The Lightweight Challenge (Future by Semcon # 2 2012)

1ALLYOUNEEDTOKNOW
ABOUTFUTURESMARTGRIDS
1ROLLS-ROYCESAVESTIME
WITHYELLOWCARDS
1MERVENTO’SHUGEWIND
TURBINEINMINIFORMAT
A MAGAZINE ABOUT
ENGINEERING SERVICES &
PRODUCT INFORMATION #2 2012
futurebysemcon#22012
THEEXPECTATIONSAREHIGH.
THECHALLENGESAREMANY.
ISTHEFUTURELIGHT?
LIGHT
WEIGHT
AFTER
WORK
name Nils Bjerkås and Anders Dahlsjö
what we do at work Civil engineer in
automation and machine construction
engineer.
office Semcon Göteborg
what we do after work Match racing
with the Berntsson Sailing Team as a
trimmer and foredecker.
current challenge To improve on last
year’s bronze at theWorld Championships.
NILS BJERKÅS AND
ANDERS DAHLSJÖ:
“It’sallworth
itwhenwe’re
standingon
thewinners’
podium”
About us
nils:“I’m ambitious,competitive
and like tough challenges,which
is reflected in everything I do.I’m
33 and live with my wife Kristina
in Göteborg.”
anders:“I think first and act later,
and am probably considered as
a bit quiet,but I never quit.I’ve
been professional a few times and
have competed in the America’s
Cup and theVolvo Ocean Race.I’m
39 and live with my wife and two
daughters in Onsala just outside
Göteborg.”
About our job
nils:“I’m responsible for a group
of 18 people that helps customers
with product development.I’m
also a sales manager and meet a
lot of customers.”
anders:“I’m working on mo-
tor development forVolvo Penta,
customizing their industrial motors
to meet future emissions require-
ments.”
About match racing
“We’ve both sailed since we were
children but only met one an-
other as competitors at various
sailing events prior to working
at Semcon.We started sailing to-
gether in 2011 when taking part
in the World Match Racing Tour
with the Berntsson Sailing Team.
We won bronze together with
the rest of the crew and were
nominated yachtsmen of the
year in Sweden, which was a fan-
tastic feeling, especially consider-
ing that most of our competitors
were professionals.We have two
crews to juggle work, family and
sailing.The best thing about
match racing is the teamwork,
the head-to-head races, the tacti-
cal game, that we can combine
sailing with our technical inter-
ests and that we can share our
successes with one another.”
What we’ve learned from match
racing
“Everyone in the world of sailing is
driven and have set clear goals for
themselves.We’re also completely
dependent on one another.Every-
one puts in 150 per cent in trying
to outdo themselves.It’s
worth all the hard work when
we’re standing on the winners’
stand.Having the ambition,team
spirit and the feeling you get on
the winners’stand at work would
be great.”
FACTS: MATCH RACING
Match racing is a form of
sail racing where two yachts
compete against one another
on a course.The yachts com-
plete two distances with the
wind and two against the
wind.The most well known
match racing competition is
the America’s Cup.
+
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2 FUTURE BY SEMCON 2.2012
CONTENTS #2.2012ARTICLES IN THIS ISSUE OF FUTURE BY SEMCON
FUTURE
BYSEMCON
ONYOURIPAD
Search for“Semcon”
in the App Store.
6Gridsofthefuturewillbesmart
Makeuseofelectricalenergyfromthewind,sunand
electricvehicles.Thesearesomeofthebenefitsof
smartelectricitynetworks.ProfessorLinaBertling
Tjernbergtellsuswhatthefutureholds.

FUTURE BY SEMCON 2.2012 3
42MEETSEMCON’S
SHARPESTMINDS
InSemconBrainsyouwillmeettheHybrid
DesignStudiosteamwhovisualizecustom-
ers’futures,MiriamStribeckwhoknowsall
thereisaboutsteeringsystemsandJens
Olowwhoteacheshiscustomerseverything
heknowsaboutprojectmanagement.
16ONTHEHUNT
FORALIGHTERCAR
Creatinganormalcarthat’sasmuchas
40percentlighter.That’sthetaskthat
theSåNättproject tookon.Semconand
otherplayersdecidedtogo100years
backintime.
Website: semcon.com Letters: Future by Semcon, Semcon AB, 417 80 Göteborg, Sweden. Change of address: future@semcon.com
Publisher: Anders Atterling. Tel: + 46 (0)70-447 28 19, email: anders.atterling@semcon.com Semcon project manager: Madeleine
Andersson. Tel: +46 (0)76-569 83 31, email: madeleine.andersson@semcon.com Editorial production: Spoon. Manager/Editor:
Katarina Misic. Designer:Mathias Lövström.Website: spoon.com Repro: Spoon. Printing:TrydellsTryckeri,Laholm.Translation: Cannon
Språkkonsult,Kungsbacka.ISSN: 1650-9072.
EDITORIAL
The art of making the world lighter
I
t’s not enough today to just come up with a
smart, innovative product. It also has to be
cheap to make, simple to use, easy to main-
tain, safe, eco-friendly and recyclable.
The list goes on. The demands on today’s
products are on the rise and more complex.
We help our customers to not only meet these
demands but also to predict tomorrow’s demands
by being at the forefront of technical development.
We make our customers the best in their class.
One requirement in recent years that has kept
lots of our customers busy has been the need to
make things light. Lighter products are almost al-
ways better products. If it’s a vehicle then it uses
less fuel and gives off fewer CO2 emissions. If it’s
a wind farm then it can be made even bigger and
more efficient by using lightweight materials. In
this issue of Future by Semcon, we’ll not only
take a closer look at how lightweight materials
have revolutionized product development but
also what challenges the future holds.
I never cease to be amazed by the extent of the
assignments we carry out with our customers.
From Olympic cycling shoes and wind turbine
prototypes to lighter vehicles, aftermarket
information for milking equipment
and more efficient production at Rolls
Royce. You can read about all this and
lots more in this issue of Future by
Semcon. 1
24DELAVALMAKES
MILKINGSIMPLE
Advancedtechnologymakeslife
simplerfordairyfarmersaroundthe
world.SemconishelpingDeLavalwith
itscomplexaftermarketinformation–
withresourcesinSweden,Hungaryand
theUK.
MARKUSGRANLUND,CEO,SEMCON
36LIGHTERWHEEL
LOADERISSTILLSTRONG
Byusingtherightweightintheright
placesVolvoCEsucceededinsignifi-
cantlyreducingtheweightofitswheel
loader.Semconhelpedinmakinga
lighter,moreefficientwheelloader.

PEOPLE #2.2012PEOPLE IN THIS ISSUE OF FUTURE BY SEMCON
gustavlarsson,
professionalcyclist,
monaco
Howwilllightweight materials
affect cyclinginthefuture?
“I’mcurious toseehowgraphene
willbeusedin thefuture.It’sare-
allyinterestingmaterial.Abicycle
containselectronicsforgearing,
measuringspeeds,powerand
GPS.Grapheneisextremelyef-
fectiveat conductingelectricity.
It might beable tobeusedfor
integrating thenecessaryelectric-
ityrequiredin theframeinstead
oflotsofwireseverywhere.”
Making products lighter is a challenge for many
industries today. Meet some people in Future by Semcon
speaking on the subject of making things lightweight.
andersholmkvist,projectmanagerforsånätt,
trollhättan
What arethebiggest challengesinmakingvehicleslightertoday?
“Cost-efficiency.I’mmainlyreferring tohowwecreateeffectiveproduc-
tion technology.It’sveryprobable that we’redealingwithalot ofcom-
positematerials.Making thisworkinmajorvolumeswill,inmyview,be
thebiggest challenge.”
linabertlingtjernberg,professorofdurableelectrical
energysystemsatchalmersuniversityoftechnology,
göteborg
Arelightweight materialsimportant fordevelopingsmart grids?
“Yes.Especiallyforwindpower,not onlybecausereducing theweight of theconstruc-
tionisachallenge,but alsoat powerstations,where theswitchgearand transformers
are,toreduce thesizeandweight of thecomponents.”
16
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patrikholm,ceoandfounderofmervento,vasa
What futuredolightweight materialshaveinthewindpowerindustry?
“Thechoiceofmaterialswhenconstructingawind turbineisobviouslyvery
important becauseeverythingneeds tobedurable.But evenif theactualbody
of the turbineismadeofsteelIstillbelieve that thereisafutureforvariouslight-
weight materialsfor theinsidesof the turbines.”
miriamstribeck,design
engineer,semcongöteborg
Howimportant islightweight
materialinyourfieldofwork?
“It’smassivelyimportant.Theweight of
acaraffects theservosteering,whichis
what I’mcurrentlyworkingon.Smalldif-
ferencesin thechoiceofmaterial
canhaveahugeimpact.”
larsserander,headoftheswedishprojectoffice,
volvoconstructionequipment,eskilstuna
Howimportant isit tomakeyourplant machinerylighter?
“Not at allactually.Forus theoppositeisimportant,weight.Weight iswhat
makes thesemachinesworkeffectively.Toget anenergy-efficient wheel-
mountedloaderweinsteadneed tooptimizeitsweight distribution,while
retainingorincreasinglift capacity.Optimizingconstructionwhilealways
consideringweight isanongoing task.”
50
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44
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Tennisrackets,carsorwind turbines–whateveryou
makemust bemadelighter.Companiesarehoping
tosaveboth theenvironment andfuturebusinessby
introducingnewsmartermaterials.Thepossibilitiesare
seeminglyendless,but thereareplentyofchallenges.
JoinFuturebySemconintoalighterworld.
TEXT PETER HAMMARBÄCK
ALIGHT
CHALLENGE

