Delivering Together – IPS Ceramics & Trend Industrial Ceramics

by IPS Ceramics | Category: | Jan 2011

IPS Ceramics Ltd (Stoke-on-Trent, England) and Trend Industrial Ceramics Ltd (Tongzhou, Beijing, China) have come together in a strategic design, manufacturing and sales collaboration which brings further solidity to this leading international ceramic kiln furniture business.

The transfer of all manufacturing operations to the IPS-Trend complex is well underway, with production in the UK scheduled to cease by June 2011. The Beijing factory is in fact already a fully integrated IPS-Trend site and the systems in place replicate those which have been so successful in the UK.

Sukhjinder Singh, Managing Director of IPS Ceramics, said: “It is just 12 months since we established IPS via an MBO and this exciting announcement now takes us into the second phase of our carefully planned enhancement and development strategy. The alliance with Trend represents a quantum leap for both our businesses and, just as importantly, will result in both meaningful and immediate advantages for our customers”.

The hard work that has been put into forming much closer bonds and a relationship which has constant product improvement at its heart is reflected by the fact that IPS-Trend branding and signage can now be found right across the IPS-Trend factory, as well as the ‘One Team, One Aim’ motto and a campaign which simply says ‘Delivering Together’.

The words have been backed up by significant investments in new equipment, additional staff, training of operatives and harmonisation of quality control protocols. “Trend Industrial Ceramics has established a good name during a period spanning over a decade,” commented its Managing Director, Guo Haizhu, “and in the past our company has worked with IPS Ceramics in the areas of technical development and transfer. With the new partnership now developed between us, we will work together here in Beijing with IPS to improve both the management and productivity”.

Recently, Phase I of four to transfer production equipment has been shipped from the UK to the Tongzhou facility and reinstalled while some brand new equipment has been purchased from Italy. The second phase will be completed and installed in January 2011. On top of this, a new kiln is due to be commissioned during the first few weeks of 2011, signalling an extremely positive start to the year ahead.

Ian Wright, well known for a number of years as the Operations Director at the Stoke-on-Trent site in the UK, is now Manufacturing Director of IPS-Trend and will be based in China for some time to come. “Getting this partnership right, from the very start, is about working hand-in-hand and hands-on and that’s what we’re about,” said Ian. “We needed to ensure that all work procedures were fit for purpose and that European quality control (QC) standards could rapidly be guaranteed across the range.

“Not only am I spending the majority of my time at the IPS-Trend factory in Beijing, but Chris Leese – our Technical & Development Manager – is out there with me regularly to develop the quality management system and introduce enhanced process control and lean management techniques to constantly improve product quality.

“Crucially, Chris and I will also make sure that IPS-Trend make best use of the state-of-the-art R&D facility in Tongzhou to develop materials and products that will keep pace with our customers’ requirements in a rapidly evolving marketplace.”

As this platform is firmly established, then customers all around the world will benefit from a partnership boasting hundreds of years of experience, a European design and service centre, established product distribution hubs (such as those in the USA, Germany and Portugal) and a top quality yet competitive manufacturing base which means the availability of competitive, up-to-date kiln refractories across a massive range.

“With the new management system founded, IPS-Trend is concentrating on keeping reliable, quality products and reducing the production cost,” confirmed Trend’s Vice General Manager, Yong Zhang, “and the final aim is for us to let all customers share the benefits from the new cooperation between our organisations.”

Apart from housing the main design centre, the Stoke-on-Trent site will continue to undertake some specialist product processing and it will also push forward the innovative Rapid Prototyping service – based on IPS Ceramics’ lightweight machinable ceramic and the super-fast Roland CNC routing unit – currently as the only company in the field to offer this facility to customers.

“Our aim, together, has been to deliver on quality, to deliver on price and to deliver on service,” added Sales Director, Phil Green. “Total kiln furniture solutions are always the goal and it’s fair to say that so far the reaction from our customers has been very positive. They can see what we are trying to achieve with this jointly managed, modern manufacturing unit.

As usual, we look forward to seeing many leading manufacturers at the Ceramics China exhibition and both our companies have new websites preparing to launch.”

IPS Ceramics | Jan 2011 |