PDF [2.5 MB] - Kolbenschmidt Pierburg AG

Responsibility passed on: Eberhardt takes over as executive board chairman 

Brauner chairs the supervisory board 

Düsseldorf. In consensus with the 

Röchling family committees, the chairman 

of the Röchling family council, Dipl.-Ing. 

Wigand Freiherr v. Salmuth, agreed 

that family member Klaus Greinert, 

elected as Rheinmetall AG’s supervisory 

board chairman in May 

1999, would resign from all his Rheinmetall 

group supervisory board offices 

as of 31 December 1999. Different opinions 

on the structure of assets of the 

Röchling family, especially regarding 

its biggest equity holding Rheinmetall 

(with 66% of the common stock) have 

prompted this adjustment of group governance 

positions true to the principle 

of Continuity through Experience. 

Since April 1985, 

Dr. Hans U. Brauner 

(65) has been executive 

board chairman 

of Rheinmetall 

AG. His term of 

office would have 

continued until the 

end of 2002, however 

out of loyalty 

to the Röchling 

Dr. Herbert Müller family and after 20 

Magneti Marelli’s 

pump business 

Milan. Kolbenschmidt Pierburg AG 

(Rheinmetall’s Automotive sector) has 

taken over the international pump business 

of Magneti Marelli S.p.A., Milan, 

Italy, as of January 1, 2000. In 1999, this 

business showed sales of approx. € 68 

million, mainly from oil and vacuum 

pumps. Kolbenschmidt Pierburg supplies 

the worldwide auto industry with 

modules and systems “for every aspect 

of the engine”, and is already a major 

player in the pump business. Starting 

from 2000, these products will account 

The latest news from the Rheinmetall group 1/2000 

Newsline 

Das Profil 

Newsline 

years on the executive 

board, he prematurely 

joined the 

supervisory board 

on 1 January 2000 

and – as had been 

expected – took 

over as chairman of 

the supervisory 

board of the Rheinmetall 

group on 12 

January 2000. Brauner 

will continue as 

chairman of the supervisory 

boards of 

all Rheinmetall operating 

parents, includingKolbenschmidt 

Pierburg 

AG, Pierburg AG, 

Rheinmetall DeTec 

AG, and Rheinmetall 

Elektronik AG as 

well as the future 

listed Aditron AG. He 

has also succeeded v. Salmuth as chairman 

of Rheinmetall’s advisory board. 

Supervisory board chairman v. Salmuth 

and executive board chairman 

for world sales of around € 300 million. 

With this acquisition, Kolbenschmidt 

Pierburg will expand its strong 

position in the Western European market 

for oil and vacuum pumps and improve 

access to Italian carmakers. 

Vacuum pumps, oil pumps and thermostats 

are mainly developed, manufactured 

and marketed at Magneti Marelli’s 

Livorno works in Italy. The acquisition 

of the Livorno facility means 

that around 500 employees will be integrated 

into Kolbenschmidt Pierburg 

AG’s Air Supply & Pump division. 

Including the Kolbenschmidt Pierburg 

facility at Lanciano, the Automo- 

Responsibility is passed on: after 20 years on the board, the 

chairman of Rheinmetall’s executive board Dr. Hans U. 

Brauner (l) was elected as chairman of the group’s supervisory 

board on 12 January 2000. His successor on the executive 

board of Rheinmetall AG is Dipl.-Math. Klaus Eberhardt. 

Brauner have for many years formed a 

successful team which, particularly over 

the past five years, has contributed to 

(Continued on page 2) 

tive sector will in future employ over 

700 people in Italy generating sales 

in excess of € 100 million. 

The takeover of the pump business of 

Magneti Marelli is another move in Kolbenschmidt 

Pierburg’s strategy of boosting 

its sales (today DM 3 billion/€ 1.5 

billion with around 12,000 employees) 

to DM 5 billion/€ 2.5 billion by 2000+. 

Magneti Marelli is in the process of 

refocusing its strategy and revamping 

its portfolio. This company is a global 

developer and manufacturer of automotive 

components, systems and 

modules. Its 29,500 employees achieved 

sales of € 3.8 billion in 1998.

Newsline 

Responsibility passed on: Eberhardt takes over as executive board chairman 

Brauner chairs the supervisory board 

(Continued from page 1) 

the growth of the Rheinmetall group. 

Back in 1980 a midsize industrial company 

with sales of around 700 million 

German marks and 6,000 employees 

mainly involved in arms production, 

Rheinmetall has inside 20 years evolved 

into a significant technology group with 

34,000 employees and the three core 

sectors of Automotive, Electronics and 

Defence, with sales of approximately 9 

billion German marks in 1999. Brauner 

has thus developed Rheinmetall into 

Röchling’s most significant asset. 

Management 

replacement 

Bremen. Due to the unexpected 

budget shortfalls in the 1999 result, 

the shareholders Rheinmetall AG 

(51%) and British Aerospace plc 

(49%) as well as the supervisory 

board of STN Atlas Elektronik GmbH, 

Bremen, decided to replace with 

immediate effect the management 

board of STN Atlas Elektronik GmbH. 

Dr.-Ing. Ernst-Otto Krämer (60), 

chairman of the management board, 

Dr. Thomas Kritzler (50), head of 

finance/controlling and in charge of 

the naval systems division on behalf 

of British Aerospace, plus the former 

board member Dipl.-Ing. Klaus Kunze 

(61) have retired from the management 

board. 

Krämer’s successor is Dipl.-Kfm. 

Ulrich Grillo (40), deputy member of 

the Rheinmetall DeTec AG executive 

board, who has now also taken on 

the position as chairman of the management 

board at STN Atlas Elektronik 

GmbH. 

Dipl.-Ing. Gert Winkler (55), executive 

board member of Rheinmetall 

DeTec AG, has combined his present 

position with that of a member on 

the management board of STN Atlas 

Elektronik GmbH, where he has 

assumed responsibility for Land and 

Simulation Systems. 

Dipl.-Wirtschaftsingenieur Hans- 

Georg Morawitz (44), head of human 

resources, communications and services 

at STN Atlas Elektronik GmbH, 

has joined the management board as 

Dipl.-Math. Klaus Eberhardt (52), executive 

board chairman of the operating 

parent Rheinmetall Elektronik AG – the 

future listed Aditron AG – since the 

spring of 1997, has been appointed as 

the new executive board chairman of 

Rheinmetall AG as of 1 January 2000, a 

position he will combine with his present 

responsibility for the Electronics 

sector. Brauner will accompany Eberhardt 

on Rheinmetall’s Continuity and 

Growth Strategy path to annual sales in 

the region of 10 billion German marks 

as supervisory board chairman. 

the member responsible for human 

resources and as the company’s director 

of industrial relations. 

John Young (50), until now a senior 

executive at British Aerospace Navy 

Systems, has been appointed management 

board member responsible 

for naval systems. He will be contributing 

his longstanding international 

experience in developing and building 

complex naval systems, specifically 

underwater. 

Dipl.-Ing. Manfred Meyersieck (50), 

head of naval systems, and Dipl.-Ing. 

Uwe Duveneck (57), head of land systems, 

have both been appointed 

senior executive officers. 

For the time being Ulrich Grillo will 

be in charge of finance/controlling, 

until British Aerospace selects a new 

candidate for this position. 

The new management board has 

been requested to immediately submit 

a new business plan for improving 

profits. An unexpected loss was 

anticipated for fiscal 1999. In 1997 

and 1998, STN Atlas Elektronik had 

generated satisfactory profits of 19.4 

million euros and 16.9 million euros, 

respectively. Order backlog is considered 

good at 1.6 billion euros. Sales 

in 1998 amounted to 817 million 

euros. In 1999, the 3,200 employees 

were expected to produce sales of 

around 526 million euros (excluding 

sales in the order of 412 million euros 

of the spun-off Marine Electronics 

now belonging to EMG EuroMarine 

Electronics GmbH). 

Krämer will continue to serve on 

the Rheinmetall DeTec AG executive 

board as its chairman. 

2 

Dipl.-Phys. Dr. rer. nat. Dieter Seipler 

(53), divisional director at Robert 

Bosch GmbH before joining Rheinmetall 

in July 1998 and since then executive 

board chairman of Kolbenschmidt 

Pierburg AG and Pierburg AG, has as 

head of the Automotive sector been 

appointed deputy chairman of the 

executive board of Rheinmetall AG. He 

will also be responsible for centrally 

coordinating the group’s research and 

development activities. 

Dr. rer. oec. Herbert Müller (46) who 

has been responsible for central finance 

since the start of 1996 and has so 

far held the position of senior executive 

officer reporting to Brauner, has been 

appointed executive board member 

for finance and controlling as of 1 

January 2000. 

Now that Rheinmetall has shrunk its 

Jagenberg stake to a minority holding, 

Dieter Niederste-Werbeck (60), hitherto 

executive board chairman of Jagenberg 

AG (Engineering sector) will in future 

concentrate on his functions as 

corporate director of industrial relations 

besides heading human resources 

and other corporate departments 

(purchase, real estate and IT). 

This reshuffling and strengthening of 

management resources will assure 

Rheinmetall’s continued growth. The 

passing of responsibility from v. Salmuth 

to Brauner and from Brauner to Eberhardt 

is true to the group’s proven philosophy 

of Continuity through Experience. 

The supervisory board member Gerhard 

Goll who retired from the board at 

the end of 1999 has been replaced by 

Professor Dr. Enno Vocke as the shareholder 

representative appointed by the 

district court of Berlin-Charlottenburg. 

Newsline 

Newsline is a summary of the most 

important news articles published 

in “Das Profil”, the company newspaper 

of the Rheinmetall group 

Publisher: Rheinmetall AG 

P.O. Box 104261, D-40033 Düsseldorf 

Responsible: Dr. Klaus Germann 

Editor-in-chief: Rolf D.Schneider 

Issue: January 2000

Newsline 

Meeting with the press on 16 December 1999 

Ambitious goals for Rheinmetall 

Düsseldorf. Ambitious goals for corporate 

expansion while simultaneously 

concentrating on the three core sectors 

Automotive, Electronics and Defence: 

the Rheinmetall group aims to 

boost sales and earnings even further 

in the years to come, with a sales target 

of around 20 billion German marks 

for the year 2010 – at an operating result 

of approx. one billion marks 

(which will then be possible) and a net 

income in the order of 500 million 

marks. This forecast was presented by 

the former executive board chairman 

and new supervisory board chairman 

of Rheinmetall AG, Dr. Hans U. Brauner, 

to members of the economic 

press and financial analysts during an 

informatory meeting held at the group 

headquarters in Düsseldorf on 16 December 

1999. 

While the group anticipates sales of 

approximately nine billion German 

marks (excluding Jagenberg) and a net 

income of about 130 million marks for 

the year 2000, Brauner predicts group 

sales of some 15 billion marks for the 

year 2005 and profits of between 300 

and 350 million marks. Regarding the 

outlined scenario for 2010 (sales of 20 

Düsseldorf. As a further move by 

Rheinmetall to strengthen its new 

management structure, the following 

second-tier group management 

appointments took effect on 1 January 

2000. 

Dipl.-Kfm. Ulrich Grillo (40), Rheinmetall 

DeTec AG executive board 

member for finance/controlling, has 

been appointed deputy chairman of 

this company. 

Dipl.-Kfm. Helmut P. Merch (43), 

until now an executive board member 

of Rheinmetall Elektronik AG (in future, 

Aditron AG) has been appointed 

deputy chairman of the executive 

board of Rheinmetall Elektronik AG. 

In this position he will be assisting 

Dipl.-Math. Klaus Eberhardt, Rheinmetall 

AG’s new executive board 

chairman and concurrently, the executive 

board chairman of Rheinmetall 

Elektronik AG. 

billion DM and profits of 500 million 

DM), the group aims to achieve 60 

percent of its growth through mergers 

and acquisitions and 40 percent by organic 

growth. Theoretically, the workforce 

could be up to 55,000 strong at 

the end of the decade. 

The Automotive sector will generate 

the greatest rise in sales, increasing 

from a figure of 3.5 billion marks (in 

2000) to ten billion marks (in 2010). 

The Electronics sector with its new 

operating parent Aditron AG which will 

include the recently established EMG 

EuroMarine Electronics GmbH in Hamburg 

in future (this is a joint venture 

between Rheinmetall DeTec AG/industrial 

leadership and SAIT-Radio- 

Holland operating in the marine electronics 

sector) should increase its sales 

from 2.3 billion marks (in 2000) to 

five billion in the year 2010. The Defence 

sector should also generate sales 

revenues of five billion marks in 2010 

(with planned sales for 2000 of 3.2 billion 

DM). Brauner remarked that this 

outlook is seen as relatively realistic. 

Brauner, the chairman of the executive 

board of Rheinmetall until 31 December 

1999, explained that, amongst 

Dr.-Ing. Michael Roesnick (45), senior 

executive officer at Rheinmetall 

Elektronik AG (in future, Aditron AG) 

and management board chairman of 

Preh-Werke GmbH & Co. KG, Bad Neustadt, 

has been appointed deputy 

member of the Rheinmetall Elektronik 

AG executive board. 

Dr. jur. Andreas Beyer (47), executive 

officer for corporate legal affairs at 

Rheinmetall AG is now senior executive 

officer, reporting to Dipl.-Math. 

Klaus Eberhardt, Rheinmetall AG’s 

new executive board chairman. 

Ass. jur. Mathias K. Brauner (41), 

executive officer for corporate planning 

& controlling at Rheinmetall AG, 

now holds the position of senior executive 

officer, reporting to Dr. rer. oec. 

Herbert Müller, Rheinmetall AG’s new 

chief financial officer. 

Dipl.-Kfm. Heinz Dresia (51), executive 

officer at Rheinmetall DeTec AG, 

3 

other things, this growth is to be funded 

by a capital increase of the approved 

capital in the period 2000/2001. 

He also pointed out that the majority 

shareholder – Röchling Industrie Verwaltung 

GmbH – may reduce its shareholding 

from the existing volume of 

just under 66 percent (of the common 

stock) to 51 percent in the next ten 

years. Brauner pointed out that the 

group may also seek a further financial 

partner who would be willing to take 

over between ten and 25 percent of 

Rheinmetall’s common stock and 

would also be prepared to fund mergers 

and acquisitions through financial 

participations in operating companies. 

