Firefighting equipment manufacturer Rosenbauer has recently opened a brand new helmet assembly line in Linz-Pichling. From now on, up to 100,000 Rosenbauer firefighting helmets will be assembled each year for the global market at the new HEROS Center of Excellence.
With its third production facility, Rosenbauer is once again investing in the economic region of Upper Austria and strengthening its competence in the field of personal protective equipment for fire departments and rescue crews.
Assembly in accordance with Industry 4.0
The helmets are assembled at the only fire helmet production facility in Austria using cutting-edge technology. A single employee, in series production, assembles the complete helmet system with full responsibility up to the final inspection, supported by state-of-the-art assembly and monitoring equipment.
Rosenbauer invested 500,000 EUR in the tools and machines alone. All parts are laid out in accordance with Industry 4.0 standards: A KANBAN system with automatic parts supply, and production monitoring with RFID (Radio Frequency Identification) technology make the manufacturing process one of the most modern and efficient in the world.
The helmets are manufactured on four assembly lines, with ten different stations on each: In the pre-assembly, the interior is first assembled, in the main assembly, this is connected to the helmet shell, and the helmet is finished to individual customer requirements. Occasional system-supported quality checks are routine. In addition, a modern test center is integrated in the HEROS competence center. There, all standard compliance and monitoring tests are performed, in which all helmet types must withstand various performance capabilities.
Customers worldwide
The helmets from Linz are in high demand worldwide, and more and more fire departments across the globe are turning to Rosenbauer for their protective headgear: More than 700,000 helmets have been supplied, in over 140 countries, from Europe to America, from Australia to China.
"The fire helmet business is strategically important to Rosenbauer, as we are now one of the largest such manufacturers in the world. We subsequently take our responsibility, our duty and our obligations into account with the new competence center. This is an investment in the future of firefighter safety," confirms Hans Detzlhofer, Head of the Equipment Product Division.
Rosenbauer now has 26 years of experience in the field of helmets, and at the same time is a comprehensive provider of personal protective equipment for emergency crews.
HEROS titan - The lightest in its class
Rosenbauer at the assembly location in Linz/Pichling produces all helmet types. The manufacturer covers all applicable Standard classes around the world here. The latest development is the HEROS-titan. The helmet was built on the basis of a bionic design, and is the lightest and safest protective helmet in its class. After all, each gram of a saving on the head counts when it comes to rescue operations lasting several hours. Not only is the HEROS-titan safe and ergonomic, it also has a globally unique integrated helmet lamp that can be easily removed for use as a hand torch/flashlight. Alternatively, a new thermal imaging camera with integrated LED light can be mounted, which ensures good orientation in completely smoke-filled rooms, and acts a valuable aid in rescuing people.
The Rosenbauer Group
Rosenbauer is an internationally active corporate group that is a dependable partner of the firefighting community all over the world. The company develops and produces vehicles, firefighting systems, fire & safety equipment and telematic solutions for professional, industrial and volunteer fire services, as well as installations for preventive fire protection. In more than 100 countries, Rosenbauer is the largest fire equipment provider in the world with revenues of about € 850 million and more than 3,400 employees. For more information visit Rosenbauer's website.
