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 02 | THINK RED 03.2018

CONTENTS 20 Biogas. Progressive cavity pump of the CC series The service star. The progressive cavity pumps of the CC series from Vogelsang. Easier, quicker, more efficient 26 Transportation Perfect timing. The railway depot in Hamburg-Langenfelde is setting itself up for optimal maintenance and repair of the latest generation of ICE trains 04 | THINK RED 03.2018 Title 40 SPECIALS. SERVICE AT VOGELSANG Know tomorrow’s downtimes today. Service and its value at Vogelsang Hot off the press 06 VOGELSANG NEWS 08 TRADE FAIR REVIEW Trade shows with a common theme. Vogelsang at Anuga, Achema and IFAT 10 IN FOCUS. ENERGY-SAVING PRODUCTION Pump test bench. Quality control with energy recovery Sectors 16 AGRICULTURE. DRIBBLE BAR TECHNOLOGY The clock is ticking. Converting distribution technology for compliance with fertilizer regulations 20 26 BIOGAS. PROGRESSIVE CAVITY PUMP OF THE CC SERIES The service star. The progressive cavity pumps of the CC series from Vogelsang. Easier, quicker, more efficient TRANSPORTATION Perfect timing. The railway depot in Hamburg- Langenfelde is setting itself up for optimal maintenance and repair of the latest generation of ICE trains

NEWS A CLOSE EYE ON THE FUTURE New and curious faces at Vogelsang A total of 19 apprentices began their professional lives at Vogelsang on August 1, 2018. As a tradi- tional company with an international focus, the “newbies” are learning their craft with us as pre- cision mechanics, technical product designers, mechatronics specialists and electricians in auto- mation technology. We have also found some friendly new faces for our vocational training professions for industrial clerks and warehouse logistics specialists. Three new colleagues are com- pleting a dual course of study to become Bachelors of Engineering in Mechanical Engineering with us and at PHWT in Diepholz. Promoting new talent for the benefit of everyone Over 650 employees produce components, products and special machines for the business units agricul- tural technology, biogas, industry, transportation and wastewater every day in Essen/Oldenburg. Our mechanical engineering company is committed to training in-house. “Training our own specialists, keeping them in the company and helping them to de- velop further professionally – that is our philosophy,” says Harald Vogelsang, Managing Director. Exciting outlook for career starters in an international environment This is why an average of up to 60 apprentices from all three vocational training years work at Vogelsang. Working on internationally demand- ing projects and developing and manufacturing innovative products opens up completely new perspectives. This is particularly interesting to young people, as it opens up opportunities for them that other companies do not provide. ■ 06 | THINK RED 03.2018 VOGELSANG’S RUNNERS IN 2018 The Remmers-Hasetal marathon, which is very well known in the region, took place in June of this year for the 16th time with its highest ever number of runners. It is a large summer evening running festival with a good atmosphere and many spectators. The almost 3,000 registrations represented a new record number of participants. Some sporty Vogelsang employees successfully participated in the most popular format, the relay marathon, wearing the Vogelsang jersey as they crossed the finish line. We extend our thanks for this great achievement and for participating with our company to Rainer Zobel (International Sales), Violeta Paniello (Marketing), José Gimeno (International Sales), Birte Bollhorst (Marketing), Andreas Fastenau (R&D), Steffen Knabe (R&D), Michael Rolfes (R&D) and Timo Kroner (Production). ■

TRADE FAIR REVIEW TRADE SHOWS WITH A COMMON THEME VOGELSANG AT ANUGA, ACHEMA AND IFAT In the first half of 2018 Vogelsang successfully presented itself at − among others − Anuga FoodTec and Achema, the two leading international trade shows for food and process technology, as well as at IFAT, the leading trade show for water, sewage, waste and raw materials management. Anuga FoodTec, Cologne, March 20-23, 2018 At Anuga FoodTec in Cologne, Vogelsang presented for the first time the new Food-Mixer from beba Technology GmbH & Co. KG, part of the Vogelsang Group, in addition to its proven rotary lobe pumps of the VX and IQ series. The new food mixer, with its patented oscillation foaming technology for gentle beating and the maintenance-free mixing head without wear parts, is particularly suitable for the area of sweet and baked products such as creams, chocolate, yogurt and puddings. 08 | THINK RED 03.2018 © Dechema e. V./Jean-Luc Valentin