In this context, Rheinmetall’s former 

chairman remarked that the capital 

interest in subsidiaries may also be 

reduced. One example given was Kolbenschmidt 

Pierburg AG where the interest 

might be reduced from 74 percent 

(at present) to 51 percent and the 

new Aditron AG with a decrease from 

66 to 51 percent. It is also conceivable 

that the 100 percent interest in Rheinmetall 

DeTec AG may be decreased to 

51 percent through the involvement of 

a strategic partner. 

Rheinmetall strengthens its second-tier management 

is now senior executive officer of this 

company; as such he will be in charge 

of corporate controlling and report 

to Ulrich Grillo. 

Following the integration of Oerlikon 

Contraves AG, Zurich, Switzerland, 

into Rheinmetall DeTec AG, Dipl.-Ing. 

ETH, Lic. Oec. Ernst Odermatt 

(51), CEO of Oerlikon Contraves AG, 

has been appointed senior executive 

officer of Rheinmetall DeTec AG. 

Dr. Wolfgang G. Glaubitz MBA (50), 

executive officer for corporate human 

resources at Rheinmetall AG, is now 

the senior executive officer, reporting 

to Dieter Niederste-Werbeck, Rheinmetall 

AG’s executive board member 

for human resources. 

After 20 years of service with the 

group, Dipl.-Ing. Burkhart Kaul, 

hitherto senior executive officer for 

corporate real estate at Rheinmetall 

AG, will retire on 31 January 2000.

Newsline 

Defence technology from IWKA – Jagenberg goes to Sachsenring and IWKA 

Rheinmetall optimizes its portfolio 

Düsseldorf. Three transactions have 

helped Rheinmetall AG to concentrate 

its business portfolio on the corporate 

sectors Automotive, Electronics and 

Defence and simultaneously to 

strengthen its defence activities very 

considerably. The paper technology division 

of Jagenberg AG was sold to 

Sachsenring Automobiltechnik AG in 

Zwickau at the turn of the year 

1999/2000. IWKA AG (Karlsruhe) acquired 

the packaging technology division 

likewise belonging to Jagenberg; 

in turn, Rheinmetall DeTec AG, the operating 

parent of the Defence sector, has 

taken over the defence business from 

IWKA (e.g. armored wheeled and 

tracked vehicles). The group’s Defence 

sector will therefore reach sales in the 

order of four billion German marks. The 

sale and purchase of the individual 

companies are still conditional on the 

approval of the Federal Cartel Office 

and the supervisory boards. 

Rheinmetall has thus achieved its 

objective of refocusing its portfolio on 

the corporate sectors of Automotive 

(listed Kolbenschmidt Pierburg AG), Electronics 

(Rheinmetall Elektronik AG, 

to become listed Aditron AG) and Defence 

(Rheinmetall DeTec AG). The 

fourth sector Engineering (Jagenberg 

AG) is no longer a core activity. 

As part of its ongoing concentration 

on the core sectors of Automotive, Electronics 

and Defence, at year-end Rheinmetall 

transferred 68.4 percent of Jagenberg 

AG’s voting common stock and 

hence management control in Jagen- 

From Henschel-Wehrtechnik: the scout vehicle Luchs. 

berg to Zwickau-based Sachsenring 

Automobiltechnik AG. The Jagenberg 

group supplies its machines worldwide 

to manufacturers of paper and board, 

producers and converters of plastic film 

and foil as well as to the international 

foodstuff industry. Its 3,400 employees 

are forecast to generate 1999 sales of 

around 1 billion German marks. 

In Sachsenring, Rheinmetall has found 

a strategic partner whose midsize 

organization and dynamic management 

will ensure Jagenberg’s future as 

a machinery maker of strong engineering 

capability. Under the industrial 

management of Sachsenring, Jagenberg 

will be able to further develop its 

innovative power as well as expand 

and consolidate its worldwide position 

in the specialty machinery market. 

The air-droppable armored vehicle Wiesel with an E6-II turret of KUKA Wehrtechnik GmbH. 

4 

In order to facilitate Jagenberg’s assimilation 

within the Sachsenring group 

and continuity in the handover of industrial 

management, Rheinmetall AG 

will retain 18 percent of the voting 

common stock of Jagenberg AG, 

Neuss. Neither the sales nor the income 

of the Jagenberg group will be consolidated 

in Rheinmetall’s financial 

statements in future. 

Within the context of the transfer to 

Sachsenring, Jagenberg AG also sold 

its packaging technology division to 

IWKA Aktiengesellschaft, Karlsruhe, as 

of year-end. The companies sold are 

A+F Automation + Fördertechnik GmbH 

(Kirchlengern), Benhil Gasti Verpackungsmaschinen 

GmbH (Neuss), 

the French Erca Formseal S.A., (Les 

Ulis) and the American Autoprod Inc., 

Clearwater (Florida). Their aggregate 

sales in 1999 amounted to approx. 220 

million marks, with a total workforce of 

822 persons. 

The addition of the Jagenberg companies 

will mean that the IWKA group 

is strengthening its competence and 

international position in the growing 

market for packaging machinery used 

by the food and dairy industries. In 

2000, more than 3,000 employees will 

generate sales of around 800 million 

marks (in 1998: DM 195 million). This 

will make IWKA one of the world’s leading 

suppliers of packaging machinery 

and plant. 

In turn, as of year-end, Ratingen-based 

Rheinmetall DeTec AG (Defence) 

(Continued on page 5)

Aditron AG is 

the new name 

Düsseldorf/Ettlingen. The decision 

to merge KIH Kommunikations Industrie 

Holding AG (Ettlingen) with 

the new Aditron AG (formerly operating 

under the name of Rheinmetall 

Elektronik Beteiligungen AG, headquarters 

in Düsseldorf) means that 

Rheinmetall’s Electronics sector will 

be admitted to the stock exchange 

this year. 

This decision was carried by a large 

majority of votes on 17 December 

1999. At the extraordinary shareholders’ 

meeting, Dr. Michael 

Newsline 

Fritzsche, chairman of the executive 

board of KIH, pointed out that KIH 

would probably cease to exist in 

March 2000 following the official registration 

of the merger. The Aditron 

share will be traded at the organized 

stock exchange in Stuttgart and 

Frankfurt. 

With the establishment of Aditron 

AG, the Rheinmetall group now has a 

powerful, listed electronics supplier 

with an international business share 

of 54 percent. Based on a good earnings 

position, 1999 sales amounted 

to approx. 1.34 billion German marks 

(0.68 billion euros). The new company 

will have a workforce of about 

5,600 worldwide. 

5 

Significantorder for 

combined antennas 

Neckartenzlingen. Richard Hirschmann 

GmbH & Co. (Neckartenzlingen) 

has booked a significant order 

for the delivery of 50,000 combined 

antennas for navigation and mobile 

radio communication. The order 

which is worth about two million 

German marks was placed by a 

renowned German electronics company. 

The antennas will be delivered 

in the next eighteen months. 

The combined antenna GPS 1890 PL 

is the smallest of its type currently 

available on the market. 

Defence technology from IWKA – Jagenberg goes to Sachsenring and IWKA 

Rheinmetall optimizes its portfolio 


has taken over the defence technology 

sector of IWKA Aktiengesellschaft, Karlsruhe, 

comprising KUKA Wehrtechnik 

GmbH, Augsburg, and Henschel Wehrtechnik 

GmbH, Kassel. In 1998, these 

two companies together generated sales 

of 244 million German marks with a 

workforce of 1,200. By acquiring a German 

systems leader in armored wheeled 

and tracked vehicles, Rheinmetall 

is significantly expanding its defence 

technology capability and strengthening 

its market position as leading 

European supplier of land forces systems 

in the long term. 

In concentrating on the three corporate 

sectors Automotive, Electronics 

and Defence, Rheinmetall aims to 

achieve a global status in all three 

markets: 

★ With sales of around 4 billion German 

marks and 12,000 employees, 

Rheinmetall’s Defence sector will, as a 

result of this acquisition, further secure 

its strategic position as a competence 

source for land forces equipment within 

Europe while gaining the necessary 

economies of scale as a leading onestop 

European supplier of weaponry 

and ammunition, armored vehicles 

and electronics. Defence’s Oerlikon 

Contraves, Switzerland, and Eurometaal 

have further contributed to European 

integration within this sector. 

Through its subsidiary MaK System 

Gesellschaft and the expected inclusion 

of the defence electronics com- 

pany STN Atlas Elektronik GmbH in the 

consortium of Krauss-Maffei Wegmann 

and the British Alvis group, Rheinmetall 

DeTec AG has secured for itself a 

significant (28-percent) slice of the 

large-scale German-British procurement 

contract for armored transport vehicles. 

Rheinmetall DeTec AG’s objective 

will continue to be the necessary 

consolidation of Germany’s tank building 

industry. Rheinmetall is sticking 

to its goal of Defence sales of 25 to 30 

percent of aggregate group business, 

with an overall expanding volume. 

★ Among the Rheinmetall group’s objectives 

for the year 2000 and beyond 

are the ongoing growth of its Automotive 

sector into a module and systems 

supplier “for every aspect of the engine.” 

The targeted sales of 5 billion 

marks (presently DM 3 billion) will be 

achieved through organic growth and 

acquisitions (preferably outside of 

Germany). This means that Rheinmetall 

is breaking into a new league, both 

as original equipment supplier to the 

automotive industry and as military 

contractor. 

★ Through Rheinmetall, Sachsenring 

is entering a dynamic strategic partnership 

which, in some instances, 

may encompass cooperation in the 

field of automotive engineering. 

★ In the Electronics sector, Rheinmetall 

Elektronik AG as the future stock 

exchange listed Aditron AG (including 

the IT companies Hirschmann and Preh 

and the security equipment manufacturer 

Heimann Systems) will constitute 

a powerful electronics supplier within 

the Rheinmetall group. Plans for this 

sector envisage a 

rise in sales from 

today’s 1.3 billion 

German marks 

to over 2 billion 

marks, mainly 

through organic 

growth and acquisitions,primarily 

in the United 

States. 

Rheinmetall’s 

international position 

in its core sectors of Automotive, 

Electronics and Defence is substantiated 

by international sales of 60 percent. 

With a 1999 sales volume in the 

region of nine billion German marks, 

the Rheinmetall group employs a 

workforce of around 34,000 (13,000 

outside of Germany). These figures 

still include the Jagenberg group. 

Sachsenring’s and IWKA’s partner in the future: Jagenberg in Neuss.

Selected range 

of products 

Zurich. Oerlikon Contraves AG 

produces cannons, guns, guided 

missile systems, ammunition and 

fire control units. The company is 

also active in the fields of vehiclemounted 

weapons, naval air defence 

as well as simulation and training 

systems. A selection of the 

company’s products is given below: 

★ Air defence systems produced 

include: Skyshield 35, Skyguard/ 

GDF, Gunstar, Seaguard naval closein 

weapons, fire control systems 

and Millennium naval gun anti-missile 

system. 

★ Vehicle-mounted weapons manufactured 

by the company feature 

various cannons such as the KBA 

25 mm automatic cannon, KDE 35 

mm automatic cannon and KDA 35 

mm automatic belt-fed cannon. 

★ Oerlikon Contraves also develops 

and produces ammunition for air defence, 

vehicle-mounted weapons 

and aircraft guns in 20, 23, 25, 27, 30 

and 35 mm calibers. Ammunition 

types include explosive ammunition 

with head or base fuzes, hard-core 

ammunition, subcaliber munitions 

of the types “fin stabilized” and 

“frangible”, and the latest generation 

of ammunition with programmable 

fuzes. Added to this, the company 

offers a wide range of practice 

ammunition, often adapted to the 

specific needs of the customer. 

★ Training systems include Skyguard 

air defence mission simulator, 

the Feats firing evaluation and training 

system and Adams (advanced 

driving and maneuvering simulator). 

★ Further products: Fieldguard, a fire 

control and guidance system for 

rocket and gun artillery applications 

(Lars), Ranger UAV system, an unmanned 

reconnaissance air vehicle, 

and Combat Simlas plus, a system 

for infantry training allowing also 

the identification of soldiers. 

The Millennium 35/1000 naval gun 

system offers an effective means of 

engaging anti-ship missiles with 

ranges of up to 2.5 kilometers. 

Newsline 

FORMER HEAD OF PENTAGON visits Rheinmetall: Caspar Williard Weinberger 

(r), Secretary of Defense under President Ronald Reagan between January 1981 

and November 1987 recently visited Rheinmetall’s headquarters to hold informatory 

talks. Weinberger gave his host Dr. Hans U. Brauner, the former executive board chairman 

and new supervisory board chairman of the Rheinmetall group a copy of his book 

“The Next War” in which Weinberger and his co-author Peter Schweizer have outlined 

a number of conceivable war scenarios which are perfectly realistic in the future. 

MJ 333 handed over 

to the German Navy 

Eckernförde/Bremen. The German 

Navy in Eckernförde took delivery of its 

new training system MJ 333 punctually 

on Monday, 24 November 1999. This 

system was developed and built by 

STN Atlas Elektronik GmbH, Bremen. 

In conjunction with the simulator MJ 

332, it now forms part of the advanced 

training center of the Naval Weapons 

School in Eckernförde to train all crews 

of the minehunting fleet. 

The two most important milestones 

in the MJ 333 conversion program 

have therefore been completed by 

this high-tech company from North 

Germany. Following the acceptance 

of the Kulmbach – that was the first 

ship to be converted from a mine 

countermeasure vessel of the class 

343 into a minehunter of the class 

333 – and the delivery of the training 

system as the second milestone, the 

project is now well on the way towards 

successful completion. 

Peene-Werft GmbH in Wolgast is 

the prime-contractor for this ambitious 

project, with STN Atlas acting 

as the main subcontractor responsible 

for essential systems and the integration 

of the entire mine hunting 

system. The mine hunting sonar sy- 

6 

stem DSQS-11M, the mine hunting 

command & control system Takis, 

the one-shot mine disposal vehicle 

Seafox and the PC-based data exchange 

and information system 

Daisy are all delivered by STN Atlas. 

The training system MJ 333 in 

Eckernförde is tailored to the very 

latest criteria and comprises two large 

packages. 

The first training package encompasses 

computer-based training 

(CBT) and includes the actual system 

training for the ships. CBT will consist 

in a step-wise partial simulation of 

key elements of the mine hunting system 

MJ 333 serving to familiarize the 

user gradually with the full scope of 

the systems. 

The second part of the training will 

be carried out with equipment identical 

with that on board, i.e. the sonar 

DSQS-11M, Takis, Seafox and Daisy, 

to train the functional links in the 

team allowing for the interaction between 

the initial mine detection by 

the sonar unit, processing of the tactical 

situation on the Takis console 

and operation of the Seafox mine 

disposal vehicle. Operators will get 

to know the process and interaction 

between complicated systems and 

are thus offered a comprehensive 

training for their duties on board the 

minehunter at a later stage.

