Technologie a řemesla → A look inside the plants in Břidličná, Povrly, and Kamenice

Foremen and Robots

Text: Jana Bohutínská, photo: Barbora Mráčková

Experts in materials and traditional craftsmanship with technical expertise combined with automation and robots. That is what we saw in Břidličná, Povrly, and Kamenice. In these three factories, they combine precious craftsmanship with the future of industry.

AL INVEST Břidličná: Melting

The Danish physicist Hans Ørsted became famous for his research in the field of electromagnetism, but he also isolated aluminum in 1825. Although aluminum is one of the most widely available elements in the Earth’s crust, its production before this technological advancement had been very difficult. The Czech Republic has a long tradition in aluminum processing, dating back to the 1930s in Břidličná u Bruntálu. Now, top quality aluminum sheets and foils for industrial use, and other aluminum products are made there. You may even hold one in your hand each morning when you eat breakfast – yogurt cup lids. This represents a rather unique company for the Czech Republic, and indeed there are just three European companies that focus on the whole process from aluminum melting to making final aluminum products. Daniel Ujházy, who’s in charge of the aluminum division in Břidličná, explains how modernization has helped the company make top quality slabs which are then further processed. Also, the company recycles all production waste. Almost every single aluminum chip goes back into the production process. Vincent Hrubý, Plant Manager and Group Director of Aluminium Technology Development, says the smelting plant is the beating heart of the factory. We met Zdeněk Vrána, metallurgical foreman, who has been working here for 30 years. Together we head to the smelting plant. Smelters need to be tough men. It’s not a job for someone looking for a clean workplace and clearly defined processes. They are masters of their craft. It’s also a creative process because they create something which is extremely interesting and the whole factory builds on their work. The cranes transporting heavy material around the smelting plant are operated by women. Smelters work with shiny liquid metal and the smelting plant is where the whole production process begins. It’s really hot here because there are two hot gas furnaces where the temperature exceeds 1,000°C. First, aluminum is loaded into the furnaces. At the end, you get high-quality aluminum slabs (the quality is continuously monitored in labs) ready for further processing for customers. In 24 hours, smelters make approximately 50 tons in the bigger furnace and 42 tons in the smaller furnace. What makes a master smelter? Highest quality products, great ingot appearance, material quality, and work efficiency. “Formal education in this field no longer exists. You need to learn everything on your own. It takes years to become so good that nothing can surprise you. But you will constantly find yourself being surprised because working with melted metal is a live mechanism,” says Daniel Ujháza about the craft that is difficult to explain, adding that deriving joy from the work comes only after several years. "It's hours of hard work," Daniel points out. "And liters of sweat," adds Zdeněk.

AL INVEST Břidličná

Aluminum products have been made in Břidličná since the 1930s. The company is a major European aluminum producer, and the only domestic one. It makes aluminum sheets, packaging, foils, and rolled semi-finished products. The company focuses on innovation and production modernization, not only in terms of technology, but also in terms of environmental protection.

01 Melted aluminum flows from the furnace, gets cooled and solidifies in the form of aluminum ingots.

02 Even with modernization and innovation, it still all hinges on the aluminum, the quality of which is continuously monitored in labs.

03 The heart of the smelting plant is two continuously operating furnaces.

04 Zdeněk Vrána examines the rough aluminum slabs which are the pride of the plant.

05 Gas furnaces which are loaded with material is where the smelting process begins.

06 Before the slabs leave the plant, they are cut and milled into the desired form.

07 The slabs are further processed, as Zdeněk Vrána shows.

08 At the beginning, there was raw material, at the end there were aluminum slabs, which Břidličná is proud of.

09 All aluminum waste, including the filings from cutting, is returned to the production process in the smelting plant.

Metallurgical foreman

Zdeněk Vrána, who is in charge of the smelting plant, assigns shifts and makes sure the plant has enough material. He also organizes educational events and ensures that all employees have all the information they need. He knows the smelting plant and the technological procedure like nobody else. When he was 21, he started working as the third smelter and learned the craft from scratch. He became foreman a year ago and this year, he celebrates 30 years of working in Břidličná.

