Magazin "take off" - Issue 19

C U S T O M E R
19
M A G A Z I N E
takeoff
F A C C
December 2006
New Interior
1,000th Winglet
The Growing Market
of China
Investments
F I S C H E R A D VA N C E D C O M P O S I T E C O M P O N E N T S A G
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Contents:
Mixed Signals
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Welcome to take off!
They are undoubtedly the hits of civil aviation – the
two aircraft families Airbus A320 and Boeing 737.
These mid-range aircraft have already been in use for
decades, and they continue to sell for our two customers, Airbus and Boeing. FACC is also pleased with
the high sales figures, since we are well-positioned
with both aircraft families. Just short of 40% of our
turnover is made with advanced composite components and systems for the various Boeing 737 and
A320 models. In this issue two current topics concerning these aircraft are dealt with: the milestone of
the delivery of the one thousandth pair of Blended
Winglets for a Boeing 737 and expansion of our
Interiors Facility to cover to high production rate of
the A320 program.
One of the focuses of this issue is on the successes
in the business jet sector in which FACC was able to
further expand its product portfolio. Two years ago,
the delivery of the first complete passenger cabin that
FACC developed for the Bombardier Learjet 45 was
very promising. And now this trend is continuing, since Bombardier has chosen FACC as the system integrator for the Challenger 300 aircraft passenger
cabin. In October the new interior was presented for
the first time at the NBAA 2006 in Orlando and was
received with acclaim.
The first delivery of the translating sleeve for the
Boeing 787 Dreamliner was a reason for FACC to
celebrate in a way that measured up to the occasion. High-ranking guests from Boeing, as well as
numerous business partners and politicians, accepted our invitation to Hangar-7 in Salzburg and took
the opportunity to mingle and chat in a non-business
atmosphere. They all helped to make the event what
it was conceived to be – the celebration of the conclusion of a long, intensive demanding and very successful R&D project.
We hope you enjoy this potpourri of informative
articles,
Manfred Neuböck/Andrea Schachinger
Editors
P.S. We welcome your comments!
takeoff@facc.at
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Superior Comfort:
The New Bombardier
Challenger 300
Aircraft Cabin
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Expansion of the Interior-Facility
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A Milestone:
The Delivery of
the 1,000th Pair of
Blended Winglets
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2006 ASD Annual Convention
in Vienna
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Event:
First Delivery
Boeing 787
Translating Sleeve
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„We are Intensifying Our Activities
in China“
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Engineering:
Branches Further Expanded
13
Awards
14
Herbert von Karajan: Insights into
an exciting life
15
Published by: FISCHER ADVANCED COMPOSITE COMPONENTS AG, Fischerstraße 9,
A-4910 Ried/Austria. Editorial Staff: Manfred Neuböck, Walter Stephan, Andrea Schachinger.
Photos: AUA Wien, Bombardier Montreal, Lang & Lang Leonding, HvKC Wien, FACC Ried, Boeing
Seattle, Airbus Toulouse, Furtner Ried, AAI Wien, Flughafen Wien, VEMAP, Oskar Pointecker
Mehrnbach.
Design and Composition: Oskar Pointecker, 4941 Mehrnbach.
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Mixed Signals
The signals of the aviation industry are
still pointing towards growth. Yet if we
consider the development of the market in the last months, we see two contrary factors, both of which further
increase demands on FACC as an aviation supplier.
On the one hand, our customers Airbus and Boeing are substantially
increasing their production rates for the
established single-aisle and long-haul
planes. This has benefited FACC, since
our current volume of orders has broken records. At the same time, we are
confronted with a distinct market
squeeze in the raw materials sector,
especially in aluminium and titanium.
Bottle necks in delivery, the accompanying increased administrative time
and effort in the entire supply chain,
and even delayed sub-supplier deliveries are typical of the production process. Thanks to the strength of our
company and the above-average commitment of our employees, we have
again succeeded in delivering sophisticated products to our customers on
schedule and in the highest quality.
Here we would like to express a warm
thank-you to our employees.
