Official Loctite® Customer Magazine
How to set up a Porsche GT3 for the
“Porsche Mobil 1 Supercup” challenge
Read more on pages 4 – 5
no. 2/09
10
at work | no. 2/09
Leading in Health & Safety
Our contribution to your safety at work.
Read more about this topic on page 10.
Editorial
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Dear Readers,
Welcome on board. Once again, we are going to take you on a trip behind the scenes of some the world’s most
famous and successful companies. In this second issue of our customer magazine at work, we will take you to
the desert, where the iconic Porsche 911 raced down the track in Bahrain’s scorching heat. Another destination
is Scotland, where Terex® produces a mining truck of gigantic dimensions. The journey will also take you to Italy,
where Gessi, the exclusive interior design manufacturer opened its factory gates for us.
What is it that powerful race cars, luxurious bathroom fittings and monstrous mining trucks have in common?
They all rely on a technology without which modern life as we know it would be unthinkable, but which remains
­invisible for most people: adhesive technology. “This is the golden age of glue” writes the American author Bruce
Sterling and continues: “During the past 30 years, there has been a silent revolution in adhesion.” In this issue, we
give a voice to that silent revolution and open the door to our engineers in Munich and Dublin. They'll share their
­insights and experiences as a part of Sterling’s silent revolution.
In our trend report, we follow up on this theme, taking an in-depth look at the history of maintenance, a topic
closely linked to the development of sealants, adhesives and threadlockers.
Cédric Berthod
Vice President
Loctite Industrial Group
Henkel Adhesive
Technologies EMEA
Yours sincerely,
Cédric Berthod
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Contents
4
6
10
12
Highlight: Porsche Motorsport
Take a look behind the scenes of Porsche
­Motorsport and discover exciting details about
the Porsche 911 GT3 Cup car.
Reliability Report 3: Terex®
100 ton trucks exerting up to 1000 horsepower.
We are paying a visit to the site where these
­giants are manufactured.
RD&E Insights
Environmentally compatible ­threadlockers
set new standards in Health & Safety and
­sustainability.
Integrated Solutions
Developing adhesive formulations tailored to
the needs of a wide variety of industries. One of
­Henkel’s core competencies.
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22
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Trend Report
Maintenance and repair. The future economic
path.
Reliability Report 4: Gessi
Luxury bathroom design "Made in Italy".
­Manufactured by experts skilled in the fine
art of technology.
Handy Hints
Insights online – let us bring you closer to our
technologies and help you find the right Loctite®
product faster and easier.
Outlook
Some of the topics for the next issue of Loctite®
at work.
at work | no. 2/09
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| Highlight
Winning together
Loctite ® and Porsche Motorsport start their technical partnership at full throttle
Porsche Motorsport
and Henkel:
a winning team
Partner status:
Official Technology
Partner to the Porsche
Mobil 1 Supercup.
Official Partner to
Porsche Motorsport
First participation:
2009
Main technical
applications:
Engine, Transmission,
Differential.
Threadlocking:
Loctite® 243,
Loctite® 270
Flange Sealing:
Loctite® 574,
Loctite® 5188
Cleaning:
Loctite® 7063
at work | no. 2/09
On a race circuit in Bahrain, a parade of tiny dots
­ hizzes by in the blistering heat. The icons on parade are
w
the cars that make up the field of the Porsche 911 GT3
Mobil 1 Supercup. The Porsche 911 is a legendary vehicle
and a physical symbol of brand awareness rivalled only by
a ­select few. It is one of the few products that have become
a globally recognizable symbol, like Coca-Cola.
However, what is not as well known as the elegant, curved
shape of the 911 GT3 that just raced by under the ­burning
desert sun is this "minor" detail: the construction of the car
relies on modern adhesive ­technology. In order to draw
attention to this fact, Porsche and Henkel, with its strong
Loctite brand, have engaged in a partnership to support
the Porsche Mobil 1 Supercup.
The Supercup competition is the overture to Formula 1,
the most popular motorsport event in the world. ­Porsche
Mobil 1 Supercup races are held on every ­Sunday ­before
a ­Formula 1 race. After the opening event in the ­Kingdom
of Bahrain this spring, ten more races in ­different ­European
countries are scheduled throughout the course of the
year.
The Porsche 911 GT3 Cup cars, which only weigh
1130 kg, boast engines with 420 bhp and a top speed of
290 ­kilometres per hour. This lightweight ­co­nstruction is
made ­possible using alternative materials like ­aluminium
and composites, which is where adhesives come into
play. Since aluminium and ­composites don’t lend ­ themselves to thermal welding, alternative solutions needed
to be found.
Porsche and Loctite® engineers worked together to find
­ xactly those solutions, in the race car as well as in the
e
­series model 911 GT3. Loctite® products are used in the
construction of the engine, the gearbox and differential.
­Porsche relies on the proven Loctite® durability when it
comes to threadlocking and flange sealing, ensuring
­reliability of these vehicles even under extreme conditions
like the heat of Bahrain. Loctite® 243 is used to secure
bolts on the ­gearbox clamping plate, the fixing bolts of
the oil spray tube inside the gearbox and fixing bolts of
the ­sequential gear shift system. While Loctite® 574, a
fast curing gasketing product, seals the two-part ­gearbox
housing.
