01.2024
The UNITED GRINDING Group's
customer magazine

INTERVIEW
IDEAS
INTERNATIONAL

Competing for the best talent
Don’t be afraid of Gen Z
Czech Republic, country of skilled workers and industrial production

Roger Leuenberger (right),
Head of Vocational Training at
STUDER, trains young professional
Luis Salzmann (19) to participate
in WorldSkills 2024 in Lyon.
There is no shortage of ambitionand passion

WHERE ENTHUSIASM COUNTSHigh performance in precision manufacturing, genuine teamwork, internationality, and thecompany’s networking with many industries – the UNITED GRINDING Group offers an ideal
environment for anyone who wants more than just a job

20

30

IN THIS EDITION OF MOTION
YOU WILL FIND:
3

 ELCOMEWCEO Stephan Nell on the importance of good training
programs and attractive working conditions

4	
NEWS
News from the UNITED GRINDING Group06

INNOVATION
Careers with passion show the diverse possibilities at the
UNITED GRINDING Group14	
IN DEPTH
How the training team at STUDER is preparing forWorldSkills 2024 in Lyon

33	
TOOLS

TECHNOLOGY
A new HSG option for the S36, modernized spindle
inspection at STUDER, the new software platform fromBLOHM JUNG, innovative loading robots, a particularly
large grinding machine for industrial gas turbines,
WALTERS Laser Contour Check measures complex
forming tools, and the innovative Automated Tool
Production solution

18	
INSIDE
From apprentice to manager: Four employees report20	
INTERVIEW
How do industrial companies attract young professionals
today? Stephan Nell speaks with specialists

28	
IDEAS
Is “Generation Z” too demanding when it comes to work?

30	A DAY WITH …
... Lars Streit, Managing Director of the WALTER locationin Kuřim, Czech Republic

40

INTERNATIONAL
Why the Czech Republic has a very large number of
specialists with extensive knowhow in machine tools

43	IN TOUCH
The Motion calendar:
Important shows and events

IMPRINTPUBLISHER UNITED GRINDING Group Management AG, Wankdorfallee 5, 3014 Bern RESPONSIBLE Michèle Fahrni
EDITOR-IN-CHIEF Michael Hopp (responsible according to press law) ART DIRECTION Dirk Linke ACCOUNT MANAGER Jutta Groen
IMAGE EDITOR Thomas Balke PROJECT MANAGEMENT/TEXT EDITOR Markus Huth AUTHORS Stefan Grötzschel, Michael Hopp,
Markus Huth, Ira Schroers LAYOUT Claudia Knye PRODUCTION Wym Korff DESIGN AND REALIZATION Storyboard GmbH Munich/Hamburg
READER SERVICE hamburg@storyboard.de MANAGEMENT Marie Bressem, Christine Fehenberger, Dr. Markus Schönmann
LITHO EINSATZ Creative Production GmbH & Co. KG, Hamburg PRINTING Walstead Kraków, Poland
All brand names marked with ® are registered as basic trademarks in Switzerland or Germany as a minimum and are therefore entitled to use the mark.

2

01.2024

Cover: Thomas Eugster; photos: Natalie Bothur (3), Stanislav Krupar, David Schweizer

6

WELCOME“WE CAN BE PROUD OFOUR OFFERINGS FOR YOUNG
PROFESSIONALS”

DEAR READERS,
The cover of this Motion, with its focus on recruiting, employer
branding, and young professionals, shows how the training teamat STUDER is preparing for the international professional championship WorldSkills 2024 in Lyon, France.
The motif was created during training at STUDER in Thun, Switzerland, on some of the country’s most modern training machinery.
STUDER apprentices regularly take top places in national and international competitions, which shows that their training is among thebest in the world and that they enjoy doing it.
There are often complaints today about how difficult it is for manufacturing companies to find well-motivated young professionals. At
UNITED GRINDING Group, we can only confirm this to a limited extent. We're looking for employees and specialists for our companies
on three continents, and find very different conditions in each case.
Of course, we are also in competition for the best talent. But
we have proven experience that the high quality of the training
we offer plays a major role in the successful recruitment ofyoung professionals.
To convince young applicants, our industry needs to show how
we work and what we work on because there are often outdated
perceptions about this. We no longer have any noise or oily
workbenches, but rather our factories are super clean, bright,
and quiet. We employ hundreds of software engineers. What we
do is precision technology, often at the physical limits, which makes
many industrial products possible in the first place. I think that’s oneof the best offers for young people who want to make a differencein their profession.
In this Motion, we show how attractive the UNITED GRINDING
Group is as an employer in a series of reports from a wide range ofperspectives. This means that our customers can continue to rely on
us to have the best specialists thinking about how we can contributeto their success with optimal solutions.

Stephan Nell,
CEO, UNITED GRINDING Group

Stephan Nell,
CEO, UNITED GRINDING Group

01.2024 3

UNITED GRINDING GROUPNEWSSWITZERLAND

GOLD AND SILVER ATSWISSSKILLSGRINDING ACADEMYWITH A RECORD NUMBER
OF MACHINESThe TITANS of CNC team now have a record
number of UNITED GRINDING Group machines intheir workshop in the U.S. state of Texas. A totalof five machines are installed: a STUDER S31,
STUDER favoritCNC, WALTER HELITRONIC POWER
400, WALTER HELICHECK 3D, and the BLOHM
PROFIMAT XT with tool changer. With the help of
these systems, tutorial videos for the Grinding
Academy and content for the social media
channels of TITANS of CNC, which have several
million followers, are produced. The Grinding
Academy is a joint project between the
UNITED GRINDING Group and TITANS of CNC.
It provides high-quality CNC grinding training
online. “With the technology installed at TITANSof CNC, we have the opportunity to create
more educational content than ever before,”said Markus Stolmar, CEO and President of
UNITED GRINDING North America.

4

01.2024

SWITZERLANDFRITZ STUDER AWARDPRESENTED
Emil Sauter from the Institute for Machine Tools and Manufacture at ETH Zurich is the winner of the “Fritz Studer Award2023”. His research work on the development of an innovative
condition monitoring system for external cylindrical grinding
with metal-bonded CBN tools convinced the entire jury, said
Frank Fiebelkorn, Head of Research and Technology at STUDER.
The new method can detect thermal damage in situ andpredict the remaining service life of grinding tools relatively
precisely. For this purpose, the method developed by Sauter measures numerous process
variables such as structure-borne noise, spindle
current, or force parameters. By using timefrequency transformations, the process characteristics of a grinding process are generated forthe predictions. In general, the work shows thatmachine learning methods also lead to higher
productivity and improved component quality
in grinding practice, as the jury explained. The“Fritz STUDER Award” is associated with prize
money in the amount of 10,000 Swiss francs.

Photo: SwissSkills; illustration: iStockphoto/jack0m

USA

STUDER trainee Luis Salzmann won the gold medal in the“Industrial Design EFZ” category at SwissSkills 2023. The Swiss
Professional Championships took place during the Sindex trade
show in Bern. “I would like to thank my teachers, colleagues,
friends, and family for their support,” said the 18-year-old, who
qualified for the WorldSkills 2024 international professional
championships in Lyon, France. From September 10 to 15, hewill compete in the category of Mechanical Engineering CAD
with young professionals
from about 30 countries.
STUDER was also able tocelebrate another success
at SwissSkills: Noah Rossel
won the silver medal in the”Automation specialist EFZ”
category.

MÄGERLE

BLOHM

JUNG

STUDERSCHAUDTMIKROSAWALTER

EWAG

IRPD

GERMANYBLOHM CELEBRATES
100TH ANNIVERSARY
The long-established manufacturer BLOHM is turning 100 this year.
In 1924, Robert Blohm founded a factory for measuring instruments
and equipment engineering in Hamburg, where the legendary WURI II
machine tool was built. In the following decades, the name BLOHM
developed internationally to become synonymous with high-quality
surface and profile grinding machines with the best precision, power,
and productivity. BLOHM is now part of the UNITED GRINDING Groupafter a merger with JUNG, which is also over 100 years old. Tocelebrate the anniversary, a special fair was held on the company
prem­ises in Hamburg for employees, their families, customers andother visitors. They enjoyed live music, fun and games as well as
regional cuisine such as fish buns and fried pastries.

GERMANY

20 YEARS OF
HELITRONIC VISIONSINGAPORE

UNITED GRINDING GROUPESTABLISHES BRANCH IN
SOUTHEAST ASIA

With its own branch, the UNITED
GRINDING Group is intensifying its
business activities in Southeast Asia.
“Southeast Asia is a strategically very
important region for us. The establishment of a branch is the logical step to further strengthen
our activities there,” said Stephan Nell, CEO of the UNITED
GRINDING Group. The group has already been present in
the region for many years through WALTER EWAG Asia
Pacific. This will now be incorporated into the new branchin Singapore. “We can combine the strengths of ourpowerful team in the joint Group branch and provide
even better service to our customers. In the future, wewill offer all three technologies of the Group – surface andprofile grinding, cylindrical grinding, and tool processing –under one roof,” said Michael Schmid, who has been
responsible for the Southeast Asia business of WALTEREWAG for over 20 years and is managing the newbranch as CEO.

WALTER celebrates the 20th anniversary of its successful
HELITRONIC VISION range. It was first presented at the EMO

2003 trade show and was a world first at the time: the firsttool grinding machine with a mineral cast machine base andthree-axis linear drive technology. “That was a technologicalmilestone for precision and surface quality and a new benchmark in the entire tool manufacturing industry,” according to
Siegfried Hegele, Head of Strategic Product Management at
WALTER. Since then, the subsequent machine generations
have been continuously improved and equipped with innovative features such as laser-based measurement or extensive
automation options. The actual model is the high-precision
HELITRONIC VISION 400 L for rotationally symmetrical tools
and production parts with complex geometries. Among otherthings, it features C.O.R.E., the UNITED GRINDING Group’s
revolutionary hardware and software architecture. “Thanks toconsistent further development, the HELITRONIC VISION is
also our high-end solution for highly precise tool grinding 20
years later,” Hegele emphasized.
01.2024 5

UNITED GRINDING GROUPINNOVATIONCAREERIS JUST
A WORD6

01.2024MÄGERLE

BLOHM

JUNG

STUDERSCHAUDTMIKROSAWALTER

EWAG

IRPD

Many people don’t know exactly what happens in the production ofhigh-precision machine tools and therefore have no idea of the jobs and career
opportunities for young people and career starters.
On the following pages, Motion shows careers in the UNITED GRINDING Group
that convey a realistic impression of the variety of jobs and opportunities, thecompany’s international nature, and its networking with other industries.
Examples that may embolden one to enter an industry where passion plays amuch bigger role than can be seen at first glance.
Text: Michael Hopp

TAO ZHANG

Photo: Qilai Shen

UNITED GRINDING CHINA, CTO“OKAY, I’M GOING TO INTRODUCE MYSELF.” In avideo interview, Tao Zhang visibly enjoys
talking to Motion about his career at UNITED
GRINDING China. “I was born in Xinjiang,
Uyghurs. You know that Xinjiang is very far
from Shanghai.” To study, Tao left his home
and went to Xián, a 14th-century city in the
middle of China that is guarded by the Terracotta Army. Its university offers a four-year
degree in mechanical engineering. From
there, he moved to Shanghai in 1996 at theage of 25 as a master’s student to work forthe state-owned transmission manufacturer
SAIC. Five years later, he joined the Chinesecompany of the German automotive supplier ZF Friedrichshafen as service manager. “Ithen stayed as a service manager for about
five years and gained my first experience
with European culture. I liked it. People respect each other and are friendly.”
The next friendly Europeans with whom
Tao came into contact in 2008 were fromthe UNITED GRINDING Group. “I was lucky,”laughs Tao, after the sound briefly cut out inthe video, “because after I had barely started, the department grew to almost 70 people, was renamed Customer Care, and newareas were added. In 2021, my boss neededsomeone who could take care of more areas.
In the end, that meant that additional technical areas became my responsibility.” Today,
Tao is Chief Technology Officer (CTO) andsees it as an important goal to allow techni-

cal professionals from different departments
to work more closely together. “They now
know the strategies that will help our business and can support me in my position.”

