KLINGER Group exchanges ideas at the KLINGER International Sealing Conference

The KLINGER Group invites its member and partner companies to an international three-day sealing conference on an annual basis. Attendance is usually high, which says a lot about the motivation of the participants. On the one hand, this is due to a packed program that addresses current topics, developments and challenges faced by the Group and its distribution partners, on the other hand the event also serves as an excellent venue to exchange ideas and experiences. The motto of this year's international sealing conference could well have been "knowledge sharing".

A workshop with experts from KLINGER manufacturing companies, distribution companies and sales partners

Attending KLINGER's international sealing conference is most definitely not for the faint-hearted. While without doubt interesting, a quick look at the agenda reveals that the more than 60 participants from a total of 30 plus KLINGER and partner companies had not simply gathered in Warsaw, Poland, for an informal get together. Instead, the program featured market analyses, marketing updates, presentations and case studies as well as strategy discussions. Guest lectures, workshops, a panel discussion and a live demonstration of KLINGER FiT served as the interactive highlights of the conference, which ran from April 24 to 26 of this year.

In the know

"Providing high-quality products is the basis for being successful in our dynamic markets," states Group Executive Director Christoph Klinger-Lohr, and goes on to explain the abundance of market analyses and case studies to be found on this year's agenda: "We already know which Service & Distribution company (S&D) sold what. Now we need more detailed information on what the final customer is actually using it for. This will enable us to offer more solutions and a precisely tailored range of products and services. At the end of the day, we want to provide even better plant safety, customized to the actual and ever-changing requirements of the industries we are serving." Luckily for KLINGER, staying abreast of technological developments in order to increase customer proximity and to further develop business does not require external aid. The companies belonging to the Group all have individual fields of expertise and were both willing and able to provide in-detail information in the course of six industry-specific workshops. The case studies, which were presented by the key account managers of the respective companies, also addressed the topic of knowledge sharing and generally focused on non-standard sealing applications.

From all angles

Attending KLINGER's international sealing conference does not only help to sharpen the internal view of things. The international sealing conference also invites customer guest speakers on a regular basis to learn from their insights and opinions. In this year, Marian Rybak, the former president of the managing board of Grupa Azoty, Poland's largest chemical group, took the stage. His guest lecture focused on the Pulawy nitrogen plant, the company's most successful entity, and its collaboration with KLINGER Poland. Our Polish colleagues have a long-term tradition of supplying the facility with a wide range of gaskets, ball and piston valves as well as glass level gauges. At one point in his presentation, Mr. Rybak noted that one of the KLINGER TopChem gaskets had been in operation for 15 years and was still as good as new. Reflecting on this impressive display of durability, he went on to say that he had always relied on KLINGER gaskets. Taking into consideration that Marian Rybak spent his entire life in the maintenance business, this is indeed praise of the highest order. Speaking as a customer, his parting words to the audience were: "Never save on sealing material!"

Another highlight near the end of the official program of the conference was the presentation of KLINGER FiT, a bolting simulator developed by KLINGER Dichtungstechnik. Demonstrated on stage by KLINGER Dichtungstechnik's Wolfgang Kohlbacher, it can be used to train applying the correct torque to a bolted connection in a hands-on manner. Equipped with sensors, the device reproduces an actual bolting situation and provides feedback on whether the bolts are too tight, too loose or optimal. Following three days of intensive work, networking and collaborating, this year's international sealing conference was concluded on April 26 with a tour of Warsaw. By way of closing, we would like to thank our host, KLINGER Poland, for organizing the event and all participants for their valuable contributions.