Edelstahl

POWER

for new

DIMENSIONS

Magazine for
Customers and
Employees

1/2010

Contents

Top-class heavy metal performance

Inauguration of the new 80/100 MN forging press

11

Forging laboratory
on the move

14

Mega-bolts for gigantic cranes

Special engineering alloys from Buderus Edelstahl

16

The Buderus Edelstahl chain forge

Between chains and ingot moulds

l The Company
4 Is the worst behind us?
We hope so!
5 Top-class heavy metal performance
Inauguration of the new 80/100 MN
forging press, with guests from all over
the world
7 Employees and friends celebrate
the new 80/100 MN forging press
Thousands of visitors flock to the
Buderus Edelstahl works

EDELSTAHL Info 1/2010

l Tool Steel
9 Navaratna nine precious stones
for celestial protection
Laying the foundation stone of the
80/100 MN open-die forging press
10 Miniature press:
The big presss little sister
10 The Buderus Edelstahl image film
11 UNESCO presents Rimkus project
in Seoul
Forging laboratory on the move

12 Reflective steel and top contacts

EuroMold 2009

l Engineering alloys
14 Mega-bolts for gigantic cranes
Special engineering alloys from Buderus Edelstahl

Editorial

Dear Readers,

12

Reflective steel and top contacts

EuroMold 2009

We have an exciting first quarter behind us. Four

hundred business partners from all over the world
together with guests from the fields of business and
politics celebrated with us the official inauguration
of the new 80/100 MN open-die forging press, as did
four thousand employees and friends. The heavy-metal
performance was a big hit, as was the fully functional
1:20 scale model of the press. This issue reports in
detail on this outstanding event. You can also read
the nice story about laying the foundation stone with
nine precious stones from India.
Our new image film with a brief and intriguing journey
through time from the year 1731 to the present day is
now available on DVD. There is information on it in this
newsletter.
Sustainability is the issue addressed in the article
on the Hesse Environment Alliance, and on the
100 companies for climate protection initiative.
Buderus Edelstahl is represented in both for good reason.
There is naturally a report on the most recent EuroMold trade fair. Buderus
Edelstahl entranced international exhibition visitors with its reflective allure
in December 2009.
We also report on the largest cranes in the world, with bolts made from our
special engineering alloys; and we have another remarkable profile for you
the Buderus Edelstahl chain forge.

l Employees / News
16 The Buderus Edelstahl chain forge
Between chains and ingot moulds
18 Buderus Edelstahl:
Member of the Hesse
Environment Alliance
Committed to climate and environment protection

We hope you enjoy reading this newsletter,

and wish you a traditional Glck auf!
Your Management Team
Karl-Peter Johann
Jens Mohr

19 Long service awards

19 Deaths
19 Editorial information

EDELSTAHL Info 1/2010

The Company

Is the worst behind us?

We hope so!
That describes the situation in a nutshell.
But the reply to the question can also be
very much more nuanced. The issues that
concern us all can rarely be answered
with a simple affirmative. So what answers
do we have to the employment situation?
What answers are we giving with our new
forging press? What are the changed
future scenarios like, and how should we
deal with them?
The operating result for the 2009/10 financial year ending on 31 March 2010 was
down, as is to be expected in the circumstances, but nevertheless positive, thanks
to internal efforts. Steel mill production hit
a historical low in April 2009, running at
only about 25% of the usual utilisation
level, but thereafter production picked up,
modestly at first, then increasing progressively. As in the case of Buderus Edelstahl,
the main priority for all companies in 2009
was reducing work in progress and inventories in order to release capital. The impact
of such de-stocking was and will continue
to be greater on companies higher up
the value-added chain. As a steelmaker,
Buderus Edelstahl is very high up the supply chain, which accounts for the disproportionate decline in the level of activity in
2009.
Just as the decline was disproportionately great compared to overall demand, so
we are now experiencing a boom in orders
in all companies of the Buderus Edelstahl
Group. By resorting to short-time working,
we have succeeded in retaining most of the
qualified employees necessary for production, although the past year has undeniably
left its mark on the workforce, since the
bleak outlook meant that some employees
could not be retained.
Like our customers, we are still regarding
the current recovery phase with healthy
scepticism, since it is by no means certain
that the level of activity will be sustained.
Another factor is the effect described
above whereby Buderus Edelstahl is by the

EDELSTAHLInfo 1/2010

nature of its products more exposed to

volatility in the economy than end-product
manufacturers. The upturn could therefore
be short-lived.
We nevertheless welcome the significant
recovery in the level of activity, which the
companys workforce has responded to
with alacrity, even though there have been
and may still be numerous alterations to
shift patterns. Management would like to
take this opportunity to thank the workforce for their flexibility and loyalty.
In this context, the worst is surely behind us as regards the employment situation. The aim is now to meet the challenges
of boosting production, whilst remaining
sufficiently flexible to be able to respond
rapidly to any downturn that may yet occur.
80/100 MN open-die forging press
Completion of this project has been both
difficult and rewarding. The construction
phase with its huge earth movements and

