16 INDUSTRY BPW-Hungária Kft. in Szombathely is the Hungarian subsidiary of the German BPW Bergische Achsen KG. The company, which celebrated its 30th anniversary last year, manufactures heavy-duty trailer axles and running-gear systems, and develops, manufactures and sells applicationspecific and customized axles and running gear solutions for the agricultural industry as part of the Customized Solution Business Unit. One of focal points of BPW is customer focus: always puts the customers at the centre, places great emphasis on personal contact to ensure maximum satisfaction of needs. IN THE NEIGHBOURHOOD OF THE WESTERN BORDER BPW-Hungária Kft. was established in 1991 and started with 150 employees. For today it became a key player of the region’s industry and employs more than 1600 people. The location in Vas County has several advantages: the geographical location, the natural features and the infrastructure were all attractive factors in the selection of the site. Proximity to the western border, the quick access to transport corridors and thus quick access to the main markets of our company, are an advantage in terms of transportation. Furthermore, the county has several educational institutions (secondary and university education, dual university training), which in cooperation with our company can ensure the supply of labour. MANAGING A CHALLENGING PERIOD The coronavirus epidemic has constantly posed more and more challenges to the economy, and a lot of effort had to be made - to protect workers’ health, and to keep the factory INDUSTRY 17 producing tomeet customers demand. BPW also introduced (where it was possible) flexible working hours and home office options for employees. During this period, the company continued to improve its digital scheme and implemented the SAP corporate governance system. BPW is working closely with leading manufacturers on joint development projects, in order to integrate products into the vehicles that are distributed globally. These include the American agricultural machinery company AGCO and the STELLANTIS Group’s agricultural machinery division CNH Industrial N.V. TECHNOLOGICAL DEVELOPMENTS IN AGRICULTURE Population growth significantly increases the demand for food, and agriculture must meet this growing demand. Both supply and demand sides need to be considered for maximum efficiency. Unfortunately, the situation of the producers is getting more difficult day to day, due to factors like climate change and labour shortages. This is where technology comes in. BPW-Hungária Kft. aims to support the end user with its outstandingly reliable, durable and long-lasting products and developments, optimized for agricultural use. The company develops solutions with which the necessary or given agricultural task can be carried out in the most efficient and highly effective way. BPW HUNGARIA - THE CENTRE OF COMPETENCE FOR AGRICULTURAL RUNNING GEAR Innovation is the key to the company’s success: the BPW Group and BPW-Hungária Kft. are constantly striving to maintain their innovative, leading position in running gear technology. BPWhas always strived tooffer its customers the maximum in terms of product quality, durability, reliability, energy efficiency and environmental consciousness. The company’s decades of manufacturing experience guarantee the vehicle’s maximum stability and reliability during the hard work. Thanks to the increasing use of electronic and digital developments in the products, BPW offers complete solutions to customers. One of BPW’s solutions is called AGRO Robust. The combination of extremely high load capacity, easy towing and good off-road capabilities makes the product perfect. Robust, as the name says, is extremely robust and stable, with a load capacity of 30 tones (static), which is suitable for extreme working conditions, such as road construction. Electronic developments are a major focus at BPW to make axles and running gear systems increasingly intelligent and connected. As well as the speed sensor with recognition of rotating direction, BPW’s award-winning development is the AGRO Hub. The system, which was awarded the Hungarian Product Development Award in 2020, is designed to measure the load and total weight by monitoring the load characteristics of the axle body, and to display relevant values for the work, such as travelled distance, average speed, etc. The system can communicate via ISOBUS and wirelessly via a mobile application. In terms of innovation, we cannot leave without mentioning the ARC (Active Reverse Control) system designed for heavy road trailers. It is difficult to maneuver semi-trailers in reverse because the steering mechanism is locked, and the axle remains rigid. With BPW Active Reverse Control, BPW has developed a new electro-hydraulic auxiliary steering system that automatically controls the steering axle when reversing at speeds of up to 10 km/h. It increases the agility and maneuvrability of the vehicles when reversing and reduces time and tyre wear. PLANS The company’s activities are currently focusing on the European market, but its strategic goal is globalization, with exports to the USA, Canada, Brazil, Japan, South Africa and Australia. To achieve this, the company is expanding its production, infrastructure andworkforce continuously. In the future, BPWaims to expand its product portfolio and plans to group and develop products by the field of application. Facts & figures • Foundation of the BPW Group: 1898, Wiehl • Introduction of the BPW logo: 1929 • Number of BPW Group employees: 6800 in 27 countries • 15 factories worldwide • 29 sales organisations • 3200 service points • Turnover: 1 370 million EUR • BPW-Hungária Kft. is the second largest production site in the BPW Group • BPW-Hungária Kft. was established in 1991 • Since 2004 BPWHungária Kft. is in 100% BPW Group ownership • Number of employees: more than 1600 • Number of sold running gears in 2021: 175 000 units BPW-Hungária Kft.
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