Manon Ossevoort, a Dutch actress, drove a tractor over 2,350 kilometers across Antarctica to reach the South Pole as part of her expedition to fulfill dreams and demonstrate that nothing is impossible. She collected people's dreams along the way to leave in a snowman at the South Pole. Her tractor was equipped with special tires from Trelleborg designed to handle the extreme Antarctic conditions. Trelleborg and Massey Ferguson worked together to prepare the tractor for the challenges of low temperatures, terrain, and high altitudes through testing.

1. 1111111111111111111111111111111111
NO.
A magazine from Trelleborg
Group. Solutions that seal,
damp and protect critical
applications.
FENDERS HELP AVERT DISASTER A VISIT TO JAPAN’S SEAT OF POWER
“Cobots” help
boost efficiency
Robotic colleagues
improve manu-
facturing
Krishan Chawla & Gary Gladysz
“Solid or not,“
there’s void
space in all
materials”
Fulfilling a
2,000 liter need
How a huge,
disposable bio-
reactor bag was
developed
one woman’s
South Pole Expedition:
all on a tractor
of
2,350km
extreme
challenges

2. Fromrubberproducts
to the South Pole
I, COBOT
The introduction of cobots has boosted
Trelleborg’s productivity in everything from tire
manufacturing to micro-molding.
SKYROCKETING COOPERATION
Trelleborg and a team of AVIO engineers
developed a composite for galactic challenges.
BAG BOOSTED RELATIONSHIP
The development of a 2,000-liter bag turned
Trelleborg from provider to long-term partner.
A POWERFUL SEA BREEZE
A sharply increased need for alternative sources
of energy makes Japan invest in windmills and
the world’s first offshore floating substation.
06
10
12
14
Case page 18
People & Trends page 19
News/Update page 22
IN EACH ISSUE
Responsible under Swedish Press Law:
Patrik Romberg
patrik.romberg@trelleborg.com
Editor-in-chief: Karin Larsson
karin.larsson@trelleborg.com
Co-editors: Rosman Jahja
rosman.jahja@trelleborg.com
Donna Guinivan
donna.guinivan@trelleborg.com
Production: Appelberg Publishing
Project manager: Hannah Kirsebom
Editor: Petra Lodén
Language coordinator:
Maggie Hård af Segerstad
Art director: Johan Nohr
Layout: Hanne Aune
Printing: Trydells Tryckeri
Cover photo: Mike Hill/Getty Images
Subscription: trelleborg.com/subscribe
Address: Trelleborg ab (publ)
Box 153, se-231 22 Trelleborg, Sweden
Tel: +46 (0)410-670 00
Fax: +46 (0)410-427 63
www.facebook.com/trelleborggroup
www.twitter.com/trelleborggroup
www.youtube.com/trelleborg
www.trelleborg.com
T-Time is published three times a year.
The opinions expressed in this publica-
tion are those of the author or people
interviewed and do not necessarily
reflect the views of Trelleborg.
If you have any questions about
Trelleborg or wish to send us your
comments about T-Time, please email:
karin.larsson@trelleborg.com
19
CONTENTS 1-2015
10
WHEN TRELLEBORGS GUMMIFABRIKS AB was formed
under the leadership of Henry Dunker 110 years ago,
he had long nurtured a dream to take control of the
Swedish rubber industry. Trelleborg then grew rapidly
to become the leading rubber company in Scandinavia.
But could Henry Dunker foresee that within just over
a century Trelleborg would be making its mark all over
the world, even in space? That the polymer products
would provide critical solutions in everything from
heavy machinery to advanced biotechnology devices?
Trelleborg has moved toward increasingly advanced
products, total solutions and adventures. We have had
the privilege of participating in many groundbreaking
projects: agricultural tires rolling toward the South Pole,
and unique composite materials traveling out into the
universe. As CEO, I feel both humbled and proud
of this progress. Read more about our adventures
on pages 3 and 10.
Enjoy your reading!
Peter Nilsson
President and ceo
2 T·TIME 1·2015
the w
would
heavy
Trelle
produ
the pr
projec
and u
u
o

3. 3T·TIME 1·2015
TEXT ANNA GULLERS PHOTOS SARAH MCNAIR-LANDRY
A tractor
full of
Antarctic
dreams
Awomanwithatractorloadedwithdreams
setouttoconquerAntarctica.ActressManon
Ossevoort’sexpeditiontotheSouthPole
wasnotanordinaryone.Shewantedto
demonstratethatnothingisimpossible.
3T·TIME 1·2015
EDGE [TRACTOR GIRL]

4. 4 T·TIME 1·2015
MANON OSSEVOORT,
AKA “TRACTOR GIRL”
Age: 38
Nationality: Netherlands
Family: Husband and a young
daughter
Hidden talent: Perseverance
Best tractor music when it’s cold
outside: “One” by U2 (also the
version with Christina Aguilera)
How to cross an ocean by
tractor: From Cape Town in a
Russian cargo plane
Chief fear: “I have many fears, but
I undertake adventures because I
really wish to free myself from
those fears. And it does work!”
MANON OSSEVOORT
never intended to
become an adventurer.
She never planned to cross thousands
of miles of snow and ice, to sleep in a
tent on the polar snow with the wind
howling around her head at minus 40
degrees Celsius, eating freeze-dried
food.
Yet this is what Ossevoort, a
Dutch actress, dancer and playwright,
decided to do: to go to the South Pole
in a tractor. Although she is being
accompanied by a down-to-earth
team of polar specialists, the expedi-
tion’s theme is “dreams”– fulfilling
them and the notion that nothing is
impossible.
“We are enchanted by dreams, but
when we think about realizing them
they suddenly feel as impossible as
driving a tractor to the South Pole,”
she says. “As a playwright I wanted
to create a story, but one for real life
instead of for the theater – one that
would inspire people to believe in
the power of their dreams. And the
only way to do that was by doing the
impossible myself. If I could do that,
anybody could do anything.”
Manon Ossevoort
crossed 2,350
kilometers in a
tractor to reach
the South Pole.
Between November 2014 and
January 2015, Ossevoort crossed
2,350 kilometers of treacherous snow
and ice to reach the geographic South
Pole in a Massey Ferguson tractor, a
traveling companion from previ-
ous trips. She was already known as
“Tractor Girl,” having traveled by
tractor more than 38,000 kilometers
in the course of four years in prepara-
tion for the drive to the South Pole.
“I started the journey on an old
local tractor from the village where
I was born,” she says. “I have driven

