Schlagwortarchiv für: Automation

HAHN Group sets the course for the future

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The HAHN Group is preparing for further growth.

With the reorganization of the investment structure by RSBG SE, the investment company for medium-sized companies of the RAG Foundation, RSBG Automation & Technologies GmbH is created as a new corporate platform. This also results in a broader potential and further synergies for the HAHN Group. The previous CEO of the HAHN Group, Thomas Hähn, will be in charge of the new platform. The previous managing director Philipp Unterhalt will take over the helm of the HAHN Group on April 1, 2021. Together with Axel Greschitz (CFO), the further expansion of the group in factory automation is driven forward. Additional locations are to be opened in the next few months.

RSBG Automation & Robotics Technologies GmbH as a new company platform enables growth in further business areas through the use of technical and organizational synergies

With the establishment of RSBG Automation & Robotics Technologies, RSBG SE opens up the possibility for further technology investments besides the HAHN Group. The HAHN Group is a 100 percent stake in the new platform and focuses on automation and robotics in the industrial environment. In addition, further investments in automation and robotics in non-industrial areas are planned.

Further development of the management team underlines the stability and continuity of the HAHN Group

The management of RSBG Automation & Robotics Technologies is taken over by Thomas Hähn, founder of HAHN Automation and longstanding CEO of the HAHN Group. In the future, as CEO of RSBG Automation & Robotics Technologies, he will be responsible for all activities in the area of automation & robotics, and will therefore continue to be strategically linked to the HAHN Group.

Philipp Unterhalt takes over the management of the HAHN Group. Together with Axel Greschitz as CFO, he will push the next growth step and promote the diversification of the company network. Unterhalt will take up his new role as CEO of the HAHN Group on April 1, 2021.

“I am pleased to introduce Philipp Unterhalt as the new CEO of the HAHN Group. He has demonstrated outstanding strategic orientation. With his international experience and value-based management style, he is the ideal candidate for the further development of the HAHN Group. I really appreciate our cooperation and look forward to continuing it in the new constellation,” said Thomas Hähn, CEO RSBG Automation & Robotics Technologies GmbH.

Philipp Unterhalt has been with the HAHN Group since 2014 and worked as its managing director since 2019. Together with Thomas Hähn he developed the concept of the HAHN Group as a platform for entrepreneurially managed automation companies and managed all transactions of the group of companies. Under his leadership, the new companies were integrated and the digital strategy was also developed and implemented. In addition to the operational business, the 39-year-old is also responsible for corona management at the HAHN Group. The economist lives with his family in Essen.

“The HAHN Group is a fascinating group of companies and entrepreneurs. Due to the network character, we can use the synergies of a large company and still be very close to the customer with innovative solutions,” explains Unterhalt. „I am really looking forward to working with the entire team in order to continue our successful strategy: organic growth, supplemented by technological expansion as well as expansion of the business in additional industries and the strengthening of global activities.“

Into the future with mobile robotics

The HAHN Group continues to grow even during the pandemic. Incoming orders across the Group in 2020 increased by 21 percent compared to the previous year, in particular due to orders in the healthcare sector. The focus of the current year is, among other things, on growth in the area of mobile robotics. Two more locations for the HAHN Robotics Network are to be established in southern and eastern Germany this spring. Mobile robotics enables the support of logistics processes in production with minimal integration effort and thus offers even for smaller companies interesting automation solutions that quickly pay for themselves.

HAHN Digital and Erium advance digital process optimization

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Synergy between top experts for manufacturing and specialists for process optimization in manufacturing with focus on artificial intelligence (AI) and data analytics

HAHN Digital, digitalization expert for manufacturing companies, part of the HAHN Group, and Erium, technology leader in the field of process optimization through AI in combination with expert knowledge, bundle their competencies and generate a joint offer for analytics use cases in manufacturing processes. While it is initially aimed at the healthcare sector, it can later be expanded to include the automotive, electronics and consumer goods industries.

The approach of HAHN Digital and Erium is based on closed AI-based control loops for the calculation of recommendations for action in the areas of availability and productivity to improve overall system effectiveness (OEE). Since the algorithms describe not only the system but also the manufactured product, predictions about product quality are particularly possible. The Erium approach offers the advantage that even small amounts of data are sufficient to carry out analyses. Using HAHN Digital’s background and understanding of specialist knowledge of experts and engineers, it is integrated into a statistical model that depicts the physical process. In this way, companies receive targeted insights more quickly.

Opportunities for manufacturing companies

Thanks to this partnership, operators of automation solutions from the HAHN Group have the advantage that in future there will be fewer rejects in production, processes will be stabilized and cycle times reduced, as process parameters can be defined more precisely through data analysis. With the help of machine parameters and the detection of anomalies, maintenance activities are triggered at an early stage, which enables targeted maintenance as required in the long term and avoids longer downtimes due to repairs.

