T.A.T Machinery – one of the most important distributor of machine tools in Vietnam – presented their new showroom to a variety of invited guests. On ten thousand square metres the dealer presents the T.A.T production programme which ranges from machines for metal working and forming operations up to machines for the plastic processing industry. The extensive service package of the machine tool distributor is completed by the suitable range of high-performance lubricants. BECHEM was exclusively represented with an own booth.

On 30th November 2010 CARL BECHEM INDIA organised an Automotive Seminar for the supplier companies and automobile manufacturers in their region. With more than 100 participants the event exceeded by far the expectations. Besides representatives of the big car manufacturers such as Ford, Nissan, Hyundai, Tata and Ashok Leyland visitors of the most important automotive suppliers, among them Kostal, Lear, Magna, Visteon and Johnson Control met at the Royal Meridian Hotel in the growing Indian automobile metropol Chennai. The presentations by Mr. Thomas Brexeler, Sales Director of the Business Unit Speciality Lubricants, and Mr. Georg Roschmann, Head of the Technical Service of the CARL BECHEM GMBH in Hagen met the interest of the audience and showed the BECHEM know-how with regard to tailor-made automotive lubricant developments. Our special thanks goes to the Team of CARL BECHEM INDIA, especially the colleagues Hari, Kannan and Basher for this perfectly organised event.

Based on decades of experience with calcium complex soaps and their performance BERUPLEX PMC 42 F was developed for most demanding heavy duty applications. The product is the alternative to the conventional qualities in this field based on lithium and lithium/calcium soaps. For one year the new heavy duty grease has been used by various customers. The combination of stable thickener, high solid content and low-viscous base oils offers best suitability for highest surface pressures with excellent pumpability.

Best results were achieved with the application in profile roller bearings in a German billet mill. BERUPLEX PMC 42 F has delivered optimal performance worldwide in other heavy duty applications as well.

- Service temperature -20 °C to +140 °C
- VKA-weld load ≥ 7000 N
- Excellent pumpability
- Outstanding water resistance
- Emergency running properties

From November 16 to 18, 2010, the "Technical and Commercial Conference Asia" was held on Bali, Indonesia, already for the third time. The event with more than 50 participants supports the international knowledge transfer between BECHEM, the Asian sales partners as well as the associated companies from India and China.

Innovative product developments, technical and commercial presentations and valuable case studies attracted the interest of the audience.In a great atmosphere, the conference was rounded off by a culturally exacting frame programme, as e.g. a traditional Balinese dance.

The conference was organised in close cooperation with our Indonesian partner PT Multiprima. We would like to take the opportunity and thank them again very much for all their efforts.

From 3rd until 6th November 2010, the Business Unit Heavy Industry organized the first BECHEM HFA Symposium in Volmarstein. HFA stands for fire resistant, water containing hydraulic fluids required by the mining industry. More than 30 mining experts from Poland, Czech Republic, Russia and Germany participated in this event.

Central subjects were the latest technologies of HFA hydraulic fluids for face supports in mines. BECHEM is one of the leading suppliers of modern fluid systems worldwide. Presentations held on the occasion of this meeting covered the different types of fire resistant hydraulic fluids, HFA-E (emulsion) and HFA-S (solution). The lectures of our international guests regarding the situation of the mining industries in other countries were followed with great interest.

An exciting frame programme in the Duisburg Landscape Park completed the event which was highly estimated by our guests. The participation in archery and climbing on old blast furnaces at dizzy heights supported team spirit and created best atmosphere.

With BERUCOAT MC BECHEM is launching a brand new type of anti-friction-coating, which for the first time implements the innovative microcapsule technology ready for series production. Ball-type containers, which are visible by microscope only, are filled with a special lubricant and embedded in a varnish layer. The microcapsules release the lubricant at the friction or lubrication point when a certain load is achieved. A touch-dry lubricating film between the friction partners is formed.

The new lubricant product excels in outstanding service life. Compared to conventional high-performance anti-friction-coatings based on the addition of solid lubricants, the lifetime of the BECHEM microcapsule coating is three times higher.

