Desma is calculated, client-friendly at K 2022

Düsseldorf, Germany — For Kloeckner Desma Elastomertechnik GmbH, a mechanical contractor and manufacturer of injection molding machinery for the rubber industry, the planning process with the client is critical.

In fact, without it, the rest of the process doesn't really matter.

"It all starts with the development process," said Martin Schurmann, chief sales and financial officer with the Fridingin, Germany-based company. "What is needed of the end user? Before we even start, we need this front-end planning of the project.

"We are very insistent that we participate in (the) development process. They could be missing opportunities to become better. How can we work out inefficiencies? We need to find the right interface for the client."

And transparency is crucial, even if it means telling a client that Desma is, perhaps, not the right business for their needs.

New clients comprise about 32 percent of total sales, Schurmann said.

Compared to other machine manufacturing companies, Desma took a minimalist approach to its booth at K 2022, with one very large injection molding press for seal-making on display — and a whole lot of industry knowledge surrounding it.

This extensive knowledge-first philosophy is what sets Desma apart, according to Michael Zaun, chief technology and operating officer with the company.

"We try to understand what is driving the client," Zaun said. "And there is more knowledge here than other locations. Finding application solutions using our knowledge sets Desma apart, fundamentally, from other companies, in the way we operate."

Desma typically serves clients in the automotive, energy, infrastructure and white goods markets.

The company has seven business segments, and while automotive used to comprise about 85 percent of the firm's sales (about $44 million), that has decreased to about 48 percent today. The automotive segment still leads the way for Desma in China and India, though that is no longer the case in Germany.

"Over the years we have diversified," Schurmann said. "Automotive is followed by electronics and energy, industrial solutions … and mining, which is very big. Pharmaceutical is still growing, and we expect that growth to continue. Then white goods industry follows those."

The company remains "intensely engaged," Schurmann said, in the development of production solutions, automation concepts and other applications that can contribute to a more sustainable future, all themes of K Show 2022.

Due to e-mobility, the structural change in the energy supply sector and infrastructure space already have forced the development of new machines at Desma.

And customization is a key tenet for the firm with five manufacturing locations across the globe and about $105 million in sales last year.

"Customized machining gives us everything we need … maybe too much, " Schurmann joked. "We definitely have a high percentage of customization. And this can be due to a client's needs, or due to the regulations and certifications that are necessary to be met today."

Such regulations can be dizzying in that they vary by continent, country — and even by state.

"Regulations are part of it," Schurmann said. "Is it green hydrogen moving forward? Will it be a lithium battery in the vehicle? There are some dramatic changes going on right now. In terms of technical changes, e-mobility is kicking in, and there is climate change, whether people want to admit it or not.

"So what does all this mean? We need to adapt to the needs of a changing market. It is not necessarily quantity any longer, but quality."

And this gets back to the planning process with the client, the Desma representatives said.

"We are more forward-looking than others," said Harald Schmid, general sales manager with Desma. "Around one corner a potential client may come and request a machine for cylinder head gaskets, and around another corner a client may need a machine for electrolyzers."

The company showed off a new seal-making machine, the Sealmaster+, as well as a carbon footprint calculator, at K Show, both relatively new offerings from the company.

"Automation and digitization are keys to sustainable production processes in terms of increasing productivity," Schurmann said. "They contribute to leaner production by eliminating waste."

The Sealmaster+ boasts a 50-percent larger mold-making area, depending on the size of the hotplate that is used.

In addition, a new servo-driven hydraulic unit ensures ease of servicing, and 70 percent of the hydraulic lines are piped. The hydraulic tank is made of stainless steel and about 50 percent less hydraulic oil is required for the machine.

The company has implemented use of a carbon calculator — again, part of the planning process — for customers, which can precisely estimate the CO2 that a particular production process will generate.

"From the first discussion with the client, we offer them this digital tool … which can predict CO2 emissions through the lifecycle of their project," Schurmann said. "They can then see the ecological and economical impacts of their production."

Schmid said a customer can enter their power consumption into the calculator, and it will spit out a number — and this information is critical for achieving the "green certificates" that are necessary in some countries.

"Desma is constantly looking at alternatives," Schurmann said. "This is a complex process. Optimized options can help reduce CO2 output, but a client may choose something that actually increases the CO2 output."

It may be a redundant refrain at this point, but it remains true: the planning process is paramount, as it can shorten development times and remove the unnecessary logistics that can come with subcontracting.

"It gets back to the planning process," Zaun said. "Customized solutions for the reduction of waste is one of the most important questions we have to answer before moving ahead."

The cold runner portion of the system is responsible for most of the CO2 emissions from an injection molding line.

"With an optimized cold runner, a customer can save up to 50 tons per year in CO2 emissions," Schmid said. "This had always been measured by price or cost rather than (being driven) by a regulation or threshold of a regulation that needs to be achieved."

"Now we can take that calculation and say, 'Here is your carbon footprint,' " Schurmann said.

Schmid said his wife drives an electric vehicle, and now is the proud holder of a negative emissions certificate, which she can sell to a firm—perhaps a carbon black firm or an oil company — essentially selling a credit for her negative carbon footprint to someone with a positive one.

"We need to work toward a better consciousness, a better awareness of what is around us," Schurmann said. "Yes, we are business people first, but we need to do this for the merit of society.

"These are enormously important topics that have taken on a global focus."