Newsline 

Eurofighter Simulation Systems GmbH (ESS) 

Simulation systems 

for Eurofighter project 

Bremen/Düsseldorf. STN Atlas Elektronik 

GmbH in Bremen has established 

the company Eurofighter Simulation 

Systems GmbH (ESS) in cooperation 

with Indra Sistemas (Spain), Meteor 

Construzioni Aeronautiche et 

Elettroniche (Italy), Thomson Training 

& Simulation (UK) and CAE GmbH 

(Stollberg/Germany). This joint venture 

company will develop and produce 

components required specifically for 

simulators to be used to train pilots of 

the Eurofighter Typhoon weapon system. 

Working in close cooperation 

with the air forces of Germany, the United 

Kingdom, Italy and Spain, Eurofighter 

Simulation Systems GmbH will develop, 

manufacture and put into operation 

the simulators for the multinational 

European Eurofighter program. 

Through their joint venture Eurofighter Simulation Systems GmbH, they will jointly 

develop and deliver the flight simulators for the new European Eurofighter 

aircraft (from l to r): Christian Feldmann, product department manager of land 

and flight simulation systems at STN Atlas Elektronik GmbH (Bremen), Karl Kim, 

division manager for simulation and training systems at CAE GmbH (Stollberg), 

Brian Waller, sales and marketing director at Thomson Training and Simulation 

(UK), Renzo Lunardi, chief executive at Meteor (Italy) and Manuel Flecha, managing 

director simulation at Indra (Spain). 

Armored vehicle: 

substantial share 

Munich/Telford/Kiel. Through its 

subsidiary MaK Systemgesellschaft 

mbH (Kiel), Rheinmetall’s share in 

the armored transport vehicle project 

agreed by the German and British 

procurement authorities and Artec 

(Armoured Vehicle Technology) 

GmbH is substantial. Artec GmbH 

with its headquarters in Munich is a 

partnership between MaK Systemgesellschaft 

mbH, Krauss Maffei Wegmann 

GmbH & Co. KG (Munich) and 

Alvis Vehicles Ltd. (Telford, UK). It is 

anticipated that STN Atlas Elektronik 

GmbH, likewise belonging to the 

Rheinmetall group, will also 

be involved in 

development 

and productionactivities 

for the 

armored 

transport vehicle. 

The project relates 

to a joint procurement 

order for Germany and Great Britain. 

Negotiations on the involvement of 

the Netherlands in this program are 

well advanced. The order encompas- 

7 

Multinational: the Eurofighter Typhoon. 

The cooperation between these European 

partners will also help to ensure 

that sufficient consideration is given 

to the individual interests of the four 

participating nations. The development 

and utilization of high-tech products 

will strengthen the position of 

the European simulator industry and 

is an important step towards sustaining 

independence in Europe. 

ESS GmbH was already included in 

the concept and definition phase (that 

will continue until October 2000) while 

the joint venture was being established 

and collaborated closely with the 

customers on the general specification. 

Between November 2000 and the 

end of 2007, 18 full mission simulators, 

six interactive pilot stations, four 

stationary cockpit trainers and four 

mobile cockpit trainers will be delivered 

to the air forces of the partner countries 

involved in the Eurofighter program. 

In the words of Dipl.-Ing. Christian 

Feldmann, product department manager 

of land and flight simulation systems: 

“The Simulation Systems division 

of STN Atlas Elektronik GmbH will 

be able to extend its activities in the 

flight simulation sector through its 

participation in this project”. 

ses not only the development but also 

the option for a first series lot of 

new wheeled armored fighting 

vehicles due to replace the 

Fuchs armored transport 

vehicles and 

M113 vehicles 

of US design 

from the year 

2005 onwards. 

It is planned to 

produce a total of 

approximately 4000 armored 

transport vehicles over a tenyear 

period. MaK’s work share in the 

first partial order for Germany will be 

about 28 percent.

Newsline 

Naval school Mürwick uses new simulator generation 

Virtual seaways, fog on command 

Mürwick/Bremen. Maritime traffic is 

governed by a “right-of-way” just like 

other traffic. Anyone who fails to obey 

this has to expect serious damage to 

the crew and ship. Although mistakes 

made at the naval school in Mürwick 

may cause accidents, these are nevertheless 

without impact on man and 

machine as dangerous situations are 

all part of simulator training. The AANS 

shiphandling training system at the 

school’s simulation center has one fundamental 

objective: to train actions 

and reactions sufficiently to avoid 

errors and to teach trainees how to 

deal with mistakes made by others in 

order to avoid major damage. In addition 

to this, there are a whole lot of procedures 

that are important for naval 

forces and require initial training in the 

simulator. Nevertheless, simulator training 

is still only one (important) element 

of training since true seamanship 

can only be learned on board ship. 

After far more than 20,000 hours of 

operation of the old simulation center 

taken into service back in 1987, the 

decision in favor of a system renewal 

was reached in 1997. Two years of 

planning, development and integration 

by the Bremen-based company 

STN Atlas Elektronik GmbH then follo- 

wed this decision. The modernized simulation 

center was finally taken into 

operation on 2 December 1999. The 

gap between a simulator and the real 

ship is becoming smaller and smaller. 

The simulations provided by the new 

AANS at the naval school in Mürwick 

are so realistic that even experienced 

seafarers soon forget that they are 

“only” commanding a computer-generated 

simulation and not a real 

ship. 

The system is equipped with the very 

latest state of the art. It consists of a 

true-to-scale nautical bridge with all 

the usual instruments like control 

stand, engine console and radar 

equipment. An eleven-channel visual 

system with CGI (computer generated 

images) allows a realistic simulation 

of the outside world at day and night. 

Even complicated docking maneuvers 

can be practiced in the simulator 

thanks to the exact physical/mathematical 

reproduction of the own ship’s 

model, including the use of lines and 

pilot vessels. 

Two instructor stations as well as a 

briefing/debriefing room are available 

for control and monitoring purposes. 

The instructor communicates with his 

pupils via intercom and VHF. Besides 

Rheinmetall assigned“BBB/A-2” 

London/Düsseldorf. Standard & 

Poor’s recently assigned its triple-“B” 

long-term corporate credit and senior 

unsecured debt ratings, and its “A-2” 

short-term corporate credit ratings to 

the German group Rheinmetall AG. 

The outlook is stable. 

The ratings reflect Rheinmetall’s moderate 

financial profile and average 

business-risk profile, based on sound 

positions in its respective markets. 

These strengths are offset partly by 

exposure to the German defence sector 

(about 15% of sales are to the German 

defence ministry) and to market 

trends in the global automotive and 

electronics industries. 

A key rating factor is the company’s 

standing as market leader in several 

industrial segments that target different 

customer groups. In the defence 

sector, Rheinmetall further benefits 

from a comfortable order backlog. Also, 

the ratings take into account 

Rheinmetall’s moderate geographical 

diversification, to which Germany 

contributes about one-half of consolidated 

sales. 

In the past few years, Rheinmetall 

has grown very rapidly thanks to several 

substantial acquisitions. The 

group more than doubled its sales 

between 1997 and 1998. In the year to 

Dec. 31, 1998, the group generated revenues 

of euro (€) 4.13 billion (US$ 

4.37 billion) and earnings before interest, 

taxes, depreciation, and amortisation 

(EBITDA) of € 328 million. The 

group’s lease-adjusted EBITDA margin 

has increased gradually over the 

years, and amounted to about 10% in 

1997 and 1998. The group posted a 

8 

The naval school at Marwick also uses 

the latest simulator generation from 

STN Atlas Elektronik GmbH. 

the bridge with visual system, the training 

system includes six cabins with 

the complete nautical equipment but 

without the visual systems. 

The interaction between the main 

bridge and cabins also allows exercises 

like nautical operations in units 

and combined operations with several 

ships. The general configuration therefore 

also meets the international standards 

for training nautical and technical 

officers of ships in accordance with 

STCW 95 (standards of training, certification 

and watchkeeping for seafarers, 

issued by the International 

Maritime Organisation IMO) which is 

obligatory for all UN members. 

pre-tax loss of € 17.7 million in the 

first half of 1999 (compared with a 

pre-tax profit of € 5.2 million in the 

first half of 1998), partly because of 

the fact that profits in engineering 

and defence activities are typically 

booked in the second half of the year, 

but also because of softer sales. 

With a lease-adjusted net debt-tototal 

capital ratio of 26% at Dec. 31, 

1998, Rheinmetall is considered to 

have good financial flexibility and a 

moderate financial policy. 

Standard & Poor’s expects the financial 

burden of future external growth 

to be alleviated partly by equity 

support from existing shareholders 

and/or strategic partners. The balance-sheet 

structure is expected to remain 

very conservative. The ratings 

do not assume any major improvement 

in profit margins, or any substantial 

organic growth, Standard & 

Poor’s said.

Newsline 

EXCHANGE OF IDEAS: Discussions during a recent meeting at the new group headquarters in Düsseldorf focused on 

socio-political and economic aspects. The former executive board chairman of Rheinmetall AG, Dr. Hans U. Brauner, had invited 

representatives from political and industrial circles to this event. Guests included the minister president of North-Rhine 

Westphalia Wolfgang Clement, the prime minister of the Grandy Duchy of Luxembourg, minister of state Jean-Claude Juncker, 

his colleague Francois Biltgen, labor and employment minister as well as minister of education and cultural affairs, minister 

for parliamentary relations and delegated communication minister of Luxembourg, Dr. Julien Alex, the ambassador of the 

Grand Duchy in the Federal Republic of Germany, district president Jürgen Büssow, the mayor of Düsseldorf Joachim Erwin, 

Dr. Heinz Kriwet, supervisory board chairman of Thyssen Krupp AG, Dr. Edgar Jannott, executive board chairman of Ergo Versicherungsgruppe 

AG, Dr. Peter von Blomberg, chairman of the management board of Allianz Versicherungs AG and Dr.-Ing. 

Hans-Peter Keitel, executive board chairman of Hochtief AG. The program for the evening included a visit to the installation 

“Aspetti Magici” created by Professor Gabriele Henkel as well as a tour of the new headquarters of the Rheinmetall group. 

Our photos show the guests and their host, above all (photo on right) the prime minister of Luxembourg Juncker (c), minister 

Biltgen (second from l), ambassador Alex (l), the minister president of North-Rhine Westphalia Clement (second from r) and 

Brauner (r), formerly chairman of the executive board and now supervisory board chairman of Rheinmetall. 

Close cooperation 

in self-protection 

Bern/Neuenburg. RUAG SUISSE, 

Bern/Switzerland, has acquired a 

minority stake of Neue Technologien 

GmbH in Neuenburg/Germany. 

At the same time a close cooperation 

in the field of self-defence 

systems was agreed between SM 

Schweizerische Munitionsunternehmung 

AG,Thun/Switzerland, Buck 

Neue Technologien GmbH and Nico- 

Pyrotechnik GmbH & Co. KG Trittau/Germany, 

both part of Rheinmetall 

DeTec AG domiciled in Ratingen/Germany. 

So far SM and Buck 

Neue Technologien GmbH already 

cooperated at the product level. The 

jointly developed Maske self-protection 

system – today’s leading 

product in the field of infrared active 

self-protection smokes for combat 

vehicles – is currently being produced 

for the Swiss Armed Forces. 

With the minority stake and the cooperation 

agreed upon, the pyrotechnical 

core competence of the three 

enterprises is gaining strength. 

Moreover SM will have access to an 

extended market, can make better 

use of its capacities, and contributes 

to the safeguarding of knowhow 

for the Swiss Armed Forces. 

Leopard 2 main battle tank with L-55 gun. 

Electronics for 

Spanish tank 

Madrid. A corporate alliance consisting 

of STN Atlas Elektronik GmbH of 

Bremen (a subsidiary of Rheinmetall 

DeTec AG), and the Spanish company 

Indra EWS of Madrid has received 

an order from Spain’s stateowned 

Santa Barbara Blindados 

(SBB), general contractor for the Spanish 

government’s Leopard 2 tank 

program. The contract entails the delivery 

of 219 combat systems for the 

Leopard 2 MBT, each consisting of a 

fire control unit, panoramic periscope, 

tank-testing device and command 

system, as well as 16 command 

systems for armored recovery 

vehicles. The order is part of a pro- 

9 

curement program for the Spanish 

Army. In addition, Empresa Nationale 

Santa Barbara (ENSB) of Madrid and 

its cooperation partner Rheinmetall 

W&M GmbH of Ratingen have received 

an order from Santa Barbara Blindados 

worth more than DM 155 million. 

This contract is for the supply of 

219 L44/120 mm tank guns for the 

Leopard 2. ENSB will manufacture the 

guns under a licence granted by 

Rheinmetall W&M GmbH. Rheinmetall 

will furnish the necessary knowhow 

and support ENSB with technical 

assistance and the supply of hardware 

worth DM 55 million. In response 

to the Germany Army’s decision to 

buy the new L55 barrel under its Combat 

Performance Upgrade Programme 

1 for the Leopard 2 MBT, Spain is 

also opting for the new gun system.

Newsline 

Oerlikon Contraves AG: products in over 40 countries 

A leader in systems technology 

Zurich/Düsseldorf. As reported in 

Newsline 4/99, Rheinmetall DeTec AG 

acquired Oerlikon Contraves AG in 

September 1999. This acquisition, 

which has taken effect retroactively as 

of 1 January 1999, has expanded 

Rheinmetall’s range of products and 

strengthened the group’s international 

competitiveness and systems 

capabilities. Oerlikon Contraves AG is 

an international supplier of mediumcaliber 

gun systems and of combined 

gun and guided weapon systems for 

air defense. The company is divided 

into the three business units Systems, 

Ammunition and Adats. The products 

of this Swiss company, which has its 

headquarters in Zurich, are represented 

in more than 40 countries around 

the world. 

The history of the Swiss company 

can be traced back to 1906 when 

Schweizerische Werkzeugmaschinenfabrik 

Oerlikon (SWO) was established 

to manufacture and distribute machine 

tools. In 1923, SWO was taken over 

by Magdeburger Werkzeugmaschinenfabrik 

and operated under the name of 

Werkzeugmaschinenfabrik Oerlikon 

(WO) from then on. In 1924, the company 

purchased a machine factory in 

Seebach, Switzerland, a firm which 

produced anti-aircraft and anti-tank 

weapons systems. This then constituted 

the basis for the defense technology 

sector. In 1936, WO was taken over 

fully by Dr. Emil Georg Bührle who had 

already held a majority stake in the 

company for some years. The name of 

Oerlikon was thereupon closely associated 

with a0nti-aircraft systems in 

the years that followed. 

