Headquartered in Abbotsford, British Columbia, RAD Torque Systems and its parent company, New World Technologies Inc., have nearly 150 employees dedicated to achieving the highest level of innovation, quality and performance.

RAD torque wrenches, manufactured in Canada, have proven to be successful all over the world in such industries as chemical and petrochemical, petroleum, energy, naval, mining, automotive, construction and military.

Battery power without compromise

With more torque than ever before, up to 15,000 Nm, and longer battery life, RAD torque wrenches are designed to achieve maximum performance even in the most demanding and complex work environments.

Pneumatic Torque wrenches for extreme high-intensity loads

Almost 30 years of experience in gearbox design have led to the development of a torque wrench built for extreme use, speed and precision.

To meet safety requirements, RAD pneumatic torque wrenches can be optionally equipped with an ATEX kit.

Electric Torque wrenches for precision and reliability

These electric torque wrenches are the best solution for more demanding users who value functionalities like torque + angle tightening, datalogging and bolt check.

In conclusion, RAD torque wrenches are trusted across industries for their unmatched power, precision, performance and reliability with which they perform in the most difficult and complex work environments.

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So we see in various fields of activity, from consumer goods to services, IT, food production, and even industrial production that innovation is the “secret ingredient” of the development of family business.

At Etanșări Grafex, innovation is appreciated by customers and produces results. That is why we want to share in this article the trends that guide us and their impact on the activity.

The four types of innovation

Sometimes innovative processes arise spontaneously in entrepreneurial companies due to the great decentralization and the way in which the team members are supported to make informed decisions, in real time. However, it is useful to briefly review the four types of innovation that exist, as follows:

1. Incremental innovation

This is one of the most common types of innovation. The company uses existing technologies in an existing market, and the goal of innovation is to improve an existing offering by adding new features, design changes, etc.

2. Disruptive innovation

This type of innovation is largely associated with the application of disruptive technologies, processes, or business models in existing industries. Sometimes new technologies and business models seem, especially at the beginning, inferior to existing solutions, but after a few iterations, they go beyond existing models and take over the market due to the advantages of efficiency and / or effectiveness.

3. Architectural innovation

This type of innovation is what we see with the tech giants like Amazon, Google and many others right now. They take their expertise, technology and skills and apply them to another market. In this way they can open new markets and expand their customer base.

4. Radical innovation

Even though this is the stereotype applied by many people to innovation, radical innovation is the rarest form of all. Radical innovation involves the creation of technologies, services and business models that open up completely new markets.

Trends in industrial innovation

Innovation is essential for the survival of many companies and industries. Five trends now mark innovation in industrial production. At Etanșări Grafex most of these trends are present and generate results.

1. Cobots

Robots have been part of the production environment for many years. But as automation has grown, new approaches and technologies have emerged that can take its benefits further. Collaborative robots, or cobots, that work with humans instead of replacing them, usually automate fewer processes simultaneously. As a result, they are often more accessible than traditional automation and easier to implement.

2. IoT Sensors

Another area of ​​innovation results from the implementation of Internet of Things (IoT) sensors. Although these technologies are not a production-specific phenomenon, they already have considerable potential in this. For example, predictive maintenance improves traditional maintenance programs by avoiding both malfunctions and unnecessary repairs. in itself, but also reduces failures by an average of 70%. In industrial production, IoT sensors can also be used to collect data throughout the production flow. This data can reveal areas for potential for improvement, allowing for continuous optimization.

3. 5G Technology

Like IoT, 5G is not strictly a production technology, but it has impressive potential here. Higher bandwidth, increased speeds and lower latency will allow smart production to reach maximum productivity. 5G networks will theoretically be able to support up to one million devices per square kilometer, ten times more than 4G technology. With all these machines connected, manufacturers will be able to create cohesive autonomous environments. This will lead to a higher ROI for these significant investments.

4. Immersive Technology

Augmented Reality (AR) overlays relevant information on a machine part to guide the operator to identify and fix problems. AR has the ability to render 3D images of machines and parts in real proportion. This allows operators to be trained in step-by-step visual images of how to repair and maintain equipment. Immersive technology also allows skilled workers to perform maintenance at a distance, reducing the skill gap inside factories.

5. Portable Devices

Highly skilled labor is an important asset of manufacturing companies. Therefore, coordinating employee activity is an inevitable aspect of optimizing productivity. Devices such as smart watches, smart bands, and headphones provide essential data quickly and discreetly. These devices improve employee safety. In addition, AR helmets combine real images with virtual information overlays needed to train employees in the factory workplace.