The healthcare sector, and later other served segments by the HAHN Group, benefits from the analysis of process and quality parameters, which means that the causes of errors in the injection molding process can be identified more quickly. Using systematic statistical test planning, the start-up time is optimized and the effort involved in setting up, for example, filling processes is reduced. Since closed AI-based control loops for existing processes make process recertification necessary in many cases, it is worth equipping production systems with sensors and analytics tools right from the start. In the long term, the system provides the operator with information about the causes of errors, optimization potential and settings that can be optimized. In cooperation with other HAHN Group subsidiaries, HAHN Digital and Erium are already implementing their first projects together.

“Process analysis and optimization are becoming increasingly important, especially for manufacturing companies. Translating, ‘Smart factory’ into competitive factor for our clients, becomes key to meet the increasing demands related to ‘time to market’ and ‘quality assurance’” explains Uziel Zontag, Managing Director of HAHN Digital. “The connection between our deep understanding in digital manufacturing and Erium’s deep knowledge in advanced analytics will allow us to support our customers on their path with powerful AI. We look forward to this important cooperation.”

Dr. Theo Steininger, founder and CEO of Erium, adds: “The partnership was a logical step for us. The systems of the HAHN Group are ideally suited for the use of machine learning due to the existing technical possibilities. At the same time, with HAHN Digital we have the ideal point of contact in the group, as HAHN Digital is at home in both worlds – both in digitization technology and in automation technology. These are ideal conditions for mutual growth.“

DAHL Automation becomes member of the HAHN Group

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The HAHN Group acquires DAHL Automation, expanding its competence in the field of intralogistics and AMR.

Effective March 27, 2020, DAHL Automation GmbH became part of HAHN Group GmbH. DAHL Automation is an integrator for robotics, cobots, as well as AMR (Autonomous Mobile Robot) and AGV (Automated Guided Vehicle). 30 employees are currently employed at the headquarters in Meinerzhagen, Germany. The company has extensive experience in the development of products and solutions with cobots, grippers, image processing systems and standardized training cells. With its expertise in the field of robotics and intralogistics projects, DAHL Automation is expanding the HAHN Group’s portfolio.

Detlev Dahl, founder and managing director of DAHL Automation, will continue to lead the company. „We are delighted to be joining the HAHN Group as a strong, long-term partner,“ explains Dahl. “The combination of international orientation and proximity to the customer is very promising for us. We look forward to expanding our range of services together with the sister companies in the HAHN Group, as well as opening up new industries and markets.“

„DAHL Automation is a pioneer in the field of collaborative robotics and has established itself with well-known customers, providing innovative automation solutions. The company’s its expertise fits perfectly into the HAHN Group portfolio,“ comments Thomas Hähn, founder and CEO of the HAHN Group. „With the solutions from DAHL Automation, harmonious teams of people and robots can be created in the long term. This ensures better production conditions and offers specialists the opportunity to develop their full potential in demanding areas of activity.“

Modern automation allows quick response for high demand

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The HAHN Group enables the medical industry to react quickly to increasing demand in production.

The tailor-made automation solutions of the HAHN Group offer the best quality and the highest precision for manufacturers in the medical industries. The advantages of the HAHN Group’s global presence allows it to access components and experts quickly. Companies in the medical industry benefit from the HAHN Group as a partner for automation, particularly in this time with challenging tasks and high demand.

HAHN Automation expands its management

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Rheinböllen, Germany – Philipp Klaschka and Jörg Kilb strengthen the management of HAHN Automation

Effective January 1, 2020, the management of HAHN Automation was expanded with Philipp Klaschka and Jörg Kilb. They support Frank Konrad, who remains CEO of HAHN Automation and drives the company’s strategic decisions and developments, with its well over 800 employees at eleven locations in eight countries.

Jörg Kilb takes charge of the operational tasks as Chief Operations Officer (COO), focusing on the further integration of international subsidiaries and increasing efficiency in processes and systems. As Chief Revenue Officer (CRO), Philipp Klaschka is responsible for the customer-oriented functions of sales, service and project management. Both are experts in the field of automation and have many years of experience within HAHN Automation.

The graduate industrial engineer Jörg Kilb started his career at HAHN Automation GmbH in Rheinböllen following his studies at TU Kaiserslautern, Germany. After working as an assistant to the management and member of the organizational development, he was among others involved as branch manager in the operational management of the company. In 2017 Jörg Kilb joined the HAHN Group, where he initially worked as Head of Supply Chain Management, IT & Risk Management. In his last position, Jörg Kilb acted as Division Director for the Assembly & Test division of the HAHN Group, which in addition to HAHN Automation also includes Invotec, REI Automation and DFT Maschinenbau.

