Professional Documents
Culture Documents
Issue 2012
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Audi
Audi Encounter
Contents
42
CO-neutrality
Within the foreseeable future,
the Audi Ingolstadt site will be CO-neutral.
Friends of nature:
Audi employees taking a personal
interest in nature.
94 Densely Populated
Bacteria clean water, batteries
live longer environmental protection
at the Brussels plant.
14 Mission Possible
Audis steps along the way
to CO-neutral vehicle production.
22 Team Players
Employee commitment
is the guarantee for maximum
production efficiency.
104 Underground
Preventative measures
geologists examine the ground
beneath the Neckarsulm plant.
110 Recuperation
Loss turns to gain the use
of recuperation in Neckarsulm.
130 Green IT
Sustainable and efficient
the new Computer Center at the
Ingolstadt factory.
132 Greenovation
Audi is developing environment
technologies in close cooperation with
universities.
26 Passion!
Passionate about the environment.
Audi employees and their very
personal commitment to nature.
30 N 60
A new, highly efficient facility for the
new, highly efficient Audi A3.
42 Energy Conservation
Resource conservation in architecture
and in vehicle production.
50 Magazine
Creativity in the service of the
environment sustainability news from
around the world.
110
54 Tail Wind
Audi uses wind energy as a basis for the
CO-neutral mobility of the future.
74 Plan A
The holistic approach to planning
the factory in Gyr.
30
N 60:
The new bodyshell production
facility for the new Audi A3.
90 A Clear Case
Using service water in a
closed circuit conserves the precious
resource of water.
Saving water:
Audi uses service water
in a closed circuit.
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82 2nd life
The reconditioning of used ancillaries
saves resources and material.
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146 Glossary
Brief explanations of the terms used
in this document.
166 Imprint
It is the future that lays down the law for our today. This
quote by Friedrich Nietzsche can also be applied to our present time.
Raw materials are finite; the price of energy is rising and, not least,
climate change has to be stopped. For us as a company, this means
that we have to establish today how we want to exist sustainably.
At Audi, we want to ensure a future worth living for our
employees and for our customers, as well as for future generations.
And we believe that success cannot be measured in financial figures
alone for us, success is expressed in many ways. Among the most
important is ecological responsibility. This is something that we
live and breathe every day at Audi not because we have to, but
because we believe it is the right thing to do. We are not waiting for
pressure from without. The best ideas at Audi come from within. We
are proud of our pioneering spirit that has made our company what
it is today and that continues to drive us. Vorsprung durch Technik
therefore also stands behind our environmental commitment.
We have made a promise to the future with the conscious use of raw materials and energy, we are moving step-by-step
toward the CO-neutral factory, because the mobility of the future
has to be CO-neutral. That means not just the drives for our cars,
but also their production.
It will always take energy to produce cars. But we will
derive this energy in an ecological way. To achieve this, we are following new paths in many areas of our company, researching new
technologies and constantly looking beyond our horizons. At our
Ingolstadt plant, we were the first to implement a Combined Heat
Power and Cold facility back in 1999. District heating and heat recovery systems are further examples of clean production.
At all of our factories, people are working every day to
achieve our goal of CO-neutral mobility because ecological responsibility is not a matter for one person. We must all take it seriously we must all understand, live and breathe environmental
protection. Whether we use bacteria in Brussels to clean waste
water, or recuperation in our production; whether we bring our cars
to the container port with the green train or breathe new life into
used ancillary units; whether our employees restore rivers in their
spare time we are sticking resolutely to our path. With ideas that
may sometimes be a little different but thats how we are at Audi.
Allow yourself to be surprised by all these ideas.
Happy reading!
CO-neutral
The generation and use of renewable energy is one of the
prerequisites of a CO-neutral site. The innovative photovoltaic installation on the roof
of bodyshell manufacturing for the new A3 generates around 460,000 kilowatt
hours of renewable electricity every year.
250
The efficient solar modules avoid around 250 tonnes of carbon dioxide
emissions and contribute to making Ingolstadt a CO-neutral site.
page 14
Standby
Even the most efficient production equipment needs a break.
However, it shouldnt just be on standby, but switched off completely.
A3 bodyshell manufacturing is equipped with an intelligent switch-off concept that
reduces energy consumption during downtimes.
80
Intelligent weekend shut-down reduces the standby electricity consumption
of equipment in building N 60 by up to 80 percent.
page 30
Thought through
The use of innovative, resource-conserving technologies like hot
forming in Audi production is the result of carefully thought through planning.
Production and Works Planning at Audi takes a holistic approach. Ergonomics, efficiency
and resource conservation take front and center.
1,300
There is a lot to do between virtual model and start-of-production
1,300 people work in Audi Production and Works Planning.
page 74
Building the future
Sustainability and resource conservation play just as big a role
for buildings as they do for building cars. The efficient use of energy is what distinguishes
CO-neutral buildings and the CO-neutral site.
17,200
The use of the Combined Heat Power and Cold plant alone
reduces CO emissions from the Ingolstadt plant by 17,200 tonnes per year.
page 42
Mission
possible
CO-neutral plant
At Audi, CO-neutral mobility starts at the factory.
In the forseeable future, Audi will declare the Ingolstadt site CO-neutral.
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5,000
36,000
17,200
12,000
Text
Patricia Piekenbrock
x1983x
Illustrations
Bro Achter April
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x1992x
x1999x
x2004x
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16,000
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250
The Ingolstadt paint shop is also operated in accordance with the principle recover heat instead of generating it.
Rotating air-to-air heat exchangers* are used throughout. They are
enormously efficient they can recover 60 percent of the heat contained in discharge air. This is worthwhile because the plants paint
shop moves a volume of around 4.5 million cubic meters of air per
hour through the paint booths alone. This equates to the space in
Munichs Allianz Arena. In 2011, Audi replaced the existing 34 rota
ting air-to-air heat exchangers with new, more efficient rotating heat
exchangers. At the Ingolstadt plant alone, this avoids more than
16,000 tonnes of CO per year and 80,000 MWh of energy the
annual heating requirement of around 7,400 single family homes
Alongside these large-scale projects, Peter Kssler also
directs his attention toward the smaller, sometimes rather inconspicuous measures. We take the entire issue very seriously even
when it involves additional cost. All workers, be they in production,
maintenance or planning, are urged to think about energy efficiency in their personal working environments. And many heads
have many ideas.
The engineers at the Ingolstadt press shop were able
to make a 66 percent energy saving by moving from hydraulic to
mechanical presses. Together with a shorter stopping time for the
motors driving the presses, they avoid 50 tonnes of carbon dioxide
per year. Thanks to innovative, electrically powered welding heads,
plant technicians in bodyshell manufacturing for the new Audi A3
have managed to dispense with the energy-intensive compressed
air network.
Peter Ksslers efficiency parade continues new diode
lasers* and the latest battery chargers also save power, while efficient logistics avoid unnecessary journeys in all production areas.
And, last but not least, the behavior of every single worker makes
a contribution even when it is just a matter of switching off lights
in the common room when the break is over.
Obviously, a lot of things have been tested and some
things discarded. We examine very closely where it makes sense
to implement innovative and energy-saving technologies, stresses Kssler. The parameters for using photovoltaic panels on the
roofs of parking garages and production halls were also examined
in detail. Only solar modules optimized for recycling are permitted
on Audi roofs. In fact, in cooperation with external partners, Audi
is testing several new kinds of modules in respect of their efficiency, maintenance requirement and durability. The results provide
important information for the further development of solar modules. An innovative photovoltaic installation with particularly energy-efficient modules is currently on the roof of the hall where the
new A3 bodyshell is built. Every year, they generate around 460,000
kilowatt hours of renewable electricity and avoid approximately
250 tonnes of carbon dioxide emissions.
x2011x
x2011x
x2011x
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290,000
123,000
4,000
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x2012x
xSwitch to eco-electricityx
xFuture objectivex
xFuture objectivex
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People in production
Resource conservation and environmental protection
is a priority for Audi. However, this is only possible through the dedicated involvement
of all employees. One example the Ingolstadt plant.
Team Players
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Text
Patricia Piekenbrock
Photos
Stefan Warter
582,000 kWh
24,000 kWh
1,400,000 kWh
Tobias Braunstein, Press Shop
Magnetic idea:
Tobias Braunstein, a tool mechanic in the press shop, is protecting the environment with the help of powerful
magnets. In the deep drawing process*, metal blanks are given their future component form sheet by sheet.
In order to release one sheet of metal safely from the stack and lay it automatically into the press, the equipment
worked with magnets and compressed air. However, we dont need the compressed air anymore, explains
Braunstein proudly. New, more powerful magnets are now handling the job without additional assistance.
We are saving around 1.4 million kilowatt hours of energy per year.
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Passion!
Passionate about the environment
Audi employees also take a private interest in nature often with
considerable dedication. They demonstrate their commitment
by taking care of animals or bodies of water or by participating in environmental
organizations or societies. We bring you seven examples.
Text
Luise Niemsch
Photos
Stefan Warter
Restoring a stream
The Schefflenz snakes and babbles its way around green
islands. Wild ducks sun themselves. Shoals of fish cavort in the clear water, while gray herons wade through
the reeds at the bank an idyll for which Martin Frch
fought very hard.
Two years ago, bulldozers advanced to
straighten the stream near Allfeld, north of Neckar
sulm, for a flood protection project. However, because
the construction work would have destroyed the natural habitat of many stream residents, Audi employee
Frch began campaigning to protect and restore the
stream. Shortly before construction started he was able
to recover the fish from the affected area and bring
them to another part of the stream that would not be
impacted by the work.
It is also thanks to Frchs initiative that the
reconstruction of the stream was designed more sustainably than had originally been planned. For instance,
islands were integrated into the river to serve as breeding grounds for ducks and other birds. Rocks in the
stream offer sanctuary for fish, and they can lay their
eggs in the coarse gravel. My aim is to return the stream
to its original state and to fill it with sustainable life,
says Frch summing up his concerns.
Together with the Allfeld angling communi
ty, Frch is also taking care of the streams husbandry.
For the amateur anglers this means clearing the banks,
disposing of debris and looking after the tree population. In order to secure fish populations in the Scheff
lenz on a sustainably basis, Frch is now planning a
so-called breeding box project, which involves removing
and then incubating fertilized trout eggs.
Martin Frch the amateur angler is actively
involved in restoring a stream.
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Passion!
Passionate about the environment
Beekeepers
Close to Audis Ingolstadt plant, right behind the Tech
nical Development building, a great deal is going on.
Theres a humming and buzzing in the air. When its time
for take-off, the sky turns dark and the air heaves. No
wonder, this area is now home to half a million honey
bees. The masters of the bees are Andreas Kopp and Mi
chael Wansner. In a joint project with the Audi Environ
ment Foundation, the two beekeepers have installed
eight beehives in the Max-Emanuel Park in Ingolstadt
and converted the area into a small bee paradise.
Recent years have seen the depletion of bee
populations become an increasing problem this coincided with a reduction in the number of beekeepers that
could take care of them. It was this that inspired Kopp
and Wansner to become involved. They joined their
local beekeeping association three years ago and established their own bee colonies. The two men, who work as
energy managers in Technical Development, now have
Andreas Kopp and Michael Wansner The Audi beekeepers proudly present their
busy workers.
