Futuristic vision Fritz Group

FUTURISTIC VISION

The Fritz Group is a European market leader in the development and manufacture of window modules and glass coatings for the automotive industry. Philip Yorke spoke to Dr Thomas Dueckers, the company’s CEO, about its latest self-cleaning glass and strategy for future growth.

The Fritz Group was founded in Stuttgart, Germany in 1958 by Richard Fritz, who founded a wholesale company for moulded rubber and plastic engineering parts. The success of the new company meant that it was able to establish its own manufacturing facility in Besigheim, Germany shortly afterwards where it produced injection moulded window seals for the fast growing automotive industry. Another milestone was reached in the 1980s when Richard Fritz launched its first glass coating lines for Europe’s leading automotive OEMs.

In June 2013 the Fritz Group was acquired by one of the world’s largest glass manufacturers; Sisecam Group. Şişecam Group is a global actor producing flat glass, glassware, glass packaging and fiberglass, as well as soda and chrome compounds. Sisecam purchased Fritz Group in order to complement another of its major subsidiaries, Trakya Cam. As a leading manufacturer of automotive glazing in Turkey for over 45 years, Trakya Cam supplies major global OEMs and aftermarket customers with its value-added products and services and has also committed itself to caring for the environment. Now with the acquisition of Richard Fritz Holding GmbH a broader range of OEMs needs and expectations will be served by this strong partnership.

Today the Fritz Group employs more than 1500 people and is an internationally recognised player serving global brands such as Mercedes Benz, VW, Citroen, BMW, Land Rover, Opel, Lamborghini and Audi.

Quality assured precision

The Richard Fritz group is renowned for its commitment to quality and innovation in the development of window system solutions and glass coatings. The company is continuously working on improving its products and processes as well as on the development of new technologies for glass coatings and moulded parts. The Fritz Group invests heavily in future technologies and constantly researches new materials and processes at its headquarters in Besigheim, Germany. Its innovative concepts form the basis for its on-going success as it leads from the front in a highly competitive industry.

Dr Thomas Dueckers said, “From the managing director to the trainee, we believe that it is important to meet the high expectations of our customers at all times. Our objective is to build steadily on our reputation and innovative product portfolio and to take advantage of the market opportunities that present themselves. We pay special attention to environmental protection and we design our products and manufacturing processes as efficiently as possible, especially in relation to the use of energy and resources.”

Dueckers added, “In the European theatre we are the number one premium car glass supplier in our field. The slump in the auto industry associated with the global recession naturally had a negative effect on sales but we have recovered well from that and are now seeing strong growth in our three key product areas: Glass Coatings, System Solutions and Hydrophobic coatings. We work in close partnership with our clients in order to optimise their efficiency and competitiveness. Our patented 2K Technology and encapsulation processes are fully operational at our state-of-the-art facilities, in Germany, Slovakia and Hungary, where robotics play a major role in achieving the high precision required of our products.

“We are also a company with a regional footprint as well as being a global partner when it comes to having a competent network of suppliers in the automobile industry. This combination provides unlimited flexibility when responding to our customers specifications where optimal quality is guaranteed even for very large volumes.”

Broad product portfolio

The Fritz Group provides the automotive industry with a broad range of specialised products including glass coatings that offer coated side windows with thermoplastics and elastomers, as well as coated windshields and rear windows. The company also supplies glass elements for glass roofs and fitting attachments. This is in addition to hydrophobic coatings, plastic panels, window system solutions and products that range from window frame solutions to functional and logistic solutions. The Fritz Group were early pioneers of hydrophobic coatings and maintain their leading role in the development of these ‘self-cleaning’ glass solutions. The surface behaviour of glass with self-cleaning properties is altered in relation to normal glass because dirt finds it

difficult to stick to the surface and any that does manage to attach itself to the glass is quickly washed away by the flow of water when it rains. Glass with self-cleaning properties is linked to nano-technology, which has given rise to the term, ‘nano-coating’.

The latest nano-coatings from the Fritz Group guarantee improved vision in adverse weather conditions and increase driving safety, as well as lowering contamination in key areas such as wing mirrors and windshields.

Fast changing market

The automotive market is possibly the most progressive and demanding sector of all manufacturing industries. Today it is not only necessary to provide complex shapes, but trouble-free operatio must also be guaranteed for many years ahead regardless of temperature and the harsh weather conditions encountered. Thanks to its advanced research and development capabilities, the Fritz Group can provide optimised design solutions as well as many others in the development of materials and process engineering in order to meet the automotive industry’s increasing challenges. The company’s products in the glass coating field set new standards in the automotive industry and include coated side windows with thermoplastics and elastomers such as TPE, PVC, EPDM and PUR. The Fritz Group’s coated winds-shields and rear windows employ TPE and PUR. The company’s unique expertise in the processing of window sealing materials continues to provide solutions for the automotive industry of tomorrow. n

For further details of the Fritz Group’s innovative glass products and services visit: www.fritz-group.com