5. 5T·TIME 1·2015
One of the main characters in the
Antarctic drama is the red Massey
Ferguson MF 5610 tractor that Manon
Ossevoort drives. Campbell Scott,
Massey Ferguson’s Director Sales
Engineering and Brand Development,
has been deeply involved in the prepa-
ration for the expedition.
Why did Massey Ferguson take part
in this expedition?
“This is an epic journey that is all about
having a vision and making it happen.
It will also demonstrate the straightfor-
ward dependability of our 21st century
engineering and technology in one of
the toughest environments on earth.
It also connects strongly with our herit-
age. In 1958, the famous explorer Sir
Edmund Hillary took Ferguson TE20
tractors to the South Pole.”
What are the special challenges for
vehicles in the South Pole?
“The key issues are the low tempera-
ture, the terrain and the altitude. It is
a standard production tractor but one
that has undergone some special prep-
aration.”
How do you test a tractor for these
types of conditions?
“We carried out extensive cold tests in
our own cold chamber. We also had a
trial expedition in Iceland. We’ve tested
the effects of this sort of altitude in
regions including Colorado in the US
and the French Alps.”
Why did you choose tires from
Trelleborg?
“We have worked together on previous
projects and knew that Trelleborg has
a ‘can do’ attitude similar to our own.
This is so important in a project like this,
which presents many challenges along
the way. Also, we had been given a close
look into Trelleborg’s engineering and
development department on a prior
occasion, so we knew that you had both
the technical know-how and the labora-
tory facilities to select and test the best
tires for this most demanding of applica-
tions. And of course, what’s also really
important is that the Trelleborg team,
at all levels, is easy to work with.”
TRELLEBORG
AND MASSEY
FERGUSON HIT
THE ICE TOGETHER
through places that most people
consider the end of the world – for
instance, countries like the Sudan.”
Now the old tractor has been
replaced by a newer one. The condi-
tions in Antarctica are demanding,
and the equipment, which was tested
in Iceland before the start of the expe-
dition, is vital to the mission’s success.
“We adapted the MF 5610 trac-
tor for the extreme and very specific
challenges,” Ossevoort says. “The tires
in Antarctica made all the difference.
It’s their flotation capacity that helps
the tractor to ‘float’ on the snow and
create maximum traction. Driving on
snow is a bit similar to driving in the
desert, where you have to deflate the
tires in order to keep driving on the
softest of sand conditions.”
For the expedition, Trelleborg
developed a special multipurpose set
of complete wheels, both tires and
rims, to tackle the severe weather
conditions of the Antarctic.
WHEN THE WHEELS spin in the snow,
the snow melts quickly, creating slip-
pery ice that demands a certain driv-
ing technique that Ossevoort learned
from an Icelandic team from Arctic
Trucks. Along her journey over the
past year she has been, as she puts it,
“collecting dreams and stories” from
the people she’s met.
“These stories, and the dreams
I’ve collected, are written down on
small pieces of paper from people
everywhere,” she says. “I want to give
these stories a global stage.”
People have also been able to share
their dreams on Ossevoort’s website.
The final destination for these wishes,
printed on paper, is the belly of a
snowman at the South Pole.
“It’s a beautiful time document of
the ‘dreams of the world’ for future
generations to read,” says Ossevoort.
EDGE [TRACTOR GIRL]
FOR MORE
INFORMATION
lorenzo.ciferri
@trelleborg.com

6. 6
EXPERTISE
Trelleborg’sproductsarediverse.However,giantor
tiny,thesamemanufacturingandprocessprinciples
ensuretheperformanceoftheTrelleborgGroup’s
solutionsandtheintroductionofrobotscolleagues
–orcobots,astheyarealsoknown–hasbeena
welcomeadditionthathasboostedproductivity.
TEXT DONNA GUINIVAN ILLUSTRATION SERGEY KOSTIK
PHOTOS MARTIN OLSON, SAM FAIRBROTHER, PATRICK AVENTURIER
AND BASILE BORNARD

7. 7
A H E L P I N G
C O B O T H A N D

8. 8
relleborg’s manufacturing site in Tivoli,
Italy, where its extra-large agricultural
tires are made or that in Ridderkerk
in the Netherlands, home to pipe plug
production, seem a world away from
the facilities in Helsingør, Denmark, which specializes in
Turcon® seals or Stein am Rhein, Switzerland, the center
for excellence for micro-molded silicone components. But
that is far from true.
“Our 2,300 millimeter giant tires are amongst some
of our largest products,” says Marco D’Angelo, Industrial
Director within Trelleborg Wheel Systems. “The
smallest components are made from silicone at just three
milligrams.”
On the face of it, the technology and processes behind
such varying products may appear to be opposites. In fact,
size is irrelevant.
Trelleborg is always willing to invest in innovative
manufacturing methods and processes to improve
efficiency, quality or delivery. Use of robotics is just one
area where the Trelleborg Group is leading edge.
D’Angelo proudly demonstrates the specially designed
enclosed tire spray booth at Tivoli.
“Before this, the giant tires were sprayed by hand.This
was a slow process that could cause production bottle
necks.This was because, as the potential source of process
inconsistency and quality concerns, it required lots of
attention from specialized operators.”
NOW A LARGE articulated arm picks up a giant tire and
places it in a spray booth, where another robotic hand,
fitted with a spray nozzle, coats the tires. The timing for
each process is precise, as is the application of the paint.
Another totally unique process atTivoli is the splicing line.
“We need to build up long lengths of rubber to create
our extra-large tires,” continues D’Angelo. “This is an
extremely difficult process to complete accurately. We
therefore developed a robotic line that precisely welds
rubber sheets for giant tires.
“As good as our operators are, it was hard to manually
achieve the level of consistency and accuracy required.
The line also allowed us to ramp up to meet the increasing
demand we have seen for our extra-large tires over the past
few years.”
At the other end of the scale is micro-molding. The
polished white floors of the main manufacturing hall
at the Trelleborg Sealing Solutions facility in Stein am
Rhein show not a speck of dirt and neat rows of automated
machines click and whir away as an array of robotic arms
dutifully perform their programmed tasks.
T
When the first
robots were
introduced, some
staff members
feared the robots
would take over
their workplaces –
an apprehension
that has proved
uncalled for.

