FACE TO FACE
SMT wet washer .
vehicles . Mostly , investments are made in a countercyclical cycle for new technology lines and the retrofit of existing press lines and destackers .
We export over 80 % of our production globally . Chinese car manufacturers are building new factories in Europe and elsewhere , and these are new sales opportunities for SMT . Some OEMs in the United States are also building new plants . These are all SMT ´ s long-term customers . We are proud of these relationships , and of our high numbers of installed machines over the last few decades .
SMT final assembly hall .
ISMR : What , in your view , are important industry trends and challenges ? How are you responding to these ?
KK : It is a real challenge for us to find suitable and qualified personnel to expand with and match requirements on different projects . We are always looking to hire experienced and skilled personnel with the relevant machinebuilding experience . We also see , on the customer side , longer periods of decisionmaking and planning horizons .
We keep a sharp eye on global developments and requests for new trends and technologies that are part of customer requirements . As far as I can see , over the last two-three years , specific customer requirements and trends are more focused on maintenance-friendly ( or even maintenanceless ) equipment that is fast and flexible , but also very robust . This is , of course , already part of our philosophy and we have made machine upgrades to match these requirements .
ISMR : Which areas of growth / opportunities can you highlight ?
KK : All our product lines have great potential now and in the future . Growth is not the main aim for us ; we prefer strong and continuous utilisation of our technologies . Growth will then follow in some areas .
In the automotive sector , we have identified the trend of using more and more lightweight materials , such as aluminium for the outer body . This requires new or updated equipment features on our cleaning and spray lubrication machines , like the hot steam cleaning device for the brush belts and integration of additional tank and filter stations for two or more different spray oils , which we can integrate onto new machines or in retrofits of current machines .
ISMR : Which issues are of prime importance for your customers and how are you addressing these issues for them ?
KK : Knowledge , experience and training is decreasing . Our aim is to provide machines with almost a simplified operating experience and less ‘ sensitive ’ machine equipment . For the customer , the equipment must be reliable , robust and very flexible to match different production scenarios . We can help customers with our experience and knowledge of the
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