From fixture supplier to system integrator16.01.2020.The success story of a Saarland-based solution provider for welding systems
Soon followed regular orders for the design and construction of complete welding systems for car and truck exhaust systems from various automotive suppliers, associated with a consistent expansion of competence. In 2012, SVQ and the group’s control and automation specialist SATEG GmbH finally made the leap into the large equipment business by planning and building a complete welding line for truck exhaust systems with an annual capacity of more than 50,000 units. Since then, the company has implemented a number of turnkey process solutions for the welding of highly complex car and truck after-treatment systems for the international automotive and supply industry. The equipment size ranges from semi-automated small series production to fully automated production for large series. Some systems have more than 30 welding cells, several dozens of MAG welding robots and a number of leak testing devices, all loaded and unloaded fully automatically by several handling robots on the 7th axis. The flexible system technology and state-of-the-art simulation options ensure a maximum process reliability and high product quality. SVQ GmbH also supplies automated canning systems for exhaust gas after-treatment devices. In the so-called canning process mineral catalyst cores are placed with the help of bearing mats accurately in a metallic housing. In addition, SVQ also develops and produces other products for exhaust gas after-treatment. These include assembly and test stations for electrical exhaust flaps, leak test stations for internal and external leakage measurement, acoustic test benches, marking stations with needle embossers or laser marking, gauges and measuring stations for 3D measuring etc. Due to their modular design the individual products can easily be merged to an interlinked end-of-line area. In the meantime, however, SVQ’s portfolio expanded beyond the field of exhaust systems to the welding of vehicle cabins, housings and axles. The continuous enhancement of know-how allows the company today to offer systems for those additional components entailing further welding processes. While the complex variety of individual parts and variants is the challenge in the welding of exhaust systems, in the fields of cabin and housing welding for commercial vehicles and the welding of axles the particular task is the processing of larger sheet thicknesses and the associated different welding processes and special component weights. A major advantage for customers is that SVQ GmbH develops vendor-independent solutions and thus always offers the best individual concept for the respective customer. In addition, SVQ GmbH has developed an excellent reputation in the field of laser welding applications in recent years. Here, too, among the customers of SVQ are numerous well-known companies for which tailor-made solutions have been developed and implemented. An important factor for this success is the fact that the company is part of the Saarland-based Global Retool Group, a high-performance international group, which in addition to welding brings together a wealth of different disciplines such as mechanics, electrics, control and automation technology, engineering, simulation and programming supported by a network of reliable partners. This article was published in a special edition of "autoregion international" , issue no. 1/2020 |