The fixing bolts of the differential housing, the stud bolts
of the gearbox housing as well as the fixing bolts of the oil
pump housing and the bolts of the mounting frame of a
pinion wheel shaft are secured with Loctite® 270. ­Loctite®
products are also used for component manufacturing:
­Loctite® 270 for the tappet pins onto the wheel hub, and
Loctite® 243 for the heat protection shield mounted to
the brake caliper protecting electronic sensors from the
brake heat.
Loctite® is heavily used in the manufacturing of the
­vehicles, but it plays a part in their maintenance, too. At
the ­beginning of the season in March, all 14 cars ­taking
part in the ­Supercup were provided with a full set of
­Loctite® ­threadlocking, ­gasketing and cleaning products.
The ­cooperation ­between the two companies goes a lot
­further than that, however. Engineers of the two firms are
in ­constant contact and ­Porsche’s demands often spur
­innovation in the Loctite® labs in Dublin and Munich.
Highlight
Bernd Homberg is the Loctite® Sales Engineer responsible
for the cooperation with Porsche Motorsports. “It can go
both ways: either we have a new product and approach
the Porsche engineers, they test it and check whether it’s
helpful for them. Or, Porsche hits on a problem that can
be solved with adhesive technology and they turn to us
for ­assistance”. He explains the way the partners work
­together. “At the moment, Porsche is testing Loctite® 5188
as a gasket for the differential housing. When they were
looking for a way to attach a stopper to the tank we were
able to solve the problem with high temperature ­resistant
two-component epoxy adhesive Loctite® Hysol 9492,” he
continues.
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This commitment to the high-end of innovation and ­quality
represents only two of the values that Henkel and Porsche
share. The fact that both firms are family businesses that
maintain long-term relationships with their employees is
one of the similarities in company culture that facilitates
communication.
Both companies are used to being consultants as well as
manufacturers. Loctite® provides its customers with hightech solutions and individual support. Porsche actually
started as an engineering consulting company and has
­retained that feature until today.
One of the interesting features of what the American
­author Bruce Sterling calls the “silent revolution in ­adhesive
­chemistry” is the fact that adhesive technology doesn’t
­always receive a great deal of attention in academia.
Groundbreaking research and innovative ideas are ­often
a result of business needs and take place in companies
rather than natural science faculties. Henkel is trying to
remedy this situation, however, and is making its long
years of experience and extensive know-how available
to ­universities in a number of cooperation projects. As a
­professional partner to young engineers and a product
­supplier to their racing teams, Loctite® has been part of
“Formula Student” for several years.
Threadlocker Loctite® 2700:
Health & Safety counts
Flange sealant Loctite® 574:
fast cure speed
Threadlocker Loctite® 270:
high strength for extreme loads
Threadlocker Loctite® 243:
vibration resistant, removable assembly
High-speed engineering for professionals
The Bahrain story of the German driver René Rast makes abundantly clear how crucial good engineering and ­maintenance
is to succeeding in the Supercup. Ten minutes before the start of the race, René Rast wanted to drive out of the garage,
but suddenly there was a loud crack! His chances of making it to the grid in time didn’t look good. One of the two drive
shafts had gone. Seven mechanics instantly swarmed the car and managed to do the impossible: within only 8 ­minutes
and 23 seconds they had replaced the shaft, using threadlocker Loctite® 243 to ­secure the six bolts holding the shaft
to the gearbox. “The change of the drive shaft was done in just over eight minutes”, says ­engineer Frank Funke, proud
of his team Veltins MRS Racing, in an interview with racecam.de. “I owed this result to my boys”, a grateful Rast said
after the race. He came in second, beaten only by Bleekemolen. Richard Westbrooke, Supercup winner in 2005 and
2006, achieved a third place on his comeback to the Supercup.
at work | no. 2/09
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| Reliability Report 3
Hard work
Siberia, minus 50 °C. A giant truck rumbles along the gravel of the coal mines, with the
powerful determination of an angry rhino. The giant used in the Siberian mines was
manufactured in Scotland, just like its twin brother doing hard work in copper mines
under the blazing Mexican sun.
The factory in Scotland
at work | no. 2/09
Ready for delivery
A wheel as big as a man
Wheel suspension of a 100 ton truck
Reliability Report 3
These trucks, used for heavy mining work in some of the world's
most treacherous areas, are produced by the American company
Terex®. Vehicles exposed to the full force of extreme climates and loads
rely on high-end technology in combination with solid engineering to get
the job done. This is where Loctite® products make an impact, and the
two companies have a long standing business relationship.
22 bolts are secured with Loctite® 648
at work | no. 2/09
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| Reliability Report 3
Terex® markets more than 50 brands covering a broad range of ­equipment
for the construction, infrastructure, quarrying, recycling, surface mining,
­shipping, transportation, refining, utility and maintenance industries. Henkel
had the chance to send a film crew to the Terex® plant in Glasgow, ­Scotland
to see Loctite® products in action.
The enormous power the Terex® machines wield requires the reliability that
Loctite® adhesives and sealants can ensure. Locating studs – locked with
high strength anaerobic compound Loctite® 648 – allow easy and fast
­fixturing of the differential, a crucial construction part exposed to strong
forces. The rigid flanges of the differential housing are sealed with Loctite®
518. ­Besides instant seal, Loctite® 518 guarantees the reliable long-term
performance ­because there is no gasket relaxation, and correct clamp load
is maintained throughout the life of the assembly. This is a perfect example
of how ­Loctite® products provide optimisation in production.
