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With durability and safety — once key aerospace challenges — guaranteed, the aerospace industry faces new and formidable challenges. Dr. Anton Binder, Executive Vice President of Corporate Development and Strategy with MTU Aero Engines, talks about the industry’s growth drivers and the challenges ahead.

AEROSPACE INDUSTRY:THE CHALLENGES AHEAD

The Global Customer Newspaper

MARKET REGION EuROpE 3

EDM TEChNOlOGy 14

lAsER TEChNOlOGy 15

MIllING TEChNOlOGy 14

Milling centersthat are upto any task

laser opensthe doors todifferentiation

leading theway in wire,die-sinking EDM

Tomorrow’ssolutionsavailable today

ENGlIshEDITION

07

+ SCHWANOG | 4-5skill, flexibilitysupport clear strategy

+ Aditek | 6-7 Quality, precision yield smiles worldwide

+ delpHi | 8-9 Continuous improvementis the top priority

+ C&J iNduStrieS | 10-11 Celebrating 50 years of success

+ Stepper | 12-13 At the forefront ofmodern tool making

+ fivecustomer successes

MTU Aero Engines, headquar-tered in Munich, is Germany’s leading aircraft engine manufac-turer. Engaged in the develop-ment, manufacture, marketing and support of commercial and military aircraft engines in all thrust and power categories as well as industrial gas turbines, MTU Aero Engines employs 8,500 people and has a global foot-print. MTU serves key aerospace players including GE Aviation and Pratt & Whitney.

Binder, educated as a mechanical engineer, has a 25-year history with the company, including five years in the aerodynamic design of turbines, and responsibility for two of MTU’s major divisions, commercial OEM engines busi-ness for 14 years and strategy. Binder was named Executive Vice President of Corporate Develop-ment and Strategy in July 2013.

“One important thing to keep in mind is this industry’s

extraordinary way of doing business: There is a significant investment that you must make at the beginning of any partnership, and you get the rewards back after 15 to 17 years. Because this is a long-term business, with an engine program lasting for 40 to 50 years, our relationships with our customers and suppliers are very important,” Binder explained.

Aerospace original equipment manufacturers demand reliability

and financial stability from their partners, including MTU.

“We must deliver on time, every time, and the quality must be perfect. We are committed not only to our customers, but also to public safety,” he said. “Reliability, financial stability, fast turnaround, customer- supplier relationship, and close-ness to the relevant market are especially important.”

BIG CHALLENGES AHEAD

The global commercial aviation industry, with a market value of nearly US $5 trillion, is poised to accommodate unprecedented growth in the coming decades, thanks to soaring travel demand driven by key megatrends: increasing globalization, rising gross domestic product, liberalization of air transport, and urbanization. In parallel, the industry is committed in the next two decades to reaching ambitious targets for boosting fuel efficiency and reducing aircraft weight, as well as reducing emissions of carbon dioxide, mono-nitrogen oxides, and noise levels.

“In the next 20 years, we antici-pate a global demand for 36,000 new aircraft ranging in size from 70 to 500-600 passengers, exclud-ing business jets. Multiple by two engines each, and you get the demand for engines,” said Binder.

THE ImPORTANT ROLE Of SUPPLIERS

From raw materials and finished parts to machinery, tools and engineering services, MTU Aero Engines depends on a broad network of suppliers to meet its partners’ demands for aero engines and MRO services. Binder believes that network will make important contributions to innovation toward meeting both demand and environmental targets.

“Innovation does not happen only at MTU; it also comes from suppliers of raw materials, machines and tools,” he said. “Our suppliers’ expertise about new materials and processes is important to us, so that interaction is becoming increasingly important.”

« We must deliver on time, every time, and the quality must be perfect. We are committed not only to our customers, but also to public safety. »Dr. Anton Binder, Executive Vice President of Corporate Development and Strategy, MTU Aero Engines

For more information, visit: www.mtu.de/en/

DEAR READERs,

Welcome to this latest edition of Results Today. In these pages, you will see how GF AgieCharmilles’ Milling, EDM, laser, Automation and Customer services solutions can help you realize your highest potential. From tool, mold and die making to the production of high-value precision parts, businesses of all sizes rely on us for application and process expertise and products.

Our customers in a wide range of industrial areas, like automotive, medtech, aerospace, information and communications technology, and electronic components, are always a step ahead of their competitors, thanks to our machines, Automation solutions and Customer services.

On the following pages, you will find expert insights about emerging trends as well as examples of successful customers who look to us as a global source of strength and an asset to their businesses.

Better than any other partner in the machine tool business, your GF AgieCharmilles team is positioned to help you take your business to the next level of success. “We put customers first” is one of our core values, and we endeavor to prove it to every customer, every day.

pascal Boillat,president, GF AgieCharmilles

EDITORIAl

GF AgieCharmilles | Results Today | 07

AEROspACE AND AERONAuTICs 2

“For GF AgieCharmilles, Europe has always been the reference market. In addition to the European countries, our Market Region Europe also includes the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS), the Middle East and Africa,” said Bernhard Kasper, Head of GF AgieCharmilles’ Market Region Europe. “In Europe, we see a robust increase in demand in medtech — including a range of dental and surgical applications, like implants. The innovations of the last decade are impressive and have been made predominantly here in Europe.”

