Collaborating for Successful Innovation

The Magazine of SGL Carbon 01_19 together

Collaborating for Successful Innovation Due to their special material properties and futuristic aesthetics, carbon fibers are increasingly being used by furniture weighs only seven kilograms. It is wound from a single, 1.2-kilometer-long SIGRAFIL® carbon fiber braid—without any frames or interior designers. One example of the innovative use of carbon is the Pure Noir Table by Dutch manufacturer additional components. In addition to its ultra-light weight, the table is distinguished by its innovative aesthetics and efficient material Studio Wynd. “This table series makes the incomparable lightness and porous surface structure of the carbon usage thanks to carbon fiber’s excellent properties. The designer has achieved a high degree of stability and beauty with minimal use Zoom fibers visually and haptically perceptible,” designer Javid Jooshesh notes, describing his creation. The piece of of materials: pure carbon. — www.studiowynd.com Wynd Photo:

02 thinc 01_19 03 #sglthinc together

Curiosity, open-mindedness, respect: real partner- 28 ships grow from these ingredients. The type of part- Layers nerships that initiate innovation and deepen trust. that Power Partnerships that bring together everyone involved Think the World Together and create joint solutions. In other words, partner- Lithium-ion batteries are Why cooperation more in demand than ever. ships that deserve to be called just that. produces particu This is how they work. larly successful The new #SGLCarbon is advancing just these innovations—and how SGL Carbon is 32 sorts of partnerships. It cooperates with custom- implementing this 06 approach. ers and partners, with scientists and among inter- Here to nal experts. The results are sophisticated, smart Stay Runs Like Good training is a tradition solutions—implemented on the basis of composites at SGL Carbon. Five appren- Clockwork tices tell us about it. and graphite, designed from the perspective of our In Austria, SGL Carbon customers and partners. mass-produces complex components 36 In this issue of the magazine, we are taking you from fiber-reinforced plastics for serial ap- True along to some of the pioneers of this new approach. plications in automo- All-Rounder 18 tive. An on-site visit. To Andreas Wöginger and his colleagues, who Hydrochloric acid can really do a lot. SGL Carbon’s offer application-oriented lightweight expertise, graphite helps to make. to Calin Wurm, who is setting up SGL Carbon’s new Master of battery laboratory in Meitingen, Germany, or to Robert the Poles Short Breaks Hütter and Herwig Fischer, who serially produce fin- Calin Wurm has been fascinated by Zoom 02 ished composite components in Austria, for example batteries for a very long time. Now he In a Nutshell 16 leaf springs for Volvo. is setting up a new research laboratory Idea Factory 30 It is a journey on which you will learn why intensive for SGL Carbon in 24 Meitingen, Germany. Carbon 360° 38 cooperation is particularly worthwhile for B2B compa- Publication Details Publisher: SGL Carbon SE, Söhnleinstraße 8, D-65201 Wiesbaden, Germany Project Management, Editorial Department, Realization und Production:

nies, when it works and which everyday hurdles can 24) 18); LÊMRICH (p. 06), Julia Sellmann (p. 02/03) Myrzik und Jarisch (p. Wynd (p. Myrzik und Jarisch (Cover); Corporate Communications and Marketing muehlhausmoers corporate communications gmbh, Invalidenstraße 112, D-10115 Berlin, Germany Email: [email protected] www.muehlhausmoers.com, Project Management: Stefanie Moers, Thomas Schmelzer; Editor-in-Chief: Telephone: +49 611 6029-100 Thomas Schmelzer; Art Direction: Anja Hamann, Conrad Wegener; Image Editing: Jan Steinhauer;

arise. Come join us on this trip. Photos: Editorial Team: Andreas Pütz, Philipp Stieffenhofer English Translation: Anthony B. Heric, English Editing: Penelope Krumm

04 thinc 01_19 05 SGL Carbon has been supplying its partners with high-tech materials for a long time. Now the company wants to bring its cooperations to the next level and involve customers even more systematically in the development of new innovations. Join us on an expedition to a few of today’s and tomorrow’s pioneers of this new Myrik und Jarisch strategic approach. Photo:

06 thinc 01_19 07 hen Andreas Wöginger talks remain in traditional contractual agree- about his work, he speaks a long ments, which have proved their worth but W time about trust, openness and Sometimes SGL aren’t terribly likely to promote innovation. respect. About how important it is to listen Carbon works with Marie Taillard and Jerome Couturier of the to customers, to understand their prob- customers to devel- ESCP Europe Business School consider op a completely new lems from their point of view and then to component, some- this a mistake. The advantages can be find solutions by working together. “Cus- times it’s about op- just as tempting in the B2B sector, they tomers are learning how to work with these timizing processes. argue in an analysis. „But they require relatively new composite materials,” says The focus is always the foresight to see beyond traditional on a partnership of the mechanical engineer. Behind him, a equals. corporate boundaries, and the audacity robotic arm is placing a carbon fiber mat to share with those you naturally want to into a machine press. keep at a distance.” Wöginger is responsible for technology development within the business A Tradition of Close Collaboration unit Composites – Fibers & Materials (CFM) SGL Carbon has a tradition of cooperating at SGL Carbon. In his 2,000-square-meter with partners. For instance, the Graphite lab, he and his colleagues are testing the Materials & Systems (GMS) division has long newest production methods. SGL offers relied on Technical Sales Managers. They services along all steps of the value chain, remain in close contact with customers from design services to development and and develop customized solutions based implementation of the finished component. on the customers’ requirements. “This is Sometimes customers come with- how we combine our strengths with our out any prior knowledge in the field of customers’ needs,” says GMS Senior Vice composites and they work together with President of Marketing and Sales Chris- the SGL team to develop a completely toph Henseler. In this way, Henseler and new component. Sometimes it is about his team have learned, for example, that supporting a more experienced custom- a mixture of modular solutions and corre- er to advance development of lightweight sponding adaptations are optimal for their components for mass production. Yet re- customers in the area of heat exchangers, gardless of whether it’s a new design or an while in the semiconductor industry or the adaptation of a current one: “Cooperation battery segment almost every customer between customers and SGL is becoming solutions. The days when engineers and has individual requirements. Henseler’s increasingly important,” explains Chris- designers spent years tinkering in labor motto: “We have two ears and one mouth— toph Ebel, who is a member of Wöginger’s atories and studios and then presenting and that’s how we should behave.” team and leads SGL’s in-house Light- customers with a finished product are over. For SGL’s composites division, weight and Application Center (LAC). The package and mail logistics company the topic of partnership is also nothing DHL, for example, has been bringing its new. Cooperations have often even taken Cooperation is Crucial customers and partners together in in- In the Lightweight the form of joint ventures. SGL Carbon’s What is true for lightweight construction novation centers for some time now. This and Application long-standing joint venture with BMW has can also be applied to all industries of led, for example, to the idea of the Parcel- Center, Christoph really left its mark in this respect. In joint Ebel supports his SGL Carbon. From the battery sector to copter—an autonomous flying package- customers from pioneering work, the two partners realized the LED and semiconductor industries to delivery drone. Software companies such the very start. True the BMW i3—the first complete mass- the chemical industry: cooperation with as SAP and the food-products multinational cooperation is be- producible car passenger compartment customers is more important than ever Danone are using platforms to involve their coming increasingly made of carbon fiber-reinforced plastics— important. before. SGL Carbon has made the credo customers in developing their products. and advanced the material’s utilization for of partnerships the focus of its new cor- “Collaborating with external part- other BMW models. They also established porate strategy and corporate culture. ners is crucial for the success of inno- the two facilities in Moses Lake, Wash “In addition to continue to manufacture vative projects,” says Krsto Pandza, an ington (US) and Wackersdorf, Germany, high-quality and functional materials, we innovation researcher at Leeds University being the world’s most state-of-the-art will also develop smart solutions together Business School. He’s been dealing with carbon fiber production and a highly inno- with our customers,” says SGL Carbon CEO this topic for years (see the interview on vative fiber processing facility. Jürgen Köhler. p. 12). To date, B2C companies in particu- The collaborative approach has There are good reasons for the stra- lar have relied on close cooperation with grown increasingly stronger throughout tegic realignment. All over the world, man- customers and partners since the hurdles SGL Carbon. The result: numerous proj-

ufacturers, customers and their suppliers to cooperation are lower and the suc- Myrik und Jarisch (2x) ects are already proving that cooperation are working even more closely together to cesses more quickly apparent. In the B2B is worthwhile wherever it occurs. An

develop new products, applications and sector, in contrast, many companies still Photos: expedition in five chapters:

