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Siemens Ki DunyaNews & Views of Siemens Pakistan Issue: Q1/2012-13 (Oct - Dec)
Smart Grid is an upcoming concept which requires dramatic transformation of power grids in the country. In the last 20 years our lives and consumption patterns have changed drastically, so is the power generation mix, integration of renewable generation with the grid and emphasis on energy optimization concepts to cater to ever changing scenario of supply and demand. All these factors are forcing to move towards more sustainable, informative and communicative power grids. Keeping in view this pressing demand of transformation of grids and relatively new technology in the market, Siemens Pakistan has taken various initiatives for information and know how sharing with Pakistan’s power sector engineers.
One of the recent examples is the Annual Protection Training Seminar which emphasized not only on the installed infrastructure of the protection systems but also envisioned a road map to transform them to smarter systems. These seminar were arranged in Lahore and Karachi in September 2012 and were attended by a large number of practicing engineers, managers and technologists from every segment of industry and utilities. It served as a melting pot of engineering knowledge and technical expertise.
The Seminar was officially opened by the Siemens I&C Sector Management which was followed by a brief introduction of every participant. M/s FFC, HUBCO, PARCO, KAPCO, Nestle, Bestway Cement, Olympia Chemicals, Byco and Engro Power Gen were among the notable clients. Ms. Ulrike Sachs – Senior Product Manager of PSS® SINCAL software from Siemens AG had specially flown to Pakistan to attend these seminars. An introductory session was held on Protection Technology
which included an over view of the history and development of “Electrical Power System Protections”. It was described in detail how protection systems evolved from huge and bulky electromechanical relays to slimmer, faster, reliable and more efficient state of the art microprocessor based numerical relays. Various concepts, good practices and techniques on protection setting calculation were also discussed.
The next session was on Network Consulting which thoroughly discussed the needs and importance of Network Planning and System Studies for industries and utilities. It was highlighted that the harmful effects and extent of damage arising out of system anomalies and faults can be predicted and catered for during the design phase of the projects through the use of modern power system simulators like PSS® SINCAL (Power System Simulator® Siemens Network Calculation software) . The network analysis task starts with collection of raw data followed by software based modeling of the network and it culminates into more useful information like fault current levels, power flows, harmonic distortions, identification of non selectiveness in protection settings etc. The outcome of these studies is a properly planned network which assures the safe and reliable operation of not only the power network itself but also the safety of the human operators from dangers like Arc Flash Hazards. The second day of Seminar was enlightened by lively and interactive session on Transformer Life Management. Proper Transformer Life Management can ensure a smooth and life long operation of transformers which is very crucial in the context of overall plant reliability. Dissolved Gas Analysis was also described which was followed by a very interesting and
informative documentary of Manufacturing and Testing of various electrical equipments. It was widely appreciated by every participant. Later in the afternoon, lectures on Motor Protection, Transformer Protections and fault level calculations were delivered.
The 3rd day described Procedures and Techniques of maintenance and troubleshooting of Medium Voltage Switchgears. After the presentation a practical demonstration on Siemens numerical protection devices was given in which the participants were also given a hands on orientation over these relays. Finally a brief, informative and thought provoking session was delivered on Smart Grids. The buzzword “Smart Grid” was demystified by explaining that Smart Grid is in actual a thinking Grid which uses communications infrastructure to gather information and act according to the behaviors of suppliers and consumers, in an automated fashion. Smart Grid technology by Siemens will pave way to improve the economics, reliability and sustainability of the generation and distribution of electricity in Pakistan. The 3 days program concluded with the certificate awarding ceremony and a group photo of the speakers and the participants.
All in all, the seminar was a good experience. It helped to strengthen the Siemens-Industry bond. The participants freely shared their experiences with a wide variety of Siemens products. In the feedback session the participants suggested ideas for further improvement in the program and requested Siemens to conduct specialized trainings on specific topics in system protection.
