www.ensinger-online.com

Issue 1/2004

Highest sum ever paid for proposed improvement Active contribution to the company’s success

[DW] When a company is prepared In this issue: Opinions and views to pay the maximum for an improve- ment proposal, then we must be Dr. Roland Reber: Independent of Page 2 talking about a highly profitable the job and work area, as many col- Editorial suggestion, which was put forward leagues as possible should actively Closed-door conference of by a committed employee. contribute to improving products casting division ENSINGER is proud to have such and processes. That is very impor- ENSINGER certified according employees on its staff, because the tant, because it is the sum of big to ISO 13485 improvement proposed by Ralf and small ideas that makes the Dietrich contributed to minimizing success of a company. Page 3 the production reject rate consid- Thoughts about the New Year erably and to optimising the pro- Ilona Brodt, Chairwoman of the An autumn festival of a special duction process. For this reason, the Works Council: In the past, we kind ENSINGER production foreman was have processed and given awards My stay abroad with ENSINGER presented with a very special kind of to many suggestions for improve- Ltd. in South Wales Christmas present mid-December. ments at ENSINGER. Such a large For his suggestion he received sum, however, has never been paid 15,000 Euro, the highest sum that is before. I hope this incentive pay- Page 4 awarded by ENSINGER. During a ment will be an inducement for all Trainee excursion small ceremony, ENSINGER Man- Ralf Dietrich amidst ENSINGER well-wishers: Dr. Roland Reber, works councillor Ilona Brodt, employees to think about improve- Welcome production manager Martin Lanig and personnel manager Karl-Heinz Ruhe. aging Director Dr. Roland Reber em- ments to processes and products Creative presents for everyone phasised in his address the enthu- and to submit their suggestions. Introduction seminar for trainees siasm and perseverance contributed by the company associate – and that to outline the idea and submit it. Ralf Because contributions are valu- Anniversary in Cham this is something which has to be Dietrich would, of course, recom- able! Prize competition rewarded. „I wish to see employees mend every colleague to do this any Karl-Heinz Ruhe, Personnel Ma- participating in the success of the time. „It’s certainly worth the trouble. nager: Such an award is something Page 5 company. We wish to show that it Nevertheless, every suggestion quite special. I would like to encour- The impulse interview: pays to be heavily committed for the should be tested for its feasibility be- age all employees to take part and Robert Müller good of the company. It is our hope fore being submitted.“ to accomplish similar successes 10 year anniversary: action group that this will be repeated as often as Ralf Dietrich joined ENSINGER as a and achievements. Cham possible because no one under- fitter in the set-up group in 1987 and Reprint of technical guidelines stands the potential for improvement attended the school for master Martin Lanig, Production Mana- brochure at the workplace better then the re- craftsmen in 1988, under a company ger: From the good example of Ralf Christmas donation spective employee“, according to sponsorship. He has now been one can see how important it is to insulbar®: New internet Reber. Independent of the job and foreman in production since 1989, further develop and also to formu- presentation work area, as many colleagues as responsible for material adjust- late one’s innovative ideas. possible should actively contribute to ments. improving products and processes. Since the company’s improvement Peter Heiß, Shift Supervisor: In Page 6 That is very important, because it is proposal system was introduced in my several years experience as Singapore visits Germany the sum of big and small ideas that 1988 many suggestions of different shift supervisor, I was able to learn ENSINGER UK receives ISO makes the success of a company. kinds have been submitted and also a lot from Ralf. He is an individual certification Ralf Dietrich is proud of his „inven- awarded. There are no limits set for who is willing to pass his knowl- Executive Committee in Brasil tion“, but also emphasised that he is employees. Thus, all readers are call- edge and experience on to others. Cartoon He was able to considerably reduce the very grateful to his supervisor, Martin ed upon to leave room for ideas and His suggestion works very well in production reject rate with his suggested Lanig, who was immediately en- to develop innovative thoughts and practice which makes our work improvement: Ralf Dietrich receiving his cheque with Managing Director Dr. Roland thused about the idea. He encour- to tell them to us. Because com- considerably easier Reber. aged and supported him repeatedly mitment pays off!

