SCHNORR GmbH recently moved into a new administration building and production hall in Sindelfingen, Germany – enabling the pioneer in disc spring applications to take the next step in its development.
Costing a combined €6 million the new administration building and production hall are on the same site SCHNORR® has been based since the mid 1950s. “The focus was the production hall,” explains Benjamin Buchfink, marketing coordinator at SCHNORR GmbH. “It was vital to help the company modernise and also streamline the production processes. The new production hall is a lot bigger and we have been able to add some new equipment and machines – including new heat treatment and phosphating lines. This has enabled us to improve the efficiency of the overall production and we still have some space to develop further and introduce new machinery in the future.”
SCHNORR manufactures around 1,000 tonnes of finished products, which corresponds to 140 million parts – including a wide standard range of disc springs, as well as numerous special sizes and customised solutions. Other products include safety washers, load washers, as well as stamped, moulded and fine-blanked parts.
SCHNORR also produces automotive parts – supplying automotive tier 1 and tier 2 suppliers – and has been certified in accordance with ISO/TS 16949:2009. Benjamin points out: “We strive to be our customers’ preferred development partner, especially in the automotive sector, and we have recently introduced key account managers so we can work closely with customers to supply the solutions they need.”
100 years of quality
Since it was established over 100 years ago, the quality of its products has been a cornerstone of SCHNORR’s development. “As a German manufacturer, the reputation for quality is always very important and we are renowned for our manufacturing capability,” states Benjamin. “Providing high-quality products, and guaranteeing engineering competence, is becoming more important in order to comply with the increasing demands of customers regarding precision and reliability. At SCHNORR we look to become a partner of choice for customers and create products and services that add value.”
To be among the best, SCHNORR is committed to continuously developing its skills and capabilities. This applies not only to the technical equipment and the optimisation of its processes but also to its staff’s qualifications and additional skills. “The basis for our constant growth is the commitment, the knowledge, and the passion, of our employees, which our customers around the globe have come to greatly appreciate,” explains Benjamin. “The entire SCHNORR team is committed to the most important corporate objective – customer satisfaction, which we provide in a highly motivated and performance orientated manner.”
A key factor in ensuring customer satisfaction, and the highest quality products, is the transfer of the knowledge and the expertise throughout the organisation – especially in the tool making shop, where product knowledge is essential to meet the stringent quality demands. “Ensuring the knowledge transfer is crucial,” says Benjamin. “That is why for the last 50 years SCHNORR has run an apprenticeship system, fostering the expertise and knowledge of our products and passing it on to the next generation.”
Current apprenticeship roles include industrial management assistant, warehouse logistics specialist, mechatronic technician, industrial mechanic and toolmaker.
Reaching new markets
Headquartered in Germany, SCNHORR supplies customers around the world and has subsidiaries in the USA, Spain, Mexico, Italy, France, South Korea and China. “Our subsidiaries let us be closer to our customers,” adds Benjamin. “We can react quickly to customers’ needs and ensure we are providing the products they need when they need them.”
SCHNORR also has more than 25 sales partners, in specific locations all over the world, that have territorial exclusivity. “This year we have experienced good sales in Europe, as well as in the USA,” reports Benjamin. “Asia is always difficult because the local businesses can sometimes be focused too much on cost. However, we have European customers that have operations in Asia and we supply them.”
To reach even further, SCHNORR has also launched a new version of its website, which includes a lot more technical information. “We needed to modernise the website and make it responsive to different platforms,” mentions Benjamin. “We also wanted to improve our knowledge transfer with our customers and provide them with all the necessary details on our products and capabilities.”
Other new features on the website include a product finder where users can adjust the inner or outer diameters of the products they require. The product finder then suggests products that meet this specific criterion.
“You need to be competitive in the market and be open to new opportunities,” Benjamin concludes. “With our new website, production hall, and administration building, we are in a position to grow as a business. We can use our experience and product quality to enter new markets and take advantage of new opportunities, whilst continuing to satisfy our existing customers and deliver quality products and a high delivery service.”
Will joined Fastener + Fixing Magazine in 2007 and over the last 15 years has experienced every facet of the fastener sector - interviewing key figures within the industry and visiting leading companies and exhibitions around the globe.
Will manages the content strategy across all platforms and is the guardian for the high editorial standards that the Magazine is renowned.
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