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20 colonies in their care. For us, it is always a wonderful experience to taste the first honey from our own
bees. Its hard to imagine a more direct return on your
commitment, says Michael Wansner. Above all, however, Wansner and Kopp are making an important contribution to the environment with their hobby, as bees
maintain plant diversity with their pollination activities.
Working with bees is never dull. Every colo
ny has its own character. Their moods depend on the
weather. When the weather is bad, for instance, the
bees are lethargic and more likely to sting. And when
the weather is good, they cant wait to get going. It is
always exciting and varied, says Andreas Kopp. The
engineers have planted the area in a bee-friendly way,
with lupines, bee trees and plants like lavender, cornflowers, chamomile and mint. Alongside their eight bee
hives, they have also built a small material shed. Kopp
and Wansner carry out some public relations work for
their favorite animals, too. For their next project, they
plan to prepare a hollow tree stump as a bee showcase
to offer interested parties a glimpse into a bee colony.
Making the bodyshell for the new Audi A3
A new, highly efficient factory for a new, highly efficient
automobile the bodyshell of the new Audi A3 is built with innovative technologies
on state-of-the-art equipment. Efficiency and sustainability were the focal
point of the planning process for N 60 production hall.
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N 60
Text
Patricia Piekenbrock
Photos
Stefan Warter
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80 %
On standby switching off bodyshell manufacturing equipment
at the weekend saves around 1,300 MWh of energy per
year. With intelligent shut-down technology, consumption can
be reduced by up to 80 percent.
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Environmentally-friendly
cleaning system coconut brushes save on
cleaning fluids and chemicals.
Complex inner life in the N 60
production hall, experts prove that
state-of-the-art technology,
efficiency and sustainability can be united.
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Airy a constant supply of air ensures a comfortable working environment. Rotating air-to-air
heat exchangers and an intelligent air management
system ensure energy efficiency and reduce CO
emissions by 207 tonnes per year.
219 x
134 m
The N 60 production hall has around 50,000 square meters
for workers, robots and countless pieces of equipment.
At around 4,300 square meters, the logistics annex functions
as interim storage and buffer.
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Energy Conservation
Structural Sustainability
Thomas Rau is an architect in Amsterdam and a campaigner for new
forms of sustainable resource management. With Audi Board Member for
Production Frank Dreves, he discusses intelligent building, cars as rolling stocks of
raw materials and the path to using instead of owning.
Text
Dirk Maxeiner
Photos
Stefan Warter
WWF Netherlands
CO-neutral in 2006, Rau converted the Dutch
headquarters of the World Wildlife Fund (WWF)
into a CO-neutral building. It even has nesting areas
for birds and sleeping facilities for bats.
Peter Granser
Christian Richters
CHPC plant
For optimum energy efficiency in Ingolstadt,
Audi uses a Combined Heat Power and Cold plant.
It achieves excellent efficiency of 78 percent.
Together with district heating, it makes an important
contribution to a CO-neutral site.
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residential area. Even the students body heat is used for this holistic concept. The question for me is What are the values that we
have to address in a new way? The economy is often a good deal
farther ahead in that respect than politics.
Dreves: My objective is to make our factory sites completely CO-neutral. In Ingolstadt, we have already taken a whole
series of steps in this direction, and we will follow them systematically at our other locations, too. However, this can only be achieved
in a symbiosis of economy and ecology, because the money that we
invest in achieving our objective also has to be earned. Saving water
costs money initially, but if you use the right technology, the investment pays for itself within a relatively short period of time. It is
therefore completely feasible to unite short-term benefits with
long-term objectives.
Rau: The human being has short-term and long-term
needs. We must fulfill them in a manner that is not at the expense
of others. And this calls for new approaches.
And what might they be?
Rau: The needs cycle of a customer is often completely
different from the lifecycle of a product. Nowadays, customer
needs sometimes change faster than the lifecycle of a purchased
device. Almost all of us have an old computer or stereo standing
around in the cellar or attic that proves this point. Therefore, the
customer should purchase a specific function or service and not the
device itself. He or she would buy, for example, ten years of music
or 30 years of floor coverings. This would create a whole new incentive for change. That is also what I mean by system innovation.
Dreves: A building is a kind of generational contract. If
you build a parking garage with more than 8,000 spaces, you dont
tear it down tomorrow. It carries into the next generation. Before
we talk about the future, we have to take a look at today. Even the
construction of a single family home is fraught with many questions especially when it comes to sustainability. What building
materials do you want to use? What form of insulation? What is
recyclable? You can imagine that these questions are far more complex when it comes to the construction of an office block or a production hall. In this situation, I have to make a lot of decisions and
carefully weigh up one solution against another. Because if you are
striving for CO-neutrality as the main objective, the very first steps
you take have to be the right ones.
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Rau: We are spiritual beings. And certain communication only takes place when people get together. Thats how inspiration occurs. That doesnt happen on Facebook. Before we start work
on a construction, I invite all of the workers to a presentation. I tell
them how the design of this building was originated and what it is
they will actually be working on. This gives them a very different
and motivating connection to their work. People need to identify
with what they are doing. And you have to build this connection.
Lets stay with people for now. They want to
be proud of something, and proud of what they own.
Herr Rau, you want to move away from ownership and toward
the usage of products.
Rau: In my opinion, the question of ownership is key. I
believe that we identify ourselves far too much by the things that
we own the car, the house or the latest-generation cell phone. Two
years ago, I decided to clear my office of as much ownership as
possible. I invited a lighting manufacturer over and said to him: I
would like to have light. Ill buy a certain quality of light from you
for 365 days a year. And it works.
Audi shouldnt sell cars anymore?
Rau: In my concept, the car and therefore all the raw
materials for the entire lifecycle remain in the possession of the
manufacturer, as a rolling store of raw materials. You could say that
the raw materials are temporarily configured in the form of a car.
And sometime in the future, these raw materials can then be reused
to create something else. This is somewhat different from partial
recycling.
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Thomas Rau
oneplanetarchitecture
Natuurcaf La Porte
Boon Edam
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Magazine
High tide and low tide the sea is constantly in motion. Through the gravitational pull between
earth, moon and sun, the tides represent an inexhaustible source of energy. Swedish company Minesto has
developed a completely new principle for the use of
tidal energy. In contrast to conventional stationary
tidal power plants, the Deep Green project uses mobile
turbines that are fitted with a wing and tethered to the
seabed with cables, like buoys. The turbine moves with
the tides and currents like a kite in the wind.
This hydrodynamic technology is noteworthy for its relatively high energy yield at comparatively
low cost. It is ideally suited to deep seas and low current
velocities, i.e. places not best suited to the use of stationary equipment. First pilot projects off the coast of
Northern Ireland are currently in the planning stages.
Deep Green
Body Power
It is clearly evident in the high-energy atmosphere of a dance floor the human body is a power
station and every movement produces energy. One
breath generates roughly 1 Watt and every step around
70 Watts. Chemist Michael McAlpine from Princeton
University in the USA had the idea of making practical
use of this energy. So he put nanometer thin strips of
piezoelectric crystals known as PZT (Lead Zirconate
Titanate) into a rubber-like silicone membrane. Inte
grated into clothing or shoes, this piezo rubber converts the bodys kinetic energy into electricity via the
mechanical deformation of the membrane. This can
then be used to supply power to small electronic devices such smartphones or pacemakers. It would also
be conceivable to lay this piezo rubber into heavily trafficked flooring, such as the dance floors in clubs on
which thousands of people release energy that is simply
there for the taking.
Piezo
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E-Charge
A simple outlet is not enough. The electromobility of the future calls for a widespread and intelligently organized network of charging stations available round-the-clock. In the USA, Coulomb Technolo
gies is already operating a well-functioning network of
e-charging stations. Around 5,300 Charge Points are
already installed on company parking lots, at shopping
malls and on public parking lots, and the supply network continues to grow. Energy providers offer their
customers the opportunity to fill up at these charging
stations using a customer card. It is then invoiced in
arrears with a monthly electricity bill. Payment by credit card is also available as an alternative. The entire invoice management process is handled by the electricity
provider online via cloud server.
The service is also very straightforward for
the customer. A smartphone app shows him all the stations close to his location and whether they are currently in service and available for use.
Minesto
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EcoAndina
Solar Fire
Power Control
Silent consumers is the name given to electrical devices and appliances that send electricity bills
sky rocketing. They sit invisibly and usually unnecessarily in standby operation, or have possibly been left
switched on by accident. The plethora of electrical and
electronic appliances in modern households makes it
difficult to retain an overview and we are simply unaware of their electricity consumption. The Swedish
Interactive Institute for Research and Design is coming
to our aid and wants to make actual energy consumption visible with a very enlightening idea. The electric
Power Aware Cord illuminates with varying brightness
depending on electricity consumption. The cable not
only transports electricity, but also shows the consumer that electricity is currently flowing and being used.
This optical aid is intended to ensure that electrical
energy is used more consciously and efficiently in the
household and that available potential for energy savings is better exploited.
Interactive Institute
Power
Eye Writer
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Skydrop
Murilo Gomes
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Tailwind
With new power.
Wind is energy. Wind is life. Wind is mobility.
Audi is using the wind, the clean force of nature,
to build an entire chain of sustainable energy sources.
Sun and wind two amateur gliders fly over the Audi site to the north of
Ingolstadt, silently and with zero emissions.
The power of silence
Balloon flying means trusting the wind.
Man once conquered the skies in a balloon. The great silence
that prevails there is all the more fascinating today.
The great journey Audi sends up hot air balloons from time-to-time,
for scenic tours or at events.
Close to the wind
For thousands of year, the wind moved ships
and brought people to one another. Today, sailing is no longer hard
labor, but a fascinating sport.
Dedication Audi supports sailing on several levels, such as the
Sailing Team Germany or at the Kieler Woche (Kiel Week).
Clean electricity
Wind is a driving force. Electricity from
wind will drive future e-tron models. The Audi e-gas project, too,
is based on this CO-free primary energy.
Energy change sustainably generated electricity, primarily from wind power,
already accounts for 20 percent of total energy usage in Germany.
balanced mobility
the Audi e-gas project, a way to
CO-neutral mobility
Text
Johannes Kbler
Photo
Stefan Warter
Sustainable mobility
Audi breaks new ground. The company is aiming
to take a leading role in the sustainable management of natural resources,
with the main goal of achieving CO-neutral mobility.
Wind energy
Offshore wind turbines produce
clean electricity.
Power grid
the wind power is fed into
the public grid, where it is then
distributed.
Charging station
an intelligent charging strategy
stabilizes the electricity grid
during charging of the A1 e-tron.
Goal
Audis e-tron models will run
on clean eco-electricity.
Wind power
future electric cars from Audi like
the A1 e-tron will fill up at
the pump with electricity generated
in a sustainable manner.
Natural power
ultimately, one minute of
wind is enough for a 300 km drive
with the A1 e-tron.
Hydrogen and e-gas production
The e-gas facility consists of two main components.
The electrolyzer produces hydrogen, while the methanization plant downstream
produces the e-gas.
Wind energy
large offshore wind turbines
produce clean electricity.
Power grid
part of the wind electricity
flows from the grid into running
the e-gas facility.
Hydrogen production
the first step is to split water
(HO) into hydrogen (H)
and oxygen (O) using electrolysis.
e-gas storage
the methane from the
facility is fed into the public
natural gas network.
Electrolysis
the water (HO) in the tank is broken
down into its components parts
oxygen (O) and hydrogen (H).
