DEKRA Solutions Issue 2 2014

Customer Magazine ISSUE 2.2014

Sol utions

Portrait of Maria das Graças Silva Foster

Fuelled by optimism 30

Material testing for long-span roofs

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Harmful substance analyses for bags and Accessories

DEKRA SOLUTIONS

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8 Picture credits DEKRA: p. 3, p. 5–7, p. 11, p. 32–33, cover; Küppers: p. 2, p. 8–15, p. 20–21, p. 31–34, cover; Augustin: p. 4; Rösler: p. 2, p. 26, p. 28–29; Wiciok: p. 2, p. 22–25; Agência O Globo: p. 18 (Leo Pinheiro/Valor), p. 19 (Simone Marinho); Agência Petrobras: p. 2, p. 16, p. 18 (Paulo Negreiros), p. 18, p. 19, cover; Imago: p. 27 (AFLO), p. 30 (Marca)

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ISSUE 2.2014

Editorial

SOLUTIONS, THE MAGAZINE PRODUCED FOR DEKRA’S CUSTOMERS

Contents2 Imprint3 Portrait of Maria das Graças Silva Foster

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DEKRA SE Editorial3 News4 DEKRA staff in portrait

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DEKRA Automotive Development and approval of electrically powered cars Harmful substance analyses for bags and accessories

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Stefan Kölbl, Chairman of the Board of Management DEKRA e. V. and DEKRA SE.

DEKRA Industrial Furniture testing

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City portrait of Rio de Janeiro

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Material testing for long-span roofs

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DEKRA PERSONNEL Mobile driving simulator training courses

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Imprint Publisher: DEKRA e. V., Communication and Marketing Responsible for the content: Stephan Heigl Editing: Alexander Föll (responsible according to the press law), Dr Torsten Knödler, Thomas Göttl, Frank Jörger Translation: Martina Wütz Advertising Sales: Bettina Pfeffer Proofreading: Birte Labs, Isabel Link, Monika Roller Layout and Manufacturing: Frank Jörger, Götz Mannchen Publication: ETMservices, ein Geschäftsbereich des ETM Verlages EuroTransportMedia Verlags- und Veranstaltungs-GmbH, Handwerkstraße 15, 70565 Stuttgart E-mail: [email protected] Printed by Dierichs Druck + Media GmbH & Co. KG, Kassel Article Number: 83230, Solutions 2.2014

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e feel sure many of you can’t wait for the World Cup in Brazil to start. The roof of what is probably the most famous World Cup stadium, the Estadio do Maracanã in Rio de Janeiro, is at least ready to take the strain. DEKRA experts have given the high-tech membrane structure the “green light”. In keeping with the focus on Brazil, this issue naturally includes a portrait of Rio de Janeiro, which shows the city from a side that you may not know. In addition, in our personal portrait you can discover Maria das Graças Silva Foster’s fascinating journey from the slums to become the head of the largest energy provider in Brazil. Equally interesting to read is the broad range of the remaining articles – all of them solutions that we have offered customers: Training on the truck driving simulator for the fire fighters at Henkel, type testing of a novel electric vehicle for the German post office, product tests for the luxury executive chair from Walter Knoll and for Reisenthel’s renowned bags and accessories. So, you can see, the diversity of topics is virtually limitless. I hope you enjoy reading and exploring them. ‹

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DEKRA SOLUTIONS

DEKRA Used Car report 2014

Top marks

German car manufacturers fared very well in the

fault evaluation. These are the findings of the DEKRA Used Car Report 2014 which the technical services organisation presented to the public at a press conference at its head office in Stuttgart on 19th February. In the annual DEKRA evaluation, German makes achieved the best ranking in six out of nine vehicle classes. In conducting the evaluations, the DEKRA experts filter through the results of 15 million main inspections that have taken place over the past two years, looking for information that is relevant in evaluating used cars. The DEKRA Used Car Report does not take into account typical problems resulting from maintenance, which have more to do with the vehicle’s owner than the car itself, such as worn tyres and wiper blades or defective wing mirrors. The DEKRA Fault Index (DFI) is a key figure of the overall evaluation. It calculates the percentage of vehicles without relevant faults as well as the percentage of vehicles with significant faults.

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DEKRA Used Car Report 2014

Winners in the individual vehicle classes Vehicles with the best DEKRA Fault Index (DFI) ■ Mini | small cars: Audi A1 (DFI: 96.4) ■ Compact class: BMW 1 Series (96.8) ■ Medium class: Volvo S60 | V60 (98.7) ■ Upper medium class | upper class: Mercedes-Benz E-Class (97.4) ■ Sports cars: BMW Z4 (97.2) ■ SUVs: Mercedes-Benz GLK (95.0) ■ MPVs: Mercedes-Benz B-Class (99.2) ■ Small vans: Škoda Roomster (83.1) ■ Vans: Renault Master (83.1)

The results of the DEKRA Used Car Report 2014 are available online at www.used-car-report.com. A free app for iPhone, iPad and Android mobile phones is also available. A special issue of the German car magazine “auto motor und sport” based on the data of the DEKRA Used Car Report 2014 appeared on 20th February. ❮

Dr Gerd Neumann, Member of the Management Board of DEKRA Automobil GmbH, presented the winning cars in the class “Car of the Year” and “Best of All Classes” at a press conference held at the Group’s head office in Stuttgart.

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ISSUE 2.2014

Dual training in Greece

An experimental collaboration During their official state visit

to Greece, Germany’s Federal President Joachim Gauck and his partner Daniela Schadt were able to gather an impression of a pilot project called “Mentoring Dual International”. The aim of the concept is to introduce elements of the German dual education model into the Greek tourist industry. Last November a total of 90 trainees embarked on training as cook, hotelier or restaurateur in Athens and in Heraklion. The experiment is due to last three years and is being run as part of a close collaboration between DEKRA Academy and the Greek agency for work (OAED) as well as the German-Greek Chamber of Export Trade. ❮

Federal President Joachim Gauck and Daniela Schadt (centre) photographed in Athens with participants of the pilot project “Mentoring Dual International”.

