BENTELER Steel/Tube invests approximately € 200 million in its German sites - first investments for Paderborn and Schloss Neuhaus
Paderborn/Salzburg, October 25, 2017. By 2021, BENTELER Steel/Tube will invest a total of € 200 million in its locations in Paderborn, Schloss Neuhaus, Lingen, Dinslaken and Bottrop. This is part of the future concept "Job security Germany”, which intends to ensure the future success of the company's German sites by adapting them to a difficult, ever-changing market environment.
"This plan helps us safeguard jobs," explains Dr. Andreas Hauger, CEO of BENTELER Steel/Tube. "It is our responsibility to ensure that our five German plants remain competitive in order to adapt them to the future demands of the market." At the Paderborn and Schloss Neuhaus sites, these investments will strengthen airbag tube production and surface engineering.
Expansion of the production area for manufacturing airbag tubes
Among other things, the Paderborn plant specializes in products for the automotive industry. The company serves the growing market for safety components in the vehicle. Therefore BENTELER invested into a new high-performance saw for the production of airbag tubes. In early 2017 we invested in a new testing facility, where the tubes are tested for leaks at a pressure of more than 700 bar. "Both facilities help us meet the customers' demands for higher capacities and best quality. Starting in 2018, we can then increase our production to 50 million components per year," says Dr. Andreas Hauger.
Surface engineering at Schloss Neuhaus
Our current investments in the Schloss Neuhaus plant, the largest location of BENTELER Steel/Tube with 1,200 employees, are specifically intended for the area of surface engineering. "We are strengthening our position as a market leader in the area of corrosion-protected conduit tubes: This is why we decided to invest in a new production line, which began production this summer," says Dr. Andreas Hauger. In addition, we plan to invest in a new galvanizing system in 2018. This will help the company meet the growing demand in the market, because environment-friendly products are increasingly important in the area of conduit tubes – particularly within the EU. Dr. Andreas Hauger explains: "For many years, now we have supplied our customers with surface coats which meet even the most stringent environmental requirements. In 2016 we developed a new coating technology to fulfill even greater environmental requirements, while simultaneously improving the properties of our products. Starting in 2018, we will launch serial production with this technology."
Total energy requirements lowered by eleven percent in the past five years
BENTELER places great importance on the topic of sustainability. "We have taken a diverse range of measures to improve sustainability," says Dr. Andreas Hauger. For instance, energy managers with special qualifications determine and implement saving potentials at each of the BENTELER Steel/Tube locations. This has helped us lower our total energy consumption by eleven percent in the past five years.