Kasper said the region’s aerospace and aeronautics industries have demonstrated stable growth supported by strong demand worldwide, and automotive and motorsports remain key contributors to the European economy. European vehicle manufacturers, he pointed out, are global players driving

innovation toward cleaner, safer and more sustainable transport.

mARKET LEADER WITH TOmORROW’S SOLUTIONS TODAY

Manufacturers in Market Region Europe face challenges including continuous product innovations that increase complexity, miniaturization and demand for high precision. GF AgieCharmilles is known for helping customers stay ahead of the market.

“The global competition imposes on our customers to incessantly innovate their processes, maintain local research and development and increase production. In the past, in order to help our customers, it was sufficient to offer better products than our competitors offered,” Kasper explained. “Today, as the market leader, we anticipate future market needs.

That’s why the machines our customers will need tomorrow are available today from GF AgieCharmilles. Our challenge is to innovate and bring added value for our customers, the end users.”

GF AgieCharmilles’ leading position didn’t spring up out of nowhere. It is based on a 60-year history as the pioneer and master of electrical

discharge machining (EDM), leadership in high-speed Milling and Automation and, more recently, Laser texturing and Customer Services.

“These are big successes, but we also take into consideration customers’ high expectations,” he said. “For example, the new GF AgieCharmilles Academy adds value by delivering essential process and application knowledge across many market segments. This clearly shows our commitment to continuously helping our customers become more successful.”

That commitment to adding value for customers, combined with a unique array of Milling, EDM, Laser and Automation technologies and Customer

Services, makes the Group unique in the machine tool industry.

“Another key success factor is our network of more than 160 technology experts and more than 165 service engineers located close to our customers in Market Region Europe and — better than anyone else — able to deliver the best solutions for continued production efficiency,” said Kasper.

That, he said, is exactly the kind of industry leadership that has helped GF AgieCharmilles maintain its No. 1 position in EDM and enter the top three players in five-axis Milling.

BRINGING TOmORROW’S SOLUTIONSTO CUSTOmERS TODAYWith eight sales companies, and 450 employees operating in 58 European countries, GF AgieCharmilles has long been — and remains — a success-triggering partner to more than 19,000 customers across Market Region Europe. The Group’s customers represent a wide range of growing industries, from medical technology and aerospace to automotive and motorsports.

« Today, as the market leader, we anticipate future market needs. That’s why the machines our customers will need tomorrow are available today from GF AgieCharmilles. »Bernard Kasper, Head of GF AgieCharmilles’ Market Region Europe

Bernard Kasper,

Head of GF AgieCharmilles’

Market Region Europe


MARKET REGION EuROpE | GF AGIEChARMIllEs 3

Schwanog’s management has a clear vision: to extend sales to emerging countries — including India and Brazil — and create small, local production sites to increase reaction speed and closeness to customers. Hand-in-hand with that vision is a drive to manage the production of small batches of three to five pieces by increasing flexibility.

Flexibility carries a lot of weight with Schwanog, because it has been a key success factor in the company’s evolution from a small maker of turning production parts and tools and measuring equipment and machine tools to a leader in tungsten carbide plate machining and holders for special applications.

Founded in 1946, Schwanog today specializes in machining carbide and polycrystalline diamond (PCD) plates, plate holders and turning

tools. Schwanog’s products and expertise serve lathe and turning operations producing precision parts for the automotive and medtech industries and others.

fLEXIBILITY IS A KEY SUCCESS fACTOR

“Our key success factors are our clear strategy, flexibility and fast reaction to our customers’ needs,

and the skill and stability of our staff. Some of our employees have been with us for 30 years,” Managing Director Clemens Güntert said. “Our strengths include our permanent focus on quality and innovation to produce at the lowest cost and with the greatest flexibility.”

Today, the company has head-quarters in Obereschach, with 70 employees, and its part produc-

tion facility is about 10 kilometers away under the supervision of Clemens Güntert’s brother, Georg.

“We have sales companies in the United States, France and China, in line with our strategy to create small production sites close to our customers in order to quickly respond to their needs,” Güntert said. “Flexibility and fast response

are of critical importance because 60 percent of our production is the replacement or broken or worn out carbide and PCD plates for turning tools.”

When Güntert says “quickly,” he means it.

“Our target turnaround time is three weeks between idea and

SKILL, fLEXIBILITY SUPPORT A CLEAR STRATEGY

A central computer easily manages the automated production line.

Schwanog’s automated

production line, featuring nine

GF AgieCharmilles wire-cutting

EDM machines, helps shorten

the company’s time to market.

« Our target turnaround time is three weeks between idea and delivery. That’s why we use a completely automated line for wire EDM. »Clemens Güntert, Managing Director, Schwanog Sigfried Güntert GmbH

Just as the Danube River’s international journey begins in Germany’s Schwarzwald-Baar district, so does the mission of Schwanog Sigfried Güntert GmbH, a leading producer of insertable form tool systems. GF AgieCharmilles wire-cutting electrical discharge machining (EDM) plays a key role in Schwanog’s high flexibility.


EuROpE | sChWANOG sIGFRIED GÜNTERT 4

delivery. That’s why we use a completely automated line for wire EDM, entirely managed by a central computer,” he said. “We have standardized the plates in order to maintain our objectives.”