Povrly Copper Industries: Rolling

Povrly Copper Industries

Metallurgy in Povrly dates back to 1898. Today, the company is constantly modernizing and produces rolled and pressed brass products. It also makes industrial products, cups, and rosettes in the cup plant. Its products are shipped worldwide and it is a major employer in the Ústí nad Labem Region.

Being a rolling mill operator at Povrly Copper Industries near Ústí nad Labem is a similar story. Jiří Štofčo, the first rolling mill operator and seasoned volunteer firefighter, shows us around the rolling mill plant. He began working here in 1994 when he started as the fourth rolling mill operator. He managed to get formal education in this field, something which no longer exists meaning you have to learn everything on site now. Before we go to the rolling mill plant, we meet the director, David Kozel. “The material we work with makes us unique. We are the only Czech brass smelter and there are just a handful of others across Europe. In the rolling mill plant, our unique expertise is working with brass,” he explains. Brass is an alloy. The production process starts with buying pure copper or zinc but also brass and copper waste. The materials are heated to around 1,300°C, melted and then cast into slabs. The slabs are then heated and hot-rolled into rough coils. These are then milled and cold-rolled into a specific thickness. Then, the mechanical properties are adjusted. The coil is annealed, pickled, and cleaned, and cut into desired width. "The vast majority of our production goes to products for industrial application. About half goes directly to customers and the other half is processed in our cup plant, which is a pressing plant that makes semi-finished products. All the technological waste created during production goes back into the furnaces,” explains David Kozel. The company produces around 1,100 tons of products a month and, over the past 2.5 years, it has increased its production capacity by about 30%. Investing in modernization is a big discussion point in Povrly, where the plant stands between a river and a railway next to residential buildings. They have a ten-year modernization plan. The modern computer-controlled machines place increasing demands on those who operate them. The same goes for the rolling mill. “At its core, it is still a traditional craft, but it keeps being improved and refined. Machine modernization reflects the increasing pressure on efficient material use and energy consumption. However, knowing the material perfectly is still key,” he says, adding that Jiří Štofčo knows the material perfectly thanks to his vast experience and professional development. When David Kozel speaks of the investment outlook, it means a huge amount of work. “That’s exactly what my colleagues and I enjoy about the job – the opportunity to develop the company so it keeps growing and doesn’t need to fire people. We feel responsible to the locals,” he explains. Respect for human work and the experience of local workers are important to him. “We’ve achieved a great feat. A man who worked here for over 40 years trained his grandson before retiring,” he shares.

01 Over his long career, Jiří Štofčo has gone a long way in his profession. These days, you can find him in the control room where he manages the operators via computer.

02 The rolling mill produces brass coils of the required thickness, which an experienced operator can guess just by looking at it.

03 The interior of a massive rolling machine.

Rolling mill operator

Jiří Štofčo, the first rolling mill operator, has been working at the company since 1994 after graduating from a nonferrous metal rolling school. He followed in the footsteps of his parents, who also worked at the plant. Today, his wife works in the company lab, his nephew works for the group, and his son has a summer job as the gatekeeper. Jiří started on the formatting line, but then he had to go and do his military service. After that, he started working with the four-cylinder roller as the third rolling mill operator. Ten years later, he transferred to a new rolling mill. A couple of years later, the older crew retired, so he came back and gradually made his way up to first rolling mill operator. Patience, composure, and responsibility are the strengths he uses not only at work, but also as a volunteer firefighter.

