Draexlmaier Group (Fritz Draexlmaier GmbH & Co. KG) Business Report FY ended Dec. 2019
Recent Years
Financial Overview
-In the fiscal year ended December 31, 2019, the Company’s net sales totaled EUR 4.9 billion, an increase of 6.5% over the previous fiscal year.
Recent Developments
-The Company is equipped for the new mobility trends and will continue to grow with the highest level of innovation and quality. It develops and manufactures products for approximately 100 global vehicle models. With products in the areas of electrical systems, interiors and e-mobility, the Company is broadly positioned and not restricted to a particular drive type. Technology from the Company is found in numerous electric and hybrid vehicles. An important start of production this year was the start of production of the battery system for the Porsche Taycan in Sachsenheim near Stuttgart. Across Germany, the Company welcomed more than 400 new employees in 2019, including at the production site in Sachsenheim, the development site of the Company’s campus in Garching near Munich, and at its headquarters in Vilsbiburg. (From a press release on December 29, 2019)
Contracts
-BMW Group Thailand announced that DTS Draexlmaier Automotive System Thailand will start high-voltage battery production in July 2019, and will supply the BMW Rayong plant which manufactures PHVs. According to the Board of Investment, the Company’s plant won EV privileges in November 2018 with an application for THB 540 million. BMW announced that it would team up with the Company to localize the manufacturing at WHA Chonburi Industrial Estate 2 in Chon Buri, only 14 kilometers from BMW's automobile and motorcycle assembly plant at Amata City Industrial Estate in Rayong. The new plant will run two final processes of lithium-ion battery for EVs, module production and pack assembly. BMW said finished batteries will be equipped plug-in hybrid models of the 5 and 7 Series, in the first phase from 2019 onward. (From an article of Bangkok Post on June 21, an article of Autoinfo on June 20, 2019 and BMW Homepage)
-The Company’s new plant in Chonburi will produce battery modules for several BMW models beginning in the middle of 2019. The batteries will be installed into the plug-in hybrid models of the BMW 5-series, 7-series and X5 assembled at the BMW plant in Rayong. (From a press release on December 7, 2018)
Awards
-The Company won the 2018 VW Group Award for its performance in the field of sustainability. This marks the second consecutive year in which the Company has won this award.
-The Company announced that it has once again received the VW Group Award as one of its top international suppliers. A total of 19 suppliers received the award for special achievements and innovation. The Company received the award for the second year in a row, this time in the field of sustainability. The Company was successful with the development and production of an overall battery system for the first fully electric Porsche sports car in 2017. (From a press release on May 30, 2018)
R&D Facilities
-The Company's central research facility is the Draexlmaier Technology Center (DTZ) in Vilsbiburg, Germany. Other development and engineering locations include Munich, Ingolstadt, and Boeblingen, Germany; Mountain View, California, U.S.; Pitesti, Romania; and Sousse, Tunisia.
-The Company made further investments in its operations in Tunisia by opening a design office in Sousse. Electronic and mechatronic engineers at the facility are developing wiring and electrical systems, while also providing support to customer projects in Tunisia. Approximately 20 employees will be working at the design office in Sousse by the end of 2018. (From a press release on February 12, 2018)
R&D Activities
-The Company has been producing a high-voltage battery system in series for the first time this year. This business area is expected to grow over the next few years. As such, the Company also plans to strengthen battery competence in Vilsbiburg. The planned development and test center will make a direct contribution to the Company's success in the field of electromobility. The Company is also introducing a new Enterprise Resource Planning system based on SAP S4 / HANA worldwide. (From a press release on December 19, 2019)
Technological Alliance
-The Company has cooperated with the following research institutions and universities on various projects:
- Fraunhofer Institute for Reliability and Microintegration in Oberpfaffenhofen, Germany
- Technical University of Munich Foundation in Garching, Germany
- Rhine-Westphalian Technical College in Aachen, Germany
- University of Applied Sciences in Landshut, Germany
- Technical University of Applied Science in Rosenheim, Germany
- Technical College of Ingolstadt in Ingolstadt, Germany
- Eastern Bavarian Technical College of Regensburg in Regensburg, Germany
- Deggendorf Institute of Technology in Deggendorf, Germany
Product Development
Technologies showcased at IZB 2018
-At IZB 2018, the Company presented innovative solutions for premium vehicles with conventional and alternative drives. The central element for the power supply of future vehicles is the Multilayer wiring harness developed by the Company which is being presented to the public for the first time at the IZB. It can be integrated as the central element in the on-board wiring system. Its multi-layer structure triggers off EMC field erasure throughout all voltage ranges. Thanks to its material and its form, the harness offers savings in space and weight. The harness helps to provide reliable, high-performance, safe power supply in both electric vehicles and in autonomous driving. In addition, the Company showcased the high-voltage control box, designed for connecting the cell package to the high-voltage wiring harnesses, and its high-voltage battery storage systems with up to 800 volts for plug-in hybrid and electric vehicles. (From a press release on October 1, 2018)
Patents
-The Company applies for approximately 150 patents every year.
Investments in Germany
-The Company has opened a new site in Sachsenheim, Germany to produce the complete battery system for the Porsche Taycan. Built over area of 10,000 square feet, the plant will begin series production of the powerful 800-volt battery system. In addition the battery production area, the site also has a development department. The developers work there on innovations for modern battery systems. The plant has automated system for the battery modules, assembly of components and extensive test facility. (From a press release on May 17, 2019)
Investments outside Germany
<Thailand>
-The Company will make battery modules for several BMW models for the Asian market at a new site in Thailand starting in the middle of 2019. The Company currently produces electrical and interior systems products at the site in Rayong, Thailand. The new plant in Chonburi will considerably expand this service. The batteries will be installed into the plug-in hybrid models of the BMW 5-series, 7-series and X5 assembled at the BMW plant in Rayong. (From a press release on December 7, 2018)
<U.S.>
-The Company completed an expansion of its manufacturing facility in Duncan, South Carolina, U.S., having invested USD 42.7 million into the project. The investment was used for additional equipment and infrastructure to satisfy increased production demands from customers for automotive interior systems. The expansion is expected to enable the creation of 460 new jobs in the area. (From a South Carolina Department of Commerce press release on December 4, 2018)
<Mexico>
-The Company confirmed that it will open a USD 13.1 million plant in Valle de Santiago, Mexico. It will be the Company’s sixth production facility in Mexico. Its other plants are located in Lagos de Moreno, Matehuala, San Luis Potosi¸ San Miguel de Allende and Puebla. (From a Mexico-Now article on April 26, 2018)