The future of technical cleaning
Reacting to the new instead of clinging to the old: Gerhard Koblenzer on prospects for technical cleaning
A lot has happened in the cleaning industry in recent times - not only have cleanliness requirements increased in many areas, but the reproducibility of results, modern worker qualifications and the changing image of the plant manufacturer as an all-round supporter also bring new challenges.
Challenges in the industry
Mr. Koblenzer, what are the current challenges facing the industry?
The market has changed rapidly over the past four years and the new challenges are complex. On the one hand, structural adjustment processes still need to be implemented - in people's minds and in company processes.
In addition, component and chemical partners have to learn that their products are tested in terms of durability and influence on the cleaning result. Furthermore, increasing internationalization is playing an ever greater role, and with it political and economic instability.
A current example is the situation between Taiwan and China, which is having a direct impact on the investment plans of important semiconductor companies and thus hampering an entire supplier industry. In addition, the Chinese market, which used to be very important, is no longer as strong.
Noticeable changes
What specifically has changed from the "tried and tested"?
In many industrial sectors, the requirements for the level of technical cleanliness in the process chain and consequently the specific degree of cleanliness after cleaning have changed. Accordingly, issues such as cross-contamination and recontamination are becoming much more important and in turn have an impact on the materials used or the quality of the media, for example.
In addition, the up-to-date qualification of all employees is a very important factor. Because anyone who thinks and acts on the basis of the "old" will fail.
Adjustments unavoidable in the long term
How should plant manufacturers deal with these new factors?
Structural and organizational adjustments within the company and the development of new skills, such as contract cleaning, analytics and application engineering, are unavoidable in the long term. Although a system manufacturer remains a manufacturer, the path to system delivery has changed completely.
The sales department now develops a functioning and validatable overall process, if possible together with the customer. This is evaluated and proven through realistic trials and feasibility tests. The "reward" for this preliminary work is then, in the best case, a system order. And only then does classic plant construction begin.
Structural change already underway
What are the new tasks and requirements at LPW and how are you dealing with them from a business perspective?
We initiated our internal structural change back in 2015 and initially removed key customer segments in order to free up resources for the necessary adjustments. This was preceded by workshops and strategy meetings to evaluate the sectors and markets in terms of their medium and long-term change trends.
As a result, LPW has, for example, reduced the automotive share of turnover from 70 to 80% while at the same time increasing turnover to 10 to 20%. We have also tackled the infrastructure. In 2018, for example, the decision was made to build our cleanroom-based test and service center on a neighboring site we purchased.
We also set up the new Application Engineering division. An intensive process. But it has paid off. As a result, we are now ideally equipped for current and future tasks.
Fully equipped test center
What is new, different, better and how do customers benefit from the reopened LPW test and service center?
The rebuild was not entirely voluntary. After a local fire, we had to procure the entire inventory, from the microscope to the clean room, from scratch. But: if life gives you lemons, make lemonade out of them. We took the opportunity and, in addition to the insurance money, we also spent our own money to improve our cleanroom, create more laboratory space and expand our testing and monitoring facilities.
Furthermore, we now have an in-house developed ultrapure water supply system. In addition to the modern equipment, our customers benefit from our more than 15 years of experience with ultra-clean processes, which can be optimally implemented in the TDZ setting and also allows new and further development of solutions for current and future tasks. And there are plenty of them.
Constant process of change
How must the industry position itself for the future? Is the German trade fair landscape currently up to date in this respect?
We are experiencing a constant process of change that will have to adapt to new requirements in a variety of industries, at least in the coming years. High Purity is the best example. Some refer to High Purity as the Mount Everest of industrial cleaning technology. This comparison implies that there is a fixed and measurable goal in the form of a summit. But this is a misconception.
The industry has reached many supposed "peaks" over the past 15 years, only to find that a new and higher peak lies behind them. Of course, the German trade fair landscape must also face up to this dynamic. And no, it is not quite up to date in this respect, even in terms of internationalization.
Our long-standing leading trade fair parts2clean in particular should showcase solutions for ultra-clean process chains, i.e. not just for industrial cleaning technology, and also attract North American or Asian visitors through attractive formats in conjunction with the presentation of German expertise that is valued worldwide.
Potential for European companies
The USA has developed into an interesting market. Is this a trend that affects the entire industry?
German companies are still world leaders with their specific knowledge and high-quality technological products. This is highly valued in the USA and offers many opportunities for our industry. In addition, the Inflation Reduction Act is noticeably promoting the US industry, which is also having an impact in neighboring countries.
This offers potential for European companies without equivalent local competition. So yes, there is currently no way around this market and we would be ill-advised not to take advantage of the opportunity to showcase our German expertise.
Cooperation and alliances remain important
China used to be a lucrative market. Not so anymore. How should this situation be assessed?
China remains a strong market and potential customer. However, the economic problems are having an impact on us. In addition, access has become more difficult after the coronavirus crisis. In the high-tech segment, however, China is a very difficult market due to the management culture. Ultra-clean process chains require a high degree of process understanding and continuous process optimization.
However, implementing these criteria is almost impossible, as constructive criticism is often misunderstood as criticism of management decisions. Apart from this, European and North American high-tech customers are not really pleased when high-purity skills are currently being transferred to China.
Working with associations is essential
Complexity and competitive pressure are increasing. What are the future prospects for small plant manufacturers?
Cooperation and alliances are always valuable in order to survive. As a member of the Surface Alliance, we have been practicing this with great success for almost 25 years. Our medium-sized structure allows us to be highly flexible, while the alliance gives us the strength to take on larger tasks and a global presence. This is also often the decisive lever for development projects.
Another type of cooperation is collaboration in associations. The globally unique FiT trade association for industrial parts cleaning is an outstanding example of this. By pooling expertise on fundamental topics, the entire industry is strengthened, which also makes it more resilient overall.
LPW Reinigungssysteme GmbH
www.lpw-cleaning.com