- 04-10-2021
- Articles
Growth in an adverse scenario and investment in machinery: Gurelan shows how to do it
Despite the difficult situation in the European industry, struggling to overcome the pandemic recession in the midst of a wave of rising prices of raw materials and shortage of components, Gurelan decided to invest in machinery while growing by 35% in 2021, facing the future with a clear objective: to further improve the efficiency, quality and competitiveness of Zamak and Magnesium injection moulding solutions, betting on innovation and investment in Industry 4.0.
Over the past few months, the combination of a quick reopening of global economic activity, a strong recovery in consumption and stress in global supply chains has led to increasing shortages and a widespread hike in the prices of commodities. From an industrial point of view, this scenario particularly affects industries such as semiconductors, chemicals, gas and, of course, industrial metals, including Zamak and Magnesium, used by Gurelan to produce high quality die-cast parts. The market is likely to adjust in the medium term, and supply will grow to meet demand, but there are still some difficult months ahead.
Thanks to investment in new machinery and production technologies, Gurelan has been able to withstand the global economic downturn, achieving improvements in efficiency and productivity at all stages of the production process, with a 35% growth in 2021.
The company´s participation in the Renove Industria 4.0 programme (support for the acquisition of advanced machinery or equipment for the implementation of Industry 4.0 projects) and Gauzatu Industria 2021 (promoting the development of technology-based or innovative SMEs as a strategy for competitiveness, employment and quality to restore the path to growth), both sponsored by SPRI and the Basque Government, stand out among other projects.
Investment in machinery: a safe bet
Die casting machinery used nowadays in the production of Zamak and Magnesium parts has little to do with equipment designed a few decades ago, when operators had to be real artists to thoroughly understand each machine and its characteristics.
As part of its efforts to provide maximum guarantees of efficiency and quality to its customers in an increasingly demanding industrial environment, Gurelan pursues its investment in Industry 4.0 in terms of machinery, tools and applications offering flexibility, responsiveness and performance, such as the new pressure injection machine installed in April. This makes it possible to make the most of innovation at every stage of the value chain through concrete solutions to specific problems, thus optimising the entire production process.
What do we achieve when investing in machinery?
- Improved competitiveness: increased productivity, ability to manufacture new parts, increased production volume, easier operation, higher part and process quality.
- Cost efficiency: automation makes training easier, downtime is reduced and production organisation models are improved. Fewer parts are wasted and raw materials are better utilised (less waste).
- Connectivity: real-time supervision, instant monitoring provided by the manufacturer, preventive control, remote corrective and preventive maintenance.
- Scalability and flexibility: reduced information processing times, offering greater responsiveness and adaptability to changing scenarios.
- Production control: investing in machinery means that many processes are live tracked and recorded, generating valuable information to identify patterns, improve processes and implement changes to prevent future events.
Gurelan is committed to the future by investing in new machinery and advanced equipment, both hardware and software, with the objective of modernising the whole die casting process for Zamak and Magnesium parts. The challenge lies in using this technological evolution to further improve quality and production costs in real time, thereby providing the best solutions for our Industry 4.0 customers.