As years passed and technology developed, people have increasingly turned to the application areas of modern springs. Springs and clips which Meder produces today are seldom used in time pieces. More often, these springs and clips, which often are only barely visible to the naked eye, are utilized in the automotive and electrical industry, as well as in the areas of security and medicine.
With the opening of new lines of business, new areas of application for precision parts also emerged for Kurt Meder GmbH, which today belongs to the Kern-Liebers Group. As one of the largest suppliers of metal springs, Meder now produces items which, depending on type and constitution, are categorized as: compression, tension, and blade springs, micro-springs, wire and punching/bending components as well as entire sub-assemblies. With 150 coworkers, Meder today winds and coils 4,000 different types of springs and clips for a total of 600 globally active companies. Quantitatively, a volume of over 10 million springs and clips, customized to the clients specifications, leave the 8,000 square meter facility on a daily basis.
The timepiece industry, with its demand for small sizes and smooth functioning, has seized to be the final measure of things. This is demonstrated by the micro-springs, which, with diameters starting at just 0.03 millimeters, are sometimes only recognizable under a magnifying glass. For the wire devices which are paramount in medical and sensor technology, one gram of material sometimes suffices to produce up to 20,000 springs. These highly precise instruments find application in hearing aids, pace makers, inhalers or endoscopy spirals which are used in minimally invasive surgery. But the foundation of the companys success lies not only in the exacting quality standards demanded in the medical industry for processing of coated materials such as Teflon, precious metals, plastics, and hydrophilic coatings. In the automotive industry as well, the strictest requirements for the highest quality products prevail, and here Meders self-imposed standards often exceed the stringent requirements of the automobile manufacturers.
Since late 1999, employees at Kurt Meder GmbH find support in the monitoring and maintenance of premium quality production with CAQ AG Factory Systems. Punctually at the turn of the millennium, the Rheinböllen-based software supplier installed its quality assurance system CAQ-Compact.Net®, which today, complemented with several additional modules, is used at 30 measuring stations on the Meder premises, as well as by the administration and management of the company. "The well-known millennium bug posed an insurmountable hurdle for our previous software vendor," report the Manager of Quality Control, Hans Vosseler, and his team colleague responsible for the system, Adam Skopp. "The risk that we would be without quality control on January 1, 2000, was simply too high," explains Mr. Skopp. "Accordingly, we had to look around, on short notice, for an alternative that was as cost-effective as possible."
This "alternative" was CAQ AG Factory Systems. A visit to the quality control trade fair "Control" in nearby Sinnsheim shed light on various possibilities and suppliers. In-depth comparisons on the spot as well as the installation of test versions on the Meder premises led to the selection of CAQ AG Factory Systems as the software partner in matters of quality control. In addition to the software’s modular design, which makes possible an individualized combination of eligible components into a compact system, the outstanding cost-performance ratio of the software provider from the Hunsrück region was a deciding criterion for future cooperation.
"CAQ AG is certainly not a cut-rate company," says Manager of Quality Control, Hans Vosseler. "But we were never interested in a cheapjack. We were looking for a partner that fulfills our requirements at optimal terms. In that respect CAQ AG offered, and still offers, simply the best cost-performance ratio."
The software has won Meder over. Besides the 30 measuring stations on the production lines, the software is also used by CEO Magnus Mauch, in order to be able to see the current quality standards of his production at any time. "With the REM.Net® analysis module we obtain at any time an insight into the current quality situation," explains the MBA graduate. "But the Connect.Net® module for connecting to our SAP® application provides a decisive advantage for our company as well.
In order to guarantee optimal use of the system, the south-German company invested in the supplementary Top-Service-Package (TSP). Besides the included employee training, which is actively used, the regular system updates are especially welcome.
In order to achieve the best possible efficiency and the corresponding optimal adaptability of the program, the questions and optimization wishes of the client are gathered in Rheinböllen and incorporated into specific versions of the program. The expansion and optimization of the software program which is brought about in this way is then made available to the client within the framework of the TSP at no charge, so that every user can freely decide at which update point an installation for his own application is meaningful. At Meder, the attainable individualization of the quality control software was, and is, a foundation of a cooperative relationship which is successful and satisfactory on both sides.
Renowned customers especially demanding in the area of quality and environmental management describe their success stories and serve as guarantors and references for software that yields high performance and is reliable and fair.
From mid-size companies to multi-national corporations, CAQ AG develops innovative, integrated software solutions that satisfy the highest demands and meet all requirements of quality management.
Furthermore, CAQ AG software supports all quality-related processes pertaining to any value added chain, production companies, and service providers. We attach special importance to compliance with standards as well as 100% release-capability of all of our software solutions without any restrictions – all this while retaining the maximum degree of customization to satisfy customer-specific demands.
Although CAQ AG software solutions are installed on thousands of systems worldwide, we guarantee that you can update your version automatically, no matter how many updates and upgrades you have installed previously. All upgrades function with minimum servicing time and effort onsite. Updates install automatically without requiring you to consult or involve our service staff. Updates neither change nor impede any customer-specific configurations. This principle ensures the full value of your investments.
In all of our efforts our most important goal is not just to satisfy you, but instead to thrill you! One thing is essential to realizing this goal – and we are very proud of our accomplishments on this front: We have a highly motivated, engaged, and competent team in which and with which working is fun!
It is a matter of course for us here at CAQ AG that our employees in development, support, customer service, sales, and management, in addition to having university degrees as well as practical experience, have completed the training courses for “Quality Manager GFQ-IHK” or “Quality Assistant GFQ-IHK” and stay up-to-date by continuously completing training programs.
