GROB trainee Florian Krauss designs the win-ner's cup for ...... or trainees are the
technical basics in such areas as electrical engineering, electronics,.
Content FOREWORD .................................................................................. 01 A few words from the Grob family best wishes from the company .................................... 02 A symbolic birthday gift GROB technology news ................................................... 03 GROB launches technology offensive in the face of changing market demands GROB Production .................................................................. 05 Squaring the circle? The signage department.................................................... 06 Quietly assisting with non-verbal communication
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GROB medical welfare ....................................................... 07 Occupational health moves to ultra-modern premises GROB training........................................................................... 08 DAK health insurers sponsor healthcare day in the training department GROB training .......................................................................... 08 GROB trainee Florian Krauss designs the win-ner‘s cup for innovation competition Workplace safety at GROB .............................................. 09 All eyes on site audits Staff development program ......................................... 09 GROB Academy goes online in the e-learning center GROB China ................................................................................ 10 100 days in Dalian GROB Sales ................................................................................. 11 Global Sales going in a new direction GROB Group ............................................................................... 13 The GROB Group strives for rapid growth in North and South America
Stage-by-stage expansion at the GROB plant in Mindelheim Present
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Dear colleagues, Dear business partners and friends of Grob,
„Congratulations on your birthday, Dr. Grob!“
of up to 25% going forward. The target of breaking the sales „sound barrier“ of a billion euros in 2013 is getting ever closer.
Christian Grob, Margret Grob, Dr. H.C. Burkhart Grob (from left to right)
GROB has been on a steady upward trend since last year. Our specialized expertise and ultra efficiency combined with a positive economic environment are driving growth. During the last 12 months, our company has once again made huge strides forward in important fields – starting from what was already a high level. We will continue along this successful route in 2011 and 2012. Just to prove the point here are a few key themes:
history, we are building the very latest manufacturing and production facilities. A completely new factory is under construction in Dalian (China) and at GROB‘s HQ in Mindelheim, plans for new production and assembly areas are already underway. The expansion in Mindelheim goes hand in hand with a full scale reorganization of the existing site, so that further streamlining of the production processes, i.e. by developing the continuous assembly line, can take place.
• Design: Our new machines, now fully redeveloped, will be on show to the general public for the first time at the EMO in Hannover this September. You will find more details about GROB‘s technology offensive in this edition
• Increase in capacity and output: Under the investment program currently being implemented, we expect an annual increase in sales
• Sales and distribution: The forthcoming growth in capacity and sales will allow us, in the years ahead, to fulfill our customers‘ requests more efficiently than ever before. Given the excellent market potential of our new developments − representing a new generation of NC controlled machining centers – more and more opportunities and markets will open for our worldwide sales and distribution team. I am now in my 86th year and, as the owner of the company, I am very pleased that I have been able to form a young management team to take forward at the very highest level what I have built up over the years. Against this background my special thanks go not only to the management board of German Wankmiller (Chairman), Wolfram Weber (Deputy Chairman) and Jochen Nahl (Head of Sales) and directors Peter Vogl (Development and Design), Uli Gneiting (Production),
Dr. Klaus Mäusl (Personnel and Legal Affairs) and Alfred Höbel (Development), but also to all our staff, who every day demonstrate their total dedication to the greater GROB family and who are forever playing their part in the current and future development of the GROB Group.
To mark his 85th birthday, the company owner, Dr. Burkhart Grob, received a special birthday present from the training department: the GROB logo formed from 1,250 metal pins of varying lengths. 1,250 to symbolize the number of trainees in the history of GROB‘s Mindelheim factory.
We all hope that the creative power and high levels of commitment of all those involved in the company build a firm foundation for further success over the coming years and that the GROB name continues to be a synonym for a family company, firmly rooted in Germany, but operating successfully across the globe.
It took two of them, Robert Bestler and Steffan Hagemann, two weeks to turn this idea into reality, which was developed in the training department. The process required several stages, revealing some idea of the extent of the task – from the drilling and surface treatment of the base plate, to the sawing, turning and thread cutting of the pins. Mounting the pins alone took three days.
The Grob family
GROB‘s director of training, Werner Drexel,
expanded on the symbolism: „The 1,250 metal pins are of different lengths, in the same way that our trainees are all different characters. They stand alongside each other in a clear structure, as each one knows the task he has to perform. They are positioned close to each other, just like our trainees, who also stick together. All the pins are facing up, i.e. the direction of travel for our company in terms of its aims and success.“ Robert Bestler and Steffan Hagemann were able to hand over their work on behalf of the whole training department at the company meeting in April. „As a project, it was an unusual thing to do, but that was no reason for not doing it,“ said Werner Drexel with some satisfaction. „This was something with considerable sentimental value, particularly for the two young artists.“ It was a great idea, conveying deep symbolic significance and powerful emotions.
A symbolic birthday gift how the seed was sown on 9 April, 1989, then seven years later at just 135cm in height and with a trunk diameter of four centimeters – from flower pot to new home beside the administration block. Now – after 15 years out in the open – its height has increased by a factor of six and its trunk by a factor of ten.
• Production: Under our investment program, unique in the company‘s
Documentation in calendar form: On behalf of all of GROB‘s employees, Anton Heiler, chairman of GROB‘s Works Council, hands over a symbolic birthday gift to Dr. Burkhart Grob
he
at t Visit us EMO 4 Stand B0 Hall 12
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Trainees Steffen Hagemann and Robert Bestler accompanied by GROB‘s director of training Werner Drexel proudly show off their birthday gift for Dr. Burkhart Grob. Pictured right: Christian Grob
The staff in GROB‘s Mindelheim HQ have come up with a great idea for a birthday gift. After planting a Sequoiadendron giganteum (giant sequioa) in 1996 beside the administration building in Mindelheim to mark the 70th birthday of the company owner, Dr. Burkhart Grob, on his 85th birthday, Anton Heiler, the Works Council chairman, handed over to Dr. Grob a record in calendar form illustrating the growth of the tree planted 15 years ago.
Not only can giant sequoias grow to a great height, they also reach a great age. The oldest known examples of this type of tree have reached the grand old age of 3,900 years. They grow to 90 meters in height and have a trunk diameter of up to 12 meters. By comparison, the GROB sequoia is still in its infancy. It is now 22 years old, 8.20 meters high and at a height of 1 meter its diameter is 40cm. Even so, the calendar pages impressively charts the development of our baby giant:
The congratulatory message from the staff for the anniversary appositely and symbolically compared the „steady growth of the tree with the growth of the GROB company“. And it went on: „The stability of the giant tree, but also its strength and permanence are characteristics, which we have come to recognize and value in you, Dr. Grob“. A birthday gift that grows with the recipient can also play an important part at Christmas – the sequoia makes a perfect Christmas tree. It is festively decorated and each year another row of candles is added.