9. 9
A
EXPERTISE
“In our holistic design approach, in addition to part-
function and maximizing performance in an application,
right from the earliest point possible, we take into account
design for automation,” says Ursula Nollenberger, Product
Line Director for LSR components.
“The quality of our tooling determines how effective
our automation can be. Not just of the mold tools but
in particular our unique robotic grippers that guarantee
removal of parts from molds without damage,” says Jarno
Burkhardt, General Manager of the Stein am Rhein facility.
Though products that look simple, the production
of pipe plugs was hard to automate. The Ridderkerk
facility spent a considerable amount of time and money
in developing a unique automation process.
“Pipe plugs had been made in the same way for over
fifty years and to guarantee quality in this essentially
manual operation, they were almost over engineered,”
says Ruud Bokhout, Sales and Marketing Director within
Trelleborg Offshore & Construction.
Specially developed software for robots now accurately
calculates the required composition of the plugs. This
means that the product can be 100 percent replicated.
“The pipe plugs are now lighter.This is a real advantage,
making the plugs easier to maneuver when maintaining or
installing pipe systems,” continues Bokhout.
JUST LIKE IN RIDDERKERK, in Helsingør, a product that
was produced for nearly 60 years was brought into the
twenty-first century with robotics.
“For 10-15 years, we researched the market for
suitable robots. We needed very flexible and small robots
to automate our upgraded CNC machines,” says Jesper
Riis, Production Manager at Trelleborg Sealing Solutions
facility in Helsingør, one of the manufacturing sites
where its polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) based seals are
manufactured. “Lightweight robots have been part of the
workforce at Trelleborg since 2012 and 42 now operate
on continuous shifts.”
“We use our machines much better with robots, and
our products have never been more uniform. This means
that we have become more competitive, especially for
large series production,” says Henrik Tørnes, Head of
Production Technology at Helsingør.
However, despite the many benefits of robotics,
automation tends to instill a sense of fear in people.
“When the first robots were introduced, we, as staff
members, were very skeptical,” says Morten Maansson, a
shop steward at Helsingør. “We were afraid that the robots
would take over our workplaces.This was, however, not the
case. On the contrary more employees were engaged, and we
have now learnt to accept this innovative development and
to use the robots as a technical aid in our working day.”
“We use our machines much better
with robots, and our products have
never been more uniform.”
Henrik Tørnes
utomation is taken to the ultimate level
and there is consistency throughout
the manufacturing facility. Most parts
produced are untouched by human hand
until packaged and some are boxed or
packed robotically in the main hall or the facility’s large
class 100,000, ISO 8 and class 10,000, ISO 7 cleanrooms.
“Our automated cleanrooms put us in an unrivalled
position to supply customers who need super-clean parts,
not just for life sciences but also for other industries such
as automotive electronics that need parts free of any
contamination,” continues Nollenberger.
FOR MORE
INFORMATION
marco.dangelo
@trelleborg.com
ruud.bokhout
@trelleborg.com
jesper.riis
@trelleborg.com
ursula.nollenberger
@trelleborg.com

10. TECHNOLOGY
ENGINEERED FABRICS
Aerospace is one of a number of advanced
industries that use high-performance polymer-
coated fabrics in their processes and products.
Automotive, marine, transport, safety and health
also make use of them, and Trelleborg offers
more than 100 years of experience to help
develop customized solutions. Trelleborg’s
general aerospace experience in engineered
fabrics for a wide range of industries benefits
each new customer, including those in the fast-
moving aerospace sector.
ENGINEERED FABRICS
Aerospace is one of a number of advanc
industries that use high-performance po
coated fabrics in their processes and pro
Automotive, marine, transport, safety an
also make use of them, and Trelleborg o
more than 100 years of experience to he
develop customized solutions. Trelleborg
general aerospace experience in enginee
fabrics for a wide range of industries ben
each new customer, including those in th
Composite
aiming for
the stars
Composite
aiming for
the stars

