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Rail is a growth market. How LAPP cables are making crucial connections in rail transport worldwide

ON THE RIGHT TRACK

THE LAPP CUSTOMER MAGAZINE

CABLEWORLDEDITION 18/2019

23HIG

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CURIOUS FACTS

ABOUT RAILWAYS

Unusual records

on and alongside

the world’s rails

PUBLISHING DETAILS

RECOUNTED

Worldwide

system engineers employed on ÖLFLEX® CONNECT,

working a total of

engineering hours per day on customer solutions.

Published by U.I. Lapp GmbHSchulze-Delitzsch-Str. 2570565 StuttgartGermany

Project Manager, Senior Editor Dr Markus Müller

Concept, editingand design campra GmbHHauptmannsreute 2370192 Stuttgart Germany www.campra.net

Printing studiodruck GmbHTalstraße 6872622 Nürtingen

18/19

KNOW-HOW ON THE RAILS

Experts show where LAPP is

being used on railways20/21

MINIATURE WONDERLAND

Gerrit Braun from Hamburg

Miniature Wonderland on

model-sized connections

12SPECIAL TRAIN

Visit to the Swiss special

machine manufacturer Matisa

More than

138million different variationsare

possible with the EPIC® industrial connector.

Up to

13TONS

The weight of the heaviest cable drums in the LAPP warehouse.

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2 | CABLEWORLD #18.2019

FACTS | CONTENT | EDITORIAL

I enjoy driving, fl ying or getting on a train. Behind the wheel,

I’m totally fl exible. Air travel is essential for longer distances. And

on the train I can read, work or just relax – and avoid all the traffi c

jams. Demand for rail travel is on the increase, and not just in the industrialised countries of Europe

with their extensive transport infrastructure. The sector has

a particularly big future ingrowth regions.

For LAPP, railway technology is a sector where we can really

demonstrate our strengths. While others don’t start producing

until orders come in, we deliver right away. Even in tiny volumes and tailored to customer needs. We have 1.4 million metres of

railway cables constantly in stock. This means we can assist very

quickly. This issue tells you more about what happens to

these cables.

Yours sincerely,

Andreas LappChairman of the Board

SERVICE ON THE RAILS

06

24

NEWS

MORE ORANGE

News,

prod

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infor

mat

ion an

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tes

from

the L

APP

world

What’s that? We’re looking for

a creature at risk of extinction.

Enjoy working it out!

08STRONG RESULTS

In the completed 2017/2018

fi nancial year, LAPP continued

its growth and considerably

increased its turnover

22HELP AT THE

CLICK OF A MOUSE

The ÖLFLEX ® CONNECT CHAIN

confi gurator can be used

to design fully assembled

cable chains online

04BIG PICTURE

Cables from LAPP make

ocean-going yacht safer

CABLEWORLD #18.2019 | 3


WORLDWIDEBIG PICTURE

SAFETY ON A BIG VOYAGEThree weeks on the high seas are a real challenge – and can provide lots of lessons about life. The 17 metre Haspa is one of two yachts that the Hamburg Sailing Club (HVS) uses to train young people to be ocean sailors. They aim to minimise the number of technical surprises during their voyages on the North Sea and the Baltic. “Our yachts are high-tech ships with a great deal of safety-critical electrical and electronic equipment”, says skipper Wibke Borrmann. “We can only use the very best components.”

During the winter months, some of the cabling was replaced as part of general maintenance. As a result, three different ÖLFLEX® control cables from LAPP are now used. There are several reasons for this. All the cables are temperature resistant, as it often gets very hot below deck, and often frosty up on deck. In addition, the cables are halogen free, which means that in the event of a fire no corrosive vapours are released when extinguishing. And, of course, the cables are resistant to both fresh and salt water. Tin plating of the copper conductors over the entire length provides additional corrosion protection. So, set the sails, cast off and always sail close to the wind. Safely.


WORLDWIDE

It’s never too early to get young people excited about scientifi c subjects. There is a huge demand for new talent in STEM subjects – science, technology, engineering and mathematics. That is why LAPP was pleased to be part of the 5th Baden-Württemberg inventors’ and discovers’ day. The event, organised by the element-i educational foundation, saw 50 skilled trade and engineering companies, along with educational institutions and museums, open their doors to nursery and primary school children.

