Armor steel is a rare commodity in Europe. While forecasts speak of a demand of up to eight million tons, the actual production capacity is currently less than 500,000 tons. The high-tech material is produced almost exclusively by the Swedish steel group SSAB under the brand name Armox. With Hardox, the East Styrian company Winkelbauer has been processing around 3,000 tons of the wear-resistant variant of the same steel family every year for a good two decades.
The high-strength sheets and steels from Styria and SSAB form the basis for European armaments programs such as the Leopard 2, Boxer and Puma. With 130 employees, the long-established company is Austria’s largest processor of the material.
This expertise is now also opening doors for the company in the defense industry: “The defense market offers long-term market potential and stable demand,” explains Managing Director Michael Winkelbauer. “In an increasingly volatile environment, it is a reliable pillar for employment and value creation. However, we also see it as our duty to contribute technological expertise where the protection of people, infrastructure and emergency services is concerned. It’s about protecting those who protect us.”
“We see it as our duty to bring our technological expertise to bear where the protection of people, infrastructure and emergency services is concerned. It’s all about protecting those who protect us.
" Managing Director Michael Winkelbauer
Postscript: “The security policy situation in Europe has changed fundamentally. For decades, defense was not taken seriously or valued, even though it is a central prerequisite for stability, sovereignty and a functioning society.”
Winkelbauer is even clearer: “Nobody would think of abolishing the fire department just because there hasn’t been a fire for a while.” In the long term, the new business segment is therefore set to become a Winkelbauer mainstay: “Our experience with high-strength steels and our industrial infrastructure give us the foundation to reliably supply components for safety-critical applications. In the medium term, we want to use a significant amount of steel for applications in this area,” says Winkelbauer.
Winkelbauer has already delivered its first products for defense applications, including bullet-proof enclosures for security-critical infrastructure. The
Austrian Armed Forces
and the Armasuisse procurement authority of the
Swiss armed forces
are also among the customers.
Stephan Winkelbauer, responsible for Business Development, sees great opportunities in the future, particularly in the production of protective components and structural parts: “Our vertical integration is a decisive factor: from cutting to the ready-to-install component, everything happens in-house – including welding technology, machining and quality testing. In combination with our knowledge of working with armored steel, this gives us a truly exceptional position in Austria.”
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Millions invested in the defense sector
In addition, the company recently passed the DIN 2303 certification for the manufacture of defence technology products – and has modern machinery: “We have invested millions in cutting systems and robot welding expertise, upgraded our mechanical production – particularly with regard to milling high-strength steels – and massively expanded our crane and painting capacities,” the duo emphasize in unison.
Stephan Winkelbauer also emphasizes: “The measures taken in recent years were designed for efficiency and precision – also through end-to-end digitalization – but are now benefiting us massively in the defence industry. This means that we don’t have to reinvent anything for the current market entry, but can build on existing expertise and processes.”
