NO. 3-2012A MAGAZINE FROM THE TRELLEBORG GROUP. SOLUTIONS THAT SEAL, DAMP AND PROTECT CRITICAL APPLICATIONS.

Laser support LMS helps to moor mega vessels

Acceleratingperformance Return of the in-wheel motor

STRIVING FOR ESPRESSO EXCELLENCE KRAKOW – A CULTURAL MECCA

Catherine Mohr, physician and researcher

“ The robot is an extension and augmentation of the surgeon.”

Increasing demand

for food packaging and

new applications signal

that print is booming.

2 XXX

WHETHER AN INDUSTRIAL APPLICATION is hardly visible or in a prominent position, big or small, Trelleborg’s products are found all over the world. Trelleborg is present in more than 40 countries, and our innovative solutions are critical in a variety of operating environments ranging from space to seabed. They make life easier, safer and more convenient, enhancing our customers’ businesses.

We are pleased to be able to feature some of our products and solutions as well as markets in T-Time. In this issue, I am particularly happy to present the article about the future of printing solutions, as well as Blue Dimension about our contribution to a safer subway. If you want to explore more of the world of Trelleborg, visit us at www.trelleborg.com.

Enjoy your reading!

Peter NilssonPresident and ceo

Engineering at its best

Print it allThought the print industry was in decline? Think again. New printing technologies are booming.

Hot Spot: Krakow With its mix of modern and medieval, Eastern Europe’s cultural mecca is well worth a visit.

The wheels are turningProtean Electric found a way to make use of wasted space. The in-wheel motor has been reborn.

Safe with laser techniqueMooring a 100,000-ton ship, you want to get it right first time. LMS helps with the fine tuning.

06101416

Case page 18 People & Trends page 19 News/Update page 22

IN EACH ISSUE

Responsible under Swedish Press Law: Patrik Romberg

patrik.romberg@trelleborg.com Editor-in-chief: Karin Larsson karin.larsson@trelleborg.com

Co-editors: Rosman Jahjarosman.jahja@trelleborg.com

Donna Guinivan donna.guinivan@trelleborg.com

Production: Appelberg Publishing Printing: Trydells Tryckeri

Cover photo: Stephen Smith/Getty Images

Subscription: trelleborg.com/subscribeAddress: Trelleborg ab (publ)

Box , se- Trelleborg, SwedenTel: + ()- Fax: + ()-

www.facebook.com/trelleborggroupwww.twitter.com/trelleborggroup

www.youtube.com/trelleborg www.trelleborg.com

T-Time is published three times a year. The opinions expressed in this publica-tion are those of the author or people

interviewed and do not necessarily reflect the views of Trelleborg.

If you have any questions about Trelleborg or wish to send us your

comments about T-Time, please email: karin.larsson@trelleborg.com

CONTENTS 3-2012

10

16

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3T·TIME 3·2012

TEXT: RICHARD SURMAN PHOTO: PAUL GIAMOU/GETTY IMAGES, ISTOCKPHOTO AND TRELLEBORG

Keeping greenhouses green A greenhouse hose is a critical

– and problematic – element for the agricultural industry in the Netherlands. Trelleborg helped to develop a flexible hose solution that answered the challenge.

EDGE [GREENHOUSE]

he Netherlands is a leading producer of fruit and vegetables, accounting for a

quarter of Europe’s vegetable exports. Its diverse agricultural sector includes arable, dairy and livestock farming, garden plants, bulbs and flowers, as well as a highly developed greenhouse industry growing tomatoes, peppers, cucumbers and eggplants.

The Netherlands leads the world in both greenhouse cultivation and the technologies necessary to maintain optimum growing conditions and output. In 2010, the total area for vegetables under glass was 12,000 acres, producing 3,390 million pounds of exported fresh greenhouse vegetables.

There are three main types of greenhouse: “cold,” using the sun as a heat source; “frost,” in which a low-power heating system maintains a small temperature difference between outside and inside temperatures; and “warm.” This last condition is the greenhouse environment typically used by Dutch growers, deploying new technologies and methods in robotics, water and waste recycling,

T lighting and energy efficiency. The main Dutch system of

greenhouse heating uses an overhead suspended hot water steel pipe network interconnected with flexible hoses that can be raised or lowered to make room for equipment and machinery used inside the greenhouses and to deliver heat to the optimum position of growth for a plant. In the 1980s the hoses used in these systems were constantly giving growers problems, one of the most serious being the release of toxic gases from the hose material that could kill crops.

Explains Olivier Libes,

Marketing and Product Development Manager for fluid handling solutions at Trelleborg: “In response to serious problems with the hoses being used in many greenhouses, we developed a dedicated hose, Kledam, which has become the de facto standard. We worked in collaboration with Dutch greenhouse builders and installers, with substantial input from heating technicians and agricultural engineers, to produce a hose that has exceptional resistance to wearing,

CERTHONIn 2011, two leading companies in greenhouse horticulture, Wilk van der Sande (technical installations) and Bosch Inveka (greenhouse construction), joined under a new group name: Certhon. Certhon is a market leader in high-tech inte-grated horticultural solutions, supplying greenhouses and technical installa-tions worldwide. One of its most recent projects is the Dube TradePort Agrizone, South Africa’s largest greenhouse project, covering some 40 acres.

4 T·TIME 3·2012

aging and weathering. It’s flexible and remarkably reliable, with zero emissions of toxic gases.”

EACH YEAR the Kledam hose undergoes and passes rigorous testing by the Wageningen University Research Centre, the most authoritative agrifood and nutrition research facility in Europe. It’s a testimony to Trelleborg’s commitment to solutions of the highest quality.