Successful 3 Day Smart Grid Seminars in Karachi and Lahore
Muhammad Salman Tariq. SG
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CEO Siemens Pakistan Mr.Guenter Zwickl was honored by the 21st Century business and economic club Karachi on assuming his position at Siemens Pakistan. An impressive ceremony was held at a local hotel attended by diplomats, top businessmen, government figures and elite of the city. Three other chief executives from IBM Pakistan, Engro Fertilizer and Sui Southern Gas were also felicitated on the occasion. Here are some pictorial glimpses of the occasion.
Siemens Pakistan Transformer Division received substantial orders during the month of December 2012 due to the efforts of its dedicated sales team. The total amount is PKR 808 million.
The encouraging sign is that the orders received are from various diversified sales channels and valued customers. The major contribution in these orders has come from various Distribution Companies in Pakistan
encompassing both the regional sales of North and South of Pakistan. Efforts in the private sector have also produced good results and Siemens managed to get the orders of Power and Distribution trafos
also from private sector industrial customers. This effort was also admirably supported by our Siemens internal customers and they have also managed to get orders for various Grid stations and from the private customers.
CEO honored by 21st Century Club
Siemens receives substantial orders in Transformers
Syed Abdul Aziz of field services energy sector fossil power generation division was awarded a gold medal during the convocation at Dadabhoy Institute of higher education for securing the highest marks in Faculty of Science and Engineering. Mr. Aziz completed his four years B-Tech Honors in
Mechanical Engineering. The gold medal was presented by the chief guest Chaudhry Pervez Elahi Deputy Prime Minister of Pakistan. Also present was Dr.Ata ur Rahman (Former chairman of HEC and former federal minister of education.
Syed Abdul Aziz of FS awarded gold medal
At the convocation at Dadabhoy Institute of higher education the Chief Guest Chaudhry Pervez Elahi Deputy Prime Minister of Pakistan presenting gold medal to Mr.Abdul Aziz Of Siemens. Also present Dr.Ata ur Rahman (Former chairman of HEC and former federal minister of education and faculty of the institute.
808m rupees worth of orders received in december
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Siemens participates in
Germany on the RoadSiemens Pakistan participated in “Germany on the Road” in Karachi, an exhibition showcasing and promoting German products, companies and activities in major cities in Pakistan. The German Embassy and the Consulate General in Karachi served as patron and coordinator of the exhibition in Karachi. The Siemens stall at the Karachi exhibition attracted a lot of visitors including customers, diplomats and well known business and social figures of the city.
Every division and its solutions for Pakistan were well depicted in the colorful panels and Siemens team members were on hand to answer questions. The team was also greatly motivated by the presence of the CEO MR. Guenter Zwickl who spent considerable time at the Siemens booth meeting customers.
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It was a frank and free discussion between our new CEO Mr. Guenter Zwickl and the 40 odd employees from different divisions and corporate who were invited to this “Meet the CEO session” to talk about problems, suggestions and solutions. In the very beginning the CEO told the participants that they can be open, frank and ask anything under the sun that will help them get a better understanding of the situation and carry out their duties more efficiently and in a more productive manner.
In his opening statement Mr. Zwickl urged the employees to be consistent and responsible and there should be no surprises from them as they are running the business and know best what figures will be achieved.
His core message was “No Surprises”. There will be a reality check every month of the figures and everyone from division head down to the individual employee will be held accountable. This he said is a huge responsibility.
Mr. Zwickl urged the employees not to sit on past laurels but to look and work for the future. Past achievements he said are good but what matters now is our performance today & tomorrow. “I am here” he said “to take this company to its well deserved place in the market in Pakistan and I am counting on all of you to give your best and get into the Step up Mode to get there”. He said that he knows about the problems faced in the past the politics and other stumbling blocks but all that is now in the past and everyone should ensure we have a business oriented environment free of internal politics.
Mr. Zwickl’s message was loud and clear. Forget the past, look towards the future and concentrate on your job. Siemens is here to stay and even though there might be some realignment and redirecting the company itself will continue and grow. He said the future is in your hands and I am confident you will not let me or the company down. He emphasized the importance of profitable business and assured the participants that all policies and procedures are being revisited to make them clearer, transparent and business friendly.