D
uring Björn Borg’s glory
days, like here follow-
ing his fifth Wimbledon
title in 1980, nobody
questioned his choice of
wooden racket, the Don-
nay Borg Pro. Donnay
went bankrupt in 1988,
overtaken by its competitors.
Monte Carlo, 1991. A slim 34 year-old Swede
steps out onto the tennis court. Around his head
is his trademark sweatband to keep his blond
mane in place. It’s the long-awaited comeback
of one of the biggest names in tennis history.
Björn Borg,“Mr five Wimbledon titles in a row”,
is back in his first professional match in almost
eight years. He’s about to play Spaniard Jordi
Arrese, ranked at a modest Nr. 52 in the world.
The enthusiastic crowd at the Monte
Carlo Open are clearly pleased to see Björn
Borg playing tennis again. In his hand he has
his trusty wooden Donnay Borg Pro racket,
which weighs 415 grams, the one he won five
Wimbledon titles with. Arrese will be playing
with an ultra modern, light graphite racket,
which weighs around 350 grams. This might
not sound like a big difference, but the head
of the graphite racket can be made bigger
allowing the player to hit the ball 25-30 per
cent harder. Björn Borg was beaten 2-6, 3-6
in the hotly awaited comeback that was not
to be long-lived. The next time Borg made a
comeback, on the veteran tour, he made sure
he was playing with a graphite racket.
LIGHTWEIGHT MATERIALS HAVE brought about a
revolution in the world of sport. The relatively
simple construction of hockey sticks and
badminton rackets were first, and were made
from aluminium and composite materials. Bi-
cycles, F1 cars, skis, golf clubs and yachts soon
followed – and the list is as long as there are
sports where saving weight really matters.
Development in competitive cycling is
proof of that. The winners of the Tour de
France in the 80s averaged speeds of 37
km/h, while today’s competitors are averag-
ing around 40 km/h. This speed is mainly at-
tributable to the equipment becoming lighter
and better. Over the past 30 years old steel
frames have made way for carbon-fibre and
the weight of each bicycle has dropped by
around 2.5kg, a significantly less amount of
weight to haul across the French Alps.
THE WORLD OF SPORT is however not the only
one to have realized the possibilities of light-
weight materials. Even the more advanced
manufacturing industry wants to lose weight,
whether it’s a question of vehicles, aircraft,
trains or boats. The question of weight is
clearly a crucial issue for many.
“It’s due to environmental requirements.
They need to cut back on the use of energy
and reduce CO2 emissions. The automotive
industry has, for example, talked about saving
weight for the past fifteen years, but it’s only
recently that they’ve done anything about it.
It’s become more of a serious issue,”says Jan
Skogsmo, lightweight expert at the Swerea
IVF industrial research institute.
It’s hard to find anyone these days who
doesn’t care about lightweight solutions.
“The only people who don’t want to lose
weight are the companies that make counter-
weights for cranes, diggers and bridge build-
ers. Otherwise nearly everyone wants to make
their products lighter. It might not be impor-
tant for the product itself, but it makes more
financial sense to transport lighter goods, and
it makes the product more manageable. You
also use less material, saving costs and the
environment. A washing machine that weighs
50kg can be lifted up stairs by the installer on
his own, while one that weighs 75kg might
need two men to lift,”says Jan.
THE DESIRE TO MAKE THINGS LIGHTER is intense,
but nothing new. As far back as the first half
of the 20th century, industry experimented
with various materials for use in making
lighter aircraft and cars. Aircraft manufactur-
ers soon saw the advantages of aluminium.
German professor Hugo Junkers presented
his Junkers J4 aircraft in 1917, the first aircraft
entirely made of metal. A crucial role in the
construction was the aluminium alloy, dura-
lumin. Both world wars helped Junkers’air-
craft develop and go into mass production for
the German Luftwaffe, something that proves
the close link that has existed between light-
FOCUS:
LIGHTWEIGHT
During Björn Borg’s glory days,like here following his fifthWimbledon title in 1980,nobody ques-
tioned his choice of wooden racket,the Donnay Borg Pro.Donnay went bankrupt in 1988,overtaken by
its competitors.(Photo:RobTaggart/Getty)

weight material, the military and the aviation
industry for many years.
Developments have also been driven peri-
odically by the aerospace industry and then
the automotive industry. Aluminium got its
commercial breakthrough in the aviation in-
dustry in the 1920s, and the material’s proper-
ties still make it popular in cars. New com-
posite materials first appeared in the 1950s,
first in the form of fibreglass for boats and
cars. Boeing’s 707 passenger aircraft contained
2 per cent fibreglass as far back as the 1950s.
Graphite appeared in the 1960s and was also
used in the aviation industry and by the mid-
60s carbon-fibre was introduced to the world.
The automotive industry soon realized the
advantages of the new materials being used
for some components, but sports equip-
ment manufacturers also realized the huge
potential of making fishing rods and bicycles
lighter. The USSR launched the first satellite
into space, Sputnik 1, on 4 October 1957. It
was mainly made from an alloy (AMG6T) of
aluminium, titanium and magnesium. In the
search for the perfect alloy, engineers learned
how to give metals certain properties, shapes
and weight. Designers making vehicles, air-
craft, military equipment and spacecraft today
probably spend a lot of their waking hours
thinking about what things weigh – and how
much of this weight can be reduced.
ONE OF THEM IS Dan Jönsson who was recruited
by truck manufacturer Scania in Södertälje
about a year ago to work with compos-
ite materials.
“We develop lighter
trucks because we
have to, because
of the competi-
tion. The en-
tire automotive
industry today
is working on
making vehi-
cles lighter,
at least in the
premium seg-
ment. Scania’s
aim is to cut
CO2 emissions
from its trucks
by 50 per cent by
2020, from the levels
of 2000. To succeed
with this we need to think
outside the box,”says Dan.
It’s mainly climate demands that are
the catalyst, but lighter vehicles also mean
improved economy for companies operating
trucks and busses – lighter vehicles can take
more passengers or more load, cutting costs
per transported ton. In addition, the develop-
ment of electric and hybrid vehicles,
with heavy batteries has put
more pressure on reducing
the weight of the rest of
the vehicles’con-
struction.
THAT’S WHY we
now have people
in white coats
and protective
eyewear, in
laboratories
throughout the
world, working
out how they can
use lighter mate-
rials in products.
The German Fraun-
hofer research institute
in Munich is considered
to be world-leading in the
field of weight research. From its
HQ in Munich, and a further 60 or so
“Lightweight construction is
among the most important
technologies for the future
in aircraft manufacture,
car making and mechanical
engineering.”
Professor Holger Hanselka, Fraunhofer Lighweight Construction Alliance
Audi A3
In the next Audi A3 2.0TDI 150PS,the German engineers
have shaved off 80kg compared with previous A3s.This
has been achieved by using more aluminium and
high-tensile steel than in previous versions.

L
arsCarlssonisresponsibleforre-
searchinSemcon’sAutomotiveRD
businessarea.Lightweight isan
important area,not just for theautomo-
tiveindustry.
“Thereisstillalot todoin theautomo-
tiveindustryin thefieldoflightweight,”
hesays.“But we’realsoseeingmajor
potentialfor theaviationindustryand
futureenergyproductionsuchaswind
power.Themarineindustryisalsowork-
ingwithlightweight materials.It’snot
just that lessweight cutsdownonfuel
consumptionandemissions,but also
findingnewmaterialsandcombina-
tionsofmaterials that alsomanage to
maintainandimprovefunction,safety
anddurability.”
Semconalreadyhasbothwide-rang-
ingand thecuttingedgeexpertise to
solve thecomplexissuesandchallenges
LarsCarlssonisaiming
foralighterfuture
Thedevelopmentpotentialforlightweightmaterials
isvast,notjustinthetransportsector.LarsCarlsson
makessurethatSemconisatthecuttingedgeofall
itdoesinRDprojects.
TEXT FLORENCE OPPENHEIM PHOTO LARS ARDARVE
THEEXPERT
Lars Carlsson
Title:Technical Director,
Automotive RD
Office: Semcon,Göteborg
that thiskindofresearchanddevelop-
ment faces.As theresearchmanagerit’s
Lars’job toalsolook to thefutureand
takeadvicefrom theorganization to
proposestrategicrecruitmentsandin-
vestmentsinorder toalwaysstayat the
forefront in thefieldoflightweight.
“Imonitor trendsfromaglobalper-
spectiveandnot just in theautomotive
industry.Wearenowaglobalengineer-
ingpartner,andformealot ofmywork
dealswithconsideringfuturedemands
that willbeplacedonusandwhat chal-
lengesweasacompanymight facein
thenext 20years,”hesays.
Thelightweighttrendisclear.Organis-
inginternalandexternaleventsisoneway
forSemcontotakepartandstrengthen
itstechnicaldevelopmentandexpertise
inthearea.
“Wehistoricallyhave,andstillhave,a
solidbaseandknowledgeoflightweight,
bothin termsofmetallicandnon-
metallicmaterials.Wefocusstrongly
onreviewingcustomers’futureneeds
andcommit ourselvesininternational
networksandforums,wherewe’reseen
asaknowledgeproviderandattractive
partnerforRD,”hesays.
LarsCarlssonisanimportant contact
forcustomersin termsoffinding the
right expertisein thefieldoflightweight,
not just formaterialissues,but alsofor
complementaryresourcesinareassuch
asdesignandproductionmethodsfor
variousprojects. It isalsoimportant to
showcustomersotherusesforlight-
weight materials.
“Wehaveacompletelightweight
portfolio.Myjobas technicaldirectoris
tosupport andprovidecontacts,both
internallyinSemconandexternally to
customersandbusinesspartners.”1

other institutions around Germany and the
world, we are now getting new products and
solutions in the lightweight field. For these
researchers there is no doubt about where the
future lies.
“Lightweight construction is among the
most important technologies for the future in
aircraft manufacture, car making and me-
chanical engineering,”says Professor Holger
Hanselka at the Fraunhofer Lightweight Con-
struction Alliance to Fraunhofer Magazine.
Fraunhofer not only looks at the materials’
properties, but also how to cut production
costs and how to join different materials to
one another – two key issues for the future of
lightweight materials.
JOINING IS THE SUBJECT of Magnus Burman’s
research. He’s part of a research group at
the Royal Institute of Technology (KTH) in
Stockholm that’s focussing solely on compos-
ite materials. These materials can consist of
almost anything, mud and straw for exam-
ple, but when talking about composites and
lightweight we often talk about carbon fibre
and glass fibre-reinforced plastics. One of the
crucial problems is implementing the com-
posite material, i.e. how to join the composite
components with steel so it’s durable and cost
effective, because welding is not an option.
“We try to find sensible ways of imple-
menting composites in major load-bearing
structures like buses, trucks and cars. New
students here at KTH usually ask why we
can’t make entire vehicles from composite
materials instead of making smaller parts. It
would undoubtedly be simpler, but for large
production companies it would be difficult
with such a drastic re-tooling. They are stuck
in production systems that the new materials
need inroads into. Re-tooling the entire au-
tomotive industry to deal with carbon fibre –
it’s not going to happen. I rather believe that
a vast range of various lightweight materials
will be combined in tomorrow’s vehicles,”
says Magnus Burman.
THE WORLD’S BIGGEST passenger aircraft, the
Airbus A380, is a mix of different lightweight
materials. It’s made of fibreglass and carbon
fibre composites, quartz fibre and the unique
material GLARE (Glass-reinforced
fibre metal laminate), alumin-
ium alloys etc. Despite
all the work to make
the A380 as light as
possible it weighs
around 276 tons
without cargo,
around 100
tons more
than the
Boeing 747,
which was
previously the
world’s largest
passenger air-
craft. Around 50
Airbus A380s have
been sold, but prob-
lems with small cracks
that appeared in 2011 have
put the project under huge
pressure, from a business perspec-
tive. The cracks are not really dangerous
but must still be repaired, which will cost
manufacturer EADS hundreds of millions of
Euros. A critical article in Der Spiegel asked
whether it’s wise to use the new“high-tech”
material in aircraft. Airbus’Executive Vice
President Programmes, Tom Williams warns
against erring too much on the side of caution
because of just this one disaster.“If we had
never dared to embark on new paths, aircraft
would still be made of wood and canvas,”he
says to Der Spiegel.
JOINING COMPOSITE MATERIALS to metal is a
huge challenge. The streamlined and effec-
tive production systems in many industries
is another, equally major challenge. Making
a car door from composite materials for ex-
ample can not be compared to making
the same door out of steel or
aluminium. When making a
door from composites it’s
made from a hardened
mix of fibres and
plastic, which would
require an enor-
mous re-tooling
of the world’s
automotive fac-
tories.
Dan Jönsson
at Scania is well
aware of the prob-
lem:
“It’s a challenge.
We need to think
composite all the way,
and to succeed with that
we need to improve exper-
tise internally, which is a process
we’re in right now.”
“But it’s slow. Scania currently uses alu-
minium and high-tensile steel, but has yet
to produce a truck or bus using composite
components,”he says.
“As long as we just use aluminium and
high-tensile steel there’s a clear limit for how
much weight we can save. That’s why I have
high hopes for composite materials over the
“New students here at KTH
usually ask why we can’t
make entire vehicles from
composite materials instead of
making smaller parts.”
Magnus Burman, KTH Royal Institute of Technology
FOCUS:
LIGHTWEIGHT
Giant TCR Advanced
For many years the magic figure for manufacturers of
racing bikes was 1,000 grams.With theTCR Advanced,
Giant succeeded in getting down to 830 grams
with the help of specially developed carbon
fibre and resins that were mixed with
the composite.