Andre Persoon is the heating engineer at Certhon, one of Holland’s leading greenhouse

design, construction and installation companies. “We supply greenhouses and installations worldwide and have a reputation for excellence in greenhouse horticulture solutions. It’s vital for us to know that components in our systems are the best. There are three critical criteria for the hoses that we use to connect the steel heating loops: The hose material cannot give off any toxic gases, it needs to be flexible and strong to cope with the variations in height of the heating loops, and it must seal cleanly and tightly over the connectors. The Kledam hose

system fulfills all these requirements and has never let us down.”

Equally enthusiastic is Arjen Bonneman, director of Arbon Agenturen BV, sole distributor for the Kledam hose in the Netherlands. “The hose is made of a special EPDM [ethylene propylene diene monomer] compound developed by Trelleborg for the inner tube, reinforced with synthetic textile material,” he says. “It’s able to withstand temperature ranges of –30˚ C to +95˚ C and performs superbly. It has rope-like flexibility, the strength of steel, does not leak, and despite wide variations in environmental conditions is very durable. The Kledam hose has become the benchmark for products in this field, and Trelleborg is the undisputed market leader.”

THE KLEDAM HOSETrelleborg offers hoses to the food, chemical and petrochemical, construction, environmental and agribusiness industries. Working with Dutch greenhouse designers, builders and installers, Trelleborg developed the Kledam flexible hose, a solution to quality problems in flexible hoses used in greenhouse heating systems in the Netherlands. The Kledam hose uses special EPDM material and synthetic yarn reinforcement and is approved by the Wageningen University Research Unit for use in greenhouse heating systems. It has become a worldwide benchmark for products of its kind.

Arjen Bonneman, Arbon Agenturen BV

EDGE [GREENHOUSE]

5T·TIME 3·2012

It has rope-like flexibility, the strength of steel and does not leak.

6 T·TIME 3·2012

THE FUTURE

OF PRINT

FOR A DECADE OR SO newspapers have been writing their own obituaries as readers increasingly turn to digital devices to get their news. With the decline in newspapers has come a decline in the offset printing industry. But as this segment shrinks other forms of printing are growing.

“The printing market is still very attractive,” says Dario Porta, President of Coated Systems in Trelleborg. “The offset segment is under stress and shrinking, but digital and flexo printing are achieving almost double-digit growth rates year after year.”

Flexo printing uses a flexible relief plate to print on substrates such as metal and plastic. Its growth is in part due to increased demand for food packaging. “The change in some developing countries is to a more Western lifestyle, with families getting smaller,” explains

FOCUS [PRINT]

Porta. “More single-person households mean more portions of food to be packed. This is happening not just in Asia but also in, for example, Poland, where packaging usage is growing at an incredible rate.”

Growth in digital printing is driven in part by demand for more targeted marketing. “The beauty of digital is personalization and customization for extremely short runs,” says Porta. “Two hundred copies with individual content is possible with digital but not with offset.”

THOUGH OFFSET PRINTING, where the inked image is transferred from a plate to a rubber blanket and then onto paper, may be in decline, there are still plenty of opportunities; Warren Buffett recently purchased 63 newspapers, saying he sees untapped value there.

The printing industry is alive and well, despite the decline in newspapers and other offset applications. New print technologies are booming, and new applications are emerging; think printed electronics or printed body parts.

Item: Single meal serving Method: Flexography/Flexo printing Why: More single-person households mean more portions of food are packed.

Surrounded by printed products

Trelleborg has more than 50 years experience in printing

solutions.

Vulcan and Rollin are brand leaders in the offset segment. Axcyl is a range of products for flexo print. Trelleborg also offers solutions for digital printing.

Trelleborg’s printing products are used for newspapers, flexible packaging, metal

decorating, folding carton, wallpaper and more.

The products are available in 60 countries on five

continents.

TEXT: DAVID WILES ILLUSTRATION: KJELL THORSSON

7T·TIME 3·2012

Item: Packet with pulse watch and a QR code Method: Flexo printing Why: The user scans the QR code with a smartphone in order to get information, instructions and “added value” items such as short films, special offers and more.

Items: Box of cookies, coffee packet Method: Flexo printing or offset Why: The future in food packaging is to be totally solvent-free; flexo is a solvent-free process. Trelleborg prepares for solvent-free production in offset by 2014.

Item: Printed lamp Method: In 10 or 20 years, traditional printing processes might be used to print objects such as lamps or sensors. Why: Benefits from printing electronics at home or close to the retailers would be saving time and money and decreasing emissions.

Environmental concerns are increasing the pressure to minimize usage of solvent in food packaging, and Porta expects that trend to grow. “The future in food packaging is to be totally solvent-free,” he says. Trelleborg already has low-solvent offset products that comply with food regulations and is drawing up a roadmap to have solvent-free production in offset by 2014. “In flexo we already have a solvent-free process,” Porta says. “This allows us to comply with future food regulations.”

Printers face challenges on several fronts, which Trelleborg can help them meet. “Just 0.4 percent of total costs for printers are related to the blanket, but the blanket has a huge influence on the performance of the press,” says Porta. “We can reduce energy consumption by 20 percent and have a significant impact on reducing waste.”

Meanwhile printing applications are becoming more diverse. Tim Claypole, a professor at Swansea University in Wales, is an expert in printed electronics where functional

devices are made using traditional printing processes. “These could be sensors, security features or printed lamps,” he says. “People are just waking up to the fact that the researchers are making such devices, one or two at a time. Now we are focused on the transition from manufacturing one or two to manufacturing thousands.”

Exciting research is ongoing in printing for bio applications as well. “We are looking at sensors for detecting conditions such as mineral and vitamin deficiencies,” says

8 T·TIME 3·2012

A GOOD BOOKThere are few things better than relaxing and reading a book. Surprisingly, that joy was not universally affordable until well into the 20th century.

The first printing started with the Mesopotamian civilization in around 3000 BC, when cylinder seals were used to impress images on clay tablets. But it wasn’t until 1440 that German Johannes Gutenberg invented the printing press. This led to an explosion in printing activities in Europe; by

Items: Magazines, newspapers. Method: Offset print. Why: Offset is in decline in the West, but there are still plenty of opportunities.