A wheel
as big as a man
Inspiring strong feelings
How do you measure a company’s appeal? Is it the level of brand ­awareness?
The market position? Customer loyalty?
There is another way of doing it, by asking a simple question: whose
­products will inspire more excitement in a conversation amongst school
children? ­Applying that measure, even Porsche and Ferrari will have hard
time ­competing with Terex®. The American firm is the manufacturer of the
biggest digger and the strongest crane in the world.
The list of awe-inspiring products from Terex® doesn’t stop here. At the
Scottish location, gigantic coal-mining trucks and other heavy duty
applications are assembled. To get an idea of how big these trucks
really are, just picture a wheel that is as tall as a grown man. Terex®
produces seven different models of these trucks, with ­loading
­capacities up to 100 tons.
Attention to detail and emphasis on good craftsmanship are the
­ ttributes that Terex® and Loctite® engineers share. “Jackie is ­always
a
just a phone call away,” says Steven Macholecki, a supervisor at
the ­Scottish Terex® plant in a video documenting the use of Loctite® in
­production. Jackie is Jackie Marshall, the Loctite® sales engineer ­responsible
for Terex® in Glasgow.
Marshall spends at least one day a week at the plant in Glasgow, and
the ­cooperation with the Terex® engineers seems to be working well for
both ­parties. “I’m involved in finding adhesive and sealant solutions for new
­designs, but I’m also there when they encounter maintenance problems,”
he explains.
at work | no. 2/09
Reliability Report 3
|
Long-life, reliable
gasketing solution
Globally, Terex® is a well-known name when it comes to
equipment for the construction, infrastructure, quarrying,
recycling, surface mining, shipping, transportation, ­refining,
utility, and maintenance industries. Among its portfolio is an
impressive range of heavy duty vehicles including ­cranes,
dumpers, excavators, digger derricks and rollers, as well
as both rigid and articulated trucks.
“The company has built a reputation for providing high
­quality products that do their jobs with efficiency,” ­explains
David Brown, Technical Support Engineer at the Terex®
base in Motherwell, Scotland. “The differential flange
must be sealed in a way to ensure long-term reliability by
­eliminating leak paths.”
Terex® already used a number of Loctite® products on its
­vehicles for a variety of applications, so it was natural to
call in the local Henkel sales engineer, Jackie Marshall, to
recommend a solution.
“The answer was to use a liquid gasketing ­product,” ­states
David. “It was recommended that ­Loctite® 518 was ­trialled
for the purpose – and this provided the solution we were
seeking.”
vehicle differentials, but also on gearbox, axle and engine
flanges such as timing covers. It provides an ­instant seal
against low pressures, fills gaps up to 0.25 mm, and is
­effective at temperatures ranging from -55 °C to +150 °C.
Reliability
at work
The size of the flange surface meant that application
­techniques needed to be taken into consideration. “We
are talking about a two-inch wide film on a three-foot
­diameter flange,” declares David. “With such an area to
cover, ­normal ­application methods – such as the use of a
­standard ­dispensing gun – were not really suitable. Again,
­Henkel through its Loctite® products was able to help.”
Customer:
Terex®,
Scotland
That help came in the form of the Loctite® Trax Roller.
This is a roller (similar to the one used for painting) that is
­attached to a dispensing gun, allowing the gasket ­material
to be ­applied quickly with a very even film over the whole
area.
Products:
Loctite® 518
Loctite® 648
Task:
Provide a l­ong-lasting
seal on a three-foot
­diameter rigid flange at
the rear axle d
­ ifferential.
“Since we have put this solution into practice, we have
­never experienced any problems with leakage," ­concludes
David.
Liquid anaerobic gaskets conform totally to the flange
­surface, filling all gaps and irregularities. Bolts, flange, and
gasket act as a unit, sharing operational stresses. Loctite®
518 is designed for sealing rigid flange faces – not only on
Source: Terex® case study
The rear axle shaft ready for further
processing
Cleaning the flange of the rear axle
­differential with Loctite® 7063
Sealing the flange of the rear axle
­differential with Loctite® 518
Differential is ready for assembly
22 bolts holding the differential to the
rear axle are retained with ­Loctite®
648
Transmission and wheel suspension are
assembled
Rear axle ready for the next a
­ ssembly
step
Transmission assembly in a 100 ton
truck
at work | no. 2/09
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| RD&E Insights
Reliability
at work
Benefits
• Medium and
high strength
­threadlockers
• Outstanding
­performance
• Added ­benefit
of ­enhanced
­occupational H&S
• No hazard symbols
• No risk phrases
Defining sustainability
Environmental awareness has come a long way. Once
the domain of bearded men wearing Birkenstock ­sandals,
they have now arrived in corporate boardrooms all over
the world. Sustainability has become a buzz word in the
­business community. What exactly does sustainability
mean to you, though?
That is the question that Henkel Product Manager Erik
­Edelmann and his team asked their industrial customers.
“For most customers it is rather difficult to clearly define
sustainability. The term generally encompasses energy
and climate, materials and waste, water consumption,
health and safety, as well as social progress. However, the
­primary focus is clearly on occupational health and safety
and ­environmental responsibility,” says Edelmann.