CAREER CHART
2005	
Joined UNITED GRINDING China
in Shanghai as Service Manager,
responsible for machine acceptance,service and spare parts
2011	
Director of Customer Care, responsible for all services in this area
2021	
Chief Technology Officer (CTO),
responsible for Customer Care,technology, application, and productquality management

In his management philosophy, Tao distinguishes between management, leadership,
and teaching, and sees the development of
employees as the most important condition
for success in cutting-edge technology. “In
my opinion, the core of everything is thegrinding experience,” explains Tao. “We
need to teach employees to gather more
information and experience every day andthat they need patience to move forward.”
Tao is convinced that only those who accept
challenges can make a valuable contribution
to the development of high-end technology
in the long term. “In the end, you’ll noticethat these employees have developed.” This
corporate culture is also very attractive for
new, young employees. “Employees develop
pride in working in a company that is a leader
in innovation. This positive feeling spreads
among their friends, in their surroundings.
That’s the best employer branding.” It really
looks like Tao is right.

“ONLY THOSE WHO ACCEPT CHALLENGESWILL BE SUCCESSFUL IN THE END.
I THINK THAT’S A CULTURE THAT’S VERYINTERESTING FOR YOUNG PEOPLE.”
Tao Zhang

01.2024 7

UNITED GRINDING GROUPINNOVATIONJASON BARBER

UNITED GRINDING NORTH AMERICA, VICE PRESIDENT FINANCE AND IT

CAREER CHART
2010	
Joined UNITED GRINDING North
America as Business Unit Accountant
for the Surface & Profile business unit2013	
Manager of the IT infrastructure in
the company in cooperation with theprovider SAP
2022	
Promotion to Director of FinancePhoto: Nathaniel Smith

2023	
Vice President Finance and ITMÄGERLE

BLOHM

JUNG

“IN JULY OF THIS YEAR, IT WILL BE 14 YEARS since
I accepted the offer to work at UNITED
GRINDING Group,” recalls Jason Barber,
VP of Finance and IT at UNITED GRINDING
North America, in his interview with Motion.
He continues: After my bachelor’s degree inaccounting, I worked in the accounts receivable team of a national hotel chain and waslooking for something less monotonous.” As
it turned out, it was that decision that paved
the way for almost a decade and a half ofcontinuous professional development, andthere’s no end in sight.
Barber first joined the company as abusiness unit accountant for the sales teamof the technology group “Surface and Profile
Grinding”. “It was my job to take care of all
accounting tasks for this technology group,
including annual budgeting, accounts receivable, accounts payable, and monthly
reporting requirements.” During this time,
Barber excelled at implementing SAP ’s
global Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP)STUDERSCHAUDTMIKROSAWALTER

EWAG

IRPD“I’VE BEEN ALLOWED TO TAKE
DIFFERENT PATHS TO REACH THE GOAL.
TODAY, I’M CONFIDENT IN MY
ROLE AND ENJOY IT VERY MUCH.”
Jason Barberasked him to lead the IT and finance departments. “Given his experience in many areasof the company and his high level of performance, Jason seemed like the right person
to lead both teams,” says Stolmar about thedecision to offer him the dual role.
When asked what surprises him mostabout his career development, Barber says:“I couldn’t have predicted how much I would
learn and grow at each stage of my career.
But for me, the most important thing was toalways be ready to learn something new andtake on additional challenges.”

system. That experience and his knowledgeof business information technology qualified him for his next role as Manager ofInformation Systems. “In my first year in IT,
I had to cope with a steep learning curve.
I am grateful that my employer invested in
the development of the team and helpedme acquire the necessary qualifications to
succeed in this new role,” he says. Over the
next eight years, Barber earned half a dozen
IT certifications and a Master of Business
Administration (MBA) while working.
In 2022, Markus Stolmar, President andCEO of UNITED GRINDING North America,

BRING ON THE YOUNG ENGINEERS AND MECHANTRONIC SPECIALISTS!
59.6

UNDER 30 YEAR-OLDS

51.9

37.8

36.7

34.7
31.3

Data: 2022, Statistical Offices of the countries

50.1(as a percentage of thetotal population)

46.4

30.2

30.1

34.5
29.5

Careers are possible at the
UNITED GRINDING Groupon three continents, for ninebrands, and at 21 locations.
The Group strives toattract young professionals
worldwide – and in doing so
encounters different
regional requirements. For
example: How many young
people are there?

25.9

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Tu r

ey

I re la n d e r l a n d p u b l i c r m a ny
itz
Re
Ge
Sw zechC

EUROPE

Ind

ia

Chi

na
o re
gap
Sin

ASIA

Jap

an

Me

xico

B ra

zil

USA anadCa

AMERICA

01.2024 9

UNITED GRINDING GROUPINNOVATION217

SANDRA SCHIESSMÄGERLE, HEAD OF HUMAN RESOURCES

Schiess is ideally qualified for the
Motion interview. The commercial
employee, who originally worked
in Purchasing, was appointed Headof HR, which came as a surpriseto her and is thus an impressive
career example. Schiess also has
experience with those who still
have a career ahead of them: withapplicants for vacancies at MÄGERLE. “Today,” says the Head of HR,“companies have to sell themselvesto the applicant – and not theother way around.” Trained polymechanics are relatively easy to“TODAY, COMPANIES HAVE TO
SELL THEMSELVES TOAPPLICANTS – AND NOT THE
OTHER WAY AROUND.”

find, as MÄGERLE is well known.
“They may have already worked on
one of our machines in a teaching
program or in a company where
they were or are employed,” says
Schiess. People who are unfamiliar
with the industry, or people who
do not know our industry, are lesslikely to apply to us. They often
lack knowledge of how diverse
and exciting the industry is. And
hiring non-European talent is noteasy due to the regulations in
Switzerland.
On the other hand, the industry
is quite attractive for women.
“We have women polymechanics,
designers, and buyers. And in HR,
of course ...,” laughs Schiess. She's
convinced: “The goal must be tofind the right person. Whether
male, female or other – that doesn’t
play any role.”

106

EMPLOYEESIN THE
MANUFACTURING
INDUSTRY

Sandra Schiess

Absolute figures inmillions

DANIEL RENFER,STUDER, HEAD OF QUALITY CONTROL MANAGEMENT

Operations. Leaving my comfort
zone for the hard daily routine ofOperations was a turning point in
my career.”“WITH US, LEADERSHIP MEANSINSPIRATION, NOTINSTRUCTION. I’VE ALWAYS
BENEFITED FROM THAT.”
Daniel Renfer
Three years ago, the opportunity
finally arose to take another step:as Head of Quality Management
at STUDER and as organizer ofthe Quality Management working
group at UNITED GRINDING Group.

10.8

Industrial job growth has slowed
globally in the last decade in favor of
trade and services. The lead of“workbench” China and India is theresult of high population figures. In
India, employment continues toincrease in agriculture, which provides
40 per cent of jobs

10

01.2024

21.1

Chi

na

In d

ia

USA

Ger

ma

ny

10.4

Jap

an

Data: 2022–23, Statistical Offices of the countries, Statista, all data including building construction“I started with an apprenticeship –although at 15, 16 you can’t judge
what you want in life.” When Daniel
Renfer talks about his career, it’s
fun to listen. “I was lucky that I stilllove the profession I was alreadyenthusiastic about as a young
person, namely, that of a designer.
It was lucky that I found conditions
at STUDER that were great and arestill great today and that still ignite
my inner fire.” “That may all sounda bit like a picture book, but that’s
how it’s been.”
Other chapters of the picturebook would be the mechanicalengineering studies that Renfer
completed while working, a oneyear absence at another company,
and returning home to STUDER.
“I thought I was a little Gyro Gearloose at the time,” laughs Renfer,“until I was able to participate in
the PULS talent program in 2017,
which opened my horizons forMÄGERLE

BLOHM

JUNG

STUDERSCHAUDTMIKROSAWALTER

EWAG

IRPD

CAREER CHART
1974	
Apprenticeship at Montanwerke
Walter GmbH as an industrial mechanic
1978	
Toolmaker for jigs and fixtures for special
machine construction
1983	
Technical demonstrator
1988	
Test technician
1989	
Quotation administrator
1989	
Technical sales
1996	
Product Manager for saw blade grinding
machines at Walter AG Tübingen2000	Engineering Manager Operations at
Walter Grinders INC. Fredericksburg,
Virginia USA
2002	
Vice President Operations at Walter
Grinders INC. Fredericksburg, Virginia USA
2004	
Return to Germany to Walter Maschinenbau
GmbH, Head of the Helitronic product line,
Division Manager Marketing and Sales
2008 Head of Application Technology, Engineering
2013	
Managing Director Technology CTO
2021	
Managing Director (Chair) CEOHARRI REIN

Photo: Dominik Obertreis

WALTER, CEO“What AI is today, back then was CNC.” HarriRein, a “veteran” at WALTER and thus the
UNITED GRINDING Group, recalls an important stage in his career. “As a machine
tool manufacturer, we were at the forefront
because we introduced a completely newtechnology.” And did this also create anxiety,like AI today?
“We were very excited at the time that
we could do things that were very complicated to do manually.”
It all began 50 years ago: Harri Rein
trained as an industrial mechanic and, after his first experience in “special machine
construction”, he joined the mechanical engineers at WALTER, while also completinghis master’s degree at night school. At the
beginning of the 80s, he moved to application technology and then to the test department. In terms of technology, he now feltthat he knew what was important – but hestill lacked sales knowledge. With his “softskills” (“approaching people and convincing
them”), he switched to sales. There, he be-“AS AN INDUSTRY,WE’RE INTERESTING
BECAUSE WE’VE
ALWAYS BEEN
PIONEERS. NO ONEWANTS TO DO
THE DIRTY WORKANY LONGER. WE
HAVE SOLUTIONSFOR THAT.”

came part of a historic project to make CNC
machines easier and more economical forcustomers: the development of the “Helitronic Power”, a versatile five-axis machinethat did not exist back then. “We didn’t sell
the machine, but we distributed it. Because
everyone wanted them,” he says.
Back then, Harri Rein was just in the middle of his career – and he wanted a change
once again. He found it as a “Woodtronic”
product manager and as an engineeringand operations manager when he was deployed in the USA. In 2004, he moved backto Tübingen to take on the position of Division Manager of Sales. In 2008 he returned
to Technology as Division Manager, followedby Managing Director Technology (CTO), andfinally, he was appointed CEO. Now Harri
Rein has one and a half years to train his
successor and then bow out to enjoy his
well-deserved retirement.

Harri Rein
01.2024 11

UNITED GRINDING GROUPINNOVATIONPROPORTION OF STUDENTSFABIAN LEUTENEGGER,

enrolled in engineering as a percentage

STUDER, REGIONAL SALES MANAGER GERMANY
I went to Shanghai for the first time.
I came from a village of 2,000 souls
and was now in a metropolis of
21 million.” After various technicalassignments as a technician in
China, Leutenegger moved to Sales
and returned to Switzerland as Area
Sales Manager for China.

“STARTING WITH AN
APPRENTICESHIP – AND LIVING
AND WORKING IN CHINA
SOON AFTER. THAT’S INCREDIBLE.”
Fabian Leutenegger
He is now responsible for an areain Germany as Area Sales Manager.
And the better he gets to know thedifferences, the smaller he finds
them: “Whether Americans, Europeans or Asians, they all have one
thing in common: People buy frompeople. Everyone wants to be more
successful by making the right decisions. Regardless of whether you
hand over your business card with
two hands in China or if you tap
wheat beer differently in Bavaria.
It’s great to support people and win
them over for us.”

COLLEGE/UNIVERSITY
DEGREE

China  34.0%

Germany  26.5%

Switzerland
13.0%

India  11.9%

USA 

11%

as a percentage of the population
between 25 and 64 years old

USA 50%
Switzerland 45%
Germany 33%
China 19%

The proportion of the population with university degrees isincreasing worldwide. Due tothe dual system for the qualification of specialists, Germany
and Switzerland have a lower
proportion of students than,for example, the USA, where
education is primarily provided
at colleges and universities

1201.2024Engineering fields such asmechanical engineering,
electrical engineering, etc.
are gaining in importanceworldwide to varying extents.
They require a broad basic
knowledge of science andtechnology. China and Germany
are clearly ahead when it
comes to engineering

Data: 2020–22, Statistical Offices of the countries; data: 2022, OECD

“I went to school in the countryside, three-quarters of an houraway from STUDER.”
At the beginning of the Motion
interview, Fabian Leutenegger
wants to share an anecdote. “There
were 23 students in the class. And
in the end, when it came to vocational training, I was the only one
who went into industry.” Looking
at Leutenegger’s career, one has tosay: 22 made a mistake.
The problem wasn't in theLeutenegger family. Craftsmen,
business people. But then there
was the trial apprenticeshipprogram. “A small job shop, a few
CNC machines were there,” says
Leutenegger, “but that was enoughfor me to feel that this is something for me. Without knowing
exactly what my future would look
like.” The polymechanic’s diverse
professional profile brought clarity:“I saw that I had basic training inhydraulics, pneumatics, milling,
CNC, control technology, and electrical engineering. The world opens
up to you afterward.”
After his apprenticeship,
Leutenegger got a job in the prototype department at STUDER in the
TechCenter: “During this time, I was
deployed for three stays in China.