long-term. That will allow us to make real
weight savings. We’re letting car manufactur-
ers go first and get all the teething troubles,”
he says with a glint of irony.
A MANUFACTURER that has taken an early lead
and clearly expressed its belief in compos-
ites is BMW. In June 2011 they said that they
were investing EUR 100 million in building a
purpose-built carbon fibre factory. They are
the first car manufacturer to make such a bold
move towards composites, a material that’s
significantly more expensive to mass-pro-
duce than steel, but also significantly lighter.
Chris Reiter, Berlin-based motor journalist
at Bloomberg BusinessWeek, explains why
BMW is investing in carbon fibre.“A lot of the
profit from German car sales comes from large
cars like the Mercedes S class and BMW 7
series. As environmental regulations are made
stricter, car manufacturers need to succeed
in making their
models more
fuel-efficient.”
Although more
efficient engines
might be part of the
solution, cars also have
to be lighter, and carbon fibre
currently has the biggest weight-saving
potential. The German car manufacturers
also have the biggest margins in the industry,
meaning they can absorb the extra cost for
more expensive carbon fibre better than many
of their competitors.
Mercedes Benz and Audi are also trying to
secure their access to carbon fibre by becom-
ing part-owners in carbon fibre companies
(Mercedes) and by merging with companies
that develop tools for mass-producing carbon
fibre parts (Audi).
“But we’ve not yet seen any proof that
mass-production
of carbon fibre parts
for the automotive
industry works, so
manufacturers are also
working with other materi-
als in parallel. Aluminium is
often standard in the premium car
segment these days, and high-tensile steel
and magnesium are also being used,”says
Chris Reiter.
Next year BMW will present its long-
awaited i3, which will be completely electric
with a carbon fibre body. The car is an excit-
ing rethink of car construction, but it re-
mains to see whether customers will pay the
relatively high price (probably around EUR
27,000) for a small electric car with limited
luggage space.
ANOTHER INDUSTRY that’s fighting to intro-
FOCUS:
LIGHTWEIGHT
1 CARBON FIBRE
A reinforcement material consisting
of thin layers of carbon thread.Together
with epoxy,poly and vinyl resins it pro-
duces a material with many areas of use.
Also used as a sandwich material with
carbon fibre in the outer layers and a light,
but stiff honeycomb structure,balsawood
or foam centre.
used in: Cars,boats,bicycles,aircraft,golf
clubs,helmets,skis,weapons etc.
pluses: Extremely light and stiff.Doesn’t
corrode.
minuses: Expensive,less impact-resistant
and risk of cracks appearing between the
layers.
2 NATURAL FIBRES
Natural fibres like linen,hemp and
jute can replace fibreglass in composite
components.
used in: The car industry,which has taken
the lead,though mainly in seat coverings
and non-structural components.
pluses: Cheap,better stiffness per unit
of weight compared with fibreglass and a
renewable resource.
minuses: Less crash strength than fibre-
glass,variable quality of the raw material,
moisture-sensitive,less fire-resistant.
3 PLASTICS
Consist mainly of one or more
polymers mixed with additives to produce
various properties.Can for example be rein-
forced with fibreglass to be made stronger
and more durable.
used in: Everything from prostheses,
packaging and construction material to
interiors and engine parts in vehicles,boats,
trains and aircraft.
pluses: Pliable,insulating,light,durable,
lasts a long time and easy to manufacture.
minuses: Requires crude oil (although
renewable alternatives exist),manufactur-
ing causes high levels of emissions,not
easy to recycle.
4 CERAMIC METAL
Technical ceramic metals such as
aluminium oxide and silicon nitride are
produced by heat-treating at temperatures
in excess of 600°C.
used in: Hip replacements,dental
implants,knife blades,electronics,heat
shields for space shuttles,cutting tools and
the aviation and automotive industries.
pluses: Light in relation to properties
such as heat-resistant,high melting point,
durable,non-conductive,non-corrosive,
not affected by bacteria,non-magnetic and
requires no lubrication.
minuses: Very tension-sensitive and easily
weakened by cracks.
8 MATERIALS THAT MAKE PRODUCTION LIGHTER
Boeing 787 Dreamliner
Airbus 380 might be biggest,but it’s actually the Boeing
787 Dreamliner that’s the world’s first commercial
aircraft to be built of 50 per cent carbon fibre
composite (compared with 12 per cent in the
20-year old Boeing 777).The weight
loss is said to save 20 per cent
of fuel.

duce lightweight material is the shipping
industry. There are many advantages for
large transport vessels and small ferries to
introduce lightweight construction. Lighter
vessels need less ballast, meaning more space
for cargo that they can get paid for. With the
rising price of oil and stricter environmen-
tal regulations, any way of saving fuel is hard
currency in shipping. Composite materials
also require a lot less maintenance because
they don’t rust. But there is a huge obstacle
to overcome.
“The greatest challenge is proving that ves-
sels can be made from lightweight materials
without compromising fire safety,”says Tom-
my Herzberg, researcher at the SP research
institute and project manager of the Swedish
LÄSS project.
Combustible composites challenge tradi-
tional construction methods in shipping, but
since 2002 regulations allow the replacement
of steel with other materials as long as safety
can be guaranteed. And Composite materials’
properties have developed to such an extent
that this now seems possible.
Sweden is the world-leader in the con-
struction of composite vessels, mainly at the
Kockum yard in Karlskrona, which for exam-
ple built the pioneering Visby corvette out
of PVC, carbon fibre and laminated vinyl for
the Swedish Navy and launched its first civil
carbon fibre-based CarboCat in 2010.
According to Tommy Herzberg the question
is not if, but when we’ll start seeing a greater
number of lightweight vessels being built.
THE FIGHT FOR LIGHTWEIGHT MATERIALS is not
only a question of cost, durability and re-
tooling production systems, but also one
of what materials represent the future, and
who is willing to invest in taking the lead. Dr.
Stephen Rudzewski, Head of Technics and
Innovation, works at Semcon in Ingolstadt,
Germany. The future for him is not just car-
bon fibre and aluminium. He has his sights
set on MnE21. The material is a magnesium
manganese light metal, which is soft, available
everywhere in the world and well-suited for
making many automotive parts.
“Magnesium was completely forgotten
about after World War II, when the alumin-
ium lobby invested a lot of money in getting
everyone to use aluminium. Since MnE21 - a
representative for aluminum-free magnesium
alloys - has now been rediscovered we’re hop-
ing that automotive manufacturers and others
will be willing to start using it again,”says
Rudzewski.
MnE21 should be processed at elevated
temperatures (150-350 ° C), since it is then
easy to work with and easy to shape. Despite
this, European automotive manufacturers are
hesitant. Semcon has noticed much wider
“We could lose between 80 and 100 kg
from an ordinary car by using MnE21
parts without affecting crashworthiness.”
Dr Stephen Rudzewski, Semcon
5 ALUMINIUM
The“grand old lady”of lightweight
material is the most common metal on
earth.Conducts electricity well.
used in: Cars,aircraft,cans,aluminium
foil etc.
pluses: Lighter than steel,quite malleable
and doesn’t corrode as easily as steel.
minuses: Relatively advanced process
(heat treatment) to achieve the material’s
maximum strength.Never as strong as
steel,not easy to weld and can scratch.
6 HIGH-TENSILE STEEL
Steel with higher tensile yield limit
achieved through alloying or heat treat-
ment,can be made thinner and lighter
than traditional steel.
used in: Cars,cranes,freight containers,
loading machines etc.
pluses: Manageability and access.One of
few light materials that can be welded and
that industries can start using without re-
tooling entire production lines.
minuses: High CO2 emissions during pro-
duction.Still relatively heavy.
7 MAGNESIUM
The eighth most common mineral on
Earth.Important nutrient for humans and
important for photosynthesis in plants.
used in: Various alloys in aircraft,mobile
phones,bicycles,missiles etc.
pluses: Very light with half the density
of aluminium.Found globally,even in
seawater.
minuses: Cannot compete with high-
tensile steel in constructions requiring high
safety.Corrodes easily if not surface-treat-
ed correctly and burns easily if cut thinly.
These weaknesses do not apply to MnE21
(magnesium manganese).
8 TITANIUM
The expensive luxury metalTitanium
is mostly used in“price is not an issue
industries”.
used in: Medical constructions for
implanting into the human body.In avia-
tion and aerospace industries.Jewellery
because it is a non-allergen.
pluses: Hard! 50 per cent lighter than
steel,but despite this is just as hard in
some alloys.Works well with the human
body.Corrosion-resistant.
minuses: Expensive.Difficult to machine
(bend,weld) because it’s so hard.

interest in the
East.
“Chinese au-
tomotive manu-
facturers are much
more interested in
MnE21. They are not
afraid of building new
factories when designing
new products. In Germany we
have to adapt products according to fac-
tories’layout and equipment levels today.”
Stolfig, the German company that Semcon
cooperates with on MnE21, replaced twenty
or so parts in the popular Chinese car La Vida
with MnE21 last year and saved 36 kg imme-
diately, a significant reduction.
“We could lose between 80 and 100 kg from
an ordinary car by using MnE21 parts without
noticeably affecting crashworthiness,”he says.
A RELATIVELY new industry to lobby for com-
posite materials is wind power manufactur-
ers. To make expensive wind turbines profita-
ble means they need to be really big. But with
size also comes weight, leading to huge forces
when the vast blades are out at sea spinning
around in stormy weather. Weight reduces ef-
ficiency and increases the risk of breakdown.
Danish firm Vestas currently manufactures
wind turbines with blades that are 80 metres
long and despite using composite materi-
als they weigh 35 tons. GE Energy, another
company in this sector, will use 3,000 tons of
carbon fibre in 2012 for making rotor blades
for wind turbines. The company’s chief engi-
neer, Nirav Patel, told the 2011 Carbon Fibre
Conference in Washington DC how difficult
it is even for big companies like GE to get
their hands on really high quality carbon fibre
of such quantity and at a reasonable price.
“GE currently pays 20–30 dollars for 1 kg of
carbon fibre. If access doesn’t increase and the
price falls consider-
ably then it could be
a“show-stopper”for
GE Energy’s plans for
using more carbon fibre
in its wind turbines,”
said Nirav at the confer-
ence in Washington.
ANOTHER CHALLENGE for manufac-
turers is how to balance lighter products
with more advanced ones. The trend in
modern product development is to add more
functions. This has, for example, led to our
vehicles, despite all efforts with lightweight
materials, becoming heavier than ever. The
explanation is comfort, safety and function-
ality, which have been more important is-
sues for consumers and producers than less
weight. Jan Skogsmo at Swerea IVF believes
that change is imminent:
“Nearly all mid-range cars are built for the
few times you go on holiday with the family
in the summer, which might only be once a
year. We have AC, electric windows, ad-
vanced stereos, video cameras etc. We should
ask ourselves whether we need cars that can
go 230 km/h and have really comfortable
back seats. If we relaxed the performance
a little then we could reduce weight enor-
mously. A holistic approach could achieve
weight loss of around 40 per cent for family
cars,”he says.
Magnus Burman at KTH believes that the
“right material in the right place”will be the
motto of future products:
“High-tensile steel, aluminium and com-
posites will work together and be used where
they are best suited. The biggest challenge
now is that we need to see a few good exam-
ples, companies willing to take the lead and
show that it’s possible to produce really light
products rationally.”
He also likes to point out the positive
weight spiral that comes with working with
lightweight. If the bodywork is lighter then
you only need light springs, and if a truck
platform is light enough then you might get
away without needing a bogie.
“I believe that composites and sandwich
materials will have a place in smaller, lighter
vehicles of the future. But there’s also a trend
towards natural fibres like hemp and sisal.
Wooden fibres can also be used to make
composites, so why not car body panels made
from natural wooden fibres.”
WE ARE IN a state of positional warfare in
terms of what materials, technologies and
methods are best. But everyone concerned is
agreed about one thing: we’re facing a lighter
future. 1
FOCUS:
LIGHTWEIGHT
“We should ask ourselves
whether we need cars that
can go 230 km/h.”
Jan Skogsmo, Swerea IVF
searchfo
r“semcon”in
appstore
Extra
material
on iPad
LenovoThink Pad X1 Carbon
Lenovo’s futureThink Pad X1 Carbon case is made from
carbon fibre composite and just 18 mm at the
thickest point.Weighing just 1.36 kg it will,
according to its manufacturer,be the
lightest laptop with a 14-inch
screen.
Siemens SWT-6.0-120
Wind turbine
Siemens offshore SWT-6.0-120 has a
6 megawatt turbine,120 metre rotor
diameter and weighs less than 350
tons thanks to blades made from
fibreglass reinforced epoxy.
The weight per megawatt
is comparable with 2-3
megawatt turbines.

