WE THINK RED. “Red symbolizes vitality, dynamics, progress and passion – a color that really suits us. Standing still is not part of our philosophy.” Harald Vogelsang, Managing Director

CONTENTS NEW 08 New products Welcome to Munich. Trendsetting new products at IFAT 10 Waste water technology 4.0 The digital revolution of waste water systems and its advantages 04 | THINK RED 02.2018 Title 46 AROUND THE WORLD. CHINA Vogelsang extends manufacturing in the middle kingdom Hot off the press 06 VOGELSANG NEWS 08 NEW PRODUCTS Welcome to Munich. Trendsetting new products and optimizations at IFAT, the world’s leading trade fair for the water, sewage, waste and raw material industries 10 14 WASTE WATER TECHNOLOGY 4.0 The digital revolution of waste water systems and its advantages IN FOCUS. ENERGY-SAVING PRODUCTION High quality made sustainable. Energy and resource-saving production at Vogelsang Sectors 20 INDUSTRY. WINE PRODUCTION Committed to quality. Vogelsang case studies in the Italian wine industry. 2nd episode 26 VOGELSANG INSIDE. TRANSPORTATION DEPARTMENT Exceptions become the rule. Versatile, individual and international 30 BIOGAS. BIOGASMAX Working together – it’s a gas. Consultation and service for more efficiency with BIOGASmax

NEWS BERLIN MARATHON VOGELSANGʼS RUNNERS IN 2017 With 44,000 places available at the starting line for runners alone, the Berlin marathon is the biggest and most famous marathon in Germany. Demand is so high that participants – other than certified athletes – must go into a draw to win a spot. At the Berlin marathon on September 24, 2017, Vogelsang was repre- sented by two runners, who completed the race with good results: Paul Krampe, head of R&D, and Steffen Knabe, responsible for “CFD” (Computational Fluid Dynamics) in the design department. ■ GROWTH VOGELSANG GROUP ON COURSE FOR FURTHER SUCCESS In the 2017 fiscal year, Vogelsang increased its revenue by 14% to €105 million breaking the €100 million barrier for the first time. “Our strategy in recent years is now paying off and we remain on course for further growth. In 2017 in particular, while expanding our exist- ing sites, we have also established additional production facilities and subsidiaries in Russia, Brazil, Morocco, Dubai and Portugal, and now employ more than 900 people worldwide,” said Harald Vogelsang, Managing Director of the corporate group. The founding of more subsidiaries and representative offices in additional countries is planned for 2018. The product portfolio has been expanded too and new areas of busi- ness have been opened up. The integration of BEBA Technology GmbH & Co. KG into the Vogelsang Group opens the door to new industry segments such as food and textiles. In accordance with the strategy of expansion, new capacity is being added in the areas of administration, production and logistics at the company’s headquarters in Essen/ Oldenburg. ■ OVER 900 EMPLOYEES 14% INCREASE IN REVENUE 06 | THINK RED 02.2018 ANNUAL SALES OF 105 MILLION EUROS

NEW PRODUCTS MAXIMUM SHREDDING POWER The new “One-Piece” rotors for the XRipper Vogelsang’s XRipper twin-shaft grinders are used in many applications to pre- vent malfunctions in pumping stations by shredding wet wipes and other dis- ruptive matter found in waste water to a manageable size. Now, new “One-Piece” Ripper rotors have been introduced to further improve on the unit’s power and efficiency. The rotors represent a logical progression of the monolithic Ripper rotors, as they are produced as a single piece irrespective of the length of the shredder. This results in even greater rigidity, which prevents the rotors from wearing on one another and thus signif- icantly improves the unit’s service life. The through-piece support shaft that is normally required is gone, making on-site servicing and parts changes even ■ quicker and easier. IFAT 2018 Vogelsang looks forward to IFAT Water catchment and treatment, recycling, power generation, air purification – IFAT really does have everything. The world’s leading trade fair for the water, sewage, waste and raw material industries is a place where you can find every company that develops the kind of products that form the foundation of civilized life. It’s no coinci- dence that what began as a trade fair for waste water technology with 10,600 visitors in 1966 has become an international meeting place for everyone in the industry, with offshoots in South Africa, India and China. And while the physical boundaries between the water and waste water technology sector and the waste and secondary raw materials industry will be even clearer at IFAT 2018, the pioneering, pragmatic and “green” atmosphere at the innovation platform is certain to keep bringing exhibitors and guests together. As a world-renowned manufacturer of pumping and shredding technology, Vogelsang will present visitors from the industry with a whole host of further developments and new products in 2018, focusing particularly on the waste water grinder segment. It will also be presenting pump and control system optimi- zations for modern waste water management. ■

WASTE WATER TECHNOLOGY 4.0 WATER THE DIGITAL REVOLUTION OF WASTE WATER SYSTEMS AND ITS ADVANTAGES It’s known in Germany as “Industrie 4.0,” in France as “Industrie du future” and in the USA as the “Internet of Things (IoT).” Almost every- one has heard at least one of these buzzwords by now, and has a more or less accurate idea of what the fourth industrial revolution entails: Follo- wing on from mechanization, mass production and automation, we are now seeing an extensive compu- terization of production sequences and processes. The basis for this development is formed by struc- tured, automated communication between people, machines, systems and logistics. The result will be a largely self-organized and flexible system that covers the entire value chain. 10 | THINK RED 02.2018 4.0

