Glossary
Technology and products
Refers to a subfield of data processing that focuses on analyzing business information or business processes. In contrast to Business Intelligence (BI) procedures, which are restricted to the evaluation of historical data, Advanced Analytics (AA) aims at making predictions for the future.
General term for all products related to the application of paint and high-viscosity materials, e. g. painting robots, paint atomizers, and color change systems.
Rotating components such as wheels and turbines must be tested for imbalances. Any imbalance is then removed since it would otherwise cause vibrations or oscillations.
Calendering machines are used for coating electrode films for lithium-ion batteries. Their two steel rollers press the cathode and anode materials onto the film by applying high pressure.
Process for applying the first prime coat that protects against corrosion. To coat the interior of the body as well, it is immersed. The coating is applied with the aid of an electric field.
Tunnel-like systems for curing freshly applied coats of paint.
Anode and cathode material is applied to both sides of a metal foil as a thin paste and then dried. The material layers produced in this way are responsible for storing energy in a lithium-ion battery cell, while the metal foil acts as an electrode that conducts the electricity to and from the storage material.
The external charging electrodes are arranged in a ring on the atomizer. They produce an electrostatic field that imparts an electrical charge to the paint drops after they are expelled from the atomizer. Since the surface to be painted is connected to ground, it attracts the paint drops. The symmetrical arrangement of the electrodes ensures highly uniform charging.
Development and design of machinery and plants. At Dürr, engineering often involves developing technical solutions that are geared to customers’ specific production goals.
Equipment designed for filling vehicles with the necessary operating media (e.g. brake fluid, refrigerant) in the course of their final assembly. Filling systems are also employed for charging refrigerators, air conditioners and heat pumps with refrigerant.
Manufacturing process in which parts such as the sheet-metal components of a car are joined together by means of adhesives.
Atomizers ensure a uniform distribution of the spray jet in paint application processes. High rotation atomizers rely on a bell-shaped disk revolving at up to 70,000 r.p.m. Due to this design, the paint fed to the center of the disk is accelerated and separated into fine threads which dissolve into minuscule droplets as they are propelled off the disk.
Term originating from paint application technology. At Dürr, the main needle is situated in the atomizer only a few millimeters from the atomizing component (e.g., a bell disk). When the main needle is opened, paint is expelled and enables the painting of a car body. If several main needles are installed, the paint colors required for further car bodies can be made ready in advance. This saves time, paint and solvents for cleaning the paint hoses.
NVH stands for Noise, Vibration and Harshness and designates all audible or perceptible oscillations in motor vehicles, or of machines. The lower the noise and vibration level, the better the NVH behavior, which is considered a quality characteristic.
An anticipatory approach for the proactive maintenance of machines and systems based on measured values and data serving to minimize failures that cause unplanned downtimes.
Designates a technology for the systematic analysis and evaluation of business processes.
With robot-supported process automation, repetitive and time-consuming office tasks are transferred to bots. This relieves employees, giving them more time for more demanding tasks.
Process for sealing welding seams created when car body parts are joined. Sealing also includes the application of an undercoating that protects against rock impact.
Designates construction on the basis of standardized, industrially prefabricated modules. In contrast to sitebuilt construction, components are pre-manufactured so that they only need to be assembled at the construction site. Serial construction enables an accelerated construction process and is mainly applied in timber house construction.
The stator is one of the most important components of an electric motor. It is immobile and consists of a magnetic core and several windings. When an electric current flows, the windings produce a rotating magnetic field. This interacts with the rotor’s magnetic field and thus drives the rotor.
End of line systems test the functions of fully assembled vehicles, e.g. headlights and ABS.
Thermal oxidation is a process for exhaust-air purification. The polluted waste air is burned in a combustion chamber.
Financial
A ratio that indicates the extent to which shareholders’ equity covers non-current assets.
A ratio that indicates the relative weight of non-current assets in total assets. High asset intensity means high fixed costs and high levels of capital tied up.
This is the capital used within the enterprise that is not subject to interest payable to external creditors. It is calculated by deducting liabilities from total non-current and current assets. However, all interest-bearing items are excluded.
This unit of measurement indicates the climate impact of different greenhouse gases compared with that of carbon dioxide (CO2).
This metric indicates the number of days during which capital is locked up in receivables.
This metric indicates the number of days during which capital is locked up as Net Working Capital.
A ratio that indicates the extent to which shareholders’ equity and non-current liabilities cover non-current assets.
ESG is frequently used as an equivalent to “sustainability”.
Free cash flow is the cash flow from operating activities remaining after deducting capital expenditures, net interest paid and received and the repayment of leasing liabilities, and represents the amount of cash that is freely available to pay a dividend, make aquisitions and pay off debt.
This is the ratio of net financial debt to shareholders’ equity and net financial debt. The higher the relative weight of net financial debt, the higher the reliance on external lenders. However, a high gearing is not necessarily negative if the interest paid does not reduce profits excessively.
Leading standard for the measurement and management of greenhouse gas emissions in organizations.
An interest coverage ratio of <1 indicates that the company is not able to meet its interest payments from operating earnings.
This metric indicates the number of days during which capital is locked up in inventories.
These two liquidity ratios show the degree to which current liabilities are covered by cash and cash equivalents (and other current assets). They serve to measure a company’s solvency.
This represents the balance of the financial liabilities reported in the balance sheet after deducting liquid funds. If a company’s liquid funds exceed its financial liabilities, it is de facto debt free.
This is a measure of the net funding required to finance current assets. Negative NWC is beneficial since it implies that sales are prefinanced by suppliers and customers. For the Dürr Group, the prepayments received from customers are an important factor affecting NWC.
This measures the rate of return on the capital tied up in a company’s operating assets (for instance in machinery and equipment, inventories, accounts receivable) and is the ratio of earnings before interest and taxes (EBIT) to capital employed.
This is the rate of return earned on shareholders’ equity. It should exceed the rate of return on a comparable investment.
This ratio serves to measure how efficiently a company employs the total resources at its disposal.
