The new technique enables the facility in Ath, Belgium, to produce parts for the automotive industry, giving it a competitive advantage.

- A couple of years ago, we started to make our own brazing pastes at Höganäs in Ath. In July 2015 we decided to take the next step and buy a small screen printing company in Germany, KDT. We moved the equipment to our facilities so now we can make vital parts for the automotive industry at the same time as we push our own pastes, says Chris Quaak, Product Management at Höganäs Belgium.

Screen printing is a method used for high temperature brazing whereby a paste is applied to single components in order to braze them together. Patrick Konz, former owner of KDT, followed the company’s move to Höganäs.

- With screen printing you can be very precise when applying brazing paste and there is basically no waste at all. This keeps the cost down and it’s therefore very attractive to the customer, he says.

Jean-Jacques van Leynseele, Supervisor Brazing Pastes Production in Ath, says:

- With screen printing we have strengthened our portfolio and it gives us an advantage compared to our competitors that can’t offer the same service.

The team in Ath is working in close cooperation with Global Development in Sweden where Lisa Kjellén heads up the Brazing team. She welcomes the Belgian project.

- I find it very inspirational to see how Höganäs Belgium is embracing the new challenge and working the value chain in a very hands-on way. Instead of selling powders or pastes, the screen printing has proven that we can actually sell parts and components, she says.