Motion
INNOVATIONINDEPTH
INTERVIEW

Why grinding is a superior manufacturing processYour smartphone and the laser
Smart machines need competent employees

SHARINGKNOWLEDGE
Practical knowledge of
grinding is an important elementin the international education andtraining system of the
UNITED GRINDING Group

Still young but already experienced:
Nico Peschke has worked in various
capacities at WALTER in Tübingen.
He is now applying these experiences asa service technician

02.2019
The customer magazine of the
UNITED GRINDING Group

18

34

IN THIS MOTION EDITION
YOU WILL FIND:

4
6
8

14
16
18

 ELCOMEW
Stephan Nell, CEO of the UNITED GRINDING Group, on theimportance that grinding still holds today8 LOOK INSIDE …
A… the showroom at WALTER in Tübingen
 EWS
NDigital solutions; Grinding Symposium; an innovative
measuring software program; a common machine language

24
27

INNOVATION
Without it there would be no microchips or robots: Why
grinding technology is still an unrivaled manufacturing
process and actually makes future technologies possible
INDEPTH“Glass profiles”: How laser machining supports modern
mobile communications technology

34

INSIDE“Women have different ideas”: Female employees of the
UNITED GRINDING Group in technical positions

40

INTERVIEW“Confident people for handling machines”: Which employees
machine manufacturers need and how they find them.
A discussion with human resource specialists

 DAY WITH ...
A... Alexander Heiter, Head of Production at STUDER
 OOLS & TECHNOLOGYT
New products from the UNITED GRINDING Group: Grinding
complex geometries with the MÄGERLE MFP 30; La Rapida
produces gas turbines with MÄGERLE grinding centers;
Rotor shaft production with SCHAUDT; WALTER Two-in-One;
Manufacture of beverage cans and tool holding fixtureswith STUDERINTERNATIONAL“Sharing knowledge”: How the Group ensures the further
education and training of its employees worldwide
IDEAS“How precision engineers created the modern world“:An extract from the book “Exactly”

43 	INTOUCH
The Motion calendar: important trade fairs and dates

EDITORIAL DETAILSPUBLISHER United Grinding Group Management AG, Jubiläumsstrasse 95, 3005 Bern RESPONSIBLE Paul Kössl PUBLICATION MANAGER Myria Aeschbacher CHIEF EDITOR
Michael Hopp (responsible for the purposes of press law) ART DIRECTION Tobias Zabell OPERATION MANAGER Niels Baum­garten PICTURE EDITING Thomas Balke AUTHORS
Heinz-Jürgen Köhler (copy editor), Ira Schoers, Sabrina Waffenschmidt TRANSLATION locsoft.net GmbH LAYOUT Claudia Knye PRODUCTION Wym Korff HOUSE AND
ADDRESS OF EDITORIAL OFFICE HOFFMANN UND CAMPE X, belongs to HOFFMANN UND CAMPE ­VERLAG GmbH, Harveste­hu­der Weg 42, 20149 Hamburg READERSERVICE +49 (0)40-44188-293 (Tel.), +49 (0) 40-44188-236 (Fax) MANAGEMENT Heiko Gregor, Tim Jung ACCOUNT MANAGER Niels Baumgarten LITHO P·R·O·MEDIENPRODUKTION GmbH, Hamburg PRINTING optimal media GmbH, Röbel/Müritz. Printed on FSC®MIX certified paper (FSC® C108521). For better legibility we use themasculine form as a collective term in our texts, but this includes all gender forms.
All brands marked with ® are registered as a base trademark at least in Switzerland or Germany and are thus entitled to use the mark.

2

Motion  02.2019

Cover: Dominik Gigler; Photos: Dominik Gigler, Dominik Obertreis, Andreas Scheunert, Natalie Bothur

3

WELCOME”MACHINES WITH THE
BEST TECHNOLOGY,EMPLOYEES WITH THE
BEST EXPERTISE – WE COMBINE
BOTH, TO MAKE YOU MORE
SUCCESSFUL.”

DEAR READERS!

“In the combination of cost-effectiveness, efficiency and machining quality, grinding is superior to all other manufacturing
processes.” Prof. Dr. Konrad Wegener said this at the Grinding
Symposium. And this is also the theme of this edition of “Motion”.
Grinding is actually a very simple and very old manufacturing process. Many scientists and companies – including ourselves – havecontinued to perfect it in terms of precision and efficiency overthe past decades. The outstanding precision achieved by grinding
today and the future technologies in which grinding plays a keyrole are explained by our cover story. Something which perhaps
only a few people know: Without grinding, there would be no
microchips or robots.
Another key factor is the focus of two articles in this edition: human know-how. You can’t learn grinding itself at university, but only by – grinding. What this means for our companies and our employees, can be read in the Interview and in the section “International”.
Machines with the best technology, employees with the best expertise – we combine both, to make you more successful. On thisnote, I hope you enjoy reading this new issue of “Motion”!

Stephan Nell,
CEO, ­UNITED GRINDING Group

Stephan Nell
CEO, UNITED GRINDING Group

Motion  02.20193

UNITED GRINDING GROUP

4

Motion  02.2019

A LOOK INSIDE …

MÄGERLE

BLOHM

JUNG

STUDERSCHAUDTMIKROSAWALTER

EWAG

Photo: Dominik Gigler

MORE THAN JUST A SHOWROOMABOVE ALL, THE CUSTOMERS should feel at easein WALTER’s 800 square meter showroom
in Tübingen – and be able to get an idea ofthe most important machines in the productportfolio. “All CNC grinding machines and
CNC eroding machines in the showroom are
equipped with different wheel and electrodechanger types, as well as different loading
systems. And of course we also present ourfull range of optical CNC measuring machines here”, explains Jochen Reiff, Application Technology Project Manager. “They are
all connected via UNITED GRINDING Digital

Solutions™, so that the operating state ofeach individual machine can be viewed inreal time in the demo room.”
Most visitors are customers who wish
to obtain general information about the machine portfolio or are already interested in
specific machines. Many customers also test
the production of a defined tool, so that they
can assess the performance of the machines
and software for their individual product.
With meeting rooms that can be flexibly
divided, the showroom is also ideal for training. “We can train our customers directly on

the machines here and introduce them to the
HELITRONIC TOOL STUDIO software, forexample, which is used on every grinding
and eroding machine”, says Reiff.
Numerous training courses are also heldfor employees in the showroom. To ensurethat all employees are always fully up to date,training sessions are provided by productmanagers and application technicians forsales representatives, who work at the various locations around the world. Training for
all of the Group’s Customer Care employees
worldwide also takes place here in Tübingen.

Motion  02.2019

5

UNITED GRINDING GROUPNEWSMIAMISBURG/USA

MORE SPACEFOR TRAINING
ADDED VALUE FOR THE CUSTOMER: To
achieve this, the Solution Center in
the US branch is being modernized.
Only built in 2018 with the new facility
in Miamisburg, the Solution Centeris already being further optimized, inorder to meet customer requirementseven better. In addition to grinding
demonstrations, external and internal
events as well as customer training
will also take place there in future.

TÜBINGEN/GERMANY

NEW ERA OF MEASUREMENTTO ENABLE THE HIGH-PRECISION MEASUREMENT of rotationallysymmetrical tools, WALTER has developed new software.
The WALTER METROLOGY CENTER combines a host of application possibilities with extremely simple operation. The operator
interface is individually configured to the customer’s requirements. Each user can thus concentrate on his specific tasks.
Measuring machines in the HELICHECK PRECISION, PRO and
PLUS series as well as older measuring machines with the CNC06 control and later, as well as Windows 7 can be upgraded.

BERN/SWITZERLANDCOMMONMACHINE LANGUAGETÜBINGEN/GERMANYTECHNOLOGY FOR KIDSDESIGN A TOOL ON THE COMPUTER, then have it manufactured,
measured and laser-engraved by WALTER machines. This was
the highlight for seven children from the Hector Children’sumati – eine Initiative des VDW
Academy. For five days in spring they visited the factory in
im Verbund
mit
starken
Tübingen and learned
a lot about CNC
grinding
machines, precision and tools. Partnern
Since 2012 the Hector Academy has offeredparticularly gifted children the opportunity to broaden theirlisierung kunden­
expertise while still at primary school and develop theirnd für Maschinen­
individual interests. The aim is to inspire them to learn
trukturen. through discovery.

THE MORE MACHINES that are linked together, the more urgent the requirement for acommon machine language. In addition toother well-known manufacturers, theUNITED GRINDING Group is a project partner of VDW – the Association of German
Machine Manufacturers – for the develop­
ment of such a standard. The umati interface (“universal machine tool interface”)
is based on the OPC UA data exchange
standard. The Group’s customers canalso connect third-party machines to
UNITED GRINDING Digital
Solutions™ products.

n OPC UA.
ustrie für deren

Transformation
6 Motion  02.2019
Eingabe fürnfigurationen vonUnbenannt-1 1

21.10.19 12:59

MÄGERLE

BLOHM

JUNG

STUDERSCHAUDTMIKROSAWALTER

EWAG

HANNOVER/GERMANY

FOCUS ON DIGITAL SOLUTIONSSYSTEMATIC FURTHER DEVELOPMENT of the proven PLANOMAT series in the formof the new BLOHM PLANOMAT XT, which was presented at EMO in Hannover.
Around 117,000 production experts from 150 countries met at the world’s
leading metalworking trade show. The UNITED GRINDING Group introduced an
innovative stand concept in Hannover, in which the brands were grouped arounda central island with the UNITED GRINDING Digital Solutions™ products. The
PLANOMAT XT made its debut at the show. This machine offers larger travel
distances, optimized machine rigidity and a higher axis speed. The new BLOHM
will then come onto the market at the end of 2020.

The BLOHM PLANOMAT XT made its
debut at EMO

THUN/SWITZERLAND

CURRENT TRENDSOVER 1500 INTERNATIONAL VISITORS experienced
new technologies from precision machining andcurrent trends in the manufacturing industry at theGrinding Symposium held by the UNITED
GRINDING Group in Thun, Switzerland. You canfind some impressions of the event here:
www.grinding.ch/grindingsymposium2019

SHANGHAI/CHINA

Photo: Thomas Pfruender

AWARD FOR WALTERBERN/SWITZERLAND

PROMOTING YOUNG TALENTSWISS APPRENTICES and trainees have been competing in national and international skills championships for almost 70 years. Young employees fromthe companies in the UNITED GRINDING Group have already impressed
the judges on a number of occasions, most recently aspiring automation
technician Josia Langhart (photo) from STUDER, who won the bronze
medal in summer 2019 at the WorldSkills in Kazan, Russia. In order tofurther promote this flagship program of Swiss vocational training the
UNITED GRINDING Group will support the next national skills championships, SwissSkills 2020 in Bern, as a Silver Partner.