WASTE WATER TECHNOLOGY 4.0 WATER GREATER EFFICIENCY THROUGH INTELLIGENT CONTROL TECHNOLOGY AND NETWORKING T he digital revolution isn’t stopping short of the waste water industry. Modern business models are successfully gaining a foothold in this sector, and not many people are complain- ing about the ongoing digitalization, despite the generally conservative attitudes of many involved in the field. Quite the opposite, in fact – after all, it makes their day-to-day work easier. Due to their large numbers of decentralized pump stations and other structures, waste water companies in particular can benefit from networking all their components together using modern IT and based on model applications. Of course, special solutions tailored to the specific require- ments of the waste water sector are required in order to cover the entirety of the complex waste water infra- structure. After all, sewer systems and sewage treatment plants are part of what is known as the “critical infra- structure” – systems whose operational safety is of par- ticular importance to a functioning society. At the same time, everyone involved is aware of their responsibility to ensure that costs are kept as low as possible in the interests of the public. Procedures, decision-making and early-warning processes need to be structured in such a way that everyone involved benefits from the flow of information and can respond accordingly. One example of this would be using the local weather forecast to pre- pare the sewer system and local sewage treatment plants for heavy rainfall. Individually adapted, intelligent con- trol technology, networking and communication will not only make plant operation safer and more flexible – it will also make them more efficient, which will in turn have a positive effect on costs and working hours. 12 | THINK RED 02.2018 4.0 Smart systems and modern control modules for processes that run smoothly In the sewer system, this is mainly dependent on smart pump systems, which are often fitted with a waste water grinder. However, this doesn’t necessarily mean replacing the entire technology – it is often enough to simply update the technology that is already installed and add a new controller. Modern controllers, such as the latest generation of the Vogelsang Performance Control Unit (PCU), are designed to handle the spe- cialist requirements of wastewater in combination with the Internet of Things without neglecting any of the important functions provided by their predecessors. They still monitor actual and rated values, detect mal- functions and fix them automatically. The PCU also handles the independent control of systems compris- ing multiple pumps and grinders in an optimum range. Redundant systems are controlled dependent on operating hours. Thanks to ProfiNet, the open industry standard for automation, the machine and controller can also communicate quickly with one another and the high- er-order system. All the operating data, such as the

“In the modern world, making high-quality products also means looking after people and the environment.” Hugo Vogelsang Graduate Engineer and CEO of Vogelsang GmbH & Co. KG 14 | THINK RED 02.2018

IN FOCUS. ENERGY-SAVING PRODUCTION Most cast parts are supplied by a foundry just a few kilometers away. The scrap from cast part production is collected, sorted by type and sent back as return freight. “We wouldn’t have been able to turn Vogelsang GmbH & Co. KG into an internationally successful company if we didn’t see these requirements as an opportunity. The same applies to our own operations: In order to bring our personal requirements in line with the need to put the company in a secure and sustainable position for the future, we make sure that our production saves on energy and resources wherever possible,” says Hugo Vogelsang, summing up the company’s approach. Business in good conscience W ith this in mind, it’s no wonder that the Managing Director in charge of production is able to name plenty of examples as evidence of his quest for sustainability. However, it’s the little things that make the biggest difference: “As an example, the very high degree of vertical integration at our own factory enables us to cut transport routes for heavy parts by many kilometers. This means less pollution from CO2 emissions, less noise, more direct delivery, etc.,” says Hugo Vogelsang. The company also works with local suppliers wherever possible. Most cast parts are supplied by a foundry just a few kilometers away. Meanwhile, gathering up scrap from cast part production, sorting it by type and loading it back into the truck before it makes its return journey is a well-established part of the long-standing business relationship. This cuts out unnecessary journeys to the scrap trade and the additional transport they would entail. Vogelsang also applies the same practice to other production scrap and waste. Wherever possible, any leftover material is collected and sorted by type to ensure it is recycled as best as possible. 16 | THINK RED 02.2018 This approach is also successful in reducing quantities of waste and leftover material. For example, the com- pany has been able to reduce its paper and cardboard tonnage by 40% through measures such as consistently recycling the paper and cardboard packaging it re- ceives with its deliveries. The company has also analyzed and improved the processes for its in-house coating plant. For over 15 years, Vogelsang has been using a solvent recovery unit to reduce its net consumption. By switching to high-solid paint, modernizing its spray- ing system and – last but not least – making logistical adjustments, it was possible to place 25% less paint and coating waste in the disposal over the last three years. Chips – a leftover that still has plenty of potential Saving both the environment and our budget is a phi- losophy that also governs the CNC manufacturing process for certain workpieces at Vogelsang. We don’t

