Taking fluid dynamics further Tristone Flowtech Group

tAking fluiD DynAmics furtHer

The Tristone Flowtech Group is a fluid components supplier that specialises in providing tailor-made, flow-technology solutions for passenger vehicles. With the seismic shift in the automotive industry towards electric cars, the company is now ideally placed to take full advantage of the current market situation thanks to its advanced battery cooling and turbocharging technologies. Philip Yorke reports.

The Tristone Flowtech Group is headquartered in Frankfurt, Germany and in 2018 recorded revenues of almost 300 million euros. It currently employs around 3,500 people. The Group is one of the world’s leading automotive suppliers of fluid applications in the area of engine cooling and battery cooling, as well as providing high-technology products for the cooling of turbochargers. It operates modern manufacturing and research locations in Germany, Poland, Czech Republic, Slovakia, Turkey, Spain, France, Italy, Mexico, USA, India and China.

The Tristone Group was established in 2010, based on a spin-off from the former Fluid Automotive Business Unit of Trelleborg AB and today is a leading Tier 1 supplier to global automotive customers, such as Renault Dacia, Nissan, Peugeot, Citroen, Opel and Vauxhall.

In addition, the group also supplies Fiat, Chrysler, Ford, Volvo, General Motors, the VW Group with Audi, Seat, Skoda, Porsche, Bentley and Bugatti, the BMW Group with Mini, Rolls-Royce, and Daimler with Mercedes, Smart, Jaguar-Landrover, Suzuki, Mahindra-Mahindra, Hyundai Kia, and Bosch, as well as many other Tier I suppliers.

In February 2017, the Tristone Group was purchased by the Chinese Zhongding Group, Ningguo and is continuing to be managed under the same name and corporate structure.

major investment in Poland

Recently the Tristone Flowtech Group held its opening ceremony for the expansion of the company’s plastic production plant and engineering lab in Walbrzych, in the District of Lower Silecia, in Poland and also celebrated the groundbreaking of a further plant expansion to double production capabilities.

Present at the opening ceremony were representatives of the District of Lower Silesia, the city of Walbrzych, the Walbrzych special economic zone and many representatives of Tristone’s global automotive customers.

In April 2018, Tristone Poland started construction work to expand its plastic production (Hall B) as well as its central engineering laboratory which is expected to be completed during the third quarter of 2019.

‘The Group spent a further 3 million euros on investments in an expanded plastic production facility as well as in additional state-of the-art machinery and equipment. “We could soon reach a significant breakthrough in the market, especially for engine and battery cooling applications” said Guenter Froelich, President & CEO, Tristone Group.

“In addition, we are very pleased to have today the groundbreaking of a further plant expansion of 6,200 m2 of manufacturing and logistics space, which will double the company’s hose production capacity over the next two years” added Froelich.

The Tristone Flowtech Group has said it will also invest 7.4 million euros in Tristone Poland’s new expanded hose production (Hall D) as well as in advanced machinery and equipment. Tristone Flowtech Poland currently employs close to 700 employees and will add a further 200 employees to this in the next two years. The production plant in Poland is delivering components to a broad range of global automotive passenger car customers that include Ford, Volvo, RSA, Nissan, FCA, PSA, Daimler, BMW, Suzuki, JLR, and Ferrari.

At its extensive Polish plant the group will be manufacturing engine and battery cooling hoses, as well as automated engine cooling hoses with the latest Creatube technology. It will produce wrapped hoses as well as single layer and multilayer plastic pipes. The total manufacturing and logistic space is currently over 11,000 m2 and the central engineering lab covers 1,600 m2 .

The Group is expecting to grow by 11 per cent in 2019 to 321 million euros and a further 24 per cent in 2020 to reach close to 400 million euros in revenues. This is based on booked business with the global OEMs in Europe, NAFTA, China and India despite the weaker automotive business in some markets

Today the Tristone Flowtech Group is highly focused on fluid applications for motor and battery cooling as well as for air-charge systems. Currently the Group is benefiting from the trend towards a reduction of space and fuel consumption with the introduction of polyamide materials as well as the introduction of new powertrain concepts with hybrid and electrical cars, and the integration of fluid motor and battery cooling systems.

Surge in Asian demand

The Tristone Flowtech Group entered the Indian market in September 2015 by opening a Sales & Engineering Company in Pune and later, in September 2016 inaugurated its first manufacturing plant to supply Fluid Engine and Battery Cooling Products as well as aircharge systems for the Indian passenger car market.

Now the Group is investing 2.3 million euros until year-end 2019 into its full-scale plastic surge tank & hose production facility and is targeting a market share of above 10 per cent in the next few years in the Groups business fields for the Indian automotive market.

“We are dedicated to two automotive business fields: engine and battery cooling, and air charge applications“, said Froelich, emphasising the potential of the Indian automotive market and its strong growth due to the upgrading of BS-VI emission norms as well as the ambitious plans of the Indian Government for electric vehicles. n

For further details of the Tristone Group’s latest fluid technology products and services visit: www.tristone.com