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| Tridonic celebrates a double anniversary  Tridonic, a Zumtobel Group company, celebrated a double anniversary on 20 May 2011: 20 years at Fürstenfeld and 10 years at Jennersdorf. The anniversary celebrations were attended by more than 400 guests, including the employees of both plants, some 90 customers from Germany and guests of honour.Twenty years ago Tridonic welcomed a new plant at Fürstenfeld into its international production network. Then as now the plant produced magnetic ballasts. To date Tridonic has produced around 400 million magnetic ballasts at the Fürstenfeld plant alone, making this the Zumtobel Group's highest-selling product group in unit terms. Yet demand for these products has been declining for some years: the market is demanding intelligent, more energy-efficient solutions. EU regulations have played a part, too: from 2017 onwards, with virtually no exceptions, only electronic ballasts may be marketed within Europe. This is why, in late 2010, Fürstenfeld's workforce launched into the LED era with the creation of a new assembly line as a landmark move towards the volume production of innovative LED chains. A second assembly line is currently being installed, representing an investment of EUR 500, 000, and a third line is scheduled for completion by 2013. In all these lines represent a total investment of EUR 1.5 million. Ten years later – with perfect timing for the arrival of LED technology – today's Tridonic Jennersdorf GmbH was founded in the neighbouring Austrian state of Burgenland. Today this company is the nerve centre of LED technology for the entire Zumtobel Group, developing and producing LED components and modules, with market-leading expertise in high-quality white light modules for general lighting applications and in optical systems. Dynamic market demand for LED products is also bringing positive benefits to Burgenland: an extension to the technology centre, covering around 930 m2, is due for completion by November 2011. The building will be constructed by WiBAG (Wirtschaftsservice Burgenland AG), while Tridonic will be renting the premises and investing as much as EUR 4 million in new production facilities in the 2011/12 financial year. This will increase the annual production capacity for LED chips by around 70%, to some 85 million units. Around 35 new jobs will be created in the current financial year, mainly for applicants with specialist qualifications in the fields of electrotechnology, physics, chemistry or materials science or for applicants with a technical background in the fields of mechatronics, electronics and production technology. The Jennersdorf plant currently has 125 employees. write your comments about the article :: © 2011 Construction News :: home page |