INNOVATIVE ACHIEVEMENTS in themetalworking industry are distinguishedwith the Ringier Technology Innovation Award in China. The WALTERHELITRONIC G 200 has just received
this award. Inaugurated in 2006, thisaward has become one of China’s mostinfluential industry awards. The WALTERHELITRONIC G 200 was distinguished
as a creative tool grinding machine withresource-efficient operation. Teams from
China and Germany worked together at
WALTER for the first time to bring themachine onto the Chinese market.

Motion  02.20197

INNOVATION

ALL THE WAY

TOWhether aerospace technology or microelectronics:
Grinding machines play a vital part in many
future technologies. Even 174 years after the first
grinding machine, grinding has lost none of its
importance as a superb manufacturing process
TEXT: Heinz-Jürgen Köhler

8

Motion  02.2019

PHOTOGRAPHS: Andreas Scheunert

Fotos: Lorem issum di dolores sit amet aures funai

UNITED GRINDING GROUP

MÄGERLE

BLOHM

JUNG

STUDERSCHAUDTMIKROSAWALTER

EWAG

Fotos: Lorem issum di dolores sit amet aures funai

MARS

Motion  02.2019

9UNITED GRINDING GROUPRUBRIKINNOVATION“HIGHEST REMOVAL RATES, SHORT CYCLE TIMESAND MINIMAL TOOL WEAR.
NO OTHER TECHNOLOGY OFFERS THIS.”
Harri Rein,
CTO Tool

10

Motion  02.2019

Production at ETH Zurich. The robot speed
reducer gears are an impressive illustrationof this: Semicircular grooves with a diameter tolerance of +/- 3 μm (+/- 0.000`12”)
are ground into the joints. Manufacturing is
24/7 unmanned operation. “Around 2.5 million such gears are ground each year withMÄGERLE machines”, estimates ProductManager Viktor Ruh.

THREE CRITERIA
Grinding as a machining process is an ageold technology. As far back as Ancient Greece
grinding stones were cooled with water oroil. The first cylindrical grinding machinecame onto the market in 1845. And in the
174 years since, this manufacturing process
has lost none of its relevance.
“The process is distinguished by thehighest removal rates, short cycle times andminimal tool wear. No other technology offers
this”, concludes Harri Rein. Rein is CTO of
the Tool Technology Group. Daniel Huber performs this role for Cylindrical, Daniel Mavro
for Surface & Profile. Together with Christoph
Plüss, the Group’s Chief Technology Officer,
they form the CTO Board, which establishes
the guidelines for the technological development of the eight company brands.
Grinding is used not only in robotics but
also in microelectronics. The so-called semi-

conductor wafers, used as the base plate forelectronic components, are ground.
In innovative technologies, the use of
new materials is often only made possible by the relevant machining processes.
Ceramic composites in jet engines in theaerospace industry, for example, can best
be machined by grinding. “Lightweight components made from carbon fiber reinforced
plastic for the automotive or aircraft industry
are machined with PCD tools, which havefirst passed through a grinding process”,
explains Huber.

ADVANTAGES IN APPLICATION
The high machining quality of grinding provides numerous advantages in industrial
applications. “Finer surface qualities in theautomotive sector cause less friction andso lead to a higher engine efficiency”, says
Mavro. “Narrower tolerances in the aerospace industry increase the efficiency of jet
engines, for example, by reducing coolingairflow losses.”In the automotive sector for instance,
the Group’s brands offer a host of innovative applications, such as grinding balance
shafts on a SCHAUDT ShaftGrind S. These
ensure smooth running in a combustion
engine by producing counter frequencies.
They are neither straight nor cylindrical –Fotos: Lorem issum di dolores sit amet aures funai

AN INCONSPICUOUS GRAY BOX stands on the redsand of Mars. Smoke rises from the satellite
system. Alexander Gerst controls the Rollin’ Justin robot from a spaceship. The robot
opens the system on the surface of Mars. It
identifies the smoking module and replaces
it with a new one. The astronaut uses a tablet
to define which work steps the robot must
perform. Finished! Communication with thered planet is ensured.
Admittedly, this was only a simulation.
The robot was deployed in the Space Centerin Oberpfaffenhofen, Germany, and Alexander Gerst was controlling it from the International Space Station (ISS). Intelligent robots
are actually considered a crucial factor in the
discovery and exploration of distant planets.
And it’s quite possible that with Rollin’ Justin
or one of his colleagues a piece of grinding
technology from the UNITED GRINDING
Group may also be used on Mars.
So-called robot speed reducer gears areused in robot joints. These reducer gears decrease the speed of the motor that drives thejoints. Without them, the robot would not beable to execute metered movements.
“In the combination of cost-effectiveness, efficiency and machining quality, grinding is superior to all other manufacturing
processes”, declares Prof. Dr. Konrad Wegener from the Institute for Machine Tools andMÄGERLE

BLOHM

JUNG

STUDERSCHAUDTMIKROSAWALTEREWAG“DIGITALIZATION WILL ENABLE
THE PRECISE MODELING
OF COMPLEX PROCESSESIN FUTURE.”
Daniel Mavro,
CTO Surface & Profile

Motion  02.2019

11

RUBRIKINNOVATION

Photo: Thomas Eugster

UNITED GRINDING GROUP

THREE QUESTIONS TO
PROF. DR. KONRAD WEGENER
Swiss Federal Institute of Technology Zurich, ETHZ

“MACHINES INCREASINGLY
MAKE THEIR OWN DECISIONS ABOUT
WHAT TO DO”
How important do you consider grinding from theviewpoint of sustainability?
The high tungsten consumption from cutting with a defined
cutting edge, for instance, speaks in favor of grinding technology. With regard to sustainability often only energy consumption is considered today, where grinding does not score well
due to its high coolant usage. However, the problem is not theenergy that can be obtained from regenerative sources, but
limited material resources.

How will digitalization change grinding?
Everything will fundamentally change, whatever you wantto call it: whether digitalization or Industry 4.0. I am notkeen on the term digitalization, because this is something
we have already been doing for 70 years, unless you don’t
consider the NC control as a digital technology? There will
be more and more computing power and we must get
used to machines themselves increasingly deciding what
to do. Machines will perform extremely complex processes
themselves without human interaction, and obtain missing
skills via digital twins on the Internet. Model-based machinelearning will improve their capabilities. We may then needto discuss whether older, experienced machines are better
than new ones.
12

Motion  02.2019

Fotos: Lorem issum di dolores sit amet aures funai

Modern grinding machines operate with precisionin the µm range. Do you think such precision can befurther improved?
Precision in the μm range is a vague statement. 1 μm working
space accuracy means positioning accuracies of the individual axes of 0.1 μm (4 mill”) and thus measuring systems withan interpolation accuracy of 0.01 μm (0,4 mill”). Overall, one
can say that accuracy can be improved. An ultra-precisionaccuracy will often be requested, but with increasing precision the market becomes smaller, because ultra-precision
machines are correspondingly expensive.

MÄGERLE

BLOHM

JUNG

STUDERSCHAUDTMIKROSAWALTER

EWAG

Precision

5

Chatter suppression

Energy efficiency

4
3

CAM

High speed

2
1

Dressing technology

Tool automation0

Fluid supply
Research gap

Workpiece automation

Industrygap

Compensations

Operator assistance
Monitoring

FutureResearch
Industry

Adaptivity

THE PARAMETERS OF GRINDING
Assessment by grinding experts at the CIRP General Assembly 2017 in Lugano

and therefore represent a major challenge
for machining. Or the machining of toothedsteering racks on a MÄGERLE MFP, on
which up to eight workpieces with profile
depths up to eleven millimeters and widths
up to 300 millimeters are ground in one
clamping – something that presents an extreme challenge in terms of spindle power
and the stability of the entire machine.

Fotos: Lorem issum di dolores sit amet aures funai

MEASURING AND GRINDING
The actual grinding process can be connected to adjacent processes such as measuring or dressing. “A grinding machine canbe combined with a measuring machine toform a cell, with a robot for loading as aninterface between the two, says CTO Rein.
The result is unmanned or even “lights out”
production, which enables mass quantities
to be produced. The parameters of the tools
to be produced can be stored in WALTER’s
Internal Measuring System (IMS). In thecase of deviations, the system regulates
the machining process or stops production
if the tolerance range is exceeded. “Evenwith small lot sizes or individual workpieces,in-process gauging is important for immediately achieving the required accuracy,”
explains Huber.
Dressing ensures that grinding wheel
wear is compensated. This guarantees exactly the same workpiece tolerances and thesame quality across the entire production cycle. “In certain application areas harder materials such as ceramic are increasingly being
used. These require superabrasives, which inturn need a high-strength, i.e. metallic bondof the grinding wheel”, explains Wegener.
And for a metallic-bonded grinding
wheel, WireDress® technology is the toolof choice for dressing. The grinding wheel
is dressed contactlessly according to theprinciple of wire-electro-erosion. The result
is a maximum proportion of grain spaceand optimum cutting ability. “I believe that
WireDress® will help metal-bonded grinding“IN TERMS OF
PRODUCTIVITY ANDQUALITY, MATERIALSSUCH AS CERAMIC,TUNGSTEN CARBIDE OR
PCD CAN ONLY SENSIBLY
BE MACHINED BY
GRINDING.”
Daniel Huber, CTO Cylindricalwheels make a breakthrough”, says Wegener,
whose Institute developed the technology
jointly with STUDER.

