Whether it’s developing a new product or improving an existing one, complexity of implementation can easily become a deterrent. The challenges can arise even at the design stage: functionality, life cycle, practicality, aesthetics, choice of raw materials, and the ease or difficulty of making the machines that manufacture it are all parameters that need to be defined at the beginning. “The improvements implemented in the course of our projects are always brought about by some sort of progress or potential for development. From an economic perspective, these are usually aimed at reducing costs or increasing production capacity.

The greatest challenge in these types of tasks is to transfer the added value which will help our customer gain a long-term significant competitive advantage. It is at times like this that there is a need for the years of experience of our staff, who can anticipate already at the planning stage the issues that might come up later and adjust the manufacturing process accordingly”, says Attila Gaszt, Managing Director of Érd-based GIA Form Mold and Molding Kft., summing up the basis for long-term partnerships.

The company was founded on 12 June 2003 by István Gaszt and his son, Attila Gaszt, who holds the post of managing director. According to the philosophy of GIA Form competence must be paired with appropriate management and continuous development. István Gaszt began his career in tool making in 1960. The family business was founded in 1988, and passed from father to son. When Attila Gaszt took over the leadership, he brought his philosophy of sustainable business to the business to complement the machinery and know-how. Their aim was to automate their operations and to create a network of plants that uses information communication technology to a greater degree.

The company which specialises in mould production, plastic injection moulding, CNC cutting and assembly currently has a staff of 62. In addition, it also offers services such as full-scale project management, which includes all aspects of the manufacturing process from design and analysis through production to injection moulding and logistics.

Ten years have gone by since the company leader presented his plan for the construction of a new, modern production plant that would meet all needs to his staff. By December 2013, the 3,300 square metre state-of-the-art design building in Érd was completed. Located next to the M6 motorway, it houses everything from plastic injection moulding plant through tool production machinery to logistics.

“During the crisis, I approached our key clients with some questions about how they see our company and their own markets, what opportunities do they see and whether they have any complaints or compliments. What clearly emerged from their answers was that complete project management is the way to go. In addition to tool making and injection moulding, this is how GIA Form ended up offering pre-production planning, analysis and assembly as added value. The fact that we do all this in an environment that is both modern and aesthetically pleasing adds further value.” In 2014, the fully Hungarian-owned company won the Design Management Prize as a parts manufacturer for demonstrating how a business can increase its competitiveness by taking a design-conscious approach. Granted, architectural excellence is normally not a requirement for a part production plant, for GIA Form, however, it was important to have its products manufactured in an artistically designed building.

This year marks a unique milestone in the company’s history with their development process spanning several years coming to a close. It was planned in 2014 when they moved to the new plant in order to double their production capacity with the help of improved machinery. Last year, their acquisition of six Engel e-pic smart mini robots marked the completion of the first phase of their transition toward industrial automation. This year, two 160-ton Engel injection moulding machines and two Viper12 robots supporting their work were added to create a complete manufacturing cell. Further capacity expansion requires technological developments, whereby two older CNC machining centres will be replaced with new ones and a third one will also be commissioned. They have also acquired a new 1,000x500 mm vertical milling machine and an insert milling machine, as well as a 30,000 rpm electrode milling machine.

The company meets the highest technical standards, uses state-of-the-art technology and machinery and it’s well on its way to industrial automation.