CPT International 4/2019

HANDTMANN GROUP
New production plant in Slovakia
NEW
Temperature control
multiFlow modular
Photo: Handtmann
160 °C
In addition to staff and managers from the customer and from the Handtmann Group of
Companies, local representatives from the worlds of education and politics were guests at
the groundbreaking ceremony on 23rd August, 2019 in Kechnec.
The Light Metal Casting division of the
Handtmann Group of Companies is
increasing its production capacity with a
new building in Kechnec, Slovakia,
approximately 20 kilometres from the
existing Handtmann plant in Košice.
The groundbreaking ceremony for the
new factory for aluminium high-pressure
die-casting and mechanical machining
was held on 23rd August, 2019.
The building, designed to allow for
expansion at a later date, is scheduled
to begin a trial period as early as 2020
and start production in 2021. Handtmann,
which has its headquarters in
Biberach, Germany, will invest a total of
90 million euros in the new building.
The first development stage will see
the construction of a 210-metre long
hall with a floorspace of 18,000 square
metres divided into three sections. The
casting hall will house six die casting
machines, each with a closing force of
3,200 tons. Machines for the mechanical
machining of the cast parts will be
installed in the second building section.
The third section is reserved for logistics
and support provisions, such as quality
inspection, maintenance and media and
energy supply. A great deal of experience
gained by internal and external
specialists has been tapped into for the
design of the modular floor plan. In
addition, Handtmann is also building an
office and community building where
the canteen, social rooms and changing
rooms will be located. Approximately
160 people will be employed in Kechnec
in the first development stage.
The new building was necessitated
by a major contract from an international
automotive supplier. In the future,
Handtmann aims to cast and machine
up to 800,000 clutch housings for a new
generation of front-wheel drive vehicles
in Kechnec. At the request of the customer,
the new plant is located in the
direct vicinity of their production facility.
Handtmann had already bought
the plot in 2006 in order to have an
appropriate space in reserve.
The Handtmann project team is working
to a tight schedule, which is
usually the case with this type of contract.
As early as one year after the
groundbreaking ceremony, the hall is
scheduled to be completed to such an
extent that plant installation can begin.
The first casting at the new location is
also planned for 2020 so that the customer
can be supplied with appropriate
trial parts at an early stage. Normal production
is then set to start in 2021.
www.handtmann.de
Hall 7 - 423
Networked Factory 4.0