The garden equipment manufacturer STIHL Tirol, based in Langkampfen, has reached another architectural milestone by expanding the site with an additional 25 indoor product testing rooms. This means that lawn mowers, robotic mowers and other STIHL brand cordless tools and gardening tools can be thoroughly examined and put to the test using state-of-the-art technology before being released onto the market. Viktoria Schmidt, head of the testing department at STIHL Tirol, is very pleased with this development: "Receiving test data that has been evaluated in real time and, in part, automatically makes our work much easier. The new test bench technology also enables improved comparison and replication of tests over the long term." STIHL Tirol also opened a large extension at the beginning of the year.
The test bench testing can be carried out around the clock if required. Tools are tested using loads that have been determined based on practice. It is also possible is to implement targeted overloading of the tools in order to simulate a time-lapse effect and thus reduce the test duration. "Our products are subjected to thorough 'stress tests'. This is how we ensure that the end customer gets pleasure from STIHL gardening tools and cordless tools for as long as possible", says Schmidt. From now on, standard and approval tests will also take place in the new, fully air-conditioned rooms, which leave nothing to be desired from a technical standpoint.
STIHL Tirol not only tests its products indoors on the test benches, but also in the field directly next to the in-house test area. The field features a test course for lawn mowers and lawn tractors, as well as several areas with different challenges for robotic mowers. Thanks to the new, additional test facilities, STIHL Tirol has created another highlight at the site. Some time ago, the company also opened a 3,000 m² test area for robotic mowers on the roof of the extension building and a fully automated AutoStore small parts warehouse featuring 20 robots that stack 57,000 small parts containers in aluminium shafts.
Information about STIHL Tirol:
STIHL Tirol GmbH is a wholly owned subsidiary of the STIHL Group and is based in Langkampfen, Austria. Cordless products are produced at this site and STIHL Tirol is also a centre of excellence for ground-based gardening tools, which are produced and co-developed in Langkampfen. In 2018, the company employed 558 people.
STIHL company profile:
The STIHL Group develops, manufactures and distributes motorised equipment for forestry, agriculture, landscape management, the building industry and private garden owners. The product range is supplemented with digital solutions and services. Products are generally distributed through specialist dealers – including 38 sales and marketing STIHL subsidiaries, around 120 importers and more than 50,000 specialist dealers in over 160 countries. STIHL manufactures products in seven countries worldwide: Germany, USA, Brazil, Switzerland, Austria, China and the Philippines. STIHL has been the best-selling chainsaw brand worldwide since 1971. The company was founded in 1926 and the corporate headquarters are in Waiblingen near Stuttgart, Germany. In 2018, STIHL had 17,122 employees worldwide and a turnover of € 3.78 billion.