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NEWS EXTRA
Robotic Buffer Boosts Lukatec's Growth
orders and now have more than one Lukatec robotic buffer at their different company locations". Thanks to the expressive acceptance of this technology and easy access to
official financing channels for the Brazilian market, Möller is looking forward to a busy year. "But we are prepared", he said.
Lukatec, the Brazilian retread equipment manufacturer, is currently passing through a very interesting phase. The company officially launched its robotic tyre buffer at Pneushow/Recaufair 2014, and has noted a significant increase in the demand for this machine over recent months.
The robotic buffer was presented to
robotic buffer for their operations. The machine offers a major innovation in that it claims a position as the world's first buffer with a robotic arm, offering important benefits in terms of the tyre retreading process. It main advantages include an increase in productivity, process standardisation and operator safety.
According to Lucas Möller, director of Lukatec, the new product quickly shifted from promise to reality. "Many customers who saw the equipment in operation during the test phase, two years ago, decided not to wait and placed their orders even before the final version of the equipment was ready. This is an
excellent indicator. It clearly demonstrates the confidence the market has placed in our work. And the best part; some of these retreaders have already repeated their
Rubber Spain Invests 300,000 Euros in Expansion
the market last May. Initial contacts were very positive and, in the meantime, a number of leading retread firms in Brazil and Latin America have already acquired the
Rubber Spain is to develop its facilities in Alcaniz (Teruel) to promote R&D and the quality of its products.
Rubber Spain specialises in the manufacturing of rubber for different sectors such as automotive components, conveyor belts and tyre retreading. It will invest around 300,000 Euros in expanding its laboratory facilities, offices and production control systems to strengthen its commitment to R&D and quality because "this is a sector where more controls are required," explained Heriberto Langa, Rubber Spain’s manager.
This expansion will give the company an area of 500 square metres, doubling the existing facilities, which will create a greater control of production management.
Apart from R&D, this is planned to help Spain Rubber consolidate its
presence in the sectors that it operates in and that it has diversified into over the years since its inception in 1998. Some 30 per cent of the company’s output now goes to foreign markets. In particular, their exports to countries of the European Union are being targeted for expansion. Already Spain Rubber exports to Ireland, England, France, Italy and Romania. The domestic market accounts for 70 per cent of output.
The company is based in Teruel and in 2010 went public as SUMA Teruel to raise capital to replace a production line, at a time when traditional banking was no longer willing to fund development.
Rubber Spain closed 2013-14 with a turnover of 14 million Euros, a figure that the company expects to maintain this year. It employs 46 staff.