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Find out how New Holland’s CR 9090 combine harvester is able to harvest 551 tons of grain in just eight hours

O f f i c i a l L o c t i t e ® C u s t o m e r M a g a z i n e no.

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1412 23Updating a classic Ultimate performance for new opportunities, upgrade of Loctite® best-sellers 243 and 270

No Limits

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Cédric Berthod

Dear Readers,

Have you ever thought about the link between modern drilling technology and the katana, the famous sword of the samurai? Or how nanotechnology can help to reduce costs caused by surface friction? In the third issue of our customer magazine “at work”, we want to share some more original insights. Insights that add a level of depth and fascination to our area of expertise: adhesive technology and surface treatment.

We will take you on a trip to the pit lane of the Formula Student, an international design competition organised by students for students. You will get to know a tram that has become a landmark of a European capital and discover how this landmark relies on adhesive technology to do its job. In this issue, we also have the pleasure of introducing you to a world record holder, a machine that is able to harvest more grain in a day than an entire city can consume in a year.

You will find out how challenging it is to upgrade a best-seller. In the story about our upgraded products Loctite® 243 and Loctite® 270, we will share how we took on that challenge and turned it into a success.

There is a common thread running through all these stories: all are about the ability of the business commu-nity to adapt to a rapidly changing world. With our customers, we have positioned ourselves at the forefront of this exciting development. We are glad to have the chance to tell their stories and make a contribution to the future of engineering. So, lean back and enjoy the ride!

Highlight: Formula StudentFollow us along the pit lane and discover an exciting racing competition for tomorrow’s engineers.

Reliability Report 6: KoncarOn a visit to Zagreb where you will get to know the most modern and most popular low-floor tram in the world.

Reliability Report 5: New HollandHigh-tech harvesting in action. Gain insight into the manufacturing of a world record combine harvester – threshing up to 551 tons in eight hours.

Handy Hints Insights online – let us bring you closer to our technologies and help you find the right Loctite® product faster and easier.

Trend ReportWherever you look or whatever you touch – it is the surface that features certain characteristics. Learn more about the “skin of things”.

Outlook Some of the topics for the next issue of Loctite® at work.

Contents

Vice President & General Manager Henkel General Industry Europe

Yours sincerely,

Cédric Berthod

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| 3Editorial

The most successful car of the 2009 Formula Student competition was constructed by the University of Stuttgart, also known, of course, as the location of Germany’s legen-dary automaker Mercedes Benz. The team from Stuttgart was the overall winner of the meetings in Germany, Eng-land and Italy. The car that made this possible is powered by a Honda engine which accelerated to its top speed of 125 kilometres in 3.7 seconds.

Formula Student is a lot more than “a sophisticated soap box derby” explains Dr Ludwig Vollrath, in charge of the automotive division of VDI, the association of German engineers. “It’s a design competition for young engineers. We encourage the fun aspect of it and we like original ideas and designs, but Formula Student is not just a car race.”

The real benefit of Formula Student is the learning experience for the students. It is by no means the only one; the event creates a platform where companies get the chance to establish a relationship with bright and dedicated students that may well be their future employees.

Darwin and the Black SharkAccordingly, the Formula Student days are very popular with recruiters and headhunters. Acting together as a self-organised team to solve a complex problem, however, is a learning experience that little in the academic curriculum can rival. Even though it is a simulation of designing and producing a 1,000-piece series, it has the realism of financial pressure and burning rubber on the racetrack.

All teams hold a presentation outlining the business case for their project. “The real test for the business skills is securing the funding” says Barney, captain of the Cambridge team. The size of the budget has an impact on the quality of the

A car which looks like the result of an affair between a Formula 1 racer and a go-kart is rolling towards the racetrack. The driver sitting behind the wheel is holding an umbrella to protect himself against the sunrays blazing down from the sky. Designed to look like a shark, complete with a tail fin at the back of the cockpit, the unusual vehicle in black and red is a dream come true for anybody who has ever imagined competing in a car race.

The shark is the University of Padua’s entry to the For-mula Student event which took place at the Hockenhe-imring, one of the two German racetracks fit to host For-mula 1 events. Similar to its big role model, the Formula Student circus travels from racetrack to racetrack. In 2009 four events were scheduled, amongst them Hockenheim and Silverstone.

A walk along the pit lane at Hockenheim helped to understand why Formula Student is so popular. Decorated with the national flags of all participating teams, the pits were vibrant with activity. The students doubling as engineers and mechanics were putting the finishing touches to their racers, while the other team members were working on their presentations for the business case, one of the so-called static events.