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GROB technology news GROB launches technology offensive in the face of changing market demands
New compact linear gantry with high dynamics The loading and unloading of the part changer takes place on GROB‘s newlydeveloped linear gantry. It is much more compact and smaller than previous solutions. The height of the X-beam above the floor is just under 3.20m, considerably lower than before. One new development is the vertical mounting of the carriage and the loading arm on large runners beneath the X-beam. The already tried and tested technology of the loading arm with parallel kinematics has also been further improved. The gripper can in future be supplemented by a swivel axis in the A or C direction. By reducing the mass in motion, much higher travel speeds and acceleration levels can be achieved. The now much improved dynamics of the linear gantry allow for the loading of double spindle machines with a single gripper.
Production system with new automation system, part changer and gantry
GROB has started the EMO year with a campaign to support technical innovation, new developments and new designs for component assemblies. New technologies − not just meeting much changed market expectations, but also part of a new GROB-initiated campaign – that will make an important contribution to the ambitious realignment planned for GROB over the next three years. At GROB, new developments, new component designs and totally new machinery are traditionally conditional upon market development, the requirements of our customers in the automotive industry or the changes our customer make to their parts. These machine innovations only take place after lengthy talks with our customers and their planning teams. We carry out detailed discussions with them beforehand to discover what is the best way of machining the new parts global markets require. In depth discussions and the work that ensues, can often spread across a time scale of twelve months, until the time is right for the first prototypes and then comes the first machine for customer use. A key advantage for GROB is the short decision making process required for these technical developments. Intensive discussions and firm decisions agreed between owner, management and design team underpin the constant development work on the G-module series and their automation systems, and also on other new machinery. During
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this development phase for new components and machinery, important factors, such as kinematic sequences, choice of material, assembly and maintenance procedures and, of course, production costs, are closely scrutinized, optimized and then finally fully reevaluated. At the same time, mechanical sequences are harmonized through calculations and simulations on the electrical control components and drives. The team constantly monitors machine rigidity, run simulations and accelerations and check cycle times − important considerations, particularly because of the preparations, now ongoing, for the world‘s largest machine tool trade fair, the EMO in Hanover. With EMO very much at the forefront right now, countless new components and machines have to be assembled, subjected to thorough testing and then put into operation in GROB workshops. New loading and automation concept without the swivel changer The innovative loading and unloading technology for workpieces on G-modules, i.e. into the working area from the front, is now firmly established throughout the market. This is a loading concept that fits perfectly with the ideal design for clamping devices. It allows for a simpler design of the clamping devices and the gantry gripper and decouples the gantry from the loading and unloading process of the machine. The advances forcefully driven by GROB in the field of automation have led to an improved system using a horizontal part changer, thereby replacing the swivel
changer. The part changer is attached to the front of the machine and has two linear axes. The first linear axis moves the parts using two loading forks in the X-direction from the unmachined part
Feed changer for the double spindle G-module
position to the loading position or from the loading position to the finished part position. The second linear axis is tele-
scopic. It transports the parts – mounted on the part changer by the loading forks and aligned − from the loading position into the working area and back again. The part changer axes are seated on a tubular rack, which can be attached to the front of the machine with quickly detachable screw and push-fit connectors. The part changer and its entire installation, including its protective panel, can now be released from the front of the machine for maintenance purposes with a few hand movements. Despite the front attachment and the position of the part changer, the design of the linear axes and travel paths allows for optimum access to the clamping device, the work pieces and the front of the motor spindle.
Access for maintenance purposes to the part changer and G-module
New compact gantry with parallel kinematics
The supports for the linear gantry are attached directly to the machine base. This considerably reduces the assembly work in house and at the customer‘s site. To prevent transfering vibrations to the machine base during the travel of the carriage, the mounting of the X-beam to the supports is isolated by dampers.
Manual part changer with manual conveyors
Loading system also available as a flexible system For low wage countries the new loading system can also be supplied as a manual version, but here the gantry is replaced by a manual conveyor. However, the gantry supports are the same as those on the fully automated version. Like the linear gantry, the part changer can, if necessary, also be operated manually without powered axes. In which case an interlinked production line is created, suitable not just for parallel, but also for sequential operations in the production plant. And investment costs are extremely low. In the event of a later conversion of the system to fully automated operation, essential components of the conveyor, and also in the part changer, are retained. New installation technology to save working time Because of electromechanical work piece clamping technology and the electromechanical motor spindle, installation management for the G-modules has been revised. The previous fluid installation with the overhead tubular frame is now no longer required. The new installation requires only the machine‘s specified hose and cable sets. The wiring harnesses and hoses for the pneumatics and coolant run overhead and are, where necessary, drawn through cable carriers. In the front section of the machine, cables and hoses are fed through the Y-axis column by means of the A-axis cable carriers. In the future, installation technology with ASI boxes may no longer be required. This innovative development by GROB has dramatically cut installation working time.
Newly-developed BoreHone machine for finish-machining cylinder bores
A new process for finish machining cylinder bores The final stage in the machining of cylinder bores for engine blocks has in the past required the classic division between precision cutting and subsequent honing. To simplify the two part process, GROB worked with NAGEL to develop a new way to carry out the last part of the cylinder block machining process. By working together and streamlining the process, significant improvements and reductions in the sequences between precision machining and the honing have been achieved. And not just that. It will in future be possible to drop from the GROB production line the previous stage of finish machining with measuring station. To achieve this, NAGEL and GROB designed a new system for combined cutting and honing with integrated measurement of the cylinder bore, the result being a considerable reduction in the number of production stations and units and savings on machinery and capital costs. The new production process is already in use on our customers‘ first orders and a patent for the process and the concept behind the machine has been registered by GROB and NAGEL.
GROB makes its own special purpose machines GROB is using its own machines in production. Could there be a more convincing sales argument? The special equipment we use in Hall 8 to machine the bases for our G 300 series has been supplemented by two new pieces of machinery that GROB itself has developed and manufactured for milling and drilling the machine bases on the G 500 series. In addition to these special machines, we are also developing GROB machining centers as special tools for cutting G-module parts, such as cross slides and A-clamping bridges. These are special pieces of equipment which considerably reduce the machining time and at the same time halve the number of stages needed to produce these ultra precise parts. These new tools considerably improve machining accuracy on the various assemblies and we will in future, for example, be able to drop the costly production stage of flat grinding on a Waldrich grinder. These new special machines are being located in Hall 5. The construction of additional manufacturing facilities is planned to start in February 2012.
Special machine for finishing machine beds (G500)
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GROB Production Squaring the circle? assembly, machine assembly, commissioning and also in all peripheral departments, such as logistics, production planning and control, purchasing). New working time patterns will, of course, have to be introduced to the machining department, i.e. an additional night shift on Friday as well as an expansion of shift patterns for all machines.