Also in 1936, Contraves AG in Erlenbach 

was founded as a study company 

for air defense equipment of the artillery. 

This firm developed and produced 

flight tracking instruments and 

training equipment. Between 1944 

and 1946, Bührle acquired the shares 

of Contraves AG. 

Whereas the machine tool factory 

Oerlikon concentrated largely on products 

for the civil sector and on traditional 

gun systems, Contraves was 

concerned mainly with electronic fire 

control systems and guided weapons. 

Further activities of the company included 

drive systems, connection tech- 

International leader: Oerlikon Contraves AG has its core capability in the systems 

technology sector. Working in interdisciplinary project teams, specialists from 

various fields develop advanced, highly complex and powerful products. 

Systems which are used in over 40 countries. 

nologies and medical equipment. Oerlikon 

and Contraves cooperated frequently. 

In 1991, the two companies 

were merged to form Oerlikon Contraves, 

a group of companies operating 

throughout the world. Since then, business 

has concentrated primarily on 

defense and space activities. 

Besides the above-mentioned gun 

and guided weapon systems, the 

Swiss company also manufactures fire 

control systems, cannons and ammunition. 

Further business areas include 

vehicle weaponry, naval air defense, 

simulators and training systems as 

well as combat identification for the 

infantry. 

Here are some examples of the products 

of Oerlikon Contraves AG: 

Adats is the only SHORAD system in 

the world which can engage both air 

10 

★ The Skyshield 35 is the most advanced 

air defense system from this Swiss 

company. All three business units of 

Oerlikon Contraves AG (Systems, Ammunition 

and Adats) were involved in 

the development of this system which 

consists primarily of two 35 mm revolver 

guns and a fire control system 

comprising an unmanned sensor module 

for control and the command 

post accommodating the operators’ 

work places. The command post can 

be positioned up to 500 meters away 

from the sensor module. The system 

can be upgraded with one or two 

Adats launchers. Adats is a fully integrated 

SHORAD guided weapon system 

with search radar for target detection 

and passive electro-optical 

multi-sensor package. The latter consists 

of an infrared camera, TV and laser. 

The Skyshield 35 is also equipped 

with the Ahead system, likewise developed 

by the company. This 35 mm 

ammunition is designed especially to 

deal with small, extremely agile targets 

against which conventional ammunition 

is less effective. The Skyshield 

35 is a lightweight, compact system 

which is easy to transport. The 

system’s modularity assures good 

flexibility for positioning. High hit 

accuracy, short reaction times and 

high firing power are further distinguishing 

features of this system. 

and surface targets. (Continued on page 11)

Newsline 

Perfection by “dry practice”: the Adams system is an advanced driving and maneuvering simulator for the initial and further 

training of civil and military truck drivers. The system shown here – which is part of the Swiss Army training center – consists 

of five driving simulator cabins and an instructor station. 

Oerlikon Contraves AG: products in over 40 countries 

A leader in systems... 


★ The Skyguard/GDF is also an air defense 

system. The fire control unit consists 

of two 35 mm GDF-005 twin guns 

and the Skyguard fire control system 

which controls the guns. 

The fire control system includes 

radar surveillance, 

identification systems for 

target recognition and 

control consoles for the 

operating personnel. 

Ahead ammunition is also 

used for the Skyguard/GDF 

system. Developed in the 

early seventies, this Skyguard 

is the most widely used 

fire control system of Oerlikon 

Contraves AG. Over the 

years, it has been modified repeatedly 

to adapt to changing 

threat scenarios from the air. In 

its upgraded configuration, it is 

still one of the most effective fire 

control units for air defense. 

Combined with the 35 mm twin 

guns of Oerlikon Contraves AG, 

these systems are in service in 

about 25 countries. 

★ The 35 mm Millennium naval gun 

system produced in cooperation with 

Royal Ordnance (British Aerospace) 

can be used for inner layer defense on 

naval vessels. The Millennium system 

also uses Ahead ammunition. The 

35/1000 revolver cannon is enclosed 

by a dome. Millennium is distinguished 

by its low weight. It can be operated 

in combination with advanced fire 

control systems and is readily integrated 

into existing defense systems. 

★ Oerlikon Contraves AG also offers 

simulators for military and civil training 

purposes: one particularly modern 

system in this field is the Combat 

Simlas plus, a laser-based training 

and identification system for soldiers. 

It consists of a laser unit, a master box 

as the control unit which e.g. stores 

battle data, a 360° helmet sensor and 

arm sensors for every soldier. Combat 

Simlas plus can be operated in two different 

modes. When used in the training 

mode, it serves as an infantry 

combat simulator and a friend 

identification system. Shots fired 

at other soldiers are simulated 

as a coded infrared laser beam 

by the laser unit and hits 

are registered by the system. 

In combat mode, 

the Combat Simlas plus 

serves as an identification 

and night sight unit. 

In this mode, the laser 

transmits a beam capable 

of identifying soldiers 

up to six kilometers 

away on the 

basis of their sensors, 

thus warrantingunmistakable 

friend-foe 

identification. 

The system can 

also be used 

under adverse 

weather conditions. 

Targets 

can be identified or aimed at even if 

largely concealed by bushes and 

shrubbery. 

11 

Combat Simlas plus, the soldier integrated 

multifunction laser system: our 

picture shows a soldier using the system 

in simulation mode to aim and 

fire. The compact, smart laser unit CSP 

2000 on the M16 rifle, the master box as 

the control unit and the helmet and arm 

sensors are particularly noteworthy. 

★ A further product from the company 

is Adams (the Advanced Driving and 

Maneuvering Simulator). This is a training 

simulator for the initial and further 

training of civil and military truck 

drivers. The system can simulate every 

conceivable traffic situation, be it in city 

traffic, on country roads or motorways 

or at night. A multi-channel image 

generation system, noise and motion 

simulation are just some of the features 

contributing towards the extremely 

realistic presentation. The complete 

training system consists of several 

driving simulators and an instructor 

station from which the instructor 

can support and monitor the 

trainees. The simulator features an 

automatic exercise monitoring and 

evaluation function.

Newsline 

Simulation and operating systems from STN Atlas Elektronik GmbH 

Life rescue operations on land 

Bremen. Distress at sea in the German 

Bay. Shortly after midnight a private 

aircraft with ten people on board 

crashes into the North Sea to the west 

of Heligoland. The automatic distress 

transmitter is activated and – via satellite 

– the signal reaches the operational 

control center of the German Lifeboat 

Institution (DGzRS) in Bremen. 

Every minute then counts. 

A dramatic scenario, realistic but not 

real as the assumed air crash is part of 

a routine emergency exercise at the 

training center of the German Lifeboat 

Institution in Bremen. Experienced 

seafarers go through all of the processes 

of a search and rescue operation to 

make absolutely certain that they are 

well prepared for genuine distress situations. 

The crews are assisted by advanced 

simulation and operating systems 

from STN Atlas Elektronik in Bremen. 

Handed over by the former Minister 

of Transport Matthias Wismann in 

early 1996, the training system has become 

an essential element of training 

activities at the institution today. The 

system is, however, quite different 

from the “classical” simulator which 

offers a realistic reproduction of a cockpit 

or nautical bridge, including all the 

motion sequences. At a first glance, 

the Caesar (Coordinating And Educating 

Search And Rescue) 

training 

center looks 

rather like a 

language lab 

equipped with 

modern-day 

equipment – yet 

it is a lot more 

than just that. 

Captain Heiner Lübbers, 

chief instructor at the German 

Lifeboat Institution, explains 

that at the training center 

“the crews of our ships and cruisers 

and the officers manning the control 

center practice communication 

processes that are absolutely vital for 

search and rescue operations.” Always 

assuming that the crews have 

the necessary seafaring skills, training 

operations at Caesar focus largely on 

the coordination of operations. The simulator 

consists of five separate cabins, 

each equipped with telephones, 

PC and radio sets. Different crews are 

They often risk their lives to save others: the crews of the German Lifeboat Institution’s 

fleet that consists of 59 rescue units. The institution with its headquarters in 

Bremen, established in 1865, is rated as exemplary in terms of maritime rescue 

standards. The simulation and operation systems from STN Atlas Elektronik GmbH 

are an essential element of this service. 

accommodated in each of the cabins: 

e.g. the crew of a rescue cruiser, the officers 

on the bridge of a freighter involved 

in a rescue operation, the pilot 

and copilot of a SAR helicopter of the 

German Navy, and the captain of the 

ship in distress. The instructor’s station 

– representing the Maritime Rescue 

Coordination Center MRCC of the 

German Lifeboat Institution – is located 

at a separate position. The roles 

are assigned to the various participants 

and it may well be that the 

foreman (a German term for 

captains of the Lifeboat 

Institution) plays the 

part of the helicopter pilot 

or the watchkeeping 

officer on the ship that 

has come to the 

rescue. After 

all, the underlyingobjective 

is to 

“experience” 

a rescue mission 

at sea from different 

vantage points. 

Back to the initial scenario: the cabins 

are manned by two to three people. 

There are five ships near where 

the plane is thought to have crashed: 

a passenger ship, a container carrier, a 

freighter, a coastal motor vessel and 

the rescue cruiser Alfried Krupp. From 

12 

his instructor’s station, Heiner Lübbers 

loads a digital chart into the PCs 

of the “crews” and explains the initial 

situation – and then things get started. 

The foreman of the Alfried Krupp 

contacts the other vessels, and after 

consultation determines which vessel 

should start searching for survivors 

where. The search area spans four 

nautical miles around the place of the 

accident which is fairly certain since 

the distress signal automatically produced 

a precise position message. Radio 

messages are sent, sea charts on 

the PC monitor are updated and the latest 

messages are evaluated by the 

control center. 

All of this takes place in real time. 

The simulation computer developed 

by STN Atlas Elektronik allows for all 

the necessary parameters, the speed 

of the ships, winds and currents. STN 

Atlas has a wealth of experience in this 

field since its products include highly 

sophisticated shiphandling simulators 

that are used by various maritime 

institutes, e.g. in Hamburg and Rostock. 

These so-called full mission simulators 

serve to train bridge crews 

and also experienced officers. 

The tension remains in the cabins. 

The Alfried Krupp calls the container 

carrier, “Your position?” The reply is 

“54 degrees 56 minutes north, six 


Systems from STN Atlas ElektronikGmbH 

Life rescue . . . 


degrees 22 minutes east, 21 knots, 

distance 16 nautical miles”. The position 

is registered on the electronic chart 

of the Alfried Krupp and the foreman 

calculates how long it will take for the 

freighter to reach the search area. 

Every minute counts in such situations: 

even with modern rescue vests, 

the chances of survival in water are limited. 

Besides the obvious danger of 

drowning (that is reduced significantly 

by the rescue vests) there is the very 

serious risk of hypothermia which can 

start after only a few minutes at water 

temperatures below ten degrees Celsius. 

Even if rescue services get there 

fast, it may still be too late. This is why 

perfect coordination between all those 

involved in a rescue operation is essential, 

why radio messages should 

contain unmistakable instructions to 

avoid confusion and why everybody 

has to know exactly what to do. In our 

example, the exercise was finished after 

about an hour and a half – with a 

positive outcome. All who were on board 

the aircraft have been rescued 

thanks to the good coordination of the 

rescue mission. 

Heiner Lübbers of the German Lifeboat 

Institution knows that operations 

are not always this successful. Communication 

problems are often encountered 

in reality, ultimately also 

because the situation in shipping has 

changed. “Sometimes, we can count 

ourselves lucky to find a crew member 

Shipwreck – this meant certain 

death for sailors on the coast of 

the North and Baltic Seas in the 

middle of the nineteenth century. Cargo 

ships, steamers, sailing boats and barges 

which had run aground were really 

only interesting for those on shore as 

the general rule was “finders keepers” 

for any cargo washed ashore. Besides, 

cross-border cooperation was literally 

unknown in those days. The rulers of 

the duchies were only marginally interested 

in the welfare of their sailors. 

Things changed after the sailing vessel 

Alliance hit the dreaded Borkum- 

Riff off the North Sea coast and sank in 

September 1860. Not one single crew 

member survived the accident. This in- 

Newsline 

on board a freighter 

who can speak 

at least some English”. 

Ships are increasinglyoperated 

under a foreign 

flag, they are registered 

in countries 

with relatively 

slack rules regarding the training standards 

of their crews, shipping companies 

exert considerable time pressures 

on their captains – all these aspects 

have changed shipping drastically in 

the last years. Nevertheless any ship 

which is sufficiently near the location 

of an accident is obliged to come to 

the rescue. All captains stick to this 

iron rule – after all, they may face the 

same situation one day. 

Simulator training is mandatory for 

the foremen of the German Lifeboat Institution. 

Every foreman has to repeat 

such a training every other year. The 

engineers of rescue cruisers take part 

whenever possible. This is important 

because the tasks on board ship can 

change and ideally every crew member 

should be able to take over practically 

any job; it is quite conceivable 

that the foreman leaves the task of radio 

coordination to another crew 

member because he is busy maneuvering 

the ship. 

In addition to the installation of an 

advanced training center for rescue 

services, the Caesar project has also 

involved a complete renewal of the 

cident prompted the navigation teacher 

Adolph Bermpohl, the lawyer Carl 

Kuhlmay, the journalist Arwed Eminghaus 

and the senior customs inspector 

Georg Breusing to publish an appeal 

for the establishment of a maritime rescue 

organization for Germany. Associations 

for the rescue of shipwrecked 

persons were thereupon founded in 

Emden, Hamburg, Bremerhaven and 

on the East Frisian Islands; in the year 

1865 the German Lifeboat Institution 

(DGzRS) was then established in Bremen 

where the organization still has 

its headquarters today. 

Rescue stations were established 

along the coast, equipped with rowing 

boats and launching devices to 

13 

The rescue cruiser Vormann-Steffens in operation. 

maritime rescue control center in Bremen 

from where rescue services in the 

German territory of the North Sea and 

Baltic Sea are coordinated; whenever 

a distress signal is transmitted, this is 

received directly by the control center 

of the German Lifeboat Institution. 