08 thinc 01_19 09 “The crucial point for such a devel- Volvo Cars & SGL Carbon: opment is that we must bring together all From Scratch Together the capabilities, from component design, prototype development and validation to Per year, 500,000 leaf springs made of series process design. In this case, we glass fiber-reinforced composite come off were able to demonstrate this very well.” the fully automated assembly lines in the says Robert Hütter, Director Sales and SGL facility in Ort, Austria. They’ll end up Program Management Automotive for Erik Johansson being installed in the rear axle of all Volvo SGL Carbon in Austria. At the same time, works as a design 60 and 90 models. The serial production of it wasn’t easy to adapt Volvo Cars’ origi- engineer at Volvo this high-tech component demonstrates nal design to serial production processes. Cars. Together with SGL Carbon, he has what can result when two partners work “There were long, always constructive, been involved in closely together: a part that is 65 percent discussions about it,” Hütter recalls. “But, the development of lighter than conventional steel leaf springs. in the end, together we found a way where the composite leaf Erik Johansson, Senior Design En- we could fulfil all requirements from Volvo spring from the very beginning. gineer at Volvo Cars, is instrumental in the Cars and are able to produce in a stable design, implementation and development high-volume process.” of the Volvo Scalable Product Architecture Johansson was also impressed (SPA) platform and its leaf spring project. by how the partners were able to pull to- He can vividly recall how the cooperation gether despite the project’s many hurdles. with SGL Carbon and Benteler, the joint “The lines of communication were open venture partner at the time, started six and clear from the very beginning, and years ago. “We always wanted to design everyone was open to ideas and solutions the leaf spring for our new SPA platform from the other side,” he says. One of the based on composite material,” Johans- major contributing factors to the success son explains, “and after the request for of this project was SGL Carbon’s expertise proposals, we quickly decided to go with in production processes, not to mention in SGL.” Once the contract was signed, the research and development. Nabil Al-Hasan from Pierburg (middle) is discussing joint cooperation started immediately: The new leaf spring is helping Vol- the details of the new manufacturing facility at the SGL weekly telephone conferences, reciprocal vo Cars build lighter and more compact site in Bonn, Germany, with SGL Carbon employees Adi Woizenko (left) and Werner Müller. visits between Gothenburg (Sweden), Ried rear axles. “Not only that,” Johansson (Austria) as well as at a test facility in the adds, “but the new leaf spring gives us a Netherlands, and always new meetings to lot of flexibility because we can use the plan the next steps. same variant in many models, meaning we don’t have to redesign it every time.” Johansson, Hütter and their teams are already working on the next generation of Pierburg appreciates the robustness of right back to each other,” he recalls. Natu- the leaf spring and the associated manu- SGL Carbon’s graphite. Thanks to its good rally it wasn’t all smooth sailing, like when facturing facilities. friction properties and temperature re- it came to converting production to a fully sistance, the pump no longer requires oil automatic grinding process. “In the end, lubrication and lasts much longer. In turn, though, it was precisely at these points the SGL Carbon team used Pierburg’s in- that it became apparent that we stood Pierburg & SGL Carbon: quiry and demand for products to further together, even during difficult phases,” Cleared All the Hurdles expand its production of graphite compo- Woizenko says. Together nents for the automotive industry. Today all the effort continues to pay off. “The SGL components have always A customer inquiry, two components and Mutual Interest and Respect been a safe bet for us, although they are a couple of technical drawings—these Adi Woizenko has been monitoring the the two most complicated components SGL Carbon serially marked the start of the cooperation be- development work for SGL Carbon at the in the pump,” says Nabil Al-Hasan at Pier- produces the leaf tween Pierburg, owned by Rheinmetall Au- Bonn site for the past three years. This burg. “You can see how helpful it was that springs in Austria. tomotive AG, and SGL Carbon. Eight years was the transition phase from the project SGL Carbon had been working on mass later it has resulted in a true partnership. to mass production and now the current production for such a very long time.” For Working continuously together, the two ramp-up to full production. The key to the Al-Hasan, the good experiences are the companies have advanced development partnership’s success has been mutual foundation for further cooperation. “We

Ken Hermann (Volvo); Julia Sellmnann (leaf spring); Myrik und Jarisch (Pierburg) Hermann (Volvo); Ken of the EVP 40, a vacuum pump to increase interest, respect and a shared fascination are currently in the process of developing braking power—and both companies have for technology. “In all these years it’s like larger pumps—and we will continue

Photos: benefited from this long-term process. we’ve been hitting the Ping-Pong balls to rely on SGL Carbon for them.”

10 thinc 01_19 11 Joint Venture Brembo & SGL Carbon: Setting Interview Completely New Standards Sometimes two partners find each other Professor Pandza, what are the main And it works just like that? at just the right moment, and that was challenges when it comes to innovation? Of course it is enormously challenging. exactly the situation in which SGL Carbon Companies are designed to be efficient. The more they collaborate, the more and the Italian brake manufacturer Brem- Innovation is thus sometimes perceived companies need to set up processes and bo found themselves in 2009. Both com- as an obstacle to well-established pro- structures for such collaborations, for in- panies had been developing carbon ce- cesses. Managers prefer to rely on past stance dedicated innovation managers ramic brake discs—which are 50 percent experience; they tend to shy away from focusing exclusively on coordination. lighter than traditional brake discs and al- uncertainty, ambiguity and complexity. most as hard as diamonds—for more than Presumably each new partner is different? ten years independently of one another. Is that a general attitude? Cultural differences between cooperation But then it was time to join forces, and the Yes, regardless of size or industry—in- partners can be huge. Collaborating with a two companies founded the joint venture novation does not come naturally to any supplier is definitely not the same as col- Brembo SGL Carbon Ceramic Brakes (BSC- company. Manufacturing companies are laborating with a university, a start-up or an Personalia CB) in order to make the carbon ceramic generally really good at incremental im- industrial partner from a different sector. discs a standard for the high-end automo- provements in products and process- Krsto Pandza is Pro- tive sector. es, but they are often less well prepared Some companies use the Open Inno- fessor of Strategy and for more radical changes. It’s tough for vation approach to make innovation Innovation at Leeds them to break with their past experience. projects completely public. Is this just University Business With innovations such as introducing ser- hype or is it a sensible approach? School. His research vice-based business models or leading a It always depends. The notion of Open combines the do- digital transformation, they are confronted Innovation is understood differently by mains of strategic and with major challenges. different companies. For some it’s a syn- innovation manage- onym for any kind of collaboration, oth- ment, manufacturing What would be the best approach for a ers use it for the exploration of emerging strategy and R&D successful innovation strategy? technologies. Sometimes it is used as a policy. Pandza strives This is clearly management’s foremost label for crowd-sourcing initiatives. to achieve a more job. They must decide what innovation integrated under- means for the organization and it is their So it depends on the specific case? standing of the role job to prevent it from becoming a hollow Absolutely. The only certainty is that col- of scientific and No cooperation, phrase. While it is necessary to protect the laborative innovation is an imperative. technological knowl- company’s core business, management All companies that work together with edge. When he’s not needs to explore radical technologies and partners on innovation projects reap the exploring innovation unfamiliar markets. They are well advised benefits—as long as they use their own management issues, no innovation to distinguish between innovations that resources as well and have thought about he loves playing bas- exploit existing businesses and those that strategy. What you end up calling this kind ketball with his sons. aim at exploring emerging opportunities. of cooperation doesn’t really matter. Companies must cooperate for innovation to succeed; at least, that’s what innovation Can you describe the role of cooperation Finally, a personal question: You started in this innovation process? your career with a Slovenian company Roberto Vavassori, Head of the joint ven- researcher Krsto Pandza from Leeds University Cooperation is the key. No single organiza- producing safes, safe cabinets and vault ture‘s Supervisory Board, regularly visits the brake disc production facility in Meitingen tion manages to combine all of the smart rooms. What did you learn there regard- with his colleagues. Business School believes. Why it depends on people, all the relevant knowledge and all ing innovation management? cultural instinct—and why technical hurdles the technologies under one roof. The more There are three major experiences I uncertain the technology and the less learned from in my career. First, innova- Mixed Teams from the Start are often the most minor problem. that is known about the new customers, tion challenges are not the same as the When Brembo Marketing Director and the greater the importance of collaborat- challenges of running efficient operations. Chairman of the BSCCB Supervisory Board ing with external partners. The message Second, innovation is not a single event Roberto Vavassori thinks today about the is: don’t innovate alone, share risks, pool triggered by a heroic inventor, but rather factors behind the success of the joint ven-