A total of 30 children from the element-i “Bundle of Energy” nursery and the ele-ment-i “In Step” primary school went on a journey of discovery at LAPP, where they got lots of hands-on experience with technology. “It’s never too early to

start getting young people interested in technology. That’s why we were keen to take part in the element-i initiative. And it’s hugely rewarding to see the children’s enjoyment and enthusiasm,” says Nicole Schmolke, Head of Human Resources at U.I. Lapp GmbH.

Three discovery stations were set up for the young boys and girls. Supported by LAPP apprentices, the young inventors made a kaleidoscope out of cardboard tubes, and found out how electricity is produced from renewable energy and how network technology works. They were amazed at how small parts get to the right place in the warehouse as if by magic. At the end, each child was given a LAPP discovery pass.

New impetus for sales: To help get LAPP ready to face the challenges of the future, Karl Heckl (Photo) has taken over respon-sibility for sales in Germany in the position of Execu-tive Vice President Germany. “With his huge international know-how, Karl Heckl will provide

us with crucial support as we continue to grow”, says Matthias Lapp, CEO of U.I. Lapp GmbH and CEO for the LA EMEA region.

11 to 13 June:Expo Pack 2019Packaging innovations and America’s top suppliersGuadalajara,Mexico

24 to 27 September:TRAKO 2019International railway trade fair Gdansk, Poland

All trade fair dates atwww.lappkabel.com/

fairs

LAPP explains to its young guests how networktechnology works

Tomorrow’s inventors on a journey of discovery

HANNOVER MESSE 2019

NEXT GENERATION

SALES

TRADE FAIRS 2019

The ÖLFLEX® CONNECT Chaincatalogue provides fi rst-hand energy chain expertise

www.lappkabel.com/oelfl exconnectchain

Andreas Lapp (third from left) with German and Indian guests

WINE FESTIVAL


NEWS

“LAPP is a successful illustration of how to integrate refugees into training programmes and provide intercultural dual training. LAPP is most certainly a role model in this regard.”

ÖLFLEX® DCIn future, energy distribution systems will make ever-increasing use of direct current. LAPP is the fi rst major manufacturer of connection systems to face up to these challenges. The result: a number of new ÖLFLEX® DC cables.

EPIC® POWER LS1 TwistPlug in, turn the housing a quarter turn to the right, done. With the EPIC®

POWER LS1 Twist, LAPP off ers an alternative to the circular quick-lock-ing connector systems that have previously only been available from a few manufacturers. LAPP has developed a robust and practical locking mechanism.

ÖLFLEX® SERVO FD 7TCE A single cable from the control cabinet or converter through the cable tray to the machine, even in a moving cable chain, for static, fl exible or highly fl exible applications: The ÖLFLEX® SERVO FD 7TCE has been specially developed for the North American market. The standards that apply there have previously made it necessary to use diff erent cables. With the new product, this is no longer required.

Chancellor Dr. Angela Merkel and Swedish Prime Minister,

Stefan Löfven, visited the LAPP stand at the Hannover Messe and

found out about the company’s latest digital developments,

including the Smart Cable Drum. The drum transmits the current

cable stock wirelessly to the cloud via a data portal.

Winfried Kretschmann (second from right), Baden-Württemberg Prime Minister

Ready for the DC Era

Handy and Robust

Angela MerkelVisits LAPP

PRODUCTS

HANNOVER MESSE 2019

EDUCATION

One Servo Motor Cable for Everything

Andreas Lapp (third from left) with German and Indian guests

WINE FESTIVAL

CulturalExchange

Workshops, dance and music performances, live cooking –

the15th “Stuttgart Meets Mumbai” wine festival thrilled the

2,000 guests. “Cultural exchange is something I’m really passionate

about”, said Andreas Lapp, LAPP CEO and Honorary Consul

of the Republic of India for Baden-Württemberg and Rhine-

land-Palatinate.

Welcome to Sweden. Representa-tives from LAPP and journalists from Germany visited industrial locations in Sweden, on a media tour to the Hannover Messe’s 2019 partner country. At the LAPP customer Modig in Virse-rum, the delegates found out how im-

portant connection solutions are

in the age of digitalisa-tion.