GF AgieCharmilles’ Automatic Wire Changer (AWC) technology allows Schwanog to have various diameters of wire pre-installed on their wire EDM machines, ready for use depending on the wire diameter needed to cut the desired profile.

“That means we don’t have to stop the production line to

change wires, and this helps optimize our production,” Güntert explained. “In our case, the AWC is not used as a tool to decrease machining time, but as an instrument of flexibility.”

CUT 2000 OILTECH ADDS fLEXIBILITY

Also adding flexibility to the company’s processes is GF AgieCharmilles’ CUT 2000 OilTech with AWC. That top-end machine makes it possible to machine special parts in oil and allows pre-programming of the machine for use in Schwanog’s production line.

“We buy what we need, and we had already calculated that the AWC would pay for itself in about a year, thanks to the solution it offers for automatically changing various diameters of wire,” he said.

GF AgieCharmilles’ technology support and good knowledge of Schwanog’s processes and applications bring additional value to the relationship.

“GF AgieCharmilles is always attentive to our needs and responds with the right products for the right applications,” Güntert said. “A good example is how GF AgieCharmilles supports our competitiveness is the AWC in combination with the option of using oil dielectric to eliminate corrosion on workpieces. Our main concerns are the load on our machines and our need to avoid operator intervention. With GF AgieCharmilles’ support, we continue to optimize our automated wire EDM line for efficiency and flexibility.”

+ www.schwanog.com

SCHWANOG

SiGfried GÜNtert GmbH

Niedereschacher str. 36

D-78052 Vs, Obereschach

phone: +49 7721 9489-0

Toll-free from Germany:

+49 7721 9489-0

Fax: +49 7721 9489-99

Contact

Clemens Güntert, Managing Director

[email protected]

Gf AgieCharmilles machines

6 Challenge

2 CuT 2000 with AWC

1 CuT 2000 OilTech with AWC

schwanog sigfried Güntert Gmbh leadership includes (left to right) production Manager Franz hummel,

Managing Director Clemens Güntert, and Workshop Manager Carsten schwabe.

« GF AgieCharmilles is always attentive to our needs and responds with the right products for the right applications. »Clemens Güntert, Managing Director, Schwanog Sigfried Güntert GmbH

A CUT 2000 in the automated line

GF AgieCharmilles’ top-end CUT 2000 OilTech adds flexibility by making it

possible to machine corrosion-prone workpieces in oil dielectric.

Turning form tool

for bar turning industry

Tool to machine for retaining screw

(medical industry)

The completely finished set along with

necessary tool for screw machining

Turning tools (black piece)

machining a location of compression

ring of a piston head (silver piece)

(automotive industry)

These complex turning form tools

were machined with GF AgieCharmilles

wire EDM technology, using a small

wire to reach the finest details and the

best surface finish.


EuROpE | sChWANOG sIGFRIED GÜNTERT 5

ADITEK QUALITY, PRECISIONYIELD SmILES WORLDWIDEWhen Drs. Alexandre and Dilza Lopes decided to start manufacturing dental parts as a complement to their orthodontics practice, people said they were crazy. But with the skill and enthusiasm of the local workforce, a fast-growing global market for orthodontic appliances, and support from GF AgieCharmilles, business is booming.

Located in the primarily agricultural city of Cravinhos, 300 km north of São Paulo, Brazil, Aditek do Brasil Ltda is a prime example of how proven expertise, unmet market needs and the support of expert supply partners can converge to spark success. Aditek’s orthodontic products help orthodontists worldwide transform patients’ lives by constructing beautiful smiles, improving self-esteem, function and aesthetics for better living.

“My wife and I are dentists with specialty degrees in orthodontics. When we thought about starting a manufacturing facility in an area traditionally tied to farming, everyone told us we were crazy. Fortunately, we found great help in town with talented people eager to learn and evolve for a better future,” Alexandre Lopes explained. “Today, we employ 150 people and are one of the

Thanks in part to GF AgieCharmilles

EDM machines and support, business is

booming at Aditek do Brasil.

Assemblers working on Aditek do Brasil’s clean assembly line


AMERICAs | ADITEK 6

« GF AgieCharmilles was key in the process of educating us about technology and equipment, supplying information and training to our workforce. »Dr. Alexandre Lopes, Industrial Director, Aditek do Brasil Ltda

« Regulatory requirements are becoming more and more stringent, so quality, tight tolerances, surface finish and all of the complexities involved in dental parts must be incorporated into our processes.»Dr. Alexandre Lopes, Industrial Director, Aditek do Brasil Ltda

area’s largest employers. We are recognized in academic circles and by our growing customer base around the world.”

REfERENCE fOR QUALITY, PRECISION

Lopes said Aditek’s relationship with GF AgieCharmilles today is a partnership focused on the quality and complexity of orthodontic parts made with GF AgieCharmilles wire-cutting, die-sinking, and hole-drilling EDM technologies.

“Twenty-two years ago, we were importing orthodontic products as a complement to our clinical activity. Factors in our success have been research and development of innovative products with an emphasis on quality and extreme precision,” Lopes said. “In order to make these parts, we had to start from scratch and train talented young people to become skilled tool makers.”

Because in-house mold making was an essential to the success of the business, Lopes searched for the right equipment to produce the tooling in a vertically integrated system in order control processing time and quality.