• No safety phrases
• No declarable CMRs
A clean sheet
This was not an entirely new challenge for Henkel, as the
company has always placed great importance on non-­
hazardous substances and minimal eco-toxicity in the
more than one hundred years of its history. With the new
­threadlockers Loctite® 2400 and Loctite® 2700, Henkel has
broken new ground in occupational health and safety. The
medium strength threadlockers Loctite® 2400 and the high
strength threadlocker Loctite® 2700 are a leap ­forward,
because they both have a “white” MSDS ­(Material Safety
Data Sheet).
“A white MSDS means that according to the tough
­regulations of (EC) No. 1907/2006 - ISO 11014-1 both
threadlockers do not carry any hazard symbols, risk or safety
phrases. In addition, they do not contain any ­declarable
CMRs (Carcinogenic, Mutagenic and ­Reproductive ­toxins),”
explains Edelmann and continues: “You will be surprised
to see that your ordinary ­dishwashing agent or all-­purpose
cleaner carries more hazard symbols than these ­industrial
products.”
RD&E Insights
The evolution of new adhesives
David Condron
Senior Chemist, Product Development Europe,
Dublin, Ireland
at work | no. 2/09
Never sacrifice performance
As usual, the Henkel specialists in the Dublin ­Technology
centre were working together very closely with their
­customers during the development process. “In the case
of Loctite® 2400 and Loctite® 2700, we were ­collaborating
with two large customers in France,” says Edelmann. His
professional background is in chemical engineering, a
­training which greatly facilitated the communication with
leading developer David Condron in Dublin. “The ­customers
took a very cautious approach and insisted that not even
the decomposition products should be ­hazardous,” says
Condron.
Not willing to sacrifice performance, Condron and his
­colleagues worked for more than a year on the project
and finally made it happen: they developed products that
retained the customary high Loctite® performance with a
“white” health and safety bill.
“We were lucky to have the chance to cooperate with
highly sophisticated and demanding customers,” says
Edelmann.
RD&E Insights
The medical officers in France took a ­personal ­interest
in the project and gave direct feedback on the ­various
­prototypes. By meeting the customer’s needs, ­Loctite®
­engineers set a new standard in the realm of ­industrial
threadlocking. “I have to say that we are proud of this
achievement and the fact that we were able to ­reaffirm
Henkel’s position as a technological industry leader,”
­Condron stated at the end of the interview.
Because safety matters: Loctite® threadlockers with a “white” health and safety bill
Quality and responsibility have always been important issues
at Henkel. Continuously striving to improve the Health & Safety of
its ­products, the company breaks new ground with the medium strength
­threadlocker Loctite® 2400 and high strength threadlocker Loctite® 2700. These
two products retain the same outstanding level of performance customers have come
to trust, with the essential added benefit of enhanced occupational health and safety:
• Loctite® 2400 and Loctite® 2700 require no hazard symbols, no risk phrases and no
­safety phrases on Material Safety Data Sheet complying with the tough EU regulations
• They do not contain any declarable CMRs (Carcinogenic, Mutagenic and ­Reproductive
toxins)
• They do not require any entries in sections 2, 3, 15 and 16 of the MSDS according to
(EC) No. 1907/2006 - ISO 11014-1
No compromise on performance
Medium strength threadlocker Loctite® 2400 is fluorescent blue with a viscosity of
3000 mPa·s and a shear strength on steel of 9 N/mm2. The high strength Loctite® 2700 is
fluorescent green, has a viscosity of 500 mPa·s and a shear strength of 18 N/mm2. Once
cured, both products offer excellent resistance against most industrial chemicals. They
achieve good thermal resistance, withstanding continuous operating temperatures up to
150 °C.
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| Integrated Solutions
A perfect
combination
What do cars, aeroplanes, syringes, shoes, trucks, water taps, arrows from ­ancient
Mongolia, spaceships and tunnel boring machines have in common? The answer is:
the use of a ubiquitous, yet rarely noticed technology- adhesive ­engineering. Even
though the use of glue can be traced back to the Neanderthals, the last 30 years
have seen an enormous increase in its reliability as well as in industrial ­adhesive
­applications.
Stefan Frisch
Application Technologist
­Henkel Engineering Adhesive
at work | no. 2/09
Hermann Handwerker
Manager European Technical
Service, Henkel Munich
According to Stefan Frisch and Hermann Handwerker from Henkel in Munich, this
is not only a fact normally ignored by the layman; even engineers and academics
don’t give adhesives the credit they deserve. “University courses only touch briefly
on ­adhesives, one of the “youngest” joining technologies, if they include them at all,”
says Frisch, an application technologist. “A lot of the research and the ­innovation
results from companies like Henkel who are trying to meet customer needs," adds
Handwerker.
Integrated Solutions
Handwerker, who holds a PhD in chemistry, continues:
“After university, I didn’t even think about the adhesive
­industry as a possible employer. And I think it’s the same
for most engineers, too; using adhesives is somehow seen
as ­second best, something to be avoided,” he explains.
This is of course completely unjustified, according to Frisch
and Handwerker, who almost seem like missionaries for the
adhesive cause during this lunch-time interview, their zeal
hardly allowing them to finish their meals.
Standard or tailor made?
