FACE TO FACE
The C-Gate digitisation IoT Platform enables demand-based management of welding and robot data .
CLOOS Key Figures
1919 Founded by Carl Cloos 820 Employees worldwide 150 million EUR Group revenue 9 Production facilities worldwide 14 Subsidiaries worldwide
64 Sales and service centres worldwide
8.5 Per cent R & D rate , CLOOS Germany
61 Per cent international sales .
44 Apprentices and dual BSc / MSc students , CLOOS Germany
53 Percentage of employees who completed vocational training
Despite the challenges thrown up by COVID-19 , the company did not reduce its development budget or its R & D programme activities . As a result , it now has a range of new products and innovations ready for the upturn . In 2019 / 20 , it also launched a new high-end welding process for thin and medium-sized sheet metal material .
This new product and process portfolio also includes a significant new digital IoT ( Internet of Things ) development , started in 2018 and ready for market in 2020 , called the C-Gate . This modular digitisation platform enables demand-based management of welding and robot data . With the integrated information and communication tool , users can now visualise the performance of their welding machines and robot systems , localise shortages and increase the efficiency of their welding production . In short , individually networked welding production for Industry 4.0 requirements .
“ It ’ s important to increase our product offerings ,” continued Pittner . “ As a machine builder and solutions supplier for the welding industry , we need to offer digital functionalities to customers . This means
With headquarters in Haiger ( Germany ), the company boasts nine production sites , 14 subsidiaries and 64 sales and service centres
offline teaching and system programming , full digital system monitoring and taking action to increase the OEE ( Overall Equipment Efficiency ) rate . This will become increasingly important for us , and our customers , in the future .”
Markets and customers
COVID-19 impacted CLOOS orders in Q2 and Q3 last year , but a positive fourth quarter was reported for the company . Around 8 % of its turnover was hit last year . With travel restrictions in place , and unable to travel to finalise orders / installations , it relied on Skype and Zoom meetings online for its teams and customers . It also ran online webinars for customers and dealers and launched a virtual showroom .
CLOOS customers are split geographically ( one third in Germany , one third in Europe and one third across rest of the world ). However , CLOOS registered strong demand from the Asian market last year ( particularly in China ) and now has a 40 % market share in Asia . The European market , it told ISMR , is recovering more slowly from the pandemic than the U . S . market ( 8 % market share ), which has spent a lot on infrastructure ( a key industry sector for CLOOS ).
“ The business climate is very good for us right now and we have a high order intake . By the end of this year , we expect our order intake to have increased by 20 % on our last record year . Turnover will be over 150 million euros in the current year – this is an all-time high figure . There has been a strong demand for automated welding machines , particularly because of the global welder shortage ,” explained Sieghard Thomas , CLOOS CEO .
“ Investment is starting again . People are looking for machines that are easy to operate and program , and available for efficient onepiece flow . We are also seeing an increased need for automation – customers don ’ t just want welding now , they want automated part handling / transfer , automated feeds etc . We expect this high order intake pattern to continue into next year ,” he added .
Key industry sectors for CLOOS include agricultural / earth-moving machinery ; infrastructure ; construction and transportation . Automotive is a much smaller sector ( mainly for spot welding or special part welding ).
“ We are trying to grow our market share in the infrastructure industry , such as steel construction for buildings and bridges etc . This is one of our targets for the next few years , and we are focusing our R & D also on easy programming for our machines as well as onepiece flow solutions ,” said Stephan Pittner .
Trends and directions
The demand for highly complex , chained production systems is constantly growing . CLOOS customers increasingly want to integrate solutions for automated welding technology with upstream and downstream processes , such as grinding , in a production line .
With this in mind , CLOOS recently developed the new QIROX robot QRC- 30 / 45 / 60-PL and added it to its robot portfolio . The robot has a high load capacity for a wide range of applications . In combination with grinding applications from FerRobotics , the QRC-30 / 45 / 60-PL offers a wide range of possibilities for different areas of application . Whether it is the compact eccentric grinding solution ( AOK Active Orbital Kit ) for surface treatment and preparation , the AAK Active Angular Kit for deburring and grinding with an angle grinder or the ABG Active Belt Grinder for grinding , polishing and deburring using a belt grinder - users can choose between different end-of-arm tools from FerRobotics for their individual task .
Turnover will be over 150 million euros in the current year – this is an all-time high figure
ISMR September 2021 | sheetmetalplus . com | 19