associated dirt, the cold of two long, hard

winters on the exposed, draughty construction sites and halls, and the obstacles involved in transporting the heavy components. Once a casting weighing 250 tonnes
almost got stuck in the centre of Oberlemp,
a small town in the Wetzlar district, and
once the Midland Canal was threatening to
freeze over, and the 350 tonne foundation
wailing was ice-bound for days. But the
press finally started up right on schedule,
after two years construction. We would
like to take this opportunity of congratulating and thanking all those involved for
their achievement.
Those who attended the press inauguration ceremony in person will doubtless long
remember this event. The inauguration
comprised an open day for customers, with
presentations addressing matters of interest to the audience. But the inauguration
of the press itself was doubtless much more
impressive, accompanied as it was by an
outstanding forging performance with
magnificent sound and light effects. The
highly emotional mix of light, classical
music, techno and hard rock, combined
with the direct heat emitted by a glowing
steel ingot, and the deceptive ease with
which the new press forges large ingots, is
something the audience will long remember.
In organising this event, we were guided
by the principle of let your good works
shine. Despite the constrained financial
situation, this event just had to be celebrated. And our customers response has
justified the decision, as some promising
transactions were initiated both on the day
and thereafter.
So the question posed above can certainly be answered in the affirmative, especially in the short term, once we look beyond the day-to-day shortcomings. But
there will undoubtedly be further challenges ahead, which we will also meet just
like those we faced last year.

The Company

Inauguration of the new 80/100 MN forging press,

with guests from all over the world

Top-class heavy metal

performance
400 guests from industry and politics came together on 18 March 2010 to celebrate
the impressive launch of the new open-die forging press at Buderus Edelstahl. This
major event was attended by customers and international sales partners, suppliers,
all the directors of Bhler-Uddeholm AG, and political representatives. They enjoyed
a celebration of superlatives.
Buderus Edelstahl had really rolled out the
blue carpet. The inaugural celebrations under the motto Power for New Dimensions
started in the elegantly decorated marquee
with a presentation of the new Buderus
Edelstahl image film. Commercial Director
Jens Mohr greeted the guests, and thanked
the local government representatives present, including the Environment Minister of
the state of Hesse, Silke Lautenschlger,
District President Dr Lars Wittek, and the
Mayor of Wetzlar, Wolfram Dette, for their
effective cooperation during the preparation and construction phase of the new
open-die forging press project.

The facilitator Dirk Daniels, whose agency organised the event in close cooperation
with Anne Kuhlmann, Assistant to Buderus
Edelstahl management, then led the guests
to their tiered seats in the new production
hall. The main attraction was still concealed
behind a huge curtain, which gave an initial clue to the size of the new open-die
forging press.
Buderus Edelstahl Technical Director
Karl-Peter Johann gave an interesting
overview of the whole project, which had
started two years previously. He observed
that a total of more than 200,000 tonnes

of material had been moved since 

Jens Mohr, Commercial Director of Buderus

Edelstahl, giving his welcoming address

Karl-Peter Johann, Technical Director of Buderus

Edelstahl, gave an interesting overview of the whole
project

EDELSTAHLInfo 1/2010

The Company

Forging artist Andreas Rimkus (right) provided an

impressive choreography of the craft of forging

The new manipulator gave a dancing performance

to demonstrate the extent of its flexibility

The steel ingot was swaged flat within

a few moments

The public is totally absorbed by the presentation

The elegantly decked marquee was full of guests

EDELSTAHLInfo 1/2010

the first spade was dug, making a lighthearted comparison with Cologne Cathedral, which took a mere 120,000 tonnes of
material to build its walls and towers. After
the necessary preparatory work, including
expanding the substation in the nearby
town of Asslar, the centre of this major
construction project was at first just a gigantic hole 40 metres long, 30 metres wide
and up to 17 metres deep the construction pit for the new four-column underfloor press together with the hydraulics pit.
The complete infrastructure was adapted
to the new press, which is the fastest in its
weight class.
The logistics system was also converted
from rail to flexible transport systems cap
able of handling ingots of up to 180 tonnes.
The furnace capacity was expanded with
new forging furnaces, and all the peripheral facilities such as the annealing plant
and hardening plant were upgraded accordingly. A forge crane and a new mani
pulator complete the imposing gigantic
press. With a lifting capacity of 250 tonne
metres, it has more than twice the capacity
of the largest existing manipulator at Buderus Edelstahl. This investment programme
puts us in a good position for the future in
terms of quality, technology, and competition, said Karl-Peter Johann in conclusion,
as he handed over to the Environment
Minister of the State of Hesse, Silke Lau
tenschlger.
Member of the Hesse
Environment Alliance
In her opening address, Ms Lautenschlger
officially confirmed Buderus Edelstahls
admission to the Hesse Environment Alliance. The Minister had been impressed by
the companys commitment to greater energy efficiency and reduced environmental
impact. Buderus Edelstahl was exemplary
for other companies that did not yet have
such a focus on the issue of energy efficiency. The company was also creating new
jobs, and its investment decision constituted a commitment to the location. Ms
Lautenschlger concluded, Economics and
ecology need not be mutually exclusive,
wished the assembled audience the traditional miners greeting of Glck auf!, and