THE HUMAN FACTOR
Another important factor which defines theresult of the grinding process is the employees.
“Their wealth of experience is vitally important”, emphasizes CTO Rein. All companiesof the UNITED GRINDING Group therefore
devote significant resources to the training
and ongoing education of their employees(also see page 36 ff.). Human know-how will
also remain important in the course of further
digitalization.
“Firstly, the know-how of today’s grinding machine operators must be incorporated
into assistance systems and databases, andsecondly the operator will have to deal withmore demanding tasks in future”, says Huber.
Because: “With a complex machining cell theoperator needs skills on a whole new level”,
Mavro adds.
And so the UNITED GRINDING Grouphas resolved to achieve two things: everimproving technologies and ever improving
employees. Both ultimately lead to ever improving grinding results. º
The photos in this section were taken at
SCHAUDT MIKROSA in Leipzig and show a
ShaftGrind S machining balance shafts.
Motion  02.201913

UNITED GRINDING GROUPINDEPTH

Tailor-made tools to meetcustomer requirements:
Dr. Claus Dold (l.),
Head of Process
Innovation at EWAG

GLASS PROFILES
Glass and ceramic are increasingly used as materials inmodern, 5G-capable smartphones. Their machining places highdemands on tools. In order to fulfill these demands, the tools are
ideally produced by EWAG using laser technology
TEXT: Heinz-Jürgen Köhler

IT’S A REAL RACE: Which manufacturer will
launch its new smartphone generation on
the market, and with which features? Fasterprocessors, better or more cameras, a larger screen, fingerprint sensor, facial recognition, rounded metal housing, a screen witha rounded edge. Manufacturers Samsung,Huawei and Apple, who together control
half of the global market, regularly try to
outdo each other. South Korean manufacturer Samsung landed a coup in this racein spring 2019, when it unveiled the world’s
first smartphone with a 5G mobile chip.
The various phone generations incorporate know-how and machining power fromWALTER and EWAG, the tool machining
companies of the UNITED GRINDING Group.
With classic cell phones the shell was manufactured using a plastic or metal die casting
14

Motion  02.2019

process. The die casting molds were generally produced with tools, which were inturn manufactured with WALTER machines.
These are known as 3C tools according to
the international abbreviation for Computer,
Communication and Consumer Electronics.

PCD PROFILE CUTTERS
Since the iPhone 6 and Samsung Galaxy S5
smartphone generations, increasing emphasis has been placed on machining withtools produced by laser technology. On theApple iPhone 6 for instance, the bevel on thealuminium housing is machined with PCD
profile cutters. On the iPhone X however,stainless steel is integrated into the housing
frame. These cannot be machined with diamond-coated tools such as PCD due to thechemical affinity with ferrous materials, and

CBN cutters are used instead. These tools
can also be manufactured with machines
such as the EWAG LASER LINE ULTRA or
the LASER LINE PRECISION.
With new demands on design and technology, materials such as glass and ceramic
are being used increasingly, not least due tothe arrival of 5G smartphones. These materials offer a number of advantages. One
relates to the reception quality of smartphones: “In principle, metal housings shieldwave transmission in wireless communications”, explains Andreas Bußmann, expert
in terminal devices at Deutsche Telekom.
Therefore, on devices with a metal housing, this is used for the antenna. “For thispurpose however, it must be shielded fromother integrated metal parts. This is donewith plastic strips.”MÄGERLE

BLOHM

JUNG

STUDERSCHAUDTMIKROSAWALTER

EWAG

DIRECTLY ON THE BOARD
This shielding is not required on mobile devices with a glass or ceramic housing. “I canplace the antennas directly on the board,which enables more design liberties”, says
Bußmann. And this design liberty is very welcome in 5G applications, because generally
these require the integration of more internalantennas into the smartphone. The frequency used in Europe for 5G is 3.5 Ghz (4G:
2.6 Ghz), while in the USA and Japan the
millimeter wave spectrum of 28 Ghz is used.
In order to receive these frequencies,
up to three antennas are integrated into thesmartphones, and even up to four in the millimeter wave spectrum, which is particularly
sensitive and practically needs a direct “lineof sight” to the antenna. The main challenge
here is not integrating the antennas into thedevice from the installation space perspective, but installing the antennas in such a waythat they are not covered by the user’s body..
In addition, glass or ceramic as materials
for the cell phone shell are higher quality
and more sustainable than plastic for instance, and allow greater freedom of design. A device like the Samsung Galaxy S10

4

Up to

“SMALLEST INTERNAL RADII, TURNEDPARTS, SHOULDERS AND OTHER
GEOMETRIES CAN BE PRODUCED WITH
THESE TOOLS.”
Dr. Gregory Eberle, Laser Technology Process Specialist, EWAG

Tools for machining smartphone
housings with diameters between
1.8 and eight millimeters

thus dispenses with a metal back, to enablewireless charging of the device by induction. “Due to their brittleness, hardness andlow thermal conductivity, materials suchas glass or ceramic place quite specific demands on the tools used to machine them”,
explains Dr. Claus Dold, Head of Process
Innovation at EWAG.

HIGHLY SPECIFIC GEOMETRIES“We increasingly receive customer requests
for 3C tools with highly specific geometries,
for use in machining glass housings for instance”, explains Dold. “To fulfill the particular requirements on customers’ individual
tools we then develop the machining andprogramming steps for our laser machines,
to enable us to manufacture these tools.””The smallest internal radii, turned parts,
shoulders and other geometries can be produced with these tools”, says Dr. Gregory
Eberle, Laser Technology Process Specialist
at EWAG. In conventional machining, tools
with these geometries would have to be assembled from several parts. With an EWAGLASER LINE ULTRA for instance, they canbe produced fully automatically and in one
work step. ºantennas

are needed by smartphones to achieve
ideal reception qualities in the millimeterwave spectrum

EVER MORE POWERFUL NETWORKS
1991

2G

SMS

0.1 MB/second

1998

2008

3G

SMS

2020

4G

Internet

0.1– 8 MB/second

SMS

Internet

15 MB/second

5G

video

SMS

Internet

HD, ultra Internet
3D
of Things

1–10 GB/second
Motion  02.2019

15

UNITED GRINDING GROUPINSIDE“WE WOMEN OFTENHAVE DIFFERENT IDEAS”
The machine tool sector is still a male domain, but more and more
women are working in technical professions. We introduce some ofthese employees of the UNITED GRINDING Group here

STRENGTHENING CUSTOMERRELATIONSJUSTINE HOFMANNPOSITION:

Service Technician, Fritz Studer AG,
Steffisburg, Switzerland
CONTACT: justine.hofmann@studer.com

A CUSTOMER’S FIRST REACTION often amuses Justine Hofmann – because most of them don’t expect a female service technician.
But all customers react positively, and Justine Hofmann quickly
convinces them with her ability and open manner.
The qualified machine and equipment operator completed her basic
training as a maintenance technician at the end of 2018 and sincethen has maintained and repaired different STUDER machine types,
primarily in companies in Northeast Germany. “The great thing
about this job is that you learn something new every day and establish important relationships with the customer”, she says. Justine
Hofmann’s goal is clear: “If the machine is working perfectly andthe customer is satisfied at the end of the day, then I am happy.”

FLEXIBLE THINKING AND
PROBLEM SOLVINGLARA SCHNEIDERPOSITION:

Design Engineer, Ewag AG,
Etziken, Switzerland
CONTACT: lara.schneider@ewag.com

Photo: Benedikt Schnermann

BACK IN SCHOOL Lara Schneider didn’t even know that there wassuch a job as a design engineer. Today it’s her dream job. “What I
like best is that at the end I can see and touch what I have created”,
she says. Design engineers draw up designs for making products
and components. This requires logical and network thinking aswell as a good spatial sense. “It is always a question of finding asolution for a problem”, says Lara Schneider. “To do this you must
be able to think flexibly and keep an open mind, as there are always
several ways to achieve your goal.”
The fact that the profession is strongly dominated by men
doesn’t bother her. “Men communicate more directly than women,
I’ve always liked that. We women think quite differently to men andoften have different ideas. When men and women work together
as a team, they complement each other very well.”

16

Motion  02.2019MÄGERLE

BLOHM

JUNG

STUDERSCHAUDTMIKROSAWALTEREWAG

BETTER THROUGHINTERNATIONALIZATIONJUDY XIPOSITION:

Head of Precision Measurement,
United Grinding (Shanghai) Ltd., Shanghai, China
CONTACT: judy.xi@grinding.cn“WE ARE A FIRST-CLASS MANUFACTURER of precision machines, with
global products and international experts and technicians”, enthuses Judy Xi. She has been working for United Grinding China for
twelve years. Her responsibilities include designing measuringmethods for customer workpieces and the necessary measuring
tools, as well as programming measuring processes.
“I am used to working very carefully, and love measuring workand the interaction between people and machines. The challengeof my job lies in adapting the customers’ ever changing parts andrequirements in the measuring program”, says Xi. Her colleagues
are all very experienced and encourage her to continually improve
her technical level. “We are constantly learning from and encouraging one another.”

PAYING ATTENTION TO
EVERY DETAILCHANDELLE YOUNGPOSITION:

Sales Support Engineer,
United Grinding North America, Inc., Miamisburg, USA
CONTACT: chandelle.young@grinding.com“EVERY DAY I KNOW MORE than I did before, there is so much tolearn”, says Chandelle Young. This is one of the reasons why she
loves her job. One and a half years ago she joined United Grinding
North America as a sales support engineer and since then has beenworking in the Rebuild Group, a team that updates machines andcomponents in line with the latest developments.
Together with the Head of Rebuild and the regional sales manager she prepares projects through to sale of the machines, helps
to prepare parts lists for the sale of specific machines, calculatesmaterials planning and delivery dates on the basis of the machineplans and coordinates deliveries to the customer. “Throughout theprocess I pay close attention to the details, to ensure that every
task is done and the machines arrive with the customer as goodas new and at the right time”, says Young.

Motion  02.201917

UNITED GRINDING GROUP

INTERVIEW

Passing the ball in tabletop soccer
Martin Hoffmann, Prof. Ralph Bruder
and Heinz Poklekowski (from left)during the interview in Stuttgart

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EWAG

NEW WORKIS MORE
THAN JUSTTABLETOP
SOCCER
How do employees’ newdemands affect machine
manufacturers? And what arethese companies doing to win
over high-potential
employees? A conversation
TEXT: Michael Hopp
PHOTOGRAPHS: Dominik Obertreis

Mr. Poklekowski, are you desperately
seeking employees? Are there shortages and if so, in which areas?
Heinz Poklekowski: We have a turnover rateof just under five percent and an apprentice level of six percent. Grinding machine
operators, process engineers, applicationengineers, you can’t find them on the job
market. We have to train them ourselves.
Our main challenge is therefore finding apprentices we can retain in the long-term. Yet
it is precisely in the areas of software development, electrical technology, the engineering professions but also in the purchasing
and supply chain sector that the quality andquantity of applicants has decreased. The
job market has changed and as a company
we can no longer count on a large number
of applications today. Nevertheless, we arestill in the fortunate position of being able toimplement our growth plans.
Motion  02.2019

19

UNITED GRINDING GROUP

INTERVIEW

How do requirements such as
automation, digitalization and internationalization affect the applicant
profiles you look for?
Martin Hoffmann: It is generally very difficult to find good service technicians in themachine manufacturing sector in particular.
The reason: People travel for leisure morethan ever – but they are very unwilling to doso professionally, as this goes against theiridea of the work-life balance.
Poklekowski: For a number of years we havenoticed that employees are less willing totravel for business. We are trying to reactwith appropriate measures, for instance witha rotating system in the Customer Care department in one of our companies. The service technician agrees with his supervisor
when he will travel and when he will be in
the office. We need to meet our employees’
ever-changing demands.

