EuroWire November 2015

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November 2015 11
Corporate
News
Corporate
Friedrich Kocks organised an open
day to present to the industry some of
its main products at the manufacturing
facilities in Bremen, Germany. More than
50 delegates from some of the most
renowned companies in the world made
the event a great success.
For the first time the latest milestone
in reducing and sizing technology for
SBQ products, the newly developed RSB
SCS® and its newly developed dynamic
modular drive concept, were shown in
workshop assembly. The delegates could
also visualise the difference compared
to the well-known C-Module design, as
an assembled RSB® of that type could be
seen at the same time. Both machines
were consequently shipped to their
respective customers’ sites in China and
Turkey after the event.
Further highlights of the event were two
three-roll stands for SBQ production: one
with a nominal roll diameter of 370mm
and one of 500mm for the so far largest
RSB® that Kocks has ever made. A special
feature of this 500mm heavy-duty block,
which is in the process of being installed
in China, is the drive concept where every
roll has its own motor.
In addition, the computer-aided pass
and guide adjustment system CAPAS
was shown together with a detailed
demonstration of its calibration and
operation. This system guarantees the
absolute correctness of the adjustment
of the rolls in the stand allowing the
operator to obtain the first bar in
tolerance.
Finally, an online simulation of
thermo-mechanical rolling with water
boxes was presented to show the
water cooling line automation. The
delegates could also see the KMS-Kocks
Microstructure Simulation software in
operation, predicting and visualising the
temperature distribution along the mill
line with resulting microstructure and
mechanical properties. This cooling line
technology is currently applied in two
customers’ sites in Taiwan and China.
Friedrich Kocks GmbH & Co KG –
Germany
Website:
Open day for worldwide guests
▲ ▲ Guests at the Friedrich Kocks open day
The speciality chemicals group Altana
increased sales by nine per cent to €1,070
million in the first half of 2015 (previous
year: €985 million).
At €210 million, earnings before interest,
taxes, depreciation and amortisation
(EBITDA) almost reached the high level of
the previous year (€212 million). At 19.6
per cent, the EBITDA margin was below
the previous year’s margin (21.5 per cent),
remaining, however, at a high level.
The company’s sales growth mainly
resulted from positive exchange rate
effects (eight per cent), but also from
acquisitions (one per cent). Adjusted for
these effects, operating sales in the first
six months of 2015 were down by one
per cent, and therefore slightly below the
strong previous year’s level.
“Demand momentum in our markets
did not live up to our expectations in
the first half of 2015,” said Dr Matthias L
Wolfgruber, chief executive.
“However, Altana is very well positioned
for further profitable organic growth.”
Altana AG – Germany
Website:
Rise in sales in first half of 2015