IN FOCUS. ENERGY-SAVING PRODUCTION “Manufacturing our products and systems requires resources that are important to the environment. As such, we strive to be as careful and frugal as we can with such resources.” Extract from the Vogelsang GmbH & Co. KG mission statement The company’s in-house photovoltaic plants produce an average of 190,000 kWh of electricity per year. I n order to collect even more cooling lubricant and make the chips as dry as possible, Vogelsang also uses specially shaped chip containers and collection containers. “At the end of the day, the chips have a level of dryness that other compa- nies can only match by using an additional, more energy-consuming treatment of the chips, e.g., by em- ploying a briquette press. Thanks to our well thought- out chip-handling process, we don’t need that energy at Vogelsang,” says Hugo Vogelsang, giving the final word on his CNC production designs. Putting cost reduction into perspective The sun shines for free and doesn’t harm the environ- ment. This is why many Vogelsang workspaces are fitted with plenty of glazing and sunroofs to let in as much light as possible. And where daylight still isn’t enough to keep the workstations well lit, it goes without saying that Vogelsang uses modern, energy-efficient lighting. What makes the lighting concept unusual is the sensors, which detect the intensity of the daylight and only provide as much extra light as is actually necessary. Motion sensors are used to ensure that addi- tional lighting is only active in areas where employees are actually present. All in all, this keeps Vogelsang’s energy consumption for the lighting in its production halls relatively low. In keeping with the motto “We can still do more,” however, Hugo Vogelsang has already got further optimization ideas up his sleeve for the lighting in future production halls. The concept has also been applied throughout the company’s social spaces, offices and hallways in order to prevent any energy from being wasted while also ensuring that working conditions are as pleasant as possible. 18 | THINK RED 02.2018 A positive energy balance – it’s in the bag O ur efforts to continually improve the way we handle energy and resources are also reflected in the concrete figures. In spite of our increase in production output and workforce size, we have been able to keep our electrical and gas consumption at a constant level. At the same time, our in-house photovoltaic plants are producing an average of 190,000 kWh of electricity per year. Two of these plants are running at the Essen Oldenburg site, while another is situated in Lutherstadt Eisleben. On a sunny day, the two plants in Essen Oldenburg alone produce up to a quarter of the power we need. Putting energy recovery through its paces However, the absolute highlight for Hugo Vogelsang in terms of saving resources is our two ingenious pump test benches in Essen. After all, lost heat means lost energy, which means the conventional technology is outdated. Pump test benches usually use a throttle valve to build up the pressure required for testing. While simple and cost-effective, this method also has the disadvantage that the electrical energy it uses to drive the pump is converted into head energy, and

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INDUSTRY. WINE PRODUCTION SCHENK ITALIA Ora near Bolzano in Alto Adige Schenk Italian Wineries is one of the most important wine producers in the country. Originally based in Reggio Emilia, the company moved to Alto Adige in 1960 to be closer to its actual sites of produc- tion. Its head office is now located in Ora, near Bolzano. This was its first step in developing its “Italian Winery” concept. Previously, the company had devoted itself mainly to the distribution of bulk or table wines. Now it sought to foster its own pro- duction, and began working with smaller wineries from South Tirol, Tuscany, Veneto, Apulia, Sicily and other world-famous wine regions to create high- quality, site-specific wines. The acquisition of the vineyards “Bacio della Luna” in Vidor, Valdobbiadene (Treviso) and “Lunadoro” in Valiano di Montepulciano (Siena) allowed the Schenk company to cement its reputation as an Italian business with a strong connection to the land and its people. In addition to embracing traditional values, the proprietors and vintners also took advantage of the major opportunities brought by technical advance- ments, and scaled up their production. However, Schenk Italian Wineries also demonstrated its aware- ness of its responsibilities to each region by commit- ting itself to sustainability from a very early stage – in production, bottling, cellaring and cultivation. And that has done no harm at all to its success in selling its regional and premium wines. The Vogelsang wine pump can be used either as a mobile pump station on small cellars, or as a stationary pump in special stage processes for large cellars. “Vogelsang wine pumps are exceptionally quiet and very stable in operation. That makes them the perfect pump for all kinds of pump processes in winemaking.” Daniele Ress, enologist at Schenk Italia in Ora (Bolzano) 22 | THINK RED 02.2018

INDUSTRY. WINE PRODUCTION LE ROMAGNOLE Between Bologna and Ravenna, Romagna region A lready in the post-war period wineries in Italy had come to the conclusion that it is economically reasonable to align with larger cooperatives in order to produce and sell more and better wines. The mer- ger of the five associations known today as ‘Le Romagnole’ located between Bologna and Ravenna, covers 1,260 viticulture enterprises. No wonder they produce a broad range of all well-known grapes – beginning with the most widely spread one in the region, the floral Trebbiano, across the just lately cultivated Pinot Blanc up to the characteristi- cally fragrant Sangiovese. Just like the even larger cooperatives in the Romagna region, ‘Le Romagnole’ is showing a disproportionately strong sales growth while relying on state-of-art processing and sophisti- cated cellar techniques. “The Vogelsang pumps achieve very high flow rates even in convoluted pipework layouts.” Gianfranco Albanese, Le Romagnole, Ravenna 24 | THINK RED 02.2018

VOGELSANG INSIDE. TRANSPORTATION DEPARTMENT EXCEPTIONS BECOME THE RULE Versatile, individual and international: Vogelsang’s Transportation department Departments in companies and their areas of responsibility are usually clearly defined: For example, the marketing specialists work in the Marketing department, the sales reps and the internal sales staff work in Sales, and the HR section houses the human resources managers. Vogelsang is no different, with one exception: the Transportation department. “Inside the company we often get described as a sort of ‘SWAT team’ because we bring together a wide variety of company divisions under one roof,” says Heinz Wil- ken, head of the department “Transportation – Supply and Disposal Systems” at Vogelsang. REQUIREMENTS: TECHNICAL KNOW-HOW AND FLEXIBILITY To meet the highly individual requirements demand- ed of transportation technology, Vogelsang has assembled a special unit of experts. As a result, its Transportation department incorporates design and development, production and its own sales section. This is reflected in the diverse professional back- grounds of those who work in the department: Office staff work hand in hand with engineering managers, drafters and mechanical engineers, along with elec- trical engineers, technicians, fitters and precision machinists. They all work together to create custom- ized systems to dispose of waste water from trains, ships, buses and buildings, or systems to supply drinking water that are tailored to specific local con- ditions. Department head Wilken says, “Our projects are highly diverse and varied. Our assigned project mana- gers take care of our customers from the first consultat- ion through to commissioning, often over the course of many years, and work closely with a very wide range of project participants, including design agencies, con- struction companies and government bodies.” That takes not only technical know-how but also a high degree of flexibility, given that the projects often do not involve standard products from the catalog, but rather custom solutions developed specifically to meet the customer’s needs. Thanks to the close coopera- tion of the various disciplines in the Transportation division, complex problems can be solved through uncomplicated informal collaboration and can be implemented in a short period of time. ON OFFER: PERSONAL MANAGEMENT OF COMPLEX PROJECTS WORLDWIDE In addition to the actual production and delivery of the plant and machinery, the department’s work also includes on-site installation and commissioning. “Often, however, we come to the customer and find different conditions on the site than what was agreed. For example, if cables aren’t routed properly or connectors are missing, you have to have the know- how to be able to adapt to that. These unforeseeable incidents often demand a lot from our design and production teams,” says Hermann Lucks, a project manager in the Transportation division. 26 | THINK RED 02.2018