The coating offers high occupational safety since e.g. inflammable solvent vapours will not occur. Embedded in a water-based lacquer system the microcapsules can be applied exactly at the point of lubrication. As is the case for conventional anti-friction-coatings, the product can be applied by dipping, spraying or in bulk. In view of the low drying temperature, the product is well suitable as an ideal coating agent for temperature-sensitive plastic materials.

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The Campus Symposium 2010 of the private academy BiTS (Business and Information Technology School) continues the “Green Business Conference” which took place last year. BECHEM has participated this year as well. The international business event, living on the exchange of ideas of the roughly 800 guests, journalists and speakers, offers various approaches with regard to environment and sustainability in interesting presentations, discussions and workshops.

29 experts from politics and economy met in Iserlohn, among them well known names, such as Erich Sixt (Sixt AG), Petra Hesser (IKEA) or Dr. J. Wolfgang Kirchhoff (Kirchhoff Group). Highlight of the event was the speech of Nobel Peace Prize winner and former Vice President of the USA, Al Gore. Al Gore is fighting worldwide for environmental and climate protection, and with his Oscar winning film “An Inconvenient Truth” he woke up many people with regard to the global problem of environment and resources. One of the official speakers of the conference was Hans-Otto Franz, Managing Director of BECHEM, who did not only look at sustainability from the environmental point of view, but also with regard to social aspects in companies. Besides the BECHEM product policy tailored to sustainability he also presented the interested audience insights into the development of the BECHEM corporate culture.

For the seventh time, the Non-Ferrous Forming Technology Meeting organised by BECHEM was held on 3-Nov-2009. Carried out every two years alternating with the WIRE Düsseldorf trade fair, the event with over 140 participants has meanwhile reached a respectable format and is unique in this form in Germany. Nearly the entire German wire and tube drawing sector plus customers from Switzerland, Belgium, The Netherlands including its periphery such as machine, tool, filter, and non-woven producers gathered in the venue in Herdecke.

The main topics were future tendencies in the non-ferrous wire and tube drawing sector (aluminium, copper, brass). At the same time, the automotive sector played a decisive role. During this event, the contribution "Die Zukunft des Automobils" (The Future of the Automobile) by Dr. Peter Meintz (left photo), the Spokesman of the ADAC Westfalen e.V. was followed intensely. The individual presentation, provided for instance by representatives of the company Berkenhoff, Aurubis and the Gesamtverband der Aluminiumindustrie (General Association of the Aluminium Industry), was loosened up by a panel discussion with representatives from the leading drawing die manufacturers BALLOFFET, FORTEK, FRIEDRICH and REDIES.

With BERUFORM STO 1268, BECHEM is launching a new product for complex die cutting, precision blanking and deep-drawing operations with an excellent price-performance ratio.

This new sheet-metal forming product can be used for many applications where chlorine previously was rated to be an indispensable component for the metal forming process. In addition, it offers an excellent protection against corrosion. With a well-balanced formulation of active polar ingredients, active sulphur compounds and special wear additives at an attractive price, BERUFORM STO 1268 ensures significant benefits with respect to efficiency.

Fine blanking products for the automotive industry

The fifth international business conference, staged by the private university, Business and Information Technology (BiTS), on the Seiler Sea campus in Iserlohn in September, was very much a green business event.

The event, which, with 600 to 800 participants is still relatively new, was brilliant this year too boasting high-calibre speakers from business and politics. In addition to the many key specialist business and scientific contributions, highlights included a speech by the former British prime minister and special envoy to the Middle East, Tony Blair.

BECHEM not only took part in the Campus Symposium with a small exhibition stand illustrating its Green Business in the form of biodegradable lubricants and the mineral oil free coolant concept BERUFLUID, the company also took part in the panel discussion. Hans-Otto Franz, managing director of CARL BECHEM GmbH, provided an enthusiastic contribution to the 50-minute discussion on the subject: “What proportion of development in Germany can be sustainable without losing ground to international competition.”

...

