Werma - from pattern shop to tier 1 supplier and advanced manufacturing facility

With 30 years experience in the automotive tooling industry, Werma Patterns and Moulds - based in Rosslyn - specialises in providing trim-division injection moulds and checking fixtures for the automotive industry and has gained a reputation for its flexibility and ability to take on practically any kind of tooling project.

Above: Werma Patterns & Moulds
Front sitting: Werner Berger (Managing Director).
Back from left to right: Michael van Blerk (Project's Co-ordinator), Manie Strydom (CATIA Engineer), Andy Berger (General Manager) and Marcel Daffüe (CATIA Engineer)

The recent developments in the aerospace industry in South Africa with the new Airbus A400M project have seen many local suppliers of parts, tooling and component benefiting from the sudden influx of aerospace projects. The automotive industry has been somewhat quiet in comparison, and Werma realised that, with its specialised facilities and advanced technology, the aerospace industry would hold many more opportunities to explore.

The Airbus project is extensive and growing in size, with an increasing number of orders. The Airbus A400M is designed exclusively on CATIA V5, with all design data for the project being distributed in CATIA format. Werma recently became an approved supplier of jigs and fixtures and component parts to Denel Aviation, a key supplier of parts to Airbus.  To become accredited as a supplier to a project of this magnitude required Werma to meet certain standards. One such pre-requisite is for suppliers to have CATIA V5 for design and manufacturing.  Werma’s management team is committed to quality; and along with the company’s superior service, they ensure that the company implements the latest technology that is accepted by their suppliers and the OEMs. CATIA is recognized as the standard design and manufacturing technology used in the automotive and aerospace industries.  Companies such as Werma that provide tooling for the automotive industry are afforded the opportunity to apply this versatile software in aerospace projects as well.

Left: Werma Patterns and Moulds is the only company in South Africa that possess a specialized high speed five axis machining centre that uses heavy duty, high frequency spindles and a fully articulating head with continuous “c” axis, mated to an extremely rigid frame to increase productivity and accuracy. 

In 1991 Werma was still a relatively small pattern shop when it received its first electronic drawing from BMW in Germany - in CATIA format instead of a paper-based hard copy.  BMW Germany indicated that in future the industry would not require handmade models and Werma would be required to CNC-machine moulds and dies directly from CAD.  At the time Werma had no CAD/CAM facilities and approached IBM for assistance in selecting a CAD/CAM solution that would help them to meet the requirements of their customers.  Werma chose CATIA because of its enormous presence in the automotive industry and reputation of being the world-leading CAD/CAM software solution.  They were impressed by CATIA’s advanced surfacing functionality and CNC machining capabilities, and realised that CATIA would open many doors for them and enable them to collaborate in a common-technology environment with their larger customers. 

        Above right: Stringers for Aerospace Industry 

After implementing CATIA, Werma noticed dramatic improvements in its design productivity, and the company experienced rapid growth.  Werma’s customer base also grew and today Werma’s automotive customer list includes leading companies such as Toyota S.A, Nissan S.A, Daimler Chrysler S.A, Feltex Automotive, Rieter Feltex, Shatterprufe, Faurecia SAS, and I.SE – all relying on Werma for their expertise in the design and manufacture of tooling.  Werma is proud to say that they chose the right CAD/CAM technology.  Andy Berger, General Manager at Werma commented: “Before issuing a project, automotive suppliers and OEMs first want to know what software you are using.  If they hear you have CATIA they immediately associate your company with the top manufacturing companies, and this increases your chance of getting the project”.

Werma is very passionate about the continuous improvement of their processes, products and services in order to supply their customers with the best quality products and world-class technologies.  In order to compete against overseas competitors, in particular the Asian market, local manufacturing concerns need to employ internationally recognized capabilities and technologies.  CATIA V5 is the leading product development solution for all manufacturing organizations, from OEMs through their supply chains to small independent producers. CATIA V5 is the only solution capable of addressing the complete product development process, from product concept specifications through product-in-service, in a fully integrated and associative manner. CATIA opens new doors to many other industries apart from the automotive industry and enables local companies to compete for – and win! - on a global level against overseas competition.

For further information on Werma's services tel: +27 12 564 5460  or  email: info@werma.co.za