The process runs on eco-electricity.
e-gas production
the second step is for the facility
to produce methane
from hydrogen and CO.
Power
81 kW (110 hp)
Torque
200 Nm
0100 km/h
ca. 11 s
Top speed
Consumption
CO emissions
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Displacement
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Audi A3 TCNG
every gram of CO emitted by the
A3 TCNG was previously
completely bound by the e-gas
production process.
Methanization
hydrogen (H) is thermo-chemically
bonded with carbon dioxide (CO)
to make methane (CH). The by-pro
duct is water.
Divers
When Friedrich-Franz Nagel goes diving, it is often for
a good cause. The amateur diver combines his sport with
environmental protection: It is important to me that
nature stays clean by cleaning lakes, I am making my
own small contribution.
As the deputy chairman of the Ingolstadt
Diving Club, the Audi employee from Pre-Production Lo
gistics manages the clubs many environmental initiatives. This primarily involves the cleaning of lakes in the
region. Equipped with neoprene wetsuits and bottles
of compressed air, the cleaning troops dive through
the lakes and gather debris. Nagel has found almost
everything imaginable in the water old bicycles, batteries, car tires and beer barrels and even a pistol. Not
just the water, but also the banks of the lakes are cleared
of garbage by the diving enthusiasts.
The divers also conduct regular lake assessments. Nagel and his team check several parameters
such as water quality, as well as the lakes fish and water
plant populations.
Another agenda item for the diving enthusiasts relates to the indigenous swan mussel it is having to compete with the smaller zebra mussel, which
originated in the Caspian Sea. The divers remove the
zebra mussels in order to protect the indigenous species from starvation. Always part of the action is daughter and Audi apprentice Rebecca, who is also active with
the club.
The Ingolstadt man is particularly proud
that, two years ago, the diving club adopted the Ein
bogenlohe, a former oxbow lake of the river Danube in
the south of Ingolstadt, and has been taking care of it
ever since. I hope that our activities also set an exam
ple and inspire environmental awareness in others,
says Nagel.
Friedrich-Franz and Rebecca Nagel
the diving enthusiasts are regularly underwater
in the name of environmental protection.
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Passion!
Passionate about the environment
Passion!
Passionate about the environment
Birds
A stray or injured bird has been sighted in the factory
grounds! This calls for bird protection officer Gerhard
Drfler. Always at the ready, he is on his way in double
quick time when a bird is in danger and the Ingolstadt
plants security office raises the alarm.
In-situ, the Technical Service department
employee takes care of the animal emergency, provides
first aid and, in serious cases, even takes the bird home
with him. In his own care facility, Drfler nurses the bird
back to health, until it is ready to be released back into
its natural environment. It is always a wonderful thing
to release a healthy animal back into the wild. Drfler
is self-taught and acquired all his skills and knowledge
on the care of birds 20 years ago through reading.
Drfler, who lives in Bhmfeld near Ingol
stadt, now also looks after 38 nesting boxes on the factory site. He regularly examines their condition, cleans
them and takes care of the wellbeing of their feathered
occupants. Those under his protection include swifts,
gray herons, peregrine falcons and kestrels. To Drflers
pleasure, it is not just the number of nesting boxes that
has increased in recent years, but also the bird population at Audi overall. By creating new nesting areas, we
can not only maintain the birds habitat, but also expand it.
Gerhard Drfler birds are in the
right hands with him.
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Passion!
Passionate about the environment
Nature restoration
Dirty, garbage-strewn land is a thing of horror for Jrgen
Kre, which is why the Audi worker from Sinsheim buys
up neglected parcels of land at auction and then transforms them into green oases.
Several years ago, at one such auction, he
discovered an abandoned piece of land near his home
town that was being misused as a garbage dump. Kre
bought the land and cleared away all the debris. The man
with the green fingers was able to let nature run free and
allow a small biotope to form. My aim is to create as
many completely natural areas as possible, to help balance out increasing land development.
The tool maintenance technician, who works
at the Neckarsulm plant, now takes care of three green
lungs. On one of his pieces of land, a small natural pond
has even developed into an ecological marsh area. Newts,
frogs, tadpoles, dragonflies, grass snakes and blindworms find refuge here. During winter, the fertile ground
of this small piece of wilderness attracts larger animals
like deer or boar that use it for winter grazing.
The ambitious nature conservationist has set
his sights on a new project an area of meadow on a
hillside near Sinsheim will soon serve as a retreat and
food source for wild animals.
Jrgen Kre the nature conservationist returns
to nature, areas previously considered lost.
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Plan A
Factory from the virtual world
From material characteristics at a molecular level to process flow
in assembly, from fundamental research to the complete factory Production
and Works Planning at Audi follows a holistic approach. The specialists used their net
worked knowledge to design the new factory in Gyr. The result is an efficient,
ergonomic and resource-conscious plant.
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Text
Patricia Piekenbrock
Photo
Stefan Warter
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Using a 3D tool, the assembly planning function visualizes the planning process for all necessary procedures at a very early stage, including the associated
product data and operating resources. This virtual scheduling is regularly
discussed and developed within a team of planners, production specialists and
experts from the Pre-Production Center. Thus, the process planning becomes
ever more detailed, until the individual procedures can finally be handed over
to production with a very high level of planning quality.
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Paint shop
Temperature simulation
Hotter than a sauna following the application of the first coat of paint,
the bodyshell is put through a dryer. The simulation shows how the bodyshell
heats up from 20 C (blue) to more than 190 C (red). This temperature is
required in order to cure the paint, as well as to provide optimum corrosion protection and good adhesion to the metal. But other materials on the vehicle,
such as adhesives, must also be subjected to certain temperatures for a
sufficient period of time in order to achieve the desired characteristics. The
simulation enables this to be addressed at an early stage.
It is already possible to take a virtual tour of this factory that is not due for completion until 2013. The heart of the
production facility will be a central building for quality evaluation
more than a symbol for the clear quality orientation of the Audi
brand. Press shop, bodyshell manufacturing, paint shop and assembly are all arranged directly next to this center in a star layout.
All vehicle parts take the shortest route from one station to the
next. In every production area, energy is saved from the start wherever possible or at the very least regenerated. Systems for recuperating heat from the air in the factory halls will be a standard feature, as will a combined heat and power plant, exhaust gas heat
exchanger and coolant treatment plant. The layout of supply lines
for electricity, gas, water, air and compressed air is planned in the
digital factory to guarantee supply with the lowest energy losses.
Following the rough planning phase, the planners start
working through every level down to the last micrometer, analyzing
the processes within the individual areas. One example is the simulation of the deep draw process* for a vehicle door in the press
shop. With the help of their calculations, they are able to define
optimum material usage. Multiple manufacturing is the keyword.
In future at Gyr, the car door will be formed in one and the same
process step with two filler caps, made in the thus far unused window cut-out. This saves times, energy and hundreds of tonnes of
steel that would otherwise have to be recycled. Material usage is
improved by no less than 13 percent, thanks to reduced cuttings.
In the foundry, virtual analyses of the aluminum pressure casting
process contribute to optimization of the subsequent process is
the main gate in the right position during mold filling? What are
the temperature characteristics while the part is solidifying? Is
there any material distortion after cooling? These are all essential
questions that my people have answered well in advance of production start, explains Lakeit.
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We not only have a CAD model of the entire Gyr factory, but also of all
the individual installations and individual production processes.
This digital factory not only closes the gap between theory and practice, it is also
a key technological factor for sustainability and resource conservation.
Arne Lakeit
Head of Production and Works Planning
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Arne Lakeit
Head of Production and Works Planning
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Ancillary Remanufacturing
The second life for used alternators and starter motors saves
hundreds of tonnes of steel, copper and aluminum every year. But employees with
limitations experience a new beginning here, too.
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Text
Lena Kiening
Photos
Stefan Warter
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A signal sounds in the hall. Break is over and the machines start up again. The alternator casings, blasted clean and
gleaming, fall into the metal basket. These wire mesh baskets are
stacked along the walls, filled with finished and unfinished units;
between them are containers with seals, blades and screws. Michael
Eberl works with a sure hand simultaneously on three starter motors that are mounted in front of him. First a stroke of lubricant,
insert the carbon brush holder and then screw on the cover before
checking that the armature turns.
He and his coworkers build up to 350 starter motors
every day this way, plus just as many alternators. They include models from across the entire Volkswagen Group the product range
spans from 1970s Beetles to the current Audi Q7.
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A Clear
Case
Water recirculation
Automobile production needs water. In order to protect this
precious resource, Audi will soon be working almost entirely with
recirculated service water. This means that the plant will further reduce its
consumption of fresh water and generation of waste water.
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Text
Thomas Tacke
Photos
Stefan Warter
Pre-treatment
Audi is continuing systematically with its energy-efficient and conservational approach to water as a resource. Two different grades of water are currently in use at the Ingolstadt plant
drinking water is used only where absolutely necessary, such as
in employee shower rooms. Service water is used for everything
else. Audi draws its water from sources such as the Lepsinger Springs
and the sites own karst spring. But the supply from these sources
is limited. Because the plants need for service water and cooling
is set to increase in the coming years due to new buildings, Audi is
securing its ecological water supply for the future with the introduction of the membrane bioreactor.
A further proportion of service water comes directly
from the skies rain water is collected from 450,000 square meters
of roof and car park surface and piped into five reservoirs and two
storage channels. The water can be drawn off at any time as required.
In order to allow some of the service water to be reused,
it is purified in a processing plant. We want to achieve the best
possible quality, stresses Gerhard Scharrer, who is responsible for
water and waste water analysis at the Ingolstadt plant. The graduate engineer monitors all processes throughout the water circulation system. First, dirt particles are removed from the used service
water in several stages, after which the ph level is adjusted. The
water is then circulated back to production via a pumping station
at the water works. Then the circuit starts again from the beginning. We process our service water this way round the clock, says
Scharrer.
If you include the cooling circuit with its annual turnover of almost 36 million cubic meters in the calculation, 95.8
percent of water used in Ingolstadt remains within the plants circulation system. With the new membrane bioreactor, this proportion is set to rise to 97 percent. A very good perspective, as far as
Antje Arnold is concerned: We are already operating extremely
sparingly and sustainably with our water. With the membrane bioreactor, we are taking the next major step toward zero waste water
production.
Biological grade
Ultra-filtration
Germanys water footprint
The water footprint indicates the amount of water evaporated, consumed or polluted during
the manufacturing processes of all products and services used in a country. The German
people consume 160 billion cubic meters of water every year equating to three times the volume
of Lake Constance. Every single inhabitant consumes directly and indirectly 5,288 liters
per day. Around 50 percent is attributable to the water expended importing food and industrial
goods from around the world. (Source: WWF Germany)
Filtrate
Benefits:
higher sludge age, better specialization
Ultra-filtration-barrier for bacteria (e.g. legionella) and viruses
considerably improved waste water quality
reuse of waste water possible
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Environmental protection at the Brussels plant
One world, one standard at Audi, that applies not
only to cars, but also to resource conservation at its production
facilities worldwide. At the Brussels plant, bacteria clean waste
water and batteries are revived for a second life.
Densely
populated
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Bacteria
natures cleaning force
The bacterial purification* of waste water
with aerobic bacteria is nothing new. It is based on the
principle of the self-cleaning force of water in nature.
Countless aerobic bacteria of all kinds automatically
break down organic and inorganic pollutants like complex compounds of carbon, nitrogen or phosphor. All
they need in order to do this is sufficient oxygen.