resources. Collaboration with external Krsto (interview); Pandza Myrzik und Jarisch (Brembo) a collaborative process. And third, finding ture, three things immediately come to his partners is crucial for innovation and it is a technological solution is often the least mind: “From the very start, we had

a major managerial challenge. Photos: problem with innovation. very open and direct communication

12 thinc 01_19 13 culture. We put together a mix of Florian Neumann people from both organizations put together an for the teams. And we provided the joint interdisciplinary team at SGL Carbon venture colleagues access to both com- for the Digital Cus- panies’ research and development.” This tomer Experience convinced the engineers on both sides. project. In addition, in recent years the joint venture became financially independent, as Markus Müller, SGL’s representative in BSCCB’s management team and as CFO responsible for the financials of the JV, states. “All of these factors shaped our most important resource, namely trust”, explains Furio Rozza, who came from the outside seven years ago to join BSCCB’s management as an independent general manager. Today, the brake discs are installed in the top models of almost all sports car manufacturers, from Bent- ley, Bugatti, Lamborghini, over to Audi, Porsche and Ferrari as well as McLaren. Inside SGL Carbon: Production is running at full speed in the Partnerships as an Example two BSCCB facilities in Meitingen, Germany, and Stezzano, Italy, and is being expand- Cooperation with external partners is im- ed step by step. As Vavassori, Rozza and portant, but it is of little value if in-house Müller proudly report, “Our joint product cooperation isn’t going well. “‘Convince Interdisciplinary cooperation is also has since matured and found its place on through performance’, ‘be open-minded‘ particularly important in research and de- the market.” The key to this has been and and ‘create momentum’ are the central velopment. With this in mind, Kristina Klatt, still is the successful partnership. Hannah Paulus heads the Fiber values of our corporate culture,” says SGL Rebecca Schuster and a team from the Placement Center—and works in Carbon Group Vice President Human Re- Central Innovation (CI) division worked to- close cooperation with the sci- sources Birgit Reiter. The new employer gether with Michael Mändle and other col- entists at Fraunhofer IGCV and the center’s other partners. brand, which is currently in development, leagues from the CFM unit—together they Science & SGL Carbon: Driving will also be aligned to these values. “In developed a completely new carbon fiber Lightweight Application the past we suffered too much from a for aerospace applications. What is called Research silo mentality,” CEO Köhler says. “Only by the Advanced Modulus (AM) fiber is some- thinking and acting beyond internal bor- what thicker than conventional aerospace Before starting as the head of the LAC at ders can we support our customers as a fibers, yet it is particularly strong and ef- SGL Carbon, Christoph Ebel spent almost reliable partner.” fective. “The development of the AM fiber eight years at the Technical University of is also a good example of how we under- Munich at the Chair of Carbon Composites, The Fiber Placement production Interdivisional Cooperation stand the role of CI, namely as a seismo- where he researched methods for pro- process refers to the automated and ma- The in-house Digital Customer Experience graph for innovation trends and interactive cessing carbon. The chair was co-founded terial-efficient laying and cutting of fibers. initiative illustrates how this interdivisional driver of developments that ultimately by SGL and the company continues to With the center, both partners aim to incor- cooperation works. The project’s goal is to enhance SGL Carbon’s product portfolio,” support it to this day. Yet Ebel’s move to porate the it into more high-volume appli- exploit the potential of digitization in the says Senior Vice President CI Tilo Hauke. SGL Carbon is not the only evidence of the Rebecca Schuster cations across industries. “In this way, we sales division across the individual busi- The AM fibers, the leaf springs for close links between the sciences and SGL. from Central Inno- can offer the technology, which originated ness units. An interdisciplinary team was Volvo, the Brembo-SGL brake discs, the Time and again the company enters into vation and Michael from the aerospace industry, to other sec- formed to implement the project: three FPC and the cooperation with Pierburg: Mändle from the close cooperations with scientific insti- business unit CFM tors at an industrial level,” explains Han- experts from CFM, three specialists from with its new aspiration for particularly in- tutes on a variety of topics. One example: are inspecting the nah Paulus, Head of the FPC, “while at the GMS and two IT specialists. Additional ex- tensive cooperation, the new SGL Carbon the LAC-affiliated Fiber Placement Center new Advanced Mod- same time continuing to further develop perts are added depending on the project wants to make a difference—and is often (FPC), which SGL Carbon and the Fraun- ulus (AM) carbon the technology.” Preparations are already status. The idea is working. “The spirit of making one already today. “Being open, fiber. hofer Research Institute for Casting, Com- underway at the new center for realizing cooperation is great,” says Florian Neu- listening, providing inspiration—that’s posite and Processing Technology (IGCV) projects for secondary and primary struc- mann, who coordinated the project across what counts,” Köhler says. “We want to operate in cooperation with other part- tural components for aircraft and automo- the board in the first phase. In five months, take our partnerships seriously, because

ners from industry and the sciences. The Myrzik und Jarisch (3x) tive manufacturers worldwide. This allows the team identified four customer groups, only genuine partnership can bring our FPC headquarters are at the SGL facility in scientists at the IGCV to test their research each with different needs and a multitude customers and partners forward together

Meitingen, Germany. Photos: results directly in practice. of individual digitization measures. with us.”

