May 2023

Pollmann expands its portfolio

When you think of Pollmann, you think of the automotive industry. After all, this is our clear core business. In fact, however, our development expertise goes beyond this and is also applied in non-automotive sectors.

Miscellaneous

Sunroof, Door, Engine, Powertrain and E-Mobility - these are Pollmann's five major business divisions. Since our know-how is not limited to these areas, in form of the so-called Special Products a further business field has been established. The international contact for this area is Business Development Manager Michael Traxler. In this interview, he provides information on current projects and targeted goals.

Non-automotive projects are becoming increasingly important for Pollmann. For what reasons?
The challenges of the automotive industry in terms of highly fluctuating volumes that are difficult to plan are well known. Diversification into other areas should help to support the profitability and stable utilization of our production facilities. At the same time, there is great growth potential in various areas that can help secure Pollmann's jobs and plants in the long term.

What project are you currently working on?
A very interesting new product, for example, is the expandable and smart safety socket from the company Mass Tech. Pollmann is a development partner, prototype manufacturer, tool and system builder, and series parts supplier for this project. We are currently in the middle of prototyping.

What do we mean by an expandable socket?
With an installation depth of only 19 mm, the socket fits into conventional furniture panels. When it is needed, it can be manually or automatically expanded to the finished functional size. By way of comparison, a conventional safety socket including a flush-mounted box has an installation depth of 40 to 55 mm.

One of our current non-automotive projects: Mass Tech's ultra-flat sockets.

Which other industries have already been tapped, and which are still to follow?
We have already produced various electromechanical assemblies for household appliances. These are mainly interlocks for washing machines, dryers, ovens, steam cookers and microwaves. We have also already produced components for prosthetics and orthotics. In the future, we would also like to gain a foothold in the field of renewable energies. Here, I am thinking primarily of applications in the fields of energy storage, energy transfer, data acquisition and product safety.

Have the first steps already been taken here?
Yes, we are currently in intensive exchange with several companies regarding various projects. I can't say anything more specific about this yet, but energy storage, cell connectors, temperature sensors and voltage sensing are important keywords. We are dealing with a rapidly growing industry here, and I see a lot of potential for Pollmann in the green energy sector. In order to maintain and establish contacts, I will also visit the EES - Electrical Energy Storage trade fair in Munich in June.

Is Pollmann's decades of automotive experience also valuable to your customers?
There are many good examples here. In essence, it's our expertise in the areas of tool and plant construction, automation technology, and plastics and sheet metal processing, our experience in bonding plastic and metal parts through overmolding applications, and our know-how in the production of electromechanical assemblies of all kinds.

What do you particularly appreciate about your job?
The opportunity to work in multidisciplinary teams, together with highly qualified specialists, on new projects and sometimes completely new solutions for future products and the challenges of the energy transition. In addition, I can ideally apply my almost 40 years of experience in the industrial sector.