More than a car raceThe challenges were divided into three static and seven dynamic events. The static events focussed on the business aspects of the competition, while the dynamic events tested the cars’ capacities and reliability. The cars are powered by motorbike engines and the team from Padua, for example, used the engine of a Kawasaki Ninja to achieve its top speed of 130 kilometres per hour.

Engineers of the future

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|4 Highlight

and consulting from sponsors and are provided their own facilities by the universities. Others, like the Indian team from the University of Mumbai, operate on what Ankit, the team captain, calls a “shoestring” budget of 14,500 euros. Those difficult circumstances make the fact that Ankit and the others managed to construct a racing car that passed the endurance test on the Sunday all the more impressive.

car, just like in the real world. The makers of the shark, the team from Padua, won the award for the best presentation. Paolo, the marketing PhD student in charge of the business side, impressed the jury with a professional and passionate performance that started with a clever Darwin quote and ended with a free round of “Black Shark” cocktails.

From plush to shoestringEven more impressive than the powers of persuasion the students develop is their dedication to the project. Building a car and running a racing team is a very demanding hobby and every team reports the need for 24-hour shifts at some point. The conditions under which the teams operate vary widely. Some are generously supplied with parts

Another major difference between the Formula Student and regular car racing events is the lack of secrecy. The atmosphere in the pit lane is one of easy-going camaraderie; the teams help each other out and share knowledge and ideas. Most of the team camp on the grounds close to the racetrack and enjoy the opportunity to hang out with like-minded car nuts from all over the world. Sometimes, however, even the pooled knowledge and skills of tomorrow’s engineers are not enough to solve urgent problems. In those moments, the presence of Loctite® engineers at last year’s event came in handy, as the interview with the Henkel team shows …

The winning car of the Stuttgart University team

Loctite® engineer helps students fix a heat exchanger

University of Padua team presenting their “Black Shark” racer

Students tapping into the wealth of Loctite® adhesive know-how

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| 5Highlight

wanted a radical weight reduction. The 2008 car weighed 261 kilograms. Thanks to the adhesives, the 2009 car weighed only 220 kilograms.”

This is very much in tune with the trend in the automotive industry, even if the reasons for the new popularity of lightweight road cars are different. High fuel prices, the reduction of emission levels and the target to improve the recyclables, demand innovative solutions. Consequently, light-weight construction takes an important part in car body manufacture.

Modern car bodies, but also modular parts like doors, roof, and trunk lids, are being appreciated more and more in view of the weight optimisation. “Welding can only be used to bond similar materials. Adhesives are especially interesting for innovative, lightweight constructions which make use of dissimilar materials” says Henkel specialist Neumayer.

Going electricNext year, Formula Student Electric will be introduced. The principle of Formula Student Electric is to allow the development of fully electric vehicles within the Formula Student framework. The competition for Formula Student Electric cars will be the same as Formula Student, with some slight modifications due to the special needs of fully electric vehicles. This move towards sustainable technologies will add to the challenge for the constructors.

“The team from Zwickau is ready to take on the challenge,” says Sebastian Fethke. He will play a leading role in the construction of the electric car for the 2010 season. “The car will be a lot heavier than the current one, simply because

In its first year as a key sponsor of Formula Student, Henkel introduced an award for extraordinary achievements in the company’s field of expertise. On the Thursday that saw the presentation for the Henkel award, the Loctite® specialists at the Henkel stand were in high demand by the team engineers. “This morning, we were helping out the Saarbrücken team; they had a problem with the oil pan” says Alfred Kaltenbach, Henkel’s regional head of sales. Halfway into the interview with Sales Manager Kaltenbach, Vitus, a mechanic from the University of Regensburg comes to the stand in urgent need of Loctite® first aid to fix the cooling unit of their racer.

The criteria for winning Henkel’s Best Use of Adhesives Award are demanding. “We want the adhesive application to be part of the construction design, not just a quick fix” says Rudolf Neumayer, head of European technical services.

Normally, the awards are judged by people from various professional backgrounds, but in this particular case, only the Loctite® experts had the necessary expertise. Neumayer was very impressed with what he saw and heard. “It’s fascinating. They use cutting-edge testing methods, similar to the ones we employ and I could compare some results” he says. Stuttgart, the team that managed to win Hockenheim and the overall competition, was an early favourite for the Henkel award, but in the end the judges gave it to the University of Zwickau.

