Thinking ahead internationally Thinking ahead

Thinking ahead internationally Thinking ahead

1 | 2013
fluid
International news & information of the fischer group
Thinking ahead internationally
fischer group demonstrates global customer proximity
fischer China:
Now top supplier for
Boysen in China
fischer eco solutions:
Solar energy of the
most modern type
fischer Rohrtechnik:
Highest performance
in tube processing
News
Greeting
fischer Maschinentechnik
Approval as “known consignor”
Early
globalization
Since March 13th, 2013, the Federal Aviation Authority (LBA Luftfahrtbundesamt) has approved fischer Maschinentechnik as an
“officially recognized known consignor”. This has many advantages
for shipping via air freight. It means that machine parts or other goods
no longer need to be individually checked at the airport, which in turn
ensures faster freight shipments. In addition, fischer is able to guarantee
security throughout the entire transport chain. This avoids damage or
improper use of the valuable parts during the otherwise necessary check
by a third party.
Dear Customers,
Dear Colleagues,
The world was a different place when I took
the first steps towards globalization over 25
years ago. It was a gamble and an adventure
to transfer what we had built in Germany to
other continents. However, it was also a necessity to remain viable in the long term. I was
very aware of the fact that our quality must
not suffer as a result. We had clear objectives
and would soon have the right customers to
make it possible for us to develop. With fully
committed people on site to breathe life into
the fischer-quality promise, I could rely only
on my gut feeling. Luckily it did not let me
down! Today, the fischer group still benefits
from early encounters and choices, a steadily
growing loyal, dedicated team and a consis-
‹‹
fischer Edelstahlrohre
Investment in additional
annealing furnace
Hans Fischer, at the right and
Hans-Peter Fischer, at the left of the picture
tent international direction. So today we are
capable of first class implementation to meet
the demands of globalization, above all, in
the automotive industry: With a strong location in Germany and more than 25 years of
globalization experience.
“The geometry of automotive parts is becoming more sophisticated, particularly in the motor sector. This also concerns heat treatment,” explained Hans-Peter Fischer regarding
the investment in a new annealing furnace. It accommodates
parts up to a three-dimensional diameter of 140 mm. This is a
significant increase in comparison with the previous annealing
lines. The furnace also creates additional annealing capacity,
lowers­the outage risk and increases process reliability. The new
gas-powered furnace has thermal recirculation and thus meets
the fischer group sustainability philosophy.
Yours sincerely
Hans Fischer
Founder and Chairman of the fischer group
‹‹
Editorial
fischer USA: On the way with many new innovations ........................... 10
fischer South Africa: Awarded for the second time in a row .................. 11
Title Theme
fischer group: Thinking ahead internationally ........................................ 4
Strengthen the German
manufacturing base globally
International
fischer Mexicana: Investment in the future .............................................. 6
fischer China: Now top supplier for Boysen in China ................................. 6
fischer Austria: Accurate, precise, high-precision .................................... 7
fischer Uruguay: Size expansion and multiplying profits ........................ 7
fischer Canada: 25 Years & Counting ........................................................ 8
Dear Customers,
Dear Colleagues,
The study „How can automotive suppliers grow
properly“ emphasized as early as August 2011
the importance of internationalization, above
all, in the direction of „Asia and China“. This
shows that the fischer group was some years
ahead of the trend with its early international
commitment in China. The decisive factor is that
there is no exporting of qualified work from the
headquarters in Germany to low-income countries. That is not fischer group’s aim! Quite the
fluid 1 | 2013 // 2
contrary! As my father mentioned above, internationalization is necessary to meet the requirements of a globalized market. Seen in this way
it ensures the existence of the entire group – in
Germany as in other parts of the world. In Germany, fischer’s innovative technological pulse
beats as a group. It is the basis and the driving
force that ensures the necessary ambition and
the reputation of the fischer group throughout
the world. This is so, and this will remain so.
With all this mind,
Sincerely yours
Publisher: fischer group, Gewerbegebiet 7, 77855 Achern, Germany
Editor: Dr. Michael Kühner (responsible)
Hans-Peter Fischer
Contributors to this issue: Hans Fischer, Hans-Peter Fischer, Roland Fischer,
Dr. Stefan Geißler, Erich Kotzenmacher, Aldo Lebed, Dr. Heinz Paar,
Thomas M. Prell, Hans Wolfgang Szymanek, Horst Wiesenberger,
Prof. Dr.-Ing. Bernd Engel, Jens Helmbrecht
Contact: Phone: +49 7841 6803-0, E-mail: [email protected]
Managing Director of the fischer group
Design: Frank & Konsorten Werbeagentur, Lahr, Germany
Print: Straub Druck+Medien, Schramberg, Germany
Photo credits: fischer group, Jörg Wilhelm, fotolia
Tech Talk
Science: All about tube bending, part 2:
Bending isometry, conversion into machine data .................................. 12
Germany
fischer Maschinentechnik: Increasingly precise and independent ........ 14
fischer Hydroforming: Automatically from the tower into the press ...... 15
Team Talk
fischer Rohrtechnik: Highest performance in tube processing ............. 16
fischer Germany: Freshly cooked each day ............................................ 17
fischer Germany: The company and family festival 2013 ...................... 17
fischer Germany: With its own training workshop ................................ 20
fischer Germany: Back at the old premises ............................................ 20
Eco Talk
fischer eco solutions: Solar energy of the most modern type ................ 18
fischer Austria: Responsibility by conviction ......................................... 19
fluid 1 | 2013 // 3
Title Theme
Title Theme
Thinking ahead internationally
fischer group demonstrates global customer proximity –
Multinational on-site presence pays off
The automotive market has been global for
many decades. However, the pace of globalization has gained speed significantly in
recent years. Car makers and Tier 1 suppliers continue to build new production sites
around the globe. High transport costs
and import duties are responsible for the
keen international competition in which
the supply of parts and components from
Europe is no longer sustainable. Those who
can support customers at their location
have the advantage.
The fischer group is now present with their
own facilities in all of the major global automotive markets. A fact that many OEM manufacturers appreciate and use the fischer group
companies as multinational parts and compo-
nent suppliers. “We are everywhere where the
major manufacturers build their platforms.
This means that customers worldwide can rely
on the same quality fischer products – directly
in their area. With this we are more than one
step ahead,” Hans-Peter Fischer, the son of the
company founder, is certain of this.
The founder’s vision
What is today an absolute strategic advantage –
with high benefits for the customers who work
with the fischer group, has its origin in the
determination and
vision of the founder Hans Fischer­
.