Välkommen till SverigeSWEDEN

Video of the visit: youtu.be/zDu4HqOoPbc

Photo: Modig CABLEWORLD #18.2019 | 7

After LAPP had achieved a turnover of

more than € one billion in the 2016/17 fi nancial year,

the completed 2017/18 year saw growth of a further

12.3 percent to € 1,153 million. The number of em-

ployees increased by just under 12.6 percent to 4,245.

Earnings before taxes increased by 5.6 percent to

€ 58.6 million. “We are fully on track and, thanks to

our Strategy 2020 initiative, have been able to achieve

above-average growth for several years”, confi rmed

Andreas Lapp, CEO of Lapp Holding AG. The largest

growth was recorded in Europe, particularly as a result

of acquisitions in Finland, Poland and Switzerland, as

well as strong demand in the fi elds of industrial data

communication (IDC) and ÖLFLEX® CONNECT (ready

to use cable systems).

Signifi cant increase in turnoverOn balance, the considerable increase in turnover

was only slightly aff ected by the increased cop-

per price and currency fl uctuations. “In relation to

turnover, acquisitions account for an increase of

around three percent. This confi rms last year’s im-

proved performance, with operational growth of

around nine percent,” emphasised Dr Ralf Zander,

Member of the Board, Finance and Controlling.

In the EMEA region (Europe, Middle East and Africa),

turnover increased by 15 percent to € 826 million.

Accounting for almost 72 percent of sales, EMEA is

LAPP’s most important market. Turnover in Germany

Higher turnover, more employees, successful investments. In the 2017/2018 fi nancial year, LAPP continued its growth course. Turnover and headcount both rose by more than twelve percent in the reporting period.

LAPP CONTINUES ONGROWTH COURSE

“We are right on course and thanksto our Strategy 2020,we are growingat a steady rate.”Andreas Lapp, Chairman of the Board of Lapp Holding AG

The number of employees

rose by just under

12.6percentto 4,245.

At all

18production

sitesLAPP improvedprocess stability and productivity.

The management team at LAPP is very satisfi ed

with the past fi nancial year (left to right): Alexander Lapp, Dr. Hilmar Döring,

Dr. Ralf Zander, Andreas Lapp and Georg Stawowy


WORLDWIDE2017/2018 FINANCIAL YEAR

Andreas Lapp, Chairman of the Board of LAPP Holding AG (standing) is expecting further growth

alone grew by nine percent to hit € 341 million. The

APAC region (Asia-Pacifi c including Australia and New

Zealand) increased its turnover by nine percent to just

under € 212 million. The Central and North America

region achieved an increase of 2.2 percent and hit €

106 million. Due to economic crises, sales revenue in

South America fell by 18 percent to € 8.2 million. The

2017/2018 fi nancial year was characterised by a solid

fi nancial performance. Earnings before interest, tax,

depreciation and amortisation (EBITDA) increased to

€ 89.6 million (+10.6 percent). Earnings before taxes

(EBT) were at € 58.6 million (+5.5 percent). Due to the

increased balance sheet total and external fi nancing

relating to acquisitions, the equity capital ratio fell

slightly to 48.9 percent (previous year: 53.9 percent),

but is still at a high level. Member of the Board, Fi-

nance and Controlling, Zander said: “Overall, LAPP’s

fi nancial performance remained extremely robust in

the last fi nancial year.”

Investments in the futureIn the last fi nancial year, LAPP increased its invest-

ments by 29 percent to € 31 million. Alongside the

ongoing global rollout of the SAP ECC 6.0 software,

investments were made in machines, plant and

logistics in the sales and manufacturing companies.

The focus was on expanding project business and

increased digitalisation, but also necessary invest-

ments due to acquisitions. For example, production

capacity was doubled at the Indian production plant

in Bhopal, and the warehouse capacity there was ex-

panded by 70 percent. A new warehouse was opened

in Satteldorf (close to Schwäbisch Hall) specially for

project orders.

Signifi cant increase in employees worldwideThe number of employees was increased in almost all

subsidiaries worldwide. Recruitment fi gures in the

EMEA region were above average, with an increase

of 16 percent. Additional employees also came from

acquisitions. A focus area for human resources was

in organisational development, particularly the is-

sues of digitalisation and process optimisation. “We

want to make LAPP a learning organisation where

our employees’ life-long learning and the organisa-

tion’s ongoing systematic development are closely

interlinked,” emphasised Dr Hilmar Döring, Member

of the Board for Human Resources. He added: “LAPP’s

success can only continue if we keep our focus on

people.” With this in mind, a global training initia-

tive was launched so that all employees can receive

training on automation and industrial data commu-

nications.

