Invisible power supply for streetcars

2013
vahle
konkret
Invisible power supply for streetcars
Heat and
sand
4
Always
well
lighted
6
A lofty view
of the garden
show
12
VAHLE konkret
Dear Reader,
Perhaps you're asking yourself who is the person
depicted here? There has been a change at VAHLE. My
name is Achim Dries and I have recently become the sole
CEO of the Paul Vahle GmbH & Co. KG and the VAHLE
group. Following my master degree of engineering, I
have held different responsibilities in senior management positions at several companies and was prior VAHLE
a board member of ESAB, a world market leader in the
welding and cutting equipment sectors. Now my path has
led me to Kamen.
Chief executive officer
VAHLE konkret
I am beginning my duties in a very healthy and exciting
company. In the last business year we nearly reached the
turnover of the previous record year 2008. I would like
to thank my predecessors Dirk Korn and Michael Pavlidis
for their valuable service in recent years. My thanks also
go to the VAHLE employees for the warm welcome.
In many ways the last year was a special year for VAHLE.
The company's 100 year anniversary was at the center
of events. The major anniversary celebration in May and
several large and small highlights during the year made
2012 a milestone in the company's history. You can read
more about this on the right.
Many new, exciting projects around the globe allow me
to look optimistically into the future. Electric drives provide economic and above all environmentally friendly
alternatives in many industries and in many applications.
Whether in a steel plant, in a port or for an electric car,
we provide the ideal energy supply solution. Read more
about this in this issue. Of course we don't rest on what
already exists, but we continue to develop our processes
and product range. On page 7 we introduce APOS Optic,
our new system for optical positioning.
VAHLE will continue to grow. We have already created
the conditions and the necessary resources and we continue to work on their efficiency. We have expanded the
company's premises in Kamen, and we are investing in
the training of our employees (see pages 14–15).
I hope you enjoy reading "VAHLE konkret".
Cordially,
Achim Dries
2
VAHLE is 100 years old –
a reason to celebrate
The 100-year anniversary was celebrated in style. The Kamen Town Square was transformed into a "VAHLE Expo".
There was a staff party and an anniversary gala at the city hall with many guests from home and abroad. A street
in Kamen now bears the name of the company founder, and there were other highlights.
T
he month of May 2012 will go down in the company's
history as the month of the anniversary celebration.
The many events provide for wonderful memories
for all who were involved. A highlight of the anniversary: the gala evening at the conference hall in Kamen.
The ceremony, attended by 320 guests from home and
abroad, was marked by a multimedia journey through
the company's history. There was good food along with
music, dancing and much more. The company employees, customers and business par tners celebrated
their solid partnership, some of which have lasted for
decades.
At the Kamen Town Square, in front of the town hall,
there was a one-day public exhibition, the VAHLE Expo.
The citizens of the city Kamen were also invited to celebrate the anniversary. Visitors could see from far off
that something special was happening in Kamen that
day: Large balloons floating over the town square and
company the premises announced the Expo.
The heart of the exhibition was the products with which
VAHLE has successfully maintained its market position
for the past 100 years: Safe and efficient systems for
power transmission. For example, visitors were shown
electric cars that could be recharged inductively through
the license plate. Parallel to the exhibition at the conference hall, factory tours were given on the company
premises on Westicker Straße where visitors could take a
look behind the scenes of the company. Before the anniversary celebration there was another event: In recognition of the company founder Paul Vahle's outstanding
achievements, the town of Kamen had the street "Grenzweg" in the Westicker Straße industrial park renamed
as "Paul-Vahle-Straße."
Social commitment in Kamen
On the occasion of the company anniversary, VAHLE also
demonstrated public and social commitment. Since 2012
the Foundation for Youth Services in Kamen will be supported for three years with 12,500 Euros per year. The
money will flow into two distinct projects: the integration of young foreigners and support for young mothers. With this and future donations, the shareholders
are continuing the social commitment of Paul Werner
Vahle who inherited the company from his father and
who put great emphasis on social working conditions
for its employees until his death in 1985.
3
Heat and sand
VAHLE Copperhead Conductor Systems are in use on
one of the highest buildings in the Middle East
In the desert, environmental conditions are very demanding. On two skyscrapers in Abu Dhabi VAHLE conductor
systems are working hard so that facade cleaners can provide for a clear view.