11. VEGA – an acronym for Vettore Europeo di Generazione
Avanzata, or Advanced Generation European Vehicle – is
a launch system for commercial satellites. It is designed
and manufactured by Avio, a full systems integrator and
prime contractor, through its subsidiary ELV. Standing
30 meters (98 feet) tall, the Vega launch vehicle carries
equipment for GPS systems, environmental surveys and
global mapping, for Google Earth for example, into space.
During the development of its solid rocket motors
in recent years, Avio began looking for a partner to help
transform its thermal protection rubber, developed for
manual application, into a tape format with
a semiautomatic application process
to be used in manufacturing
solid boosters. Avio sought
a company with proven
reliability, technical
competence, a long-
term perspective and
preferably with a base
in Italy, says Antonio
Santin, Sales Director
within Trelleborg
Coated Systems.
“We were short-
listed because we had
know-how in rubber
and fabrics, in addition
to other requisites,”
Santin explains. With more
than 100 years of experience
in engineered fabrics and a
production facility in Lodi Vecchio,
southeast of Milan, Trelleborg satisfied
all of Avio’s requirements.
“TRELLEBORG HAS ALWAYS been ready to cooperate with
Avio both in the R&D process and in the resolution of
problems during the production phase,” says Francesco
Giliberti, who has technical responsibility for Vega Solid
Rocket Motors at Avio.
Because this project represented a new challenge in a
demanding sector for Trelleborg, the company was eager
to show that its expertise could be applied effectively for
engineered fabrics in the aerospace industry.
On April 30, 2014, a Trelleborg product was aboard
Vega’s formal commercial launch
from the Guiana Space Centre in
Kourou, French Guiana. Trelleborg’s
contribution, in partnership with
Avio, is a composite material that
provides thermal protection to parts
of all three rocket booster stages.
The composite material is made
with glass fabric laminated with
a special rubber sheet designed to
TEXT CLAUDIA B. FLISI ILLUSTRATION ESA
Vegaisnotjustthenameofthesecond-brightest
starinthenorthernhemisphere.Itisalsothename
ofanewsatellitelaunchsystemthatTrelleborghas
helpedbecomereality.
THE GUIANA SPACE CENTRE
More commonly known as the Centre spatial
guyanais (CSG), the Guiana Space center is a French
and European spaceport near Kourou in French Guiana.
Operational since 1968, it fulfills the two major
geographical requirements for a spaceport:
1. Quite close to the equator, so that the spinning earth
can impart some extra velocity to the rockets for free when
launched eastward.
2. Uninhabited territory (in this case, open sea) to the east,
so that lower stages of rockets and debris from launch fail-
ures cannot fall on human habitation.
The European Space Agency (ESA), the French space
agency CNES (National Centre for Space Studies),
and the commercial Arianespace company
conduct launches from Kourou.
meet specific aerospace requirements: low density, high
thermal insulation, abrasion resistance and flame-retardant
properties.
It forms one layer in the booster rocket, wrapping
around it to absorb some of the excess heat generated by
the solid rocket propellants. With temperatures that can
reach 3,000 degrees Celsius in the combustion chamber,
this layer becomes carbonized in the course of operation.
Dealing with extreme conditions is only one of the
challenges of working in the aerospace industry. Besides
the technical requirements, aerospace first-tier suppliers
must be able to provide accurate traceability
documentation for every component they
supply; their suppliers must do the same.
Because Trelleborg in Lodi Vecchio
is UNI EN ISO 14001 qualified
for environmental management
systems concerns, and UNI
EN ISO 9001 qualified
for quality management
systems, it already had the
basic qualifications for the
Vega project.
“Traceability and
document control are
almost as important as
product performance in
this sector, but this was just
the starting point,” Santin
explains. “The fully committed
dedication to this project between
Trelleborg’s R&D center and the team
of Avio engineers has been a key success
factor in completing this project.”
Product performance is essential. According to Avio,
the biggest hurdle in development was setting up the
manufacturing process to ensure that the properties of
the rubber formulation would remain intact. Trelleborg’s
offering met the challenge.
Vega has scheduled four additional
launches beyond the three already
done – one in 2014 and three
more in 2015. This means that the
composite rubber sheet produced in
Lodi Vecchio will have gone into orbit
seven times by the end of 2015.
11T·TIME 1·2015
FOR MORE
INFORMATION
antonio.santin
@trelleborg.com

12. 12 T·TIME 1·2015
BIG
A
BIOREACTOR BREAKTHROUGH
TEXT ULF WIMAN PHOTOS SARTORIUS STEDIM BIOTECH GMBH
WHEN TRELLEBORG SEALING SOLUTIONS wanted to
break into the highly innovative life sciences industry, the
company sought ways to position itself as a provider of
engineered solutions.
Ralf Gergen, Life Sciences Segment Manager for
Trelleborg Sealing Solutions in Europe, explains: “We
were looking for demanding projects where we could show
that by partnering with us, customers could get a wide
range of products and tailor-made solutions from a single
source, tapping into our global network.”
A lucky break came in 2009 when Sartorius
Stedim Biotech, a leading international supplier to the
biopharmaceutical industry, was scaling up its portfolio of
disposable bags for single-use bioreactors to meet market
demand.
The project required developing a 2,000-liter bag – a
huge challenge that dramatically increased the component
requirements. There was massive torque applied to the
stirrer inside the bag, and the drive coupling had to
withstand very high forces. There were also very strict
cleanliness demands. Sartorius already had some basic ideas
and was more or less looking for sealing support when it
became clear that their ideas would not suffice.
“At the time, we only supplied some standard parts
and did not have a very strong partnership,” Gergen
says. “When we learned about their needs, we arranged a
demonstration to show what we could offer.”
Dr. Gerhard Greller, R&D Director Upstream
Technology with Sartorius, recalls, “We found out that
there was more competence within Trelleborg than we
were aware of. They understood the requirements clearly
and swiftly came up with a concept for a solution.”
It had all started with a seal, but theTrelleborg concept
encompassed an entire assembly, featuring a radial
magnetic coupling, designed specifically according to
client specifications. Based on the Trelleborg concept, a
project team was put together that pooled expertise from
the two companies and spanned three countries.
It was key that all team members had a common
understanding. So early in the process, Trelleborg
Nomatterwhattheindustry,takingthe
stepfromprovidingcomponentstocreating
long-termpartnershipsisincreasinglythe
nameofthegame.
BETTER BUSINESS [SARTORIUS STEDIM BIOTECH]
FOR MORE
INFORMATION
ralf.gergen
@trelleborg.com