On the other hand, we discern a
noticeable relaxation in future aircraft
projects. At present the entire aviation
industry, including FACC, has to cope
with huge tasks in dealing with the two
comprehensive and complex airplane
programs Airbus A380 and Boeing
787. The delay in the A350 program is
seen favourably by industry experts
and airlines because it benefits passenger comfort and increases efficiency, and as an innovative supplier we
see it positively since it gives us breathing space in applying our development resources.
Walter Stephan (r.), Chairman of the Board, with the new CFO Bernhard Matzner (l.)
FACC has reached a new dimension.
We have successfully established ourselves with our customers as a First
and Second Tier Supplier and are in a
position to develop complex systems
and component groups and deliver
them as ready-to-install assembly units.
The path has not always been easy.
The exchange rate of the dollar has
been unfavorable and restructuring
and cost-cutting have been necessary
in order to maintain competitiveness.
Needless to say, the challenges we
have been confronted with have grown
constantly. Yet we are ready to face
future challenges. This means that,
based on our expertise in fiber composite technology, we will continue to
strengthen our position as a global
player in the growing aviation composites sector. Our strategy is to focus on
innovations - not only as far as technology goes, but also in new business
models for partnerships with customers, engineering services, financial
institutions, sub-suppliers and production partners. From all of the above we
also expect the spirit of innovation that
we pride ourselves in at FACC. We have
the claim to leadership in expertise,
quality and technology with the goal of
offering our customers high-quality
products, our employees an attractive
work environment, and our owners
lasting growth.
In 2006, once again, we celebrated
further milestones, including the delivery of the 1,000th Winglet set and the
first deliveries of the new passenger
cabin for the Challenger 300 business
jet and of the new stowage bins and
ceiling panels for the Airbus A320
Enhanced. With the expansion of our
Interior Facility II and the building of the
new Facility IV in Reichersberg, Austria,
as well as our heightened activities in
growth markets like China, Malaysia,
etc., we find ourselves well-positioned
for the future. We can also welcome a
new board member, Dr. Bernhard
Matzner. The Upper Austrian native
was appointed as the new CFO of
FACC AG in October 2006.
Consistently striving to further improve
our products and our processes - this
will continue to be the focus of our
company in 2007. We will rely on the
ability of FACC and its partners to withstand the pressures of a difficult market
and to collectively cope with new challenges.
Walter A. Stephan
Chairman of the Board, FACC AG
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Superior Comfort:
The New Bombardier Challenger 300
Aircraft Cabin
The demand for business jets is soaring. And Bombardier*,
is one of the world’s most important manufacturers. A key
to the success of its Challenger 300* jet is the comfortable
cabin – designed and produced by FACC.
A time-tested member of the prestigious
Bombardier Challenger family is the super
midsize twin-engine Challenger 300 jet.
The number sold at present is impressively
high, and increased demand for these
business jets has been coming from the
United States and Europe. Part of its winning combination of features is its luxurious
cabin, with comfortable stand-up headroom. In the course of defining the interior of the jet, Bombardier took FACC on
board and in May 2005 chose the company to be the system integrator for the
entire passenger cabin.
trols, the very advanced NICE Cabin Management System designed by Lufthansa
Technik, emergency equipment, functional
hardware such as microwaves, coffee
makers, smoke detectors, etc.
As a system integrator FACC cooperates
with more than 15 sub-suppliers from all
over the world. LIST ICF and EMTEQ are
among the most important partners who
were also significantly involved in the development of the new cabin. LIST ICF, located
FACC as Modern System
Integrator
The Challenger 300 aircraft project marks
the beginning of a new era for FACC in the
business jet market sector. The company
has transformed itself from a mere component manufacturer into a modern system
integrator responsible for the entire cabin.