Promising outlookLAPP got off to another good start in the 2018/2019

fi nancial year. “Provided that the global economy

doesn’t suff er another major downturn, we are ex-

pecting further growth throughout the current fi nan-

cial year,” said Andreas Lapp. Signifi cant momentum

is expected in Asia-Pacifi c and Europe, especially in

automation and IDC.

Turnover in the EMEA region

rose by 15 percent to € 826 million

and accounts for

72percent

of sales, making it LAPP’s most

important market.

31millionEuros

were investedby LAPP in

innovations.

Business fi gures at a glance

2016/2017 fi nancial year

2017/2018 fi nancial year

Change

Total turnover in € million 1,026.8 1,153 + 12.3 %

Earnings before taxes in € million 55.5 58.6 + 5.5 %

Employeesworldwide 3,770 4,245 + 12.6 %

Equity capital ratioin percent 53.9 48.9 - 5


57

FOCUS RAILWAY TECHNOLOGY

60,000,000people travel by rail every day in Japan –

that’s more than anywhere else.

In Tangula (China) at an altitude of

5,068 METRES you will find the world’s highest railway station.

1st

RAILWAY LINE IN GERMANY opens between

Nuremberg and Fürth.

> 9 MILLION TONS

Total annual global rail production.

KILOMETRESLength of the Gotthard-Tunnel – currently the world’s longest railway tunnel.

At just 400 METRESin length, the rail network of the Vatican is the shortest in the world.

13.5 %INCLINE

on Line 28E of the tram network in Lisbon.

1804 Briton Richard Trevithick puts the world’s first steam locomotive into operation.

In

TRACKS THAT CONNECT

Graphic: Star Worbs Sources: Wikipedia (13), Hamburger Abendblatt, Statista, SBB Cargo Blog, FAZ

For more than 200 years, railways have done more than just connect countries. They cross borders and entire continents, bringing people and generations together, delivering goods to the whole world and even overcoming what seem to be insurmountable barriers. It’s a success story that is a long way from coming to an end.

07.12.1835

7,800 kmMoscow – Beijing"Tsar Gold"Cape Town – Dar Es Salaam 6,100 kmRovos Rail

9,288 kmMoscow – VladivostokTrans-Siberian Railway

124,000 kmChina85,513 kmRussia

43,468 km (6th place)Germany

293,564 kmUSA

SPEED RECORDS (monorail system)

MINUTESThe time it takes for the world’s longest train (the 7.3 kilometre BHP Iron Ore Train) to pass a crossing at a speed of 55 km/h.

603 km/h Shinkansen L0 (Japan)

581 km/h Maglev MLX1 (Japan)

517 km/h Maglev ML500 (Japan)

28 km/h

1,435MILLIMETRES

The standard gauge of European

railway lines.

THE LONGEST ROUTES

THE LONGEST RAIL NETWORKS

670 TONS – The average weight of a Series 4 ICE train.

The longest railway bridge in the world between Shanghai and Nanking in China.

Speed of the "Adler" (“Eagle”) and "Pfeil" (“Arrow”) – the first public railway services in Germany.

164.8 KILOMETRES

478 KILOMETRES The longest straight section of railway in the world through the Nullarbor Desert in Australia.

75 METRESunder water – The deepest section of the Eurotunnel between France and England.


Around 30 machines per year are precision tuned here in the final assembly building before delivery to the customer

Phot

os: M

atis

a



The plasma cutters get through a steel plate

several centimetres thick with all the precision of a Swiss

watch. The dazzling spot of light brightens up the slight-

ly dated industrial building. It moves along its computer

controlled path apparently effortlessly. An employee with

black protective goggles monitors the operation. After just

a few minutes, the plasma cutter has cut out a workpiece.

It resembles a bent human arm. It’s a relatively small part

but it will soon become part of something big in the adja-

cent frame production plant.

