My professional experience

Research. Development. Production. Management.

Brazing and high-temperature brazing have been a part of my life since I studied mechanical engineering at RWTH Aachen University. What began as a scientific interest in materials has evolved into a career spanning more than 35 years, combining research, development, industrial applications, international production, quality management, and business leadership.

During my studies, I worked as a student assistant in the field of materials science. I then earned my doctorate in the Department of Materials Science at RWTH Aachen University under Prof. Dr. techn. Erich Lugscheider, specializing in brazing technology. During this time, I led research and industrial projects on wide-gap brazing, brazecoating, and the development of new brazing alloys, and I worked extensively on inductive brazing processes, vacuum brazing processes, and inert-gas brazing methods. Starting in 1994, I also took over as head of the Brazing Technology Group.

In 1996, I moved to Degussa AG in Hanau to work in application engineering within the Brazing Technology business unit. There, I advised industrial companies on challenging brazing issues and supported the development, optimization, and implementation of new brazing and high-temperature brazing processes. In addition to providing technical consulting to customers, I was responsible for training and certification programs, and later for the areas of quality management and development.

During this time, we developed numerous solutions for customers in the automotive, electrical engineering, mechanical engineering, tooling, and refrigeration and air conditioning industries. Notable projects included the development of innovative brazing paste systems for vacuum and inert gas brazing processes, the introduction of the CuproBraze brazing process for manufacturing copper-brass radiators, and the handling of complex applications involving a wide variety of materials such as steel, copper, aluminum, nickel, cemented carbide, ceramics, and glass.

Following Umicore’s acquisition of Degussa’s precious metals business, I was assigned to China in 2006. There, I was initially responsible as Technical Director and later as General Manager for two production sites specializing in brazing and contact materials. In addition to capital projects and the technical advancement of the plants, my responsibilities also included production organization, quality management, process optimization, employee leadership, and the financial management of the sites.

In 2010, I assumed global responsibility for Umicore’s BrazeTec business unit. In this role, I led international teams and was responsible for both the technical and commercial development of the business unit. The focus was on the successful implementation of customer projects—from the initial product concept through process development to series production. In addition, under my leadership, new brazing alloys were developed that provided users in numerous industrial sectors with significant technical and economic advantages.

In addition to my work in industry, I have been actively involved in national and international technical committees for many years. I am a long-standing member of the DVS Technical Committee on “Brazing,” have chaired the DVS Brazing Society for over fifteen years, and served as Chairman of the ISO Standards Committee ISO/TC 44/SC13 “Brazing Materials and Processes” until the end of 2020. In these roles, I have actively contributed to the development of international norms, guidelines, and technical standards for brazing.

Today, through SCHMOOR brazing, I offer my experience in research, development, production, quality management, and international management in an independent and manufacturer-neutral capacity. I help industrial companies stabilize brazing and high-temperature brazing processes, sustainably reduce scrap and customer complaints, set up development projects reliably, and build up brazing expertise within their organizations.

My clients benefit not only from my in-depth technical expertise in brazing and high-temperature brazing, but also from my understanding of the economic demands of an industrial company. After all, successful brazing processes must not only function technically—they must also be reproducible, cost-effective, and consistently controllable.

My goal: to quickly identify technical causes, develop practical solutions, and achieve measurable results. So that brazing problems are transformed into stable processes, satisfied customers, and sustainable business success.