01 The aluminium bar is the starting material for further processing.

Strojmetal Aluminium Forging Kamenice: Forging

An automated forging line

Last year, Strojmetal started using another automated forging line. Jiří Rokos, the production manager, says this line primarily supplies the machining plant with semi-finished products. It can make 1 piece in 1.5 seconds, which means 55,000 pieces a day. It’s significantly faster than other production lines. It has a wide range of forging positions, up to seven tools per set in the press, it can transfer parts and do complete heat treatment. A metal rod enters the line on one side, and a product ready for the machining shop comes out the other side. “It’s a different technological process which makes our production more efficient and economical,” says Robert Smutný, CEO of Strojmetal. The company has also built a new automated forging line in Bruntál, again in cooperation with Schuler. It has been operational since this September and will further increase production capacity. In the upcoming four years, Strojmetal will work with ICE Industrial Services, a company specializing in production line automation and programming, to build two more automated forging lines.

Strojmetal, situated in the Central Bohemian town of Kamenice, mainly turns aluminum and aluminum alloys into forged car chassis parts for premium global car manufacturers. Jan Žídek and I went to see the machining plant. Jan Žídek, a graduate of the Brno University of Technology, started at Strojmetal two and a half years ago as a machining engineer. In the machining plant, he has managed several projects, worked as a project manager, and stood in for his boss. Now, he is the boss. People will learn the craft as they go along. What’s important is enthusiasm and work ethic. Jan Žídek likes it when his employees have the option to find ways to improve their job. When their ideas and feedback make the workplace better. “I like it when there’s palpable progress each month,” he says. The machining plant has been operating for about six years. The company had to build a completely new building to house it. Two new machining centers have improved the plant’s capacity and the same goes for two completely automated production lines for large-capacity projects. They simply insert the semi-finished product and the robots make the final product. The machining plant works with semi-finished products from the forge which are then made into final products. They use every single piece of their precious material, including filings from the ground.

“Strojmetal is a major European forger. We have extensive experience and competence in this field. These days, customers don’t want just a forged part. They want it machined as well. Machining is a relatively new skill for us and increases the value of our parts. On top of that, we assemble the parts for our clients,” explains Robert Smutný, the CEO of Strojmetal, as he takes us into the machining plant, which is equipped with sophisticated technology for machining and assembly, including modern automated machines. Thanks to machining, the company has been able to obtain exclusive new projects and keeps growing. It even makes parts for premium car manufacturers. "The more specific a car is, the more unique and complicated the part is, which is challenging but also good for business. Plus, it adds value," he says. Satisfaction at work comes after a year or two of preparations, when the project is successfully launched. “It’s great when our predictions about a new product come true. We are also happy with how successful both the machining plant launch has been and the new forging line which we launched in Bruntál this September,” says Robert Smutný. He also reiterates that the automotive industry is currently struggling with fluctuations caused by external factors. "That's why we have a diverse job, different to before, when the established supply chains used to work well. At the same time, we are still able to meet our customers’ wishes," he concludes, adding that the electromobility boom also represents an opportunity for the company.

Strojmetal Aluminium Forging Kamenice

A factory in Kamenice dating back to 1822. Today, the company mainly makes forged chassis parts from aluminum and aluminum alloys for premium passenger cars. It also focuses on material innovation. To improve diagnostics accuracy, they have built a new, specialized center, which is also interesting architecturally

01 Machining is a relatively new skill for Strojmetal, opening the door to new interesting and lucrative contracts. It uses machines connected to an information system together with robots. But human work is still key to the operation. The automated workplace increases production capacity. The robots can completely machine and assemble the final product.

02 Meeting over the plans. The finished product must meet the customer's requirements completely. 03 Jan Žídek appreciates it when his colleagues come up with ideas and take initiative. He enjoys finding ways to improve production.

03 Jan Žídek appreciates it when his colleagues come up with ideas and take initiative. He enjoys finding ways to improve production.

Head of machining

Jan Žídek has been working for Strojmetal for two and a half years and he heads up the machining shop. He graduated from the Brno University of Technology, majoring in engineering technology and industrial management. These days, his job is mainly attending daily meetings with his colleagues from all over the company, including the machining shop. His goal is to give the machining foremen more responsibility and a bigger role. Sometimes, he spends a lot of time on his computer since his job requires him to constantly educate himself. He’s glad he can immediately put the things he has learned into practice.