That might be a universal tamper, a track construction

train or a ballast regulator. High-tech in XL format. Where

exactly the workpiece will end up is precisely planned by

the engineers – in an office building 200 metres away as

the crow files. M-A-T-I-S-A can be seen in large black capi-

tal letters on the façade. The specialist in construction ma-

chinery for all aspects of laying and preparing tracks – the

full company name is Matériel Industriel S.A. – is based in

the Swiss town of Crissier. The site is just six kilometres

northwest of Lausanne, in an idyllic setting, surrounded

by craggy mountain peaks and with the sun reflecting

from the surface of Lake Geneva. Precision machines

“Quality, reliability,flexibility and know-howhave been our strengthsfor more than 70 years.”

Patrice Mesnage, Technical Purchasing Manager

PIONEERING TECHNOLOGY

Wherever tracks are laid, replaced or maintained, special machines from the Swiss company Matisa are used. A visit to the plant in Crissier reveals that LAPP cables provide the critical connections.Text: Thorsten Schönfeld


that have prepared the way for rail transport world-

wide and ensured its safety have been produced here

since 1945. “Quality, reliability, flexibility and know-

how have been our strengths for more than 70 years”,

says Technical Purchasing Manager Patrice Mesnage.

The 61-year old peers mischievously over the rim of

his glasses. The company has an unrivalled portfolio.

The third floor of the office building is the brain of the

whole operation. Mechanical, hydraulic and electrical

engineering teams come up with the ideas that will

later be made a reality in the production buildings.

The detailed work that this entails is illustrated by a

few figures. In a track construction train, for example,

a total of up to ten kilometres of cables are installed.

“There are also around 15,000 connections”, adds

Marc Vuillemier. As a result, according to the head of

electrical engineering development, this kind of pro-

ject can involve something approaching 500 hours of

Welding of the special designs requires experience



planning work. Particularly as diff erent

standards and regulations have to be com-

plied with for each machine, depending on

the country it will be used in.

Cables are crucially important as they are

used to control numerous concurrent pro-

cesses with perfect precision. “A track con-

struction train can lay 600 to 800 metres

of track per hour – accurate to the millime-

tre”, Mesnage explains. “The sleepers are

brought forward from the attached wagons

using a crane, where they are put in place

and the tracks are then laid on top of them.

This all happens as a continuous fl ow.” Which means

that the mechanics, hydraulics and sensors are con-

stantly communicating with one another. The cables

have to operate reliably and, on top of that, have to sat-

isfy specifi c requirements in terms of fi re protection

and ease of installation.

In the hall, next to the plasma cutter an employee is now

welding the workpiece into a steel frame, which is over

14 metres long and two metres high. It is lying on its

side, enabling the work to be performed ergonomically.

Sparks fl y. There’s a smell of burning. A fl ex screech-

es. There are no conveyor belts here and no robots.

Precision manual work and fl exibility are the order of

the day, as every machine is a one-off , adapted to the

customer’s specifi c requirements. “This welding work

demands a huge amount of experience.

There are not many specialists who can do

it”, says Mesnage, indicating a seam about

60 centimetres in length. Every seam has

to be perfect, as ultimately the fi nished

machine weighs around 80 tons. The hall

is around 50 metres long and currently

contains four frames. On average the time

from a contract being signed to delivery of

a fi nished machine is 18 months. Between

20 and 30 machines leave the plant every

year. Each one is unique, equipped with

the very latest technology and designed

for a service life of more than 30 years.

As a consequence, suppliers also have to guarantee to

maintain the availability of the products they install

for this period. “We depend on reliable partnerships”,

says Mesnage. That’s one of the reasons why Matisa

decided to collaborate with LAPP just over a year ago.

Another is fl exibility – in terms of both the company

and its products. The importance of the cables being

both robust and fl exible to use is demonstrated by the

wiring carried out in the electrical workshop and in

fi nal assembly.

Blaise Schopfer, the manager of the electrical work-

shop, shows how the cables are installed inside the

control cabinet and how each cabinet in the train is

connected. Although the machine itself is huge, when

it comes to the cables space is always at a premium.

All kinds of curves and corners have to be overcome. It

would be absolutely impossible with rigid cables. They

need to be as thin but also as powerful as possible,

whether they have a single or multiple cores. Accord-

ing to Schopfer, the wiring of a control cabinet alone

takes four to fi ve weeks.