In the machine tool sector we also
often talk about practical and traditional knowledge, which is passed onfrom generation to generation. To what
extent are new work practices becoming accepted here?
Ralph Bruder: It is certainly an industry thatmany people think has nothing to do with
New Work. This is associated more withknowledge work, smaller units or agencies.
This is quite different in a large manufacturing company. Part of the discussion about
new work practices concerns the flexibili-“THE ABILITY TO WORKIN INTERDISCIPLINARYTEAMS IS ONE OF THE
MOST HIGHLY VALUEDSKILLS.”
Martin Hoffmann,
Senior Department Headof Mechanical Engineering,
Hays AGty of workplaces and working hours – andthis is very relevant, for service employees
in particular. A second aspect is stylish newworkplaces, flexible space concepts, a soccer
table... You still don’t find these very often in
production companies today, but the world
has changed here too. The third point is thedemand for self-fulfillment and participation.
This is exactly what the traditional industries
have always done. The fourth area for meis the question of meaning. These four elements are all easily identifiable in the machine tool industry. The employees have agreat sense of purpose, are strongly committed to the company and proud of their

IN CONVERSATION
PROF. DR. RALPH BRUDER
Is Director of the Institute of Ergonomics at

Darmstadt University of Technology. Bruder
studied electrical engineering and did his
doctorate on the application of artificial
intelligence in ergonomics.
MARTIN HOFFMANN
Studied sociology, political and media

science and is Senior Team Manager of
Mechanical Engineering at Hays Recruitment Agency in Stuttgart. Headquarteredin London, the company employs 10,000
employees worldwide and specializes in theplacement of engineers in particular.
HEINZ POKLEKOWSKIIs Chief Financial Officer of the UNITED

GRINDING Group. Poklekowski studiedbusiness management and joined JUNG in
1992. Between 2004 and 2014 he was CEOof the Tool Grinding Technology Group.

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STUDERSCHAUDTMIKROSAWALTEREWAG“WE HAVE A TRAINING SYSTEM THAT IS
FIRMLY ROOTED IN EUROPE, WHICH WE
EXPORT TO CHINA AND THE USA.”
Heinz Poklekowski,
CFO UNITED GRINDING Group

work. Thus the UNITED GRINDING Groupalready has everything that young companies
are striving for.

Is it true that Generation Y introduces
these New Work demands to companies during the first job interview?
Poklekowski: We can’t avoid changing
values in society. We see an increased
interest in working conditions from both
applicants and employees. We accept thischallenge and offer exciting project workwith an interdisciplinary structure. Part-time
work, home office – all of these aspects arecovered in our companies. Added to thisis the high standard of our office facilities
and equipment.
Hoffmann: If someone has been to
UNITED GRINDING, then they know it. But
how do people find you – that’s the challenge we face with our customers in themachine manufacturing industry. Because
these qualities are not visible at first glanceor are not associated with these companies.
It is not enough to have a good website or
wonderful magazine, young people expect
to be addressed directly. We need to takeaccount of this in recruiting too.

How important are honesty andauthenticity?
Hoffmann: When promising flexibility you
have to be absolutely honest and mustn’t
make any false claims. Complete flexibility
simply does not exist in many industries.
What UNITED GRINDING offers is a highlevel of stability. This may come at the expense of complete flexibility – but I believe
it can be reconciled, because Generation Y
also wants to have a certain stability. And
if you can put this in proportion, then you
have an interesting offer for these people
in particular.

How does the UNITED GRINDING
Group present itself to applicants: as a
mid-sized company or a big corporation? You are both, after all...
Poklekowski: We actually have a multibrand strategy. We use our corporate brand,
UNITED GRINDING Group, in China and theUSA, where it is important for employees towork for a large corporation. Even if we arecooperating with RWTH Aachen or ETH in
Zurich, we present ourselves as the UNITED GRINDING Group with a vast range ofexperience. If, for example, we are address-

ing apprentices for the local job market, we
recruit regionally and put the local company
brands to the fore. We have a regional base,people know us, we are a major employer.
Hoffmann: Regionality is an important topic,
especially for us in recruiting. In Schwaben,for example, we have a completely different candidate market to that in Hamburg.
We find it relatively easy to place engineers
at customers in Hamburg, because there
are fewer companies looking for engineerscompared to what we have here in Stuttgart.
Poklekowski: Our corporate vision mesheswith our employer branding here. We are aninternational group, made up of innovative,
mid-sized companies. Our employer branding must take account of both these facets.
As an international company group with exciting challenges, we are not yet sufficiently
recognized by experienced professionals andtalented people outside our regional sphere.

What would the arguments be for asoftware developer in a large corporation, for instance, to change to UNITED
GRINDING?
Poklekowski: In a mid-sized machine manufacturing company the decision-making
Motion  02.2019

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UNITED GRINDING GROUP

INTERVIEW“GRINDING MACHINE OPERATORS,PROCESS ENGINEERS, YOU CAN’T FIND
THESE ON THE
JOB MARKET. WE HAVE TO TRAIN
THEM OURSELVES.”
Heinz Poklekowski,
CFO UNITED GRINDING Group

processes are short and quick, development
results of the employees flow directly into the
product and can be managed throughout theentire product life cycle. Once the employees
have experienced our working environmentand realize how much they can help shape
the overall process, they really value theseopportunities. Opportunities also regularly
arise to work on international projects andtheir implementation at company-wide level.
Bruder: The opportunity to do new thingsand discover the world: This is what large
companies offer graduates. Good careerprospects, a dynamic environment, combined with stability. The mid-sized company,on the other hand, is perceived as being
boring, with little change, and little international orientation.
Hoffmann: And yet often you find greater
dynamism there, if you take the “Hidden
Champions”...
Poklekowski: ... and a much higher level ofinternationalism. And they can also climb theladder far more quickly with us.

On the topic of internationalism – howimportant is the high standard of Euro22

Motion  02.2019

pean training, when you are looking forworkers in the USA and China?
Poklekowski: We have a big advantage. We
have a training system that is firmly rooted
in Europe, which we can export to China andthe USA. For this purpose we use our own
service academies, where employees fromall countries receive training. And in Czechia
we have developed internal trainee programsfor training. Although these are not dual systems, they offer excellent practical training.
Hoffmann: What about intercultural learningin the other direction? Can we in Europe also
copy a thing or two?
Poklekowski: We have developed a machinefor the Asian market, for example, using aninternational team. Asians and Europeans
have complemented each other’s knowledge
in this project.
Bruder: What we need to provide for suchtraining models is curious young people. We
don’t make it part of a curriculum, but we tell
all students they should spend at least one
year abroad. And that they should assume
they will always be working in intercultural
teams. That is routine, that is normal.

“EMPLOYEES IN
MACHINE
MANUFACTURING
ARE STRONGLY
COMMITTED TO THE
COMPANY, AND
PROUD OF THEIR
WORK.”
Martin Hoffmann,
Senior Department Head of MechanicalEngineering, Hays AGMÄGERLE

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STUDERSCHAUDTMIKROSAWALTER

EWAG“WE TELL ALL STUDENTS TO
ASSUME THEY WILLALWAYS WORK IN INTERCULTURAL TEAMS.”
Prof. Dr. Ralph Bruder,Darmstadt University of Technology

ary teams is one of the most highly valued
skills, besides learning capability and willingness to change.
Bruder: Exactly, the whole learning process
is not quite so simple in Germany. We comefrom a tradition that says: Certified engineer,
put a stamp on it, and that’s it. To break withthis and say, the learning isn’t done yet, creates uncertainty in Germany. It has long been
the case that you have to manage it “on thejob” in companies.

How important are soft skills for machine manufacturing today, in addition
to hard skills? And what does thismean for young talent?
Hoffmann: Our annual HR report, for which
we survey 600 top managers across all industries, shows time and again that we needboth, hard skills and soft skills. It is essential
to have people who are capable of learningand willing to change.
Poklekowski: In our industries you have to
combine practical knowledge with digital requirements. This is only possible in a mixed
project of experienced and young specialists. Soft skills are therefore of considerably
greater importance today. Only if I am capable of working in a team, can I make myknowledge available in the project. Only if I
am willing to question approaches and admit
mistakes, can I learn. For digitalization in themachine tool industry and the relevant job
profiles, this means: We don’t need digitalization specialists, but specific knowledge
and skills that enrich the team.
Hoffmann: We also see these results in ourstudies. The ability to work in interdisciplin-

Today, children are used to speaking
to devices and getting meaningful answers. Won’t these digital natives havean unbeatable advantage as machines
become more and more intelligent?
Poklekowski: The know-how of the experienced employees combined with the digitalaffinity of the younger employees gives ahigher added value. As an employer we must
offer a platform where both professional

experience and the expertise of the digital
natives are valued equally and positively influence the work results.
Hoffmann: I also don’t believe that theseyoung people will have a better chancefrom the outset or will replace the others.
Especially if we need more soft skills – that
also includes leadership skills, mediation
between the disciplines, creating stability,
providing orientation – then my generation
is more in demand. I was born in 1980.
When I recruit new employees, I noticethat they frequently ask me what the next
step is now. At these times I am Alexa or
Siri (laughs).
Bruder: Particularly when operating machines we need self-assured people who
don’t accept everything the machine specifies. I often see people who are inclined totake the digital environment for granted.
The experience of mixed teams is needed
to shape it. º

Motion  02.201923

UNITED GRINDING GROUP

A DAY WITH …

07:00
ARRIVAL AND FIRST MEETINGS
Alexander Heiter arrives in the office in

A DAY WITH ...
ALEXANDER HEITER
He is the Head of Mechanical Production at
STUDER: Alexander Heiter takes care of
production, administration and communication and ensures a common management
philosophy in the team. We accompanied
him for a day
TEXT: Sabrina Waffenschmidt
PHOTOGRAPHS: Meinrad SchadeThun and organizes the day ahead. First
meetings with the department managers
and representatives from production
control, purchasing and warehouseawait him.