Vehicle emission testing in California

Important acquisition California has always been the

pioneer in the USA regarding environmental protection and the reduction of vehicle emissions. For DEKRA, California is an important market for growth in the vehicle emission testing business. In March, the expert organisation acquired its first two centres in the San Diego area, each STAR certified by the state of California to perform “smog test” inspections. The centres, one with one and the other with two testing lines, are located in La Mesa, a city with a population of around 60,000. DEKRA plans to expand the centre net further in “The Golden State”. The company also provides similar vehicle emission testing services in Georgia, Texas and North Carolina. ❮

The “Smog Test Center” in La Mesa was previously owner-managed and with six employees generated a market share of about 45%.

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DEKRA SOLUTIONS

DEKRA Temporary Employment Report 2014

DEKRA Arbeit Gruppe

DEKR A Zeitarbeit-Report

2014

sstaaten und Mitarbeiter aus EU- Mitglied Zeitarbeit der in äge schl rifzu enta Branch

News in Brief

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British Acquisition

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Maximum limits for Europe

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Wicked toys

DEKRA has acquired the British company TTL Automotive Ltd. Based in Stokenchurch near London, the company is active in the field of business improvement services for OEM dealerships. It provides its customers, mostly based in the UK, with individually tailored services in the fields of process optimisation and performance management.

The EU Commission has finalised its first binding maximum limits for polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) in consumer products. PAHs are considered to be potentially carcinogenic. The change comes into effect on 27th December 2015. DEKRA advises manufacturers and importers to prepare for the regulation by adjusting production methods as necessary and realigning the supply chain based on the limitations.

Increased costs R

oughly three-quarters of all companies are paying the hotly debated industry-wide allowances for temporary employees in Germany. This is the finding of the “DEKRA Temporary Employment Report 2014”, presented to government and industry representatives by DEKRA Arbeit Group in Berlin in mid-March. Although the majority of the businesses surveyed are keeping their temporary workers despite the increased cost, a significant number of those employees are working “on probation”. This mainly affects low-skilled and unskilled workers. A second major topic covered by the “DEKRA Temporary Employment Report” concerns employees from EU countries: skilled labourers from EU member states are in demand. Nearly 80 per cent of German companies employ at least one worker from another EU member state. The evaluation had taken into account more than 300 business companies that DEKRA surveyed online. The complete “DEKRA Temporary Employment Report 2014” is available for downloading free of charge from the website www.dekra-arbeit.de of the DEKRA Arbeit Group. ❮

Ride-on cars and excavators can have hazardous snags, even if they satisfy the relevant ­standards. This is the result of a product test carried out by DEKRA for the Nuremberg Toy Fair. There are edges and movable metal parts that can cause injury. However, anyone that purchases a high-quality ride-on toy can generally count on the toy being safe and suitable for use.

DEKRA anonymously tested six standard ride-on toys from various price classes.

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ISSUE 2.2014

Formula 1 Sponsoring

Successful continuation The 2014 race season will yet

again see DEKRA continuing as the personal sponsor for Formula 1 driver Nico Hülkenberg. The 26 year-old has returned to his previous team Sahara Force India under the direction of the Indian industrialist Vijay Mallya. DEKRA has backed the driving career of Hülkenberg from the outset. Since his rookie season in 2010, it’s not just DEKRA employees around the world who have been following Hülkenberg’s successes enthusiastically. Clemens Klinke, Member of the DEKRA SE Management Board and in charge of the Automotive business unit, is also pleased to be continuing the partnership with the Formula 1 driver this year. He is convinced that the path of the racing driver in Formula 1 is on an upward trajectory. ❮

Hülkenberg will be sporting the DEKRA logo on the front of his official Formula 1 ­driver’s cap again for the 2014 season.

Further training period for professional drivers

Registered entry By 10

September 2014 at the latest, every commercial goods transport driver in Europe will need to have completed legally prescribed further training. The training has to be registered with the code 95 on the driver licence. The demand for training dates has increased considerably. They are booked up further and further in advance. As one of the leading training providers in the area of transport logistics, DEKRA offers all the training necessary for German drivers in individual seven-hour modules or as a total 35-hour package. Special five-day seminars and individual in-house seminars can also be booked on request. ❮ th

The mandatory further training prescribed in the Professional Driver Qualification Act also applies to drivers and hauliers in local transport and delivery.

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DEKRA SOLUTIONS

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In its development work on electrically powered vans, StreetScooter GmbH not only relies on ultramodern technology, but also on a new partnership concept. DEKRA is lending an advisory helping hand.

Bringing together the wide range of

skills and expertise to be found in vehicle development, breaking up existing manufacturing structures and combining them afresh to create a form of mobility which the market has never seen before – this is the brainchild of StreetScooter GmbH based in Aachen. It has collaborated with 80 mid-sized companies from all areas

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of the automotive industry, as well as various research institutes, such as the Technical University of Aachen in North Rhine-Westphalia, and has been working on the development of special electro vehicles since 2009. At the moment such an extensive cooperation is unique in its field. “When I share knowledge, I won’t do it by halves. Quite the opposite,” stresses Prof. Achim Kamp-

ISSUE 2.2014

Development and approval of electrically powered cars

Driven by the pioneering spirit

ker, Managing Director of StreetScooter, citing the company’s mission statement. Although electromobility is currently on everybody’s lips, far from everybody is sure that it is set to succeed. “We are still at the pioneering stage and, as far as the absolute and transparent integration of all those involved is concerned, in more ways than one – and potential partners need to buy into this approach. This is why it is not just the service they would be providing that is important at the end of the development stage, but rather we are searching for somebody prepared to inject their knowledge into our project from the outset. In DEKRA we have found such a partner.” ❯

“We feel that the DEKRA experts really want to bring the project on with us!” Prof. Dr Achim Kampker, Managing Director, StreetScooter GmbH.

