Bäcker – a specialist for plastic standard parts
02 December 2015
Amongst the picturesque hills and valleys on the edge of the Sauerland, in the south eastern part of North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany, you will find the modern facility of Bäcker GmbH & Co KG – a specialist in producing plastic control elements, screws, nuts and washers similar to DIN, as well as customised plastic parts for customers globally.
Based in the Jägersgrund industrial estate in Erndtebrück-Schameder, Bäcker’s premises have gone through a series of expansions since the company was established in 1977. Most recently the production and storage areas were extended and doubled in 2000, and a new administration and distribution centre was built in 2013.
“As the demand for our products has grown, it was necessary to expand,” explains Gerhard Bäcker, founder and general manager at Bäcker GmbH & Co KG. “We have always grown the business organically and ensured that our production hall includes the latest machining technology to meet demand as it increases.”
Bäcker has over twenty-four of the latest generation modern and fully automatic ARBURG injection moulding machines. Machine sizes ranging from 250kN to 2,750kN enable the company to supply a wide range of injection moulded products, weighing between 1g and 600g.
“The aim of our production department is to be precise and modern,” explains Gerhard. “Thanks to the experience and professional expertise we have within the company, we are able to process high performance polymers, engineering thermoplastics, and bulk plastics, to make advanced injection moulded parts.”
In addition, Bäcker is able to supply hybrid solutions combining both plastic and metal; manufacture inexpensive products with internal and external thread; as well as products according to drawing. The company produces 24/7, with all the machines connected online via the ARBURG host computing system (ALS) – making it possible to monitor production anywhere within the business.
“By monitoring the machines we can see everything that we need, including which machines are running and how long it is going to take to produce a particular batch,” mentions Alena Wied, marketing manager at Bäcker GmbH & Co KG and daughter of Gerhard. “We have made a huge investment in the machinery recently and are currently in the process of introducing new machines that are more energy efficient and faster. This will help us improve our productivity and efficiency, whilst continuing to produce high-quality products.”
Bäcker’s product range splits into four key lines: PlacoGrip® – a wide range of control elements that includes clamping levers, tension levers, index bolts and blocking handles; PlacoTec® – plastic standard elements such as screws, nuts, washers and spacer rolls; PlacoCap® – plastic protective elements such as hexagonal protecting caps, protecting plugs, ribbed plugs and caps; as well as PlacoEngineering – where Bäcker works closely with customers on design solutions.
“The PlacoEngineering line has become a key part of the business,” explains Gerhard. “First class products start with first class advice on the right design, construction, and choice of materials, in order to find what is most compatible with plastic and to develop the optimum part geometry for a product. The experienced and skilled specialists in our team mean that we are able to support customers at every stage of their project – from design and planning right through to series production.”
Alena adds: “We liaise closely with our customers to devise innovative solutions made of plastic. Functionality, ergonomics and design are all key factors in this process. We also take account of required plastic process tolerances in our manufacturing work and can produce 3D CAD designs.”
Through FEM calculations, injection moulding simulations, and distortion simulations, Bäcker is able to optimise the part geometry right at the beginning of the development phase and to factor in compatibility with plastics. “It is possible to run through a wide and diverse range of prototyping processes ahead of the actual tool manufacture and to produce samples made of original material in readiness for series production,” says Gerhard.
For its tooling, Bäcker collaborates with a pool of business partners from the tool making industry, which are equipped to meet the company’s requirements and enable it to work efficiently on tool projects and meet deadlines. “Having the right tooling is very important and we make sure that we work with the very best injection mould manufacturers to guarantee the quality of our products for customers around the world,” states Alena.
Bäcker mainly supplies to the European market, but is able to provide products globally due to the reliability of its logistics. “We are always making improvements to our order processing system in order to speed up procedures, increase efficiency and meet deadlines,” points out Gerhard. “We use the latest information technology to guarantee flawless product distribution and data processing along the entire logistics chain.”
In its standard range Bäcker has over 5,000 products in a total of 23,000 different designs and dimensions, which can be delivered immediately or at short notice. “Producing in Germany means that we can be very flexible and we can react immediately to any needs, which is very important,” says Alena. “In addition to our headquarters in Germany, we have a warehouse in Poland – set up in 1998 – which is our distribution centre for eastern Europe. It is perfectly located to supply customers in eastern Europe and provide after sales support.”
“We focus on direct and regular contact with customers,” mentions Gerhard. “We look to create a partnership with our customers and ensure that our sales team have been trained to understand customers’ needs and to provide a first class service. It is only by creating a partnership that we can guarantee that we are supplying the products they need now and in the future.”
The company is currently working on the production of plastic screws with a six-spline drive, which is to be launched in January 2016 – enabling Bäcker to offer its customers an even more extensive product portfolio.
This commitment to provide customers with support and solutions has enabled Bäcker to establish itself as a leading supplier of control elements and plastics parts. Through its PlacoEngineering service the company is also able to work with customers on ideas and innovations – using its experience and knowledge, as well as modern and precise injection moulding machines, to create a variety of plastic solutions.
Gerhard concludes: “The plastics market is a growing market, and there is keen interest in our products and their capabilities. Plastic products offer multiple benefits to customers. They are lightweight, offer good insulation/non conductive, have a high heat resistance, and are available in a variety of different materials, colours and sizes – giving customers as much flexibility as possible. There are now high performance plastics, such as Grivory, which can partially replace metal fastenings with regard to the strength. Therefore fastenings made from plastic become a real alternative to metal in many areas.”