They might have a point, as a look around the Henkel
test centre in Munich demonstrates. Just ­behind
the entrance there is a showcase displaying a
­variety of items ­produced with the use of
­adhesives: Loudspeakers, syringes and
infusion ­bottles to name just a few. The
centre in ­Munich is one of the places
where Loctite® specialists ­conduct
the ­research that Handwerker
and Frisch referred to during the
­interview.
Frisch points to a differential
gear in one of the rooms and
­explains: “This is a project we’ve
been ­working on for more than
a year. A customer from the
­automotive industry wanted us
to find an ­adhesive solution for
putting ­together the parts of this
­differential.” This is one of the ­benefits
of working for ­Henkel: ­Finding and
­testing ­solutions is a service that Henkel
offers as a ­support to customers in their
­development ­process.
­ onditions. Applying the products prevents ­fretting and
c
­corrosion, minimises costly breakdowns and extends
­service life. Appropriate dispensing equipment is ­available
for ­manual as well as other application jobs in the ­workshop.
And should there be problems: the local sales engineer is
just a phone call away.
Product applications can be found in a wide range of
­industries. Special packages have been developed for
­applications on pump, centrifuge, power plant, shaft and,
last but not least, water treatment which by all accounts will
be one of the growth industries of the 21st century.
Is there further room for development when it comes to the
use of industrial adhesives? Silly question: “Of course there
is,” says Handwerker. “This is a relatively new ­technology
and we have just scratched the surface of what’s ­possible.”
This sentence almost exactly echoes a statement made
by his colleague featured in the first issue of this ­magazine
about the Tear Down Centre. There, an interdisciplinary
team of specialists looks at each component of a finished
product to see whether the value of the product can be
­enhanced or the cost of manufacturing can be reduced.
All these efforts help to spread the word about the power
of ­adhesives and sealants.
But finding or creating the right product is only the
first step; the second step is ­applying and ­dispensing
the product in the right manner. This is the area that
­Frisch specialises in. “We offer a large ­variety of standard
­equipment, both for manual and ­automatic ­dispensing,” he
says. Again, the Loctite® ­engineers work on a problem until
they have come up with a solution that will stand the final
test of continuous use on an ­assembly line or in a factory
workshop. “If no combination of ­standard ­equipment will
do, we have a team responsible for ­designing tailor-made
solutions,” Frisch continues.
One of the advantages of being the market leader for such
a long time is the wealth of experience and know-how the
team in Munich has accumulated. The customer gets the
right product and the appropriate dispensing equipment all
in one, which leads to very user friendly solutions.
The omnipresent customer need to cut costs is very much
on the minds of the Loctite® crew in Munich. ­Loctite®
­adhesives offer benefits not only in manufacturing, but
also for maintenance and repair. Loctite® ­engineers have
­developed solutions that emphasise prevention rather than
repair. A good example for this strategy is the ­gearbox
and shaft package they have assembled: a range of more
than 20 products developed to perform ­under ­extreme
at work | no. 2/09
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| Trend Report
Maintenance −
the invisible power of development
Since humans first began developing tools, there has always been a need to m
­ aintain
them. The careful maintenance of an economic production ­p rocess was often a
­necessity for survival, especially in times of scarce and valuable commodities. The
road to implementing modern industrial maintenance was a long one. Given the
­d evelopments ahead of us, we are still at the beginning of that road.
at work | no. 2/09
Trend Report
The history of maintenance is also the history of culture and
an allegory to the industry's conception and ­philosophy.
­Effective and efficient maintenance is, more than ever, ­vital
for development, particularly in times of financial ­crises and
reduced turnover, increasing costs for energy, ­commodities
and labour.
Today, Maintenance, Repair and Overhaul (MRO) costs
more than € 1,500 bn per year in the EU alone, and
more than € 7,000 bn worldwide. Over 50 million jobs
are ­directly related to MRO, and 150 million jobs are
­indirectly ­related. ­However, requirements for MRO are
­increasing and, ­especially in times of financial ­crisis
and ­reduced ­budgets, are difficult to meet. Laws are
­tightening the scope to ­respond to these requirements,
as well as ­meeting ­customers’ demands, incorporating
new ­technologies, and considering economic and ecologic
necessities. However, ­modern industry would not be able
to work ­efficiently ­without up-to-the-minute and innovative
methods of ­maintaining tools and equipment.
The early years of industry − maintenance by
­accident
In the early stages of industrial development, breakdowns
were commonplace due to the means of production and,
consequently, down-times were high.
The symbol of early maintenance was “the man with the
oil can”. And, beside this basic service, one simply had to
­repair the damage as it occurred. There were no ­monitoring
systems available at that time, and the ­analysis of ­probability
of ­failure was in the early developmental stages.
The transformation of failure based on preventive
­maintenance began with traffic engineering; initially from the
railways, and later with aviation technology. The ­immediate
danger to human life and the difficulties encountered on the
way to carry out maintenance work were the driving forces
in the development of preventive maintenance.
Prevention is better than a cure − preventive
­maintenance
The reorientation of preventive maintenance in the ­industry
did not start in Europe or the US, but in ­post-war ­Japan.
In an exemplary manner, industrial production was
­transformed after World War II. The simple concept was
to follow manufacturers’ recommendations about the
­controlled care and maintenance of machines and ­devices,
which was not so usual in the 1950s. It was part of the
Japanese Kaizen philosophy, which means (in this context)
“continuous improvement toward the better”.
