UNIVERSAL EFFICIENCY
SWARCO Advanced Industry Systems at K 2022 in Düsseldorf
PRODUCTS
SWARCOFORCE Impresses
Trade Fair Visitors
CORPORATE SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY
Giving Back Initiative – Cooperation with the Austrian Alpine Club
TREND
Circular Economy – the Business Model of Tomorrow?
Dear readers,
Our first showing at the world’s most important trade fair for the plastics and rubber industry was a resounding success. It was the first global opportunity to showcase SWARCO Advanced Industry Systems’ innovations to an interested audience. And we succeeded, as you can see from the photo series on the right. In this context, I would like to extend my heartfelt thanks to everyone who contributed to this trade fair success.
In this issue of the “All-Rounder”, you will also learn about our SWARCOBLAST glass blasting beads. These are not only a valued blasting medium, but also represent another important step towards sustainability and a circular economy, which are big topics in our company and this “All-Rounder”.
Have a good read!
Kind regards,
Robert Buchinger Business Development SWARCO Advanced Industry SystemsSWARCO Advanced Industry Systems scored a huge success right at its very first K 2022 appearance. At the most important plastics and rubber industry fair worldwide, SWARCO’s young business segment attracted a highly interested audience. Decades of research and know-how on the universal applications of micro glass beads were made accessible to customers, which was highly valued especially by industry representatives attending the fair.
SWARCOFORCE Glass Filler Beads
SWARCOFORCE glass filler beads, in particular, attracted a lot of interest. Glass filler beads are high-grade filling and reinforcing agents that improve the physical properties of plastics, paints, varnishes,
coatings and building materials. Their ideal area of application is the paint, varnish and coating industry where they can have a positive impact on the scratch resistance and surface properties. In the processing of plastics, glass filler beads help optimize the required qualities of the plastic granulate. In injection moulding materials, they reduce warping and shrinking thanks to their isotropy. They are also typically used in technical components, interior and exterior automotive parts, and 3D printed materials. Glass filler beads bring similar advantages in the building materials industry, too. Here, they are used, among others, in translucent joint sealants, which break light in addition to reflecting it. This brings out the colours of glass mosaics and glass tiles and the glass beads influence the optical properties.
The showing of SWARCO Advanced Industry Systems’ team at the K 2022 fair in Düsseldorf was a resounding success.
At the first K 2022 showing of the young SWARCO business segment, SWARCOFORCE glass filler beads made a particularly compelling case.
The world is changing. Climate change, resource scarcity and global supply chain bottlenecks are disrupting existing structures and putting economic cycles at risk. Is it time to turn these economic cycles into a truly circular economy? This concept, which calls for preserving value and using resources responsibly, offers exciting solutions indeed.
SWARCOBLAST glass blasting beads are a high-grade non-metallic mineral fine blasting medium made of glass and are sought after internationally. Cleaning, surface finishing, shot peening, and deburring are ideal areas of application for this innovation from SWARCO Advanced Industry Systems.
Here, cleaning refers to processes such as desanding, or the removal of residues, solder and welding residues, or temper colours. Surface finishing includes smoothing, lapping and polishing. In this area of application, SWARCOBLAST helps to reduce surface roughness, remove toolmarks, and provide anti-reflective finishing, matting, and satin finishing.
SWARCOBLAST glass blasting beads from SWARCO Advanced Industry Systems
In shot peening processes, these glass blasting beads are a perfect fit for achieving surface hardening and increasing endurance, fatigue strength and dimensional accuracy. SWARCOBLAST is also used to improve lubricating film adhesion, reduce notch sensitivity and prevent stress corrosion cracking. Last but not least, the application portfolio also includes deburring. Here, burrs are removed that are formed when metal workpieces are manufactured through processes such as punching, milling or turning. SWARCOBLAST is also an ideal product for a smooth transition to a circular economy (see column on the right).
GIVING BACK is the name of a new initiative launched by M. Swarovski GmbH. The goal is to put social and ecological responsibility into action to an even greater extent in the future.
More precisely, the initiative supports social projects and investments in nature conservation, and the Austrian Alpine Club (ÖAV) is one of its partners.
The first action taken as part of this exciting cooperation was for the partners to visit the hiking and mountain-biking routes around Waidhofen an der Ybbs in Lower Austria together. On 6 September, six company teams set out to inspect the
state of roads, paths and trails in ideal hiking and mountain-biking weather. And the SWARCO Advanced Industry Systems team was part of it, too. Together, signs and markings were carefully examined. In this way, the teams spent valuable time volunteering for the Alpine Club.
Another initiative partner is the Lebenshilfe association in Hiesbach, Lower Austria. The politically independent association advocates for the rights of people with disabilities in society and provides various services and support to actively help them in their daily lives. Here, too, M. Swarovski GmbH is happy to be a supporter.
Conventional economic cycles are based on a model of infinite resources. It is well known that this does not reflect reality. Therefore, more and more companies have been trying to at least partially transition to sustainable cycles. The goal is to maintain a closed loop for all materials and generate the energy needed for processing from renewable sources. This requires new systems and processes, however, that have a major impact on a company’s entire strategic business orientation. For this reason, most business people consider a complete transition to a circular economy utopian.
SWARCO Advanced Industry Systems is leading by example when it comes to a gradual transition. High-grade recycled glass is sourced from the flat glass industry, which requires about 50% less energy compared to using primary raw materials for production. The recycled material used consists solely of cuttings and scraps from industrial glass of the highest quality, that is, post-industrial waste. The origin and trajectory of the glass can be fully traced. To minimize transport distances, we purchase the raw materials in the region near each production facility. This is an important step towards a circular economy – the economic system of tomorrow.
With their outstanding precision and long service lives, the glass blasting beads make a compelling case in a broad range of applications.
I also try to see my friends as much as possible. It doesn’t matter what we do, whether it’s going on a holiday trip or simply enjoying a video evening watching a good movie. What matters to me is sharing the experience. This is also how I feel about sport, by the way. I like to play basketball and football. In addition, I’ve been working on my chess skills for the past half year, but I’m still learning. (laughs)
What drives you in your job and daily life?
For me, it’s important to keep evolving both on a personal level and on a professional level as a sales expert. This is as significant to me in my personal life as it is in my professional life.
Krisztian, you recently joined our sales team. Welcome! What did your career look like before SWARCO Advanced Industry Systems?
After completing my studies in Budapest, I worked for three years in marketing in Hungary before looking for new professional opportunities in Austria. This led me to work in transport management for seven years, followed by nine years in international sales management, also in the transport industry.
You have a demanding job. How do you like to spend your time when you’re not at work?
In my free time, I try to spend as much quality time with my family as possible. My wife and two sons (age 13 and 18) are my sources of energy outside work.
Krisztian Seres Key Account Manager at SWARCO Advanced Industry Systems
What kind of challenges do you see in your new job?
Our products are very popular, and the blasting media are sold successfully in many international markets. In some European countries, we don’t yet have the presence that we would like to have. For me, the most important challenge is to improve this presence.
What steps are you planning to take next?
Currently, the focus is on building an extensive internal and external network and continuously expanding it. This serves as the basis for many successful talks around the world in order to lead clients to the top together with SWARCO Advanced Industry Systems.
Thank you, Krisztian!
Krisztian Seres recently joined SWARCO Advanced Industry Systems’ sales team. We spoke with the sales expert about his work on our team.
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