Picture left: Hans-Otto Franz, picture right: Professor Dr Jörg Ottersbach, Osborne Clark chaired the panel discussion with Dr Ignacio Campino, management representative for sustainability and climate protection at Deutsche Telekom AG, Gustav Dieter Edelhoff, former president of Deutsche Entsorgungswirtschaft e.V., Amit Yudan, Business Development at Better Place and Hans-Otto Franz, managing director of CARL BECHEM GMBH 

This year the Hagen company CARL BECHEM GmbH, in the sixth generation still managed by the family, is celebrating its 175^th anniversary. Basis for the development and successful existence in a very competitive market was and is a clear innovation management.

Thanks to product and process innovations BECHEM shows every day that the company belongs to the top of the European manufacturers of high performance lubricants. We are always in search of new products to the benefit of our customers from trade and industry.

BECHEM offers their customers a range of far more than 800 lubricant products in the four business units industry, metal working, forming technology and special lubricants. The company will celebrate the 175^th Anniversary within the this year's 6^th International CARL BECHEM Symposium in Dortmund. Here the international "BECHEM Family" with their daughter companies, Joint Ventures and partners from 30 countries will meet. "The event serves the international transfer of know-how among the BECHEM partners and is an important basis for the future development of the company", declare the Managing Directors Hans-Otto Franz and Dr. Martin Walter. An extensive programme is planned for the days from 17^th to 20^th June, which includes many presentations, guest lectures and project reports with regard to scientific projects and their realisation, accompanied by some excursions.

Conference Center Westfalenhallen: Venue of the 6th CARL BECHEM International Symposium

On 24.04.09 the subcommittee presses and rolls of the German Fasteners Association met at BECHEM in Hagen. On the occasion of the 89th meeting, about 30 guests from more than 20 member companies took the opportunity to inform themselves about the latest trends in the field of lubrication.
 
Various speakers reported on the future trends in lubricant development, new wire coating lubricants and multifunction oils as well as the complex subject REACH.
 
The meeting was marked by active discussions and exciting exchange of information. The presentations were followed with great interest.

The SCHLEIFRING group and its specialised daughter companies belongs to the worldwide most important suppliers in the field of surface grinding, profile grinding, circular grinding and tool grinding. In May the group of companies organises the SCHLEIFRING Grinding Symposium in Switzerland. Here you will not only have the possibility to inform yourselves about the innovative coolant concept BERUFLUID at the BECHEM booth, but you will also see the new product in action. Convince yourselves of the enormous performance of the new coolant generation during grinding operations on two camshaft grinding machines of the machine manufacturer Schaudt at their stand. 

SCHLEIFRING Grinding Symposium 06.-08. May, Expo-Thun, Switzerland

All substances manufactured by CARL BECHEM GMBH which are subject to registration (thickener) were pre-registered in October 2008. This pre-registration with the Europaen Chemical Agency (ECHA) allows to make use of the transition periods of the REACH regulations, i.e. BECHEM has the possibility to produce and market the pre-registered substances until 31.05.2013 resp. 31.05.2018. Within the next few months our product safety department will play an active part in the pre-SIEF`s (Substance Information Exchange Forum) and the substance specific SIEF`s and present the registration documents of the corresponding substances to the ECHA within the set time frame. Thanks to the registration BECHEM will have the right to permanently produce and market the self-made substances. The registration costs consist of the ECHA fees and the test costs which basically depend on the number of registrants.

With the universal new anti-friction coating BERUCOAT AF 320 bolts, springs, screws, brake and plastic parts are provided with extreme load carrying properties and for life lubrication. In addition, the dry, black-grey coating -also called anti-friction coating- results in an excellent appearance of the products. Main fields of application are wear reduction at sliding movements and the reduction of the friction coefficient of the parts. A special feature is the low enamelling temperature of approx. 120 °C which also allows the coating of materials with low enamelling temperatures such as plastics of POM or PA and of die-cast products of zinc or aluminium. BERUCOAT AF 320 is suitable for material combinations steel/steel, steel/plastics, as well as plastics/plastics.

