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SCHUNK: Human Capital and Competitiveness Formula for Success

Marcos Sepúlveda - SCHUNK
Director General México and Latin America

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Alejandro Enríquez By Alejandro Enríquez | Journalist and Industry Analyst - Tue, 06/30/2020 - 07:00

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Q: What problem does SCHUNK help the automotive industry to solve?

A: SCHUNK is a German family-owned company with five product lines: chuck jaws, lathe chucks, quick change and stationary systems, high-precision pneumatic systems and automation components, including grippers, rotary modules, collision sensors and linear modules. SCHUNK’s product lines are completely focused on Industry 4.0. Our clamping technology can be interconnected devices with machines to prevent problems in the production line. For instance, tool holders that detect vibrations in the machines can communicate this to reduce speed, making the tooling and the machine more efficient. The automotive industry represents 70 percent of our portfolio here in Mexico, followed by 10 percent in the aerospace industry.

Our gripping division provides grippers used by collaborative robots. It is important to mention that robots are not here to replace humans. Technological advancements have led robots to collaborate with humans to help them become more productive. With collaborative technologies, operators can manipulate products with the strength of a robot.  

Q: How does SCHUNK help companies choose the best solution depending on their process?

A: We create strategic partnerships in three segments. The first is with end-users who will use the product in their daily operations. Second, we have our own dealership to distribute our clamping and gripping products. Third, we have technology integrators who design an entire production line while integrating our products. We participate at all stages of the installation to make processes more efficient. For instance, a company had a particular need to grip a small, fragile and irregular piece to place it in another component. We have grippers to move these kinds of components, so integrators must know which gripping tools can be integrated into the process to solve the client’s need.

We do not have local production here. We import our products from Germany and the US. If the client gets our products from an integrator or distributor, they can rest assured that they can count on us for any technical support. We also have application engineers who listen to the customer’s needs and translate those into a functional design using our products. We also have a workshop facility to manufacture small components according to our customer’s demands. We build prototypes based on an idea from the client and once they approve it, we send it to Germany to be manufactured. We have had cases where entire production lines arrive to the country facing issues that we have helped to correct. This is often due to contact, air quality and some other elements that just need to be adjusted. If the customer has a SCHUNK product, we make sure it works. 

Q: Why did you choose Queretaro as a base for your operations in Mexico? 

A: We arrived in 2000 and the Mexican market was not quite ready for our products. After seven years of working in the Mexican market, we decide to move our operations from Mexico City to Queretaro due to the potential we saw in the aerospace and automotive industries. Today, we have a land of 10,000m2 where we plan to build a technological center to offer customers an integral vision of how their project will look. 

Q: What is SCHUNK’s relationship with the public sector and academia?

A: We have some products that we can sell only to R&D centers. We have a fully robotic hand that has sensors to measure pressure and touch. Programming is not easy and at the industrial level it is not as profitable, but centers like CIDESI or CINVESTAV can develop their own communication languages using our hardware. 

We also collaborate with local research centers in Queretaro by bringing technology closer to their members. We also support them with credit to access the equipment and use it with SCHUNK’s technical assistance. In terms of universities, we have a demo bus that visits several campuses where clamping and gripping components are demonstrated, not only in the Bajio region but also in Oaxaca, Campeche or other states that are far from the automotive hubs. There is undiscovered talent in these regions where engineers are strongly motivated and creative. 

Q: What are the most urgent challenges the industry is experiencing?

A: The industry is desperate to get to Industry 4.0, but companies have not yet fully understood what this entails. They already have communications systems installed, even though they do not know how to process the data. Lack of knowledge can be a major obstacle for companies wanting to enter this revolution. They should be aware about why they need their processes to be improved and where they need it the most, including the necessary investments and ROI schemes. 

 

SCHUNK is a German family-owned company specialized in gripping and clamping solutions for the metal-mechanic industry. In Mexico, the company is based in Queretaro and has more than 50 employees with over 70 percent of its portfolio in the automotive industry.

Photo by:   SCHUNK

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