New competence center officially opened in Tianjin
Inside Komax
Last week the time had finally arrived: Komax and Schleuniger's new Center of Competence in Tianjin was officially opened. Rene Scheurer, Vice President Center of Competence China, and his team welcomed the invited guests with a big celebration including a traditional lion dance and a few surprises. We wanted to know from him what the new production site in the Xue Fu Industrial Zone is all about and why it is a flagship project. And, of course, we also provide you with a review in pictures here.
With the ceremonial opening of the new production site in Tianjin, Komax and Schleuniger are sending a strong signal for innovation, customer proximity and social responsibility in China. The competence center, a state-of-the-art building covering 6700 square meters in the Xue Fu industrial zone, is a sight to behold: It presents itself with radio frequency identification systems (RFID) for automated material replenishment in the warehouses, digitalized logistics with an automated ordering as well as Automated Guided Vehicle (AGV) system, a closed test facility to increase testing efficiency and social rooms for female production employees.
The invited guests were welcomed with the traditional lion dance in front of the entrance to the competence center, which is located not far from the former Schleuniger site and within the same industrial zone. The reception was followed by welcoming speeches from high-ranking representatives, including Swiss Ambassador Jürg Burri, a factory tour during which the ultra-modern production lines could be seen up close, the unveiling of the new Twister production line, souvenir photos, various surprises and numerous culinary delights with Chinese and Western specialties.
Social responsibility as a guiding principle
However, the new competence center in Tianjin not only boasts state-of-the-art production facilities: Komax and Schleuniger also attach great importance to being a responsible employer in China. The working conditions at the Tianjin site are based on the Komax Group's high global standards. In addition to maternity and paternity leave as well as a five-day week, the approximately 80 employees benefit from extensive social benefits, employee protection and attractive additional advantages. Home office options, free meals, health checks and supplementary insurance are just some of the benefits that make the site an attractive employer in the region.
However, the new competence center is also attractive in terms of sustainability. Automatic light switch-off systems to reduce energy consumption, demand-controlled water heating and recycled cardboard boxes that are used as filling material instead of plastic when shipping spare parts are just some of the initiatives that Rene Scheurer, Vice President Center of Competence China, has implemented. We wanted to know from him personally what other measures he and his team have taken to attract attention locally.
With the opening of the new competence center in Tianjin, the Komax Group has taken a further step in optimizing its organizational structure. How do customers benefit from the new center?
Our new location, where we are renting, represents a milestone in terms of the transformation we are currently undergoing in China. We have pooled our knowledge and expanded the team with new resources and expertise, resulting in a significant increase in efficiency. A production site for entry-level machines has become a state-of-the-art competence center where complex products for the Asian market are manufactured and configured to customer specifications. This includes, for example, the Sigma twisting machine, which is manufactured entirely in Tianjin, as well as the wire assembly machines of the Omega and Zeta series, which are configured on site according to customer-specific requirements.
Thanks to the fact that we now manufacture these products locally, we can react much faster and more flexibly to the needs and wishes of our customers. And, of course, they also receive machines and solutions much earlier than before. What's more, it is now possible for customers to take a look inside our production facility. Incidentally, it is designed for a clean, efficient workflow with short throughput times, thanks to a newly developed workflow and lean concept.
The new production site will also manufacture the products that used to come from Shanghai as well as those from the former Schleuniger site in Tianjin. What effort lies behind the competence center?
Combining expertise and know-how as well as relocating various departments from Shanghai to Tianjin was a challenge. The two locations had different systems, different design tools and different processes that had to be brought together. In addition, the engineering team had to be consolidated and expanded. We thus brought employees from Shanghai to Tianjin for standard product training and various specialists from Komax headquarters in Dierikon, Switzerland, arrived to pass on all their knowledge of the Omega, Zeta, Sigma and crimp-to-crimp machines. In terms of knowledge transfer, we have gone to great lengths to ensure that the quality of our machines and solutions can be guaranteed without exception.
From the outset, the prerequisite was to always be able to deliver and to support our customers as usual despite internal changes. And we managed to do that. Not only well, but also quickly and efficiently with regard to the entire process, just as it is normal in China. We had our first kick-off meeting in July 2024, the first Shanghai products were produced in Tianjin in September, and all systems were merged by the end of 2024.
The new competence center was created with the environment in mind. Please tell us more.
Both out of personal conviction and in line with the Komax Group's ESG goals, it was clear to me from the outset that if something new was to be created, it had to be sustainable. So, I analyzed our building structures, conducted research, contacted suppliers and finally confronted the owner of the industrial park with my ideas. In a nutshell: he not only jumped on the bandwagon, but he also actively supported us.
In addition to smaller measures such as double-glazed windows, we installed fans throughout the building to bring in cool, fresh air at night and cool down the structures. This enables us to reduce the energy consumption caused by the use of air conditioning systems. In the assembly workshops, we can even do without them altogether. But the best part is saved for the last: a 600-kilowatt solar system has been installed on our roof, which produces 700 megawatts of electricity every year. Significantly more than we consume. System and installation free of charge.
Free of charge? How can that be?
We have negotiated with both the owner of the industrial park and the solar system provider. The latter benefits from the system by being able to feed in and thus sell on the electricity we don't need. Of course, we also pay him for our consumption, but at a preferential price that is lower than the normal grid tariff. The owner of the industrial park, on the other hand, can advertise with a state-of-the-art building and has concluded a contract with the provider of solar systems. Not least because the industrial park can be made attractive to other Western European and US companies thanks to our flagship project. Our site now looks really representative. You can see from the outside that it is home to an international high-tech company.