Looking into the crystal ball − predictive
­maintenance
By the 1960s, increasing competitive pressure led to a
steady improvement and continuity of production plants.
Consequently, the reliability of equipment and the ­probability
of error intervals became predictable, ­depending on load
and production time. This knowledge led to the ­increasing
quality standards of used materials and ­manufacturing
processes. Predictive maintenance was not able to
­foresee ­occurrences caused by incidence or ­failure but
this ­approach led to distinct statistical knowledge, which
was reused by modern technology and software.
at work | no. 2/09
|
15
| Trend Report
Itaipú: the largest hydro­
electric power plant on
earth. Some of the 20
­tubes ­leading water to the
turbines at Itaipú dam on
­Paraná ­river, located on
the border between Brazil
and Paraguay.
Putting the pieces together − total productive
maintenance
At the start of the 1970s, globalised competition required
a further increase in production efficiency to reduce costs.
The Japanese Institute of Plant Engineering merged US
maintenance concepts to create a new standard. The core
of the new concept was “autonomous maintenance”. The
key to its success was the knowledge and experience of
the facility operators.
Based on this new philosophy, maintenance became
part of the entire production and development process.
­Prerequisite was to improve all aspects of production
and maintenance; from the planning and development of
­systems to their care and beyond. The unique ­element of
this ­concept was “Zero Goals”, which means “no ­unplanned
downtimes caused by preventable failures” and, as a final
objective, ensures that Total Productive Maintenance (TPM)
is a continuous improvement process.
at work | no. 2/09
Safety, health and
­environment
Education and training
TPM in office
Initial flow control
Quality maintenance
Planned maintenance
Equipment and process
­improvement
TPM
Autonomous maintenance
16
Optimising the I/0-ratio − risk-based smart
­maintenance
The goal of Risk-based Smart Maintenance is to ­monitor
the conditions of equipment to calculate the probability of
a breakdown and to perform maintenance when it is most
cost-effective.
Therefore, the comprehensive and sensitive Condition
Monitoring (CM) of the load on the parts of an installation
is essential to gain the data for risk calculation. Modern
CM systems meet the highest demands on sensors, data
­collection, forwarding and automatic processing, analysis
and diagnosis, as well as plant-specific knowledge.
Risk-based Smart Maintenance also offers the ­greatest
­potential for cost savings. The life of critical machine
­elements can be almost fully exploited while, at the same
time, necessary maintenance activities can be scheduled
in coordination with the production plan.
The challenges of this strategy can be seen in:
• The search for appropriate sampling and sensors
• Finding the relevant parameters (state variables) for the
damage to the components of interest
• The signal analysis and pattern recognition
• The enormous flood of data
• Data-analysis and models for risk assessment
Behind the scenes − maintenance technologies
of the future
Smart Monitoring is only possible as a result of advances in
technology in the fields of mechanics, acoustics, ­systems
theory, electronics and computer science. Sensors in thin
film technology, which can be placed directly onto the
Trend Report
structure to be monitored, allow a precise data on critical
zones. It also enables Smart Monitoring, which balances
activities and controls measures.
Downtime in a highly-effective plant can cost enormous
amounts each minute. A modern power plant, for ­example,
produces up to 1,500 MW from each turbine. Large power
plants, such as Itaipú in South America, have 20 lines.
Measured by international energy spot market prices, each
minute of downtime costs the plant roughly €1,500. Far
more ­error-prone in production is the automotive industry.
Here a line has clock rates of less than a minute. So each
minute of downtime could exceed the total amount of one
car’s gross profit.
RFID – smart objects everywhere
Smart tagging by RFID technology is another approach to
realise cost-effective maintenance for complex ­industrial
machines and plants. RFID enables the implementation of
a smart object from planning to construction, ­assembling,
­maintenance, disassembly and reassembly. Maintenance
will be much easier with self-monitoring smart objects,
which are able to store their data history, to communicate
with a CMD, to stimulate necessary steps ­automatically,
and to lead service teams to the area where the work
is ­required. In this context, the concept of ubiquitous
­computing will lead to a new approach in dealing with the
growing complexity of plants and technology.
Mobile maintenance communication services
In order to avoid downtime, the 24/7 availability of all
­required service parts has to be guaranteed. ­Successful
and fast operating logistics is a key factor of efficient
­maintenance. Requirement and delivery times will be
­reduced to a minimum through mobile communication
­systems. In ­connection with RFID technology, ­specifications
of work pieces, ­maintenance instructions, technical details
and construction plans of even the most complex systems
will be available at any time and place.
The chemistry of maintenance
For a long time, maintenance has been seen primarily as
a matter of material technique, handcraft and physics.
With the development of complex and sensitive plants,
­chemistry has increasingly found its way into processes.
Today, a maintenance team not using numerous ­chemical
aids such as lubricants, metalworking fluids, protecting
sprays or silicone speciality products is inconceivable.
Improving maintenance is imperative to ­cost-effective
­production. Given to a standard industrial net profit ­ratio, a
reduction of 1 % in maintenance costs may have the same
­effect a 33 % increase in turnover. Even in times of lower
turnover, the demand to reduce the cost of labour (which
covers 60 % of MRO spendings) will meet ­maintenance as
well as all other aspects of production. Therefore, the smart
replacement of procedures, such as the ­substitution of
welding by bonding technologies, will be able to ­contribute
an important share to this goal.