While LAPP has been active in the railway sector in the

Asia Pacifi c (APAC) region for 14 years, the company

only ventured into the fi eld three years ago in Europe.

The Stuttgart-based experts have adapted two existing

products specifi cally for Matisa to cope with require-

ments in railway technology: the ÖLFLEX® Classic 110

HFS and 115 CHFS. As the abbreviations suggest, these

are halogen-free versions that comply with all fi re pro-

tection standards. Thanks to the thin-walled cable and

their fl exible cores, they can be installed easily, as

demonstrated.

Thefactory site covers

33,730square metres.

Matisa has a total of

8subsidiaries

around the world.

The company works with around 1000 suppliers.

“We depend ona reliable

partnershipwith suppliers.”

Patrice Mesnage

The precision plasma cutter

gets through the thickest steel


“Something else we really value about our collabora-

tion is the delivery terms. Because we produce custom-

ised machines, it is very common for modifi cations to

come up during production. This means we then have

to order subsequent cables at relatively short notice”,

Mesnage explains. Matisa purchases the products

from LAPP Volland, the Swiss LAPP subsidiary. Like

the company headquarters, they maintain a constant

stock of special cables.

This enables the cable manufacturer to not only deliv-

er quickly – if necessary within 48 hours – but also

with no minimum order quantity. This is crucial for

specialist companies that do not use large-scale series

production. As Thorsten Grünberg, Market Manager

Rolling Stock at LAPP, explains: “Cables are normal-

ly produced to order, so only after the customer has

actually ordered them. Every time a line is started up,

the fi rst 150 to 200 metres of cable cannot be used.” To

amortise the high setup costs and times, a manufactur-

er has to then produce a certain quantity. This results

in the high minimum order quantities that are normal

elsewhere in the industry.

Matisa itself also maintains a small intermediate ware-

house in an additional building. Drums containing var-

ious cables as a direct supply for production take up

an entire wall. This is also where the driver’s cabs for

the machines are pre-assembled. All in bright yellow.

Final assembly, in the building opposite, is where all

the parts fi nally come together to create the fi nished

product.

Employees screw things together, plug them in, con-

nect them, talk – and joke. Matisa emphasises the

importance of a good working atmosphere. Employee

turnover is very low. This is proved by the example of

two colleagues who recently retired after forty years

with the company. During this time, they have helped

create numerous Matisa innovations. At one end of

the building, a bright yellow prototype is waiting to be

completed: it’s a universal tamper with the code UC –

U for universal, C for continuous. While conventional

tampers have to keep stopping to compress the ballast

bed or correct the track geometry, a variable suspend-

ed tamper moving against the direction of travel allows

a continuous process to be achieved. As a result it runs

more quickly and cuts fuel consumption. The next gen-

eration in high-tech.

And the process of creating this Matisa machine start-

ed with a steel plate under the plasma cutter.

Electrical engineer Blaise Schopfer demonstrates the complex wiring of a train

A track construction train

can lay up to

800metres of track

per hour.

The trains weigh

80 tonsor more.

Matisa products have a service

life of more than

30 years.



Ballast regulators

A ballast cleaner lifts sleepers and rails to renew the ballast bed

Up to 500 metres long and with a wealth of high-tech equipment on board, they lay sleepers and rails on new lines in a continuous fl ow.

Track construction trains

If the track geometry requires correction, or the ballast has to be compressed, rail operators worldwide depend on Matisa tampers.

Universal tampers

For example, they are used for fi lling up sleeper bays, ploughing out surplus ballast and sweeping clean the tracks.

FOR BALLAST AND TRACK – IN ANY DIMENSIONSReliability and precision are the key features of Matisa products. No matter whether they are transport wagons for points, track inspection vehicles, ballast regulators, track renewal trains, track construction trains, tampers or ballast cleaners. In these steel giants, every detail is crucial.

The high-tech trains, for example, pick up the ballast stones, check their edges, sort out those that are blunt and then fill up the bed with fresh stones. When it comes to ballast, small differences can have a big impact. Only stones with fracture edges can interlock, which

creates a uniformly loadable and cushioning structure, providing a stable base for sleepers and rails.

The company’s most important products include plain line and universal tampers. Customers worldwide use them to correct the track geometry and compress the ballast.