IN FOCUS. ENERGY-SAVING PRODUCTION PUMP TEST BENCH QUALITY CONTROL WITH ENERGY RECOVERY A customer-oriented focus and forward- looking approach are fundamental prin- ciples at Vogelsang GmbH & Co. KG that are central to everyday work. Beyond offer- ing high-quality products and expert ser- vices, these basic principles also inform our consistently deliberate and sustainable attitude to resources. This is evident in the many measures we have taken to improve energy efficiency, as well as the way we reuse residual materials and avoid waste. Reconciling these two aims, or even combining them in one and the same measure, is something that many mechanical engineering companies believe to be difficult. The two pump test benches in our plant prove the opposite: They enable precise and efficient checking of the pumps produced, in line with the customer’s interests, yet without consuming large quantities of energy. The secret is that, unlike in con- ventional testing processes, the test pressure is gener- ated by rotary lobe motor generators – an innovative concept that enables energy recovery. 10 | THINK RED 03.2018

IN FOCUS. ENERGY-SAVING PRODUCTION QUICK TESTING THANKS TO AUTOMATED PROCESSES REDUCES ENERGY REQUIREMENTS A t Vogelsang, no pump leaves the factory untested. It’s not only the technical values, such as noise emission, the required drive power or the coat thickness of the paint that has to be right – as far as most customers are concerned, the most important thing is the capacity at a specific pressure. This is why checking the performance data on the test bench that was developed in-house is a key part of the production process. The testing parameters, such as the capacity, speed or pres- sure, are based here on the customer’s requirements. At Vogelsang, we don’t produce the necessary counter- pressure with throttle valves, as is usually the case; ins- tead we use brake pumps, as the rotary lobe motor gener- ators are called in the company. These pumps operated as motors are able to recover a proportion of the energy. The people involved like to reminisce about the project’s development and implementation. Both a challenge and a highlight As a future-oriented and environmentally conscious manager, the inheritor of the company, Hugo Vogelsang, sees energy and resource-saving production as part of everyday management. He is always on the lookout for optimization opportunities and will lend a sympathetic ear to any suggestions. For one thing, this is in order to reduce costs, but it’s also to cause as little strain on the environment as possible, e.g., by reducing energy consumption or being careful with natural resources. “One of my personal highlights when it comes to sustain- ability is the two pump test benches,” says Managing Director Hugo Vogelsang. The old test benches on the Vogelsang plant premises had got a little long in the tooth and were no longer up to the job at hand: they were too slow and too expensive. Simply building another bench to increase capacities was not enough for the busy entre- preneur – as always, he wanted to improve efficiency. And so the results of three diploma theses and many hours of development went into planning and devel- oping the project for the first purpose-built test bench for production. It is remarkable in many ways. Firstly, we should mention the test bench’s high degree of flexibility: As it has two test stations, it can be used to test everything from the small to medium pump series, right through to the medium to large series. The brake pumps required to recover the energy are 12 | THINK RED 03.2018

IN FOCUS. ENERGY-SAVING PRODUCTION ENERGY RECOVERY INSTEAD OF ENERGY LOSSES “Usually, throttle valves are used to build up the counter- pressure. This is easy and low-priced, but the disad- vantage is that the electricity needed to drive the pump has no further use beyond generating the pressure and is simply transformed into thermal energy,” states Hugo Vogelsang, explaining the reasoning behind the development of the pump test bench. “Furthermore, this heat causes the temperature of the test medium to rise. To ensure precise and meaningful test results in extreme cases, you then need to consume extra energy cooling down the test medium,” he explains further. F or its test benches, Vogelsang therefore decided on a concept that is familiar to many from the electromobility sector. The “braking energy” is recovered and fed right back in, instead of being lost as thermal energy. The basis is provided here by a Vogelsang rotary lobe generator: With just a few minor adjustments, a rotary lobe pump can be turned into a rotary lobe motor. This is an interesting variant that can convert hydraulic energy into electrical current and is used in a variety of contexts. There are two of these rotary lobe generators acting as brake pumps in the basement of each test bench of the Essen plant. Each test station also has two special variable frequency drives. The highlight of the installation is that the current generated by the rotary lobe motor generator is not fed into the normal power grid but directly back into the variable frequency drive to drive the pump being tested. This greatly increases the efficiency. However, as it is impossible to generate more energy than the drive consumes, there is no recovery fed back into the grid. There is therefore no need for measuring and shut-off devices and no need for stan- dardized measurement – either to document the elec- tricity quantities generated or for settlement with the electricity supplier. Besides, thanks to this installation, 14 | THINK RED 03.2018 the brake pump immediately recovers a large propor- tion of the energy used for the drive – up to 60 percent is made directly available to the drive again. The system then only needs to draw 40 percent of the necessary drive power from the grid. This results in a significantly lower connected load requirement for the test bench. Energy recovery in research and development With the second pump test bench set up in the development department, Vogelsang went one step further. As the rotary lobe pumps are continuously being developed further, there are always new things to be tested. Long-term tests for determining the ser- vice life offer a particularly strong potential for energy recovery. “If, in a pump endurance test, we can recover 20 kW of the 35 kW of drive power required, we would, of course, be very happy,” explains Paul Krampe, Head of Research and Development at Vogelsang. When a new building was built for the depart- ment, it was the ideal opportunity to set up a pump test bench. Here, the concept was refined and developed on the basis of all the experience gained on the pump test bench in production, and it was adapted to the specific requirements of the development department. It also uses two brake pumps and two sets of variable frequency drive – one for each drive motor and one for each brake pump. However, there was a further requirement to be met. Some large pumps are driven not electrically, but by diesel engines. In these cases, it was hoped that as much of the energy used as pos- sible could be recovered, without integrating an extra variable frequency drive in the system. The solution? Coupling the two variable frequency drives. This may sound simple, but it cannot be done using standard variable frequency drives and it proved to be a challenge for the Vogelsang supplier. The sup- plier solved the problem with two special variable fre- quency drives, each with a maximum of 90 kW, which can now be coupled to recover up to 150 kW. “The new pump test bench has opened up several new possibilities for us,” says Paul Krampe. Among other features, the counter-pressure provided by a brake pump can be adjusted much better than it can with throttle valves. This enables more precise results. Thanks to the closed circuit, it is possible to adjust the input and output