He founded the first
international subsidiary, the fischer
Canada
Stainless
Steel Tubing Inc. in
Waterloo, Ontario
(Canada), as early
as 1987. The plant is
very near to Detroit
the former American
Automobile stronghold but for strategic reasons on Canadian soil: First, due to the
more favorable exchange rate of the Canadian
dollar, secondly, due to lower energy costs,
and thirdly, because relatively many German
emigrants were living in the area. The third
1969
1970
1971
1972
1974
1975
The most recent example is the plant in
China. There, industrial copying is almost
part of the daily agenda. Within just a few
years, the fischer group has appointed indepth expertise and set up appropriate systems: Customers from the automotive and
non-automotive fields are supplied directly
out of extensive processing equipment. And as
for imitators: The best protection mechanisms
for fischer are unique quality and high rate of
innovation. Hans Fischer remains convinced
that: “One only needs to be fast enough, then
no one can catch up.” After decades of success
he has a very strong argument.
Strategy, intuition and
knowledge of human nature
With a similar mixture of strategic vision, intuition and knowledge of human nature, Hans
Fischer took the next steps of internationalization: 1990 South Africa, 1991 fischer Mexico,
1998 fischer USA, 1999 fischer Austria, 2006
fischer China and 2009 fischer Uruguay – to
mention only the most important milestones
of the global fischer group. Again and again
he was quicker than others and was always already in place when the demand came.
‹‹
1976
1977
1978
1979
1980
1981
1982
fischer Tubetech (Taicang) Co. Ltd.
Taicang City (Jiangsu Province), China
fischer Stainless Steel Tubing SA (Pty) Ltd.
Centurion, South Africa
fischer Edelstahlrohre GmbH
Achern-Fautenbach, Germany
1973
Best quality and short
innovation cycles
fischer Rohrtechnik GmbH
Achern-Fautenbach, Germany
fischer Maschinentechnik-GmbH
Seebach, Germany
1968
The individual international fischer companies have an important advantage as a group.
Where others may still hesitate and fear copies
or loss of know-how, fischer goes in full power.
From the outset, the international specialists
for tubes and components made of stainless
steel or other high-quality materials relied on
their own machine technology from Germany. “After the first few years in South Africa a
former employee tried to copy our concept. He
did not succeed,” said the resourceful entrepreneur with a grin.
In Canada, therefore, he not only appointed the two German emigrants Rudolph and
Thomas Prell, father and son, who launched
fischer Canada. Also, among the employees,
colleagues with home-grown roots were hired.
“They knew from the outset what quality
meant – long before the topic of quality management was on everyone’s lips,” recalls the
senior partner.
The fischer group and its international locations
1967
Consistent implementation
reason might seem surprising at first but is
one of the secrets of the success of the fischer
group “You always need people who you can
trust,” Hans Fischer stating the principle that
has supported him during the consequent internationalization. For him three things had to
come together for the new site to be a success:
The right market strategy, the first anchor customer and the right people.
1983
1984
1985
1986
1987
fischer Canada Stainless Steel Tubing Inc.
Waterloo (Ontario), Canada
1988
1989
1990
fischer Rohrtechnik GmbH,
Niederlassung Sundern
Sundern, Germany
1991
1992
1993
1994
fischer Mexicana
Stainless Steel Tubing S.A. DE C.V.
San Luis Potosi, Mexico
fischer Stainless Steel Tubing
Manchester (Tennessee), USA
fischer Stainless Steel Tubing Uruguay S.A.
Montevideo, Uruguay
fischer Tubtech S.A. de C.V.
Puebla, Mexico
1995
1996
1997
1998
1999
fischer Tube Technik (Pty) Ltd.
Centurion, South Africa
fischer Edelstahlrohre Austria GmbH
Griffen (Kaernten), Austria
2000
2001
2002
2003
2004
fischer eco solutions GmbH
Achern-Fautenbach, Germany
2005
2006
2007
2008
2009
2010
fischer Tubetech Inc.
Waterloo (Ontario), Canada
fischer Hydroforming GmbH
Menden, Germany
fischer Tube E.C. (Pty) Ltd.
Centurion, South Africa
fischer Hydroforming
Chemnitz GmbH & Co. KG
Chemnitz, Germany
2011
2012
2013
fischer South Africa
Facilities (Pty) Ltd.
Centurion, South Africa
2014
2
In direct comparison
International
Conventional tube
Reference sample 1
fischer Austria
fischer Mexicana
Investment in the future
Accurate, precise, high-precision
New building expands tube welding capacity
HP tube – an economic alternative to seamless
and cold-drawn tubes
Lots of space for new equipment
By the end of 2013, fischer Mexicana will
have increased its production space by
more than 50 %. The construction of a new
production building with logistics office
started in December 2012.
Following the expansion of
7,500 m², fischer will have access
to 22,500 m² in Mexico. A new
tube welding facility with fully
automated tube end processing
and subsequent packaging and
bundling equipment will go into
production by January 2014. With
this endeavor, the Mexican market
leader in stainless steel tube production is getting ready for additional growth. “With this investment, we want
to secure market share and create additional
workplaces,” emphasizes Horst Wiesenberger,
local fischer Managing Director.
29,000 tonnes in 2012
During the last year, the company and its approximately 200 employees already produced
around 29,000 tonnes or 14 million meters of
stainless steel tubes with diameters ranging
from 10 and 152.4 mm. “In this area, we are the
leader in Mexico and we want it to stay that way,”
says a determined Wiesenberger.
With the expansion, fischer Mexico is well
positioned to meet increasing demand. “Three
of the big automakers are building new plants
in Mexico. Now we have enough capacity to
quickly supply them with sufficient amounts of
stainless steel tubes,” says Wiesenberger, who is
optimistic about the future.
‹‹
fischer China
Now top supplier for Boysen in China
With successful quality management according
to TS 16949 standard
In February 2013, fischer China successfully completed the process audit of Boysen
Exhaust Systems (Shenyang) Ltd. Since that
time, fischer group is considered a top supplier for the multinational company. The
successful audit was the result of thorough
work on processes and quality management
at the Chinese fischer branch location.
The production of bent-formed parts for
the key customer started during the same
time period. To this end, a new production
island for exhaust components was installed
and commissioned at the end of 2012. It consists of a bending machine, robotic equipment,
two presses, a tube end cutting machine, two
end processing machines and a trimmer. The
Chinese workers received extensive training
and instruction. To ensure that everything
fluid 1 | 2013 // 6
High demands on the outer diameter tolerance led to this innovation of the precision
calibration of welded stainless steel tubes –
the HP high-precision tube. Thereby, the systematics of cold-drawing is integrated directly
into the tube profiling system. The result is a
product of the highest accuracy with an outer
diameter tolerance of +/- 0.03 mm and less.
Where previously cold-drawn or seamless
tubes had to be used to ensure, for example, a
perfectly fitting mechanical joint or sensitive
forming processes, the HP tubes are the economical alternative. Besides seamless tubes,
these products have been used very successfully
in the hydraulic units of paper machines since
2011. The HP tubes from fischer Edelstahlrohre
Austria had to be specially marked, in order to
distinguish them from the seamless reference
samples.
