The slogan for the United Grinding Group was also its motto at this year’s EMO Hannover: United for Your Success.
The group celebrated its 30th anniversary and announced its partnership with Transaction-Network, as well as introducing three new product innovations in grinding and measuring technology.
This year’s EMO Hannover 2023 was a showcase for the latest technologies from the manufacturing industry. United Grinding Group was again prominently represented this year and presented several innovations.
With a focus on customer care, United Grinding featured a total of 16 machines on display at EMO Hannover 2023. Visitors to the booth were able to inform themselves about all the products and services available to sustain efficient production over the complete lifecycle of their machines.
Attendees were able to experience the following new innovations live:
- BLOHM, the specialist for surface and profile grinding machines, presented the UNIMATE workpiece automation system for the PLANOMAT XT, a more precise and productive solution for the internal machining of hydraulic motor stators. The new vertical grinding configuration offers numerous advantages for this application. And the automatization solution developed specifically for this purpose contributes to higher productivity.
- STUDER presented a universal automation solution for the S33 and S31 cylindrical grinding machines: the new insertLoad loading system. This new standardized loading system can handle horizontal- and vertical-oriented workpieces and load the parts between centers and into a chuck.
- And WALTER, a leading manufacturer of machine tools, presented the innovative “Laser Contour Check” measuring system for the first time at EMO. This combines a new type of blue laser with an intelligent measuring system and is used for highly accurate, contact-free measurement of various parameters on cylindrical cutting tools directly in the working area of the grinding or eroding machines.
The United Grinding Group used this year’s EMO Hannover as an opportunity to announce its partnership with Transaction-Network. The customer portal developed by the company with the same name can be used to order spare parts, open service tickets, or maintain the machine file. The portal proactively supports customers in service processes and provides 24/7 access to all important master data, documentation, and the history of their machines. This takes the digitalization of after-sales service to a new level and further simplifies the work of the users.
Since United Grinding is not the only user of this digital platform, and other machine manufacturers can use it, too, the portal can be implemented across a range of machine tool brands. The implementation of the portal at machine manufacturers allows them to digitalize the delivery of information, rapid spare parts supply, and fast processing of service requests in an uncomplicated manner.
“A manufacturer-independent customer portal offers users many advantages, such as uniform logins and user interfaces,” said Paul Kössl, global head of business development and customer care. “In Transaction-Network, we have found the ideal partner to expand our digital after-sales offering. We are so convinced by this solution and the cooperation with Transaction-Network that we have acquired shares in the company beyond the licensing.”
“The United Grinding Group is the ideal partner for us,” said Gerd Bart, founder and managing director of Transaction-Network GmbH & Co. KG, based in Gottmadingen, Baden-Württemberg, Germany. “We can best demonstrate the performance and advantages of our portal with the rather high complexity of this group.” Thanks to the open architecture and the DataX data integration platform developed by Transaction-Network, the portal was quickly and flexibly integrated into the existing IT infrastructure at United Grinding in just a few weeks. It provides an overview of all machines across all brands and customers of the group. “The advantage for the customer increases additionally, if machines from other manufacturers are also connected to the portal,” said Bart.
United Grinding Group not only had new products and a new partnership to celebrate, but also a 30-year anniversary.
The history of the United Grinding Group goes back to 1993, a time when the global economy was in crisis. Körber AG, which is owned by a foundation, had invested in the development and expansion of the Schleifring Group – as it was then known – during this turbulent period. The vision of the technology group, headquartered in Hamburg, Germany, was to bring together companies with similar business models and technologies to form a powerful group that would support and cooperate with each other for the benefit of its customers.
Twenty years later and under the leadership of Stephan Nell, CEO of the United Grinding Group, the group had made significant progress toward this goal. At EMO Hannover 2013, the group presented itself under its current name (United Grinding Group) and with a uniform corporate design, which also includes the machine design. “For the first time, it became visible to the outside world that we were one group,” said Nell. This visual togetherness also had an internal effect. Cooperation within the group was greatly intensified, application and technical know-how were systematically exchanged, and infrastructure and international subsidiaries were jointly established and expanded.
Six years later, the cooperation within the Group reached another peak with the development of the cross-brand C.O.R.E. technology. The development of such an innovative and complex technology could not have been accomplished by a single company in this form.
“We pulled together the know-how and experience of all the software and mechanical engineering experts from our entire group,” said Nell. “And, of course, the investment was also borne by all the companies in the group, which was not insignificant, as you can imagine. Research and development have always been an important issue for us. If we want to make our customers more successful, we also have to offer the best available technology – not only today’s, but also tomorrow’s as well. And that’s why we invest the same amount in research and development every year — regardless of the economy.”
A successful and long-term customer relationship is not only based on the latest technology. It is also based on shared values, a trusting and appreciative approach to one another, open and honest communication, and reliability.
The strategy and vision developed in 1993 remain. “Together with our nine brands, our different competences, our common values, our broad know-how, and our numerous international subsidiaries, we as a group combine an incomparable strength that we use every day for the success of our customers. Or in short: United for Your Success,” said Nell.
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