The Vogelsang dribble bar system excels with precise spreading of liquid manure under the plants. 16 | THINK RED 03.2018

AGRICULTURE. DRIBBLE BAR TECHNOLOGY Legally compliant fertilizer application with the Vogelsang SwingUp dribble bar system: precise, economical, retrofittable T he quality of Vogelsang’s dribble bar tech- nology has been improved on the basis of many years of practical experience – and the technology undergoes continuous enhancement. The features we’ve refined include guidance of the linkage, the work- ing width, the subdivision of the manure flow, the device’s suitability for use on slopes, operational reliability, ease of retrofitting and much more. Due to the relatively small size of the individual areas to be fertilized in Germany, tank trailers continue to dominate in fertilizer spreading, especially in live- stock farming regions. These trailers handle both transportation of the manure tank to the field and the spreading of the manure on the field. To maximize cost-effectiveness, the tanks have been getting steadi- ly bigger in recent years. So that the trailers can still comply with the constraints of traffic regulations, the weight of the spreading technology has to be as low as possible. This is easy enough to achieve with splash plates, goosenecks, and so on. But this is where the new laws are forcing changes to be made. And once again, the lower weight of the dribble bar system gives it an advantage over other systems, such as slot injectors or fertilizer cultivators. Farms with a high proportion of cropland are especially likely to prefer the dribble bar. The win- ning arguments for using the dribble bar system are its working width and distribution accuracy, and the way it deposits the nutrients exactly where the plants need them. A sturdy framework, which is durable yet low in weight, allows spreading widths up to 36 meters. The widths available allow the tramlines of the crop protection sprayers to be used, so there is no need to create additional tramlines. For even distribution of the liquid manure, you require a precision distributor together with carefully engineered hose guidance. Vogelsang’s high-perfor- mance precision distributors ensure precise supply of the fertilizing nutrients to the various spreader systems. Moreover, with Vogelsang dribble bar sys- tems, the hose lengths are all virtually the same, so 18 | THINK RED 03.2018

BIOGAS. PROGRESSIVE CAVITY PUMP OF THE CC SERIES Easy to maintain Quick parts replacement THE SERVICE STAR The progressive cavity pumps of the CC series from Vogelsang. Easier, quicker, more efficient. I n 1970, Helmut Vogelsang revolutionized the pump market by inventing a rotary lobe pump with elastomeric coating on the con- veying elements. In the agricultural sector, the wastewater segment, in industry and in biogas plants, this conveying technology – known all around the world simply as the “Vogelsang pump” – successfully fought off competition from the ubiquitous progressive cavity pump in every field. In the mid-1990s, the company also managed to speed up the process of changing spare parts: The QuickService concept made it possible to re- place all the key components on the spot, without dismounting the pump, in less than half the time required previously. At the end of 2014, Vogelsang surprised the specialist world yet again with an apparently contra- dictory product: a completely innovative, incompa- rably easy to maintain progressive cavity pump. The reason? Changing conditions in biogas production resulted directly in new demands and requirements from plant operators regarding the pump technology. However, established providers were only taking some of these changes into account, and reluctantly. As an experienced partner to the biogas sector, Vogelsang saw this as a call to action. 20 | THINK RED 03.2018 Compact