Technical data
-high-strength long life coating
-service temperature range -70 °C to +250 °C
-oil resistant after the enamelling process
-avoids stick-slip
-composition of PTFE, organic binding agent, organic solvents

On 3rd and 4th March 2008 the "Technical and Commercial Conference Asia" with 40 participants from Asia took place in Bangkok, Thailand. It was the second conference which is especially tailored to the requirements of the Asian economic area.
The participating partners from China, India, Indonesia, Korea, Malaysia, Thailand, Taiwan, Philippines, Vietnam and the USA met in Bangkok to exchange their ideas with the target to further extend the Asian sales and communication network of the CARL BECHEM GMBH and their partners.

All participants showed great interest in the informative contributions with regard to new products, case studies as well as technical and economical developments in the individual countries. We would like to take this opportunity and thank all our partners for the constructive cooperation which made this conference that successful.

Interesting social events rounded off the whole seminar. The impressive river cruise on the Chao Phraya River as well as a sight-seeing tour were accepted by all participants with great enthusiasm. 

From 31st January to 1st February 2008 the 4th Sales Meeting was held at the Hotel Arcadeon.
This conference was characterised by an interesting and multifaceted programme.

Besides presentations on the business results as well as national and international activities in the various BECHEM Business Units, a lot of lectures on new laboratory developments and industrial fields of application were held. Many new developments and future trends in the steel and automotive industry as well as interesting case studies around the subject of anti-friction coatings for automotive applications were met with great interest.

Against the background of the changing raw material markets possible future strategies with regard to the application of esters were examined and discussed. Guest lectures on this subject and on the demanding field of grinding technology completed the two day meeting.

Another item on the agenda was a topical training course for fuel-efficient driving, and an advanced driver training was offered to all company-car drivers.

Comparability with greases labelled according to DIN possible

The research and development department of the CARL BECHEM GMBH has checked various low-temperature greases produced in Russian countries with regard to minimum service temperature.
The lower temperature limit of these products is often indicated with -50 °C, in part also -60 °C. However, it is not quite clear according to which standards the indicated temperatures have been measured. A direct comparison with other products is thus not possible.
In the BECHEM laboratories the flow pressure is measured according to KESTERNICH DIN 51805, and thus the minimum service temperature is determined according to DIN 51 825. Direct comparison with all worldwide produced greases, labelled according to DIN, is consequently possible. The analysis has shown a difference of 20 °C upt o 40 °C between the data of the Russian grease containers and the test results according to DIN 51 825. Greases which according to DIN correspond to a minimum service
temperature of -30 °C up to -40 °C are thus comparable to products on the Russian market with a minimum temperature range of up to -60 °C.

Test procedure based on KESTERNICH according to DIN 51 805
The BECHEM laboratories apply the test procedure based on KESTERNICH according to DIN 51 805.
A small cone (see picture below) is filled with a grease sample and cooled down to the test temperature. Then the cone will be loaded with gas pressure which is gradually increased. The pressure at which the grease releases the gas flow is called flow pressure. This pressure has a direct influence on the minimum service temperature. According to DIN 51 825 only those temperatures may be declared as minimum service temperature at which a flow pressure of max. 1400 mbar is measured according to DIN 51 805 based on the KESTERNICH method. This procedure is popular, simple and well reproducible. It is well suitable to compare the minimum application limits of various greases.

Results of the test procedure
The four tested greases, named A to D, do not achieve the minimum service temperatures which have been indicated by the manufacturers. The flow pressure has been measured at temperatures of -20 °C and at -50 °C. At -50 °C none of the greases could meet the requirements of a flow pressure below 1400 mbar. Product A, C and D fulfilled the requirements at -20 °C. Product B did not show any sufficient results even at -20 °C. According to the test results the minimum service temperature for product A is situated at -30 °C, for product B at -10 °C, for product C at -20 °C and for product D at -30 °C. Correspondingly the minimum service temperatures according to DIN 51 825 are situated approximately 20 °C to 40 °C above the temperatures indicated by the manufacturers.

Commercial Russian greases
Indicated minimum service temperature
Flow pressure at -50 °C according to DIN 51 805 (mbar)
Flow pressure at -20 °C according to DIN 51 805 (mbar)
Minimum service temperature according to DIN 51 825
Difference to the indicated service temperature

The second ÖKOPROFIT®-project (=contribution of companies in cooperation with the local authorities to protect the environment) of the city of Hagen was successfully completed by 13 companies. On Tuesday, 27.11.2007, Hans-Otto Franz (Managing Director), Michael Fischer (Head of Environmental and Safety Management), and Klaus Rost (Head of Technical Purchase) received the award as ÖKOPROFIT company for the site Hagen by the Mayor Peter Demnitz and Matthias Peck, Department of the Environment of North Rhine-Westphalia.

