Trust promotes success

Three examples from across the world show how trust, in its many forms, is shaping relationships and projects at GF: From new innovations suggested by employees at GF Machining Solutions, through ambitious research projects with external partners at GF Casting Solutions to challenging customer projects at GF Piping Systems. The last refers to a project that the Specialized Solutions team at GF Piping Systems worked on in early 2021. The job was to contribute to the construction of a sustainable air-conditioning system in Tahiti by ensuring the quality of the welds that hold its central pipe together.

The Sea Water Air Conditioning system (SWAC), as it is called, was to become the biggest of its kind worldwide, supposed to cool the capital’s new hospital with seawater from the depths of the ocean. For this, an almost four-kilometer long, flexible plastic pipe had to be built and immersed 900 meters below sea level. From there, the system would pump 5°C water onto the island to cool the rooms of the French Polynesian Hospital – without CO2 emissions and the additional electricity that conventional air conditioning would need in a tropical region where average temperatures range from 26–29°C (78.7–84.2° F).

Riccardo Barbone

GF Piping Systems used their technique called ultrasonic non-destructive testing (NDT) to check the the welds of such a long plastic pipe for the first time. There was no margin for error: The assignment was part of a flagship project by the French-Polynesian government. Once installed, the SWAC would save 2 percent of Tahiti’s annual energy bill – the equivalent of $3.2 million per year.

Sanjay Patel, Global Business Development Manager in the Specialized Solutions Team at GF Piping Systems, recalls the tension at the beginning of the project: “The pressure was high because we had never done a job like this before.” He managed the project, making sure the NDT scanners and external inspectors GF had hired and trained to operate them arrived on time. A difficult task: When the deadline was only four months away, the COVID-19 pandemic was disrupting international travel and global shipments.

Sanjay and the GF team in France, who had received the project request and guided the negotiations withthe customer, stayed on top of things: “Communication created the trust we needed to complete the project.” They were on the phone with customer Geocean, which built the SWAC and the pipe using GF welding machines, up to ten times per day, keeping everyone updated on progress and changes.

Communication within GF was also essential. Due to the pandemic, most team members were working from home, but they remained constantly in touch. This enabled them to quickly solve unforeseen issues together, such as finding alternative routes for last-minute flight cancellations or localizing lost parcels.

Riccardo Barbone, Chief Technical Officer Specialized Solutions at GF Piping Systems, took care of the technical details and had daily contact with the on-site inspectors. His team had matched the scanning heads – the pieces of equipment the NDT scanners sat in – to the pipe’s diameter of 710 mm. This meant the inspectors could easily check whether stones, grains of sand, or air pockets were hiding inside the more than 400 welds. In addition, they had developed an algorithm that analyzed the scanning results on-site, giving a green or red light for each single weld. This was a key advantage because once the pipe was submerged in the sea, it would be nearly impossible to fix faulty joints.

Riccardo is still enthusiastic about the cooperation within GF, as well as with the inspectors: “They sent us pictures of themselves posing with our GF equipment. They very much liked working with it and called our patented chain equipment “the magic chain.” They did a great job on site.” Thanks to the trustful collaboration among all parties, GF Piping Systems even managed to finish the job ahead of schedule. “We were confident enough to dare something – and succeeded thanks to that,” says Riccardo.

This is a good description of a concept called “ psychological safety” in science. It was developed by Amy Edmondson, a professor of leadership and management at Harvard Business School. The concept holds that teams only work together successfully if each member can contribute without fear of negative consequences. According to Edmondson, this perceived safety at the workplace has a positive effect on the company‘s performance, because employees are more willing to participate and point out potential risks. This, in turn, is a prerequisite to learn and innovate.

With the goal of encouraging the development of innovative ideas, GF Machining Solutions’ Kickbox initiative has been fostering trust between management and employees in Switzerland since 2019.

During this process, employees become the CEOs of their own ideas: they can devote up to 20 percent of their working hours to the development of the idea and get access to funds, a mentoring program and expert knowledge if required.

Jose Gonzalez, Expert Milling at GF Machining Solutions, has already presented two ideas to Kickbox. He’s a fan of the initiative: “It‘s great that our management invests so much time in the project and gives personal feedback to all participants. They trust us and reward our efforts.”

Jose is currently working on a new method for reducing the weight of machine components to save energy when operating the finished machine. On the day known as Demo Day in December 2021, he presented this idea – and made it through to the next phase.

Admittedly, Jose doubts that his idea will ultimately be implemented because it would be very expensive. But for him it feels like a victory nonetheless: “Working on my idea is both fun and fulfilling. I especially enjoyed getting to know colleagues from other sites.” He adds that today he is much more satisfied with his work than he was before his Kickbox participation.

Indeed, Jose’s daily work routine has permanently changed due to new methodologies he got to know and the exchange with colleagues. This proves that a work environment with a high degree of psychological safety is essential for employees like Jose to take the plunge and strive for innovation.

Put simply, additive manufacturing is industrial 3D printing, and the alloy is the ink. Except that in this case, it’s not a liquid, but a powder. To print a metal component, a laser heats this powder and forms the desired shape, layer by layer. “This way it’s possible to create highly complex shapes that are both lightweight and extremely stable,” says Sebastian Wierschke, Technical Expert Additive Manufacturing at GF Casting Solutions, who oversees the project.

At its AMotion Center in Stabio, GF works with the latest additive manufacturing technologies and machines from GF Machining Solutions to create highly complex components. However, the alloys currently in use are not an optimal choice for the print process as they are expensive and not very sustainable.

Therefore, Sebastian and the colleagues in Stabio wanted to invent a new high-strength aluminum alloy. It should not contain any rare earths, should meet the high requirements of the aerospace industry, and be priced similarly to alloys that are currently in use. The goal is to use the additive manufacturing process to create highly complex components that can withstand blazing temperatures – aircraft turbine blades with built-in cooling lines or particularly shaped exhaust pipes for Formula 1 racing cars.

The current project started in March 2021 and is scheduled for completion in July 2023. Sebastian and the colleagues in Stabio regularly discuss its progress and the next development loops with Inspire. For now, the research looks promising. Regardless of the final result, Sebastian is already benefitting from the collaboration: “I’m gaining a lot of new insights from the partnership that I can apply to other areas of my work.”

The examples of Sebastian, Sanjay and Riccardo, and Jose and Adina show how trust creates a working environment in which employees take risks and succeed as a team. The three examples also illustrate that project success is not the only goal. The knowledge gained and the encounters along the way are valuable and help to create a collegial workplace where people – and their ideas – can thrive.