In the automotive industry and, in particular, in the case of small media-conducting
lines, the customers appreciate the consistent
processability of the HP tubes. Machine setting times are shortened and the error rate is
decreased. Currently, the HP version is offered
in dimensions in the range of 6 to 14 mm outer
diameter with wall thicknesses of 0.5 to 1.5 mm.
Seamless tube
Reference sample 2
Sample tube - 14,00 x 1,00
Cold-drawn tube
Material 1.4301
Circle / cylinder
Diameter:14.027
X:-0.015
Y:-0.003
Minimum [74]: -0.004
Maximum [21]: 0.004
Span width:
0.008
Number of points: 412
Cant:50
Reference:1
HP tube
Outer diameter tolerance in the
range of “seamless quality”
HP tube
If you are interested in sample tubes,
please get in touch directly with:
[email protected]
Sample tube 2 - 8,00 x 1,00
Manufactured according
to customer requirements
Material 1.4301
Circle / cylinder
Diameter:7.999
X:-0.021
Y:-0.027
Minimum [105]: -0.008
Maximum [31]: 0.009
Span width:
0.017
Number of points: 286
Cant:15
Reference:1
‹‹
fischer Uruguay
Size expansion and multiplying profits
The plan for South America is bearing fruit
worked perfectly, all of the shifts
were monitored by experienced
employees from fischer Germany.
Today, three employees each work
in one or two shifts on the new
production island.
The production chain is fully
managed using the Infor Xpert
PPS system: planning, material
planning, production, logistics
and invoicing.
3
Circle / cylinder
Diameter:6.696
X:-0.028
Y:-0.014
Minimum [71]: -0.027
Maximum [31]: 0.020
0.048
Span width:
Number of points: 255
Cant:8
Reference:1
By establishing fischer
Uruguay, the fischer group
wanted to be closer to its Argentinian and Brazilian customers. This approach certainly appears to be paying
off: In 2012, sales revenues
quadrupled as compared
with 2011. For 2013, South
American fischer CEO Aldo
Lebed, the “Gerente General”, is expecting additional
growth of at least 50 %.
Perfectly organized for Boysen
In addition, the quality management system was also brought up to the international TS
16949 automotive standard. In February 2013,
the quality management documents were
again configured to the latest state of knowledge. By February 25 / 26, 2013, everything was
ready. Wolfgang Szymanek, Managing Director
of fischer China, was very satisfied with the
performance: “We have shown that the Chinese
location is also able to work at the highest standard of quality. A great result of excellent team
work.”
‹‹
Uruguay is also expanding
At this time, higher demand is met by working two
shifts. But this area too is sub-
ject to expansion: The production area will be
increased from 3,000 to 4,000 m², and a second
tube welding facility will be installed by the
middle of 2013.
Similar to other fischer group locations,
fischer Uruguay also works with the Infor Xpert
production planning system (PPS). It ensures
that processes are under control and that all
project data can be retrieved and processed at
all times.
Hans-Peter Fischer, Managing Director of
the fischer group: “We are happy to see that our
concept is also bearing fruit in South America. The team in Uruguay is truly performing
ground-breaking work.”
‹‹
fluid 1 | 2013 // 7
International
International
fischer Canada
25 Years & Counting
An Eventful Encounter
Thomas M. Prell,
B. Sc., P. Eng.
Born August 13, 1960,
Marktredwitz, Germany
1988 - 1992 Development of company as production
manager
Since 1992 Managing Director fischer Canada
Stainless Steel Tubing Inc., sole responsibility for the fischer Canada plant
Since 2002 Managing Director fischer Tubetech
Inc. Canada
2002 - 2010 Development of fischer Tubetech in
Canada
Since 2012 Managing Director fischer USA
Motto: “Work hard, play hard.“
With commitment and
determination
This year marks a special milestone in the
history of fischer Canada Stainless Steel
Tubing Inc. It will be the 25th anniversary
of producing stainless steel products to the
North American marketplace. And it will be
25 years of satisfying a growing demand for
quality products across a variety of industrial sectors such as automotive, architectural,
agricultural, marine, health care and food
processing.
fischer Canada owes its start to an unexpected,
chance meeting with Hans Fischer. In 1988, Mr.
Fischer was looking to expand overseas and had
come to Waterloo, Ontario, to conduct some preliminary research.While there, he met Rudolf (19282012) and Thomas Prell, a father and son team who
had emigrated from Germany a few years earlier.
After a brief courtship period between Hans
Fischer and ‘The Prell’s’, the parties decided to
start a new adventure that would soon be called
fischer Canada Stainless Steel Tubing Inc. The
company’s focus would become the manufac­
turing of welded stainless steel tubes. As Director of Marketing, Rudolf Prell was responsible
for Sales while Thomas Prell, Director of Manufacturing, became in charge of production.
The production location chosen for this venture was Waterloo, Ontario as it offers ready access to the U.S., a key future market, via Buffalo,
NY or Detroit, MI border crossings. Waterloo is
also known for having a large European population which proved to be beneficial in hiring
qualified trades people.
Being relatively new to that market segment,
the Prell’s engaged in a market study over the
following 3 months to research the demand for
stainless steel tubing in the Canadian market
place. It became apparent early on that a particular niche market would be ornamental and
structural tubing. There was no Canadian man­
Uta Prell
Rudolf Prell and Hans Fischer at the key handover ceremony for fischer Canada in 1990.
ufacturer at the time and the Canadian market
place for this particular product was protected
by a 13% import duty.
So with no local competition, a shielded sales area and with advanced German tube man­
ufacturing technology at hand, it was decided
that all signs were pointing in the right direction and fischer Canada Stainless Steel Tubing
Inc. was incorporated early on in 1988.
The original 6,000 square feet of leased space
has since grown into more than 280,000 square
feet of owned space. The one company has since
become three, with the 2002 launch of a second
entity called fischer Tubetech Inc. to process
stainless steel tubes into component parts as
well as a Joint Venture start up in 2009. Between
the three companies, the employees now number well over 200.
The strengths of fischer Canada have proven
to be its people, the equipment and its customer
service. Its core group of people who are committed to the business and its long term employees,
are part of the winning strategy of the company.
Today, with almost $ 70 Million invested,
fischer Canada is the largest manufacturer
of stainless steel tubing in Canada, operat­
ing a total of 9 fischer built Laser Mills and a
host of other state-of-the-art equipment. The
company’s current capacity includes sizes rang­
ing from 12.7 mm diameter all the way up to
160 mm in a variety of geometries with an annual capacity or approximately 20,000 tons.
Tubing with a Twist
The launch of fischer Tubetech in 2002 has
already shown great evidence of success. The
move was a result of inexpensive ornamen25 years’ fischer Canada Club – and they were there from the beginning:
Thomas Prell, Kim Lizun, Jan Twardus, Uta Prell and Stanislaw Wawrzaszek (from left to right)
Born: May 13, 1962,
Luedenscheid, Germany
tal tubing that was being imported into the
North American market from offshore. “The
ornamental tubing market became a price war,”
comments Prell. “We looked at the situation and
discussed it. We ultimately decided it was a war
that we would not win, it was a commodity product. So we decided to take a more value-add
approach and to specialize.”
steel tube component parts to satisfy the grow­
ing market demand.
