All-Rounder – Issue 2/2023

Dear readers,

To place an even stronger emphasis on the fact that glass beads are our core competence, we have renamed our business unit: SWARCO Advanced Industry Systems is now SWARCO Indusferica. Blending the words “industry” and “sphere”, the new name clearly reflects the core of our work, which we fulfil every day with professionalism and dedication.

I am excited to take the helm of SWARCO Indusferica and assume my new responsibilities. Movement aligns perfectly with my nature and philosophy. I take the challenges that the future might hold for our business unit seriously and will face them mindfully and prudently. Together as a team, we will accomplish all tasks with a targeted approach and develop our products further.

In a sense, we have now come full circle. When movement becomes progress, in whichever form, we, the Indusferica team, are sure to succeed.

I’m looking forward to a successful future together!

Best regards,

ON THE MOVE

In the future, Andreas Peham will be steering SWARCO Indusferica. The 31-year-old plastics engineer had been Sales & Application Engineer at SWARCO Indusferica since 2020. As of 1 April, he has taken over all responsibilities from Peter Tomazic, who was heading the business unit on an interim basis. Following his motto “Movement is progress”, Andreas will be leading the new SWARCO Indusferica brand full of energy into a successful future.

FOR A GREEN FUTURE

Andreas Peham Business Development SWARCO Indusferica

Good ideas call for active and open communication. That’s why SWARCO experts from all over Europe get together once a year at the SWARCO Center of Competence (CoC) team meeting. SWARCO Indusferica’s team is contributing its expertise and benefitting from the exchange of ideas.

What products, processes and measures are needed for a sustainable future? This was the main question discussed by experts from SWARCO’s research and development departments at their annual team meeting in Neufurth, Austria.

At the Center of Competence in Neufurth, great ideas emerge – especially when the right people come together to delve into relevant topics. This is what happened early March, when international experts from SWARCO’s R & D departments exchanged ideas on topics related to a sustainable future. After a lecture by Ökoplus expert Wolfgang Stark on climate change, new framework conditions concerning the EU taxonomy and emissions trading system, and the benefits of cooperation partnerships, the experts attended a workshop, where they developed goals and measures for a more sustainable future at SWARCO.

SWARCO Is Acting Now!

The workshop participants evaluated products and processes to determine their future viability for green development, addressing topics such as energy efficiency, product life cycles, the circular economy, and mobility. “We have to set the course now in order to fulfil all of the requirements by 2030 and be one step ahead – for us, and for our customers,” says workshop participant Manuel Ramos from SWARCO Indusferica.

When not working, the experts took advantage of the annual team meeting for informal discussions and team-building activities. “The best ideas emerge in a good atmosphere,” Ramos adds.

This March, SWARCO’s product and process developers gathered at the international team meeting to come up with innovative ideas for more sustainability at the Center of Competence (CoC).

© Ebner/Premium Headshots

FOCUSING ON OUR CORE COMPETENCE

SWARCO Advanced Industry Systems Is Now SWARCO Indusferica.

A new name that perfectly blends the words “industry” and “sphere”. In the future, SWARCO Indusferica will be focusing to an even greater extent on its core competence: glass beads.

Our glass beads offer holistic solutions for the broad range of requirements in special industry applications, in all niches. Our unparalleled quality and efficient service make a compelling case.

On the Way to the Future

At SWARCO Indusferica, we are committed to raising our quality standards on an ongoing basis. Our experienced specialists will continue to develop our products and services further and tailor them to the individual needs of each client. Our business unit invests continuously in innovation, efficiency, and an intelligent infrastructure, and in expanding its capacities.

Our new name also refers to the unit’s inherent orientation towards the future. At SWARCO Indusferica, our responsibility towards society shares center stage with a real-life circular economy and the increasingly important focus on energy efficiency and sustainability. The JOIN&GROW programme will be continued in close cooperation with selected partners.

Our Philosophy Is Unchanged

“We leverage the universal benefits of glass beads for your special industry applications, in energy-efficient ways,” remains our mission and “Industrial glass beads by SWARCO Indusferica – the world’s preferred choice in all niches,” remains our vision. All of this is based on our fundamental values of “efficiency, diversity and intelligence” and is true to our motto of “Universal Efficiency”. This is what SWARCO Indusferica stands for today, and what it will remain committed to in the future.

