TRUMPF Smart Factory Consulting – happy hour at Matyssek Metalltechnik

TRUMPF Managing Consultant Ferdinand Baaij was taken aback by the hefty delivery. During his visit to his customer Matyssek Metalltechnik in Stadtoldendorf, near Hanover, a significant item arrived – a bar. And not just any old bar – a repurposed laser cutting machine from the renowned company based in Ditzingen. What made this machine unique was the signature of Berthold Leibinger, the esteemed, late former CEO of TRUMPF, accompanied by the inscription "Inspected with satisfaction" in black felt-tip, dated October 23, 2012, adorning the housing.

Dirk Matyssek, the managing director of the eponymous machine housing specialist, acquired this remarkable piece at auction last autumn through the online platform eBay. The company boss calls it "a moment of spontaneous inspiration". "I was the only bidder". He found the reason in the fine print – the item is gigantic, tipping the scales at a whopping seven tonnes. "We have plenty of space in the assembly hall," says Dirk Matyssek, who modestly describes himself as a fervent admirer of Berthold Leibinger. The bar, which a used machinery dealer once used at trade fairs, will in future be the meeting place for employees and customers of Matyssek Metalltechnik.

The fact that Ferdinand Baaij witnessed the delivery of the bar is probably a coincidence; the fact that he was there at all is not. Baaij is a consultant at the TRUMPF subsidiary Smart Factory Consulting GmbH. "We engage in projects with TRUMPF customers to make them even more successful," explains Baaij. This involves factory planning or digitalisation, for example. Despite Baaij stating that the German industry is technologically "well positioned," he cautions that there is still untapped potential for improvement in every company. This has a lot to do with technological developments. Baaij knows that digitalisation is well worth the effort. Any investment can usually be amortised in less than a year. The Ditzingen-based company, which has only been operating as an independent limited company for around two years, has 250 customers on its books. These include companies that generate more sales than the TRUMPF Group, says Baaij. However, most are medium-sized companies with 50 to 100 employees.

Matyssek Metalltechnik, which employs 80 people, is one such company. Dirk Matyssek's grandfather founded it as an agricultural machinery workshop in Stadtoldendorf, an area of southern Lower Saxony with a poor infrastructure. Dirk Matyssek has spent 26 years as a managing director. The company specializes in designing and manufacturing machine housings primarily for well-known manufacturers of machine tools and measuring machines, as well as for packaging machines and compressed air generation systems.

According to Dirk Matyssek, the products have become increasingly complex and high-quality over the years. The numbers speak for themselves – in 2008, two machines processed 3000 tonnes of thin sheet, whereas today, three machines handle just over 1500 tonnes. The workforce has doubled at the same time. Quality and adherence to deadlines are right at the top of Matyssek customers' list of requirements, as the company boss explains: "We deliver directly to the production line and must meet agreed deadlines precisely; any deviation could pose a significant problem for the customer."

The challenge lies in making meeting deadlines the top priority while ensuring that logistics within in-house production are optimised. According to Matyssek, any shortcomings in these areas result in financial losses for the company. The machine housings, produced in extremely small lot sizes, typically comprise up to 500 sheet metal parts, along with washers, fittings, seals and screws, according to the company's CEO. Every single sheet has to be in the right place at the right time. While the bending department focuses on optimising setups, the welding shop requires fully assembled components.

Two consultants from TRUMPF Smart Factory Consulting GmbH dedicated three days to analysing the processes at Matyssek. They found that enhancing the utilization of the machines would increase productivity. Equally crucial is the continuous analysis and optimisation of the processes. And this principle applies not only within individual departments but also across all departments, as Matyssek explains. There are digital solutions for all these problems.

Dirk Matyssek acknowledges this reality. However, due to the emphasis on delivery reliability in his small company, certain machines are used less frequently. While this may impact productivity, it serves to prolong the service life of the machines. However, older machines are not always compatible with digital solutions. "I don't discard my machines every time I want to implement new software," Dirk Matyssek explains. And he doesn't have to, as Baaij assures us. Even machines that lack the necessary interface can still be integrated into the digitalized process. Certain activities must then be carried out manually – as before. This applies not only to older TRUMPF machines, but also to third-party systems.

Sometimes this can even help with the optimisation process. Frequently, the machine isn't the bottleneck at all, Baaij notes. In simple terms, this means that the machine has to wait for a person to retool it for a new job or to receive the material it requires for processing.

Such challenges are familiar territory for TRUMPF consultants, who possess extensive expertise in sheet metal processing. Matyssek values this, and finds it easy to engage in discussions with them on an equal footing. "We speak the same language", Baaij confirms. This is why TRUMPF's subsidiary is a cut above other consulting firms. Now it's Matyssek's turn; the contract will be awarded in the coming months. The bar in the assembly hall in Stadtoldendorf is likely to play an important role in the discussions that follow.