The company’s products include brackets using microcasting, metal and ceramic injection molding sintering technology, archwires using exotic allows like nitinol, and all the related peripherals. Aditek exports 50 percent of its products to the Americas and Europe.

“GF AgieCharmilles was key in the process of educating us about technology and equipment, supplying information and training to our workforce, and sometimes providing financing for us to acquire equipment,” he said. “By reaching high quality standards, we have been able to introduce and sell our products to the most demanding and competitive markets in the world. Associating engineering, design and manufacturing with the latest tool making technology has given us the edge of being able to control our whole production chain and meet customer expectations.”

TURNING GREAT IDEAS INTO GREAT PRODUCTS

Lopes considers GF AgieCharmilles a main partner in the business.

“Our solid business and friendly relationship with GF AgieCharmilles has helped us overcome many challenges to transforming ideas into products,” Lopes said. “We combine different processes and materials — like molds for micro parts and precision stamping of exotic alloys that require precision and durability in aggressive environments like the oral cavity.”

In an increasingly competitive and highly regulated marketplace, Aditek continues to partner with GF AgieCharmilles.

“Regulatory requirements are becoming more and more stringent, so quality, tight tolerances, surface finish and all of the complexities involved in dental parts must be incorporated into our processes. In this way, we streamline production speed and traceability from raw material to the final consumer,” Lopes said. “High quality is an attribute inherent to our products today and not a selling pitch. The technical support, service, training in new equipment and technology delivered by the GF AgieCharmilles team here in Brazil play an important role in the performance and results of our tooling and mold making capabilities.”

+ www.aditek.com.br

Aditek do Brasil ltda,

located in Cravinhos, exports 50 percent of its products

to the Americas and Europe.

Aditek dO brASil ltdA

R. Cesário Motta,

14 – Cravinhos – sp

CEp 14140-000 Brasil – BR

phone: +55 16 3651-3000

Fax: +55 16 3651-3009

Contact

Dr. Alexandre lopes,

Industrial Director

[email protected]


1 ROBOFIl 240 CC

2 CuT 20

1 AC progress Vp2

1 FORM 2000 hp

3 sp1

1 DRIll 20

The Easy Clip,

Aditek do Brasil’s patented

self-ligating bracket system

for orthodontics (shown

here unlocked), is created

with GF AgieCharmilles

FORM 2000 HP,

AC Progress VP2,

and DRILL 20.

The Easy Clip

self-ligating

bracket (locked)


AMERICAs | ADITEK 7

Delphi Packard’s global tool factory, located in Shanghai, China, is known as a giant in automotive mold manufacturing. The factory got into mold manufacturing in 2005, importing a number of machines — including a MIKRON HSM 300 that still performs at high precision today, three die-sinking machines and six wire-cutting EDM machines — from the US. Today, the factory produces 500 molds per year for plastic injection, high-speed stamping and liquid silicone. Those molds are supplied to Delphi branches not only in China, but Mexico, Germany and Brazil, as well. It is said that the Shanghai mold plant accounts for 80 percent of all molds for Delphi Packard Electric Systems.

When the company moved into mold production, continuous improvement in equipment and technology was high on its list of priorities.

fIRST CHOICE IS Gf AGIECHARmILLES

To accommodate Delphi’s move into molding, manage -ment began considering machine purchases. Their first choice was — and still is — GF AgieCharmilles because the company knows the excel-lent, long-term performance of the Group’s machines.

For example, some of Delphi’s GF AgieCharmilles machines have been in use for nearly 10 years, and they’re still performing important manufacturing tasks. The factory’s first GF AgieCharmilles wire EDM machine still delivers 5 μm accuracy and 50 to 70 percent cutting efficiency. Delphi management said that’s far better than the Japanese machines that the factory used for five years and can now use only for rough machining.

Delphi’s deep trust in GF AgieCharmilles is evidenced by its growing GF AgieCharmilles machine fleet: 10 MIKRON machining centers, 14 wire EDM and 19 die-sinking EDM machines.

Take Delphi’s MIKRON HSM 400U LP, for instance. The five-axis machine cuts complex three-dimensional forms with excellent machining speed and surface quality.

AUTOmATION BOOSTS STANDARDIZATION AND QUALITY

Standardization and high efficiency are essential in modern mold manufacturing. In fact, Delphi considers standardization the best way to expand business. That’s why the company’s mold plant has invested in GF AgieCharmilles Automation since 2010, with a line using only

A HIGH PRIORITY:CONTINUOUS ImPROVEmENTDelphi Packard Electric Systems Co., Ltd., is the biggest domestic supplier of wiring harnesses and connectors to the automotive industry, with customers ranging from Faw-Volkswagen to General Motors. The company’s global tool factory relies on GF AgieCharmilles Milling and wire-cutting and die-sinking solutions.

After nearly 10 years of use, Delphi’s

MIKRON HSM 300 still yields high accuracy.

Delphi Packard’s global tool factory

boasts 10 FO 350 SP

die-sinking EDM machines.


AsIA | DElphI pACKARD ElECTRIC sysTEMs 8

GF AgieCharmilles machining solutions — two MIKRON machining centers and four EDM machines — plus a cleaning machine and a measuring instrument. The line is used for plastic injection mold making.

