18th April 2005 - TMD Friction Restructuring Measures at the Essen Plant are Completed

Integration into TMD Friction´s existing production network / Modernization of the plant´s infrastructure

With the start-up of the eighth production line, restructuring measures at the Essen plant of TMD Friction EsCo are now completed. The reorganization can be compared to the total restoration of a house in which people are living and working at the same time - all the measures were carried out while production was up and running.

Investment totaling almost € 25 million had become necessary to bring the plant in line with company-wide standards - i.e. using Hercules - and to integrate the Essen plant into TMD Friction´s existing production network. That meant constructing the new Hercules 7 flow manufacturing system, modernizing the plant's infrastructure and installing the small series production line to meet the rapidly rising demand for brake friction products for niche vehicles. With the concentration of European PCL production in Spain, brake drum lining production has been taken away from Essen. At the same time, dry mixing has moved to Coswig and the wet mixing technology in Essen has been comprehensively modernized.

Essen now has state-of-the-art technology made by TMD: Hercules 7. Flow manufacturing for medium-sized and small series stretches over a total of eight lines with a total capacity of 25 million car disc brake pads per year. This means that 90 percent of the plant's capacity is utilized. "OE production runs according to the "one piece flow" principle, from the press to powder lacquer coating. In other words, each individual pad passes through an uninterrupted, automated production process", explains Frank Malburg, Plant and Project Manager. "We are currently working on also incorporating final assembly in this process." Brake friction products for the VW and Audi PQ-34 platform, the new A Class from Mercedes, Toyota Avensis/Corolla and the Opel Delta platform are all produced on these lines.

Small series production with a total capacity of around 2 million car disc brake pads per year is geared to high-performance brake friction products and uses modular, fully automated production technology: 18 material bunkers, each with their own weighing station, are linked flexibly to a 12-station press centre via a material flow system. This makes it possible to manufacture different products simultaneously. Finishing takes place on a flexible, fully linked line. This permits short set-up times and the calcination of uncured bonding agents with infra-red scorching - the future standard at TMD Friction. At present, brake friction products for Aston Martin, Porsche Cayenne, VW Touareg, BMW M5 and Land Rover are produced here.

The plant's logistics have also been completely redesigned. Despite difficult conditions, all schedules were met exactly on time. Malburg: "Without the highly motivated and flexible staff and project managers supporting us in Leverkusen we could not have achieved all this in such a short time. Our customers were also very understanding and helped us with the adaptation of the products to the new technology."

About TMD Friction

TMD Friction Group is one of the world's leading manufacturers of brake friction materials in the original equipment market of the automotive industry. Our product portfolio comprises disc brake pads and drum brake linings for passenger cars and commercial vehicles together with friction materials for racing and industry. With manufacturing facilities in Germany and other European countries, USA, Brazil, Mexico and China TMD Friction generated a turnover of 641 m Euro last year and employed 4500 people worldwide. TMD Friction also supplies the global independent aftermarket with the brands Textar, Pagid, Mintex, Don, Cobreq and Cosid

Source: TMD Friction Press Release