Can briefly tell us about the story of Asel Teknik since its foundation until now?
Asel Teknik was founded in 2001. We firstly were involved in mechanical installation, heating-cooling and solar power. Following 2015, we commenced manufacture of dedusting machinery and vibratory sieves for the industry. We firstly carried out our works in a small workshop located in a small organized industrial estate and we have been continuing our activities in our new plant in 2nd Organized Industrial Estate for 1 year. In general, we always realized growth in line with our goals since the day we set off.
Considering that 4 partners are actively working, we have a team of 22 members. There were times that this figure had reached 110 people from time to time on project basis.
Are you mainly working on dedusting systems currently?
We gave prominence to dedusting systems and vibratory sieves for the last 3 years, however, our other operations are going on. We are pretentious in dedusting systems. Hence, we brought a new logic to this task. We introduced our products of next generation hybrid dedusting unit. Because, the systems we manufacture and sell are very different from other conventional dedusting systems
What is this difference?
By adopting a different approach, we combined the cyclone and the filter which are important items for dedusting systems, in the same unit by employing an exclusive design. And we offer the advantageous effects of both directly available to our customers. This, indeed, offers very significant benefits during use. First of all, energy saving is of question. Secondly, it is possible that the consumables that are used will be minimized in time. Since the available cyclone effect is being used, we have a design which offers decreased consumables at the first stage with the same capacity. Advantage offered to the customers by such is long lasting dust collection system which is sustainable and also a system advantage realized through savings in energy and consumables which provides them return of investment. We can see the outcome at companies to which we were able to explain that and started work together. Maybe the period of explaining the product takes a little longer at the first stage since it is newly released, however, following that, the companies fortunately stop preferring others upon starting to work with us. Despite the fact that we are a new company in this field, we have very significant references We can experience the return of this difference offered by our product. Therefore, we are continuing our investments mainly in this field.
What are sectors that you concentrate on most?
If you are processing a specific mineral, for instance, plants in Kütahya are currently processing quartz. Some of them manufacture cups, some of them produce plates, tiles and they do this by processing quartz. Cement manufacturers are operating by processing another mineral. If you are processing a mineral and rendering it a final product it is definite that you are dealing with dust. Dust collection units employed in the enterprises are just like kitchen extractor hoods. They generally function for the first few months and they fail after then and offer no benefit. They generally have design defects. Either extractor hoods is designed properly but the chimney is not suitable or vice versa or installation is made at an unsuitable position. Even there, a lot of parameters are of question. You need to have the right parameters together in order to have a kitchen that does not smell. Design errors come one after another at the factories. This is because dust collection systems require a good engineering effort. Everyone has a prejudice that they will not offer any function after a couple of months following their installation. For that reason, some, particularly heavy industries think that importing it would be more appropriate since the domestic products fail to function after a while. Foreign companies ask question, they strive to make the right design since there are sections that they are not contracted, such as dust collection ducts… we need to ensure the following in order to maintain our warranty coverage. Such as the quality of the compressed air to be delivered or the electrical power to be supplied shall conform to certain specificities. And thus, they force that system to function. When such details are ignored the systems are perceived as useless. We, as Asel Teknik, are producing an unparalleled product with all engineering efforts assumed by us by combining the dust collection unit and pre-retaining cyclone in a single construction. We commenced R&D studies in 2013 and we launched it in 2015. Our patent efforts are ongoing in a number of countries. We have not encountered an equivalent of this product.
What is the greatest problem in dedusting systems?
The greatest problem in dedusting systems is sustainability. And we are offering products which will function perfectly for long years and provide affordable operating costs following their installation. We are quite familiar with the challenges that businesses face with since we are working in such sectors for long years.
Which companies do you have reference with?
We are mainly working in soil industry. We are working with Kütahya Porselen, factories of Güral Family, Paşabahçe Group, Şişecam,
Eczacıbaşı Group, Çanakkale Seramik, Serel, Keramika, Kümaş, Ülker and Unimak companies. Unimak installs plants to almost 55 countries. We are the supplier of their dust collection units. Our machinery are working in
India, Egypt, Argentine, Russia through their efforts. We carried out an operation in Romania. Processes of Cement and Kütahya magnesite are quite similar. Also, functions carried out in ceramic industry such as crushing, sifting, grinding are very similar to the cement process. Therefore we are working on business which are similar to cement factories. Dust collection system as a very significant subject for the cement sector… In fact, we are working with soil industry, we started to get to know cement plants in the second half of 2018 since we needed to open to the cement sector. We started to meet many groups and we have certain studies. With the coming autumn those were carried over to 2019 balance sheets due to economical considerations. Our goals regarding the cement sector was transferred to 2019 alike and we consider that we will work more intensively with cement companies in 2019.
Are you still carrying our R&D studies for products?
Our development efforts are still of question. We are working on products which can filter the dust at a higher flow rate.
Dust collection is generally the ancillary activity of most of the companies in Turkey and their main activity is different. However, what we are mainly involved in is dust collection. Therefore, our development studies are always continued.
How was 2018 for you? Can you provide a brief evaluation? Did your estimations made in the beginning of the year match with the end of year?
We could not achieved our goals in 2018, it all went away with expectations. Firstly an election atmosphere was of question and after that period passed, it was thought that the economy would get better, however, these economic fluctuations happened. Therefore we were not able to realize the turnover increase we have set for 2018 in 2027.
What are your anticipations for 2019?
Many projects which was intended for the second half of 2018 was postponed to 2019 budget. Therefore, we consider that these tasks which are currently suspended will be given effect in 2019. We see that companies which we are in relation with mainly give weight to export.
Indeed, everyone takes measures specific for them. The draw up yearly contracts and export connections. Therefore, I consider that production will revive and the needs which were postponed from 2018 will be fulfilled in 2019. Therefore, I consider that at least the second half of 2019 will be a good period. Applications of the construction sector in Turkey may get slower, but in my opinion, the sectors which operate for construction industry; manufacturers of cement, ceramic, rebar etc. will not be impacted too much since they will open foreign channels for themselves. We have studies for Iran. We also want to have one feet abroad and our efforts for this matter are ongoing. It is evident that export shall be given emphasis in order to minimize the impact of economic fluctuations.
How many members your engineering team has?
Our company has only four partners and we are all engineers. There are also 3 other engineers in addition to us. We are working as 7 engineers in total.
Where would you like to see the company in the following 5 years?
How do you get prepared for that now?
We make 3-year, 5-year projections for ourselves. We are aiming to produce high quality units with sustainable performance. Our goal is to become a high quality brand and not being as expensive as an imported one.
Do you experience the disadvantages of being a domestic brand?
Selling a domestic product manufactured by a company in Turkey can be very difficult at some locations. For instance, we had an between us and a French machine is 3-fold, we offer any kind of warranty but they prefer to buy the French one by spending 3 times more money, saying that they wouldn’t put themselves into risk. When we met another large group, they said that they would not use domestic product. But when the supply period of the foreign machine was extended they had to but that from us and they are now highly satisfied. But this was our first initiative. We have very good references and most of them would not use domestic product, but we strived a lot to deal with that. We sometimes overcome this problem and sometimes not.
We, as Asel Teknik, are producing an unparalleled product with all engineering efforts assumed by us by combining the dust collection unit and pre-retaining cyclone in a single construction.