14 thinc 01_19 15 In a Nutshell News about the company, trends, products and partnerships

JEC World 2019

Collaboration is the be-all and end-all for developing successful innovations. Trade Federal President shows are also a good platform for this, of Germany visits which is why SGL Carbon will—like it does Capital Markets Day every year—will be represented at the SGL Carbon world’s largest trade show for composite For the first time in ten years, SGL Carbon materials, the JEC World, from March 12 to SGL Carbon is one of Germany’s best com- hosted a Capital Markets Day for analysts 14, 2019 in Paris. This year’s trade-show ap- panies for apprenticeship. German Fed- State-of-the-Art and investors with a focus on market pearance will focus on innovative compos- eral President Frank-Walter Steinmeier trends and material solutions. At the all- ite solutions. Another important starting was also convinced of this during a visit day informational event held in Meitin- point for discussions will be the optimized to the SGL production site in Bonn. After gen, Germany, SGL presented updates on use of fiber composite components. an introduction to the company by Jürgen Logistics Center the company’s strategic realignment and 20 years in China SGL Carbon will also be presenting Köhler, Steinmeier took the time for some drivers and trends in the individual market its entire value chain: following the inte- personal contact with employees and ap- For the new SGL, with its focus on customers in the innovative and fast-growing areas segments as well as exhibits demonstrat- China is today the second largest economy gration of the former joint venture sites in prentices. “It was a very special situation, of mobility, energy and digitization, one of the success factors in a global world is state- ing its high-level expertise in materials, in the world and meanwhile has a pioneer- Ried, Ort (Austria) and Wackersdorf (Ger- and the entire facility had prepared for the of-the-art, efficient and effective logistics. Fast turnaround times—whether receiving or solutions and applications across the en- ing role for many different industries. It is many), the company’s value chain now visit,” said Andreas Heuser, an industrial shipping goods—are crucial. This also holds true for targeted in-company distribution to tire value chain. A total of around 35 par- also an important market for SGL Carbon ranges from the manufacture of carbon fi- management assistant who has complet- various production facilities. Modern logistics nowadays includes up-to-date and com- ticipants came from London, Frankfurt and specifically in the automotive, LED, semi- bers and semi-finished products and on to ed his apprenticeship. “The president also prehensive quality inspections for incoming goods, which is an aspect and standard that other financial centers. “It’s extremely im- conductor and solar sectors. In China, SGL serial production of finished components. asked personal questions,” Heuser added, customers demand, particularly in the automotive industry. This is why SGL Carbon is portant and valuable for SGL to present and Carbon, which celebrated its twentieth an- In tandem with SGL’s in-house Lightweight impressed by President Steinmeier’s pro- investing 8 million euros in a central, state-of-the-art logistics center at its largest site explain its new focus on the megatrends niversary in the country in October 2018, is and Application Center (LAC), the compa- found interest. Human Resources Mana in Meitingen, Germany. mobility, energy and digitization, the topics now employing around 400 employees at ny offers materials from a single source ger Kiya Biazar said, “I was pleased that A logistics warehouse with a footprint of 6,000 square meters with four adjustable that will determine the future, not to men- the two locations in Yangquan and Shang- as well as comprehensive consulting and Mr. Steinmeier had wished to be informed dock levelers and the possibility of ground-level loading and unloading will be completed tion our complex world of materials,” says hai. “We have started in 1998 in Shanghai solutions around composite materials. about the topic of training.” Following this, by July 2019. The transshipment of goods between the production facilities and the new Dr. Michael Majerus, Chief Financial Officer with one manager, one assistant and one This positioning will also be the focus of President Steinmeier, his wife and Bonn’s

logistics center is part of an ongoing follow-up project based on a digital transport control of SGL Carbon. “This is naturally best high- SGL Carbon (4x) Myrzik und Jarisch (groundbreaking); driver,” says Nancy Chen, Head of the SGL an evening get-together at the SGL stand. Lord Mayor Ashok-Alexander Sridharan system. New scanning technologies are an important building block for this. Aside from lighted on site, where questions can be an- activities in China. “Today we are steering You will be able to find SGL Carbon at the also met with representatives from the

SGL Carbon, Brembo SGL Carbon Ceramic Brakes (BSCCB) will be one of the main users. swered directly.” Photos: our entire activities in Asia from here.” JEC World in hall 6, stand 25. Works Council.

16 thinc 01_19 17 Runs Like Clockwork

Where skis were once handcrafted, SGL Carbon now works in cooperation with its customers to produce extremely lightweight components made of fiber-reinforced plastics for the automotive industry. At the Austrian facilities in

Julia Sellmann (6x) Ried and Ort im Innkreis, everything is fast, efficient—

Photos: and increasingly mass produced.

18 thinc 01_19 19 erwig Fischer stretches both hands into the the guidance they receive from the colleagues in the air, like a conductor, pointing to the machines Lightweight and Application Center in Meitingen, Ger- H and employees—first with his left hand, then many and also with the material,” Fischer explains, with his right. In the large hall in front of him, carbon “and decide to take on the final production steps fibers are stored on large spools, and huge press ma- themselves.” Others, in contrast, would like the entire chines form automotive components from what are component from SGL Carbon. “That’s where we come known as preforms. Although Fischer, head of the two into play,” he adds. sites, has often taken visitors on tours of SGL’s Austri- Depending on the specific needs, manual pro- an sites in Ried and Ort im Innkreis before, you can still duction is also still a very suitable method for produc- sense his enthusiasm. “What we are doing here with tion even today. The production site in Ried smells like carbon and other fibers is a bit of the future for car a mélange of liquid synthetics. Many small batches bodywork—regardless of whether the vehicle is pow- are produced here and most of the steps are complet- ered by an electric motor or a combustion engine,” he ed by hand. Every day brings more knowledge about says. Fischer has been hitting all the right notes with production processes, knowledge that often forms his orchestra, so to speak, for some time now. the basis for mass production on the assembly line. The SGL facilities are located in an idyllic set- “In manual production we can try out material com- ting around sixty kilometers northeast of Salzburg. binations and geometries and use this experience to Here, SGL Carbon is advancing series production in improve automation,” says Team Leader Production lightweight construction with fiber-reinforced syn- Gerhard Traunwieser, who supervises part of the pro- thetics. The composite production facility in Ried duction in Ried. “A mixture of manual and mechani- arose from a manufacturing site belonging to the cal production is a good idea, particularly for complex sporting goods producer Fischer—the company had components.” Herwig Fischer (l) already been working on lightweight components for This also holds true for the spoiler on the and Robert Hütter the automotive industry for several years around the Porsche GT3. Production begins in Ried as soon as (r) during a tour through the produc- turn of the millennium and today still manufactures the fine fiber mats are delivered. A so-called cutter tion facilities in Ort high-performance skis in the immediate vicinity. trims them to the desired size with an ultrasonic knife and Ried im Innkreis. In 2009, SGL Carbon and the automotive sup- while the material is still dry before being impregnated plier Benteler purchased part of the ski manufacturer’s with synthetic resin. The trimmed mat pieces are then facility in Ried im Innkreis district. In the Benteler-SGL molded. After these preforms have been produced, joint venture, the companies subsequently estab- the component starts to take shape. Carbon fibers are lished a center of excellence for lightweight appli- perfect for producing geometrically complex compo- Every day, cations. The unique facilities and projects became nents with an especially efficient use of materials. SGL Carbon pro- the cornerstone for today’s high-volume production, The fibers are placed in the component in exactly the duces numerous leaf springs and Ort and Ried im which has helped make SGL one of the world’s mar- quantity and orientation required for the GT3 spoiler other components Innkreis are located ket leaders. to attain the curves of the design yet simultaneously in Austria. near Salzburg remain as lightweight as possible. in Austria. From Small Batches to Large-Scale Production Now an employee places the preform into the Every day, the two plants under SGL management in machine. The press closes and creates a vacuum in Ried and Ort mass-produce a large number of compo- its interior, and then precise quantities of synthetic nents, including spoilers for the Porsche 911 GT3, rear resin and hardener are injected inside. Finally, the part panels for the Audi R8, component sets for the BMW hardens. This method is used to produce the spoiler’s i3 and leaf springs for various Volvo models. “These outer shell, inner shell, inner shell cover, the two air sorts of things really didn’t exist until just a few years scoops and the wings. During the process, a stable ago,” Fischer says. “It’s still a very young industry.” core of liquid wax is cast as a support for the specific For SGL Carbon, the Austrian facilities are an composite components. This is later melted out, cre- important component in its new strategic alignment. ating a hollow structure. “This makes the part even About a year ago, the company acquired the shares lighter,” Traunwieser explains. from its joint venture partner Benteler, closing the fi- “In a last step, the individual components are nal gap in the value chain for composite components. pretreated, glued together to form the entire spoiler, The precursor, the raw material for producing carbon and then undergo a detailed inspection,” Traunwieser fibers, is made in Portugal, while the fibers them- adds. He and Fischer point out a compartment that selves are manufactured in the United States and in is lighted by 21 neon lights, which is where the final Scotland. Additional processing is carried out by em- inspection takes place. ployees at various locations in Germany and the fin- Fischer, a native to the region, has been man- ished components are produced in Austria. aging operations in Ried and Ort since early 2018. He Component production is part of SGL’s core studied logistics management and served in business. “Some customers are satisfied enough with various positions during the development of