The responsibilities of FACC are the detail
development, production, certification and
integration of the complete interior from
the rear wall of the cockpit to the aft
bulkhead. All cabin elements with the
exception of the seats, are developed and
produced by FACC or provided in cooperation with well-proven sub-suppliers and as
a ready-to-install unit handed over to the
assembly line of Bombardier on a just-intime basis. Besides the main components
like side wall panels with integrated window modules, passenger service units, the
entire cabin wiring, galleys, arm rests,
tables, cupboards and toilets, FACC integrates various modules for lighting and con-
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In mid-October 2006, a full-scale interior
mock-up of the Challenger 300 jet’s new
interior was unveiled by Bombardier at the
NBAA 2006 convention in Orlando. The
reactions of the trade fair attendees were
extremely positive, with several media
reports published during the show. The
luxuriously furnished cabin offers travelers
every kind of comfort, from state-of-the-art
video and music systems to satellite telephones and pleasant sleeping arrangements. Starting with a standard version,
the customer can be fully flexible in creating his own cabin interior, choosing from
a large range of options - from diverse
luxury fabrics or leathers to fine wood with
a flawless gloss to high-quality stone applications. FACC really understands how to
make highly complex and stylish cabin furnishings user-friendly. The materials used
are light, non-flammable, and are durable
even with daily use.
With regards to both technology and passenger comfort, the Challenger 300 jet is
one of the most modern aircraft on the
market. The class-leading super midsize jet
with 1.85 meters headroom offers standard seating for eight passengers. With a
range of up to 5,740 km and a speed of
up to mach 0.82, the jet is perfect for transcontinental flights.
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in Lower Austria, was contracted with the
design and production of interior cabinets
made of the finest wood and of lightweight
construction. This is a continuation of a successful cooperation between FACC and
LIST ICF that began two years ago with the
Bombardier Learjet* 40 and Learjet 45 light
jet programs. EMTEQ, an American company, is responsible for the design and production of the entire wiring and all lighting
elements in the cabins.
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High-Tech Passenger
Cabins
With a target of achieving total customer
satisfaction, Bombardier was very demanding with regards to product improvements
and logistics processes. Due to FACC’s proven expertise in aircraft interiors, the company could implement numerous innovations and incorporate new technologies into
the Challenger 300 aircraft cabin. The use
of optimized sound proofing in the paneling improves acoustics and greatly contributes to the comfort of the passenger.
Composite materials and a new veneer/
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lacquering system was further developed
and optimized, resulting in weight savings
to the interior.
A higher degree of automation in its facilities enables FACC to carry through fast,
effective and, above all, cost efficient production - even of small series as in the sector of business jets. Advanced production
processes, especially in the area of leather
and imitation leather application, as well as
the use of veneer with high gloss finish,
make it possible to offer remarkable
aesthetics and an extensive choice of materials for the passenger cabin.
Closer to the Customer: FSI Canada
Almost at the same time that the first passenger cabin was delivered to Bombardier,
FACC founded an assembly and service
facility in Montreal. FACC Solutions Inc.
(FSI) Canada, a 100% subsidiary of FACC
AG, was established in a period of six
months and will be in full operation in
December 2006. FSI is responsible for
FACC’s on-site service, which includes the
following:
• Integration and assembly of components produced by FACC and it’s
sub-suppliers
• Technical project
management for the
interior configurations
to be developed
• Customization
• Service and repair
• Final inspection of all of
the Challenger 300 jet
interior furnishings
* Bombardier, Challenger 300, Learjet 40 and Learjet 45 are
trademarks of Bombardier Inc. or its subsidiaries.
”The FSI Canada team will master the comprehensive tasks
to the satisfaction of Bombardier and their end customers
and be a leading outpost of FACC.“
Yourcenard Estime (l.), General Manager,
and Philippe Malepart (r.), Engineering Manager
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Expansion of the
Interior-Facility
The production area of the existing Interiors Facility in Reichersberg has been enlarged
by 1,800m2. This investment of more than 3 million Euro was necessary because the existing capacity could no longer cover the potential growth. The addition makes room for
around 50 new employees who will primarily work on the Airbus A320 and A380 programs.
The focus of the expansion was on the
introduction of press manufacturing technology used for the production of interior
components made of composite materials. The high production rate of the A320
program makes it feasible for FACC to use
presses on a larger scale. The advantages
are to be found in the short cycle time in
the lay-up and curing processes, as well as
the high precision in repetition. Press
manufacturing technology will enable
FACC to offer more components with a
shorter processing time.
The following is an overview of the most important investments in the Interiors Facility.
Presses
Two mold presses, each with a 200 ton
clamping force and an opening width of
1500 mm.
Two mold presses, each with a 60 ton
clamping force and an opening width of
1500 mm.