A STAUNCH TEAM PLAYER and in constant dialog: Alexander Heiter controls Fritz Studer AG’s entire mechanical production together with six
department managers and handles the majority of administrative tasks.
He is responsible for planning, structuring, monitoring and optimizationof production cycles and processes. And he ensures that products are
manufactured to a high quality, paying special attention to operationalsafety and efficient personnel deployment. This also encompasses
all personnel issues such as vacation, sick leave and further training,which affect almost 90 employees in the production department. “I try
to smooth the way for my department managers, so that they are free
to manage their departments optimally”, explains Heiter.
To this end, he is in constant consultation with his team and otherdepartments. “I like directing and coordinating, passing on informationand communicating. This particularly drives me to create a common
understanding in my own and related departments.”
CONTACT:
alexander.heiter@studer.com

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10:00
PROJECT WORK
Besides administrative work, Heiter is alsoheading up a number of projects and managing the
introduction of the new production data logging
system for the entire UNITED GRINDING Group.

“I TRY TO KEEP THE WAY CLEAR FOR THE
DEPARTMENT MANAGERS, SO THAT
THEY CAN MANAGE THEIR DEPARTMENTS
OPTIMALLY.”

13:30
DEPARTMENT MANAGERS’ MEETING
Where are we and what is our goal? The department

Fotos: Lorem issum di dolores sit amet aures funai

managers meet regularly, to discuss thestatus of the annual targets and the necessary
measures in production.

14:30
MODERNIZATION OF CUBIC PRODUCTION
Together with his team Alexander Heiter is working on

the modernization of cubic production. The project has
already reached the final phase and the machines arebeing started up.
Motion  02.2019

25

UNITED GRINDING GROUP

A DAY WITH …

15:00
PRECISION SURFACE GRINDING SHOP
Changeover optimization, grinding

allowance adaptation and machining
strategy definition: Heiter checks the
production process of a new component
for potential improvements in efficiency.

16:30
QUALITY INCREASE
In order to continually increase

quality and productivity,
Heiter regularly gets feedback
from his employees.

17:00
ANALYSIS
Heiter checks thedimensionsof a machine part
together with acolleague andoptimizes the
program.

17:30
SUMMARY
Before finishing work Heiter summarizes the day

and organizes the to-dos for the next day.

“IT IS IMPORTANT TO ME TO CREATE A
COMMON MANAGEMENT PHILOSOPHY IN
MECHANICAL PRODUCTION.”

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STUDERSCHAUDTMIKROSAWALTEREWAG

TOOLS &TECHNOLOGY
NEWS FROM THE UNITED GRINDING GROUP

CONTENTS
28 	MÄGERLE MFP 30
Aircraft turbine blades can be machined with highefficiency with the new 5-axis grinding center30 	CUSTOMER CASE STUDY: LA RAPIDA
The Swiss company uses MÄGERLE technology for the
production of components for gas turbines

31 	SCHAUDT SHAFTGRIND
These cylindrical grinding machines offer innovative
solutions for grinding rotor shafts in electric motors

32 	WALTER TWO IN ONE
The production of complex tools using a combination ofgrinding and eroding

32 	STUDER INTERNAL CYLINDRICAL GRINDING MACHINES
Efficient production of beverage cans

33 	STUDER UNIVERSAL CYLINDRICAL GRINDING MACHINES

Fotos: Lorem issum di dolores sit amet aures funai

Precise production of tool holding fixtures

The SCHAUDT
ShaftGrind S canuse emulsion oroil as coolant
Motion  0X.20XX

27

UNITED GRINDING GROUPTOOLS & TECHNOLOGY

The MÄGERLE MFP 30
was unveiled to the
public at the Grinding
Symposium in May 2019

GRINDINGCOMPLEXGEOMETRIES WITH
HIGH EFFICIENCYWith its new compact 5-axis
MFP 30 grinding center MÄGERLE hasdeveloped a solution for grinding complex
geometries for vanes, blades andheat shields of aircraft turbines
28

Motion  02.2019

EXTREMELY COMPACT and space-saving, theMFP 30 has a footprint of just 2900 x 2525
millimeters. Its design ensures optimal accessibility and favors ergonomic loading of
the work area – either manually or from the
top using a crane.
The modular concept offers the user the
choice between a 2-axis table with swivelingA-axis and rotating B-axis or a 3-axis indexing unit with additional rotating C-axis. The
3-axis table enables the machining of radial
cuts on the root of a compressor blade without profile errors, in a single clamping.
Despite its compact size, the MFP 30
is distinguished by large grinding wheel
dimensions. This ensures wide cuts, sothat several profiles can be combined in
one pass. The grinding support is supported by hydrostatic wrap-around guideways
on a thin oil film. The main benefits arehigh dampening and low resonance, leading to higher removal rates and a longer
tool life.

MÄGERLE

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STUDERSCHAUDTMIKROSAWALTER

EWAG“THANKS TO THE WIDE GRINDING WHEELSSEVERAL PROFILES CAN BE COMBINED, WHICHCONSIDERABLY REDUCES PRODUCTION TIME.”
Viktor Ruh,
Sales Engineer and Product Manager,
Mägerle AG Maschinenfabrik

The integrated high-pressure grinding
wheel cleaning also contributes to its exceptional material removal rate capability. The
servo-controlled table dressing device supported on two sides enables the mountingof diamond rolls with roll lengths of between
207 and 307 millimeters (with a diameter of
150 millimeters) enabling a large variety ofdifferent machining profiles. This helps significantly minimize changeover times.
The integrated automatic tool changer
offers added flexibility. It can be equippedwith different grinding wheels and tools formilling and drilling operations, as well as ameasuring probe for quality or workpiece
position checks. Tools can be loaded into
the magazine in parallel without interrupting
production. This eliminates unwanted downtime and ensures a high level of flexibility.
MÄGERLE offers the user the choice between a 12 and a 24-position changer.
The powerful spindle drive allows the
combination of different grinding process-The wear-freeguide concept canwithstand very
high stresses, evenin long-term use

Coolant nozzles on grinding support for
milling and drilling tools
NC-controlled coolant supply and integrated
high-pressure grinding wheel cleaninges – for example creep feed grinding withcorundum or grinding with CBN. In addition,
the high-performance spindle with speeds
up to 12’000 rpm offers optimal machining conditions for carrying out demanding
grinding and milling operations in a single
clamping. Full power and high torque areavailable even at low spindle speeds.

THE ADVANTAGES AT A GLANCE Small space requirement and optimal
production flow thanks to compact design High flexibility and efficient machining Precision and long working life thanks to thehydrostatic guideway system
OPTIONS 3-axis indexing unit

EFFICIENT PROCESS DEVELOPMENT Tool changer: 12 or 24-position

Either emulsion or oil can be used as coolant
media. The coolant supply is NC-controlled
via two axes. Nozzles are built into the grinding support to aid with the application ofdrilling and milling tools, and an additional option is available for supplying coolant
through the middle of the spindle and tool.
To ensure an energy-efficient coolant supply,
the compact coolant filter is operated with afrequency-controlled pump.
A Siemens NX postprocessor is available
for CAM process development. The generated NC programs use the Mägerle grinding cycles. As a result the programs can beeasily edited on the machine control unit
via operator guidance. Mägerle provides a
Vericut package for simulating and checking
the programs.

 Coolant supply through the spindle for drillingand milling tools Tool measurement with laser
Measuring probe
Siemens NX postprocessor
LARGE GRINDING WHEEL DIMENSIONS Grinding wheel Ø: max. 300 mm Grinding wheel width: max. 60 mm Radial use: max. 80 mm Flange type: HSK-B80

CONTACT:
viktor.ruh@maegerle.com
Motion  02.2019

29

UNITED GRINDING GROUPTOOLS & TECHNOLOGYEFFICIENT MACHINING OF
TURBINE COMPONENTS
Swiss company La Rapida SA specializes in the manufacture of gas turbine
components for power generation and relies on MÄGERLE technology

SINCE AS FAR BACK AS 2008 La Rapida has

been using 5-axis grinding centers fromMÄGERLE. It uses two MFP 50s, MFP 100
and, since the middle of 2018, the new MFP
51. With the changeover from conventional 3-axis grinding machines to MÄGERLE
grinding centers, La Rapida has optimized
the complete machining of turbine components and has been able to considerablyincrease its production capacity. In order
to expand its customer base and productrange, the company now also produces
blades, vanes and heat shields intended
for applications in the aerospace industry.
La Rapida obtained the necessary EN 9100
certification at the beginning of 2019.
All four MÄGERLE machines are configured so that the complete array can bemachined on them, regardless of whether
they are intended for power generation or
30

Motion  02.2019

the aerospace industry. They are equippedwith tool changers and 2-axis indexing tables
as well as parameterizable grinding and dressing cycles for turbine applications. Becauseof the machine’s generous working range La
Rapida uses the MFP 100 primarily for machining large components – here specificallyblades and vanes for gas turbines.

mized manner. This significantly improves
the grinding conditions for the different
profiles. The MFP 51’s simultaneous tool anddressing roll changer also reduces auxiliary
times.
La Rapida SA was the first company topurchase an MFP 51: “We are very happy
with this decision”, says Managing Director Nicola Pusterla. “We especially benefit
from the large capacity of the tool changer.
It allows us to machine recurring lot sizes
without long downtimes.” The tool magazine for grinding wheels, diamond rolls andtools is designed as a gantry system. The
66 positions can be equipped with different
tool types.
CONTACT:
viktor.ruh@maegerle.com

INTERCHANGEABLE RANGE OF PARTS
On the MFP 50 and MFP 51 models, aninterchangeable range of parts is ground,including aerospace components. Even thegrinding wheel flanges are interchangable
between the two machines. The MFP 51 isahead of its sister machine here: The optional
nozzle changer which stores up to six process-optimized coolant nozzles guarantees
that the cooling lubricant is directed to theworkpiece in a process-specific and opti-

La Rapida in Chiasso, Switzerland

Photo: Marco Cappelletti

In its basic configuration
the MÄGERLE MFP 51
comes with an integrated
portal tool magazineMÄGERLE