MÄGERLE

BLOHM

JUNG

STUDERSCHAUDTMIKROSAWALTEREWAG

IRPD

The UNITED GRINDING Group
offers first-class training andfurther education worldwide

THE PERFECT CAREER START
With its worldwide training programs, the UNITED GRINDING Group
enables young professionals to get an optimal start in their careers alongwith a wide range of development opportunities

Theoretical knowledge is important, but
nothing can replace years of experience.
Mentoring programs ensure that young people
can benefit from the knowledge of anexperienced workforce

FIRST-CLASS AND FUTURE-PROOF
The UNITED GRINDING Group offers young
people first-class training in future-proof
professions and also the opportunity to
specialize in various fields

OPTIMAL LEARNING WITH
MENTORING	
UNITED GRINDING North America welcomes

STRONG PARTNERS

young people to the four-year Apprentice-First-class training requires the best partnerships: UNITED GRINDING Group works
with renowned organizations from scienceand industry

ship Program after high school graduation.

	Baden-Wuerttemberg Cooperative State

Robotics at Sinclair Community College in

Designer (MÄGERLE, STUDER)

University: dual studies with WALTER (B.Eng.,

Ohio, USA. What’s special: Students not only

Logistics specialist (STUDER)

mechanical engineering, mechatronics orreceive a salary but also benefit from on-the-	Mechatronics technician (BLOHM JUNG,

electrical engineering/B.A., BWL Digital

job training at the Miamisburg location and	Automation engineer (MÄGERLE, STUDER)
Automation technician (STUDER)
	(Industrrial) clerk (BLOHM JUNG, STUDER,
WALTER)WALTER)

In addition to numerous certificates, thestudents also earn an Associate Degree in
Automation and Control Technology with

Business Management)

mentors from the experienced staff

Polymechanic (MÄGERLE, STUDER)	Hamburg University of Applied Sciences:	The WALTER Future Program at the Czech

Production mechanic (STUDER)

dual studies with BLOHM JUNG (B.Sc.,

location in Kuřim also relies on mentoring. It	Grinding technologist (unique degree atmechatronics specialist)

is aimed at young graduates from technical	Nordakademie University of Applied Sciences,colleges who do not yet have practical pro-

Hamburg/Elmshorn: dual studies withfessional experience. They receive a salary

BLOHM JUNG (B.Eng., industrial engineer)and get to know all the departments from	Master of Science and Bachelor of Science

experienced employees of the company

for engineers and technicians HF (work-

gradually over the first six months. In the

study program at STUDER)

second part of the one-year program, they	Training partnership between BLOHM JUNG

then deepen their knowledge in a selected

and Aurubis AG in Hamburg

workplace. With the successful completion	Support in the preparation of bachelor’s andof the Future Program, there is not only amaster’s dissertations, student traineeships,

certificate but also the offer of permanent

technical work, and practical semesters

employment and professional development

STUDER)

Cutting machine operator (BLOHM JUNG)

Photo: David Schweizer

	Internship programs for apprentices atrenowned industrial companies
	The joint Grinding Academy with TITANS of
CNC is a freely accessible, multimedia online

platform that teaches practical Grinding skills
on machines from UNITED GRINDING Group

01.2024 13

UNITED GRINDING GROUP

IN DEPTH

LYON, HERE WE COME
Text: Markus Huth — Photos: Thomas Eugster

Training manager Roger Leuenberger (left) and WorldSkills participant
Luis Salzmann examine a component during training

At prestigious professional
championships, STUDER
apprentices regularly take top
positions and thus
show that its vocational
training is among the bestin the world. Motion
was present at the training
for WorldSkills 20241401.2024

And Salzmann, who is in his fourth year of
apprenticeship at STUDER, made it to the topof the podium in the Industrial Design/EFZ
discipline. This automatically qualified him
for WorldSkills 2024, which will take placefrom September 10 - 15 in Lyon, France.
According to the organizers, around 1,500
young professionals from over 65 countries
will be competing there on the Euroexpo
site. The expected audience is estimated ata quarter of a million people. The more than
50 competition disciplines range from Aircraft Maintenance to Mobile Robotics and
Web Technology – and the best in each casewill receive a medal in front of thousands ofapplauding spectators at the final ceremony in France’s third-largest football stadium(Groupama Stadium).

WITH CAD SOFTWARE AND PENCIL

LIKE BEING IN THE MIDDLE OF A SWARM OF BEES
was how Luis Salzmann said he felt. “There
was an incredible noise in the hall, from themachines and the large audience,” recalls the
19-year-old of the day he won the gold medal.
He had to concentrate hard on his task to get
the maximum number of points under competitive conditions. “My secret weapon was
noise-canceling headphones,” the young
man says, laughing. That was last fall during
the IndustrySkills|SwissSkills Championship2023 at the BERNEXPO site, where the Swisstechnology and machinery industry selected
its best young professionals.

But Salzmann doesn’t want to think aboutthat yet. He’s in the middle of the training
phase and needs to maintain a clear head.
He’s now sitting concentrated in front of acomputer screen in the STUDER training
workshop in Thun, Switzerland. The training
machinery here is among the most modern
in the country. In addition to conventional
machines for basic training, there are also
specialized devices for focused training andproduction. Salzmann is training for the profession of “Industrial Designer EFZ” and thus
will be taking part in the discipline Mechanical Engineering CAD at WorldSkills. His mostimportant tool is a computer with modern
3D CAD software.

MÄGERLE

BLOHM

JUNG

STUDERSCHAUDTMIKROSAWALTER

EWAG

IRPD

Salzmann examines acube produced by
STUDER instructor
Mario Wymann during
his apprenticeship in 1982
as an internal turning
exercise. Such creative
tasks illustrate the great
diversity of vocational
training at STUDER

01.2024

15

UNITED GRINDING GROUP

IN DEPTH“OUR TRAINING IS
AMONG THE BEST IN
THE WORLD.”“But in our training, we also value working
accurately with paper, pencil, ruler, compass,and vernier caliper gauges,” says Roger
Leuenberger, Head of Vocational Training
at STUDER . The company specializes in
the manufacture of high-precision, hightech cylindrical grinding machines and haswith around ten percent, a high proportionof apprentices among its employees. “Because we train the majority of the staff weneed ourselves, we are also well positioned
in times of a shortage of skilled workers,”
explains Leuenberger. The design specialists
at STUDER, for example, design parts forthe company’s production, parts which arelater manufactured on cylindrical grinding
machines by employees who are trained
polymechanics.
Creating technical drawings or theirprecise dimensioning, transferring them to
3D CAD software, and recognizing technical interrelationships and functionalities:
These are all typical tasks in this profession,both on a day-to-day basis and also at thechampionship. “But the big difference isthat at WorldSkills, it’s all about time,” says
Salzmann. As a rule, there is a specified
number of hours during which the participants must complete a specific task. Whoever works more accurately, finishes faster,or accomplishes more than the competitor
also receives more points.

INTENSIVE TRAINING
During training in the apprenticeship workshop, Salzmann repeatedly looks away fromhis computer screen and concentrates on atechnical drawing on his desk. For non-professionals, the labyrinth of black and whitelines, circles, angles, and units of measurement may be difficult to comprehend, but
Salzmann quickly detects in it a pressure
equalization cap for hydraulic systems. He
now has to recreate this with high precisionin 3D in the CAD software. Once this task has
been solved, the next component follows.
Be it a go-cart chassis, a valve spindle, or aswivel castor.
During training, he has two coaches
who assist him: Mario Wymann is a professional vocational trainer at STUDER for thefield of design and evaluates and advises
Salzmann primarily on technical drawings.
A trainer from the SwissSkills national teamwith the necessary knowledge of the international evaluation system is responsible
for working with the CAD software. “So far,
we have worked with the NX CAD softwarefrom Siemens for SwissSkills. But with Inventor from Autodesk, a different program

Roger Leuenberger, Head of Vocational
Training at STUDER

During WorldSkills training,
Salzmann measures or createsnumerous design drawings
and models components in the
CAD software

16

01.2024MÄGERLE

BLOHM

JUNG

STUDERSCHAUDTMIKROSAWALTER

EWAG

IRPD

is required for WorldSkills,” says Salzmann.
This adjustment already demands a lot offamiliarization and training time from him.
The closer WorldSkills gets, the moretime Salzmann has to spend on preparing tofight through decades of archives of competition tasks day after day. Whereas at the beginning there were only one and a half workdays per week, the training has gradually
become a real full-time job. The personnel
costs associated with this are also a major
investment for STUDER. Why is the company doing it? “We have great training, and it
naturally brings a great deal of renown when
our apprentices win medals,” says Coach
Wymann. Such success also opens up
many career doors for the young people
themselves.

LOTS OF MEDALS FOR STUDER
It is a fact that STUDER is regularly represented in the top positions. When Salzmann
took first place at SwissSkills last year,
his colleague Noah Rossel won the silver
medal in the “Automation specialist EFZ ”
category. And then there’s polymechanic
Gil Beutler, who won a whole set of precious metals for STUDER in the Swiss,
Euro, and WorldSkills with gold, silver, andbronze from 2020 on. “Our medalists areambassadors for the training as a whole,”
explains training manager Leuenberger.
The reason is simple, such successes make
STUDER a particularly attractive training facility for young professionals who want toacquire their know-how from the best in theworld. STUDER also continuously invests instate-of-the-art training machines for the
training center. “As just recently with two
new CNC machines,” adds Leuenberger.
Finally, there’s just one more question
left: How does Salzmann rate his chances for
Lyon? “It certainly won’t be easy. Switzerland
hasn’t won any medals in my discipline fora long time, and the results from the pastshow that only a few points will make thedifference,” he says. A slightly better CAD
animation, a more precise detail shown, ora more accurate dimensioning: These things
ultimately determine a place on the podium.
Nevertheless, he’s confident. “In comparison to other countries, vocational training
at STUDER and in Switzerland as a wholeplaces a great deal of importance on a broader understanding of technical relationships
from different fields – this is certainly an advantage,” he says, adding: “But being partof the Swiss national team alone is a greathonor, and I'm already looking forward to the
opening ceremony in Lyon.”Luis Salzmann (right) inconversation with Noah Rossel,
who won the silver medal in“Automation specialist EFZ” atthe SwissSkills“I’M PROUD TO BE
PART OF THE SWISSNATIONAL TEAM.”
Luis Salzmann, SwissSkills Gold Medal
Winner and STUDER apprentice01.2024 17

UNITED GRINDING GROUPINSIDE

FROM APPRENTICE TO MANAGER
The UNITED GRINDING Group not only offers talented young people a long-term
and attractive professional home but also numerous opportunities for further
development and a great career – Four employees report“MY EMPLOYER HAS PROVIDEDME WITH OPTIMAL SUPPORT”
DOMINIK REBERPOSITION: Head of the Service Academy, STUDER, Thun
CONTACT: Dominik.Reber@studer.com“I STARTED my professional journey 15 years ago with an apprenticeship as a polymechanic EFZ (Swiss Federal Proficiency Certificate)
at STUDER, and today I’m managing the Service Academy at oneof the most respected companies in our region,” reports Dominik
Reber proudly. The “STUDER Service Academy” trains in-house
specialists for technical customer care. Early in his career, Reber
knew he wanted to expand his skills and develop professionally.
“And my employer provided me with optimal support here,” hesays. As a result, Reber gained more and more responsibility within
the company – initially as a grinding technician and instructor in
the Customer Center – and was later able to complete further
training to become a qualified mechanical engineer HF. Finally,
he took over as Head of the Service Academy in 2020. Today,
Reber and his team are planning and coordinating specialist training courses and structuring training plans in the Service Academy.
A particularly important project for him currently is the work on adigital multimedia knowledge platform and the development of along-term strategy so that the knowledge available in the company
can be transferred through the service specialists to the customers
as quickly as possible in every situation.