20 thinc 01_19 21 The spoiler for the the locations, from the joint venture to the ac- Porsche 911 GT3 is quisition by SGL in 2009. He is driven about his assembled from work—as a well-organized, technophile businessman, various preformed parts. The carbon he enjoys being the connective link between em components are ployees, specialist topics and mass production. delivered with These character traits are important, given the different paintwork. continual transformation of the plants. While a lot of production work is still completed by hand in Ried, the manufacturing facility in Ort im Innkreis—with a footprint of ten thousand square meters, about as large The type of pro- as a Manhattan city block—is mostly fully automatic. The manufacturing systems were set up from scratch back in 2012 and include around one hundred differ- duction you find ent, often directly interlocking, individual automated processes. here didn’t really In order to keep track of this complexity, Fischer and his most important employees meet in the control room every day at nine in the morning. exist until just a Outside the room the machines are springing back and forth, humming and buzzing, while inside the walls are decorated with diagrams and evaluations few years ago. It’s from the previous shift. “We monitor and control the production in here,” Fischer explains. How high was still a very young the previous shift’s output? Were there any incidents? What about the quality of the components? “All this information comes together here and it is up to us to industry. draw conclusions and decide what steps may need to be taken.” Herwig Fischer The Best Time is Just Beginning Head of the two Austrian SGL facilities In the factory, the robots work completely autono- in Ried and Ort im Innkreis. mously, grabbing, sorting and rotating components along the production line. This is how the leaf springs for Volvo are produced. The component demonstrates how SGL’s focus and its facilities have evolved. “We’re no longer just supplying customers with material, but are also offering solutions and project support from a single source,” Robert Hütter says. He and his team are responsible for Volvo in the SGL Carbon sales team (see p. 10). He continues: “This approach has for instance enabled us to build half a million leaf springs a year for Volvo.” Hütter, who was also born in Austria, has helped build and expand the production facilities ment projects for machine-based serial production here and the manufacturing for Volvo over the years. in the automotive sector have long been underway— He often travels around the world to work with SGL including broadening the expertise in leaf springs to customers to find exactly the solutions they want. an alternative manufacturing technology and an ad- The Volvo leaf springs roll off the assembly ditional mass-production project with another major line in two rows. Just like in Ried, the preforms are first automobile manufacturer. According to what Fischer trimmed, placed in the press molds, mixed with resin says, they will soon be producing ultra-light and ex- under pressure, hardened and then milled to comple- tremely sturdy components for use in other fields tion. But everything happens automatically in Ort. “A such as the aerospace industry. finished leaf spring comes off the end of the assembly The transformation from a ski manufactory to An employee line every few moments,” Hütter says. “Even quality a high-tech production center and pioneer facility for applies an adhesive control and the documentation via two-dimensional mass-produced lightweight applications could still bead made of two- code labels is automated.” go much, much further. The best time is just begin- part adhesive epoxy to a component. This high degree of automation is also winning ning for Fischer, Hütter and the 250 employees in over more and more customers. Additional develop- Ried and Ort.

22 thinc 01_19 23 he graphite mixture, viscous as honey, drips out of the beaker. “This is the slurry,” Dr. Calin T Wurm says. Pipettes, tongs and jars with chemical formulas surround him in the lab. Wurm, the Master of the Poles director of the research laboratory, holds the beaker with the slurry in one hand. It’s made of graphite pow- der and an ultrapure putty-like solution. He carefully pours the slurry into the coating equipment. The system spreads it out to wafer-thinness onto a copper foil, sends it all through the dryer, and at the end a finished anode foil emerges. Wurm is pleased. What he just accomplished by hand is something that happens on a very large scale at battery manufacturers all around the world. “We want to work as closely as possible with our customers,” Wurm explains. That’s why he is currently reconstructing the individual work steps of industrial battery production in SGL’s new and expanded battery laboratory in Meitingen, Germany. This isn’t so he can produce the batteries himself, but rather to gather knowledge to support major manufacturers as a development partner, technology expert and materials specialist. In the battery and energy-storage business, this combination is becoming more and more important. While raw materials, components and end products are standardized down to the last detail in many other industries, lithium-ion batteries and their components differ enormously from one another. Composition, further processing, size: almost everything varies depending on the field of application and the objective. At the same time, the demand for lithium-ion batteries is rapidly increasing. Highly efficient The graphite slurry and safe batteries are required almost everywhere— is spread in a wafer- whether in electric cars, e-bikes, smartphones or lap- thin layer onto a copper foil. tops. It is estimated that the demand for lithium-ion batteries will increase by up to 30 percent annually by 2025. Power cells made of lithium metal oxides, electrolytes, separators and graphite are becoming increasingly indispensable, especially in electromo- “All of a battery’s parts are interconnected,” bility. According to a study by the International Energy Wurm says in his lab. It’s what makes them so com- Agency (IEA), 130 million new electric cars could be plex. The company that wants to offer the best ma- registered in 2030—almost all of which will contain terials for the best battery must therefore understand lithium-ion batteries. The rapid demand is already precisely how these interconnections work. That’s the leading to shortages of raw materials, strengthening goal that Wurm has set for himself in Meitingen—and the market power of the source countries. The mar- why he returned to SGL Carbon to accomplish it. As he ket is divided into about half natural graphite and half walks through the lab, he talks about how, as a young synthetic graphite. Natural graphite mainly comes student in Bucharest, he discovered his fascination from China and is less flexible, technically speaking. for batteries, then moved from his birthplace Roma- “You have much more freedom with synthetic graph- nia to Paris to complete his doctoral thesis, then to Varta, SGL, Bosch—and back to SGL: for years now, Calin Wurm’s profession has been ite,” Wurm says. Furthermore, it can be customized Amiens, France, then in 2004 went to Ellwangen, Ger- to the respective battery to a higher degree. This ad- many, to develop batteries for Varta, and finally joined coaxing lithium-ion batteries into giving up their secrets. In Meitingen, Germany, he’s vantage is particularly important in battery manufac- SGL for the first time in 2008. now helping to set up the new SGL Carbon battery application laboratory with which (poles) LÊMRICH (4x); Getty Images/rasslava turing and is an advantage from which SGL Carbon, Even back then, Wurm was one of the leading as one of the market leaders in the field of synthetic experts on graphite anodes on the market. After

the company plans to offer its battery customers even more comprehensive services. Photos: graphite, benefits. completing his doctoral dissertation, he worked