With this award the superior commitment of companies for environmental protection is honoured.

BECHEM has developed and realised extensive measures to improve the operational environmental protection. In the course of the project the BECHEM Team achieved an annual savings potential of

- 10 t waste
- 285.000 kWh energy
- 98 t CO2.

This is favourable for our environment. At the same time cost savings of € 23.535,00 were achieved.

This "eco-profit" is not insignificant and shows that environmental protection and economy are no extremes which exclude each other. The achieved savings of resources and money are a clear evidence.
"ECO-PROFIT" pays off!

From 17th to 20th September 2007 the worldwide BECHEM Automotive Team met for their annual exchange of information round the subject "special lubricants for the automotive industry". The meeting at the Parkhotel Schönbrunn in Vienna was organised together with our Austrian partner Kutzendörfer & Dworak, and we would like to take this opportunity to express our special thanks! The event was again characterised by an informative and diversified programme of presentations from different countries. We would like to specially thank the guest speakers, Ing. Robert Pollmann, Company Pollmann, Austria, and Mr. Josef Ameres, AKE Germany, who contributed to the successful programme. Another main subject were "markets and products of the future" which were discussed in a workshop.

One of the cultural and social parts of the meeting was the visitation of the Schönbrunn Castle.
Our guests especially enjoyed the dinner in the Donau Tower in Vienna.

We are looking forward to the next meeting 2008 on the occasion of the International Automotive
Meeting in Germany!

Under the patronage of Mrs. Irmingard Schewe-Gerigk, member of the German Bundestag, electoral district Herdecke, a delegation of the circle of friends Berlin-Taipei was guest in our company on 1st June 2007. The visit of Mr. Prof. Dr. Shieh, ambassador and representative of Taiwan, and his delegation started with an eve`s reception at the hotel Zweibrücker Hof where first contacts were made and information was exchanged. The next day the guests from Taiwan visited the BECHEM plant in Hagen where they could convince themselves of the various possibilities in the field of lubrication. We presented our already existing business relations and cooperations with companies in Taiwan.

Thus we could make our contribution to a successful delegation trip and support the intention of the circle of friends Berlin-Taipei for a better understanding of German and Taiwanese people.

Innovation and progress have significantly accompanied BECHEM since 1834. Without high-performance specialty lubricants no marvellous technical improvement was possible in the past. And this fact should not be changed when the new high speed train TGV was improved.

With 574,8 km/h France' new TGV "V150" established a new speed record this week. To achieve this technical masterstroke not only the train was completely improved - it now has stronger and better engines and bigger wheels; but also the rail track of SNCF had to be reengineered. For each application which demands high performance, long lifetime and environmental compatibility SNCF trusts in BECHEM CERITOL AW 450 UWS for switch plate lubrication.

BECHEM CERITOL AW 450 UWS is resistant against oxidation, aging and water. Also warm water, alkaline and acidic surroundings cannot impact the product. Due to excellent adhesion on metal grounds and the selection of special thickeners and solids, re-lubrication intervals can be extended, compared with conventional lubricants. CERITOL AW 450 UWS is suitable to substitute conventional greases for environmental reasons. Biological degradability of CERITOL AW 450 UWS is 94% according to CEC-L 33-A-93. The product it suitable to lubricate switch plates and wheel flanges and offers best performance from -30°C to +80°C. Furthermore BECHEM received the approval by SNCF (Nr. IEM 05 005).

Since the TGV drives at high speed and intervals between two trains are very short, the time for maintenance is extremely short. This is why a quick application of the product is essential. Together with CERITOL AW 450 UWS a high pressure applicator is offered, which - compared with paint brush - reduces the time for application by 70%.

For many years the French state-owned railway is a huge and important customer of our subsidiary CARL BECHEM FRANCE.