The size comparison below shows examples from the diverse portfolio. You can find a complete overview at www.matisa.ch/en


Rail products “Made by LAPP” satisfy the stringent conditions for modern rail technology. Three train experts from LAPP explain where they are used and what they have to be able to do.

EXPERTISEON THE RAILS

Coupling

Braking system

Control cabinets

Driver’s desk

Drive motor

Braking systemTrain control

“An ever-increasing number ofcables have to fit in control cabinetsand cable ducts. The ÖLFLEX® TRAIN 301 TW can be installed easilyin small spaces thanks to itsexcellent flexibility.” Jürgen Beck, Product Manager ÖLFLEX®



Traction converter

Auxiliaryconverters

Passenger information system

Fans

Doors

Air conditioning

Lighting

Battery

WC

LAPP on trackYou can fi nd everything you need to know about connection solutions for railways on the following micro-site:

www.lappkabel.com/rollingstock

Contact personThorsten Grünberg, Market Manager Rolling Stock, has held various sales-based positions in railway technology over more than 20 years, including key account manager and director.

“A traction converter is a harshenvironment for cables withvoltages of up to several kilovolts and high temperatures. Our newÖLFLEX® TRAIN HT150 cross-linkedsilicon cable can withstand continuousconductor temperatures of up to 150 degrees Celsius.”Nils Albrecht, Market Manager Train, Germany

“ETHERLINE® TRAIN and UNITRONIC®

TRAIN cables from LAPP are the perfect solution for almost any data transmissiontasks for on board information.”Christian Illenseer, Product Management Automation

[email protected]


Mr Braun, do the railways in your Miniature Wonderland run on time? Gerrit Braun: Believe it or not, even we sometimes

experience delays or cancelled trains. Our technolo-

gy can go on strike too. The difference is that when

our trains don’t run, our visitors still have a great

time.

How do model railways differ from those in the real world? Mainly in terms of their size (laughs). Realism is

extremely important to us. We don’t want to lose our

sense of realism, but we do want to create a world of

wonder that all our visitors can lose themselves in.

Do you sometimes think back to the early days and have to pinch yourself when you see the queues at the entrance? Yes, our success story is like a dream. Early on,

my brother and I knew we wanted to set up our own

company – if we couldn’t be engine drivers. In 2001

Frederik called me and said: “Hey, Gerrit, I’ve got

an idea. Let’s build the world’s largest model railway.”

Initially, I was quite sceptical but then I started to

really come around to the notion. And with a two

million euro loan, we just went ahead and did it.

Behind your love of detail there’s an incredible amount of hard work and professional planning. How important is the quality of the products you use, for example all the cables?

As a child, Gerrit Braun always wanted to be an engine driver. Today, along with his twin brother he runs the world’s largest model railway. More than 1.4 million visitors flock to Miniature Wonderland in Hamburg every year. In our interview, the 51-year old reveals that his little world and the big one it’s based on actually have a lot in common.

“HEY, GERRIT, I’VE GOT AN IDEA!”

Around 1.4 million people visit us each year. Their

safety is the most important thing for us. That’s why

we make sure we only use quality products in all

areas, but particularly the cables. A cable fire can

start so quickly. We have more than 15 kilometres of

track, and we need cables with a cross-section of up

to ten square millimetres. If we didn’t use high-quality

materials, it would increase the risk.

What specific requirements do you have for cables? They’re similar to the real railway in many ways.

They have to insulate as well as being temperature

resistant, robust and flexible. We don’t use a 230

Volt power supply for our system. Pretty much all

cables are standard commercial products, includ-

ing the LAPP products we use. For example the

UNITRONIC® BUS CAN for communication between

the PC and control cards under the system and the

UNITRONIC® SENSOR for controlling the switches.

For many people, one of the attractions of building model railways is that you are never really finished. What are you currently building? We’re really moving forward. We are currently work-

ing on the famous Monaco racing circuit. When that’s

finished, our team will focus on the UK, which will

include an extension of our exhibition area in Speich-

erstadt. And at some stage we want to include France

and the Benelux countries. We’re never standing still.

Even if some of the trains don’t arrive on time …

21/12/1967Born in Hamburg

1994Owner and manager of the Voilà nightclub in Hamburg

2001Opens Hamburg Miniature Won-derland along with his identical twin brother Frederik and Stephan Hertz

2006Wins Entrepreneur of the Year award

2010Awarded the Ger-man Federal Cross of Merit

GerritBraun



square metresof models created

over 795,000hours of

construction.

trains running on

15,400 metres of track.

million euro in costs

to date to build Miniature

Wonderland.