T
he climate in Abu Dhabi, the capital of the United
Arab Emirates, places high demands on man and
machine. Average temperatures of 40 ° Celsius in the
summer, with salty sea air and regular sandstorms are
the environmental conditions there. As in many cities of
the Middle East, extraordinary buildings now also arise
in Abu Dhabi, the Central Market towers. It is a complex
of buildings in the heart of the city, consisting of a large
shopping center, several buildings and two high-rise towers. The towers are among the tallest buildings in Abu
Dhabi. The Domain Tower, a residential building at 381
meters, is one of the highest high-rise apartment buildings in the world. The Trust Tower, which serves as an
office building, is slightly lower at 278 meters. The towers were designed by the renowned architectural office
of Foster + Partners. Both towers are not "just" high-rise
buildings, but they are distinguished by exceptional
building shapes, especially the roofs. Both roofs are
inclined by about 50 ° and it is difficult to describe their
irregular contours with standard geometrical shapes.
4
The towers have glass fronts that naturally need to be
cleaned regularly. Since this is not possible from inside
the towers are equipped with ser vice platforms to
clean the entire building facade. From the lofty heights
baskets are then lowered on steel cables. The tower's
aforementioned rare building geometries also affect the
service platforms. To facilitate the cleaning around the
building, a route profile is specially tailor-made for these
roof structures. With this the cleaning staff can reach
all areas on the facade over the full height of the tower.
Each segment of the roof contoure has a different radius
and a different arc length. Obviously the conductor system, which supplies electrical current to the cleaning
platforms, had to be adopted to follow the contour of
the roof. Thus each conductor segment had to be configured separately. U 20 Unipole copper conductors with a
special stainless encasing to protect against corrosion
were selected to assure reliable current supply. Because
of structural reasons the precise distance between the
U 20 conductor system and the cleaning platform track
could not always be maintained. A square steel tube was
installed beneath the conductor arrangement to function as a guide track for a collector support trolley to
assure precise conductor/collector interface distance.
A telescopic arm connects the trolley with the cleaning
platform carrier.
The systems on the two towers are different: Two service lift systems are installed on the Domain Tower for
cleaning the facade. Each is approx. 100 meters long.
For entry and exit of personnel, a parking position is
provided on the lower part of each roof, which is connected to the track with a switch. The ride from the park
position inside the building to the highest point of the
roof takes three quarters of an hour. The Trust Tower
is equipped with a circular track which also has a very
irregular shape.
The towers were equipped for facade cleaning by
Manntech GmbH in Mammendorf, Germany. Another
challenge for the eqiupment manufacturer: The tracks
weigh about one ton per meter and the installation of
the service lift on the roofs of the two towers was only
possible after the roofs were already finished. The connection of the steel structure and the concrete ring of the
roof was also designed by Manntech GmbH.
5
Precise positioning
with APOS Optic
With the new system, the existing product range
has been expanded by an important component.
A
t this year's LogiMAT in Stuttgart, VAHLE introduced
the new APOS Optic. The VAHLE product range
has been expanded by a an additional positioning system. APOS Optic is particularly suited for electric
monorail systems in the automotive industry and general
material flow technology. Using a reading head with two
cameras ensures dual process reliability and guarantees
uninterrupted position recognition even when the code
strip has been obstructed, for instance by a conductor
support hanger or interrupted by track switches etc.
Always in the right light
VAHLE conductor systems provide SWR studio lighting technology
In the newly built SWR television studios in Stuttgart, the studio equipment engineers opted for the use of VAHLE
conductor systems to meet the diverse requirements.
N
ews, talk shows and many other TV programs are
recorded in the Southwest Broadcasting (SWR)
studios. A new television studio complex was
built for the Stuttgart, Germany location with four studios. Three of the studios are equipped with fully automated studio lighting. The studios can be used more
efficiently with automatic control: Different lighting
scenes can be called up at the push of a button. Long
set-up times with manual adjustment of the spotlights
are a thing of the past.
To provide the most versatile illumination settings as
possible , the lighting technology must meet several
requirements and be dynamically and flexibly designed.