The presses are program-controlled. Pressure, temperature progression and time are monitored and recorded. In order to be able to convert the presses easier, the tools
feature a rapid coupling system. The tools are mounted, cleaned or prepared outside of the working area, on the sliding
table of the press. The heating and cooling of the tools work
by means of hot oil.
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5- Axis Machining
Center
The 5- Axis CNC Machining Center is equipped with a dual table system in order to use
the primary processing time of the machine
even more efficiently. An additional highspeed milling spindle has also been installed,
to allow for the best possible burr-free processing of the sandwich. The need for this was established in the course of a research project done jointly
with Profactor Forschungsgesellschaft in Steyr. Two more of
these machines are planned for 2007.
3D Laser
Projection
3D Laser Positioning is used when filling the
potting compound into the honeycomb core.
Special Paint Is Easy on the Environment
Paint in an airplane interior should meet many safety requirements, such as low combustibility and flammability, and at the same time be easy to clean. The customer also
expects paint to have properties in its color, structure and degree of gloss that promote creative possibilities.
FACC, together with a paint manufacturer, has optimized the processing of waterbased paint systems and can from now on employ the new paint system in the
manufacture of cabin interiors. Thus the emissions of solvents are greatly reduced.
This is achieved by using only water to thin the paint. The quality of the surface achieved is, in respect to the layer thickness and weight, better than conventional solvent
paint systems. In this way FACC greatly contributes to environmental protection.
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A Milestone:
The Delivery of
the 1,000th Pair of
Blended Winglets
To date, FACC’s Winglet team has produced 1,000 shipsets of Blended WingletsTM. On
October 4, 2006, the 1,000th shipset of Blended Winglets left the Ried facility for Tulsa,
Oklahoma, where the aerodynamic, fuel-saving wing tips were mounted on an American Airlines Boeing 737-800. “I am proud of this significant milestone and, along with all
our employees, I am proud of our achievements”, is how the chairman of the board,
Walter Stephan, showed his appreciation of the excellent work on the Winglet production line. “This is something I would like to thank you for. Keep up the good work to ensure the project’s success in the future.”
An Important Customer
American Airlines is the fourth largest
customer in our Winglet program, following Southwest Airlines, Ryanair, and Continental Airlines, having ordered 124 shipsets for 757s and 77 shipsets for 737NGs.
American Airlines with its subsidiary for
regional feeder flights, American Eagle, is
the world’s largest airline. With 4,000
flights daily, American Airlines serves a
flight network that covers 250 destinati-
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ons in 40 countries, and its fleet consists
of over 1,000 planes.
A Gratifying Course of Events
In October 2002 FACC delivered its first
pair of Blended Winglets. This had been
preceded by the signing of the outline
agreement with the American customer
Aviation Partners Boeing for the serial production of, originally, 120 shipsets for the
Business Jets as well as for Boeing 737-
700 and 737-800. In the meantime, FACC
has orders for altogether 2,850 installations for 77 airlines for the next years.
Among the customers are well-known airlines from all corners of the world, such as
Southwest Airlines, Ryanair, Continental Airlines, Quantas, Alaska Airlines, AeroMexico,
Aloha Airlines, WestJet, Air Berlin, Lauda Air,
Air Tran, China Air, Icelandair, South African
Airways, etc. Moreover, since July 2004
FACC has also been producing Winglets for
the mid-range Boeing 757-200.
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ASD Annual Convention
in Vienna
Important figures in European aviation meet in Vienna for talks: (f.l.t.r.)
Eric Trappier/Dassault, François Quentin/Thales, Charles Edelstenne/Dassault, Serge Dassault/Dassault, Franz Hrachowitz/AAI
For two days Vienna was the hub of
European aviation. On the 12th and 13th
of October the 2006 ASD Annual Convention took place in the Hotel Hilton in
Vienna. The Austrian Aeronautics Industries Group (AAI), an association of the
Austrian aviation supplier industry, hosted
this year’s convention of the Aerospace
and Defence Industries Association of
Europe ASD. As president of AAI, Walter
Stephan could greet important representatives of Europe’s leading aviation firms,
Walter Stephan, president of the Austrian Aeronautics Industries, opens the
ASD Conference in the stately rooms of Vienna’s City Hall.
including the aircraft manufacturers EADS
and Dassault Aviation, as well as reputable suppliers such as SAFRAN, BAE
Systems, Finmeccanica, Saab, Liebherr,
and Austrian aviation suppliers such as
Böhler, TTTech, Testfuchs, Diamond Aircraft to this ASD Annual Convention.
