2011 was the record year of profits of Wittmann Battenfeld all over the world

J.F.: The mark Wittmann was represented in his starts by the signature Margarit, until we begin in the new subsidiary four people in the installations of Martorell (Barcelona). In that then practically did not know the robotics. In fact, Wittmann had very few products: robots, atemperadores, caudalímetros… and little by little have gone expanding products, until the last acquisition that has been the fusion with Battenfeld, of machines of injection.

J.F.: Begin the fusion with Battenfeld in 2008. Apart from the difficulty that comported the fusion for finding us two very similar companies, arrived the crisis. We saw us forced to do a regulation of personnel but little by little were entering products and consolidating us as leaders.

Mercè Margarit (M.M.): We have done a strong bet by the engineering, a natural and necessary step, to the value added. We are improving a lot the area of special peripherals allocated to specific needs of the customers. Take into account that all the part of robotics is quite surpassed in Spain, today, the one who more and the one who less has automation, but this is basic, of extraction equipment equipment of pieces.

M.M.: Yes, has changed a lot of. In addition to that the market follows this tendency, we have the advantage of the economic and technological support of a big international group.

J.F.: What differentiates us of our competition is that the automation do it from here. Have our own national department of projects with support of Austria.

J.F.: Is another of our advantages. We can supply it all, from a caudalímetro until the machine to inject going through all the necessary peripheral equipment.

Damián Hernández (D.H.): Ours competition can offer something similar but depending on different marks. We with a same manufacturer, a same mark, and a same technical philosophy, can deliver projects keys in hand with the guarantee of an alone constructor.

J.F.: Has cost, carry four years struggling to achieve a common technical service for inyectoras and peripherals. But we have it.

D.H.: In the European and national field are leaders in robotics but do not forget the injection. Now we have expanded the capacity of injection in Austria. Anyway, every time they sell fewer isolated robots because the customer sues an integral solution.

J.F.: The difference in front of twenty years ago is that there were not robots; instead now, it is difficult to find a no automated factory. Now what sells is machine – robot. Although it cost at the beginning, at present, it does not conceive a machine of some size without a robot.

D.H.: The robot of Wittmann has one of the best relate quality-price of the market. They are equipment very versatile, compact and at good cost, all this added to our experience. Many times our competition are the own manufacturers of inyectoras that do the own robot, usually with little experience, whereas we manufacture at present more than 3.000 annual robots and do it from 35 years ago.

J.F.: The sector of the packaging and the pharmaceutical chemist are those that better are working, the white line finds in ‘stand by' whereas the construction is the one who more has diminished. Of these last, those that better work are those that sell in the outside.

D.H.: During the last months, the demand of peripherals has been of customers that export, for example, containers for cosmetic that go a lot to France, pieces of automotive sector with destination to Germany, customers that export because the internal demand has fallen a lot, except in the sector of the packaging.

The one of the medicine is also one of the sectors by which struggle, specifically this month will deliver a project key in hand with equipment Wittmann Battenfeld in Madrid for the manufacture of products for the respiratory device. It is a cell key in complete hand, that includes the machine of injection, the robotics, the automation and all the peripherals.

M.M.: In this country, price.

D.H.: Also equipment very flexible and modular, because the work is unstable. There are not commitments by part of the final customer, therefore the customer asks versatile machinery in case they have to change of product. On the other hand, special machinery, concrete automations aprovechables, that can apply to future projects.

J.F.: All the projects are thrilling although if it had to stand out one, perhaps the one who have mentioned and developed this year with the signature Johnson Controls Inc. Carry several months setting it up, more the time devoted to his design and development. It has been hard, intense and very gratificante.

D.H.: Is important because it treats of the only big plant of injection of plastic new that has developed in the last 4 years, in time of crisis. And the company to which have trusted all the automations has been Wittmann Battenfeld. All this shows that our technology no only is very appreciated in Europe but also in United States.

J. F.: Besides, seeing the economic panorama, when a signature like Johnson Controls with more than 150.000 workers all over the world comes and bet in Spain, in Ibi specifically, wants to say that they see future and this, gives a lot of tranquility.

In robotics expands the range with new robots with special loads for automation. Robots that in the past did not supply because they were impossible careers, now are possible thanks to the demand of automation.

J.F.: From the fusion of Wittmann Battenfeld, and with the entrance of the crisis, the Doctor Wittmann, of industrial profile and a lot of vision of future, has invested a lot of money in Battenfeld. From 2008 up to now, we have renewed almost all the park of machinery, implemented new technologies, bet by the investment.

Also have developed the new electrical machine. Till lately in Battenfeld the machines only arrived to 650 tonnes and in these years have developed until the 1.600 tonnes. We have bet by the market of the machinery and for developing new products.

D.H.: One of the advantages that has had the fusion of the signatures, Wittmann is a specialist from does years in robotics and servomotors, joined this experience to the one of Battenfeld of more than 50 years like constructor of inyectoras, have done that the model of machine servo electrical of Wittmann was, possibly, the most competitive and of upper technology of the market.

J.F.: Since they presented the EcoPower, in Germany has had a spectacular acceptance, whereas in Spain does not exist the same mentality, the introduction is slower.

M. M.: Is very curious. In Germany do not understand why does not triumph the electrical machine in Spain when they practically only sell this type of machinery. We do not give supply to produce the EcoPower in Germany, whereas in Spain asks machine more conventional. And it is easily intelligible because it is a saving of costs.

D.H.: Although the half of the machines that are selling in Spain are electrical. The one who the proof, repeats.

J.F.: Is all very difficult, but year after year keep growing. Only there was a pothole in 2008, by the fusion and the crisis, but from is date, always have gone growing.

M.M.: Go to exceed our expectations. The aims traced for this year go to increase them, no by a lot, but will surpass them.

M.M.: Still are in robotics.

D.H.: Are leaders in caudalímetros. Practically it was the Doctor Wittmann the one who invented it and almost all the machines of injection of the market carry the caudalímetro Wittmann. In robotics have quite a lot of quota of market and the automations represent a high percentage of the turnover.

Thanks to the division of machinery win quota of market in inyectoras, so much in servoeléctricas as in half and big size, without forgetting the vertical.

Another product that finds between the three main marks is the one of temperature control units for moulds. Wittmann Tempro Is one of the most recognised equipment and implanted in the sector of the plastic to regulate the temperature of the mould of any size and material.

M.M.: In machinery apart from the standard range, Wittmann Battenfeld stands out by the big special machinery, like the vertical, bimateria, aided by injection water, multicomponente, liquid silicone, LSR and the microinjection, this last is a minoritary sector in which we are leaders from the year 95, with our technology MicroPower.

D.H.: Have a technological centre for the development of new processes as it is the thermography on line, the injection by gas and personalised solutions for processes very concrete and special. Besides, we have a big logistical centre for the service posventa centralised also in Germany. Wittmann Battenfeld Manufactures machines with big success for all the emergent markets, China, India, Thailand, Mexico, ...

M.M.: In fact, 2011was the record of profits of the group! Thank you Especially to the emergent markets. These countries realise incredible investments, until the point that you can have a production balanced and suddenly, this desestabiliza. They can give you five weeks more because, for example, have sold of hit sixty totally instrumented machines in Singapore. All this, collapses the production. We litigate ‘us', but we achieve it. They cuidar us a lot, we are a faithful market very ancient.