VOGELSANG INSIDE. TRANSPORTATION DEPARTMENT T he customers, for their part, value greatly the professionalism and responsiveness of the Transportation department. Its staff travel all around the world in the course of their duties, including to Asia, Russia, the Middle East and the USA, and are viewed as being highly solution-driven and reliable. They are highly committed to every single project. “We focus a lot of attention on the countries where we are represented, not just in the interests of strengthening ties with our customers – it’s also important for us to under- stand the cultural environment of our customers, because that is crucial for mutual understanding.” Hermann Lucks says this has been especially true with projects in China: Vogelsang experts collaborat- ed with a Chinese customer, an institution for rail technology and rail infrastructure, to deliver and install more than 200 vacuum pumping stations in various rail yards. Several times Lucks traveled for a number of weeks to Shanghai and Beijing in order to advise customers there, to investigate the conditions on-site, and to supervise the installation and commis- sioning of the vacuum pumping stations. “On those trips, participation in typical local events to which you are invited is just as essential as accepting foreign ways of doing things. And of course it’s traditional to eat dinner together and to share a drink with your business partners.” This too is a characteristic feature of work in the department for transportation techno- logy. “We’re not just pencil pushers. That’s an exciting aspect of my work and provides challenges for my colleagues and myself in our daily work,” Lucks says. THINKING ABOUT THE FUTURE: DIGITAL SYSTEMS FOR TROUBLE-FREE OPERATION The Transportation department also presents new challenges, such as the digital transformation. There is rising demand for smart control and monitoring systems in rail yards all over the world. Vogelsang identified this need at an early stage and launched a smart solution several years ago for real-time documentation of rail yard processes, in the form of the web-based monitor- ing system VEBSys, which it continues to develop and enhance. Thanks to VEBSys and other remote control systems from Vogelsang, supply and disposal proces- ses and system components can be supervised and rail traffic can be monitored in real time. These systems facilitate the automation of plant and machinery, and with rapid error detection they ensure trouble-free operation. In Lucks’ estimation, this sector will see many more exciting developments in future. Responding to the market: award-winning innovations for booming industries Alongside the core business of the Transportation department, namely supply and disposal solutions for the rail sector, waste water disposal for intercity buses 28 | THINK RED 02.2018

BIOGAS. BIOGASmax IMPROVING EXISTING TECHNOLOGY AND BOOSTING PLANT YIELD BIOGASmax experts analyze existing biogas plants and concepts, make suggestions for improvements and implement the selected technology together with the operator. “We speak to our customers – and obviously visit the site as well – to determine the individual situation for the plant in question and identify the potential for improvements,” explains Markus Liebich, Sales Director at Vogelsang, outlining the concept. With BIOGASmax, Vogelsang is aiming at operators and planners of biogas plants who see the potential for optimization in their plant, whether it be in reducing the costs, achieving higher gas yields or simply minimizing malfunctions and interruptions in operation. “In many biogas plants, the potential for optimization has simply not yet been fully exploited. Replacement investment for equipment is also due in older plants. We want to put these kinds of plants on the right track for modernization and thus increase their overall efficiency,” Liebich explains. Five steps for better performance The aim of the BIOGASmax consultation service is to modify and expand upon existing concepts and plants in order to improve their output and/or reduce costs. But operational safety also plays an important role when it comes to questions of efficiency. To improve a biogas plant for the long-term, Vogelsang adopts a systematic and careful approach when dealing with its BIOGASmax customers: 1. Thorough analysis of the biogas plant: Consultants and operators identify the strengths and weaknesses and define targets. 2. Advice on possible measures: The BIOGASmax consultants develop economi- cal solutions that the individual properties of the plant and the customer’s wishes into account. 32 | THINK RED 02.2018 3. Joint decision: The consultants and the operator work together to decide on technical solutions for increasing output, making savings or increasing operational safety. 4. Technology and components: Vogelsang supplies the elements required for the defined measures using items from its extensive product range, catering to the entire digestion line and providing expert guidance throughout the installation process. 5. Service and advice: Consultants continue to advise the plants once the optimization measures have been implemented. Thorough and direct: determining the status quo The first step is the most important. This is the founda- tion on which the entire partnership is built. As such, a comprehensive question site is used during an on-site visit, to collect all kinds of data so that the consultants can get a clear idea of the current situation. As well as collecting key technical data, the aim of the visit is to speak openly and candidly with the operator regarding the plant’s known strengths and weaknesses, and to uncover any of which they are not yet aware. These data and findings are analyzed precisely by our BIOGASmax experts so that they can optimize the digestion line. Working together with the operator, we use this analysis to develop individual solutions that can be used to optimize the plant in question. The options are as diverse as the biogas plants themselves. Feasible mea- sures range from adapting the operation of individual components to suit the plant to the use of additional components, options or new assemblies. Every option is considered, right up to making adjustments to the pipes.

