MASOC, the Association of Mechanical Engineering and Metalworking Industries of Latvia, brings together some 160 leading companies in the sector with a mission to foster partnership and promote development to increase competitiveness in export markets. Romana Moares spoke to Mr Toms Grinfelds, Chairman of the Board, about the Association’s key roles, tasks and future challenges in light of new market trends.
In its nearly 25 years of existence, MASOC, Latvia’s Association of Mechanical Engineering and Metalworking Industries, has achieved an impressive amount. Established in 1994 just four years after the country gained independence, the industry was in a shambles with an out-dated production base and limited experience in trading with advanced (and lucrative) western markets.
“Those were tough times for the industry,” recalls Mr Grinfelds. “New companies were being set up and the whole country needed to re-orientate itself to new markets. The Association was put together by some 20 companies that could see the need for an organisation to represent the needs of the sector on national and international levels and help companies become more competitive.”
Joint exhibition stand organised by MASOC at Tampere international subcontracting trade fair Alihankinta
Business promoter
Since then, the Association has grown considerably and now has about 160 members, mostly leading metal processing companies. Mr Grinfelds explains that as most of the companies in Latvia are small- or medium-sized businesses, this number represents only about 10–15 per cent of all companies in the country, generating about 70 per cent of the sector’s turnover.
“All the key players in the sectors are members. Some are subcontractors for larger producers and some make and market their own products,” says the director, adding that the Association covers not just industrial companies but also a variety of service providers such as testing and certification companies, suppliers of materials and equipment and educational and research institutions. “The Association has brought together companies from all regions of Latvia, with both Latvian and foreign capital.”
MASOC’s main task has always been to promote the development of its members’ international competitiveness. This objective is supported by a variety of activities and initiatives. “We are basically doing two things,” says Mr Grinfelds. “We represent the interests of our members and the sector as a whole. This is done in cooperation with the Employers’ Confederation of Latvia and the Chamber of Commerce Latvia, of which MASOC is a member. We are also active internationally and cooperate with ORGALIME and CEEMET, of which we are also a member.
“But the majority of our activities are focused on projects and initiatives to help our members prosper and to provide various services to them. Mutual cooperation is promoted by joint projects and activities as well as by ensuring the exchange of information,” he stresses, explaining that MASOC constantly maintains and updates its database of corporate technological capabilities and competencies, thereby facilitating the search for cooperation partners. Joint events are regularly held to foster informal contacts between companies in the sector. Regular off-site meetings at companies throughout Latvia give additional opportunities for information sharing and networking.
Tech Industry – the biggest trade fair for mechanical engineering in the Baltic region. Held every year in Riga, from late November to early December and supported by MASOC
Education in focus
As in other advanced economies with an ageing population, Latvia’s challenge is the shortage of skilled labour. Therefore, one of the main tasks of the Association is to promote the supply of adequate and qualified specialists to the industry. It cooperates closely with all major professional and higher education institutions and the Ministry of Education, and initiates activities to attract young people to learning and studying the engineering and industry-relevant professions.
“A good example of our efforts in this respect is the Technobus project – this is basically an 18m-long bus equipped with samples of modern production technologies including CNC machines, 3D printers, robots and automation technology. The bus visits primary schools and offers children the opportunity to see (and try) how interesting these technologies are.”
The Association also promotes the development of continuous training and lifelong learning in the sector. Since 2011, the EU co-financed project, ‘The training of metalworking professionals’, has been in operation, encouraging companies to develop the skills of existing staff. “Our position enables us to exercise influence on the policymakers. Most of the big issues have impact across different industries so we try to collaborate with other sectors. A joint industry voice is always stronger,” Mr Grinfelds points out.
Factory visit during monthly knowledge sharing meeting
New trends, new future
As Latvia is a small market, its industrial companies are export-oriented. The metal processing sector exports about 80 per cent of its output with the biggest market being the EU (mostly Scandinavia and Germany), followed by other territories such as Russia and Ukraine. In this respect, the Association supports its members in participating in various trade shows, particularly in those countries where most of the exports are directed.
“Of course the EU market is stable and flourishing but the growth rate is small. Faster, although more risky, are the emerging markets in Africa, Asia and South America and we also help our members to identify business opportunities in these new markets.”
Latvian companies are generally very well-equipped with world-class technology following two decades of major investment. The current hot topic – as is the case everywhere in Europe – is the Industry 4.0 concept and digitalisation. “It is clear that digitalisation is the future: it is just a matter of time. As most of our companies are medium- or small-sized, digitalisation is not a pressing issue for them, although of course in the metal processing sector this process is already happening to a certain extent with nearly every machine interconnected. To prepare the companies for the deployment of digitalisation on a larger scale is also an area in which the Association is very active at the moment,” says Mr Grinfelds.
He explains that Latvian businesses are awaiting a major tax reform in 2018, which should facilitate re-investments and also promote investment from abroad. “Our top priority will remain the same, though – to help our members become more competitive in international markets. This is the objective towards which all our activities are directed,” he concludes.
