Excellence rewarded Daimler

Exact Systems: with partners exactly about quality

Paweł Gos, president of the board at Exact Systems:

Many people ask me a question, where did we get this business idea from. Well, during the investment boom in the motor industry, we identified an unfilled niche. In the car-manufacturing sector, stopping the production line, amongst others, because of wrong parts needed to assembly a given model of a car, equates to major costs for the production factory. In these situations companies must react quickly and cooperated with reliable partners in order to keep the continuity of production. This is confirmed by the results of this year’s edition of our satisfaction and client opinion survey, which show that nearly half of all companies in the motor sector outsources quality control. As reasons for doing this they mention cost reduction, time saving and specialism of the outsourcing company in this particular area of operations.

We offer quality control support to our partners, that is, selection, repair and sorting of parts, components and ready products, and the list of benefits resulting from cooperation with us extends beyond ad-hoc activities. First of all, as an external partner we ensure complex service associated with conscious quality control of the production process. It happens very often that the results of our work become the first detailed analysis of defects in production, which, as every type of irregularity from the norm, needs to be described and then eliminated. Secondly, the work carried out by our quality controllers allows suppliers to avoid massive costs associated with erroneously completed client orders. It is also important that as a company specialising in quality control, we actively take part in the process of development of suppliers and mobilising them to improve the quality of their production. This eventually directly translates into providing quality specification-compliant parts to the manufacturing line.

I would also like to stress that currently Exact Systems operates already on eight European markets. We have our representation offices in Poland, Czech Republic, Slovakia, Germany, Russia, Turkey and Great Britain. At the same time we carry out talks associated with subsequent investments in new markets, including in China, Brazil and the US. We can see that they are very promising markets and that the control of motor industry parts there is still an attractive and unfilled niche.

Schmittenberg Metallwerke

Schmittenberg Metallwerke in Wuppertal (Germany) and Szczecin (Poland) is a leading metal forming company in Europe with more than 80 year experience.

We supply Gedia among others with a seat rail mounting, where the integrated thread neck constitutes an significant role for passengers safety.

Our customers are well known car manufacturers and their suppliers. Our main competence is manufacturing of sheet metal forming parts with integrated, high strength thread neck.

Our products meet all high safety and quality requirements of the world wide automotive industry and other branches.

Schmittenberg is a future oriented, efficient, highly specialized company in metal forming.

Around 160 Mio parts are supplied per year from both plants to our satisfied customers.

The quality and environmental management is certified according ISO/TS 16949 andISO 14001.

Our acting is based on sustainability with the aim of maximum customer satisfaction.

It is still our target to act flexible and quick to the prompts of the market, to convince our long lasting customers daily of our efficiency, to get new customers and to grow continuous.

MAZEL M.H. Mazurkiewicz sp.j.

We have been operating in the electrical power industry since 1987. We started as an electric installation company, employing five electrical fitters. At present we provide comprehensive services connected with electric installations, industrial automation, prefabricated distribution boards and the commercial power industry, employing more than 200 workers. The experience gained through all those years has strengthened us as a team, showed us how to achieve high quality standards when rendering services and enabled us to open new markets.

Thanks to our consistency and experience, in 2004 we were awarded an ISO and SCC certificate. We employ top-class specialists. We care about our employees and promote their development. For several years we have been executing the largest projects in the region, cooperating with renowned companies and institutions in Poland and abroad. We have been awarded many distinctions and awards for our achievements. And, most importantly, we have created a company based on solid pillars – comprehensiveness, competence and creativity. We can say with full conviction and responsibility, fulfilling our mission every day, that we are a partner worth cooperating with.

range of technology when it comes to forming and assembling parts. Our experts cooperate with clients from an early project stage and are able to suggest solutions. A large range of technologies allows us to choose the proper service matched exactly to our customers’ needs, the one that specifically takes their needs and preferences into account.”

Other projects

The company is constantly evolving. Recently, it has signed two new contracts for the construction of body components for BMW’s new electric cars. The first one concerns the under the seat part of the floor for the BMW i3 model, and the other is for the entire rear end of the latest BMW i8, which is entirely made of aluminium. It required the introduction of laser welding, a completely new technology for the treatment of metal. Moreover, it also requires employees to wear cotton gloves in order to maintain total purity.