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❯ The aim of the collaboration was to develop and manufacture 50 pre-series vehicles that the German postal service DHL would then employ in its fleet and subject to a six month practical test. The electrically driven vans, which go by the name of StreetScooter Work, have been especially adapted to the needs of the letter and parcel delivery service and are operating across the country, although mainly in the Bonn region. “We are taking a completely targeted approach to last-mile logistics and in doing so are considering especially those users who take virtually identical routes every day. Scheduled short distance routes where no great range is required but which are very interesting from a cost accounting perspective,” explains Kampker. Electromobility is still expensive for an individual end user to procure. Nevertheless, this does not apply to fleet operators working in B2B who can write off the total operating costs over the service life of the vehicle. The StreetScooter vans are, therefore, aimed at and limited to a specific set of customer requirements. In the test phase the postal service has taken box vans of lightweight construction with ranges of between 40 and 120 kilometres, depending on batteries and charging capacity. However, one area where no expense has been spared is in the absolute safety of the electrically powered vehicles.

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Just like every other conventional vehicle, the electric van also needs to pass a braking and evasive manoeuvre test on the wet test track in Klettwitz.

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At the former Bombardier works in Aachen these vans are just waiting to be energised. In its initial small-series production run StreetScooter is also training new workers in electric drives.

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DEKRA employee Thomas Lidzba checks the electrical circuits. He possesses a special additional qualification enabling him to work on high voltage vehicles.

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The correct installation of the LED lights is one of the many registration criteria that DEKRA expert Thomas Plutta verifies.

This is where the DEKRA experts come into play. They were involved back at the development stage and imparted their technical expertise on prototypes in the course of various workshops. Apart from extensive tests on electromagnetic compatibility (EMC) carried out at the laboratories of DEKRA Testing & Certification based in Arnhem in the Netherlands, the completely new concept in vehicle technology first had to be put through the stringent approval procedure before being allowed out on public roads. Thomas Plutta, the support engineer at the DEKRA Technology Center in Klettwitz in Brandenburg, is the officially certified expert and technical specialist for type approval procedures. He submitted the corresponding documentation to the Federal Motor Transport Authority and is one of those responsible for homologation of production vehicles or, as in the case of the StreetScooter, for individual approvals of test phases. Plutta tests vehicles in compliance with the stipulations of the directive 2007/46/EC. “Here, there is no difference from conventional cars. I test aspects like steering, lights, visibility and take the vehicle out onto our special test tracks where I naturally check and measure all the driving systems,” he says, describing his remit. In addition, Plutta’s colleague, Thomas Lidzba, examines whether the StreetScooter meets

ECE regulation 100. This involves user safety and the protective mechanisms for the high voltage system in the vehicle. “This is where the early exchange of opinions with DEKRA experts pays off and we appreciate this,” stresses StreetScooter boss Kampker. This is because the fewer complaints there are about the finished development model, the quicker the appraisals of the different individual directives can be made ready. The DEKRA colleagues in Aachen can then use these as a basis to prepare the approval of further vehicles. After the practical test and any adjustments and optimisation resulting from the feedback from the postal service, the StreetScooter constructors will aim to achieve type approval by June so as to go ahead with the mass production of a projected short-journey mobility design as soon as possible. ❮ Sandra Moser

Contact Thomas Plutta Project Manager DEKRA Technology Center Phone +49.3 57 54.73 44-5 13 Fax +45.3 57 54.73 45-5 00 E-mail [email protected]

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DEKRA SOLUTIONS

Furniture testing

The hot seat – bearing up under the strain One of the first customers of the new DEKRA furniture test laboratory in Stuttgart is the luxury furniture manufacturer Walter Knoll. Only the ­highest standards will do for the living areas and office spaces equipped by this company steeped in tradition.

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n the sewing shop at Walter Knoll in Herrenberg it is leather that catches the eye. Enormous rawhides as far as the eye can see, kept supple by an air humidifier fitted in the ceiling. They are given a multitude of finishes and colour tones and turned into furniture upholstery. Even entire table tops can be designed with leather. And the Leadchair, a very exclusive swivel chair. Costing between 2,000 and 3,000 euros it is an executive chair that would cost many a non-executive a month’s salary. It has been five years in development. Five years for a single chair, may surprise you, but: “A swivel chair is the supreme challenge,” says Markus Benz, the 52-year-old company partner and chairman, “we are talking here about high-end machine construction combined with the highest aesthetics.” The process in which design and technology mature into a perfect unit requires time. And what’s more, at the end of the day as little of the technology as possible should be visible. Internationally renowned architects and designers such as Sir Norman Foster and Ben van Berkel design furniture that bears the Walter Knoll logo. The Leadchair comes from the Viennese team EOOS. Manufacture takes place in the company’s own workshops in Herrenberg and in nearby Mötzingen, as well as at sub-suppliers based in Southern Germany and Northern Italy.

Walter Knoll AG & Co. KG has equipped both chambers of the German Parliament in Berlin, the Hearst Tower in New York, luxury hotels throughout the world, airports, banks – even the furniture for the new European Central Bank in Frankfurt will come from Herrenberg. Walter Knoll makes 60 per cent of his sales totalling 80 million euros from products for the office systems market, the remainder from household furniture. Tables, chairs, sofas, armchairs, even complete conference facilities are despatched all over the world to discerning customers. Walter Knoll design aspires to convey a refined ease. But, even the most finely crafted piece of furniture has to meet the demands of everyday use. “Chairs are therefore always a critical item,” says the company boss, “we try to tease out the limits of the technically possible; and we frequently come up against the limits of the materials in the process.” In order to ensure that the limits are not pushed too far, a chair undergoes a myriad of tests in the company’s own test laboratories during the course of its development. “New types of constructions may need to pass through the laboratories up to 30 times,” explains Benz. ❯

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On the caster test stand the swivel chair has to demonstrate that it can easily cope with travelling 36,000 times over a flooring sill bearing a corpulent passenger. The sack weighs 110 kilograms.