TECAPEEK ELS and TECAFORM AH SD Engineering plastics for manufacturing and handling electronic components

[DW] Once again, ENSINGER GmbH in a testing system at the company The material of choice was TECA- parts to be made which have the presented the entire range of its Multitest GmbH & Co. KG, Rosen- PEEK ELS, as it fulfils all these require- same electrical properties through- products which are required for heim. Such systems establish the ments with complete satisfaction. out. In other words, there are no manufacturing and handling of electrical suitability of the microchips vulnerable functional layers which electronic components at at very short time intervals. A plastic Static-deflecting could lead to changes in function. Productronica. For this kind of appli- material was needed for the central TECAFORM AH SD cation, the company showcased part of this testing system, the hold- the two plastics TECAPEEK ELS and down plate, which in addition to TECAFORM AH SD is a typical re- TECAFORM AH SD with defined having a low weight also had to have presentative of static-deflecting electrical properties. very good temperature resistance. plastics. The polymer contains a Furthermore, the material had to special additive without carbon black, Hold-down plate made of be suitable for sliding applications which acts on the principle of elec- TECAPEEK ELS for chip-testing without the use of a lubricant. The tron conductivity, and is permanently system hold-down plate has to absorb migration-free. The well-known basic shocks which arise when the chips properties of TECAFORM AH, such TECAPEEK ELS is a characteristic are removed from the transporting as good strength and toughness as representative of the group of electri- plates. Because of the small space well as good sliding characteristics cally conducting plastics, which is between the sensitive chips and the with low friction and low wear, particularly interesting for use in hold-down plate, the material used remain unchanged. technical solutions with explosion- also had to be a good conductor so The uncomplicated cutting from protection requirements. A typical that the electrostatic charge can semi-finished product made of the use for TECAPEEK ELS is to be found dissipate without causing damage. above-mentioned materials permits Hold-down plate made of TECAPEEK ELS Editorial

„Production and Services“ dictating machines and files, are most part to low-wage countries. creation: EDP, medical insurance, witnesses of the jump in efficiency at Production can only be profitable in bank services, etc. Dear Readers, this time. In this way, the operational southeast Asia, in particular in coun- No one knows today how value organisation as we know it today tries such as China. In fact the devel- creation will be divided across the At the end of the came into being; the former admin- opment of the Chinese economy and globe in 20 years time. I am of the twentieth century, office istration in which everyone did the enormous investments of foreign opinion that production and services employees made up a everything, was divided up into companies in the Middle Kingdom also have a future in Europe, and also tiny part of industrial departments and hierarchies gained support these statements. in Germany. There are specific region- personnel. Impressive in- importance. Whoever sees Asia as the production al advantages, which cannot only be dustrial companies with Nowadays, more than half of all location in the future and Europe/- reconciled by a cheaper work force. hundreds of employees employees work in administration USA as the service regions, would This is not, however, a vote against were managed by an even in decidedly industrial-oriented have to assume that a shifting effect the global economy. Because at administration of barely companies. In the meantime, the in service is inevitable. And it is at ENSINGER, we are convinced of one ten staff. At that time, „office“ has become the smallest this point that I have my doubts. thing: in order to be able to provide offices were unloved common denominator for the func- Certainly, there are cultural, educa- the optimum combination of physical appendages of the manufacturing tions of the modern service company. tional-political and several other product and accompanying service plants, a few clerical assistants The office is everywhere where reasons which make the transfer of in the future, global action is an shared various tasks in one or two typing, counting and administration service value creation abroad diffi- important prerequisite. Wherever rooms such as bookkeeping, corre- take place, where value creation cult. Current developments speak a our customers go, wherever value spondence, and cash management. is not measured in material produc- different language, however. For creation takes place, we will be there. The most important data medium at tivity. example, secretarial work in India is this time was the „accounts book“, It is exactly this immaterial creation of not only reasonably priced but also I wish you a successful Year 2004. an over-dimensioned journal, which value that is seen as the last bastion ranks qualitatively very high. Very contained hundreds of hand-written of the old industrial nations in com- well-educated personnel, a good entries on each page. The entire parison to competition from the Far- standard of English, Internet as the Yours sincerely, business dealings of the company East. Whoever reads the newspaper unbeatable transport medium and could be traced from this book, pro- nowadays can only come to the the whole thing at a fraction of the viding one knew how to read it. The conclusion that Europe and the USA cost: strong arguments for moving introduction of the typewriter simpli- will become service regions in the services to India. And naturally this fied many things. Further innova- not too distant future, as material view can also be applied to compli- tions, such as electric lighting, value creation will migrate for the cated forms of immaterial value Roland Reber