24 thinc 01_19 25 drawer in the laboratory that looks like a folded sur- ed States have been upgraded, and the laboratory in vival blanket. “This is what the completed battery cell Meitingen is being expanded, where Wurm will also be looks like,” he explains. There’s an anode consisting adding needed personnel for the new facility. Together of a copper foil coated with graphite, binder and con- with their colleagues in sales and production, every- ductive additives; a cathode made of an aluminum one is now working on the common vision. foil coated with lithium metal oxide, binder and con- In one of the laboratory rooms that are crucial In what’s known ductive additives; and a separator between them. The to making this vision a reality, hundreds of lights are as a glove box components are surrounded by a casing and impreg- blinking. Dozens of cables snake their way through button cells are nated with an electrolyte. the room, and a wide screen displays a rising curve. In assembled in an oxygen-free “It sounds simple, but it’s incredibly complex,” what are known as battery testers, hundreds of proto- environment. Wurm says. Depending on the application, the cells types are transferred from the laboratory to the test are either coiled or stacked. The casing may be a hard station. This is the only way to produce statistically enclosure or a flexible composite material such as valid results. Wurm enters the room and quickly clos- special foils for pouch cells. There are various elec- es the door behind him. “If the temperature changes trolytes with differing conductive salts and solvents. in here, it distorts our findings,” he explains. Lithi- Even the manufacturing method used for the copper um-ion batteries are sensitive components. A couple foils affects the final product. of degrees of warmth shouldn’t disturb the battery Wurm knows from his own experience that the revolution in Meitingen. countless interactions pose an enormous challenge for lithium-ion battery manufacturers. When he used to build batteries himself, using graphite, he repeat- edly witnessed how the material in different battery types often had different performance parameters and lifetimes in practice. As he knows all too well: “Not all graphite is created equal. The art is knowing in advance which graphite is the best fit for the special for many years for cell manufacturers and pur- cell design.” chased, tested and incorporated graphite anode materials for production. Investment in Graphite Research At SGL, Wurm used this experience to advance It is precisely for this reason that SGL intends to begin research into graphite. In 2012, when Bosch offered offering comprehensive services in the application him the position of cell development manager at the laboratory. Instead of having one, two or three stan- battery factory being planned in Eisenach, Germany, dard materials in its repertoire, SGL Carbon is starting Wurm followed his passion for batteries and continued to focus more on customized battery graphite prod- to expand his knowledge and expertise. He returned to ucts for the future. “We want to be able to sell our My heart once Meitingen in August 2018 with even more experience customers exactly what they need,” Wurm says. “Our and motivation. “When it became clear that Bosch advantage is that we know exactly how to produce a would not become a cell manufacturer, I had a choice,” particular type of graphite and what its properties are. Wurm recalls. Should he stay with Bosch and simply do Now the idea is to utilize this knowledge even more again chose something different or remain loyal to batteries? “My effectively for designing batteries.” heart once again chose the battery—and SGL.” This expertise has even more benefits. Battery manufacturers often test their suppliers’ materials in Fascinated by the Diversity of Batteries their own laboratories, which is an expensive, com- When Wurm talks about a battery’s assorted complicated and time-consuming process. “We can carry the battery. ponents, you can sense just how enthusiastic he is out such tests much more effectively, accurately and about them. The 47-year-old can talk about hexago- quickly for the customer using our accumulated ex- Calin Wurm nal graphite structures, discharge cycles and interca- pertise and knowledge,” Wurm says. Head of the battery application laboratory at lation stages and, in the next sentence, quite clearly The strategy for the new battery laboratory per- SGL Carbon in Meitingen and Director Technical explain why the electrolytes in a lithium-ion battery fectly implements the new SGL approach: “Customer Marketing Product Segment Battery Solutions. take on the function of trucks. What fascinates him orientation is even more important in our graphite about batteries is their enormous diversity. “You never anode business these days,” says Vice President Dozens of test series get bored and there’s always room for improvement,” Product Segment Battery Solutions Dr. Peter Roschger. are used to verify he says. “We are continually evolving from a materials supplier the performance of each battery cell. In the coming years he wants to use his en- to a solutions provider in this area, as well.” thusiasm and experience to get the most out of lith- SGL Carbon has already made additional in- ium-ion batteries with SGL Carbon’s various grades vestments in order to successfully follow this path. of special graphite. Wurm fishes something out of a Graphite production facilities in Poland and the Unit-

26 thinc 01_19 27 Separator

Lithium Layers that Power the World metal oxide Graphite Whether an electric car, smartphone or laptop: lithium-ion batteries are usually what supplies us with power. In order to get the maximum performance out of every battery, SGL Carbon researches how all the components interact—and offers high-quality and precisely customized graphite anode materials for every field of application.

Al Cu

ithium ion batteries function according to a simple principle: when L charging, 1 lithium ions migrate Al Cu from their “home,” the lithium metal ox- Variety of Forms ide-based cathode, to their “vacation Lithium Depending on the intended use, the com- home,” the graphite-based anode. When metal oxide 1 pleted battery cells are wrapped, stacked or the battery is discharged, 2 they move installed in small button cells. The battery’s back again and release energy. The elec- individual components are optimized for each trolyte is the “street” the ions are trav- type of further processing. eling on. But why do the ions migrate? The voltage applied creates an excess of electrons at the anode, which attracts the positively charged lithium ions. As soon as they arrive at the anode, they take up the excess electrons, thereby bringing about a new equilibrium. During discharge the Lithium anode releases electrons, which then flow ions 2 to the cathode via the outer circuit. This releases the energy again. Graphite Lithium is the material of choice for batteries because it’s the lightest metal on the Periodic Table—weighing about half as much as water. Furthermore, because of its high electrode potential. This allows the cell voltage to be maximized while minimizing the battery’s weight. The individual components of the lithium ion battery have been continually improved over the years. These improve- ments include a significant increase to the batteries’ capacity. While the first commercial column-shaped battery type Electrolyte Cathode Anode Separator (technically called “18650” due to its di- The battery cell is filled with an electrolyte. It The cathode consists of a wafer-thin layer of Graphite is the perfect material for the anode. It is tency compared to other battery types (such as The cathode and anode are separated from mensions) had a capacity of 1,200 mAh at is made up of a conductive salt and various lithium metal oxide with conductive additi- coated onto a copper foil together with binder and lead-acid batteries). The purer the graphite, the one another by a separator, which prevents the beginning of the nineties, the same organic solvents. Any change in the elect- ves and a binder (a type of adhesive), which usually also with conductive additives, forcing the better this mechanism works. Synthetic graphi- a short circuit. Yet is must also be as perme- battery now has a capacity of 3,400 mAh. rolyte formulation affects all of the battery’s is coated onto an aluminum foil. The more lithium atoms to find a fixed place in the material’s te handles this task particularly well thanks to able as possible so that the tiny lithium ions In the Tesla Model S 100, for example, a to- other components. In addition, a high quality uniform and optimized chemical composition lattice structure. This has the following advanta- its optimized and customizable properties. SGL can migrate between the anode and cathode tal of 8,256 such batteries enable a range battery has as little water as possible remai- and mechanical properties of the electrode, ges: higher cycle stability, better performance Carbon’s many years of experience in production when charging and discharging. The separa- of 450 to 500 km. ning in the electrolyte. the higher the quality of the battery. during rapid charging and higher quality consis- ensure the consistent quality of the graphite. tor is usually made of a synthetic compound.