Due to the operating conditions, highly fibrous matter such as straw can get into many biogas plants. BIOGAS. BIOGASmax Due to the operating conditions, highly fibrous matter such as straw can get into many biogas plants. Other plant-based substrates, such as pineapple leaves, sisal and water hyacinths, are deliberately fed into the plant, while unwanted belts, nets and textile fibers also col- lect in many biogas plants, leading to clogging. Fiber traps in the pipes and fittings can often be resolved by employing simple conversion measures. However, larger quantities of fibrous material will often cause problems by the time they reach the digester, if not before. Floating layers of solid matter form all too quickly, preventing the outgassing and mixing of the organic suspension. When prepared using a cutter, the viscosity of the organic suspension and the floating layers become less common. BIOGASmax customers hardly ever have to deal with disturbances to opera- tion caused by mixer overloads or failures, nor do they have to worry about clogging in overflows or heat exchangers. EVEN UNSPECTACULAR OPTIMIZATIONS ON THE FINER DETAILS CAN HAVE A BIG EFFECT In addition to the problems in the biogas plant itself, many operators are confronted by steadily rising costs for substrates and electrical equip- ment. Ever more stringent legal requirements and conditions also add to expenses and put a strain on the budget. At the same time, income can start to drop if state funding is cut, for example. In order to counteract these issues, it is advisable for biogas plant operators to keep up to date with the latest technology and stay on the lookout for new potential for optimization. It is often the unspectacular details that have the biggest effect. Simply relaying the pipes or adjust- ing their cross-section can reduce the pressure and power requirements of the pumps, thus increasing their service life. In addition to this, preparation can reduce the viscosity of the organic suspension, which benefits power consumption and running times. This makes the digestion material more flowable, especially when using long-fibered cosubstrates. Potential can also often be uncovered by questioning long-established basic assumptions. For example, many operators assume that liquid feeding systems, for all their undoubted advantages, mean higher expenses and in-house energy consumption. This is wrong. In fact, more and more operators and – of course – schemes such as the EU-AGRO-Biogas research project are proving that the opposite is true. Why? Preparing the substrates using energy-efficient methods that are favorable for bacteria before digester feeding takes place negates the need for the energy- intensive mixing-in process – the energy required to circulate the digestion tank is much lower. This repre- sents a net reduction in energy consumption for the plant as a whole. The use of intelligent control technology is particularly beneficial. It controls many operating processes in the biogas plant automatically and removes the need for manual intervention in biogas production, thus saving valuable time. And it should go without saying that Vogelsang is constantly working on its own, industry-specific product improvements as well. For exapmle, features and options developed specially for biogas plants increase the lifetime of pumps, cutters, solid matter feeders and disintegration systems. 34 | THINK RED 02.2018

AGRICULTURE. DRIBBLE BAR TECHNOLOGY A CLEAR YES TO THE DRIBBLE BAR SYSTEM Why Dirk and Hubert Schulze Roberg opted for Vogelsang dribble bar technology in response to the German law on fertilizers O n agricultural plants, the German law on fertilizers is making itself more evident than ever. In order to protect waters, vege- tation and the environment, specifications on the spreading of liquid manure are becoming increasingly stringent. Longer blocking periods are creating an increased demand for spreading technology since more work needs to be carried out in a shorter time. Therefore, two years ago, Dirk and Hubert Schulze Roberg made a decision with respect to this challenge for their pig-fattening plant in the Müns- terland region of Germany. The farm’s mechanization was to be retained since a bottleneck was often occur- ring with contractors on a desired spreading date due to high demand. Requirements in the German law on fertilization led to the two plant managers deciding to purchase a new liquid manure tank. Particularly in the spring and after the end of the blocking period, it is important to spread liquid manure on fields con- taining barley, triticale and wheat at the right time. This service can be purchased from a contractor, but in reality the high demand on the desired date often means this will not be possible. In addition, the plant’s own equipment minimizes the risk of diseases and pestilences being introduced to the pig-fattening sty when flushing out channels, for instance. 36 | THINK RED 02.2018

AGRICULTURE. DRIBBLE BAR TECHNOLOGY “The dribble bar system places the liquid manure and all its nutrients directly under the crop. This means there is no need to make trenches in the earth, thereby avoiding the risk of damaging the crops.” Dirk and Hubert Schulze Roberg FIRST FIT, THEN RETROFIT INVESTMENT IN TWO STAGES Spreading technology is essential and vehicles are required to not only provide precise dosing and spreading but, accord- ing to the new law on fertilizers, the liquid manure must also be low in emissi- ons, spread close to the surface and spread in strips. A 12 m³ tank was purchased for the spreading of around 2.500 m³ of liquid ma- nure. In order to avoid having to fund the high acquisition costs for the new technology upfront, the Schulze Robergs opted for a two-stage investment. First, the tank was ordered with a wide spreader. The two farmers allow- ed for the later retrofitting of a linkage system in their initial planning so that the tank would suitably fit this model. Hydrau- lic and power lines as well as the four-point hydraulics were already installed, while the axis was moved to the rear for better weight distribution. With regard to retrofit- ting, there was just one question remaining: drib- ble bar or trailing shoe? To determine which of these systems best matched their plant, the two plant managers analyzed the conditions more precisely including crop farming, pig fattening, sandy soil and rounded areas. All of these arguments favored the dribble bar system. The spreading technology is 38 | THINK RED 02.2018 SwingUp dribble bar system by Vogelsang in action deployed in spring or the release of nitrogen, among other things, according to the calculated fertilizer requirements. Here liquid pig manure is spread with precision into the existing stock. Both the fact that the dribble bar technol- ogy had already proven its worth with well-known contractors and the lower follow-up costs were also advantages of the dribble bar system. One argument in favor of the trailing shoe spreading would have been funding; however, the agricultural disadvantages such as the high scraping pressure and hence the risk of damaging the crops were sufficient counter arguments. Likewise, the pig farmers feared the liquid manure might be too unevenly distribut- ed if earmarks, for instance, became trapped at the tapered outlets. Additionally, maintenance costs for changing shoes are several times higher when com- pared with those for replacing hose ends.