S
teel and cast iron have almost
completely given way, in the
automotive industry, to lighter
materials like aluminium, magne-
sium, plastics, carbon fibre and new
hybrid materials.The pressure on the
auto manufacturer to make bodywork
lighter is increasing, not just because
of the EU’s aim of cutting family cars’
emissions to 120 g/km by 2015.
“Moderncarscontainanincreasing
amount offunctions tomeet customers’
demandsforsafetyandcomfort,requir-
ingelectroniccomponents that make
thecarsheavier,”saysGünterPfeifer.
Hans-GünterPfeiferdevelops
conceptsforlightercars
Lowfuelconsumptionandreducedemissionscombinedwiththe
highestpossiblesafetyandcomfort.Thedemandsonmoderncars
arehighandHans-GünterPfeiferknowsthattheweightofthe
bodyworkplaysanincreasinglyimportantroleformeetingthem.
TEXT LINDA KARLSSON-ELDH PHOTO KARSTEN THORMAELEN
THEEXPERT
Hans-Günter Pfeifer
Title: Head of Department,
Bodywork Structures
Office:Semcon,BadFriedrichshall
Semconisconsideredapioneerin this
areainGermany.Asfarbackas thelate
80sSemconwasinvolvedin thefirst
lightweight concepts.
“In thosedaysaluminiumwas the
most important lightweight material.
Wewereinvolvedin theconcept phase
right up tofinalproductionof theAudi
A8,whichwas thefirst aluminiumcar to
bemassproduced,”hesays.
“Byusingaluminiuminsteadofsteel
wewereable toreduce theweight of
thecarbyup to40percent.Today’slight-
weight materialsincludecarbonfibre
reinforcedpolymers(CFRP),whichis the
most modernmaterialaround.CFRPhas
not yet enteredmassproductionin the
automotiveindustry,whichmakesiden-
tifyingdamage,repairandrecyclabilityof
thematerialrelativelycomplicated.”
“CFRPmakes thebodyworkaround
tenpercent lighter thanaluminium,but
becauseit’sexpensiveandcomplicated
inproductionIbelieve that it willbelim-
itedforawhileyet tospecialmodelsand
parts,”hesays.
The trendisinsteadstronglyheading
towardsmixedconstructions,wherevari-
ousmaterialsareusedindifferent places.
“Thisispossible thanks toanumber
ofnewjointing technologiescustom-
ized to thenewmaterials.Spot-welding,
whichwasstandardonsteelbodywork,
hasbeencomplementedwithriveting,
clinchingandgluing.”
That modernlightweight construc-
tionsaremorecomplex than traditional
steelconceptsisobviouslyalsodue to
thematerials’properties.Whileisotropic
materials,e.g.materialswith thesame
propertiesinalldirections,likesteeland
aluminiumcaninprincipleonlyvaryby
thicknessoralloycomposition,compos-
itematerialslikeCFRPhavemorephysi-
calorchemicalproperties.Weare there-
foreworkingwith twoconstructionsin
parallel– thebodywork’sgeometryand
thestructureof thematerial’sfibres.
GünterPfeiferbelieves that thefuture
liesincombiningnewmaterialsand
drivesystemswithadifferent viewas to
thefunctionof thecar.
“We’llseemorecarpartsmadefrom
plastics,but Ialsobelieve that driversin
urbanenvironmentsspecificallywillbe
moreprepared toforego theelement of
comfort,openingdoorsforwholenew
conceptsin theareaoflightweight con-
structions.”1

BACKTO
TEXTMATS TIBORN
Thiscouldbethedecidingfactorfortheautomotiveindustry.Tomeetthe
SwedenhastakenthebullbythehornswiththeSåNättproject.

THE FUTURE
PHOTO ANDERS DEROS
increasinglystricteremissionlevelscarsneedtobecomelighter.
Tosucceedwehavegone100yearsbackintime.

hat would mod-
ern cars look
like if Henry
Ford had a
crystal ball and
was able to use
the technology
we have today?
Since the first
Model T rolled out of the factory the automo-
tive industry has developed through change
and improvement, but with the cars of the age
as a starting point. If crash safety wasn’t suf-
ficient, carmakers improved it by strengthen-
ing the bodywork and adding various safety
systems. If comfort was improved it also
meant weight was added. Modern cars are
quite simply too heavy. If cars of the future are
to meet the lower CO2 emissions levels they
need to lose weight.
According to the EU’s emission require-
ments, family cars will only be allowed to emit
95 g of CO2 per kilometre by 2020, which few
of today’s cars can manage.
“Weight loss is vital for car manufactur-
ers. If nothing is done then they won’t be able
to meet the new legislative requirements of
2020 at all,”says Anders Holmkvist, project
manager for SåNätt.
“It’s a matter of win or lose for many OEMs
(original equipment manufacturers)”adds
Lars-Göran Dandebo, Semcon’s project man-
ager for SåNätt.
BUT IT IS NOT only because of reduced CO2 emis-
sions from the manufactured car that light-
weight solutions are important, but also because
they will be more sustainable than today’s cars.
Lighter cars using lighter materials and fewer
parts will mean fewer, lighter deliveries to facto-
ries, meaning less burden on the environment.
“Even if electric cars become the prevailing
driveline of the future, lightweight solutions
are still necessary,”says Lars-Göran.“The
lighter the car the further it will travel with a
battery under the bonnet.”
Both Anders Holmkvist and Lars-Göran
Dandebo have had key roles in the project
since it started in February 2010. It was when
Saab Automotive gained independence from
GM and it wanted to find a new way of work-
ing with its subcontractors that the idea of
lightweight cooperation was hatched. The
“Leverantörsstruktur för lättare fordon”(sup-
plier structure for lighter vehicles) research
project took shape. To make things simple it
was called SåNätt, which alludes to light-
weight and the old Saab model, Sonett.
HALF OF THE FINANCE for the project comes from
FFI, which is a collaboration between the Swed-
ish state, the Swedish auto manufacturers and
FKG, which is the subcontractors’industry or-
ganization for the automotive industry in Scan-
dinavia. The idea was for Saab to work more
closely with its suppliers and let them be more
involved in the entire development process.
When Saab Automotive then went bankrupt
Volvo Cars took over as OEM for the project.
“Lightweight is an absolute must for Volvo
Cars,”says Elisabeth Horbury, Volvo’s project
manager for SåNätt.“The demands on energy
consumption will be tough in the future, with
overall resource consumption playing a signif-
icant role. Innovation that focuses on weight
generates opportunities in both these areas.”
Elisabeth also thinks that the project’s set-
up is interesting.
“The Swedish companies possess a great
deal of expertise, creating lots of interesting
proposals, because suppliers don’t usually
work with complete vehicles.”
There are a total of 41 players involved, in-
cluding Volvo Cars, a number of universities,
colleges, suppliers and Semcon.
SOMETHING THAT THE PROJECT works towards is
to come up with really innovative solutions
in order to build a car that weighs less than
1,000 kg, but in terms of quality, size and
comfort is the same as a Volvo V60, which
today weighs around 1,700 kg.
SåNätt is split into seven groups who work
on different parts of the car: suspension,
cockpit, roof, seats, chassis, superstructure
and a complete car team.
W
The SåNätt project
A collaboration between 41 players from the
automotive industry,academia and the state
to boost the Swedish automotive industry.The
objective is to make it possible to reduce the
weight of cars by 20 to 40 per cent by 2020.The
budget for the project is SEK 60 million,where
half is from the state-run FFI programme and
half from other players.
FOCUS:
LIGHTWEIGHT

To find the right starting point for saving
weight the complete car group stepped back
in time and started with cars made at the be-
ginning of the 20th century. They wanted to
see where in time, with modern technology, it
would have been possible for developments to
take a different route.
“We travelled through time until we arrived
where we are today. We didn’t want to end up
at the same place, and we didn’t,”says Lars-
Göran Dandebo.
THE TURNING POINT came when Citroen in
Europe started making cars completely from
steel and then making cars with self-sup-
porting bodywork, leaving the older frame
construction behind. The work group went
in the opposite direction and came up with a
chassis that’s both complex and simple, where
the various components assist one another’s
function and work together completely differ-
ently than they do today.
A total of 21 Semcon employees are contrib-
uting with both expert knowledge and a ho-
listic approach. Two of these are Stefan Banér
and Daniel Nordin. Stefan works with compos-
ites in the bodywork group and Daniel works
as an illustrator, mainly in the seat group.
“My job is also to provoke,”says Daniel.
“When we get too close to today’s design I
start to ask questions. And if we get a seat
that already exists then it’s not research.”
The seat group has made the biggest ad-
vancement. It is close to producing a light-
weight seat that is viable for producing in
large volumes. Daniel doesn’t want to reveal
too much yet about how discussions are
progressing, but ideas that have been on the
agenda have included a living room feel in the
car with a corner sofa and rotating seats.
“Ifwedon’tdoanything
abouttheissueoflight-
weightwewon’tmeetthe
legislativedemandsof2020.”
Anders Holmkvist, project manager, SåNätt
AndersHolmkvist
Title:Project manager,SåNätt,
Development ManagerEELCEEAB
Office:Trollhättan
Lars-GöranDandebo
Title:Programdirector,Semcon
Office:Trollhättan/Göteborg

