MFN was able to get an interview with Florian Weber, Head of Marketing & Sales of Weber Ultrasonics.

What are Weber Ultrasonics main industries, and how did it get started?

Weber Ultrasonics was founded in 1998 by Dieter Weber, co-inventor of the "push-pull" principle. With its focus on innovations, technical performance and the highest quality, the company has developed into one of the world's leading manufacturers of ultrasonic components for ultrasonic cleaning, welding and cutting, environmental technology and special applications. Today, the name Weber Ultrasonics represents a global corporate group. In addition to our standard products, we develop and produce customized solutions.
Our customers include companies of all sizes from the automotive industry and aeronautics, electrical engineering and electronics, medical engineering, watch and clock-making, precision mechanics and optics, electroplating and cleaning technology, metalworking and PCB manufacturing � to name just a few. Many of our customers for ultrasonic cleaning are plant manufacturers specialising in specific industries.
Weber Ultrasonics Weld & Cut offers the ideal solution for applications across a range of industries. Virtually all industry sectors today need to use plastic parts, create secure bonds by welding/riveting thermoplastics, and embed metal parts in plastic.
Weber Entec specialises in the engineering of ultrasonic applications in the field of environmental technology, and in particular, on the ultrasonic treatment of biogenic substances (disintegration).

What is the driving force behind Weber Ultrasonics' growth?

Innovation, continuity and top quality products are the cornerstones of the company's strategy and are systematically anchored in our corporate policy. Ever since day one, the company has utilised its extensive expertise, specialised knowledge and the vast experience of its staff in the development and manufacture of ultrasonic generators, transducer systems and converters to produce truly innovative ultrasonic products that set global standards. Only around 20% of the product portfolio is made up of standard products; the other 80% are product modifications tailored to the specific needs of our customers.
Our innovative spirit is driven by the involvement of our employees and is sustainably integrated into product development. Weber Ultrasonics has numerous cooperative ventures with universities and research institutions. A multitude of research projects and patents as well as the Innovation Management department underline the strategic alignment of the company towards innovation and forms the basis for future growth. Through company acquisitions, partnerships and cross-sector strategic alliances beyond national borders, we constantly expand our research capacities.

In the era of globalization, in what areas are your company distributed?

With five subsidiaries and numerous sales partners, the Weber Ultrasonics Group is represented in more than 50 countries and is divided into three business segments: ultrasonic cleaning, ultrasonic welding & cutting, and environmental technology. The Weber Ultrasonics Group is the parent company and defines Group-wide key areas, which in turn determine the portfolio and innovation goals of the subsidiaries.
Weber Ultrasonics Surface Technology produces top-grade ultrasonic cleaning components. The company develops standard and customer-specific solutions that meet the toughest quality requirements.
Weber Ultrasonics America offers our customers in North and South America high-end ultrasonic solutions to German quality standards. Competent advice, production, spare parts sales as well as repairs and maintenance in the ultrasonic cleaning sector are all part of the company's portfolio. Weber Ultrasonics America produces and sells the Group's solutions for the areas of surface technology, ultrasonic welding and environmental technology, and has its own technical centre.
Weber Ultrasonics Weld & Cut develops and sells high-grade ultrasonic welding components and machines for welding thermoplastic materials. Its range of services includes project consulting, development and design, tests in the application laboratory, design and manufacture of welding tools, pilot and series production and integration of new components in production lines.
Weber Entec focuses on the plant engineering of ultrasound-relevant applications in the field of environmental technology, and in particular, the ultrasonic treatment of biogenic substances based on the sewage sludge disintegration procedure co-developed alongside the Fraunhofer Institute. Manufacturing, plant engineering, sales, systems analysis and process optimisation are provided from a single source. Ultrasonic reactors from Weber Ultrasonics with matching high-performance generators are the core technology of the SmartDMS� (Disintegration Module System).
Weber Ultrasonics Asia in Kuala Lumpur develops and manufactures standard components and customer-specific solutions for the Asian market. It also has an on-site application laboratory for performing cleaning tests.

Can you tell us about your company's service strategy?

We focus on dynamic and successful development worldwide and are a player in the most important markets in Europe, Asia and America. We offer an international sales and service network with numerous sites worldwide, with our headquarters in Germany. Our subsidiaries in the US and Asia provide optimal and fast support to their customers, and both have on-site application test laboratories.

Please let us know about your special applications.

All employees in the Group possess comprehensive expertise and experience. This know-how is the basis for top performance in the field of ultrasonic technology. With around 800 product variants, Weber Ultrasonics boasts an enormous variety of products. Our broad range of generators and transducers, with frequencies ranging from 20kHz to 1MHz, enable a multitude of applications for cleaning components in electroplating, the automobile industry, jewellery, lenses and other optical components, clocks and watches, dental and surgical instruments, precision engineering and microtechnology, nanotechnology, photovoltaics as well as substrates in the semiconductor industry with the finest structures.
When processing thermoplastics, foils and fabric, the right process depends on the application. Ultrasound has proven itself as an innovative, efficient and environmentally friendly technology here. The principle of the procedure is based on the inner heat generated via ultrasound in the joint or separation zones of plastics, foils or fabrics. Complex industrial welding solutions are implemented with our ultrasonic welding machines, systems or hand-welding devices, and are used in many industries. Our solutions are employed for plastic welding in the automotive industry, packaging technology, food cutting, embossing and nonwovens, to name just a few.

What about the organization of your distribution network?

We provide our customers with an international sales and service network. We see Asia as a region with enormous growth potential and one of our most important markets of the future. Europe is our "home market", and we are represented in North America with all our strategic business segments. Our US subsidiary also looks after our customers in South America. We supply discerning business partners virtually all over the world.
Close and trusting cooperation with our sales partners is crucial to us. Because our ultrasonic solutions are highly sophisticated products and we always seek to provide the best solution, the open exchange of information is essential. We always enter into partnerships with a view to long-term cooperation.

MFN would like to thank Florian Weber for the interview!

For Information:
Weber Ultrasonics GmbH
Im Hinteracker 7
76307 Karlsbad-Ittersbach, Germany
Tel. +49.7248.9207 155
Fax +49.7248.9207 11
E-mail: F.Weber@weber-ultrasonics.de
www.weber-ultrasonics.de