Page 58 - MTW JANUARY 2022 Digital Magazine

MANUFACTURING INNOVATION 2022

demand for machinery and equipment
from the automotive and supplier
industries increased significantly from
September onwards and the market
situation improved solidly. We also
successfully continued production without
any major interruptions.

Q. What’s your vision for the
coming fiscal to stay ahead,
braving the challenges posed to
GROB Technology & Application Centre for Electromobility in Mindelheim, Germany
the industry?
future. Currently, GROB-NET4Industry are increasing significantly. We expect In order to ensure constant capacity
applications can be used for the Siemens, to reach our capacity limits again very utilization at our production plants and to
Heidenhain, Fanuc and Beckhoff control quickly and return to a growth trajectory. meet the high demands of the industry,
systems. Even if machines have no As a result, new investments in hall GROB locations are being given a clear
control system or are very old, they can infrastructure will be made worldwide reorientation with a strategy that applies
be connected with the so-called IIoT kits in GROB Group. We recently laid the to all plants and subsidiaries. Subdivided
(Industrial Internet of Things). foundation for a second plant in Dalian, into the three areas of systems business,
Since GROB-NET4Industry has been China. New construction plans exist universal machining centers, and
successfully used in the machining sector for India near Bangalore, and there are electromobility with focus on e-motor and
for years, GROB has started digitalization expansion plans for our headquarters battery, clear targets were agreed. The
in electromobility as well: Complex in Mindelheim and our production plant implementation of these goals is discussed
processes and systems with a high output in Bluffton, Ohio. We have developed a weekly with the individual locations.
require different software solutions than clear vision for the future, creating a solid Since we have significantly expanded
machining, with a particular focus on the foundation for securing our leadership. our product portfolio and customer base,
digital recording of process and quality we have to plan much more precisely
data. GROB meets these requirements Q. How was the year that went by than in the past. Especially with the shift
and develops under high pressure new for your organisation? Were you to e-mobility, we are looking at new
software applications for electromobility forced to make any amendment in components, such as frame structural
systems to be used by both the customer your operating philosophy in the parts and battery housings. The newly
and for commissioning and quality wake of the pandemic? established GROB ‘Centers of Excellence’
assurance of our own production lines. In the course of the past year, capacity and the ‘Business Development’
utilization at our main plant in Mindelheim department team are providing additional
Q. What steps do you take to has improved continuously. Whereas in support for the change with their technical
maintain your leadership position? the first few months we still had major expertise. With this strategy and goal
We are happy to note that market gaps in our production program and in firmly in mind, we are well prepared for the
conditions are improving and requests some cases even a significant underload, challenges of the upcoming year.

GROB Robot Cell (GRC)

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