September 2013 Tube Products International
49
products & developments
5mn parts made with the lights out
Yorkshire, UK-based Olicana Products
Ltd, a tube bending specialist, has
recently completed the production of its
five millionth tubular steel bath leg using
an unmanned robotised manufacturing
cell supplied by Unison Ltd.
Olicana purchased the automated 5-axis
tube bending cell eight years ago.
The process includes automated loading
of the cut lengths of tube into the 5-axis
tube bending machine, and robot removal
and placing of the complex bent tube into
an all-electric press that punches holes
into the product in different planes. A
robot then moves the finished product
from the press and places it onto the
collection rails ready for packing and
distribution.
Olicana Products Ltd
– UK
Olicana’s 5-axis cell robot
A global network for local markets
In 1950, Friedrich Wilhelm Hempel
founded FW Hempel & Co Erze und
Metalle in Germany. His son, Friedrich-
Wilhelm Hempel, expanded and
diversified the business away from pure
trading into distribution and production.
More than sixty years later, the third
generation of Hempels are paving the
company’s path throughout the world.
Christian and André Hempel still
concentrate on the group’s core
business and continue the course
of expansion in the world of metals,
alloys, semi-products, and recycling of
metals. André Hempel believes that
the company’s continuity and growth
is partly due to being family managed
and staying independent: “It’s easier
with a family run business. There is a
high level of personal responsibility and
involvement; a decision is taken and
implemented faster.”
An important part of the Hempel group
is Hempel Special Metals (HSM), which
focuses on the international distribution
of high-performance materials. “Global
logistics in special corrosion and heat
resistance materials for local needs, that
is exactly what Hempel Special Metals
is.” According to Dirk Aberle, sales
director, export and projects, HSM has
a perfect network to fulfil customers’
needs: “With 140 employees in seven
countries, including Hempel Wire, we
know the market and what is going on,
this means we can offer our customers
the best value for money.”
HSM offers a broad range of products
from stocks, including nickel alloys,
titanium and stainless steels. In 2011,
the company added zirconium to its
product range.
Because HSM operates on a global
level it is important that communication
lines are kept short. André Hempel
explained, “Working from different
countries cannot affect our customers’
projects. Everything has to be dealt with
in the shortest time possible. One of our
strengths is our delivery time so this has
to be kept up to standard.”
The company’s product range is split
over several countries, eg flat products
in Germany, long products in the UK,
and medical in Switzerland. However,
this does not mean that customers have
to deal with different offices. All the
stock information is organised on one IT
system, and sales people have access
to the stock information regardless of
where the stock is physically located.
André Hempel believes it is important to
be able to support customers throughout
the entire process of a project: “We are
able to guide our customer through
the whole process of buying. This
often starts with material consulting.
We work together with partners who
have well equipped laboratories for high
temperature and wet corrosion testing.
If the customer is not sure which alloy
will withstand his application we can
perform corrosion tests for him.”
Hempel is also able to help customers
during downtime. “We even had a
situation where the customer picked up
his material by helicopter. We were the
only one with the necessary material
in stock and were flexible enough to
prepare it for pick-up within hours.”
The Hempel Special Metals service
package includes laser, water jet, and
plasma cutting, as well as shearing,
sawing, chamfering and marking.
Hempel Special Metals GmbH
–
Germany
