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trailer world Issue One 2014

    Issue One 2014  19 the apprentices still learn traditional crafts- manship skills, and we also want to teach them how to think properly.” The situation is the same with versatility: consequently, the future fitters can not only work perfectly with steel, but also stainless steel or alumin- ium. The teaching workshop is responsible for creating the smaller components above all else. By way of example, Kuhnitzsch points out an elaborately worked forged- iron lamp. You could buy something ready- made like that, but at Pfaff the accessories are also hand-made originals from Saxony. About 70 percent of his workforce have been trained in-house, which gives Marko Pfaff a great advantage when it comes to looking for personnel – particularly be- cause he knows how difficult it is finding specialists for vehicle manufacture in the vicinity of major automobile plants such as BMW and Porsche. His people need to have the right qualifications and be prepared to start at an SME located out in the coun- tryside. However, it is getting harder and harder to recruit apprentices: The number of school leavers is dropping, and the com- pany boss is constantly finding that tradi- tional craftsmanship professions are suf- fering from an image problem in the east of the country as well. At the same time, work at the vehicle builder in Bad Lausick is demanding and varied – with a new challenge every day. Building a caravan that has extensions on both sides with a floor space of 73 sq me- tres and fitting it out or producing the 40-tonne centre section of a free-fall tower are just as exciting as the construction of 20 metre tall wooden pyramids accomplished with his brother’s carpentry firm which at- tract great attention at Christmas markets. As if that was not enough, there are some- times entirely unusual commissions to get your teeth into: such as restoring an S-4000 truck from the 1950s or a decommissioned Russian MiG-21 fighter jet. Special axles for heavy loads On the other hand, today’s fairground attraction businesses are by no means products with homely handicraft touches, but are also high-tech steeds that are in- creasingly luring foreign customers to Bad Lausick as well. One particular challenge involves using special hydraulic systems to allow the stalls to be set up after transport with as few personnel and in as little time as possible. In addition, many of the stalls need to have axles that can be removed easily following relocation, meaning that hydraulic lifting and locking systems are also used. Marko Pfaff buys in the axles themselves. “There are several manufac- turers, but what counts for me when decid- ing where to buy isn’t merely a question of money, it also comes down to quality and flexibility,” says the entrepreneur. Time and time again, a customer’s pro- ject places particular demands on the run- ning gear as well. Fairground attraction businesses often need low-loader axles with a high loading capacity and small wheel di- ameter. Ultimately, the optimum arrange- ment of brakes and springs also influences the structure of the vehicle itself. BPW has been an important partner for the compa- ny right from the start when it comes to de- livering special axles. However, for Marko Pfaff it is important above all that the part- ners know one another and can respond to special requirements. “We have repeat- ed discussions about what possible chang- es can be made if a vehicle needs it,” says the engineer who is constantly in his work- shops wearing blue overalls and carrying his measuring ruler – except when he’s in negotiations with customers. He has however made some concessions in this age of the Internet: “In the past, I used to meet my suppliers more often whereas now many of these trips are re- placed by computers and the Internet. It is also a shame that the once so important In- terschau show for fairground attractions and market vehicles is no longer the meet- ing place that it used to be: Personal contact remains important to me, since this builds up understanding on both sides and means you can get to know one another.” (ms) More information about Marko Pfaff & Co. Spezialfahrzeugbau GmbH is available at www.fahrzeugbau-pfaff.de Marko Pfaff  Marko Pfaff & Co. Spezialfahrzeu- ge GmbH is based in the Saxon town of Bad Lausick and was created in the mid-1990s on the basis of the vehicle building company founded in 1985. Today, it employs more than 40 people – including the training organisation. Fairground vehicles of all kinds, caravans and TV broadcast or equipment vehicles are predomi- nantly supplied to customers in Ger- many as well as Denmark, France, Switzerland, Sweden, Luxembourg and Russia. Portrait »Almost every time, we have to start from the drawing board. This means I need colleagues who are particularly creative at the same time as possessing a great deal of experience.« Marko Pfaff (right), managing director Photos:MarkoPfaff,LisaStagge

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