First closed-door conference of Clear competitive advantage the newly-organized casting division ENSINGER certified according to DIN EN ISO 13485 in the field of medical Visit of the Krones in-house exhibition technology

The first closed-door conference of The objectives of the following meet- ENSINGER GmbH has extended its the newly-organized casting division ing were, amongst other things, to quality management system accor- took place in Donaustauf at the end achieve closer integration of both ding to DIN EN ISO 13485:2003. of November. Participants were locations, for the participants to get By conforming to this norm, the Klaus Ensinger, Walter Wagner, to know each other better and to quality management system is Dr. Edmund Zenker, Gerhard Pahl, derive common future strategies and particularly geared to support the Walter Fischer, Willi Weißthanner focus, such as e.g. synergies in the requirements of customers in the aund Gertraud Söldenwagner. To sales and technology areas and area of medical devices. start off with the group was provided bench-marking. After the official part The ENSINGER management with a two-and-a-half hour company on Friday, there followed an system was extended in order to tour of Krones AG in Neutraubling, interesting evening program with a be able to respond flexibly to which was put in the excellent hands tour of the traditional Regensburg customer needs in the area of of Mr. Hermann Schuster, culmi- brewery Kneitinger, which was medical technology.This makes nating in a visit to the Krones in-house conducted personally by one of the it possible for the company to exhibition. An entire brewery was last master brewers. The information manufacturesemi-finished and demonstrated here „in miniature“, given during the tour helped the specific injection moulded or beginning with the manufacture of participants to provide an expert machined parts according to bottles to their filling, labelling and opinion at the concluding spandrel specifications for use in medi- commissioning and placing on pallets beer tasting and also to taste the cal technology. ready for shipment. beers served during dinner from ENSINGER components and another point of view. On Saturday, materials are used in instru- the group then worked together on ments for respiratory and concrete objectives and assign- oxygen treatment, for den- ments for individual participants and tal instruments, for equip- the follow-up period, based on the ment used for sterilisation results of the previous day. The and desinfection, for dispos- development of new markets and able medical products, for dental the strengthening of market appliances and materials, and for presence were defined as central many other purposes. The qualification in the medical area main priorities. Long-term concepts Since 1996, a consequent reorgani- represents a clear competitive ad- were also discussed, which have sation in the direction of a process- vantage for the company. „We are already been included in the agenda oriented management system has orientating ourselves even more in for the next closed-door session. The taken place at ENSINGER GmbH, the medical market segment; so that meeting was concluded with lunch which was already certified in 1993, this was the logical consequence of together. and since 2001 ENSINGER is now continuous development and im- Gertraud Söldenwagner certified according to the current provement in the quality manage- version DIN EN ISO 9001:2000. ment processes“, according to Dear Readers, The certification confirms the objec- Martin Baras, Sales Manager of You can find further information on tive of ENSINGER GmbH, which is to ENSINGER GmbH. „As an interna- the new organisation of the casting provide the customer uniform quality tionally recognised standard, the cer- division in the news section of in his supplier chain, to be in control tification opens up worldwide market www.ensinger-online.com in an of risks and to strengthen confidence access to us – today, it is more Hermann Schuster(2nd from right) accompanied Walter Wagner,Gerhard Pahl,Willi Weißthanner, interview with the two divisional with regard to cleanliness, risk analy- necessary than ever to meet the high Gertraud Söldenwagner, Walter Fischer and Dr. Edmund Zenker through the company. managers. sis and documentation. global quality requirements.“ Thoughts about the New Year Dear Colleagues! An autumn festival Happiness is the one thing we can make a gift of without owning it. And of a special kind happiness is in any case the nicest present you could give to anybody. Even if it only seems to be a little piece of happiness: perhaps to talk to a lonely person, giving comfort to someone who is sad or helping a weak Wine tasting, mid break buffet and person. – But this kind of gift is becoming more remote to us. Instead we Swiss cheese served by the boss occupy ourselves with questions like „What shall I buy my wife, or my brother, what shall we give the children as a present?“ With all the marketing of Christmas, the true meaning of the celebration tends to become lost from view. But as is it said – „Pleasure can be an assembly line product“. But never happiness. The happiness of life is made up of different moments, moments of happiness. And Christmas is one of them. Provided you really make it a feast and don’t get carried away with the frenzy of consumerism and „Christmas stress“. I hope that you enjoyed a peaceful Christmas festivity with your families.