That specialization came in the form of
fischer Tubetech, an operation that originated
with fischer Germany. fischer Canada replicated
the model here and started producing stainless
Diversification
Significant milestones in the
history of fischer Canada
1988 –fischer Canada SSTI established
in Waterloo, ON, operating from a
6,000sqft leased facility
1989 –Facility doubled to 12,000sqft
1990 –Purchased 6 acres of land and con­
structed 30,000sqft production facility
1993 –First expansion to over 60,000sqft
1995 –Purchased adjoining 2.5 acres of land
1997 –Plant expansion to over 90,000sqft
1998 –Additional 30,000sqft expansion
1999 –Plant expansion to 160,000sqft
2002 –Incorporation of fischer Tubetech,
plant expansion to 200,000sqft
2004 –Purchased neighbor adding
10,000sqft and half acre of land
2005 –Office and warehouse expansion to
meet the demand of growing fischer
Tubetech
2007 –Installation of first high speed tube
perforating line, purchase of neighbor
adding 40,000 sqft of production
space and 2 acres of land
The transition was a relatively easy one. Employing 70+ employees in the plant and another
eight office workers, fischer Tubetech produces
approximately 4 Million component parts per year,
accounting for 30 per cent of the overall sales.
A particular component found in almost every
exhaust muffler is perforated tube. Perforated tub­
ing is used to ‘tune’ the exhaust system to give a
car its distinguished sound. In 2007 fischer Canada Stainless Steel Tubing Inc. began installation
of its first high speed perforating line. Today that
number has grown to four. With 138mm tube OD
being the largest diameter, fischer Canada can
not only perforate tubing for the automotive industry but also for commercial vehicles such as
busses, trucks, off road vehicles etc.
More investments in
leading technology
One of the most significant factors that sets
fischer Canada apart from its competitors is
leading-edge technology and the willingness to
invest in that technology.
A recent example is the company’s investment in dynamic storage and retrieval systems.
Realizing that floor space is expensive, two Kardex Remstar units have been purchased to store
1988 General Office Administration
1991 Office Manager
Since 1993 Controller and Officer of fischer
Canada Stainless Steel Tubing Inc.
Since 2002 Officer of fischer Tubetech Inc.
Since 2012 Officer of fischer USA
Motto: “Always set the bar higher than
you think you can reach.”
manufacturing supplies and spare parts, thus
providing worker safety, product security, in­
creasing productivity and maximizing use of
overhead space.
Freedom a spart of the
coorporate culture
The freedom to make decisions is a business philosophy echoed throughout the Canadian operation. Hans Fischer created the atmosphere of
giving people the freedom they need to do their
job and thus promoted team work. At fischer
Canada, this has become our second nature. We
consult each other. We work together. And we
learn from each other. This philosophy flows
down from head office to each subsidiary to each
department.
fischer Canada was the first subsidiary of
fischer Edelstahlrohre and today is a proud
member of the fischer Group of Companies
with sister facilities in South Africa, Mexico,
USA, Austria, China and Uruguay.
‹‹
International
International
fischer USA
fischer South Africa
On the way with many new innovations
Awarded for the second time in a row
Changes bring new life
fischer South Africa receives 2012 Toyota Safety Award
In order to provide the customers all over North
America with best possible services the fi­
scher group decided in the last year to make full
use of the synergies between fischer USA and
fischer Canada. Therefore Thomas Prell, current
VP of fischer Canada, was also put in charge of
the Tennessee operation in August of 2012.
fischer Canada’s larger product range now
also enables fischer USA to diversify away from
the automotive sector. Furthermore the two facilities will also be connected via a common IT
platform within the coming 6 months.
maintenance area has undergone a facelift and
got more staff in order to help with the pending
onslaught of new equipment and its maintenance
“I have been very positively surprised how
well the change of guard went down with staff and
employees. We have seen a huge improvement in
the overall spirit and morale. Implementation of
5-S has changed the plant appearance immensely. Customers that have toured the plant recently
have definitely been impressed,” noted Prell.
New requirements, new installations
Amongst the latest installations at fischer USA
is a ‘Winglet’ Laser tube mill. This tube mill, in
conjunction with a cut-to-length line will be operating in a 3 shift operation to produce approximately 90,000 pieces of tube per week.
In March 2013, the Managing Director of
fischer South Africa, Erich Kotzenmacher,
was invited by Toyota South Africa in Durban to attend the annual award ceremony
for suppliers, at which participating suppliers were also treated to various presentations by Toyota South Africa.
Joe McLinden
The man for the entire
North American market
Mr. Joe McLinden is the new Sales
Manager for the North American region. Joe McLinden is responsible for
all Sales activities for fischer Canada
and fischer USA, while also representing fischer Mexico and their products
in the automotive market in the greater
Detroit area.
Joe took over for Mr. Dave Scott who,
after 20 years of loyal service, went into
retirement last June. Joe comes to us
with a great background in the automotive industry, where he has worked
in both Purchasing and in Sales.
Good luck Joe!
Significant improvements
In the meantime, the plant has undergone several tremendous changes as well. Late last year
the lighting in the entire building was replaced
with T5 high efficiency / high output fluorescent
lights. This immediately resulted in a much
brighter, safer and more pleasant work environment for its employees.
To further reduce the environmental footprint and increase the energy savings of the
company, the old oversized and inefficient compressor was recently replaced by 2 modern variable speed compressors. Energy savings due to
the lighting and compressor upgrades of at least
20% have been observed already.
Along similar lines, in early April of this year
a tube perforating line went also into operation in
Tennessee. This fully automated high speed perforating line can produce up to 1 Mio perforated components a year. It is not limited to round
holes, but can also do slots and other geometries.
This installation in Tennessee will supply our
local customers with the high quality perforated
tube that they have previously been getting from
fischer Canada. Combined with 4 other perf lines
installed in Canada, fischer owns a significant
share of the perforated tubing requirements in
the North American market place.
fischer USA is also answering another call
from their customers: value added. To answer
that call, fischer USA started to supply processed
tubular components as of April this year. “As a
first step a double head I/O machine has been
set up. Towards the end of the year additional
equipment ranging from CNC tube benders, to
ram form machines and other tube end forming equipment will need to be installed to meet
the timeline of one of our customers that will be
ramping up production in Q1 next year,” adds
Prell. With all these changes happening at fischer
USA one thing is for sure: It won’t get boring.