Environment Minister Silke Lautenschlger officially

confirmed Buderus Edelstahls participation in the
Hesse Environment Alliance

opened the new forging press with three

hammer blows on the anvil.
Power for new dimensions
Hardly had the last hammer blow faded
away when a unique forging performance
began. The forging artist Andreas Rimkus
and two muscular gentlemen presented an
impressive choreography involving the
craft of forging, pyrotechnics, and torch
juggling, framed by dry-ice fog, fire fountains and Carl Orffs Carmina Burana. This
was followed by a large glowing steel ingot
suspended from a crane hook proceeding
between two banks of seated spectators
towards the still concealed press. The excitement mounted, the curtain fell with a
loud bang, and guests saw a brilliant sight
the massive new forging press dominating the space.
After this prelude the event proceeded
in an equally breathtaking way. AC/DCs
Hells Bells followed the classical piece,
with the new manipulator demonstrating
the full range of its flexibility, dancing to
the rhythm of the hard rock. Accompanied
by Doldingers music for the film The
Boat, the steel ingot finally reached the
forging press, to have its imposing two metre bulk flattened within a few moments,
to enthusiastic applause by the audience.
The new 80/100 MN open-die forging press
had officially started work.
Emotion and information
an all-round success
With its new press and the companys outstanding materials know-how, Buderus
Edelstahl has immense power for new di-

The Company

The team associated with the 80/100 MN open-die forging press

Works tours of a special kind

mensions all the guests agreed on that.

Dr Claus Raidl, Chairman of the Management Board of Bhler-Uddeholm AG, emphasised, For our company, this is the largest forging press in the world the right

day, a day that will be long remembered. So

impressive that the local press observed
next morning, Rarely has such a production plant colossus been greeted in such a
stylish and spectacular manner.

decision at the right location. Buderus Edelstahl is a fantastic brand, Germany is a fantastic market, we have well trained people
here. Buderus Edelstahl has invested 100
million in the entire project launched this

Thousands of visitors flock to the Buderus Edelstahl works premises

Employees and friends celebrate the new

80/100 MN forging press
Around 4,500 visitors, employees and friends of the company came to Buderus
Edelstahl on 20 March to admire the new 80/100 MN open-die forging press.
The visitors packed into the works tour, renewed old workplace acquaintances,
and made good use of the many attractions Buderus Edelstahl had organised
for this special day.
After the opening address by Wolfram
Dette, Mayor of the City of Wetzlar, and by
Karl-Peter Johann, the crowds of visitors
could hardly wait to see the new forging
press in action. The organiser Dirk Daniels
had to apply all his communication skills to
direct the run on the total of six press pre-

sentations in an orderly fashion. The guests

were thrilled by what they saw. They shared
the experience of the guests from business
and politics who had witnessed the official
inauguration two days previously under
the motto Power for new dimensions.


Karl-Peter Johann, Technical Director,

during the opening address

Welcoming speech by the Mayor of the city

of Wetzlar, Wolfram Dette

The new forging press in action

EDELSTAHLInfo 1/2010

The Company

Karl-Peter Johann, Josef Prexler, who worked in the

forge for 43 years, and Arno Ferber, General Forging
Foreman (from left to right)
Thousands of people poured into the Buderus
Edelstahl works

The Childrens Circus team for young guests

Music, fun and games

In two large marquees, the Original Mnchholzhuser group entertained the crowds
with excellent brass band music, there was
food and drink, and a childrens circus for
young visitors. There were also games of
skill on offer, such as the soccer Olympics,
offering some worthwhile prizes. Of course
Andreas Rimkus forging laboratory was on
site, and two other highlights were in great
demand the miniature press made in the
Buderus Edelstahl training workshop, on
which the trainees struck commemorative
medals during the event, and the five miniature railways to carry visitors on halfhourly works tours.

Steel structures for the new workshop

and a fully enclosed access road were constructed in two phases to meet the high
noise reduction requirements. A carefully
designed ventilation system ensures the
health and safety of the employees inside
the new workshop.
Visitors inspected the 250 tonne and
300 tonne forging furnaces with interest,
and the new MAFI transport systems that
are replacing the old rail transport system,
and can handle ingots weighing up to 180
tonnes.
Absolutely gigantic!, was one visitors
summary of what he had seen. A magnificent celebration of the new press. A day
none of us will soon forget.

Lufino the clown models fantastic balloon figures

The crowds of visitors could hardly wait to see

the new forging press in action

Impressive all round

Many former employees were pretty impressed when they saw the new open-die
forging press, the brand-new sparkling
workshop, and the associated peripheral
area on the site. This is where construction
of the press started in September 2009,
with installation of the equipment in the
hydraulics pit.
The new press gives Buderus Edelstahl
the capacity to forge large-scale com
ponents with diameters of up to almost
4metres. The compression force amounts
to 8,000 tonnes; in the slower swaging
mode the press even achieves a compression force of 10,000 tonnes.
The new 250 tm manipulator acquired
for the 80/100 MN press, was also widely
admired. With good reason it has more
than twice the capability of Buderus Edelstahls second largest manipulator.

1:20 scale model of the new 80/100 MN

a miniature press built in our training workshop

All the seats were taken for all six

press p resentations

Forging Press Operator Harald Mller operated

the press during both events

A bus and miniature railway station set up

specially for this day

EDELSTAHLInfo 1/2010

The Company

Laying the foundation stone of the 80/100 MN

open-die forging press

Navaratna nine precious stones

for celestial protection
The Laxman family, the Indian partner of Buderus Edelstahl, presented Buderus
Edelstahl management with a truly special talisman. Nine pure little precious
stones and five precious metals have been protecting the new open-die forging
press project since the foundation stone was laid on 9 November 2009.