BIOGAS. PROGRESSIVE CAVITY PUMP OF THE CC SERIES NEW CUSTOMER REQUIREMENTS LED OUR EXPERTS TO FIRST THINKING ABOUT DEVELOPING OUR OWN PROGRESSIVE CAVITY PUMP. F ollowing its successful implementation in the agricultural sector, it was the many positive characteristics and advantages of the rotary lobe pump that caused the “Vogelsang pump” to be discovered by new users in other areas, such as wastewater technology, industry and biogas technology. Developments in the German biogas sector resulted in ever-more viscous and therefore challeng- ing and problematic suspensions in the digesters. Due to the addition of high dry matter content and fibrous solid matter, such as dung or grass silage, some pump types were increasingly reaching their limits – partic- ularly as the suspensions also contain high levels of abrasive components and foreign matter. For this rea- son, other pumps seemed like a possible solution under certain circumstances, especially the progressive cavity pump, given that the conveying elements boast long running times in other areas. However, when they vis- ited customers on-site, our biogas experts realized that there were no progressive cavity pumps available that were specifically adapted to the precise requirements and needs of biogas plants. Even if the conveying ele- ments could guarantee a satisfactory operational time, users were frequently unsatisfied with the overall per- formance in everyday operations. So our biogas experts started thinking about developing our own progressive cavity pump. The final decision was not taken lightly. A Vogelsang progressive cavity pump would have to meet both the company’s own quality standards and the specific requirements of applications in biogas plants. The experts soon began to doubt whether a cost- effective solution could be found for such a familiar and long-established concept as the progressive cavity pump. After all, since the patent was first registered in 1931, numerous companies had specialized in precisely these pumps. On the other hand, Vogelsang itself had played a major role in further developing and improv- ing the rotary lobe pump concept with the IQ series, adding many useful details and making service and maintenance work and handling considerably easier. So the experts began the necessary analyses as to exactly which characteristics of the progressive cavity pump convince customers to choose this pump, and which characteristics specifically put them off? Which improvements are users looking for, especially in the biogas sector? In conversations, customers would time and again draw attention to the complexity of chang- ing parts. This took up a lot of space and time and very little had changed over the years when it came to ease of maintenance. Even newly launched product con- cepts inspired little enthusiasm among biogas plant 22 | THINK RED 03.2018

BIOGAS. PROGRESSIVE CAVITY PUMP OF THE CC SERIES I t didn’t take long for the specialists in the develop- ment department to realize that replacing parts would be even easier and, above all, quicker if the connection between the drive and rotor could be detached from the stator output. Thanks to the innovative construction, this connection is now easily accessible once the rotor/stator unit is swung out. In addition to standard mechanical engineering solutions, such as a multi-tooth or feather key connec- tion, it soon occurred to the engineers to look into a friction-locked cone joint. They were familiar with the concept from other projects, where it had proven useful. The key advantage is that the drive shaft and the rotor do not need to be positioned precisely to one another. In addition, the connection is self-centering, thanks to the taper. It can simply be tensioned or released using a threaded rod via the through bore in the rotor. With this connection, there is no need for laborious removal of small pins in a tight suction housing or other complicated tasks. No need to disconnect the protective sleeve from the Cardan shaft And this design has another advantage: It is also possible to fulfill the customer’s wish for a well-pro- tected and long-lasting Cardan shaft. Detailed studies have shown that robust Cardan joint shafts are also a suitable means of transferring forces in challenging applications, provided they are protected reliably against the contaminated medium. However, if this protection has to be dismounted every time you take out the rotor, there is an increased risk that it will be incorrectly reinstalled, causing contamination to reach the Cardan shaft. A narrow suction housing also means that the protection is rubbed off. With a friction-locked cone joint, there is no need to dis- mount the protective sleeve, either when changing the rotor or during a sealing change. Furthermore, the engineers designed a generous suction housing. The idea was that this would prevent rubbing against the protective sleeve, as well as significantly reducing the risk of clogging in the suction housing. And tests proved they were fully justified in their assumptions. Progressive cavity pump of CC series: a new kind of sealing change The developers also envisaged the connection be- tween the motor and Cardan shaft as a friction-locked cone joint. The pump is driven by a parallel shaft- geared motor with a hollow shaft. This may sound complicated and elaborate, but in practice it makes life easier for users. Thanks to this design, the Cardan 24 | THINK RED 03.2018

TRANSPORTATION For its new system components, DB Netz AG had very specific requirements, including user-friendliness. Vogelsang’s comprehensive bid of 75 systems overall won over against competitors in various calls for tenders. 26 | THINK RED 03.2018

TRANSPORTATION Due to construction space requirements at the site, the equipment for drinking water supply and wastewater disposal for trains in Hamburg-Langenfelde had to be moved outdoors. D B Netz AG has been continuously expand- ing its systems for the cleaning of train interiors and the disposal and supply of water on trains since 2014. Due to the new flyover construction on the A7 freeway, which affects the northeastern section of the railway depot, maintenance capacities have been lost over the past few years. Similarly the construc- tion measures at the railway depot due to the upgrad- ing of the ICE 4 have restricted the use of existing maintenance facilities. Mr. Behn explains: “As a result, capacity indoors is no longer sufficient. The supply of water to trains had to be moved outdoors.” Foundation consoles by Vogelsang speed up projects considerably In extending its maintenance facilities, the company is safeguarding against possible bottlenecks at the depot. DB Netz AG therefore issued a call for tenders for new system components, which contained very specific requirements. The pump and supply/disposal units offered needed to be easy to operate to ensure main- tenance and cleaning work can be carried out with the utmost efficiency and precision. To speed up installa- tion, DB Netz AG also made ready-made construction elements a prerequisite in its call for tenders for the project. These ready-made construction parts were to weigh no more than 300 kilograms so they could be 28 | THINK RED 03.2018