‹‹
fischer South Africa is proud to announce
that it has won the “Toyota Supplier Award for
Achievement in Safety” in 2012 for the second
time in a row. This award is only awarded to
suppliers who have met the criteria specified by
Toyota South Africa. The most important criterion is the achievement of zero incident rating,
which was successfully met by fischer South
Africa. A special feature of this award is the fact
that safety plays a very important role for Toyota South Africa; it is at the core of the company’s
philosophy and safety issues are taken very
seriously. fischer South Africa also takes the
subject of safety very seriously, since it is also
one of the company’s key values. Therefore, this
award has even more significance for the management team and the company’s employees.
fischer South Africa has been
added to this category due to
its compliance with all suit­
able procedures regarding
health and safety at the
factory plant, with zero tolerance for negligence. This
includes hearing protection,
eye and face protection where
required, and the wearing of
properly cared for and suit-
Preisverleihung bei Toyota Südafrika in Durban
able clothing, as well as regular reminders for
employees to be careful when working with machinery and in the vicinity of operating equipment. It also includes the regular maintenance
of our machines and ensuring a consistently
clean and well-organized environment. An­
other aspect related to safety at the workplace,
which is also emphasized by fischer South
Africa, concerns regular training
activities, such as
training for forklifts and cranes, which ensure
that the employees who operate these machines
are properly trained and are able not just to correctly and safely operate the machine, but also
know how to prevent accidents and injuries.
fischer South Africa is
ISO 14001 certified.
The management team and employees of
fischer South Africa have worked together
to create a culture of safety awareness
and discipline. This would not have
been possible without the cooperation
of fischer South Africa employees.
fischer South Africa proudly displays the “Toyota Supplier Award for
Achievement in Safety” in its reception area, right beside its twin award
from 2011. And hopefully there is
still space for the year 2013.
‹‹
Significant improvements have also been
made in the area of maintenance. PMExpert
software system has been implemented early this
year to eliminate duplicate inventories of spare
parts at both locations. Preventive service intervals and scopes have been aligned with Canada’s
to minimize downtime and optimize output. The
fluid 1 | 2013 // 10
fluid 1 | 2013 // 11
Tech Talk
Machine axes
In addition to the bending form, clamping jaws and counterholders are
also required for rotary draw bending (see Figure 4).
Science
All about the tube bending
Feed
Counterholder
Mandrel
part 2: Bending isometry,
conversion into machine data
A practice-oriented view
by Prof. Dr.-Ing. Bernd Engel
Bending form
Inner clamping jaw
High school graduation at
Winfriedschule, Fulda
Study of Mechanical Engineering at
the Technical University of Darmstadt
Doctorate in Hydroforming at University
of Darmstadt
Appointed professor at the University
of Siegen
Chair for forming technology
Chairman of TIME GmbH
Founder and spokesperson for
“expert workshop bending”
Chairman of VDI
Technical Committee
“bending technology”
Optionally, depending on the present bending task and the existing
machine axes, wiper dies mandrel and clamping jaws of the feeding device
may be present.
The tube is fixed in the feed device and clamped between the inner and
outer clamping axis (P-axis). Via the clamping jaw, the bending moment is
transferred from the machine to the tube. The rotation of the bending arm
is carried out around the bending axis (C-axis).
From the bending table, the feed ranges of the C-axis (bending angle),
Y-axis (distance between the arcs) and the B-axis (bending plane) can be
calculated entirely with geometrical relations.
Bending angle
First, the distances between the points are determined (dx(i); dy(i); dz(i))
and the calculation rule is applied for the determination of an angle be­
tween straight sides:
Assuming that the circumferences of the cylinders and the arcs are
equal, i.e. no cross-sectional deformation occurs during bending, then you
can connect the centers of the circles thereby receiving a center line. Corresponding with the basic components, arcs and cylinders, the center line
depicts a sequence of circular segments and straight lines (see Figure 2).
The bending radius R is defined as the radius of the circular segments.
In order to easily make modifications to bending geometries the polygon line is often used for the dimensioning. The polygon line combines the
straight sections to their intersection (see Figure 2).
In the present example there are 4 intersections for the dimensioned drawing.
fluid 1 | 2013 // 12
Figure 2: Image of a bending component (blue), as center line (blue)
and as polygon course (red)
The normal vectors are derived from:
and the angle of rotation, in turn, can be determined as:
This angle is set between the arcs by the B-axis
Machine data
Under consideration of the above-mentioned conversions, in the given
example the machine data can be derived from the bending isometry and
the bending radii (see Figure 6):
Point
x
y
z
Radius
Y
B
1
250
300
100
–
–
–
C
–
2
250
200
100
60
83,1022617
0
32,2723029
3
200
30
5
60
149,045905
69,332781
67,0667135
4
10
0
0
–
–
–
–
Figure 6: Bending table and relevant machine data
Thereby, the geometry of a bending component can be described in
the form of a table. This bending table shows the point number in the first
column, followed by the coordinates of the end and intersection points
in X; Y; Z coordinates. The radius at the intersection is entered into the 5th
column. Understandably, a value cannot be specified for the endpoints. For
the considered example, one obtains a depiction of the bending table as
shown under Figure 3:
Point
x
y
z
Radius
1
250
300
100
–
2
250
200
100
60
3
200
30
5
60
4
10
0
0
–
Figure 3: Image of the bending table
First of all, the vectors are determined from the straight pieces adjoining the arcs. From this, the respective normal vector can be determined
and from the normal vectors, in turn, the angle between two planes can be
calculated.
The bend occurs in the cavity of the bending form. The tube can be
positioned via the feed (Y-axis), and with the rotary axis for profiles
(B-axis) the location of the bending plane can be set.
Center line – Polygon line – Bending table
There is a standardized procedure for the dimensioning of bending
components. Generally, a bending component comprises a series of arcs
and cylinders (see Figure 1).
Figure 1: Bending geometry
Figure 5: Bending planes with normal vectors
Figure 4: Tool elements required for rotary draw bending
Born in 1962
The aim of the series is at providing the reader with guidelines for laying out a
bending process. In addition to the necessary calculations of the bending forces, in subsequent chapters information is given on the use of the individual axis
on the bending machine for the optimization of the bending process. Thereby, a
feasibility study can also be carried out for untypical materials. In the last part,
guidance is given on performance and design of tool elements (wiper die, mandrel, counter holder and clamping tools).
Outer
clamping jaw
Wiper die
Prof. Dr.-Ing. Bernd Engel
Chair for Forming Technology
at the University of Siegen
“All about tube bending” in four parts
Rotation
Bending tools are fixed and define a working plane together with the machine and the other axes. The bending plane of the tubes that are bent in
this area must therefore be rotated into the working plane.
Thus, in every point, it is known which angle is to be bent by the bending machine (C-axis).
Transport feed
The straight distance between the arcs can be calculated from the distances and the now known angles. The distance of the polygon points that lie
in the bisector of the arcs is calculated as follows:
From this distance, half the arc length of the first and second arcs,
which are connected through l(i) must be subtracted:
Thereby, l(i+1) is the feed rate which is to be performed by the Y-axis.