Miniature Wonderland in Hamburg is open 365 days a year, at least from 9.30 am to 6.00 pm. Exact opening times and more information on tickets can be found online.

www.miniatur-wunderland.com

1,499

1,040

>21

Phot

os: M

inia

ture

Won

derla

nd

Living the dream: Founders Frederik (left) and Gerrit Braun


Three stepsto a fi nishedconfi guration

1. Select cablesMore than 1,000

connecting, control and data cables are available for moving

applications.

2. Confi gurechain

Choose from 2,000 cable chains to fi nd the one that best

meets your needs.

3. Specifylayout

Design the chain layout to suit your

application.

In future, three steps and a few clicks will be

enough. While confi guring cable chains was previous-

ly a complex task, it’s now child’s play. The ÖLFLEX®

CONNECT CHAIN confi gurator from LAPP provides

a convenient way for users to engineer a cable chain

online. The confi gurator automatically eliminates risks

of error and always fi nds the best solution. It’s an im-

portant addition to LAPP’s growing range of fi nished

products. System solutions developed by a single com-

pany are growing in popularity because they deliver

excellent quality and save time.

No more incorrect confi gurations, everThe ÖLFLEX® CONNECT CHAIN confi gurator guides

you step by step through the choice of cable chains,

cables and appropriate accessories. It makes sure that

components are compatible every step of the way, es-

pecially when it comes to the cables’ minimum bend

radius. The cable chain must not have a smaller bend

radius than the cables, otherwise malfunctions may

occur and the cables’ life cycle will be curtailed. If

this is the case, the confi gurator will display a warn-

ing message and suggest other types of cable chain.

Other criteria include the travel length, acceleration,

temperature behaviour and shielding. The confi gura-

tor automatically excludes cables that are not suitable

for the application. If required, it can position separa-

tors and shelves and makes sure that the weight of the

cables is evenly distributed in the cable chain. When

the confi guration is complete, the customer receives a

personalised quotation. They can decide whether they

want to purchase the cable chain fully assembled by

LAPP or as individual components, with the option of

having the cables pre-cut to the appropriate lengths. If

the customer opts for the former, all components are

guaranteed to be in perfect working order and the fully

assembled chain will undergo extensive testing before

it is shipped.

Top-notch quality everywhere and every timeAs well as custom cable assemblies LAPP supplies ser-

vo assemblies for connection of servo drives in com-

pliance with leading manufacturers’ standards and

ready-to-install power chain systems. System solutions

are available worldwide and always off er the same

premium quality. Alongside the competence centre in

Stuttgart, the company has two other competence cen-

tres in the USA and Singapore, as well as a global net-

work of production sites for ÖLFLEX® CONNECT and

other products. No matter where in the world items are

produced, LAPP customers benefi t from short delivery

times and proximity to genuine experts.

The ÖLFLEX® CONNECT CHAIN confi gurator enables fully assembled cable

chains to be created easily online and eliminates sources of errors.

OPTIMUM CONFIGURATION

AT THE CLICK OF A MOUSE

The ÖLFLEX® CONNECT CHAIN confi gurator on the Internet https://chainconfi gurator.lappgroup.com

WORLDWIDE


PRODUCTS AND TECHNOLOGY

HIGHEST RAILWAY

Cables on demand: LAPP always has around 1.4 million metres of railway cables in stock.

Illus

trat

ion:

Jens

Bös

che


WORLDWIDE

POPULAR HEROThe orange is pretty hard to miss. And yet the vertical stripes have precisely the opposite effect. They help this little cinema hero to hide from enemies. Because he secretes a slime on his skin, he is protected from the poison of sea anemones, which allows him to hide among them. So predators go away with nothing. This creature, which lives in the Indian and Pacific Oceans and is threatened with extinction, can live for up to ten years. More than 30 different types live in the oceans and only a few of them are orange. But the type in question obviously makes us laugh – as its name suggests. What creature are we talking about? You will find the solution at www.lappkabel.com/moreorange Ph

oto:

shu

tter

stoc

k

MORE ORANGE

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