SCR sa is mainly active in the field of heat treatment on an international level and offers a wide range of technical expertise:
Electricity & industrial data processing, automation, supervision and production management systems, and also develop and roll out comprehensive solutions such as special furnaces, test benches and special machines, delivering a guarantee of permanent high-level technicality and advice to our customers.
Interview with Joël Mehlin, Sales Manager at SCR sa.
Easy Engineering: What are the main areas of activity of the company?
Joël Mehlin: Our customers work in a wide array of sectors, such as aeronautics, weaponry, automotive industry, bolt making, watchmaking, medical, etc.
E.E: What’s the news about new products?
J.M: A low-pressure carburising probe (LPC)The LPC probe, currently under development and testing, is used to determine a low-pressure carburising atmosphere. It will ensure reproducibility of treatments and production traceability. We are also developing new S-phase treatment and controlled oxidation processes using our DATANIT Kn regulation probe. Our computer software is compatible with Industry 4.0 and connected to various ERP systems (notably SAP) for perfect automation and production data collection.
E.E: What are the ranges of products?
J.M: Our products are mainly used to regulate and control all types of heat treatment installations (mesh belt furnaces, pit furnaces, vacuum furnaces). We manufacture our own atmosphere regulation probes, and develop our own supervision and archive software for the heat treatment industry. We also retrofit installations to bring them into line with current standards. We manufacture made-to-measure furnaces for extremely demanding customers in the aerospace, R&D, watchmaking, medical and automotive sectors.
E.E: At what stage is the market where you are currently active?
J.M: The various markets are at different stages of development, but are all encountering interesting new prospects. The automotive industry, for example, is undergoing a number of transformations with E-mobility. Luxury watchmaking is developing new materials and new processes, which is interesting for us. Our markets are constantly evolving and this gives us the opportunity to support our customers through these transitions.
E.E: What can you tell us about market trends?
J.M: There are discrepancies between the various markets. It should be noted that part of the automotive sector (especially factories dealing with internal combustion engine parts or transmission components) is suffering from the transition to e-mobility, while the aerospace industry is rebounding after a complicated Covid period. The watch market has remained buoyant for many years.
E.E: What are the most innovative products marketed?
J.M: For sure there is our patented Datanit Probe.
The Datanit probe is used to accurately determine nitriding and nitrocarburizing atmosphere and to regulate it.
This economic and ecological probe considerably reduces gas consumption in kN regulation mode (nitriding potential control). They also ensure reproducibility of your treatments and traceability of your production.
Ensures NadCap and automotive CQI-9 aeronautical standards are complied with.
We are also seeing a great deal of interest in the LPC probe that we are developing. It is currently being tested by one of our partners with a view to bringing a finished product to market.
E.E: What estimations do you have for the rest of 2023?
J.M: We have a very good backlog in all our sector. We should build several furnaces and Retrofit and some new development for our actual big customer. The rebound in the aerospace and watchmaking sectors offset the slight fall in sales to our automotive customers. Retrofitting seems to be gaining ground in our sales, with a huge number of customer requests for safety upgrades, modernization and bringing old installations up to standard. We face the future with confidence and good prospects.