Thursday, 24 November 2011

Mechanical Engineering Summit 2011 a must for German machine builders

On the machine engineering summit in Berlin, the industry will also be
used to highlight their political demands (picture: Anna McMaster).

In eleven days, on 18 and 19 October, 5th, German engineering summit
in Berlin. With well over 400 participants is the "summit" of the
obligatory date for the machinery industry. The event's partner
newspaper production specialist, VDMA and VDW thematically grasp the
"hot potato" to burn the industry under the nails.

BERLIN . As it is with the location of Germany in international
comparison? Where are the opportunities to hide and where the
challenges lie for the machine? World trade in the shadow of conflict
of interest, shifts in the Triad, international division of labor,
chances of mechanical engineering at growing mega-cities, the ASEAN
countries, European research funding and the global commodity trap are
addressed at the upcoming summit. But the issues of environment and
energy are treated.

Statement by Thilo Brodtmann, Deputy Executive Director of the VDMA
engineering for Summit

The political demands of the engineering summit highlights the
presence of State Secretary Dr. Bernhard Heitzer, Federal Ministry of
Economics and Technology, Dr. Norbert Röttgen, Federal Minister for
the Environment, Nature Conservation and Nuclear Safety, Prof. Dr.
Annette Schavan, Federal Minister for Education and Research, and EU
Trade Commissioner Karel De Gucht. "The road to success in the future
only through innovation and competitiveness. This policy can do
something. We need an education policy, the possible entrains many
young people and arouses enthusiasm for technology, a broad-based and
open to technology research policy, an active policy against the
looming shortage of skilled labor, fair tax for investment, not least
a policy ensuring open international markets. These are just a few
points. The list could be extended indefinitely, "urges VDMA President
Dr. Thomas Lindner.

VDW kapp President Martin adds: "For the machine tool industry is the
fifth Summit is a good platform to show in Berlin in solidarity with
the entire machine flag. The event is well established and generated
attention in the media, the business partners in the industry and not
least in the economic policy makers. It offers us the opportunity to
dialogue with the policy to explain to her our importance and our
needs. "

For VDMA President Dr. Hannes Hesse is also clear that "the
engineering summit, the top event in our industry in the years between
the VDMA members' meetings. This is where the Who's Who 'of the
machinery and plant, and who wants to miss anything, is coming to
Berlin. Not only for the managers in our industry, but also by the
policies of the engineering summit has taken a great importance. "

As speakers and discussants are inter alia in this case be: Prof. Dr.
Siegfried Russwurm, Siemens AG board member, Hans-Joachim Boekstegers,
CEO, Multivac, Dieter Rosenthal, Chief SMS Siemag, Lauber, CEO ASM;
Dr. Karl Tragl, Chief Bosch Rexroth, Ullrich Grillo, Grillo-board
works; Markwart von Pentz, president of Deere & Company; Dirk Kaliebe
Board Heidelberger Druckmaschinen; Dr. Zoran Stancic, European
Commission Prof. Dr. Heinrich Flegel, Daimler AG, Klaas Vegter, Chief
Technology Officer Philips, Bernd Liepert, CTO Kuka AG, Herbert Bose,
European Commission, etc.

American Airlines major contract with Airbus

Airbus to build 260 machines for the Americans. U.S. rival Boeing
receives only a small part of the job. Airbus sees this as a
breakthrough on the U.S. market.

A machine of American Airlines is facing a hanger at New York's
Laguardia Airport.

In the constant competition between Airbus and Boeing, the European
aircraft maker scored a success in itself. Ironically, the U.S.
carrier American Airlines has awarded the bulk of an order to the
Europeans. The parent company, AMR has ordered 260 Airbus A320s and
the U.S. rival Boeing 200 aircraft 737, the company said. AMR said it
a total of "the largest order in aviation history."

By breaking the order of the European Airbus company, the former
monopoly of the U.S. competitors, American Airlines. According to
media reports at the airline's Airbus offered a particularly favorable
financing the business through a lease agreement. Funding from their
own pocket American Airlines is presently difficult: the company made
in the past quarter and a net loss of 286 million dollars.

Company wants to build most fuel saving fleet

"260 Airbus aircraft are not only good news for us," said Airbus CEO
Tom Enders. It is also good news, "especially for the environment."
130 of the 260 Airbus aircraft will be particularly fuel-efficient
models of the "Neo". American Airlines wants to have claims to "within
five years and the youngest fleet fuel saving" among U.S. competitors,
said company Chief Executive Gerard Arpey. The sink drastically reduce
fuel and operating costs and thereby increase its financial
flexibility.

