Knoll Maschinenbau has started to assemble its systems in China
by David Fleschen
KNOLL Maschinenbau is one of the world's leading suppliers of conveying and filtering equipment for chips and coolants (KSS) in metalworking. In order to be able to serve the European OEMs among the machine tool manufacturers in the Asian market flexibly and at reasonable cost, KNOLL has recently installed an assemnly facility in Shanghai. The focus is on high quality, which must not differ from products manufactured in Germany.
At KNOLL, international engagement occupies a strategically important position. Step by step, KNOLL branches were and are being built up in key global markets. As the KNOLL products enjoy increasing demand in the Chinese market, the Upper Swabian family-owned company opened its own branch in Shanghai in November 2018.
KNOLL China Machinery Co., Ltd. Based in the Songjiang district is a joint venture with a long-standing Chinese partner. It is designed as an assembly plant to produce KSS conveyor and filter systems for the Asian market. The first on-site filters were already presented in April at the CIMT 2019 in Beijing - "for the first time at a large KNOLL booth", as Roland Längle, Head of Business Development at KNOLL, points out. "A successful appearance, which has helped us to arouse great interest among European machine tool OEMs, who have already been producing in China for a long time."
Up to now, these companies, which in Germany are one of the established KNOLL customers, have sourced the necessary cooling lubricant systems mainly from local suppliers in China. "This is mainly due to legal and tax reasons," says Längle. He emphasizes: "That should change in the future. Because with our China plant, we are a local supplier that supplies all plants in 100% KNOLL quality. "
Defined core components, such as the filter top, are imported from Germany. For other parts, such as the large-volume tank of a filter plant, the people in charge are looking for local manufacturing partners who, however, have to meet strict specifications. Längle points out that "every supplier must undergo a qualification that ensures that the end customer does not feel any difference to the components from Germany. Our goal is to be close to the customer and to convince with high quality equipment and maximum delivery reliability in the Asian market. "
Source and Photo: Knoll