Technical processes have changed 

considerably in recent years. Distress 

messages are rarely received by VHF 

radiotelephony nowadays; instead of 

this, international regulations demand 

that ships of a certain size should have 

modern electronic distress systems 

on board. The alarm is triggered at the 

push of a button, within a matter of seconds 

rescue services will know not 

only the name of the ship in distress 

but also the type of emergency and 

the exact position. Even if the crew 

does not have the time to send a message, 

the automatic distress buoys 

that are activated as soon as a ship 

starts to sink will do the job. It is then 

up to the officers working at the MRCC 

in Bremen to assess just how serious 

the situation is and who can assist 

best in which way – systems from STN 

Atlas help them to do this. 

shoot the rescue lines on board ships 

in distress. Whereas maritime rescue 

services were nationalized in the German 

Democratic Republic after World 

War II, the principle of voluntary service 

introduced by the founding mem- 

DGzRS: A team 

driven by idealism 

bers of the German Lifeboat Institution 

was upheld in the Federal Republic 

of Germany. The institution still 

depends exclusively on donations – 

and by tradition, the German president 

has always been the patron of 

the Lifeboat Institution.

Newsline 

14 

DEFENCE TECHNOLOGY AND AESTHETICS – the images presented on these 

two pages of our Newsline magazine demonstrate that this combination is certainly not 

self-contradictory: sophisticated technical products interpreted by photographers on behalf 

of the Rheinmetall group. Conceived and created by a renowned German team of 

photographers, these motifs will be used by the Rheinmetall DeTec AG group and its subsidiaries 

for purposes of public relations and marketing, e.g. in the calender for the year 

2000, in product and image brochures, in annual reports and at international exhibitions. 

Newsline 

15

Newsline 

The M/S Nordnorge built in 1997 is the youngest of all “Hurtigruten” ships. The Nacos 45 navigation system from STN Atlas 

Marine Electronics GmbH on the Nordnorge contributes significantly towards greater maritime safety. 

STN Atlas Marine Electronics on the “Hurtigruten” line for over 40 years 

Safely through fjords with Nacos 45 

Tromsø. “The world’s most beautiful 

sea journey” – although this may sound 

exaggerated, anyone who has traveled 

along the Norwegian coast from 

Bergen to Kirkenes with the famous 

“Hurtigruten” line will confirm that the 

experience is unforgettable. 

For over a century, the “Hurtigruten” 

has served as the most reliable and 

economical link between the Port of 

Bergen in South Norway and the rugged 

north of the country. In the dark, snowcovered 

winter months it is often the 

only link between the north and south. 

When the sun disappears for weeks on 

end and heavy snowfall blocks the roads 

to the north of the Arctic Circle, the 

people of Hammerfest, Hønnigsvåg, 

Vardø and Kirkenes rely entirely on this 

route for their supplies and as the sole 

means of transport from the north. Although 

even further north than Alaska 

and North Canada, the northern region 

of Norway has one decisive geographic 

advantage: the Gulf Stream flows along 

the coastline, transporting warm water 

across the Atlantic between the Straits 

of Florida and New Foundland and thus 

preventing the waterways and ports 

from freezing. 

Today, eleven ships supply the towns 

and villages along the coast every day – 

and some have systems from STN Atlas 

Marine Electronics GmbH in Bremen on 

Safe operation through skerries, sounds and fjords – with Nacos navigation system. 

16 

board. One of these is the M/S Nordnorge, 

one of the latest generation of 

the “Hurtigruten” fleet, taken into service 

by Ofotens og Vesterallens Dampskipsselskap 

ASA in Narvik in 1997. The 

Nordnorge and its ten sister ships leave 

the Port of Bergen punctually at 22.30 

every evening in order to call at 64 ports 

at day and night during their eleven-day 

journey. The Nacos 45-2 navigation system 

from STN Atlas Marine Electronics 

helps the M/S Nordnorge to navigate 

through the numerous skerries and to 

travel through the narrow Raftsund and 

even the Trollfjord, much to the delight 

of the up to 691 passengers. 

The Nacos navigation system 

which was first installed on a ship in 

1985 and which is now in its third 

generation has brought essential 

improvements to ships traveling 

along the “Hurtigruten”. Only a hundred 

years ago, it would have been 

quite inconceivable to steer a ship 

into the land of darkness in the winter 

months. The shallows, rugged coastline, 

skerries, sounds and fjords 

were dangerous enough in daylight. 

And for many, many years, sailors 

depended entirely on their own 

skills and experience to survive the 

journey unscathed. 



Nacos has made their job a lot easier. 

The combined radar and autopilot system 

from STN Atlas reliably shows the 

way along the coast, thus eliminating 

the danger of collisions with the rock 

which presents a metal globe to indicate 

that the Arctic Circle has been passed. 

Yet even today captains sailing 

along this beautiful route still have to 

use all their skills since varying weather 

conditions and encounters in the sounds 

always have to be expected. 

Not only modern ships are fitted with 

marine electronic equipment from STN 

Atlas. The so-called traditional vessels 

had and still have systems from the 

company on board. For example the 

M/S Harald Jarl – this vessel is totally 

different from the huge hotel ships like 

the M/S Nordnorge or the most recent 

of the eleven ships, the M/S Nordkapp. 

Life on board the small Harald Jarl is 

much more leisurely, especially in offpeak 

periods when there are only a few 

passengers on board. 

Given the chance to visit the bridge 

and ask the captain, one will learn that 

the M/S Harald Jarl that was taken into 

service by TFDS in Tromsø in 1960 was 

even then equipped with an important 

Newsline 

STN Atlas Marine Electronics on “Hurtigruten” line 

Nacos 45 guides ships 

safely through fjords 

bridge function by Atlas Werke AG, a 

predecessor of the present-day company 

STN Atlas Elektronik GmbH. Amongst 

other things, Atlas (with MaK Maschinenbau 

Kiel GmbH belonging to Hugo 

Stinnes Industrie und Handel GmbH 

at that time) delivered the control system 

for the foghorn. According to maritime 

regulations, a foghorn has to be 

able to produce three different signals. 

The Atlas system produces the correct 

signal automatically, simply at the push 

of a button. The Harald Jarl is also equipped 

with an Atlas system for shutting 

the bulkheads hydraulically. Fourteen 

different sections of the ship can be sealed 

water-tight either individually or together 

with this system. A display panel 

allows the crew to check which 

bulkheads are closed at any time. 

Anyone wanting to make the journey 

on one of the two traditional ships – the 

M/S Harald Jarl and the M/S Lofoten 

which is nearly the same age – should 

do so quickly. The Norwegian government 

intends to take these two ships 

out of service in the year 2001 at the 

latest. After that, the old systems from 

Atlas can probably only be admired as 

exhibits – in the “Hurtigruten” Museum 

in Stokmarknes. 

On their eventful, eleven-day journey along the Norwegian coast, the ships of the 

“Hurtigruten” also pass through the famous Raftsund. Thanks to the Nacos 45 

navigation system, this narrow seaway is no more difficult to navigate than the 

Trollfjord – and certainly an unforgettable experience for passengers. 

17 

Verzuolo/Neuss. Neuss-based Jagenberg 

Papiertechnik GmbH, a 

member of the Jagenberg group, has 

succeeded in booking its first orders 

for the newly launched Vari-Top II winder. 

The Lang-Papier group, a member 

of Finland’s Myllykoski group, is 

the world’s first papermaker to use 

Jagenberg’s newly developed winder 

technology in its production. Two 

such machines with working widths 

of 8,300 mm recently came on stream 

without a hitch at the Ettringen 

mill in Germany of Papierfabrik Gebr. 

Lang GmbH. 

Additionally and against tough 

competition Jagenberg was awarded 

a further order from the Italian papermaker 

Cartiere Burgo for likewise two 

of the new winders, with widths of 

9,800 mm. Destined for the Burgo 

mill at Verzuolo, Italy, these are the 

widest ever built by Jagenberg. Both 

orders are worth around DM 40 million. 

The Cartiere Burgo order is accompanied 

by an option for an additional 

Vari-Flex winder and several 

conversions worth around DM 10 million. 

Megaorders for 

the new winder 

In the development of the new generation 

of winders, special emphasis 

was placed on ergonomic and 

functional aspects as well as service 

and maintenance ease. Cost-efficiency 

considerations also played a role 

since the winders are designed for 

one-man operation. 

Vari-Top II is all-encapsulated for 

even lower running noise compared 

with its predecessor. The maximum 

operating speed is 2,800 m/min (almost 

170 km/h), the design speed as 

high as 3,200 m/min. During the very 

first days the Ettringen machine was 

already producing impeccable winding 

results at rates of 2,400 m/min. 

“The new Vari-Top II at Ettringen,” 

says Willy Heymanns, who as project 

manager handled the installation of 

the machine at Ettringen, “has meantime 

also converted paper from other 

production lines at Lang-Papier, with 

no problems with any of the grades.” 

Vari-Top II specs: Maximum paper roll 

weight is 10 t per winding station. The 

winder has fully automatic web threading 

with integrated winding start. At 

the unwinding end, a fully automatic 

tambour-butt unit produces readyfor-sale 

splices.

Newsline 

Series launch at KS Pistões Ltda. in Brazil 

Marketing success for 

an innovative module 

Nova Odessa/Porto Alegre. A good 

success for KS Pistões Ltda. in Nova 

Odessa, a member of the Kolbenschmidt 

Pierburg group: as the first 

company belonging to Rheinmetall’s 

Automotive sector, Kolbenschmidt’s 

Brazilian subsidiary has won an order 

for an innovative module system. A 

major order covering a four year period 

was recently agreed with Maxion International 

(a joint venture with Navistar), 

a renowned diesel engine manufacturer 

with its headquarters in Porto 

Alegre situated in the south of Brazil. 

The module system which went into 

series production in early December 

1999 consists of pistons, bolts, retaining 

ring, ring assembly and – as a novelty 

– connecting rod. 

Americo Rajczy, commercial director 

of KS Pistões Ltda. since October 1997, 

rates this order as a further example of 

the increasing globalization of business: 

“The order was won through the 

cooperation with Zoellner and the Kolbenschmidt 

parent company in Neckarsulm. 

The blank for the connecting 

rod is procured from Japan while the 

other detail parts come from the United 

States. The connecting rod is processed 

in Germany and at KS Pistões 

is then finally assembled to the module 

together with the pistons produced 

here and the other components.” The 

complete system is part of the 7.3 l V8 

Smart: the world’s 

smallest piston 

Neckarsulm. Above all, the Smart reflects 

the spirit of a new generation. 

And this has been done with a clever 

slogan: small to the maximum. The 

new pistons of the small turbo engines 

with their high power densities – 

both in spark ignition and in diesel 

engines – come from Kolbenschmidt 

and give the avant-gardist “city sprinter” 

the necessary power. In securing 

this series-production order and as 

the first and also the only developer of 

these pistons, KS Kolbenschmidt 

GmbH has once again demonstrated 

engines built by Maxion-Navistar 

which are used for the famous Ford 

trucks in the USA. 

As to the Ford Motor Company: this 

car maker from Detroit is also one of 

KS Pistões’ customers for another project. 

Working in close cooperation 

with the Ford customer team in Neckarsulm, 

KS Pistões recently won the 

order as the exclusive supplier of pistons 

to Ford-Brazil for the 1.0 l and 

1.6 l HCS/SOHC engines developed by 

Ford, Cologne, specifically for the Brazilian 

market. This order was won 

against strong competition. Rajczy remarks 

that with this order “a technology 

developed especially by Kolbenschmidt 

will now be implemented in 

production for the first time in Brazil. 

We will be delivering the pistons with 

a hard anodic coating of the ring groove. 

The end product will be installed 

in Ford’s Ka, Fiesta and Escort models. 

Over and beyond traditional business 

areas, experts from KS Pistões Ltda. 

have repeatedly demonstrated 

that know-how, good ideas and flexibility 

are excellent business attributes 

both inside and outside the company. 

The most recent example is a special 

measurement system originally developed 

for commercial reasons – for 

which the French sister company Société 

Mosellane de Méchanique S.A. 

its capabilities as a supplier also for 

small diesel engines. Incidentally, the 

system used in the Smart is the smallest 

diesel piston in the world. 

The diesel piston for the Smart is 

manufactured at Metal Usti in the 

Czech Republic. Kolbenschmidt delivers 

the pistons as the system supplier 

with piston rings and bolts. In 

the words of Emmerich Ottliczky, diesel 

piston design manager for the car 

sector: “This re-entry into the diesel 

engine sector of DaimlerChrysler has 

given us very promising prospects for 

the future. Based on the planned follow-on 

order, DaimlerChrysler has 

confirmed our competence in the 

field of diesel engines. Only recently 

18 

KS Pistões Ltda. (Nova Odessa) recently 

started delivering this innovative 

module system to the diesel engine 

manufacturer Maxion International in 

Porto Alegre. 

(SMP) in Thionville has expressed a 

strong interest. Americo Rajczy reports 

that the first of two automatic 

control cells developed by the company 

was delivered to SMP in France 

in the summer of 1999. These systems 

are used in an integrated control/assembly 

unit for diesel pistons 

with robotic control. 

The first of these automatic control 

cells was taken into operation at KS Pistões 

three years ago and has been 

the subject of ongoing development 

since then. Particular importance has 

been attached to using standard parts 

(e.g. components, sensors). Up to 24 

important technical characteristics of 

a piston can be checked with the control 

cells. All measurement data are 

stored and evaluated statistically. 

Quality manager Günther Salaar emphasizes 

that these measurement 

cells have contributed significantly towards 

productivity improvements relating 

to the quality control of pistons 

and have therefore also improved 

quality assurance as a whole. 

Delighted about the success of the 

world’s smallest diesel piston used in the 

Smart: design engineer Karl Dieffenbach 

(l) and Emmerich Ottliczky, diesel piston 

design manager for the car sector. 

we passed the development and process 

audit with excellent marks. This 

result speaks for itself.”

Rebuilds to include 

paper machines 

Enfield. Alongside the Jagenberg 

Papiertechnik product range, the 

range of systems of the other Jagenberg 

subsidiaries is also marketed 

from the Enfield location for the 

North American market. This applies 

equally to Jagenberg Diana GmbH 

and WPM Woschnik + Partner Maschinenbau 

GmbH, which service 

North America with a 15-strong team. 

