Interview with Ramón Díaz, CEO of B & R Automation Spain
May 11, 2010
B & R Automation is referring to one of the manufacturers and suppliers of integrated automation solutions stronger globally. How would you summarize the trajectory of B & R after 30 years in the market?
A strong force for innovation and a close relationship with the clients mark the success story of B & R since 1979. Always in search of new perspectives in the automation of machines and processes, the company has become one of the industry's largest private companies. For example in 1987 was introduced on the market the first family of controllers based on PC 'maestro' technology, which already included an Ethernet port. Another example of success in development is the family of Acopos servo, which was introduced to the market in 1999. In this year 2010 we hope to provide 95,000 servocontroladores.
And the short career of B & R in Spain?
In fact B & R has been present in the Spanish market for 20 years with the company Larráioz, which has had a notable success in the introduction of our technology. The first own B & R Office was established in January 2007 in Barcelona and a year ago we opened our office in the Basque country. Also the cooperation with Logitek, since 3 years ago, allows us to reach more customers offering even better service.
What position is taken in the Spanish market B & R?
The high degree of integration that offers our automation solution has enabled us to win the confidence of a significant number of machine manufacturers and system integrators. In these times the need to differentiate themselves with higher performance, higher quality and at the same time reducing costs, leads to those responsible for automation opt increasingly for B & R. Reception today we have in the Spanish market is exceptional and thanks to our capacity technique are seen as the ideal partner for machinery manufacturers. Our goal is in the medium term be among the top three manufacturers in the Spanish market.
In recent months we have been published in our magazine reports on companies that have opted for the B & R technology to automate their processes. Is the trust of customers the best advertising you can have?
The trust is a decisive factor in deciding on a solution. Our 'know-how' in the different sectors and even in specific applications is an added value that we offer to our customers. With them we have a very close relationship of partners; together we seek the best solution and that best meets your needs. More than 300,000 automation systems installed around the world are an endorsement of our technology.
What news will present B & R in the XXVI Edition of the BIEMH?
On the one hand we have the use of simulation tools such as Matlab/Simulink, which generate code directly applicable to a PLC. B & R and the Matworks cooperate successfully throughout the world; in fact The Mathworks staff will be present at our stand. On the other hand, we present our new Panel-CNC, showing clearly the integration of Generic Motion Control in our solution. Also we'll show you a real model our solution for hydraulic axes and its combination with servo hybrid solutions.
B & R has been two years calling Europeans University awards of Ethernet Industrial and looking for innovative concepts. To what extent B & R committed to r & d?
Our commitment is to provide the market technically robust automation, but at the same time innovative solutions. A large team of development and an annual investment of 17% of our turnover in r & d, we can keep at one time very low innovation cycles for all our developments. The close relationship between production and development at our headquarters in Austria, in Eggelsberg, is an essential element of our strategy since our inception.
B & R has more than 1,850 employees in over 62 countries. What are the objectives in the short and medium term?
B & R is a private enterprise and investment and strategy are not based on quarterly results. Despite the economic situation in 2009, in our headquarters we have recently completed a very ambitious expansion process. The production area has multiplied by 4, with more than 45,000 square meters where work of 750 employees. We have also opened a logistics centre in our facilities, of course fully automated with B & R products.
What are the challenges ahead automation?
The customization of the solution is a clear trend in the market, i.e. a very specific adaptation of each machine for each production facility. At this point we can offer with Automatio Studio the ideal tool to be able to reuse the same application software in different types of machines and thus return on investment. Other important aspects are the speed up and optimize the process of innovation, as well as the possibility of simulation of machinery, it offers a world of opportunities.
There is no interview in which does not go so maligned crisis. Thinking positive, what has it served to B & R this difficult time that we are going?
Precisely in these times of crisis the activity of r & d of our customers increases, since they now have time and the need to study the market. While in the year 2009 we have suffered the economic crisis as we all, incoming orders of the first months of the year indicates that we will achieve a turnover of € 320 million by 2010 (compared to 300 million euros in 2008). The growth of B & R in Spain is proportionally higher, as many customers starting with the mass production of machines that have been developed in our early years.