Now we have started the year 2004. It will be an exciting year: We wonder what advances this „Year of technology“ will bring with it. We can’t wait to see the European football championships in Portugal in July. And the Olympic Games in August in Athens. Who will be particularly successful this year? And what successes will our company ENSINGER achieve? The most important question of all for us is of course: what do we want to achieve in this year. I would like to see lots of creative ideas coming to life in the New Year, which stimulate other new ideas on their part and that these lead to still more new ideas and so on. Because such „awakeners“ are vital for our company. Only if we think ahead and sometimes also at a tangent will we keep moving. „There are opportunities everywhere – you just have to recognise them.“ We should adopt this saying for us. In order to achieve our goals, we have to not only recognize opportunities, but also to take them – with Chile and Australia to choose total dedication. We have a lot of good chances. We should not let them from. The guests were able pass by. Let’s use them! to educate themselves about each individual wine, A happy Year 2004 full of clever ideas and thoughts to you all! the type of grape used in a wine magazine especially Sincerely yours prepared for this festival, and so choose a wine from Ilona Brodt the large selection according to their Chairwoman of the Works Council own particular taste. [Ph] On 27th September, ENSINGER And if anyone was still not quite in Cham celebrated its annual sure which wine to drink, head wine summer festival, this time as an cellar-man Markus Philippi gave autumn festivity, and unusually for individual advice at the wine bar. The beer-drinking Bavaria a wine festival undecided could first try a sip or was organised! This meant that a two of the one or other wine – as is number of guests from the neigh- customary for a wine festival. In order My stay abroad with bouring Swabian region had spent a not to disappoint those colleagues whole year practising in vain to show too much who prefer their own ENSINGER Ltd. in South Wales their prowess with the Bavarian traditions, bottled beer was served, beer tankard, the so called „Maß“. of course, as an alternative to wine. Instead, they were rewarded with a A real rustic mid-break buffet was „Supply Chain Management with large selection of wines: there were also offered, at which Dr. Reber ENSINGER Ltd. as an example“ 14 red wines, eleven white wines celebrated his new position as through ENSINGER UK, it seemed and three rosé wines from Germany, general manager in Cham in the appropriate to take over a number of France, Austria, Italy, Spain, USA, already well-known tradition of Nuf- projects for the „Logistics Depart- ringen: He served the Cham em- ment“ there, in order to gather infor- ployees and guests at the cheese mation at first hand. In one of these board – nationally aware, offering projects, for example, I was given the genuine Swiss cheese and wearing task of finding a more cost-effective traditional Bavarian Lederhosen! way of bringing material from the The colleagues in Cham and the USA to Great Britain. guests from Nufringen unanimously Fortunately, my stay in South Wales liked the idea of the wine festival and did not only consist of work; thanks to the overall result very much – it was my nice working colleagues I saw something different and, in addition, and experienced a lot. I visited, for an all round success. example, the largest system of caves „At first six weeks in a foreign coun- in Western Europe in the mountains try seemed to be a long time, but in of Mid-Wales, and also spent as reality my six weeks at ENSINGER much time as possible on the beau- Ltd. in Llantrisant just flew by. That tiful sandy beaches, as the weather was due, above all, to the many new was always on my side with lots of and interesting impressions which I sunshine and unusually mild tem- got both through my work for the peratures during my entire stay. „Logistics Department“, as well as These six weeks in Llantrisant have, from my pleasant and hospitable on the one hand, improved my colleagues. It was really interesting language skills and, on the other to experience how things are run at hand, given me an extensive under- ENSINGER from a non-German point standing of the local working of view and thereby to learn a lot methods and market situation. I about the local conditions and would like to take this opportunity reasons for the market presence to thank once again all German and there. British individuals involved who gave Since I will be writing my pending me this great opportunity!