Innovation in action at Etanșări Grafex

This is exactly the case with innovation at Etanșări Grafex. The company that produces seals for industries with extremely strict technological standards – the chemical, nuclear, pharmaceutical, oil and gas industries – is a family business that has evolved year after year. With only 3 people in the team at the founding, in 1996, the company reached in 2022 more than 60 employees and businesses of almost 2 million euros.

The most important innovations made at Etanșări Grafex are the following:

1. STIE procedures hologram glasses

A program that involves drawing up detailed work instructions applicable to special removable joints using portable devices. Hololens smart glasses are devices with which performers can work simply and efficiently based on an audiovisual hologram.

2. Virtual Reality training

These are innovative Virtual Reality training services, in accordance with Standards EN1591-4: 2014 and ASME PCC-1-2013. Through these programs, participants can correctly acquire the skills needed to disassemble, assemble, secure, and secure a joint that can operate without leaks.

3. Application for remote operator guidance

Through this application the operator receives on-site work instructions through Augmented Reality and has instant access to the necessary procedures to perform field operations. In the same application a clear record of all the interventions performed can be kept.

4. Products and services for real-time monitoring of flange joints

With the help of Grafex products and application, stud loads for certain critical equipment can be checked at any time, and from any distance. Limits of the monitored parameters can be set, beyond which notifications are sent to the responsible staff (on mobile phone, PC or other devices).

In conclusion

These innovations are not the only ones that help the development of the company, but they are among the most notable. With their help, industrial production shows that it is adapting to the current economic environment, especially in the context of the difficulties created by the galloping energy costs and the dysfunctions in the supply chains. Innovations like this improve efficiency, minimize errors, optimize operations and more. At Grafex Seals, we decided to develop and capitalize on their potential to ensure our success now and in the future, as well as resilience and sustainability.

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Interpersonal relationships are tested by feelings that find a way to express themselves, including at work. Different opinions can degenerate into conflicts between colleagues, and conflicts sabotage team cohesion and productivity.

The role of leaders becomes even more important today as they can convey confidence, predictability, balance, openness, understanding the emotions associated with the situation of each employee.

In this turbulent context there is a reassuring remedy, empathy.

The role of the leader as a model and source of empathy

Being a leader is a daily test. This assumed role comes with sometimes difficult to satisfy requirements that put you face to face with your own limits. One of them should not to be the ability to be empathetic and compassionate towards the people you coordinate.

Why is empathy the limit that some leaders have? Because it is a component of the being little present in the development of the school. Math, physics, chemistry, history matter more.

Surely, perhaps theoretically, we have been taught that empathy means putting ourselves in the other person’s shoes and seeing the world from his or her perspective. But really strong forms of empathy do not begin or stop here. They reach into all areas of our lives and work.

Unfortunately, there are some leaders who dismiss empathy as a form of weakness in workplace relationships. But empathy helps us to feel safe and secure, connected to others, and empowered to manage conflicts with availability and inclusion.

The work of the leader is based on intuition and empathy

Good leaders not only solve problems as they arise, but are actively looking for ways to facilitate people’s performance.

This smoothing of the road and the removal of obstacles requires empathy. It takes the ability to understand the “wiring” of the human mind, the needs and pace of people, and to respond accordingly.

This kind of proactivity makes leaders do their ”homework” so they can understand the people they coordinate with their challenges and strengths.

It can also involve corrective proposals for top management tasks and what is needed for the team to perform. As difficult as these things may be, the empathy shown and offered is the kind of investment in colleagues that will be rewarded for their full involvement.

Two types of empathy and their specificity

Affective empathy is empathy that is based on emotion. When someone suffers with you or feels angry, it is emotional empathy at work. At the same time, there is a facet of empathy that balances emotion with reason. Cognitive empathy. It is about a certain coefficient of rational understanding of the other’s perspective. It does not require emotion on our part, but it does require understanding and a desire to understand.

People can have high or low levels of both emotional and cognitive empathy, and there are no wrong ways to feel empathy.

However, it has been found that the best leaders are those with high cognitive and low emotional levels, as this allows them to engage empathetically with employees and their feelings and frustrations, without being drawn into their emotional struggle.

In conclusion

The best leaders build security and cultivate empathy. They make sure that the people on the team feel safe, that everyone feels that they are seen and appreciated for their contribution to the team’s results.

Without psychological security, employees enter into confrontation of survival, leave the company or put under the sign of temporary projects, solutions, people, eventually failing.

