Wegener Härtetechnik. Working on the process, not on the application.

The aim of this project is to align components even more precisely with the requirements of modern drive technologies through optimised heat treatment.

For more than 40 years, Wegener Härtetechnik has been an established heat treatment service provider. The company supports customers from the automotive industry, mechanical engineering, energy technology and the agricultural and construction machinery sector.

With modern furnace systems, Wegener ensures that metal components acquire exactly the properties their particular application requires. The focus is on precise process control, high quality and the continuous development of heat treatment processes.

As part of an innovation project, Wegener Härtetechnik planned to develop a new hardening process for components in the automotive industry. The goal was to develop a technologically demanding process that meets new requirements for load capacity and precision.

Financing such a development project through funding programmes at EU, federal or state level is complex, however. The choice of the right funding programme alone can be decisive for the success of the application. Funding applications must also meet formal requirements and be worked out on a sound scientific and technical basis.

It was therefore clear to Wegener that this called for an experienced partner who moves confidently through the funding landscape and supports the entire process professionally.

The collaboration was not affected even by challenging conditions, such as the halt of ZIM (Germany’s central innovation programme for SMEs) in 2021, and the project was pursued consistently.

The close collaboration paid off: the innovation project was successfully funded through ZIM and received the support it needed for implementation.

Simon Hechler, Operations Manager at Wegener Härtetechnik, describes the collaboration: “The Ignite Group shaped the entire process for us and selected the best funding programme. Working closely with us, the application was submitted and all correspondence with the funding body was handled.”

The partnership forms a solid basis for further joint innovation projects. Both companies see great potential in the collaboration to bring technological developments successfully under way in the future as well and to open up new funding opportunities.