“ diploma thesis on the subject of Julia Bieber Trainee excursion 2003 A hearty welcome „For our trainee excursion last cleaning department Mr. Daiminger summer, we „ENSINGER green- showed us how important that from ENSINGER to the new employees who have joned our team since horns“ drove to Cham for two days often-repeated (and often ignored) October 2003 together with our instructors to visit saying is „Tidiness is half of life“: the factory. There we received because only with clean and orderly Nufringen some interesting information from tools is it possible to extrude the Thomas Ensinger Skilled Worker, Raw materials Luedmila Fomina Room Care Employee the factory manager Mr. Alsfasser profiles completely. We also learned Ilse Kazamir Room Care Employee about the founding of the second from Mr. Wagner that tube casting is Klaus Kientzle Flexible worker, Extrusion factory, which was first started in a carried out horizontally and the Hans-Jürgen Kölbl Managing Director Financial Accountancy rented hall in the town centre of casting is done in a vertical direction. Artur Wolfer Flexible worker, Extrusion Cham until 1985, when a building Annealing was also described, in Marc Rehling Development and Application Engineer, site was purchased in Altenmarkt in addition to the process of testing Building Products Prize Competition order to build the current facility. The rods for defects, for example, by Andreas Zerweck Controlling divisional managers Mr. Walter means of ultra-sound. In the Wagner (die casting) and Mr. Fred evening, we had a cosy get-together Cham The winners of last impulse’s Nass (cutting operations) informed in a pizzeria and strengthened Martin Mühlbauer Electrician Katharina Schindler Employee Quality Assurance competition were Daniela Grob us about individual assemblies and ourselves with Italian specialities for from Kundert AG, Annette Gill- elements which are manufactured the next day. Also on the pro- We wish you all a successful future at ENSINGER! mann from Olympus Winter & by ENSINGER, such as, for gramme was a tour of a glass Ibe GmbH and the ENSINGER example, rope pulleys for cranes. factory, a race down a summer By the way: In the last issue, we welcomed our colleague Alex Ninos as new trainee Christoph Paul. These After this introduction, we were toboggan run and a tour of an old employee in Cham. This was a mistake. Of course, he works as a Technician in three can all look forward for an divided up into groups and toured silver mine. Last but not least, our Nufringen! ENSINGER shower radio. Con- raw material preparation, extrusion instructors took part in a short Again a „Welcome“ to him! gratulations! Gratulation! To all department, the moulding plant as sketch and gave a final speech be- other entrants, thank you very well as cutting operations. The fore we said goodbye to our Cham much for taking part. individual finishing processes were hosts and drove home.“ The question was, in how many explained to us in detail. In the tool Michael Rieger countries is ENSINGER repre- sented; the correct answer is Creative presents for everyone „13 countries“. Nutcrackers for a good cause This time, you can also partici- pate in a prize competition. Just [DW] As in every year, the young during the Advent period. Anyone answer the following question: people from the ENSINGER appren- who was looking for just a small „In which field did ENSINGER tice’s training workshop were once item as a present got a good bargain get the ISO 13485 certifica- again busy milling, bending and with ingenious bottle opener key- tion?“ drilling in order to provide their rings made of machined threaded colleagues with original Christmas nuts and aluminium handles, or with a.) Semi-conductor industry presents. cookies baked by the trainees b.) Medical industry In the past few years they have set a themselves – or even their mothers. c.) Automotive industry. very high standard providing hand- The whole activity brought together Just send your solution by made plastic cutting boards, door a considerable sum for the industri- e-mail to [email protected] name plates, key-rings and candle- ous group of apprentices amounting online.com. sticks, and this time they also to almost 1500 Euro, which was Closing date is 12 March 2004. didn’t fail to meet expectations: Nut- then doubled by the executive crackers made of curved stainless management. The takings, of You can win one of three ENSIN- steel with a coloured plastic or alter- course, will once again be used GER writing sets by rotring. natively wooden base and heavy for the benefit of a social project – Good luck! spheres, which would crack the about which we will report more Protective clothing was compulsory in the silver mine! hardest of nuts, were diligently extensively in the next issue of produced and offered for sale impulse.

