Team Spirit, Sharing, Cooperation, Mutual Aid and Fellowship are the values associated with the EPICS Award, an initiative that FREZITE has promoted since 2014. The six winners in Group companies from different geographies were announced on 17 December. The highlight was the renewal of the award, for the second consecutive year, to the winning employees from Iberia and the United Kingdom, Brazil, Mexico and the Czech Republic.

Two employees in 2021 received the Career Award, given to those who complete two decades of service to the company. In parallel, FREZITE also rewarded the best ideas submitted by employees throughout the year. For the seventh time a monetary prize was awarded to the best idea received in 2021 for organisational improvement. In this edition the winner was a programmer from the Metal Division of FREZITE who proposed automating the feeding of a robot for continuous sharpening in 24-hour shifts.

On the 14th of December the Portuguese Minister of Science, Technology and University Education, Manuel Heitor, accompanied by the president of Agência Nacional de Inovação (the Portuguese Innovation Agency) and other representatives from ANI and from the cluster Portugal Space visited the FREZITE Group. The visit to FHP, in Oporto, and to the Trofa facilities allowed the committee to learn about the projects in which FREZITE is involved and the technology and innovation that it develops daily in the areas of space and cutting tools.

On 9 December a group of mechanical engineering students from the Faculty of Engineering of the University of Porto (FEUP) visited the facilities of the FREZITE Group, in Trofa. An initiative carried out under the corporate social responsibility policy, by which FREZITE promotes cooperation actions with educational institutions, keeping the reception of trainees from different organizations, both in Portugal and in its branches.

The European Roller Hockey Championship, which took place between 15 and 20 November in Paredes, Portugal, was supported by FREZITE. For some years now, FREZITE has been associated with international competitions in this sport with a strong tradition in Southern Europe.

SERI has developed for an automotive customer in Spain a dedicated machine for leakage control and laser engraving of injected aluminium gearbox housings. By changing some of the differentiating mechanical components, it is possible to make two different types of parts. A customised solution that performs air leakage testing, laser engraving (with fume extraction) of matrix DMC code and verification of the degree of quality of the engraving (by vision sensor). It also records the test results using an internal database for process traceability. SERI is committed to creating value for automotive industry component suppliers

The affiliates are companies recognized for their long-lasting relationships with the Engineering Departments of Faculdade de Engenharia da Universidade do Porto through partnerships established at the level of dissertations, internships and other project studies, or in sponsored research and tech transfer activities. This relationship is reevaluated annually through four indicators: talent, education, research & innovation and successful partnerships.

Measurement and metrological control has a critical role, both in the control of production processes and in the final quality of the product. That is why FREZITE has been investing in training its employees in new dimensional control tactics to update the geometric focus. The use of 3D referential adjusted to the system, ensures standards to reliably reproduce the best results, always aiming for continuous improvement of people and processes.

SERI has acquired technology that allows it to produce clamping fixtures with bigger dimensions. It was installed in their production unit in Varziela (Portugal), a CNC equipment that allows precision machining, of components with twice the area it was previously producing. With this investment, the company is able to respond to more demanding challenges in sectors such as aeronautical. In this way, FREZITE Group reinforces its position in the market as a reliable wide range supplier of integrated solutions and as a partner for turnkey services.

FREZITE has accepted the challenge of this course coordinators and opened its doors to a visit and workshop as part of the Advanced Training in Industry 4.0 that is being promoted by INEGI – Portuguese Institute of Science and Innovation in Mechanical and Industrial Engineering in partnership with INESC TEC (an internationally-oriented multidisciplinary Associate Laboratory). A group of 22 managers, engineers and entrepreneurs from renowned Portuguese companies visited FREZITE in June to understand and discuss how the company answers to the challenges of digital transformation.

Published monthly by AICEP - Investments and Foreign Trade Agency of Portugal, Portugal Global magazine informs about markets, companies, internationalization, and investment. With specialized information on current economic and business issues, in this month of June it presents the FREZITE Group. See HERE.