Among the 450 guests were also representatives of the European Commission,
European Parliament, the Council of the
European Union as well as of the American aviation industry.
Janez Potocˇnik, EU Commissioner for Science and Research, signing the Joint
Technology Initiative (JTI) research program „Clean Sky“: (f.l.t.r.) Jean-Paul
Béchat/Safran, Tom Enders/EADS, Friedrich Beyer/ Liebherr, Janez Potocˇnik,
Giorgio Zappa/Finmeccanica, Charles Edelstenne/ Dassault, Colin Smith/
Rolls-Royce, François Quentin/Thales
Under the motto of the 2006 ASD
Annual Convention, “Preparing the future: A world class industry looks ahead”,
there were various lectures and workshops that dealt with current developments in the aviation industry, focusing
on the topics of R&D as the key to future
competitiveness, the cooperation with
the up-and-coming aviation nations of
China, India and Russia, as well as the
expansion visions of a complex industry
with new players and partners.
The outgoing president of ASD Tom Enders, CEO of EADS, handing over
the presidency to Charles Edelstenne, CEO of Dassault Aviation.
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Event: First Delivery
Boeing 787 Translating Sleeve
Guests came from far and wide to celebrate this important
milestone with FACC. Befitting the occasion, high spirits
prevailed in the perfect ambience of Hangar-7 in Salzburg.
Friday the 19th of May, 2006 will go down
as a milestone in the annals of FACC. On
this memorable day the aviation supplier
handed over to their US customer Goodrich Aerostructures the first translating
sleeve for the new Boeing 787 Dreamliner,
right on schedule. Many of the around 300
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guests had travelled far to get to the event.
International customers, suppliers and
business partners, as well as numerous
Austrians from politics and the business
world, were among the many guests. In his
welcome address, Walter Stephan, Chairman of the Board of FACC AG, emphasized
the excellent cooperation with partner companies and the exceptionally good work his
company has done: “With the development
of the translating sleeve for the Boeing 787
Dreamliner, we have as an aviation supplier
once again entered new territory. The
demands on the development team were
high, the technical standards enormous,
and all the same, the entire project team
and its partners from around the world can
look back on a successful major project.
With a common goal always in mind, all
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1 | International partnerships of FACC: Ian Chang/BHA
and Mike Olszewski/Boeing with Gerhard Mörtenhuber/FACC, als well as Miro Miletic and Tony
Carolan, representatives of the Australian customer Hawker de Havilland, with whom on the same
day the contract for the development and production of the 787 spoilers was signed.
2 | Pleased with teamwork achievements: John
Cheffins (2nd.f.r.), CEO of Rolls-Royce, and Walter
Stephan (2nd.f.l.), along with Under Secretary
Eduard Mainoni (l.) and member of Upper Austrian
Parliament Viktor Sigl (r.).
3 | Josef Fischer (r.) and representatives from Boeing
Craig Saddler (2nd.f.r.), Boeing VP 787 program and
Jeff Luckey (3r d.f.l.), Director 787 Propulsion Systems
Product Team Global Partners.
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participants gave their best and worked out
a technologically sophisticated product of
the highest quality, at the same time
keeping to a tight schedule.”
Goodrich Aerostructures also praised
FACC’s team. Tom Lebkuecher, their manager of 787 Business, congratulated the
company on its important milestone: “While Goodrich’s Aerostructures relationship
with FACC is anything but new, we’ve been
working together for over 15 years, we’re
writing a new chapter with the 787. Our selection of FACC was based not only on our
shared history, but because of the opportunity for our companies to grow our relation-
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ship. As a full Supplier/Partner with our
team, FACC performed its own design and
tooling development. This work expands on
FACC’s baseline of proven excellence exhibited on other Goodrich structures, taking
it to a new level as an important partner for
the future with Goodrich.”
