{"id":12935,"date":"2024-03-13T10:38:24","date_gmt":"2024-03-13T03:38:24","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/manufacturing-review.com\/?p=12935"},"modified":"2024-03-13T10:38:24","modified_gmt":"2024-03-13T03:38:24","slug":"studer-achieves-successful-fiscal-year-2023-was-able-to-increase-its-sales-and-gain-market-share-in-many-regions","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/manufacturing-review.com\/en\/studer-achieves-successful-fiscal-year-2023-was-able-to-increase-its-sales-and-gain-market-share-in-many-regions\/","title":{"rendered":"STUDER Achieves Successful Fiscal Year 2023 was able to increase its sales and gain market share in many regions."},"content":{"rendered":"

STUDER Achieves Successful Fiscal Year 2023 was able to increase its sales and gain market share in many regions.<\/strong><\/p>\n

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\"\"From left: Jens Bleher \u2013 CEO, Stephan Stoll – COO, Daniel Huber – CTO, Sandro Bottazzo – CSO<\/em><\/p>\n

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This year\u2019s press conference of Fritz Studer AG was under the motto the \u201cSound of STUDER\u201d. \u201cThe recently completed fiscal year 2023, notably the year of our 111th anniversary, was extremely successful,\u201d said STUDER\u2019s CEO, Jens Bleher<\/strong>, in front of about in Steffisburg. Despite the globally challenging investment environment, the manufacturer of precision cylindrical grinding machines was again able to increase its sales. Especially in key markets like the USA and China sales developed positively. Asia was, as in previous years, the largest single region followed by Central Europe and North America.<\/p>\n

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Consistent investments in product development and site infrastructure have paid off. \u201cWe have turned our announcements into reality and used the time to improve our market position and strengthen ourselves for the future in the long term,\u201d he said. STUDER was able to gain market share in many regions of the world. Moreover, the new sales record in the Customer Care segment was very pleasing. Bleher took it as a positive sign for the upcoming fiscal year that the order situation developed exceptionally well towards the end of the year.<\/p>\n

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Although the development of incoming orders was weaker in individual markets, such as Germany, China, and some Asian countries, other parts of the world saw positive results. \u201cWe achieved good results in many countries and even posted a new record order intake in some,\u201d said Sandro Bottazzo, CSO at STUDER.<\/strong><\/p>\n

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Small and Medium-sized Enterprises Trust in STUDER<\/strong><\/p>\n

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Measured by customer segments, the aerospace industry once again generated the largest increase in new orders. This industry has now overtaken the declining automotive and supplier industry. The \u201cTool\u201d segment remained below expectations. The largest individual segment, as in the prior year, is \u201cprecision engineering,\u201d which is dominated by contract manufacturers. \u201cI am very pleased that our grinding machines are so highly trusted by small and medium-sized enterprises, and that this segment remains strategically important for us,\u201d explained Bottazzo. The \u201cmechanical engineering\u201d and \u201cdie & mold\u201d segments also maintained their important positions. Additionally, the increasing demand for precision cylindrical grinding machines in the semiconductor industry was very pleasing.<\/p>\n

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Record Sales in Customer Care<\/strong><\/p>\n

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For STUDER, an internationally positioned manufacturer of precision cylindrical grinding machines, maintaining a broad portfolio remained of particular importance in 2023. Incoming orders for CNC universal cylindrical grinding machines were very solid. The machine with the highest volume was the S33, followed by the favoritCNC, the S31, the S41, and the favorit. \u201cWhen it comes to internal cylindrical grinding machines, it was the third-best year for incoming orders in the company\u2019s history for the S131,\u201d said Bottazzo. Orders for the new S100 internal cylindrical grinding machine were also very pleasing and exceeded targets.<\/p>\n

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Customer Care developed very positively. \u201cHere we were able to set a sales record for the second consecutive year,\u201d said Bottazzo. This applies to all business areas: from maintenance and service, to spare parts and overhauls. Particularly pleasing was the development in Eastern Europe, where STUDER now performs service with its own skilled personnel in the Czech Republic, Slovakia, Poland, and Hungary.<\/p>\n

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Globally, STUDER participated in about 30 trade shows, and open houses. In addition to CIMT in Beijing and EMO in Hanover, the open house at UNITED GRINDING North America was particularly successful. At EMO 2023, STUDER was able to present at one trade show three automation solutions for the first time in its history with the new insertLoad loader as well as the roboLoad and uniLoad.<\/p>\n

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Important Developments in Spindles and Automation<\/strong><\/p>\n

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In 2023, the focus for STUDER remained on the development and advancement of state-of-the-art grinding technologies for the benefit of its customers. The S36 production external cylindrical grinding machine is particularly suitable for components related to e-mobility. \u201cNow our customers can use all spindle variants and automation solutions without restrictions on the S36,\u201d said CTO Daniel Huber<\/strong>. Thanks to the new, powerful grinding spindle with 25 kW (33 hp), it is possible to use particularly wide grinding wheels up to 160 mm (6.3 inches). A new option is high-speed grinding with CBN or diamond grinding wheels. With the fully compatible easyLoad and uniLoad loading systems, customers can highly automate their production with the S36.<\/p>\n

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Huber was pleased with the success of the new S100 internal cylindrical grinding machine. It has established itself in the entry-level segment for internal grinding, analogous to the favoritCNC in external grinding. Thanks to last year\u2019s development, the S100 now has a new, powerful dressing spindle (\u00d8 58), which is also planned for further models in the future.<\/p>\n