In 2015, the company will start another, equally complex project for GM, which is manufacturing the control arms for the Opel Astra 5. It will be the first movable part produced in the history of the Group.

“When we started our operation in 2009 we only had one customer, which was GM. In 2014 we are developing cooperation with an increasing number of partners, including Skoda, Volkswagen, BMW, GM and Audi. For the last we will manufacture parts for the upcoming Q7 model”, explains Mr. Marcinek.

Suppliers carefully selected

“All of our suppliers are selected very carefully. We continuously assess them and together try to solve any possible problems. Most deliveries come from the companies that belong to the GEDIA Group, mainly from our neighbouring GPL1 production unit in Nowa Sol as well as from other German plants, while aluminium is purchased from as far as Ireland”, says Mr. Marcinek. “Among our most important suppliers are MAZEL M.H. Mazurkiewicz sp.j., UTP united-turned-parts GmbH & Co. KG Metalltechnik, EXACT SYTEMS Sp. z o.o., SCHMITTENBERG GmbH & Co. KG, UTKiM K.OSTASZEWSKI and LEWA Attendorn GmbH.”

“Apart from manufacturing suppliers we have a number of business partners who work with us in other areas, for example the local authorities from Nowa Sol, with whom cooperation is very successful. Also worth mentioning is the technology park which was created in Nowa Sol precisely to help businesses located in this special economic zone. We also receive a great deal of help from the Organization of Lubusz Land Employers”, says Mr. Marcinek. n

www.gedia.com

We are the strong and reliable partner of the Gedia Group for turned-, milled- and cold forged parts.

Please visit our website we are looking forward to future business relationships with you.

utp Metalltechnik GmbH & Co KG An der Tumpe 5 D-58791 Werdohl / Dresel T: +49 (0)2392-50229-0 F: +49 (0)2392-50229-15 E: info@utp-metalltechnik.de

EXCELLENCE REWARDED

In every aspect of Daimler AG’s operations, excellence comes as standard. The company’s unrivalled design and manufacturing capabilities are complemented by the dedication of its key suppliers. The vital contribution made by Daimler’s leading suppliers has helped the company to achieve on-going record-breaking results, with more than half a million vehicles sold in the first four months of this year alone. Philip Yorke takes a closer look at Daimler’s remarkable performance and the suppliers behind the scenes who have excelled in their field.

While other major automotive manufacturers struggle to maintain their market share, Daimler has been posting double digit growth for the last ten months with sales increasing in all regions of the world. Today the company is seeing particularly strong growth in Europe, USA and China. The global demand for its top-of-the-range ‘dream cars’ such as the latest S-63 AMG Coupe, is also seeing unprecedented growth.

“We are posting double-digit percentage growth in sales for the tenth consecutive month, due in part to the great success of the new C-Class” said Ola Kallenius, Member of the Divisional Board Mercedes-Benz Cars and responsible for marketing and sales. “Our

strong growth in April shows that we continue to be on the right course and are winning new customers for our brand worldwide”.

In addition, the company’s flagship range, the S-Class, sold over 8,200 units in April this year which represents a 100 per cent increase on the same month last year. In fact, the Mercedes-Benz S-Class has been the best-selling luxury car in the world for many years.

However, it is not only Daimler’s car division which is seeing strong growth. Daimler Trucks also saw its unit sales increase by 7 per cent in the first three months of this year alone, with seven new trucks being launched in the first quarter. This is guaranteed to strengthen yet further the strong position of Daimler’s truck division. Mercedes-Benz Vans were also top performers in the first three months of this year, with overall sales 16 per cent higher than they were this time last year. Sales momentum is also expected to continue with its new Citan panel van as well as the new Vito model.

The Daimler Bus division also grew significantly in the first quarter of this year with an increase in sales of over 11 per cent, thus helping to endorse its leadership position for buses in the 8 tons and over sector.

Outstanding suppliers make their mark

Earlier this year in Stuttgart, Germany, Daimler AG recognised its best suppliers for their individual contributions on the occasion of its annual supplier conference. As in previous years Daimler AG honoured twelve outstanding companies who all received awards in various categories. In addition, a special award