Increase profits through increased
maintenance efficiency
€ 133 m
Turnover
€ 100 m
€ 100 m
8 %
7 %
8 %
3 % ROS
4 % ROS
4 % ROS
€ 3 m
€ 4 m
€ 4 m
Maintenance
­efficiency
Sales
growth
Share of maintenance
Return on sales
Profit
Profit increase by
Source: MCP GmbH
­ ilitary-driven development is able to provide very ­useful
m
information. Currently, some US universities are ­developing
Knowledge-based Augmented Reality for ­Maintenance
­Assistance. These systems are tentatively ­using a
­head-mounted display to explain maintenance ­information,
construction plans or sensor data.
New materials for a new world
In 1912, the Krupp company developed a new kind of
steel (a mixture of iron, chromium and nickel) with ­excellent
strength and durability against corrosion. At that time, it was
a significant step toward reliability. Today, new ­materials
with ­outstanding properties are available to enable new
­applications. Plastics, composites and carbon fibre have
been available for some time now and are widely used in
numerous industries, from tunnelling to aviation. Along with
these new ­materials, new maintenance requirements will
be sent to the suppliers of MRO.
Currently, self-healing products with the ability to ­partially
repair damages are in development, but are not in
­commercial use. Another approach to future maintenance
are the amazing capabilities of nano-tech materials with a
high capability of increasing the stability of equipment by
improved components and processes.
From the outset, the goal of maintenance has been to
­increase profit by reducing losses in productivity. Plants and
production of the future will have to be far more ­complex
than they are today. Highly sophisticated ­maintenance
technologies are part of the solution.
Reliability
at work
Glossary
bn:
billions 1 billion =
1,000,000,000
m:
millions 1 million =
1,000,000
MW:
Megawatt = 1,000,000
Watt
TPM:
Total Productive
­Maintenance
CM:
Condition Monitoring
CMD:
Central Maintenance
Database
RFID:
Radio frequency
­identification by
­transponders with
­integrated circuits
ROS:
Return on sales
See, feel, learn − augmented reality
Augmented reality deals with the combination of ­real-world
and computer-generated data, where ­computer ­graphics
objects are blended into real footage in real time. This
at work | no. 2/09
|
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18
| Reliability Report 4
The poetry
of added value
A slight, but unmistakable scent of vanilla pervades the hallway, and the attention of
the visitor is captured by the nostalgic beauty of some antique Italian motorcycles
decorating the room. What seems like the entrance to an exclusive spa or a fancy
hang-out for motorcycle enthusiasts actually leads to a showroom for water taps and
showerheads. But if you associate water taps and shower heads with the ­a ppropriate
aisle in the DIY store, you need to think again.
Gessi company headquarters in
Vercelli, Italy
at work | no. 2/09
Entrance to Gessi’s showroom
Design meets reliability: Rettangolo
Colour water tap
Raw material ready for processing
Reliability Report 4
Pre-applied coating of water taps
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|
19
20
| Reliability Report 4
Loctite® 2701 is put to use on
­ assive metal surfaces
p
Assembly of plated parts with L
­ octite®
2701
Bagno “Small” is ready for use
Loctite® 638 is used for locking and
­sealing of threaded parts, even at room
temperature
Reflecting on the morality of objects
Both Gessi’s and Henkel’s company philosophies emphasise the
­importance of beauty. Since its foundation in 1876, Henkel’s mission
statement has remained “to produce products to make life easier, ­better
and more beautiful”. Beauty, not just the beauty of products, also plays
an extremely important role in the Gessi philosophy, which sometimes
reads like an artistic manifesto and dazzles with sentences like these:
“The core value of the business system is beauty. Beauty does not ­refer
exclusively to the aesthetic value of the product since it’s a dimension
that pervades every aspect of the business.”
The average DIY store customer will probably be astonished to learn that
a manufacturer of water taps believes that “the true added value of a
brand is its poetry content and its respect for the world”. ­Therefore, the
manufacturer hasem barked on a mission to create artistic ­consumer
goods, goods that are meant to “induce a reflection on the morality of
­objects”.
Manufacturing beauty
Gessi, however, doesn’t only talk the talk; at the plant in Serravalle
Sesia, it walks the walk: “We don’t want to compete with low price
­manufacturers in China. We deliver the highest quality, both in design and
functionality and it’s working very well for us,” explains Andrea Renna,
the Quality Assurance Director. This is no exaggeration: the company’s
turnover grew by a stunning 23 % in 2007.
Reliability
at work
Customer:
Gessi,
Italy
Task:
Locking and ­sealing
exclusive sanitary
­accessories for a whole
lifetime.
Products:
Loctite® 2701
Loctite® 7063
Loctite® 638
Loctite® 243
at work | no. 2/09
Gessi’s coloured light taps are a good example of this dedication to
beauty and functionality. The Rettangolo Color tap lines feature the
­trademark minimalist elegance, relying on geometrical shapes: in this
case an open rectangle. When water passes through, a temperature-­
sensitive LED lights up in different colours – blue, purple, or red –
­according to the water temperature.
Loctite® has been a partner to Gessi from the very beginning, and ­Loctite®
threadlockers play an important role in the manufacturing ­process of a
large number of Gessi products. “We use Loctite® ­products for every
screw that needs to be secured and watertight,” explains Andrea Renna.