Item: Box of fruit. Method: Flexo. Why: Flexo is booming, in part due to increased demand for food packaging and changing habits and demands in populous countries such as China.

Item: Model airplane. Method: 3D printing, a process of making three-dimensional solid objects from a digital model. 3D printing is achieved using additive processes, where an object is created by laying down successive layers of mate-rial. Why: 3D printers already exist. In the future they may be used for printing your own sneakers, jewelry, toys, body parts and organs.

Claypole. Ten to 20 years from now actual body parts will be printed, he explains: “We are starting to work on the building blocks of how you would put down materials such as collagen to make the scaffolding for people to grow their own cells on.”

The printing industry may be going through some major changes, but, says Porta, Trelleborg is adapting to them. “We are in the process of transforming ourselves from an almost 100 percent offset supplier to an offset/digital/flexo supplier,” he says.

Items: Books Method: Digital print Why: Digitally

printed books fulfill the demand for specialist

volumes in small quantities.

Johannes Gutenberg (1398–1468), inventor of the printing press.

the end of the 15th century almost 20 million copies of books had been produced by the fledgling industry.

The next big change in printing came toward the middle of the 19th century when presses

became steam powered and the flatbed was swapped for rotary

cylinders. Once commercialized, these printing presses could produce millions of

copies of a single page in one day.Despite this, the book remained relatively

expensive for the working man right up until the 1930s. As literacy improved and budget paperbacks became available, finally anyone could experience the pleasures of a good book.

9T·TIME 3·2012

GIVEN GERMANY’S SEMINAL ROLE in the development of printing, it is fitting that the world’s largest printing and media trade fair takes place in the country where the printing press was invented. This international event, called Drupa, is held in Düsseldorf every four years.

Trelleborg, one of the world’s leading manufacturers of printing blankets, took the opportunity at Drupa 2012 to launch a range of new products and services. These included a comprehensive Packaging Guide for both its Rollin and Vulcan range of printing products, as well as Vulcan Synthesis Evo, the next generation of printing sleeves.

The possibilities of modern print were demonstrated at Trelleborg’s Institute of Contemporary Print, where visitors experienced various types of art. One facet of the project was The Masters Collection, a gallery of modern interpretations of some of the world’s most famous pieces of art, including Leonardo da Vinci’s “the Last Supper” and Pablo Picasso’s “Guernica.”

Trelleborg’s high-performance printing blankets were used to reproduce these and other artworks on different kinds of printing surfaces, including plastic and cardboard. One was even three-dimensional. Visitors could bid on the resulting works. All the money raised was donated to charity.

“In some cases, people liked the reproductions better than the original art,” recalls Manuela Re, responsible for marketing and communications for Trelleborg’s printing blankets.

The Institute of Contemporary Print also featured an enormous photo mosaic. Photographers took portraits of visitors, which were assembled into a photo mosaic that recreated the most famous segment of Michelangelo’s ceiling painting in the Sistine Chapel. This interactive project can be viewed online at http://trelleborgicp.com.

1. Vulcan printing sleeve2. The Institute of Contemporary Print3. Interpretation of Jan Vermeer’s “Girl with a Pearl Earring”

THE ART OF PRINTING

SHOWCASED AT DRUPA

In September, Trelleborg completed the acquisition of Printec, the printing blankets business of Day Brazil SA. Printec has a strong presence in Latin America and in the U.S. with a single production facility in Brazil. Printec has annual sales of around USD 37.5 million and has approximately 160 employees.

GROWING IN BRAZIL

1.

2.

3.

TEXT: DAVID BARTAL PHOTOS: TRELLEBORG

10 T·TIME 3·2012

A VISITOR NEEDS at least a week to experience Krakow; Poland’s second-largest city and a cultural mecca.

Much of the draw of Krakow stems from the fact that it was the capital of Poland for five centuries. It is also an exceptionally lively and youthful university town, with hundreds of trendy art galleries, museums and a broad range of theaters, music venues, bars, cafés and clubs.

With this mix of the medieval and the modern, Krakow has something for everyone, from Gothic and Renaissance architecture to World War II history, shopping and dance music.

Most visitors are drawn to the Main Market Square in the Old

TEXT: DAVID BARTAL PHOTOS: GETTY IMAGES

KRAKOWHOT SPOT [KRAKOW]

Just outside the Old Town is the former Jewish quarter, Kazimierz, which despite its sad past has emerged today as a dynamic section of the city, with a vast array of cultural festivals, cafés, antique shops, art galleries, restaurants and cool bars. This is where young people go to party at night.

A 20-MINUTE WALK from Kazimierz is the factory once operated by humanitarian hero Oskar Schindler, whose extraordinary acts during World War II were made famous in Steven Spielberg’s award-winning film “Schindler’s List”. The factory is now a top-notch museum, with stage design and multimedia solutions reflecting Krakow under Nazi

A world capital of culture

Town, which is ringed by cafés where one can grab a pilsner or a warmed bread ring garnished with poppy seeds or salt. The 10-acre square, the largest of any of Europe’s medieval cities, features the 16th-century Cloth Hall and the 14th-century St. Mary’s church (Kosciol Mariacki) with its imposing twin towers and stunning interior decoration.

The Cloth Hall has been described as the world’s oldest shopping mall. Its present structure dates from 1555 and houses many food stalls, small shops, terrace cafés and flower stands as well as a statue of Adam Mickiewicz, one of the greatest Slavic poets.

Mieszko I (930–992 AD) is an important symbol of an independent Poland.

11T·TIME 3·2012 11T·TIME 2·2012

Aleksandra Borszynska-Kaminska is the Laboratory and Material Manager of sealing solutions at Trelleborg in Czechowice-Dziedzice. She lives about 80 kilometers from Krakow and visits the city frequently to go shopping, meet friends and attend events.