The Jagenberg foil and film division 

includes the product groups of 

Kampf, Lemo and Bachofen + Meier 

AG (BMB) and is represented by the 

Kampf Machinery Division (headed 

by Peter Hoelzel), the Lemo Machinery 

Division (since 1 October 1999 – 

Newsline 

Reorientation of Jagenberg Inc.: focus on the converting segment 

More muscle for the US market 

Enfield/Neuss. Market focus on both 

traditional and new terrain: Jagenberg 

Inc., the US subsidiary of Jagenberg AG 

founded in March 1979 and based in 

Enfield, Connecticut, is restructuring 

and strengthening its presence and activities 

in the North American paper and 

board industry. This reorientation of the 

company, which currently employs 

some 170 people, involves a much 

greater focus on the converting market, 

intensification of activities in the rebuild 

sector – which got under way 

some time ago – and a fundamental 

reorientation of sales, which in future 

will nurture contacts with North American 

customers in the form of a complete 

service “from a single source”. 

With a reputation built up over decades 

in the paper finishing and converting 

sector – evidence of which can 

be seen in well over 3000 winders sold 

around the world – Jagenberg Inc. will in 

future focus very specifically on the 

North American converting market. This 

sector – as in other regions of the global 

market – is made up of predominantly 

small and medium-sized firms, which 

convert rolls of paper or board bought in 

from the (large) paper mills by coating, 

slitting to diameter or width, or sheeting. 

Volker Rose, since the beginning of 

this year Chief Executive Officer and President 

of Jagenberg Inc.: “To this branch 

of industry, which is renowned for its 

great flexibility, for example because it 

also produces smaller batch sizes, we 

are now offering in the form of modifications 

of the proven Vari-Flex S winder 

and Star and Sprint sheeters, products 

that are tailored to its own specific 

needs.” 

While these tailormade products 

meet the special demands of the converter 

by offering, for example, an optimal 

price-performance ratio and comparatively 

simple operation and handling, 

they also satisfy every requirement 

for sophisticated Jagenberg technology. 

Rose: “This aspect incidentally gives us 

major competitive edge: we have transferred 

the experience and technical expertise 

gained over many decades – for 

example in the winding technology sector 

– to smaller machines. And it is from 

this that the customers in the converting 

market can profit directly.” This US 

market segment will be serviced by 

sales manager Erin Ernie and her colleague 

Werner Reitter; both will also be responsible 

in future for the sale of smaller 

winders and sheeters (with a working 

width of up to three metres) in North 

America. 

The US subsidiary of the Neuss-based 

machine builder will also significantly 

step up its activities in the rebuild sector. 

Here, the highly motivated and 

competent team of the newly established 

Rebuild Division headed by Bob 

Mosebach is now on hand with suitable 

Frank Balsensiefer) 

and BMB 

sales manager 

David Netz. 

As for Basagoitia 

S.A. (Tolosa), 

which became 

part of the 

Jagenberg group 

at the beginning 

of this year, En- Volker Rose 

field boss Volker Rose reports that 

the Spanish company will be incorporated 

fully in US sales activities in 

future: “This will also put us in a position 

in the future to offer rebuilds for 

paper machines with smaller working 

widths.” A strategic step into a 

new market segment with the promise 

of additional business for Jagenberg 

Inc. 

19 

Currently preparing for their new task 

as sales managers with Jagenberg Inc. 

at the Neuss-based machine builder’s 

headquarters are Chris Himmelsbach 

(2nd from right), Max Golter (right), Fabian 

Pesenti (2nd from left) and Jeff 

Brown (centre), pictured here with 

Michael Balzer, responsible in future 

for sales coordination at Jagenberg Inc. 

in Enfield. The five were photographed 

on a Synchro sheeter. 

system components and a wealth of 

process expertise to assist US customers 

improve the productivity of (older) 

machines or enhance the quality of 

their end products. Rose: “With the 

right rebuild measures, which we are offering 

both for Jagenberg and other 

makes of machine, customers can, for 

example, increase the operating speed 

of their winder, reduce slitter or roll 

change times, or wind larger rolls without 

a flaw.” 

The 48-year-old President of Jagenberg 

Inc. also expects additional 

strength to be gained from the restructuring 

of sales for the “traditional” 

customers. In future, the North American 

paper industry will be divided into 

six – as opposed to the previous four – 

areas, each of which will be serviced by 

a separate sales manager. Rose: “Each 

of the six sales specialists is responsible 

for an average of 80 to 90 paper 

mills. He is the first contact person for 

his region and responsible for all aspects 

of business: alongside the actual products 

– winders, coaters and sheeters – 

he will also play an active role in rebuild 

projects, service and spares business.” 

In other words, the full customer service 

truly “from a single source”.

Distinguished with the Good Design 

Award of the renowned Chicago Athenaeum: 

the “modul 5000”. 

Good Design Award 

for “modul 5000” 

Chicago/Waldeck. Mauser Office 

GmbH in Waldeck is justifiably delighted: 

the office furniture maker has received 

another very special distinction for 

its design. After all, the company has 

won the Good Design Award of the Chicago 

Athenaeum, Museum of Architecture 

and Design. The institution which is 

one of the oldest and most highly acknowledged 

organs in the history of modern 

product design first presented the 

coveted Good Design Award back in 

1950. The initiator at that time was Edgar 

J. Kaufmann in cooperation with further 

famous pioneers of American product 

design like Eero Saarinen, Charles and 

Ray Earnes, Alexander Girard, George 

Nelson, Florence Knoll, Harry Bretola, 

Finn Juhl and Russel Wright. 

Over two thousand products from 48 

different countries – ranging from an 

aircraft to a paper clip – took part in the 

competition. Only the very best in the 

world made the top hundred, one of 

these being the “modul 5000”, the 

most recent desk system design from 

Mauser Office. This is hardly surprising 

since this latest success story is the result 

of the proven cooperation with the 

renowned designer Peter Maly. The 

good feeling for new trends in the office 

sector reflected by the design and also 

the material and ergonomics of the 

“modul 5000” were just right and therefore 

also convinced the jury in Chicago. 

The “modul 5000” desk system 

follows a tradition of numerous other 

design awards recently won by Mauser 

Office – including the so-called Red 

Point prize of the Design Center of North 

Rhine-Westphalia (1997) and the IF 

Design Award of the Industrial Forum 

Hanover at the CeBit exhibition (1998) 

for the cupboard and wall system “sistemare” 

created by the designer Michele 

de Lucchi from Milan. 

Newsline 

Test systems also used for civil applications 

When vandalism is 

the object of testing 

Unterlüß. The environmental test 

systems of Rheinmetall W & M GmbH 

that were primarily used for military 

projects in the past are increasingly 

being used for civil products, especially 

those coming from the automotive 

supplier industry. One such company 

is Continental AG, the well-known 

manufacturer of tires, which has 

tested its shock absorber assemblies 

at different temperatures. The companies 

Johnson Controls Inc. (Burscheid) 

and Becker Group Europe 

(Grefrath) have performed long-term 

temperature tests on instrument holders 

and electronic components. 

Preh-Werke of the Rheinmetall group 

examined the effects of dew on electronic 

assemblies for BMW. Volkswagen 

AG has likewise used the facilities 

at Unterlüß to test the de-icing 

and heating of windscreens for its 

Sharan and Caravelle vehicles. 

Yet the test facilities are also of interest 

to a far wider group of customers. 

The company IMPAC (Hamburg) has 

had its flexible tube systems for oil 

drilling rigs tested. Environmental experts 

from Unterlüß have tested telephone 

components for Elmeg GmbH 

& Co. KG from Lehrte. The suitability of 

electronic assemblies from Baker 

Hughes (Celle) for mining applications 

has been tested 

and steel cables 

as well as cable 

loops from Spanset 

GmbH & Co. 

KG (Übach-Palenberg) 

have also 

been examined. 

The test series 

conducted by 

Höft & Wessel 

from Hanover for 

Deutsche Bahn 

AG was also very 

interesting: here, 

the tests concerned 

the new 

ticket vending 

machines which 

are now located 

at practically every 

railway station. 

20 

Wolfgang Höfer who is responsible 

for planning and coordinating test facilities 

at Rheinmetall W & M GmbH 

commented on the test results: “Under 

high humidity and temperature 

conditions, the ink tended to smear 

on the tickets. The tickets even stuck 

together. The PC integrated in the 

ticket machines did not withstand 

the shock test serving to simulate 

vandalism at railway stations.” The 

tests helped to reveal inherent deficiencies 

which were then remedied. 

Further clients who have benefited 

from the environmental testing facilities 

at Unterlüß are the Rheinmetall 

companies Nico Pyrotechnik, Silberhütte 

and STN Atlas Elektronik. Even 

customers from Great Britain have 

used the test systems: the Salisburybased 

company Dera and Primetake 

from Fiscaton have had special products 

tested. 

It goes without saying that early 

tests on prototypes in the test systems 

offer distinct advantages for 

manufacturers. Defects which would 

have serious repercussions in seriesproduction 

are detected at an early 

stage. This saves money and reduces 

the development risk. In addition, 

the test conditions can be reproduced 

at any time. 

A lot depends on their judgement: Frank Ullrich (r), a former 

world champion and the present coach of the German 

men’s biathlon team, Marian Riedel (l) as well as Sandro 

Brislinger (marksmanship) evaluate the hit accuracy of rifles 

fired under extremely cold conditions. These three biathlon 

experts are members of the sports promotion 

group of the German Army in Oberhof (Thuringia).

Newsline 

German biathlon team tests sports rifles in Unterlüß 

Sporting order for 

environmental experts 

Oberhof/Unterlüß. It is minus 22 degrees 

Celsius and late September 

1999 in Unterlüß. A shot is heard. The 

bullet goes straight through the paper 

disk, leaving a visible hole. This process 

is repeated five times. Having 

checked the results, Frank Ullrich, the 

coach of the German 

men’s biathlon 

team is satisfied 

since all five 

shots hit the same 

hole. 

September and 

freezing temperatures? 

Paper disks 

and biathlon? How 

does this add up? 

We are at the tem- 

Wolfgang Höfer 

perature test facility (TVA) of Rheinmetall 

W & M GmbH. The TVA is used to 

test products in two test chambers at 

temperatures between minus 46 degrees 

Celsius and plus 85 degrees Celsius 

at a humidity of between 10 and 

95 percent. The team headed by TVA 

manager Gerhard 

Klocke, his deputy 

Adrian Müller and 

switching controller 

Harald 

Lembrecht has been 

given a sporting 

order on a cold winters 

day. The coach 

of the German biathletesistesting 

rifles to be used in 

competitions. 

Frank Ullrich, the 

German men’s 

coach and Gerhard 

Müssiggang, the 

coach of the women’s 

team, have 

brought some 

twenty different rifles 

with them. With 

Stephan Hoss and 

Sandro Brisling, responsible for skiing 

and marksmanship, they are testing 

their sports rifles at temperatures between 

minus 22 and 20 degrees Celsius 

before the winter sports season 

starts. Each rifle fires five shots at the 

target from a distance of 50 meters. 

The results are registered and recorded 

on video. Wolfgang Höfer, team 

leader and responsible for planning 

and coordination of the environmental 

testing facilities at W & M explains the 

background: “The biathletes carried 

out these tests to find the best possible 

rifle in combination with the most 

suitable ammunition at extremely cold 

temperatures”: 

Low temperatures change the properties 

of a rifle. Loads occurring in the 

rifle can deform the barrel of the weapon. 

In addition, sub-zero temperatures 

can have an effect on the ammunition 

and on the way in which this is loaded 

into the barrel. Ullrich explains: 

“To achieve ideal results in a competition, 

the rifles must be tailored to low 

temperatures. And then there are different 

types of ammunition, each of 

which has different properties affecting 

the accuracy of firing. The best 

possible result is obtained if five shots 

in succession hit the same hole. 

Sandro Brislinger (l), expert marksman, and Marian Riedel, skiing specialist, testing the 

rifles of the German men’s biathlon team at minus 22 degrees Celsius in a climatic test 

chamber at Unterlüß. The ammunition is also tested under these sub-zero conditions. 

The road towards success has not 

been easy. Before the coaches started 

testing their rifles at Rheinmetall W & 

M in Unterlüß, the weapons were tested 

in refrigeration chambers in Suhl. 

When this system was closed down, 

21 

Temperature check: Adrian Müller (l), 

deputy manager of the temperature test 

system, and switching controller Harald 

Lembrecht at the electronic control system 

for the two climatic test chambers. 

they had to find an alternative quickly 

as the world championship was not far 

away. Ullrich who works with the 

sports team of the German Army in 

Oberhof heard of Rheinmetall’s temperature 

testing facility. “We were incredibly 

lucky to have been given this 

opportunity since these low-temperature 

tests are extremely important to 

us. Besides, we were relieved that the 

experts in Unterlüß were willing to 

help us so quickly.” 

The team found ideal rooms and test 

conditions in Unterlüß. The sportsmen 

paid three two-day visits to the Rheinmetall 

site in Lower Saxony during the 

last three months 

to conduct a series 

of tests. Ullrich notes 

that “these 

tests were very useful 

and helped to 

improve the hit accuracyconsiderably. 

During the last 

biathlon world 

championship held 

in Kontiolathi (Finland) 

in 1998, Frank 

Luck won a gold 

medal for the sprint 

and Ricco Groß was 

equally successful. 

The low-temperature 

tests conducted 

at the TVA contributed 

towards this 

success.” 

Looking ahead, 

Ullrich points out that the next world 

championship in Oslo will take place 

in February 2000. Who knows, 

perhaps the low-temperature tests 

performed in Unterlüß will tip the scales 

in favor of the biathletes.

Pierburg AG, a member of the 

Kolbenschmidt Pierburg group, 

has been producing intake manifolds 

since the early nineties. With 

its innovative and advanced technical 

products, the Neuss-based automotive 

supplier has joined the ranks 

of the world’s most renowned suppliers. 

This is also underlined by some 

two dozen projects performed 

with car makers operating throughout 

the world. 

Here are some details on the technologies 

involved: the torque yield 

and performance of an engine also 

depend on the design of the intake 

manifold. Engines with short intake 

manifolds and large cross-sections 

only produce maximum power at 

high speeds. Long intake manifolds 

are, however, most efficient at low 

speed ranges. The particular advan- 

Newsline 

Magnesium intake manifold for Audi’s flagship 

Concepts as formula for success 

Neuss. “The intake manifold is the 

connection between the throttle body 

and cylinder. The throttle body opens 

at the engine as soon as the accelerator 

is stepped on. Air enters and then 

reaches the cylinder via the intake 

manifold. The greater the pressure on 

the accelerator, the greater the supply 

of air to the cylinder so that the car 

gains speed.” This is the somewhat 

brief but very apt description of the 

function of one of the company’s most 

important products – the intake manifold 

– by Karl Schmidt, manager of the 

air supply systems development department 

at Pierburg AG in Neuss. 