GE Aviation Czech: Propelled to the Top
10 May 2018
10:45
GE Aviation Czech designs, develops, manufactures and services the GE H-Series engines. It is the turboprop division of GE Aviation, a world-leading provider of aircraft engines and related components and systems. Two years ago, a decision was taken to build GE’s new advanced turboprop (ATP) engine family at a new facility in Prague, with a view to introducing the engine in two years. The mission has now been accomplished, as Romana Moares reports.
The end of 2017 was a busy time for GE Aviation Czech, finishing preparations for the launch of the first prototype of the Advanced TurboProp (ATP) engine. The development of the engine began in November 2015 with GE Aviation’s commitment to the client, Textron Aviation, to launch the prototype within a tough deadline – by the end of 2017. And the task was accomplished on schedule. GE Aviation’s Advanced Turboprop engine, the first clean-sheet turboprop engine to hit the Business and General Aviation (BGA) market in more than 30 years, successfully completed its first engine test run at GE Aviation’s facility in Prague shortly before Christmas last year.
“Running the Advanced Turboprop engine in 2017 was our biggest and most important goal,” said Brad Mottier, vice-president and general manager of GE Aviation’s BGA and Integrated Systems organisation. “This milestone comes as a result of two years of tremendous effort by a worldwide team. We’re developing a real catalyst for the BGA market and we’re executing on plan. The integration of proven technologies has expedited the design, development and certification cycle of the engine.”
Expand
Best in its class
The Advanced Turboprop engine will begin certification testing in 2018. With 79 new technologies introduced, the engine offers a portfolio of advanced technology, as well as unparalleled performance and efficiency. It features an industry-best 16:1 overall pressure ratio, enabling it to achieve as much as 20 per cent lower fuel burn and 10 per cent higher cruise power compared to competitor offerings in the same size class. At 4000 hours, it offers 33 per cent more time between overhaul than its leading competitor.
“The continued testing will generate valuable data from the engine and validate the aerodynamics, mechanics, and aerothermal systems,” said Paul Corkery, general manager for GE Aviation Turboprops. “With the engine run and most of the individual component testing completed, early indications show that we will meet or exceed all the performance numbers we have quoted for the engine.”
The Advanced Turboprop engine includes more printed components than any production engine in aviation history, with 35 per cent of the turboprop’s parts built via additive manufacturing. A total of 855 conventionally manufactured parts has been reduced to 12 additive parts, including sumps, bearing housings, frames, exhaust case, combustor liner, heat exchangers and stationary flow path components. Additive components reduce the ATP’s weight by 5 per cent while contributing a 1 per cent improvement in specific fuel consumption.
Expand
At the cutting edge
GE Aviation, an operating unit of GE (NYSE: GE), is a world-leading provider of jet, turboprop and turbo shaft engines, components and integrated systems for commercial, military, business and general aviation aircraft. GE Aviation has a global service network to support these offerings.
It is exactly 10 years ago that GE Aviation entered the Czech market. In 2008, the company acquired certain assets of Walter, the well-established Czech aviation company. Soon after, the GE H80 was launched, a new turboprop derivative engine – based on the former Walter M601 engine – designed for the transportation, utilities, agriculture and retrofit aircraft segments.
The GE H80 was the first in the H Series. It was followed by the H75 and H85. GE turboprop engines enable aircraft to handle anything from unpaved landing strips in Africa and Latin America to permafrost in Siberia. Today, more than 1600 L410 aircraft are flying throughout the world. The GE H Series engines have received nine certifications and are in operation on six continents, with nine announced applications.
GE turboprop engines power over 30 different types of aircraft, carrying passengers and cargo across six continents. Built for durability and efficiency to withstand a wide range of climate conditions, GE turboprops result in thousands of flight hours with minimal maintenance.
Expand
New heights driven by new talent
Cutting edge development remains the focus of GE Aviation Czech. In February 2018, the company announced a new, collaborative agreement between GE Aviation and the Czech Technical University in Prague (ČVUT). The agreement between GE and ČVUT will support the Czech aviation industry and further US-Czech business and educational ties. In addition to new research activities, ČVUT students will benefit from significant internship and training opportunities.
Since GE’s 2016 announcement of its plans to assemble the ATP engine in Prague, the number of undergraduate students enrolled to study aircraft engine construction at CVUT jumped from one to 15. The interest was so intense that last year the school gave two GE engineers offices at the university. They set up shop at the school with the sole purpose of tutoring students and helping with research.
To provide access to a steady supply of fresh data, GE will also help CVUT set up four test chambers to study turboprop engines on the ground, plus a ‘flying test bed’, a King Air aircraft modified to test engines and gather data in flight. The partnership will also focus on engine design and advanced manufacturing techniques like 3D printing, which GE has been using to produce parts for jet engines, gas turbines, medical scanners and other machines. “This level of partnership and sharing of know-how is absolutely unprecedented,” said Šlapák, who serves as the ATP manager for GE Aviation in Prague.
GE benefits, too, Šlapák affirmed. GE has hired 285 new employees since the launch of the ATP programme in early 2016 and plans to hire 80 more this year. “We need to develop the talent and ecosystem, and this partnership is a great way to do it.”
Read the latest issue of Industry Europe in full.