On May 15th of 2017, the day had finally arrived as Stefan Fuchs opened the new lubricant plant in Harvey, IL USA. Equipped with state-of-the-art technology, the new facility opens the door to the world of digital production.
An IT system controls the utilization of the raw materials for some 30 high-quality special greases, produced in new plants, which run largely automatically. “Over or underdosing is virtually impossible,” states Dr. Matthias Ostertag, Director OEM, FUCHS LUBRICANTS USA. “Should a fault in the production process arise, it is immediately registered and reported.” Further progress can be seen in the implemented system’s documenting of each individual step in the product manufacturing process. “This transparency is vital for our customers. But the data obtained can also be used for our research or be made available to other groups,” says Ostertag.
The new plant in Harvey is part of FUCHS’ global strategy. Within the scope of the ‘3-C commitment’, FUCHS has undertaken to standardize the production process for OEM greases by using the same production facilities and a uniform quality control process across Europe, Asia and America – a unique selling point for the company. “We supply Europe from Kiel and North and South America from Harvey, while the planned factory in China will ensure that we can deliver to our customers in Asia”, explains Ostertag. For instance, it is of great importance for car manufacturers, whose production sites are spread all over the world, that the lubricants used have the same quality and composition regardless of location – a requirement which Ostertag is convinced will increase in the coming years. “Until now we have mainly produced the high-quality lubricants for our OEM customers in Kiel. Through the 3-C commitment we can also produce them in the United States thereby increasing our market share significantly.” The second FUCHS lubricant plant in the USA in Kansas City, Kansas, continues to play an important role, specializing in high-volume greases for domains including the steel industry and food-grade lubricants.
A completely new building covering an area of 3200 square meters was constructed for the new plant.
Some of the lubricants produced in Harvey are bespoke customer solutions that are developed in the new lubricant lab, built alongside the production facilities. “So far, we have mainly been perceived as an oil producer in the OEM sector in the United States,” reports Ostertag. “With our new range of locally produced premium lubricants, we also want to reach new demographics who may never have even heard of FUCHS before.” The increasing importance of e-mobility is also creating opportunities for premium greases, which are increasingly used in electric cars.
Dr. Matthias Ostertag
The new plant spans 3200 square meters at the existing FUCHS location in Harvey. “Half of the employees are experienced specialists who have already worked in FUCHS production on-site, and the majority were trained in Germany,” reveals Ostertag, hopeful that the new team will also have a positive effect on the organization of work and processes at the site in Harvey. The total investment amounts to €24 million. This is part of FUCHS’ investment drive, which will see the company spend some €300 million globally between 2016 and 2018. “FUCHS still sees a great deal of potential in the American market,” says Ostertag. “And the introduction of the production of special greases is a step in the right direction.”