For questions and suggestions please send an email to [email protected]

Introduction seminar for trainees

For the third time, the introductory there, they welcomed colleagues seminar for new trainees and BA from Cham at a joint breakfast. Later students from ENSINGER Nufringen the day’s program started with role and Cham took place. As in the past, plays, group dynamic exercises, they went for two days to the presentations and various motiva- Wannenkopfhütte, a mountain hut tion games. The next day, an espe- in Bavaria. cially demanding task was the There, the new trainees were construction of a „Flying Egg introduced to the organisation, our Machine“ with the help of the guiding principles and the training following materials: A pencil, a Anniversary in Cham schedules at ENSINGER. They rubber, some sheets of paper, one practiced how to be good team egg, scissors and a glue stick. The players, how to make good presen- aim of the session was to work tations and how to best communi- constructively and efficiently to- [RZ] Our colleague Bernhard Karl cate with other persons in the „new gether in one team. Of course, this celebrated his 10 years service in job world“. A further important aim task was successfully mastered by the casting facilities in Cham. He was, of course, that the trainees, our young colleagues from Cham joined ENSINGER on 12 October BA students and trainers get to and Nufringen – as you can see from 1993 as a machine operator and has know each other better. On 4 Sep- the picture. remained faithful to the company tember 2003, the trainees and BA At the end of the day on 5 Septem- since then. students started off from Nufringen ber, they set off for home after an Product division manager Walter early in the morning together with instructive and successful stay at Wagner (r.) thanked and congratu- their trainers Mirjam Betz and Arnt the mountain hut. lated him together with production Stumpf for the mountain hut. Once The trainees manager Walter Fischer (l.). ENSINGER The Impulse Interview business life Questions to Robert Müller ENSINGER at exhibitions High demand: Reprint of the new „Technical Visit us from 9 to 11 March Where do you see the strengths guidelines brochure“ at the MedTec fair in Stuttgart. of your team? You will find us on Stand 934 at The strengths of our employees are [DW] Our publications in the last lines“ gives detailed information Europe’s Premier Event for the their involvement, motivation and creati- „impulse“ and in diverse specialist about everything that a plastic manu- Medical Device Manufacturing vity to take new directions. The most journals have caused an unexpected- facturer has to know to find the industry. recent example here is our employee ly high demand for the new technical optimum material for his application. Ralf Dietrich, who succeeded in gaining the highest possible bonus award for his guidelines brochure. For that reason, It is available in English, German, Come to Bauma in Munich constructive improvement suggestion the company’s marketing depart- French, Italian and also in Spanish. from 29 March to 4 April 2004 (see separate report, page 1). ment has needed to reprint them The file is still at your disposal at where we will be pleased to I came across another good example of after just a few weeks. www.ensinger-online.com, but you welcome you in Hall A6, the strengths of our employees last This work of reference with informa- can also order it as a catalogue, Stand 335. year. Thanks to the active participation tion covering „Engineering Plastic as usual from info@ensinger-online. of all concerned, the total renovation of Properties and Processing Guide- com. We look forward to your visit. our extrusion hall went so smoothly that there were no supply shortages in our Robert Müller studied plastics engineer- warehouse and nor to our customers. ing in Aalen before he started employ- Christmas donation ment at various companies as an experi- What do you think of the possibilities mental engineer. In 1990 he joined offered by the internet, especially the ENSINGER as an experimental engineer. cutting calculation, which enable Instead of gifts for our customers and Other bequests help to provide care As product and project manager he was customers to order online? employees, ENSINGER GmbH deci- for a Nigerian school and the Brazilian responsible for material and process We have heard from many customers ded to make donations in favour of relief organization CECRIS. Both of development, for the development of that this is an instrument they have been social projects that are especially these projects make it possible new products and for handling com- expecting for a long time. Above all, not important to the Ensinger family. for young and old people to find a plaints, amongst other things. Today, only special plastics can be ordered in The company supports a project hea- settled life and to escape from pover- he is divisional head of semi-finished this way, but also all storable products products and industrial profiles. ded by the Ukrainian Bishop Stanislav ty. Our support is critical to the can be calculated automatically and Mr. Müller considers himself a good Szyrokoradiuk who self-sacrifyingly people who profit from our contribu- ordered. Generally speaking, there is a example of what is possible in a family- cares for orphans. tion. clear trend that our customers do not run company such as ENSINGER, if one simply purchase a sheet, but also have is given the opportunity and the training the parts cut or planed right away as to make their own way. required for machining. This reduces effort and also lowers the customer’s Wilfried Ensinger honoured for his idea Mr. Müller, how do you see your costs and frees him from having to store function at ENSINGER? Ten year anniversary of the Action Group for the remnants until they are needed again or Living and Economic Area of Cham County e. V. As divisional head for semi-finished pro- from even having to dispose of them. ducts, I am responsible for managing Dealers and OEM can use these advan- founding board members and the the division so that we can provide our tages. [RZ] The „Aktionskreis Lebens- und customers with high-quality products Wirtschaftsraum Landkreis Cham e. originator of the idea, Mr. Wilfried En- What do you particularly like about while meeting project deadlines. Of V.