What should visitors see that they might not learn about in their guidebooks?“Two weeks ago I visited the Underground Museum, which is located four meters below the Main Square. It is extremely interesting. They have used archaeological finds to show how people lived in Krakow in the 13th century. The museum opened only two years ago.

There are a lot of museums and monuments everywhere. Krakow is a great place for people of every age. You can go shopping or visit places easily because things are very well organized, and it is possible to walk wherever you want to go. Or you can do like some newlyweds do in Krakow and tour the city in a horse-drawn carriage.”

What makes Krakow different from Polish cities such as Warsaw?“So much of Warsaw was

destroyed during the war, but most of the old parts of Krakow were not damaged. This city was the capital of the country for many centuries, and it is very important to all Polish people. It is the cultural and historical heart of the country.”

HEART OF POLAND

occupation during World War II.One must-see attraction for any

visitor to Krakow is Wawel Castle. Situated on a hillside by a bend in the Vistula River, the majestic castle served as the royal residence for centuries, starting with the first historical ruler of Poland, Mieszko I (930–992 AD). The castle is arguably the most important symbol of an independent Poland.

If hiking to all the museums, castles, churches and shopping districts makes you hungry, one place to restore your energy is Klimaty Poludnia, a popular eatery close to Market Square, which was rated No. 1 on the list of 535 Krakow restaurants reviewed on Trip Advisor.com.

With a mix of the medieval and the modern, Poland’s second-largest city has something for everyone.

Culinary culture in modern Poland – and in fact much of Central and Eastern Europe – is greatly underrated. You could spend a month in Krakow and still not have enough time to sample all the various types of pierogi, a sort of dumpling made of thinly rolled dough packed with various fillings.

A New York Times travel writer recently observed that Krakow is a city that invites comparisons. The Gothic architecture may remind you of Prague, and the nightlife has a bit of a Berlin flavor. But this jewel of a city has not yet fallen prey to most of the negative effects of mass tourism, which makes a visit especially enjoyable.

Krakow

12 T·TIME 3·2012

EVER SINCE the devastating fire at London’s King’s Cross Station in 1987, railways around the world have made fire safety a priority. Fire safety is particularly important in urban systems, where most of the tracks run below ground, such as the London Underground, the Paris Metro and the New York City subway, as well as in other railway tunnel situations.

The challenge with railway tunnels is the environment. A restricted cross-section means that,

TEXT: RICHARD SURMAN PHOTO: ISTOCKPHOTO

Fires in underground train tunnels can be catastrophic because the heat and smoke have nowhere to escape. A new coating for suspension components can help buy the crucial few minutes necessary for the train to get to the safety of the next station.

SAFETY ON THE SUBWAY

BLUE DIMENSION*

*Blue Dimension refers to products and solutions that not only satisfy the needs of the customer but also benefit people and society.

13T·TIME 3·2012

ANTI-VIBRATION SYSTEMSTrelleborg provides spring, suspension and vibration-isolating components and engineered fabrics for a wide range of marine, rail, vehicle, aerospace and industrial applications. Combining innovation with manufacturing excellence, Trelleborg’s rubber-to-metal bonded components set new standards in engineering progress.

although heat rises, there is not enough space for smoke and heat to rise above the passengers. Meanwhile the risk of rapid spread of fire is increased through convection and radiative feedback.

Most urban underground transit systems have relatively short distances between stations in the tunnel sections. In the London Underground, a train is rarely more than four minutes away from a station. In the event of an onboard fire, train drivers are required wherever possible to drive the train to the nearest station before evacuating. This means that in an ideal situation, there should be measures in place to buy time. With a train fire, a few minutes can make the difference between life and death.

The most important elements in minimizing the risk of an under-ground tunnel fire are limiting the use of combustible materials and, when such materials are essential in tunnels and on trains, treating them with effective fire retardants.

For the past 10 years, with the help of a SPARK award, designed to link larger UK companies with universities, engineers at Trelleborg have collaborated with university researchers to develop a unique solution – a flexible coating for all primary and secondary suspension fittings and anti-vibration components – that effectively buys those vital life-saving few minutes. The coating is exceptionally durable, fire retardant and, under certain circumstances, self-extinguishing.

Rod Holroyd, Trelleborg’s Global Market Manager Rail, explains: “The challenge was to develop a flexible coating that could be applied to a flexible component. DragonCoat is a unique response to a potentially life-threatening situation – a train fire inside a tunnel. Our solution is a polymer-based fire-retardant coating that can be applied to suspension components. The extreme flexibility and durability of DragonCoat ensures that it maintains its integrity despite constant movement of suspension components. It has a life expectancy that matches that of the suspension component, and it’s also highly resistant to environmental factors –

rain, snow, heat, cold and the materials used in under-train cleaning. DragonCoat provides that vital few minutes of delay of the release of toxic gases, smoke, flame and heat, allowing a train driver to get the train and passengers to a station for evacuation and also providing a delay that allows firefighters safer access to the source of the fire.”

BILL MORTEL, DIRECTOR of Advanced Technologies for Trelleborg’s industrial antivibration systems, comments: “Although many of the natural rubber components used in primary and secondary suspension components don’t cause fires, they are essentially fuels that will feed a fire. DragonCoat has no effect on the performance of a natural rubber spring; in fact, it enhances a component’s oil resistance. Combined with Trelleborg’s Metacone and Chevron primary suspension springs and the hourglass secondary suspension springs, we can deliver a unique, long-lasting product that makes a real contribution to fire safety on railway systems.”