13. 13T·TIME 1·2015
THE SOLUTION
• Sartorius Stedim Biotech’s 2,000-liter
disposable bioreactor bag features a
radial magnetic coupling using an
assembly of special Durobal®
and a
housing of Zurcon®
polyethylene
welded to the bag.
• Durobal bearings are ideal in rotating
applications, preventing metal-to-
metal contact and offering low fric-
tion. They are self-lubricating for
cleaner operating environments.
• Zurcon engineered plastic-based
materials provide low friction, making
them ideal for reciprocating, very slow
rotating and oscillating applications
that require high wear resistance.
brought in technical manager Tim
Miller from a Trelleborg site that
specializes in plastic bearings in
Colorado, in the United States. “Tim
was very competent, and listening
to him we all went ‘Aha!’” Greller
recalls. “Before that it had been very
abstract.”
THE MAGNETIC coupling was
developed by Trelleborg Sealing
Solutions in Colorado while
engineering was undertaken in
Trelleborg Sealing Solutions in
Stuttgart, Germany, and the bag
was produced at the Sartorius site
in Aubagne, France. The resulting
coupling design, the Biostat STR
2000L, was launched in May 2014
and the bags in January 2015.
Sartorius did not know that
Trelleborg could handle this kind
of project, Greller says, but he
adds, “The company is a reliable,
competent development partner.
There is the technical competence,
but also the worldwide business
behind it, which means quality and
security of supply. They were also
willing to invest in finding the best
solution.”
The bioreactor bag project has opened the door to more
collaboration, and new projects have already started within
the bioreactor segment as well as with other Sartorius
business units.
“It is all about life-cycle management,” Greller says.
“We now discuss with Trelleborg how to improve this
product for the next generation.”
“We have invested heavily
in our polymer engineering life
sciences capabilities. This is because
we, as a Group, truly believe that
Trelleborg can make a difference to
our customers’ performance in this
highly demanding industry.”
Peter Nilsson, CEO of Trelleborg
Sartorius Stedim Biotech is a
leading international supplier
of integrated solutions for the
biopharmaceutical industry,
including fermentation, cell
cultivation, filtration and
purification.

14. 14 T·TIME 1·2015
he Fukushima nuclear disaster in March 2011,
causing a meltdown of three of the plant’s nuclear
reactors, sent a shock wave throughout Japan. In
addition to the disastrous environmental impact, it also
severely hurt public confidence in nuclear power plants.
The result was a decision by the Japanese government to
shut down all the country’s more than 50 nuclear plants.
Thus the need for alternative sources of energy has
increased sharply. One of the focus areas is wind power,
and since Japan is a crowded and mountainous country, the
search for sites has moved offshore, with floating turbines
the main option in the deep waters off the rugged coastline.
Fukushima Forward is a trial project for offshore wind
power, conducted by the Japanese Ministry of Economy,
Trade and Industry. The project includes three different
types of windmills and the world’s first offshore floating
substation. The primary phase, completed in September
2013, saw installation of the substation and one two
megawatt floating turbine.
The second phase, which includes installation of two
seven megawatt turbines, is ongoing and is expected to be
finalized by the end of 2015.
Following a successful delivery during phase one,
Trelleborg has been selected to provide its distributed
buoyancy modules (DBM), bend stiffeners with dynamic
bend stiffeners connectors (DBSC), UraductTM
cable
protection and bending restrictors to the second phase
of the project. The products are
designed to secure, guide and
protect the subsea electrical power
cables from excessive movement
and bending, which could cause
fatigue damage.
“Securing the contract for phase one was a real
accomplishment for Trelleborg,” says John Deasey,
Renewables Sales Manager within Trelleborg Offshore &
Construction. “We knew the gravitas of the project and
the tight deadlines it was under. However, with the input
of our specialist teams we made sure that we delivered all
products exactly to schedule and in accordance with the
client’s strict deadline.”
According to Furukawa Electric, the company in
charge of the project, Trelleborg was originally appointed
as supplier because of its reputation for delivering high-
quality solutions and technical know-how, even under
challenging deadlines. As a result of the prompt delivery
during phase one, there was no hesitation to enlist
Trelleborg again for the second phase of the project.
The opportunities for Trelleborg’s continued
involvement in the project are huge.
“The prospect of a 120-turbine project would provide
an opportunity for the largest-ever supply of bend
stiffeners, connectors and other products,” Deasey says.
“The benefits for Trelleborg would also be the knowledge
gained in this new business sector and the possibility of
supplying emerging markets with the same technology.”
FollowingamajornucleardisasterinJapan,itsnuclearpowerplants
havebeenshutdownandanalternativeenergysupplyisneeded.Amajor
investmentisbeingmadeintoanenvironmentally-friendlyoptionthat
reliesonthepowerofoffshoreandthetechnologyto
harvestenergyfromit.
TEXT ERIK ARONSSON ILLUSTRATION RICARDO BESSA
BLUE DIMENSION*
*Blue Dimension refers to products and
solutions that not only satisfy the needs
of the customer but also protect people,
the environment and infrastructure.
THE FUKUSHIMA FORWARD PROJECT
Fukushima Forward is a floating offshore wind farm demonstration
project funded by the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry in Japan.
The first phase of the project consists of one two megawatt floating
wind turbine and the world’s first 25 Mega Volt Ampere (MVA) floating
substation connected to land by undersea cables. In the second phase,
two 7 MW wind turbines will be installed by the end of 2015. The aim of
the project is to establish the business model of the floating wind farm
and contribute to future commercial projects.
T
FOR MORE
INFORMATION
john.deasey
@trelleborg.com