28 thinc 01_19 29 o show a glimpse of what the fu- Droughts and climate change are threatening more ble to produce drinking water from seawa- ture could bring Öttinger, Head of and more countries. New technologies for seawater ter at a very low cost,” says Frank Rogalla, T New Technologies in SGL Carbon’s desalination could help alleviate the problem. project coordinator and head of research Idea Factory Central Innovation division, and innovation at FCC Aqualia unfolds his laptop. First some SA, a partner company in the Anything – gray-colored boxes pop up project. It’s a fascinating solu- on the screen. “These are the tion that could help defuse traditional application areas looming conflicts over drink- for carbon fiber textiles,” he ing water throughout the world explains. “Lightweight con- and, what’s more, help poor- struction for automobiles and er countries in the process. aerospace, charging racks for Along the way, however, many solar cell production, column aspects of this approach still internals for chemical appara- need additional research. For tus engineering”. Then Öttinger example, it remains unclear continues clicking and a num- which bacteria work best with ber of new boxes emerge on the which type of wastewater. screen. “The future could look To keep the bacteria like this,” he says as new ap- as comfortable as possible, plications flash into view every the SGL team and other proj- second. Aside from being lightweight and through, meaning that the water collected ect partners are working on different ap- having a high tensile strength, carbon fiber in the tank on the other side is pure. The proaches. Could it help the bacteria, for is resistant to chemicals and to heat, and is disadvantage: the pressure requires ener- instance, to apply electrical voltage to the also electrically conductive, making it espe- gy. Currently, about three kilowatt-hours of water during the colonization phase? Or cially versatile in various applications. energy are needed to desalinate one thou- do the tiny energy producers need a spe- but For example, carbon fibers can be sand liters of seawater. cific temperature? Öttinger and his team used in the construction industry to help “With new desalination cells using are mainly optimizing the carbon fibers to make walls thinner and assist in realizing carbon fibers, we are already starting one offer the bacteria the perfect surface to more complex structures by replacing the step earlier in the process,” Öttinger says. settle on. “But it may take some time be- steel in reinforced concrete. Its resistance Technically speaking, the new process fore we have cleared the biggest hurdles,” to corrosion and its good electrical con- uses the principle of electrodialysis. Two Öttinger says. ductivity mean it plays an important role in differently polarized electrodes extract the energy storage and energy conversion. It majority of the sodium and chloride ions You Just Have to Keep at It could also help solve one of our era’s most from the seawater. These ions migrate Yet even if it takes several years before pressing issues: the looming scarcity of through two membranes into two sepa- the first industrial plants with carbon-fiber drinking water. rate chambers and cannot go back to the desalination cells go into operation, they Not far from the port city of Denia, original chamber. Largely salt-free water prove to Öttinger something much more on the Costa Blanca in Spain, engineers remains in the middle chamber, which is fundamental: the enormous potential of the are currently building the first drinking then desalinated through reverse osmosis, fibers. “If someone had told me five years water treatment plant based on micro- requiring considerably less energy. ago that we would be putting carbon fibers bial-assisted desalination as part of the However, these electrodes also re- into seawater, I probably would have just project Microbial Desalination for Low En- quire an external source of electricity. At shaken my head in disbelief,” he says. “And ergy Drinking Water (MIDES), an initiative least that used to be the case. Now bacte- today our research is a great success.” being supported by the European Union ria are producing the energy required in the It’s clear to Öttinger and his team as part of the Horizon 2020 program. The new desalination cell. What sounds like sci- that the potential of carbon fibers is far Ordinary project’s goal is to show that bacteria and ence fiction actually works. As the bacteria from being exhausted. “Time and again, carbon fiber can help treat seawater using feed on wastewater, they produce electric- basic research brings amazing opportuni- significantly less energy than convention- ity. Yet the bacteria don’t like electrodes ties to light,” he says, and then brings up a al desalination plants. made of metal. “That’s why we use carbon bit of history. The carbon fiber of today was Carbon fibers are particularly well suited for making lightweight components. electrodes in the new desalination cell,” Öt- patented almost sixty years ago—and now Science Fiction that Works tinger explains. The extremely thin carbon the first commercial-scale applications are In the automotive and aerospace industries, they help to reduce weight and Up until now, seawater has generally been fibers provide a support structure for the ready to go into production. When Öttinger desalinated using a process known as re- bacteria, and the electricity they produce is looks at his current research in light of this thus fuel consumption, meaning less CO2 is produced. Dr. Oswin Öttinger and verse osmosis. Massive pressure forces the conducted through the carbon fibers. time frame, one thing becomes clear: “To- his team are convinced that much more can be accomplished with the fiber.

Myrzik und Jarisch (Faser); Getty Images/Westend61Myrzik und Jarisch (Faser); (desalination) salty water through a membrane between “This innovation completely day we’re definitely laying the foundation It could sooner or later also help solve other pressing problems of our time. two tanks. The membrane prevents the changes desalination: the energy gener- for some interesting new applications in

Photos: salty constituents in the water from passing ated from the wastewater makes it possi- the future. You just have to keep at it.”

30 thinc 01_19 31 Nicole Lindenmeier, 18, chemical laboratory apprentice in Meitingen

I actually wanted to become a vet, but I didn’t like seeing sick animals every day. The Girl’s Day Academy led me to SGL. After an internship, I applied online and was then invited for an interview Here to Stay after a recruitment test. Although I was pretty nervous during the interview, I felt like I was in good In-house training centers, a kick-off week, almost 100 percent hiring hands. That was also the deciding factor in my decision to join rate: good training is a tradition at SGL Carbon. It’s no surprise that SGL. My coworkers are great and the firm is one of Germany’s best companies for apprenticeships. support me wherever they can. We also get enough time to Five apprentices tell us why. prepare for vocational college and the exams there. After my training, I want to gain more professional experience at SGL and maybe later become a certified master or technician.

ometimes the numbers speak for themselves. their protégés make progress and feel comfortable. For instance, when 88 percent of trainees re- It all starts in the first week at the company. Instead S port they have a very good apprenticeship po- of throwing their trainees directly into work, those re- sition. When 89 percent of trainees approve of the pay sponsible for training offer factory tours and welcome they’re receiving. Or if 86 percent of the young talent rounds. “This way we make it easier for the trainees in your company feels welcome and well taken care to make the transition into working life,” Moderer ex- of. These figures are the result of an employee survey, plains. Later, training trips, project weeks and profes- certified by the independent Great Place to Work® in- sional development seminars continue the approach. stitute, which SGL successfully completed. “Professional training and team-building always go Daniel Delil Gül, 21, As part of the survey, the trainees were asked hand in hand,” Moderer adds. industrial technician 27 questions to find out how they experience and rate At the two main training locations, Meitingen apprentice in Bonn their training. Afterwards, the respondents’ data and and Bonn, SGL Carbon trains apprentices in seven the results of a “working culture” audit were compared technical and two commercial occupations. There are I came to SGL through my cousin. with those of other companies with similar baseline also several dual courses of study. “We naturally want He did his training here eleven conditions and in similar industries. The result: top to offer our trainees the best opportunities in all ar- years ago and is still with the marks for SGL. Not to mention a certification with the eas and make them as fit as possible for working life,” company, so I knew that I would “Great Start” distinction. This officially makes SGL Car- says Ralf Wolf, who coordinates the vocational training get a great education at SGL bon one of Germany’s best companies for training. in Bonn together with Andreas Walter. “But we also ex- Carbon. Now I’m starting my third As Head of the Vocational training depart- pect commitment and performance in return.” year of training and have never ment Uwe Moderer in Meitingen, Germany—home This agreement almost always works for train- regretted my decision. We are just of SGL Carbon’s largest facility—says, “Such a result ees and companies. In recent years, almost 100 per- learning how to wire circuits. First SGL. And you can always count makes me proud, of course. SGL trainees in Germany cent of the trainees have been hired by the company. it was simple things like electrical on the instructors to support you. also frequently demonstrate above-average perfor- For Wolf, Walter and Moderer, however, this is no rea- sockets or light bulbs. Meanwhile If something goes wrong, it’s not mance in vocational colleges as well.” son to rest on their laurels. Both are well aware of their I can control an electric motor the end of the world. You have to

Yet these top ratings don’t just come out of responsibility to the next generation. “We are helping LÊMRICH (5x) with what is known as a star-delta face up to your mistakes and then nowhere. Moderer and his colleagues at the German to build a piece of SGL’s future here,” they say. “There circuit. If you’re interested and learn from them. It’s the only way

sites in Bonn, Limburg and Willich work hard so that can hardly be any greater incentive.” Photos: motivated, you can learn a lot at to move ahead.