Animal care the bacteria strains clean the
water in the vehicle washing facility.
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Christine Maukel
Photos
Stefan Warter
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Picture of the Blue Planet
The crises that have seen humankind push against the limits of
growth have only ever been solved by the innovative use of technology,
writes journalist Dirk Maxeiner in his essay. Not once did a near horizon of low
expectations or thinking within the box ever bring progress. Instead,
it took the will to forge forward into the unknown.
Text
Dirk Maxeiner
Illustrations
Bernd Schifferdecker
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Technical progress and growing environmental awareness have altered conditions in the old industrial nations for the
better. And it is becoming evident that the emerging economies
have passed the peak of environmental pollution. It shows that
they are moving much faster through the transformation process
to an efficient economy than the previous candidates from the last
two centuries. The later a country enters into industrialization, the
faster economic growth decouples from resource consumption.
Static thinking within limits and proscription is being disproved by
the dynamic processes of living the right way and always when
someone, somewhere in the world has a good idea.
This can be traced more or less seamlessly from the
Neolithic Revolution with the discovery of arable and livestock
farming right the way through to the modern era. Progress has
been continual as a result of human curiosity, naturally enquiring
minds and an insatiable thirst for knowledge. The world remains
full of surprises. The invention of the steam engine and with it the
ability to extract coal from great depths saved the forests of central
Europe. Prior to that, firewood was the only source of energy. Crude
oil made whale oil superfluous thus saving the whale. Synthetic
fibers replace ecologically problematic cotton monocultures.
Natural rubber has been replaced by man-made alternatives. Glassfiber cable saves on heavy copper lines. Renewable energies are
becoming increasingly efficient and even fossil fuel reserves are
currently experiencing a rebound. The next, surely numerous, revolutionary surprises will be connected with the extreme digitization of our lives.
Evolution never stands still if needs be, it changes di
rection. This can be clearly traced in nature, as well as in human his
tory as soon as resources become scarce or too expensive, human
beings seek alternatives. The crises that have seen humankind push
against the limits of growth have only ever been solved by change
and the innovative use of technology. Not once did a near horizon
of low expectations or thinking within the box ever bring progress.
Instead, it took the will to forge forward into the unknown.
Space travel is a particularly good example of that. The
image taken from space of the blue planet changed human consciousness. The photo of our bright, colorful island in the dark
depths of space had a tremendous psychological impact and asserted a global realization we are one world. The change in the
ecological consciousness of global society is thus also the unforeseen reward of an advanced technology. Interestingly, environmentalists and nature conservationists have almost always been skeptical companions to progress, with a few exceptions like Jacques
Cousteau. Humanity has not the call for limits to thank for the most
effective ecological document of the 20th century, but rather the
yearning to overcome them.
The image taken from space of the blue planet changed human
consciousness. The photo of our bright, colorful island in
the dark depths of space had a tremendous psychological impact and
asserted a global realization we are one world.
Dirk Maxeiner
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A Clean Getaway
CO-neutral car transport
The majority of Audi vehicle production is for export. Every year, around
150,000 vehicles take a CO-neutral trip to North Sea container port Emden, because
the trains that take them there are driven by electricity generated from renewable sources.
Text
Johannes Kbler
Photo
Stefan Warter
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The brand with the four rings has been working with
resource-conserving logistics for many years. A good 70 percent of
Audi models from Ingolstadt reach their destination by train, 36
percent of them with regenerative energy. Many large components
are also shipped by rail.
Furthermore, Audi uses rail transportation for the heavy
traffic between its Ingolstadt and Gyr plants. Painted bodyshells
and parts for the Audi TT leave Bavaria on two-storey wagons for
assembly in north-west Hungary. They return to Ingolstadt on the
610-kilometer track as complete cars, accompanied by the engines
that are built in Gyr for the entire model lineup.
Over the last 14 years, the trains have covered around
twelve million kilometers on the track between Gyr and Ingol
stadt, replacing approximately 390,000 truck journeys an annual
reduction of 36,000 tonnes of CO. One major contributor to this
impressive figure is the high proportion of electricity generated
sustainably from hydro power.
Audi is fundamentally committed to conducting as
much of its transportation as possible by rail. However, because
this is not always possible, there is also a roads network that primarily serves the inflow of parts from suppliers. When it comes to
truck haulage, Audi bundles its supplies within the group family
into so-called consolidation centers, and transports them from
there to its factories with fully loaded trucks.
Underground
In-depth knowledge
Underground research as preventative environmental protection
building plans at Audi plants must have the minimum possible impact on the
environment. It is for this reason that extensive geological investigations are being
carried out in the depths beneath the Neckarsulm site.
Text
Paul-Janosch Ersing
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Bats
Even the background image on his cell phone depicts
Franz-Xaver Schfflers favorite animal tiny black button eyes, silky brown/black fur, big ears and two sharp
canine teeth. The Audi worker from the Pre-Production
Center has been fascinated by bats for almost 30 years.
But his interest doesnt end with fascination. Schffler takes care of bats that stray onto the factory site, are injured or nest in the wrong places. As a
member of Ingolstadts Nature Conservation Watch,
Schffler also looks after bat habitats in the city of In
golstadt and the county of Eichsttt.
He takes injured animals home with him to
examine them and nurse them back to health. The foster father feeds the hungry bats with milk and mealworms. I have an indescribable feeling every time I am
able to release a fully recovered animal back into the
wild. Schffler has already tended to up to 400 bats at
home. It really is a full-time job. The protection and care
of these animals has become part of my everyday life.
Schffler is also active in creating new habitats on the factory site. Due to construction work and
the constantly changing building structures on the site,
the bats are frequently in need of new homes.
Passion!
Passionate about the environment
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Passion!
Passionate about the environment
Insect Hotel
A hotel for insects? With this environment project, Audi
apprentices in the production machining area have started something special. Wild bees and wasps in particular
find sanctuary here, as their natural habitats are increas
ingly disappearing. The insects lay their eggs in the cav
ities of the hotels, where the larvae can develop in peace.
Andreas, Anil, David and Nico are four of the
apprentices providing lodgings for thousands of these
small guests in their four-storey nesting boxes. Not
only was it fun to build the insect hotel, it is also cool to
be doing something for the environment, says Nico
Ziegler. Overall, 100 apprentices worked on the first in
sect accommodation at the Schernfeld Forest Experi
ence Center near Ingolstadt chopping down the wood,
cutting it to size and using it to put together the basic
framework. And then decorating the hotel rooms with
bored out wooden discs, reeds and elder twigs. A second insect hotel has since been constructed in front of
the Audi Training Center. Here, the apprentices can check
in on their wards. Were pleased that the insects have
a new home on the factory site, says Andreas Schuster.
But insects are not the end of the story; the
apprentices have committed themselves further to
their environmental responsibility. The next project is
already at the planning stage an oak planting initiative. The saplings have already been grown and shovels
are at the ready.
Hoteliers the hotel builders eagerly
await their first guests.
RECU
PERATION
Text
Johannes Kbler
Photos
Stefan Warter
Loss turns to gain
In many areas of development and
production, Audi uses intelligent technology to recover
energy. Four examples from the Neckarsulm plant.
Sheet cutting equipment
Stop-and-go in sheet metal traffic
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Engine Test Center
Electric motors put up resistance
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Buildings technology
Latest technology for the
climate indoors
The Neckarsulm Engine Test Center was con
ceived strictly from an energy and environmental perspective. The outer skin of the building absorbs a large
proportion of the noise emissions. Inside, state-of-theart ventilation systems with integrated heat recovery
are installed. A central control system manages this in
accordance with requirements and to conserve resources. The operation of cooling equipment is dependent
on outside temperature, meaning that the use of refrigerating machinery is not necessary in many areas.
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ABS test rig
Braking recovers energy
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SLC store
15 efficient lifts for
160,000 storage spaces
In 2010, a new logistics center for so-called
small load containers (SLC) entered service at the Audi
plant in Neckarsulm. Every hour, an average of 1,300
containers for a lot of parts like facings, door handles,
navigation devices and control units are handled here
automatically.
The high-rack store is 19.5 meters high and
offers around 160,000 storage spaces. They are served
by 15 fully automated rack feeders, conceived like small
freight elevators. The energy that they draw while driving is converted into electricity under braking, which
is fed into the supply grid and used to run the equipment. This delivers an energy saving of around 25 percent, which equates to 100 MWh of energy per year. In
total, all the resource-conserving measures in the new
logistics center including a heating system that uses
waste heat from the supply buildings avoid up to 500
tonnes of CO per year.
Recovered energy:
100 MWh per year.
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Audi A6 hybrid
Driving with zero local emissions
Recuperation* also makes a major contribution to the high efficiency of the new Audi A6 hybrid
model. The sedan combines the power of a V6 with the
consumption of a four-cylinder. With 180 kW (245 hp)
system output and 480 Nm of system torque, it sprints
from zero to 100 km/h in 7.3 seconds and on to a top
speed of 238 km/h. Average fuel consumption, on the
other hand, is less than 6.2 liters per 100 km a CO
emission level of less than 145 grams per km.
The Audi A6 hybrid can drive at speeds of up
to 100 km/h on electricity alone; at a constant speed of
60 km/h, it has a range of three kilometers. It can drive
either with the internal combustion engine alone, or in
hybrid mode. Under heavy acceleration, the engine and
the electric motor operate in unison. And it recovers a
substantial proportion of energy during braking. Dedi
cated displays in the dashboard and on the MMI monitor visualize the different driving modes.
The internal combustion engine, a 2.0 TFSI
with 155 kW (211 hp) and 350 Nm of torque, works
together with an electric motor that generates 40 kW
(54 hp) and 211 Nm of torque. The electric motor sits
directly behind the TFSI, occupying the space of the
torque converter ahead of the modified eight-speed
tiptronic. The hybrid transmission sends the drive to the
front wheels.
The lightweight and compact lithium-ion
battery is in the trunk. It supplies a nominal 1.3 KWh
of energy and is cooled as required in one of two ways
by air extracted by fan from the interior and by its own
refrigeration circuit. This technology keeps the battery
within the correct temperature range and thus ensures
the high level of electric drive.
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System power
CO emissions (combined)
145 g/km
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Captain Future
Factory of the Future
Cars made from renewable materials, built by robots that program
themselves. Is this how factories will look in the year 2050? And what role will people
play? A visionary look into the future of automobile production.
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Text
Patricia Piekenbrock
Illustrations
stapelberg&fritz
We will never dispense with human resources, not even in the year 2050.
Due to ongoing demographic change, the age structure will shift
significantly toward older workers. With their experience and specialist
expertise, they will represent in future the most significant element
in a knowledgeable Audi collective.
Arne Lakeit
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Programming
People will tell robots what they
expect of them, then the machines will
program themselves.
Communication
Complex production facilities will organize
their work processes themselves and exchange
information wirelessly.
Ergonomics
Robots will assist people with all
physically demanding work.
Form
Entire bodyshells can be produced using
three-dimensional printing highly individualized
right down to one-offs.
Material
In the year 2050, cars can be produced
entirely from renewable and recyclable raw
materials such as bio-polymers.