18

01.2024“WE’RE LIKE A FAMILY”
SIEGFRIED HEGELEPOSITION: Head of Strategic Product Management,
WALTER, Tübingen
CONTACT: Siegfried.Hegele@walter-machines.de“MY CAREER AT WALTER shows that you can progress from trainee
to a managerial position step by step,” says Siegfried Hegele. He
started his professional career here in 2000 with an apprenticeshipas a mechatronics technician. After many years in production as
an application engineer for eroding and grinding and as a productmanager, he has been responsible since last year for the entire
strategic product management of WALTER. ”It never gets boring,
thanks to the varied day-to-day business and the wide range ofissues,” he says. Whether it’s a customer presentation in China,
trade show visits in the USA, organizing a workshop, or creating
strategies as a basis for decision-making for management. Hegelesees his employer’s further training offerings, which are alwaysaligned with the individual abilities and wishes of the employees,
as the key to his success. In his case, it was an additional twoyear vocational training to become a state-certified technician forautomation technology and mechatronics. The possibility of flexible
working hours and international experience also make WALTER an
exceptional employer, says Hegele, adding: ”However, best of all
I like the interdepartmental, collegial, even friendly approach among
employees.” In addition to the official events, many activities areplanned privately with colleagues, such as a 100-kilometer relay
race of the WALTER running group. It’s no coincidence that there
are many longtime colleagues in the ”WALTER family”.

MÄGERLE

BLOHM

JUNG

STUDERSCHAUDTMIKROSAWALTER

EWAG

IRPD”I’M LIVING MY DREAM”
JAN LUKAS BREDEHÖFTPOSITION: Service Engineer Surface & Profile,
WALTER EWAG, Anjō
CONTACT: Jan-Lukas.Bredehoeft@blohmjung.com

HAVING A GREAT CAREER and at the same time seeing the world wasan unbeatable offer for Jan Lukas Bredehöft. He started with vocational training as a mechatronics engineer at BLOHM JUNG in2015 and after completing this, he worked as a service technician
at the Hamburg location. But Bredehöft could never let go of one
thought. He wanted to live outside Europe and gain international
experience. In most other companies, what would have meant
the end of his dream or employment, was in his case the startof a dialog with the HR department. This is because the UNITED
GRINDING Group is globally positioned, and the affiliated companies cooperate in terms of personnel. “Only one year after I
expressed my wish, I got an offer to go to Japan,” recalls Bredehöft.
Being there now as a service technician, he is responsible for the
BLOHM JUNG machines at WALTER EWAG’s Japanese location in
Anjō. He travels to the office or directly to customers on the famous
Shinkansen express train and then sometimes even further in arental car. Bredehöft is enthusiastic about the high-tech country:”Our machines are universally usable and are for that very reason
used for many intermediate products here in industry. Through mywork with customers, I see many different processes and areas ofapplication, for example, in automotive or aerospace.””PERSONAL DEVELOPMENTIS IMPORTANT”
SANDRA SCHIESSPOSITION: Head of HR, MÄGERLE, Fehraltorf
CONTACT: Sandra.Schiess@maegerle.com”IT IS IMPORTANT TO ME to promote the personal development of
our employees and to be open to individual wishes,” says Sandra
Schiess. She herself is the best example of the success of thispersonal development strategy. She started training as a commercial employee at MÄGERLE in 2002 and then developed from a
receptionist to positions in Purchasing up to HR manager. ”Afterthe birth of my two children, I worked as a family manager for a
few years and then started working part-time again in Purchasingat MÄGERLE,” she recalls. In May 2023 she eventually took on a
management position within the company as Head of HR. She is
responsible, among other things, for the entire HR life cycle, advising employees and managers on HR issues and recruiting new
specialists. For Schiess, MÄGERLE is one of the best employers in
the region. This is due to factors such as family-friendly working
hours, attractive conditions, and an exciting product as well as thepleasant work environment: “The basic human principle applies
here, and employees are given the necessary room to develop
according to their abilities and wishes.”

01.2024 19

UNITED GRINDING GROUP

INTERVIEW

The three participants, Karen
Bauder-Zilly, Gero Hesseand Stephan Nell (from left
to right), meet in a hotelin CologneMÄGERLE

BLOHM

JUNG

STUDERSCHAUDTMIKROSAWALTER

EWAG

IRPD

HUNTERSOF
LOST
How do industrial companies attract young professionals
today? How much has the attitude of applicants really changed?
What are the regional differences? What are theopportunities for data-driven recruiting and for which
companies is it possible? And how is the UNITED GRINDING
Group positioned in this competition for the future?
Experts Karin Bauder-Zilly and Gero Hesse
talk with Stephan Nell, CEO of UNITED GRINDING Group

PROFESSIONALS
Text: Michael Hopp — Photography: Natalie Bothur

01.2024 21

UNITED GRINDING GROUP

INTERVIEW

Has it become more difficult to recruit
young professionals for industrial
companies? And if so, what changes
can be identified here?
HESSE Clearly, yes. It’s also not surprising when you think of issues such as demography, digitalization or changes in values. This certainly does not apply equally inall countries, but it does apply in many. We
have digitalization everywhere. We’ve been
experiencing a paradigm shift on a broad
front since around 2018. I’ve been working
on this issue for 25 years. And I’ve neverexperienced such a high labor shortage inGermany. It turns everything on its head. The
backwards way in which companies havedealt with personnel in the last 50, 60 years,
is simply no longer tenable. We have a lossof power on the employer side and a significant increase in power among workers.

The discussion is about how crucial it is forthe future of a company to recruit the rightyoung professionals today. The hotel, which
serves as the location, also plays withthe theme of the future – in the variant of“retro futurism” in its design“IT’S NOW PROVEN THAT THE GREATEST DIFFERENCES DEPENDON STAGES OF LIFE AND NOT ON GENERATIONS.”
Karin Bauder-Zilly

You’re talking about Germany …
BAUDER-ZILLY Yes, but I would also
agree with the description globally. Robert
Bosch GmbH faces greater challenges globally when it comes to hiring than in Ger­many,
because the brand is not as well known
abroad. In Germany, we have an awarenessof over 90 percent. But generally speaking,the market is picking up. Companies need tocome up with more and more ideas so that
campaign budgets grow. Of course, there
are professionals out there. We just have to
be attractive enough for them. That applies
to all generations.
NELL We’re finding young professionals.
It has become more difficult, but we are stillfinding them. Our training rate in Europe isover ten percent, which is a lot. What you describe applies to us in Germany and Switzerland. In the USA, for example, we offer training based on the dual system of Switzerlandor Germany. That makes us an attractive employer for young people in the USA.
HESSE I can imagine that. But you’realso taking the path of offering somethinginteresting that has the interests of the target
group in mind.
22

01.2024MÄGERLEBLOHMNELL Yes, certainly. And in China, we’realso finding people without any problem.
But the situation is also different in other parts of Europe than in Germany and
Switzerland. Let’s look at Italy, at Spain,
how high youth unemployment is there.
I’m always hearing: Companies need to.
However, companies must also be able
to do so. Because we can only be fair toeveryone if we ourselves are competitiveand successful – and in the long term. And
the global competition we face does notalways allow everything that employees and
we ourselves would like.
HESSE I’m not so sure. It’s a question of
the market. If the labor market is good, they
do not have to do anything at all. But themarket is not good. I know what’s going on

JUNG

STUDERSCHAUDTMIKROSA

in the companies. Today, people are sitting
together discussing the topic on the Boardof Management, earlier it was at the headof division level.
NELL If this is no longer possible here,
companies will have to move to countries
where it is possible. And where people don’t
just ask “What can the company do for me”,
but also “What can I do for the company”.
We try to meet the needs of our employees
as much as possible. But not all wishes canbe fulfilled. For example, you cannot complete vocational training part-time. We’ve
already been asked this question.
HESSE I’m not saying that we always
have to focus entirely on the needs of theemployees. Sometimes you first have to create a feeling for work. What does that actu-

WALTER

EWAG

IRPD

ally mean? That there’s no wish list for every
position. But you have to pay attention to
the point of view from which you’re arguing.
BAUDER-ZILLY I have really great people on my team who have just graduatedfrom a university, who want something andhave a lot of drive. Of course, they’re also
asking for something from me, but they cando that too. I’m also asking for something.
Can’t we already demystify
Generation Z? Perhaps it’s more of a
German feature article topic. There arealso many studies that show that thisgeneration’s needs are not that different.
A secure job continues to be the mostimportant desire …
BAUDER-ZILLY It’s been proven in themeantime that the greatest differences
depend on stages of life and not generations. I can also see this from my personal
experience as a mother of three children.
People are driven by the fact that they areat a certain stage of their lives. Perhaps
they give a lot because they are comingstraight from graduating and the job cantake up a lot of room in their lives. And inanother phase, when they build a house or
they have children, that changes again. It
has nothing to do with whether I was bornin 1978 or 1998. In a survey, we found thatworking remotely is even more importantfor older professionals than for students.
Perhaps because they need more flexibility
due to their stage of life.
HESSE Anyone who is 16 years old today and grows up with climate change andthe war in Ukraine will have a different feeling than someone who was in this phase oflife ten years ago. But I wouldn’t overstate it.
In the end, people want to know their needs“PEOPLE WANT TO SEE THEIR NEEDS TAKEN INTO
ACCOUNT – AND THE MARKET GIVES THEM THE PREREQUISITESTO DO SO TODAY.”
Gero Hesse

are being taken into account – and the market shows that they have better conditions
than ever to impose that. I don’t link thatwith generations. Today, people who havean office job simply say to themselves: Whyshould I come to the office every day when
I can do it from home? But 50-year-olds saythat just as much as 25-year-olds.
01.2024 23

UNITED GRINDING GROUP

INTERVIEW

NELL Many of the young people who
are with us today are no different than in thepast. And hasn’t it always been the parents’generation that is more concerned about the
future? And our experience with the topic
of working from home is that this option is
not used at all by many employees. An enthusiasm for the job, the company, and theteam develops on site in the company. A relationship can’t be built through video alone.
HESSE I’m hesitant to agree with you. In
the working world of our own company with
550 people, it is my experience that a whole
lot is done virtually and digitally because thebusiness model allows it. And of course, personal contact is important. But we are verymuch thinking about how to create certain
moments that are suitable for identificationand motivation in order to then digitally depict normal work in most cases.
NELL We have a larger group of people
who have to be in the plant because someone has to assemble the machines. That
doesn’t work from home. These employees,
in turn, need support from upstream anddownstream activities or jobs. This reduces
the issue of working from home to a few
where it’s even possible without affecting
the efficiency of the work processes.
HESSE Jobs are simply not all the same.
Working from home is often perceived as
unfair. But what was it like in the past when
24

01.2024

Gero Hesse, Head of Recruiting,believes that companies need to be
more creative in order to be attractive
to young professionals. Karen
Bauder-Zilly and Stephan Nell pointout that conditions are very different
internationally (from left)

you worked in a factory from seven to three,
and the salesperson had to leave at seven in
the morning and only came home at nine in
the evening. That was also not fair.
The recruitment market that haschanged in many respects has also led
to the further development of recruiting
methods. Ms. Bauder-Zilly, what is theapproach at Bosch?
BAUDER-ZILLY We’re a big company.
Globally speaking, we’re filling many thousands of positions. There are many hundredsof thousands of applications coming in every
year. Therefore, the processes must be as
efficient as possible. We analyze what datais generated along the entire hiring funnel –from attraction to the time when we makethe commitment and issue the contract.
That allows us to optimize our processes
and identify how and where specific content can best be conveyed: for example, at
a local event, an Instagram campaign or a
Google search campaign. We can then track

exactly which target groups we are addressing with the measure or at which funnel step
we may lose them. What is the quality of
the applicants and where is the appointment
ultimately made?
You have automated the application andselection process, so to speak …
BAUDER-ZILLY It’s not about a machine
taking over the staffing process. We’re far
from that, and I never want to go there. But
let’s take the issue of hard-to-fill positions.
Why is a position considered difficult to fill?
Because this has been someone’s experience. But another recruiter may have had acompletely different personal experience. In
the case of such questions, we no longer
settle for subjective impressions, but insteadsay: Okay, let’s look at the numbers. Howlong has the job been online? Is it sufficiently well described? Are there too many internal terms that are not understood outside?
Is the list of requirements much too long,and do people feel overwhelmed? Is the textMÄGERLE

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STUDERSCHAUDTMIKROSAWALTER

EWAG

IRPD“TECHNICAL THINGS CAN BE LEARNED.
IF A PERSON FITS INTO THE TEAM, THAT’SUSUALLY NOT A PROBLEM.”
Stephan Nell

too complex? Is the ad gender-specific? Wehave a tool to help us identify that. We’ve
seen that more men apply for jobs that havemore complex descriptions. If we want tohire more women, we need to pay attention
to the wording. And then we see how the ad
performs after the optimization. With suchapproaches, we can double conversion rates.
How long can such a recruiting
process last?
NELL We have to link people to us inadvance. For example, we may have met
someone at an event, or perhaps the person has also applied to us. If we were notable to offer suitable candidates a job at the
moment, we would still make contact. By
this I don’t mean sending newsletters, butcalling them personally. What is their situation? What stage of life are they in? Maybe
their partner also needs a job in the region
to make it work? And when we have all the
specific information, we can fill the position
identified as “hard to fill”.