The automated line yields great benefits for Delphi: The company saw a fast return — just eight months — on its capital investment. More importantly, Delphi saw an eight-fold increase in production efficiency. Prior to Automation, the production line required four shifts per day, at 15 employees per shift: 60 workers total. Using an automated line, the line requires only seven people who monitor the whole production line over 24 hours.

Moreover, Automation puts customers at the heart of production by ensuring consistent quality.

In late 2011, Delphi purchased its second piece of GF AgieCharmilles Automation equipment, a System 3R mechanical arm. The cooperation of various machines in the Automation line is very important, and the second line includes four GF AgieCharmilles wire EDM machines to make stamping

molds. With GF AgieCharmilles, Delphi benefits from one-stop service including professional support for maintenance, training and technical solutions.

Delphi management foresees a bright future for the global tool factory, as requirements for automotive appliances include not just connectors but also global positioning systems, sound, and new electric vehicles. Consequently, Delphi’s high-end automotive products have great market potential.

In the future, Delphi’s advanced vehicle electrification products will help improve the marketability of electric vehicles. Delphi Connection System is expanding its core business and will become more important. GF AgieCharmilles is focused on meeting Delphi’s needs by improving their Automation efficiency and helping to shorten the company’s time to market.

GF AgieCharmilles EDM machines imported from the US in 2005

are still in use.

Even with this impressively automated production line, Delphi wants

more Automation equipment.

+ www.delphi.com

delpHi pACkArd eleCtriC

SyStemS CO., ltd – delpHi

CONNeCtiON SyStemS,

200 yuanguo Road,

Anting, Jiading, shanghai,

p.R. China

phone: +86 21-59592200

Fax: +86 21-69573310

Contact

Mr. Xi Cheng, manufacturer

[email protected]

Delphi packard’s global tool factory in shanghai, China

Copper electrode for

automotive appliances,

produced on Delphi’s

MIKRON HSM 400U


milling

1 MIKRON hsM 300

1 MIKRON hsM 400u lp

5 MIKRON hsM 400

2 MIKRON hsM 700

1 MIKRON hsM 800

Wire-cutting edm

1 ROBOFIl 4020sI

1 ROBOFIl 6020sI

1 ROBOFIl FI2020sI

1 ROBOFIl 240

6 FI 240 CCs

1 FI 440 CCs

1 AC pROGREss Vp4

4 CuT 2000

die-sinking edm

2 FO 35 p

1 FO 350 Ms

1 ROBOFORM 4000

10 FO 350 sp

2 ROBOFORM 35p

1 DRIll 11

2 DRIll 20

« With GF AgieCharmilles, Delphi benefits from one-stop service including professional support for maintenance, training and technical solutions. »


AsIA | DElphI pACKARD ElECTRIC sysTEMs 9

fIfTY YEARS Of SUCCESSfOR C&J INDUSTRIESIf Meadville, Pennsylvania (US) custom injection mold maker C&J Industries has a point of pride, it is the company’s resilience. In the past five years, the privately held, family owned business has not only survived one of the worst recessions in US history but actually grown and come out ahead.

Situated in a small town about 90 miles from Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania’s “steel city,” C&J Industries was founded in 1962 as a tool builder. Over the years, the business evolved to take on injection molding (1974), achieve US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) certification (1981) and — in 1994 — become the first tool builder and injection molder to become ISO 9001 certified through global independent safety science company UL. Seven years ago, the company combined its tool and mold activities in one facility, and in January 2012 inaugurated a $6.8 million facility expansion.

Today, the business boasts a 180,000 square foot (16,722 square meters) facility including

50 plastic presses with a clamping pressure range from 20 to 720 tons, three Class 8 medical molding cleanrooms, one Class 7 clean assembly room, a white room per assembly, and a general, environmentally controlled white room conforming to ISO standards for molding. C&J Industries maintains more than 1,000 active molds, ranging from one to 64 cavities, of various sizes and materials. GF AgieCharmilles helps C&J Industries meet the challenges by providing the reliable and highly precise electrical discharge (EDM) machines needed to complete new tool builds and the maintenance to kee those active molds in service.

“Maintenance, upkeep and throughput make things complex. Satisfying each and every customer is challenging, but we define success by the amount of repeat business we get,” said C&J Industries Sales and Marketing Director Mark Fuhrman.

And there’s plenty of repeat business.

DRAmATIC GROWTH THROUGH DIVERSIfICATION

“We have seen dramatic, double-digit growth in the past five years,” he said. “Key factors in our growth include the fact that we planned for strategic, diversified growth. No single customer and

no single market segment will make us successful.”

Today, with 330 employees and annual revenue of $40 million, C&J Industries enjoys a mix of 89

Aerial views of C&J’s facility

before and after 2012 expansion.

The $6.8 million project combined

the company’s tool and mold

operations in one facility.

Inside C&J Industries’ 180,000 square foot facility

where the staff has used GF AgieCharmilles machines

for more than 20 years.


AMERICAs | C&J INDusTRIEs 10

+ www.cjindustries.com

Getting their start as tool builders, Dick Johnston (foreground) and harold Corner (center) founded C&J Industries

in 1962, working out of a garage. Today, C&J Industries has annual revenue of us $40 milliion and employs 330 people

at its 180,000 square foot facility in Meadville, pennsylvania.

percent US sales and 11 percent offshore sales in Europe, Canada and Mexico.

