INTERVIEWSTECH
··4 min read

PROBLEM SOLVED. HOW ARE SIDEM’S PRODUCTS I SOLUTIONS USED IN OVERCOMING CHALLENGING SITUATIONS?

Sidem has 90 years of experience and know-how. The no-nonsense approach of a healthy family business with the ambition of a flourishing multinational. The company is the oldest brand in chassis parts and proud of it.

Easy Engineering: Tell us a short story about innovation in your company.

Engineering team  innovation for actual and new products:

 Process innovation:

  • loading/unloading for CNC machines with 6 axis robots (more than 100 CNC machines with automatic loading)
  • automatic process for spot welding
  • automat threading and burnishing machines
  • automat loading/unloading for punching press
  • automatic assembly lines for ball joints, axial joints and stabilisators

Process and product control innovation:

  • 3D measuring machines integrated in production flow
  • Torque control in automatic lines
  • Roughness measuring for spherical surfaces
  • Ultrasonic and Eddy current crack control

E.E: Which are the most significant projects from 2023?

Sidem developed more than 220 new items in the catalogue for the new car models including BEV.

In OE business where approved by customer:

  • 5 new projects for new cars  
  • 3 for Formula 1

For production where invested more than 5 million Euro in new equipment’s 

E.E: What projects were the most challenging?

One of the most challenging project was to find and prove the improvement in life time of our parts using the new grease developed specially for Sidem by Kluber Germany.

E.E: What products / solutions were used in the projects?

Was done different endurance tests in our internal and accredited laboratory to prove the life time of the products in relation with the original parts.

There was developed special testing machines to be able to perform the tests: underwater endurance test machine, ball joint endurance machine, salt spray test for corrosion resistance test, dustcover ageing test machine (-30°C …+70°C). 

E.E: What are the usual challenges you encounter? 

  • One of the first challenges is to remain competitive on the market and succeed to a very aggressive price concurrency from non-European countries.
  • Personal skills development of our employees considering the trend of the technology.
  • Keep the quality level of the products on the premium level.

E.E: How did you overcome the challenges?

  • Continuous improvement in processes for a better efficiency / prices.
  • Continuous training in all levels of the company.
  • Automatization in process and control.

E.E: Which are the most innovative products/solutions in your lineup?

  • One of the most innovative solutions was to replace old machines with new ones which are more productive and energy consume efficient.
  • Install solar panels for our consumption.
  • To follow Industry 4.0 standards, we implement online LEAN visual management for all our equipment.

E.E: What was the research behind the products/solutions?

  • To find and choose the right solution we follow all the relevant fairs and exhibitions dedicated to automotive industry.
  • Co-engineering with worldwide suppliers for customized equipments.

E.E: What problems / challenges do users usually encounter?

One of the challenges for our end users is to recycle the packaging materials;

Sometime is difficult to find the right OE cross reference code for the article that the customer is looking for.

E.E: How are your products / solutions used in solving users problems?

E.E: What are your forecasts for 2024?

  • Follow and implement the new actual technology improvements for production/smart warehouse/logistic flow and control of our parts;
  • Readapt production lines acc. the new technologies and new machines used.
  • Implement new ERP software to improve actual one.
  • Implement new APS (advanced planning software) 
  • Reorganize warehouses for rough material and semifinished parts;
  • Sidem is looking for continuous improvement the work environment and safety for all employees and respect all the environment regulation.

www.sidem.eu