nnovativeness and the ability to
invest are two key factors in the de-
velopment and success of a company.
How much attention the SCHERDEL-
Group devotes to these characteristics
is demonstrated by the development of
its production facilities in the Czech
town of Bor. Extensive structural work
and restructuring of the production
processes ensure the foundations are
in place for further growth. The
SCHERDEL plant in Bor is also a hub
of knowledge for other production facili-
ties within the Group. For instance, the
know-how transfer framework has seen
U.S. SCHERDEL staff receive knowl-
edge and skills on valve production,
and the training of new employees for
the Group’s plant in Mexico; thus pro-
viding access to the experience, knowl-
edge and resources of a global net-
work. A growing sector for manufactur-
ing technology in Bor is electromobility
components. Special attention was
therefore paid to cleanliness while re-
structuring organisational processes,
technology and logistics. Furthermore,
these developments have brought with
them a whole host of new manufactur-
ing technologies which will be specified
in more detail in the next edition of
SCHERDELnews.
The new building in Bor has already
been inaugurated and offers over 3,600
square metres of floor space.
SCHERDEL produces the so-called
“long compression spring” for electric
spindle drives at its Czech plant. At
present, the production process for this
product still has to be interrupted, as
the springs are coated in Marktredwitz.
The plans for the new building, based
on continuous production principles,
took into account that the spring coat-
ing procedures will soon be executed
“locally” in Bor. The required workshop
has already been constructed and set
up for a state-of-the-art dip-spin coating
machine. A high emphasis was placed
on environmental sustainability during
the recent construction work. Oil
vapours generated during the produc-
tion process pass through special filters
to ensure only completely purified air is
released into the atmosphere. Cutting-
edge LED lights have been fitted
throughout the facility to guarantee bet-
ter lighting and reduced energy costs.
An additional 5,000 square metre area
is also available for possible expansion
of the plant in the future. The offices of
the administrative staff are also being
relocated to a new area. This will then
provide rooms for entertaining and ac-
commodating Group employees who,
as part of their work, spend an extend-
ed period of time at the manufacturing
location. SCHERDEL employees in the
Czech Republic can soon look forward
to spacious staff amenity rooms and
the latest office technology: a cellular
network and WiFi are already available
throughout.
8
SERVICE CENTRE –
LOCATIONS
– TECHNOLOGY & PRODUCT DEVELOPMENT – NEWS AND INFORMATION
COMPANY NEWS
Restructuring based on the
I
SCHERDEL’s plant in Bor fit for the future after exte
SCHERDEL overseas staff receive regular training in Bor.
Bor uses LPA
The SCHERDEL plant in
Bor has introduced a new
quality assurance process –
the Layered Process Audit
(LPA) – which will help to en-
sure process standards are
met and adhered to. The LPA
is a tool that effectively uses
checklists to guarantee com-
pliance with planned produc-
tion steps by carrying out a
set of audits, assessments
and communication directly at
the workplace. The audit re-
sults are displayed visually on
a LPA board providing all the
employees and managers in-
volved in the process with a
better understanding and in-
creased clarity about the
process. The LPAs are imple-
mented by various levels of
management (layers) in line
with a specified schedule.
This ensures that every
process is examined carefully
from various perspectives.
The ultimate goal is to elimi-
nate human errors, create
high-performance process
standards and reduce scrap
and rejections. The relevant
employees are targeted and
motivated to become involved
in improvement proposals.
The high frequency of audit-
ing helps to detect faults and
find their root cause as early
as possible. It is particularly
important that the LPA check-
lists not only focus on cus-
tomer requirements, but also
take the actual challenges of
a production process into ac-
count. This method is sure to
become increasingly popular
with German companies now
that a number of major auto-
motive manufacturers and
suppliers in the U.S. demand
its use and the LPA has re-
ceived official approval from
the Automotive Industry Ac-
tion Group (AIAG). It is in this
context, too, that the
SCHERDELGroup is once
again assuming a pioneering
role.
(ez/dk)
