Production

Efficient production network

The Geberit Group operated 26 plants at the end of the reporting year, 22 of which are located in Europe, two in the US, one in China and one in India. The number of plants remained unchanged compared to the previous year. While the plant for shower cubicles and shower enclosures based in Mörrum (SE) was sold, Geberit now operates an additional plant for manufacturing bathroom furniture in the Polish town Stryków.

The 26 plants fall into the following three categories depending on the processed materials and production technologies:

• Ceramics (10 plants)
• Plastics & Metal (12 plants)
• Composites & Metal (4 plants)

Despite the very challenging situation in the reporting year with a decline in volumes of 13%, productivity in the production sites remained at a very high level with a decline of 3%. This was achieved primarily through a high degree of operational flexibility, in particular by adjusting the capacity of temporary and fixed-term employees, and through natural fluctuation.

The war in Ukraine again led to a high degree of uncertainty regarding local Geberit operations. Geberit’s first priority is the safety of its employees and their families. Production at the ceramics plant in Slavuta (UA) was stopped for several weeks during the reporting year due to the war. However, for the majority of the year it was operated in line with market requirements. Around half of the ceramic appliances manufactured in Slavuta are sold directly on the Ukrainian market.

High investment volumes in the plants as a sign of strategic stability

The decline in volumes meant that the production network was faced with significant challenges. The required operational flexibility was very demanding for the plants and their employees. Instead, the time was used to optimise processes, improve energy and material efficiency and invest in the future of the plants and their capacities for handling future growth.

Specialisation and automation in ceramic production

In ceramic production, the implementation of a specialisation strategy initiated in the previous year was continued in the reporting year. At the same time, the further automation of individual production processes was promoted. The most important projects are as follows:

• Investments were made in process stability at various sites, leading to the continuous reduction of scrap rates while simultaneously improving the quality of the ceramic appliances and productivity while also reducing energy consumption.
• The two Scandinavian ceramics plants in Ekenäs (FI) and Bromölla (SE) focus primarily on the needs of the Nordic markets. Above all, ceramic cisterns and floor-standing WCs should be manufactured in Bromölla and wall-hung WCs and washbasins in Ekenäs in future. With this in mind, the relocation of production equipment was continued during the reporting year. In Ekenäs, twelve fully automated, state-of-the-art pressure casting cells were also put into operation.
• Specialisation by product family at the German and Polish plants was started and first measures implemented.
• In the Polish plants in Koło and Włocławek, there was a particular focus on promoting automation. In connection with this, the plant in Włocławek has taken over several pressure casting machines from the plant in Bromölla.
• In Carregado (PT), automation of the labour-intensive glazing process was further expanded. Moreover, work also began on the installation of a new energy-efficient tunnel kiln, which is planned to start operation in 2024.

Additional capacities and investments in process optimisation at plastic- and metal-processing plants

In the plants where plastic and metal are processed, numerous investment projects were promoted further to provide the capacities needed in the medium and long term and to further improve the efficiency of the processes. Some of the key projects included the following:

• The expansion in capacity at the Lichtenstein plant (DE) was continued in the reporting year. The goal of the project is to expand the plant by around 10,000 m² in order to create space for setting up a new, fully automated production line for installation elements made of strip steel, and also to gain additional space for logistics, technology and administration.
• At the largest production site in Pfullendorf (DE), the construction work on an additional factory building was continued, where the highly automated production lines for fill and flush valves will be located in future.
• At headquarters in Rapperswil-Jona (CH), efforts continued on the detailed planning of a new building for production logistics.
• At the plants in Pottenbrunn (AT) and Ruše (SI), production capacities for manufacturing Silent-PP and Silent-Pro fittings were expanded.
• At the plant in Givisiez (CH), investments were made in the expansion in capacities for the fully automated production of Geberit FlowFit pipes.
• In Langenfeld (DE), the welding machines for stainless steel were renewed.

Flow production principle as a guideline

All Geberit plants display an ongoing capability for renewal. Despite the diversity of the materials and production technologies used, the approach is determined uniformly: whenever appropriate, all measures for improvement are geared to the principle of flow production. Maximum efficiency and flexibility are targeted in this way, which is reflected in the reliable, timely supply of products to customers and savings in important resources such as working time and materials. The Geberit Production System (GPS 2.0) is the guideline for production processes in which the principles for efficient manufacturing are summarised.

Environmental management in production

As already mentioned, continuous improvements at the plants are aimed at increasing efficiency by saving resources. GPS 2.0 ensures that the goals associated with a continuous improvement in sustainability are also taken into account.