The concept of applying a flexible coating to a flexible component is unique and is a world first for Trelleborg. DragonCoat has been approved for an EU patent, and the reaction to the recent launch at InnoTrans 2012 has been very positive from both train operators and train builders.

coated rubberuncoated rubber

Carbon dioxide release

Carbon monoxide release

Total smoke release

Heat release rate

Read more at www.trelleborg.com/industrialavs

DRAGONCOAT Passenger safety through innovation

Provides a unique, durable and highly flexible fire-retardant coating for rubber primary and secondary train suspension units First technology to offer significant fire protection in the field Based on Trelleborg polymer technology Prioritizes fire safety and survivability in rail fires Provides an additional and critical safety margin for passenger evacuation

14 T·TIME 3·2012

TEXT: MICHAEL LAWTON PHOTO: PROTEAN ELECTRIC

Th e race is on! Instead of chasing speed, auto manufacturers today are

chasing reduced carbon emissions. One solution is electric traction.

ACCELERATING PERFORMANCE

IN THE PUSH TO reduce carbon emissions and meet government targets quickly enough, vehicle manufacturers are looking for ways that allow them to incorporate new elements into existing designs.

One such innovative element comes from Protean Electric. The company’s electric motor is housed inside the wheel hub.

The technology is a modern development of an old idea. Ferdinand Porsche sold 300 cars using electric in-wheel motors more than a century ago. The ready availability of cheap gasoline put an end to that. Now, however, the escalating economic and environmental costs of gasoline are bringing the potential for in-wheel motors back.

Ken Stewart, Vice President, Business Development at Protean Electric, says the philosophy behind the idea is simple: “Why not put the torque at the wheel? That’s where you need it.”

The idea also has the advantage of freeing up space inside the vehicle. “Not only does the motor fit inside wasted space,” Stewart says, “you don’t need drive shafts, transmission, differential or any mechanical connections. You just press the throttle pedal, which sends a

Reinventing

wheelthe

StatorWheel Bearing

Rotor

Vehicle Suspension

Coils & Power Electronics/Micro Inverters

Conventional Alloy Wheel

15T·TIME 3·2012

command along a wire to provide more torque at the wheel.”

Protean is still testing the motor on prototypes and expects to go into serial production in 2014.

The motor would be ideal for retrofitting on a car to augment the existing powertrain. One of the main uses Protean sees in the medium term is for fleet operators who can improve the carbon footprint of their fleet by making all their cars into hybrids with two electric-driven and two conventionally driven wheels, all controlled by smart software. It will also be useful for manufacturers that are redesigning existing models. “Companies realize they can meet the increasingly tough environmental norms over the next two or three years with their own technology, but after that they need larger reductions,” Stewart says.

And looking to the future, wheel-based power could lead to the total redesign of the automobile, with, for example, pod-like vehicles moving sideways into parking spaces.

But if the wheel is an ideal home for the motor in some ways, in others it’s the worst possible place. It’s subject to vibrations and road irregularities, it gets splashed with

water, and it is often knocked against curbs. So the seals within the in-wheel motors have a difficult job to do. They have to keep foreign matter out of the gap between the rotor and the stator. Says Tony Fagg, a Key Account Manager at the Trelleborg marketing company for sealing solutions: “This application requires that the seals meet a combination of thermal and physical challenges. It has needed a number of design and material iterations during development to meet these demands.”

THE CHALLENGE is the wide variety of conditions under which the seal has to work. “The car could be parked in a puddle in Alaska that freezes overnight,” Fagg says, “but when the motor starts, the seal quickly reaches a potential friction heat of 160 degrees Celsius.”

Tests are ongoing. Fagg says that with the current design “nothing has failed yet,” but he expects that small changes will still be necessary. Comments Stewart: “This is a critical design point for the motor, and I’m confident it’ll work.”

WORLDWIDE NETWORK OF SPECIALISTS Tony Fagg, a Key Account Manager for sealing solutions at Trelleborg, is pleased with the way this project has come together. “This has been a real international affair, combining our expertise from around the world,” he says.

“The Trelleborg manufacturing and development facility in Malta has the knowledge of materials to engineer the right elastomer and will be carrying out volume production,” Fagg continues. “We’ve been able to call on the assistance of our facilities in England in the initial stages. Tewkesbury has the skill to manufacture prototypes, and our site in Bridgewater has the specialist test equipment needed. In addition, we’ll be able to serve the factory in China with our Global Supply Chain Management network and give local support from our marketing company there.”

THE MOTORWITHINProtean Electric has been making in-wheel motors since 2005. The company has featured in a variety of prototype vehicles, from a Mini Cooper to a Brabus Mercedes and a Vauxhall delivery van. Though now based in Detroit, Michigan, in the U.S., its engineering is in Farnham, England, and there are plans for a production facility in China.

16 T·TIME 3·2012

TEXT: RICHARD SURMAN PHOTO: TRELLEBORG, THIERRY DOSOGNE/GETTY IMAGES

A new monitoring system takes the guesswork out of

mooring mega vessels.

TECHNOLOGY [MARINE MOORING]

ooring of large vessels in the LNG, petrochemical and container sectors is an intricate and critical procedure. The process

entails bringing together a moving object with a static object, and with the imminent advent of even larger vessels (liquefied natural gas tankers with a capacity of 200,000 cubic meters and container ships with a capacity of 22,000 TEU*), the forces involved are enormous.

For tankers and bulk carriers, mooring frequently takes place alongside jetties at the end of finger piers, and even a gentle impact from a ship displacing more than 100,000 tons can have serious consequences. In the case of container ships docking at riverside wharves, excessive speed is likely to damage the ship more than the wharf. Even when safely berthed, fore and aft movement caused by incorrect tensioning of mooring lines can cause damage to fenders.

Fenders are primarily designed to withstand the onshore motion of a ship against jetties, wharfs and quaysides by minimizing impact damage and withstanding parallel ship movements. Any incident that causes unplanned downtime or safety issues has obvious economic implications, and it has become increasingly important to be able to determine liability for damage in the event of an incident – ship owners and leasers or port authorities and dock owners.

