Attendees:
ESF-President Mr. Dr. Hans-Jochem Steim, KERN-LIEBERS
ASA / Austria Mr. Dr. Hans Heinz, WENZL GmbH
FSA / Finland Mr. Timo Parmasua, MECONET OY
SNFR / France Mr. Michel Guillemet, Lachant-Quesnel
SNFR / France Mr. Eric Tournaire, Scherdel Rhone Ress.
SNFR / France Mme. Catherine Larroque, SNFR
VDFI / Germany Mr. Dr. Rudolf Muhr, Muhr & Bender
VDFI / Germany Mr. Axel Schnöring, Schnöring GmbH
VDFI / Germany Mr. Wolfgang Hermann, VDFI
ANCCEM / Italy Mr. Piero Longoni, Mollificio Lombardo
ANCCEM / Italy Mr. Federico Visentin, MEVIS
ASEMU / Spain Mr. Valentin Huerta, Industrias Huerta S.A.
UKSMA / United Kingdom Mr. Nicholas Goss, GOSS COMPONENTS
UKSMA / United Kingdom Mr. Andrew Watkinson, UKSMA
ESF-Secretariat Mr. Horst Dieter Dannert
Associated member
Denmark Mrs. Henrik Hagens, Hagens Fjedre K/S
Absences
ASEMU / Spain Mr. Antonio Rodriguez
FSA / Finland Mr. Matti Spolander. FSA
VDFI / Germany Mr. Dr. Thomas Muhr, MUHR & BENDER
Ass. member / Sweden Mr. Pontus Cornelius, SPINOVA AB 1. Welcome from ESF president – Dr. Hans-Jochem Steim
The ESF president, Mr. Dr. Steim, opens the meeting at 10:00 h and he expresses his gratitude to all participants representing the complete ESF board.
2. Apologies for absence. The ESF president excuses the board members being absent as above .
3. Approval of the minutes: The minutes of the last Executive Board Meeting, held on October 18th, 2007, in Palma de Mallorca, Spain, are unanimously approved.
4. Presidents letters All attendees refer to their president reports at the table and make only some short additional remarks as there are:
Mr. Dr. Heinz complains about the problems due to the increased raw material prices and the fact that Hungary gives 60% lost invest money in case somebody is moving production to Hungary.
Mr. Hagens confirms a well going economy for Denmark with problems due to the material pricing.
Mr. Parmasuo reports about a successful year 2007 with problems to come due to the opening of the Russian market and to too high wage increases in 2007 and to still rising material prices.
Mr. Guillmet complains about the last increase of material prices in April 2008 of about 100,- € up to 150,- € per ton. He is a little satisfied that the payment terms in France have been shortened to 60 days although not all customers agreed to this so far.
Mr. Visentin complains about material prices which went up in April 2008 by 130.- € per ton and he points to the elections in Italy to come in April 2008. He expects some big changes in this respect.
Mr Huerta confirms a material price increase of 130.- € per ton starting at 01.04.2008 and refers about wage increases of 4,6 % being hard for the spring industry.
Mr. Goss confirms material price increases of 50.- € per ton in March 2008 and of additional 100,- € per ton starting in April 2008. Customers are coming back from China but they expect lower prices than they had in the past. Surprisingly there are no start ups for spring manufacturing in UK.
Mr. Dr. Steim informs about the merger of the two associations for German spring makers having been the suspension spring manufacturers (FF = hot forming) and the cold forming manufacturers (KF) to one association called VDFI. This was done to the benefit of all members.
He also reports that increases of energy costs and of wages (+ 4,5 %) and of material prices ( + 50,- and + 100,- € per ton) are clear for Germany now and will guide to an inflation rate of about 3,2 – 3,5 %.
Three unions are existing for the railway in Germany today which is causing a lot of problems. For the material sector Germany has only one union which is to stay this way for the near future.
There is still a tend in Germany for the business to go East. Mr. Guillemet adds in respect to the situation in France that SNFR is also fighting hard to avoid that more and more members get lost.5. ESF – Finances
Approval of the accounts:Mr. Visentin confirms a positive check of the figures for 2007 and states that ESF was run very economically. The profit of 5059,13 € shown in the balance sheet for 2007 is more than expected although ESF had to foresee annual expenditures of 4000,- € each for the Wire fair in Düsseldorf.
After these explanations the figures for 2007 have been agreed upon by all participants.Financial situation for 2008 so far:
Mr. Dannert reports about the expenses ESF already had in 2008 compared with the budget for 2008 and shown in a copy enclosed in the hand outs. All figures were agreed upon by all participants.President + Secretary’s discharge until 02.04.2008:
After the above explanations this discharge is given unanimously.6. Updating of current activities
Mr. Dannert reports in line with the hand outs in respect to the international activities of the ISO/TC 227 including the next meeting foreseen for 06. – 07.11.08 in Bangkok / Thailand. He also reports upon the European activities of the CEN BT/TF 196.
