Johann "Hannes" Hagenauer (HAGI GmbH) takes off in good spirits from the single-engine plane (WT9) that brought him from St. Pölten to the Allgäu. "You have to take advantage of synergies when they arise," he says, pointing to his pilot Alois, who is enjoying collecting a few flying hours. Hagenauer, a foundry and industrial engineer, meets up with Foundry-Planet for a summer interview to talk about his business, the industry and prospects.
FP: Mr. Hagenauer, as Managing Director of HAGI GmbH, you represent a leading company in consulting for capital goods in the foundry, bulk materials and 3D printing sectors. Give us an insight into how your company develops customized solutions and what role the +HAGI+ engineering office plays in this.
HAGI: Although I have not been actively involved in the foundry for many years, I still feel like a foundryman.
My basic credo has always been to promote and protect the competitiveness of our European companies. This is also possible if we adhere to the CO2 footprint requirements and not only inspire young people with digitalization and new technology, but also maintain our foundations and generate added value at the same time. To achieve this, it is sometimes necessary to say goodbye to old technology that has long since been written off, to scrap it and to consistently reinvest locally.
In addition to the necessity of the investment, the economic efficiency, the right level of technology and the personnel requirements must always be examined. With our engineering office and a network of experts, we advise foundries in particular, as investments here often have long-term consequences for success. By getting involved in the planning at an early stage, unnecessary costs and wrong decisions can be avoided. 40 years of foundry experience and an objective assessment of the issues are very valuable for the customer.
HAGI GmbH is a technical trading agency, while the +HAGI+ engineering office is an accredited engineering office with corresponding network partners. This means that we do everything from "door-to-door cleaning" to top-class consulting.
FP: The metal industry is facing various challenges, including the integration of new technologies such as 3D printing. How is HAGI GmbH positioning itself to support its customers in these dynamic times?
HAGI: The metal industry, especially foundries, is facing the challenge of getting young people interested in technology. I have always been fascinated by the process of pouring molten metal into a mold and obtaining an almost finished product. In the future, fewer and fewer people will be found for simple jobs, so machines will have to replace them, but 3D sand printing in particular is ushering in a new era. 3D metal printing is also an excellent addition to the foundry in order to maintain or increase added value.
The opportunity to develop complex geometries with printed sand cores and molds for casting opens up many new fields and will become just as standard as the possibilities of using metal printing as a supplement in the foundry industry.