Radical weight reductionSebastian Fethke, the engineering student from the Zwickau racing team responsible for the use of adhesives, explains the rationale for the decision to rely on this technology: “We

First aid for race cars

FIRST AID

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|6 Highlight

The core of the visit was a workshop focused on broadening the students' knowledge about modern adhesion. After an input session, they were given tasks during which they had the chance to apply the new knowledge. “We turned it into a little competition and the response was great,” says Henkel’s head of European technical services. The informal highlight of the visit was something else, though: the visit to a go-kart racetrack. Finally, all of the members of the Zwickau team got the chance to try their hand at the wheel of a race car, not just the two pilots of their Formula Student car.

of the batteries. That’s why we will use adhesives wherever we can,” explains Fethke, who will make the construction of the car for the Formula Student Electric the topic of his diploma thesis.

“The idea of the award is to heighten awareness for the potential of adhesives. Unfortunately, the topic does not always receive the attention it deserves in the standard academic curriculum. Which is strange, because up to 20 kilograms of adhesives are used for the construction of a conventional road car,” explains Christian Scholze from Henkel’s European marketing team.

Racing with HenkelScholze, Neumayer and the rest of the Henkel team will love to hear what Sebastian Fethke has to say about this: “It’s fair to say that adhesive technology doesn’t feature very prominently in the curriculum. But since we started to learn about it in order to improve our racer, we have shared that knowledge with other students and professors.”

The whole team was invited to Munich to visit the Henkel technology centre in Garching to learn more about the potential of adhesive technology. Rudolf Neumayer blocked the two days in his tight schedule to take care of the winners himself. The visit started with a tour through the Munich facility. “The students were very enthusiastic and curious. Especially our testing equipment seemed to fascinate them a lot. Sometimes it was difficult to persuade them to move on,” Neumayer reports.

Students from Zwickau in the labs of Henkel’s engineering centre

The engineers of the future get hands-on training from Loctite® experts

All the Zwickau team members tried their hand at go-kart racing

The winning team celebrates the “Henkel Best Use of Adhesives Award”

| 7Highlight

Bringing in the harvestHow much grain can you harvest in just eight hours? The answer is 551 tons – if you are sitting in the driver’s seat of the CR 9090 combine harvester produced by New Holland in Belgium. The 551 tons brought in by the CR 9090 actually set a Guinness World Record back in September 2008.

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One of the secrets that made the world record possible is the twin rotor technology which has

been refined for New Holland’s latest combine harvester. The large twin rotors ensure an unmatched throughput capacity. Extensive research by New Holland’s development engineers has resulted in fully integrated systems that optimise the speed of the crop flow depending on the type of crop and the load of the combine harvester.

More than just powerThe world record holder has a number of interesting features beyond its sheer productivity and power. The spacious cab has a glass surface of 5.8 square metres and is isolated very effectively from the noise the huge engine and the crop harvesting process makes. “Stepping into the cab of this harvester is like stepping into the cockpit of a plane”, says Peter Tylleman, Production Supervisor for the CR 9090 at the New Holland plant in Zedelgem. This is a pointed way of expressing the difference between sitting in the driver’s seat of a modern high-tech harvester and the kind of machinery that comes to mind when a layman thinks of agricultural technology.

The CR9090 is a good example for the way in which the progress of information technology has changed the fabric of modern life. The steering of New Holland’s flagship is enhanced by a variation of the global positioning system used in road cars, DGPS (Differential Global Positioning System), and a variety of systems monitor the grain flow’s steadiness and quality.

Extreme vibrationsA Henkel film crew had the chance to take a look behind the scenes of the New Holland production facility in Zedelgem, Belgium. In an interview, New Holland vehicle engineer Frank Duquesne explains the difficult conditions under which the company’s customer has to operate: “After all, farmers and contractors have to bring in the harvest in a very short period of time. As a result, the reliability of our combine harvesters is very important.”

This is where Henkel’s anaerobic adhesives come into play. To ensure

the high level of reliability, New Holland applies a large range of anaerobic products. “We use Loctite® to support critical bolt connections, such as those in the cleaning shoe. Here – under the most severe vibrations – the bolted joints must remain secure during the machine’s entire lifespan”, ex-plains Duquesne.

One of the most severely stressed components in these high-performance 600-horsepower combine harvesters is the twin rotor thresher mentioned earlier. High-strength Loctite® 270 threadlocker is used to secure the thresher bolts. As these parts are difficult to access later, this is the only way to make sure that they will withstand the extreme vibrations created by the threshing action during the constant, hard harvesting which may last weeks.