“ (Action Group for the Living and singer, founder of ENSINGER GmbH. your job? course, we also wish to make money, in Economic Area of Cham County e. V.) Ten years of the action group means order to secure the jobs of our employ- There are numerous points to mention recently celebrated its 10th anniver- ten years of common involvement ees and the industrial location in Ger- here, but there is one I like in particular: sary. The action group was founded for the County of Cham, as well as many. And most important of all: We In order to be able to manage a division on 12th November 1993. Since that ten years of successful collaboration want to support our customers to assert with its various departments and their time, it has provided a meaningful between the business community, assignments, functioning processes themselves against their competitors administration, politics and citizens. with the help of our products. are necessary. I have a responsibility to contribution as a mutual platform for organise these processes together with the business community, administra- Since it was founded, many projects What is the strength of the ENSINGER my team so that they function smoothly, tion, politics and society to strength- have evolved and been carried out, product range? but also so that they do not make the ening the economic area. such as e.g. the career choice days employees slaves to the processes. On behalf of the members of the which take place regularly, the intro- ENSINGER has a particularly wide Instead, they are given that, which helps duction of the economic data base on product portfolio – because we want to board, Theo Zellner, Chairman and them to work creatively and serves the supply our customers with the materials chief executive of the county, thanked the internet, organising and running purpose. Processes are important, but they actually need. Together with our all those who have made a contribu- various seminars or the setting up of even more important are the employees partners from the raw materials industry tion to the positive development of the mechatronics network of compe- who put life into them. and, above all, with our customers, we Last summer, I visited ENSINGER in the the action group and honoured the tency. are permanently trying to fill any gaps in USA. There we discussed how we could our product spectrum. better organise the interchange of For example, in 1991 we were among know-how and improve the punch of the first to recognize the fantastic prop- ENSINGER even more in the sense of ® erties of Victrex PEEK®, our TECAPEEK. „best practices“. During these discus- insulbar building profiles: In this way, we enabled our customers sions, I sensed the same spirit in the to capture new markets with a complete- employees in the USA as we have here ly new plastic. Today, we are a re- New internet presentation in Nufringen. That makes me particular- cognized semi-finished product special- ly proud to be able to work in a company ist for this material. I can still remember which has more than 1700 employees quite clearly that during the first produc- worldwide. The construction products division of tion trials we still shook the granules by ENSINGER GmbH has considerably hand into the machine. How do you see the current market expanded its online range with the situation? What do you think is the insulbar® product programme. How long does the process take from future of the semi-finished products the first input that the need for a new market? Customers and interested people plastic exists, until final production? can now find a platform at the If you open the newspaper these days, internet address www.insulbar.de That varies considerably. For example, in you always read about the poor eco- offering extensive information cov- 1995 we started to process a glass-fibre nomy in Germany. We have adjusted to reinforced PPS, our TECATRON GF 40. this in time, have prepared ourselves ering every aspect of thermal We found a material here which posses- and have done „our homework“, as we separation for metal windows using ses good mechanical strength with very do throughout Europe. This has helped insulbar®. good chemical resistance and good us to achieve further growth way Particular importance was attached thermal shape stability. Despite the beyond all the forecasts that have been to a well laid out interface with a above-mentioned properties, we only made with respect to economic growth. clear menu structure. The menu had a slight response from the market in The industrial location Germany is not “Current” is of special mention, the first few years. Today, this is a bad, if you have the right employees, are which offers a newsletter function to product which is sold in very large innovative and make the right plans for amounts and I am sure that this is just the future. subscribers besides current press the beginning. In other words, the information and a trade fair calendar. are available under “Downloads”. product alone does not make a market, Mr. Müller, thank you very much for your More extensive information on the The insulbar® online range is continu- it is the work of our application answers! programme spectrum can be found ously being expanded, of course, you engineers here in the company and on under “Your profiles” and “Your will also find the insulbar® homepage, location with the customer which finally This interview was conducted system solution”, with standard and when selecting „Profiles“ from makes the product successful. by Doris Wölfle individual solutions. The latest tech- www.ensinger-online.com. Enjoy nical documentation and brochures clicking. Executive Committee to ENSINGER Singapore around ENSINGER do Brasil the world