Trelleborg has developed a unique

technological solution to the challenges of unscheduled downtime in port and data collection for insurance purposes. Called the Marine Fender Load Monitoring System (LMS), it’s designed to monitor and improve docking and berthing dynamics. The system draws on the unprecedented progress in recent decades in electronics, computers and software, and combines this technology with Trelleborg’s design and manufacture of advanced marine fender systems.

THE PURPOSE of the system is to reduce costs by increasing efficiency at ports, enhancing safety for crew and dockside personnel, optimizing mooring operations and protecting port owners’ assets. Two types of technology are used: load cell and laser based. Both systems measure impact against fenders as well as the continuing forces of a ship bearing against them.

Trelleborg’s Scott Smith, Regional Director Asia Pacific for marine systems, comments: “Load cell monitoring can be located within the fender as a stand-alone installation or integrated into a common platform that also incorporates load monitoring of

Quick Release Hooks, the SmartDock Laser system and the SmartDock GPS system.” A second smaller and less costly system utilizes lasers. These measure the degree of fender deflection, and the readings can be used to trigger an alarm in the event of over-compression of a fender. The third aspect of the system makes use of lasers as a docking aid system, measuring actual velocities of a vessel approaching a berth. This system can be configured as a fixed or portable installation. “The data collected via the LMS are invaluable in helping port operators plan how far they can maximize facilities

Smooth

Marrival

*TEU, or the twenty-foot equivalent unit, is an inexact unit of cargo capacity used to describe the capacity of container ships and container terminals.

17T·TIME 3·2012

The Marine Fender Load Monitoring System uses laser and load cell technology, can be fixed or portable and can be integrated with other Trelleborg products – Quick Release Hooks, the SmartDock Laser system and the SmartDock GPS system. It is designed specifically to reduce port downtime and promote safer, effective docking while providing port owners/operators with a real-time data monitoring and collection system that gives them clear indications of whether a vessel is berthing outside agreed parameters – essential in the case of damage and subsequent insurance claims.

LASERS PROMOTE SAFE, EFFICIENT DOCKING

without undertaking major infrastructure developments and provide them with categorical information about ships berthing outside specified parameters,” says Smith.

ADVANTAGES OF THE LMS system include the capability of highly accurate measurement of loads applied to wharf and docking structures and the logging of collected data over an extended period. The system can be retrofitted and engineered to suit most competitors’ fenders. As with all marine products, standards of manufacture are critical, particularly

for products in use at petrochemical or LNG berths.

There is the obvious issue of electronics in the wharf “splash zone,” as well as the need to have explosion-proof enclosures. Available space for the installations can be very restricted and the loads being monitored can be in the hundreds of tons, so smart designs are essential. Crucially, the system also enables the customer to have additional insurance at the berth and a categorical evaluation as to whether a particular vessel is berthing outside specification, which can make damage and replacement a clear liability for the ship owners.

Trelleborg provides fender

solutions to major harbours worldwide. The LMS (not installed on the fenders pictured) brings the mooring to an even higher level of safety.

18 T·TIME 3·2012

TEXT: DAVID WILES PHOTO: NUOVA SIMONELLI AND THOMAS SCHALLER/FLICKR/GETTY IMAGES

ITALIAN ESPRESSO MACHINE maker Nuova Simonelli has built its reputation on making reliable, high-quality devices for specialist coffeehouses. When a rubber gasket for a key application on its flagship product failed to live up to expectations, the company turned to Trelleborg.

“We are always striving to improve our products,” says Ryan Klineman, Vice President of Technical Services at Nuova Distribution, the company’s North American division. “We want to be the Toyota of the industry. We want reliability and we want longevity.”

The seal in question is on a crucial

Trelleborg’s sealing solution for a leading Italian maker of espresso machines gives longer product life at a lower cost.

CASE [NUOVA SIMONELLI]

TRELLEBORG’S FOOD AND PHARMACEUTICAL SEALING SOLUTIONSTrelleborg has more than 50 years of experience with food and pharmaceutical applications. Its material portfolio includes EPDM, FKM, Resifluor 500, Turcon, silicone, and Zurcon Z80. The products meet national and international regulations such as FDA, 3-A, NSF and USP standards. Applications include mix-proof valves, centrifuge housings, quick couplings, filling machines and seals for a number of coffee machine makers.For further information:ferdinand.schwabe@trelleborg.com

surface on the espresso machine, where the portafilter – the cup that holds the coffee – is locked by the barista, the coffeehouse bartender, with a quarter turn into the espresso machine. “You could compare this seal to the tires on a car, and we were not getting the longevity we expected,” Klineman says. “It may be a small component, but it is a big thing for users when they start leaking, and so we were looking for a big improvement.”

Trelleborg Sales Engineer Wade Rinehardt visited Nuova Distribution in Ferndale, Washington, to discuss the application, and the existing seal

was sent off to Trelleborg’s lab for analysis. Trelleborg came up

with a 9-millimeter conical gasket using an EPDM

(ethylene propylene diene monomer) material. Specially designed to tolerate the high temperatures and pressures of a commercial espresso machine, the seal is currently undergoing testing in Nuova Simonelli’s Aurelia machines in about a

NUOVA SIMONELLI IN BRIEFFounded in 1936.Based in Belforte del Chienti, Italy.

First espresso machine maker to install a hydraulic pump.Sales in 109 countries.Its Aurelia Competizione is used at the World Barista Championship.

Greatcoff eedozen coffeehouses around the U.S.’s Pacific Northwest. The initial data on performance and longevity are very positive – so positive that Nuova Simonelli and Trelleborg are discussing seals and tubes for other key applications.

“Wade and Trelleborg have done a great job reaching out, making a difference and improving the product,” Klineman says. “They have really gone above and beyond the call of duty. You have to ask if another company would do that for us.”

19T·TIME 3·2012

PEOPLE & TRENDS [CATHERINE MOHR]

Computer-assisted surgery is steadily making inroads across the world, improv-ing patient care and recovery as well as enabling hospitals to better control costs.