16. 16 T·TIME 1·2015
GLOBAL LOCAL [TOKYO]
16 T·TIME 1·2015
TOKYO,WITHAHISTORY that stretches back some 500 years
to the days when it was known as Edo, has been Japan’s
capital since the 1800s and is one of the world’s major
cities. Today, some 35 million people live in the densely
populated greaterTokyo area, and just under nine million
of those reside in Tokyo proper. Each year Tokyo hosts
nearly five million foreign visitors and a great many more
domestic tourists. It’s easy to understand where the interest
comes from. Tokyo, on the island of Honshu, is truly the
city that never sleeps.
So what approach should a first-time visitor take to this
rich platter of experiences? One tip is to select a handful of
activities and attractions, and plan your visit so that they
are located in roughly the same part of the city. This will
reduce travel time and increase your chances of actually
doing everything on your activity list. The metro has
numerous advantages as a way of getting around the city.
Visit www.tokyometro.jp/en/ for a map of Tokyo’s metro
lines as well as information about routes and ticket prices
in English. What are the city’s must-see attractions?
Two ofTokyo’s most popular sights are Sensōji, the city’s
oldest temple, and the Tokyo Tower, which is similar to
the Eiffel Tower in Paris, but standing at 332.6 meters it
is nearly nine meters higher than its French counterpart.
Both are easy to get to using the Ginza Line of the metro,
WELCOMETOTOKYO,thecitythatreallynever
sleeps.Highandlow,ancientandhypermodern,
aplacewhereMammonandBuddhaflourish
side-by-side.Tokyohassomethingforeveryone,
fromthejazzlovertotheHelloKittyenthusiast.
Butdon’tbiteoffmorethanyoucanchewon
yourfirstvisit.
THE CITY THAT
WILL MAKE YOU
HAPPIER THAN
BILL MURRAY
TEXT ANNE HAMMARSKJÖLD PHOTO XAVIER PORTELA/GALLERYSTOCK

17. 17T·TIME 1·2015
“TOKYO IS
AN OASIS”
Rolly Wu is a Finance Controller
at Trelleborg Sealing Solutions in
Japan.
What is nice about Tokyo in general?
“Tokyo lies in a temperate zone, and its four
seasons are distinct and comfortable. We have
cherry blossom viewing in the spring, fireworks
displays and traditional dance festivals (Bon
Odori) in the summer, strolling through golden
foliage in the autumn, and the streets lighting
up with illuminated displays in
the winter; there are
especially romantic
night views in the
districts of
Marunouchi. In
addition, as a world-
renowned gourmet
city, Tokyo offers a
variety of top-level
cuisines from around the
world.”
What do you like to do on the weekend?
“Tokyo is an oasis with plenty of parks,
gardens, rivers, lakes and mountains. On the
weekends I like to cycle with my family to some
of the parks and gardens. I prefer those close
to commercial facilities, so that I can enjoy
both. One of my favorite routes is to Hibiya
Park, near the Imperial Palace. After having a
walk around the park, we like to go and find
new ramen shops or shop for sweets, clothes
or cosmetics.”
Where do you go for a relaxing onsen bath?
“Soaking in hot springs is a quintessential
Japanese experience. I prefer Spa LaQua and
Oedo Onsen Monogatari. Spa LaQua is in one
of the three zones of Tokyo Dome City. It takes
advantage of natural hot springs bubbling up
from 1,700 meters underground and features
an outdoor bath, a massage bubble bath and
saunas. Oedo Onsen Monogatari is a spa
theme park that offers not only bathing but
also traditional Japanese game booths, shops
and restaurants.
Tokyo
disembarking at the Asakusa and
Kamiyacho stations, respectively.
The Ginza Line will also take you
to the Ginza shopping district,
where you will find the Mitsukoshi
shopping mall (the station is called
Mitsukoshimi).
THEJAPANESEREGARDthe stomach as
the source of well-being, and for sushi
enthusiasts this is heaven. Sushi lovers
who are not afraid of early mornings
make their way to the enormous
Tsukiji Fish Market. The night’s tuna
catch is auctioned are 4 a.m., and at
6 a.m. the fish used to make most of
Tokyo’s sushi is distributed from here.
Take theToei Ōedo Line and get off at
Tsukijishijō. Then enjoy a freshly cut
sashimi and nigiri breakfast at Daiwa
Sushi.
An izakaya is a traditional Japanese
beer hall that also serves Japan’s
equivalent of tapas – tasty small
dishes. Izakaya Tenmamichi, located
in the Shimokitazawa district, stocks
one of Tokyo’s best ranges of sake.
Tokyo is in fact a thriving city for
jazz, both in its live form and in its
more electronic guise. Experience
both and start your evening at the
Blue Note club in Aoyama. Then
make your way to Shibuya and the
house club, The Room, which is run
by jazz duo Kyoto Jazz Massive.
To give yourself time to digest all of
the impressions, relax in a traditional
sento or onsen bathhouse where you
can submerge yourself in hot water,
or alternatively, water sourced from a
hot spring. There are several places to
choose from in the Asakusa district.
Another enjoyable activity is a visit
to the luxury hotel Park HyattTokyo,
which provided the backdrop for the
Hollywood movie Lost inTranslation.
There is every reason to believe that
the average Tokyo tourist will be a lot
happier than Bill Murray’s character
in that film.
17T·TIME 1·2015

