Viewpoint
January 27, 2023

VIEWPOINT 2023: Matthias Fehrenbach, CEO, Eutect GmbH



VIEWPOINT 2023: Matthias Fehrenbach, CEO, Eutect GmbH
Matthias Fehrenbach, CEO, Eutect GmbH
How was business in 2022 and what do you expect for the industry in 2023?
We cannot complain about the year 2022. The order situation was very good, also with regard to the coming year. So the positive trend will continue in the new year. Although the decision-making periods for our customers have become longer, we use the time and actively support them in equal measure with our expertise in soldering process technology and product design and, of course, with tests in our technical centre. In this way, success can often already be ensured today for the many upcoming projects in 2023.

Will you be launching new products or services in 2023?
Since we ask ourselves with every customer enquiry how the soldering or automation task can best be solved and always consider the customer's product with its very specific properties and requirements as well as the customer's wishes and circumstances, almost every project in its entirety results in a new product from EUTECT. In 2022, we have thus integrated the XPlanar planar motor system from Beckhoff into a series production plant for the first time worldwide and thus further expanded the area of industrial automation.

We expect further new projects in this area in 2023, in which we will be able to integrate our innovative ideas and solutions. The same goes for the Sustained Ring Soldering module (SRS). Due to "on the fly" rings made of solder wire, the SRS offers new possibilities for soldering assemblies in a cycle-time-optimised, highly accurate and economically sustainable manner. The SRS module is a fully automatic ring production device that is used to manufacture specific solder rings.

Have supply chain shortages of semiconductors and electronic components caused problems for your company in 2022 and what have you done to reduce these issues in 2023?
Yes and no. Of course, we are also suffering from the current shortage of materials. Especially with the components that are used in our control systems. The delivery problems with mechanical components, metal and plastic products as well as other supplier materials are also affecting us. Therefore, we were and are unfortunately forced to adjust our delivery times.

Of course, we are also looking for alternatives and second sources and have found some of them. For example, we are increasingly working with regional suppliers, especially with regard to metal products. This allows us to remain flexible thanks to short communication and delivery channels. The close cooperation of our project management with our customers also allows us to find a joint solution again and again in order to make delivery times as acceptable as possible for both sides. We are also supported in this by our cradle-to-cradle principle, according to which we repeatedly buy back used systems from the market and can reuse large parts, including the control technology components.

Are you able to hire enough qualified employees? What could the industry do to develop a larger pool of skilled workers?
No, the shortage of qualified workers is a massive problem that all industrial companies are facing. Together with our marketing experts, we have therefore considered how we can make the application process as simple as possible for any interested parties.

What prevents people from applying? The answer was clear: preparing application documents takes time, waiting for positive feedback is often lengthy and in the interview process some applicants get nervous. We have eliminated all these negative factors. Instead, applicants can upload their documents, but also videos and pictures on our career website and explain to us why they are the right candidates for one of our technical jobs. They can also choose the date and place for an initial interview there. This can also be the local café.

It is important to us to conduct the initial interviews with applicants in a relaxed atmosphere to determine whether they will fit into our team. And so far, this approach has been quite successful.

Has your company travel returned to pre-pandemic levels or are you still limiting travel to customer sites or industry conferences in 2023?
We are still testing ourselves during the week, but we are almost back to pre-pandemic levels in terms of internal and external client visits.

Matthias Fehrenbach, CEO
Eutect GmbH
https://eutect.de/en/
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