32 thinc 01_19 33 Markus Lang, 18, industrial technician in Meitingen

Right now I’m working four-to- five-week stints in different Rebecca Theresa Heimerl, 20, departments and learning a lot dual-track student in controlling about the specific processes and consulting in Meitingen there. After that I hope to be hired by one of the departments. SGL is a global company—and The variety was what I always that’s exactly why I wanted to liked best during my training. get a trainee position here. The I was constantly learning new idea of being part of such a large things and meeting new people. company fascinates me just as The coolest thing was our train- much as the untold number of ap- ing trip and the socio-education- plications for carbon and graphite. al seminar in Grainau, where we I’m lucky it worked out. After just learned presentation techniques. a few days with the company, I I also learned something from already had the feeling that I fully my instructors that will help me belonged here. My coworkers were all my life: always keep a cool open about integrating me into head, even if everything isn’t the team and took a lot of time working out. to familiarize me with the job. I then spent a few weeks gaining practical experience and then started studying at DHBW Vil- lingen-Schwenningen [vocational college] at the same time. The mixture of on-the-job practice and classroom theory is ideal for me and will hopefully build a foundation for many more years at SGL Carbon.

Philipp Dohmen, 22, machine and plant operator apprentice in Bonn

I’m still at the beginning of my This also taught me how to get a training and during the first year grip on my anxiety about exams I learned the basic techniques and to plan my work processes such as filing, drilling, lathing and better. I now want to fully focus milling. That was exciting because on my training and hope to be we were given different tasks hired afterwards. Even so, it isn’t every day and were constantly always about the work. On our learning new things. When things training trip, for instance, we took got more difficult, the instructors a spontaneous detour to a go-kart each supported us individually. racing track.

34 thinc 01_19 35 36 hydrochloric acidproduction. it dissipates heat,doesn’t corrode andisindispensiblefor and relies onthejack-of-all-tradesthan fifty years graphite: complete plantsfor manufacturing hydrochloric acidfor more chemical for modernchemistry. SGLCarbonhasbeenbuilding philosopher’s stone. Today thisall-rounder isanimportantbasic what we know today ashydrochloric acid—usingittosearch for the The ancientalchemiststreasured whatthey called spiritsofsalt— varnishes would hardly bepossible withoutit. Even themanufacturecrochips. ofpaintsand duction ofsiliconfor LEDsandmi- solarcells, layers ofrock inmining.Itisusedthepro- makes water purification possible andloosens acid helpsbleachthepaperthatwe writeon, Hydrochloric Basic Materialfor Chemistry: hydrogen chlorideperday. enough for 5to160tons of100-percent Thistranslates into 150 centimeters. toalmost diameter from 25 centimeters tion capacity. in Thegraphite vary cylinders chamber determinesthemaximum produc- Size Thesize Matters: ofthecombustion Truewould attackthematerialsinplant. to itscorrosive thehydrochloric properties, acid resistant, whichisagoodthing; otherwise, due The materialisalsoparticularlychemically der effectively dissipates theheattocoolant. acid. TheDIABONgraphite insidethesteelcylin - by transforming intothedesired hydrochloric into contactwithwater andabsorbedby it,there- the chemical formula HCl.Thehotgasisbrought degrees Celsiustoform hydrogen chloride, with and chlorinereact attemperatures ofupto2,500 Hot Stuff:Inthecombustionchamber, hydrogen 3 2 1 thinc 01_19

Photo: SGL Carbon produce steamattemperatures ofupto160de- cal plantsatdifferent Dependingonthe places. of hydrochloric acidproduction, helpingtosave base runsthegamutfrom plantmanufacturers grees Celsiusthatcan beusedinmany chemi- company hassuppliedmore than500ofthese ally generates waste heat.Thiscan beusedto Company andBASF. Theoldestplanthasbeen up to25-meter-tall facilities allover theworld, Europe, Australia andRussia, andontoChina, Steam Generator: TheHClsynthesiscontinu- design of the chemical park, theutilization of design ofthechemical park, this waste heatcan beapositive sidebenefit from NorthandSouthAmerica, through allof SGL Carbon can lookbackonmore thanfifty ufacturing To HClsynthesisplants. date the years ofexperienceyears indesigningandman- HCl synthesisplantsare builtinMeitingen, to chemistry giantssuchasDow Chemical to chemistry India, JapanandIndonesia.Thecustomer in Shanghai,China.Thanks tocompletely called thesystemscan skids, quicklybe factory-preassembled theso- modules, energy andthusreduces CO Germany, aswell asinStrongsville, Ohio in the United States, inPune,in theUnitedStates, India, and Tradition for Worldwide: Customers Global Market, GlobalProduction: up andrunningallover theworld. in operation since1968. 2 emissions. 5 6 4

37 All-Rounder A Journey by Carbon 360° Once the train has accelerated, the vacuum inside the Pneumatic Tube tube means that almost no more energy is required, which is why the The Hyperloop could . What was once an option for urgent Hyperloop would be revolutionize rail transport both fast and envi- mailings is now being developed to potentially transport people and goods in future ronmental-friendly. at almost the speed of sound—capsules could be whizzed through vacuum tubes at speeds of around 1,200 kilometers per hour. The most successful prototype to date was developed with carbon fiber materials from SGL Carbon.

iding a train at the speed of sound: the Hy- pete. Only three teams made it into the finals, in- perloop is an idea from Tesla founder Elon cluding the TUM team. Although the winning speed R Musk. It’s based on the concept of pneumatic of 467 kilometers per hour is still a good way off from tubes, like the old-style mailing system. High-speed the speed of sound (1234.8 kilometers per hour), the trains will be transported at extreme speeds through 467 dream of a train ride from Munich to Berlin within 35 a tube filled with a partial vacuum, an idea that has minutes is coming nearer. The Hyperloop makes use long since stopped being science fiction. Students at kilometers per hour of the pneumatic tube principle developed in the the Technical University of Munich (TUM) have already was the speed of nineteenth century: once the train has initially ac- sent their test model of the so-called “pod”—that is the Hyperloop celerated, the vacuum inside the tube means that prototype pod. to say, the prototype of the possible later cabin cap- almost no more energy is required for it to reach its sule—racing at 467 kilometers per hour through the destination. If this innovative means of transport experimental tube on the premises of SpaceX, Musk’s can be realized in an economically viable manner, space company, in Los Angeles. it would be faster and more environmental-friendly The TUM team used carbon fibers from SGL than air travel and simultaneously cheaper than rail. Carbon for the prototypes. Along with supplying the 35 Head of Industrial Applications & Marketing for carbon fiber materials, the company also provided Composites – Fibers & Materials (CFM) at SGL Carbon the students of the Scientific Workgroup for Rocket minutes is how long Dennis Baumann, is excited about the development Technology and Spaceflight (WARR) at TUM with the the ride from Munich of the Hyperloop: “The Hyperloop pod is an up-and- expertise, resources and equipment. to Berlin could take coming project with global significance and great po- in the future. This newest speed record marks the third tential in the field of future-oriented mobility. That’s time in a row the WARR team has won the “Hyperloop why we are very happy to support the students with Pod Competition” launched by Elon Musk; some thir- our expertise and our materials. Much like in our cus- ty student workgroups from all over the world take tomer projects, the focus with the young university part. While the first competition was about an over- team is on working together as partners and develop- all working concept for a Hyperloop Pod, the main 28 ing integrated solutions.” SGL also works closely with focus of the second competition was on the speed TUM on more than just the Hyperloop project. For achieved, with the Munich team victorious at 324 ki- people are to fit more than eight years the company has been sup- lometers per hour. into each Hyperloop porting the Carbon Composites endowed professor- The third competition was once again about passenger cabin. ship (LCC), which is focused on the integrated study WARR Hyperloop/TUMWARR the maximum speed, but this time only pods with and advancement of fiber-reinforced composites

their own propulsion systems were allowed to com- and their applications. Photo:

38 thinc 01_19 39 www.sglcarbon.com