High-precision components in exotic materials like high-purity copper, tungsten and titanium
Examec
Examec has clients all over Europe. The strategy to build up technical expertise and find a market for advanced products has been successful – for example, the company now supplies components to the particle accelerators at CERN.
When the Managing Director, Mats Ohlsson, took over the Examec company in 2010, the customer base was narrow. The company specialised in high-precision components and advanced machine engineering in small series. As an actor in the engineering industry, the choice was between two strategies – either manufacture cheaply and compete with low-wage countries or build up technical expertise and find a market for more advanced products.
Examec chose the latter. At that time, construction of MAX IV had started, and Mats Ohlsson spotted a business opportunity.
Constantly pushing back the barriers to what we can do really drives development, as does close collaboration with the researchers, which involves many in-depth discussions. Another gain is pure-ly brand related. Supplying products to research facilities shows that you’re operating at a certain level.
“We were already supplying machined parts, such as metal cores, to Scanditronix Magnet in Vislanda, magnets that are used, for example, in the particle accelerators at CERN. We realised we could also supply advanced components to MAX IV and ESS.”
In addition to its framework agreement with MAX IV, the company has also gained a foothold on the international market. Examec is now supplying components to CERN, and has won an order to supply mechanical equipment to EES.
“Our ambition is to manufacture components that nobody else can. Examples are high-precision components in exotic materials like high-purity copper, wolfram and titanium.
“One advantage of participating in the research facilities’ procurements is that they are completely transparent. You can see who the other suppliers are, and the prices they’re offering, so you can keep an eye on the competition, and this also allows benchmarking.
“I think that some companies are reluctant to participate in procurements with international research facilities because it takes such a long time to go through all the documentation and prepare tenders in English. For these companies, MAX IV, which is a Swedish laboratory, can be a way in, and is also a good customer reference on the global Big Science market.”
Publishing year 2018
Last edited 2020