Meet the CEO
”Do not sit on past laurels… what matters now is our performance
today & tomorrow. Guenter Zwickl
Issue: Q1/2012-13 (Oct - Dec) Siemens Ki Dunya Page- 5
An interesting Q & A session followed which due to the enthusiasm of the participants lasted for nearly two hours and every participant had a chance to ask a question. Here are some questions and answers:
Session Two
What is being done to mitigate the motivational level of employees?
There should be no doubt that Siemens is here to stay. I can assure you of that. We are not closing down but that does not mean that we will not visit every division and sector and take action where there is a problem. Bad news is only for those who do not perform. The only way to make a place in this organization is performance. No free rides for any one. If our business improves everyone will benefit.
There has been reduction of personnel and every time we ask for replacements it takes a long time.
We reduce here but hire there, as business needs it. Only recently we have advertised for project managers but at the same time we must remember that number of people depend on size of business so the secret is to run after business and increase your profitability. If you have the business we will provide the resources.
Do you have any plans to reduce common costs, particularly SGA COSTS?
We are working on reducing our overhead costs substantially in many areas. One example, in my initial rounds I observed that buildings were half filled or whole floors were nearly empty but air-conditioning etc was running full speed everywhere. We are going to put a stop to that. Right now there is space consolidation work going on. Instead of 4 buildings we will only use two or three. Offices are being shifted and empty buildings will save us major costs in energy. This saving will be reflected in future.
Another session with 40 more employees was held recently. Again it was a frank and open discussion and participants were encouraged by the CEO to openly discuss their problems and give suggestions for improvement. This was a very interactive session and in the end the participants whole heartedly supported the idea of such interactions and expressed their desire for more such sessions in the future.
In the two hour session the CEO answering a number of questions again emphasized that Siemens in Pakistan will stay and grow. He said he is confident that the company will again become profitable at the end of next year. He informed the participants of changes in policies and procedures to make them more business friendly but always within the compliance guidelines. He pointed out the opportunity areas for Siemens in Pakistan and was of the opinion that there is a great potential in the country which needs to be availed through quick responses and customer centric activities. He said he is always available to visit customers and he has already visited customers to sort out some problems. He advised the group to work hard and concentrate on their business as their future and the future of the company depended upon their performance. He said let us forget the past and concentrate on the future.
To a suggestion the CEO committed to the audience that if the company achieved its targets for this fiscal the popular “Family Day” for employees and their families will be held as before.
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In fiscal year 2012, Siemens increased the number of patents it holds by seven percent to a total of 57,300. Initial patent applications also increased by seven percent. At 8,900, the number of invention applications reached a new all time high. That translates to 41 invention applications per workday.
A major contribution to this figure was made by 12 particularly successful researchers and developers, whom Siemens CEO Peter Löscher honored as “Inventors of the Year 2012“ at a ceremony in Munich on December 13. Over the years, these 12 colleagues have amassed 613
invention applications and been awarded 734 patents. Of the total number of Siemens‘ patents, 20,200 are “green“ patents - in other words intellectual property rights associated with the Environmental Portfolio.
The products and solutions that make up this portfolio are especially energy efficient, use renewable energy sources
or relate to environmental technologies. In fiscal year 2012, Environmental Portfolio sales grew by ten percent to a total of €33.2 billion - that‘s faster than Siemens‘ overall growth rate.
Siemens‘ patents up by seven percent
Amna Suhail Qureshi daughter of Dr. Suhail Qureshi Manager Projects Healthcare sector bagged four As in Chemistry, Physics, Biology and Mathematics in her GCSE A level examination Having both Biology and Mathematics in A Levels is rare and an A in both subjects is extra ordinary feat. Readers will remember her from the first family day in Lahore where she also topped the debating competition.
The editor and staff of SKD congratulate Amna and her proud parents and wish her many more achievements in the future.