18. 18
FOR MORE
INFORMATION
richard.hepworth
@trelleborg.com
CASE [MEMORIAL BRIDGE]
A
CLOSE
CALL
AcollisiononaUSriverhasshownthe
valueof Trelleborgfenderstoinfrastructure,
vesselsandtheenvironment.
thanks to protection from a system consisting
of 22 Super Cone fenders supplied by
Trelleborg. One fender was knocked
off completely, while the two
adjacent to it suffered damage.
The fender system worked
by absorbing the force of the
impact, protecting the bridge
and ensuring the safety of
those who cross it daily. At the
same time, it safeguarded the
hull of the vessel, preventing an
environmental disaster.
It had previously been
questioned whether fenders were
necessary to protect the piers, given how
unlikely it was that such an incident would
occur. Speaking after the collision, Bill Boynton of
the New Hampshire Department of Transportation said,
“The fender system did what it was designed to do and
protected the piers. I’m certainly glad they were put in.”
As a result of the effective protection, lift operations
at the bridge were not affected, and the structure was
kept open to vehicle traffic throughout the incident and
subsequent investigations. Moreover, there was no risk
to the many drivers, pedestrians and cyclists who use the
bridge for their daily commute.
Richard Hepworth, President within Trelleborg
Offshore & Construction, is thankful that the right
solution was in place. “The potential seriousness of this
incident, and the damage that could have been done had
the fender systems not been in place, demonstrates just
how essential it is to have them there,” he says. “The
fenders protected not only the bridge but the vessel too.
Had the vessel been seriously damaged, it could have
resulted in the spillage of the diesel it was carrying – with
serious environmental implications.”
Archer Western Contractors worked with Trelleborg
to supply the fenders for the project. Stephen A.
DelGrosso, Senior Project Manager with Archer, says,
“We worked closely together in the design of the fender
systems, and were impressed with Trelleborg’s ability to
provide a solution that fitted exactly with the needs of
the project.”
Trelleborg supplied the fender systems in 2013,
along with chains and accessories. Eleven systems were
supplied to protect each of the two
piers supporting the span of the
bridge. Further fender systems will
be supplied as replacements for those
damaged by the collision.
IN MARCH 2014, an oil tanker traveling on the Piscataqua
River in Portsmouth, New Hampshire, collided with one
of the piers of the Memorial Bridge – a busy thoroughfare
for cyclists, cars and pedestrians.
Thanks to the fender system in use on the bridge,
neither the ship nor the pier sustained damage, and a
potential environmental disaster was avoided.
The 600-foot vessel Seapride was outbound on the
Piscataqua River, carrying fuel to be off-loaded, when it
struck the pier.The bridge sustained only minimal damage
TEXT
PETRA LODÉN
PHOTO
GETTY IMAGES

19. 19T·TIME 1·2015
T H E B O U N T Y
O F N O T H I N G N E S S :
N E W O P P O R T U N I T I E S
PEOPLE & TRENDS
Voids are everywhere
– even in solid materials.
Krishan Chawla and Gary
Gladysz explain how to under-
stand the role of voids and how
to use them profitably to
design new materials.
TEXT TRISH RILEY PHOTOS STEVEN ST. JOHN

20. 20 T·TIME 1·2015
PEOPLE & TRENDS
W
e may think of empty space as nothingness – space that’s
perhaps waiting to be filled with something useful – but
scientists and engineers know that the voids are intrinsically
valuable.They can fortify structures to make them stronger
without burdening them with weight. The ability to
manipulate that nothingness brings new opportunities
to many fields, from deep sea and aerospace exploration
to the management of methane gas and its impact on
global warming. “Extra weight takes energy to move,”
says Dr. Krishan Chawla, Professor Emeritus of Materials
Science and Engineering at the University of Alabama in
Birmingham in the United States.
Chawla and Dr. Gary Gladysz, Partner/Owner of
Empyreus LLC, have dedicated a good part of their careers
to the study of voids to help bring better understanding
to this essential feature. Since 2004, Chawla and Gladysz
(previously Vice President of R&D within Trelleborg
Offshore & Construction) have hosted the conference
series Syntactic and Composite Foams, organized by
Engineering Conferences International.
The pair released their book Voids in Materials: From
Unavoidable Defects to Designed Cellular Materials (Elsevier,
2014) in September, and the fourth conference was held in
November, attended by about 40 accomplished researchers
from universities, national laboratories and industry. The
conferences are a vehicle to explore the mysteries they
study. Says Chawla, “We look at all types of foams –
metallic, polymeric, ceramic – characterizing them with
very sophisticated equipment and looking at different
aspects of the same topic. We always learn new things
from other people.”
CHAWLA NOTES THAT while books on polymer foams
are not unusual in engineering science, their publisher
Elsevier found their approach – looking at materials and
functionality through the lens of the void – to be unique.
“The point of view we are taking in this book is that all
materials have voids at some level, and we can control the
size and distribution of these voids to design the materials
with specific properties and characteristics,” he says.
Both scientists say that voids are rarely recognized
for their value. “Voids are everywhere whether you want
them there or not – you just have to deal with them,”
says Gladysz. “Solid or not, there’s void space that adds
functionality to all materials. Sometimes the presence
of voids can be harmful, but we need to understand the
circumstances when that is the case. It’s about building
materials up from that atomic scale through nanoscale
on up to the macroscale while incorporating voids at each

21. 21T·TIME 1·2015
MICROSPHERES
Trelleborg’s Eccospheres®
are thin-walled,
hollow glass microspheres (HGMS) devel-
oped to meet the demanding strength,
weight and electrical specifications of
companies in the aerospace, defence and
industrial markets. Magnification reveals
the near perfect spherical shape of
HGMS, which to the naked eye resemble
a fine, white, free-flowing powder. The
unique properties of Eccospheres can
help reduce costs, enhance products and
improve material processing.
Eccospheres can be incorporated into a
wide range of polymer and resin systems
and can replace or combine with other
materials to create composites. Areas of
applications are extreme processing con-
ditions (extrusion, roller milling, and injec-
tion), chemically sensitive systems (sili-
cones, vinyl esters, long pot life epoxies),
high viscosity systems, high temperature
systems and low
dielectric/loss
tangent materi-
als.
level to add functionality. This approach will bring about
combinations of functionalities that have never been done
before.”
Chawla says that the implications for future research
are great. “We go to great lengths in the book about how
to understand the role of voids and how we can use them
profitably to design new materials,” he says. “Biomaterials
is one of the areas that we think will be very important in
the very near future for implants.”
The authors hope that their book will provide a
road map for designers. “Maybe we can incorporate
more functionality into materials and components by
incorporating voids on different scales,” says Gladysz. “At
universities very few foams courses are offered, but the
applications are vast. It’s hardly ever mentioned. We want
to raise awareness of what happens with voids and what
happens with these materials.”
An application that Chawla and his colleagues have
developed shows promise as a means to clean water that’s
been polluted by industrial textile dyes or oil spills as
well as antibiotics and other pharmaceuticals. “We take
tiny microspheres of glass and coat them with titanium
dioxide,” says Chawla. “They are hollow spheres so we can
put this foam containing titanium dioxide in the water
that is polluted, then under the action of ultraviolet rays,
titanium dioxide breaks up those pollutants into harmless
byproducts. Putting the titanium dioxide outside hollow
spheres is novel. When introduced into water it becomes
a foam that floats on the water surface. It’s very benign.”
Another significant application of the work is its
potential to curb global warming caused by methane gas.
“Methane is starting to enter the atmosphere at higher
rates because of melting of natural deposits of methane
hydrate from global warming, agriculture and landfills,”
Gladysz says. “It all just goes into the atmosphere. The
one path we can take is to capture methane in a stable
solid cage and then use it as a fuel to serve as a bridge to
renewable energy.This methane hydrate structure consists
of a single molecule of methane inside an ice cage, so
there is a void at that scale in the cage. By studying the
structure and voids space in methane hydrate, we can create
organic molecules with larger void spaces that can hold
more methane. Potentially we can capture this methane
and put it in a more thermally stable solid.”
Chawla and Gladysz say they hope to hear from
industry experts and scientists interested in incorporating
voids into their work. “We are creating an energy around
looking at materials and the functionality that voids
contribute,” says Chawla.
Gladysz says the implications are impressive. “As in the
methane hydrate example, we look to nature for solutions
and we then try to improve on it.”
“We want to raise
awareness of what
happens with
voids and what
happens with
these materials.”
Dr. Gary Gladysz
20 μm
FOR MORE
INFORMATION
robert.kelly
@trelleborg.com

