BAUR FORMSCHAUMTECHNIK

Baur Formschaumtechnik was formed as a family company in 1976, courtesy of Charlotte and Reinhard Baur. The firm manufactures formed foam parts from polyurethane, a versatile plastic material that exists in a variety of forms and is utilised in a multitude of different industries and applications. In 2004, the business was sold to Dr David Spitzer, a qualified chemist who became the Company’s new Managing Partner. Three years later, Baur launched its operations in the Czech Republic, named Baur Formschaumtechnik s.r.o – a division that has become crucial in facilitating the Company’s meteoric rise within the automotive manufacturing industry. By 2015, Baur had seen its production area expanded to a total of 30,000 square metres worldwide. In Germany, Baur creates parts for a range of industries, from ski lifts to ventilation systems. Meanwhile, the business also operates in Germany, China, Czech Republic and with corporate partners in the US and Mexico, alongside the Czech Republic.

The implementation of state-of-the- art technologies makes up a major segment of this current investment agenda, with the Company exploring the use of robotics and automated manufacturing processes across all aspects of the business, from its assembly lines, to its stamping processes, to its warehousing.

“We have started our first tests with cohabitational robots in the aim that these will eventually play a major role in undertaking our production work,” reveals Gwynne. “Equally, we’re planning on introducing a new warehousing unit that will feature high level racking and automated forklift trucks.

“Industry 4.0 is where our focus lies, and will continue to lie, for some time.”

Alongside the new plant, the new warehousing unit will be crucial in maximising the business’s productive potential, allowing Baur to maintain a higher level of output on a more consistent basis.

At present, Gwynne estimates that it goes through approximately 42 tonnes of raw materials per week, producing 300-500 pallets of finished polyurethane products during this time. Comparatively, the new warehouse will be able to hold 2,634 pallets, offering a multitude of untapped productive benefits.

Gwynne adds: “This brand-new high racking warehouse will enable us to compensate for fluctuations in customer requirements and to allow us to produce on a constant basis rather than on an order to order basis, even when we are producing significantly higher volumes.”