Expansion of the machinery fleet across all areas of the company

Over the past two years, the COVID-19 pandemic has posed enormous challenges for the global economy and, consequently, for German industry as well. The pandemic’s global economic impact is still being felt, but at Werner Schmid, the company is already setting the course for the future once again. Constantly growing demands for component diversity, as well as for the company’s capacity, have always ensured steady growth in its manufacturing divisions. This remains true even in the third year of the COVID-19 pandemic, which is why Werner Schmid is investing in the machinery across all production areas.

In plastics processing, less than 12 months had passed since the last machine order was placed before another one was initiated. The latest addition to our machinery in plastics processing is a fully automatic servo-hydraulic injection molding machine from Arburg. It has a clamping force of 4,000 kN, complementing our existing machines, which range from 3,500 kN to 5,000 kN. The machine was purchased in response to rising customer demand and was delivered at the end of 2021. In addition, two more injection molding machines were ordered in quick succession last year: one machine to expand capacity in two-component injection molding and a 2,800 kN standard injection molding machine for our regular machine fleet. Both machines will be delivered in the first quarter of 2022 and put into operation shortly thereafter.

In metal processing, the feeding department is an area that hasn’t needed expansion in a long time — which makes it all the more gratifying that we will be putting a new press into operation for our feeding/progressive die production in the first quarter of 2022. The automatic punch press from ebu Umformtechnik has a rated force of 2,000 kN and table dimensions of approximately 1,600 mm x 1,000 mm. This machine also serves to expand the capacity of our existing production facilities. If you would like more information about our progressive die production, please feel free to contact us.

Last but not least, a new investment for our toolmaking department is also underway: an HSC milling machine from the manufacturer Röders. This is a replacement investment for our existing machinery; delivery is also scheduled for the first quarter of 2022.

However, we are not only investing in our machinery but also in the neighboring buildings acquired in 2018 to secure our location. These are already being used as warehouses, and a connecting corridor to improve internal logistics is currently under construction. Major renovation work is planned for the current year to bring the buildings up to the standard of our other production facilities. This primarily concerns fire safety and energy efficiency in the largest building on the premises.