Wuppermann Austria GmbH commissions new roll forming line in Judenburg

• The new line offers a wide range of profiles with the highest corrosion protection
• Larger production capacities especially for the photovoltaic industry

Judenburg, Austria, 23.03.2023 - Steel processor Wuppermann Austria GmbH (WA) commissioned a new roll forming line at its Austrian site in Judenburg in March 2023. The total investment for the construction of the new plant amounts to 13 million euros. The specialist for galvanized products for the highest corrosion protection requirements is thus significantly expanding its manufacturing capabilities and production capacities.

The new roll forming line with automatic packaging line offers a wider range of dimensions and thus also a wider range of products: WA can now produce larger cross-sections and thus offer its customers a wide production range of welded profiles with complex geometries as well as open profiles with a significantly wider range of profile widths and heights.

The new line can process pre-material with a width of between 100 to 600 mm. Profiles can be produced with a strip thickness of 1.5 to 4.0 mm, a profile width of 25 to 300 mm, a profile height of 20 to 140 mm and a length of up to 13.5 metres. With a zinc coating of up to 1,300 g/m² (Z1300) or a zinc-magnesium coating of up to 1,000 g/m² (ZM1000) and optional galvanized edge, these products also meet the highest requirements for corrosion protection. In addition, steels with higher tensile strengths of up to 1,000 Mpa can be processed.

Furthermore, the plant has opted for a process-integrated punching of strips that allows the strip to be punched in one production step before profiling. This means that profiles can now be produced with individual and complex hole patterns according to customer requirements in a time- and cost-saving manner and delivered with piece-by-piece precision.

The plant in Styria thus meets the requirements of the photovoltaic industry in particular: complex profiles with demanding geometries, high repeatability in production, durability and maximum corrosion protection. Thanks to the combination of higher-strength steels and high material thickness, the profiles also meet special requirements in terms of span width and load-bearing capacity, such as for so-called agri-PV systems.

However, the complex profiles can also be used in various sectors and markets outside the photovoltaic industry.

"WA is the ideal location within the Wuppermann Group for the new roll forming line. Our employees can now also contribute their many years of experience and technological know-how in the production of galvanized tubes and profiles as well as in strip perforation to the new roll forming line," explains Hubert Pletz, Managing Director of WA.

"With the new roll forming line, we can now offer our customers a greater variety of products with the highest level of corrosion protection and are thus responding to demand, particularly from the photovoltaic industry. With our profiles, we are actively supporting the expansion of sustainable energy generation in Europe," adds Johannes Nonn, Spokesman of the Executive Board of Wuppermann AG.