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Customers can eagerly anticipate new features in the successor machine to the popular favoritCNC : for example, an angle display of the wheelhead, the popular QuickSet setup function, and a conventional mode as a manual grinding cycle that efficiently allows for the manual grinding of workpieces without any programming.<\/p>\n

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New Features Announced for C.O.R.E.<\/strong><\/p>\n

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A particular focus in development in 2023 was also on C.O.R.E., the revolutionary hardware and software architecture of UNITED GRINDING. \u201cThe C.O.R.E. touch operating panel already allows an unprecedented level of intuitive use, and soon there will be a customizable interface, where operators can define and save their workspace,\u201d explained Huber. Data collection and analysis, as well as new sensors and instruments, were also a focus.<\/p>\n

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The CTO then provided an outlook for the future. \u201cThe issue of sustainability continues to be important for us,\u201d he said. The SmartJet\u00ae cooling system developed by STUDER, already significantly reduces the need for coolant and energy in the grinding process, setting new industry standards. Huber also sees great potential in the semiconductor industry. Demand for high-performance semiconductors is rising due to e-mobility and photovoltaics. STUDER\u2019s S41 CNC universal cylindrical grinding machine with in-situ X-ray measuring head sets the standard in wafer manufacturing and is extremely successful in the market.<\/p>\n

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\u201cIn the long term, only the machine manufacturers who offer intelligent and efficient machines incorporating the latest technology can be successful,\u201d summarized the CTO, reflecting on the extensive development activities over the past year.<\/p>\n

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STUDER Ensures Competitive Delivery Times<\/strong><\/p>\n

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For Operations, Stephan Stoll, COO of STUDER<\/strong>, provided an overview. \u201cThe production-mix of the machines manufactured has shifted to more complex systems in 2023,\u201d he said. Due to active procurement management and the normalization of global supply chains, orders were completed on time. Stoll positively assessed the implementation of the joint production strategy within the UNITED GRINDING Group, which provided STUDER with good utilization.<\/p>\n

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Key operational projects included investments in automated manufacturing tools and state-of-the-art test stands. STUDER is one of the few grinding machine manufacturers to produce its own high-quality spindles. The expertise for these strategically important machine components was specifically expanded. Comprehensive structural and logistical measures were further invested in Steffisburg and in the internal grinding competence center in Biel for these prerequisites and further growth.<\/p>\n

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STUDER Connected to the District Heating Network<\/strong><\/p>\n

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Sustainability also played a significant role. \u201cSince February 2023, the Steffisburg site has been connected to the local district heating network, thus heating all buildings in an environmentally friendly way,\u201d explained Stoll. Furthermore, the conversion of all buildings to LED lighting is largely complete. Overall, energy consumption and CO2 emissions have significantly decreased.<\/p>\n

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The COO also gave an outlook for the coming fiscal year. \u201cAfter the considerable investments of the past years, the redesign of our logistics processes and warehouse infrastructure is now imminent,\u201d said Stoll. The centerpiece of this project is a central logistics hub with a directly connected container warehouse. The higher efficiency of the fully automated warehouse system benefits the entire machine production and the handling of spare parts.<\/p>\n

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In conclusion, Jens Bleher emphasized the great importance of well-trained employees for the technology company. He was very pleased with the recent successes at the prestigious professional championships, SwissSkills. Last year, STUDER apprentices Luis Salzmann (1st place, design engineer EFZ) and Noah Rossel (2nd place, automation engineer EFZ) won the gold and silver medals with their outstanding performances. \u201cSTUDER is represented for the third time in a row at the WorldSkills. We are very proud of this, which confirms our extensive commitment to vocational training,\u201d said CEO Bleher.<\/p>\n

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New Universal Loading System: insertLoad<\/strong><\/p>\n

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The new insertLoad automation solutions supports the loading and unloading of S33 and S31 universal cylindrical grinding machines and can load workpieces between centers and into the chuck.<\/p>\n

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Where customized solutions were previously necessary, the new universal loading system from STUDER now enables standardized automation for loading and unloading the S33 and S31. insertLoad can be used for center distances of up to 1,000 millimeters (39.4 inches), thus closing a gap in standardized automation systems. The workpieces can be up to 100 millimeters (3.94 inches) long and weigh 1.5 kilogram (3.3 lbs) in alternating mode or 5 kilogram (11 lbs) in a single mode. The sophisticated design and the ease of use with the digital setup wizard allow users to configure this themselves for centers and chucks no programming knowledge is required. And insertLoad can handle workpieces that are stored either vertically or horizontally.<\/p>\n

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SWISS QUALITY AS A PRICE LEADER<\/strong><\/p>\n

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STUDER is internationally renowned for its high-end cylindrical grinding machines, but even with its entry-level machines, customers benefit from uncompromising quality and precision.<\/p>\n

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\u201cWe are continuously expanding our entry-level range for customers who appreciate STUDER quality and utmost precision but do not need all the features from the premium segment,\u201d says Sandro Bottazzo, CSO of Fritz Studer AG. He describes the philosophy behind the entry-level machines in the product range as \u201cuncompromising STUDER quality and precision at an entry-level price.\u201d Specifically, the machines in the entry-level segment include the favorit, favoritCNC, and S100 models.<\/p>\n

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Advantages of STUDER\u2019s Entry-level Machines:<\/strong><\/p>\n