Precision process

WBPI: WHAT IS YOUR ASSESSMENT ON HOW YOUR GLOBAL MARKETS HAVE PERFORMED IN THE LAST 12 MONTHS, WITH REGARD TO WORLD REGION, SUPPLY AND DEMAND AND THE CHALLENGES FACED?

Berndorf Band Group: In the wood industry, the number of double belt presses increased in the last 12 months, but the growth of newly installed production capacity was below the previous year’s levels. As in previous years, the majority of presses were sold to Asia. Demand for high-quality belts from Berndorf Band Group was at a high level in 2022. Exploding prices in the energy sector, long delivery times and poor availability of various production goods also characterised the year 2022 for the company.

In the decorative laminate industry, we achieved a record year in terms of turnover. Not only the demand for existing structural designs, but especially the relatively high number of new structural designs sold in 2022 contributed to the success. We were also able to market our new matte pore “GlossNite” for the first time.

In this business area, we were confronted with unprecedented cost increases and had to pass these on to our customers.

REGARDING THE WOOD_BASED PANELS MANUFACTURERS, WHAT REQUIREMENTS, TRENDS AND ADVANCES HAVE YOU BEEN WORKING ON WITH THEM ?

Especially in China, the trend is that producers are focusing on OSB and particleboard. Presses are getting longer and wider. In India we recognise an ongoing trend from plywood to MDF.

REGARDING LAMINATES, OUTLINE HOW BERNDORF BAND GROUP IS SERVICING THIS SECTOR AND WHAT THE SITUATION IS WITH TEXTURES AND DESIGNS AND HOW STEEL BELTS ARE PERFORMING VS STEEL PLATES. HOW IS THE COMPANY ADAPTING ITS PRODUCTS AND RESPONDING QUICKLY TO NEW DESIGNS?

We are delivering smooth and textured belts both with a chromium plated surface to the market. The texture designs of the belts are getting more complex and natural. The previous gap of design capabilities of plates and belts is getting smaller. In particular, the new laboratory plate line enables us to produce laboratory plates in a short time to meet customer’s needs.

HAS THE COMPANY BEEN INVESTING IN ITS MANUFACTURING FACILITIES AND R&D? IF SO, HOW?

The wood-based panels market, as well as the laminate business, continues to grow, depending on the region. Hand-in-hand with this development the installed base, especially in the WBP industry, is growing year-by-year. An increasing number of continuous lines means that the demand for steel belts is rising as well.

Therefore, we have already started to optimise our steel belt production, to increase capacity, to reduce downtime and to ensure the highest quality of our steel belts.

In recent years we have invested significantly to optimise the production for laminate belts to fulfil the role of the only full-range supplier for the wood and laminate industry in terms of steel belts.

R&D is an important factor for further growth, therefore we have a large department of scientists and process engineers working on product features that create value for the customer.

HOW HAS THE MATERIALS AND ENERGY SUPPLY PRICE INFLATION AFFECTED BUSINESS?

We as Berndorf Band Group were faced with historically unknown cost increases for energy, goods for production, raw materials and salaries.

In particular, the prices for chromium plating of belts for the laminate industry increased dramatically.

OUTLINE HOW BERNDORF BAND GROUP IS MEETING NEEDS FOR SERVICE, PREVENTIVE MAINTAINENCE, ENERGY- EFFICIENCY AND INDUSTRY 4.0

Service and preventative maintenance are key factors in our global strategy. We have service partners and service tools all over the world, to meet the needs of our customers. Highly skilled service technicians and state-of-the-art service tools allow fastest reaction time and precise execution of the different jobs, to meet the needs and expectations of our customers, globally on the same high level.

We have been teaching and training our loyal customers for many years. We organise special seminars all over the world, giving them an overview of the steel belt itself, how to handle a steel belt and, most importantly, how to avoid steel belt damage.

HOW DOES THE COMPANY SEE ITS MARKETS PERFORMING IN 2023 AND BEYOND AND WHAT DOES IT SEE AS THE CHALLENGES?

Last year was a successful year from which we took a large order backlog into 2023. Contrary to forecasts, our order intake in the first months was better than expected across all business areas. In general, we expect a successful year for the Berndorf Band Group, slightly below the level of 2022.