“Most offshore business is a result of customers with divisions outside of the US. Favorable US-Canadian currency exchange helps us attract new Canadian customers,” Fuhrman said.

About 29 percent of C&J Industries’ business is in medical device molding and another 28 percent is in the pharmaceutical industry, with particular emphasis on drug delivery devices. Other major end markets include industrial, telecommunications and consumer products.

DOING IT RIGHT THE fIRST TImE IS A KEY TO SUCCESS

“Getting it right the first time” is key to thriving across a wide range of market segments, Fuhrman said.

“Technical challenges are tight lead times, increasingly complex product designs, learning new technology, and having the equipment to support the job as demands change and parts become more complex,” he added.

GF AgieCharmilles helps C&J Industries overcome some of those challenges with computer numerical control EDM machines perfectly suited for multi-cavity medical devices including closures like bottle caps and eye dropper tips.

“We can count on GF AgieCharmilles equipment to do the job right,” said Fuhrman.

The company maintains singular focus on its successes.

“We focus on the positive — what we can do well — and don’t let the negative or setbacks pull us down,” Fuhrman explained. “Our company philosophy is about improvement and it comes down to one very fundamental thing: trust.”

It is, then, not surprising, that C&J Industries partners with like-minded suppliers, including its 20-year partnership with GF AgieCharmilles, whose core values include, “We put customers first,” and “We do what we say.”

“When we say we’re going to do something, we do it. There is no option,” said Fuhrman.

« Our company philosophy is about improvement and it comes down to one very fundamental thing: trust. »Mark Fuhrman, Sales and Marketing Director, C&J Industries

« We can count on GF AgieCharmilles equipment to do the job right. »Mark Fuhrman,Sales and Marketing DirectorC&J Industries

C&J iNduStrieS

760 Water street

Meadville, pA, us 16335-338

phone: +1 814 724 4950

Fax: +1 814 724 4959

Contact

Mark Fuhrman,

sales and Marketing Director

[email protected]


FI 440 CC

FO 550 sp

ROBOFORM 30


AMERICAs | C&J INDusTRIEs 11

The company’s impressive array of equipment — including 45 CAD/CAM/CIM work stations with 2D and 3D finite element method (FEM) and visualization software, 41 sawing, milling and turning machines, industrial robots, grinders, diamond coating systems, laser measuring machines, laser welding and marking systems and 34 GF AgieCharmilles die-sinking and wire-cutting EDM machines — serves a single purpose: ensuring the highest precision and quality of the production of stamping tools and progressive dies.

THE BEST Of mODERN TOOL mAKING

“From our start in 1965, the Fritz Stepper brand has been synonymous with modern tool making, including state-of-the-art technologies and developing quantum leaps on behalf of

our customers,” said Managing Director Michael Stepper, son of the company’s founder, Fritz Stepper. “Examples are our Stepper Modular System, our High-Performance Combined Progressive Die, and the Stepper Special Diamond Coating.”

The company’s continued evolution includes the special modular system that makes it possible to change a single module and significantly reduce the time it would otherwise take to restart the stamping machine.

Fritz Stepper GmbH and Co. also pioneered double feed equipment on the tool with two materials, gold and stainless steel or bronze and another material. Such core expertise is one of many factors setting the company apart from competitors.

“The factors that have made our business so successful are

STEPPER IS AT THE fOREfRONTOf mODERN TOOL mAKINGPforzheim, Germany-based stamping technology leader Fritz Stepper GmbH & Co. prides itself on being at the forefront of modern tool making. That’s one of the reasons the company turns to GF AgieCharmilles for standard-setting machine tool technologies that drive quality and precision.

The Integrated Vision Unit (IVU), shown here ready for measurement, ensures measurable results for Fritz Stepper GmbH

machinist Daniel Mattheis.

stepper Modular system


EuROpE | sTEppER 12

our unique tooling style, our innovative modular tools, and our very short time to market of two or three weeks for a ‘ready to start’ tool,” Stepper said.

The company has a global customer base and a foothold in many growing industries, but its greatest following is in the automotive industry, thanks to its

tooling for connector stamping and connectors themselves.

“The end customers look for the highest quality connectors, and they are ready to pay for that degree of quality,” he explained. “Our products add value through permanent quality optimization.”

IVU GUARANTEES HIGHEST PRECISION

Among Fritz Stepper GmbH’s impressive machine fleet are four GF AgieCharmilles CUT 1000 and CUT 1000 OilTech wire-cutting EDM machines equipped with the Integrated Vision Unit (IVU), a technology that guarantees easy, automatic and accurate tool measurement and positioning. That in-process measurement plays an important role in guaranteeing the precision expected by the company’s customers.

“We have a leadership role in our market, and we always need first-in-class equipment to maintain our reputation and produce the necessary results,” Stepper said.

A key advantage of IVU is that its autofocus positions the built-in, charge-coupled device (CCD) camera at the right distance and directly measures any shape on the workpiece without removing the workpiece from the machine, saving trips to the metrology department and precious time. Special integrated software allows the machine to detect the right position of the edge by analyzing variations in light intensity. The resulting metrological data can be used in various applications. Moreover, IVU makes it possible to take any reference of the workpiece for hole centering, corner detection, internal or external centering between two faces, and distance between holes, centering and dimensions. That means 100 percent reliable machining results.