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The bending fatigue stand at the DEKRA laboratory in Stuttgart tests the strength of seat and back even if the chair has a comfort tilt function.

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The elegant design of Walter Knoll’s Leadchair is the result of a five year development process.

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Knoll’s CEO Markus Benz and DEKRA expert Ralf Blum (from the right) during an inspection of the production line in Herrenberg.

Contact Ralf Blum Team Manager – Furniture DEKRA Testing & Certification GmbH Phone +49.7 11.78 61-41 03 Fax +49.7 11.78 61-34 80 E-mail [email protected]

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❯ Additionally, Walter Knoll also has the furniture tested by a neutral institution. Since the middle of last year this has now been possible not far from Herrenberg, at DEKRA’s new furniture test laboratory in Stuttgart. The eight test stands here enable tests in compliance with 26 European standards. Core competence is the issue of the GS symbol for tested safety or the DEKRA Seal for Furniture. “Tested safety is an absolute must as far as we are concerned,” says Benz. All public invitations to tender require the GS symbol as a prerequisite. For example, in Stuttgart the Leadchair, bearing 110 kilograms, travels 36,000 times over a flooring sill. This happens on a linear test stand. The 110 kilos represent a test person and this is the weight a tested chair has to be able to bear continually. The bending fatigue test stand simulates the sitting down of a similarly heavy body in the chair 50,000 times and also puts the back rest through its paces. The demands made on the product in the test stand are formulated by Wer-

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Walter Knoll AG & Co. KG

In 1865 Wilhelm Knoll in Stuttgart established the “leather business”, which manufactures seats. In 1993 the Rolf Benz family acquires the firm now based in Herrenberg. Markus Benz, the oldest son of Rolf Benz, has been directing the company’s fortunes and heads a workforce of 270 employees. He is the majority partner; family members hold the other shares.

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ner Leistner, Sales Manager at DEKRA Testing & Certification GmbH in succinct terms: “It’s good if it doesn’t break.” Ralf Blum is team manager for furniture testing at the DEKRA Laboratory. The engineer came directly from the furniture industry to the technical services organisation. For example, he was involved in the work done on the Blue Angel for Upholstery by the working party of the German Association of Quality Furniture. He feels: “Furniture testing in Germany is well ahead conceptually.” By this he means that situations are played through which, if the truth be told, would not even be required of normal chairs. Leaning back on a chair, for example. Blum calls this “predictable misuse”. There is even a special lean-drop test stand to cater for it. The laboratory’s equipment enables tests of a vast array of furniture items and technically similar products ranging from a baby’s cot to a shopping trolley. Sales Manager Leistner sees the target group as German and central European manufacturers. ❮ Nicoline Hiller

“Tested safety is an absolute must as far as we are concerned!” Markus Benz, CEO and Associate, Walter Knoll AG & Co. KG.

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DEKRA SOLUTIONS

Portrait of Maria das Graças Silva Foster

The lady with the fuel She controls one of the biggest corporate groups in the world. Brazil’s rise to an industrial nation is in her hands. For Maria das Graças Foster, CEO of Petrobras, this challenge is just about big enough. 16

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Maria das Graças Foster, CEO of Petrobras and Renato Casagrande, Governor of the State of Espírito Santo, take a sample of oil on the drilling vessel Cidade de Anchieta.

io de Janeiro, the city of samba schools and carnival. A metropolis of sandy beaches and a symbol of the rise of a new economic power. Yet that is just one aspect. Rio de Janeiro is also a merciless metropolis. A monster of a million slums, the embodiment of poverty and violence. From her city-centre office on the 29th floor, Maria das Graças Foster looks out onto both faces of the city. And, more importantly, she also understands it. For her life’s journey has led her from the unbearable poverty of the favelas to the apex of the energy multinational Petrobras. There, in 2012, she took over the top job and, along with it, responsibility for 82,000 employees and the most important sector of the emerging Brazilian economy. Maria was eight years old when her family abandoned provincial life and moved to the coast. Rio de Janeiro was, at the time, Brazil’s centre of prosperity. Here, life was supposed to get better. Yet her new home consisted of a sheet metal hut in a favela on the southern edge of the city. There was no ­sanitation. Everyday life was determined by malnutrition, disease and the brutal laws of the drugs mafia. Nevertheless, today, Maria das Graças Foster recalls a “difficult but happy childhood”. She was never afraid of work. She collected and sold scrap metal. “That meant that I could support my mother and earn money for my schooling.” Selfpity is an alien concept to her. “Many people believe that their past determines their future. I do not accept this.” This statement conceals her entire ambition and the almost superhuman discipline that has determined the life and the essence of Maria das Graças Foster to this day. After leaving school, she studied chemical engineering and went on to complete a Master’s degree in nuclear energy technology. With this education, only one employer came into consideration: the energy group Petrobras. She started there in 1981 and, with her unusual talent, she quickly stood out. The company paid for her to study business management and she became the first woman to make a career in an industry dominated by male bravado. However, the fact that she finally made it to the top was due in no small part to a chance meeting with Brazil’s current President, Dilma Rousseff. ❯

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DEKRA SOLUTIONS

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The friendship between Maria and the incumbent President of Brazil has existed since 1998, when Dilma Rousseff was still regional Secretary of Energy and Foster was working on a pipeline project for Petrobras.

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Paulo Augusto Vivacqua, President of the Academia Nacional de Engenharia, handing over the membership certificate to the chemical engineer in November 2013.

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With her colourful costume Maria marches in the parade of a Samba school in Rio de Janeiro in 2013. As CEO of Petrobras Brasileiro S.A., Maria das Graças Foster has been responsible for this semi-national oil company since 2012.

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In the presence of President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva (left) and his successor Dilma Rousseff (centre) Foster opened Gasduc III, the largest pipeline for gas supply in Brazil, in February 2010.

