The Requirement
Specialised Motorsport Engineering (SME) is a new fabrication and engineering start-up based near Cologne, Germany, located a short distance away from the world renowned Nürburgring racing circuit. The company manufactures custom made motorsports parts, producing body shells to wishbones and sub frames, coolers to water pipes, exhaust collectors and full exhaust systems.
Specialist welding equipment is vital to SME, as welding is a key component in their manufacturing processes. The company were in the market for a retailer that could provide technical expertise, competitive pricing and excellent customer service. They also wanted someone prepared to listen to their needs and share their vision.
"I found Westermans extremely accommodating and flexible while dealing with my international welding supply needs. We chose Westermans because of the assured quality of the equipment, and also because of their international reputation”
Why Westermans International Was Chosen
It all started when Specialised Motorsport Engineering turned to Westermans to purchase a piece of equipment that was proving difficult to find elsewhere in the world.
Westermans stocked the Miller Dynasty equipment SME needed. The equipment is designed for precision fabrication and industrial manufacturing and offering superior AC/DC TIG and stick performance, and sets new standards for productivity and weld quality.
Following a thorough pre-delivery test check-up, Westermans identified a minor problem with the motherboard of the unit. As a result, a brand new part was added before the unit was released and sent directly to SME in Germany, where it has run faultlessly since
The Company
Specialised Motorsport Engineering (SME) is a new fabrication and engineering start-up based near Cologne, Germany. It’s a short drive from the Nürburgring, home of the famous VLN racing championship and a true evergreen for racing teams and drivers.
The company specialises in custom and high end fabrication, drawing from years of experience gained throughout WRC, LMP and various other racing series. SME caters for a wide variety of motorsport client’s needs, with a broad range of on-site facilities. They offer a wide range of services, from body shells to wishbones and sub frames, coolers to water pipes, exhaust collectors, full exhaust systems to supplying and fitting roll cages.
Using CAD facilities and a Romer “Coordinate Measuring Machine” measurement arm, SME provides products of a high standard and accuracy. Simply issuing the CAD data (fully confidential of course) will allow SME to provide the final product, including all machined parts and the final inspection report to ensure the tolerances and expected standards are met.
History
English born founder of SME, Chris Chadwick gained his skilled and niche experience in a range of top flight motorsport areas, including WRC, LMP, Euro Pro Mod etc.
After moving to Germany at the end of 2011 for a temporary Fabrication role with Toyota Motorsport, Chris decided to settle in Germany.
He then decided to follow his passion and start his own business, with a workshop based just outside of Cologne offering good transport links and centrally located for access to various race tracks.
With the company only being in its first year, it is still growing its range of services and capabilities and because they’re based so close to Nürburgring, SME will soon start to develop a rental car platform for the VLN championships.
For more details about Specialised Motorsport Engineering visit www.s-m-eng.com.
Racing Car and Motorsport Engineering Sectors in Germany
Although not as concentrated and certainly not as specialised as it is the UK, engineering and motorsport are large and successful industries in Germany. However, in Germany they have nothing similar to the "UK motorsport belt", where any requirement you have within motorsport can be catered for within a radius of about 50 miles. The UK has a highly advanced and efficient Motorsport industry where buying and selling can be much more accessible. Large companies that are based in Germany, such as Porsche, Audi and Toyota, all operate on high end motorsport projects.
Welding Industry in Germany
Skilled and expert welders, as well as professional motorsport fabricators, are gradually disappearing both in the UK and Germany. Skilled welders are increasingly hard to come by. This is partly due to accessibility and the constant rise of composite production, as well as the emerging field of 3D printing. Larger motorsport companies in Germany tend to use UK suppliers for some of their specialist components, in particular ‘Fabricated’ parts.
Benefits of TIG welding application
As well as MIG, SEM uses mainly TIG welding. TIG is a more precise and accurate welding process that’s mostly used in aviation and motorsport. TIG is also the top choice for SME with Chris explaining: “In one day alone I find myself welding aluminium, Inconel, stainless steel and titanium, so TIG is the obvious choice for our main workload”.
Further Information
Westermans understands that every customer is unique. As such, they aim to provide a tailored solution to match individual requirements. Their expert team are able to advise every step of the way to ensure any customer’s relationship with them goes from strength to strength. For more details on Westermans welding machinery, please visit www.westermans.com For more details about Specialised Motorsport Engineering SME visit www.s-m-eng.com.
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