FREZITE has renewed its showroom, providing it with an area dedicated to technical training for customers - who can follow the entire testing process - as well as for its own employees. In this space the customer can also receive consultancy on engineering applications, perform tests and create simulation environments of its prototyping production.

This partnership began last year with FREZITE providing tools to the university project consisting of engineering students from the Portuguese Instituto Superior Técnico working on the development of a boat powered exclusively by solar energy. Besides promoting renewable energy, sustainability and electric mobility, Técnico Solar Boat also participates in international competitions. With the sponsorship renewed in 2021, the team has already completed the new prototype, the SR03, and is ready for the summer's competitions, after having won, last year, the Innovation Award at the Monaco Solar & Energy Boat Challenge. FREZITE continues promoting innovation and sustainability.

At the FREZITE Group, Sustainability and Innovation are integral parts of the same challenge. That is why the company has installed in the Trofa production units, In Portugal, more than 1500 photovoltaic panels in an area of over 2600 m2, which has already allowed it to produce more than 830 000 kWh. This energy saving would be enough to power about 170 houses/year. FREZITE making the difference.

The German company that is part of the FREZITE Group was the subject of an article in HK magazine, one of the leading and highly esteemed trade journals for the woodworking and furniture industry published in Germany. With a bimonthly frequency, circulates mainly in countries where German is an official language, like Austria, Belgium, and Luxembourg, but has a worldwide distribution.

Fast construction combined with unquestionable technical qualities, thermal insulation, sturdiness, and economy are reasons why the number of houses built of wood around the world is increasing. FREZITE also has a growing range of solutions in cutting tools for log houses. Under the motto "We Love Wood", FREZITE continues to value this construction process and all who seek a more sustainable lifestyle, this system has zero carbon impact (passive house).

The positive outlook was made by the Chairman of FREZITE in an interview to the Portuguese digital newspaper "ECO". Even with a fall in turnover between 5% and 6% a year during the pandemic, the FREZITE Group did not lay-off or reduce the workforce and took advantage of the Covid-19 crisis to leverage other new business niches. See here the interview under "Overcoming the Crisis”.

In ECO Sapo
https://eco.sapo.pt/2021/04/17/frezite-resiste-a-pandemia-com-aposta-em-novos-nichos-de-negocio/

In an increasingly digital world, FREZITE invested in a platform to facilitate its interaction with the customer. Through FREZITE@connect the customer can access the history of products already purchased, drawings, quality reports; request for new quotations and access to previous ones, manage orders, the current payments account and eventual complaints. Information at the reach of a click and that can be search on a PC or a mobile phone.

At the beginning of the year SERI, a company that has been part of the FREZITE Group since 2018, increased its machine park and consequently its production capacity with the integration of the Micron subsidiary at its facilities in Vila do Conde.

FHP - Frezite High Performance is participating in the manufacture of the carbon tubes that is part of the structure of a large reflector, supported by an arm that can fly on the next Copernicus mission. It is a folding structure weighing 42 kilos and measuring about six meters developed - from materials to engineering - entirely by European countries. An investment of half a million euros with launch scheduled for 2026. At stake is Europe's independence in terms of Earth observation.

The PSEM - Mobile Energy Sustainability Project, formed by a group of Students from Instituto Superior Técnico (IST Lisbon - Portugal) develops highly efficient electric vehicles. This team participates and has been achieving recognition and awards in the Greenpower Challenge, an international competition created to challenge young students and some companies to invest in the development of sustainable vehicles for the future. The PSEM has the support of FREZITE in the execution of its prototypes.

In a Changing World, a Yellow Print, was the motto chosen for the FREZITE Group's 2021 calendar. Yellow, the colour of FREZITE, signals the Group's global presence, a positive stimulus in a context of great uncertainty. Energise yourself following the yellow! FREZITE, your partner!

FHP - Frezite High Performance, a company of the Group acting in the space area, has a new website. From products to services, career opportunities and company news, you will find the information in a very intuitive way. Navigate in the new space in:
https://www.frezitehp.com