But how can we even recognize the trends and the key
technologies of the future? Arne Lakeit provides the answer: Peo
ple need the freedom to think laterally. Our task is to generate an
atmosphere of creativity. And, in order to achieve that, Audi has set
up the function of innovation and competence management as part
of its production strategy. But lateral thinking doesnt mean losing contact with real-life issues, warns the Head of Planning. Not
every new idea hits the mark, but it might open up a different way
of looking at things.
Naturally, Audi also makes use of scientific scenario
technology. Beginning with group strategy, teams from Toolmaking
and Production Planning first consider the basic parameters for
production. They devise scenarios for a variety of different views of
the future, giving rise to ideas for new processes, structures and
operating resources. In our strategy factory, we bring together
innovation and vision, explains Lakeit. Gyr, for example, is the
response to the growth scenario. It predicted high volumes, more
vehicle models and variants. The new production facility brings all
of these requirements under one roof, together with a high level of
environmental protection.
One of the core elements of vehicle production within
the foreseeable future will be the secure joining of different materials. It would, of course, be ideal for resource conservation if, in
spite of multi-material constructions, we could use only adhesives
or alternative approaches and no longer needed other joining technologies like welding, says Lakeit. It is for this reason that his people
are currently working on the molecular structure of adhesives it
could, in future, be no problem to join together materials with diverse characteristics (e.g. steel, aluminum, other lightweight metals, fiber-reinforced polymers*) in a secure and reliable manner.
It is self-evident that, by the year 2050, we will be
using only recyclable and renewable raw materials such as biopolymers*, says Lakeit, continuing his chain of thought. But the
question is also whether we will even still need a mix of materials
for a bodyshell in the distant future. There could conceivably be
one single material that, depending on its molecular orientation,
can take on the desired characteristics or forms. Michael Breme
looks into the future of toolmaking: We will no longer need press
tools with upper and lower parts weighing several tons, but instead
just one single mold. Once the highly flexible material is introduced into the template, all it would take would be the application
of a certain temperature or electrical current to harden the component with very little energy consumption.
In the distant future, customers will be able to configure their dream car
individually to an unimaginable degree, even including the
exterior design. Thanks to highly flexible production facilities, virtually
every desire will be fulfilled quickly and flexibly.
Michael Breme
Color
The car can change its color at the
touch of a button. The pigment effect is altered
by electrical current.
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Augmented Reality
The combination of reality and the
virtual world will have a profound effect on
working processes.
Information
Projection onto the retina will replace
screens and instruments.
Piloted driving
Cars will communicate independently
with their environment and also drive a large
proportion of routes autonomously.
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Green IT
Computer Center
The building is completed and installation is currently underway
the new Ingolstadt plants new computer center will soon
be finished. The heart of Audi IT will then be bigger than ever before,
but will beat a lot more energy efficiently.
Text
Daniel Schuster
Photos
Stefan Warter
Project Leader Hans Heiss is responsible for ensuring a considerable reduction in energy consumption in the Computer Center.
The building
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Greenovation
Innovation team
What will the future of car production look like? Where can resources
be protected; which processes can be adjusted more toward the needs of the
environment? On these issues, Audi is working closely with universities
and scientific institutions.
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Power management
in production
Resource efficiency is one of the primary
keywords when it comes to environmental protection in
production. Wherever work is carried out at a fast rate
and in high volumes, small improvements can ultimately represent a substantial benefit for the environment.
This is why Cagatay Yce (Works Service)
and Ingrid Paulus (Resource Management Production)
pay very close attention when it comes to energy management in production. Since the beginning of 2011,
they have been working together with the Institute for
Applied Research at Ingolstadt University on the Power
Management project. Their objective sounds very simple less energy consumption.
However, there is no such thing as a single
switch in the complex infrastructure of a production
facility. Alongside lighting and ventilation, there are
also presses, welding and jointing equipment, test
stands and transport systems never mind the wide
range of diverse production equipment. Starting with
assembly, the individual areas of energy consumption
are being precisely recorded and visualized. Other energy sources (compressed air, heat) and parameters
(temperature, power, pressure) are specifically included in the measurements. Current findings have led, for
example, to measures being derived and implemented
for the reduction of compressed air or the optimization
of facilities for testing water tightness. Ultimately, a
classification system will be created for all production
departments to enable forward planning of consumpti
on, identification of wasted energy and presentation of
recommended optimization methods. And who knows,
perhaps they will find a single switch for the reduction
of resource consumption.
Think Green
Following the 2009 environmental compatibility study, it was clear to Arnold and the team from
Operational Environmental Protection that: We have
to make visible the impact of possible pollutants. And
for this, the team turned to the vegetable garden, because certain types of vegetables are extremely sensitive to paint solvents. Grasses, on the other hand, are
very good at absorbing heavy metals. You could say
that we have engaged the plants as detectives, is how
Arnold describes the biomonitoring project.
Arnold and agricultural biologist Dr. Rein
hard Kostka-Rick distributed more than 130 plants
around the factory site. The plants were checked regularly and specific damage to their leaves assessed.
Kostka-Rick carried out and evaluated a total of 19,000
observations of this type, also known as botanical ratings*, on the factory site. Many changes to the leaves
are only recognizable to the trained eye these include
discoloration or a more rapid aging of the leaf.
The results of the field test confirm the calculations made during the environmental compatibility study. In the area around the paint shop, we found
a somewhat higher influence on the leaf structure resulting from paint solvent compared with the reference
sample, reports Arnold. They are, however, at a level
typical for areas close to roads and traffic zones. From
the 16 heavy metals investigated, which come primarily from bodyshell manufacturing and machining, only
five appeared in slightly elevated levels that were nevertheless still within regulatory limits.
This outcome is a reflection of the extensive
application of environmentally friendly technologies.
For instance, Audi uses dust filters to clean the exhaust
air emitted from bodyshell manufacturing. Likewise,
Audi has been using water-based paints since 1997.
These contain not only far less solvent, but part of these
pollutants is rendered harmless by a thermal incineration plant. The emissions released into the atmosphere
are thus well below the regulatory limits.
Biomonitoring
Around 32,000 people work at the Ingolstadt plant on a 210 hectare site
in production, research, development, logistics and administration.
More than half a million cars were produced in Ingolstadt last year. The impact
on the environment is monitored very closely by Operational Environmental
Protection even with the help of tomatoes and grasses.
Environmental
compatibility study
As a factory location that has grown over
time, the Ingolstadt plant is very close to the town and
to residential areas. This comes with special requirements for emissions handling, as does the proximity to
the Danube flood plains, just a few kilometers away a
fauna and flora habitat subject to the strict regulations
of European nature conservation.
In order to carry out systematic analysis of
the environmental impact of the plant, an environmental compatibility study was carried out in 2009. Bio
diversity in particular, i.e. the preservation of the wide
variety of animal and plant species, as well as their
habitats and gene pool, was the focus of the investigation. Biodiversity is the basis for all life, explains Dr.
Antje Arnold from Operational Environmental Protec
tion at AUDI AG. Alongside emissions (noise, pollutants, CO, light), the study also evaluated traffic levels,
the extent of soil sealing and water consumption.
An extensive report was compiled based on
the values measured and calculations. The results sho
wed that all figures were below the limits set for the
conservation areas around the plant. Nevertheless, air
pollutant emissions and soil sealing are having an impact on biodiversity. For this reason, Audi does not depend on technical limits and measurements alone in its
approach to environmental protection. Since 2010, the
company has even been using tomatoes, bush beans,
nasturtiums and grasses as biomonitors.
In ecology, biomonitoring means the regular observation, measurement and monitoring of plants
and animals. The objective is to draw conclusions on en
vironmental quality based on their condition and changes in their population. Individual organisms are selected and their changes relative to the norm evaluated.
The spectrum ranges from spontaneous changes in cha
racteristics as a result of current toxicity to chronic da
mage caused by continuously high levels of pollution.
The benefit of biomonitoring is that, in contrast to a purely technical comparison with set limits,
it is currently the only scientifically recognized procedure for not only measuring effects on the environment,
but also for making them visible, says Dr. Arnold, a
qualified chemist. With this project, Audi is also fulfilling the agreement laid out in the Business and Biodi
versity Initiative entered into in 2008 by the Volkswagen
Group. More than 40 companies have committed themselves to analyzing the impact of their corporate acti
vities on biodiversity.
More information on this is available at:
www.businessandbiodiversity.de
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Clean Green
Cleaning robots
Welding, riveting, bonding robots in the highly automated bodyshell
manufacturing facility are well known for being precise, fast and
efficient. In the midst of these orange-painted workers are two snow-white
colleagues. They are the cleaners on the team.
Every week, these two robots gather several kilograms of dust, explains Maximilian-Josef Witt
mann, who works in bodyshell manufacturing in Ingol
stadt and is the father of the idea. He is referring to dust
that gathers in the sleds known as skids that drive the
bodyshells through the factory every day. Before, the
assembly technicians had to clean the skids at the week
end in addition to their regular work, continues Witt
mann. This preventative maintenance brought with it
physical stress and a certain degree of danger. The
workers were doing the cleaning during the production
process. Our aim was to find a permanent, automatic
solution to take the load off our workers and in the
interests of clean production.
Wittmann found the suitable machinery in
an unusual place. At the end of 2010, white robots were
writing light messages in the sky for an art event supported by Audi at the London Design Festival. After the
festival, Wittmann took over two robots and adapted
them for their new working conditions. Where other
robots hold their tools, the cleaning robots are equip
ped with brushes and vacuum cleaners. This not only
fascinates visitors on factory tours, but also helps to
reduce the amount of dust in the air.
Maximilian-Josef Wittmann
taught two of his robots how to vacuum.
Coconut cleaner
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Clean Screen
Real-time information
Paper is saved in Audi Production
the traditional build note is dead. Every single worker
now receives information via large monitors.
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Individuality counts
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Text
Christian Gnthner
Photo
Stefan Warter
Metropolis Project
How do urban trees react to their environment?
Can cities act as climate chambers and predict tree growth in times of climate
change? The Metropolis Project run by the Audi Environment
Foundation and the Technical University of Munich is looking for answers.
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Oak Forest Project
A century of research
The Kschinger Forest, a large wooded area
near Audi headquarters in Ingolstadt, is a good deal
more peaceful than the mega-cities of the Metropolis
Project. This is where the Oak Forest Project began in
2008 with 36,000 freshly planted oak saplings. It is a
long-term project spanning 100 years to research the
optimum conditions for tree growth.
This is where we would like to find out how
trees have to be planted in order to trap carbon in the
best possible way and to identify the conditions necessary for wide-ranging biodiversity, is how Dr. Dagobert
Achatz, Managing Director of the Audi Environment
Foundation, describes the initiative. The Audi Environ
ment Foundations main project partner is the Institute
for Forest Growth Research at the Technical University
of Munich.
Since the Ingolstadt project was launched,
thousands more trees have been added. Around 29,000
of them were planted in Hungary close to the Audi plant
in Gyr, 10,000 at the Neckarsulm plant and, in summer
2011, the youngest oak forest was added in Italy close
to SantAgata Bolognese, the home of Audi subsidiary
Lamborghini. A further oak forest is currently being
created in Belgium at the Brussels plant. More than
60,000 new trees have been planted within the scope
of the research project and more are set to come.
And what is does the research actually involve? The test areas have been planted in a certain
order. In accordance with pre-defined GPS coordinates,
the oak trees were planted in concentric circles known
as Nelder circles, enabling different population densities to be investigated on as little space as possible.
A crucial aspect is to appreciate that the forest growth research is a process spanning generations.
