Schleifenbauer further expands production capacity due to growth

There is no time for slowing down at Schleifenbauer Products from ‘s-Hertogenbosch. In July 2018, the company moved from the Kruisstraat business park in Rosmalen to its current (larger) facility at the Maasakkers business park in ‘s-Hertogenbosch. The continued growth of the company over the past two years is calling for further expansion of both production and office space.

Expansion of the production capacity at the existing facility

Schleifenbauer is planning to expand its existing premises by over 260 m². This can be achieved by integrating the adjacent warehouse into the production facility.

Jos Janssen (COO at Schleifenbauer) is responsible for coordinating the renovation and explains the choices that have been made: “The expansion of our production capacity is badly needed. We work in a growing market, meaning that any increase in data consumption and security requirements results in growth of the data centre market. This is true for both commercial data centres (active in the rental of server space) and data centres of governments, profit and non-profit organisations. In addition, we’re seeing an increase in the demand from the market for our products in the field of power distribution (PDUs and energy meters). This can partly be attributed to our unique production process and the bespoke services we can offer.

We are fortunate that we are able to expand at our existing facility and don’t have to move again. In saying that, this is something we had already taken into account when choosing this building a number of years ago”.

Fully in-house assembly of PDUs and energy meters

Ever since it was founded, Schleifenbauer has outsourced the assembly process of its PDUs and energy meters to an external party. However, due to the increasing growth and the need for a more efficient production process, the assembly will be managed entirely in-house. This has several advantages.

Jos Janssen: “Setting up a new assembly department is an important part of the renovation. The area will feature an ESD floor and will have state-of-the-art workstations and test equipment. In addition to the renovation work, we are currently also busy recruiting assembly personnel to further strengthen our existing team. This is progressing positively, and many applicants have already indicated their interest.”

The entire process set up efficiently

Schleifenbauer distinguishes itself in the market through its ability to produce on a customer-specific basis, an expertise that does not come naturally to most PDU manufacturers.

“In addition to the technology and automation that are needed, this can only be achieved with a set-up that maximises our internal processes. We are also utilising the current renovation to optimise our entire production process wherever possible. The ‘insourcing’ of the assembly, for example, demands a high level of attention and smart choices. Furthermore, the expansion still offers ample space for future growth and we are investing in special materials and resources that will enable us to improve our internal logistics (according to the Kanban methodology)”, says Janssen.

Investing confidently in the future

The choice to expand doesn’t only look at the current developments, but also towards the future. In addition to increasing the production capacity, we also want to create sufficient workspace and a good working environment. This applies to all departments and all employees. The renovation will also provide more office workplaces and a flexible workspace. Jos Janssen: “The number of employees at Schleifenbauer has grown significantly in recent years, so of course we, as employer, want to make sure our entire team has a good and healthy working environment”.

More information

Would you like more information about the developments within our organization? We are happy to assist you. Please contact us at info@schleifenbauer.eu