The success story of this young product 

– for which preparatory work started 

only ten years ago – is extensive. To 

give just some highlights: series production 

of the first aluminum variable 

intake manifold for the V6 engine of 

the Audi 100 was launched in 1991. This 

series was extremely beneficial as it allowed 

Pierburg’s specialists to gain experience 

in areas such as the production 

sector, which would then secure 

the future of the company in the longterm. 

Pierburg presented its first variable 

intake manifold made from magnesium 

in 1995; this went into series-production 

only one year later. More than 

twenty different intake manifold systems 

have been developed for com- 

A successful team presents its work (from l to r): project manager Hans-Jürgen Ritter, 

department head Hans-Ulrich Kühnel, design engineer Uwe Kontschack and 

production engineer/prototyping manager Lars Baumeister with the die-cast magnesium 

variable intake manifold with three-length design for the Audi V8 engine. 

panies like VW, Audi, Opel and 

DaimlerChrysler since production of 

the intake manifold first got under way. 

Pierburg recently won Audi’s quality 

prize for a magnesium die-cast variable 

intake manifold with three-length 

design. This is integrated in the V8 engine 

used in Audi A6 and Audi A8 cars. 

The die-casting process allows extremely 

thin wall thicknesses of only 1.5 

tage of variable intake manifolds is 

that switching elements make it possible 

to switch over automatically 

between short and long manifold 

lengths, depending on the speed 

and load range. The torque behavior 

can therefore be influenced. At lower 

A supplier known 

worldwide 

speeds, a very high torque exists and 

a good performance is also achieved 

at high speeds. Compared to twolength 

designs, the three-length variant 

offers a greater speed range with 

optimum torque behavior. Intake 

manifolds with infinitely variable intake 

channel lengths will be the 

trend for the future. 

22 

mm for the V8 intake manifold so that, 

in conjunction with the magnesium 

used, the intake manifold weighs a 

mere 7.12 kg. Aluminum intake manifolds 

can be twice as heavy. Karl 

Schmidt explains that “magnesium is 

an extremely light metal weighing only 

1.8 kg per liter. By contrast, aluminum 

still weighs 2.7 kg.” 

The three-length design of the intake 

manifold for the Audi V8 engine is an 

absolute novelty. Lars Baumeister, 

production engineer and prototyping 

manager as well as support engineer 

for assembly and metering systems, 

was involved in the development of 

the production concept for the intake 

manifold. He highlights the advantages 

of the new intake manifold for Audi: 

“The three-length design reaches a 

high torque at low speeds. This reduces 

fuel consumption even further. In 

addition, pollutant emission values 

are cut back.” 

Another important reason for winning 

the Audi quality prize – besides 

the excellent technology of the intake 

manifold – was the very short period 

needed to develop the product. The 

concept definition was made in January 

1997 and series production already 

got started in mid 1998. This was 

a development period of only one and 


Newsline 

Elegant: the Audi A8, equipped with a magnesium variable intake manifold from 

Pierburg, is the largest limousine produced by the car maker from Neckarsulm. 

Magnesium intake manifold for Audi’s flagship 

Concepts as formula ... 


a half years. Normally such a process 

takes at least a year longer. This success 

was also helped 

by the very 

positive cooperation 

between development 

experts at 

Neuss and productionspecialists 

from the Nettetal 

plant. 

Karl Schmidt had 

an excellent team 

athisdisposalin 

Karl Schmidt 

Neuss, with Hans-Ulrich Kühnel as the 

manager of the intake manifold department, 

Hans-Jürgen Ritter, project 

manager for the intake manifold of the 

V8 engine, the design engineer Uwe 

Kontschack and Manfred Steiner who 

carried out engine tests and performance 

measurements at Pierburg’s 

engine test department. 

This team was 

backed by qualified 

productionspecialists 

from Nettetal:production 

foreman 

Hans- 

Gerd Delißen 

who had acted 

as prototyping manager 

during the development phase of 

the Audi intake manifold (and has now 

retired), Lars Baumeister and Robert 

Freudenberg in Nettetal responsible 

for quality assurance in production 

complemented the team. Special emphasis 

was laid on a strategy of simultaneous 

engineering, with the design 

office, tool manufacture by the company 

Schaufler and own production 

activities in Nettetal taking place practically 

simultaneously. For instance, 

the production department often gave 

the intake manifold department in 

Neuss recommendations on specific 

production aspects to make certain 

that the product could actually be produced 

economically at a later stage. 

Development and production of the 

Audi intake manifold benefited significantly 

from experience gained in earlier 

projects. In the words of Baumeister: 

“Pierburg is currently the systems leader 

in the field of magnesium intake 

manifolds. We have managed to produce 

an intake manifold of high density 

while keeping the wall thickness small. 

It is unlikely that any of our competitors 

will be able to achieve this since 

they lack the production 

experience 

with magnesium.” 

Nearly 

20,000 V8 

intake manifolds 

have 

been delivered 

to date. 

Audi certainly appears to 

be more than satisfied with 

the quality of Pierburg’s products 

since the successor of the V8 intake 

manifold, the Audi-S intake manifold, is 

already being manufactured. 

23 

ATAG investment 

Basis for 

growth 

Neckarsulm. KS Aluminium-Technologie 

AG (ATAG) has taken another important 

step towards becoming one of 

the world’s most advanced aluminum 

foundries. The topping-out ceremony 

for the new foundry building was celebrated 

in one of the production halls 

on 22 November 1999. Persons attending 

this ceremony included Volker 

Blust, the mayor of Neckarsulm, Jochen 

Hahn and Dr. Peter Neu, both 

members of the executive board of KS 

Aluminium-Technologie AG and Georg 

Liebler, member of the executive board 

of Kolbenschmidt Pierburg AG. 

The company has spent approx. 100 

million German marks on this project, 

this being the biggest investment ever 

made by KS Aluminium-Technologie AG. 

The expansion of production capacities 

will create about 150 new jobs at ATAG 

which currently has 610 employees. 

Planning activities for the new lowpressure 

foundry with adjacent processing 

building got under way in January 

1998. Expansion of the production 

area then commenced in December 

1998. Old buildings were torn 

down and replaced by new, light halls. 

Construction work should be completed 

by March 2000. 

A building area of some 9,000 square 

meters will be available for the new, 

advanced smelting plant as well as the 

low-pressure foundry with up to 18 casting 

cells. Engine blocks for BMW, VW 

and Porsche will largely be produced 

in the modern, two-storey halls. 

With its new low-pressure foundry, KS 

Aluminium-Technologie AG has once 

again set new standards for business in 

the region – a fact which was emphasized 

by the mayor of Neckarsulm, Volker 

Blust (front l) during the topping-out 

ceremony on 22 November 1999.

Newsline 

ETC-I series successfully launched in Berlin 

Flexibility is trumps 

with new generation 

Berlin. Successful launch of ETC-I series 

production: manufacture of the innovative 

electronic throttle control ETC 

(drive-by-wire) recently got under way 

at the Berlin plant of the Kolbenschmidt 

Pierburg group. Production 

work is being carried out for three orders 

from internationally renowned 

carmakers and automotive suppliers. 

All in all, some 15 million German 

marks have so far been invested in the 

plant for this trend-setting project involving 

advanced production technologies. 

ETC-I systems which will be a 

significant source of turnover for Pierburg’s 

Berlin plant in the coming years 

are used in conjunction with air supply 

systems and help to reduce fuel consumption 

and pollutant emission values 

very substantially. 

The commencement of series production 

of the ETC-I drive-by-wire system incorporating 

electro-motive control over 

the entire adjustment range has been 

accompanied by the successful introduction 

of a new generation of motorized 

throttle bodies on the market. 

These systems will 

constitute essential 

elements of the 

business activities 

of the Kolbenschmidt 

Pierburg 

group in this product 

segment in 

the years to come. 

Here are some 

details on the system 

technology: 

the throttle is no 

longer controlled 

by a (conventional) 

control cable 

but solely by electromotive 

power. The respective position 

of the throttle is regulated electronically 

via the motor control unit; a 

sensor at the accelerator picks up the 

selected power and transmits this to 

the control unit (so-called drive-by-wire). 

This then determines the optimum 

angle of the throttle over the entire adjustment 

range – from idle to full power. 

The innovative ETC-I system therefore 

combines all the possibilities of 

influencing air mass flow in one component, 

thereby assuring lower fuel 

consumption and pollutant emission 

levels. In addition, the ETC-I allows certain 

comfort (e.g. speed control) and 

safety functions (e.g. anti-slip control) 

when required. 

The launch of this new system is an 

important move into the future for Pierburg’s 

Berlin plant with 750 employees 

and an operational performance of 

about 156 million marks in 1998. 

Michael Klose – plant manager since 

November last year – rates this new 

product group as an important basis 

for business success in the future: 

“Quantities will rise distinctly above 

one million units already next year. As 

things stand, ETC-I systems will be the 

most important product group at the site 

in the next years.” An outlook with a 

sound background: besides the series 

orders already secured from General 

Motors, Delphi and Siemens which are 

now in production, further companies 

have already placed firm orders and/or 

shown a strong interest in the products. 

ETC-I project manager Dipl.-Ing. Reinhard Mende (l) and 

plant manager Michael Klose with the new electronic driveby-wire 

system recently launched at Pierburg’s Berlin plant. 

In line with the innovative character 

of the new product, production facilities 

and systems used to manufacture 

the new drive-by-wire system are likewise 

up to the very latest state-of-theart. 

So far, the company has invested 

approximately 15 million marks into 

this project which will naturally also 

help to secure the site in the long 

term. Klose points out that “amongst 

other things, a new production con- 

24 

Marko Bleinagel with the most recent 

series-product from Pierburg’s Berlin 

plant: the electronic drive-by-wire system. 

The 26 year-old who has a master’s 

diploma in electrical engineering 

and recently qualified as industrial 

management expert is responsible 

for the operation of the advanced ETC-I 

assembly line. 

cept has been developed, warranting 

maximum production flexibility in all 

areas from casting to mechanical production 

and ultimately through to final 

assembly.” This has led to a sharp reduction 

in buffer phases, extremely 

short routes and minimum flow times. 

ETC-I project manager Reinhard Mende, 

who already accompanied the successful 

launch of other ETC series variants 

as the responsible planning engineer 

in the last years, explains the 

details: “To give an example: we use a 

highly flexible modular production system 

consisting of six production cells 

and a central robotic transport system 

for mechanical processing. This Flexline 

system delivered by Chiron-Werke 

GmbH & Co. KG allows three housing 

variants to be processed simultaneously 

in a ‘chaotic’ sequence; the entire 

mechanical processing stage is carried 

out from five sides in one fixture.” 

The new assembly line for the ETC-I 

systems is equally flexible. In the words 

of Mende: “In the modular assembly line 

where eleven of the fourteen assembly 

stations operate automatically, 

three different ETC-I types can likewise 

be manufactured simultaneously in any 

chaotic sequence without requiring additional 

set-up times.” This system allows 

the plant to react very flexibly to the 

requirements of the customer. Another 

technical highlight in production is the 

assembly station where the tooth-segment 

is welded by laser technology.

Propulsion comes 

from Nitrochemie 

Wimmis. PMP (Pretoria Metal Pressings, 

a division of Denel Ltd.) in Pretoria, 

South Africa has chosen Nitrochemie 

Wimmis AG (Wimmis) as its 

development partner for the propulsion 

system in connection with the new 

armored personnel carrier 2000 to be 

procured by the Swiss Army. Besides 

other national and international suppliers, 

PMP has tendered a full-caliber 

target practice tracer for the new 30 

Newsline 

The new generation of mobile Satcom terminals 

Simply independent with NetLink 

Bremen. With its NetLink, STN Atlas 

Elektronik, Bremen, is presenting a 

new generation of Satcom terminals. 

Used in connection with the new Inmarsat 

service Global Area Network, 

NetLink offers an extremely mobile 

solution for fast and reliable satellite 

communication with all of the benefits 

of an ISDN connection. 

The compact Satcom terminal can 

be utilized under a whole range of 

different environmental and geographical 

conditions. The small and 

light-weight yet also very stable and 

robust NetLink with a detachable integrated 

antenna offers maximum 

mobility for unusual and extreme applications: 

for instance, the businessman 

traveling through South America 

is given direct access to data and 

information on the company’s network, 

the latest reports can be transmitted 

directly from a drilling rig in 

Kazakhstan to the headquarters in 

London or, via a video conference, 

contact can be established between 

someone working on a pipeline in 

the jungle and experts in New York – 

the possible uses of NetLink are 

practically unlimited. High-speed data 

exchange with 64 kbps as well as 

high-quality voice transmission in 

conjunction with absolute mobility 

and worldwide coverage. NetLink can 

be integrated in existing IT networks 

simply by means of a configurable 

standard ISDN interface. 

To give some pertinent examples: 

transmission of charts and drawings, 

videos and images, access to the In- 

ternet, electronic commerce, access to 

company networks (LAN link). NetLink 

will become even more efficient for the 

user when the packet-oriented Inmarsat 

Packet Data Service (IPDS) for data 

transmission is introduced in March 

2000. The advantage for the user will 

be that only the actual 

quantity of data 

transmitted will 

be invoiced and not 

the time of the 

connection. 

Weighing only 

about 5 kilograms, 

including the antenna, 

DC/DC power 

supply unit 

and battery, and 

having an extremely 

compact design, 

the unit fits into 

any normal briefca- 

se or pilot case. 

NetLink also offers 

a whole lot of other 

superior features: 

integrated battery 

packs allow for up to four hours of pure 

talking time and up to 70 hours of 

standby operation and the integrated 

DC/DC power supply unit (10 to 32 V 

DC) or the AC power supply unit (90 

to 265 V AC) included with the unit 

serve to ensure that the NetLink can 

be supplied from practically any power 

source. 

The sturdy and reliable design with 

a light-metal frame assures stability 

and protects the unit against external 

influences. The specially developed 

mm Bushmaster II weapon (high rate) 

to the Swiss Gruppe Rüstung that is 

responsible for the placement of defense 

orders. Fundamental trials are 

under way in South Africa. Other 

countries apart from Switzerland have 

likewise shown an interest in such a 

practice tracer. 

PMP opted for Nitrochemie as its 

partner on grounds of the stringent requirements 

imposed and the company’s 

proven experience with this 

caliber. The development contract 

was signed by both parties with an 

option for the series. The develop- 

25 

antenna sliding mechanism is without 

conventional hinges and guarantees 

quick operability and a long-life. 