Haj leave draw was held at the head office. There were ten applicants. The following were the lucky winners :
Among those present for the draw were Mr. Zia Ul Islam Zuberi CC Mr. Mohammad Arslan HR Mr. Rashid Iftikhar HR Mr. Zaman Najmi RCO
Amna Qureshi bags 4 straight As in A level
Haj Leave Draw Held
Mr. Aijaz Saleem assumed responsibility as acting Head of Business Unit, Transformers with effect from November 5, 2012.
Aijaz Saleem Muhammad Hunain
Mr. Muhammad Hunain in addition to his responsibilities assumed responsibility as BA Head SRE and IT Department with effect from October 1, 2012.
Management Responsibilities
10% increase of Siemens
Environmental portfolio sales
Danish Noorani RCO office
Mohammad Shoaib CS Division
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Siemens Inventors of the Year 2012Michael E. Casey
As physicians strive for earlier
and more accurate detection
of neurological disorders,
cardiovascular disease and cancers,
positron emission tomography/
computed tomography (PE
T/CT) molecular imaging
innovations play an essential
role in revealing the complete
picture of the disease. Unlike
conventional anatomic medical
imaging, PET/CT enables physicians
to visualize biological processes at the cellular level, where disease
begins. The widespread availability of PET/CT technology has led to the
significant growth and acceptance of molecular imaging over the past
several years, according to Michael Casey a developer of PET devices.
Casey has helped to create numerous inventions relating to PET/CT,
many of which have accelerated patient scan times and improved
image quality—contributing to enhanced patient care. Casey works
at Siemens Healthcare in Tennessee, U.S.
Peder Bay EnevoldsenWhat do dinosaur tails have
to do with the rotor blades of
wind turbines? It‘s very simple:
Serrations on the trailing edges
of rotor blades reduce noise and
increase wind turbine efficiency
— and the jagged edges make
the blades look a little like
dinosaur tails. These serrations
are only one of the inventions
for optimizing wind turbines
devised by Peder Bay Enevoldsen, . The teeth are either manufactured
as an integral part of the rotor blade or can be retrofitted using glue
to improve older blades‘ performance. They can increase the energy
output by up to four percent per year. Enevoldsen works for Siemens
Wind Power in Brande/Denmark.
Hans-Joachim Felkl Stainless steel is a valuable
material. However, a relatively
large amount of scrap is generated
during production. This is
because the metal produced
is no longer of equal thickness
when worn-out work rolls have
to be replaced with new ones.
Hans-Joachim Felkl, 58, has
developed a new process for
replacing rolls that is easier on
the material. A cold rolling mill equipped to carry out the new process
can achieve an increase of at least seven percent in throughput. Felkl,
who specializes in control technology for rolling mills, works for the
Industry sector in Erlangen.
Manfred Fuchs -Scintillators play an important
role in modern X-ray machines.
They contain chemical substances
that convert X-rays into visible
light and thus make it possible to
portray an image on an electronic
display. Manfred Fuchs, 55,
from Erlangen/Germany has
long specialized in developing
Phosphorus coatings for X-ray
detectors and improving them so
that patients are exposed to less
radiation. Fuchs works for Siemens Healthcare in Erlangen.
Dr. Bogdan Georgescu Minimally invasive surgical methods make operations much more comfortable
for heart patients. Princeton researcher Dr. Bogdan Georgescu is working
to improve state-of-the-art imaging processes that make such operations
possible. Thanks to Georgescu‘s inventions, Siemens is now one of the
first companies in the world to
offer medical imaging systems
that automatically produce 3D
computer models of patients‘
hearts. The new algorithms used
here can also simulate blood flow
as a fourth-dimension feature,
which enables physicians to
better align treatment methods
with the needs of individual
patients. A native of Romania,
Georgescu now works at Siemens Corporate Technology in Princeton, U.S.
Philippe Leray One of Philippe Leray‘s inventions
has helped make it possible for
high-speed trains to roll along the
rails at up to 400 kilometers per
hour. Leray, a French engineer, has
improved the retensioners that
keep the overhead conductors of
railroad tracks taut. As a result,
the conductors continue to
operate reliably at high train
speeds. The improved design
of the retensioners also ensures
that if a conductor breaks the retensioner will remain undamaged.