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Judoka Sarah Menezes proudly shows the gold medal she won at the 2012 Summer Olympics in London to the President of Petrobras who is a sponsor.

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❯ They met in 1998, when Foster was working on a pipeline project and Rousseff was still an ambitious provincial politician. As far as ambition, determination and assertiveness were concerned, the two women were very much kindred spirits, which resulted in a close and fruitful friendship. In 2003, Rousseff was appointed Energy Minister in the Cabinet and made Foster her State Secretary. Three years in politics meant important international connections and experience in dealing with capital markets. As a result, Foster soon made herself indispensable to Petrobras. The fact that, in 2010, she obtained a seat at the boardroom table surprised no one. There, she was long known as the “Iron Lady of Oil”. On the day Foster took over as CEO, Petrobras shares jumped by four per cent, so great was investors’ trust in her. But Petrobras is a difficult company to run – a group with ambivalent requirements. Sixty-four per cent of its stock is held and controlled by the government, and this impacts on day-to-day business, where they cap petrol and diesel prices. This may be good for the consumer, but it is bad for the corporate balance sheet. The price of crude oil

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for the domestic market is between 20 and 30 per cent below world market prices. At the same time, international investors expect Foster to achieve her extremely ambitious growth objectives. By 2020, Petrobras is expected to have invested 237 billion d ­ ollars to explore new oil fields on the ocean bed of the Atlantic. Daily production could then rise to around 4.5 million barrels, and the company could become one of the most important oil producers in the world. Yet Petrobras is facing huge technical challenges. The liquid gold lies more than seven kilometres below the surface of the water. No one has ever successfully drilled for oil at this depth. If the job demanded less of her, Maria das Graças Foster would probably have looked for another one long ago. She could, of course, retire to Sugar Loaf Mountain on the sunny side of the city. But she personally measures herself against her challenges, not her assets. That is why she lives with her family in a modest flat and does not even possess a car. So she is often seen on the street calling for a taxi. The taxi drivers of Copacabana know her well. They simply call Maria das Graças Foster “the lady with the fuel”. ❮ Theodor Nagel

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Maria das Graças Silva Foster

Born: 26th August 1953 in Caratinga, Brazil Family:

Married, two children

Occupation: CEO of Petrobras Brasileiro S.A. Hobby:

The Beatles

Career: 1975-1978 Studies in chemical engineering at the Universidade Federal Fluminese in Niterói 1978

Trainee with Petrobras

1979-1981 Studies in nuclear technology at the Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro 1981

Return to Petrobras

1998-1999 MBA studies at the Fundação Getulio Vargas in Rio de Janeiro 2003-2006 State Secretary for Oil, Gas and Renewable Energy 2007-2012 Petrobras Board Member with responsibility for gas and energy since 2012 CEO of Petrobras Brasileiro S.A.

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Harmful substance analyses for bags and accessories

Harmless helpers DEKRA tests for harmful substances in all the materials used by ­ Reisenthel Accessoires in their products and thus ensures that EU provisions are observed.

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t is used in countless households throughout the world: the robust and light-weight Reisenthel “Carrybag”. This handy shopping basket made of high-quality polyester fabric with an aluminium frame has been a sales hit since 2003. It is issued twice a year in a range of new colours and designs – together with over 60 other bags and accessories that make up the essential range. Established in 1971, the family-run company has the knack of re-inventing practical things afresh. Every Reisenthel product follows the principle of “keep it simple”. A literal tour de force is behind every new collection. Apart from the actual development work, all components have

“What we appreciate about DEKRA is that it thoroughly understands our collection and has a sound approach to the work!” Petra Wedler, Product Manager, Reisenthel Accessoires.

Contact Natalie Deubler Product Manager – Consumer Goods DEKRA Automobil GmbH Phone +49.7 11.78 61-35 48 Fax +49.7 11.78 61-35 34 E-mail [email protected]

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to go through rigorous testing. Now, that’s about 20 to 30 materials for every product. Depending on the target market, certain substances are either not permitted to be in the product at all, or may only be present in limited quantities. In the EU, the chemical ordinance “REACH” applies. It lists more than 150 substances, such as plasticizers, for example, which have to be reported on. “We enlisted DEKRA’s help in verifying compliance of our finished products over five years ago,” says Petra Wedler. The product manager at Reisenthel appreciates the “thorough understanding that DEKRA has of both its collection and its carefully thought out approach to the work”. Reisenthel processes most of the materials in more than one product. “This is why we also don’t have to test every bag and every accessory separately, and this saves time and money,” reports Natalie Deubler, Product Manager at DEKRA in charge of consumer goods. Nevertheless, each new collection involves a lot of testing. This is because apart from the materials used in the Reisenthel collection, the REACH candidate list is also evolving and can be expanded about every six months. It was only in December, for example, that another seven new substances were added to the list. “This means we need to obtain the new substances as quickly as possible in order to calibrate our measuring apparatuses in the laboratory and develop suitable testing methods,” says Deubler. Luckily the new collections are released around the same time as the new candidate list appears and this enables DEKRA to carry out the extensive tests relatively quickly.  ❮ Marcus Walter

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Reisenthel’s core product range comprises around 60 bags and accessories. The collection is revamped twice a year.

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The EU chemicals regulation contains a list of substances that must be declared. DEKRA develops the right testing method of each new substance in the shortest possible time.

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A typical Reisenthel product consists of between 20 and 30 materials. Every single one of them is regularly tested by DEKRA in the Group’s own laboratories.