HESSE Recruiting analytics are definitely the way to go now. Around half of thecompanies with more than 1,000 employees
are already using it. However, this requires
the appropriate staff department or external
support.
BAUDER-ZILLY We’ve already hadphases when we hired many external employees. At the moment, we’re more in the
consolidation phase and are focusing onreal hard-to-fill positions. These include,for example, experts in the areas of cybersecurity, semiconductors or artificial intelligence. These are specialists that we stillneed to bring in from outside. Otherwise,
we also have a huge internal labor market
with 130,000 employees in Germany who
also want to develop further.
The profiles we’re looking for are very, very
difficult to find. This is a tough business, andwe’re pulling out all the stops. We also do
suitability diagnostics – a topic we have just
implemented in our bundled expert service,
the People Acquisition Campus. Ultimately,

we want to increasingly move away from gut
feelings and make truly informed decisions.
NELL We’re struggling in Germany tofind service technicians. Traveling, being on
the go, not being at home anymore: Most
people don’t want that. We’ve therefore
decided to take the matter into our own
hands and to train or develop our existing
employees locally on site – in our own service academies.
HESSE Could this job be partially digitalized, for example, with remote maintenance?
NELL To some extent, yes. Digital solutions such as remote service are on the way,
and we’re also continuously developing new
digital assistance systems. Our C.O.R.E. panels can even be used for video conferencing
directly on the machine. And the system isintelligent enough to provide the most important data directly for quick debugging, if
the customer allows it. This way, our customers and our Customer Care team candefinitely save a few trips.
01.2024 25

UNITED GRINDING GROUP

INTERVIEW

But at the end of the day, it’s mechanical engineering with tons of machines that containa lot of high-tech and where not all work canbe done remotely.
HESSE That’s a problem in many industries, including the care sector. There are somany examples where working from homedoesn’t work. What can employers do? They
can work on their corporate culture andaddress their target group precisely. To dothis, they need to know the exact needs oftheir target groups and make suitable offers
accordingly. In the coming years, the labormarket situation will increasingly force companies to adapt in one way or another.
NELL What we’re trying to do is train our
young professionals ourselves. If I look at themachine tool manufacturers, mostly medium-sized companies who are struggling tofind people, then they probably don’t train
enough. It’s going well for us. And among
those who do the training, there may also
be service technicians.
BAUDY-ZILLY I think it’s really good totackle such issues in the long term and notjust shut the stable door after the horse hasbolted. If you start with training, you reallyhave the people you need.

HESSE Many technologies and mechanisms that have actually been common
in marketing for years have now arrived inrecruiting. Instead of the gut feeling of experienced recruiters who roughly knew who
fit where, campaign-oriented work is now
being carried out with figures, data and specific target group approaches. Someone whoworks in IT wants to experience completely
different things than someone in logistics,
who may be primarily concerned with salary.
Cents in hourly wages often make the difference. The old idea that we have a career website where candidates can find what suits
them is increasingly a thing of the past. And
that is not a German phenomenon. That’sinternational. Because we are experiencing
digitalization everywhere, how we shop, how
we watch TV, how we listen to music. Individualization is increasing everywhere, andthis does not stop with the HR issue.

BAUDER-ZILLY To a certain degree, it
doesn’t matter to me whether I’m selling a
job or strawberry yogurt. Of course, it makesa difference whether someone buys yogurt
in the supermarket or makes a life-changing
decision for a new job. But the marketingmechanisms behind them are no different.
That’s also something that I first had to understand and that has now slowly arrived in
the HR departments.
HESSE For me, recruiting today is a triadof technology, data-driven work – and ultimately the question: Why should I work forthis employer? And that has to be answeredindividually for each person.
NELL One challenge in machine tools is
our image. Many people don’t even knowwhat we do and what our plants look like.
They still have the outdated idea in mind thatthe production hall smells of oil, and hands
are dirty. In reality, you can eat off the floor.

TAKING PART IN THE DISCUSSIONKARIN BAUDER-ZILLYHead of HR Marketing and Analytics Germany(People Acquisition Campus), Robert Bosch GmbH.
She has worked in various positions in HR for 20 years
and in Talent Acquisition for ten years. Since 2022, she
has been responsible for HR Marketing Germany at
Robert Bosch GmbH.

GERO HESSE
CEO of Embrace, a group of agencies providing
recruitment and human resources services in Gütersloh.
After studying business and law and with a degree inbusiness, he worked in the areas of human resourcesand employer branding at the media and services group
Bertelsmann and then at the content marketing agency
Territory before becoming self-employed in 2009.

STEPHAN NELLAs CEO, Stephan Nell has been responsible for the
UNITED GRINDING Group’s business worldwide since2012. He joined STUDER in 2003 as a sales manager
for Europe and served as CEO from 2007 to 2011.

“TO A CERTAIN DEGREE, IT DOESN’T MATTER WHETHERI’M SELLING A JOB OR STRAWBERRY YOGURT.
THE MECHANISMS BEHIND THEM ARE NO DIFFERENT.”
Karin Bauder-Zilly

26

01.2024MÄGERLE

BLOHM

JUNG

STUDERSCHAUDTMIKROSAWALTER

EWAG

IRPD

NELL We have a lot to offer as an employer. We’re an internationally active andtechnologically leading company. That offers
a wide range of professional opportunities.
We attach great importance to promoting
our employees – whether through experience abroad, training and further education
or assuming more responsibility, i.e., making a career – regardless of certifications or
certificates of employment. We give people
who want it and can do it a real chance. And
that’s why we’re also looking primarily forpeople and not just their training.
HESSE So their attitude?
NELL Well, the person has to fit. Of
course, they should have as a prerequisitethat they can do the job afterward. But I canlearn technical things. If the person fits into
the team, then the rest will come. If they’refantastic professionally, but don’t fit as a person, then it won’t work.

“WE’RE FINDING YOUNG PROFESSIONALS.
IT’S BEEN MORE DIFFICULT, BUT WE’RE STILLFINDING THEM.”
Stephan Nell

The work is no longer just about assembling
something with your hands. It’s about hightech at the highest level. Otherwise, we
couldn’t possibly produce machines withthis level of high precision. And of course,that also includes sophisticated software.
That’s why we’re now employing more
and more software engineers. And people
are often not even aware of what machine
tools can do. As a medium-sized company,
we operate in a wide range of industries.
From automotive, aircraft or shipbuilding to
the energy industry, packaging, medicine
and many other things – including thosethat are not yet available and are only justentering the market. Someone has to produce it all. First and foremost, we’re trying
to show what we do. The effort to find thenext generation of talent is taking place ata very local level. If we’re looking for young
professionals in Tübingen, we have to be active in Tübingen, just like in Thun. People are
not mobile, they want to stay in their region.
And we’re looking for people in more than 20
locations. Sometimes we also try to transfer

professionals between locations. But that’s
difficult. There are few who are willing to doso. Extremely long periods of employment
at a company are very positive. We havepeople who have been with the company
for over 50 years and employees who are
already working for us in the second generation. And we have low staff turnover rates.
And our goals? We want people to go theextra mile. Because I can copy everything in
the company, except for two things. One is
the image, the good reputation of the brand,which you have to develop. The second thing
you can’t copy is a motivated team that does
a little more than the others.
BAYDER-ZILLY Actually, all companies
want employees who go the extra mile. I
think the question is, how do I get there?
And there are probably different answers.
And my personal answer would be that asa large corporation, like the one I work for,
I can also respond individually to the needsof people in their respective phases of life.
HESSE And Mr. Nell, how do you ensurethat this extra mile will be walked?

HESSE I wouldn’t say that the gut
doesn’t matter either. But I would say thata gut decision shouldn’t be at the forefront,
but rather the methodology should be at theforefront, supplemented by the gut. Reaching out to target groups of the right age
regionally with a specific story is possible
today, but wasn’t five years ago.
NELL For example, we let our learners
tell their own story, which is the most authentic. They set up the stand themselvesat local trade shows and make videos andentire social media campaigns. We don’t
prescribe what they should say. And when
professionals are with us for the first time,
we try to keep them. Most of them are passionate about their work. Not 100 percent,we can’t manage that. But a large proportionof our employees are enthusiastic about thecompany they work for.

01.2024 27

IDEASCHILDREN
OF THEIR

TIME
Between cliché and reality: What about theidea that “Generation Z” is too demanding anddoesn’t really get involved?
Research shows that while young people arevery concerned about the future today, theirpersonal desires do not differ much from thoseof previous generations. Criteria such as thework environment, salary, security, andexciting and interesting tasks are at the top of
the list – and this is the case across all
generations worldwide
Text: Stefan Grötzschel

28

01.2024

THE SO-CALLED “GENERATION Z” is in the middleof hot debates. It is often discussed negatively in the public media and characterized
as comfortable or poorly performing. But
is there any truth to the clichés? And what
does this mean for recruiting young professionals, which is becoming increasingly
important due to the growing shortage ofskilled workers, and also for companies in
the machine tool industry?
Generation Z – people born between
the mid-1990s and early 2010s – is the firstto grow up in a fully digitalized world. At
the same time, their youth is characterized
by global challenges. In Germany, researchsuch as “Youth in Germany” shows that thisgeneration is worried. This is primarily due
to inflation (71%), war in Europe (64%) andclimate change (55%).
Add to this the pandemic that has been
largely overcome, it seems logical that the
major youth studies (Shell and SINUS) corroborate a longing for stability and security
among young people and a certain desire to
return to more traditional values.

VALUE COMPARISON OF
GENERATIONSThe “Youth in Germany” study compares thegenerations (14-29 years, 30-49 years, 50-69
years) and finds surprisingly few differences,even when it comes to supposedly sensitive
issues such as working from home or worklife balance. The most important values andvirtues are the same across generations,
including family, health, freedom, honesty,
reliability, and willingness to help.
Martin Schröder, Professor of Sociology at the University of Saarland, has an explanation for this: He has analyzed surveys
from around four decades and found that
attitudes toward work do not necessarily
depend on the year of birth, but rather on
the stage of life someone is in.
In Schröder’s view, differences in attitudes toward work are due more to therespective phase of life and temporal circumstances than belonging to a specificgeneration. For example, Schröder foundthat different generations surveyed in comparable phases of life have almost identicalviews toward work.
In other words, one could say, for example: The demand for an improved worklife balance does not come specifically from“Gen Z” but rather corresponds to the cur-Illustration: iStockphoto/Marina Demeshko

UNITED GRINDING GROUP

MÄGERLE

BLOHM

rent spirit of the times. This desire is probably
equally important for all generations.
The results of a current survey by theGerman Engineering Federation (VDMA) areconsistent with this interpretation. The survey
asked about the top factors of young people in choosing a career. The top five places
were: Work environment, salary, security, andexciting and interesting tasks. So quite normal desires. Who doesn’t want that?
Upcoming generations (such as thecurrent generation Z) are simply childrenof their time. Like all young people before
them, they face certain challenges. Particularly relevant in our context: Students arequite overwhelmed when it comes to career
orientation. No wonder: There are 350 training professions and thousands of bachelor’s
degree programs. This challenge for young
people is also an opportunity for companies
to recruit young professionals.

JUNG

STUDERSCHAUDT

Whoever can offer an exciting, meaningfulinternship has direct access to potential specialists. Interns who prove themselves canbe offered training directly at the company,
even if the end of their school courses is one
or two years in the future. This has been wellreceived by students and parents. Companies can note good interns and think about
retention strategies for them.

