Dear business partners,
another year of unexpected events is drawing to a close. In a year that started out in an optimistic spirit, it was 24 February that suddenly confronted us with a new world situation. In view of this development, the supply chain recovery that began at the end of 2021 experienced an about-turn. On top of this, we continue to see rising inflation in Europe, driven to a significant extent by the change in energy prices. The Coronavirus pandemic has faded far into the background as a result, and the situation has also eased considerably.
The economy has faltered significantly during the year: energy costs and supply issues, persistent supply bottlenecks and drastic price increases weigh on us all. We at Dreistern have also suffered extensively as a result. The shortage of materials and components continues to place extreme demands on us, and prevents us from meeting promised delivery dates, despite our best efforts and plenty of team spirit. The first glimmers of hope point to a slow easing of the situation in the new year. In addition to the realisation of many exciting and complex customer projects, we were also able to continue the further development of our product and service portfolio, and the streamlining of our processes:
2022 was a successful trade fair year for us. One thing, in particular: nothing replaces a trade fair, with all its personal contacts and conversations! EuroBLECH in Hanover – still our most important trade fair – can be considered a success for us. We were able to generate more contacts than ever before, and are, of course, delighted by the interest in DREISTERN and the product innovations we presented. In addition to EuroBLECH, we were represented at TUBE in Düsseldorf, Great Design in Steel Day in the USA, and TimTos in Taipei, Taiwan.
Among others, we were able to present the following product innovations, especially at EuroBLECH:
- Our self-sufficient surface treatment station
The primary purpose of a surface treatment for cold-rolled steel strip is to produce a constant uniform thickness and a smoothed strip surface. During this process, the quality of the strip is decisively improved, and the functionality of the end product is guaranteed. We now have a self-sufficient (and thus retrofittable) variant in our product range.
- The Intelligent DREISTERN Straightener
The aim of the new, intelligent straightener is to immediately detect changes in the production process, and provide information on the cause, thereby allowing the rectification of the possible fault.
- The Intelligent Welding Table
Our intelligent, motorised adjustable welding table monitors process forces independently. This allows uniform, flat weld seams to be produced, and the welding process can be monitored closely so that possible faults can be quickly detected and rectified.
Despite some cautious economic news, we are optimistic about the new year 2023 thanks to a strong book. We look forward to continuing our fantastic work together, and wish you and your families a Merry Christmas, a relaxing festive period, and the best of health for the New Year.
Forming success. Together.
DREISTERN GmbH & Co. KG
Thomas Krückels