LIFE-SAVING ROBOTS ON THE RISETEXT: STEFFAN HEUER PHOTO: MARTIN KLIMEK

20 T·TIME 3·2012

obots would make ideal surgeons, says physician and

researcher Catherine Mohr. They never tire and are always as precise as possible when it comes to performing complex procedures in the fields of urology, gynecology or oncology. And with surgical robots, humans are always in control, sitting at a console to guide the machine’s multiple arms and attached tools.

“It’s an extension and augmentation of the surgeon,” Mohr explains. “It takes the surgeon’s skills and filters out any tremors and allows precise motions on a very small scale. That gives surgeons the dexterity and intuitiveness of motion, even when they’re working through very small incisions. It’s hard to imagine any procedure we do as humans that wouldn’t be improved by better information, dexterity, vision and navigation.”

Mohr probably knows more than most trained surgeons about robots in the operating room. Since 2006, she has been the Director of Medical Research for Intuitive Surgical, the California-based maker of the da Vinci robots. Considered an oddity when they were first

R introduced in 1999, the machines – some 2,400 so far – have found their way into operating rooms around the world. Most are in the U.S., but robot deployments are also growing fast in Europe, Latin America and Asia.

The rise of surgical robots is due to several factors, Mohr says: “Patients benefit when surgery can be minimally invasive rather than done with incisions large enough to get a surgeon’s hands into. It reduces the risk of complications and the need for blood transfusions. In many cases, patients don’t have to spend time in the intensive care unit and can go home after a few days.”

USING A ROBOTIC HELPER therefore helps hospitals and health-care systems keep perioperative costs down, and surgeons can perform physically demanding procedures repeatedly and still feel fresh at the end of the day. Mohr points to a study in Sweden where minimally invasive surgery reduced the period of paid sick leave for patients from seven weeks with open surgery to less than two weeks.

There is a lot of development work and innovation still to come. Mohr hysterectomies to more complex

procedures such as operating on lung cancer or even removing the pancreas – the so-called Whipple procedure. “That’s the Holy Grail of open surgery that only a few expert surgeons tackle,” Mohr says. “It is incredibly invasive. Surgeons have begun performing this procedure with the da Vinci robot, but only in a few centers.” As far as removal of the prostate is concerned, robots have already become the standard, she says.

In her career, Mohr has embraced several scientific fields, but sustainability has been an

PRECISION TUBING FOR THE OPERATING ROOMEvery surgery requires highly reliable systems and components to handle fluids such as blood, waste products, gases and external fluids. Once these components were made from stainless steel; today, storage tanks and tubing are manufactured out of thermoset materials such as polyurethanes, silicones and acrylics and are disposable. Trelleborg provides a wide range of hoses, silicone sheeting, custom-molded components and seals that are used for intravenous lines and catheters, as well as other medical equipment.

calls the current state of computer-assisted surgery merely the first phase. “The second phase will be about integrating new clinical knowledge and information into the robotic platform to aid in clinical decision-making,” she says. “The surgeon’s eyes are limited to the visible spectrum. But with cameras, we can overlay three-dimensional vision and use near-infrared and fluorescent dyes to see nerves, blood vessels and tumors deep inside the body.”

Robotic surgery is steadily expanding its reach, from orthopedics, prostate procedures and

CATHERINEMOHR Title: Director Medical Research, Intuitive SurgicalAge: 43Nationality: New ZealandLives in: Silicon Valley, CaliforniaInterests: Robotics, sustain-ability, green build-ings, global food and education issues.

21T·TIME 3·2012

PEOPLE & TRENDS [CATHERINE MOHR]

spent years designing and fine-tuning their house in Silicon Valley, blogging regularly about what it means “when geeks build green.” An app on her smartphone allows her to check the house’s up-to-date consumption of water and electricity.

This emphasis on sustainability is the reason why Mohr doesn’t believe robotic systems are a precursor to full-on telesurgery. “I think that’s a misguided notion,” she says. “First, the robot is not an autonomous device. Human judgment can’t be replaced when lives are at stake. Second, you would

underlying theme. After studying robotics in graduate school and working on innovative new cars, airplanes and fuel cells to keep the planes aloft for months, she attended medical school to study surgery, linking this knowledge with her robotics work. The native New Zealander now talks regularly to her peers and students across the U.S. about the urgent need to kindle more interest in science, culminating in two appearances at the renowned TED conference.

Mohr is passionate about bringing sustainable technology into all realms of life. She and her husband

“It takes the surgeon’s skills and filters out any tremors and allows precise motions on a very small scale.”

need uninterrupted, reliable high bandwidth to transmit the commands to control the robot remotely. And third, and most important, telemedicine does not solve the systematic problem of the uneven global distribution of resources and know-how.” Instead, Mohr champions the idea of telementoring. “You need to train people to provide basic life support locally,” she says. “Then you can connect a good surgical technician through an audio and video link with a skilled mentor who walks them through a procedure. That’s a scalable and sustainable approach.”

NEWS [UPDATE]

A customized jettyABG Shipyard Ltd. at Dahej in Gujarat, India, needed fendering systems that could handle high tidal variation, strong underwater currents and intense wind velocity at its yard. The company worked with Trelleborg to create a customized jetty design that is both economical and capable of accommodating high-impact loads. Two piles were connected with a fabricated frame to improve the load-

carrying capacity of the jetty. Parallel motion fenders were

then installed at the center of these beams to further

reduce impact on the structure, eliminating the need for conventional fenders.

DN Mathur, Senior Vice President of Projects at ABG, says:

“Trelleborg worked with our civil consultant and

technical team to develop a custom-built solution without

overrunning on tight project timelines. Overcoming the operational hurdles posed by the rough environmental conditions at the jetty within this timeframe meant a saving of approximately EUR 2 million to ABG.”