LOCAL NEEDS AND GLOBAL TRENDS
Young people around the world have bothcommon and region-specific expectationsof employment and employers. Of key importance are expectations of working conditions, development opportunities, andcorporate culture. The nature of these mayvary depending on the country or region.
Issues such as sustainability or CO2 reduction, on the other hand, are internation-

Photo: Sarah Kastner

RECRUITMENT OF YOUNG
PROFESSIONALS THAT WORKS
EVERYWHERE
The top goal for companies must be todevelop great appeal in their region as aprime address for young professionals. To
this end, it is important to establish contact
points with the relevant target groups. The
first point of contact for this is the school.
For schools and teachers, the topic of career
orientation is becoming increasingly important, and they could use support with it. An
ideal place to make contact, for the mutual
benefit of the company and school.
Many teachers are not career counselingprofessionals, and students know it. That’s
why they want companies to take on thistask. For example, by coming to class andintroducing professions. Or even better:bringing students into the companies andmaking professions tangible there. Ideallywith the help of young people from theirown company, such as apprentices or dual
study students, as these are authentic andtrustworthy role models.
In line with this, it is important to offer
school internships. Research shows thatmany apprentices chose their apprenticeshipprofession because they found out during
their internship that they enjoyed the job.
This means that companies should invest in
the quality of internships. Because when students come out of the internship frustrated,
it’s a missed opportunity.

MIKROSA

Stefan Grötzschel is a speaker for
education policy at the German
Engineering Federation (VDMA) andhas been active in the field of recruiting young professionals for years

WALTER

EWAG

IRPD

ally relevant. But from my point of view, thefollowing applies here: The key expectationsof the applicants come first, and single-issue
topics are just the icing on the cake for mosttarget groups. Here, companies have to findthe right mix by finding out the needs of thetarget group on site.
Young people are used to the professional internet and therefore have certain
expectations of websites and digital communication. This is particularly relevant for companies in two respects: They need modern
career web pages and dynamic application
processes.
Career web pages are often confusing
and require many clicks. By contrast, relevant information should be quick to findand understand. The rule-of-thumb is to use
as little text as possible. Using short videos
with role models scores points with young
people.
During the application process, companies that manage to communicate quickly
and respectfully with applicants have an
advantage. Nobody can afford weeks ofautomated, impersonal responses anymore.
That will drive young people to the faster,friendlier competition next door.
An Instagram channel is like an outsourced career website of the company.
Here is an opportunity to present the corporate culture. In doing so, authenticity isimportant, because the right people should
be attracted to it. As with most recruitment
activities for young professionals, it’s also
advisable to give priority to young employees. This is because they are closer to thetarget group and closer to the medium.
But from my point of view, the classic
measures – school partnerships, internships, employing young employees – arethe central building blocks of a young professional strategy for machine tool companies. A modern career website and fast,
respectful application processes are the additional homework that must be addressed.
If companies have modernized their career
web pages and application processes accordingly and also have young employees
who enjoy Instagram or TikTok, the use ofsocial media can also be worthwhile. Ultimately, companies need a work environment that values and encourages young
people and can qualify them with enthusiasm for their activities. Then it will also
work with Generation Z.
01.2024 29

UNITED GRINDING GROUP

A DAY WITH

7:20 A.M.
TRIP TO DAYCARE

Before the workday
begins, Streit brings his
little son Aron to the
daycare center. Balancing
his family life and work isimportant to him

EXPERIENCEAND A BREATH
OF FRESH AIR
Lars Streit completed vocational
training at STUDER and is now COO of
WALTER EWAG and Managing Directorof the WALTER location in Kuřim,Czech Republic. This is how his day looks

10:00 A.M.
PRODUCTION MEETING

Today there will be a discussion with theheads of all departments about the status ofimportant current projects

Text: Markus Huth — Photos: Stanislav Krupar“MY FATHER WAS A MASTER MECHANIC, and I feelat home wherever it smells like oil,” says
Lars Streit. So the Swiss young man didn’t
have to think long when STUDER offered
him an apprenticeship as a polymechanicwith a focus on grinding technology. That
was more than 20 years ago. Today, Streit
is COO of WALTER EWAG and Managing
Director of the WALTER location in Kuřim,Czech Republic, and responsible for around
300 employees. The modern and clean plant
produces high-precision CNC machines for
grinding, eroding, and contactless measurement of tools for which WALTER is known
30

01.2024

worldwide. The qualified technician and industrial engineer is currently working withhis team on optimizing all processes andintroducing state-of-the-art infrastructure
at the Kuřim location. A driverless transportsystem, a new paint shop, and further digitalization – these and many other projects
are on his current agenda. “Kuřim is one of
the most modern plants of its kind, and wehave only recently renewed our machinery,”he says. But for him, people remain the mostimportant resource: “We have a very goodmix of longtime employees with a lot ofexperience and young people who bring ina breath of fresh air and innovation.” Oneparticularly important project for him wastherefore the introduction of the WALTER
Future Program, which is aimed at young
people with technical professional qualifications who have little or no practical work
experience. “When our trainees ask me forcareer advice, I say: If you know what you
want, then you have every possibility at the
UNITED GRINDING Group.”
CONTACT
Lars.Streit@walter-machines.deMÄGERLE

BLOHM

JUNG

STUDERSCHAUDTMIKROSAWALTER

EWAG

IRPD“THE WALTER LOCATION IN KUŘIM
IS ONE OF THE MOST MODERNMACHINE TOOL PLANTS.”
Lars Streit

8:15 A.M.
REGULAR COMMUNICATIONThe shopfloor management meeting(regular communication) takes
place every day and ensures anoptimal exchange of information
during daily operations

11:00 A.M.
PRE-ASSEMBLY
The WALTER plant in Kuřim is

one of the most modern in the
Czech Republic and holds its
own internationally, says
Lars Streit, who is standing
right above pre-assembly. Some
component groups are alreadyassembled there before thecontinuous flow assembly

1:30 P.M.
HELLO TO TÜBINGEN

Streit also acts as COO
of WALTER EWAG andholds regular meetings
with colleagues in
Tübingen via video call

01.2024 31

UNITED GRINDING GROUP

A DAY WITH

“UNITED GRINDING GROUP
OFFERS EVERY POSSIBILITY
FOR A GREAT CAREER.”
Lars Streit

2:45 P.M.
MECHANICAL PRODUCTION

Important components
such as the base of a
WALTER machine are
manufactured in mechanicalproduction. Here, Streit
checks quality together
with department head
Petr Konečný

3:30 P.M.
WALTER FUTURE PROGRAM

Young professionals areamong the most important investments in the
future. Discussion withparticipants in the WALTER
Future Program

4:00 P.M.
PERSONNEL MATTERS

Streit meets regularly with HR ManagerKateřina Hálová. For him, it isimportant that talents and skills areused optimally for the customers

5:45 P.M.
LAST CHECK BEFORE END OF WORKOn the way to his car, Streit
checks his emails and the mostimportant points for the nextday. Then he looks forward todinner together with his family
32

01.2024MÄGERLE

BLOHM

JUNG

STUDERSCHAUDTMIKROSAWALTEREWAGTOOLSTECHNOLOGY
NEWS FROM THE UNITED GRINDING GROUP

CONTENTS

34 S36 WITH NEW HSG OPTIONThe S36 from STUDER is now available
with high-speed grinding

35	
MORE SPINDLE EXPERTISE
STUDER has modernized and expanded
its test center for spindles

36 NEW SOFTWARE PLATFORM
BLOHM JUNG software provides

numerous advantages

36	
UNIPAL UND UNIMATE
New loading robots for MÄGERLE
and BLOHM JUNG

37	
SOLUTION FOR GAS TURBINESBLOHM JUNG has developed a grinding

machine for industrial gas turbines

38	
COMPLEX LASER MEASUREMENT
The Laser Contour Check fromWALTER measures the most complex
forming tools

39	
AUTOMATED TOOL PRODUCTIONWALTER has developed an innovative

automation solution

The “Laser Contour
Check” measures acomplex cutter

IRPD

UNITED GRINDING GROUPTOOLSTECHNOLOGYThe S36 production
external cylindrical grinding
machine is now available
with the HSG option

S36 WITH NEW
MAXIMUM SPEEDHigh speed grinding is now available as an option for the S36 and offers
customers significantly more productivity for optimized processes

High-speed grinding (HSG) involves a cutting speed of 80 to 140 meters per second.
This enables higher productivity and fastermachining of workpieces. “The removal rate
is much higher than with conventional grinding, and this results in the ability to operate at
higher feed rates,” explains Sales Manager
Martin Hofmann. This function is now optionally available to customers as part of the
expansion package for the S36 production
external cylindrical grinding machine. It isan economical HSG solution in the STUDER
portfolio, which is also available in the S41
CNC universal cylindrical grinding machine
and the S22 and S11 production external
cylindrical grinding machines.
The HSG capability of the S36 is basedon a high-speed spindle with an output of 18
kilowatts (24 hp). This allows cutting speedsof up to 140 meters per second and works
with CBN and diamond grinding wheels witha diameter of 400 mm and up to 40 mm
width. Configured in this way, the S36 is also
equipped with a more powerful cooling unit,
which is necessary for high-speed grinding.
But here too, customers benefit from thepatented SmartJet® coolant system fromSTUDER , which works significantly moreenergy efficiently than other solutions customary in the industry and requires muchless coolant.
34

01.2024

The HSG spindle for
the S36 production
external cylindrical
grinding machine

TECHNICAL SPECIFICATIONS

S36 WITH HSG OPTION	HSG spindle with an output of 18 kW (24 hp)
	Cutting speed of up to 140 m/s)	For CBN and diamond grinding wheels of
400 mm diameter and up to 40 mm width	Distance between centers: 650 mm

INCREASED PROCESS RELIABILITY
Another advantage of HSG compared to conventional grinding is the lower wear of thegrinding wheel. This means that it has to be
dressed less frequently and has a longer service life. “The lower wear also leads to moreconstant grinding conditions over a longer
period, as the dimensions of the grinding
wheel and its grit quantity remain relatively
constant,” explains Hofmann. This makes
high-speed grinding ideal for high-volume
production with optimized processes.
This makes the HSG function an idealfeature for the highly accurate and powerful S36, which, thanks to its state-of-the-art
equipment and smart technology such as
the C.O.R.E. hardware and software architecture, is very well suited for the automationof processes. The S36 was developed forseries production of precision components,
especially in connection with e-mobility. In
addition to the HSG, the expansion package also includes options for a higher-power
spindle with 25 kilowatts (33 hp) as well asa wider grinding wheel (610 mm diameter,
160 mm width) for cutting speeds of up to
80 meters per second.

	Center height: 225 mm
	Workpiece weight: 150 kg (max.)

CONTACT
Martin.Hofmann@studer.com

MÄGERLE

BLOHM

JUNG

STUDERSCHAUDTMIKROSAWALTER

EWAG

IRPD

The modernized spindle test
benches are vibration-free,
individually controllable,
and feature precise sensor
technology

ADVANTAGESMODERNIZED SPINDLE TESTING	Six vibration-free and individuallycontrollable spindle test stations each with
their own sensor system package	Equipment for all current motor grinding
spindles with potential for future products	Acquisition of a comprehensive
characteristics profile to expand the

A NEW LEVEL OF QUALITY ASSURANCEWith a newly developed test system for external
motor grinding spindles, STUDER is further expanding its
expertise to benefit its customers

As a manufacturer of high-precision cylindrical grinding machines, STUDER has relied on
its development, manufacture, testing, andoverhaul of spindles for decades. This knowhow enables the best possible adaptationof the spindle characteristics profile to thevery wide range of grinding applications of
STUDER machines. The core elements suchas the spindle shaft and housing are manufactured entirely in-house on modern machinery,
but only the finished spindle shows the interaction of all tolerances. This direct influenceon the grinding result and its demand for thehighest quality standards motivate STUDER
to test every spindle. The modernization of
spindle testing by investing in a new spindle
test bench for external motor grinding spindles expands this competence and enables
quality that is above the industry level.