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DEKRA SOLUTIONS

The truck cabin rattles and shakes; the

engine howls under the driver’s seat. Yet, it’s all pretend. An electronically and hydraulically actuated system throws around the cabin of the DEKRA driving simulator almost like the real thing. The windscreen and the side windows are projection screens and the mirrors merely an image. Inside, fireman Patrick Tetard steers his digital fire truck along a motorway as the virtual sunshine beams into the cabin. Flashing blue lights and bellowing

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horn accompany Tetard on his breakneck journey. There’s a fire out there somewhere. “Careful, traffic jam,” announces a loudspeaker. Instructor ­Thorsten Straube is seated outside in the control station of the simulator and passes on helpful instructions. The driver slowly brakes the heavy vehicle, brings it to a halt in the middle of the two-lane motorway and hopes that the traffic will clear a space for him to pass. The cars move over in what seems to take ages; they are slow, get stuck,

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Mobile driving simulator training courses

Trail-blazing rescue The fire fighting unit at the Henkel works in Düsseldorf has to deal with a specific set of challenges which call for the fire truck drivers to be totally on the ball during an emergency. DEKRA was at the site to run training sessions on its mobile driving simulator. 1

appear confused. “It’s just like in real life,” says Tetard, obviously impressed, and sets off down the path that has now been cleared. The images on the monitors change: The sun suddenly vanishes behind the clouds, raindrops start to fall, lightning flashes across the sky. Tetard looks in the mirrors: To his left and right there is very little space through which to squeeze his 26-tonne truck. “Actually, Henkel’s works fire fighting unit never leaves the factory premises,” says the experienced

fireman from Düsseldorf. “But this training course is an absolute must.” His turn at the wheel comes to an end. He gets out of the cabin and climbs up the three steps to the computer room for manoeuvre debriefing with DEKRA instructor Straube. ❯

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Although the Henkel fire fighters do not normally drive on the motorway, the training in the simulator helps the drivers to familiarise themselves with the truck’s dimensions. The company site can be a real maze.

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DEKRA instructor Thorsten Straube (right) immediately exposes any driving errors and discusses them with fireman Patrick Tetard in the debriefing session.

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Straube follows the journey from the simulator’s instructor station. He can detect, record and analyse tricky situations on the monitors.

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DEKRA Project Manager Reinhard Buchsdrücker (2nd from right) explains to the firemen both the theoretical and practical components of the training.

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Ulrich Haschke (left) and Reinhard Buchsdrücker organise the training around the duty roster so that every Henkel fireman can take part.

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❯ The instructor station including driving simulator and training room fit on the semi-trailer of the DEKRA truck. It will be parked for the next five days on the Henkel works site. “We need this amount of time to train all the 80 firemen on the driving simulator. Taking into account leave, shift work or other rescheduling means a prolonged stay,” says Ulrich Haschke, who is in charge of training the works fire fighting unit. He is happy to have this training opportunity. The further training of firemen and the training of recruits is based on the curriculum of the regional fire services school in North-Rhine Westphalia. Haschke knows that “safe driving training is an important component of this”. DEKRA and the works fire fighting unit came together in 2012. “DEKRA took the opportunity of ‘Logistics Day’ to ­present the driving simulator, the only one of its kind for the simulation of special service operations in Germany,” says DEKRA Sales Coordinator Marco Köchling. It was also tailor-made for the Henkel works fire fighting unit, especially as the company site is a particularly challenging one: narrow, winding roads, railway tracks, uneven surfaces or cobblestones. Haschke is keen to point out that just manoeuvring quickly in this environment represents a challenge in itself. “Unfortunately we can’t train in these real-life conditions. The risk is simply too great.” For example, overturning a fire truck through a sudden manoeuvre could quickly cause damage totalling several hundreds of thousands of euros. “Should this happen to us in the simulator,” says Köchling and chuckles at the very thought of it, “we simply turn the vehicle the right way up again with the click of a mouse.“ Reinhard Buchsdrücker is visibly impressed by the discipline shown by the participants from Düsseldorf who he is training in the adjacent room before the simulated journey commences. “They are professionals and realise that they need this training.” This is because negotiating a path through the site at the wheel of a 26-tonne truck means driving carefully, but quickly. Especially as one stipulation is clearly laid down: “They have to arrive at any part of the site within three minutes,” says the DEKRA Driving Simulation Project Manager. The firemen have to travel across pronounced bumps or railway tracks in the process. Although the electronic aids fitted to the modern fire trucks, mean that they can

“Our deployment area on the work’s site is full of challenges. We can employ the DEKRA driving simulator to simulate and train for awkward or difficult terrain!” Ulrich Haschke, Head of Training, Works Fire Fighting Unit, Henkel GmbH.

be operated and driven like passenger cars, four tonnes of cabin sitting on the front axle and 22 tonnes resting on the rear axles call for an appropriate driving style. “In addition, the man at the wheel is not the only one on board. We emphasise this during the supplemental theoretical training session. We tell participants about the dimensions and weights of modern fire trucks,” says Buchsdrücker. He was a member of a voluntary fire fighting service himself and knows that the vehicle driver sometimes forgets in the stress of the moment that there is a turntable ladder travelling with him on the roof. “It is precisely in tight areas such as on the work’s site that the risk of getting stuck somewhere is so great!” This is why the DEKRA experts continually send the firemen down narrow digital roads until they have it off pat. And should the DEKRA experts want to make things really tricky? Well, they can always simulate a dog racing onto the road! Like in real life, all sorts of things are “virtually” possible.  ❮ Ingo Müntz

Contact Reinhard Buchsdrücker Project Manager – Driving Simulation DEKRA Akademie GmbH Phone +49.40.53 43 93-63 Fax +49.40.53 43 93-97 E-mail [email protected]

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DEKRA SOLUTIONS

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Carnival in Rio – the largest party on earth

One of the main attractions of the city is the carnival, a gigantic celebration which requires almost an entire year to prepare for. It offers a myriad of ways to celebrate: in fancy dress with thousands of others in the streets, dancing behind a Bloco or a Banda, visiting exclusive parties and themed balls, or cheering the captivating parades of the Samba schools in the Sambadrom. The tone is set by the trance-like Samba rhythm drummed up by the percussion groups. Costumes, masks and funny accessories can be purchased in the busy shopping district of Saara in the city centre. The creativity typical of Brazilians knows no bounds. The Samba schools are truly superlative, each boasting between 3,000 – 5,000 singing and dancing members, beaming with happiness and sauntering through the Avenida accompanied by decorated floats. Anyone who buys a costume at a Samba school can take part, even though tourists will probably be unlikely to succeed in copying the ease with which Brazilians swing their hips.