At list prices, the order would be worth $ 40 billion, with such large
orders, but significant discounts are common. The parent company, AMR
did not specify a price.

The American Airlines fleet comprises more than 900 machines, many of
which are but come on in years. The company flies nor the no longer
manufactured Boeing MD-80 that are on average 20 years old. American
Airlines has already started with the modernization and sat on it
until now Boeing.

Diesel soot from agricultural machinery: emissions figures updated

Federal Office for Environment (FOEN)
Diesel soot from agricultural machinery: emissions figures updated

Bern, 29.03.2007 - The agricultural machines push out upgrades in
accordance with model calculations around 400 tons of diesel soot per
year. The Federal Office for the Environment on 29 March 2007 together
with experts from the automotive industry, agriculture, the EMPA and
the corresponding modeling completed. The aim of the Covenant is to
minimize the causes of diesel soot.

The federal government sets its priorities in air pollution control
policy among other things, with the aid of model calculations for
pollutant emissions. In the models that are updated regularly, the
reality is to be mapped as accurately as possible. They give an
indication as to what causes intimidates group in which magnitude
pollutants. It therefore follows the action.

The date of the latest federal data on diesel soot emissions from
agricultural machinery have been published 1996th According to this
model, which included forecasts to the year 2030, met with
agricultural machinery in 2005, 1,100 tons of cancer-causing diesel
soot.
The newest model in the context of the bill updating the database FOEN
off now show that agricultural machinery in 2005, expelled some 400
tons of diesel soot. The reason for this downward revision is the
adaptation of various factors that the updated model is based on:

The emission factors (diesel soot emissions in g / kWh) were reduced
on average by nearly half. For the introduction of EU emission
standards in 2003 in Switzerland and the associated technical
improvement of the engines led to a marked reduction of emissions. New
emission factors are based on data from the U.S. Environmental
Protection Agency EPA from 2004 onwards.

Based on new calculations of the Agroscope Reckenholz-Tänikon (ART),
the average annual duration of a tractor in Switzerland by one-third
has been adjusted downwards.

The new model calculation based on a broad-based methodology, which
was approved by the Working Group Diesel soot agricultural machinery.
"The group was established a year ago by FOEN launched to address the
pending update of the diesel soot numbers together with all
stakeholders. In the Working Group were subject matter experts (EMPA,
Iveco Motoren Forschung, Cercle "Air, Agroscope ART, BLW, FOEN) and
the Swiss Association of Agricultural Engineering SVLT represented.

How big is the percentage of agricultural machinery is the total
diesel soot emissions, can not say at the moment. First, the modeling
of the other categories in the off-road machines are available (such
as construction, industry, forestry, ships). With an output of 400
tons per year, the agricultural machinery are of the same magnitude as
the trucks (413 tons of diesel soot per year).

Particulate matter and diesel exhaust: Central Health Problem
A lower diesel soot emissions, agriculture is not exonerate them, like
all other polluter groups continue to contribute to the reduction of
diesel particulate emissions (see box). The primary objective of the
Action Plan under the federal particulate matter is to minimize the
emissions of cancer-causing diesel soot in Switzerland as far as
possible and to avoid as many diseases and premature deaths. Since
agriculture is usually far from urban areas is operated and therefore
relatively less exposure to diesel soot which people live, by the
Action Plan of the Federation of first settlement in the near-source
sectors. Only when the particulate filter technology for retrofitting
tractors technically feasible and economically viable should be taken
in this area measures.

Interpretation of emissions data

Who pushes how many tons of fine dust and soot particles per year:
based figures of the so-called emissions (emission) of air pollutants
on complex model calculations that need to be adjusted periodically
with great effort - because not every tractor or truck can install a
meter . Are collected continuously, however, the so-called emissions,
air pollutants, therefore, which are actually present in the air.
Regarding particulate air measurements show: In many parts of
Switzerland particulate pollution throughout the year is too high,
periodic peak loads as early 2006, only the spectacular expression of
this.
Lower emission figures are therefore interpreted with caution: it does
not mean (automatically) clear is crucial lastly, how much dust and
diesel soot in the air. In this sense, the percentage distribution
between individual issuers is more revealing than absolute numbers in
tons per year: This distribution is evidence of who contributes how
much to actually existing air pollution and where further action is
needed.

Saturday, 12 November 2011

Well

I will have to post here sooner or later, rather sooner then later.