ motivation and involvement in
seeking - and proposing - new, original solutions:
“One of Industrial Magnetic Systems’ results
from the Inspiration Day 2014 is a new approach
to the search for innovative applications for new
technologies. It is too early to share information
on this. But we will do so, after we have tested this
new approach.” Gerald’s colleague Uwe Gnauert,
Industrial Drive Systems’ R&D Manager, also sees
a wealth of opportunities: “Cooperation between
Industrial Drive Systems, Industrial Control Systems
and lift manufacturers could possibly help us make
a quantum leap towards a mechatronical brake - a
new concept which offers an opportunity for the conquest of another segment of
the world market.” This was the first Kendrion Inspiration Day for Holger Schöning,
Automotive Control Systems’ Director Product Development & Design. He looks
back with satisfaction: “All participants came to appreciate both our range of
technological ‘treasures’ and the market potential of sophisticated combinations
of our electromechanics, mechanics, electronics and software engineering know-
how.” Robert Lewin and his teams, in conclusion, reviewed the opportunities for
applying sound actuators outside the automotive business: “We see a market,
although it is too early to give any more information.” However, Robert does wish
to make one point: “Alongside innovation leadership, we also need to develop an
appetite for investments and risks. Great ideas are one thing, but we also need to
market them and convince our customers of their value.”
Stay curious
Back to the initiator, Heinz Freitag. Which idea did he find most appealing at
the Kendrion Inspiration Day 2014? “It wasn’t a single idea, as such. What I
really enjoyed was the participants’ frankness. My colleagues felt secure enough
to propose some really wild, unexpected ideas which are completely separate
from Kendrion’s day-to-day operations. This indicates that our company’s
intellectual environment really supports creativity. We are now going to process,
categorise and prioritise all ideas and follow up the most promising. We’ll give
more information about the next steps in the near future.” Although managing
innovation may require concerted action, rhythm and discipline, Heinz Freitag’s
key, concluding, message is playful: “Perhaps my real intention for the Inspiration
Days is to convey the message: ‘Look further than your nose. Seek inspiration from
art and nature. Take bionics, for example: we can learn a lot by studying nature’s
principles. Stay curious and enjoy newness!”
Kendrion employs best graduatesAfter successfully completing his
machine building degree course at
the Furtwangen University with
the highest possible grades Martin
Ohnmacht decided to join Kendrion
Villingen (Germany) as a simulation
engineer in the development
department. With his remarkable
performance Martin was the best
graduate student of the degree
course in machine building and
mechatronics at the university.
During his study Martin successfully
completed a Kendrion trainee
programme which was specially
designed by the university in order
to engage students in gaining
practical experience and to enhance
the possibilities of entering into an
employment relationship afterwards.
Young professionals
Harald Burkart (Manager
Development & Construction) and
Sabrina Schumacher (HR) explain:
“We have welcomed students
from the Furtwangen University
to our trainee programme for
many years. For us this is an
excellent opportunity to get to
know highly qualified young
professionals at an early stage
during their degree course. We
can help them prepare for a
smooth entry into our company.
Benefits for students are their
monthly allowance and the
possibility for them to write
their final thesis with support
from our side.“
KG
S
Harald Burkart and Martin Ohnmacht
01 | 2014 MAGNETISED
8
COLOPHON
Organisation: Wilma Stuiver
Publisher: Kendrion N.V.
Design: teamtva! reclamebureau
Copy: Wim Dieleman
Magnetised is printed on
environmentally friendly paper.
High-performance solenoid wins Innovation Award
3.5 milliseconds is certainly very
fast but the blink of an eye is all it
takes to damage or destroy sensitive
electronic equipment or transformers
in the event of a short-circuit. And
the faster fuses can prevent these
currents, the safer for life and limb. That is why Gerald
Puchner, head of development at IMS, developer Markus
Rekla and Managing Director at IMS, Norman Graf, are
so delighted about their innovative high-performance
solenoid with an impressive switching speed of only 1
millisecond. Over a development period of three years,
which also involved experts and students from Germany’s
top universities, they have come up with a globally unique
invention. For the first time the solenoid uses a combination
of magnet technologies that have only been used in parallel
in the past: the combination of a reluctance magnet with
an electrodynamic actuator. The latter balances out the
disadvantages of the reluctance magnet thus enabling a
faster response time.