“Our vision is to expand our quality with the best partners, integrate the top technologies into our products, and train our people,” he said, explaining that IVU is just one example of how GF AgieCharmilles’ techno logies help drive his company’s success and, ultimately, the success of his customers. “GF AgieCharmilles’ technologies and high-end products offer the precision we need.”

+ www.stepper.de

Managing Director Michael stepper

« GF AgieCharmilles’ technologies and high-end products offer the precision we need. »Michael Stepper, Managing Director, Fritz Stepper GmbH & Co. KG Precision Tools

« We always need first-in-class equipment to maintain our reputation and produce the necessary results. »Michael Stepper, Managing Director, Fritz Stepper GmbH & Co. KG Precision Tools

Fritz Stepper GmbH machinist Daniel Mattheis operates the compact

and easily accessible CUT 1000 OilTech wire-cutting EDM machine.

For very small workpieces

Very small and complex details

fritz Stepper GmbH & CO. kG

precision Tools

Robert-Bosch-str. 5

75180 pforzheim, Germany

phone: +49 (0)7231 - 97 33 0

Fax: +49 (0)7231 - 97 33 33

Contact

Michael stepper

[email protected]


1 WF 21C TNC 150 Q

1 WF 3 sA TNC 114

1 AGIETRON 2u

1 AGIETRON 50

3 AGIETRON INNOVATION

3 AGIECuT EVOluTION

11 AGIECuT EVOluTION

2 AGIE MONDO sTAR 20

7 AGIECuT VERTEX

4 AGIECuT EXCEllENCE

1 AGIECuT 250 sF

1 DRIll 11

4 CuT 1000 OilTech


EuROpE | sTEppER 13

MIKRON HEM 500U

MIKRON HPM 800U

CUT 2000 S CUT 200 mS CUT 300 mS FORM 20 FORM 30

GF AgieCharmilles’ new CUT 2000 S features a new generator concept to significantly boost performance in terms of machining time, thanks in no small part to running time increases and reliable and automatic wire threading. Beginning with its mechanical design, highest precision, perfect surfaces and high productivity are the machine’s hallmarks. The CUT 2000 S paves the way to perfection in the serial production of miniature components where there is absolutely no room for error.

With the second-generation Integrated Vision Unit (IVU Advance), GF AgieCharmilles takes micro machining to the next level. The optical-based measurement system, designed to visualize and measure pieces

directly on the highly-precise CUT 1000 and CUT 2000 wire EDM machines, features fully automatic setup by the integrated charge-coupled device (CCD) camera and duplication of measuring cycles for

Automation. With IVU Advance, you’re sure to get the best fit for a contour in accordance with the theoretical shape indicated by the DXF source file.

GF AgieCharmilles’ new CUT 200 mS and CUT 300 mS machines feature a vertical sliding door to save floor space and thermostabilization to ensure accuracy even when ambient temperature fluctuates. The CUT 200/300 mS range is the most versatile on the market, plus you can expect highest quality, thanks to Swiss manufacturing and superior flat

precision grinding of the guiding and assembly surfaces.

On the die-sinking side, GF AgieCharmilles offers the fORm 20/30 machines featuring the intuitive and fast-reacting AC FORM human-machine interface (HMI) and an integrated Rotary Tool Changer (RTC). With the RTC, the compact FORM 20/30 machines deliver versatility, reliability and ease of use expected in a wide variety of market segments.

When it comes to flexibility, ease of use and space saving design, the universal, five-axis mIKRON HEm 500U can’t be beaten. It is especially suitable for a wide range of parts production applications in general machining.

With its newly developed rotary tilting table, the HEM 500U offers competitive performance in terms of stiffness and versatility. For the standard production of precision parts in prototyping to series of five or more workpieces, the machine is an ergonomic answer. It offers a good view of the machining process and easy loading and access to the workpiece.

This easy-to-use Milling solution comes with Heidenhain’s iTNC 530 control for production of highly accurate workpiece contours during high-velocity

machining. Optionally available is FANUC’s well-known Oi-MD control with various advanced and powerful features.

HPm 800U: A POWERfUL mILLING SOLUTION

The high-performance mIKRON HPm 800U machining center works hard for the praise it earns in demanding sectors like aerospace and aeronautics.

Featuring powerful ballscrew feed drives on the X, Y and Z axes and watercooled direct drives on the circular and swiveling axes, the HPM 800U provides extremely dynamical and economical machining and allows for optimal automatic loading of workpieces with a pallet changer, and tool changers from 30 up to 245 tools.

Even when fully automated, the work area remains accessible and unrestricted.

High-performance machining (HPM) technology necessitates best spindle performance. For the HPM 800U, inline motor spindles, with speeds of 20,000 min-1 for general machining, or a 28,000 min-1 CoolCore motor spindle for high-precision machining, are available.

The MIKRON HPM 800U comes with a Heidenhain iTNC 530 control, and the Siemens 840D sl control is available as an option.

GF AgieCharmilles lays the foundation for precision, productivity, and flexibility with wire-cutting, die-sinking, measuring and Automation solutions to ensure your success.

From general machining to high-performance Milling of components for aerospace, GF AgieCharmilles’ MIKRON machining centers are up to the task.

