Glass styling goes green Richard Fritz

GLASS STYLING GOES GREEN

Richard Fritz is a global leader in the automobile window coatings and solutions sector. Philip Yorke talked to Heinz Schmitz, the company’s chief sales officer about the new technology being developed by Fritz and its plans for the future.

The Fritz Group is an international operator that specialises in the encapsulation of side windows for passenger cars with thermoplastics and specialised elastomers. The company has developed logistical and functional module-system solutions for the automobile window sector and provides tailored customer support on a worldwide basis. The world’s most renowned original equipment manufacturers are listed as clients of Fritz including Daimler, Porsche and VW Audi.

Expectations for the functionality and design of windows are continually increasing. Today it is not only necessary to provide complex shapes, but trouble-free operation must also be guaranteed over a period of many years, regardless of temperature and weather extremes. Additional functions such as the fixing of decorative strips and panels, electrical connections and assembly aids for driver assistance systems are increasingly being incorporated. Fritz currently employs more than 1400 specialists at its factories in Germany, Slovakia and Hungary.

Globally matched solutions

As a global player, Fritz works continuously to match the demands of its multinational OEM clients. The company is committed to improving its on going production processes and the introduction of new technologies for its automotive glass encapsulation and moulded parts. The Fritz system concept determines its strategy and is based upon its cooperation with designers, technicians and engineers to provide solutions that result in optimal results for its clients.

In addition to its major manufacturing facilities in Europe, Fritz has a network of suppliers and partners in the automotive industry. This combination provides flexibility when responding to customers’ requirements and guarantees the quality of its products whether it is for small or volume orders. This means that Fritz can accommodate its regional customers’ needs without any problems and offers globally matched solutions in collaboration with its partners on a customer-specific basis.

Clear vision

Richard Fritz is a leading company in the automotive glass-encapsulation, industry and has achieved this position because of its customer-orientated strategy and long-term vision as a company. Considerations such as specially tailored customer support worldwide and the innovative use of logistical and functional module-solutions are all provided by motivated and dedicated staff.

Mr Schmitz said, “These days standard encapsulation is a commodity business and we are planning to stay in it, but we also

NMC

The companies Richard Fritz and NMC are working together hand in hand. Fritz develops, with automotive customers, the rubber sealing lips of the windshields. On his side, NMC is developing the edge protection profiles with the corresponding internal geometry.

This ensures that the glass panels are well protected and are delivered without damage to the spare parts market. Richard Fritz brings not only the rubber lips on the glass discs, but they also pack immediately the windscreens for shipping. This cooperative collaboration between Fritz and NMC helps to save time and money. Sensitive rubber lips need the maximum and optimum protection!

DTR Develop Thermoplastic Resins

DTR Develop Thermoplastic Resins is a sales unit of the TPE division of SO.F.TER SPA, one of the biggest indipendent compounders in Europe. The collaboration with the Fritz Group goes back to the nineties, when we started together to develop special thermoplastic elastomers, suitable for the coating of side windows for passenger cars. The high level of requirements to the processability, the elastic properties and the weather resistance, have been met thanks to an intesive research work.

Today it is a pleasure to know that some of the most popular car models are equipped with side window gaskets made with our Forprene grades.

provide added-value solutions especially for complex systems which involve encapsulating plastic parts and metal strips. We use specifically designed equipment and moulding presses and all our dies and moulds are product-specific. Every car that is launched today requires a new design and we have to start by developing the encapsulation in an engineering environment and by designing the interface between the glass and the car body”.

“Our clients rely on us and are with us for the long term and we partner with them to achieve the best possible outcomes. The four key items concerning glass in a car are: weight reduction to improve fuel economy / operation range of electric cars; environment encapsulating glass is a chemical process; comfort, which is becoming more and more important in terms of noise reduction, again especially true for ‘quieter’ electrical cars; exterior design and individuality relating to the trends in styling and personalisation concerning such items as tinted glass,

infra-red reflective foil and complex curved window shapes.

“If you look at the latest Citroen with its big panorama windshield, you realise how important the styling element has become. Complex shaped glass like this must fit perfectly into the car body, which is where we have the knowledge and technology to meet these modern challenges. We see this trend as an opportunity as a leading specialist in this field. Currently we are developing a solution to encapsulate glass without the chemical component, which will go into production later this year.”

Expanding global reach

Fritz is attracting new customers in South East Asia and South America and plans to establish joint ventures with selected suppliers that are equally specialised and able to meet the global challenges of the automotive industry. Fritz is currently 100 per cent focused on the automotive industry; however, as new technologies are being developed they can be designed for other industrial applications. The company has already moved into manufacturing plastic trim parts for delivery covers for the Porsche Panamera, where very close tolerances apply, thus adding value to its product portfolio. In addition, Fritz has also provided the whole glass management and system solutions programme for the Porsche Panamera model.

Mr Schmitz added, “We are located where our customers are based to ensure that we provide them with optimal service. We have two state-of-the-art factories in Germany, with one in Slovenia and another in Hungary. In Slovakia for example, we have been working with VW Skoda for the last ten years and we continue to work closely with them to optimise cost-effectiveness, whilst developing innovative, new technology. We offer all our customers custom-made services and high quality standards so that they can concentrate on their core business. We also take care to ensure that we protect the environment in order to provide the best quality of life for future generations.” n