Hall 8 – completed in 2009 and at the heart of the GROB production process
If we are to accommodate our customers‘ demanding requirements and also manufacture products of the very highest quality, the operational processes throughout the entire production stage − and that includes manufacturing, assembly, material handling and logistics − must be developed, examined closely and then streamlined. A huge challenge, which is almost the equivalent of squaring the circle. The technical production capacity of the GROB group is targeted at a volume of one billion euros. If at the moment ten G-modules can be delivered every week, production should, over time, be in a position to supply 20 G-modules per week. This means that throughput times for the production of G-modules must be pretty well halved. The challenge facing the GROB Group, therefore, is that all of our plants must massively expand their production capacity. The Mindelheim headquarters will focus especially on the production of G-modules and all the associated automation. To increase capacity to the required level, the whole production system in Mindelheim, i.e. manufacturing and assembly, will be upgraded through investment and the construction of new plant space. Investment in Mindelheim The new plant space planning schedule for Mindelheim includes a new Hall 9 with a production area of approx. 22,000 sq.m. There will be space here to perform pre-assembly, final assembly and start-up procedure work on standard G-modules. Entire production areas will be created for the „GROB motor spindle“ and GROB automation components. As a result the production volumes for GROB motor spindles will increase to over 1,000 spindles per year. So that we can also safeguard workflow in the new plants, investment
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will be made in a wide variety of new production machinery for metal cutting and sheet metal production (Machining and Sheet Metal section). Improving production processes and vertical integration Practically all GROB departments, in particular production and assembly, are being scoured for possible weak points and their potential for streamlining. Production workflow in the machining area, logistic workflow in supply and pre assembly and final assembly procedures are to be systematically reviewed and plans made for drastically improving output. In future, special machinery will be used to manufacture the main G-module components, such as cross slides, clamping fixtures, tool magazine brackets. Investment in new production facilities will again bring further vertical integration and ensure the ultimate in quality. Special machining centers and other specialized equipment will be required for the main parts of the G-module series. We are developing these machines ourselves and they will, of course, be assembled and put into operation on site, i.e. in the manufacturing department, by our own assembly team. The number of and specifications for the production facilities and machinery is geared towards a planned production capacity worth one billion euros in Mindelheim. With this new investment, we can cut production times and reduce the cost of G-module parts. At the pre assembly stage, more sequences will be incorporated into the production chain and then the whole process will once again be totally realigned. The overall aim is to halve throughput times and to dramatically improve production and assembly times. A far reaching package of measures for material handling and logistics Material handling and logistics are playing
a large part in improving GROB‘s production process. Measures to be taken first and foremost include improving supplier management by means of operational and strategic purchasing, plus safeguarding and increasing capacities among existing suppliers. We need to be sure their expanded delivery program is guaranteed. The engineering and material handling departments already allow for a lead in time of up to 18 months on all important components and orders for these are placed accordingly. As in the past, GROB will continue to develop lean management principles in all logistics departments. Other measures include greater use of pull principles, kanban scheduling, improved monitoring and just in time provision to the assembly teams and IT linking to suppliers. Storage logistics will be reappraised and the shipping department expanded in the new Hall 9.
An in house production training program running through all the main departments and an additional course run by the GROB Academy will significantly improve the skill levels of the workforce. At our customers‘ key locations in Györ, Stuttgart, Salzgitter and Steyr, we will build up a team of trained start up personnel, so that we can be „closer to the customer“ and also react rapidly and at all times to their wishes. We want to offer our customers a better on site service. As well as recruiting permanent staff, we will also gradually increase the number of temporary staff and take on many trainees. To ensure, going forward, that GROB can meet the increased demand for qualified staff, a new training hall is in the planning stage. The company will then be able to double the number of training places in all departments (electronics engineers for automation systems, industrial mechanics, office communication personnel, mechatronic engineers, technical drafts persons and also college/ workplace courses).
In addition, a streamlining project due to take place over the next 18 months will further refine GROB‘s planning and control models, thus creating greater scheduling transparency and oversight. It aims to improve the monitoring of order Hall 3: Continuous assembly line for Y-column progress, material purchases and production orders. It will then A tough time schedule be possible to check up on the assembly The planning and implementation of all stages for components and machinery these measures − designed to improve in greater detail. All are extra measures productivity and the production process designed to reduce throughput times and − is taking place under very tough time increase productivity. constraints. The aim is that the realignment of production processes will have Wide ranging action on staffing been completed by the fall of 2011 in In order to meet this ambitious objective, manufacturing and by the winter of 2011 the workforce will have to be increased throughout the entire assembly departin all production departments. At Mindelment. Only then will we be in a position heim alone, several hundred new jobs will to improve on last year‘s sales in Mindelneed to be created (manufacturing, pre heim as planned.
The signage department Quietly assisting with non-verbal communication GROB has some 20 employees dedicated to non-verbal information and the safety of customers, who use our machinery. Working away quietly in the background – producing up to 1,300 plates per G-module, in 19 different languages and on a wide variety of materials – our colleagues in the signage department are playing an important part in maintaining the high quality standards demanded of our products.
project leaders and the relevant project manager, the signage team prepares a checklist of all plates needed to meet information and safety standards. They then start on the practical work with the machine. The first plates are prepared and fitted during the pre-assembly phase. The main part of their work only starts once the electrical and fluid components have been installed. The fluid plan for each machine must be updated and harmonized, all setting values checked
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July11 650 x 10,000mm. A customer request for a machine label is binding. In order to prevent damage by the user or to the environment, warning and safety notices must be placed close to the hazard areas. These will draw attention to residual risks associated with the machine or system. They advise users on how to avoid dangers and are the only plates, over which the customer has no influence, as they are mandatory as part of the risk assessment.
The quiet team running the signage department
The Jag laser or the CO2 laser are not just terms from the world of medical technology. The equipment that performs these processes are just two out of a total of eight different machine types, such as the thermal transfer printer and other engraving machines, that are used in our signage department. A core team of 13 employees and three to five temporary workers currently use up to six different CAD programs to address the safety and information issues our customers need when using GROB machinery. The members of this team are experienced industrial mechanics, electricians and specialists from other related trades. They all bring masses of practical experience from the electrical installation and fluid assembly departments and have an extensive knowledge of IT. Their primary task is to ensure our machinery bears the correct signage, but they also supply internal signs within the company, e.g. surface areas, no smoking signs, nameplates, etc. From project assignment to delivery Their work begins soon after the sales department assigns a project to engineering. Together with fluid engineering, mechanical and electrical department
and, if necessary, modified. At the same time, all electrical components must be fitted with the necessary markings. Finally, the prepared plates are attached to the machine with the aid of the fluid schedule. This is an extremely difficult task, requiring excellent knowledge of the relevant components. Mistakes made at this point can have far-reaching consequences and can result in very serious damage. Even after delivery to the customer, our colleagues in the signage department remain in close contact with the technicians at the external sites, in order to be able to quickly sort out any changes or late additions. They even provide the support necessary to ensure that, in the event of major alterations, plans and signs can be updated on site. Raised expectations Unlike in the past, when components were only supplied with item numbers, customer expectations today are significantly higher. Rarely will one plate resemble another. They vary so much in terms of material, language or settings. GROB can supply plates in nineteen different languages, monolingual or bilingual. Plates are lettered on plastic, metal or foil up to a maximum size of
Because quality assurance is of increasing importance, as is the traceability of our products, the need for the indelible laser-engraving of tools, components and instruments has increased enormously. As a result, parts subject to wear and tear, spare parts and also the labeling for tools are inscribed in accordance with customer specifications on a specially provided laser. Last but not least, supplying a wide range
of internal signs is another important task assigned to the department. Warning signs, prohibitive signs, safety signs and information signs – all are made here. Although they must conform with in-house regulations, they often require a degree of creativity from our colleagues.