LEADING THE WAY IN WIRE, DIE-SINKING EDm

mILLING CENTERS THAT GET THE JOB DONE


NEWs | GF AGIEChARMIllEs 14

LASER 4000 5Ax

With a truly innovative and global approach to mold texturing, GF AgieCharmilles has stepped to the forefront by providing auto manufacturers and their suppliers with a 100 percent digital texturing process and wide range of Laser texturing solutions, from the LASER 600 3Ax/5Ax to the extra-large capacity LASER 4000 5Ax, which was engineered specifically for automotive applications.

With a unique machine concept and extra-large capacity the LASER 4000 5Ax is the biggest Laser texturing solution on the market. Thanks to its portal structure design, distinct textures can easily be applied to oversize and overweight molds (4 x 3 x 1.5 meters, unlimited weight), without sacrificing accuracy, for end products

like truck and auto bumpers, instrument and door panels, central consoles, airbag covers and headlights.

THE fUTURE Of TEXTURING — TODAY

Moreover, the LASER 4000 5Ax is a visionary texturing solution for texturing molds for aircraft and luxury yacht interiors, home appliances and big-screen TVs, as well as casting molds and forging tools. It is ideal for applying both aesthetic and functional textures.

The LASER 4000 5Ax expertly textures workpiece surfaces with ultra-fine detail at a depth, for example, of 0.15 mm on steel. Multiple layers are also easily applied on deep cavity

molds, thanks to 500 mm long focal distance. All of the LASER machines have a unique capability for undercuts related to master molds.

Textures can be derived from images created in Photoshop for geometrical or continuous patterns or from natural surfaces reverse engineered via 3D scanner. Onboard machining strategies ensure that textures are perfectly rendered over countless iterations. And, because the cutting tool is a pulsed laser, GF AgieCharmilles’ Laser texturing technology is a clean, sustainable solution: no broken tools and no pollutants.

Across a wide range of automotive applications, every product in the GF AgieCharmilles’ LASER line delivers consistently high quality, accuracy and infinitely repeatable results, allowing “color and trim” studios and product and interior design centers to take differentiation to new and higher levels.

mILLING CENTERS THAT GET THE JOB DONE LASER TEXTURING OPENS NEW DOORS fOR DIffERENTIATION

GF AgieCharmilles Customer Services’ three levels of support represent the machine tool industry’s greatest resource for increasing uptime and keeping your machine fleet in tip-top shape.

OPERATIONS SUPPORT: A HEALTHY DIET

A nutritious diet gives your body the power to compete; similarly your machines’ top performance and precision require a quality diet of original wear parts, certified wires, electrodes, drilling electrodes, filters and other consumables. Customer Services Operations Support offers a full menu of the highest quality ingredients for your continued success.

mACHINE SUPPORT TO INCREASE AGILITY

Another critical fitness compo-nent is agility, which requires maintenance and preventive measures. Customer Services Machine Support maximizes the agility and productive time of your machines with a Helpline, service interventions, components and machine overhauls, spare and exchange parts, and our unique Uptime+ program. Our fundamental preventive services and

leading edge advanced preventive services — calibration by laser interferometer, geometrical control, circularity test with ballbar gauge, spindle services, Nadcap accreditation support to facilitate your certification — take your agility to the next level.

BUSINESS SUPPORT TO BOOST ENDURANCE

Whether your chosen sport is running, cycling or swimming, endurance is a key success

factor. The same applies to your business. That’s why GF AgieCharmilles Customer Services offers Business Support with solutions tailored to your long-term business needs. These include feasibility and test cuts; training to make your employees real experts; Automation to increase productivity and cost efficiency; upgrades, options and accessories to ensure higher sustainable productivity; and application support to help you achieve your long-term potential.

Just as a fit body needs a 360-degree approach to achieve optimal power, agility and endurance, your Milling, EDM and Laser machines require key services to remain fit for success.

CUSTOmER SERVICES GETS YOU fIT fOR SUCCESS

Imprint

Publisher Agie Charmilles Management SA, Geneva, SwitzerlandEditor in chief: Rolph Lucassenmanaging editor: Melody M. Corrieri

© Agie Charmilles Management SA, 2013. The technical data and illustrations are not binding. They are not warranted characteristics and are subject to change. 259.805.562

Editorial board Rolph Lucassen, Elke P. Magnin, Melody M. CorrieriLayout: David Hirsbrunner

Reporting Danielle Bloom, Shirley Dai, Gilles LaForge, Silvio Mitsunaga

PhotographyMarinus van Breugel, Shirley Dai, Aditek do Brasil, Dr. Alexandre Lopes, C&J Industries archives, Mark Fuhrman, Steve Kalasky, Stephanie Goss, MTU Aero Engines (pages 1 and 2)

Translations Karsten U. Timmer, Wieners + Wieners

Print Tipografia Poncioni SACirculation : 27,000 copies


NEWs | GF AGIEChARMIllEs 15

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milling + EDm + Automation + Laser + Customer Services

We are the partner of choice tosuccessful tool, mold and die makers,and to producers of high-value parts infast growing market segments.

We offer innovative Milling, EDM, laser,Automation, and Customer servicessolutions. Talking to one expert is whatwe call “More efficiency,” and that’s abig plus.

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