So the spotlights on the studio ceiling must be able to be
moved back and forth on rails. Variable heights, rotation
around their own axis and adjustment of the shutters are
also important. Additional lighting elements should be
able to be added to the track system with little effort so
that the lighting will be even more flexible.
The tracks for the spotlights were mounted on the ceiling at a distance of 1.60 meters, so that the individual
rows can be adjusted independently. The track was supplied by Despar Systems AG, which was commissioned
by SWR and the general contractor to design the lighting
technology for the new building. VAHLE MKL multiple
enclosed conductor sections were integrated with the
support track. Hangers and joint splices were specifi-
6
cally adapted to the support track system. A total of over
900 meters MKL conductor systems were installed in the
three studios.
VAHLE MKL conductors take on a variety of tasks: they
not only provide electrical current for the spotlights,
they also power electric motors which move and position the spotlights and transmit control signals to direct
the lights movements. Several types of current collectors, a total of approximately 550, were modified to meet
specific customer requirements.
The new optical positioning system uses a noise resistant data matrix code. This allows absolute position
recognition with an accuracy range of +/– 1 millimeter.
APOS Optic can be used in many environments. The
maximum travel distance can be up to 10,000 meters.
Traveling speeds of up to 180 m / min are possible. Even
curves are not a problem for this system. Horizontal
curve radii of up to 750 mm and vertical curve radii up
to 2,300 mm are possible. Due to no-contact position
recognition there is no wear.
A major advantage over comparable systems is the easy
integration into the conductor system. Thus, the energy
supply from the conductor systems and positioning
come from the same source. This advantage becomes
particularly apparent during installation: "Separate
brackets are not necessary, the reading head can be
installed directly to the current collector," explained
Karsten Bigalke, VAHLE National Sales Manager, the
installation-friendly approach. The reading head is simply plugged into the current collector. That saves time,
and especially space on the monorail carrier.
Quick and easy installation
A single source not only ensures the smooth interaction
of components from the beginning, but also simplifies
the processes involved in the procurement with potentially additional saving. The Data Matrix code strip is
quickly glued to the aluminum EMS support track thanks
to an accessory mounting aid for standard EMS
track profiles. If damaged, it can be easily
replaced.
High conductor system reliability
The reliability of the entire system plays an important
roll. Of course no failures may occur during live broadcasts and interruptions during recordings would be
more than annoying. VAHLE was chosen as the supplier
since the products on the one hand have the necessary
flexibility and secondly, because they have repeatedly
proven their suitability for this application. The general
contractor has already used MKL conductor systems in
several other studios and chosen VAHLE again for the
SWR studios due to the high quality and reliability.
7
Container transport
with reduced emissions
Conductor rail solutions for RTGs are more in demand
After the successful first project at the port of Hong Kong, VAHLE systems are being used in more and more ports
worldwide. The reasons for this: massive reduction of CO2 emission, lower cost and simplified operations.
I
n recent years VAHLE has successfully established
itself in a new business segment: electrification of
rubber-tired gantry cranes (RTGs) which handle dockside container movement and storage at ports. A first
major contract years ago started a development which
is gaining followers in the port industry.
Today, international transport of goods takes place
almost exclusively in containers. Because it is convenient, for example to fill a container with goods at the production site in Asia, send the container by ship around
the world, and to unload it at the customer. The container cannot only be transported by boat, but reloading
directly onto truck or rail is easily possible. This principle
has greatly simplified world trade. The infrastructure in
the ports has also followed suit. All the world's major
ports now primarily handle containers for transshipment.
In the harbor, containers are normally transported by
a ship-to-shore crane (STS) from ship to shore or vice
versa. Container storage and rearrangement at the port
storage yard is accomplished by what is internationally
known as rubber-tired gantry cranes (RTGs). They have
several electric motors (for the chassis, crane trolley and
hoists) that are powered by a diesel generator.
The RTGs often cover long, pre-specified distances in the
ports and are in use around the clock. The idea was conceived to supply electric current directly to the RTGs by
installing a conductor system at the aisle along the container stack, hence the name eRTG. This VAHLE solution for
port cranes was used for the first time at the port of Mardas in Turkey. Instead of using a diesel generator, eRTGs
move within the container stacks with electricity. Depending on the port arrangement, up to 90 percent of the time.