TRANSPORTATION Project time reduced by a whole year Unlike many projects involving large numbers of participants, delays to the schedule were avoided – quite the opposite in fact. When conceptualization and planning of the project began at the start of 2016, completion by the end of 2018 was envisaged by the responsible managers. The newly configured system for cleaning interiors as well as drinking water sup- ply and wastewater disposal could be handed over to railway depot operators a whole year earlier than planned, in December 2017. The experts at Vogelsang also played a considerable part in this. Since then operation of the solutions has been successfully com- menced, enabling efficient management of capacities by Deutsche Bahn. When required for peak operation, up to 30 staff can use the maintenance and servicing systems at the same time. CENTRAL MONITORING AND REMOTE MAINTENANCE T he online system developed by Vogelsang for the monitoring and control of system components, VEBSys, has also been set up in Hamburg-Langenfelde. The web-based monitoring app provides operating data for all the system components connec- ted to the program regardless of their location, thus allowing engineers to reliably monitor which components are ready for operation. If a malfunc- tion is detected, it can often be resolved by means of remote maintenance. On-site repairs – and the time and costs involved due to travel times and personnel requirements – are thus rarely required. The local control units (LCUs) are connected to the VEBSys online system. The LCUs can be used to control the valves in the supply and disposal The project in numbers Start of project: 2015 End of project: 2017 Project costs: around €1.7 million 30 | THINK RED 03.2018

INDUSTRY. GELATIN PRODUCTION 32 | THINK RED 03.2018

INDUSTRY. GELATIN PRODUCTION “The most important benefit is the result improvement: using the BioCut we are able to extract part of the collagen that had previously remained in the skin.” Raquel Mir, Environmental Officer at the company The end product after the gelatin production is dried and grinded. MAXIMUM YIELD AND ENERGY EFFICIENCY YET LOW MAINTENANCE REQUIREMENTS T he BioCut is a combination of a macerator and a rotary lobe pump, installed on a platform. The BioCut also includes an electronic control unit for sim- ple operation and control. Prior to the BioCut, Juncà Gelatines used a centrifugal pump, which merely conveyed the boiled pig rind. After in- stallation of the BioCut, additional yield could be attained due to its dual func- tionality. As well as conveying the skin, the unit also shreds it with its wet mac- erator, thereby increasing the yield from the overall process. 34 | THINK RED 03.2018 Raquel Mir, Environmental Officer at the company, relates first-hand how the BioCut has led to improvements: “The most important benefit is the yield im- provement. Using the BioCut, we are able to extract some of the collagen that had previously remained in the skin and thereby increase overall production yield considerably. Use of the machine has also improved conveyance of the skin since the rotary lobe pump integrated in the BioCut transports the product more gently. In this way we have obtained a better quality product, and have reduced processing times. In addition, we have been able to reduce our electricity consumption.” inte- grated in the pump shreds fibrous and coarse media using knives pres- sed against a fixed cutting screen. This continuous pressure is exerted via a hydraulic system, enabling a uniform and continuous cut. At the same time, the operating principle prevents the blades loosening, which would cause production delays to carry out main- tenance work. The RotaCut macerator

In the Spascher Sand pumping station in Wildeshausen, there are no longer any problems with hydrogen sulfide and wet wipes thanks to the dry-mounted rotary lobe pumps. 36 | THINK RED 03.2018

