Expertise in perforated metals Dillinger Group

One of the leading manufacturers of perforated metals in Europe, the Dillinger Group offers customers a wide product range from perforated standard sheets to complex architectural and industry components. Elisabeth Skoda spoke to the sales director, Frank Regitz, to find out more.

EXPERTISE IN PERFORATED METALS

Founded in 1895 in Dillingen (Germany), the Dillinger Group, has more than 100 years of experience in the manufacturing and processing of perforated plates. Together with its subsidiaries and affiliated companies, the Dillinger Group employs more than 350 people, 200 of whom work at the Dillingen location.

“The group consists of eight companies – six production companies and two sales offices – situated in six different countries, with the mother company, Dillinger Fabrik gelochter Bleche GmbH, located at Dillingen itself. Affiliate companies Dillinger Edelstahlverarbeitung and Preziehs GmbH are also situated there,” Mr Regitz explains.

Also part of the group is Perfox, the biggest manufacturer of perforated sheets in the Netherlands. In addition, there is DF Bulgaria, close to Sofia, and Netto in Denmark. Dillinger Products are sold in more than 30 countries all over the world, but the core focus is on the European market.

“In the future we are also looking towards the eastern European market, France and the Scandinavian market together with our partners. Dillinger offers a wide product range, from perforated standard sheets to very complex components for all industry branches that allow for the installation of solutions with further processing possibilities,” says Mr Regitz.

The year 2011 was a successful one for the group. “Overall group turnover was €70 million. For 2012 we expect an increase of up to 10 per cent, and we are well on track to achieve this,” says Mr Regitz.

The company has established its position in the European market, and therefore the group has managed to return to the same level it had achieved before the economic crisis in 2009.…. “Due to new investments, we are very strong and competitive for the future,” adds Mr Regitz.

The year 2011 also brought a range of interesting projects for the group, one of the highlights of which was the Audi terminal facade projects. “Audi car dealerships have a new homogeneous appearance throughout the whole world: the Audi terminal. As a contract supplier for Audi, Dillinger received orders for more than 90 Audi terminal projects in total up to now. A total of over 40,000m2 of perforated, bent and anodised aluminium panels provided by Dillinger were used for these Audi terminals. The biggest individual projects are Frankfurt (6600m2) and Berlin (5000m2),” Mr Regitz explains.

The Dillinger Group delivers a complete range of perforated sheets. One of its core competences is the further processing of perforated sheets and plates into complete components ready for installation. The products range from very thin plates with micro perforation up to perforated plates with a maximum thickness of 30mm. In addition, there is a range of perforated small screen tubes with a seven millimetre diameter up to ready-to-install screening drums for large preparations as well as screening installations up to 3000 mm diameter and 15,000 mm length. Our products then are delivered to all major industries.

Working closely with the customers is key for Dillinger. “We are working on new devel-

opments as well as optimisation together with our customers on a daily basis. Sometimes it takes months to optimise a solution in collaboration with the customer before series production can actually start,” says Mr Regitz.

Flexibility is key

“There are no fixed standard products at the DF Group, besides the perforated panels for storage, which have standard dimensions. Everything is produced exactly to the customers’ needs and requirements on the base of the very modern machinery equipment.

“The products are completely manufactured from one source; this is our strategy and gives the customers the best synergy and benefits,” Mr Regitz explains.

Dillinger Group has a wide range of customers from various industries (chemical, electronics, food, recycling etc). Major customers are companies such as Nokia Siemens, for whom Dillinger deliveres components for electronical cabinets.

In the field of architecture, Audi is a major customer of the present like mentioned above. Other projects include the BMW World in Munich together with a major façade building general supplier. “Dillinger Fabrik delivered the entire facade, containing 22,000m2 of perforated stainless steel panels.”

Dillinger Fabrik is a regular participant at trade fairs. “Our target is to participate in one of the major fairs in Germany per year in with a bigger stand. In addition, we intend to participate in special fairs in some other countries with a smaller stand. The aim is to introduce the DF Group in other countries,” says Mr Regitz. One example of this was the BUDMA trade fair in Poland in January 2012. Indeed, Poland is an interesting potential future market for the group. Energy saving

Energy efficiency and green technology are of key importance in the field of perforated metal. The use of alternative energy sources, saving energy and environmental protection are of major significance.

“In the field of energy savings within buildings, perforated plates and sheets have an increasing significance in modern architecture. Adjustable light and sun protection panels made from perforated metal reduce the energy consumption in cooperation with air conditioning and heating,” Mr Regitz explains. “Depending on the angle of solar radiation, the perforated panels are automatically adjusted to find the optimum angle.”

Dillinger products also play an important role in environmental protection. The perforated filter tubes manufactured by the group are used in the preparation or recycling of water, in the food industry, and in the filtra-

tion process of oil and fluid amongst other things. Other uses include the filtering of harmful gases in large industrial equipment, big recycling drums and equipment for separating recycling into waste and useable parts. Dillinger also manufactures ready-toinstall recycling drums.

Ready for the future

“Further investments are planned to renew and modernise the machinery park, particularly in the field of all across-presses and sectional-presses. A few months ago, we bought a fourth heavy sectional-press to increase our capacity and to reduce delivery times for our customers,” says Mr Regitz.

“Our aim is to stabilise and expand our market position as one of the leading perforators in Europe. We want to expand into new markets, such as eastern Europe and France. We are ideally situated to do the latter as we are right near the French border and already have our daughter company Dillinger France Perforation in place.”

So in order to remain strong in the future, the company will continue its successful strategy. “We want to offer not only flat, easy-to-produce perforated sheets like many other manufacturers in the field of perforating companies, but also to offer complete solutions to the customers. That means working alongside customers to develop optimised solutions, and delivering ready-to-install components which give them the optimum benefit and synergy,” Mr Regitz concludes. n