As part of a modernization project at its Seewis site in Switzerland, which manufactures plastic valves and actuators, Georg Fischer Ltd. (GF; Schaffhausen, Switzerland) has built a fully automated storage system with more than 60,000 slots and installed a new assembly line for ball valves. The facility is now also CO₂-neutral.
After two years of construction, GF has completed the modernization of its Seewis site. For more than 50 years, the plant has specialized in the production of high-tech plastic valves and actuators for the reliable transport of water and chemicals in a wide range of industrial and infrastructure applications.
The modernized Seewis plant.
Source: GF
With the new high-bay storage system, GF relies on state-of-the-art technology: an automatic small-parts warehouse with nearly 60,000 storage locations and an automatic pallet warehouse for 2,390 pallets increase efficiency. Thanks to expanded capacity, optimized processes, and an innovative warehouse management system, customers benefit from improved product availability and faster order processing.
At the same time, a new assembly line for the 542 and 546 Pro ball valves, available in various materials such as PVC-U, PVC-C, and PP-H, ensures more efficient production. The new system increases product quality by precisely controlling assembly steps and automatically adjusting them whenever optimization is required. In addition, it can be converted faster and more flexibly, allowing products to be reproduced at shorter intervals. This results in smaller inventories, better availability, and shorter delivery times for customers.
Oliver Hilbrand, Plant Manager Seewis at GF, on the modernization: “Seewis has shaped the plastic valve industry with groundbreaking innovations. Our goal was therefore to significantly increase efficiency in all areas – from production to logistics to energy use. Higher availability, shorter delivery times, and greater sustainability are key factors that provide real added value to our customers.”
These measures were accompanied by substantial investments in sustainability. The Seewis site has switched to 100% renewable electricity, including its own solar power generation. At the same time, GF has reduced its energy demand through more energy-efficient injection molding machines and lighting systems, as well as through heat recovery and improved insulation.