automotion automotion automotion automotion - B&R Industrie ...

Entering new markets
with Fortuna
Because of increasing competition
and dependence on specific
industries, it is extremely important
for many machine and system
manufacturers to enter new markets.
Fortuna Spezialmaschinen
GmbH is a good example of how
this can be successfully mastered.
By transforming and upgrading
manufacturing processes that
were proven over many decades
as well as by significantly increasing
the degree of automation,
they succeeded in entering into a
completely new business area.
For over 100 years, Fortuna Spezialmaschinen
gmbH has been supplying
the shoe and leather goods
market. All over the world, tens of
thousands of shoe manufacturers
and other leather processing plants
rely on machines and systems for
splitting and skiving hides. Since
Fortuna was founded, they have
continually created innovative products
and therefore became industry
leaders. But business proved to be
increasingly difficult - many suppliers
copied proven series production
machines and started a heated price
war. the company is rich in traditional
and continuously advances
its existing product range in order
to defend its prominent market position.
However, Fortuna managing
director gerhard Schulz is sure that
sales increases can only be achieved
with new applications: "We do not
expect considerable growth from
our traditional business in the shoe
and leather industry. For this reason,
we are actively entering new markets."
Extensive splitting and skiving
experience
the company relies on its extensive
experience splitting and skiving
Application
hides when developing machines for
new markets. For example, Fortuna
was able to gain a foothold in the
plastics and automobile industries in
this way with machines for producing
folded cardboard beverage packages
and plastic linings.
the basic principle of skiving and
splitting remains the same: When
skiving, the material at the edge of
the workpiece is cut at an angle in
the desired form (for example to
make a perfect butt joint without the
workpiece becoming thicker at the
junction point); and when splitting,
the material is separated into layers
over its entire length.
Splitting is used to separate materials
into several layers with extreme precision
or to process unevenly thick
material to a certain final dimension.
Splitting is also used on a workpiece
for layer analysis. Layer thicknesses
as small as 0.1 - 0.2 millimeters are
possible with Fortuna solutions due
to their excellent precision.
the principle of a splitting machine
is similar to that of a band saw. However,
the two rollers that transport
the workpiece are arranged next >>
automotion 07/2009
11