A central gear drives the two 2.5m long thresher rotors. The New Holland engineers use Loctite® 638, an anaerobic high-strength adhesive, in assembling the shaft hub joints. With the help of an activator, the adhesive cures in no time and securely fixes the central gear – even when threshing up to 551 tons in eight hours.

Never compromise reliabilityMany important components of New Holland’s combine harvesters are moved and controlled by hydraulics. Loctite® 542 is used in the assembly of the hydraulic system to prevent any leaks, even under the harshest conditions. By ensuring that the machines run smoothly, this Loctite® thread sealant plays a key role in the high degree of mechanisation in today’s agriculture.

Loctite® anaerobic products are not only used because of the numerous technical advantages they offer, but also because they help to optimise assembly processes. Loctite® 515 flange sealant, for example, is used during pre-assembly for efficient and cost-effective protection of the axle bearings against moisture from the washing process. This avoids an expensive and time- consuming extra step without compromising the reliability of components.

Delivering resultsUsing the right materials and components is only half the battle, though. The best components won’t get you

Reliability at work

Customer: New Holland

Task:Securing joints at the main gear. Preventing leaks of the hydraulic system.

Products: Loctite® 515Loctite® 638Loctite® 242Loctite® 542

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|10 Reliability Report 5

anywhere without people who know how to use them in the most effective way. That’s why New Holland devotes a lot of time and resources to training their staff. In 2008, the company opened a new training centre for its own employees.

“Henkel was the only supplier whose representative has become a fixed part of the training schedule, because New Holland considers adhesives a key technology in their manufacturing”, explains Talitha van Drom, the Henkel key account manager responsible for the cooperation with New Holland. The aim of the training is to give New Holland’s employees back-ground knowledge about adhesive technology. “We have been able to clear up some misunderstandings and smoothed the workflow”, says van Drom, who held the training herself.

It is the combination of dedication to their staff, cutting-edge technology and robustness that makes New Holland products so successful. Henkel has a long tradition firmly rooted in the same values, which is part of the reason why the two companies have been working well together for years. The main reason why New Holland has chosen Henkel as the key supplier has got nothing to do with similar philosophies, however: it’s the simple fact that in any demanding environment Loctite® products are the first choice – because they deliver, no matter how tough the job is.

A central gear drives the two 2.5m long thresher rotors

Loctite® 638 retaining compound is used for assembling the shaft-to-hub joints

Assembly of the hydraulic system

Many important components are moved and controlled by hydraulics

The bolts of the thresher main gearare tightened firmly for maximum reliability

The wheel assembly is finished – ready for the harvester’s next production step

“Loctite® is used in various applications in our machines as the reliability of our products is very important. After all, farmers and con-tractors have to bring in the harvest in a very short period of time. As a result, the reliability of our combine harvesters is very important. This is why we use Loctite to support critical bolt connections, such as those in the cleaning part. Here – under the most severe vibrations – the bolted joints must remain secure during the machine’s entire lifespan.”

Frank DuquesneVehicle Engineer – New Holland flagship combine harvesters

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Explaining that decision, Edelmann says “We realised that customers’ needs had evolved to a new level. The first evidence came from a survey carried out by the colleagues from the technical customer service division. We followed that up with a questionnaire that was sent out to thousands of customers worldwide. Three key areas of improvement were identified: performance on passive metal substrates, oil tolerance and temperature resistance.”

An image to lose This was the brief that David Condron and his colleagues at the Henkel technology centre in Dublin received. “Like with every high-profile, high-quality product, upgrading Loctite® 243 and 270 was a risk. We couldn’t afford to sacrifice performance and we had to provide some real added value for the end-user” explains Condron. From start to finish the process took more than two years to complete and several Henkel scientists worldwide were working on this project.

“Our processes are globally integrated, so we consult with the other centres in the US and China on a regular basis” says Patricia Cullen, the director of product development in Dublin. “This Loctite® 243 and 270 upgrade project was a success of the global team, not an isolated effort of the Dublin group” she adds.

Loctite®, the long-time market leader in industrial adhesion and sealing, has an image to lose. Accordingly, the development procedure is rigorous and follows a well- laid-out plan. “We schedule every step of the way; we check and double-check” says Condron. “It’s a complex process and it involves a variety of teams here and in the other centres” says Condron. “Accordingly, we control every stage very carefully.” A certain element of trial and error remains, of course, like in any other creative activity.

Detective workIf the development teams run into difficulties that they can’t solve alone, they turn to Paul O’Donohue from the material testing and analytical support division. The red-haired analytical chemist is in charge of an impressive array of machinery and jokingly refers to his unit as Henkel’s very own CSI.