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WASTE WATER. WET WIPES EXAMPLE 2 Low-maintenance, narrow-gage solution for the Wonnegau local authority association, Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany The local authority association of Wonnegau in southwest Germany comprises the town of Osthofen and ten smaller localities. Part of the municipality’s waste water is conveyed to a sewage treatment plant at Worms. With a design capacity of 180,000 PE, this plant is large enough to treat the waste water coming from the area governed by the local authority association. The waste water is pumped to Worms by a pumping station in Osthofen, which was constructed in the 1980s and has been continually expanded since. Around 8,000 inhabitants are connected to the sys- tem, as well as three retirement homes, three kinder- gartens and an industrial area. Dry pit pumps are used in the pumping sta- tion to pump the waste water up to street level. It then flows to the Worms sewage treatment plant by gravity. The plant is equipped with three centrifugal pumps for sewage and four additional pumps for combined sewage and stormwater. Due to local conditions, a lot of pumping capacity has to be kept in reserve for rain- fall. Another four large storm water pumps are housed in an adjoining building. In times of heavy rain, these pumps lift the accumulated water, which then flows through a ditch into a storm water retention pond. 42 | THINK RED 02.2018 The smallest of the centrifugal pumps handles the bulk of the sewage, with a pumping capacity of 30 l/sec (approx. 108 m3/h). The pump runs on a 5.5 kW motor for an average of about 20 hours a day with brief interruptions, depending on the amount of water coming in. Sanitary products, especially wet wipes, repeatedly disrupted the operation of the main pump. It had to be opened an average of once or twice a week to remove clogging. This maintenance work required two employees to remove about 50 l of entangled material from the pump and pipes – a task that took two hours including preparation and auxiliary work. In order to ensure a long-term solution to the pump problems and the disruption caused by wipes and other disruptive matter, the local authority asso- ciation installed a twin-shaft grinder. The unit had to meet three requirements: 1. It had to be possible for the station’s own per- sonnel to maintain the unit and replace parts on the grinder. 2. Independent control was essential in order to limit changes to the existing controller and to avoid modification of the existing control cabinets. 3. Due to the tight spaces in the pumping station, the unit had to be dimensioned precisely to fit in the space available and facilitate installation, servicing and maintenance.

WASTE WATER. WET WIPES The grinder fits in the limited space at the installation site. its limits, until it was impossible to reliably prevent disruptive matter from entering the pumps. Over the last five years, this has led increasingly to clogging and malfunctions. Particularly during heavy rainfall, a lot of disruptive matter is washed into the pumping sta- tion, where it leads to trouble. A campaign to raise awareness in the munici- pality regarding the proper disposal of wet wipes and other sanitary products only improved the situation temporarily. Eventually, over 30 maintenance jobs were required between January 2016 and May 2016 in order to deal with clogging caused not just by wet wipes and cleaning cloths, but also by tampons, sanitary towels and sometimes even underwear. Under normal condi- tions, the employee responsible, Armin Wolf, needed about an hour to deal with the problem. In extreme cases, so much disruptive matter was flushed into the pumping station that the centrifugal pumps would clog again immediately after the maintenance job. They would then need to be cleared again. SHREDDING FOR “PREVENTIVE PUMP MAINTENANCE” To reduce the cost and workload of these disruptions, a type XRC-SIK XRipper twin-shaft grinder provided by Vogelsang was installed as a test in the open collec- tion shaft upstream of the buffer pool. The sewage passes through the XRipper unhin- dered, while the disruptive matter in the shaft is held back. The XRipper is switched on by means of ultrasound level monitoring. Since the last remain- ing disruptive matter was removed, there has been no further trouble to date. The XRipper reliably shreds all the disruptive matter contained inside it to a manageable size. This saves on a lot of maintenance work for the respon- sible staff. The grinder was adopted permanently by the municipality after the end of the three-month trial period. 44 | THINK RED 02.2018 EXAMPLE 4 A dangerous mixture – sanitary products and cleaning cloths are bad news for pumps: Dülmen sewage treatment plant, North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany The Dülmen sewage treatment plant belonging to the Lippeverband water authority in Ger- many is designed for 55,000 PE. Plant super- visor, Helmut Wissing, is open to new ideas and continuous optimization of the plant’s processes. The locality of Merfeld is connected via a pumping station. Until the middle of the 1990s, a small sewage treatment plant treated the borough’s waste water locally. After the plant was decommissioned, a pumping station was set up on the site. It has a redun- dant design and is equipped with three submersible pumps, two of which can attain a capacity of 15 l/sec. A pump with a capacity of 35 l/sec. is installed as well. For normal pumping operations, one of the smaller pumps is enough; at times of heavy rainfall, the larger pump provides the capacity required. The pumps are of adequate size to convey the domestic waste water from the residential area to the treatment plant 8 km away in Dülmen. There are no commercial or industrial operations connected to the network. The pumping station would be capable of per- forming its task without difficulty if not for the textiles and sanitary products in the waste water. Again and again, these items disrupt the operation of the pumps. A small area containing vacation homes is a further source of problems. The waste water there was collected locally before being propelled pneumat- ically to the pumping station 10 km away in Merfeld. As these houses were usually only used on weekends, disruptive matter would collect and pack together in the pit before being conveyed to Merfeld in dense clumps using compressed air. In addition to wet wipes, cleaning cloths were frequently responsible for clogging in the pumping

