To achieve better precision of our gear-products, ZAMA is continuously changing the production equipment to higher integrated manufacturing-solutions. Latest example is our new machining concept for plunger and shaft production.
In December, after intense testing, we took the first Tsugami B0265 5-axis machine into production, which aside from 5 axis can accommodate up to 3 driven tools and includes an additional gear-hobbing tool.
The new machine allows to combine 6 separate processes into one single operation and such improves quality and precision as we avoid failures when repositioning the parts inside the consecutive machining processes.
The new family of machines, of which the Tsugami B0265 is the first, allows us to process also longer parts with bigger diameter, such as our new output shafts for walk behind-lawnmowers.
ZAMA began enforcing Attendance Salute project in 2010 for the purpose of encouraging the devoted workers in the workshop. Workers under Level 5, who did not ask for leave more than three consecutive years, can be awarded a bonus of equal amount according to their accumulated years of service.
This project has been widely acknowledged among workers when it came into effect. The number of prize recipients rise year by year. ZAMA held the awards ceremony for Attendance Salute on Feburary 10, 2015. During the ceremony, Winnie Wei—HR & ADM Manager—awarded 48 workers who won the prize and thanked them for their contributions to ZAMA.
The following is the list of names honored this past February. We do as this a special sign of encouragement, hoping more and more people make the concerted effort to produce contributions to ZAMA.
黄平英 胡正芳 马忠秀 罗秋林 吴文娴 林广娣 李小玲 刘晶 冯玉琼 邓连娇 李观妹
罗冬华 温海够 张积容 覃 丽 徐志勤 龙小瑛 黄朝霞 李尾花 杨光梅 闫成菊
郑林翠 张开翠 王玉玲 廖叶勤 谢宜平 陈辛秀 胡广坤 王芳 梅华英 刘银霞
谢晓燕 吕潮 张爱姣 刘建平 赖莲凤 刘远香 王天梅 徐华玉 赵琪琦 卢成英
周海娟 蓝映红 徐晓燕 刘春苑 刘想花 邹玉花 何翠莲
Being well known among our customers, we decided to improve the communications to our many end-users, candidates, OEM’s, trading partners, and all technically interested visitors who already frequent our website. Being the technology leader in fuel-management for garden and forestry tools we decided to also freshen up our website. Our intention therefore was to improve the outlook and information to the occasional visitor without changing too much the arrangement of information searched for by our regular customers. New direct contact addresses to different sectors of ZAMA group allow for enhanced interactivity.
I hope you enjoy your experience and are happy to hear your comments, suggestions or whatever else you like to share with ZAMA.
Yours,
Jan Grigor Schubert
President ZAMA group
After 15 months of preparation, we are now approaching the launch of ZAMA’s vocational training program for Mechatronic Fitters together with the German Chamber of Commerce (AHK) of South China, three other German SMEs (Small and Medium Enterprises), and Dongguan Technical College. Starting September 2015, we are planning for 15 ZAMA trainees to join the program, followed by similar-sized classes in the years to come.
Following our company’s philosophy of a never-ending quest for better precision, we have identified a strategic need for better tools. As the best tool makers worldwide produce tools only for themselves, offering us parts rather than technology, we need to improve our tool-making team to safeguard our core technologies of die casting and precision stamping through the next step of modernization. Aside from a substantial investment in machinery, we also need the experts to operate them proficiently and autonomously. To move on from 1/100 mm to 1/1000 mm requires well trained people, skilled not only in technology and machine operation but also in project management, 6S, and untainted quality thinking.
The unique German vocational training system, combining theoretic studies and intensive practical training, both at the college and at the company, produces the right experts for such a job. After three and a half years of challenging studies and exams, the trainees will resemble experienced workers, with theoretical background as an engineer and prepared to take overall responsibility for complete and complex projects, which they will be able to solve autonomously with minimumal instructions. In Germany, those graduates are traditionally very honored. (As we say, “A good craftsmen is worth gold.”) The best of them can reach salaries equivalent to engineers with master degrees, yet they still take pride in not working in the office but being the best of the best workers; wearing blue uniforms instead of white shirts and ties; and being used to thoroughly washing their hands at the end of every shift as their expertise is irrevocably connected with practical work, oily machines, and the bustling business of a production workshop.
At the same time, we agreed with the college to also offer part of this training to some of our existing tool-makers and equipment-makers in order to offer them the same opportunities as we offer the young students. In the long run, half of our tool-makers and equipment-makers should have passed training and tests of a vocational training or at least important parts thereof.
Together with the AHK and the German companies Eugster, Testo, and Giesecke, we are now finalizing the contracts with the college and are establishing a taylor-made curriculum with a help of an expert from the Senior Expert Service of the German Ministry of Economic Co-operation. The instructors of this vocation system will be two experienced trainers from the “Berufsbildungswerk Berlin-Brandenburg,” one of the biggest independent providers of vocational training in Germany, who also operates similar programs in Suzhou and Chongqing.
ZAMA President
On June 14th, 2018, ZAMA celebrated the opening of its new branch office in Shenzhen, China. The new office is 4 km away from the old Xili plant which will be closed by June 30th, 2018 when the rental contract runs out.
The new office is different from any traditional offices, it is a collaborative workspace. Most of the people working in the collaborative workspace are entrepreneurs, freelancers and remote workers with a wide range of skill sets and knowledge. ZAMA will accommodate its service/supporting functions with staffs who can work remotely from the production base, such as marketing, sales, controlling, purchasing and part of logistic etc., in the new office. Working with and getting to know people from totally different industries allows us to absorb new ideas from others who are not usually in our network. A number of studies have been done around the collaborative workspace and its impact on increasing innovation, creativity and productivity.
“The reason why we open a branch office here in Shenzhen is to maintain and win the best talents in China”, mentioned by Mr. Jan Grigor Schubert, the president of ZAMA Group in his speech at the beginning of the celebration. Shenzhen is one of the most dynamic cities in China. It attracts young talents specialized in all kinds of industries, especially in high-tech, financial, advertisement and logistic industries from all over the country. Operating a branch office in Shenzhen will not only help ZAMA to build the best talent team but also grow ZAMA business utmostly.