“We have very specialised equipment down here, the kind that you would normally only find in large research universities. Or on CSI.” he says. The analogy isn’t only about sophisticated machinery and red hair, however. At times O’Donohue’s tasks resemble that of a detective: he is able to take a closer look at the ingredients and formulations. O’Donohue’s tasks cover a much broader range, however: supporting development, testing raw materials and carrying out in-depth analysis that regular equipment won’t allow.

Updating a classic243 and 270, those six simple digits stand for two of Henkel’s most successful products under the Loctite® brand. These medium and high-strength threadlockers, widely sold in the iconic red 50ml bottle, are for Henkel’s industrial customers what Persil is for the consumer market. Upgrading a classic is always risky, but Henkel product manager Erik Edelmann and his multifunctional global team still decided to go ahead with it.

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|12 RD&E Insights

Scaling up When the prototype leaves the lab, the time for trial and er-ror is over. The development process is by no means fin-ished, however. The next stage is the pilot plant, where the prototype is scaled up, i.e. it is produced in larger quanti-ties. “The pilot plant is essential;” says Condron, “some-times we encounter difficulties with larger batch sizes which are unforeseeable in the lab.”

Every major Henkel production site has a pilot plant, because there are local differences in production equipment, batch sizes and raw materials which can make adjustments necessary. The developers are still very much involved in the process and consult with the pilot plant in Dublin and the rest of the Henkel world to ensure a smooth scale-up.

After the pilot plant gave the go-ahead for Loctite® 243 and 270, the Loctite® specialists initiated an extensive and rigorous testing programme. A variety of tests were performed on features visible to the naked eye, for example colour and fluorescence. Those tests were by no means the only ones, of course. During the test series, the Henkel technicians and scientists paid special attention to technical features like viscosity, curing performance and environmental resistance.

Ready to launch"As this was an upgrade of our top sellers, we just had to get it right the first time. Hence the need for extensive testing, customer notification and sampling,“ says Edelmann. Only after the product upgrades had performed successfully in those demanding internal tests, Henkel distributed samples to key customers. “The customers received the samples six months before commercialisation to give them the chance to test the upgrades for their specific applications,” Edelmann explains.

In September 2009 the time for the last step had finally come: commercialisation. The product upgrades are now available in Europe and will soon hit the markets in the rest of the world.

The interview with Erik Edelmann and the visit to Henkel’s technology centre in Dublin makes it abundantly clear: innovation is hard work, impossible without the commitment and dedication of a carefully orchestrated group of professionals.

Listening closely to customers, using the most advanced technology and drawing on decades of experience are clearly the key factors for staying ahead of the competition in the industrial adhesives and sealants industry.

Reliability at work

Loctite® 243/270

works on all metals •

improved temperature • resistance

improved oil tolerance •

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| 13RD&E Insights

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|14 Trend Report

The golden ageThe history of surface finishing started in the ancient world: otherwise gilding decorative objects made of silver, copper and bronze would not have been possible. For centuries gilding and hot tinning were among the few ways of coating objects with a functional metal surface. Beyond that, some ancient relics from Iraq, namely the ‘battery of Baghdad’ suggests, however, that more than 2,000 years ago an industrial technology was already in use: galvanisation. But the road from the first galvanic experiments of modern times by Alessandro Volta in 1800 to modern, energy- efficient electroplating factories was long and burdensome.

During and after World War I and World War II, surface refinement became more important, especially for corrosion protection due to the lack of raw materials. The need to protect equipment, ships and planes against corrosion arose not only from the rising prices for raw materials, but also from the need for safety and reliability of devices and those people being dependent on these machines.

The introduction of galvanic chrome plating in 1924 meant both a technical and a visual revolution. The emerging automobile industry was eager to use this development in an opulent manner and consumers embraced the apparent luxury.

Modern industrial plants would not be possible without the combination of parts with special surfaces. Monolithically structured materials would not have the properties coated materials are capable of from a technical, economic or ecological point of view.

The link between modern drilling technology and the sword of a samurai

Some properties do not necessarily need to be present in the whole component part, but only on surfaces or defined interfaces. A high lubricity, for example, is only necessary on the surface, as well as a good reflectance.

Other material properties are mutually exclusive, for example hardness and fracture toughness. This knowledge was used in the production of the traditional Japanese katana sword. Therefore, it has an extensive hardened surface with an elastic core according to the same principles used in modern drilling and cutting systems and excavator shovels.