The setting values for the clamping axis (P-axis), adjustment of the
counterholder (G-axis), counterholder feed (V-axis), and mandrel axis
(D-axis) are used to support the process for the prevention of failures
through cracking of the outer or wrinkling of the inner arcs.
The determination of the values for these axes will be contents of the
current series of articles.
In summary
The center line of the coil is used for describing the bending line of a component. At the radii, the straight sections are extended to the intersection, the
resulting polygon is then described in the form of a bending table. Then, the
essential process parameters of the bending machine can be calculated from
fluid 1 | 2013 // 13
this table.
‹‹
Germany
Germany
fischer Maschinentechnik
fischer Hydroforming
Increasingly precise and independent
Automatically from the tower into the press
Machining center for workpieces up to 2.2 tonnes and its own wire erosion machine
Automation of a hydroforming system at Menden
For fischer Maschinentechnik, it is essential
to combine as many competencies in the
company as possible in order to provide
optimal work for demanding clients. Even
when something is required very quickly
again. In order to meet the ever-changing
requirements, a continuous improvement of the
machinery with the latest technology is a must.
Recently, there were two machines in
particular that have expanded the range of
services:
The 5-axis machining center DMU100P
can easily handle work-pieces up to 2.2
tonnes.
The wire erosion machine CUT 300
provides, above all, more independence
and flexibility in scheduling.
Since March 2013, the automation of the
hydroforming­­at fischer Hydroforming at
Menden has taken a decisive step forward.
Since then, an existing hydroforming system
has been automated with a robot handling
system­and a buffer for workpieces.
fischer Hydroforming was supported by the
company MPA Technology from Herborn in the
implementation of the automation. Together,
we have overcome the challenges. The gripper
technology had to be based on vacuum suction cups. This became clear relatively quickly.
The workpieces that are to be processed are
automatically taken from a buffer storage, in the
form of a rack tower, and placed into the press.
Optionally, an automatic eddy current testing can
be performed prior to this step. After the forming
process, the robot removes the parts again, drains
the remains of the emulsion, and places the processed workpieces into the rinsing tank.
It was more difficult to deal with the confined
spaces in the production area. But in the end
only a coating system had to be moved. Then
everything fell into place.
For large and heavy hydroforming molds: the 5-axis machining center DMU100P
The new machining center has been placed
in the fischer group’s own “development department” at fischer Maschinentechnik in
2012. Thereby, fischer group is definitely playing in the “Champions League” of metalworking. In a cube of 1,000 x 1,250 x 1,000 mm,
the powerhouse processes up to 2.2 tonnes
heavy workpieces with maximum precision. At
fischer­group, these are particularly hydroforming molds. “With the DMU100 we offer
our customers precision on an even larger
scale,” says a delighted Roland­­Fischer, Managing Director of fischer Maschinen­technik.
DMU100P
Time-flexible with high-precision cuts: wire erosion machine CUT 300
Up to 60 minutes without
intervention
“In the past, we had to rely on the schedule
of external service providers for wire cutting.
Now we can react considerably more flexibly,”
continues Roland Fischer as he explains the
most important benefit of the company’s own
wire erosion machine CUT 300. Contour cuts
can now be performed, among other things, on
forming tools with very high precision within
the company.
Thus, the system can be equipped by a member
of staff who is also occupied in the production
cell in the area coils / annealing. Depending on
the component, the rack buffer can provide the
hydroforming system with workpieces for up
to 60 minutes. So there is enough time for the
employee to combine the usual tasks with the
filling of the buffer.
With the new possibilities under its own
roof, the fischer group confirms the technological leadership once again. In addition, it
highlights the customer orientation and shows
how the fischer group continuously meets the
increasing demands.
‹‹
fluid 1 | 2013 // 14
CUT 300
For the buffer tower the designers opted for
a racking system on the basis of the dimensions
of standardized industrial pallets. “The pallets
can be used as workpiece carriers quickly and
safely through individual fittings,” explains Dr.
Stefan Geißler, Managing Director at the Menden plant. “This gives us the opportunity to
make industrial pallets a logistic standard in
automated manufacturing at Menden.”
The stacking takes place in the existing
rinsing tank, to be then taken directly by the
workers in the working area to the rinsing system. After annealing, the formed products can
be directly re-equipped in the buffer tower for
a further processing stage. The removal of full
rinse tanks from the protected area of the automation can be done without interruption of the
automated process.
Work sequence on the
hydroforming system
Supply of the components to the
buffer system by placing them into the
workpiece carriers
Transport of the workpiece carrier to the
buffer system
Storage on various levels via lift system
Removal of the workpiece carrier to the
transfer position to the robot
(Optional position) insertion of the tubes
for eddy current testing
Loading of the press with the component
via the 6-axis robot
Removal of the components after the
forming process via the 6-axis robot
Residual extraction of emulsion in
holding position
Stacking of the tubes in the rinsing tank
Robot moves to next cycle
(To ensure the sequence by time – up to
60 min) filling of the rack system by the
operator
system is now increasing from day to day. It has
already proven its worth in the manufacturing
launch of a new product. It is running with
high production runs and ensures an appropriate use of the hydroforming system.
“With the launch of the automation of the
hydroforming systems we have set a further
milestone in automation at the Menden site,”
says a very satisfied Mr. Geißler. “We have increased productivity and created more ergonomic working conditions at the same time.
The automation of the next system is already
being planned.”
‹‹
After commissioning a few weeks ago and the
usual teething troubles, the availability of the
fluid 1 | 2013 // 15
Team Talk
Team Talk
fischer Rohrtechnik
fischer Germany
Highest performance in tube processing
The company and
family festival 2013
Teamwork and a modern manufacturing organization make it possible
Last year, fischer Rohrtechnik was extremely
busy at the headquarters at Achern. Production moved into new buildings whilst operations continued. At the same time the entire
production logistics were renewed. That was
a major challenge in itself. What makes this
achievement all the more impressive is that
the annual working time performance was
significantly above target. “Something like
this is only possible if everyone is on board
and the teams work together at their best,”
said a delighted Frank Schneider. “We thank
everyone who made this possible through
their personal commitment.”
Manufacturing cells and
teamwork
In the new Rohrtechnik buildings everything
is organized so that the procedures are flexible
and trimmed to high performance. Modern
manufacturing cells have been introduced
in the manufacturing process to match requirements. This ideal arrangement enables
workers to simultaneously operate multiple
machines, production to be precisely coordinated and productivity increased. Well-organized teamwork did the rest to bring the
performance of fischer Rohrtechnik products
to new heights.
More flexible response to
extreme order peaks
Besides all the technical and spatial aspects,
the reason that 2012 was such a successful
year for fischer Rohrtechnik is essentially due
to our loyal and motivated employees. Significant demand and capacity fluctuations had to
be balanced in addition to the relocation and
reorganization activities. This is where the
full flexibility of the team really counted. It enabled a large part of the double-digit increase
in working time performance to be achieved
with the existing machine capacity. New investments were first implemented at the end of
the 3rd quarter 2012.