IT’S IMPORTANT to create synergy effects in or-
der to cut weight by 20-40 per cent. The work
groups are trying to find ways of providing the
car’s parts with more than just one property
each. If they succeed in giving a section more
than one area of use then they might be able
to remove another section and maybe even re-
move other parts that become obsolete when
the section is removed.
“Side windows are another aspect that
could be given more areas of use in the future.
We can wind windows down today. In the fu-
ture they may be made from another material
and fixed. That would allow them to possibly
be load-bearing,”says Daniel.
LIGHTWEIGHT MATERIALS are extremely impor-
tant to SåNätt. Stefan Banér from Semcon’s
composite group is working with the team who
are trying to trim weight from the bodywork.
Their toughest challenge is not building a
body using lightweight materials. Materials
like carbon fibre, sandwich constructions and
other composites are already available and can
considerably reduce weight. The problem is to
make it viable in large volumes while retaining
quality and safety. It’s expensive today to mass-
produce lightweight materials. SåNätt partici-
pants are now hoping that the project will be
able to solve this problem and many others.
“SåNätt’s strength lies in the cross-ferti-
lization of its participants. Subcontractors
are also included in the process and can add
their opinions about things that they haven’t
had chance to before,”says Daniel Nordin.
“This allows technology to be shared between
companies.”
The entire SåNätt project is set up to
strengthen the Swedish automotive industry
and improve the expertise of all participants.
Companies learn from one another and new
companies can form, resulting from collabo-
ration.
Anders Holmkvist and Lars-Göran Dande-
bo agree that SåNätt’s strength lies in unique
collaboration. Instead of auto manufacturers
deciding what a part should look like and then
ordering from a subcontractor, the subcon-
tractor is part of the process from the start
and collaborates with other subcontractors.
This is a unique way of collaborating.
Researchers are also involved in the project.
Social Psychologist Anni Tysk from Skövde
University is working with group dynamics
with all groups. She documents workflow and
can intervene when conflicts arise, explaining
why it has arisen.
ACADEMIC PARTICIPATION is an important part of
SåNätt. Apart from Skövde University there are
six other universities involved in the project.
StefanBanér
Title:Designengineer
Office:Semcon,Göteborg
DesignersfromSemconareused toillustrateanumberof
realisticproposals tostart thecreativeprocessin thevarious
workgroups,inorder toshow that it’snot a traditionalcar
that’sbeingdesigned.Lotsofideasarefused together.Someare
discardedalong thewayand theideas that remainwillbeused
tocreategoodlightweight combinations.Noideashavebeen
fullydecidedonyet and theones that thegroupshavecome
furthest witharecloselyguardedsecrets,but herearesomeof
theideas that havebeenusedduring thecreativeprocess.
Illustrations:DanielNordinandAnnikaLarsson
4 visions of the future
Acarseat currentlyweighsaround60kg.Thisishowa
lightweight seat might look.Theimageisanexampleof
alength/height adjustment solution.
1
FOCUS:
LIGHTWEIGHT
“SåNätt’s strength lies in
the cross-fertilization
of its participants.
Subcontractors are also
included in the process
and can add their
opinions.”
Daniel Nordin, designer, Semcon

Their task is to implement research re-
sults in two areas: the facility group works
on creating commercially viable lightweight
concepts and the technical group works on
implementing technical research results to
strengthen the lightweight concept.
Academic partners are involved to spread
their research results, but also to identify fu-
ture areas of research.
“Many of the suppliers have very little ex-
perience of working with academic partners.
The project provides an excellent platform
from which to work,”says Anders Holmkvist.
Semcon is involved as one of the project’s
consultancy firms.
“It’s unique to have a company with com-
plete car knowledge and that isn’t an OEM,”
says Anders.“Many companies know a lot
about components and systems, but few can
integrate the various parts like Semcon.”
“We’re constantly noticing a rise in our
levels of expertise,”says Stefan Banér.“We’re
working with lightweight solutions in many
areas, on lots of different projects. When help-
ing a customer on a new project we’re starting
from a high level. We’ve done this kind of thing
before and are keenly aware of the problems
that can arise and how to deal with them.”
SÅNÄTT WILL terminate in mid-2013 and it’s
hoped that a number of creative lightweight
solutions will have emerged from the col-
laboration and can begin being manufac-
tured, possibly through new companies being
formed when the various suppliers’expertise
have been mixed together. 1
DanielNordin
Title:Designer/Concept engineer
Office:Semcon,Göteborg
Here the teamislookingat creatinga teardrop-shaped
body tocut downonwind-resistance.Tokeepit asa
5-seater theideais toplaceoneseat in thecentreof
thecar.
Theworkgroupcall thisimageSofavision–avision
of thedirectiondevelopmentsmight lead.Theaimof
theimageisalso toget thegroupparticipants to think
freelyandfeelas thoughanythingispossible.
Here thedesignerborroweda tablefromanaircraft
seat andcreateda tunnelforskisin themiddle.It’salso
conceivable toremove/swap themiddleseat in theback
or touse thesameseatsin thefront asin theback.
2 3 4

THE SOLUTIONHOW SEMCON SOLVED THE CUSTOMER’S PROBLEM
THE ASSIGNMENT: Entrepreneur Gunnar Drougge at
Ergoption wanted it done once and for all. Create the
perfect ergonomic computer mouse. One that didn’t cause
mouse elbow, pain or other stress injuries. He took his
ideas to Semcon in Stockholm.
THE SOLUTION: Semcon used a lump of clay and shaped
it to the human hand. It would be turned into the world’s
first high-tech, adjustable, computer mouse, which could
be gripped both vertically and horizontally. The inspiration
came from an unexpected source: a deckchair’s simple cog
mechanism.
THE RESULT: The Oyster Mouse was launched after an
autumn of intensive product development and was a
completely new type of vertical mouse with five different
settings. The same year – December 2011 – Oyster Mouse
won an award for best product at the major ergonomics
trade fair in Las Vegas.
TEXT STEFAN SJÖDIN PHOTO ERGOPTION
Adjustablemouse
givesbettergrip

GOOD-LOOKING
– BUT FUNCTION FIRST
OysterMouseisanergonomic
pioneer,themouseof thefuture–
andit shows.But designwasnot the
priority.Theusershouldintuitively
understandhowit shouldbegripped
andworks.
QUICK COMMANDS FOR THE
MOST COMMON FUNCTIONS
Apart from thescrollwheel the
mousehassixbuttonswith themost
commonquickcommands,likecopy,
cut andpaste,right andleft click.The
buttonsoneachsideof themouse
areinfunctionorout offunction,
dependingwhetherit isusedright-
handedorleft-handed.
OPENS LIKE AN OYSTER
Ergonomistsandoccupational therapistshavebeen
lookingforsolutions tomouseelbow,painandstiff-
nessaffectingofficeworkersforyears.OysterMouse
got part ofitsinspirationfrom thecogmechanism
foundindeckchairs.It tiltsfromitsrestingposi-
tion toanotherfourpositions(in thefifth,the top
position,it foldsbackdownagain).Thismeans that
everyonecanfind theiroptimalwrist angle.Theuser
canalsovary theangleduring theday.Thesolution
gaveOysterMouse theawardfor thebest product
at theergonomics tradefairinLasVegas.
AMBIDEXTROUS
Theoriginalideawasforamouseforright-
handedpeople,but Semcon’sdevelopers
foundawayofmaking theOysterMouse
symmetrical,soit wouldsuit bothright-handed
andleft-handedpeople.Themouseisgripped
using the thumbandlittlefinger,while the
otherfingersrest aboveit.
HAND IN GLOVE
Scalingdown this typeofcogmechanism,
foundindeckchairsandheadrestsinsome
cars,toaformat that fitsamouseisobvi-
ouslyachallenge.Duringdevelopment,the
rackandhingeeitherendedup toonear the
innerpart of thecasing,or toonear the tech-
nologyinside themouse.Carefullyshaping
andchangingangleswasaconstant part of
theprocess.
MOBILITY
Computermice that canbeusedat variousangles
havebeenaroundforawhile,but theyhavebeen
fixed.OysterMouseis thefirst mobilemousewith
suchadjustabilityinorder toavoidstressinjuries.
Thecustomer,Ergoption,isnowworkingon thefirst
cordlessversionofOysterMouse.

Ahappycowisaproductivecow.
SomethingthatDeLavalhasbecomeworld-leaderat.
Buttounderstandandmaintaintheincreasingly
advancedmachinesrequiresclear,updated
aftermarketinformation.TodothisDeLavalasked
Semconanditsflexiblenetworktohelp.
TEXTEVAWREDE PHOTO SAMIR SOUDAH DELAVAL
SATIS-
FACTION
ATTHE
DAIRY

W
hen Gustaf de Laval
applied for a patent
for his centrifuge
separator in 1878 he
probably couldn’t
imagine that his in-
vention would lay the foundation for today’s
global DeLaval Group. Nearly everything a
modern dairy farmer needs is included in
DeLaval’s product range, from simple dish
brushes to high-tech milking machines, cool-
ers and feed stations. The well-established
Swedish company has grown to become a
global player with operations in over 100
countries and a multitude of innovations over
the years, including a system for voluntary
milking, which revolutionized milking when
it was introduced in 1998.
Old products were updated as new prod-
ucts were launched. The company’s product
portfolio today includes around 550 products.
Each needs documenting, in text and pic-
tures. From that perspective it’s possibly not
so strange that the Memo Group, DeLaval’s
internal documentation group of ten or so
writers and illustrators, sometimes needs ad-
ditional help. Things heat up at least twice a
year at DeLaval’s aftermarket information de-
partment. Lots of material needs producing in
ultra-quick time. Panic? Not at all. The heavy
workload is effectively managed by Semcon’s
flexible“back office”network, which supplies
what’s needed, when it’s needed.
EFFECTIVE IS A WORD often used by Thomas
Funck as he describes his collaboration with
Semcon. Because that’s what it’s all about.“How
best to use the resources available,”he says.
As manager of DeLaval BA Shared Support
Services he’s providing end-customers and
service personnel with the information they
need to use and maintain DeLaval’s products
optimally. In concrete terms it’s about gath-
ering and creating text and pictures that are
then put together to create manuals and other
documents.
When Thomas came to DeLaval almost five
years ago, he had a background as a consult-
ant and purchaser of consultancy services. He
already knew therefore both sides’needs and
work methods and knew from the start how
he wanted to set out the project.
“When I arrived DeLaval employed the
services of consultants from lots of differ-
ent companies, which were coordinated by
DeLaval. I instead chose to work more closely
with one partner, both for strategic and cost
reasons,”he says, and continues:
“It’s easier to organize working with one
consultant than with lots of consultants, and
ThomasFunck
Title:ManagerofDeLavalBA
SharedSupport Services
Office:DeLaval’sheadoffice
inTumba

you can more easily negotiate costs when out-
sourcing to just one consultancy partner.”
He didn’t need to search too far among
possible candidates to make his choice:
“DeLaval is active throughout the world
and we need a partner that’s bigger than most
Swedish consultancy companies. Semcon
being a globally-established company was a
crucial factor when we were deciding who to
choose.”
The heaviest workload at the aftermar-
ket information department comes when
lots of new products need launching at the
same time, which happens twice a year. One
of these occasions occurred in August 2011,
which unfortunately coincided with the holi-
day period. We also had a part-delivery of a
major development project, DeLaval automat-
ic milking rotary AMR.
“We were dealing with huge volumes that
needed producing and we had such a lot to do.
Without Semcon I would have never managed
to get hold of the resources that were required
in such a short amount of time,”he says.
ROGER CAREW, Team Manager Graphics at
Semcon remembers the episode very well. He
had just returned from a short holiday when, in
his own words,“the s--t hit the fan.”Semcon’s
illustrators produced 991 illustrations in one
month.
“We had to quickly muster up all the re-
sources we had, and succeeded in delivering
on time. Semcon usually has 8 people working
with DeLaval, but during periods of heavy
workload we might need an extra two to four.”
A PREREQUISITE for flexibility and sometimes
stretching resources is a working model
with a “front office” and “back office”, FOBO.
The model is built on most of Semcon’s
direct customer contacts being supported by
a few key people,“front office”. In this case
the front office is made up of Roger Carew,
who is the project manager and based in
Göteborg, and Sofhia Josborg, coordinator at
the Stockholm office.
To support them they have a“back office”,
DeLaval
DeLaval makes lots of different products used
by dairy farmers,everything from dish brushes
to complex milking and feeding systems.The
company was founded by Gustaf de Laval,
whose inventions include the separator,the
milking machine and the steam turbine.
DeLaval today has its head office inTumba and
operates in around 100 markets throughout
the world with a total of 4,500 employees.
RogerCarew
Title:TeamManager
Graphics
Office:Semcon
Göteborg
“We were dealing with
huge volumes that
needed producing and
we had such a lot to
do. Without Semcon
I would have never
managed to get hold of
the resources that were
required in such a short
amount of time.”
Thomas Funck, Manager of DeLaval BA Shared Support Services.

