Miloslav Kafka: We have been developing new driving units for unmanned aerial vehicles, but also new alloys with longer durability

The Internet television Televize Seznam recently invited Mr. Miloslav Kafka, Executive Director of PBS Group, to the studio at Burzovní palác. He discussed current trends with the Byznys Lab magazine. PBS delivers diverse products; it is a traditional manufacturer of power equipment as well as a leading European precision casting foundry. However, the aviation technologies segment is currently its flagship. In this day and age aviation has great potential, due to the growing interest in unmanned flying.
Miloslav Kafka: We have been developing new driving units for unmanned aerial vehicles, but also new alloys with longer durability

První Brněnská Strojírna (First Brno Engineering Works, PBS) operates in many areas. However, according to Mr. Miloslav Kafka, the aviation segment has the greatest potential at the moment. Not by chance, PBS completed development of two new jet engines last year, designed to a large extent for unmanned aerial vehicles (UAV). These are the PBS TJ80 and PBS TJ150 created by demanding structural modifications of the PBS TJ100 engine. The result is a higher thrust jet engine while maintaining the weight and diameter of the weaker version.

Customized modifications

Complete development and production of aviation engines is being performed under one roof in Velká Bíteš. Thanks to this fact, PBS has a competitive advantage in various individual custom modifications. For example, this year, PBS will complete the modification of the PBS TJ100P jet engine, which is the version of the PBS TJ100 without the oil system. Lower weight and price are the advantages of the oil-free version, which is lubricated using oil in the fuel. “We hold the entire production process on our own, which is appreciated by customers. We are continually working on improving the existing products and developing new ones. Every customer pushes us through our own requirements further and further, “Miloslav Kafka said in the interview with Television Seznam. Designers at PBS are also working on a "marine" version of these engines. “They will be designed in special way so that they can be used in the marine environment. The engine will then be reusable even after landing in salt water, provided that the specified engine clean-up procedure is followed,” added Mr. Kafka.

Unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) trend

Interest in PBS engines goes hand in hand with the interest in small flying vehicles and unmanned flying. It is a worldwide trend and therefore it is necessary for the manufacturer to have its affiliates worldwide. “It is important to get information about customers. Our business cannot be done while sitting at the table; we need to be in direct contact with the customers. We need to find out their needs and guide them (in many cases) because they do not know our products in such detailed ways as to be able to say they want a particular variant with given parameters,” explained Mr. Kafka. In fact, PBS supplies a finished product in the box but also the solution. In addition, customers require support, service and spare parts for years. “It is not that a particular version or modification of the engine convinces our customers; this is about the ability to modify our product to suit their specific requirements,” added Mr. Kafka.

Cooperation with the Academy of Sciences of the Czech Republic

PBS invests considerable funds in continuous development and innovation, not just in new design solutions. An example is the cooperation with the Institute of the Physics of Materials of the Academy of Sciences of the Czech Republic in solving grant projects which mainly involve research on new materials and material analysis. “In the area of ​​material analyses, the Academy of Sciences of the Czech Republic has sufficient possibilities and equipment that we unfortunately do not have. We can work on developing alloys with better operational technical parameters,” said Mr. Kafka, adding that the so-called defibrator heads for the production of fibreglass may be mentioned; the PBS Precision Casting Division managed to increase their service life.

You can listen to the whole interview with Mr. Miloslav Kafka right here: Aircraft engine costs as much as a luxury car. We profit from the interest in unmanned flying, says the manager of the engineering holding.