Railroad operation can therefore quickly be resumed. Leray, who moved
to Germany directly after his graduation, works in the Infrastructure
& Cities Sector in Erlangen.
Karen Lontka When fire breaks out in a building,
lives are at risk. Particularly in
high-rise office blocks, it is vital
that fire alarm systems are 100
percent reliable, even in the
event of a power failure. Karen
Lontka has invented a special
electrical circuit which ensures
that the voltage available to
a fire alarm system is always
adequate — even in the event
of a blackout, when the alarm
system is powered by a battery. Lontka works in the Infrastructure &
Cities Sector in Florham, New Jersey, U.S. Her new circuit is already in
use in the fire alarm systems produced by Siemens in the U.S.
Manuela Lüftl When it comes to controlling
motors in automation technology,
one device is irreplaceable: the
contactor. In Siemens‘ Industry
Sector, the engineer Manuela
Lüftl specializes in developing
contactors for a wide range of
output classes. After managing
a development department in
India for two years, Lüftl recently
returned to the plant in Amberg,
Germany. Her invention, which
involves a special quenching plate arrangement in the arc chamber, is
an important innovation. The plates extinguish the arc that is created
when a contactor is switched at high outputs. Applications for the new
generation of contactors that Lüftl helped to develop include motors
used in the automotive, steel, and machine construction industries.
Toni Schiffers Many innovations for rail
vehicles aim to reduce
energy consumption
in order to make mass
transportation systems
less costly and more
environmentally friendly.
This is also the objective
that Toni Schiffers pursues
by means of his inventions.
A brake specialist by trade, Schiffers has developed a self-energizing
hydraulic brake system for rail vehicles. The brake system not only
saves a lot of weight but also sets the required braking energy with
great precision. The first trials are scheduled to take place in early
2014. Schiffers developed a non-self-energizing system for these
trials to simplify the safety approval procedures — and with good
reason. The approval processes for rail vehicle safety are becoming
increasingly complex, especially when new technologies are being
introduced. Schiffers works at the Infrastructure & Cities Sector in
Erlangen, Germany.
Erich Schmid Nowadays, power plants need
to operate flexibly. Whereas a
constant electrical output was
the norm in the past, production
at today‘s conventional plants
needs to fluctuate because of
the increasing use of energy
from renewable sources. Erich
Schmid had developed a whole
range of operating processes
that quickly increase electricity
production in combined cycle
power plants and maintain this higher production level for a specific
period of time. The resulting rapid increase in electricity production
is especially important in what is known as the frequency stability
mode. Here, sudden differences between the required and the actual
amount of electricity generated are balanced. Such differences can lead
to changes in the line frequency. In the worst case, the discrepancies
can cause the grid to break down completely. For this reason, network
operators purchase reserve output from electricity producers. Any power
plant that is required to provide reserve output must be able to deliver.
Dr. Wolf-Stephan Wilke Every one of Germany‘s 82 letter
sorting centers uses sorting
machines that work according to
a principle invented by Dr. Wolf-
Stephan Wilke. These large-letter
sorting machines use a special
arrangement of pocket carousels
that move above the containers
into which the letters are sorted.
Thanks to this arrangement, the
letter throughput is dramatically
increased without the need for
more space. These modern sorting systems have also attracted attention
from postal services outside Germany. Wilke works at the Infrastructure
& Cities Sector in Konstanz, Germany.
Dr. Xiang Sean Zhou Dr. Sean Zhou, 42, specializes
in computer vision and data
mining for medical imaging
applications. Zhou, an inventor
from Siemens Healthcare in
Malvern, Pennsylvania, in the
U.S., has developed imaging
system software that employs
statistical methods to identify
anatomical landmarks and
structures—e.g., precisely
defined points in a patient‘s
body. This innovation is intended to make Siemens medical imaging
scanners smarter, quicker, more precise, and more consistent. The
technology can also be employed to improve the analysis and comparison
of medical images for radiologists at the reading time. Zhou was born
in the Chinese province of Hubei and attended Tsinghua University, a
top University in China.
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