In their addresses, Eduard Mainoni, Secretary of Research, Technology and Development in the Federal Ministry for Transport,
Innovation and Technology, and Rolls-Royce
CEO John P. Cheffins each presented their
views on the current developments in the
aviation industry. With the slogan “A hightech and global Austria”, Secretary Mainoni
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showed himself to be impressed by the
intensive, trend-setting research carried out
by Austrian aviation suppliers for firms
worldwide and the accompanying steady
growth of this sector of industry. Representing the engine manufacturer Rolls-Royce, a
customer of FACC since 2000, John P.
Cheffins pointed out that the global aviation
industry finds itself faced with huge challenges in a field that is changing faster and
faster. But precisely for firms such as FACC
that react quickly and flexibly to change and
offer innovative and trend-setting solutions
in advanced fiber composite technology,
excellent opportunities are there for the
taking.
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4 | Representing the region: Hans Schamberger (l.),
the mayor of Reichersberg, with the Upper Austrian Secretary for Economic Affairs Viktor Sigl
(2nd.f.l.) and Ambros Pree (r.), representing TMG,
who convinced FACC that Upper Austria was the
ideal location for the new Facility IV.
5 | Major General Erich Wolf, commandant of the
Austrian Air Force and in charge of the Black
Hawk helicopters and Eurofighter Jets, which
constitute the greatest volume of counter deals
in Austrian aviation history. Shown together with
colleagues and representatives from EADS and
MTU.
6 | The successful 787 team with employees of
Goodrich Aerostructures and FACC, who together
developed the translating sleeve in record time.
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”We are Intensifying
Our Activities in China“
An interview with Manfred Neuböck, COO of FACC AG,
about the boom in China, opportunities in this growing
market, and cooperation with Chinese production partners.
take off: For quite a while headlines concerning the aviation industry have been
dominated by the news of high growth
rate of China’s civil aviation. Not only is
the country an important selling market for
aircraft manufacturers, it is also becoming
more and more important in the role of
aircraft manufacturing. What ramifications
do you see here for FACC?
Manfred Neuböck: At present you cannot get around China. One quarter of the
world’s population lives there. The country is working on an extremely rapid
expansion of its own industrial capacity.
Air traffic is growing right along with this
trend. As an aviation supplier, we have to
deal with China as an important customer
market. But here the important thing is
what our customers expect. Our motto
here is “Follow the customer”, and our
main customers Airbus and Boeing want
us to follow them there.
take off: Aircraft manufacturers are tending towards reducing the number of suppliers, and at the same time giving complex work packages to larger, financially
strong suppliers. Where is FACC positioned?
Manfred Neuböck: We have committed
ourselves to value-adding growth, in
order to effectively strengthen our position as First Tier Supplier. This is where
we come full circle. These days growth is
no longer possible without industrial
cooperation in the international scene. In
a relatively short time we have turned our
Austrian facilities into first-class centers
for expertise for advanced composite
technology: this is where we develop and
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produce hightech components and
systems. And this is where we profit from
the excellent qualifications of our employees. The disadvantage is that Austria has
a very small domestic aviation market.
China, on the other hand, has a high offset volume at its disposal and is aggressive as far as demands for a high value
percentage in its own country is concerned.
take off: You are striving for even more
industrial cooperations in Asia. What will
they be like?
Manfred Neuböck: First of all I would
like to make it clear that our domestic
facilities are working to full capacity and
will be for years to come. That is our highest priority. However, for some time we
have been successfully working with a
Chinese company that has a subcontract
to manufacture wing components for us.
Our strategic business plan is to increase
the volume of out-sourcing from the current $7 million to $40 million by the year
2007 and to expand this to interiors and
engine components. Engineering and
production start-up for products to be
out-sourced will continue to be from our
Austrian headquarters and the volume
production will be abroad. But we want to
go one step further: what is needed in
China is to be produced in China. This
means that we are discussing with our
suppliers ways to procure the needed
raw materials in China.
take off: That means more complex
management and coordination. And where are the advantages?
Manfred Neuböck: One great advantage is clearly that we will move our outsourcing to a US dollar market, and thus
eliminating a currency risk. Not of less
importance, though not measurable in
figures, is the fact that our activities in
China support our customers in their offset commitments, thereby building strategic partnerships which extend beyond a
normal customer-supplier relationship.
