Sterne was created in 1996 in Cavaillon, in the south of France, by Céline LAGET and Jean-Claude SCARDIGLI. STERNE is highly specialized in design, development and manufacturing of articles and sets made from elastomer bases, mainly silicone elastomers with a sqm 4,000 factory amongst which sqm 700 of clean rooms, classified ISO 6, ISO 7 and ISO 8, high protected areas dedicated to the manufacturing of product for the medical market. They master extrusion, injection, overholding, and co-extrusion into industrial environment and clean rooms. The company has been set up according to a quality system management in respect with ISO 9001: 2015 and ISO 13485: 2016 standards.
Easy Engineering: What are the main areas of activity of the company?
STERNE: STERNE’s versatility makes it possible to fulfill one’s needs in different markets: medical/biomedical, pharmaceutical/cosmetics, food processing industry, railway and aerospace transportation, industry. Our activity consists of creating tailor-made products.
E.E: What’s the news for 2021 about new products? What are the most innovative products marketed?
STERNE: We now have new materials that meet the food industry standards CE1935. Our range also includes metal detectable silicones to ensure the safety of food production lines.
We are also developing UV curing silicone. This technology revolutionizes silicone processing. Considering the sustainable development issue, this new manufacturing process has the significant advantage to require less energy than conventional oven curing or heating machines. And moreover, studies have demonstrated a better durability. Research and development is a key activity for one who wishes to keep up with the innovations.
E.E: What are the ranges of products?
STERNE: Our know-how comprises extrusion, making, molding as well as coating, spray, dipping and pouring. As a silicone manufacturer, our activity consists of creating tailor-made products. Our major activity consists of designing, developing and manufacturing solutions as an answer to a specific client’s need. We work in partnership with our customers to develop their ideal product.
E.E: At what stage is the market where you are currently active?
STERNE: We evolve on markets where there is real technical expertise and added value. Pharmaceutical / medical business is probably the most developing market. Innovations and progress are constantly facing new challenges that require cutting-edge technology and high quality products. But we have also oriented our developments toward the food industry.
E.E: What can you tell us about market trends?
STERNE: As silicone offers specific properties, its use in many markets will continue its expansion. The fact that products in silicone are reusable is an advantage in a sustainable development era. Silicone has a bright future.
E.E: What estimations do you have for 2021?
STERNE: Growth is picking up. We plan to continue our worldwide expansion. The markets we work on are very technical and have very strict standards, we take close attention to be in accordance to those standards, knowing that standards vary from one country to another. Sustainability and ethics are also very important to us. Recently, we have been certified 2* for the Label Positive Workplace. We plan to continue to achieve the United Nations 17’s sustainable development goals. As an industry, it is important for us to making business whilst participating to making a better world. We have just launched a new development of digitalizing our tools to reduce the use of paper for instance.