Jens Mohr embeds the precious stones and precious

metals encased in a special-steel cylinder into the
foundation

Ralf Rech, Tobias Besser, Nicol Mller, Diana Schfer, Wolfgang Wichert, Karl-Peter Johann, Paul Schmitz and
Jens Mohr (from left to right) at the laying of the foundation stone

The Vedic talisman found its place at the

important interface of the press and manipulator foundation in a horizontal hole
drilled 150 mm deep, with a diameter of
100 mm. Together with some employees,

The five small precious-metal discs that are

incorporated in the foundations together with
the precious stones

Karl-Peter Johann and Jens Mohr em

bedded the precious stones and precious
metals in the foundation encased in a special-steel cylinder on 9 November 2009.
The precious stones symbolise seven
planets, and the ascendant and descendant
lunar nodes. Heavenly bodies have a direct
influence on all aspects of our life in the
Vedic faith. Certain stones and metals are
associated with corresponding heavenly
bodies and effects on their environment.
Whenever someone builds a house or an
industrial structure, you embed the Nava
(nine) Ratna (precious stones) in the foundation.
This combination of stones goes back to
the Brihat Jatak, as it is called in the Sanskrit language of the Brahmans, one of the
most important dissertations on Vedic astrology in the old scriptures. It sets out the
association of the stones with the particu-

lar planets (see box). The selected stones

must be of exquisite quality, and flawless.
Embedded in the foundation of a building,
they are supposed to absorb the energy of
the heavenly bodies, protecting their environment against negative influences. Many
people also wear the nine precious stones
as a ring or protective amulet.
The five small precious-metal discs that
rest in the foundations together with the
precious stones are associated in the Indian
philosophy with five elements: earth water,
air, fire, and ether. In the foundation, all
five together symbolise wealth and success.
We are delighted with this talisman, and
thank the Laxman family again most sincerely, says Jens Mohr. With such good
protection we can all go forward together
into a promising future.

The stones of the Navaratna

lPure ruby for the Sun
lPearl for the Moon
lRed coral for Mars
lEmerald for Mercury
lYellow sapphire for Jupiter
lDiamond for Venus
lBlue sapphire for Saturn
lEssonite for the ascendant
lunar nodes
lCats eye for the descendant
lunar nodes

EDELSTAHLInfo 1/2010

The Company
The team associated with the miniature press:
Gerhard von Mohr, Otfried Bremer,
Matthias Schaub, Oliver Trller,
Steffen Dornbusch, Alfred Lepper
(from left to right)

Miniature press:
The big presss little sister
The training workshop at Buderus Edelstahl created a small masterpiece with
the miniature version of the new 80/100
MN press. The 1:20 scale model was
received with enthusiasm by customers
and friends of the company during the
official celebrations for the new press.

The miniature press is not only pleasing to

look at, it can also stamp items such
as commemorative medals from copper,
measuring 30 x 2 mm. They were in great
demand on 18 and 20 March.
Karl-Peter Johann, Technical Director of
Buderus Edelstahl, had the idea of building

The Buderus Edelstahl image film

Faszination Stahl

neue

Faszination Stahl

NEN

10

EDELSTAHL Info 1/2010

The guests at the inauguration ceremony were shown

the new Buderus Edelstahl image film. Images from the
past, innovative materials and production facilities,
cutting-edge products in various industries a brief
and exciting trip from the year 1731 through to the
present and into the future of a company that is now
the world market leader with many of its products. The
image film will be available on the Buderus Edelstahl
website from summer 2010. The DVD is also available
from:
Buderus Edelstahl GmbH, Department GF/K-A,
Tel.: +49 (0) 6441/374-2875,
Fax: +49 (0) 6441/374-2301,
e-mail: info@buderus-steel.com

the model press, and gave the order to the

training workshop at the end of January
2010. Converting the size and complexity
of the 80/100 MN press to a viable functional model required total commitment.
The March deadline was tight, and costs
had to be contained within reasonable limits. No problem for the dedicated team. The
trainees themselves did the work to produce the individual components and to
conduct the stamping tests. The trainers
Otfried Bremer and Steffen Dornbusch coordinated project planning, engineering
design, welding, assembly, surface finishing
and commissioning. Order placement and
materials procurement were handled by
the Training Supervisor Alfred Lepper.
Gerhard von Mohr and his people managed
the turning work, and adaptation to the
project. The group associated with Mathias
Schaub carried out milling work and
assembly, and Oliver Trller was responsible
for procuring the hydraulic components.
The miniature press was commissioned
less than two months later, on 16 March
2010.
The model illustrates the functioning of
the 80/100 MN open-die forging press, and
can be fitted with various stamping dies. It
functions on the same principle as the large
press; a small hydraulic unit enables the
upward and downward movement of the
crosshead, using a control valve in the
lower part of the model press. At a pressure
of 450 bar (45 MPa), forces of up to 400 kN
can be applied. Our model press will frequently be used in future presentations
and events for our company and our products, says Karl-Heinz Schfer, Head of the
Training Workshop. We have numerous
options with modified stamping dies. We
look forward to seeing what the miniature
press will create in future.

