For over 30 years, the Turkish company SELSA has been supplying interna-tional clients in the automotive industry with high-quality components. With five new STUDER cylindrical grinding machines, it has now significantly expanded its business field.
Cem Dizdar, managing director of SELSA, recounts how his family fled former Yu-goslavia for Turkey during the war, a move that no one could have imagined would lead to them founding one of the country’s flagship companies in the machining sec-tor. His father, a mechanical engineer trained in Germany, established the company in 1992 from scratch. Back then, only a handful of employees worked in a small space – today, around 280 skilled workers manufacture precision parts for an inter-national clientele, particularly in the automotive sector, in a modern 7,000 square-meter (75,400 square feet) facility operating around the clock. Most recently, five CNC universal cylindrical grinding machines from STUDER have been added to the operation.
“There is no more prestigious brand than STUDER when it comes to grinding ma-chines, and we did not want to compromise on quality and precision with this in-vestment,” says Dizdar, explaining the purchase of four favorit machines and one favoritCNC. He speaks from his office at SELSA’s headquarters in Bursa in the northwest of Turkey. The city, located on the Sea of Marmara, with historical significance and a population in the millions, is about an hour and a half’s drive from Istanbul, and is one of the country’s most important industrial centers, particularly for the automotive industry.
Customer Diversification and High Technology as a Strategy
A German automotive supplier has also been producing in Bursa since the 1970s. “We have a long history with this supplier,” says Dizdar. His grandfather worked there, his father completed supplementary training, and his mother from Germany was a teacher in Bursa who taught the children of the employees. When the first major order for the mass production of diesel injection nozzles came in 1995, it was an important milestone for SELSA. The high demands on quality, precision, and efficiency have become ingrained in the company’s DNA, earning it a reputation beyond the local region. Dizdar has been familiar with all the company’s operations and processes since his youth and later studied mechanical engineering in Istanbul himself. When his father suddenly died in 2014, he had to take responsibility overnight.
From left: İsmail Hanedar (Head of Production), Cem Dizdar (Owner), Atilla Aydın (STUDER Area Sales Manager)
“What my father, Selami Dizdar, built and accomplished fills me with pride and gratitude. We have an excellent team and a well-coordinated system,” he says. However, it is quite natural for the younger generation to have a new perspective, and innovative strength is particularly important today in an automotive sector undergoing rapid change. The switch to electric motors or stricter CO2 emission regulations are just two examples. For the managing director, diversifying the customer base and focusing on high technology is particularly important for the current strategic orientation of his company. SELSA currently invests around 4.7 percent of its total budget in re-search and development and is now recognized as a research-and-development facility for mechanical engineering by the Turkish state.
STUDER Takes Manufacturing to a New Level
The acquisition of the five CNC universal cylindrical grinding machines from STU-DER is part of this strategy, as Dizdar explains: “We made this investment specifically in connection with a new major order for an internationally leading supplier of steering and transmission pumps.” Specifically, the STUDER machines now produce around 700,000 drive shafts for control pumps each year.
“We received very precise specifications and tight tolerances for complex geometries from the customer. The STUDER machines enable efficient mass production of technically demanding workpieces, and they have played a large part in our receiving this order and being able to fulfill it to the fullest satisfaction.”
But how did the decision for the five STUDER machines come about? Atilla Aydin, area sales manager from STUDER for Turkey, who has advised SELSA personally and on-site from the beginning, knows the answer. “We closely examined the geo-metric requirements of the components and the desired production volume and had them checked by our in-house engineers and specialists,” he reports. The sophisticated grinding technology, high-quality components, the thermally stable machine bed made of mineral cast Granitan®, and the simple operation with the StuderPictogramming software: the STUDER favorit ensures high component precision and optimal operational processes. “It is suitable for universal use in both single and mass production, operates at high speed, and makes no compromises on quality and pre-cision,” explains Aydin. The good cost-effectiveness of the favorit results in a unique value for money on the market.
Competent Consulting and top Customer Service
“Atilla’s advice was absolutely top-notch, and we felt comfortable right away. The outstanding customer service was a key reason we chose STUDER,” says Dizdar. However, the delivery, installation, and CE-certified commissioning of the machines by STUDER are just the beginning. “We have worked closely with SELSA to optimize the production operations, and of course, our customer care and service experts are always available with their expertise to assist with any questions or issues,” says Aydin. Having represented STUDER in Turkey for about 25 years, Aydin knows that customers here expect fast and personal communication in addition to high competence.
SELSA is a modern, international company where, besides Turkish, both German and English are spoken. Values such as quality assurance, occupational safety, and environmental protection are as much a part of the corporate culture as is the recognition of humanity, regardless of gender, religion, or ethnic background. For Dizdar, business partnerships are more than just one-time transactions; he values long-term and trust-based relationships. “It’s great that we are on the same wave-length with STUDER,” says the managing director.
Drive shaft for hydraulic pumps of steering systems
Long-term Collaboration
For instance, the continuous dialog regarding process optimization following the commissioning of the STUDER machines led to the creation of a specially controlled climate room to regulate operating temperatures. “It’s akin to a small laboratory, and we are very proud of the precision we can achieve in grinding drive shafts – our cus-tomer is absolutely satisfied,” says Dizdar. The training provided by STUDER for the employees also contributed to elevating the efficiency and quality to a new level.
So, what is next for SELSA? “I see our prospects for further business development in the automotive sector very positively,” says Dizdar. Turkey is highly attractive to international companies due to top-notch expertise and economical production con-ditions, and furthermore, the launch of the first Turkish electric car brand is just around the corner. “Our order situation is positive,” says Dizdar who adds, “Being able to manufacture highly technical components in large volumes with the ma-chines gives us a clear competitive edge, and we look forward to continuing our journey with STUDER.”
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