Ringspann

Source: Manufacturing Digital

Date :12/06/2008 15:44:07

Despite uncertain economic conditions in the manufacturing industry, Ringspann has no reservations about embracing the 21st Century. Exec learns more

Written by Gary Chambers and Produced by Rahim Ali

Founded in 1944, German-based power transmission and workholding technology manufacturer Ringspann has since grown to cover countries the whole world over, reaching customers all across Europe, North America, Africa and Asia. With manufacturing subsidiaries in Germany, France, the UK, India, Spain, Switzerland, the USA and China, the company is well positioned to assert itself as an industry leader, working in the aerospace, automotive and machine tool markets. UK operations began in 1970, with a plant established in Bedford specialising particularly in the manufacture of freewheel components. Over the last 38 years, the UK base has grown to boast annual turnover of £2.5 million, with the parent group as a whole hitting a figure of €50 million per annum. And things look set to get better.

The company’s product portfolio is wide-reaching, with standard and bespoke products available including a number of freewheel technology components, braking components, torque and force limiters, couplings, clamps and shaft-to-hub connections, all meeting the standards set out by Ringspann’s ISO 9001 compliant quality system. While all products are available to order, the company actually sells many of its standard, batch issue products via online auction site eBay.

Recent developments at the company have come under the guidance and leadership of general manager Paul Woolmer, who boasts 21 years experience in the industry, including three years at the top of Ringspann. Since his appointment in 2005, a number of changes have come to fruition, including the growth and increasing influence of online conferencing and an increased reliance on telecommunications. Nevertheless, the company has taken solid steps to embrace these changes, taking effect on an industry-wide scale.

Faith in technology

The last decade has witnessed an extended period of investment and improvement for the company, Ringspann putting both feet firmly in the 21st Century with a number of technological enhancements. A €2 million investment in new machinery has importantly been followed by the announcement that the company is set to advance on ploughing money and research into a new CAD/CAM system.

CAD/CAM (Computer Aided Design and Manufacturing), although a fixture in the manufacturing process since the early 1960s, has witnessed a boom in recent years, attributed to the greater cost-efficiency of technology and the greater interaction and collaboration that computer based communications allows. Particularly important in the design and testing phases, CAD/CAM allows for full-scale cost effective simulation without waste or unnecessarily expended hours. Additionally the exponential surge in possible computing power results in an ever-growing list of applications for CAD/CAM technology. Ringspann expects to fully integrate this technology within the next few years, which should see the company further its growth as it progresses strongly in the bespoke and standard product markets. This is coupled with ongoing improvements to the manufacturing processes at the company through continual updates to the manufacturing technology, allowing for greater production capacity.

A dedication to investment, both in technological processes and in people, has proved massively beneficial for the company, which has seen growth in the region of ten percent every year for the last five years. This was further boosted by the acquisition of one of its major competitors, VP Technik, last year, cementing Ringspann’s position as a leader in the industry.

Economic slowdown

In recent months, industries, markets and sectors have all faced a slowdown thanks to the weakened US dollar and skyrocketing crude oil prices, and UK manufacturing is no exception. Firms nationwide have reported thinning sales figures with supply far outstripping the demand, with orders from the automotive industry among the hardest hit of all. And the demand has been further dented by concern over exchange rates.

So with the global economy facing an uncertain future, any manufacturing company could be forgiven for slashing its investment, slashing its research and development, and focusing purely on keeping its head above water. But Ringspann has taken a different approach to this. With the extended investment and commitment to up-to-the-minute technologies, the company is making clear and concerted efforts to futureproof itself and protect its assets and people. Unconventional it may seem, but with the economic recession causing so much of the industry to retreat and close up, it will be the ones who take the risk and push on regardless that come out on top.