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STUDERSCHAUDTMIKROSAWALTER

EWAG

EVERY

2ND
car worldwide will be an electric vehicle
by 2030, according to estimates by the
Boston Consulting GroupONE SHAFT IN
45 SECONDS“OUR EXPERIENCE IN
GRINDING CAM AND GEARSHAFTS REALLY PAYS OFF
FOR MACHINING ELECTRICROTOR SHAFTS.”
Wadim Karassik,Head of Process Engineering,
Schaudt Mikrosa GmbH

With the cylindrical grinding machines in the ShaftGrindseries SCHAUDT offers a future-proof technology forthe high-precision grinding of rotor shafts for electric motors

THE PROPORTION OF ELECTRIC VEHICLES on Europe’s roads is steadily increasing. As a result the requirements on the grinding technologies used for production are changing,and grinding of the rotor shaft for the electric drive is a crucial aspect. Manufacturing
companies are therefore now well advised
to use flexible grinding machines which arecapable of machining rotor shafts precisely
and cost-effectively. SCHAUDT offers sucha solution with the cylindrical grinding machines in the ShaftGrind series.

very complex geometries are machined in a
maximum of 90 seconds on the ShaftGrind
L with two or more grinding wheels. The
precision requirements for the rotor shaft
are in line with those for a gear shaft: forexample, roundnesses of 3 to 5 µm and a
torsion-free seal seat.
Depending on their design, the rotor
shafts are clamped using an external chuckor internal clamping mandrels, which meshprecisely with the shaft spline. Here too,
SCHAUDT utilizes its existing experience

with clamping mandrels. Manufacturers ofelectric rotor shafts not only benefit from theproven technologies, which SCHAUDT impressively combines on the ShaftGrind. If theelectromobility market develops differently
from expectations, they will also be able touse the ShaftGrind flexibly for grinding any
type of shaft at any time.
CONTACT:
wadim.karassik@schaudtmikrosa.com

IN A SINGLE PLUNGE
Typical rotor shafts are between 250 and
400 millimeters long with a main diameterat the joint seat of the laminated cores of
40 to 70 millimeters. Bearing seats, seal
seat, joint seat and shoulders are ground.
Normally machining takes place sequentially from two sides. This is different on the
ShaftGrind S. Depending on the shaft geometry, all areas of the rotor shaft are groundin a single plunge – with a grinding wheel
up to 500 millimeters wide and with different coatings. The grinding time for a rotor
shaft is thus only 45 seconds. Shafts with

As a double-slide machine
the ShaftGrind L2 opens up new
possibilities for shaft machining
Motion  02.2019

31

UNITED GRINDING GROUPTOOLS & TECHNOLOGYERODING OR GRINDING? BOTH! 

The WALTER eroding machines: HELITRONIC VISIONDIAMOND 400 L, HELITRONIC POWER DIAMOND 400,
HELITRONIC DIAMOND EVOLUTION (from left)

WALTER’S two-in-one concept enables
cost-effective production of PCD tools
THERE IS A STEADY INCREASE in the demand forcomplex full-head PCD tools. Without them,
CFRP machining in the aerospace industry
in particular is inconceivable. However, theefficient production of these complex tools
is a challenge. Combination machining, enabled by WALTER’S two-in-one machines, iscurrently the only process for manufacturing
such tools cost-effectively.

EFFICIENT ROTARY EROSIONWALTER currently has three machines in
the range, which are based on the twoin-one concept and combine eroding andgrinding processes on one machine. PCD
tools from a variety of industries can beproduced on these machines – whether for
the woodworking, automotive or aerospaceindustry. Special applications can also be
implemented.
The tools can either be simply groundon the machines (tungsten carbide), solely
eroded (PCD) or produced in a combinedmachining system with both processes ina single clamping. The decisive advantage:
Time-consuming reclamping of the tool iseliminated.
A powerful grinding spindle guarantees
a perfect production result and the rotary
erosion process used by WALTER is much
more cost-effective than conventional wire
spark erosion in many cases.

ENTRY INTO THE PCD MARKETThe efficiency of the machining process is
not the only advantage of the two-in-one
concept. These highly flexible machines allow customers to tap the PCD market riskfree: If business does not develop as expected, the previous product portfolio can easily
be ground on the machine – in the usual
WALTER quality.
CONTACT:
christoph.ehrler@walter-machines.com

IT ALL COMES DOWN TO THE DIE PLATEThe STUDER S121, S131 and S141
show their potential in the manufacture of die
plates for beverage can production

The STUDER S131
enables a
maximum workpiece length of
300 millimeters

ONLY RECENTLY, UNITED GRINDING North America presented thistechnology at the Cannex metal packaging trade fair: Beveragecans made of aluminium or tinplate are drawn from a metal
disk with a plunger and several extracting rings then trimmed,
washed and coated on the inside.
The quality of the tools used (plunger, extracting rings, punch
and forming tools) directly affects the process efficiency. The
more precisely they are ground, the higher the can output. The
STUDER S121, S131 and S141 radius grinding machines demonstrate their abilities here: The combination of direct-drive B-axis,
which can be swiveled up to 90° to the tool centerline, and...
the StuderSIM software enables a continuous swivel movement
as well as interpolation of the X and Z-axis with the B-axis. This
results in perfect radii.
CONTACT:
cesare.mastroianni@studer.com

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JUNG

STUDERSCHAUDTMIKROSAWALTEREWAG

ADVANTAGES AT A GLANCE Axial and radial runout accuracies < 1 µm
 Precision of the in-process measuring
equipment used < 0.5 µm Special clamping systems for reliable
workpiece fixing Narrowest form tolerances StuderFormHSM programming software Adaptive contour grinding with
in-process dimensional control Individual automation possible

MODERN TOOL HOLDING FIXTURE FORCONTEMPORARY MACHINING PROCESSES 
The StuderFormHSM programming
software enables simple programming oftool holding fixtures

With its cylindrical grinding machines STUDER offers costeffective solutions for the high-precision production of polygon shank cone (PSC) tool holding fixtures

AS THE INTERFACE BETWEEN TOOL and work spindle, tool holding fixtures must enable quick
tool change and maximum production accuracy. While in the past the rotationally-symmetrical HSK holding fixture was the measure of all things, a new interface geometry
has developed from the trend towards multiple tool use: The polygonal hollow shankcone with face contact, PSC for short.
A PSC tool holding fixture guarantees
the highest repeatability precision, shortmachine changeover times and a high basic stability and precision. It transfers hightorques, is rigid and self-centering and has
quick change functions.

EFFICIENT AND PRECISE
As an experienced partner of the tool industry, STUDER understands the technical challenges of the production process for PSC tool
holding fixtures. With axial and radial runout
accuracies below 1 µm (40mill”) and in-process measuring equipment with an accuracy
below 0.5 µm (20mill”), the high-precision
STUDER cylindrical grinding machines S41,
S31, S22, S131 and S141 bring ideal pre­requisites for economical PSC production.

STUDER also offers special clamping
systems for reliable workpiece fixing toensure the required modularity, repetition
accuracy and concentricity. At the sametime the narrowest form tolerances ensurelarge contact areas for force transmission.
The StuderFormHSM programming software allows simple programming of PSC
tool holding fixtures with function-oriented
correction geometries. STUDER cylindrical
grinding machines allow adaptive contour

grinding and offer in-process dimensional
control of the polygon. High process reliability is guaranteed even for small quantities. Individual automation with the aid of
manual clamping means, single loaders or
highly flexible portal loading systems also
guarantees a high product variety with awide range of quantities.
CONTACT:
stefan.schneiter@studer.com“AS AN EXPERIENCED
PARTNER OF THE
TOOL INDUSTRY STUDER
UNDERSTANDS THE
REQUIREMENTS OF THE
PRODUCTION PROCESS.“
Stefan Schneiter,
Shaft Project Development, Fritz Studer AG

Motion  02.2019

33

NICO PESCHKE
Field Service Technician,
WALTER, Tübingen,Germany
Nico Peschke particularly
values the Group’s
international nature.

34

Motion  02.2019

INTERNATIONAL

Fotos: Lorem issum di dolores sit amet aures funai

UNITED GRINDING GROUP

MÄGERLE

BLOHM

JUNG

STUDERSCHAUDTMIKROSAWALTEREWAG

YOU CAN’T LEARNGRINDING AT UNIVERSITY
The quality of the grinding process depends largely on the qualificationof the employees and is based on the experience and knowledge that ispassed on to young people. The UNITED GRINDING Group has its own
special training and education system worldwide
TEXT: Sabrina Waffenschmidt

HE WAS ALWAYS VERY EAGER TO LEARN – andfascinated by machines since childhood. Six
years ago Nico Peschke began his training
as a mechatronics engineer with WALTERin Tübingen. After his apprenticeship he wastaken on in prototyping in the Assembly
Department and moved to Service in early2018. At the same time Peschke pursued
further training as a certified technician.
“It is important to me to gain a lot ofexperience, because this is essential in
our job”, he says. The UNITED GRINDING
Group provides him with great support.
“My job is very varied and there is actually
no routine. You have to learn something
new almost every day, so that you are up
to date”, emphasizes Peschke.

Photo: Dominik Gigler

OPPORTUNITIES FOR YOUNG TALENTThe companies of the UNITED GRINDING
Group offer a variety of training opportunities
to inspire young talent. “The requirements
and measures vary widely from company
to company”, says Sonja Ludwig, Head of
Human Resources at the UNITED GRINDING Group. “STUDER, for example, has along tradition of training and has set up its
own vocational training center.” 84 apprentices are currently receiving training there

in seven professions. That is more than ten
percent of the entire workforce. Companies
like BLOHM or JUNG offer training in mechatronics engineering.

EXPERIENCE PLUS NEW STIMULIIn addition, says Ludwig, there are large
regional and country-specific differences in
the job market and in the training system.“InCzechia for example, short internships areoffered for pupils and trainee programs forstudents, but there is no vocational training
like there is in Germany or Switzerland. In
Germany, on the other hand, we have further strengthened the dual training system
in recent years.”
However, one thing applies for all companies: Experience and experienced employees are of great importance. “Complex
knowledge can only be transferred by ourbest people”, says Nico Peschke. “This particularly applies for grinding.” Because this,stresses Sonja Ludwig, cannot be learned atuniversity, but only by working on the machine. Many companies in the Group provide new employees with a mentor to act
as a permanent contact. “We put our new
employees together with an experienced
colleague, to pass on their experience”, ex-“I THINK IT’S FANTASTIC
THAT YOU ARE
ALWAYS LEARNING ABOUTNEW CULTURES ANDLANGUAGES. THIS IS
PARTICULARLY IMPORTANT FOR ME AS A SERVICETECHNICIAN.”
Nico Peschke,
Field Service Technician,
WALTER, Tübingen, Germany

Motion  02.2019

35

UNITED GRINDING GROUP

INTERNATIONALJOSIA LANGHART
Automation Engineer in his 4th apprenticeship year
STUDER, Steffisburg, Switzerland
Josia Langhart won the Gold Medal at SwissSkills,
the National Championships for Apprentices, in
2018. He has since been training three days aweek for the WorldSkills in Kazan, Russia.
He won the Bronze Medal at the WorldChampionships there in August 2019.

plains Sarah Brinkerhoff from United Grinding North America. “This cooperation witha mentor enables the new employee to ask
his questions in a personal conversation, andstrengthens team building.”