Besides, the combination of a suitable base material in accordance with additional surface finishing is often cheaper than using a single material which combines the properties of both materials.

From the first moment of our life it protects us against heat, cold, water, drought and injuries. It allows a firm grip as well as a gentle touch and heals itself in case of injury: our skin, the largest human organ. Technical surfaces, modelled on biological skin, promise to be durable, ecologically friendly, self- healing and have unique quality characteristics on demand.

The skin of things

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workpiece connections are a prerequisite for reliable, low-maintenance and economical operation under extreme conditions:

Oil platforms process up to 250,000 barrels of crude oil •and 5.5 million cubic metres of natural gas per day at pressures of up to 500 bar.Tunnel boring machines drill with a diameter of 14 metres •by 40 metres each day, tunnelling gravel and granite, and processing 1,500 tons of excavation material per hour.Paper machines produce in three shifts 600,000 tons of • paper a year, at a processing speed of the paper webs of up to 130 km/h.

Automotive industry as a public pioneerThe most obvious step in surface refinement was accomplished by the automotive industry. By 1970 car body and bearing parts were in acute danger of corrosion. Until then rust problems were a significant security risk in traffic.

Zinc-coated parts were occasionally used as early as 1967 by Ford. The production of zinc-coated sheet metal has been possible since the late 1970s. Some of the first fully zinc-coated cars were produced from 1978 to 1980, Porsche’s 924 and 911 models. Audi offered the first galvanised model in 1985. In 1997 VW offered the same quality for the mass market with the Golf IV model for the first time in automotive history. In parallel, the average lifetime of a vehicle – despite a stringent legal framework – rose from 7.9 years (1960) to nearly 12 years (2007).

Environmental protection as a driving forceAnti-corrosion materials help to use raw materials for a longer period, and to reuse scrap metal in the recycling loop. In 2008 the recycling rate for steel was 85%. Despite rising steel consumption 50% of raw material was able to be saved by that. Nevertheless, corrosion protection can be problematic for health and the environment. Chromium VI is indeed an almost ideal method of surface finishing

– dimensionally stable, anticorrosive, resistant to mechanical damage and self-healing – but can

also act mutagenically and carcinogenically.

The substitution of chromium VI by new technologies has received an impetus for the development of new methods of surface finishing by the publication of the EU directives 2000/53/EC and 2002/95/EC RoHS.

Development of standardsIn more than 4,000 years of the history of iron and steel production, developments such as the steam hammer (1838) and the forging press (1862) allowed industrial mass processing of metal. In 2008 1.4 billion tonnes of steel were produced and processed. 10 years earlier it was less than 800,000 tonnes a year.

The lifetime and the related requirements of iron and steel products are very different:

tools: 0 – 10 years•cars: 12 years•pipes and pipelines: 20 years•large industrial installations: 20 – 40 years•buildings, bridges: 20 – 80 years•

Car bodies do have a relatively short lifespan, but require improved strength properties combined with low weight and good resistance to corrosion. Connecting devices in cars, such as screws, require high corrosion protection, have to have a defined frictional coefficient on the surface and may not become brittle. In addition, other components have to be resistant to oils, salts, brake fluids or acids. To an extent in the industrial sector, a longer life cycle of many components is imperative, partly because the burdens faced by the components are more significant: industrial valves are mechanically exposed to pressure of several hundred bar, corrosive chemicals, acids or alkalis, abrasion, extreme temperatures and temperature fluctuations as well as vibrations.

Therefore, some of the main industrial surface finishing requirements are:

protection against corrosion•resistance to acids, alkalis and defined chemicals•protection against hydrogen embrittlement•no structural change•low wear on mechanical abrasion•defined friction•tension poverty•dimensional stability•capability for post-processing•paint adhesion•

Efficiency and effectivenessDue to technical and economic reasons, the size of industrial plants has been increasing constantly since 1950. Higher flow rates per time unit and 24/7 equipment

utilisation are increasing the stress given to materials and components. Precisely matched components,

pipes, pulleys, valves and butterfly valves, screws with defined

life cycles and s e c u r e

1

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Environmentally related challenges to surface refinement arose from increased investment in offshore wind farms and sub-shore generators, tidal power plants and thermal solar power plants in regions with a hot climate. Durable resistance against aggressive and corrosive seawater creates completely new challenges for the technical development process.

Sustainable mobility with lighter vehicles, energy- efficient and low-emission engines, hydrogen and hybrid technology will also require new materials. A leading example is aeroplanes in which light metals, advanced composites and Kevlar are used for quite some time. But new materials are connected with changes in the production process, for example composite materials are not welded, but bonded, and varnishing processes have to be adapted too.