Hong Kong as a pioneer
International attention for eRTGs
The first big order of this kind came when the operator
Modern Terminals Limited Company (MTL) in Hong Kong
decided on the conversion of 81 RTGs to the VAHLE eRTG
solution. The contract was signed in March 2011, and
now the conversion has been successfully completed.
The emission output has declined significantly, the noise
level was reduced and the electrically driven eRTGs are
much more economical: Electricity from the power grid is
less expensive than Diesel fuel, and secondly the maintenance of Diesel generators could be reduced significantly. MTL claims to save 65 to 70 percent of the cost
compared to the conventional operation.
News of the eRTGs success in Hong Kong has rapidly
spread in the port industry. Other port and terminal
operators in the world are opting for conversion to eRTGs
or are considering this technology for new acquisitions.
Initially, the conversion included the stationary part
with the installation of a steel structure on which the
U35/600AE conductor systems are installed. Then the
RTGs were equipped with an automatic telescopic arm
with a current collector system.
When using the innovative VAHLE engineered installation the eRTG initially moves under Diesel generator power into a container aisle. The telescopic arm
inserts the collector trolley assemble into the conductor arrangement and the Diesel generator is turned off.
Using laser sensors and control software, also developed by VAHLE, this is all done automatically without
any action of the eRTG operator. Then, electric current is
supplied from the public power grid. This flexible solution is distinguished by its low space and extremely
short entry and exit time requirement.
Not only is the operating company full of praise for the
converted eRTGs, the 500 operators also appreciate the
simplicity and ease of operation of the converted eRTGs.
8
In Balboa, Panama, the port operator, Panama Ports
Company, announced the conversion of 23 RTGs and
also ordered the 13 new cranes from ZPMC which are
to be eRTG. The manufacturer equipped its new cranes
with an eRTG solution directly with VAHLE and with that
ensured compatibility with the existing infrastructure.
In Balboa, another development of the automatic
telescopic arm is being used. Instead of a pneumatic
drive, which required a separate compressor, electrically driven telescopic arms are now installed with an
extended reach. Since this version has been very successful, it is now installed as standard equipment in
all eRTGs.
eRTGs with VAHLE technology have proven themselves
in other ports such as Mexico (LCT), Singapore (PSA)
and Turkey. In Singapore's Keppel Terminal (PSA), a conversion with two telescopic arms per eRTG was realized
for the first time. VAHLE's long-time partner in Southeast Asia, MHE Demag, acted as the general contractor
for this contract. As with the port operator of Kumport
(Istanbul), many operators rely completely on the power
supply from the conductor systems for the new RTGs. For
new cranes only a small Diesel generators are needed for
short distances outside the lanes for new cranes, or – as
in Kumport – they run completely without them.
9
Rent the vehicles provided will be used in fleet operations. Similarly E.ON New Build & Technology GmbH will
also manage parking and vehicles. A total of 70 parking
spaces and 50 inductively equipped vehicles will be provided at key locations in Berlin.
Electric cars with renewable energy
Science is also being consulted on for additional insight
into economic and ecological aspects of the charging
process, customer needs, and network effects. Scientific project partner is the Magdeburg ifak Institut for
Automation and Communication e.V.
“Fill up” with electricity
With inductive charging technology, e-car battery charging is convenient
Electric cars require some getting used to by the user. Instead of stopping at the gas station to fill up and
then driving hundreds of miles, electric cars require long electrical charging. This works best wireless.
I
n recent years electric mobility has become a muchpublicized issue. The government in Germany would
also like to accelerate the switch to electric cars. But
so far the big breakthrough of electric cars has failed to
materialize. Because the charging of the vehicles is not
as easy as what consumers with internal combustion
engines are used to. There are two charging possibilities:
Either with plug and cable or with a no-contact inductive
charging system. Inductive charging has many advantages compared to plug and cable. An electric vehicle
that has to be charged needs to be connected to a power
supply. Several steps are required for this and the charging infrastructure must suit the vehicle. It must be disconnected from the power supply after charging. Another
important factor: The user has to remember to charge
the vehicle. This is different with inductive charging: The
vehicle is simply parked on a provided parking area and
the charging process begins without the driver having to
do anything. This convenience is an essential building
block for the acceptance of electric vehicles. VAHLE has
already developed such systems.