We are creating partnerships that are
made to survive even difficult phases.
take off: Is FACC considering acquisitions
in China?
Manfred Neuböck: Of course we are
also considering entering an intensified
cooperation, e.g. in the form of a joint
venture. But just as I have said, this is only
in consideration. When that time comes,
we will evaluate an involvement with our
customers, since we would not want to
carry out such a project without their
involvement. For the time being, we are
taking smaller, less risky, more manageable and more profitable steps.
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Engineering:
Locations Further Expanded
Since its founding, FACC AG has registered constant growth in turnover as well as in personnel. It is especially in the development sector that the demands and expectations of
the customers have increased in the course of the consolidation phase of the aircraft
industry. The company has duly prepared itself for this change and further expanded its
engineering locations. Thanks to these steps and years of experience and expertise,
FACC can secure an excellent position as a supplier for development and systems in
global competition.
Among the main tasks of the Slovakian
development branch are development,
design engineering and drawings for
structure and interiors projects. The office
is run by Pavol Sadak, Team Leader FACC
solutions s.r.o., and currently employs 18.
The goal is to expand the branch to 30
employees by the end of the 2006/07
business year.
Development Office
in Vienna Moves to the
Airport
In July 2006 FACC moved its Viennese
development branch, the Competence
Center Design/Analysis, to the Office
Park of Vienna Airport AG. The decisive
factor for the choice of the new location
was the proximity to a location where the
finished products are actually put to use,
and also the ease with which customers
and suppliers can reach it from the airport. The extremely modern infrastructure of the Office Park also influenced the
decision.
Among the main tasks of the Competence Center Design/Analysis are development, design engineering, as well as
stability and lifespan analysis. The Competence Center employs 37 of its own
staff and 10 external engineers. The
move to the Office Park building opens
up a potential for FACC to employ up to
80 in engineering in Vienna alone.
FACC solutions s.r.o.
founded
On June 1, 2006 FACC solutions s.r.o. in
Slovakia started operations. FACC solutions s.r.o. is a 100% subsidiary of FACC
AG and is a further outpost, focused on
the development of components. It is
located in Bratislava, the capital of Slovakia. This branch sprang from successful
cooperation between the AGO company
and FACC, which goes back to the year
2002. Since then, the engineers of AGO
(now FACC solutions s.r.o.) have been
contributing professionally to various projects. Examples for this are the A380 flap
track fairing project, A380 housings, Challenger 300 cabin and the A320 enhanced cabin.
“We are very pleased to be able to welcome FACC as a renter in the newly-built Office Park,
a company that is directly connected with aviation,” is how Christian Domany (r.), the Chairman of Vienna Airport AG, greeted Walter Stephan (l.), the chairman of the board of FACC,
and his team.
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FACC receives award
from Goodrich Aerostructures
Goodrich Aerostructures has presented
FACC with its Supplier-Award. This prize
expresses Goodrich’s appreciation of
FACC’s outstanding performance and
commitment to excellence in management, delivery, quality, operations and
customer service.
Walter Stephan, chairman of the board of
FACC AG, accepted the award on November 27, 2006 and said, “This award is both
an incentive and challenge for all employees of our company to not be complacent
and satisfied with what we have achieved,
but to constantly improve processes in
order to continue to be a highly-productive and reliable partner to our customers.”
FACC supplies Goodrich Aerostructures
with innovative engine nacelle components, including the translating sleeve for
the Boeing 787. Development and production contracts for the pre-cooler ducts
and engine nozzles for the Airbus A320200/-300 were among the first joint projects. Goodrich Aerostructures is one of
FACC’s most important and longest-standing customers.
FACC Recognized for
Innovative Spend Management
On October 11, 2006, at
a ceremony attended by
representatives from business, politics and media,
FACC Purchasing Manager
Rudolf Leitner was named
SPEND MANAGER OF THE
YEAR 2006. At the same
time, FACC was awarded
the VEMAP AWARD 2006
for innovative spend management. Both awards
were sponsored by the
purchasing service provider vermap.com
and the winners were chosen by an international jury of experts from central and
eastern European companies. These
annual prizes recognize innovative
purchasing methods and advancements
in electronic purchasing management.