22 T·TIME 3·2012

DahejPrinting Insights is a new blog for those involved in print management, procurement and distribution. Managed by Trelleborg, a leading manufacturer of printing blankets, the site serves as a venue for print decision-makers and influencers across many different sectors to discuss topical issues with their peers. Printing Insights also features regular posts from Trelleborg, supplemented with a daily Twitter feed, LinkedIn discussions and even a Flickr image library.

Visit the blog at http://printinginsightsblog.trelleborg.com.

In September 2012, Trelleborg installed the

largest privately owned hydrostatic-pressure

testing vessel in the world at its manufacturing and

development facility in Macaé, Brazil. The enormous

tank is used to evaluate subsea products.

Manufactured in Houston, Texas, in the U.S., the test

vessel weighs approximately 200 tons. It was shipped

across the Atlantic to Rio de Janeiro and transported

190 kilometers by road to Macaé, where it was

installed in a 12-meter-deep concrete-lined pit.

Special equipment had to be shipped from São

Paulo, Brazil, to successfully install the unit

inside the already-completed test building.

The big test

A blog on print

LIGHTER MATERIALS REDUCE CO2 EMISSIONSTrelleborg has launched an innovative lightweight silicone material specifically designed for aerospace airframe applications. Typically 20 percent lighter than standard silicones used for aerospace airframe seals, the material contributes to weight reduction and the aerospace industry’s drive to improve efficiency and meet environmental needs. Director Product Management Aerospace, Global Operations Elastomers, Richard Everett says: “Lightweight compounds will increasingly become the materials of choice for aircraft manufacturers. When you consider that a large airliner contains around a ton of rubber elements, a 20 percent drop equates to a 200-kilogram weight saving. That will have a significant effect on lowering fuel burn and overall CO2 reduction.”

WHY DOES THE WEB have such power over us? I guess one reason is the continuing increase in interaction over social media channels.

There are now 955 million* active Facebook users. Incredibly, with around 7 billion people in the world, that means 14 percent have Facebook accounts. The explosion on Twitter and YouTube is just as awesome. The current 500 million* Twitter users equate to 7 percent of the global population.

Our lust for video on the Web means that there is one YouTube view per 3.5 people in the world each day, and 829,000 films are uploaded every 24 hours. As the average length of a YouTube video is two minutes, that’s more than three years’ worth of films per day or 1,150 years of movies uploaded in a year.

At lunch at a city center café recently, virtually everyone had an electronic device in their hand or on the table; no one talked or interacted. Sitting there I wondered what someone transported directly from the 1950s into our time might think. The first reaction would perhaps be one of pity at 21st century man having lost the fundamental skill that makes us humans special: the ability to communicate.

At a second look, perhaps he would understand that this is an advanced form of communication. But with so many people locked into their own virtual worlds, would he really see it as a better way of doing things?

Don’t get me wrong, I am not saying don’t use the Web. It’s a powerful resource that I would never want to be without. What I am saying is don’t get trapped. Remember it’s good to talk, to make eye contact, to share a smile and to laugh together. Make the Internet your tool, not your master.

NET VALUE

The net catches more

829,000

1,150

14%of the people of the world have a Facebook account

7%of the global population are using Twitter

films are uploaded to YouTube every 24 hours

years worth of film are uploaded to YouTube every year

*Figures from August 2012

Trelleborg is a global industrial group

whose leading positions are based on

advanced polymer technology and

in-depth applications know-how.

Trelleborg develops high-perfor-

mance solutions that seal, damp and

protect in demanding industrial envi-

ronments.

The Trelleborg Group has annual

sales of about SEK 22 billion and about

15,500 employees in over 40 countries.

The Group comprises three business

areas: Trelleborg Sealing Solutions,

Trelleborg Wheel Systems, and Trelleborg

Engineered Systems. In addition,

Trelleborg owns 50 percent of Trelleborg-

Vibracoustic, a global leader within

antivibration solutions for light and heavy

vehicles, with annual sales of SEK 13

billion and about 8, 000 employees in

17 countries.

The Trelleborg share has been listed

on the Stockholm Stock Exchange since

1964 and is listed on the NASDAQ

OMX Nordic List, Large Cap.

www.trelleborg.com

23T·TIME 3·2012

A perfect matchIn July Trelleborg and Freudenberg Business Group Vibracoustic formed a joint venture – each company owns half – called TrelleborgVibracoustic. The new company provides antivibration solutions for passenger cars and heavy vehicles.

“I am greatly pleased,” says Trelleborg CEO Peter Nilsson. “The two companies truly match each other.”

Nilsson, who is also chairman of TrelleborgVibracoustic’s supervisory board, continues: ”We have formed a global leader in antivibration solutions, which is a rapidly growing segment within the automotive industry.”

TrelleborgVibracoustic offers automakers across the globe wide geographical coverage in terms of manufacturing and engineering and an extensive range of antivibration products and solutions for light and heavy vehicles, both passenger cars and commercial vehicles. Trelleborg and Freudenberg each bring considerable benefit to the joint venture: Trelleborg’s broad geographical presence complements Freudenberg’s product portfolio.

TrelleborgVibracoustic aims to continually expand its global network, focusing especially on the BRIC (Brazil, Russia, India and China) countries – particularly India and Brazil. The new company has about 8,000 employees and a yearly turnover of around EUR 1.5 billion, serving all top global OEMs. It has its headquarters in Germany, just outside Frankfurt, and regional hubs in China, India, East Asia, Europe, North America and South America.

In yellow: antivibration products provided by

TrelleborgVibracoustic.

Solutions Securing Values™

Some call it impressive.

We call it Trelleborg.

Trelleborg is a global engineering

group creating high-performance

solutions that seal, damp and

protect in demanding industrial

environments, all over the world.

Find out more about our world

at www.trelleborg.com.

The floating theatre. Few people know that Singapore’s national

performing arts centre rests on 1,400 sound-insulating rubber

cushions from Trelleborg. This method provides acoustic insulation

while damping the building’s lateral movements.