All in the mix Harburg-Freudenberger Maschinenbau

ALL IN THE MIX

As a leading mechanical engineering and service company for the tyre and technical rubber goods industry, Harburg-Freudenberger Maschinenbau GmbH is working hard to expand its network and enlarge its product portfolio. Emma-Jane Batey spoke to sales director of the HF Mixing Group, Dr Harald Keuter to find out more.

Harburg-Freudenberger Maschinenbau GmbH has been delivering engineering solutions since it was founded in Hamburg, Germany, in 1855. Having grown to provide products and services to the global tyre, technical rubber goods, oil seed processing and food industries, today the company has representatives worldwide in order to service its global client base which includes all of the world’s major automotive tyre manufacturers.

Harburg-Freudenberger is one of ten divisions of the German-owned L. Possehl & Co. mbH and it has two main business locations in Germany namely Hamburg-Harburg and Freudenberg. In Harburg, the business units extrusion technology, tyre building machines and curing presses mainly serve the tyre industry. These business units are known as the HF TireTech Group. Dr Harald Keuter, being located in Freudenberg, is responsible for the HF Mixing Group’s sales activities.

Bigger and better

Dr Keuter explained more about HarburgFreudenberger’s activities in Freudenberg, and its commercial advantage. He said, “Since the company bought two of our competitors, the mixing capabilities at Harburg-Freudenberger have grown considerably. We bought one competitor with locations in the USA and the UK (Farrel) and one from Italy (Pomini Rubber & Plastics), which has broadened both our geographical reach and our product portfolio.”

Under the umbrella of the HF Mixing Group, Dr Keuter is focused on providing industrial-scale equipment for rubber mixing, which is predominantly internal mixers, single screw and twin screw dump extruders, mixing room control systems and auxiliary equipment such as strip cutting machines or bale cutters. “The demand for complete engineering and turn-key solutions is increasing,” Dr Keuter said, and thats why the importance of control systems and reliable partnerships with other mixing room suppliers is grow-

ing. “Similar to a car computer, the machine should tell the operator when certain parts are worn out and have to be replaced.” The main customers for these activities are in the tyre industry, with Michelin, Goodyear, Continental and Pirelli all long-term HF Mixing Group customers.

Another important part of the HF Mixing Group’s business is its technical rubber goods industry provision. Dr Keuter said, “This unit can make rubber into anything and everything! We are particularly well established in the automotive market, of course, with sealing systems for cars a big volume market for us. Our machines also create compounds for a vast number of special products, both for the automotive industry, such as special seals and brake pads, and the building and appliances industries, such as the rubber seals for washing machines, with simple and more complex products available.”

The core products at HF Mixing Group are the mixers and dump extruders themselves, with the control systems. The mixers are available in all manner of different sizes, from 0.3 litres to 1000 litres mixing capacity, in line with the trend in the automotive industry for ever larger machines that satisfy its high volume requirements. So while the tyre industry demands machines from around 270 litres to 1000 litres, clients in the technical industries require smaller machines, as their products tend to be more specialised and are needed in smaller production quantities. Meeting customers’ needs

Dr Keuter added, “There is a massive cost focus in the automotive industry, particularly following the challenges of the global economic crisis, and it needs big production runs to maintain its cost targets. In the technical rubber industries, there are more recipes to handle smaller runs, the tooling is changed more often and there are different quality demands. We can meet these different demands handsomely at HF Mixing Group as we offer both standard and tailor-made products.” In this complex environment the importance of control systems is even higher to raise cost-saving potential.

This flexible product portfolio is a cornerstone to HF Mixing Group’s success. With two main types of mixer that can be sold as standard, or modified to suit the exact needs of the client, the tangential mixers and intermeshing mixers are both well-respected across the industries in which the company operates. It can also upgrade installed mixers, for example with a wide variety of rotors available depending on the application decisions of the client.

Continuous investment in maintaining and upgrading HF Mixing Group’s production facilities highlights the company’s production and quality orientated philosophy. It is keen to protect its high-tech image in the market and so must ensure that it has the latest machinery and equipment, as well as a well-trained workforce to operate it on a day-to-day basis. The company has recently invested in three new milling centres and has also added a range of additional quality assurance support, such as a laser scanner to scan the rotors and measure the exact volume. Increased automation is also a focus of HF Mixing Group, as long as it is carefully utilised alongside the technically advanced engineering specialists. As such, the company has invested in some new welding robots, which are initially being used

to create the hard-coated materials which can be abrasive and corrosive.

Geographically speaking, HF Mixing Group is also investing in its global footprint, with its traditional heartland of Europe being increasingly joined by Asia, North and South America and the former Soviet countries. Aided by the recent acquisitions and the potential for more, HF Mixing Group works with carefully selected agents to help grow in local markets using local contacts.

Dr Keuter explained that HF Mixing Group’s future aims lie with this global expansion, while ensuring that its product portfolio remains reliable, flexible and customer-focused. He concluded, “Our business is stable. We will keep that and grow by capitalising on the worldwide opportunities we see, particularly in the BRIC countries and Japan. We also intend to concentrate our product innovation on new markets where our rubber technology experience will also be appreciated, such as thermoplastic elastomers, wood plastic composites and natural fibres. Our ability to mix fibres or other materials difficult to process, is a very transferable skill.” n