AROUND THE WORLD. CHINA GOING EAST VOGELSANG EXTENDS MANUFACTURING IN THE MIDDLE KINGDOM The People’s Republic of China – one multifaceted culture, which includes 5,000 years of history, an area of 9,571,000 square kilometers and about 1.4 billion people. No country on earth counts more inhabitants and none points like that in the last few decades constant economic growth. 46 | THINK RED 02.2018

AROUND THE WORLD. CHINA Walter Horend and Harald Vogelsang The People’s Republic of China has developed an ultramodern industrial economy in a very short time. The last decade in particular has been characterized by huge investment and infrastructure programs, with the country’s economic growth taking off again in 2017 and exceeding forecasts. With a rise of 6.9%, GDP growth was three times as fast as in Germany, the top country in Europe. China is the second biggest econ- omy in the world after the USA. In view of this rapid development, many Ger- man companies have established themselves in China in order to conquer both the domestic market and the Asian region – and have done so successfully. The Vogelsang Group was one of those to recognize this tremendous potential several years ago, when it found- ed a subsidiary in the People’s Republic, Vogelsang Mechanical Eng. Co. Ltd. Thanks to the productive work of the company’s local representatives, manufac- turing capacity was able to be expanded even further in fall 2017, with the inauguration of a new production facility in Kunshan in the eastern Chinese province of Jiangsu, about 70 kilometers to the west of Shanghai. With this multi-million investment, Vogelsang Mechanical was following its already successful strategy of expansion: addressing customer requests quickly and THE MIDDLE KINGDOM, A LAND OF BOUNDLESS OPPORTUNITIES Kunshan 48 | THINK RED 02.2018 CHINA

The revolutionary food mixer from BEBA is primarily intended for the production of sweet and baked goods. 50 | THINK RED 02.2018

SPECIALS. BEBA TECHNOLOGY “We have retained our independence and our brand, unchanged.” Ulrich Witte, Managing Director of BEBA Technology T o expand BEBA’s international sales network farther and to considerably broaden the ran- ge of its product portfolio, Witte began look- ing last year for an investor and strong part- ner. When his telephone rang in summer 2017, with Harald Vogelsang at the other end of the line with a solid proposition for the acqui- sition of BEBA, Witte did not take long to accept the offer. “We are very happy to be part of the Vogelsang family. Vogelsang’s global sales network allows us to of- fer BEBA mixing technology on international markets.” For existing customers and BEBA employees, nothing changes with the takeover. “We couldn’t have made a better decision. Our employees are being taken on, and for the moment we can largely go on working as before – with an experienced partner by our side,” said Witte. Moreover, the physical closeness of the two companies in Essen allows intensive interaction and close cooperation in research, development and production. With the addition of BEBA’s inno- vative solutions to the portfolio, Vogelsang is continuing on its con- stant course of growth. As providers of diverse solutions, the combined companies can meet increasingly demanding requirements, especially EXCHANGING IDEAS AND TAPPING INTO NEW MARKETS in the food and non-food processing industries. Tackling challenges, staying curious, training and learning In addition to their geographical proximity, there is another, very important quality that BEBA and Vogelsang share: their corporate culture. “Many of us are down-to-earth craftsmen with a love of technology and an instinct for trends and new developments,” said Witte. “More and more often now, ideas are being ex- changed between the Vogelsang design engineers and their colleagues at BEBA. We love it! We understand each other, we share our insights, we help each other out. For me, BEBA and Vogelsang are a perfect match.” 52 | THINK RED 02.2018 Just like Vogelsang, BEBA is committed to the thorough training of new personnel. The company will continue to take on trainees and apprentices in the areas of precision mechanics technical product design, industrial mecha- nics, and mechatronics. In Witte’s words, “We invest in training in order to assure the consistent refinement and further development of BEBA mixing technologies. This gives us a strong position in the marketplace.” From customer request to fully developed product T his ideal baseline position is also the result of the unique, patented mixing technique that BEBA has developed with its dynamic oscil- lation method. With this method, the vibra- tions of the mixer head and the inertia of the mixed mass homogenize the air and the me- dium. “This mixing technique permits a gentle beat- ing process, as the shear forces at work are weaker than with conventional mixing techniques. Also, by eliminat- ing a mechanical seal on the mixer head, the wear on the mixer is reduced considerably,” said Witte. The mix- ing technique had its origins in a customer inquiry. “Several years ago we were approached by a manufacturer

