BILLION
DM 70m turnover in injection moulding machinery / French market leader
Billion SA (1, Avenue Victor Hugo, F-01810 Bellignat), founded by Leon Billion in 1950, is situated in Oyonnax in the French "Plastic Valley", an industrial zone to the west of Lyon, where a large number of plastics manufacturing firms are based. About 12% of all employees in the French plastics industry work here and about 50% of machinery and tools for the industry are produced here.
After a chequered history, Billion was acquired by the German Krauss-Maffei AG (KM, Krauss-Maffei Str 2, D-80997 Munich) two years ago. Mannesmann AG, Düsseldorf, has a majority stake in Krauss-Maffei. According to Francois Thinard, General Director of Billion, in a talk to German journalists during a recent works visit, Billion delivered its first plastics injection moulding machines as early as 1952. The company in Oyonnax demonstrated the first patented dual component machines almost 10 years later, in 1961. By 1970, a series of very large, fully hydraulic injection moulding machines with closing force between 7,000 to 50,000 kN had been added to the range. The company moved to its existing, still very modern manufacturing facilities and offices in 1978.
At present, Billion is the largest of the few French injection moulding machine manufacturers and makes a wide variety of machines in different series. This includes, for example, the "Optim" series with fully hydraulic closure and a closing force between 400 and 800 kN. The "Hercule"series covers a range of closing force between 900 and 8,000 kN, using a hydromechanical closure unit. In addition, fully hydraulic injection moulding machines with 4,200 to 22,000 kN closing force, multicomponent machines, and special machines for the processing of polyester and other duroplastics, as well as internal gas expansion techniques, are available.
The French Krauss-Maffei subsidiary achieved a turnover of FF 235m in 1994 with 283 employees, and reported a 20% market share in France, which is projected to increase to 30% in the medium term. For the current business year, Billion is targeting a 20% increase in turnover to FF 281m. Thinard estimates the chances of reaching this target as particularly good.
At the "K '95" fair in Düsseldorf Billion exhibited two machines from the "Hercule" series and a dual component machine (a Billion speciality), as well as an especially high productivity machine, also from the "Hercule" series.
READER SERVICE: Brochures on the hydraulic series (4,200 to 22,000 kN), "Hercule" (900 to 3,200 kN) and electronic control "Dixit": PIE-No. 38003.
After a chequered history, Billion was acquired by the German Krauss-Maffei AG (KM, Krauss-Maffei Str 2, D-80997 Munich) two years ago. Mannesmann AG, Düsseldorf, has a majority stake in Krauss-Maffei. According to Francois Thinard, General Director of Billion, in a talk to German journalists during a recent works visit, Billion delivered its first plastics injection moulding machines as early as 1952. The company in Oyonnax demonstrated the first patented dual component machines almost 10 years later, in 1961. By 1970, a series of very large, fully hydraulic injection moulding machines with closing force between 7,000 to 50,000 kN had been added to the range. The company moved to its existing, still very modern manufacturing facilities and offices in 1978.
At present, Billion is the largest of the few French injection moulding machine manufacturers and makes a wide variety of machines in different series. This includes, for example, the "Optim" series with fully hydraulic closure and a closing force between 400 and 800 kN. The "Hercule"series covers a range of closing force between 900 and 8,000 kN, using a hydromechanical closure unit. In addition, fully hydraulic injection moulding machines with 4,200 to 22,000 kN closing force, multicomponent machines, and special machines for the processing of polyester and other duroplastics, as well as internal gas expansion techniques, are available.
The French Krauss-Maffei subsidiary achieved a turnover of FF 235m in 1994 with 283 employees, and reported a 20% market share in France, which is projected to increase to 30% in the medium term. For the current business year, Billion is targeting a 20% increase in turnover to FF 281m. Thinard estimates the chances of reaching this target as particularly good.
At the "K '95" fair in Düsseldorf Billion exhibited two machines from the "Hercule" series and a dual component machine (a Billion speciality), as well as an especially high productivity machine, also from the "Hercule" series.
READER SERVICE: Brochures on the hydraulic series (4,200 to 22,000 kN), "Hercule" (900 to 3,200 kN) and electronic control "Dixit": PIE-No. 38003.
15.10.1995 Plasteurope.com [20494]
Published on 15.10.1995