which is a network of various experts spread
throughout Semcon’s offices in Sweden, the
UK and Hungary.
“It’s the perfect solution. It gives customers
the option of outsourcing certain tasks, which
can in principle be carried out anywhere,
while concentrating themselves on what
needs doing on site and what needs follow up
from day-to-day,”Roger Carew explains, and
Thomas Funck agrees:
“It makes things simpler for me. Work
volumes can fluctuate over time without me
needing to juggle around with manning, that’s
Semcon’s responsibility.”
ROGER CAREW SPENDS three days a week at
DeLaval’s head office in Tumba and the other
two in Göteborg. An estimated 85 per cent of
all the work Semcon does for DeLaval is done
off-site. This off-site work is possible thanks
to the consultants, via VPN connection, work-
ing in the same workflow system and collect-
ing the same data from the same PDM system,
as the personnel in DeLaval’s Memo Group.
“We received invaluable help from Roger
in specifying the requirements of our new
content management system, CMS, when we
needed to change our publication tool. Mainly
in terms of illustration handling,”says Thomas.
At the end of last year, when the new pub-
lication tool was to be implemented, Semcon
was also responsible for the Memo Group
receiving the XML training required.
DeLaval and Semcon have together created
a joint digital platform to work from.
PART OF DELAVAL’S after market information
consists of instruction manuals to end cus-
tomers. But the majority are service docu-
ments used by DeLaval’s retailers and service
technicians.
The most visible result of Semcon’s and the
Memo Group’s collaboration is the content of
Memo+, a digital info bank that all DeLaval’s
retailers and service technicians can use to
print documents.
“We don’t produce printed material centrally,
but produce everything we need locally in PDFs.
The benefit of course is that you automatically
get the latest updates,”Thomas explains.
As with all communication, the most dif-
ficult thing is knowing whether the informa-
tion will be understood by the people using it.
Reference group meetings are held regularly
to listen to and learn from the market compa-
nies about how the material can be improved.
“The common reaction is that there is
too much information rather than too little.
But the more complex products become, the
greater the demand for more in-depth infor-
mation,”he says.
IN THE HUNT to become more efficient the
Memo Group also works with compiling the
basic material required to write the documen-
tation.
1
DeLavalprovides
dataabout the
company’sproduct to
Semcon’sproject
managerwhoisonsite
inTumba(front office).
2
Workdutiesare
assigned to
colleaguesinGöteborg,
Budapest andKineton
(backoffice).The
materialisedited,added
toandcompiled.
3
Semcondeliversa
completemanual
toDeLaval.
4
Thedocument is
proofreadand
approvedbypersonnel
at DeLaval.
5
Themanualis
publishedon the
Memo+applicationand
is therebyavailable to
retailersandservice
technicians.
How a complete manual is produced
DeLaval’s automatic milking rotary AMR,is
one of the biggest projects Semcon has been
involved in documenting.
searchfo
r“semcon”in
appstore
Extra
material
on iPad
KINETON
GÖTEBORG
TUMBA
BUDAPEST

The data supplied by the subcontractors
and DeLaval’s own employees today, includ-
ing specifications, photos and illustrations,
is often inadequate. Semcon has helped with
defining the requirements and created a tem-
plate for what this data must include.
“I would like to go even further and for
example demand that all technical drawings
are submitted in 3D-CAD, but we’re not quite
there yet,”says Roger.
THE POINT of getting better, more uniformly
structured material from the start is that it
makes it easier for technical writers and il-
lustrators to do a good job further along the
production process.
“Our vision is to have really detailed, fully
functioning“templates”, so that technical
writers and illustrators working with the ma-
terial off-site can do their jobs without having
direct contact with the people submitting the
data,”Roger explains.
Thomas and Roger visited Semcon’s office
in Budapest for two days last spring.
“As a customer it’s important to personally
form an opinion about the expertise of differ-
ent employees and if they are providing the
right prerequisites for doing a good job. It’s
also good to meet sometimes the individu-
als that we have almost daily contact with
on various matters,”says Thomas, who was
favourably impressed:
“There is a high level of expertise and as I
see it there’s no reason why more work can’t
be outsourced to the office in Hungary.”
Anders Johnson, department manager at
the Informatic business area, joined them in
Hungary. He was happy, but hardly surprised
by Thomas’positive opinion:
“The cost-effective aspects are often high-
lighted when talking about“back office”, but
it’s also important to show that we are proud
of the expertise throughout the company,
such as in Budapest,”says Anders, and adds:
“All of Semcon’s different business areas
collaborate well together and always concen-
trate on providing the best solution for our
respective customers.”
EUROPE is currently DeLaval’s biggest market,
but it’s in the BRIC countries, Brazil, Rus-
sia, India and China that they are seeing the
greatest expansion for the company.
Semcon having an office in China is a major
benefit according to Thomas as he looks to
the future. Discussing future solutions and
jointly developing various tools, thereby tying
in Semcon closer to the organization is not
something he would back away from.
“I can’t see any drawbacks. What’s inter-
esting for us is creating an effective work
process and it’s important then to develop
it together with those who will be working
with it. It’s a win-win situation, which in
the end reflects in results, but also the final
invoice.” 1

QA LINA BERTLING TJERNBERG
SMART GRIDS EXPERT
A lot of solar and wind power and
growing fleets of electric vehicles
places completely new demands on
electricity grids. By making them
both smart and flexible, LinaBertling
Tjernbergwants to pave the way for
a sustainable energy system.
e take electricity for granted in
the developed world. We expect
our lights to come on when we
flick the switch and our mobile
phones to charge when we plug
them in the socket. Electricity is
available when we need it.
But for a sustainable future
the energy system needs to
change. The huge coal and nu-
clear power stations need to be
phased out for new renewable
energy sources, and we need to manage and use
our energy more efficiently. Without consumers
being negatively affected. These are the targets
in Lina Bertling Tjernberg’s sights. She became
a professor of sustainable electricity systems at
the age of 35 and is now also on the board of the
IEEE – Institute of Electrical and Electronics
Engineers. Using smart electrical grids she wants
to provide consumers with reliable electricity
supplies from renewable energy sources and help
them achieve good energy housekeeping.
What does a smart grid actually mean?
“A smart grid provides and receives electric-
ity. If you have a surplus of electricity from solar
panels you can sell it back to the electricity grid.
Small producers can be linked up to the grid,
but only in a limited scope. Historically, large
volumes like nuclear power and hydro-electric
power have been profitable and effective, and our
present grids are customized to large-scale elec-
tricity production. A smart grid has clever details
and is controllable in order to handle lots of small
electricity producers.”
Why do we need smart grids?
“It’s part of a sustainable energy system. We
need more electricity from wind power, solar
energy and hydro-electric sources. But these
energy sources are intermittent – the electricity
we get varies enormously over short periods of
time. This places new demands on the electricity
grid. Electric vehicles need charging, but can also
store energy in their batteries and can give it back
to the grid when necessary. This also places new
demands on the grid. Another reason is that we
TEXT INGELA ROOS
PHOTO ANDERS DEROS
W

QA LINA BERTLING TJERNBERG
EXPERT PÅ SMARTA ELNÄT
want to start using more direct current, DC.”
How long has the idea of smart electricity
been around?
“I first heard about it back in 2008. The fol-
lowing year Obama spoke of a“smart grid”in
a speech and the IEEE produced a new scien-
tific magazine called Transactions on Smart
Grid Technologies. It’s been established since
then. Many people call the new refinements
in distribution and at customers“smart net-
works”. But I would prefer to lift the concept
to system level, with sights clearly on sus-
tainable energy. There is a risk otherwise that
we develop something that’s fun, but doesn’t
lead where we want to be.”
How can smart grids help us better utilize
renewable energy sources?
“Electricity cannot be put on hold or saved
other than in batteries. The generation and
use of electricity must therefore always be
balanced. Lots of wind power means it’s dif-
ficult to hold a balance because production
varies so much. This is a challenge that we
need to handle cleverly.”
“A new law was introduced in Sweden a few
years ago for new electricity meters for all
consumers. We now know hour-by-hour how
much is produced and used. In Göteborg the
meters installed were more advanced than the
law required. We’ve just initiated a research
project to investigate how to use them most
efficiently. One function is to simplify prior-
ity to electricity customers. Top of the list
come societal functions like hospitals, but we
possibly don’t need 50 Hz at home when we
are at work. Letting users help with this bal-
ance over the electricity network is an impor-
tant solution for the energy system.”
What significance will smart electricity have
for society,regionally and globally?
“It’s important for the transition to a
sustainable society. Smart grids are being de-
veloped globally. It differs of course depend-
ing on where a country is in terms of societal
development and what resources are available.
How can smart grids help consumers use
electricity in a smarter way?
Lina BertlingTjernberg
Title: Professor of sustainable electrical
energy systems at Chalmers University of
Technology.
Qualifications:Civilengineeringdegree
incraft technology,universitylecturerand
doctor’sdegreeinelectricalenergysystems.
Lives in:In Göteborg and Stockholm
Hobbies:Travelling,photography,writing
and reading (often linked to work).
Favourite gadget: AppleTV – it’s excellent
for looking at photos on,has a beauti-
ful slideshow function that you can add
music to.
Last book read: Prefer biographies.Re-
cently about Steve Jobs,Percy Barnevik,the
Obama family and Ernest Hemingway.