Trees grow slowly and live significantly longer than hu
man beings. Sustainable management of natural resources is therefore the cornerstone of the project.
Together, the project partners bear the responsibility
for ensuring that the areas for the 100-year project remain available over the long term.
Learning by doing
Since colonies of bees were brought here, even the boys are
coming into the school garden. The Volkach Elementary School has been participating
in the Audi Environment Foundations bee project since 2011.
Text
Agnes Happich
Text
Christian Gnthner
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Bioneers
Of Cars and Hens
Groundbreaking research
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Text
Agnes Happich
Information
for young researchers
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Technical terms explained
Brief definitions of the terms used in this issue.
Glossary
Biopolymers
Biopolymers is the technical term for materials of a
natural origin, usually plant-based, that offer benefits over synthetic polymers such as plastic. Not only
are the raw materials renewable, the materials them
selves are also biodegradable.
Botanical rating
Botanical rating is a visual process whereby data on
the externally visible, variable features of plants is
gathered and documented.
Diode laser
Diode lasers are lasers that use diodes as to produce
a laser beam. This semi-conductor procedure requi
res considerably less electrical energy compared with
other laser technology.
Eco-dynamic company
The accolade Entreprise Ecodynamique is awarded
in the region around Belgian capital Brussels to companies producing in an environmentally-friendly man
ner. The criteria include low environmental pollution
from waste and emissions, low energy consumption
and responsible management of raw materials and
resources in production.
HFC
The three letters HFC stand for Hybrid Fuel Cell.
The most sophisticated version of a fuel-cell hybrid
drive is showcased in the Audi Q5 HFC technology
study.
Recuperation
Recuperation means the use of kinetic energy under
deceleration. Under trailing throttle and braking, the
generator converts kinetic energy into electrical energy that is then temporarily stored in the battery.
Recuperation reduces the consumption of internal
combustion engines and is an important aspect of
all hybrid and electric drives.
CFD
Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) is a computational method based on equation modeling with
which fluid dynamic problems can be identified without complicated wind tunnel testing.
Fiber-reinforced plastic
Fiber-reinforced plastics such as Carbon-fiber Reinforced Plastic (CFRP) is a material in which fibers,
like those made from carbon, are embedded in several layers into a plastic as reinforcement.
CFRP
CFRP is the acronym for Carbon-Fiber Reinforced
Plastic, whereby carbon fibers are embedded in a
polymer in several layers for the purpose strengthening it.
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Roof framer
The roof framer is a large bridge-like clamping and
positioning station in bodyshell manufacturing that
inserts the roof into the bodyshell.
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Service water
Service water is not suitable for human consumption
as drinking water, but it meets the basic hygienie
requirements for use in industrial processes or agriculture.
Lower Triassic
The Triassic period divides into Upper, Mid and Lower
Triassic and is the geological term for the upper stone
layer of the German Trias, consisting of red beds,
chalk and black shale. The Lower Triassic layer was
created around 235 million years ago.
CAVE
CAVE (Cave Automatic Virtual Environment) refers
to a room where a three-dimensional projected im
age generates a virtual reality.
Bionic
The made-up word bionic is derived from a mixture
of the words biology and technology. Bionics uses
inventions arising from nature at work and transfers
their principles to other fields.
Flatstream nozzles
The flatstream process serves for the even and uninterrupted application of flat strips of paste-like
materials, specifically adhesives or sealants. As a
low-pressure process, it is more energy efficient than
the high-pressure processes previously commonly
used in this sector.
Eco audit
Eco audit is the short term for the European Unions
EMAS (Eco-Management and Audit Scheme). The
environmental policy instrument encompasses environmental management and environmental operating audits for companies as documented in the
environment statement.
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SKO
The Soft Kill Option (SKO) is a bionic process (see
entry) modeled on the growth algorithm for the formation of stable biological structures. SKO simulates the biological growth algorithm for optimization of the topology and structure of components in
order to achieve the required stiffness and stability
with minimal weight and material usage.
TCNG
TCNG is the acronym for future generations of Audi
cars that will be fuelled by e-gas produced from renewable sources. The term is derived from the acronym CNG (Compressed Natural Gas).
Turning process
Turning refers to a material removal production process whereby a workpiece rotates and is machined
by a cutting tool.
Well-to-wheel
Well-to-wheel refers to the examination of the entire
process of producing and using fuels, from the oil
well to the transmission of propulsion to a vehicles
wheels. Well-to-wheel analysis serves for the measurement of overall energy consumption and the
associated CO emissions in order to assess the carbon footprint of a car.
Audi
Environment Policy
Principles of the Environment Policy
Climate protection and resource conservation are firmly anchored
in Audis principles of corporate governance. They form the guidelines for all
corporate decisions. Audi Environmental Management and
its clear integration is the guarantee for responsible management.
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In order to fulfil our responsibilities to customers, society and the environment, the
continual improvement of products in respect of their environmental compatibility and
the conservation of resources is a component part of the Environmental Policy.
A prudent approach to ecological challenges defines our actions and our processes.
Vehicles and their production shall put as little burden as possible on the environment
that is the key component of the AUDI AG Environmental Policy. The company has
developed an Environmental Strategy that ensures unified standards at all company
locations. In the foreground is the Integrated Product Policy whereby environmental
protection is taken into account from the very early stages of product development.
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2.
Research and Development are component parts of the Audi Environmental Policy.
AUDI AG develops ecologically efficient processes and concepts for its products,
thus increasing its international competitiveness.
3.
4.
5.
6.
Open and transparent dialogue with customers, retail partners and the general
public is a matter of course at AUDI AG. Co-operation with political bodies
and the authorities is carried out on a basis of trust and good faith. This includes
emergency planning and response at each individual production facility.
7.
8.
This Environmental Policy is mandatory for all AUDI AG production sites and
is supplemented and substantiated by the formulation of site-specific key areas
of action.
1. Climate Protection
The reduction of greenhouse gases
The reduction of fuel consumption during test programs and in real-life operation
The support of fuel-saving driving styles
2. Conservation of Resources
The improvement of resource efficiency
The achievement of best-possible recyclability taking into account
innovative recycling technologies
The use of renewable raw materials and recycled materials
The development and provision of alternative drive technologies
The facilitation of the use of alternative fuels and other
energy storage systems taking into account regional factors
3. Health protection
The reduction of restricted and non-restricted emissions
The avoidance of the use of dangerous and harmful materials preferably in line
with the worlds strictest materials regulations
The minimization of internal emissions, including smell
The reduction of external and internal noise levels
We will develop each and every vehicle model to possess overall better environmental
characteristics than its predecessor. In so doing, we take care to ensure that improvements
are achieved throughout the entire lifecycle of the vehicle.
In particular, the company is confronting the changes facing mobility and the
environment as a result of increasing urbanization.
The environmental target areas serve as criteria that distinguish us from our
competitors to the benefit of our customers. We aspire to a best-in-class position in
terms of environmental issues.
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The basis for the ongoing reduction of environmental impact at all production sites is
formed by organizational measures within the framework of the Environmental Manage
ment System, as well as the application of the latest technologies. The outcome of
these ongoing efforts is documented by regular internal checks and by the external certification of all production sites. In recognition of its environmental activities, the
company holds the European Union trademark for outstanding environmental protection all production sites within the Audi Group are validated against the European
Unions demanding Eco Management and Audit Scheme EMAS, which goes well beyond
standard requirements. In 1995, the company was the first automaker in the premium
segment to receive the coveted certificate, which was awarded to the Neckarsulm plant.
This was followed in 1997 and 1999 by the two production sites in Ingolstadt and Gyr
(Hungary). The Belgian factory in Brussels has held the EMAS certificate since 2002,
while the Lamborghini plant in SantAgata Bolognese (Italy) was awarded the EMAS seal
of approval in 2009. In addition, the Ingolstadt and Gyr production sites are both
certified in accordance with the global standard DIN EN ISO 14001. The Environmental
Management Systems at the Ingolstadt, Neckarsulm, Gyr and SantAgata Bolognese
facilities already meet the requirements set out in the new European standard DIN EN
16001 and international standard DIN EN ISO 50001, which sets particularly high de
mands for the continuous and systematic reduction of energy consumption
Bodies responsible for the co-ordination of environmental protection within Audi have
been established at the company on two levels. The Environmental Protection Co-ordi
nation Committee is under the management of the Board Member for Production and is
made up of the individuals responsible for environmental management at each of the
respective group companies, Audi Ingolstadt, AUDI HUNGARIA MOTOR Kft., AUDI
BRUSSELS S.A./N.V and Automobili Lamborghini Holding S.p.A. It deals with strategic
environmental protection issues and tasks the environmental bodies with the development of proposals to this end.
The Ecology Steering Committee plays a central role at the AUDI AG level by
implementing tasks arising from the top-level Environmental Protection Coordination
Committee and developing appropriate environmental protection strategies. Incum
bent upon it is the task of raising ecological awareness among employees and functions,
as well as the initiation of working groups with responsibility across all sites for the
development and implementation of environmental protection issues.
On a needs-defined basis, the Ecology Steering Committee has several subordi
nate working groups dealing with specific issues such as sustainability, the Environment
Report, environmental management and integrated product policy. They develop environmental protection programs, generate a communications concept, propose sug
gestions for strategic environmental protection issues and present them to the Ecology
Steering Committee.
Overall responsibility for environmental protection rests with the Board of Manage
ment, which has entrusted the Board Member Responsible for Production with the realization of environmental protection tasks. The Board Member for Production is thus
responsible for adherence to the Environmental Policy. According to para. 52a of the Ger
man Federal Emissions Protection Directive, he is also compelled to monitor adherence
to environmental regulations in respect of installations requiring authorization. How
ever, as he is entitled to delegate these duties, the Member of the Board for Production
entrusts these tasks to the operators of environmentally relevant installations. Res
ponsibility for corporate and factory-related environmental protection falls to the relevant departments of Operational Environmental Protection.
At each site, the Board of Management has appointed the Environmental Pro
tection Manager as the individual with operational responsibility for environmental protection, and has set him/her the task of ensuring that each factory fulfils regulatory
requirements. The Environmental Protection Manager in Ingolstadt also fulfils a co-ordi
nation function for all AUDI AG factory sites. Furthermore, each site has its own En
vironmental Management Officer, responsible for ensuring the successful implementation of the Environmental Management System.
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Employee involvement plays a major role at Audi. As the basis of a synchronized com
pany focused on value creation, the Audi Production System (APS) is a significant
element of the Audi production strategy. This concept of work organization generates
transparency and networking in all areas of the company.
The fundamental approach of environmental protection is an important element
of the Audi Production System. This promotes active environmental protection through
raising awareness of those issues on which each employee has an influence in the
workplace. Thus, employees are motivated to be conservative in their use of water, for
example, or instructed on how they can reduce energy consumption be it through the
minimization of compressed air leakage, optimized operation or simply through switching off unnecessary lights. With the help of the APS, employees are instructed to ensure
they abide by internal Environmental Protection Guidelines in modifying systems or
processes, and to fulfil all regulatory requirements.