The patent has been granted and, after a long trial period,
the first components have now been installed in real life
systems. On top of it all, the product was recently awarded
the German savings bank’s Sparkasse Innovation Award.
IMS
Gerald Puchner, Markus Rekla and Norman Graf
CSR Report 2013 out now!The new Corporate Social
Responsibility Report provides
information on all CSR-related
activities conducted by the company
in 2013. The Report is easy to read
and includes a lot of interesting news,
along with interviews, graphs and
pictures. You can view the Report
on www.kendrion.com (‘About
Kendrion’/CSR section) or request a
copy by sending an e-mail to
The Report also describes the new CSR targets
for the group, developed by the CSR Board
together with the Executive Committee. The
aim is to join forces with all employees and
management teams in order to achieve further
reductions in energy consumption and CO2
emissions, for example through LED lighting
projects and energy measurement tools. We
will also work hard to create an even safer and
healthier working environment for us all. An
extensive employee satisfaction survey will be
organised by several business units. We will also
continue to consult more regularly with our
suppliers regarding issues such as sustainability,
the environment and working conditions.
The student project in India can hopefully be
further expanded. Kendrion Kuhnke will also
be joining the comprehensive CSR programme
this year. More details on all the plans for
the coming year can be found in the Report
and upcoming editions of Magnetised. Join
us in our mission to make Kendrion more
sustainable!
CSR
Kendrion Academy
Building knowledge and contacts
“The Academy has been introduced
to help the operational companies
with research projects and the
development of innovative
solutions,” explains Managing
Director Sören Rosenbaum. “Our
efforts are all about gaining a deeper
insight into the technology we are
applying. We coordinate knowledge
available within the company, try
to find synergies, partner up with
universities and realise a more
fundamental understanding of for
instance electromagnetic principles.
In order to avoid duplication and
re-inventing the wheel, the Academy
also coordinates, controls and drives
knowledge management within the
company.”
Projects
Just like in any other industrial
company, for obvious reasons
Kendrion’s focus is on the issues of the day. It is Sören
Rosenbaum’s job to release the business units - if only
slightly - from everyday’s turmoil and also get them
focused on research of which we might need the results
in two or three years from now. Sören Rosenbaum: “To
give you an idea of the sort of projects we are talking
about I will describe two examples: tribological pairing of
two metals generates torque, which is vital for building
electromagnetic brakes and clutches. We have been doing
this for over 50 years but still do not fully understand the
physical phenomena and effects that we see. The Academy
set up a project team that is systematically analysing and
interpreting their factors and causes. A second project
is dealing with magnetic measurement technology and
implementing it in order to better comprehend the effects
of our actuators. A few other projects are in the pipeline.”
Sharing
With respect to knowledge management within the
company, in 2012 Kendrion launched its own in-house
Wikipedia, called the Technology Radar and based on
MS SharePoint. Here engineers can store newly acquired
knowledge and experience and share it with their
colleagues around the world. Those authorised can add
documents, exchange information, transfer knowledge, use
social media and have forum discussions. Sören Rosenbaum:
“We have to be careful where Intellectual Property issues
are concerned but we are slowly extending the system to
other domains and departments. Shortly Kendrion Kuhnke
and our facilities abroad will also have access to it. By
contributing actively to the content of the system we can all
play a role in steadily increasing its value for the company.”
KG
S
The Kendrion Academy has experienced a promising start. The newcomer within the Kendrion family is slowly but steadily building its reputation and informing the business units on how it can support their projects.
The way to go
David Vopel joined Kendrion in 2013 as a development engineer at Kendrion (Markdorf),
Germany. He frequently uses Kendrion’s SharePoint to get an idea of the knowledge available
and even more so of where to find this knowledge: “To be honest, when I first saw the
Technology Radar I thought my glasses needed adjusting. The homepage is quite compact
and not very inviting. But after clicking on buttons and diving deeper into the system I was
impressed with the amount and quality of the information. I also always found the name of
the sender, whom I could contact to know more. For me it is a great way of getting introduced
to my colleagues. The more information the Technology Radar harbours, the higher its added
value. This is definitely the way to go.”