TESTING AT THE HIGHEST LEVELThe new ten-ton system on a 25 square
meter area was developed in-house with
teamwork between mechanical, electrical,
and software specialists and the people

working in the spindle assembly department.
It consists of six independently control­lable and loadable test stations, each with a
GRANITAN® mineral cast base. This allows
the decoupling of externally induced vibrations from adjacent test benches. Each testsite is equipped with its sensor technology
register for recording relevant parameters.
An extensive characteristics profile (“fingerprint”) is recorded, processed, and stored
during startup, endurance test, and test run
scenarios. Each test station even has its fluid
cooling circuit, which ensures even better
decoupling and meaningful data. Greater
work safety and optimum ergonomics havealso been considered.
Each test site automatically records different physical variables that can be signsof deviations or indicators of insufficient reliability. In several operating scenarios, electrical characteristic values, bearing temperatures, pressure, temperature, volume flowof cooling and purge air as well as vibration
behavior are recorded. The sophisticatedsoftware displays live data and automaticallyquality assurance program	State-of-the-art user interface, dataacquisition and preparation
	Digitalization of test reports with preparation
for trend analysis

aborts the ongoing test process in the eventof deviations from typical measurement andlimit values. Only when everything meetsthe strict quality parameters is the spindle
installed in a STUDER precision cylindrical
grinding machine.
As one of the production sites of the
UNITED GRINDING Group, STUDER specializes in the development and in-house production of grinding and workhead spindles
and also produces these for affiliated companies. In addition to external motor grinding
spindles, the company also manufacturesinternal grinding spindles, belt spindles, andworkhead spindles. The investment in thespindle testing system is the largest part ofthe puzzle to date in the overall picture of thefurther expansion of competence for spindle
development and manufacture.
CONTACT
Antonio.Bottazzo@studer.com

01.2024 35

UNITED GRINDING GROUPTOOLSTECHNOLOGYTWO BECOME ONE
The new software platform fromBLOHM JUNG combines production andsingle-part production and simplifies
many grinding operations

The previous software solutions fromBLOHM JUNG consisted of different architectures for specialized target groups. For
example, the BLOHM platform was primarily
a production software. The strength of the
JUNG software, on the other hand, was in
the manufacturing of individual parts. Instead of developing both solutions in parallel, BLOHM JUNG has opted for a uniform
platform that can do both. For this purpose,the original BLOHM grinding software,
which is also the basis for C.O.R.E. further
development, has been expanded to include
the most important features for tool-anddie manufacturers as well as supplemental
automation solutions.
Users of the J600 surface and profile
grinding machine with head-mounted dresser in particular will benefit from the signifi-

ADVANTAGESBLOHM JUNG SOFTWARE PLATFORM
	New software platform for all
BLOHM JUNG machines	Combines production and single-partproduction
JUNG customers in particular will benefit
from the wider functional range	Productive single-part and small-batch

cantly larger functional range and the newuser interface. These include process monitoring, automated grinding applications, implementation of customer-specific uses aswell as additional grinding cycles for radius
and angle grinding. In principle, any J600
system that is not older than five years canbe retrofitted with the new software solution.
The first J600 equipped with the new software was delivered in early 2024.

production
Open for customer-specific uses

CONTACT
Jana.Opitz@blohmjung.com

NEW LOADING ROBOTS
With UNIMATE and UNIPAL,BLOHM JUNG and MÄGERLE
offer compact loading robots
for automated production

ADVANTAGESUNIMATE AND UNIPAL	Compact loading robots for more
efficient production	Automation autonomy from a few hours toan entire shift
	UNIMATE for the PLANOMAT XT and
PROFIMAT XT ranges from BLOHM JUNG
UNIPAL for MÄGERLE’s five- and six-axis
grinding centers

3601.2024In the surface and profile grinding sector,
machines previously had to be loaded andunloaded primarily manually. With their
new automation solutions, MÄGERLE andBLOHM JUNG now enable manufacturingin this sector with minimal human intervention. This means that machine operators canoperate two or even three machines simultaneously. Depending on the storage autonomy, it is possible to produce automaticallybeyond a lunch break, end of the shift, oreven a complete shift.
The first solution is called UNIMATE(Universal Automate) and was specially developed by BLOHM JUNG for its PLANOMATXT and PROFIMAT XT ranges of surface andprofile grinding machines. The retrofittableloading robot consists of a linear unit with agripper and a single-part buffer for the workpieces to be ground or finished. The buffer

is designed specifically for each workpiece
and according to requirements optionallywith a rotary table, conveyor belt, or workpiece trolley as storage. Since the UNIMATE
unit is positioned on the side, the machine
can still be operated manually from the front
if required.
The UNIPAL (Universal Pallet robot) isa loading robot with a pallet magazine. It
can be configured with either 50 spaces for
ITS 148 pallets or 16 spaces for UPC 320
pallets. The robot feeds the MÄGERLE fiveand six-axis grinding centers with workpieces mounted on pallets and can now be
considered in the planning of new projects.
CONTACT
Arne.Hoffmann@blohmjung.com
andViktor.Ruh@maegerle.com

MÄGERLE

BLOHM

JUNG

STUDERSCHAUDTMIKROSAWALTER

EWAG

IRPD

The PROFIMAT MC 610 XXL was speciallydeveloped by BLOHM JUNG for the grindingof industrial gas turbines

LARGER THAN ANYTHING ELSE

Photo: Ramona Petrolle

Industrial gas turbines are key components in numerous industrial
applications. BLOHM JUNG has now specially developed a grinding machinefor their processing, one which is unique in its size

Industrial gas turbines (IGTs) are increasingly being used in power generation plants incombination with renewable energy to compensate for power fluctuations. With a lengthof 1,000 mm and a width of up to 600 mm,
their blades are significantly larger than thoseof aircraft turbines. The grinding machines
for processing must be correspondingly larger and more stable. With the new PROFIMATMC 610 XXL, BLOHM JUNG has now realized a productive machine specifically forthe comprehensive grinding operation of IGT
blades in one clamping – from the typical fir
tree profile for these blades, through to theplatform and groove. The new machine isunique in its size on the market. The flexible five-axis system with a head-mounted
dresser is based on the proven PROFIMATMC range and can process components witha maximum weight of 350 kg.
This high weight and the resulting grinding forces of over 14,000 N were a design
challenge. This is because the MC 610 XXL
processes each side of the blade profile individually. To do this, the indexing unit swivels
the workpiece into position and sets it at the

ADVANTAGES

also be supplemented with holding fixtures
for absorbing the grinding forces.

PROFIMAT MC 610 XXL
	Optimized grinding angle, lower friction forces, and up to 50 percent shorter cycle times	Flexible A/B axis combination and use ofwheel sets in a CD (continuous dress)
process for multiple grinding operations in
one clamping	Machining of turbine blades up to
1,000 mm length	Zero-point clamping system with a hydrauliccoupling system for high precision, maximum holding forces, and easy operation
	Comparatively low space requirement

optimal grinding angle. This reduces grinding allowances and friction forces, shortens
cycle times, and allows efficient machining
even of non-symmetrical fir tree profiles. The
forces acting on the protruding workpiecealso require particularly high holding forces of the indexing unit to ensure a precise
grinding result. Depending on the grinding
task and component, the indexing unit can

MAXIMUM FLEXIBILITY AND
PRODUCTIVITY
Thanks to its special axis combination withmultiple levels of flexibility, the PROFIMATMC 610 XXL can be quickly and easily
adapted to the special design features of
IGT blades from different manufacturers. In
addition, the new machine is not only moreproductive than a dual-head machine. With adrive power of only 62 kW/83 hp (instead of
220 kW/295 hp), it is also much more energy efficient. The size of the grinding wheels(diameter 500 mm), width 220 mm contributes significantly to the higher productivity.
This ensures, especially in combination withthe continuous dressing process developed
for the turbine industry, which is particularly consumption-intensive due to the permanent dressing of the grinding wheel, for ahigh part output per wheel.
CONTACT
Arne.Hoffmann@blohmjung.com

01.2024 37

UNITED GRINDING GROUPTOOLSTECHNOLOGY

The “Laser Contour Check”
developed by WALTER uses
a blue laser to measure
without contact and withhigh precision

WITH THE POWER OF A LASERWith the “Laser Contour Check” measuringsystem from WALTER, even the mostcomplex forming tools can be measured
and corrected contactless, quickly, andautomatically directly in the machine

The blue laser beam travels quickly and precisely up and down the contour of the fir treecutter and traces the complete profile. Thisis an important tool for the turbine industry
that can shape the base of a rotor blade withthe highest precision. In just a few seconds,
the analog laser light measures thousands ofpoints on the part that has just been ground.
The HELITRONIC TOOL STUDIO software of
the WALTER grinding machine compares
this data to the target parameters with anaccuracy of one and a half micrometers. It
then initiates a corrective grinding processthat eliminates inaccuracies. This operation
occurs contactless directly in the machineand fully automatically, which is a real revolution for customers.
Before WALTER presented the “Laser
Contour Check” to the public for the firsttime at GrindingHub 2022, the workpieces
to be ground usually had to be unclamped,
measured separately, and clamped again
for the corrective grinding process. “We
now do this directly in the machine without
re-clamping, without contact, and automatically,” says Jochen Weiss, Head of Application Technology at WALTER . Even thenecessary cleaning process, which removes
coolant residues and other impurities from38

01.2024

The laser measures a milling
cutter with a fir tree profile forthe turbine industry

the workpiece before measuring is carriedout by the laser measuring head using compressed air. Unlike tactile measuring probes,
the laser cannot wear, eliminating measuring
errors or damage to cutting edges.

FAST AND RELIABLE

ADVANTAGES“LASER CONTOUR CHECK”
	Contactless measurements of cylindrical
tools from 1 mm to 52 mm
	Automatic in-process correction of tool
diameter and profile	Duration of measurement including cleaning
not longer than 16 s (dependent on tooltype)	Software integration in HELITRONIC

For tool manufacturers, this provides numerous advantages: Less susceptibility to errors,significant time savings, and the possibilityof maximum automation for series production. “The Laser Contour Check reduces theworkload, and employees have more time
to deal with other tasks in the company,”says Weiss. This applies not only to tools forthe turbine industry but also to high-quality
and precise forming tools that are required,
whether in mold manufacturing or dentallaboratories.

TOOL STUDIO	Suitable for automated series production

CONTACT
Jochen.Weiss@walter-machines.deMÄGERLE

BLOHM

JUNG

STUDERSCHAUDTMIKROSAWALTEREWAG

IRPD

INNOVATIVE AUTOMATION
Increased efficiency, competition, and a shortage of skilled workers make a higher
degree of automation in industrial production essential

With Automated Tool Production ( ATP ),WALTER has developed an innovative au­
tomation solution for tools with cylindricalshafts. It is suitable for networking its grind­
ing, measuring, and eroding machines aswell as the machines of other system part­ners upstream and downstream in the pro­duction process.
The ATP system requires no additional
floor space, can be integrated into existing
plant layouts, and is suitable as an interface
for machines from other manufacturers. It
consists of at least one ROBOT cell acces­
sible from the front ( ATP ROBOCELL) for
automatic loading and unloading of themachines and at least one autonomous mo­bile transport ROBOT (ATP MOBILE ROBOT)ADVANTAGESAUTOMATED TOOL PRODUCTION
	One system for all grinding, measuring,and eroding machines from WALTER	Retrofittable without system layout
modifications and independent of auto­

for transporting the workpiece pallets andsingle parts between the storage and pro­cessing stations. This also includes a stan­
dardized communication model between
machines and ATP MOBILE ROBOT as well
as a control system for higher-level data andprocess control.

mation provider
	Front-accessible ATP ROBOCELLMAXIMUM FLEXIBILITY

with 3 interfaces and buffer stations forWith the ATP solution from WALTER, cus­
tomers can retrofit their existing production
facilities. A multi-range gripper in the ATP
ROBOCELL contributes to the high flexibilityof the system. It covers a large workpiece
diameter range without changing the gripper
unit and can replace the collets at the sametime. For the development of this technol­ogy, WALTER relied on cooperation withstrong partners.
The control system of the overall sys­
tem is based on the OPC-UA data model
FLAMES. With its know-how in tool process­ing, WALTER developed the ATP ROBOCELL
for unmanned loading and unloading ofgrinding, measuring, and eroding machines
automatically. “In this way, each system part­ner contributes its core competencies, andthe customer receives an automation solu­
tion that is state-of-the-art in every respect,”
explains Simon Kümmerle, Strategic ProductManager Grinding Technology at WALTER.
The ATP system was first presented at Grind­
ingHub in May 2024.