The German Environment Ministr y (BMU) suppor ts
projects which promote electric mobility. One of these
is InterOp, designed to promote interoperable inductive charging. VAHLE is a project par tner. InterOp
is to ensure that every electric car can be charged automatically and efficiently at any charging unit. The technology suppliers involved will develop their inductive
solutions and adapt them so that they are compatible
10
If the project is successfully completed, inductive charging will make it possible to charge any electric car at any
equipped parking spot. Simple and without compatibility problems, and especially reliable and safe: A large
part of the infrastructure required for inductive charging
can be integrated below ground. This improves general
safety. Pedestrian do not get snagged by cable coils
on the ground. Damage through carelessness or even
vandalism are excluded. Dirt cannot interfere with the
functioning of an inductive charging area, especially in
outdoor areas.
Other applications of electric mobility
In addition to the featured InterOp project, VAHLE has
developed an inductive charging technology for a major
German automotive supplier. Comprehensive cooperation has been agreed upon with the system supplier who
will be taking over the production and marketing of the
product.
VAHLE and the vehicle manufacturer Karabagh jointly
developed an inductive charging system in which a vehicle can positions its front license plate against a charging station where then current is inductivly transferred.
with each other in the coming years. The compatibility
will be verified with a fleet test in the public and semipublic domains.
InterOp project partner
In addition to VAHLE, several companies and research
institutions are partners in InterOp, which should be
completed in 2015. All German technology suppliers
are involved in inductive charging technology. These
are: Conductix-Wampfler, SEW-EURODRIVE, Siemens
and VAHLE.
At the beginning of the project, findings from the various concepts will be gathered and any remaining open
details will be clarified. On this basis, the interface
between the vehicle and the charging station will be
defined. Such broad participation will help ensure that
the system can be used across Germany. During implementation the company EAI GmbH will take over a part
of the vehicle side assembly.
The vehicle integration will be done by the German company E-Cars GmbH and StreetScooter GmbH. Both have
introduced purely electric cars in recent years. While
German E-Cars will use the existing car bodies, Street
Scooter is developing completely new electric vehicles.
DB Fleet Services GmbH will provide parking spaces
and take care of the use in public spaces. Through DB
11
Invisible power supply
for streetcars
A reliable current supply which does not affect the urban landscape
The streetcar is experiencing a renaissance. After personal modes of transportation were given highest priority
until recently, the wind has changed in many cities. Emission-free passenger transport by streetcar is the solution.
U
rbanization is one of the mega trends of our time.
More and more people live in cities and are making city planners face the challenge of being able
to transport these people in a sustainable way. Public
transportation is the solution, and in many cities it is
being developed and expanded. In order to reduce the
pollution, many cities are using streetcars.
These generally get electrical current from overhead
wires, but these are no longer desired in historic city
centers because they are visually unattractive. With
the help of VAHLE a new concept was developed for the
expansion of the streetcar network in the fifth largest
city in Spain, which allows operation without overhead
wires.
A view of the garden show
from lofty heights
The monorail in Hamburg runs thanks to VAHLE conductors
A
t this year's International Garden Festival in Hamburg, guests can enjoy a panoramic view of the
gardens from several meters above the ground.
The garden railway is a monorail which receives electrical current emission-free from a VAHLE conductor
system.
The ride on the monorail offers guests a totally different perspective of the gardens comprising seven different thematic areas. It glides along a monorail track
beam which is suppor ted
by 235 steel columns with a
high between 4 to 7 meters.
The electric drive makes it
almost silent.
The maximum speed of the
trains is almost 5 m/s. The
drive uses 600 volts DC.
Reliable power supply is
ensured by the VAHLE insulated conductor systems
U35. Some 7 kilometers of
conductors were installed
for the garden railway. The
system is protected against
contact and heat by a plastics insulation. VAHLE was responsible for the complete electrification of the route, the stations and the
maintenance areas. One challenge was the customer
12
requirement that conductor sections had to be supplied
in 10 meter lengths instead of the usual 6.25 meters,
which entailed modifying the production processes
and logistics.