The history of signage Up to 1985 Using what is called a pantograph, the text for signs is set on to a stencil and then cut by hand. On aluminum signs, embossing stamps are used to punch in numbers (very few). On electrical safety signs, the text is written on the relevant components by hand in a special ink. Each department attaches its own plates to the machine. 1986 Introduction of the electrical stamping machine. Using a punch wheel and a keyboard, single digits and letters are embossed on an aluminum plate. 1989 The first computer-controlled engraving machine introduced by Gravograph. 1995 For the first time a CNC-controlled engraving machine with Windows can import data and also apply complicated graphics. 2000 Formation of GROB‘s Signage department and the introduction of electrical and fluid signage. 2007 CO2 laser introduced by Gravograph as an alternative to the engraving machine. 2010
Up to 1,300 plates per G-module
New thermal transfer printer for printing photos and multi-color images up to 650 x 10000mm in size.
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GROB medical welfare Occupational health moves to ultra-modern premises
GROB training DAK health insurers sponsor healthcare day in the training department GROB‘s training department devotes a lot of time to occupational health issues, especially those concerning young people. The last healthcare day organized by GROB training department took place in February of 2010. It was sponsored by DAK Mindelheim, a health insurance company, and the local traffic police. The day focused on the risks associated with alcohol.
Medical provision at GROB – the most up-to-date of its kind in the region
Nicole Büchele, Rebecca Stimpfle, Dr. Peter Pawlitzky, Bettina Bertele (from left to right)
Bright, spacious premises, cuttingedge medical equipment and an expansion in medical provision. These are the new features in GROB‘s workplace medical center after alterations at the company‘s Mindelheim headquarters. The occupational health service at GROB now ranks among the most up-to-date of its kind anywhere in the region.
first floor of the assembly hall lasted eight months. Finally at the start of October the long-awaited move to the re-designed rooms took place. Not only are the premises much larger and much prettier, they are now also equipped with some new medical equipment. These include a sonogram, a perimeter (a device for measuring visual field) and a new hearing test booth. But it is not just the new premises with their collection of the very latest medical kit that are providing improved medical care at GROB in Mindelheim. Since December of last year, Rebecca Stimpfle, a physiotherapist, has been supporting the work of the occupational health team under Dr. Peter Pawlitzki. „I would like to thank the management for approving the appointment of this highly-qualified post and the appointment of a trainee. This is a vital step forward as we can now make further improvements to our medical service,“ said company doctor, Peter Pawlitzki.
GROB‘s medical service is as old as the company itself. When in 1968 the arrival of construction machines on the Mindelheim site started in a new era in GROB‘s history, the same policies implemented at the company‘s former HQ in Munich were transferred to the new location in Germany‘s Allgäu region. This enlightened philosophy was to a large extent attributable to the social commitment of our owner, Dr. Burkhart Grob. He firmly
believed that his employees should be able to enjoy a top-class social environment with excellent occupational health care. So in 1971, three years after the production started in Mindelheim, the social block, at that time considered to be ultra-modern, was ready for use. There was space here not just for the kitchen, but also for the occupational health service. Now, after forty years almost to the day, the GROB social block has been completely renovated and the facilities brought up the latest technical standards. New rooms with an expanded team Work on the existing social block began at the start of last year. So that the occupational health care work could continue during the renovation, the doctor’s office was temporarily moved to Hall 7. The transitional period on the
Expanded range of services gets a warm welcome from employees
Extended service portfolio With all the new equipment, the strengthened team and plenty of space, the team can now do more occupational health check-ups than would have been possible in the past. These include the option to assess field of vision using the perimeter. This check-up is necessary to test fitness to drive or to test suitability for working where there is a risk of falling. Furthermore, Rebecca Stimpfle is qualified to implement additional preventive programs. Offered for the first time up to the summer of this year was a back fitness program. It was very positively received and because of the high demand, two courses had to be run in parallel. Given its success, the subject
of back fitness will be resumed in the autumn and a suitable program made available. But the usual preventive check-ups in line with trade association principles, such as the monitoring of working with excessive noise in production, etc., will continue as normal. The occupational health center is offering as a preventive measure, the „Fit for the Future“ check-up, an extended range of exams for all staff, including an ultrasound of the digestive tract and thyroid. Another important job this year is the conduct of health check-ups and inoculations for the assembly teams and expatriates with their families working on the new factory in Dalian, China.
Alcohol awareness training a top priority in GROB‘s training department
So-called drunk vision goggles (at various levels of intoxication) were made available, so the trainees could judge their reaction when „under the influence“. Among the experiments offered were assembling a model or throwing darts, while wearing the 0.085%/100ml BAC goggles. Mindelheim traffic police also attended and made available a braking reaction time test. When a light comes on, the brake pedal has to be pressed as soon as possible. The event ended
Gaining practical experience of reaction speeds with a 0.085%/100ml alcohol level while wearing drunk vision goggles
with a short general knowledge game with three prizes to be won. The point of this campaign was to show young people how their reaction time and ability to act is restricted in practical situations. All trainees, working in groups, were able to take part in the trials. There was a supervised competition to see who could achieve the best results wearing the drunk vision goggles. The
trainees also took part in entertaining rapid reaction duels on the reaction tester. „We deliberately kept the posters up for a few days after the healthcare day,“ said Werner Drexel, „and the information leaflets on the subject of addiction were left in a number of places in the training department, so that the issues raised remained fresh in the memory for longer.“
GROB training GROB trainee Florian Krauss designs the winner‘s cup for innovation competition For the second time in a row GROB‘s training department has sponsored the cup for the Krafthand Technology innovation competition. This time, 19-year-old trainee, Florian Krauss, was responsible for the design and manufacture of the prize.
Extended medical provision means appointments are now essential
„In fact, our company doctor, Dr. Peter Pawlitzki, was planning a similar health campaign across the whole company,“ said GROB‘s director of training, Werner Drexel, „but it seemed appropriate to look in depth at this topic as part of our training program with the trainees, for whom it is very relevant.“ So on February 25, 2011 we staged a healthcare day in co-operation with DAK health insurance company and the Mindelheim traffic police. Content was targeted specifically at young people. Everyone received wide-ranging informative literature on the subject of alcohol abuse, both at home and at the workplace. Stefan Schindler and Stephanie Drexl, both from DAK, were on hand to offer comprehensive awareness training.