FACC already processes 80% of its
purchasing with web-based purchasing
modules and uses the services of modern
software tools such as electronic tenders
with their resulting automatic price comparison, auctions as well as multi-supplier
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catalog systems. These new electronic
modules enable the company to make
purchasing more efficient, reduce the
purchase price by up to 30% and in addition tap new markets through Global
Sourcing. Rudolph Leitner has this to say
about his personal successful experience
with the advanced purchasing method:
“In spite of the significant growth of FACC,
with the Vemap Internet portal we could
constantly keep human resources in
purchasing lean and considerably increase
the efficiency of the purchasing process.
With these innovations we save significantly in terms of both time and money.”
Purchasing Manager Rudolf Leitner and CEO Walter Stephan from FACC accepting the
VEMAP awards.
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Herbert von Karajan:
Insights into an
exciting life
Culture, Art, Sports, Innovation, Personalities
He was one of the most famous conductors of the world.
Many call him the “magician of the perfect sound”. All his
life he attached great importance to sound in his artistic
work. For him the perfect sound was a dematerialized
sound. Even today his recordings bear witness to his commitment to the finest possible technical standard.
Herbert von Karajan (1908-1989) was a
world celebrity on the conductor’s stage.
His spectacular career began in Ulm in
1929. He was the general music director in
Aachen as early as1934 and took that position in Berlin in 1941. After the war he was
not permitted to work, so he went to the
Viennese State Opera in 1947 and conducted the concerts for the “Gesellschaft der
Musikfreunde”. His international career took
off in the 1950s, also involving numerous
recordings. In 1954 he became the successor of Furtwängler as the head conductor of the Berlin Philharmonic. From 195764 Karajan was the artistic director of the
Viennese State Opera, between 1956-60
and again after 1965 he served as the artistic director of the Salzburg Festival and was
a member of the board of directors from
1964-88. The international significance of
the Salzburg Festival is closely associated
with Karajan. In 1967 he founded the Salzburg Easter Festival. He promoted many
young musicians and was awarded many
distinctions, for example the Austrian Award
for Science and Arts in 1961.
All his life, the maestro with silver-grey, wellarranged hair drew the attention of the biggest names of the classical music business
and the illustrious stars of the international
world of opera. Karajan recorded luxurious
versions of numerous orchestral works that
are unequalled even today. He is the source
of unparalleled recordings of Mozart operas, but especially operas by Richard
Strauss and Richard Wagner, and he also
felt at home with the repertory of the great
Romantic symphonies. It is no wonder that
the best-selling Classical CD of all time was
made by Karajan. It is the recording of Vivaldi´s “Four Seasons”, featuring the young
FACC, in cooperation with the Herbert
von Karajan Centrum and Boeing, promotes young talented musicians from
Europe and therewith wants to highlight
the multifaceted and international significance of art and culture and promote and further its development. Three
CDs have been produced in the course
of the cooperation:
• “trio marc chagall” with works by
Glinka, Dorfman and Brahms
• “spread your wings” with works by
Mendelssohn Bartholdy, Schostakowitsch, and Haydn
• “Musical Impressions from Poland and
Russia” with works by Chopin, Rachmaninow, Schostakowitsch, and Lutoslawski
A limited number of the CDs are available free of charge to those interested
and can be ordered by contacting
info@facc.at.
violinist Anne-Sophie Mutter, whose talent
Karajan discovered and promoted.
Copyright: Siegfried Lauterwasser
Melodiousness and precision, mixed with
an unmistakable feeling for rhythm and
dynamics, and above all an instinct and the
unflinching confidence of style for the best
possible effect – that is all the trademark of
Karajan. His recipe for perfectionism is still
to this day the ideal for many epigones on
the conductor’s stand.
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Challenger 300 –
The Ultimate Cabin Comfort.
F I S C H E R A D VA N C E D C O M P O S I T E C O M P O N E N T S A G
A-4910 Ried/Austria, Fischerstraße 9
Tel. +43 / 59 / 616 - 0, Fax +43 / 59 / 616 - 810 00
www.facc.at, e-mail: info@facc.at