For this purpose four new train stations in the city center of Zaragoza were equipped with charging contacts
recessed in concrete. The conductor system used is
encased with an insulation frame. The URBOS3 streetcars from CAF extend a current collector from undercarriage when stopped and charge their energy storage
system at this point of contact. This only takes 20 seconds. The transferred energy is used to drive to the next
stop, which can be up to 1,400 meters away. Sufficient
reserve capacity allows the train to go on even when the
energy storage system cannot be charged. Of course,
this concept meets the highest safety standards, as it
has received certification for the highest level of integration provided for critical systems in railway technology (SIL4 i.a. EN5016, EN50128 and EN50129). Current
only flows through the charging contact at the stop
when a train is present for charging. Passersby can walk
over it safely. Snow and ice do not present a limitation
for the system. Heating prevents ice accumulation on
the conductor system. At present, 18 trains are active
on the approximately 13 kilometers of track. The VAHLE
installation went into regular operation in late 2012.
Currently in development is a so-called upper charge
battery charging system. Here, the conductors will not
be recessed in to the concrete but installed above the
tracks at the train stations. The current collector on the
streetcars is only extended at these stops. VAHLE is
also developing this approach jointly with the streetcar
manufacturer CAF. There is a test station in operation
in Seville using this configuration. Another such project
is also planned for a line in Taiwan. This system is also
an alternative for electric buses and is being advanced
by VAHLE.
The International Garden Festival opened on April 26,
2013. When it closes in October, the trains will have
traveled nearly 145,000 kilometers. The track itself
is 3-5 km long. The circular course covers the entire
grounds and takes between 15 and 20 minutes. The
passengers can get on and
off at three stations. In this
way the individual garden
show areas can be reached
quickly while at the same
time visitors can enjoy the
magnificent views.
The monorail at the Hambur g Garden Show was
manufactured and is operated by INTAMIN Rail Technolog y. Af ter the garden
show has closed, the track
will be used at another
location.
13
VAHLE internal
From apprentice to sales manager
Besides being enthusiastic about his career, Karsten
Bigalke is also an enthusiastic athlete
He began his career at VAHLE: From 1987 to 1989 Karsten
Bigalke apprenticed as an industrial salesman. After
successful completion has was hired by VAHLE inside
sales. Only the military service briefly interrupted his
career. In sales, the initial focus was on the automotive
industry, later he was involved with motorized cable
reels. In 2011 he became sales manager for Germany.
Last year the father of two children could look back at 25
years of service. In his spare time he runs and swims and
also rides his bicycle: triathlon is his discipline. Since
he became sales manager he doesn't have as much time
for sport. Nevertheless he still runs a few miles regularly
during the lunch break with colleagues before he goes
back to sales.
VAHLE honors employees
Retirees at the VAHLE Expo
Even years after retiring, many VAHLE employees still
have contact with the company. This was evident at
the VAHLE Expo in May 2012. Here, four former VAHLE
employees who are now retired, hosted a booth with photos and exhibits from the company's history. The VAHLE
retirees Guenter Albrecht, Werner Behlau, Ernst Hurdes
and Horst Kindler showed the many hundreds of VAHLE
Expo visitors the pictures and products about conduc-
tor systems. In particular, there were early photographs
showing the beginnings of the plants in Kamen and
Dortmund-Brackel. Many visitors took the opportunity
to look at how it all began and what development had
taken place since then. Former employees brought their
children and grandchildren to show where they had
worked, and folks were informed about the job their
family members had performed.
The fast pace of society does not stop at the workplace.
So it is especially enjoyable when employees can look
back at a long tenure with VAHLE. As every year, there
was reason to do so again in 2012. The VAHLE management thanked long-term employees by hosting a
dinner at a country inn known as Schulze Beckinghausen. Management recognized Ute Arens, Silke Doering,
Sascha Behling, Karsten Bigalke, Uwe Dickmann, Mario
Linke, Peter Plancke, Bernd Ruffani and Heiko Ziebe for
their 25 years of service. Klaus Guder, Huzeir Rest Or,
Klaus Schmidt, Gisbert Seiler and Reinhard Zebrowski
celebrated 40 years with the company.