The Company

The forging laboratory presence at the

inauguration of the new 80/100 MN
open-die forging press

Forging laboratory on the move

UNESCO presents Rimkus project in Seoul

Arts and education in and by Germany is the working title of a special dossier
to be presented by the German UNESCO Commission as the German contribution
to the UNESCO World Conference on Arts Education, including Andreas Rimkus
mobile forging laboratory as a representative project.

The UNESCO World Conference was held

from 25 to 28 May 2010 in Seoul, Korea.
The special dossier of the German UNESCO
Commission is intended to reflect good
practice from Germany in the field of arts
education. The mobile forging laboratory
item will appear as a model project in the
section entitled Learning Spaces and Partnerships, Target Groups.
Because forging is part of our culture, as
the German UNESCO Commission and others confirm. The UNESCO World Conference in Korea is a good platform for a very
good project, comments Jens Mohr, Commercial Director of Buderus Edelstahl. We
have been pleased to work with Andreas
Rimkus for many years. He recently forged
his latest work of art entitled Twisted
world in our works. We are pleased that

Rimkus concept art finds international

recognition.
On the move
The mobile forging laboratory, a travelling
sculpture in the form of an anvil, takes children and young people on a journey through
the craft of forging, and gives them the opportunity to try their hand at this ancient
skill. Equipped with four hearths and eight
anvils, one of which can also be operated by
children in a wheelchair, and equipped with
all the most important forging tools, this
hands-on exhibit has been fascinating forging fans young and old since its first major
appearance at the Idea Park 2008 in Stuttgart. Its latest appearance was in Wetzlar
again, from 18 to 20 March 2010 at the festive inauguration of the new 80/100 MN

open-die forging press, as one of several

key attractions.
Forging for real
More than 8,000 children have tried their
hand at forging in the mobile laboratory in
less than two years. In an experience transcending everyday schoolwork, they discover how to model and shape this hard
material with their own hands, using their
own strength and imagination to create
objects. A further attraction of the mobile
forging laboratory for young visitors is the
interactive information terminal. Last year
the visitors were not just from Germany; in
July 2009 the mobile forge visited the Zuidermuseum in Holland. Then it went to the
IdeenExpo in Hanover, then to the Emslandschau regional show, and from there to
Hamlin and to Aachen. This year the fascinating exhibit is scheduled to visit Meinerzhagen, Papenburg, Springe, Dillenburg
and Hagen. Further details on these events
can be accessed on the website:
www.ideenkunst.de/amboss/reise.htm.

EDELSTAHL Info 1/2010

11

Tool Steel

Buderus Edelstahl employees and global sales partners

EuroMold 2009

Reflective steel and top contacts

The EuroMold trade fair in Frankfurt am Main has always been an important event
for Buderus Edelstahl. It is the leading international world fair for mouldmaking and
tooling, design and application development. The 16th EuroMold exhibition was held
from 2 to 5 December 2009. The Buderus Edelstahl stand covered 140 square metres,
and attracted a large number of visitors. One reason was brilliant exhibits made of
Thruhard Supreme
Anyone who has attended major trade fairs
knows that you just walk past many stands,
whereas others exert an irresistible attraction. A mirror made of steel caught the eye
of international visitors to Frankfurt in
early December 2009. The steel plate
weighing almost 100 kilos and measuring
440 x 35 x 800 mm was made of 2738 mod.
Thruhard Supreme, and enthralled everyone who looked at it, with its polished
mirror surface. This exhibit in cooperation
with Kiefer GmbH enabled Buderus Edelstahl to effectively convey a good example
of top-class mould surface finishing. The
largest exhibit on the stand was a pre-ma-

12

EDELSTAHLInfo 1/2010

chined mould for a bumper die, likewise

made of Thruhard Supreme. This highquality plastic mould steel from Buderus
Edelstahl is in demand throughout the
world. For example the automobile industry uses large moulds made of Thruhard
Supreme to manufacture vehicle components such as bumpers, because this ex
cellent material has a distinctly uniform
microstructure achieved by a specially
adapted alloying and heat-treatment concept. This steel is highly prized internationally for its excellent mechanical properties,
good polishability, and uniform etch-grainability.

Ulli Keiner, Tool Steel Sales Far East, in front of the

mirror made of Thruhard Supreme

Tool Steel

The Buderus Edelstahl exhibition stand attracted numerous visitors to its 140 square metres of floor space

Large exhibit pre-machined mould

for a bumper die

Opportunities from the crisis

Customers from all over the world were
greeted on the exhibition stand by Buderus
Edelstahl employees and sales partners
from around the world, and by employees
from the French company Deville Rectifi
cation; two major issues featured prominently in their discussions. One was the
expanded production facilities of Buderus
Edelstahl with the new 80/100 MN opendie forging press officially commissioned
in March 2010, with its state-of-the-art
peripherals, and resultant advantages for
Buderus Edelstahl customers. The second
hot topic was the current economic situation. The general tenor was cautious optimism. Most visitors believed the market
was picking up again. This was also suggested by the exhibition attendance figures: the 16th EuroMold attracted more
than 56,000 visitors from 86 countries, despite the still very difficult economic environment. Although the total attendance at
the exhibition was somewhat down on last
year, the proportion of foreign visitors was
slightly higher than in 2008.