OLD AND YOUNG COMPLEMENT EACHOTHER PERFECTLY”Practical knowledge comes from experience”, emphasizes Sonja Ludwig. “We have
many teams with a large age gap between
employees: one is 25, another 55. The older
ones bring experience, while the younger
ones bring new impetus. They complement
each other perfectly.”
The challenge faced by managers whenputting the teams together is constantly increasing. “With increasing digitalization andinterdisciplinary exchange as well as thechange in job profiles, there are more andmore different types of employees”, explains
Ludwig. “It is all the more essential to assemble the teams correctly. Much like a footballteam, we need both defense and strikers.
They just need different coaching.”
36

Motion  02.2019

In principle there is no right leadership,
but only the right leadership for this one
employee. Some need to be encouraged,
while others are already very active by nature. Further training for managers and personal development seminars dealing with
topics such as conflict management are held
across the UNITED GRINDING Group, to ensure a common management philosophy.

INTERNATIONAL EXCHANGE OFKNOWLEDGE
Retaining existing employees and developing
their skills is just as important to the UNITED
GRINDING Group as good training of young
talent. Career paths are developed and possible vocational and further training courses
discussed with the employees. These range
from imparting the latest technical skills
through to safety training and language
courses. The topic of further training is regularly discussed on an individual basis. The
training level, existing skills and the current
standard of knowledge as well as the wishesof the individual employees are all taken into

“STUDER WAS VERY
GENEROUS AND PROVIDEDME WITH OUTSTANDING
SUPPORT IN PREPARINGFOR THE SWISSSKILLS.“
Josia Langhart,
Automation Engineer in his 4th apprenticeshipyear, STUDER, Steffisburg, SwitzerlandMÄGERLEBLOHM“WORKING WITH A
MENTOR IS THE BEST WAY TO
TRANSFER EXPERIENCE.“
Tyler Metzger,
Project Engineer, United ­Grinding
North America, Miamisburg, USA

JUNG

STUDERSCHAUDTMIKROSAWALTER

EWAG

TYLER METZGER
Project Engineer,
United Grinding North America,
Miamisburg, USA
Four years ago, as a student,
Tyler Metzger started working at
United Grinding North America
as part of a cooperation
program of the University ofCincinnati and was taken on
after gaining his bachelor degree.

LENKA RAUSCHOVA
Dispatch Administrator
Walter Kuřim s.r.o.,Kuřim, Czechia
Lenka Rauschova is
responsible for global
machine exports.

“WALTER HAS ENABLED ME TO IMPROVE MY SKILLS ON
MANY LEVELS, FOR INSTANCE WITH LANGUAGE COURSES OR
TRAINING FOR INTERACTION WITH CUSTOMERS.“
Lenka Rauschova,
Dispatch Administrator, WALTER Kuřim, Czechia

Motion  02.201937

INTERNATIONAL

account. The UNITED GRINDING Group not
only provides support in the form of specifictraining programs, but also through financial
support and flexible time models.

INTERNATIONAL EXCHANGEBJÖRN MICKETEIT
System Assembly Manager, BLOHM JUNG,
Hamburg, Germany
At 27 years of age Björn Micketeit is already an“old hand”. He began training as a mechatronics engineer in 2008. After holding several
other positions in the company he is now
System Assembly Manager and at the sametime is pursuing further training in technicalbusiness management.

Knowledge transfer also takes place between the different locations, companies
and countries. WALTER, for example, offers its apprentices an apprentice exchange
between Tübingen and the branch inKuřim, Czechia.
For example, three STUDER apprentices learned about their Chinese colleagues’
approach to work during a visit to Shanghai.
United Grinding China, for its part, sends many of its service and application engineers to
STUDER, MÄGERLE, WALTER or EWAG,
and the employees of United Grinding North
America also visit their European colleagues
regularly. “The exchange has proved to be“WHAT I LIKE ABOUT THE
UNITED GRINDING GROUP, IS THATIT PROMOTES AND CONTINUALLYTRAINS ITS EMPLOYEES.“
Björn Micketeit,
System Assembly Manager,
BLOHM JUNG, Hamburg, Germany

38

Motion  02.2019

extremely positive, because not only has itstrengthened the personal bond between
the employees at both locations, but all
those involved take away new knowledge
and new skills”, says Sarah Brinkerhoff from
United Grinding North America.

ON THE PATH TO DIGITALIZATIONThe requirements on applicants have now
changed and HR managers attach increasing value to soft skills: Does the applicant’s
personality fit into the company? How open
are they to new areas of responsibility?
And, more importantly: How willing arethey to learn?
Digitalization also places new demands
on employees, their skills and experience.
“It is also a matter of integrating a new wayof thinking and people from other areas
with different perspectives”, emphasizes
Sonja Ludwig. º

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UNITED GRINDING GROUP

MÄGERLE

BLOHM

JUNG

STUDERSCHAUDTMIKROSAWALTER

EWAG”I AM ACTIVELYSUPPORTED DURING MY
TRAINING AND CAN
INCREASINGLY DEEPENMY KNOWLEDGE.”
Lukretia Schindler,
Polymechanic in her 4th apprenticeship year,MÄGERLE, Fehraltorf, Switzerland

LUKRETIA SCHINDLER
Polymechanic in her 4th
apprenticeship year, MÄGERLE,
Fehraltorf, Switzerland
Like all apprentices, Lukretia
Schindler learns about different
departments as part of her
training. At present she isworking predominantly inmachine assembly.

WU TIANWEICylindrical Product Manager,
United Grinding China,
Shanghai, China
Wu Tianwei has been working
at United Grinding China foralmost twelve years andknows how crucial sharedknowledge is.

“IT IS IMPORTANT THAT ALL
ENGINEERS GO THROUGH A TRAINING
PROGRAM, SO THAT WE CANCOMMUNICATE WITH EACH OTHER
IN THE SAME LANGUAGE.”
Wu Tianwei,
Cylindrical Product Manager,
UNITED GRINDING China, Motion  
Shanghai,
China 3902.2019

UNITED GRINDING GROUP

IDEAS

TRANSFORMING
THE WORLD
Precision is the key to the modern world, but how and when did
precision begin to transform the world? In “Exactly: How precision engineers
created the modern world” author Simon Winchester seeks
to answer these questions. Read some text excerpts from his book

PRECISION IS AN ESSENTIAL COMPONENT of themodern world, yet it is invisible, hidden inplain sight. We all know that machines haveto be precise; we all recognize that items
that are of importance to us (our camera, ourcellphone, our computer, our bicycle, ourcar, our dishwasher, our ballpoint pen) haveto sport components that fit together with
precision and operate with near perfection;
and we all probably suppose that the more
precise things are, the better they are. At
the same time, this phenomenon of precision, like oxygen or the English language,
is something we take for granted, is largely
unseen, can seldom be fully imagined, andis rarely properly discussed, at least by thoseof us in the laity. Yet it is always there, anessential aspect of modernity that makes
the modern possible.
Yet it hasn’t always been so. Precision
has a beginning. Precision has a definite andprobably unassailable date of birth. Precision
is something that developed over time, it has
grown and changed and evolved, and it has
a future that is to some quite obvious andto others, puzzlingly, somewhat uncertain.
Precision’s existence, in other words, enjoys
the trajectory of a narrative, though it mightwell be that the shape of that trajectory willturn out to be more a parabola than a linear excursion into the infinite. In whichever
manner precision developed, though, there
was a story; there was, as they say in themoviemaking world, a through line.
40

Motion  02.2019

ABOUT SIMON WINCHESTER
Simon Winchester is a British writer,

journalist and broadcaster who grew up
in South-West England and studied
geology at Oxford. Winchester’s father wasa precision engineer and would smuggle
him into one of his factories once in a while,where he would gaze in either admirationor puzzlement at the machines. Today helives in western Massachusetts and New
York City, is the bestselling author of “TheMan Who Loved China”, “A Crack in the
Edge of the World” and “Krakatoa”, among
many other titles, and was awarded theOrder of the British Empire. The memoryof his childhood factory visits still exerts
a pull – and in 2011 he received, quite
unexpectedly, an e-mail from a complete
stranger. It was headed simply“A Suggestion“, and its firstparagraph started: “Whynot write a book on the
History of Precision?“
So he did.

Before we delve too deeply into its history,
two particular aspects of precision need to beaddressed. First, its ubiquity in the contemporary conversation – the fact that precision
is an integral, unchallenged, and seemingly
essential component of our modern social,mercantile, scientific, mechanical, and intellectual landscapes. It pervades our lives entirely, comprehensively, wholly. Yet, the second thing to note – and it is a simple irony – isthat most of us whose lives are peppered andlarded and salted and perfumed with precision are not, when we come to think about it,
entirely sure what precision is, what it means,or how it differs from similar-sounding concepts – accuracy most obviously, or its lexical
kissing cousins of perfection and exactitude
and of being just right, exactly!