WASTEWATER. WET WIPES Goethe Strasse pumping station: weekly maintenance call-outs because of wet wipes P reviously, wet wipes clogged the dry- mounted screw centrifugal impeller pumps of the partially above-ground pumping station almost every week. Clearing the blockage could easily take two employees an hour or more. Especially given that the confined space made the work even harder. In 2017, the station was refitted with two rotary lobe pumps of the VX100-128Q type. Although there were a few “teething difficulties” after the first start-up, as report- ed by Schnieder, the pumping station has been run- ning without trouble ever since. If it should ever come to any problems, Schnieder’s call-out team aren’t par- ticularly worried. Thanks to their self-priming design, it was possible to install the two rotary lobe pumps one level higher, where there is noticeably more space available for servicing and maintenance. It is no longer necessary to lower tools and spare parts down a nar- row ladder to the pumps. RELIABLE PUMP TECHNOLOGY FOR HIGH EFFICIENCY Spascher Sand pumping station: getting to grips with hydrogen sulfide and wet wipes Of course, when deciding on rotary lobe pumps, Matthias Schnieder was also keeping an eye on energy costs. Weighing up the ratio of electrical efficiency to operational reliability, he also installed rotary lobe pumps when modernizing the Spascher Sand pump- ing station a year earlier. After all, as he was well aware: “A single disruption can completely cancel out the energy savings of a highly efficient impeller.” And this is especially true of pumping stations that only run for a few operating hours each day, as is the case with the Spascher Sand station. The pumping station was origi- nally built in 1985 and, 15 years ago, it was fitted with two submersible motor pumps, which were install- ed directly in the central shaft. This variant involves minimum investment costs, as Schnieder admits, but if you take the specific local circumstances and the life cycle costs into account, he believes dry-mounted rotary lobe pumps are the clear winners. 38 | THINK RED 03.2018 Goethe Strasse: maintenance and service have become considerably easier thanks to the new pumping station concept. The pumping station was struggling with hydrogen sul- fide. This forms in the 3.5-km-long pressure pipeline, which is only connected to a couple of houses. When the line was built, the area was expected to experience a very different development, including the building of a large hotel, among other things. The plans fell through, leaving an over-dimensioned pipeline behind. As there is too little sewage in the pipe and it stays too long in the channel, the sewage begins to break down. This results in gas that smells of rotten eggs. In turn, further biochemical processes form highly aggressive sulfuric acid. This was having a major impact on the Spascher Sand pumping station: almost half the wall thickness of the six-meter-deep concrete shaft had already been eaten away by corrosion. The acid had also strongly affected the pumps, pipes and fittings. In addition to malfunctions caused by corro- sion damage, Wildeshausen sewage treatment plant employees also had to rectify clogging of the pumps caused by wet wipes at regular intervals. In this case, this often also involved using a vacuum tanker because the completely flooded shaft had to be drained first before the pumps could be rescued. Added to this, for safety reasons relating to the problem with the gas, it was necessary to deploy two men each time. During the renovations in 2016, a polyethylene prefabricated shaft was inserted into the old concrete shaft and the gap between the old and new shafts was filled with concrete. Apart from a level meter and a check valve, there is no longer anything located in the aggressive environment of the central shaft. The pump technology, essentially consisting of two VX100-128Q rotary lobe pumps, is now located right next to it in a roughly two-meter-deep shaft. Unlike centrifugal pumps, rotary lobe pumps are self-priming, and so even the fact that the shaft didn’t have to be sunk as deep helped reduce costs significantly. And employees are happy with the new concept, too. The new shaft is roomier, making service and maintenance work much more hygienic as well as easier. There is no longer any need for a vacuum tanker, and employees no longer

40 | THINK RED 03.2018

SPECIALS. SERVICE AT VOGELSANG The logistics center of Vogelsang T he industry is currently undergoing restruc- turing. Where, before the turn of the millen- nium, the chief focus was on the primary product and its sales, since then the focus has switched to after-sales services. In an inter- view from 2010 with the newspaper Produk- tion, Dr. Armin Schmiedeberg, a partner at business consultants Bain & Company, recommended back then that the share of sales from services at a well-managed mechanical engineering company should be more than 30 percent.* A survey by VDMA (The Mechanical Engineering Industry Association) from 2017 showed the average share of sales from service measured against total sales to be 19.2 percent for mechanical engineer- ing.** This does not quite live up to Dr. Schmiedeberg’s forecast. Other current studies however show that the large machine and plant engineering companies are further expanding their customer services and strength- ening their international presence. The focus here is not on direct sales achieved by the “classical services” however, whether these be man hours or spare parts. As in the consumer goods industry, the metal-working industry has also recogni- zed that good service is a long-term measure that pro- motes customer loyalty. In particular in cases where a product life cycle of up to 25 years is declared, it is important that customers are not disappointed. To ensure the performance capability and availabil- ity of the product across the entire time period, a comprehensive service package ought to be merely a matter of course. Manufacturers then contribute to attaining the maximum possible economic efficiency for their machines, hereby ensuring a good reputation among customers. Companies who do not meet these require- ments can expect difficulties on the market. Vogelsang is just as committed to customer requirements in the area of services as it is to product quality however. * Source: produktion.de “Service im Maschinenbau: Fallstricke und Chancen,” by Claus Wilk from July 5, 2010, at 11:19 a.m. ** Source: VDMA viewer from December 21, 2017, on vdma.org “Fit for Service: Liegt Ihr Umsatz im Service bei knapp 20 Prozent?” 42 | THINK RED 03.2018 FOCUS ON CUSTOMER REQUIREMENTS “Today’s customers are very independent, better informed than ever and highly particular. A personalized service is therefore an important way to set yourself apart from the competition and win the loyalty of your customers,” confirms Stefan Krause, Service Director at Vogelsang. He has worked in the area of customer service for more than 30 years and knows what he is talking about. “Whereas just a few years ago competent telephone sup- port was enough, today a preemptive service and seam- less flow of information is increasing in importance. High availability of parts and fast delivery of spare parts are of course also important factors in good quality service.”