Ever since 2006 the vehicle workshop magazine Krafthand has awarded the Krafthand Technology accolade to the most innovative products and services in their sector. The competition takes place every two years at Automechanika, the international trade fair for the automotive industry. In
2008 it was Achim Baumann from the GROB training department who had the honor of designing the winner‘s trophy. This year the creator of the prize was Florian Krauss, a future industrial mechanic at GROB.
end the cup consisted of a turned and glass-bead blasted, stainless-steel base plate, a black-lacquered piston rod with piston attached to a polished brass shaft. On the piston face was a special steel plate for the lasered engraving.
His job included not just the mechanical production of the components, he was also expected to demonstrate considerable organizational skill. There had to be discussions with the publishing company on the specifications, choice and procurement of materials, the co-ordination of outsourced parts, the layout and design of the engraving and, last but not least, agreement reached with the customer on a delivery date.
And praise came from all quarters: the leading lights at the Krafthand publishing house, in particular CEO Steffen Karpstein, sales director, Andreas Hohenleitner and deputy editor, Thomas Mareis, were struck by the professionalism that Florian demonstrated during the course of the project.
Florian was largely responsible for the production of the individual parts. He was very unwilling to let anyone else near his cup. The risk was simply too great. In the
But the highest praise for Florian came from Christian Grob, GROB‘s chief representative, who was present at the handover of the award. „You have done a really good job. The cup gives a fine impression of the GROB company and its training department. Hearty
Thomas Mareis (Krafthand publishing company), Florian Krauss and Christian Grob at the cup handover
congratulations!“
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Workplace safety at GROB All eyes on site audits
GROB IN CHINA 100 days in Dalian
Building Baustellen sites
AUDIT Arbeitssicherheit Workplace safety
This year the staff running the Occupational Health Management System have been carrying out site audits, paying special attention to „workplace safety“. This is a particularly important issue, because on our external sites, we are concerned not just for the safety of our own workers, but also for the safety of employees working for outside companies and for our customers. Against the background of a rapidly developing awareness of safety issues and the ever-increasing number of legal requirements, measures already implemented and designed to guarantee workplace safety need to be monitored and revised, if they are to be effective. The aim is to ensure that, from day one of the assembly work right up to operation-ready handover, all staff deployed on external sites get maximum safety protection. So in recent times site audits have been focusing more and more on „workplace safety“. These audits take
place with two important considerations in mind. Initially, sites are systematically monitored and evaluated according to specified checklists. They are then subjected to another check using the flexible methods of situational risk assessment. The checklist contains a wide-ranging questionnaire, which looks not just at people, but also at the technical systems. Are the employees sufficiently wellinformed about potential risks and have they received the necessary instructions? Are all technical installations/machines and personal protective equipment in immaculate condition. Are they available at all? Generally speaking, how clean and tidy is the site? Everything can look quite different when a situational risk assessment is carried out. To correctly evaluate the hazards on a building site, a considerable amount of experience and empathy is required. There may be particular issues with the use of special machines or there could
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Generelle General Ordnung order Generelle Ordnung undcleanliness? Sauberkeit? and und Sauberkeit?
Situationsbedingte Situational consideration Gefährdungsof betrachtung hazards RISK
Risiken bei Risiken bei Risks from unforeseen unvorhergesehenen unvorhergesehenen working procedures Arbeitsund Arbeits- und Verfahrensabläufen Verfahrensabläufen
Risiken Risks beim whenUmgang working mit Risiken beim Umgang mit with speziellen specialMaschinen machinery speziellen Maschinen
Erforderliche Statutory Erforderliche Persönliche protective clothing Persönliche Schutzausrüstung available? Schutzausrüstung vorhanden? vorhanden?
Checkliste Checklist Checkliste
WerkstatteinrichWorkshop Werkstatteinrichtungen imin equipment tungen im ordnungsgemäßen working ordnungsgemäßen Zustand? condition? Zustand?
BetriebsanweiOperating Betriebsanweisungen fürfor instructions sungen für Gefahrstoffe hazardousund Gefahrstoffe und Maschinen materials and Maschinen vorhanden und machines available vorhanden und ausgehängt? and posted? ausgehängt?
Risks Risiken fromdurch third parties Dritte Risiken durch Dritte (z.B. (e.g. weitere other suppliers) Lieferanten) (z.B. weitere Lieferanten) Risiken durch Risiken durch vorhersehbare Risks from unforeseen vorhersehbare Fehlanwendung/unkorrekte misuse/improper handling Fehlanwendung/unkorrekte Handlung Handlung
Check Verwendete made Verwendete on equipment Betriebsmittel Betriebsmittel togeprüft? be used? geprüft?
Korrekturmaßnahmen / Hinweis Corrective action / Warning Verbesserungspotential / Sofortmaßnahmen / Room for improvement / Immediate action Beurteilung der Risiken und ggf. Einleitung von Assessment of risks and if necessary action taken Maßnahmen /
be an as yet unknown risk inherent in the working procedures. But at the same time workplace safety in GROB plants and on external sites with our customers is not just a matter
of continual improvement to safeguard employee safety, it is also an important element of customer satisfaction. For GROB workplace safety has to be applied across the board; it is our corporate philosophy in action.
Staff development program GBOB Academy goes online in the e-learning center The GROB Academy has increased the range of courses it provides and has set up an e-learning center with 12 PCs in Hall 7. Now with immediate effect, co-workers can access over 200 courses online free of charge. And in a recent development, students can now access the online courses from a home PC. Qualified staff form the cornerstone of corporate success. That is why the GROB Academy was created four years ago to form a key part of the GROB staff develop-
ment program. Since then every year the center has offered some 70 or so courses and roughly 700 participants are now studying such topics as health and safety, IT, personal development and foreign language training. To meet the requirements of every member of staff, there has been a change of emphasis. The courses offered are less target-group oriented, more needs-oriented. We are now in a position to improve still further the quality of vocational training available to GROB employees.
Spacious e-learning center in Hall 7 with 12 study workstations
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A wider range of courses at the GROB Academy With immediate effect, all employees can now access their program of study electronically in the newly-established E-learning Center in Hall 7. This service has a considerable educational benefit, because computer-based electronic learning suits most learners. Students can regulate the pace at which they learn. Specialized knowledge can be pinpointed and then retrieved to suit the individual. Use of the programs is intuitive. No prior knowledge is required. Learning is structured into video sequences, question and answer pages and interactive components. With these methods, the learning process is both varied and enjoyable. On the foreign language training course, answers can be submitted via headsets to aid listening and speaking. Language and online training courses can also be started from home. A wide variety of courses The GROB Academy can offer many different courses. As well as language courses in English, German and French, GROB staff may also explore cross-cultural themes by familiarizing themselves with countries, such as China, India, USA, Russia or Germany.
