With an investment of some €10 million, Fill Machine Engineering has built a centre for digitalisation, research, and development at the company site in Gurten, Upper Austria.
After around 14 months of construction, Fill’s latest building project in Gurten was concluded at the end of June. The FILL Future Zone is located on the company’s premises, covering an area of 6,400m2. It comprises three production halls for series manufacturing of production machines and the latest development projects for the automotive, aircraft, wind energy, sport, and building industries. A logistics centre and a 1,500m2 office complex likewise form part of the new building. An in-house academy for customers is also housed there.
“The global megatrend of digitalisation is affecting practically every aspect of our lives. This makes it all the more important for competitiveness and innovative strength to be a pioneer in this field. With construction of the Future Zone, we are sending a strong signal and making a clear commitment to the Gurten plant,” explains CEO and proprietor Andreas Fill.
The FILL Future Zone is a high-tech centre for the advancement of digitalisation, software engineering, and mechanical development. It provides a look into the future of machine production. Virtual and real processes form a symbiosis, thereby opening up completely new opportunities in the production of machines and systems. Intelligent simulation models elevate production planning, material utilisation, productivity, reliability, and system intelligence to a new level.
Another highlight in the new building complex is the Innviertel Future Lab. This consists of a 140m2 laboratory, where schoolchildren from around the region can see and experience technology at first hand. The aim here is to arouse young people’s interest in a playful way and give them a fascination for natural sciences, mechatronics, and digitalisation. Presentations, workshops, and various events turn technology unconventionally into an exciting subject for children. Together with project partner Futurespace GmbH, Fill is creating a modular workshop for thinking laterally and working creatively in a state-of-the-art environment. 15 schools in the region – from elementary to upper secondary schools – have already confirmed their participation in the project. The Innviertel Future Lab is scheduled to open its doors to the respective age groups and school classes in autumn 2020.
Fill is a leading international machine and plant manufacturing company serving diverse branches of industry. The company is a global market and innovation leader in aluminium core removal technology, casting technology, wood bandsaw technology, as well as in ski and snowboard production machines. www.fill.co.at