22. 22
Briefcase or
printing blanket?
Well, it’s actually
a bit of both...
NEWS [UPDATE]
CONSUMABLES MANUFACTURER and supplier
BFS Pressroom Solutions has seen its used
Trelleborg printing blankets transformed
into luxury briefcases by Elvis & Kresse, an
environmental lifestyle accessories producer
based in Kent in the UK. Elvis & Kresse has
combined the compressible layer of used
Trelleborg Rollin blankets from Reading-based
BFS customers Polestar Wheatons and Integrity
Print with decommissioned fire hoses from the
London Fire Brigade to produce the high-end
soft briefcases.
The briefcase lining is made with reclaimed
military-grade parachute silk, while the
packaging and labels for the briefcase are also
made from reclaimed materials.
Trelleborg’s offshore operation has
secured a contract to supply its high-
temperature thermal insulation material
for phase two of the Erha North project in
Nigeria. Appointed by subsea engineering,
construction and services company
Subsea 7, Trelleborg will supply several
tons of its high-temperature advanced
silicone insulation solution, Vikotherm™
S1, to the oil and gas flowlines in the field.
Manufactured using room temperature
vulcanization technology, the coating is
ideal for the high 149 degrees Celsius,
temperature requirement.
Lee Roskell, Proposals Team Manager
within Trelleborg Offshore &
Construction, says: “We developed a
high-temperature, microsphere-free
product to improve overall performance
of the insulation system. This provided
an added assurance that the product
has been installed properly and is fit for
purpose, verifying both the cast
insulation and substrate.”
FLOW ASSURANCE IN NIGERIA
Used Trelleborg
blankets become
luxury briefcases
TRELLEBORG SEALING SOLUTIONS is supplying
seals in advanced elastomer materials to enhance
the performance of Proserv’s subsea downhole and
pipeline sampling tools, providing a solution to rapid
gas decompression. The XploR™ grade elastomer seals
help address the low-temperature/high-pressure sealing
performance of Proserv’s subsea equipment and the
issue of sour gas chemical compatibility.
The challenge of rapid
gas decompression
App measures
cost savings
Trelleborg’s Tire Efficiency app,
based on the concept of the total
cost of ownership, measures the
benefits provided by a set of
Trelleborg tires in terms of both
cost savings and reduced working
time. Specifically developed for
farmers, contractors and special-
ized tire and machinery dealers, the
app enables users to select the
number of hectares covered, their
specific operation, working time
and several other parameters. The
assessment is based on one year of
operation and relates to a set of
tires for one axle. The Tire Efficiency
app is available for iOS and Android
tablets.
PHOTO:OLIVERJELLY

23. 23
Trelleborgis a world leader in engineered
polymer solutions that seal, damp
and protect critical applications
in demanding environments. Its
innovative engineered solutions
accelerate performance for customers
in a sustainable way. The Trelleborg
Group has annual sales of about SEK
22 billion (EUR 2.48 billion, USD 3.29
billion) in over 40 countries. The
Group comprises five business areas:
Trelleborg Coated Systems, Trelleborg
Industrial Solutions, Trelleborg Offshore &
Construction, Trelleborg Sealing
Solutions and Trelleborg Wheel Systems.
In addition, Trelleborg owns 50 percent
of TrelleborgVibracoustic, a global
leader within antivibration solutions
for light and heavy vehicles, with
annual sales of approximately SEK 16
billion (EUR 1.78 billion, USD 2.36
billion) in about 20 countries. The
Trelleborg share has been listed on the
Stock Exchange since 1964 and is listed
on Nasdaq Stockholm, Large Cap.
www.trelleborg.com
TRELLEBORG HAS SIGNED an agreement with
Shanghai Hyster Forklift Ltd. to supply tires to the
company’s manufacturing operation in Shanghai.
“We are proud to be chosen as an original
equipment partner for Shanghai Hyster Forklift
Ltd.,” says Richard Wang, National Sales Manager
within Trelleborg Wheel Systems. “We look
forward to working together to ensure that
customers receive maximum value from their
choice of Hyster forklift trucks.”
SUPPLYING
FORKLIFT
TIRES IN
CHINA
This is how
we roll
The predecessor of this invention
changed the world in many ways.
But what it is? Correct answer at
the bottom of the page.
THE CLUE
Trelleborg’sSolventlessRollerHeadlineforuseinthe
productionofprintingblankets.
PHOTO:OLIVERJELLY