Office management demands experience with Word, Excel, PowerPoint or Outlook 2010, so courses in these important applications are available, as are courses in Windows 7 – for beginners to advanced users. Other courses look at acquiring knowledge in software development, such as Creating a Functional Specifications Document or Compiling a Products Requirement Document. Of particular interest to new entrants or trainees are the technical basics in such areas as electrical engineering, electronics, pneumatics or hydraulics. Courses teaching keys skills, such as presentation, public speaking, communication by telephone, time management or body language are also available. There is also a wide range of courses on marketing and customer behavior. These areas of study can be developed through Business Studies or Time and Motion. Project Management is another option. GROB encourage further training for employees by reimbursing 50 percent of working time spent on courses in the E-learning Center. Interested parties can find the full course program on the company intranet under „Organizational management – Courses“ or in the current Academy program.
Excavation work
08.04. - Day 00 Foundation stone laid
28.04. - Day 20
Administration building shell completed
17.05.- Day 40
06.06. - Day 60
Administration building already at 3rd floor
26.06. - Day 80
Shell completed
16.07. - Day 100
Shell for factory halls completed
Edition
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01/11
01/11
GROB Sales Global Sales going in a new direction New engine generations, new drive assemblies and new transmissions from nearly all automotive manufacturers have led to an above average increase in the worldwide demand for production facilities. This development came as no surprise to GROB. For a long time – and precisely for this reason – our global sales have been heading in a new direction.
What was becoming clear at the start of 2010, i.e. the development of new engines, drive assemblies – partly hybrids – and new generations of transmission systems, became a reality in 2011. Since the summer of 2010, estimates of the automotive industry‘s demand for the equipment needed to manufacture new drive assemblies have been corrected upwards. The change from conventional combustion engines to more economical, smaller and more efficient drive assemblies, in some cases with a hybrid element, has been in full swing in all markets. The best example is the S 250 CDI BlueEfficiency, the first four-cylinder engine in the almost 60-year history of the Mercedes S-Class. And this development has affected all markets. Not just in the Chinese market, which has for years been an important driving force in the automotive industry, but also in the North and South American market, the automotive industry has been enjoying rising demand and with that comes the call for new production equipment. The European market, in particular, has been investing − in a way not seen in years − in new production facilities for engines, gearboxes and lightweight drive train components.
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GROB has taken concerted action and is well prepared GROB made good use of the last few difficult years and prepared fully for what would follow. During the global economic crisis, GROB made hardly any production related downsizing and so now, at a time of high demand, the company is able to make the most of a full staffed company. In fact, because
demand is now so high, even our company is coming up against personnel related limits. As GROB, with its worldwide production network and sales and service organizations, has traditionally enjoyed stability, the company has been closely involved in the process of readjustment within the automotive industry and worked on many worthwhile projects.
GROB sales moving in new directions Because of the international growth in the automotive industry, the GROB Group‘s worldwide sales network now finds itself in a completely new situation. Our aim, which is to serve existing customers in all the main markets and to develop important projects for the drive assemblies of the future, has not altered. It is the volumes, which are now completely different. At the moment, the GROB Group‘s plans are to more than double sales. The strategic realignment required for this will be relentlessly implemented across all plants. And our new factory in Dalian/China will be ready in time to play an important part in the expansion phase. With production scheduled to start in February 2012, the first firm orders for manufacturing equipment in China are already being scheduled. Given the high worldwide recognition of our products among nearly all engine manufacturers, the GROB Group is now perfectly positioned to deploy the strengths of its international production network and to fulfill most orders. After the strategic expansion of all GROB plants, GROB Sales now has an excellent opportunity to take on projects of varying sizes, to prioritize and to meet the toughest of delivery dates – the GROB Group‘s main strength. Strategy and management meeting in 2011 GROB‘s annual strategy and management meeting took place against the background of the company‘s realignment plans. This get together assembled managers and departmental heads
from all GROB plants and branches. The fourth such meeting took place early in the year in Mindelheim. There, for the first time, were the general manager of our new Chinese plant in Dalian, Eugen Nägele, and the branch manager at GROB Russia, Dimitry Akulin. The aim of the meeting was to discuss the future direction of the group, taking special account of the different markets and any particular, regional factors. This is the best way to incorporate country specific, operational strategies into GROB‘s global strategy. Other issues under discussion at this year‘s international meeting were the newly established GROB businesses in Dalian, China, and in Russia, GROB‘s direction in India and the expansion and alterations at the Mindelheim headquarters. GROB branches in India and Russia in transition The best examples of what the strategic realignment means in practice for GROB Sales are to be found in India and in Russia. So that we can be even closer to our customers and partners and operate more efficiently, our still relatively new branch, GROB Machine Tools India Pvt. Ltd., has moved its offices from Chennai to Hyderabad. The office in Chennai was established three years ago as a sales and service branch supporting a major customer, but it was not located centrally enough for other GROB customers. As demand has been growing and we have seen further market penetration, a decision was made to move to a more strategic location. Currently working in the 250 sq.m GROB office in Hyderabad are branch manager L. J. Naidu, service manager U. S. Rao and three other service engineers. They are supported by
two colleagues in administrative roles. By opening up this branch in Hyderabad, GROB Sales have created for the long term the right preconditions to exploit the huge potential of the Indian automotive industry.
Full order books The many orders received from across the continents provide confirmation that, thanks to new sales plans and strong, forward-looking expansion strategy, we are proving to be highly competitive. During the first four months (March to June) of this financial year, the GROB Group has already taken orders worth 500 million Euros. And here too a large proportion of the orders came from China. These orders originated either from German-Chinese joint venture partners or Chinese OEMs. And a large number also came from German automotive manufacturers. GROB‘s trade fair round opens in Leipzig The trade fair program for 2011 started in Leipzig. GROB had in its first appearance at intec in Leipzig, where it showcased the G350 with its newly developed,
GROB stand at the Metalloobrabotka 2011
high speed motor spindle. „For GROB, a presence at intec was very important,“ said Peter Hermanns, GROB‘s Director of Sales for Standard Machines in reference to the company‘s Leipzig première. „First of all we were able to find a suitable partner in the valuable market of Saxony and Thuringia, thereby successfully completing our German sales network. Furthermore, by showcasing our company in Leipzig, we were taking the first and important step towards gaining a foothold in the new states of eastern Germany. We at GROB have recognized the growing significance of this region, which is Germany‘s fourth most important region for machine engineering and it also serves as a gateway to the neighboring Eastern European countries on our borders.“ On day two, a Lower Saxony-based company placed a firm order for a G350.
Important machine tool trade fair in Russia The Metallobrobotka in Moscow followed straight on from the Leipzig fair. For years Metallobrobotka has been the largest machine tool fair for Russia and the adjoining Baltic states. GROB was present there with the Dr. Akulin‘s new team, supported by the sales department from Mindelheim and our own booth. A broad range of customers expressed great interest in GROB machine tools and some worthwhile discussions were held with representatives from the Russian automotive and truck industry. Both segments of the vehicle industry can look forward to good growth in Russia in the coming years. A development, for which GROB with its product program and hard work by our ILM agency, is well prepared. May we at this point wish Mr. Akulin and his team every success and good luck.
