MTX Group invests in regions most impacted by the green transformation

Strojmetal Aluminium Forging (SAF) has been operating in Bruntál since 2020. Last year, it relocated part of its operation there, away from Kamenice. “You could think of it as an expansion of our Kamenice plant, just 300 kilometers away,” says the Vice-Chairman of the Board and Chief Operating and Financial Officer of MTX Group, Miroslav Záhorec.

In 2022, Strojmetal Aluminum Forging opened its first robotic forging line for aluminum chassis parts in Bruntál. Since then, it has been continuously developing. The goal is to have three operational forging lines. “Today, we have a forging line with a capacity of 2,500 tons which we use to manufacture front upper control arms (FUCA) for cars,” explains Miroslav Záhorec, adding: “We are already working on the second forging line with a capacity of 5,000 tons. We will use it to forge front lower control arms for cars (FLCA). It should be operational by the third quarter of 2024. The third line has already been designed, since it is a twin of the second one.”

This means Bruntál has been developing rapidly. “It makes sense, we have a lot of room for development,” says Záhorec. This room is one of the reasons why the plant was built here in the first place. “In Kamenice, there is no more room for growth. We can only improve our existing technologies there. But in Bruntál, there is plenty of room and we want to use it to expand our already operational plant,” explains Záhorec. He also emphasizes that both of these plants are interconnected in terms of retained knowledge.

“Bruntál is a perfect example of successfully fulfilling our vision for company development using cutting-edge solutions,” says Záhorec. And it’s not just about state-of-the-art robotic lines. The plant has been working on its environmental impact and carbon footprint since day one. For example, the plant will partially cover its energy consumption from the MTX Renewables solar plant nearby when it is built or from the wind park that the company is currently planning. Another MTX Group member, AL INVEST Břidličná, will help the Bruntál plant with its carbon footprint.

“We want to work with AL INVEST on material development. More importantly, though, they will make cast aluminum rods specifically for our operation, with our required material composition,” explains Záhorec. Thanks to this partnership, Strojmetal (including its plant in

In Bruntál we have a line with a capacity of 2, 500 tons.

Kamenice) will be able to precisely define its requirements for the composition of its input materials, for example in terms of the percentage of recycled aluminum in the charge. Compared to primary aluminum, recycled aluminum has a dramatically smaller carbon footprint. Cast aluminum rods will also reduce the amount of waste generated during forging. Although waste can be recycled as an input material, producing less of it is more efficient and saves energy.

MTX Group also believes that Bruntál has a great deal of potential as regards attracting qualified employees. “We are trying to make our workplace a very attractive 21st century plant. We are working with automation, visualizations, virtual twins, and other digital tools,” explains Záhorec. Not only do these tools make working here more comfortable, they also help us find ways to increase production efficiency. “When we’re installing new technology, we already have plans for how to improve it,” says the director, adding: “After six months of initial operation and thanks to the partnership between our suppliers, our subsidiary ICE Industrial Services (led by experienced workers from Kamenice), and our new team in Bruntál, I can proudly say that we’ve managed to increase our production capacity by 20%.” Both Kamenice and Bruntál are nearly at maximum working capacity. As the plants keep developing, they also manage to land new projects and contracts.

“Thanks to the extraordinary work done by our team, the plant was successfully qualified and chosen for serial production for Mercedes in 2023, which meant months of systematic preparations. We have successfully started production and can now focus on further development and investments,” concludes Záhorec.

We are building a new line with a capacity of 5 ,000 tons.