“It’s really comforting to know that we
can rely so well on our people. We could only
manage the extreme peaks in order volume
and meet our customers’ deadlines because
of their dedication,” said fischer Rohrtechnik
production manager Frank Schneider praising
his employees. Outstanding teamwork, mutual assistance, great cohesion and a good working environment are the basis for the excellent
performance at fischer Rohrtechnik. And not
just in 2012, also today and in the future.
‹‹
On July 6th – around
the new halls
A good atmosphere for having lunch and playing card games
fischer Germany
As a thank you to
Einladung
zum fischer Betriebsfest
all the staff, and
belated
inauSamstag, 6. Jul
i 2013
guration of the
new canteen, the
fischer­ group
will celebrate
with a great
family party on
6th July from 10:00 to 19:00. Partners,
children and customers will have the opportunity to experience fischer at first-hand.
an alle Mitarbeiter/innen
mit Partner/innen und Kindern
Los geht‘s um
Freshly cooked each day ...
10.00 Uhr, gefeie
10.00 bis 13.00
Spannende Einblick
Bewirtung durch
rt wird bis 19.00
Uhr – Betriebsbes
e in unseren Betriebs
Ab 12.00 Uhr –
Am Nachmittag
Uhr
ichtigung
alltag werden
geboten.
Mittagessen
den Skiclub Seebach
und den Musikve
rein Seebach
gibt es Kaffee
und Kuchen
Den ganzen Tag
über gibt es betreu
Kinderprogramm
tes
mit vielen Attrak
tionen
tapler-P
Seilbahn • Kinder-S
arcours • Zaubere
r • Bull-Riding
• Motorradbahn
• Riesenrutsche
Hüpfburg • El Paso
Kindereisenbah
n
Kinderkarussell
Feel-good breaks in the new canteen
Since Shrove Monday this year, February
11th, 2013, our employees have been able to
look forward to new gastronomic delights
every day. Michael Dietz prepares two lunch
menus for 60-70 people every day in the bright
and friendly ambience of the new circular building. From the outset the modern furnishings
and the comprehensive range of fresh food at
reasonable prices ensured that the canteen had
many enthusiastic visitors and regular feedback
has confirmed the high level of satisfaction.
In addition to the large dining room, there
is a smaller side room. Here customers or other guests can be catered for in small groups
away from the everyday hustle and bustle.
Wir freuen uns
auf Euer Komm
en!
Und bei der
fischer-Schätzfrage gibt
:
es tolle Preise zu gewinnen
schein
1. Preis: Ein 500-Euro-Gut
für ein Mountainbike
2. Preis: Ein iPad
im
3. Preis: Ein Familien-Tag
Europa-Park in Rust
Guided tours of the company will be conducted
from 10:00 to 13:00. The ski club and music club
from Seebach will serve a delicious lunch from
12:00 and in the afternoon there will be coffee
and cake.
Healthy food freshly made every day
All in all, the new canteen – from the
kitchen to the furnishings – offers a very high
level of comfort. Our colleagues are delighted,
it was worth it.
‹‹
A wide selection from the buffet
Throughout the day there is a supervised children’s program with cable car, children’s stacker
course, magicians, bull-riding, children’s carousel,
motorcycle track, bouncy castle, giant slide and El
Paso Children’s Railway.
But the canteen is not only the new meeting
place for eating delicious food. During breaks
some tables are designated “gaming tables”
where colleagues can meet and play cards.
Senior partner Hans Fischer is a fan and regularly joins in. The large open space is also
available for events and is equipped with
modern presentation equipment. “We wanted
to give our people something in return and
we have achieved that with the canteen,” the
founder of the fischer group explaining the inspiration for the new building.
Hand in hand to maximum performance: the fischer Rohrtechnik team
The competition offers the chance to win
valuable prizes:
1. A 500 Euro voucher for a mountain bike
2. An iPad
3. A family day at Europa Park
So plenty of highlights to make for a great day
at fischer­!
‹‹
Enjoy your lunch menu!
fluid 1 | 2013 // 17
Eco Talk
Eco Talk
fischer eco solutions
fischer Austria
Solar energy of the most modern type
Responsibility by conviction
Fresnel collectors combined with
an absorption cooling machine
Certified environmental management system
certified to ISO 14001:2009
With an innovative energy concept, the
fischer group shows how rational energy
production and usage can look like today.
This concerns a 100 kW Li-Br absorption
cooling machine (ACM), which is powered
by solar thermal Fresnel collectors on the
484 m² roof area of fischer Rohrtechnik,
Hall 9. The maximum thermal output is approximately 265 kW. The system was promoted
by the Baden-Württemberg Ministry of Economic Affairs as a pioneering demonstration
system. It underlines the strategic orientation
of the fischer group as an ecologically responsible group.
ISO 14001:2009 certification at fischer
Edelstahlrohre Austria was completed in
March 2013 after a period of four years.
The project began in 2009. A central component was the definition of the company’s
environmental policy from different perspectives. Implementation proved a special
challenge for the whole team. Consequently, all of the contributors in Austria are
proud of the successful completion.
fluid 1 | 2013 // 18
We ensure that the applicable legal requirements for establishing,
implementing and maintaining the EMS are complied with.
We encourage employees to adopt a healthy approach to life and
make them aware of how to responsibly deal with physical and
psychological stress.
The central motivation for the introduction
of EMS is the clearly expressed commitment
that people should take responsibility for their
actions. This commitment will be comprehensively met through the new environmental
policy and certification that fischer Edelstahlrohre Austria has put in place.
e= energy
We maintain an ongoing energy conservation policy in our operations and manufacture of our products. Investment decisions are
made under consideration of energy relevance.
r = ressources
‹‹
We make continuous improvements to conserve resources.
Fresh water
A comparison of 2011 to 2012 shows a remarkable decrease in the consumption of heating
oil by approximately 41.3%. This is due to the investment of frequency-driven compressor
units with recuperative features and the minimizing of heated zones in company premises
with frost monitor protection.
The average annual fresh water consumption since 2008 is 13.4% based on the respective
previous year. In sum this results in a total savings of 54% which corresponds to 8920
cubic meters in 2012.
Fresh water consumption
Oil consumption
Consumption
in 1,000 liters
Costs in
1,000 euro
30
20
27,004.92
24,417.50
22,747.14
Consumption
in 1,000 liters
Costs in
1,000 euro
25
50,000
20
40,000
15
30,000
30,000
20,000
16,772.69
12,414.94
10
10,914.40
20,254.50 19,216.96
20,058.75
17,496.22
2010
2011
2012
2013
0
0
13,585
2009
23,473
2008
5
18,613
0
13,643
10
20,000
11,856.00
10,000
20,890
nominal 12 / 6° C
Collector performance,
265 kW peak
Temperature buffer 160 - 200° C
c= compliance
Heating oil
40
Cooling capacity ACM 100 kW
We pay close attention to the safety of our employees and
ensure that people affected by our business establishment and
individuals are all clear on our commitment to achieving a sound
environmental performance.
h= health
50
Characteristics of the system
s= safety
20,888
‹‹
We are committed to comprehensive emergency event preparedness.