Our standard machine chief officer says farewell
To meet our customers‘ high expectations in terms of quantity and quality, market requirements and the huge demand, the GROB group has introduced a wide range of measures to raise its delivery capacity. Now, precisely because of the new GROB machine program, the standardized G-modules, the new automation systems with linear gantries, the loading and unloading systems, the part changers and the standardized clamping devices, the GROB Group is able to complete major orders in close cooperation with other plants. This gives us one supreme advantage over competitors: we can be extremely flexible and customer oriented even when dealing with very large orders.
GROB started this year‘s round of trade fairs at intec in Leipzig
Mr. Wankmiller and Dr. Akulin hail the official formation certificate for GROB Russia
Rudi Dreer, the man who was at the helm of GROB‘s standard machine business in its early years, retired in the spring of 2011. As the director of GROB‘s standard machine department, he was the driving force behind the growth of this market segment when it was in its infancy. For ten years, he worked freelance for GROB as field sales agent, but then in 2007, he was brought fully on board and given the challenge of building up the standard machine business. The German sales network is now in place, and GROB‘s standard machines are now well established on the international market. His successor, Peter Hermanns, was able, at an early stage, to plan for a seamless handover of
While an existing branch in India was realigning its strategy, at the end of April 2011 the GROB Group was opening a new sales and service branch in Moscow. Working alongside branch manager, D. Akulin, are three service technicians and a clerk with administrative and customer care responsibilities.
Upper management and sales managers from all GROB plants at the strategy and management meeting
During its first year, our newly established branch here will be mainly concerned with meeting the needs of our major Avtodizel project in Jaroslavl. But in the years ahead, there is huge potential in the Russian market too, not just in the automobile industry, but also in general machine tools.
the department. We wish Peter every success in the further expansion of our standard business.
Rudolf Dreer put the standard machine on the right track
Advert for the G350 at the Metalloobrabotka
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Edition
01/11
01/11
GROB Group The GROB Group strives for rapid growth in North and South America
The North American automotive industry is emerging from the financial crisis and order books in Brazil are filling up with some valuable, automotive-related orders. GROB plants in Bluffton and Sao Paulo are clearly in good shape for the forthcoming turnaround and they expect to achieve a secure level of production output by the end of 2012. The crisis in the North American and South American automotive industry is finally over. The recovery did not come to North America until the fall of 2010; South America had to wait until the spring of 2011. This was somewhat later than Europe, but now both markets have rediscovered a new and distinctive dynamism. Carried along by the low US dollar and the growth in the automotive market,
GROB do Brazil focusing on the domestic market Because the Brazilian currency is strong compared to the dollar and the euro, the export market is proving very difficult. Making profits from exports has been very hard, so the company has been focusing most of its energy on the domestic market. There are clear differences between the
And not just that. Both factories have in recent months made fundamental changes to their production processes for the manufacturing and assembly of our G-module range. Included on the new production schedule for the 2011 delivery program are almost only G-modules. This is a far reaching reorganization with serious implications for logistics and inventories and involving modifications to the supply process. Last but not least, the scheduling of materials, the changeover process at our suppliers and the supply of standard components from Germany have all had a huge influence on purchasing and production control procedures.
This overarching production system is only possible because, as well as operating the joint G-module product program, all departments involved in the process within the GROB Group communicate with one another very closely and exchange data about projects and machines. Forming the basis for this detailed exchange of information is the worldwide GROB communications network. It is used for tele- and video-conferencing on a weekly basis. Practically all company departments take part in the conferences. It could be quotations in sales, drawings in mechanical design, software in electrical design, improve-
systems business and the standard business in the Brazilian marketplace. In the systems business, GROB do Brasil enjoys almost total dominance in South America. When bidding on major projects, our Brazilian plant is usually competing against foreign companies, who have to overcome a state imposed import tax of 14 percent. More proof that our owner‘s decision to move into the Brazilian market 55 years ago was a wise one. At the moment, though, the situation in the standard machine business is quite different. Prices are still at 2009 levels and there is a surplus of machines on the market.
Brazilian advertising for the G550
the North American automotive industry is now generating jobs. Even in Brazil the automotive industry is looking forward with optimism. The automotive market in Brazil is expanding. Hopes are high that a target of 3.5 million vehicles sold will be exceeded already this year– and that figure would be almost 20 percent more than the previous year. All in all, the conditions are right for a further increase in company sales in these markets.
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The GROB plants in Sao Paulo und Bluffton are both in excellent shape But on its own a booming automotive industry in North and South America would not necessarily have kept the plants in Sao Paulo and Bluffton busy. Both GROB factories have used the crisis of recent years to streamline and restructure. After an adjustment to employee numbers in 2009, at the start of last year both organizations took steps to reconfigure departments and review processes. These changes were vital. As the economic situation improved, we were able – now with a strong workforce in both factories – to handle the rapid increase in sales and to accept valuable orders.
Grob Do Brasil – making a strong showing at the Feimafe in Sao Paulo
Streamlining and strengthening the GROB plant network The streamlining programs for improving productivity do not just impact the factories themselves, but they also affect the whole GROB plant network. Since the middle of last year Mindelheim, Sao Paulo and Bluffton have been collaborating much more closely. Together they form a network, which allows very large orders to be shared among the three plants. Depending on the place of delivery, part shipments can be completed in one of the subsidiary plants and then supplied directly to customers.
ments in manufacturing and assembly − all such issues and problems are communicated, exchanged and resolved on a worldwide basis. Even commercial matters, such as costings, SAP links, delivery and production programs are discussed in this way. This exchange of thoughts and ideas only works over the long term when there has been very thorough, structured preparatory work and a very disciplined assessment of all the issues. After many months of continuous collaboration, now much improved, the advantages of the new plant network are just beginning to materialize.