[DW] The appoint- important for us to see not only Getting to know employees and internal ment calendar of management. We make a lot of the five members of inspection rounds through the com- training at the fore the committee, who panies and meet as many employ- visited our subsidi- ees as possible, also at social get- [Kal] Last October, Gerd Kienscherff, chase on the racetrack, there was ary in Sao Leopoldo togethers – only in this way can a Manager of ENSINGER Singapore, a hot meal with Swabian speciali- last autumn, was good and trusting form of coopera- and three of his employees packed ties. jam-packed: as part tion be assured“,accordingto Reber. their suitcases and headed for the Next day, discussions were held on of the regular round The meetings with Walter Wagner airport. The Asian colleagues started how to further optimise the level of of visits to the EN- and Franz Holzberger took place on a small tour around the world, collaboration. In order to optimise SINGER affiliates, during the Global ENSINGER Net- in order to introduce themselves the evening programme, the four the general manage- work GEN. The „Global Extrusion personally to some of the subsidi- guests were accompanied to the ment of the Group, Group“ and also the „Global Cast aries and customers. Schönbuch brewery in Böblingen. the „Executive Group“ are constituent elements of The first stopover of the journey was Here it was possible to further th Committee“ consisting of Klaus GEN. This means that leading in the USA and on 18 October Fred intensify their knowledge about the Ensinger, Dr. Roland Reber and Rick employees from the production Nass of ENSINGER Cham welcomed art of Swabian cooking and beer Phillipps from the USA, together areas, in this case from extrusion Gerd Kienscherff, Audrey Loke, brewing. Culturally strengthened, with Walter Wagner (Casting) and and die casting, form networks in Alssa Liau and Wilson Tan in Bavaria. the guests took part in a training Franz Holzberger (Extrusion), paid a order to support each other in The Asian colleagues received an session the next day on plastics and short three-day visit to the discussions and mutual projects and impression of Bavaria’s cultural and their processing options. They subsidiary in Brazil. to thus profit from one another culinary highlights in “fast-forward intensively discussed together with During the intensive liaison, the according to the motto of „best mode” – the city of Munich, the Technical Marketing the various status and strategies of the Brazilian practices“. During this Brazilian visit, castles of the fairy tale king Ludwig II, applications and problem areas. subsidiaries were presented and discussions concerning mutual the Bavarian Forest including Lake With a heavy head and an empty discussed. Furthermore, personal projects in the areas of production Aber, as well as a visit to a glass stomach the visitors then spent contacts should not lose out. casting and extrusion stood in the factory and a meal with Bavarian their last evening in the „Krabba- „When we visit subsidiaries, it is foreground. white veal sausages were, of course, nescht“ in Holzbronn, where the a must. During a tour of the factory hosts tried for the last time to at ENSINGER Cham, the colleagues introduce their guests to hearty, were evidently impressed by the Swabian specialities. means available and the products. After so many business, social and On 20th October, they continued on cultural ties, the goodbyes were to the ENSINGER headquarters in cordial and both sides agreed that it Nufringen. Export manager Björn was both a very pleasant and, above ENSINGER UK receives Ühlken gave a tour through the all, productive meeting, from which factory for the four and explained everyone could learn a lot from ISO 9001:2000 certification the working processes. It was very everyone else. interesting for the visitors to see the [DW] ENSINGER Ltd , EPE and TRIG ed them and gave hints and ideas to production proces- Engineering have received their assist this project. The Auditors ses „live“, as the certification under ISO 9001:2000. praised the companies saying, “it subsidiary in Singa- According to ENSINGER UK, the was a pleasure to audit companies pore only concen- successful achievement is not only that are clearly committed to quality trates on sales and due to the local team of Jess and customer service.“ marketing. There Morgan and Tony Probert at Both companies have held Quality was also a social ENSUBGER Ltd and Clare Langley approvals for many years and event in the eve- at Trig Engineering Ltd as the ENSINGER Ltd. was one of the first ning with collea- persons mainly responsible. In par- plastics companies to obtain the gues from general ticular Quality Manager Hansjörg original quality standard. As suppli- management and Faller, who had implemented this ers to the MOD and the aerospace sales at a go-cart standard for the ENSINGER head- industry, quality approvals are an circuit in Gäufel- quarters, very cooperatively support- absolute necessity. den. After a wild Of course, there was a trophy for the go-cart winner!

Impressum Newsletter of ENSINGER GmbH Rudolf-Diesel-Str. 8, 71154 Nufringen, Tel. 0 70 32/8 19-0, Fax -100, [email protected], Internet: www.ensinger-online.com Editor Klaus Ensinger Dr. Roland Reber Editorial team Doris Wölfle Petra Kalf Markus Philippi Karl-Heinz Ruhe Jochen Skarke Arnt Stumpf Rosemarie Zangl Production Druckerei Maier, Rottenburg/N.