tential it generates. Buderus Edelstahl has

made good use of the crisis period. New
production facilities, faster throughput
times, high flexibility with excellent quality the messages were clearly understood
and well received. The conversations at
EuroMold will now be turned into action.
We can already say that Buderus Edelstahls
participation in this important internatio
nal trade fair was again a complete success.

businesses. All our key customers were

there, says Jens Mohr, Commercial Director of Buderus Edelstahl, the quality of
contacts with existing and potential customers was again very good. He adds,
We regularly encounter a high level of interest with our innovative steel concepts.
And the successful implementation of our
TOPFORGE project makes us even stronger
than before in our core markets. The conversations therefore related to the new po-

Josef Puchner, Toolmaking / Vehicle Components and Systems Manager, Marcus Hoermannskirchner, Tool
making, present a gift to Peter Vetter, Tool Steel Quality Planning Manager, Erwin Kreisel, Field Service and
Oliver Schaub, Domestic Tool Steel Sales, to express their appreciation of a two-day tool steel seminar held
at the BMW facility in Landshut

Good contacts in an
important core business
There was also an increase in the proportion of the largest group of visitors from
the automobile industry, 17% up on 2008;
their specialist interest is in mould and tool
making, one of Buderus Edelstahls core

EDELSTAHLInfo 1/2010

13

Engineering Alloys

Special engineering alloys from Buderus Edelstahl

Mega-bolts for gigantic cranes

For many years Buderus Edelstahl has been working closely with the crane maker
Liebherr-Werk Ehingen GmbH. This market leader procures special engineering alloys
from Wetzlar for its mobile and crawler cranes; the steel is used to make the mighty
bolts for Liebherr cranes the largest in the world.
The company is headquartered in Ehingen
on the Danube, and develops and produces
numerous models of mobile crane with
telescopic and lattice jibs on mobile and
crawler platforms for the most diverse purposes all around the world. Liebherr has the
most modern crane factory in the world,
capable of producing more than 1,500 mobile and crawler cranes per year. That is at
least six a day. That sounds a lot, and it
is but the demand for mobile and crawler
cranes has grown steadily in recent years,
and the boom is continuing. The largest
crawler crane internationally is currently

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EDELSTAHLInfo 1/2010

being built in Ehingen; it is of conventional

design, with a lifting capacity of 3,000
tonnes. The tallest lattice mast cranes on a
crawler chassis were being built here as
long ago as 1994, with a lifting capacity of
1,200 tonnes, and a lifting height of 226
metres. This specialist crane builder was
formed in 1969 as a subsidiary of the then
sole proprietorship Hans Liebherr; its production facility now employs a workforce
of 2,700 on a site extending to 820,000 m2,
of which 184,000 m2 is dedicated to production.

Liebherr cranes on major construction sites

throughout the world

Engineering Alloys
Special engineering alloys
for the most demanding applications
Liebherr uses strong partners like Buderus
Edelstahl to meet the exacting demands
made on its mobile cranes. In addition to
constant innovation in developing hydraulic, electrical and electronic drive and control systems, it is principally the materials
that have to satisfy the most exacting demands.
Buderus Edelstahl supplies Liebherr with
special engineering alloys in diameters
ranging from around 220 to 540 mm for
machine elements that are essential for the
machine to operate the bolts. The core
components of any crane are linked by
flexible shafts weighing tonnes.
The demands on the steel used are correspondingly extreme. It must withstand
the enormous forces of even the largest dimensions, in the most diverse environmental conditions. For example telescopic
cranes that Liebherr developed for use in
Russia have to operate at temperatures
down to 50 C. Conventional steels would
rapidly become brittle at these temperatures.

Material concepts for exceptional

performance
Buderus Edelstahl has developed reliable
material concepts for Liebherr to satisfy
the most exacting demands.
The special engineering alloys from
Wetzlar travel to many regions of the world
with the Liebherr cranes on major building
sites. They are there when new wind power
generators are erected, ports constructed,
pipelines laid and bridges built.
Liebherr cranes were also used to build
new arenas for the 2010 Football World
Cup in South Africa, such as the Green
Point Stadium in Cape Town, where one of
the two FIFA 2010 World Cup semi-finals
is to be played. With 68,000 seats, the
52metre high arena is one of South Africas finest stadiums. Built by specialists like
Liebherr. World-class technology for more
product benefit is the principle in Ehingen.
With world-class materials from Buderus
Edelstahl.

EDELSTAHLInfo 1/2010

15

Employees

The chain forge team: Wolfram Thom, Klaus

Rubin, Toni Hrter, Rudolf Lux (from left to right)

Between chains and ingot moulds

The Buderus Edelstahl

chain forge
A chain is only as strong as its weakest link, as Goethe observed in his novel
Wilhelm Meisters Journeyman Years. There are four knowledgeable veterans in
the Buderus Edelstahl chain forge who ensure the integrity of the whole chain, the
chain of people and product. But the daily round of Rudolf Lux and his colleagues
is not devoted entirely to strong chains; they also deal with the ingot moulds, and
numerous other tasks.
He had just been hanging up the little
chain, says Wolfram Thom as he joined his
colleagues Rudolf Lux, Klaus Rubin and
Toni Hrter. The little chain weighs almost
60 kg. It is not the longest or the heaviest
chain, just one of hundreds constantly in
use in the Buderus Edelstahl production
workshops. They send their chains to Wolfram Thom to be checked, and receive a replacement from the chain forge, so that

