Create competitive advantages
Strengthening innovation
For a market leader like the Komax Group, the ability to roll out innovations on an ongoing basis and thereby enable its customers to gain genuine competitive advantages is of the utmost strategic importance. For that reason, the Komax Group channels some 8–9% of its revenues into research and development every year. The combination with Schleuniger is now opening up further avenues of opportunity.
Megatrends such as electro-mobility, digitalization, and autonomous driving offer many opportunities in the market of automatic wire processing. In order to exploit these and be in a position to offer customers further innovative solutions, the Komax Group has for many years been investing above-average sums in new developments and the optimization of its existing product portfolio.
These are crucial upstream investments that will allow the Komax Group to leverage additional unique selling propositions and secure the company’s competitiveness.
9.7% of revenues invested in research and development
The goal is to develop additional innovative and differentiating products and solutions for customers. In 2022, the Komax Group, including Schleuniger, invested a total of CHF 59.0 million or 9.7% of revenues (2021: 9.8%) in the development of new products and the optimization of existing ones. This amount comprises both investment in internal development services (CHF 49.5 million) and in those of third parties (CHF 9.5 million).
Bundling of innovative strength thanks to the combination with Schleuniger
As of 31 December 2022, the Komax Group had a workforce of 360 employees (2021: 222 employees) in research and development. The strong year-on-year headcount increase of 62% is the result of the combination with Schleuniger. The majority of these (224 employees) continue to work in Switzerland, which is why the majority of R&D expenditure is incurred there. In addition, the Komax Group maintains development units in Belgium, China, Germany, France, Japan, Singapore, Hungary, and the US.
The power of innovation of the Komax Group is strengthened by no less than 353 engineers (2021: 220 engineers), who make an important contribution through the development of customer-specific applications.
A key strategic target of the combination of Komax and Schleuniger at the end of August 2022 is to bundle the companies’ skills and resources in the area of research and development. Market opportunities can be better exploited jointly. Customers can be more rapidly provided with innovative solutions for their needs, and can further increase automation.
Through the combination with Schleuniger, the Komax Group has gained additional expertise and more resources to support its customers with innovative products and services as the degree of automation continues to rise.
As part of the integration of the Schleuniger Group into the Komax Group, all development projects are being scrutinized. The analysis focuses on where there is overlap and how the different skills of both companies can be optimally exploited. This integration process will have the effect of strengthening the company’s power of innovation and freeing up new capacity.
The Komax Group will thereby secure its competitiveness for the long term and be in a position to continue to offer its customers cutting-edge technological products and solutions.
The networked factory
The trend towards digitalization is in full swing, particularly in the automotive industry. More digitalization also means more data, more electrification, and more wiring and cabling. This is good for the business of the Komax Group, but presents its customers with growing challenges.
Customers of the Komax Group have to deliver consistently high quality and reliability despite rising complexity and higher personnel expenses, while the same time keeping costs as low as possible. The Komax Group helps them to meet these growing challenges. Specifically, the Komax Group has developed a vision for how wire manufacturing can be optimized in the future – the SMART FACTORY by KOMAX.
SMART FACTORY by KOMAX
The SMART FACTORY by KOMAX is our vision of wire manufacturing in the future. With five components, it will offer customers intelligent products and solutions that will significantly increase the quality and productivity of wire processing.
Breaking new ground for wire harness production
The Komax Group joins forces with leading companies from various branches of industry in organizations to promote automated wire processing. The Komax Group cultivates regular exchange of ideas, and benefits from the transfer of expertise between the partners.
In the ARENA2036, interdisciplinary teams are busy researching the automotive production processes of the future. Solutions for digitalization are, among others, developed jointly within the framework of the Open Industry 4.0 Alliance, the SPE Industrial Partner Network and the Single Pair Ethernet System Alliance.
With the leading technology companies Armbruster Engineering, Weidmüller, Zuken, and nVent Hoffman the Komax Group is looking for comprehensive solutions for control cabinet construction to be able to tap into the great automation potential to maximum effect.
Current product innovations
Thanks to its targeted investment in research and development, the Komax Group succeeds in bringing a variety of new products, product enhancements, and services to market every year. The Komax Group demonstrated its technology leadership impressively in 2022. Some examples:
The Komax Group is continuously driving forward innovations. At the WirePro Expo trade fair in October 2022, which was held at the company’s headquarters in Dierikon, Switzerland, a specialist audience was shown numerous new developments. Customers of the Komax Group will be able to benefit from a range of further new products this year and in the coming years.
