Traffic signs, racking systems, noise protection, advertising technology and industrial printing from our own manufacturing in Austria
Forster Verkehrs- und Werbetechnik GmbH
Waidhofen/Ybbs · St. Peter/Au · Germany · France (Samodef-Forster) · Switzerland (Forster .ch) · Slovakia (Forster .sk) · Romania (Forster .ro)New on Amplifa
About Forster
Founded in 1956 by Franz Forster in Waidhofen/Ybbs, the Forster Group is a family-run company with around 600 employees, revenue of over €100 million and an export share of 50%. The portfolio includes traffic signs and gantry sign bridges, FOREG racking systems for archives, libraries, museums and warehouses, FONOCON noise protection elements, advertising technology, object signage and industrial printing (screen, digital, flexo and hologram printing) including assembly manufacturing. The company's own metalworking operations use programmable punching and bending centers, laser cutting systems, engraving and milling plotters as well as welding robots for large-scale series; steel and aluminium are processed, along with plastics, films and glass. The high level of vertical integration ranges from planning and construction through tooling and fixture making to assembly and logistics. Production takes place at the Austrian sites Waidhofen/Ybbs and St. Peter/Au as well as at a smaller site in Germany; international subsidiaries exist in France, Switzerland, Slovakia, Romania and Germany.
- Site
- Waidhofen an der Ybbs
- Processes
- Screen printing, Digital printing, Flexographic printing, Hologram printing / special prints with tactile elements, Laser cutting, programmable punching and bending centers, Engraving and milling plotters, Welding (welding robots for large-scale series)
- Materials
- Steel, Aluminium, Plastics, Steel and aluminium sheets and profiles, Films, Glass, Paints and varnishes, Screen printing
- Certificates
- Quality marks, ISO 9001
- Founded
- 1956
- Employees
- ~600
- Industries
- Traffic technology, Racking systems (archive, library, museum, warehouse), Noise protection (road, rail), Advertising technology/POS, Object signage, Industrial printing/assembly manufacturing
- 01
Consulting
- 02
Planning and Development
- 03
Engineering/Design
- 04
Tooling and Fixture Making
- 05
Metalworking (Laser Cutting, Punching, Bending, Welding)
- 06
Plastics Processing
- 07
Printing (Screen, Digital, Flexo Printing)
- 08
Assembly Manufacturing/Mounting
- 09
Logistics
- 10
On-site Commissioning
Materials & Processes
Steel
Steel sheets and profiles are processed in our own punching, bending and welding processes into racking, noise protection and traffic technology products.
Aluminium
Aluminium sheets and profiles are used in steel and aluminium processing for signs, racking systems and supply parts.
Plastics
Plastics are processed in our own plastics processing department and in deep drawing into front and housing parts.
Films
Films for traffic technology and printing are laminated, converted and processed into decorative and front films.
Glass
Glass is mounted onto fronts and housings during assembly manufacturing.
Screen printing
Printing process established since 1966 for signs, advertising boards and stickers.
Digital printing
In use since 1997 for the production of signage and advertising technology.
Flexographic printing
Printing process in the product portfolio of Forster printed products.
Hologram printing
Special printing with tactile elements, in use since 2016.
Sites
Waidhofen/Ybbs
ATHeadquarters; production of traffic technology, advertising technology, object signage, industrial printing, racking
- Materials
- Steel, aluminium, plastics
- Programmable punching and bending centers
- Laser cutting system
- Engraving and milling plotters
- Welding robots for large-scale series
St. Peter/Au
ATProduction site (racking systems, noise protection, supply parts)
- Materials
- Steel, aluminium
- Programmable punching and bending centers
Germany (Arbitec-Forster / Colberg & Forster)
DEInternational site, production/site
France (Samodef-Forster)
FRInternational site
Switzerland (Forster .ch)
CHInternational site
Slovakia (Forster .sk)
SKInternational site
Romania (Forster .ro)
ROInternational site
Components & Products
Inside the production
Industries
Processes & technical limits
| Processes | Tolerance | Max. part | Weight | Lot size | Materials |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Screen printingSurface | – | – | – | – | – |
| Digital printingSurface | – | – | – | – | – |
| Flexographic printingSurface | – | – | – | – | – |
| Hologram printing / special prints with tactile elementsSurface | – | – | – | – | – |
| Laser cuttingMachining | – | – | – | – | Steel, Aluminium |
| programmable punching and bending centersForming | – | – | – | – | Steel, Aluminium |
| Engraving and milling plottersMachining | – | – | – | – | – |
| Welding (welding robots for large-scale series)Joining | – | – | – | – | Steel, Aluminium |
| Tooling and fixture makingEngineering | – | – | – | – | – |
| Plastics processingPlastics | – | – | – | – | Plastics |
| Deep drawing of plastic partsPlastics | – | – | – | – | Plastics |
| CAD-controlled cutting systems (prototypes, pilot series)Machining | – | – | – | – | – |
| Assembly manufacturing / mounting (films, glass, shielding, touch panels on fronts and housings)Assembly | – | – | – | – | Plastics, Glass |
| Converting and precision in convertingAssembly | – | – | – | – | – |
| Chrome plating (surface finishing sourced externally)Surface | – | – | – | – | – |
| Galvanizing (surface finishing sourced externally)Surface | – | – | – | – | – |
| Anodizing (surface finishing sourced externally)Surface | – | – | – | – | Aluminium |
| Powder coating (powder purchased)Surface | – | – | – | – | – |
| Production of embossed signs and traffic signsForming | – | – | – | – | – |
5 Anlagen & Maschinen
| Machine | Manufacturer / model | Quantity | Working area | Year built | Site |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| programmable punching and bending center | – | – | – | – | Waidhofen/Ybbs, St. Peter in der Au |
| Laser cutting system | – | – | – | – | – |
| Engraving and milling plotter | – | – | – | – | – |
| Welding robots for large-scale series | – | – | – | – | – |
| CAD-controlled laser or cutting systems | – | – | – | – | – |
Additional services
Reference customers
Quality
Product quality is confirmed by numerous quality marks. Specific standard certificates are not documented; declarations of performance for traffic technology and noise protection are available in the service area.
| Evidence | Waidhofen/Ybbs | St. Peter/Au |
|---|---|---|
| Quality marks | ||
| ISO 9001 |
Company History
- 1956
Company founded by Franz Forster in the former scythe hammer mill on the Schwarzbach in Waidhofen/Ybbs; production of embossed signs and traffic signs
- 1957
Erika Forster joins the company and leads it together with Franz Forster
- 1966
First screen printing for sign production in Austria; start of advertising boards and stickers
- 1972
First gantry sign bridges installed in Graz, with own personnel and vehicle fleet
- 1976
Revenue reaches 100 million schillings for the first time, with 178 employees
- 1977
Purchase of a facility in St. Peter/Au, launch of the noise barrier division; award of the federal coat of arms
- 1978
Christian Forster joins the company, takes over management in 1992
- 1981
Opening of the company headquarters at Weyrer Straße 135
- 1987
First major order for FOREG racking from the Austrian National Library; expansion of the racking systems division
- 1997
Introduction of digital printing
- 2010
Groundbreaking developments in the field of noise protection
- 2016
Introduction of innovative printing techniques such as hologram printing