Employees who retired last year were also invited.
These included Gabriele Knäpper, Dieter Benz, Ernst
Lehners, Günter Poppen, Frank Schade and Hartmut
Tschersich.
Inclusion projects at VAHLE
Certified safety
Job search is often particularly difficult for people with
disabilities whether physical or mental. For several years
now VAHLE offers people with disabilities work opportunities through several projects. Thus, the company
participates in the project "NewHire" of the Regional
Association of Westphalia-Lippe (LWL). In this project,
young people, especially those with Down syndrome but
also those who are physically disabled, complete their
first internships in companies. VAHLE provides the core
facilities for the project staff and participants, which are
used by various companies in the district of Unna. Several internships were also completed at VAHLE.
In recent years, many VAHLE employees have passed
their competency test for SCC. The SCC (Safety Certificate Contractors) is a process to certify the management
systems for occupational safety taking into account relevant (work) health, safety and environmental aspects.
It was developed by the petrochemical industry for companies that act as subcontractors. This ensures a client
that outside personnel can work safely in their facilities.
In another project for entrance qualification, young people with learning difficulties are introduced to apprenticeships in general. They then have opportunity to
inform themselves about training for an apprenticeship
postion in a company and to prepare for the apprenticeship itself - preferably at the same company. The introductory training can take up to one year. If they are then
accepted into an apprenticeship, the training time can
be shortened by six months. Last year, a student with
disabilities in a supported learning program got this
option. This summer, he began his training as a specialist in metal technology at VAHLE. The two year formal
apprenticeship will primarily build his practical skills.
In 2011, more than 100 active employees in operations
proved their suitability and competence in the subject
of health and environmental protection. In November
2012, 23 additional employees from the departments of
electrical commissioning (CPS ®), mechanical assembly,
training, technical sales and technical office took the
test and all passed.
Safety is always a top priority at VAHLE, not only the
classic work safety but the ergonomics of all VAHLE jobs
is continuously reviewed and improved. The health and
safety management is certified by independent auditors
(i.a. BS OHSAS 18001 : 2007).
Two other young people with physical disabilities are
currently completing apprenticeships as an IT specialist and as an industrial salesperson.
14
15
Reserved space for the future
is located opposite the existing premises in Kamen on
the other side of the Paul-Vahle-Straße, borders on an
in 1995 acquired area and is already partially used by
VAHLE. A large part will remain leased to a previous user.
Currently employees of VAHLE work on the 1.1 acre site
in two office buildings. This was a new workplace for
the technical development of electronic products and
solutions for RTG.
VAHLE is continually growing. This requires space for
new offices, research laboratories, warehouses and
manufacturing facilities and testing grounds. In the last
year a strategic reserve space for the future was created
with the purchase of so-called Blaeser site. The property
Award for rapid growth
The VAHLE office in the U.S., VAHLE Inc., was honored
by the Houston Business Journal as one of the 100 fastest growing companies in the Greater Houston (Texas)
area. Prerequisite for this award: The company must
have existed for at least five years and have made more
than a million dollars in sales last year.
Placement in the top 100 was dependent on the percentage turnover increase between 2009 and 2011.
VAHLE Inc. was the most successful subsidiary of VAHLE
group in 2012 with revenue of 13.7 million USD and
18 employees.
Imprint
Publisher: Paul Vahle GmbH & Co. KG, Westicker Str. 52, D-59174 Kamen | Responsible for the content: Dipl.-Ök. Frank Niewerth | Cover picture:
New station in the city of Zaragoza with VAHLE charging contacts.
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Text: Dipl.-Journalist Timo Stoppacher, Timo@Stoppacher.de
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Images:
Dagmar Frigge, Friso Gentsch, Gerd Nolte, Stadt Kamen, Ansgar M. van Treeck, Borys Piotr Sarad (P. 2, 14 top), Oliver Schlünz / iStockphoto (P. 5 left), igs 2013 /
Andreas Bock (P. 12 top) | Design: Mues + Schrewe GmbH, Warstein, www.mues-schrewe.de | Print: F.W. Becker GmbH, Arnsberg | September 2013
Kamen/Germany +49 2307 704-0 | info@vahle.de | www.vahle.com