NEAR-IMPOSSIBLE TINY TOLERANCES
An ever-increasing desire for ever-higher
precision seems to be a leitmotif of modern
society – from large tolerances of 0.1 and0.01 to the absurdly, near-impossible tiny tolerances to which some scientists work today– claims of measurements of differences ofas little as 0.000 000 000 000 000 000 000
000 000 01 grams, 10 to the -28th grams.
Yet this principle also prompts a moregeneral philosophical question: why? Why
the need for such tolerances? Does a race forthe ever-increasing precision suggested bythese measurements actually offer any real
benefit to human society? Is there perhapsMÄGERLE

BLOHM

JUNG

STUDERSCHAUDTMIKROSAWALTER

EWAG

Photos: David Clynch/Alamy Stock Foto, NASA/Chris Gunn

The main mirror for the James Webb
Space Telescope. At more than twenty-four
feet in diameter, it will, from its locationa million miles from Earth, vastly increase
our ability to peer into the very edge ofthe universe. It’s due to be launched in 2021

Motion  02.2019

41

UNITED GRINDING GROUP

IDEAS“THE BRITISH STANDARDSINSTITUTION HAS
CLAIMED THAT WITH ITS
FINE-TUNED CESIUM
FOUNTAIN CLOCK
NPL-CSF2 THE SECOND
COULD BE MEASURED TO A
DEGREE OF PRECISION OF
0.000 000 000 000 000 23.
THIS MEANS IT WOULD
NEITHER LOSE OR GAINA SECOND IN
138 MILLION YEARS.“

42

Motion  02.2019

a risk that we are somehow fetishizing precision, making things to ever-more-extraordinary tolerances simply because we can, or
because we believe we should be able to?

fit. That allowable variation is the tolerance,
and the more precise the manufactured
piece, the greater the tolerance that will beneeded and specified.

CHEMICAL AND PHYSICAL PROPERTIES

A CONCEPT THAT WAS INVENTED

Any piece of manufactured metal (or glassor ceramic) must have chemical and physical properties: it must have mass, density, aco-efficient of expansion, a degree of hardness, specific heat, and so on. It must also
have dimensions: length, height, and width.
It must possess geometric characteristics: it
must have measurable degrees of straightness, of flatness, of circularity, cylindricity,perpendicularity, symmetry, parallelism, andposition – among a mesmerizing host of otherqualities even more arcane and obscure.
And for all these dimensions and geometries, the piece of machined metal must havea degree of what has come to be known as
tolerance. It has to have a tolerance of somedegree if it is to fit in some way in a machine,whether that machine is a clock, a ballpoint
pen, a jet engine, a telescope, or a guidancesystem for a torpedo. There is precious little point in tolerance if the machined object
is simply to stand upright and alone in the
middle of a desert. But to fit with anotherequally finely machined piece of metal, thepiece in question must have an agreed orstated amount of permissible variation in its
dimensions or geometry that will allow it to

Precision was not always there, waiting inthe shadows, needing to be found and thenexploited for what its early admirers believed
would be the common good. Far from it.
Precision was a concept that was invented, quite deliberately, out of a single
and well-recognized historic need. It was
brought into being for several practical reasons – reasons that had much to do not withany dreamy twenty-first-century wish to confirm (or otherwise) the existence of vibrations
from the collisions of distant stars. Rather,it had to do with a down-to-earth eighteenth-century realization of what was thena pressing matter of physics, and which was
related to the potentially awesome powerof that high-temperature form of water thatsince the century before had been known as
and defined by the word steam.
Precision’s birth derives from thethen-imagined possibility of maybe holding
and managing and directing this steam, thisinvisible gaseous form of boiling water, so as
to create power from it, and to demand thatby the employment of this power, it perform
useful work for the good (perhaps, and withluck) of all humankind. ºIllustration: iStockphoto/ZU_09

The late eighteenth-century Boulton andWatt steam engine: The piston fitssnugly inside the main cylinder
to the thickness of an English shilling,a tenth of an inchMÄGERLE

BLOHM

JUNG

STUDERSCHAUDTMIKROSAWALTEREWAG

MOTION CALENDAR:
THE MOST IMPORTANT DATESIN THE COMING MONTHS
November 201920.11. – 23.11.19 THAI METALEXBANGKOK, THAILAND
June 2020

Thai Metalex is the largest trade show for machine tools
in the ASEAN region. The 33rd edition will focus

2.6. – 5.6. ITM INDUSTRY EUROPE 2020,
POSEN, POLAND

on microelectromechanical systems (MEMS) and theInternet of Things. Germany is the partner country,
and the UNITED GRINDING Group will be represented at the

ITM Industry Europe has a very long tradition: It

trade show by STUDER, WALTER and EWAG.

will be taking place for the 92nd time. 1000 ex-

www.metalex.co.th

hibitors from 26 countries are expected to attend
Eastern Europe’s largest machine tools trade
show, including STUDER.

JUNE 2020

https://itm-europe.com

2.6. –  5.6.
IMT
POSEN, POLAND

NOVEMBER 201920.11. –  23.11.
THAI METALEX,BANGKOK, THAILAND

MAY 2020
5.5. –  8.5.
CONTROL
STUTTGART, GERMANY
25.5. –  29.5.
METALLOOBRABOTKA,MOSCOW, RUSSIA
25.5. –  29.5.
BIEMH
BILBAO, SPAIN

MAY 2020
25.5. – 29.5.20 METALLOOBRABOTKA
MOSCOW, RUSSIA

MARCH 2020

APRIL 2020

18.3. –  21.3.
GRINDTEC,AUGSBURG, GERMANY
31.3. –  3.4.
INDUSTRIE,PARIS, FRANCE
31.3. –  4.4.
SIMTOSSEOUL, SOUTH KOREA

MARCH 2020
18.3. – 21.3.20 GRINDTECAUGSBURG, GERMANY

7.4. –  11.4.
CCMT,
SHANGHAI, CHINA
20.4. –  24.4.
MACH,
BIRMINGHAM, GREAT BRITAIN
21.4. –  24.4.
SIAMS
MOUTIER, SWITZERLAND

More than 600 exhibitors will
present their new products
and offerings at the international grinding technology
trade show. Following a record
number of visitors in 2018, thebiennial event has become
established as the world’s

The trade show for technology, machines andleading trade show in thetools for the metalworking industry invites

grinding technology sector.

visitors to Moscow for its 21st edition. Almost

The UNITED GRINDING Group

1200 exhibitors from 33 countries are
expected, including all of the Group’s brands.

will be represented by all its

April 2020

www.metobr-expo.ru/en

brands.
www.grindtec.de

7.4. – 11.4.20 CCMTSHANGHAI, CHINA
The China CNC Machine Tool show is the partner show of
CIMT, the China International Machine Tool Show. It primarily
presents CNC machines, machine controls and machinecomponents. All brands of the UNITED GRINDING Group will
be included in the around 1200 exhibitors.
www.ccmtshow.com

The customer magazine of the UNITED GRINDING Group

United Grinding Group Management AG
Jubiläumsstrasse 95
3005 Bern, Switzerland
Phone +41 31 356 01 11
info@grinding.ch
www.grinding.ch

SURFACE AND PROFILECYLINDRICAL

TOOL

Mägerle AG Maschinenfabrik

Fritz Studer AG

Walter Maschinenbau GmbH

Walter Ewag Asia Pacific Pte. Ltd.

Allmendstrasse 50
8320 Fehraltorf, Switzerland
Phone +41 43 355 66 00
sales@maegerle.com

3602 Thun, Switzerland
Phone +41 33 439 11 11
info@studer.com

Jopestraße 572072 Tübingen, Germany
Phone +49 7071 9393 0
info@walter-machines.com

Blohm Jung GmbH

25 International Business Park
#01-53/56 German Centre
609916 Singapore
Phone +65 6562 8101
info.sg@walter-machines.com

Lengnaustrasse 122504 Biel, Switzerland
Phone +41 32 344 04 50
info@studer.com

Kurt-A.-Körber-Chaussee 63–71
21033 Hamburg, Germany
Phone +49 40 33461 2000
sales-hh@blohmjung.com

Blohm Jung GmbHJahnstraße 80–82
73037 Göppingen
Germany
Phone +49 7161 612 0
sales-gp@blohmjung.com

Fritz Studer AG

Schaudt Mikrosa GmbH
Saarländer Straße 25
04179 Leipzig, Germany
Phone +49 341 4971 0
sales@schaudtmikrosa.com

StuderTEC K.K.
Matsumoto Bldg. 2F
4-10-8, Omorikita, Ota-ku
Tokio 143-0016, Japan
Phone +81 3 6801 6140
info.jp@studer.com

Ewag AG
Industriestrasse 44554 Etziken, Switzerland
Phone +41 32 613 31 31
info@ewag.com

Walter Kuřim s.r.o.
Blanenská 1289
66434 Kuřim, Czechia
Phone +420 541 4266 11
info.wcz@walter-machines.com

Walter Ewag Japan K.K.

Walter Ewag UK Ltd.
2 St. Georges Business Park, Lower
Cape, Warwick CV34 5DR
Warwickshire, Great Britain
Phone +44 1926 4850 47
info.uk@walter-machines.com

Walter Ewag Italia S.r.l.
Via G. Garibaldi, 42
22070 Bregnano (CO), Italy
Phone +39 31 7708 98
info.it@walter-machines.com

1st floor MA Park Building
Mikawaanjo-cho 1-10-14
Anjo City 446-0056, Japan
Phone +81 556 71 1666
info.jp@walter-machines.com

United Grinding (Shanghai) Ltd.
1128, Tai Shun Road
Anting Town
Jiading District
Shanghai 201814, China
Phone +86 21 3958 7333
info@grinding.cn

United Grinding (Shanghai) Ltd.
Beijing Branch Office
Room 1911, Fl. 19,
Hanhai Int‘l Mansion,
No. 13 Jiuxianqiao Rd,
Chaoyang District
Beijing 100015, China
Phone +86 10 8526 1040
info@grinding.cn

United Grinding (Shanghai) Ltd.
Chongqing Branch Office

United Grinding GmbH
Moscow Office

United Grinding
North America, Inc.

15-11 Building 4,
No.18 Jinshan Road,
Longxi Street, Yubei District,
Chongqing 401147, China
Phone +86 23 6370 3600
info@grinding.cn

Puschkinskaja nab., 8a119334 Moskau, Russia
Phone +7 495 956 93 57
info.ru@grinding.ch

2100 UNITED GRINDING Blvd.
Miamisburg, OH 45342, USA
Phone +1 937 859 1975
customercare@grinding.com

Irpd AG

United Grinding Mexico S.A. de C.V.

Lerchenfeldstrasse 39014 St. Gallen, Switzerland
Phone +41 71 274 7310
sales@irpd.ch

Blvd. Bernardo Quintana No. 7001
Of. 1003
Querétaro, Qro. 76079, Mexico
Phone +52-1-555-509-7739
customercare@grinding.com

United Grinding GmbH
India Branch Office
No. 487 - D1 & D2A
4th Phase, KIADB Main Road
Peenya Industrial Area
Bangalore 560058, India
Phone +91 80 30257 612
info.in@grinding.ch

02.2019

UNITED GRINDING GROUP INTERNATIONAL