WOMEN AT VOGELSANG A SELF-MADE WOMAN The story of equal opportunities at Vogelsang From teacher to CEO MARIA VOGELSANG- VERHÜLSDONK W hen Maria Vogelsang-Verhülsdonk walks through the corridors at Vogelsang, she is proud of what she has achieved in this company. With good reason, Maria Vogelsang- Verhülsdonk was awarded a prize for her lifetime achievements in business in 2015 by the regional development association “Verbund Oldenbur- ger Münsterland”. “The company is a role model for how a family-run business can be successfully developed.” For many years however, she found herself torn between two worlds. Ever since childhood, Maria has been well acquainted with entrepreneurialism. Her father was the owner of Holtkemper Transport GmbH. Despite this, Maria opted to train as a sports teacher and actively practiced this from 1970 to 1986 at the high school Löningen in Germany. In 1957, she married the engineer Helmut Vogelsang. When he passed away in 1976, besides her role as a sports teacher, she also took on management of the Vogelsang company, thereby continuing her husband’s legacy. As a high-energy boss, she changed what was then still a private company into a limited com- pany (GmbH), appointing an external management team for the business side. During the initial phase, she was assisted by a general manager. When Maria Vogelsang-Verhülsdonk married engineer Burkhard Verhülsdonk in 1979, she at the same time acquired a valuable aid for technical matters. During the mid- 1980s, the company encountered financial difficulties, however. Disappointed by sections of the management team, the passionate academic finally gave up her job as a teacher and joined the company full time in February 1986, with the goal of maintaining the com- pany for the next generation. In doing so she took the advice of her brother to heart, who had told her: “Being present as an owner is essential at all times. The important thing is being there.” A successful combination of expert knowledge and female intuition Single-mindedly, Maria Vogelsang-Verhüls- donk therefore took on this challenge too and, continuing to train and educate her- self, appointed new staff members and more professional experts to work alongside her. During this time the Vogelsang product range underwent something of a sea change. Production of wooden barrels was ceased and new, market-oriented products such as the dribble bar systems were launched. At the same time, besides the agricultural segment, new markets were to be opened up, and as a result Vogelsang became established in various industry sectors. As a woman, Maria had to reassert herself time and time again to gain the acceptance of her colleagues and employees in her role as managing director. Her upright, no-nonsense approach to her work enabled her to lead the company through this critical phase. It was down to her skills alone that the next generation 54 | THINK RED 02.2018

WOMEN AT VOGELSANG NADJA HÜDEPOHL RESEARCH & DEVELOPMENT DEPARTMENT infrared (MIR) sensors for the management of farm fertilizers,” she knew she had made the right decision and this merely strengthened her desire to dedicate herself fully to her passion for research. For three years now, Nadja has been employed at Vogelsang in the Research and Development depart- ment. In particular, she appreciates being able to work independently and be responsible for her own work. She also loves the variety her work affords her. When Nadja is asked what she most enjoys about her job, she replies: “Thorough investigations into technical developments and the application of comprehensive test methods, together with analysis of test data, are a life blood for me. In other words, searching for solutions and finding them.” Nadja Hüdepohl is 32 and a graduate phys- icist. According to her friends, she is an inquisitive and attentive person. From an early age, she showed a great interest in technical matters and wanted to know how things worked. At school it was subjects like mathematics and the sciences that excited her the most. As a result, before long it became clear to Nadja that she wanted to train for a technical profes- sion. As it was research and development rather than design that interested her, she decided to study phys- ics. This proved to be a real challenge but one which Nadja mastered by the constant acquisition of exper- tise in this area. Nadja describes her time at university as exciting and interesting and, as we might expect, it was scientific collaborations on various projects and research in physics that gave her the greatest pleasure. Alongside her own studies, she therefore gave tutorials of her own at the university in her free time and work- ed as a teacher at a private school to begin with after graduation, among other roles, where her goal was to inspire other young people with her love of physics and academic theory. Over time, however, the graduate physicist found that she missed the practical side of research. This was why she took the opportunity when it arose to apply to Vogelsang. Even during her very first project “Medium 56 | THINK RED 02.2018

WOMEN AT VOGELSANG ANDREA WICHMANN IT APPLICATION DEVELOPMENT A lways in a good mood and in search of a solution – that’s how Andrea Wich- mann, 38, team leader in IT application development, is best known. Having started out as an office clerk, she then studied for a vocational diploma and subsequently business IT. It was her apprenticeship that triggered her curiosity for IT however. As well as using computer programs, she wanted to know how they worked and learn about their underlying system architecture. During her university studies, Andrea com- pleted a work experience semester at Vogelsang, where she also wrote her thesis. She won over her colleagues with her know-how and commitment so that, when she graduated, she was offered a position as an application developer at Vogelsang. Whereas to begin with she was involved with the product configurators and had to become accus- tomed to their unusual programming language, today as an IT expert and team leader in application development, she faces very different challenges. For in a team of seven employees and two apprentices, it is not always easy to maintain an overview of what each individual has precisely to do. In addition this often has to be done promptly and in a sustainable manner and the desired changes cannot always be implemented immediately in the proAlpha Goods Management System. Such matters require a pre- cise analysis of the relevant workflows and proces- ses beforehand. But regardless of how stressful her job might sometimes be – even after eleven years, Andrea still enjoys going about her work very much. For there is no way she could now do without the new challenges she faces each day or the interaction with the various departments. MAREN KÖWNER DEPARTMENT OF WAREHOUSE LOGISTICS Maren Köwner is 40 years old and came to Vogelsang via a change of career. After an apprenticeship and 14 years working in the retail sector, she want- ed a change of profession in order to face new challenges. When the oppor- tunity then arose by chance to start at Vogelsang in the incoming goods area at Warehouse Logistics, she seized this straight away. After three years in incoming goods, Maren has never regretted this career move. She describes herself as ambitious and flexible – and not without reason. During her initial phase at the company, she quickly grew accustomed to the systems, which she continues to use each day. She also had to familiarize herself with the details of the entire product range in order to be able to categorize the individual items in the warehouse correctly. It was just as important for her however to get to know the various Vogelsang suppliers, with whom she is in contact on a daily basis. The former retail buyer had to quickly develop a comprehensive understanding of the requirements of all those involved in order to be able to coordinate the various processes opti- mally. Looking back, Maren can testify that this ini- tially steep learning curve as a member of what she terms a “super team” has contributed decisively to her rapid development. Nor has her enjoyment and dedication waned to this day. It is the organizational side of her job in particular that gives her the great- est pleasure – jointly solving problems, always main- taining an overview and, above all, being in contact with customers and suppliers. ■ 58 | THINK RED 02.2018