Two is twice as nice:
KAMAX welcomes Jintan
Chinese colleagues in front of the new plant in Jintan
Building on success: right on time for the tenth anniversary of our production in Wujin, the new plant in Jintan was officially opened. This means that we now have two production sites in China.
The team left nothing to coincidences for this event: Illuminated in KAMAX colors, both plants welcomed their guests with a unique atmosphere to celebrate the tenth anniversary of our production in Wujin and the grand opening of Jintan with many official guests as well as with our staff. To catch up with the Wujin plant, Jintan has big plans for the next few years: focus on innovation, digitalization, and creating sustainable growth.
Solar cells on the roof
The foundation has already been laid with the new factory’s optimized design – which includes the optimization of all systems and routes. Solar panels have been installed on the factory’s roof, a use of renewable energy that demonstrates the importance of environmental protection. Depending on weather conditions, sunlight will be able to cover more than 50 percent of the plant’s energy requirements. Production had already got underway – albeit slowly – during the coronavirus pandemic, something that put a lot of strain on the team on site, due to the restrictions they were under. Now they have finally been able to celebrate the plant’s opening.
In the future, the production plan will be primarily focused on fasteners for car engines, vehicle chassis, wheel hubs, and other areas (in Wujin, on the other hand, truck components will account for the majority of production). In addition, there are plans to develop and manufacture precision molded parts, as at the Robert Schröder Group. Our goal is for both of our Chinese plants to perfectly complement one another. These should do this not only by producing larger volumes of the same products (to satisfy the continuously growing demand of the Chinese market), but also by strategically expanding their portfolio (so that they can offer even greater product variety for the local market).
Only 20 minutes apart
The two locations are just 20 minutes away from each other; as a result, they should be able to work together closely and learn from one another at both the technical and management levels. This knowledge transfer will be particularly beneficial for our new colleagues who are just getting started in Jintan. After all, they still need to familiarize themselves with the products, workflows, and technologies at KAMAX.
Benefit is a good word here, because the automated guided vehicles (AGVs) have already shown just how beneficial they can be in day-to-day operations in Wujin. It should therefore be no surprise that Jintan is also relying on these automated transporters. The foundation has been laid for this, as well as for other digitalization projects: both Wujin and Jintan are fully connected to the SAP S/4HANA system. A production line for zinc flake coating has also been established. This means that together, Wujin and Jintan are well equipped to meet the growing challenges facing the industry: be it fiercer competition or changing customer requirements, we aim to maximize efficiency and continuous development to secure a strong position in the market. That is why Jintan will also have its own research and development center. This will allow us to design and develop new parts for the market right on-site.
Cutting of the jubilee cake
Video speech of former CEO Jörg Steins
Chairman of the Advisory Board: Martin Burgholte
400 guests joined in the celebration
Some 400 people came together to celebrate an opening and an anniversary under the motto “Leading with Excellence & Innovation.” There were guests from the government, the local university, high-ranking managers from customers, suppliers, and other neighboring firms, and KAMAX employees from Wujin and Jintan. Chairman of the Advisory Board Martin Burgholte was also present to express his congratulations.
In addition to the ceremony, the program included plant tours and a large gathering dinner that brought together teams from both plants in order to celebrate the past ten years and toast their shared future together.
KXpress