Finally he informs about the final decisions taken in Nagoya in November last year in respect to the International work group agreement (IWA document) of ESF and JSMA and SMI for tolerances for compression springs. Only some minor editorial problems concerning a new formula for spring rate tolerances are still to be solved.7. ESF organization
Current President Statement:The departing president Mr. Dr. Steim takes the chance to thank all board member for their activities in the past. He remembers the audience that he personally started in the ESF on 07.04.1996 and he followed as president famous people like Mr. Dr. Schroer, Mr. Goss, Mr. Parkinson and Mr. Guillemet. Mr. Dr. Steim is convinced that in the future JSMA needs a strong partner in Europe like ESF which should be based on strong European national associations as there are today and as there are to come. He closes his short statement with best wishes for a good luck for the ESF.Election of new ESF-president (statutes § 8.1):
Mr. Dr. Steim opens the election. Mr. Federico Visentin is the only candidate. All participants vote for Mr. Federico Visentin for ESF president for the next two years unanimously.Mr. Visentin accepts this voting and takes over the presidency of the ESF and the further execution of the meeting.
He first thanks Mr. Dr. Steim for his efforts and successes for the ESF and Mr. Dannert hands over a present to Mr. Dr. Steim containing the newest literature in developing and calculating of springs including a personal signature of the editors.Election of Vice-president elect (statutes § 8.2):
A Vice-president elect to be candidate for the ESF presidency next time can not be elected due to the missing of a candidate in 2008. Vice-presidents entitled in line with the statutes § 8.2.3 are Nick Goss – UK, Michel Guillemet – France, Piero Longoni – Italy and Dr. Rudolf Muhr – Germany.Election of Treasurer (statutes § 8.3):
Mr. Visentin proposes Mr. Axel Schnöring of Gemany to be the next ESF treasurer. After that
Mr. Axel Schnöring is elected Treasurer of the ESF for the next two years unanimously.Appointment of General Secretary (statutes § 7.3)
Mr. Horst Dieter Dannert is appointed to be the secretary for the ESF for the next two years unanimously.
Decision upon location of the ESF secretariat (statutes § 7.4)Decision is taken unanimously to leave the ESF secretariat in Hagen / Germany where it was until now. Decision upon future registration of ESF in Paris:
Decision is taken unanimously to register ESF in Paris as it was. This is to be arranged by SNFR.8. Financial budget
The ESF budget as discussed earlier is unanimously approved. The EWES company / Sweden applying for an associated membership of ESF is unanimously accepted by the ESF board to be a new ESF associated member.9. Future activities of the ESF
It is discovered that ESF needs international meetings in the future to control ISO activities done by spring technicians of the ESF and not only by standardisation people.
ESF also shall arrange annual meetings not only in line with Wire fairs in Düsseldorf but also in the years thereafter at any other place n the world to discuss economic and technical items for the spring makers and to give chances to spring makers to talk to each other. All these meetings shall be coordinated with the JSMA and the SMI.
Most probably the next but one global meeting of the ISO/TC 227 will be in UK in autumn of 2009.
It is foreseen also to arrange an international ESF meeting at that time at the same place.
ESF is asked to collect benchmarking information for the spring industry based on balance sheets.
The EU consists of 27 countries but only 7 possess spring maker’s associations being a member of the ESF. Therefore the ESF should be opened to the new Eastern European countries.
ESF is also asked to collect existing material in training workforce in all partner countries.
SNFR declares just to do good programs in training for its members. This might be helpful for the ESF too.
ESF is wanted to arrange missions, visits or trips to steel suppliers, to big customers and to competitors. In all these cases ESF shall be supported by the national spring maker’s associations.
Leaderships for separate topics are to be agreed upon including shearing of costs.10. next meeting
Mr. Dr. Steim proposes to have the next ESF board meeting in the morning of 05.11.08 in Bangkok / Thailand followed by an international meeting with the JSMA and SMI and many Asian spring makers in the afternoon of 05.11.08.
This gives everybody the chance to follow up the ISO/TC 227 activities on 06. – 07.11.08 in Bangkok.
There is no voting against this proposal in the first place.
To play safe Mr. Visentin asks thereafter all participants individually a second time and all members confirm to be able to join the next ESF board meeting in Bangkok.10. Miscellaneous
A decision is taken unanimously that there shall not be any price reduction for the Material Selector for universities.
Mr. Visentin closes the meeting at 12:30h.
H.D.Dannert, Hagen, Mai 2008