Fast flowing innovation Tristone Flowtech Group

FAST FLOWING INNOVATION

The Tristone Flowtech Group is a global leader in automotive engine, battery and turbocharger fluid cooling systems. Philip Yorke reports on a company that leads the field through innovation and continues to invest in new technology and state-of-the-art facilities worldwide.

The Tristone Flowtech Group is headquartered in Frankfurt am Main and employs over 2500 people worldwide. In 2015 the group recorded sales of more than €228 million, which makes it one of the world’s leading suppliers of fluid application products in the area of automotive fluid cooling systems. The company operates manufacturing and R&D facilities in Germany, Poland, Czech Republic, Slovakia, Turkey, Spain, France, Italy and China. More recently Tristone invested heavily in a modern manufacturing plant in Mexico and in September 2016 it officially inaugurated its latest state-of-the-art manufacturing plant in India.

The group was established on the spin-off of the former fluid automotive business unit of Trelleborg AB of Sweden in July 2010.

Today it supplies leading automotive OEMs such as VW Group, BMW, Daimler, Suzuki, Renault, Nissan Fiat Chrysler, Ford, Volvo and General Motors, as well as many automotive tier one suppliers. Innovation driving growth

The first six months of 2016 were the most successful the group had ever recorded and it continues to benefit from the development of new, hybrid and battery driven electric vehicles. This takes into account the fact that the company’s share of battery cooling systems increased by almost 20 per cent on total order intake. Tristone is highly specialised in the development of fluid applications for not only battery cooling, but also for complex air-charge and air-intake systems. A large proportion of global sales are dedicated to research and development into new and innovative fluid cooling systems, and it is these new technologies that are driving Tristone’s global sales.

Today the group is benefiting from the trend towards a reduction of space and fuel consumption with the introduction of polyamide materi-

als, as well as the introduction of new powertrain concepts for both hybrid and electrical cars and the integration of fluid motor and battery cooling solutions.

Increasing global capacity

In September 2016 the group’s new, state-of-the-art manufacturing facility was inaugurated in Pune, India. The traditional Indian ceremony was attended by many of the company’s OEM customers, alongside suppliers, local authorities and members of the Indian/German chamber of commerce.

The purpose-built plant in Pune will be the tenth production plant in the group and will provide production and logistical space of around 4200 square metres. Full production is scheduled to commence during the fourth quarter of 2017. The new plant will host the future surge-tank production as well as engine cooling and air hose production for the Indian market. The group will invest approximately €2.5 million in hightech machinery and equipment over the next two years at the new plant.

In a separate global setting, the ground-breaking ceremony of another all-new plant took place in Delicias, Chihua State, Mexico in March 2016. This plant will provide manufacturing and logistical space of 20,500 square metres and will be twice the size of the company’s existing plant. The Tristone Group will invest around €4 million within the next two years in the expansion of manufacturing capability at the new plant in Mexico.

Positive growth

During the first nine months of 2016 the company reported positive on-going growth with sales growing by over 7 per cent in the first three quarters of the year, compared to growth in the same period in 2015,

taking sales to almost €200 million. By the end of 2016 the company is projecting sales growth of 9 per cent, thereby taking revenues to more than €247 million.

“With the newly opened production plant in Pune, the group is continuing its internationalisation path and entering a new, emerging passenger car market,” said Gunter Frolich, president and CEO of the Tristone Flowtech Group. “We are confident of the future growth of the Indian passenger car market, which is, as of today, already the sixth biggest car market in the world. And we are seeing very good market potential for our product portfolio with our plastic surge tanks as well as fluid applications for engine cooling, battery cooling and turbocharger systems.

“Our global footprint, our technical competence in engine and battery cooling applications, as well as our high quality and delivery performance has been key to convincing customers that the Tristone Group is the right partner to supply this global platform with its high volume capabilities,” added Frolich. n

For further details of the Tristone Flowtech Group’s innovative products and services visit: www.tristone.com