Managing Director’s Introduction
Ladies and Gentlemen,
2010 was the year of the restarted growth of První brněnská strojírna Velká Bíteš, a.s. (hereinafter, PBS) in all segments, with the biggest growth of supplies for the aerospace, power, ecology and transport industries. The European Union, Russia and China remained the main markets, while the importance of the USA market was growing. We have successfully entered into another two interesting segments, namely, gas and the nuclear industry. To have the full picture, allow me to mention all segments covered by PBS activities:
- aerospace
- power
- ecology
- transport
- medical
- glass fibres
- cryogenics
- nuclear
- gas
- electrotechnical
- food
- consumer goods
With the background of the dying global economic crisis and with the same number of employees as in the previous year, we managed to increase sales and profit by more than 10%. The company has successfully invested in new precise machining technologies; it purchased, for instance, a 5-axis CNC machine or an electrospark machine. A central compressor station was newly built to cover the demand for compressed air, and a new high-pressure compressor to be used in testing of aircraft air conditioning systems was put into service. We commenced the construction of the new testing laboratory for both the turboprop and turboshaft engines, and began gradual heat insulation of individual buildings and halls to reduce energy demand of these buildings within the Eco-energy programme. We have also modernized the electronic fire alarm system in all PBS premises. Also, the new information system was completed which has improved and increased the effectiveness of process control in the company. PBS is working on a number of development projects in the field of aircraft engines, auxiliary power units (APU), air conditioning systems, ground power sources, high-speed generators, precise castings of turbine and guide wheels for aircraft engines, turbochargers, blades for gas turbines and turbochargers, defibering heads, and sets of decanting centrifuges and gas expansion turbines.
In 2010, the Aircraft Technique Division developed a wholly new TJ20 turbojet engine with a thrust of 230 N and very small dimensions. Work continued on the new TP100 turboprop engine in order to further improve its parameters and prepare its first installation in the flying laboratory. Necessary certifications have been acquired for the GPU17 ground power unit intended for pre-flight preparation of aircraft and helicopters. In the last year, the new Czech EV-55 aircraft was introduced officially with the PBS air conditioning system devices, followed by the Marabu aircraft with a TJ100 engine, and the Chinese AC313 cargo helicopter with the modernized APU – Safír 5K/G–Z8. The three-year contract for the supply of APU Safír 5K/G MI for the MI-17 helicopters was implemented successfully for the first year. A service centre was built in Kazan for the Russian market. The manufacture of a new one-channel and two-channel ignition systems for aircraft applications and work on the TS100 turboshaft engine for small helicopters was commenced. . Activities continued in the development of the air conditioning systems for MI-8/MI-17 helicopters, a new more powerful version of APU, and cryogenic turbines, pumps and compressors.
The Metallurgy Division (since 1 January 2011, the Precise Casting Division) has successfully entered the glass fibre production segment with its castings of defibering heads. It continued delivering big series of precise castings of turbine wheels for turbochargers and small aircraft engines, as well as the blades for gas combustion turbines. The historically biggest turbine wheel weighing 44 kg has been cast successfully. We also delivered precise castings such as joint implants, the so-called femoral components.
The Machine Shop and Tools Division (since 1 January 2011 the Industry Division) delivers precision machined components for mammographic equipment in the medical segment. In the area of ecology, it delivers more and more DO 360 and DO 450 decanting centrifuges of higher outputs for waste water treatment plants. The division also offers a mobile version – the MODO 250, which seems to be an optimal solution in sludge dewatering and thickening. It also takes part in the development and manufacture of a new centrifuge for the food industry. The continous production and assembly of machines for the leading world manufacturer and supplier of packages for food and consumer-goods industries continued successfully. In this year, the Machine Shop and Tools Division again began to delivery significant numbers of precision machined parts for traction engines, power centres, electric motors, alternators, and also machined rotors for steam turbines of outputs of tens megawatts.
The Plating shop delivers high-quality hard eloxal, natural eloxal and chromium eloxal coatings, for the aviation, gas, electrical or nuclear industries. It has won new customers, and as a result its operations are stabilized in three shifts and focused on the timely delivering of high-quality products.
The company has successfully defended all certifications of quality management and environmental management systems, and began the process of preparation for certification of radiographic and dye penetrant testing systems according to NADCAP requirements.
In the power field, our subsidiary company PBS ENERGO, a.s. manufactured and commissioned a 4.1 MW steam condensing turboset for ČEZ.
In conclusion, allow me to thank to all of you who contributed to the development of our company in 2010. I firmly believe that in 2011 we will also further strengthen the outstanding position of První brněnská strojírna Velká Bíteš, a.s. in both the European and global markets.
- Milan Macholán
- Managing Director and Chairman of the Board of Directors
