Initial situation: Struggling with high costs and inconsistent production quality
A Germany-based company in the intra-logistics industry relied heavily on local sourcing, purchasing most components from German and other European suppliers.
The company faced two major challenges:
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Suboptimal production technology : The production process was inefficient and led to inconsistent quality with a high defect rate.
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High purchasing costs : Limited sourcing options and a lack of international supply chain experience drove costs up.
With plans to scale production, the company needed a more efficient and costeffective sourcing strategy.
Project start: A smarter approach to manufacturing
To demonstrate the potential of international sourcing, we began by optimizing the customer’s design for high-volume production.
Originally, the adapter plate consisted of a combination of a stainless steel plate and an aluminium turned part, connected by a retaining ring. In practice, however, this variant proved to be unstable - in a second step, a press-fit variant was tested, but the required dimensional accuracy could not be consistently maintained.
In order to ensure stable production, we developed the assembly further: we now rely entirely on stainless steel, and instead of a retaining ring or press-fit, the individual parts are precisely laser-welded - a process that not only significantly simplifies production, but also ensures consistently high quality and process reliability.
The changeover led to a significant reduction in the reject rate, while at the same time shortening production time and increasing cost efficiency.
The manufacturing process involved turning, welding, stamping, and bending, ensuring a high-quality finish while significantly reducing costs.
Results: Faster, cheaper, and ready to scale
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40% total cost reduction
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65 days from sample order to final product approval: despite the Christmas and Lunar New Year holidays
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First batch delivered within 50 days via air freight, with the remaining inventory stored in our Bremen warehouse for on-demand delivery
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On-demand logistics : Parts delivered within 7 days upon request.
Next steps: Expanding the Impact
Following this successful collaboration, the next phase involves expanding production to include more components from the same assembly group. By consolidating manufacturing, we aim to reduce costs even further and simplify the client’s procurement process —paving the way for smooth, scalable growth.
