Annual Report 2012 - Knorr-Bremse AG.

28
Research and development
As a technology group, Knorr-Bremse continued to drive
forward its research and development efforts in the year
under review in close collaboration with its customers. Total
expenditure on research and development and project
planning amounted to EUR 249.7 million in 2012 (2011:
EUR 208.8 million), which equates to 5.8% (2011: 4.9%) of
consolidated sales.
As the global technology leader in the fields of braking
systems for rail and commercial vehicles, Knorr-Bremse
develops innovative products distinguished by their safety,
high quality, reliability and customer benefits. This applies
in equal measure to the other fields covered by the
product portfolios of the Rail Vehicle Systems division (automatic
door systems, air-conditioning and driver assistance
systems, control components and platform screen
doors) and the Commercial Vehicle Systems division (driver
assistance systems, torsional vibration dampers and
other powertrain-related components, such as PBS and
transmission control systems).
Knorr-Bremse’s market success with these products is
founded on its comprehensive command of electronics,
pneumatics, and mechanical engineering. These capabilities
enable the company to provide its customers with
complete braking systems. The long-standing trend toward
the introduction of innovative system solutions and
modular solutions involving the increasing use of mechatronic
systems is continuing, which gives Knorr-Bremse a
competitive edge in the marketplace. In 2012 the Group
continued to pursue its ambition of realizing innovative
solutions that meet local market and customer requirements,
and of continuously improving these solutions in
the interests of its customers, as evidenced by an impressive
number of innovations and awards.
2008 171
2009 153
2010 175
2011 209
2012 250
Consolidated research and development expenditure in EUR millions
In 2012, research activities in the rail vehicle sector focused
among other things on the development of innovative
products for the BRIC states as well as for Middle
Eastern countries. Thus, for example, the KAB60 control
valve for Russia and the CIS states that had been inspected
and approved in 2011 was integrated into a complete
braking system − including controls − for customer
Alstom Transportation. In the development process, the
components were prepared to meet the special demands
of operating temperatures as low as minus 50°C.
The systems are destined for use in twin-unit freight locomotives
belonging to Kazakh operator Kazakhstan
Temir Zholy, the first application in a rail market governed
by the GOST standard. Other significant new developments
included a noise-encapsulated oil-free compressor
to reduce noise during low-speed braking, and
an exceptionally flat HVAC unit from Knorr-Bremse subsidiary
Merak that takes account of the very restricted
installation space in metro cars and also excels through
its low noise level and ease of maintenance.
In the commercial vehicle sector, development activities in
the year under review focused – as in the previous year –
on the next-generation ABS, EBS and ESP systems and on
the further enhancement of the electronically controlled
air treatment system (EAC2). Among the development
projects brought to a successful conclusion in 2012 were
TEBS G2.2 for truck trailers for customer Schmitz Cargobull,
as well as EBS7 and EAC2.5 for Volvo. Moreover, a new generation
of video cameras for driver assistance systems was
developed together with Knorr-Bremse’s US subsidiary
Bendix. The new cameras are to be introduced on the European
market to provide a more robust and compact
lane-keeping functionality at lower cost.
In line with Knorr-Bremse’s regional strategy, in 2012 the
proportion of the Group’s development capacity located in
emerging markets such as India and China was further increased.
In India, for example, the Knorr-Bremse Technology
Center India (TCI) was founded which, as a joint venture
between the two divisions, will provide development services
for the Group. In total, the number of employees in
the field of research, development and project planning
worldwide showed a slight rise over the previous year.