16

EDELSTAHL Info 1/2010

operations can continue uninterrupted. All

maintenance and repair is recorded meticulously in the computerised chain database. In a few moments, Rudolf Lux can tell
you what parts of a chain have been repaired or replaced. That is quite a feat, considering that many of the chains move
around with their enormous loads between
locations within the production workshops.
Yesterday they may still have been hanging

on the chain stand, today they are in use,

and tomorrow they may be ready for slinging on a crane. The chain database has 130
items for the annealing plant alone. Rudolf
Lux comments We give every chain a special link with an identification number in
one of its connectors, so that they can all
be allocated to the particular person responsible. They have numbers punched on
them with data on the diameter, use and
chain number.
Tables are displayed throughout the
production workshops providing information on the permissible safe working
load for the chains in use. Of course only
branded products are used. The smallest of
these chains has a chain-link material diameter of 6 mm, the largest 50 mm. Chains
up to a diameter of 36 mm are made up on
a modular basis in the chain forge from
prefabricated parts; those with larger diameters are supplied ready-made. The cost
of this runs into six-figure sums a year, because abrasion, fracture and elongation by

Employees

Wolfram Thom assembling a double strand

hook-ended chain sling

Comparative size of large and small hooks

use are the enemies of every chain. If

chains of this size break, says Rudolf Lux,
it is enormously dangerous. So regular visual inspection, dimensional accuracy of
the hooks, and checking the freedom of
movement of the closing links are very important. Chains that can no longer be repaired are taken out of service. They often
perform one last service, as Klaus Rubin explains. When we get bulky scrap destined
for the furnace, we burn holes in it and
pass the old chains through, so we can drag
the scrap into the furnace, and melt it together with the chain.

from the concrete left over, laughs Klaus

Rubin, adding, Basically we do all sorts of
things in between.
The team incidentally also keeps coming
up with ideas to improve production processes and make cost savings. When it
comes to developing solutions such as new
jigs, explains Toni Hrter, we get intensively involved. We develop the right tools
and resources for trials with various steels
that are to be melted together to find the
best structures.

Everyone can do everything

The four members of the chain forge team
are welded together in the best sense. Rudolf Lux, Head of the chain forge, has been
with Buderus Edelstahl for 26 years, and
trained as a machine fitter in the company
training workshop. Klaus Rubin trained as a
high-voltage electrician and Wolfram Thom
is a qualified heating engineer; they have
both been with the company for 25 years,
first in production, then in the chain forge.
Toni Hrter joined them four years ago, and
says, Here I found the place where I can
put my professional skills to good use. He
uses his skills as a blacksmith mainly to
produce tools and jigs needed in the workshops.
But in principle, explains Rudolf Lux,
everyone can do everything here. And
thats a lot the departments work involves checking the ingot moulds for surface damage, including stock admission
and issuing, checking and repairing oxygen
measuring equipment for steel production,
tool forging work, construction metalwork,
the most diverse repair work, and last but
not least checking chains including stock

Rudolf Lux and Klaus Rubin checking a chain

in the works

management. Each of the four team members has additional qualifications specialising in lifting gear, oxygen lance equipment, official issuing of TV badges for
bolt drivers, to name only the most important. Wolfram Thom also drives the crane
sometimes, when needs must, and a slag
pot has to be concreted. We then quickly
make a few stones for the manipulator

Toni Hrter makes tools and jigs needed in the

workshop

Tomorrow were going

to the top platform
With all these tasks, virtually every day is
different. Only in the morning, says Klaus
Rubin, the routine is always the same. The
slag scrapers for removing the slag from
the steel have to be cleaned, and the samp
ling ladle too. The temperature lances are
due for repair, and it may be time to change
parts on the electric arc furnace oxygen
blowing manipulator.
Klaus Rubin is in charge of Buderus
Edelstahls reusable casting moulds, technically known as ingot moulds. He is responsible for ingot mould inspection and incoming inspection, he coordinates their
receipt and delivery, checks and manages
stocks of ingot moulds, and decides which
ingot moulds can be re-used, and which are
to be scrapped. His tasks also include repairing the oxygen and burning equipment,
and maintaining the temperature measuring equipment.
But as already mentioned, in principle
everyone can and does do everything in the
chain forge. Team spirit is a major factor
here. Team spirit and resourcefulness. And
one clear motto, Whatever it is, well get it
done.

EDELSTAHLInfo 1/2010

17

News
Environment Minister Silke Lautenschlger
officially confirms Buderus Edelstahls membership
of the Hesse Environment Alliance

tended to further strengthen cooperation

between industry and commerce, local authorities and the state administration. The
aims are to strengthen the state by environmentally sound economic development,
to make the location more attractive, and
to reduce the bureaucratic burden on companies.