Be it the extraordinary square showerheads or the huge water taps for
industrial kitchens, Loctite® always plays a vital part in ensuring the
­durability of the fittings.
Elegant production
The plant in Serravalle Sesia, which is just across the road from the
­showroom, is another reflection of the company’s emphasis on beauty
and design. The production facility resembles a giant lab styled in the
company colours – orange and black. Every worker wears a shirt or a
sweater with the company logo. The preferred means of ­transportation
within the plant are bicycles. These are, of course, black and orange
and bear the company name as well as the name of the user or the
­department.
Reliability Report 4
Assembly of water taps for hand
washbasins with Loctite® 638
Rettangolo Color tap is ready for use
Assembly of water taps for kitchen
sinks with Loctite® 243
Quadro High Tech is ready for use
Even though Gessi sells its products to business and private ­customers
all over the world, the entire production process takes place in the
­Serravalle ­Sesia plant. Producing in a high-wage region like northern ­Italy
is not seen as a liability, but as an integral part of a company ­philosophy
which emphasises quality and a high standard of human relationships.
Modern times haven’t stopped at Gessi’s doorstep, however. The ­factory,
which is clean and orderly to the point of sterility, belying all stereotypical
perception of Italian chaos and laissez faire, employs robots and other
advanced production technology wherever possible. The yellow robots
in their metal cages with their graceless, yet effective, movements ­feature
prominently, especially at the beginning of the assembly line.
“We automate where we can,” says Renna. “But due to the ­sophistication
of our products, a lot of work has to be done by hand and this will
­continue to be the case.” While showing us through the plant, Renna
points to red Loctite® bottles that can be seen on top of many of the
work benches ­inside the facility. Gessi handles, soap dispensers or
­mirrors all rely on the performance of Loctite® 638.
Creative solutions
However, the collaboration between Henkel and Gessi transcends the
usual ­supplier-customer relationship. As companies whose ­success
­depends heavily on a continuous process of innovation and the ­ability
to respond quickly to global market demands, Gessi and Henkel have
­entered a relationship that can be best described as a form of ­partnership.
Quality Assurance Director Renna recalls the case of a soap ­dispenser
that Gessi sold to Russia. “Because of the temperature ­differences, the
regular glue we used gave out and broke the glass. We were able to
solve the issue by making use of the flexibility built into ­certain ­Loctite®
products,” says Renna.
|
Andrea Renna,
Quality Assurance ­Director,
Gessi Spa
“Gessi is the leader in bathroom and kitchen sanitary ware and ­accessories.
As of today, we are a worldwide reference for the “Made in Italy” seal as
a company whose products are featured in the most exclusive hotels,
in the best wellness spas and on the most expensive yachts. Although
it is a designer product, it is, above all, a quality product.
Quality of production, quality of the working environment, quality
in the way we produce our appliances and the way we choose our
­suppliers.
Loctite® is a partner which fully meets our philosophy.”
“If there is a challenge where we can assist, we take care of it
­immediately,” says Massimigliano Moneta, Loctite’s Technical Sales
­Consultant ­responsible for Gessi. Loctite® maintains a laboratory in
­Milan and the response comes within a matter of days.
“Up to now, we have always been able to find a
­solution, normally by pointing out an ­alternative
use for one of the products from our range,”
says Moneta. Even if that shouldn’t be the
case at some point in the future, there is
­always the European ­Technology ­Centre
in Dublin ready to take on the task of
finding a creative adhesive for a ­creative
customer.
at work | no. 2/09
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22
| Handy Hints
The knowledge toolbox
Whether 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
­p latform designed for engineers, by engineers: www.loctitesolutions.com/uk
See exciting application
videos and share our
customers’ experiences.
Find your specific product solution for your
threadlocking, thread sealing, retaining and
gasketing applications.
Order the next issue of at work magazine on:
www.loctitesolutions.com/uk
at work | no. 2/09
Outlook
551 tons of grain within 8 hours. That’ s the kind of speed
that turned the new generation of New Holland combine
harvesters into the Guinness world record holder.
... coming soon
Join us on our trip to Zagreb
where we'll visit Končar ­Electric
­Vehicles Inc. Witness the production of
­theses modern low-floor trams, there are over
a hundred which reliably serve the Zagreb public
­transportation system on a daily basis.
at work | no. 2/09
|
23
Imprint
Publisher
Henkel AG & Co. KGaA
Adhesive Technologies
Henkelstraße 67
40191 Düsseldorf
Germany
www.henkel.com
Editorial Department
Marketing Department EMEA:
Christian Scholze
Andreas Engl
Beate Schneider
Isabelle Feix
Erik Edelmann
Frank Fischer
Contact
Andreas Engl (Project lead)
Phone: +49-211-797-6758
Andreas.Engl@henkel.com
Creation
blösch.partner
Werbeagentur GmbH
www.bloesch-partner.de
Henkel Limited
Wood Lane End
Hemel Hempstead
Hertfordshire HP2 4RQ
Tel. 01442 278100
Fax 01442 278071
www.loctitesolutions.com/uk
www.loctite.co.uk
® designates a trademark of Henkel AG & Co. KGaA or its affiliates, registered in Germany and elsewhere © Henkel AG & Co. KGaA, 2009