We have procedures for determining possible emergency events
and the resulting countermeasures are regularly reviewed.
The major aspects encompass an environmental risk analysis.
22,505
In addition, there are savings during the
heating period, since the collector system is
used for room heating in the winter. With an
average collector return of 300 kWhthermal / day,
in the months of November to April a contribution of 54 MWh of heating energy is expected. This corresponds to a saving of approximately 6,000 m³ of natural gas per year.
i = intervention
The ENVIRONMENTAL view
35,604
The system includes an innovative control concept that allows a fully automatic inlet pressure
setting for the water-filled high-temperature
collector and storage circuit. This ensures a
The system includes a 14 m³ large compressed water reservoir for hot water, a 14 m³
heating buffer storage and a 15 m³ cold storage.
This storage allows customized operating strategies depending on the expected solar energy
supply and the expected cooling load. Currently, the system provides the entire cooling supply for the air conditioning of approximately
1,200 m² of office and administration area as
well as the cafeteria.
With an estimated 100 days per year when
the air conditioning is required, fischer expects a coverage rate via the solar energy
system of up to 95%. The cooling capacity
is estimated on days with cooling demand at
about 600 kWh per day, which means an annual cooling energy savings of approximately
60 MWh.
Preparations for the introduction of an environmental management system (EMS) in accordance with EN ISO 14001 started in 2009. After
launching the “Legal Control System”, an integrated module within the fischer intranet software, the deficits in terms of legally compliant
processes soon became apparent. By 2010 and
2011 the need for supplementary skills training for an Environmental Officer and the appointment of a Health, Safety and Environment
Manager (HSE) with specialist safety training
37,422
The system in detail
The demonstration system was sponsored by
the state of Baden-Württemberg.
The NORMATIVE view
28.7 tonnes of CO2 savings per year
We consider the facets of our service creation process in relation
to the environment and classify their impact on the environment
into high, moderate and low significant criteria.
Initially there were quite a few misgivings as
to whether the ecological objectives could be
aligned with fischer’s economic goals. However, the very first experience showed this skepticism to be unwarranted. As it turned out,
this “new way of seeing things” highlighted
potential savings which can be quantified in
hard cash. (See the figures on fuel oil and fresh
water consumption).
48,158
The generated hot air, just like the produced
cold air, can be used for concrete core activation of the building; so, for the direct heating
or cooling of the new office building. Thereby,
it ensures a particularly high degree of comfort and reduces the required heating energy.
If the produced cold air is not used for building
climate control, it can be fed into the cooling
network of the process cooling system in the
production hall. The installed absorption cooling machine is a proprietary development of
fischer eco solutions and provides over 100 kW
at a high thermal efficiency (COP> 75%). As a
working couple Li-Br / water is currently being
used, the use of new working couples is being
tested. Therefore, the system also serves as a
reference or demonstration system for potential
customers. Additional systems, including the
new refrigerant, such as ionic liquids, and other
performance classes, are in preparation.
high system availability for various operating conditions of the ACM. In addition to the
cooling supply of the building, also curve measurements of the cooling systems and later the
integration of the newly developed ACM (Double-Effect, Triple-Effect-Systems) are foreseen.
f = facets
The ECONOMIC view
19,621
Practical use and convincing
reference
(SFK) became self-evident. After external training, engineer Thomas Munzer was able to take
on the tasks at hand. A pre-audit in 2012 once
again sensitized the perspective of the external
normative point of view enabling the 2013 audit
to be performed with realistic expectations.
The following is a brief overview of this complex project from three points of view:
fischer lets the sun shine in and makes effective use of as never before!
The environmental program is
divided into the seven elements of
environmental policy:
2008
2009
2010
2011
2012
10,000
0
fluid 1 | 2013 // 19
Team Talk
Education and training
course completions
2012 / 2013
fischer Germany
With its own training workshop
Thorsten Schmiederer takes care of future professionals
One of the particular strengths of the fischer
group is an experienced, excellently qualified team. The basis for this is its in-house
training and development. “Everyone should
have the opportunity to develop and contribute
to their full potential,” says Thorsten Schmiederer. Thorsten will be the future head of the new
fischer training workshop. The special training
facility was created in the course of the year by
fischer Maschinentechnik as part of the new
building. With its establishment the fischer
group once again underscores the importance
placed on promoting and training its own talented young professionals. “This enables us to establish a long-term team of loyal and motivated
employees. In the future this will be even more
important than it is today,” says Schmiederer.
‹‹
fischer Germany
fischer Maschinentechnik
Andy Armbruster, Metal Industry
Master Craftsman, June 2012
Bernd Schmälzle, Industrial Mechanics,
January 2012
Pascal Koppenhöfer, Industrial
Mechanics, January 2012
Florian Lorenz, State Certified
Technician, May 2013
fischer eco solutions
Benjamin Hartmann, State Certified
Technician, July 2012
F.E.R. fischer Edelstahlrohre
Irene Sester, Human Resources
Professional, January 2013
fischer Edelstahlrohre
Sebastian Kestler, Warehouse System
Champion, December 2012
Dirk Klüter, Industrial Mechanics,
March 2013
Back at the old premises
Former colleagues meet at the previous headquarters at Achern
The fischer group is known for its familyorientated corporate culture. This applies to
active and former employees alike. We had
the opportunity to demonstrate this once
again on April 18th. Twenty former “fischeraner” were invited to the pensioners’ reunion
The pensioniers (from left to right): W. Bohnert, H. Bruder, K.-H. Ehinger, R. Fischer, M. Gartner, S. Grafunder,
W. Keck, B. Knapp, E. Köppel, K. Lott, H. Maier, J. Rosenfelder, A. Schindler, J. Schindler, R. Schneider, W. Schnurr,
F. Zeferer. A. Bruder, S. Grafunder and F. Sackmann could not attend on health grounds.
at Achern. Of those invited only three could
not attend for health reasons. All of the others were delighted with the reunion at the former workshop in the previous headquarters of
the fischer group.
The pensioners were divided into four
groups for a tour of the growing company
accompanied by Hans and Brunhilde Fi­scher,
Roland Fischer, Thomas Gaiser and Frank
Schneider. Afterwards, the group reassembled
for lunch in the new canteen. The cheerful
band enthused about old times and marveled
at the many new innovations at fischer. They
all gave a special thanks to Brunhilde Fischer
for the great organization and looked forward
to seeing each other at the next reunion.
Up-to-date information can be found under:
www.fischer-group.com
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