Complete cooling solutions with best in

been developed thanks to new production machines and equipment, but also thanks to the use of modern material handling and logistics solutions. Together with research and development and central support, all of this has allowed the company to achieve its current position, particularly with regard to the manufacture of special components such as stainless steel special screws for the automotive sector. Most of the special parts produced are for this sector and are used for vehicle interiors, exhaust systems, engine components and power generation/ transmission components. They are supplied to OEMs and their first tier suppliers. Standard products are mainly sold to distributors and used for a variety of applications all over the world.

The company has a series of stock and distribution centres in Canada, the USA, China, Brazil and Mexico. The geographical markets supplied include Europe, North America, South America and the Far East.

Reliability, quality, flexibility

What gives the company a clear competitive advantage is its reliability and high quality, alongside a very flexible service. Being part of a larger group means it can guarantee a solid supply chain and the availability of special materials – particularly important for some of the products supplied to the automotive sector. The group to which the company belongs employs approximately 2,500 employees globally, and operates steel mill and wire drawing plants manufacturing the

raw materials needed for Ferriere di Stabio’s production (specifically developed for its applications). It can always deliver quality and precision, something which producers in low cost countries cannot equal, as they do not have the same level of control over their own supply chains.

The materials used by FdS are all stainless steel and nickel alloys, including austenitic, ferritic and marstenitic stainless steels, as well as precipitation hardening stainless steels, nickel super alloys and vanadium steels. Over its lifetime the company has developed a great deal of experience in the manufacturing of high temperature resistant products for the most sophisticated applications. It can satisfy customers’ requirements in any area where the employment of stainless steels and special alloys is required, with engineers who are available to develop technical and economical solutions. Thanks to its solid supply chain, it is able to supply the same parts, of the same quality, to manufacturers based in different continents, whether this is North America, South America or Europe. The location of the customer does not affect the level of service received.

In recent years a significant proportion of revenue has been channelled into investment and research, in order to support growth. This has created a very solid foundation for future development. Ferriere di Stabio S.A. will continue to focus on all the markets in which the automotive industry has a strong presence, especially in terms of OEMS. n

COMPLETE COOLING SOLUTIONS WITH BEST IN CLASS QUALITY

Tristone Flowtech Group is an international expert in designing, engineering and manufacturing flow technology systems for engine and battery cooling, air charge and air intake for the passenger car market. Marco Siebel asked President and CEO Günter Frölich whether the company has succeeded in reaching the objectives it had set for 2013.

Tristone Flowtech Group , headquartered in Frankfurt am Main, employs over 2100 people worldwide. Its turnover for 2013 was €176 million, of which 90 per cent was generated by sales in Europe. Projections for 2014 and 2015 are 83 per cent and 76 per cent, respectively. Tristone supplies nearly all major car manufacturers and offers innovations and products for complete flow technology solutions.

Günter Frölich: "Most of our objectives have been reached: there is no question that the reduction of the Passenger Car production volume in Europe was a challenge in the past few years, but despite this reduction the company was able to grow in 2013 by 5 per cent. In Mexico, we have hired 250 people that work for our clients BMW, VW, Chrysler, GM, Bosch and other Second Tier suppliers, and Ford will follow in 2014. In China, we started production for Volvo in August 2013 to be followed by Ford. We expect turnover to grow by 19 per cent to €210 million in 2014, and by 22 per cent to €257 million by the end of 2015. Our objective to breach the €300 million limit by 2017 still stands firmly. We are especially proud that in 2013 we maintained a best-in-class quality level of 7 ppm as recorded by our customers, including the new plants in NAFTA and China. Furthermore, our customer Volvo awarded us with a Quality Excellence Award (VQE) for our plant in Slovakia."

Tristone Flowtech Group is a 2010 spin-off from the Swedish Trelleborg AB. Tristone has production plants in Germany and France, in the Czech Republic, Slovakia and Poland, in Spain and Italy, in Turkey, China and Mexico. In the USA a dedicated Engineering and Sales company was established in September 2013 to support its NAFTA business with engineering teams working closely with local clients. The Technical Assistance Agreement (TAA) signed with Indian Bony Polymers Ltd in 2012 has provided further business with Suzuki and is still scheduled to be turned into a joint venture in 2015, according to Mr Frölich. "The joint venture production company will further strengthen the group's presence in the Indian automotive market and will establish our manufacturing footprint in the region," he says.

Key products

The key products in the Engine and Battery Cooling segment are Tristone's rubberextruded hoses, including traditional knitting technology and the innovative fibre-reinforced hoses as well as PA Pipes and surge tanks. These can be combined with the company’s own plastic quick connectors to provide com-

Trelleborg is a global engineering group whose leading positions are based on advanced polymer technology and in-depth applications know-how. We develop high-performance solutions that seal, damp and protect in demanding industrial environments.

Trelleborg Material & Mixing Lesina, s.r.o. develops, produces and sells world class custom rubber compounds for the rubber industry. We have extensive experience of manufacturing and developing rubber compoundsfor such products as vibration dampers, hoses, conveyor belts, cables, profiles and many other applications.

We use all common types of polymers and through our experience from working with an extensive range of recipes; we can offer the market a very wide program of compounds. In addition to existing recipes, our experienced chemists are able to put together customized solutions and provide technical advisory services regarding compounds and alternative raw materials.

WWW.TRELLEBORG.COM

Industrie-Plastic Elsässer GmbH, member of Powertrain Components

IPE in Mannheim is an old-established company which offers know-how and experience in design, R&D and injection moulding. We develop solutions optimized for our clients such as BMW, Daimler, Ford, GM and VW.

The product groups: • Quick connectors for cooling/heating • Connectors for cooling/heating • Valves and restrictors for cooling/heating

Industrie-Plastic Elsässer GmbH, Saarburger Ring 11, D- 68229 Mannheim Phone: Tamara Koch +49 (0) 621-480253-171, Fax: +49 (0) 621-480253-109 E-mail: sales@ipe-mannheim.de, Website: www.ipe-mannheim.de

PMG Group

PMG is a leading company in the design, development and manufacture of speciality rubber compounds that can meet the most modern and advanced automotive and industrial requirements for sealing applications. PMG has been chosen by Tristone as a development partner because of its technical know-how and extended capabilities in manufacturing tailor made rubber compounds that can help provide innovative solutions to the automotive industry. With production facilities in Italy and Romania, PMG can locally support Tristone to supply products to the rubber industry from all its European and overseas locations.