production without downtime
	Separate pick-up station for in-process
exchange of individual parts between
measuring and processing machine	Multi-range grippers and many otherautomation options

The ATP ROBOCELL isaccessible from the frontand can automaticallyload and unload themachine

CONTACT
Simon.Kuemmerle@walter-machines.de

01.2024 39

UNITED GRINDING GROUP

INTERNATIONALSMALL COUNTRY,BIG KNOW-HOW
Practically full employment in times of crisis.
How is this possible? The Czech Republic has a long
tradition in industry and machine tools,
and its specialists are therefore in high demand

The Czech capital of
Prague and its
surrounding area areamong the mostimportant machine tool
regions in the country

40

01.2024

Photos: Fredy Martinez/Unsplash, Skoda, SST

Text: Markus HuthMÄGERLE

BLOHM

JUNG

STUDERSCHAUDTMIKROSAWALTER

EWAG

IRPD

The automotive industry is
one of the most importanteconomic sectors in the
Czech Republic and one of
the largest users of machine
tools and forming machines

WHAT DO CONTACT LENSES, one of the mostimportant manufacturing facilities, and theship’s propeller have in common? These
important inventions for our modern world
originated in today’s Czech Republic. It was
chemist Otto Wichterle, born in the Moravian town of Prostějov, who used a self-built
apparatus to make the first soft contact lensin 1961. And it was the engineer Emil Škoda,
born in Pilsen in Bohemia, who built oneof the largest and most modern industrial
plants of his time there at the end of the
19th century and whose name the famous
Czech automotive brand still bears today.
And it was Josef Ressel, born in Chrudim in
East Bohemia, who applied for a patent fora propeller in 1827 “for moving ships on theoceans, on lakes and even on rivers”.
Back then, the Czech regions were partof the Habsburg monarchy, but this industrial
tradition continues today. It is therefore notsurprising that industrial manufacturing and,in particular, machine tools are among themost important economic sectors in today’s
Czech Republic. The country is not only amember of the European Union but, together with countries such as Germany, France,
and Switzerland, also part of the renowned
CECIMO community for the European economies, with a particular focus on the machine tool industry. Consequently, there areabove all many skilled workers among thecountry’s approximately 10.5 million inhabitants. Since their know-how is in demand,the unemployment rate was very low at theend of 2023, at only around 2.4 percent, thebest figure of all EU countries and close to
full employment.

HIGH PROPORTION OF INDUSTRY
Measured by gross domestic product –around USD 290.5 billion in 2022 – its
economic power is only ranked 47th in theWorld Bank’s international country ranking,right between Romania and Finland. However, in the Czech Republic, the contribution of industry is higher, at over 30 percent.

“CZECH MACHINETOOLS HAVE A
TRADITION THATGOES BACK OVER
160 YEARS.”Oldřich Paclík, General Manager of the
Czech industry association SST“And in addition to the automotive sector,
machine tools and forming machine manufacturing is one of the most important industries here,” says Oldřich Paclík, General
Manager of SST, the largest Czech industry
association for manufacturers of machine
tools and forming machines. The market istherefore characterized by competition fromnumerous companies.

Local machine manufacturers such as TOSČelákovice, Fermat, TOS Hostivař, or Mikronex
have a tradition that goes back over 160
years in some cases. According to Paclík,
they now produce in smaller volumes but
enjoy an excellent reputation around theworld for their machines that are specialized
for specific applications. “The market shareof machines sold by Czech manufacturers
based on the total volume of the country
is about 20 percent,” says Paclík. A muchlarger volume is produced by foreign companies that have production plants in the Czech
Republic. And WALTER with its production
plant in Kuřim is among the top 3.

FOCUS ON EXPORT AND AUTOMOTIVE“We deliberately opted for the Czech Republic when choosing a production location
because there are many people here whohave great expertise and are accustomed tobuilding machines due to the long tradition,”says Lars Streit, Managing Director of the
WALTER plant in Kuřim and COO of WALTER
EWAG. The town in the south of the Czech
Republic is situated in the traditional heart ofthe machine tool industry and not far from
Brno, the country’s second-largest city. The
WALTER location was founded in the mid90s and is today one of the leading machine tool plants in the Czech Republic witharound 300 employees, about 7,000 square
meters (75,200 sq feet) of floor space, andmodern production equipment. “Our clean
and modern plant would be something to be
proud of even in high-tech countries suchas Germany, Japan, or Switzerland,” stresses Streit. This is the only way to produce
01.2024 41

UNITED GRINDING GROUP

INTERNATIONAL

With its modern production facility inKuřim, WALTER is one of the largest
machine manufacturers in the country“WE DELIBERATELY CHOSE THE
CZECH REPUBLIC.”

high-precision CNC machines for tool machining and contactless measurement in thehigh quality for which WALTER is well known
internationally. The majority of the machines
manufactured in Kuřim are delivered to customers abroad.
“The particular focus on export applies
to machine manufacturers in the Czech
Republic in general. Around 70 percent of
the tool and forming machines produced in
the country go abroad,” explains industry
expert Paclík. The central location in theheart of Europe and the well-developed
infrastructure makes the country ideal forthis. The most important export market isGermany, followed by China and the USA as
well as the neighboring countries of Slovakia and Poland. In Germany, the automotive
industry and its suppliers are by far the mostimportant customers for machine manufacturers. The largest automotive manufacturer
in the country is Škoda, but large international brands such as Toyota or Hyundai
also manufacture vehicles in the Czech
Republic. There are also major automotive
suppliers in the country, such as Bosch and
ZF Friedrichshafen. The region around thecapital of Prague is particularly important
for this industry.

CRISIS DUE TO THE PANDEMIC
With its focus on export and the automotive
industry, the Czech machine tool industry
has been very successful for a long time
42

01.2024and has contributed significantly to thecountry’s prosperity, as Paclík says. However, the sector was also hit hard by the
COVID -19 pandemic and its subsequent
problems such as global supply chain disruptions, the lack of computer chips, andhigh inflation. Many vehicle manufacturers had to cut their production, which led
to a decline in orders for machine manufacturers. And the geopolitical economic
restrictions triggered by the war between
Russia and Ukraine have also hit the Czech
Republic particularly hard. Even during the
Habsburg monarchy, the country saw itself
as a bridge between East and West, andafter the First World War as part of Czechoslovakia, it belonged to the economic area
dominated by the Soviet Union.

WALTER LAUNCHES FUTURE
PROGRAM“Measured by the sales figures of our association members, we’re still below the level
we were at before 2019 when the crises
began,” summarizes Paclík. Nevertheless,he’s confident. On the one hand, there has
been a slow but steady recovery in recent
years. On the other hand, the graduate engineer relies on the skills and ingenuity of
his compatriots. “Even after the turnaroundin the 90s, Czech machine tools have finallymanaged to keep up with the Western hightech countries through a great deal of hard
work and innovation,” he says.

Lars Streit also has a positive outlook for the
future at the WALTER location in Kuřim. “Themost important resource in a company is its
employees, and ours are among the mostcapable and most motivated,” he says. In
addition, the managing director is currently
struggling with a problem that normally only
prevails in very good economic times: “Thereis almost full employment on the Czech labormarket, which makes it even more difficult
to find skilled workers.”
This is also why WALTER wants to establish itself as one of the most attractive
employers for young professionals in theregion. This strategy includes the WALTER
Future Program launched last fall, which is
aimed at graduates from technical colleges
who have little or no practical professional experience. They receive a salary, get toknow all the company’s departments within
a year, and then have good prospects of apermanent position. “The program has beenvery well received in our region,” says Streit,
adding: “Our team is very proud of what has
been achieved and WALTER will continue toinvest in the location.”

Photos: Dominik Gigler (2), Stanislav Krupar

Lars Streit, Managing Director,
WALTER Kuřim and COO WALTER EWAG

MÄGERLE

BLOHM

JUNG

STUDERSCHAUDTMIKROSAWALTER

EWAG

IRPD

LATESTMANUFACTURINGTECHNOLOGIES
Professionals from the manufacturingindustry will again meet at this year’s
International Manufacturing Technology
Show (IMTS) in Chicago. IMTS is one of
the most important trade shows in theindustry worldwide, where manufacturers
present the latest technologies andinnovations. Under the trade show motto“Inspiring the Extraordinary”, this year for
the first time there will be a dedicated exhibition area for automation solutions thatcan make production more efficient (Smart
Production Solutions). However, visitors
can also find out about the latest trends in
categories such as metal processing, laser
applications, tool manufacturing, oradditive manufacturing.

The UNITED GRINDING Group is one of thetechnology leaders in many of the areas
presented here and will be represented
with its own booth. This 740 square meter(8,100 square feet) exhibition area willfeature the latest machines and technologies from the current portfolio. “Visitors canlook forward to the latest developments inprecision grinding, non-contact measurement, and the most advanced technologies
such as smart automation, C.O.R.E., anddigital solutions,” according to Jacob
Baldwin, Director of Corporate Marketingat UNITED GRINDING North America.

SEPTEMBER 9 - 14, 2024
IMTS – INTERNATIONAL MANUFACTURINGTECHNOLOGY SHOW
McCormick Place, Chicago IL
WWW.IMTS.COM
MAY 2025

OCTOBER 2024

OCTOBER 2 - 4, 2024
METALEX VIETNAM
Hanoi, Vietnam

SAVE
THE
DATE

MAY 6 - 9, 2025
CONTROL
Stuttgart, Germany

OCTOBER 9 - 12, 2024
BIMU
Milan, Italy

MAY 26 - 30, 2025
LIGNA
Hannover, Germany

APRIL 2025
MARCH 2025

NOVEMBER 2024

MARCH 5 - 7, 2025
MECSPE
Bologna, Italy
NOVEMBER 5 - 10, 2024 OCTOBER 2 - 4, 2024
JIMTOFMETALEX VIETNAM
Tokyo, Japan
Bangkok, Thailand

APRIL 12 - 17, 2025
CIMT
Beijing, China

YOU CAN FIND THE LATEST TRADE SHOW DATES AT:
www.grinding.ch/en/events
01.2024 43

UNITED GRINDING Group
3014 Bern, Switzerland
T +41 31 356 01 11
grinding.ch

SURFACE AND PROFILECYLINDRICAL

TOOLMÄGERLESTUDERWALTERWALTER EWAG

8320 Fehraltorf, Switzerland
T +41 43 355 66 00
maegerle.com

3602 Thun, Switzerland
T +41 33 439 11 11
studer.com

72072 Tübingen, Germany
T +49 7071 9393 0
walter-machines.com

Anjo City 446-0056, Japan
T +81 556 71 1666
walter-machines.com

BLOHM JUNGSTUDERWALTERWALTER EWAG

21033 Hamburg, Germany
T +49 40 33461 2000
blohmjung.com

2504 Biel, Switzerland
T +41 32 344 04 50
studer.com

30827 Garbsen, Germany
T +49 5131 4948 0
walter-machines.com

BLOHM JUNGSTUDERWALTER

Warwick CV34 5DR,
United Kingdom
T +44 1926 4850 47
walter-machines.com

73037 Göppingen, Germany
T +49 7161 6271 800
blohmjung.com

Tokyo 143-0016, Japan
T +81 3 6801 6140
studer.com

66434 Kuřim, Czech Republic
T +420 541 4266 11
walter-machines.com

SCHAUDT MIKROSA

EWAG

73037 Göppingen, Germany
T +49 7161 6271 815
schaudtmikrosa.com

4554 Etziken, Switzerland
T +41 32 613 31 31
ewag.com

ADDITIVE
MANUFACTURING
IRPD
9014 St. Gallen, Switzerland
T +41 71 274 73 10
irpd.chUNITED GRINDING GROUP INTERNATIONALUNITED GRINDING China

UNITED GRINDING India

UNITED GRINDING Mexico

Shanghai 201814, China
T +86 21 3958 7333
grinding.cn

Bangalore 560058, India
T +91 80 30257 612
grinding.ch

Querétaro, Qro. 76090, Mexico
T +52 4421 99 5010
grinding.com

UNITED GRINDING China

UNITED GRINDING North America

UNITED GRINDING Asia PacificBeijing 100015, China
T +86 10 8526 1040
grinding.cn

Miamisburg, OH 45342, USA
T +1 937 859 1975
grinding.com

609916 Singapore
T +65 6562 8101
grinding.ch

WALTER EWAG
22070 Vertemate con
Minoprio (CO), Italy
T +39 31 7708 98
walter-machines.com