Dear Reader,
After experiencing above average
growth in 2011, the European econ-
omy has slowed considerably this
year. The financial and debt crisis
has had a knock-on effect on mar-
kets, resulting in stagnation. In spite
of this downturn, long term trends
remain favourable at SCHERDEL lo-
cations in Russia, Asia and South
America. We have also become in-
creasingly successful in a number of
new business areas. Unfortunately,
we have had to accept the fact that
for many components the price is
the main decision-making criterion,
and that our competitors are not
standing still. This is, of course,
even more of a burden as our com-
pany provides an extensive range of
services, particularly in the develop-
ment field. The specialist articles on
compression springs and compres-
sion-loaded spring systems featured
in this edition of SCHERDEL
news
demonstrate the in-depth knowledge
provided to SCHERDEL customers.
Our mechanical engineering know-
how and expertise in regard to au-
tomation through robot-assisted pro-
duction facilities helps us to relieve
the growing cost pressure in the
markets successfully. Another con-
tributing factor is SCHERDELʼs risk
management strategy to limit large
price fluctuations in the commodities
markets and to ensure that our prod-
ucts are always supplied on time
and to the right quality. SCHERDEL
will therefore remain a reliable part-
ner for all of its customers in the fu-
ture.
Walter Bach
Group Managing Director
1
MECHANICAL ENGINEERING – MANAGEMENT – TECHNOLOGY & PRODUCT DEVELOPMENT –
NEWS AND INFORMATION
EDITION 2/2012 E
Focussing on
compression springs
Knowledge transfer – an integral part of
SCHERDEL’s customer service
T
he traditional helical compression
spring was actually invented by
Leonardo da Vinci in the 15th century.
Today, its existence is not simply to
serve the cutting-edge automotive tech-
nology. Obviously SCHERDEL does
not date back to the Middle Ages, but
customers have been benefiting from
its expertise and skills in the field of
metal forming and spring production for
more than 120 years. This also in-
cludes the fields of compression
springs and compression-loaded spring
systems. This know-how has, of
course, been continuously further de-
veloped and enhanced over the years.
We realise that it is not only the
supreme material which plays a deci-
sive role when selecting the correct
springs for various industrial applica-
tions. State-of-the-art calculation meth-
ods for spring design and ʻfinishing
techniquesʼ during the production
process, for example heat treatment,
spring end grinding, deburring or shot
peening, presetting and the correct sur-
face treatment, ensure bespoke cus-
tomer solutions. SCHERDEL tradition-
ally offers development partnerships to
all its customers so that they can ex-
ploit the Groupʼs extensive industry
knowledge. This is also the case for
compression spring production. The
specialist articles on pages 2 to 7 of
this edition of SCHERDEL
news
provide
an interesting insight into the technical
world of this special type of spring. As
is well known, selection of the right
compression spring for a specific appli-
cation depends on numerous factors,
such as the ambient temperature, am-
bient medium, life-span requirements,
the space available and the permissible
setting loss. Luckily, SCHERDEL cus-
tomers can always be sure that the
jointly developed solutions are reliable,
energy-efficient, environmentally friend-
ly, sustainable and cost-effective.
REPORTS ON RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT, MANUFACTURING, MATERIAL TECHNOLOGY AND THE PRACTICAL APPLICA-
TIONS OF ENGINEERING SPRINGS AND ON THE SYSTEMS, MACHINERY AND TOOLING DIVISIONS OF THE
SCHERDEL
GROUP
