Derek Rathel

In the quest for lean, OEMs are relying heavily on suppliers to provide a nearly completed subcomponent, says Derek Rathel, appliance segment manager, Tesa Tape Inc. (Charlotte, NC, U.S.). "This has increased intimacy between customer and supplier, helped to drive down costs due to leaner internal infrastructures and parts inventories, and has enabled OEMs to focus on streamlining production processes."
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"New adhesive products can easily replace traditional mechanical fasteners such as rivets and screws," says Rathel of Tesa.
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"First, we spend time on assembly lines and with staff engineers to understand the daily challenges facing appliance producers," says Rathel.