Grob-Werke: Banks on new technologies

Grobe-Werke is one of the global players in the development and manufacturing of machines and production lines. Its customers include the world’s most prestigious car manufacturers, their suppliers and many other renowned companies from various industries. With production plants in Mindelheim (Germany), Bluffton, Ohio (USA), São Paulo (Brazil) and Dalian (China), and worldwide service and sales subsidiaries, the company is represented around the globe. The GROB Group, with a workforce of about 6,600 employees, generates worldwide revenue of over 1.3 billion euros.

Its portfolio ranges from universal machining centers to highly-complex manufacturing systems with own automation function through to manual assembly stations and to fully-automated assembly lines. Furthermore, production plants for electric motors and assembly lines for battery and fuel cell technology are part of its product range. GROB engineers are delivering solutions for the technology involved in spraying engine components, in cutting high-strength turbine housings and machining structural and chassis components. By developing GROB-NET4Industry, its proprietary industrial software for the digitalization and networking of production systems, GROB is taking a giant leap into the digital future.

Glorious past
The success story of GROB-WERKE began back in 1926 when the company was founded by Ernst Grob, who was producing folding boats, weaving machines and stationary combustion engines at that time.

In 1952, Burkhart Grob, the son of the founder, assumed responsibility for the company almost completely destroyed during the war and was able to forge the link to the emerging automotive industry with high-quality and technologically-convincing production machines. In 1968, the Mindelheim plant was built and the company’s headquarters was relocated from Munich to Mindelheim.

Besides the parent plant in Mindelheim, the plants in Bluffton (USA), São Paulo (Brazil) and Dalian (People’s Republic of China) are part of the production network of GROB-WERKE. This production network is expanded through thirteen sales and service branches in South Korea, China, India, Russia, Great Britain, Hungary, Mexico, Italy, Poland, Switzerland, the Netherlands and the USA to guarantee the best service quality.

Even after Dr. Burkhart Grob passed away in May 2016, the future of the family company has been strictly set out. Christian Grob takes the company into the third generation as the new Supervisory Board Chairman. Even at this early stage, the next generation is being prepared for future tasks.

By purchasing DMG meccanica in January 2017, GROB has acquired a strong partner in the field of electromobility. GROB now also acts as a developer of system concepts for electromobility, which is a future-facing step for expanding the existing product range of highly-efficient manufacturing and assembly plants. In January 2018, DMG meccanica was renamed GROB Italy S.r.l.

Product and service spectrum
The product range of GROB-WERKE GmbH & Co. KG can be divided into the following areas:
System solutions and special-purpose machines: Machining centers or flexible manufacturing systems are designed specifically for the customer’s part. Offering so-called turn-key solutions, GROB provides the required planning, engineering, manufacturing and commissioning on site at customers’ facilities – everything from a single source. In most cases, these systems consist of modular machining centers and special-purpose machines that are interlinked with the latest automation solutions. Typical parts are for example cylinder heads, crankcases, transmission case and housings for auxiliary units of the engine.

Universal machining centers: The machining centers are mainly operated as stand-alone machines but are also available with automation solutions. They are typically used in the aerospace, automotive and medical industries, in tool and mold industries and in case of felxible contract manufacturers.
Assembly technology: All assembly stations and assembly lines for the automotive industry are individually planned, designed and custom-built according to specific customer requirements. The systems are used for semi-automatic or fully automatic assembly of assemblies equipped with a variety of robot cells and measuring and test stations. They are typically used for example for the assembly of engines or manual transmissions for passenger cars and trucks.

Assembly systems for electromobility: As a general contractor, GROB offers machines, automation systems and purchase components for electromobility as well as the required management expertise. From stator and rotor assembly through to final assembly, we deliver a modular and reliable plant concept for high-output electric motor manufacture.

Into the Future
At GROB-WERKE, the development of new technologies has been a key element of the company’s success since the very beginning. New technologies that set benchmarks in the mechanical engineering sector are continuously emerging. The G550TS thermal spraying system developed by GROB thus expands the production chain for cylinder crankcases. GROB has also developed a motorized spindle with cross-feed – an outstanding concept for the complete machining of turbine housings on the machining center. The company is taking a giant leap into the digital future with the proprietary software GROB-NET4Industry, developed for the digitalization and networking of production processes.