Audi has already pursued this integrated product development concept, which
incorporates all environmental protection aspects from the very start, for many years and,
with it, removed a considerable burden from the environment. Reaffirmed participation
in the now fourth edition of the Bavarian Environmental Pact underscores Audis dedication to the environment. The Bayern IV Environmental Pact exists under the motto
Sustainable growth with environmental and climate protection. Audi is involved with
initiatives such as the installed working forums Integrated Product Policy and
Resource Efficiency and Management Systems. The working forums are aimed at providing small and medium-sized enterprises access to the experience garnered by Audi
and other large companies in the issue of Integrated Product Policy and in the field of
environmental management systems. Only this way is it possible to achieve the objective
of increasing innovative power and to create sustainable economic growth.
Audi is striving to play the leading role within the automotive industry in the sustainable management of natural resources. The brand takes corporate, social and ecological
responsibility. The major objective of these activities is to achieve overall CO-neutral
mobility over the short, medium and long term.
One central element in the Audi balanced mobility plan is energy media. In the
Audi e-gas project, the brand is using its own resources to build an entire chain of sustain
able energy media electricity, hydrogen and synthetic gas Audi e-gas. Audi is thinking
in a number of directions when it comes to alternative fuels. The brand already offers
the A4 2.0 TFSI flexible fuel in its lineup, which runs on 85-percent bioethanol (E 85). It
has an excellent carbon footprint when not only exhaust emissions are considered, but
the entire well-to-wheel* figure, which extends from the origination of the fuel through
to propulsion energy at the wheel.
Second-generation biofuels, which are being researched and developed by Audi,
can significantly improve the well-to-wheel balance of internal combustion engines. The
new fuels no longer compete with the food chain and can be specifically adapted to suit
the requirements of modern internal combustion engines.
The Audi e-gas project moves into the practice phase following three years of
intensive research. This initiative makes Audi the first automaker worldwide to establish
a chain of sustainable energy media. Its end products are clean electricity, hydrogen
and synthetic e-gas. Wind turbines produce regenerative electricity that will drive future
e-tron models. Hydrogen produced through electrolysis is suitable for use in fuel cell
vehicles, and e-gas generated from methanization facilitates climate-friendly, long-dis
tance mobility for cars with internal combustion engines.
One of Audis objectives is to produce its future, electrically driven e-tron
models with eco-electricity, and to provide sufficient green electricity equivalents for
their operation.
Wind power is also being used to supply a facility in Werlte (Emsland) that pro
duces hydrogen via electrolysis. The hydrogen could, in future, serve directly as fuel for
fuel-cell vehicles like the technology showcase Audi Q5 HFC*. In the first project phase,
however, the lack of a supply infrastructure means that it will not be used directly.
Instead, it will be channeled into a storage tank and onward to the worlds first industrial-scale methanization facility. It is coupled to a waste biogas plant, from which it
draws the concentrated CO required for methanization and that would otherwise be
released into the atmosphere.
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Previously, environmental protection often took place at the end of the production process. However, it is no longer sufficient to equip chimneys with filters, to build treatment plants for industrial effluent or to dispose of rubbish in waste incineration plants.
Efficient environmental protection must embrace the entire life of a product, because
the use of raw materials, energy consumption and emissions are dependent upon how a
product is developed, produced, used and disposed of.
In order to reduce the environmental burden, Audi pursues an Integrated Product
Policy. This means that during the development process a product is already being
examined for its subsequent impact throughout all the phases of its life from the procurement of materials right through to final disposal.
Exhaust gas test rig with the Audi Q5.
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The end product is Audi e-gas. It is an energy-rich fuel that is chemically identical
to fossil methane, the main constituent of natural gas, and ideally suited to powering
internal combustion engines. From 2013 on, the facility in Werlte will produce around
1,000 tonnes of methane per year, thus absorbing 2,800 tonnes of CO.
1,500 A3 TCNG* vehicles could drive 15,000 kilometers per year CO-neutrally
on this renewably generated e-gas. The German energy economy could also benefit
from the Audi e-gas concept in the medium term, because it answers the open question
of how eco-electricity can be stored in an efficient and location-independent manner.
If there is plenty of wind at sea, excess electricity could be converted into e-gas
and stored in the public gas network with its 217 Terrawatt hours of capacity, it is the
largest existing energy storage facility in Germany. The energy can then be fed back
into the electricity grid from the gas network as and when required.
The potential offered by electricity/gas coupling for the storage of wind or solar
energy in large quantities can provide powerful impetus to the expansion of renewable
energies. The Audi e-gas project is easily transferrable to all countries with a natural
gas network.
Vehicle production
(thousands)
902
1,102
1,292
Engine production
(thousands)
1,384
1,648
1,884
2,189
2,491
2,509
1,600
1,200
800
400
0
** Ingolstadt, Neckarsulm, Brussels (minus Volkswagen Polo), Gyr and SantAgata Bolognese;
incl. CKD activities.
Advanced Technologies
Cutaway model of
rotary air-to-air heat exchanger.
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2011
2,000
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2010
2,400
One particular focus of environmental activities lies in the reduction of energy consumption and its associated emissions, with the potential for energy savings already
taken into account in the planning phase. Through a host of ongoing measures, AUDI AG
has set itself the overall target of reducing factory and company-related specific CO
emissions by 30 percent by the year 2020, measured against those of 1990.
With efforts underway to achieve completely CO-neutral sites in the future, this
target has now taken on a whole new dimension. To take account of the growing significance of issues surrounding energy, the Audi Environment Policy was expanded in 2009
by a passage on the conservative and efficient use of resources. Consequently, Audi
integrated the new European standard on energy efficiency into the existing Environmen
tal Management Systems. Thus, the Environmental Management Systems of the Audi
factories in Ingolstadt, Neckarsulm and Gyr, as well as the Lamborghini f actory in
SantAgata Bolognese, are also certified in accordance with the new European standard
DIN EN 16001 and its international counterpart ISO 50001.
At the Ingolstadt plant, Audi was even the first company to be awarded a certificate by DEKRA for compliance with its new management standard for energy efficiency.
The standard sets particularly high demands for the ongoing and systematic reduction
of energy consumption. Alongside the areas of infrastructure and logistics, it is production
and supply equipment in particular that are critical when it comes to achieving sustai
nable increases in efficiency. The slight increase in overall energy consumption and CO
emissions is largely due to increases in production. Last year shows, however, that overall energy consumption was nevertheless maintained on a virtually stable level.
Increased production volume is also reflected in further environmental parameters
that Audi monitors over and above energy consumption. This is the result of a whole
package of targeted projects. Energy efficiency measures are taken into account during
the planning stages of production buildings and equipment, as well as of corporate
infrastructure or logistics requirements.
2009
2,800
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For the optimization of energy efficiency, Audi Ingolstadt operates a Combined Heat,
Power and Cold plant. Through the highly effective energy utilization of natural gas,
it achieves an efficiency of up to 78 percent. Compared with conventional energy generation, this means a reduction in CO of around 25 percent, meaning that 17,200
tonnes of CO emissions are avoided every year.
Alongside the Combined Heat, Power and Cold plant, Audi Ingolstadt also draws
its heating requirements from two in-house heating plants powered largely by natural
gas. In future, however, the use of natural gas will be further reduced. Since the be
ginning of 2004, the factory has also been supplied with waste heat from the Ingolstadt
waste incineration plant. In 2011, Audi drew around 68,000 Mega Watt hours of district
heating from this facility. In September 2009, a district heating supply contract was
agreed between Audi and the City of Ingolstadt.
With this agreement, the contractually assured minimum amount of 60,000
Megawatt hours of waste heat from production processes was increased to 120,000 Mega
watt hours per year. The first heat from the new heat exchangers with a primary energy
factor of 0 was delivered to Audi at the end of 2011. Audi is pursuing the long-term
objective of further expanding the use of district heating. In Neckarsulm, heating requirements are already covered largely by district heating and the factory in Gyr is also
supplied with district heating from a Combined Heat, Power and Cold plant.
Heat recovery is a central aspect of the companys ventilation systems. There are
several hundred heat recovery installations in service on the factory site in Ingolstadt.
One particularly effective type of heat recovery system is the rotary heat exchanger, as
used in the paint shop. This is worthwhile, because in the factory paint shop a volume
of around 4.5 million cubic meters of air per hour is moved through the paint booths
alone. This is equivalent to the space inside Munichs Allianz Arena. In 2011, Audi replaced
the existing 34 rotary heat exchangers* with new, more efficient rotary heat exchangers.
At the Ingolstadt plant alone, this saves more than 16,000 tonnes of CO or 80,000
MWh of energy per year the annual heating requirement of around 7,400 single family
homes.
Innovative and efficient joining processes such as spot welding, laser welding
and adhesive technologies are used by Audi in bodyshell manufacturing. The respective
welding technologies are adapted specifically to the individual joining processes in
order to select the most efficient solution for each process. Recent years have seen in
creased focus on the ongoing replacement of pneumatic welding guns with electromotive welding guns. The reduction in energy consumption, and therefore in CO emissions,
is around 50 percent compared with pneumatic welding guns used for identical processes.
Following the positive experience achieved thus far with this advanced technology, the Audi Group will consider it for all new projects. Numerous other individual initiati
ves, such as needs-based ventilation and lighting or optimized machine operation, are
part of the permanent and systematic reduction of energy usage (see page 30).
Solar Power
Hot Forming
To test innovative technologies in the field of photovoltaics, the company made available an area totaling 11,600 square meters at its Ingolstadt headquarters. In 2010,
photovoltaic modules were installed on a further 7,500 square meters on the new bodyshell manufacturing facility for the Audi A3. This continued into 2011 with the instal
lation of more modules on an area of 3,950 square meters on a newly built parking garage,
meaning that more than 23,000 square meters has been dedicated to this technology.
The expansion means that the overall contribution of all installations at the Ingolstadt
plant now stands at around 1,800 MWh per year, with more than 40 percent of it used
directly on-site. Alongside new charging stations for electric cars, the eco-electricity is
used for various production facilities. Using the energy on-site minimizes transmission
losses and thus makes an important contribution to climate-friendly energy generation.
Since October 2010, a photovoltaic installation on the roof of the parking garage
at the Neckarsulm plant has been generating electricity from 10,700 modules. 2010 also
saw Automobili Lamborghini S.p.A commission a 17,000 square-meter photovoltaic
system at its factory in SantAgata Bolognese, which was subsequently expanded by an
other 3,800 square-meters in 2011. Furthermore, in April 2010, AUDI AG entered into
a partnership with industry initiative Dii GmbH in Munich, the long-term aim of which is
to implement the Desertec vision. This vision is to provide energy for Europe, the Middle
East and North Africa from sun and wind power from the desert.
Sheet metal parts are made in Ingolstadt at temperatures of more than 900 degrees
Celsius using the innovative technique of hot forming. The resulting components benefit from lower wall-thickness combined with high stiffness. High-strength steels thus
enable material savings (resource conservation) and modern lightweight design combined with increased collision safety. The lower vehicle weight achieved in this way contributes during the usage phase to savings in fuel consumption. The overall balance
clearly shows that, despite the higher energy involved in heating the sheet metal, the
bottom line is an overall ecological benefit.
Environmental protection issues were front and center even in the early planning
stages of the vehicle production facility at the Gyr plant. The focus, in particular, was
on the avoidance of CO emissions and the conservation of resources.
