Innovation as a path to long-term success

The companies within MTX Group are constantly coming up with new technologies and processes. Besides the ones related to continuous or sometimes radical modernization, there are also surprising new developments that help increase the added value of our products and demonstrate the expertise of our employees. These are just a few of the many innovations of which MTX Group is proud.

PureAl®

AL INVEST Břidličná

MTX Group places great emphasis on recycling and using recycled materials in production. That is why AL INVEST Břidličná is developing its own material called PureAl®, which is an aluminum alloy with up to 100% recycled content. An alloy made purely from recycled waste can have a wide array of uses and some of our customers are already putting it through an intense series of tests. For example, one of our customers in the automotive industry has been testing PureAl® for more than nine months. When the tests are finished, the customer will be able to start using the material for mass production.

Downgauging

AL INVEST Břidličná

One way to decrease the carbon footprint of our products is by making them lighter by using less primary material. AL INVEST Břidličná has found a way to make their HVAC foils thinner. By using a new material with the same thermal and mechanical properties, the new foil is 15–20% thinner than before. This reduction in thickness is called downgauging. Using less primary material makes the carbon footprint smaller for the manufacturer as well as for the customer and further down the chain. The customer is able to manufacture a lighter product which requires less energy to transport it, further decreasing its carbon footprint.

Sigma

Povrly Copper Industries

Povrly Copper Industries (PCI) is collaborating with the University of J. E. Purkyně in Ústí nad Labem and with the Technology Agency of the Czech Republic on the Sigma project. The goal of this project is to find a way to manufacture deep-drawing sheets from CuZn5, an alloy of 95% copper and 5% zinc. PCI uses this material to make cups that are used as semi-finished products for ammunition manufacturing. The company wants to improve the quality of this material and improve its properties. Since the alloy has a strictly defined metal composition, the project mainly focuses on research and development, aiming to improve the production technology and process. Improving the material’s quality should also reduce the amount of waste produced in PCIs as well as in the customer’s operation.

Virtual ski pass

Ski Areál Kopřivná

Last winter, the ski resort in Malá Morávka successfully implemented a unique new technological solution. They were the first in the world to launch a self-check-in system which doesn’t require a chip or chip card, i.e. a physical ski pass. Visitors don’t have to search their pockets for their pass or look for it under their many layers of clothing. Moreover, they don’t have to physically pick up a pass which means no more queues. The new technology allows visitors to load the ski pass to their phones, which connect via Bluetooth to the turnstiles, making everything automatic.

Innovations

Strojmetal Kamenice

Strojmetal is working on a new, specialized innovations department in Kamenice. Its sole focus will be innovation and will not be burdened with operational matters. This will free up time and space to develop new processes and solutions that will deliver improvements not only to Strojmetal, but to its customers, too. In addition to product improvements, the department will also work on production process improvements. To keep improving its processes, Strojmetal wants to start using a new ERP (Enterprise Resource Planning) system. This year, the company is analyzing the new system and should begin implementation in 2024. The following year, 2025, will be a transition period. The new ERP system should be fully operational by 2026.

Martin Bernatík, Senior Development Officer at AL INVEST Břidličná, who is working on the development of PureAl®