In order to turn people’s potential into results, the leader must encourage innovation, cooperation and train the empathy: theirs and that of their managers.

The inclusion of empathy in leadership is a conscious choice of leaders who are with the people in the company, especially at this time when our world is being tested.

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“We are honoured to have received this confirmation of the excellence we always have as the main goal in our work. We have always dedicated our efforts to bring the best quality to our customers through the quality of the gaskets and seals provided. At the same time, we have developed new technologies that have allowed us, since 5 years ago, to include in our processes the digital transformation and augmented reality“, says Rodica Lazăr, CEO of Etanșări Grafex.

The field of seals is of the utmost importance in relation to the role that gaskets play in industrial equipment in industries such as energy, chemical, nuclear, oil and gas, industrial production, but also in the food and construction industries. Current customers appreciate the promptness, quality and professionalism of the Grafex team.

Throughout the manufacturing process, Grafex uses materials that are 100% environmentally friendly: expanded graphite, PTFE polymers, mineral, synthetic, and organic fibers. The sustainability policy implemented by the company has as main directions the reduction of the amount of CO2 released in the atmosphere, as well as the observance of the strictest regulations in the field of environmental protection.

Etanșări Grafex is a family business founded in 1996 which in 2021 reached a turnover of over 2 million euros and more than 60 employees. The quality of the manufactured products and the prompt and professional technical support provided to clients have made Etanșări Grafex become the main supplier for refineries in Romania, but also for large companies internationally.

“The last two years have not been easy, but we have the experience to identify the best solutions to our customers’ requests. In 2022 we want to develop exports and continue to invest in the technical expertise of our colleagues. We try as much as possible to use the latest technology to streamline the production process and focus on sustainability and energy efficiency“, adds Rodica Lazăr, CEO of Etanșări Grafex.

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Beyond generational differences, continuity seems to be the common denominator. What matters is the development of new products and services relevant to the market, customer and employee focus, investment plans and people able to take the business story further.

Grafex was born as a result of the identification of an acute need for quality sealing products and services on the Romanian market, a segment of the industry that was under-exploited in the mid-1990s. The experience of the founders in materials science and the design of equipment in the field of oil and gas played an important role in the decision taken in 1996 to become a manufacturer of gaskets and other sealing materials.

Experience and professional dedication

The field of seals is of the utmost importance in relation to the role that a gasket, for example, plays in industrial equipment. Throughout the manufacturing process Grafex uses materials that are 100% environmentally friendly: expanded graphite, PTFE polymers, mineral fibers, synthetic, organic.

The sustainability policy implemented by the company has as main directions the reduction of the amount of CO2 released into the atmosphere, as well as the observance of the strictest regulations in the field of environmental protection.

Thus, customers benefit from sealing products certified by national and international bodies, thus putting their shoulder to the effort to improve air quality and the use of environmentally friendly resources and materials.

Family business contributes to the development of the global economy, having the largest contribution to global GDP and a significant impact on the labor market.

Grafex is a family business that has evolved year after year. Initially, the team numbered three people in 1996 and in 2021 reached more than 60 employees. The main feature of the team is the high degree of specialization in the field of activity – seals.

Strategic investments for the future

The most recent investments made by the company are represented by the expansion of the production capacity, which materialized through the construction of a new production hall and the purchase of its related equipment. The quality of the manufactured products and the prompt and professional technical support have made Grafex become the main supplier for refineries in Romania, but also for large companies internationally.

The development strategy for the next period of time includes three important elements:

1. Consolidation of the leading position on the Romanian seals market.
2. Increasing the number of foreign customers and exporting to foreign markets.
3. Development of new products and services to meet customers.

The results of a study conducted by a global consulting company show that among the most important challenges of family business owners during this period are innovation (66%), access to the workforce with the skills and qualifications necessary for business development (60%) and digitization (44%).

For 80% of respondents, digitalisation, innovation and technology are significant challenges for their businesses. Digital change in the case of family businesses means levels of concern that exceed the average and that vary from the emergence of new competitors, to the vulnerability of cyber security.

The same study shows that 69% of respondents say they expect and even encourage the next generation of business leaders – including family members – to gain experience and develop skills and qualifications outside the family business to keep up with innovation.

In conclusion

Family business leaders face a multitude of challenges, but succession from one generation to the next is perhaps an essential one. Beyond the need for family businesses to digitize and diversify their investment portfolio, the requirement to define their success from a longevity perspective is a priority. That’s why family businesses focus on plans for sustainability, innovation, and the future of future generations in the long run.

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