40 Years of SMC Germany

Ralf Laber, Managing Director of SMC Germany, boldly cuts the birthday cake. (Photo: SMC Deutschland GmbH)

The technology was also not neglected. Mayor Tobias Wilbrand is being explained the servo-pneumatic drive technology by Ralf Laber using the example of a robotic welding clamp. (Photo: SMC Deutschland GmbH)

Concentrated sales power: The SMC Premium Partners also celebrated. (Photo: SMC Deutschland GmbH)

Approximately 40 guests from politics, business, and industry accepted the invitation and gathered at the Industrial Application Center (IAC) of the company. In his opening speech, Ralf Laber, General Manager of SMC Germany, welcomed all attendees and briefly highlighted the highlights of the 40-year success story. Having grown from five employees to today’s 745, the company has developed into a manufacturer, partner, and solution provider of custom automation solutions. This aspect was also emphasized by Egelsbach's mayor Tobias Wilbrand in his guest speech. SMC Germany is an important employer for the city, which also has a very positive regional impact through its social engagement – most recently in a school project.

State-of-the-art technology in large and small

With personnel growth, regular investments at the Egelsbach site are also associated. Ten years ago, the German Technical Center (GTC) was opened, where new products are developed and custom solutions are designed, expanding the company's presence at the site. Four years ago, the IAC was established in Egelsbach, where the event took place. In the spacious and modern hall, custom applications were installed on over 13 stations. Attendees could observe many products in action. One of the main attractions was a large, fully functional robot cell. Here, visitors could experience the perfect interplay of state-of-the-art valve technology with servo-pneumatic drives from SMC, exemplified by an impressive welding robot in the 180-kilogram class. Such robot systems are now used in almost all areas of mechanical engineering, the automotive industry, and supplier companies.

"As an important growth driver for the region," said District Administrator Oliver Quilling, "the company is no longer a hidden champion." "With nearly 159 million euros in sales, it has grown into a strong company in one of the smallest communities in the district," Quilling added. Together with associations, the Chamber of Industry and Commerce, and municipalities, politics supports all companies and sets framework conditions to facilitate the creation and preservation of jobs. Especially in the education sector, Quilling emphasized the great commitment of the anniversary company. SMC helps young, dedicated people with training as industrial clerks, machining mechanics, warehouse clerks, or logistics specialists to start a successful professional life. Currently, 16 trainees are employed.

Commitment to the German location

SMC Deutschland GmbH is a 100-percent subsidiary of the Japanese SMC Corporation. Over the past two years, it has heavily invested in the German site. Nearly 30 new manufacturing machines have been acquired, including state-of-the-art 4- and 5-axis machines, CNC machining centers, and an automatic workpiece storage system that, with the help of a 2-axis linear module, automatically supplies an attached 5-axis machining center with workpiece blanks. Visitors could later see this in action during a tour of the production facility.

This clear commitment to the German location is, according to Ralf Laber, clearly due to the quality and motivation of the employees. The high acceptance was also confirmed by an internal survey: around 90 percent of participating employees stated that they are proud to work at SMC.

Insights into production

In the afternoon, among other things, a tour of the production was on the agenda. Marius Pulter, Production Manager at SMC Germany, greeted his guests with impressive figures: Currently, SMC Germany's machine park includes around 40 manufacturing machines, more than half of which are no older than two years. "Our goal is to meet desired delivery dates and guarantee the quick delivery of products," explains the production expert. Today, many standard products like valves, grippers, and cylinders are stock items – and thus immediately available. Non-stocked products can be scheduled into production within a short time and are also quickly available in urgent cases. Orders received before 12:00 PM are processed, picked, and shipped on the same day.

R&D at SMC: Tour through the Central Laboratory

In a second tour through the Egelsbach Central Laboratory, which was opened this year, the focus was on testing and inspection. The large climate chamber with climate cabinet proved particularly attractive. These devices are primarily used to determine the functionality or load limits of products through environmental simulations. For example, whether cylinders still function at -45°C or electronic components operate smoothly at 98% relative humidity. However, upon seeing the tempting -15°C in the climate chamber, many visitors wanted a completely different look into the future: Given the warm temperatures and the long, hot summer, many took the opportunity to cool down briefly in the winter-like temperatures of the climate chamber.

All in the green

After about five intensive and informative hours, Christian Ziegler, Marketing Manager at SMC Germany, who moderated the entire day, finally bid farewell to all visitors. To sum up the day, the words of Ralf Laber in his welcoming speech come to mind. Here, he thanked all visitors multiple times, as they were partly responsible for his daily joy in the green lawn in front of the door. The lawn was freshly laid for the anniversary to provide an attractive and, in these hot summer days, quite rare entrance. And so, the lush green can also be seen as a symbol of the current situation at SMC: All in the green!