With all major European technology providers setting up manufacturing units in China, there is concern in the market regarding the dilution of the brand Europe and the quality that it stands for. However, Topcut Bullmer, the pioneer in cutting room solutions is very confident that the move is for the better and in no way distracts the brands from its core values. “While the main R&D, new developments and high-end technology articles are coming from Germany, in China we are assembling machines suitable for the Asian market, which helps us get an edge on costing,” says Marc Hasler, Managing Director, Topcut Bullmer Germany. He specifies that the difference is in the product range being offered from the two manufacturing sites and the proximity to market for technical support. Since Asia is mainly for apparels, upholstery andtextile, and this market is already out of Europe itmakes logistic sense to manufacture machines for this segment in China.
Yet saying that the Chinese facility is not contributing at all to R&D would be misleading. “It is almost four years since we entered China and increasingly we are mixing it up because China has more experience in certain product categories, so we choose who can do which development. In China it is more of controlling software and some mechanical parts but hardcore technology like new machines is done in Germany,” explains Hasler. The company is guided by some core issues when deciding on what innovation needs to be followed up and converted into machines to address various markets. “We have to check the market situation, what is the need of different markets,what the customer wants and also check on competitors, we also check the request from the market and the potential of the proposed product in various markets,” says Hasler. All the innovations are market- and need-focused, supporting the company’s growth as a market leader.
The company is very confident that manufacturers worldwide ask for German quality with conviction irrespective of where it is being manufactured. “People ask for German quality product not just in Asia, but also South America, Africa and Europe because of the high performance of the German machines and the quality standard that these machines represent, for which the customer is even willing to pay more. If someone has a high quality production requirement along with high output, they ask for machines of German make,” argues Hasler.
Topcut Bullmer owes the sucess of its Indian operation to its sole agent Mehala, due to its nationwide presence with 14 offices and 400 dealers
Maintaining German quality standards while manufacturing in China may be a challenge, but Topcut Bullmer has prepared the ground well. In the beginning the company trained the technicians in Germany, so people from China came to work at the German facility to learn and exchange ideas. The training is not only for the technicians but also the management and over the last 4 years, the management team at Topcut Bullmer have diligently trained their Chinese counterparts attain unanimity in the company’s thought process. In the meanwhile people from Germany are also sent to control the quality because the most important task is not to produce just ‘Made in China’ products, but to keep the quality level high.
While Topcut Bullmer is an established name in cutting room solutions, the competition is getting tougher by the day and it is increasingly important to have a competitive edge to survive. “We are very strong on the technology side, so we are not just having 2-3 different dimensions of cutting system and we also have the ability to make customized machines because we have the flexibility to do so. We are only focusing on the hardware machinery and not the software side of the business like other companies. We do not want to lose focus on our core strength, the machines,” says Hasler.
With years of expertise, Hasler shares the key points that a manufacturer needs to keep in mind while selecting a cutter. “First of all it is the quality of the machine, productivity of the machine and vital specifications like the cutting speed, lay height, etc. but it’s not only the speed but also about the quality and price difference which defines the return of investment,” avers Hasler. He argues that though on the surface Topcut Bullmer machines may seem expensive but after a short time the favourable return on investment and the long life of the machine completely outshines most of the competitors. “What is more important is the maintenance costs so we are selling a lot of service contracts because we trust our products. So it’s not just the price of the machine, which should guide an investor,” argues Hasler.
Another important factor that Hasler points to is downtime which costs companies a lot. “If you are producing a high quality machine there is low downtime, and if you produce low quality it causes damages, so there is a price that one has to pay for high quality machines but you earn it and reduce downtime. Also we train the technicians from beginning so that they can handle most eventualities promptly,” informs Hasler. The company is well stocked with spare parts and can respond quickly to any requirement.
The PROCUT D8002 high-ply cutter from Topcut-Bullmer is suitable for apparels, automotive upholstery, toys and luggage cutting applications. The maximum cutting height of the high-ply cutter is 80 mm and offersthe highest level of performance, quality, productivity, accuracy and reliability. The cutting head has a maximum speed of 7200 RPM and the maximum cutting speed realized by the cutter is of 100 metres per minute. The spare parts are standard in nature and can be easily found in the local market. The patented lubrication system is another advantage of the cutter, which not only reduces the need of daily lubricating the cutting head daily but also extends the service life of the machine.
The future is very exciting for the company, which is looking to have a wider product range and also lean modular machines, where one machine can support many product segments.
