Changes in the Miele plant in Bürmoos

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The Miele plant in Bürmoos (near Salzburg) has completely repositioned itself over the past four years as a supplier of high-quality stainless steel components for almost all appliance plants in the Miele Group as well as for the Italian subsidiary Steelco Group. In addition, the new Miele subsidiary Otto Wilde Grillers has recently had its most established product range produced in Bürmoos. “Hardly a stone has been left unturned in our production halls”, says plant manager Hendrik Wermers. The necessary investments were made, for example, in a new cutting centre with laser processing and a fully automated high-bay warehouse, as well as in state-of-the-art production technology for surface processing. When Miele set up its plant in Bürmoos in 1962, it was the first production site outside Germany. Initially, small-room washing machines, spin dryers, and waste compactors were produced, before the factory specialised more and more in the processing of stainless steel sheets and wires.

Insight into the automatic front panel machine, which automates many production steps in the manufacture of panels for Miele domestic appliances. (Photo: Miele)

From 2012 onwards, the production of sterilisers and so-called container washing systems was added, in which, for example, instrument trolleys or entire hospital beds are disinfected. The next turning point followed in 2017, when Miele acquired a majority stake in the Italian medical technology specialist Steelco Group and bundled its entire hospital project business there. This was done to strengthen competitiveness in what was then, as now, a fiercely competitive market worldwide – and it also affected the manufacturing of the appliances produced in Bürmoos. “A time frame of four years was defined for this, which our team used with great commitment and, above all, successfully”, says Hendrik Wermers. In the process, production on the 40,000 square metre site was largely dismantled and rebuilt, and the processes were completely restructured. What has remained is the focus on high-quality stainless steel components, which are now distributed among these three product segments: fascias and panels for washing machines, dryers and dishwashers, for example, as well for other built-in kitchen appliances from Miele (domestic and commercial); baskets and inserts used in washer-disinfectors, disinfectors and sterilisers for medical facilities and laboratories; as well as complex assemblies for medical and laboratory technology, which are supplied in particular as large-scale appliance accessories to Miele’s subsidiary Steelco.

A multi-stage production process is the surface treatment by so-called electropolishing, among other things in basins with an acid mixture. Here, the roughness of stainless steel surfaces is reduced, resulting in extremely smooth surfaces. This is important for baskets and inserts used in medical and laboratory technology. (Photo: Miele)

In the past four years alone, Miele has invested eight million euros in Bürmoos, for example in a high-bay warehouse for the fully automated supply of production with sheet metal blanks as well as for the storage of finished parts which were previously cut or punched by laser. Another major investment concerns the production of front panels for Miele appliances, which the Bürmoos plant now produces more than twice as fast as before. This is ensured by a highly efficient automatic front panel machine, which brings together the stainless steel and plastic components and finally also applies the model- and country-specific printing.
A completely new manufacturing process for Miele in Bürmoos is surface treatment by means of so-called electropolishing. This refers to a multi-stage electrochemical process for the best possible smoothing of the surface to prevent the adhesion of viruses and bacteria. This is particularly important for baskets and inserts and other components for use in medical and laboratory technology.
The latest addition to Miele’s product portfolio in Bürmoos is the O.F.B. range from Miele’s new subsidiary Otto Wilde Grillers in Düsseldorf. This is a top-heat grill which, depending on the model, is heated with gas or electricity, operates at very high temperatures, and is largely made of high-quality stainless steel.