"Experience the innovations in foundry technology from Fill live" was the motto of this year's Innovation Day at Fill in Gurten, Upper Austria. The welcome by CFO Martin Reiter and Thomas Rathner, Head of KC Foundry Technology, in the "Future Dome" Customer and Innovation Center was followed by a technical presentation by Josef Nagel (Product Management and Sales for Digital Products) on process optimization by digitizing the casting process. CEO Andreas Fill then presented "The next world project" - true to the motto: If you're looking for something new, you have to break new ground. In his speech, Fill once again highlighted the path of the family business: from a metalworking shop with a petrol pump to a state-of-the-art, high-performance company for special machines and robotics, where customer satisfaction, openness to technology, innovation and employee development are top priorities.
Automotive, Aerospace, Sport, Energy, Wood & Construction
An exciting insight was provided by the subsequent company tour, during which the participants learned about Fill's expertise and passion for special machine engineering in the Automotive, Aerospace, Sport, Energy, Wood & Construction business fields at various stops. The following special machines were presented, among others:
GRIND PERFORMER (robot grinding machine),
CYBERNETICS STUDIO (offline programming),
SWINGMASTER 315 EVO 3, SWINGMASTER 500 (decoring technology),
CORECRACKER STATION (desanding by means of hydraulic impact units),
COMBINED LOW PRESSURE CASTING CELL & ROBOCAST V.
Symptomatically, the enthusiasm of the employees for the respective topic was tangibble and impressive at every station.
"To remain competitive in five years' time, we need innovative solutions, lean processes and the best employees" ~ Andreas Fill - CEO FILL
"Planet Filli Future" childcare center
The tour also included a visit to the "Planet Filli Future" childcare center opened by Fill in 2016, where children are playfully familiarized with technology (including robotics) from an early age. This commitment is reflected in the large number of applications from university graduates and apprentices who would like to complete their training at Fill.
"Fill Future Zone" - the center for digitalization, research, and development
Fill also impressed the participants architecturally, for example with the "Fill Future Zone" - the center for digitalization, research, and development (an architectural mix of Star Trek and industrial design) - which was completed in 2020 and offers plenty of space for series production and the latest development projects. There is also the "Future Tube", a bridge between the production halls and the Future Zone reality, which will be completed in 2022 and is already a "landmark" of the municipality of Gurten due to its futuristic design.