“Using smart electricity meters gives us
more understanding of what we consume.
But I don’t believe that individual consum-
ers in general want to follow electricity price
developments and plan their electricity use in
detail. We need automatic controls to govern
how we use electricity.”
“I believe that energy issues for compa-
nies are a follow-on from environmental
issues. I believe that energy issues will be an
increasingly strategic issue, just like when
companies started appointing environmental
managers in management groups. This is also
something that needs a system perspec-
tive to maximize the use of available energy
resources. Many industries generate waste
heat – use it! I also believe that it will be-
come more common to have solar panels on
buildings.”
Is reducing electricity use an important
part of the future energy puzzle,or is it just
a matter of controlling energy use?
“The central issue is to cut energy use.
This could lead to a total increase in the
amount of electricity available. As electric-
ity has proven, in part, it is one of the most
energy-efficient ways of transporting en-
ergy and could be a way of reducing the use
of fossil fuels. We should however continue
working to cut losses when converting and
transmitting energy and making the system
more efficient. The most suitable form of
energy should always be used. Heat pumps
and solar panels are excellent solutions for
heating and electricity can complement
these.”
What’s the biggest challenge for develop-
ing smart grids?
“At the highest level it’s political incen-
tive. We need joint incentives between
countries and more coordination in Europe
for example. It should be long-term with
clear goals, otherwise industries won’t risk
developing new products.”
“From a technical perspective IT security
will be a more key issue as we now have more
detailed information concerning electricity
consumption. It will be a matter of customer
integrity. How should we store this vast
amount of information?”
“Another challenge is to find cost-effective
solutions, and even energy-efficient solu-
tions in terms of production. Wind power is
well developed, but there is still technologi-
cal development needed for solar and wave
power. For solar power it’s mainly a question
of material development and for wave power
it’s a question of stable technologies in order
to turn the mechanical energy from the waves
into electricity.”
What’s the timeframe – when will we have
smart grids?
“We’re already partly there, most of the
technology already exists. Demonstration
projects are important for creating under-
standing about the technology. The final
stages of a demonstration project in the US
will be completed this year. We have invested
in a bigger demonstration project here in
Sweden, one in Stockholm and one in
Malmö. Many smart grid solutions
can appear over just a few years. If
customers tell us what they want
and put demands on us then we’ll
deliver!”
“Electrical transmission infra-
structures are being strengthened
in Sweden. DC in Southern Swe-
den is being connected to the AC
network using new technology for
high-voltage DC. The introduction
of DC for both high-voltage and
low-voltage levels means that we
need to review our standards.”
“From a more visionary perspec-
tive I believe that we’ll be using solar
power to a greater extent and I also
believe that within ten years we’ll be
seeing many new solar energy solu-
tions like the shift we saw with the
introduction of wind power.”
What’s keeping you interested in
this sector?
“That I have the best job in the
world. It’s important and mor-
ally right. The solutions are in the
people. We need to combine know-
how and find the ultimate system
solutions required to cut energy
use of fossil fuels.”1
“I want to lift the
concept to system level,
with sights clearly on
sustainable energy.”
Lina Bertling Tjernberg, smart grids expert
1
HANDLE VARIATIONS
Smart gridswillbeable tohandlerapidvariations
–knownasintermittence–inelectricityproduc-
tionwithout electricalqualitybeingaffected.Weather
dramaticallyaffects theamount ofenergyproduced
fromsolarandwindpower,whichiscurrentlycausing
problems.
2
FLEXIBLE ACCESS
Futuregridswillbeflexible,bothin termsofload
andstorage.Electricvehicleswillbeable toplug
ineverywhere,both tocharge theirbatteriesand to
dischargestoredelectricity.Thisissomethingcompletely
new that willrequireahugeamount ofinformationand
communication technology.
3
COMBINE CURRENTS
ThereareadvantagesofusingmoreDCthanwe
dotoday.Oneexampleislesslossduringelectri-
caltransfer.Ithasbeendifficultinthepast tomakenew
connectionstoDClines,butwenowhavethetechnology
todoit.Tomorrow’sgridswillusebothACandDC.
thingssmart
gridscandoin
thefuture3

Therightshoescanmeanthedifferencebetween
goldandfourthplaceforcyclistGustavLarsson.
TogetherwithSemconhehasdevelopedashoe
thatmakeshimconsiderablyfaster.
TEXTMARCUS OLSSON PHOTO REBECCA MARSHALL
cutting
times
T
ime trials in cycling are
over 50km with a con-
stant fight for hundredths
of a second. Practitioners
of the sport are constantly
looking at ways of impro-
ving their equipment.
Gustav Larsson had already won
medals at the Olympics and World
Championships. But he wanted to be
quicker. After winning silver at the
Olympics in Beijing in 2008 he wanted
to do something about it.
Semcon and Larsson have now de-
veloped shoes that make him around
30 seconds faster.
“I had seen the stats that showed
where the aerodynamic problem areas
were on the bicycle and in movement.
The old shoes weren’t optimal. This
was an area that I knew I could im-
prove upon,”he says.
SEMCON WAS CONTACTED in the spring
of 2009.
“Time trial teams have worked hard
at finding solutions on improving
equipment. But it’s mainly been about
how to improve the bicycle, what can be
removed and what can be swapped. It’s
become increasingly important in time
trials because there’s so much time that
can be gained by using smart aerodyna-
mic solutions. And the right improve-
ments could win races thanks to them.
I know that I’m always in with a chance
of achieving good results in time trials.
I try to do everything possible to win.”
GUSTAV LARSSON HAS always loved
speed. When he was young and wasn’t
cycling around his hometown of Växjö
he liked watching rallies on the TV.
Some of the inspiration for the shoes
actually came from motor sport.
“In motorsport they always work a
great deal with technology and aero-
dynamics. It’s logical. And it should be
equally logical in cycling.”
Larsson and Semcon started the
project in a joint workshop and then
as close, active communication from
both parties.
THERE HAVE BEEN many challenges.
The International Cyclists’ Union
forbids any kind of purely aerody-
namic improvements. Any changes

to equipment must be mechanical, for
safety or functional reasons.
“That could then include aerodynamic
improvements. The mechanical change in
this case is the fasteners being moved to the
back of the foot, similar to ski boots. And
the positive effect was that the shoe became
more aerodynamic,”says Andreas Daniels-
son, who works with technical equipment
for Sweden’s Olympic Committee.
THE FIRST VERSION was ready in autumn 2010
and has since gone through lots of tough
tests. The present version was handed over
last summer. The result is a pair of light,
stiff shoes that are mainly made of carbon
fibre. The shoes are made from plaster casts
of Gustav’s feet. This provides a perfect fit
and pressure on the feet when cycling. The
shoes have been made narrower and longer
than before. The length has also meant an
improved aerodynamic end to the shoes.
Indents have been made in the sole of the
shoes for the pedal.
Using a Computational Fluid Dynamics
(CFD) program and wind tunnel test we are
able to see what aerodynamic improvements
have been achieved. Gustav is now quicker.
“The result achieved is shoes that are flat
on top and aerodynamic, both at the rear
and on the sole. It’s light and stiff and the
transfer of energy achieved from the shoes
is better,”says Sam Fredriksson, aerodyna-
micist and project manager at Semcon.
“It’s been a really fun project. We were gi-
ven a distinctly clear picture and an interes-
ting problem. We also got to work with lots
of different departments throughout Semcon.
We’ve worked with construction, calculations
and prototypes to complete this project.”
Gustav Larsson says:
“It was really fun to be included so clo-
sely throughout the process. I was able to
provide my own input and affected deci-
sions throughout. It was fun to be given the
opportunity of conveying my own ideas.”
ACCORDING TO ANDREAS DANIELSSON working
on Gustav Larsson’s equipment could
change how the Swedish Olympic Com-
mittee works in future.
“I would really like to praise Semcon for
their hard work on the shoe project. We’re
now working closely with a company that can
in theory and practice help us from concept
to finished product. Semcon has provided
our Olympians with better opportunities to
be competitive at future Olympic Games. 1
GustavLarsson
Title:Professionalcyclist
Merits:OlympicsilverandWorld
Championshipsilverin time
trials.Anumberofstagewins
andpodiumplacesinworldcup
competitions.
AndreasDanielsson
Title:Technicaldeveloperfor
Sweden’sOlympicCommittee
andeditorofcyclingmagazine
Kadens.
SamFredriksson
Title:Aerodynamicist and
project manager
Office:SemconGöteborg
Perfect fit
Gustav Larsson’s shoes were custom-
fitted to his feet,providing the perfect
fit and pressure on his feet when
sitting in the saddle.The shoes have
been made narrower and longer with
the fasteners at the back of the foot.
This,along with the length,has also
provided a better aerodynamic end to
the shoes.Indents have been made in
the sole of the shoes for the pedal.
searchfo
r“semcon”in
appstore
Extra
material
on iPad

LIGHT
LIFTINGTEXTLOTTA RINGDAHL PHOTO RICKARD KILSTRÖM

olvo’s flags fly in a row in the
wind outside Volvo Construction
Equipment in Eskilstuna. People are
working feverishly behind the scenes,
both at their desks and on the factory
floor, to find new, constructive solu-
tions for tomorrow’s wheel loaders. One
of the areas continually worked on was
in optimizing their wheel loaders to make
them more cost-effective, fuel-efficient
and eco-friendly.
That was also the case with the G se-
ries of wheel loaders, the L110G and L120G,
launched in August 2011. These are power-
ful, multi-purpose machines with a service
weight of 18 – 21.6 tons, designed for heavy
infrastructure, rock management and recy-
cling. The cranes are 11 and 12 tons respec-
tively, but despite the enormous power the
engines meet the latest US and EU legislation
in terms of emissions.
Volvo CE has lots of its own expert engi-
neers, but on some development projects, or
parts of projects, it also brings in cutting edge
expertise from outside the company, such as
consultants form Semcon. Semcon’s Annika
Frössling has been on site as technical project
manager for the past two years. She started
with an existing, on-going project, but then
became Project Manager Engineering, PME,
for the L110G and L120G project, which was at
the time in the Final Development phase. As
project manager she has been involved with
all the various phases of the project.
“Work here is very structured, and Volvo
CE also has a good project model and amazing
resources. I like it here a lot,”she says as she
shows us around the office.
When it’s time to describe the improve-
Weight is a central factor
for Volvo CE’s construction
equipment. But it’s not just
about making machinery lighter.
It is also about redistributing the
weight to optimize efficiency.
Volvo CE had Semcon’s help
to develop the new G series of
wheel loaders.
V Volvo CE
Volvo Construction Equipment,VCE,is the lead
supplier of plant machinery around the world.
The product range consists of wheel loaders,
compact loaders,excavator loaders and dump-
ers.VCE has 15,000 employees globally,of
which around 2,000 are atVCE in Eskilstuna.

ments done to the new G series Annika
Frössling and Volvo CE’s project manager Lars
Serander show us the workshop. Before enter-
ing the workshop we’re given safety shoes and
neon yellow vests.
THE MIGHTY WHEEL loaders are parked side-by-
side in the machinery hall. The L350F, the big
loader, weighs 52 tons and the wheels are so
big that not even Lars, who is 187 cm tall, can
see over them. Close by is the new L220G, a
wheel loader that received the Red Dot Prod-
uct Design Award in Essen, Germany, in the
spring of 2011.
“It’s great to receive a design award for
something that’s going to end up in gi-
ant gravel pits,”he adds, while he guides us
around these giant machines.
Annika Frössling invites us up into the cab
of one of the smaller machines, where the
wheels are“only”170 cm in diameter. It’s real-
ly comfortable. Good all-round visibility, the
controls are easily accessible and it’s so quiet.
The roomy cab – with improved ergonomics,
more windows for good visibility and parts
made from plastic, that were once made from
metal – was launched in the F series and the
concept has followed into the latest machines.
The entire G series, including the L110G and
L120G, has also been redesigned with softer
lines than the F series’more angular design.
The engine cover and some of the cowl-
ings of the G series are now also made from
plastic rather than metal. In addition, the
counterweight has been redesigned, which
has resulted in cutting overall weight by 40kg
on the L110G and by 200kg on the L120G.
The counterweight cannot be made too light
because the rear weight is a prerequisite for
being able to fill the bucket with heavy loads.
“It’s a matter of not having unnecessary
AnnikaFrössling
Title:Seniorproject manager(PME/CPM)
Office:SemconEskilstunaLarsSerander
Title:Headof theSwedishproject office
Office:VolvoConstructionEquipment,Eskilstuna
”It’s great to receive a design
award for something that’s
going to end up in giant
gravel pits.”
Lars Serander, project manager, Volvo CE

COUNTERWEIGHT.The counter-
weight has been redesigned,
making the L110G 40kg lighter
and the L120G 200kg lighter.
MUDGUARDS. Some of the mudguards of the G
series are now made from plastic instead of steel.
But because there are so many different kinds of
tyres mudguards come in plastic and steel.
DESIGN.The bright yellow machines
have aVolvo grey line running all the
way from the front to the back of the
machine.The machines also have softer
lines compared with the previous series’
more angular design.
NEW ENGINE. Volvo’s turbocharged step
4i engines meet the latest US and EU
emissions legislation.The engine (Deutz
D8),transmission,axles,hydraulics and
steering have been developed as a single unit
for optimum performance and maximum
reliability.The hydraulics have changed with
increased pressure,which in turn provides
more power.
CAB.The cab is really comfortable and
since the launch of the F series has been
given improved ergonomics and more
windows for improved visibility.
ENGINE COVER.The engine cover
has been redesigned,in plastic.It’s
electrically operated and opens to
the rear for quick and easy access for
easy maintenance and cleaning.
AXLE. A really sturdy axle
supports the weight for optimum
torque,meaning less stress and
longer life.
searchfo
r“semcon”in
appstore
Extra
material
on iPad
most important points
7ThisishowVolvoCEandSemconhaveworked to
get thenewwheelloaders,L110GandL120G,tobe
morecost-effective,fuel-efficient andeco-friendly.