Particular importance has been 

attached to the simple operability of 

the NetLink. For instance, antenna 

alignment with the satellite is simple 

The new portable ISDN satellite terminal NetLink of STN 

Atlas Elektronik supports a wide range of applications like 

internet access, interconnection of Local Area Networks, 

Video Conferencing and file transfer. 

with the aid of acoustic and optical 

signals. The Windows-based graphical 

user interface (GUI) allows easy 

and exact adaptation of the unit to 

specific requirements. The large, integrated 

backlit graphic LC display gives 

uncomplicated access to all important 

functions and information – 

even under adverse environmental 

conditions. Standard cipher equipment 

(STU IIB/STU III) can be connected 

for applications subject to security 

considerations. 

ment order is worth approx. 200,000 

euros. 

The qualification will be completed 

with series-production maturity at 

the end of 2000. Given that the fullcaliber 

variant is procured, series deliveries 

will start in 2001/2002. Due 

to the use of a temperature-independent 

propellant, dual use in the Mauser 

F and the American Bushmaster II 

weapon will be possible. The projectile 

reaches a muzzle velocity of between 

1080 and 1120 m/s (depending 

on the type of weapon) at a weight of 

363 grams.

Newsline 

Successful qualification of pilot lot – international interest 

Series launch for SMArt ammunition 

Unterlüß. Following the recent, highly 

successful qualification of the pilot 

lot at the firing range of the German Army’s 

technical center in Meppen, the 

new sensor-fuzed ammunition for 155 

mm artillery – generally known as 

SMArt 155 – will now enter into seriesproduction. 

The first units of this 

smart, highly effective projectile are 

due to be delivered to the German Army 

in the near future. The project 

which is being carried out by Rheinmetall 

DeTec (Ratingen/Unterlüß) 

and 

Diehl (Nuremberg) 

through their joint 

company Gesellschaft 

für intelligenteWirksysteme 

(GIWS) has also 

attracted considerable 

interest internationally. 

Commenting on Helmut Ortmann 

the very successful outcome of the 

presentation at the WTD range, Helmut 

Ortmann, one of the managers of 

Rheinmetall W&M GmbH, pointed out 

that “the successful qualification of 

the pilot lot in Meppen which was accompanied 

by an equally successful 

presentation to international defence 

experts has delivered the proof for series-qualification. 

We have presented 

Our sketch illustrates the mode of operation of the submunition 

of the SMArt 155 after ejection from the projectile. 

an excellent result and have secured a 

good position on the market. We will 

therefore make the very best of the 

technical and time advantage which 

SMArt has over competing products.” 

This strategic policy is also reflected 

by the recent placement of the first series 

order currently being executed by 

the two partners Rheinmetall and 

Diehl. The first series lot consisting of 

250 systems will soon be delivered to 

the German Army. 

Ortmann rates the chances of SMArt 

on the international market as good: 

“Experts who have closely followed 

the qualification of the pilot lot – including 

defence specialists from Finland, 

the Netherlands, the USA, Bahrein 

and the United Arab Emirates – were 

all very impressed by the high standards 

of the project and the product.” 

Representatives of the Swiss Army 

who had been given the opportunity to 

witness a demonstration of the new 

sensor-fuzed ammunition at Meppen 

in July this year reacted similarly. In the 

words of Ortmann: “Our guests were 

impressed. The decision on the use of 

SMArt is expected shortly since Switzerland 

intends to define the manufacturer 

and the related type of ammunition 

this year.” 

The SMArt 155 is a joint project of the 

companies Diehl (Nuremberg) and 

Rheinmetall DeTec 

AG, being performed 

in equal shares 

through the 

joint venture GIWS 

(Nuremberg). The 

SMArt projectile as 

such is a highly effective 

artillery 

projectile capable 

of effectively engaging 

hard and semi-hard 

targets 

with extreme precision. 

It consists 

of a thin-walled 

projectile body 

with an ejection 

device that is triggered 

by an electronic 

time-fuze 

and two nearly 

identical submunitions. 

These, in 

turn, consist of the 

26 

With SMArt, the German Army will have 

an intelligent type of ammunition. 

orientation and stabilization unit, the 

sensor fuze and the warhead with the 

main explosive charge including the 

safe and arming unit. 

A word on the function of the submunition: 

after ejection from the projectile 

and transition into the stable descent 

phase, each submunition spirally 

searches the terrain below for targets 

with its multi-mode sensors. Subsequent 

to successful target identification 

by the electronic signal processing 

system of the sensor fuze, the 

warhead with the actual explosive 

charge is detonated. The projectile forged 

by the explosion is capable of penetrating 

all modern vehicle armouring 

including reactive armour systems 

(e.g. additional armouring) and 

of neutralizing the detected target. If 

no target is found in the search area, 

self-destruction of the submunition is 

triggered at a certain altitude.

Newsline 

1999 investments of approx. 30 million marks in Pierburg’s Hartha plant 

Operational performance upgraded 

Hartha. Anyone driving along route 

No. 175 – from Döbeln to Rochlitz – to 

Hartha in Saxony in the late hours of the 

evening will see immediately that three 

of the four floors of Pierburg’s plant about 

a kilometer and a half away from 

the road are still fully illuminated. At 

first sight, this light has a simple explanation 

and pleasing commercial background: 

owing to an excellent order situation, 

production is being carried out 

in three shifts and partly even six days a 

week (e.g. intake manifold, shaft manufacture, 

electrical motors for the secondary 

air pumps) to cope with all the 

work required in connection with the 

automatic assembly of electrical water 

circulation pumps, intake manifold assembly, 

shaft production, rotor manufacture 

for the electrical fuel pumps and 

electrical valve control systems and the 

manufacture of electrical motors for the 

secondary air pumps – making up for 

eighty percent of the production. 

Yet the bright lights also symbolize 

something else: in the opinion of 

district administrator Dr. Manfred 

Graetz, this plant belonging to the Kolbenschmidt 

Pierburg group is one of 

the few major plants in the district to 

have successfully managed its commercial 

re-orientation after the German 

reunification. Very modern production 

lines for a number of different 

products (which have to be produced 

in large quantities to meet market demands) 

have been implemented since 

Pierburg took over in spring 1992 with 

investments of some 47 million marks 

and the creation of (currently) about 

210 new jobs. 

Hartha’s plant manager Dr.-Ing. Thomas 

Mielke with the most recent 

series-produced product from the site: 

the value-optimized secondary air 

pump. The screen shows resource 

management for pump assembly. 

In the words of Graetz: “From the 

outset, Pierburg GmbH has been a 

source of hope for economic reconstruction 

in the town of Hartha and the 

neighboring region. The plant now has 

more than 200 employees and many 

millions of marks have been spent on 

modern machines and systems.” According 

to the 52 year-old administrator, 

the Kolbenschmidt Pierburg group 

is the largest single employer in Hartha; 

furthermore, it is one of the five 

most important plants in the district. 

Production of the water circulation pump: electromechanic 

Veronika Hedrich assembling a pump housing including the 

stator package with the related printed circuit board and simultaneously 

checking (on the monitor) the soldering robot 

which is also part of the production line. 

Thanks to its growing reputation in 

the automotive industry and thus also 

the greater demand on the market, 

operational performance at this plant in 

Hartha has naturally also improved: after 

approx. 66 million marks in 1997, 

the operational performance rose to 

143 million marks in 1998, while profit 

is also satisfactory. And this improved 

even further in 1999. Dr.-Ing. Michael 

Mielke, manager of the Pierburg plant 

in Saxony since November 1998 remarks 

that “operational performance 

will be increased to approximately 190 

million marks – with a good contribution 

margin – which bears comparison 

with the three other Pierburg sites in 

Germany.” 

In view of this pleasing situation, further 

investments were launched in 

1999 to secure the medium to long 

term position of this Pierburg plant situated 

in the hilly countryside of central 

Saxony. To quote plant manager 

Mielke: “As to the development of this 

plant since the Neuss-based automotive 

supplier joined us in the spring of 

27 

1992, the main accents have naturally 

shifted slightly. Whereas the initial 

aim was primarily to establish and 

consolidate the site we are now focussing 

on the further development of the 

plant from a pure motor production 

site (mono-structure) to a supplier 

with a broad range of products.” 

This goal is in the process of being 

reached: today, Hartha already manufactures 

large quantities of plastic intake 

manifolds, vacuum and water circulation 

pumps as well as electrical motors 

for various applications. 

The most recent 

series-product 

is the value-optimized 

secondary air 

pump that is to 

be manufactured 

completely in Hartha 

in future; in the 

past, only the related 

electrical motors 

were produced 

for the predecessor 

system. Customers 

include renowned 

companies like 

VW/Audi, Webasto, 

Eberspächer, 

Peugeot, Saab, 

Nedcar/Volvo and General Motors. 

The mentioned expansion of its range 

of products which can benefit from the 

know-how and enthusiasm of a highly 

qualified and motivated workforce 

forms the strategic background for a 

number of investments, with 30 million 

German marks spent in 1999 alone. In 

the words of Mielke: “Our main focus in 

the coming years will be the utilization 

of the new assembly lines, including 

the advanced facilities for the production 

of water circulation pumps and the 

value-optimized secondary air pumps, 

as well as the expansion of our position 

as a supplier on the market. We naturally 

attach importance to a well-balanced 

mixture in regard to our product spectrum 

and customer structure in order to 

be able to react sufficiently flexibly on 

the market.” Related measures include 

the cost improvement program launched 

at Hartha in 1999, widespread use 

of flexible production facilities with 

shorter set-up times and selective process 

optimization in the fields of technology 

and information.

Newsline 

Pierburg develops AMA 4000 – BMW orders new system generation 

Central intelligence, modular design 

Neuss/Munich. Pierburg’s measurement 

technology product group has 

ranked among the leading international 

suppliers of modern measurement 

systems and equipment for many 

years. Increasingly stringent requirements 

for emission standards in Europe 

and the USA have led to a drastic 

reduction of pollutant concentrations 

in exhaust gas. Measurement experts 

at the Neuss-based company have accepted 

the challenge and have managed 

to secure their hold on the market 

for measurement systems. The team 

headed by the product group’s manager 

Georg Maul has developed a new 

generation of exhaust gas measurement 

systems (AMA in short) to be 

launched under the name of AMA 

4000 in March this year. The first order 

for the new exhaust gas measurement 

system has already been booked from 

BMW (Bayerische Motorenwerke AG). 

In line with legislation in different 

countries, the AMA systems can be 

used to perform exhaust 

gas emission 

tests for certificati- 

on and to monitor 

series production 

of vehicles on engine 

and chassis dynamometers. 

Apart 

from systems delivered 

to the automobile 

industry, 

Pierburg’s measurement 

technology 

product group also 

supplies custommade 

systems to 

automotive suppliers, 

advanced 

technical colleges 

and institutes concerned 

with measurement 

technology. 

Dilution unit with 

multiple venturi jets 

The advanced, 

trend-setting technology 

used in the 

AMA 2000 analysis unit will also be employed 

for the latest generation of exhaust 

gas measurement systems. However, 

one essential difference is that the 

AMA 4000 has a central intelligence 

which controls the components via a 

bus system. The decentralized structure 

(where the individual elements all 

Air 

blower 

intergral modal 

Heated Elements 

approx. 40°C 

Lines 40°C 

had their own computer systems) has 

been abandoned in favor of the consistent 

use of modular constructions. Jochen 

Böning from the sales department 

points out that “these modifications 

have produced a compact, cost-effective 

design. Systems which had to be 

accommodated in two AMA cabinets in 

the past can now easily be housed in 

one”. Sales manager Günter Maassen 

adds that “internal communication and 

also control of the AMA have changed 

decisively as a result of the innovations.” 

To achieve a user-friendly and 

aesthetic design, the product group 

commissioned the Design and Ergonomics 

faculty of the University of Essen 

to design the cabinet and central control 

panel. In the words of Rainer Ballik, 

manager of preliminary development 

activities: “In designing the AMA 

4000, particular consideration was given 

to the specific wishes of the customers. 

About two years ago, we started 

Air Heater 

Filter 

Mixer 

PIERBURG PIERBURG PIERBURG PIERBURG 

CVS control 

unit 

bags 

air exhaust 

diluted 

AMA 

diluted 

AMA 

undiluted 

The exhaust gas values of vehicles are tested on a chassis dynamometer. Our 

diagram shows the system structure: the vehicle under test is positioned on the 

dynamometer. A test driver drives the specified curve, with the system simulating 

the resistance exerted on the vehicle when driving along a road. A certain quantity 

of exhaust gas is filled into bags during the test and is then analyzed by the AMA. 

asking customers what they wanted. 

The results of this campaign were then 

used to specify the requirements for 

the hardware and software of our latest 

generation of exhaust gas measurement 

systems.” 

The achievements of the highly motivated 

development team are worth 

28 

Ambient Air 

Air dryer 

after 

cat 

pre 

cat 

Optional 

Driver’s Aid 

seeing. The order placed by BMW even 

before the AMA 4000 is actually launched 

on the market is clear proof of 

the quality of the work carried out by 

Pierburg’s measurement experts. Although 

the system will not be available 

on the market before March 2000, 

BMW has already ordered the AMA 

4000 to modernize its exhaust gas 

testing centers. Pierburg is to install 

twelve test facilities in Germany, Austria 

and the USA. This is the biggest 

single order ever booked by the product 

group. And the prospects for the 

successful team are good – as an official 

World-Wide Selected Supplier of 

BMW, the measurement experts will 

continue to work as a reliable partner 

for the Munich-based car maker in 

future, too. 

Yet the excellent kick-off for the AMA 

4000 with the order from BMW is by no 

means the only success story for Pierburg’s 

measurement technology team. 

Other measurement systems have e.g. 

been sold to BMW, 

Audi, Degussa, Siemens 

and Aral. 

Measurement facilities 

are also being 

delivered to Ellring 

Klinger, a manufacturer 

of engine seals 

and sealing systems 

in Idstein/ 

Taunus, to the engine 

manufacturer 

MAN and to Hatz, a 

fan diesel engine developer 

in Rurstorf a. 

d. Rott near Passau. 

Interesting projects 

have likewise 

been secured 

on the international 

market: 

contracts have, for 

instance, been 

concluded with 

the car maker KIA and the Katech Institute 

(Korean Automotive Technology 

Institute) in Korea. In addition, 

complete measurement systems have 

been ordered by India – where a 

major order was placed by the company 

Mico – and China despite harsh 

competition there.

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