Committed to climate and environment protection

Buderus Edelstahl:
Member of the
Hesse Environment Alliance
On 15 January 2010, Buderus Edelstahl was nominated by the Hesse state
government and its contracting partners as a member of the Hesse Environment
Alliance. Buderus Edelstahl is also involved in the 100 companies for climate
protection initiative created as part of the sustainability strategy of the state
of Hesse.
Buderus Edelstahls admission to the Hesse
Environment Alliance testifies to its special
services to environment protection, especially with its environment management
system to DIN EN ISO 14001 introduced in
2002. The Alliance for Sustainable Regional
Development Policy, a collaborative initiative by the Hesse state government and
Hesse industry and commerce, was formed
in the year 2000, and has since been implemented as an ongoing task in all the

18

EDELSTAHL Info 1/2010

state government departments responsible.

The Hesse Environment Alliance celebrated its 10th anniversary in June 2001.
More than 1,000 members had so far developed and implemented joint projects, and
were a link between environment management, industry and commerce, and local
authorities, said the Hesse Prime Minister
Roland Koch in connection with the forthcoming anniversary. The Alliance is in-

100 companies for climate protection

Buderus Edelstahl is also planning to sign
the Climate Protection Charter. As part of
the sustainability strategy of the state of
Hesse, the sustainability conference has
launched several initiatives with the aim of
actively involving everyone in the state.
The 100 companies for climate protection initiative is also intended to help to
create long-term prospects for Hesse, and
to make life now and in the future ecologically sound, socially just, and economically efficient. Participating companies
such as Buderus Edelstahl are signing a Cli-

News/Employees
mate Protection Charter. This binds them to
establish an action plan for more climate
protection in their company. This may comprise energy saving measures, or measures
to increase energy efficiency in their company.
The companies are supported in creating
their action plans. Highly committed companies also receive a special award if they
reduce their climate-damaging emissions
by 20 % or more in five years.
It is a matter of course for us, says
Buderus Edelstahl Technical Director KarlPeter Johann, to support this sensible initiative. Admission to the Hesse Environment Alliance shows that we already placed
great emphasis on sustainability in the
past. We will pursue this commitment further with our involvement in the 100
companies for climate protection initiative.

Long service awards

Diary dates for 2010

EuroMold
World Fair for Moldmaking and Tooling, Design and Application Development
1 to 4 December 2010
Trade Fair Centre, Frankfurt am Main, Germany

Husum WindEnergy 2010

The Leading Wind Energy Trade Fair
21 to 25 September 2010

50 years service
Caspari, Rainer

1. 4. 2010

40 years service
Bis , Michael
Schrdl, Diethelm
Heinisch, Gundula

1. 12. 2009
1. 1. 2010
1. 3. 2010

Neul, Andreas
Thom, Wolfram
Rubin, Klaus
Pechanek, Peter
Weber, Ernst
Hermann, Udo
Rech, Ralf
Lackmann, Harald
Schmidt, Armin

1. 11. 2009
12. 11. 2009
29. 11. 2009
10. 12. 2009
2. 1. 2010

10 years service
Mohr, Jens
Euen, Norbert
Herrmann, Martin
Daniel, Diana
Wendt, Thomas

25 years service
Dahlbruck, Wilfried
Luque Moreno, Alejandro
Peuckert, Volker
Karamanis, Michael
Kundt, Bernhard

2. 1. 2010
18. 2. 2010
1. 3. 2010
4. 3. 2010
18. 3. 2010
1. 4. 2010
1. 4. 2010
22. 4. 2010
22. 4. 2010
1. 1. 2010
1. 1. 2010
1. 4. 2010
1. 5. 2010
17. 5. 2010

Deaths
Schmidt, Dieter
6. 10. 2009
Baron, Erich
31. 10. 2009
Skamletz, Theodor 31. 10. 2009
Schrrer, Erich
25. 11. 2009
Wege, Herbert
4. 1. 2010
Alt, Walter
14. 1. 2010
Biermas, Bernd
16. 1. 2010

Age
69
82
76
66
78
78
77

Bhm, Hans
Mehlich, Herbert
Schmidt, Stefan
Stein, Heinz
Liefeld, Erwin
Michel, Willi
Hedderich, Karl

16. 1. 2010
20. 1. 2010
12. 2. 2010
16. 3. 2010
21. 3. 2010
2. 4. 2010
4. 4. 2010

Age
86
85
46
87
73
83
90

Editorial information
Publisher:
Buderus Edelstahl GmbH
Editors address:
Buderus Edelstahl GmbH
Buderusstrae 25, 35576 Wetzlar
Tel. (0 64 41) 3 74-0
Fax (0 64 41) 3 74-28 82
Editor:
Jens Mohr (responsible for the content)
Texts: Alfred Hopf, Anne Kuhlmann,
Sigrid Krekel, Jens Mohr
Photo acknowledgements/sources:
p. 4-8, 10, 16-17 Daniel Regel;
p. 14-15: Liebherr
Overall production:
Composition, design and lithography:
Die Feder, Konzeption vor dem Druck GmbH,
Wetzlar
Printing: Druckhaus Bechstein GmbH,
Wetzlar
Print run:
German 4,000, English 2,000 copies
Printed in Germany 6/2010
2010 Buderus Edelstahl GmbH

EDELSTAHL Info 1/2010

19

13th Year Issue 1 June 2010

Buderus Edelstahl GmbH

Buderusstrae 25
D-35576 Wetzlar
Tel. +49 (0) 64 41/3 74-0
Fax +49 (0) 64 41/3 74-28 82
info@buderus-steel.com
www.buderus-steel.com