SPECIALS. SERVICE AT VOGELSANG Digital monitoring means we can already know today that a part needs to be replaced tomorrow. Digitization in the service area: Predictive Maintenance I n particular due to the increasing digitization and networking of processes, technologies and machines, new requirements and tasks are arising that also have an effect on the service team and services portfolio. To keep up with developments in Industry 4.0 from a customer perspective, the development engineers at Vogelsang are also in close exchange with Service to take into account current market requirements in product development. One result of this close collaboration is the Vogelsang con- trol technology, for instance. The Performance Control Unit (PCU) enables intelligent inspection, evaluation, control and networking of individual components. This is the first step towards “Predictive Maintenance,” meaning the preemptive repair and maintenance of systems. Digital monitoring means we can already know today that a part needs to be replaced tomorrow. Depending on the degree of networking, the possi- bilities can extend to machine-controlled ordering of the required spare part. Combined with guaranteed, fast delivery of spare parts, this results in an attractive, future-compatible range of services. Information: a precious commodity At the same time, it is important to cater for custom- ers’ information needs and enable them to access data and information on demand around the clock. This is a cross-department concern at Vogelsang. Service is also presently considering some conceptual questions: What information do our business part- ners expect? What data sources are required for this? How do we ensure that all available data is updated daily? What platform is suitable for the provision of information? What IT measures are required to pro- tect data and information provided from unautho- rized access? Mr. Krause: “Though this sounds simple and plausible, on closer inspection it is a path that is not to be underestimated. This is why we have already ■ embarked on it today.” 44 | THINK RED 03.2018

SPECIALS. SERVICE AT VOGELSANG Name: Stefan Krause Year of birth: 1965 Function: Service Director at Vogelsang In customer service since: 1985 Professional background: Service engineer, International Sales, Project Manager, Service Director I especially appreciate at my job: Finding solutions with people and technology Characterization of the Vogelsang Service Team: Straightforwardness, openness, cordiality, competence 46 | THINK RED 03.2018

INTERNATIONAL CAREERS AT VOGELSANG 48 | THINK RED 03.2018 48 | THINK RED 03.2018

INTERNATIONAL CAREERS AT VOGELSANG MEASURED BY THE NUMBER OF EMPLOYEES, MECHANICAL ENGINEERING IS THE LARGEST SECTOR WITHIN THE METAL AND ELECTRONICS INDUSTRIES. OVER 900 000 EMPLOYEES IN THE LAST 10 YEARS There were approximately 1,032,000 people employed in the German mechanical engineering industry in 2017. The total turnover of non-German mechanical engineering operations with German investment reached 102 billion euros in 2016. G iven the ever-greater networking of me- chanical engineering companies across the globe, it is no wonder that the demand for internationally educated and experienced personnel is increasing. They bring a better sense for foreign customers and cultures with them, and their work is not held back by language barriers. Due to their insights into sectoral trends and developments in other markets, employees coming from abroad are very valuable to a global, networked company such as Vogelsang. German employees and trainees in turn experience a work placement abroad as an opportunity to develop themselves and their skills further on many levels − an additional boost for their career, combined with a “great adventure.” Vogelsang supports the interest of its employees in this regard too, and makes it possible for them to under- take this exciting journey. THE FIRST LEAP ACROSS THE POND The first Vogelsang employee deployed abroad was Ralf Thölke. The current Head of Sales for the Asia/ Middle East/Africa region at the headquarters in Essen/ Oldb. undertook some real pioneering work in terms of international careers at Vogelsang at the end of 1999. In order to support the construction of the subsidiary Vogelsang USA Limited as Technical Director, Thölke moved to Cleveland/Ohio for two years. What today sounds like a matter of course represented a great step forward at the time. “At that time I was working in inter- nal sales in Essen/Oldb. and frequently wrote offers for the US subsidiary. After a certain point however, support from a distance was no longer sufficient. For this reason, 50 | THINK RED 03.2018