weight in the wrong places,”says Lars.“If,
for example, you optimize the lifting frame,
which is the frame that lifts the bucket, you
can save hundreds of kilos.
“It’s all about achieving the best possi-
ble performance. And developments have
been dramatic since the very first machines.
The machines of the past were dramatically
oversized, because the calculation programs
at the time were crude. This is something
that’s gradually improved since the end of the
1980s, in line with improved computer capac-
ity, enabling calculation programs to improve.”
ANNIKA FRÖSSLING EXPLAINS how, in order to
achieve optimum solutions in development,
we first look at the actual construction. We
then find a solution and carry out rigorous
calculations to check that the construction is
correctly dimensioned for its task.
“We calculate loads, where the critical points
are etc. It’s a matter of redesigning until we
meet the demands and then it’s time for testing.
There are lots of different parameters to take
into account and a lot of hard work,”she says.
For a wheel loader to be able to lift really
heavy loads requires, as previously men-
tioned, a huge counterweight at the rear of
the machine so it doesn’t tip over. The big-
gest wheel loader, the L350F, can lift 35 tons
(including the bucket, which itself weighs
5 tons). This is a lifting force equivalent to
around 25 Volvo cars or 40 football teams,
where each player weighs around 80 kg.
It’s all just basic mechanics. The greater
the load at the front the more counterweight
is needed at the back. When optimizing you
can choose a somewhat lighter counterweight,
but then it needs to be placed further back.
And the lower the machine’s centre of gravity
the better and more stable it is. Changing the
parts in the cab from steel to plastic for exam-
ple improves the machine’s stability – mar-
ginally. However, the driver’s safety should
never be compromised. All Volvo wheel load-
ers therefore have an approved safety cab to
protect the driver if the machine should tip
over. The cab is also fitted with a safety roof
to protect against falling objects, when work-
ing in tunnels for example.
Safety and quality characterize Volvo, just
as much as caring for the environment. Fuel
consumption has been drastically reduced
on both wheel loaders using Volvo’s turbo-
charged step 4i engines: an 8 litre, 6 cylinder
turbocharged Volvo Advanced Combustion
Technology, V-ACT, with cooled exhaust gas
recirculation and particle filters with ac-
tive regeneration. The active diesel particle
filter, temporarily retains particles for later
combustion, further reducing emissions. This
is all achieved without compromising the ma-
chine’s performance or use.
“The entire G series is fitted with engines
that meet step 4i legislation, including a re-
treatment system to reduce emissions. When
introduced this was new technology, which
always involves various technical challenges,”
says Annika.
Semcon and Volvo CE have worked together
for many years and Lars Serander is very
pleased with Annika’s input.
“Semcon has consultants with an exten-
sive range of experience of the automotive
industry and we have both enjoyed a long,
rewarding working relationship. Annika has,
with her expertise, contributed towards the
successful end result very well,”he says.
WE FOLLOW THEM OUT through the blue doors
to outside the machine hall. Here we also
see loaders lined up, all part of various test
projects. On a small hill further away are more
and in the distance there are test tracks and
even piles of gravel and other material to test
the machines, over and over again.
“We also have a huge 2,200 m2 tent close to
the track where the machines can be tested in
winter, and a demonstration centre, which we
call the Customer Centre, where the machines
are shown to both external and internal cus-
tomers,”he explains, and enjoys taking them
for test drives if he has any spare time.
“It’s cool driving into a big pile of rock
waste, giving it some gas and then feeling how
the machine bites into it with the bucket,”he
says with a smile, despite the cloudy day.
Unlike Lars, Annika has passed a special
driving course for wheel loaders at VCE and
she sometimes sits behind the controls and
tackles both test pits and the test track.
“You get really happy driving a wheel loader,”
she says and adds that test-driving from time
to time is also a precondition for being able to
properly carry out development work at a desk.
“It’s important that we learn as much about
these machines as possible,”she says, just
before we leave. 1
“It’s a matter of not
having unnecessary
weight in the wrong
places. If you optimize
the lifting frame that
lifts the bucket, you can
save hundreds of kilos.”
Lars Serander, project manager Volvo CE

TEXT KATARINA MISIC, MARCUS OLSSON STEFAN SJÖDIN
PHOTOS CHRISTER EHRLING+SEMCON DESIGN, LARS ARDARVE RICKARD KILSTRÖM
SEMCON
BRAINS
fernando ocaña
Title:CreativeDirector
Hybridquality: Multi-cultural,
speaksfivelanguages
yasmin mortazavi
Title:HMIdeveloper/
Interactiondesigner
Hybridquality:Photo
journalist
joel hernestål
Title:CGIartist
Hybridquality:
Discjockey
peder bengtsson
Title:GroupManager,
HybridDesignStudios
Hybridquality:Former
aviationengineer

FUTURE BY SEMCON 2.2010 43FUTURE BY SEMCON 2.2012 43
Hybrid Design Studios
CURIOUS about what yourproducts
willlooklikeinthefuture?Semcon’s
recentlyformedHybridDesignStudios
helpcustomersgenerate,developand
visualizetheirstrategicalignmentsso
that thebasicconcept remainsintact
throughout theentireprocessallthe
waytomarketingandenduse.
“Clearvisualizationat anearly
stageallowseveryone toheadin the
samedirection,whichreduces the
needforinterpretation.Weprovide
customerswith theexpertisere-
quired tomeet thischallenge,”says
PederBengtsson,GroupManager,
HybridDesignStudios.
Thestudioismadeupofdiffer-
ent experts:designers,construction
engineers,modellers,CGIartists–all
withdifferent interestslikemusic,ar-
chitecture,photographyorfilm,and
allcontribute to thecreativeprocess.
Theresult of thegroup’sworkcan
includeeverythingfromasimpleim-
ageoracomplexanimation toadigi-
talorphysicalmodel.JoelHernestål
isaCGIartist andiscurrentlywork-
ingonvisualizingcontributionssent
in toElectroluxDesignLabs.
“Ilovebringing things,ideasand
visions tolife.CGIprovidesuswith
anuntoldnumberofpossibilitiesbut
youshouldn’t take things toofaror
yourisklosing theobserver.”
ElizabethPinderisahybriddesigner
who,viaLondonandHongKong,re-
centlyarrivedatHybridDesignStudios.
“Myjobis tocreatesolutions that
nobodyelsehas thought of.What I
likeabout HybridDesignStudiosis
that weareallowed toexperiment
andreally thinkoutside theboxfirst,
before themoreexperiencedpeople
toneit down tosomething that can
besoldwithin three tofiveyears.”
semcon göteborg
BEHINDTHESCENES
ATSEMCONBRAINS
Curiousabout what goesonat Hybrid
DesignStudios?Meet Peder,Joeland
Elizabethwhowill tellyouwhat they
do,what challenges theyfaceandwhy
theychose toworkforSemcon.
elizabeth pinder
Title:Hybriddesigner
Hybridquality:
Photographsstars
andreas friedrich
Title:GroupManager,Auto-
motiveProduct Designand
SeniorDesignerMFA
Hybridquality:Danish,
architect andformerelite
yachtsman
marie rolof koski
Title:Geometryengineer
Hybridquality:Designs
jewelleryandcards

SEMCON
BRAINS
The steering expert
THE STEERING EXPERIENCE isoneof
thefirst thingsadrivernoticesinacar.
Miriam’sjobis toimplement the
softwareforsteeringVolvo’scars.
“It’salways thesmalldetails that
make thedifference,”shesays.
Miriamworkswithelectronicsand
softwarein thesteeringservosystem
on theVolvoS60,V60,V70,S80,XC60,
XC70and thenewhybridcar.
Herjobis togatherinput tooptimize
theservosteeringsoit useslessfuel
andgives thedriver thebest possible
steeringfeeling.That’sa toughchal-
lenge.
“Thesteeringexperienceis thefirst
thingyounoticewhenyousit inacar,
apart from theexteriorandinteriorin-
fluences.That makesit veryimportant.
Thesteeringneeds toberesponsive.
Theautomotiveindustryisconstantly
workingonmakingcarsfun todrive–
but without making them toosporty
orboring.”
Thehydraulicpump that controls
theflowofoilusesalot ofelectricity.
Theuseofelectricityiscut bylimiting
theworkintervallof thepump,thereby
reducingfuelconsumption.Thisalso
cutsbackonCO2emissions.
“Oneof themost important factors
ofhavingahybridcarisfuelconsump-
tion.It’salwaysamatterof thelittlede-
tailshaving thegreatest effect.Andwe
arealwaysmakingfineadjustments.”
DuringimplementationMiriam
must takeintoaccount howheavy the
caris,what engineit has,ifit’sfront or
rear-wheeldriveandwhat kindofchas-
sissettingit has.
“The tuningiscarriedout byanen-
tire team that onlyworkson thesteer-
ing.Theyprovidemewith thevariables
toworkwithandI thenimplement the
changes.Insimple termsit’snumbers
that affect thepump’srevs.Andvery
smalladjustmentscanmakeahuge
difference,”shesays.
miriam stribeck, design engineer, semcon göteborg

WHEN JENS OLOW was studying
he worked extra at the gasworks in
Hjorthagen outside Stockholm.The
job,repairing old valves,was to be
completed in eleven weeks accord-
ing to his employer.Jens completed
it in four.
“I’ve always liked to explore
how things can be done more ef-
ficiently,”he says.
It has become his passion and
profession.Whether he goes to
Ericsson’s offices in India or South
Africa or,as now,to Eskilstuna En-
ergi och Miljö,the goal is the same:
to streamline customers’projects.
“The project is about doing
something new,venture out into
an uncertain landscape to evolve
and improve.You then always get
onto leadership issues and how
the organization works,I think it’s
fantastic.”
Jens and his colleagues have
developed Semcon’s established
methodology for project activities,
XLPM.With this as a platform,he
trains and develops customers
in all kinds of ways from method
instruction during scheduled train-
ing to supporting the project and
customized activities.
Most large organizations experi-
ence resource wastage from time
to time and lack control.They’re
all looking for greater predict-
ability in their projects:what can
be achieved?When will it be com-
pleted?What will it cost?What will
we earn?
“The problems are often due to
starting projects without having
done sufficient solid groundwork.
It means that orders become un-
clear.But with proven methodol-
ogy and hard work it’s possible to
correct the problems.That’s where
I come in.
jens olow, senior advisor project management, semcon stockholm
The project management expert
“The project
is about
developing
to improve.”Jens Olow,
Senior Advisor Project Management,
Semcon Stockholm

Givingproblems
theyellowcard
WhenRollsRoycewantedtooptimizethetimeittakesto
assembleawaterjetunittheycontactedSemcon.Byestablishing
theassemblytimeandvisualizingtheprocessthecompanyhas
succeededinsavingvaluabletime.Theprocesstogetthere
wentviayellowcardsandwhiteboards.
TEXT OLLE HERNEGREN PHOTO ØYVIND LUND

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