Developments for the future – innovaton in microscopic dimensions

An entirely new dimension in surface refinement takes place on a microscopic scale. According to a study by the Fraunhofer Institute, the costs incurred by friction caused by wear and energy consumption are up to 4.5% of GDP for industrial countries. Friction-reduced surfaces, produced by using nanotechnology, give way to a new

kind of functionalisation of highly stressed parts. This allows much more stable and abrasion-resistant surface systems, which can be combined to meet requirements with individual properties.

Apart from the reduction of friction, nanotechnology allows the:

development of new materials, e.g. graphene or • high-strength wirescontrolling the beading behaviour of aqueous and oily •liquidsresistance to deposits•resistance to micro-organisms•sealing of plastics and paints•development of self-healing surfaces•and of course the ability to self-clean•

In a few years we will be faced with technical materials that are not only excellent according to their physical and chemical properties, but will also have skills that we know from our own skin and enjoy in some plants and animals from nature.

Dr Oskar Villani, SDI-Research

Reliability at work

Glossary

Nano: 10-9= 0,000.000.001

bn:billions 1 billion =1,000,000,000

m:millions 1 million =1,000,000

24/7: 24 hours, seven days a week

barrel: 1 barrel = 159 litres or 42 US Gallons

km/h: kilometres per hour, 1 km ~ 0.62 miles

GDP: Gross Domestic Product

Clothing

Cosmetics

Body care

Household & garden

Food/drink

Sports goods

Electronics/computers

Sun cream

Miscellaneous

Automotive

Number of products

Distribution of nano consumer products across different application areas

Source: Woodrow Wilen Center

0 20 40 60 80 100

92

89

85

67

66

59

46

33

27

102

1) Galvanising bath2) Automotive painting process3) Nanotechnology

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One of Zagreb’s landmarks: the blue Končar tram

The TMK 2200 has to stay in service for up to 35 years

The production site at Končar ElectricVehicles.

The wheels of a tram need to sustain loads of up to 60 tons

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A public transport celebrityNot many trams are lucky enough to acquire an online fan base. One of the lucky few is the TMK2200 low-floor tram, produced by the Croatian company Končar. The TMK2200’s most loyal fans on YouTube refer to it as “the best tram on earth” and the “the prettiest tram ever”.

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Reliability at work

Customer: Končar

Task:Provide a reliable connection of the wheel suspension to the bogie

Products: Loctite® 243 Loctite® 2701

The image of the blue tram also features prominently on the Croatian capital’s official website. The TMK 2200 is the first image you see when accessing the site. This clearly shows that the tram has become a landmark of Zagreb, a modern complement to the historical sights that have defined the city for centuries.

A means of public transportation which inspires this kind of enthusiasm deserves a closer look. Cities in Finland, Bulgaria, Serbia and Australia are currently considering the purchase of the TMK2200. The tram is produced in Zagreb and Henkel was allowed to take a glimpse behind the scenes.

Končar Electric Vehicles board member Igor Jagodić explains: “We at Končar have a long tradition in the production of locomotives, trams and, as of late, trains.” Still, Končar needs partners, and Henkel is an important one. “Our co-operation with Loctite® engineers has inten-sified in the past five years, as we were developing our newest product in the tram programme, the TMK 2200,” Jagodić says.

The modern low-floor tram is a point of pride in patriotic Croatia because more than 70% of the parts are manufactured in the country, especially the sophisticated electronics.

The identification with one of modern Zagreb’s landmarks does not stop there, however. Mirjana Fulir, Henkel mar-keting communication manager for Central and Eastern Europe, who is based in the Croatian capital, says “Each morning when I drive to work and I watch the trams pass me by, I feel proud. Somehow I feel this tram is part of us because of these precious drops of adhesive that are being used on some crucial parts of the tram.”

Not just a pretty faceThe smart-looking tram that has generated such a following needs to have more than just a pretty face, however. In Zagreb alone the trams transport more than 200 mil-lion people a year. 500,000 of those use them every day. Končar’s trams need to be in service for up to 35 years. For each tram, only 5% of repair and maintenance time is allowed. To achieve this level of reliability, the manufacturing in Zagreb relies on Loctite® products. The wheels of a pub-lic tram need to sustain loads of up to 60 tons. Each com-ponent of those wheels must be safely locked and se-cured in place.

