After three years of determination and innovation, SFC KOENIG China celebrated the launch of their Local Pull Expander Assembly Line in April.
The long-term project demanded testing over 30 different local supplier parts and equipment for quality assurance, producing ten different versions of the assembly line layout. Now, SFC KOENIG China has locally produced a high-quality sealing solution that enhances service and agility for a dynamic Chinese market.
Previously, SFC China had no production line for pull type expanders. They were only produced in United States and Switzerland. By producing the majority of product in their same region, SFC reduces reliance on any single production site while improving the ability to react rapidly to regional volume fluctuations. This strategy also offers an additional layer of risk mitigation from supply interruptions caused by natural disasters or other unforeseen occurrences.
SFC KOENIG & BAND-IT President Anton delivered an opening speech at the facility in Xiang Cheng District, Suzhou, China to mark this exciting moment for all employees. Project leader Juha introduced the new assembly line in detail and led tours for all attendees.
Despite facing various obstacles, such as COVID-19 restrictions, market fluctuations and global logistics interruptions, the production team never gave up and insisted on finding solutions with guidance from leadership.
Today, SFC KOENIG China uses their new assembly line for all production and quality processes. They’ve also passed the first official customer audit with high score and received their first official customer order as well.
Pull type expanders are used in a wide range of industries applications and markets, including fluid power and hydraulic segments, automotive, commercial vehicle and off-road applications.
SFC KOENIG produces engineered, high-performance metal-to-metal sealing and flow control solutions for applications with high quality and performance standards. Their expanders, flow restrictors, check values and other products are used in automotive, aerospace, medical and other applications.