Danish precision manufacturer increasing investment in Vilnius operations

Ingemann, a Danish manufacturer of precision metal components, is continuing to invest in its Lithuanian sister company, Precizika Metal, thanks to the efficiencies and access to new clients Precizika provides. Ingemann specialises in high-quality, precision manufacturing using Computer Numerical Control (CNC) 3D machining.

The manufacturer’s Danish unit, Ingemann Maskinfabrik, has started offering production services from Precizika Metal to its Danish customers, leading to increased demand and the need to invest more. Precizika acts as a sister company to Ingemann Maskinfabrik, based in Roskilde. Whilst large components are produced in the plant in Denmark, Ingemann’s Lithuanian unit takes care of small and medium-sized parts.

As Precizika’s director Nina Ronlev explained, investments have been focused on continuing to improve quality and on new equipment to optimise production. Since the crisis hit in 2009, the number of CNC centres has grown to 19.

Quality staff the key to success

Having been in operation since the 1960s, Precizika has a reputation for quality and reliability, which is why it has numerous clients in the pharmaceutical and health sectors. The company and its skilled specialists were taken over in 2008 by Ingemann.

Since then, Precizika has been working increasingly in R&D, prototyping, production, and optimisation. As a result, the company needs quality-conscious, well-trained staff. According to Nina Ronlev, it’s very important that Precizika focuses its energy on the training and improvement of the labour force in Lithuania, in cooperation with local educational institutions such as Vilnius Gediminas Technical University.

This focus on highly-skilled staff will be coupled with further investment in the existing production unit, plus the assigning of more engineers to the development department. Nina Ronlev is also keen to explore how new technologies, particularly robotics, can create further opportunities for improvement.

From one sister company to another

Ingemann counts a number of high profile Danish companies, including Man Diesel & Turbo, Alfa Laval, Rockwool and GEA, amongst its customers. Another major client is Blue Ocean Robotics, a leading developer of emerging robotics solutions. In fact, this collaboration has grown so close Blue Ocean’s own Lithuanian sister company is actually housed in Precizika’s premises in Vilnius.

And this kind of close collaboration with other sister companies looks set to grown. Several Nordic companies have contacted Precizika Metal asking them to make prototypes for their companies’ subsidiaries in Lithuania.

This factor helps to explain why Precizika’s domestic sales are on the up. Previously, 99 percent of the precision components the company produced were exported, whereas now five percent of production goes to customers inside Lithuania.

Danish industry journal Metal Supply is this week focusing on opportunities for Danish companies in Lithuania. To read the full article in Danish, please visit: http://www.metal-supply.dk/article/view/222639/ingemanns_litauiske_soster_saelger_til_andre_datterselskaber#.VhTQhPmqpBe