Team spirit particularly important in times of constant change and global challenges
Crimmitschau. With effect from March 01, 2012, Wirthwein AG, headquartered in Creglingen, Germany, has acquired, inter alia via the newly founded subsidiary Wirthwein Crimmitschau GmbH & Co. KG, significant assets of Thermoplast Technik Deutschland Holding GmbH & Co. KG (ttb-group), after the economic crisis at the time and the enormous price pressure in the automotive industry had led to the insolvency of one of the leading thermoplastics processors in Europe. The company in Crimmitschau, Saxony, Germany, is therefore celebrating its tenth anniversary these weeks and once again times are very turbulent. .
With the establishment of the Crimmitschau site, the Wirthwein group of companies grew by a further site, which is active in the field of plastic injection molding for the automotive industry. The existing customer structure of the Saxony location integrated seamlessly into the customer and product portfolio built up by Wirthwein. In addition to the aforementioned automotive division, the Wirthwein Group of companies, which has been family-run since 1949, is also active in the railroad, energy, household appliances, medical technology and interior design business areas.
Constant change
The history of the company located in the Saxon district town of Crimmitschau is characterized by constant change. Shortly after Wirthwein's founding, a comprehensive reorganization and optimization of the entire material and production flow began. As a result, a new production area was created that spanned two halls and was home to a total of 27 injection molding machines with clamping forces ranging from 25 to 1,500 tons. The new production area also necessitated adjustments in the logistics area, so that in 2014 planning began for a new logistics hall, which was ceremoniously inaugurated just one year later as part of a family party. Due to the constant growth, the site was able to expand again and again in the following years and continuously dealt with the optimization of existing processes across all divisions. In 2018, a large-scale offensive to restructure the machinery was launched, which continued in the years 2019 to 2021 with the "Free Capacity" project. As part of this project, seven old machines were successfully disposed of and their projects transferred to the total of 13 newly acquired injection molding machines. Investments were also made in four assembly cells and a further packaging line.
In addition to the numerous restructuring and expansion projects that the Crimmitschau workforce successfully mastered together during the company's ten-year history, the commitment of the employees was also demonstrated in many smaller and larger individual projects. In the early years of the Saxon location, the project planning phase of a fan separation system planned and implemented by the company itself was successfully completed, so that since then the fans produced by eight machines have been separated fully automatically and assigned to the respective packaging station. Another major project, which the Crimmitschauer realized in close coordination with two well-known customers from the automotive sector, was the installation of a large fully automated assembly cell. Since the beginning of 2018, up to 550,000 fully automatically assembled modules consisting of fan, frame, flaps and motor have been running from the assembly cell's conveyor belt. After the successful project implementation in Crimmitschau, the experience gained was used to realize the installation of the "sister plant" at the Spanish Wirthwein site in Zaragoza as efficiently as possible.
Global challenges
Although the 13th location of the Wirthwein group of companies has grown continuously over the last decade and is well equipped for the future thanks to ongoing optimization, the Crimmitschau employees are currently having to demonstrate stamina once again: the effects of the Covid 19 pandemic lockdowns and the temporary closures of many plants of well-known car manufacturers due to the Ukraine war have made themselves felt in a significant drop in sales. Currently, 110 employees work at the Saxon site, all of whom naturally hope that the two global crises can be overcome as quickly as possible. With the help of 33 injection molding machines and various fully automated assembly systems, the company produces plastic components for various automotive customers on an area of around 9,000 m2.
"We" is lived at the Crimmitschau site
Especially because of the constant change brought about by the site's strong technological orientation, plant manager Dr. Maike Gruschwitz attaches particular importance to cross-departmental teamwork. Among other things, the introduction of in-house workshops in the production area has created a wide range of further training opportunities over the last ten years. By September 2021, a total of 47 young people have started their careers at Wirthwein Crimmitschau in five apprenticeships, which corresponds to a training rate of around 10 percent. The efforts of the Crimmitschau site were recognized for the first time in 2015 and again in 2021 by the Chemnitz Chamber of Industry and Commerce by being awarded the title of "Exemplary Training Company".