One of the steps of the wheel assembly involves locking the grounding wire bolts. Each wheel consists of three segments, the inner part being made of rubber which is an electrical insulator. Therefore, a bypass made of wire is necessary to ground the tram. This is an extremely important technical and safety issue. High-strength threadlocker Loctite® 2701 offers maximum vibration resistance on the stainless-steel bolts. Those are only some of the “precious drops” used on some of the most important parts of the tram.

Končar now has a new product in the pipeline, a low-floor train. It remains to be seen whether this new product will be able to rival its popular sibling, the TMK2200. The company itself, established in 1921, is a good example of one of the success stories in central Europe. The group comprises the parent company Končar Electrical Industry and 20 dependent companies. Its major investor is the Croatian state through a variety of funds; the company is predominantly state-owned. 2008, the year that saw the onset of the financial crisis, has been a successful year for Končar. Sales and profit rose, along with the export of goods and services.

Free access to the starThere is another interesting fact to note about Zagreb’s public transport ce lebr i t y :

Wheels ready for further processing Assembly of wheel suspension 12 bolts are secured with Loctite® 243Cleaning the bolts of the wheel with Loctite® 7063

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“We, at Končar, have a long tradition in the production of locomotives, trams and, lately, trains. Our products always meet the highest standards of quality as well as our customer’s specific requests. Along with our own product development, we always offer superior results. To achieve this we, of course, need to have reliable partners. One such partner is Loctite®.

Our co-operation with Loctite® engineers has intensified in the last five years, as we were developing our newest product in the tram program, the TMK 2200 tram. We use Loctite® products for applications that have to withstand maximum dynamic loads, such as the tram base. The exploitation phase has proven Loctite® to be the right choice, since we have had absolutely no problems. I can safely say that our co-operation will intensify even more in the future, partic-ularly in the development of our latest product, our train. I believe we will, together with Loctite®, continue to develop new products.”

you can use it for free! Recently, public city transport in the wider Zagreb downtown area became free of charge. Explaining the decision, a city official pointed out “This is designed to reduce car traffic in the centre and encourage residents to park their cars in public garages outside the centre.”

During the visit of the Henkel team to the plant, Mr Kolman, director of sales and servicing for Končar Electric Vehicles, said that it makes him wonder if Loctite even has any competition when it comes to anaerobic adhesives. A mechanical engineer by vocation, he has been working in engineering circles for many years, according to his own words, longer than it would be polite to express in numbers, and he remembers very well that whenever there was a need to secure a bolt or seal a threaded joint, it was common to say: use some Loctite on it because, in a way, Loctite was a synonym for anaerobic adhesives.

It seems only fitting for the successful partnership of two companies whose products and brands have become more than just goods in the marketplace. Like the TMK2200 has become a landmark of Zagreb and an online celebrity, the Loctite brand has become a synonym for reliability, a symbol for the progress of adhesive technology.

Igor Jagodić, director of production of Končar Electrical Vehicles and member of the management board

The 12 radial bolts are tightened to hold the wheel firmly in place

Loctite® 2701 secures eight stainless-steel bolts

The bogie is ready to be installed on the tram body

Locking the grounding wire bolts

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Fotalia

The knowledge toolboxWhether you are designing a new product, or looking to keep existing machines running efficiently, Loctite can help. Discover the complete capabilities of Loctite® anaerobic adhesive solutions and innovations and find the right product for your application needs. Get connected to Loctite’s Web platform designed for engineers, by engineers: www.loctitesolutions.com/uk

Find your specific product solution for your threadlocking, thread sealing, retaining and gasketing applications.

See exciting application videos and share our customers’ experiences.

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Fotalia

... coming soon

Designed for the kitchens of royal houses and Hollywood stars. Find out how Loctite® is enhancing the quality of the world´s most exclusive range cookers.

Discover the sucessful partnership between Henkel Russia and the “KAMAZ-master” team at the world’s biggest off-road sports event.

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| 23Outlook

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Imprint

Publisher Henkel AG & Co. KGaA Adhesive TechnologiesHenkelstraße 67 40191 Düsseldorf Germany www.henkel.com Editorial DepartmentMarketing Communications: Christian Scholze Caroline Sach Jutta Haag ContactJutta Haag (Project lead) Phone: +49-211-797-7304 Jutta.Haag@henkel.com Creationblösch.partner Werbeagentur GmbH www.bloesch-partner.de

Henkel LimitedWood Lane End Hemel Hempstead Hertfordshire HP2 4RQ Tel. 01442 278100 Fax 01442 278071www.loctite.co.ukwww.loctitesolutions.com/uk