FRECON shows diversity across industries in cooperation with supplier of leisure- and garden equipment
Among Danish and foreign DIY retailers, F&H Com A/S is a well-known manufacturer and trading company with a broad portfolio of products within leisure and garden equipment and building components. In the collaboration on analysis, calculation and documentation tasks, FRECON uses the ability to transfer knowledge and tools across industries and product categories.
Each year, F&H Com adds 50-75 new item numbers within the categories of house, garden, leisure and outdoor. This includes products such as windscreens, garden fences, garden machines and canopies. F&H Com, located in Gedved north of Horsens (and conveniently close to FRECON’s head office), delivers products in Denmark and Germany, but also to major Danish DIY markets, Europe and customers in Japan, Panama and Kenya.
Interdisciplinary mechanical engineers
With a product portfolio within leisure and garden equipment, the collaboration with F&H Com stands out from the usual customers of FRECON. However, mechanical engineering often requires the same tools and engineering knowledge regardless of industry and purpose, and thus, the mechanical engineering consultants of FRECON can deliver.
”The collaboration with F&H Com is particularly interesting to us, as we are working in somewhat different product categories compared to what we otherwise do,” says Project Director at FRECON, Niels Bendixen. “This is great, because it is all about mastering knowledge transfer, and our engineers show time and again that they are pretty good at this.”
High quality requirements to design and product range
F&H Com design and manufacture all products, and high demands are placed on functionality and quality across product categories. This is where FRECON comes into play as a regular partner to help ensure that the products of F&H also meet Danish and international quality and safety requirements.
”At F&H Com we run no risks! The engineering simply must be great. FRECON helps us when we are short in resources and skills. We know that we can trust the quality of what FRECON delivers,” says Managing Director at F&H Com, Ulrik Clausen. “It gives us a sense of security and the necessary assurance that our products are thoroughly tested and able to undergo authority inspections, while at the same time meeting strict requirements of the customers.”
Example of a canopy that FRECON helped calculate and CE-mark.
Same methods, analyses and tools
In the interaction between the designs of F&H Com and the calculations of FRECON, Finite Elements Methods and Analysis (FEM/FEA) and Failure Mode Effects Analysis (FMEA) are often used. These methods are great for securing strengths and preparing technical dossiers for CE markings. In the collaboration between F&H Com and FRECON, the tasks include:
- Calculation report for carport
- 3D drawings for a visualization project for brochures and instruction book
- Calculations on canopy and associated CE marking
- Wind- and stress load test as well as strength calculations on several fence types
- General counselling on CE marking for garden machinery
Illustration of calculation on canopy from the collaboration between F&H Com and FRECON.