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Rio de Janeiro – the wonderful city: the name resounds with the infectious joie de vivre of its inhabitants, the Cariocas, and a breathtaking topography. 90 kilometres of beaches, mountains over 1,000 metres high and 40 km2 of Atlantic rain forest set in the heart of a vibrant metropolis make it a unique spot in the world. 26

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City portrait of Rio de Janeiro

A welcome with open arms

At six o’clock in the morning the world-famous

beach in the district of Copacabana slowly comes to life: fishermen push out their colourful boats into the sea from the edge of the bay, fans of the fashionable sport of stand up paddle surfing splash about in the water that is as smooth as a mirror, joggers train their muscles on the about four ­kilometre long beach, the first swimmers take to the water. The sunbathers, families, tourists, couples and those looking for romance are not yet there, they come later. On New Year’s Eve more than two million people come to the beach to enjoy the beautiful fireworks and free outdoor ­concerts taking place here; celebrating together peacefully until dawn, throwing flowers and other offerings into the sea for

the sea goddess Yemanjá and jumping over seven waves as is the Afro-Brazilian custom. Envious inhabitants of São Paulo say that when the Cariocas leave home in the morning, they look left, then right and only then decide whether to go to work or to the beach. Of course, this is not the case because many of Rio’s 6.5 million inhabitants work hard, especially the poor who make up 25 per cent of the population and live in the around a thousand slums, the favelas. If Greater Rio is added to the mix, the city boasts 12 million inhabitants. Most of them work in Rio de Janeiro and have to put up with hours of commuting. In the evenings a fair number still go to school or university in an attempt to improve their lot. ❯

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❯ Right next to Copacabana is the Arpoador Rock. From here the sightseers can applaud the most beautiful sunset the city has to offer, overlooking the beaches of Ipanema, Leblon and the “Two Brothers”, the twin mountain peaks of “Dois Irmãos”. At the top of the higher of the two and having passed through the poor district of Vidigal and a steep stretch of Atlantic rain forest, you are rewarded with a panoramic view that will take your breath away. Vidigal is one of the favelas that has been freed from running gun battles between rival drug gangs and the police as part of a peace policy introduced in Rio in late 2008. However, the small houses offering the panoramic view of the ocean are increasingly the object of the property speculation prevailing in the city since it was declared a venue for this year’s FIFA World Cup and the 2016 Olympic Games. So, now that violence no longer clouds the spectacular view, the original inhabitants are being persuaded to sell up and leave. What’s more, there are no more public funds for social security and health care so that not all Cariocas are excited about the World Cup which devours vast sums of money. The young and young at heart alike are drawn to the Lapa and Santa Teresa neighbourhoods which are connected via the Escadaria Selarón, a stairway with 215 steps leading up to the Santa Teresa Cloister. It was here that the Chilean Jorge Selarón had lived since 1983. From 1990 until his death in early 2013 he set about transforming the grey steps into a unique work of art by covering them with colourful tiles from 80 countries and sent by enthusiastic visitors. While night life throbs below in Lapa to the sound of a vast range of live music styles, such as Bossa Nova, Rock, Samba or Jazz, the alternative scene heads up the lofty alleyways of the Bohemian district Santa Teresa to meet in the craftwork shops, galleries, old villas or cosy cafés. Rio’s recorded history began on New Year’s Day 1502 when the Portuguese seafarer Gaspar de Lemos ventured past an imposing block of granite, later to be known as Sugar Loaf, and entered what he considered a river estuary: ­Guanabara Bay. He described the discovery in the ship’s log as “January River”, which translates into Portuguese as “rio de janeiro”. However, it was not until 1565 that the city was officially founded. From 1763 until the construction of Brasília in 1960, Rio de Janeiro was the capital city. Today it is the second largest city in Brazil, and one of the tourist gateways to South America.

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This is also due to the works of landscape architect Roberto Burle Marx whose famous black-and-white wave pattern adorns not only the beach promenade of Copacabana but also public gardens and the Flamengo Park. Sítio Burle Marx’s paradise garden, where the master himself lived, is the ultimate expression of his art. The Tijuca National Park, the largest urban jungle in the world, provides a little shade from the tropical heat. Once cleared for sugar cane, coffee plantation and housing, and reforested about 150 years ago, the green lung of Rios offers its visitors paths leading up to the peaks with panoramic views, where it is possible to fly kites or to take a refreshing shower under a waterfall. And over the heart of it all, looms one of the seven modern wonders of the world, the figure of Christ on the Corcovado Mountain, with arms welcomingly outstretched to all and over all, whether rich or poor, Carioca or guest, the world cup protester or the football-mad fan.  ❮ Annette Runge

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The 38 metre high figure of the Saviour looks toward Sugarloaf Mountain, another symbol of the city.

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The colorful Escadaria Selarón connects the bohemian Santa Teresa quarter with Lapa.

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The statue of Christ on Corcovado Mountain keeps a protective hand over rich and poor inhabitants of Rio.

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Everything for the carnival is there in the bustling business district Saara in the city centre.

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The Cariocas enjoy a cooling shower under the waterfall in Tijuca National Park in the middle of the city.

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At sunrise, the fishermen set off from Copacabana beach to catch lunch.

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Applause for the most beautiful sunset, the evening program in Arpoador.

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DEKRA SOLUTIONS

Material testing for long-span roofs

We’ve got it covered

Football events beneath Sugar Loaf Mountain, classic club and international matches involving great names such as Pélé, Zico or Ronaldo, this is what the name Estádio do Maracanã conjures up. During the conversion work on what was once the world’s largest stadium in preparation for the 2014 FIFA World Cup, DEKRA was responsible for the quality assurance of the new membrane roof.