The GPS team in Sao Paulo successfully accepted the new challenge
Job rotation for information at first hand Another important factor in the information and communication flow at GROB is the increasing use of management and employee exchanges among the three production plants. Staff in the G-PS department (GROB Production System) at Mindelheim have supported our colleagues in Sao Paulo in the implementation of the new production system, which was successfully rolled out at the start of this year. „We benefit hugely from the experience of our Mindelheim colleagues,“ says Christian Müller, VicePresident at GROB do Brasil and executive with responsibility for sales and planning, who understands the main benefits of close collaboration. „They have vast experience accrued over ten years and can help us in the quest for even greater productivity.“ New processes, mainly in production control, configurations in SAP and purchasing procedures, were introduced in line with the Mindelheim model and immediately implemented on
our production lines. A wide variety of departments were affected, but primarily the sheet metal fabrication, assembly, storage and manufacturing. G-PS measures from Mindelheim, such as the streamlining of material flow and the reduction in material stocks, are now being implemented hands on in Sao Paulo. Production measures, such as the implementation of the 5S method and the Manufacturing Execution System (MES), are currently being introduced in manufacturing and in the sheet metal fabrication department. The next stage will see the launch of the same measures in Bluffton, Ohio. Because of the massive increase in orders at our Bluffton plant, there were serious space shortages in the pre assembly and final assembly halls during the spring of 2011. Even the former aircraft hangar is in full use as a storage and assembly area. During the winter months the delivery zone between the production plant and the annex had to be rapidly covered and incorporated into the existing plant configuration. We were therefore able to acquire in Bluffton, at a relatively low cost, an additional 1,500 sq.m of plant space. But more plant space for final assembly is still urgently needed, so planning for the construction of another assembly plant has already started. Coordinated investment offensive launched to secure the order book Now that the production programs have been coordinated, all production facili-
ties at our three locations also have to be coordinated and adjusted accordingly. From the production point of view, only then can we be sure of achieving a sales volume of a billion Euros. In order to be able to manufacture important assemblies, such as guide beds, cross-slides and clamping fixtures, etc., at all three locations with the same quality and in the right quantities, GROB has put in place an investment program for 2011, whereby funds are to be channeled into the design and construction of special machinery for our own production purposes. The plan is that the first machines will be in the plants and production ready early in 2012. This investment is being supported by a coordinated sales program, which can currently guarantee full production capacity by at least the end of 2012. But manning levels in Sao Paulo and Bluffton will have to be adjusted upwards so that this new objective is met. Over the next few months, a series of intensive training sessions will be held. During this year GROB Systems will be offering many more training places and also for the first time running courses for „industrial electronic engineers“. Unified product program across all plants The entire streamlining process has been introduced in the two subsidiary plants, but to strict guidelines from Mindelheim. Since the start of this year, in all three factories, GROB has been offering and selling only standardized G-modules based on the agreed Mindelheim model. Now there is just the G-module product program, but supplemented by the automated systems needed for loading and unloading the machines and by the program for modular special purpose machines. Excellent prospects for the coming years In 2009 and 2010, when the going was tougher, the GROB Group made good use of that time and prepared well for the tasks that lay ahead. Given their production facilities, the well developed skills of their workforce and the carefully targeted product program, GROB plants, especially in Sao Paulo for the South American market and in Bluffton for the North American market, are now well placed to meet market requirements. Thanks to the always clear and unambiguous strategy outlined by the parent company in Mindelheim, over the next few years we can achieve an unprecedented increase in sales in all
plants. Despite the enormity of the task and the challenges that lie ahead in the markets, our subsidiaries in Sao Paulo and Bluffton are still making − in their own way – a considerable contribution to the construction of our new plant in Dalian, China. A new member joins the network Our fourth production plant, GROB Dalian, will start operations in February 2012. At the moment all the construction work on the administration building and the production plant is going ahead on schedule. Planning work on the 2012 production schedule for GROB Dalian is under way now that the first firm orders have been received. Procurement of all the materials necessary for manufacture and assembly is taking place. We are currently seeking local Chinese suppliers and business partners and have already appointed a good number of Chinese employees, who are currently undergoing training in China and Mindelheim. The manufacturing strategy and production processes we intend to use in Dalian are exactly the same as those we now use in Mindelheim, Sao Paulo and Bluffton. All the planning work and investment in the production facilities is geared towards a situation, in which the new factory will, after only a short time, be fully selfsufficient.
GROB employees from China on the training program in Mindelheim
The Dalian factory will in future produce machinery and systems for the Chinese market and neighboring countries, e.g. South Korea. But our newest subsidiary will in the early years need considerable support not just from Mindelheim, but also from Sao Paulo and Bluffton. But the job will be done collaboratively by the GROB Group, as if it were one large family.
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Edition
01/11
We‘re here for you - all around the world
GROB RUSSLAND Moscow, Russia
GROB MACHINE TOOLS Wellesbourne, Great Britain
GROB-WERKE Mindelheim, Germany GROB MACHINE TOOLS Beijing, China GROB SYSTEMS Bluffton, Ohio, USA
GROB MACHINE TOOLS Dalian, China GROB KOREA Seoul, South Korea
GROB MACHINE TOOLS Shanghai, China GROB MEXICO Querétaro, Mexico GROB MACHINE TOOLS Hyderabad, India
B. GROB DO BRASIL São Paulo, Brazil
Mindelheim plant
São Paulo plant
Bluffton plant
Dalian plant
GROB-WERKE GmbH & Co. KG Mindelheim, Germany Tel.: +49 8261 996-0 Fax: +49 8261 996-268 E-Mail:
[email protected]
B. GROB DO BRASIL S.A. São Paulo, Brazil Tel.: +55 11 436791-00 Fax: +55 11 436791-01 E-Mail:
[email protected]
GROB SYSTEMS, INC. Bluffton, Ohio, U.S.A. Tel.: +1 419 3589015 Fax: +1 419 3693331 E-Mail:
[email protected]
GROB MACHINE TOOLS (DALIAN) Co. Ltd. Dalian, V.R. CHINA Tel: +86 411 32918788 Fax: +86 411 32918790 E-Mail:
[email protected]
GROB KOREA Co. Ltd. Seoul, South Korea Tel.: +82 31 804131-30 E-Mail:
[email protected]
GROB MACHINE TOOLS (BEIJING) Co. Ltd. Beijing, V.R. CHINA Tel.: +86 10 648037-11 E-Mail:
[email protected]
GROB MACHINE TOOLS (BEIJING) Co. Ltd. Shanghai, V.R. CHINA Tel.: +86 21 37633018 E-Mail:
[email protected]
GROB MACHINE TOOLS INDIA Pvt. Ltd. Hyderabad, India Tel.: +91 40 42014691 E-Mail:
[email protected]
GROB RUSSLAND GMBH Moscow, Russia Tel.: +7 495 6240586 E-Mail:
[email protected]
GROB MACHINE TOOLS U.K. Ltd. Wellesbourne, Great Britain Tel.: +44 1789 470047 E-Mail:
[email protected]
GROB MEXICO S.A. de C.V. Querétaro, Mexico Tel.: +52 442 2095241 E-Mail:
[email protected]
PUBLICATION DETAILS - GROB INTERNATIONAL EDITION 01/11 PUBLISHER: GROB-WERKE GmbH & Co. KG, Mindelheim
TEXT: Robert A. Thiem, Agentur T M E, www.tme.at
CONTACT: Marketing & PR, Tel.: +49 8261 996-9734, Fax: +49 8261 996-441,
[email protected]
DESIGN AND REALIZATION: inpublic Werbung & PR GmbH, Innsbruck, www.inpublic.at
PHOTOS: GROB-WERKE GmbH & Co. KG Mindelheim Robert A. Thiem, Agentur T M E Dieter Rebmann, Rebmann Photography
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