Like a red thread, the topics of energy saving and process optimization run
through the individual production areas. In a car factory, it is usually the bodyshell paint
ing process that represents the greatest environmental burden. This is why waterbased paint systems are used at the Gyr vehicle plant for cataphoretic dip priming, filler
application and the application of the colored paint coat. In order to avoid residual solvents from the paint process being emitted into the environment, additional air purifica
tion equipment that goes well above and beyond legal requirements has been installed. Not only the air discharged by the dryers used for curing the paint is purified before
entering the atmosphere, but also that discharged from the spray booths. With these
measures, the bodyshell paint shop in Gyr is the cleanest in the world. The dry scrubbing
of overspray in the paint booths also means that the amount of waste in the paint
slurry is substantially reduced.
A very environmentally compatible and highly innovative energy generation
facility in the vehicle plant ensures that heat and some of the electricity used for vehicle
production is generated extremely efficiently. Alongside gas boilers, there are also gas
engines, which have significantly lower CO emissions than other types of energy generation. External lighting is provided by new kinds of LED lamps that consume very little
energy. The lights are also designed not to irritate nocturnal insects.
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Efficient Logistics
The principle of shortest route logistics applies between Audi and its suppliers. Since
1995, Ingolstadt has had a Freight Transport Centre (FTC), which is home to a large
number of suppliers. In nine assembly centers, suppliers produce their sub-assemblies
and deliver them just-in-sequence to the factory. Most goods that come through the
FTC are transported by rail. This saves on a huge number of truck journeys and avoids un
necessary emissions. A similar grouping of material throughput is also practiced at the
Neckarsulm and Gyr plants.
The Freight Transport Center at the Ingolstadt plant ensures delivery via the
shortest route. Over 100 suppliers are based in the region, more than 17 of which are
located in the Freight Transport Centre. This close cooperation reduces not only
logistics, but also the environmental burden as a result of shorter transportation distan
ces.For improved logistics, Audi has developed PackAssistant (see page 88). This
computer-based system reduces the number of truck journeys through the optimum
utilization of loading volume.
Since 2007, the base coat on the inside of the bodyshell has been applied using a
fully-automated robotic application system with a high-rotation atomizer. Using this
process, the correct amount of paint required for the bodyshell is supplied in a cartridge
and subsequently used in its entirety. The improved application efficiency achieved
through the use of robots reduces material consumption and thus the volume of solvent
and paint particulate emissions in the base coat area by a factor of around ten percent
per vehicle.
At Audi, corrosion protection within bodyshell cavities is accomplished through
the application of a wax sealant. The wax used in this process is solvent-free. The bodyshell is heated to 60 degrees Celsius and completely flooded with the hot wax at a
temperature of around 120 degrees Celsius. Excess wax drains off immediately into a
recirculation system for reuse.
The changeover of the transport protection for new vehicles to either adhesive
film or transport protection covers avoids solvent emissions. At the Ingolstadt plant,
this initiative has achieved a sustainable reduction in biological solvents of around 100
tonnes per year. The selection of transportation protection was accompanied by extensive eco-efficiency analysis.
Audi has also been addressing noise-related emissions. Parts of the Ingolstadt
and Neckarsulm plants are situated very close to residential areas. This obliges Audi to
keep the noise emitted by production facilities, as well as truck and rail transportation
activities, extremely low. In Ingolstadt and Neckarsulm, there are noise registers that
keep track of all noise sources and their respective emissions. The so-called Operational
Noise Information System forms the basis for all noise inspection at the Ingolstadt
plant. This acoustic model of the plant helps to generate exact noise immissions forecasts
for all the activities conducted on the factory site. So far, over 3,200 local noise sources
have been recorded. This data base can help with the timely implementation of noise
protection measures. The data can also be taken into consideration during the planning
phase for installations and buildings, and help to avoid or minimize the effects of noise.
Regular measurements ensure compliance with all regulations governing noise protection. Compliance with neighborhood noise immissions guidelines is monitored regularly
by independent assessors.
VOC emissions
VOC emissions
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With the exception of clear coat applications, all paint processes now employ waterbased paints that contain only a tiny proportion of solvents. This has greatly reduced the
release into the atmosphere of biological solvents. All paints used are lead-free. In
order to keep spray losses as low as possible, Audi uses an electrostatic application procedure in the spray booths where feasible. The air extracted from the paint drying ovens
passes through a thermal burn-off process for the destruction of pollutants. The heat
created during this process is reused for heating the drying ovens. Closed water circuits
make for significantly lower water consumption within the paint process.
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2009
2010
2011
1,440
1,913
2,340
Waste Management
Waste water volume and Fresh water supply at the Audi Group
2009
2010
2011
m3
1,660,710
2,057,863
2,159,854
m3
2,578,015
2,991,498
3,323,962
150,000
252,700 m3
264,553 m3
236,226 m3
200,000
211,495 m3
233,799 m3
250,000
There is now virtually no residual waste at Audi Group production sites. Around 90 percent of waste produced by the Ingolstadt, Neckarsulm, Gyr and Brussels plants is
recycled. Individual materials such as scrap steel are almost entirely recovered within a
closed-loop recycling management system.
Steel cuttings from the press shop are compressed into compact blocks. The
resulting volume reduction simplifies its transportation. The material is then 100 percent
recycled by steel manufacturers.
In March 2006, a highly efficient emulsion evaporation plant was installed at
Audis Ingolstadt plant for the treatment of emulsions and wash water generated at the
plant. This has several benefits, including a reduction in waste disposal transportation
of around 70 percent.
Engine and chassis components are machined and assembled in the component
production plant at Ingolstadt. By applying the concept of minimal lubrication and
extending the service life of the necessary cutting fluids, it has been possible to reduce
consumption. Wherever possible, Audi applies the concept of dry machining a process
that uses absolutely no cutting fluid. A reduction in swarf volume is achieved by post-pro
cess shredding, thus also reducing the logistics required for swarf removal.
Audi is working steadily on the systematics, structure and expansion of its environmental information system. In the field of waste management, in accordance with the
amended verification regulations, the electronic verification process known as electronic verification management for all those involved in the disposal of hazardous waste
came into effect on April 1, 2010. This applies to all waste generators, transporters,
disposal services and the responsible authorities. The key element is the electronic signature in place of the previous handwritten signature. It was assured that, ahead of the
April 4, 2010 deadline, all partners involved in the disposal process (AUDI AG, transporters and disposal operations) were ready and able to use the new verification procedure.
The result is greater legal security and a simplification of administration. The management of paper verification books is now fully electronic and automated.
100,000
50,000
Waste figures
2009
2010
2011
50,224
60,513
70,484
41,710
51,922
58,374
8,515
8,591
12,110
281,222
323,497
335,252
2011
2010
2009
2008
2007
2006
2005
2004
2003
2002
2001
2000
1999
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Nature conservation on and around factory sites is taken extremely seriously. The buffer
areas around the production facilities even attract rare animal species. Peregrine falcons
have, for example, nested on the Ingolstadt factory site. This particular species was
already resident on the Neckarsulm site. In order to encourage reproduction, a nesting
box was mounted on the wall of the paint shop and readily accepted. The Ingolstadt
site also has 28 nesting boxes for swifts and six for kestrels. Construction work undertaken at the Technical Development department included accommodation for bats.
The company has established numerous buffer zones for the expansion of its production facilities. In the northern part of the Ingolstadt site, Audi has created the Max
Emanuel Park. Overall, the last ten years have seen Audi plant over 1,900 trees and bushes
in Ingolstadt. The park became the ideal setting for the project Bees a pillar of the
future (see page 28).
Computer-animated
representation of the growth
progress at the test area in
Kschinger Forest after 20 years.
The scope of this international research project includes the investigation of the effects
of population density on the one hand, and CO absorption potential and biodiversity on
the other.
The objective is to establish how best to plant trees in order to achieve the greatest
possible absorption of carbon and the best conditions for wide-ranging biodiversity.
The oak is among the most suitable tree species because, as mature trees, they store a
large quantity of carbon and also provide good conditions for biodiversity. The oak is
also particularly sturdy in respect of the changing demands of the future climate.
The basis for this project is the establishment of test areas to a specific design
and under differing climatic conditions. The involvement of the Audi Group comes into
play in the establishment of such forest areas at international factory sites.
The trees are planted in concentric circles (Nelder test design) in accordance with
pre-determined GPS coordinates.
The first test area was established in 2008 with the planting of around 36,000
oak trees in the Kschinger Forest near Ingolstadt. A second area followed in 2009 close
to the Hungarian plant in Gyr, which was planted with more than 13,000 oak trees. At
the end of November 2010 an additional 10,000 trees were set close to the Audi plant in
Neckarsulm. With the planting of a further 10,000 oak saplings in 2011 close to Bo
logna by Automobili Lamborghini and 16,000 oak saplings on another area in Hungary
(April 2011), the overall project now encompasses five different test areas. Further
areas at the Audi Groups international locations are currently being planned.
An international expansion of the project is currently being implemented under the
heading Diversity and productivity of forests. Comparison between mono-cultures
and mixed forests in different climate zones. In forest zones of differing temperatures,
from Atlantic through continental to tropical climates, analysis will be carried out into
how different types of forest can contribute to climate protection through carbon storage,
and how productivity and biodiversity can be harmonized with sustainable forestry.
All test areas have been conceived in accordance with the specialized Nelder design,
thus enabling research into various population densities with minimum usage of space.
The end of 2009 saw AUDI AG underscore its commitment to environmental protection
with the establishment of a foundation. With an authorized capital of 5 million Euros,
the foundation is dedicated exclusively and directly to charitable causes in the field of
ecology.
It pools all of Audis activities worldwide and makes a substantial contribution
through these projects to sustainable corporate governance (see also various articles in
AUDI AGs company reports). The Audi Stiftung fr Umwelt GmbH has set itself the
task of promoting a sustainable human/environment system. Particular emphasis is on
the promotion of nature and resource conservation through in-house research plans,
scientific projects, model testing and concept development or through the issuing
of research contracts or grants, as well as the promotion of science and research through
in-house research plans or through the issue of research contracts or grants.
In order to address systematically the challenges of the future, the definition of
four areas of support consciously concentrated specifically on the support of groundwork
so fundamental as to pay forward into the next generation.
One of the foundations first support projects is its long-term scientific involvement in
the Oak Forest research project (see above), which was agreed together with the model
test area in the Kschinger Forest. Support projects from 2011 include the publication
of a childrens book on the topic of nature and technology, a nationwide school competition on the topic of bionics and a project to promote beekeeping at schools. Further
information on all ongoing projects can be found starting on page 140 and on the foun
dations website: www.audi-stiftung-fr-umwelt.de
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Imprint
AUDI AG
85045 Ingolstadt
Responsible for content:
Toni Melfi,
Head of Communications,
I/GP
Managing Editor:
Anne Lenartz
Concept and Realization:
reilmedia Hermann Reil
Graphic Concept and Layout:
stapelberg&fritz
Authors:
Susanne Brieu
Paul-Janosch Ersing
Christian Gnthner
Agnes Happich
Lena Kiening
Johannes Kbler
Anne Lenartz
Christine Maukel
Dirk Maxeiner
Luise Niemsch
Patricia Piekenbrock
Hermann Reil
Daniel Schuster
Sven Stein
Thomas Tacke
Bernhard Ubbenhorst
Organisation:
Lena Kiening
Photography:
Stefan Warter
AUDI AG
Translation:
Elaine Catton
Illustrations:
Bernd Schifferdecker
Bro Achter April
Post Production:
Martin Tervoort
Printing:
Pinsker Druck und Medien
Printed on:
Circle silk Premium White,
certified with the
EU Ecolabel (No. FR/11/003)