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he Brazilian national football team inaugurated the famous stadium following renovation with a 3:0 win over world champions Spain in the final of the Confed Cup in the summer of 2013. This is one of the many successes of the “Seleçao” in this dream of a football stadium that made ­people almost forget the Maracanã’s low point in the year of its completion in 1950. Until then the only World Cup to have taken place in the coun-

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try, Brazil lost the final match against Uruguay 1:2, a bitter defeat which the football-mad nation still finds difficult to forget right up to this very day. Although the stadium held almost 200,000 spectators in the year it was completed, the huge oval construction now accommodates around 73,000 fans. Numerous conversion projects carried out over the years have changed the stadium radically. ❯

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The newly renovated Maracanã Stadium was at its best for around 73,000 spectators attending the opening ceremony of the Confederations Cup in the summer of 2013.

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The biaxial machine used by DEKRA expert Jochen Köhnlein to test the tensile strength of the roof membrane is the largest of its kind in the world.

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Workers at the membrane factory in Thailand check the 65-metre long strips before rolling them up ready for transport.

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The correct welding of the seams of the membrane roof calls for the experience and skill of a specialist.

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Employees of Hightex and a local team of specialists fit the panels on the roof of the Estádio do Maracanã in Rio de Janeiro.

Contact Jochen Köhnlein Project Manager DEKRA Industrial International GmbH Phone +49.7 11.78 61-41 12 Fax +49.7 11.78 61-41 15 E-mail [email protected]

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❯ A particularly impressive aspect of the latest complete renovation is the spanning of the stadium roof with PTFE-coated glass-fibre membranes. Roughly 60 strips, measuring 65 metres in length and between 8 and 16 metres in width, creates a roof that offers protection against inclement weather and the sun, and is not only light in appearance but also allows a great deal of it into the stadium. One of the world’s leading companies for the design, manufacture, construction and assembly of these impressive membrane structures is Hightex GmbH. The company based in Bernau am Chiemsee boasts experience stretching back to 1972. The textile covers of the Olympic sports and swimming complex and other buildings in the Olympic Park in Munich were provided by Koit, the predecessor firm. “Since then we have completed more than 800 projects throughout the world,” says Hightex Managing Director Frank Molter. For example, the company was involved in building the Olympic Stadium in Berlin, the roof construction of the Wimbledon Centre Court, the roofing of the stands at the Ascot race course and the membrane sail of the Burj-al-Arab in Dubai. Name any major football event over the past years and Hightex was there providing the roof construction for one or more of the stadiums. Frank Molter: “Each time we have to go head-to-head with competitors and land the tender. But we had really set our heart on securing the Estádio do Maracanã.” Hightex was not only able to offer the best price in Rio de Janeiro, but also decades

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of expertise and a finely polished quality assurance concept backed by DEKRA. The specialists in the material examination of membranes in Stuttgart have extensive experience with the special material which the project manager Jochen Köhnlein describes like this: “In its lifetime, the membrane material goes through various loading situations caused by wind and weather conditions and always needs to maintain sufficient pre-tension whatever happens. We make use of our biaxial machine to simulate the loading in a sort of time-lapse fashion. As the membrane material undergoes permanent elongation after completion of the examination, the section for the roof is made correspondingly smaller.” The biaxial machine is the largest of its kind in the world. The experts developed it as part of an EU research project. Over the course of ­s everal hours seven force input points situated on all four sides apply a force of up to 200 kN per metre in two directions to a material sample measuring about 150 cm x 150 cm. For the quality tests accompanying the production process, DEKRA expert Köhnlein went to Thailand and examined all work stages, which included cutting to shape, welding of the seam, forming of the edging detail, establishing the dimensions right up to rolling up and packing. The strips rolled onto pipes were then shipped to Rio de Janeiro and delivered to the Maracanã construction site. Hightex always relies on its own employees on site when it comes to the final and most important process, i.e. assembly, stresses Frank Molter. He says:

“The DEKRA experts help us to maintain our reputation as a technology and quality leader!” Frank Molter, Managing Director, Hightex GmbH.

“It is only the correct tensioning that gives the membrane its loadable form.” And again, Köhnlein was there to monitor the fitting process on the roof of the stadium and to assure the process quality here, too. Hightex and DEKRA are as surefooted in this specialist field as the fitters working on the stadium roof. Molter knows what his partner is worth: “Apart from the fact that an external inspection institute is an absolute precondition for our customers, we prefer working with the experts at DEKRA because they have almost as many years of experience as we do. We want to protect our good reputation as technology and quality leader at all costs, and DEKRA as a partner helps us to do this.” In the meantime, the stadium roof has weathered its first storms and rain showers and also witnessed a few thrilling games. It is ready to welcome the World Cup. And who knows? ­Perhaps the “Seleçao” will finally manage to bury the shame of the 1950 final. ❮ Alexander Föll

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DEKRA staff in portrait

Always in the know Curious

and eager: character traits that make Natalie Deubler ideally suited for her job as product manager for consumer goods at DEKRA in Stuttgart. It is here at the laboratory for environmental and product analysis that the qualified industrial chemist goes about her work. Her responsibilities include the testing of well-known household products such as coffee machines, model railways, toys or cutlery. Manufacturers are quick to integrate the 27-year-old into their development process, meaning that she is always one of the first to know about new products. Deubler joined DEKRA in 2011 after finishing her studies and has found what she thinks is her ideal job. Deubler, who comes from Göppingen in Baden-Württemberg, is dedicated to her work and her great commitment for renowned international customers does not leave much time for hobbies. Still, when the opportunity arises she loves to go snowboarding with après-ski along the way, naturally! ❮

Heart and soul: Natalie Deubler tests household objects like cups or shopping baskets for dangerous substances before they are permitted to go on the market.

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