FOLLOW US

ADDITIVE MANUFACTURING

In January 2023, the SWARCO industry channel went live on LinkedIn. Here, SWARCO Indusferica shares the latest news and updates every week.

News and updates from the world of glass beads

The SWARCOFORCE and SWARCOBLAST products take center stage. Followers of this channel receive information on applications for glass filler beads and glass blasting beads in different areas of industry and insights into the world of SWARCO Indusferica. The platform presents new findings from research and development as well as JOIN&GROW projects and new partnerships. The SWARCO industry channel is also the platform to get to know new company partners.

Always Up to Date

The LinkedIn channel gives an edge in knowledge to anyone who has an active interest in plastics, surface treatment or paints, varnishes and coatings and focuses on solutions for the building materials industry and additive manufacturing. Stay up to date on new trends and current developments at SWARCO Indusferica!

Additive manufacturing, also widely known as 3D printing, is a relatively new manufacturing process, which differs fundamentally from traditional manufacturing processes.

Whereas conventional techniques remove material to produce a workpiece, 3D printing builds up material, layer by layer. The result is nearly unlimited flexibility and design freedom.

Different 3D printing techniques offer different advantages. However, each manufacturing technique can only use certain types of materials. The biggest challenge is therefore to expand the range of materials that each type of 3D printer is able to work with.

SWARCO Indusferica develops tailor-made solutions for additive manufacturing. Our wide variety of glass beads can be used in many different printing technologies to improve both the mechanical and the processing properties of the materials used. Glass beads lend higher density to moulded parts, and can help reduce the cost of materials and achieve a low carbon footprint thanks to the highly efficient production process.

IN THE LIMELIGHT

Friedrich Wiesinger is the Head of the SWARCO Center of Competence. He and his team are drivers of innovation.

OUR VISION

OUR

OUR MOTTO Universal Efficiency

Friedrich, what did your career look like before SWARCO?

Before I joined SWARCO, I held various positions in different industries. I started working at Infineon Austria AG while I was still at university. After seven years, I took the opportunity to work for a general contractor in the Middle East, where I gained new experience as Sales and Project Manager in a different cultural setting. As an independent contractor, I then conquered new fields of business: construction, facility management and container conversion. My family led me back to Austria four years later and I took the position of Head of Project Management at Robart GmbH in Linz. Then I landed at SWARCO, where I am very happy.

What motivates you in your job?

My creative team and being able to coordinate projects at different company sites in Europe. In addition, I find the wide array of innovative topics at SWARCO Indusferica and SWARCO Road Marking Systems fascinating.

What kind of challenges do you see?

We have to monitor new trends and developments, and take them forward if we decide this is the right move. Sustainably reducing CO2 emissions is

an important topic right now, which is closely linked to the Center of Competence through the work we do on developing new products and production processes. Coaching staff, onboarding employees, and sharing best practices are also particular tasks that I am responsible for. Here, I want to add that the working atmosphere at the SWARCO offices is one of the best I have experienced in my career so far.

How do you like to spend your time when you’re not at work?

In my free time, I like to do sport and travel to unwind from work. And I love spending time with my family.

What steps are you planning to take next?

Our Center of Competence is spread out over several locations in Europe and the US, and efficient and smooth communication is essential. We will continue to further improve and step up our sharing of best practices. We also have new developments in our glass beads and innovative varnish systems that are nearing completion. Successfully bringing them to market in close cooperation with our marketing department is an important next step. We will be working on this process over the coming years.

Events in Autumn 2023

On 27 and 28 September, the Kompetenznetzwerk Strahlmittel, a competence network on blasting media, will be holding its 9th meeting, hosted for the first time by SWARCO Indusferica. This year, the focus will be on various topics related to blasting and corrosion protection. The annual industry event is hosted by a different industry representative each year.

From 17 to 21 October, SWARCO Indusferica will take part in Fakuma, the International Trade Fair for Plastics Processing, held in Friedrichshafen, Germany.

Stay tuned for more details on the events in the next issue of the All-Rounder.

Friedrich Wiesinger Head of the SWARCO Center of Competence

We leverage the universal benefits of glass beads for your special industry applications, in energy-efficient ways.

Industrial glass beads by SWARCO Indusferica – the world’s preferred choice in all niches