INTERNATIONAL CAREERS AT VOGELSANG CAREERS ABROAD … T oday, planning and undertaking a place- ment abroad at Vogelsang naturally takes place with more preparation and not out of necessity. Depending on the area of re- sponsibility, the subsidiary and the personal motivation, there are various options to work in one of the over 25 company locations world- wide or to undergo training abroad. … for trainees (vocational training). The training program to become an international industrial clerk at Vogelsang automatically requires a placement of several weeks in a subsidiary abroad. In other vocational training programs, the trainees them- selves can decide whether they would like to complete part of their course abroad. In this way, Vogelsang also supports participation in the European Union’s ERASMUS program, and helps both with making con- tact in the host country as well as with the planning and organization of the placement, including support with accommodation. With some commitment and knowledge of foreign languages, trainees can fulfill the dream of having an international career. … for employees at the company headquarters. Vogelsang employees in Germany can, under certain conditions, either temporarily or permanently work for Vogelsang abroad, for example as part of the deplo- yment of professionals or at their own initiative. … for employees from outside Germany. The dream of emigrating One in every eight Germans dreams of emigrating permanently. More than a third of Germans would like to spend some time abroad, and for those under 30 the figure is as high as 50.3 percent. Almost one third of respondents have already lived outside of their home country, and more than one eighth (13.1 percent) for longer than one year. It should be noted that more than half of Germans would only settle outside of Germany after their retirement. More than one third (37.1 percent) still see emigration as an option for their professional life however. The under-30s mostly see this happening directly after school or education and during their degree studies, and in any case before starting a family. The most popular destination countries are the USA, Spain, Italy and Australia. Source: OECD 2015 This intensifies exchanges with the subsidiaries and creates understanding of work morale and cultural practices on both sides. INTERNATIONALIZATION COURSE OPENS UP NEW OPPORTUNITIES Employees and applicants from foreign countries are always welcome to participate in training at the company headquarters in Germany. In many cases, international applicants first undergo training at the German headquarters before then starting their job at a Vogelsang subsidiary abroad. International employees are also always welcome at the headquarters in Germany. D ue to the enhanced international orientation of Vogelsang, the options and opportuni- ties for working abroad and building one’s own career have become more extensive in recent years. “The corporate structure, with its many subsidiaries and representatives from abroad, opens up many opportunities for colleagues 52 | THINK RED 03.2018

INTERNATIONAL CAREERS AT VOGELSANG HOLA AND WELCOME TO HEADQUARTERS José Gimeno Gómez, Regional Sales Director for the region South America on his move to Germany Six years ago, the Spaniard José Gimeno Gómez came to Germany to train in internal sales at the Vogelsang corporate headquarters. Instead of then transferring to the Spanish sub- sidiary as planned, José Gimeno Gómez decided to stay. THINK RED!: Mr. Gimeno Gómez, why did you leave Spain? José Gimeno Gómez: I found out from a colleague at my previous employer that Vogelsang in Spain was looking for someone to train in internal sales for two years at the corporate headquarters in Germany. For me it was a chance to gain secure employment and better opportunities for advancement in an international company. When I was making this professional decision in 2012, the economic situation in Spain was poor, with unemployment very high at around 25 percent. How did your start at Vogelsang in Germany go? When I arrived, Vogelsang had already organized an apartment and supported me with administrative matters. This was a great help. At work I was first trained in production. After just a cou- ple of months, I was already working on the coordination of orders and offer preparation for the countries Spain and Nor- way, among other things, and for Turkey too a few months later. You originally wanted to return to Spain after two years and then decided to remain in Germany? Why? I got on extremely well with my colleagues, felt very happy in the team and wanted to further improve my German. Working in the corporate headquarters also has a lot of advantages, for example I have direct contact with the engineers. If I have ques- tions about a product I can have everything clearly shown and explained to me. To what extent do you benefit as a Regional Head of Sales from your Spanish roots and the experiences that you have had in Germany? Contact with customers in South America is easy for me, as Spa- nish is spoken in many countries there. I can also understand 54 | THINK RED 03.2018 the temperament and wishes of customers from this region well. My experiences in Germany and the building of my expertise in German engineering, on the other hand, help me to create and maintain a trusting relationship with customers. “Quality & Technology Made in Germany” is a first-class quality seal of approval not only in South America, but all over the world. What differences do you see between the Spanish and German working cultures? There are some. In Spain, for example, you are less organized, which can be chaotic, but it creates more flexibility in work- flows. It is also interesting how mistakes are dealt with in the different countries. In Germany, you try to rectify mistakes and find the cause, so that everything functions smoothly in the future. In Spain, you concentrate more on the mistake and the possible consequences, rather than working on solutions. How do you see your future at Vogelsang? My main task will be to consolidate the business in South Amer- ica, increase our market share and position the company as a benchmark for high-quality products in the sector. Due to the constant expansion of Vogelsang, there are always new oppor- tunities to develop further within the organization, and move between jobs and areas. These opportunities to evolve pro- fessionally, while still having a secure workplace, are absolute strengths of Vogelsang to me as an employee. Despite a modest recovery in the labor market, a Spanish company could not ■ offer me this.

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