Innovation for the customer

Laser burnouts from Břidličná now form part of fuel tanks of Mercedes-Benz and MAN trucks. Innovation has resulted in a new contract for MTX Group as well as reduced the environmental impact of production.

A key factor for further cooperation between AL INVEST Břidličná (AIB) and Magna Energy Storage Systems is an innovative approach and the development of new products with added value. An example of such an innovation is the new laser burnouts project. “The goal of this project is changing the product from a sheet metal to a laser burnout of the desired shape, which can be used directly for fuel tanks,” explains the project lead, David Nalevajka. We found a suitable technical solution for cutting burnouts in record time – the condition for success was to start delivering laser burnouts in November 2020. We approached several suppliers in the tender, and in the end the winner was TRUMPF, which is the world leader in laser equipment. The subcontractor for the related robotic workplace is Sp-Tech. “Less than a year passed between the first idea and project implementation. It was first discussed with the client at the end of 2019, and we started the preparatory work at the beginning of 2020. We agreed on the final terms of the contract last June and signed a four-year contract with Magna for the supply of laser burnouts,” adds Nalevajka. The robotized workplace located in a plant with hot track technology is very visible and proof that AL INVEST Břidličná products will find their place on the market even in the 21st century. Magna Energy Storage Systems GmbH, with its HQ in Schwäbisch Gmünd, Germany, has long been a key customer of AL INVEST Břidličná, which ensure stable orders with good profitability. These are deliveries of AlMg3 alloy sheets for producing fuel tanks for trucks, especially for Mercedes-Benz, MAN and Scania. The basic prerequisite for cooperation with such an important customer is having high reliability of supplies and stable quality of the product itself. However, staying on the market also means you need to constantly reduce costs and further improve customer service.

Our scrap is not transported around Europe – we save 7.5 tons of CO2 a year

Benefits of the laser burnout project for the client and AL INVEST Břidličná

• Market advantage of AL INVEST Břidličná – it supplies a product with addedvalue without depending on a subcontractor

• Guaranteed volume of at least 660 tons of burnouts a year for 4 yearsand obtaining a significant part of the volume from competitors that couldnot produce burnouts of sufficient flexibility

• Partnership with a key customer

• Environmental aspect – we save 7.5 tons of CO2 per year; the scrap producedduring firing is not transported around Europe but remains at AIB;doing so makes further production cheaper