Philipp Klaschka studied engineering physics at the University of the Pacific in Stockton, California, United States. Building on this, he obtained his MBA from the University of Mannheim, Germany. Before joining HAHN Automation, Philipp Klaschka worked for companies such as Festo AG, Deloitte Consulting and Norma Group and spent three years of his career in Asia and eleven years in the United States. He thus has valuable experience in all of HAHN Automation’s growth markets. There, Philipp Klaschka was responsible for the successful establishment of the Chinese subsidiary before being appointed the current CEO of the US subsidiary HAHN Automation, Inc. He will continue to work in this role until a successor is appointed.

„The expansion of the management reflects the growth of recent years and supports the further internationalization of HAHN Automation,“ explains Frank Konrad, CEO of HAHN Automation. „With Jörg Kilb and Philipp Klaschka, we are appointing two leaders to the management who know and develop the company, its activities and markets very well. We are particularly proud that we have this potential in the ranks of our own employees.”

HAHN Group ranked as one of the most innovative companies in the world

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Frankfurt, Germany – In the ranking of EconSight for the German Handelsblatt newspaper, the HAHN Group holds place 36 among the most innovative companies in Germany.

Every year, the Swiss EconSight GmbH examines companies in terms of their innovation power at the intersection of digitalization and applied technologies. Three factors are assessed for the analysis: The networking of digital and existing technologies, digitalization and the dynamics in its implementation. In the final ranking, the HAHN Group holds the 36th place among the most innovative German companies in 2019. Within the first 10 positions there are several longtime partners and customers of the HAHN Group. VW Group, Bosch and Siemens lead the German ranking of most innovative companies. In the global assessment for 2019, the HAHN Group is among the top 500 companies.

The company and product portfolio of the diversified HAHN Group serves the increasing demand for technologies in the fields of automation, robotics and solutions for Industry 4.0. With its 14 brands, the group is represented in numerous promising industries such as electronics, medical technology, medical devices, consumer goods and the automotive industry.

Each company within the HAHN Group is an industry expert with a high degree of innovation in its field. For example, HAHN Automation has been awarded the Innovation Prize of the State of Rhineland-Palatinate several times in the Digitalization/Industry 4.0 category. HAHN Digital continues the development of the innovative product portfolio EVE Suite to implement the digital transformation for smart factories. With the launch of WIPS 4.0, WEMO enables even more user-friendly dialog programming of robots. The company Walther Systemtechnik introduced the fully automatic degassing system for greases in 2019. The innovative strength of the HAHN Group remains at a high level for the coming year as well. In 2020, HAHN Automation will launch a completely new concept for automated assembly and testing processes.

Thomas Hähn, CEO of HAHN Group, comments on the outcome: „Position 36 in the EconSight ranking of the most innovative companies in Germany is a fantastic result for us. The outstanding achievements of our employees and the cooperation of our teams make this success possible.”

HAHN Group expands its footprint in the United States by acquiring REI Automation, Inc.

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Frankfurt, Germany – HAHN Group acquired REI Automation, Inc., which will continue to operate under existing management.

The HAHN Group, a leading provider for factory automation and robotic solutions, has acquired REI Automation, Inc. The takeover is effective as of 01. November 2019. With the company based in Columbia, South Carolina, the HAHN Group adds a hub in the important industrial area of the Southeast and strengthens its regional coverage in the United States. REI Automation will complement the Assembly & Test Division within the HAHN Group. With 80 employees and USD 25 million revenue, REI Automation focuses on medical, electronics and consumer goods. The recent acquisition is once more reflecting the strategy of the HAHN Group to diversify its business across industries and regions.

“We found a passionate team with an impressive track record building the company in the past and ambitious plans to develop it further,” says Philipp Unterhalt, Managing Director of HAHN Group. “We are ready to support REI Automation on its further journey and are delighted to have them on board.”

Operations of REI Automation will continue under the existing management, which will also remain as shareholders going forward. Grant Phillips, CEO of REI Automation comments: “We are excited to begin planning with a partner who has all the experience in bringing a company to the next level. For REI Automation and its clients the transaction is a very important step into a reliable and sustainable future.”

With the acquisition HAHN Group continues its buy and build strategy to form a global network of automation specialists. HAHN Group is owned by Germany’s largest foundation RAG-Stiftung and employs meanwhile nearly 1.400 employees in 13 countries, serving clients in various industries around the world.

HAHN Group expands into Ruhr region

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Frankfurt, Germany – HAHN Group acquires the majority stake in Ruhrbotics GmbH in Recklinghausen, Germany

As of 1. October 2019, the HAHN Group, headquartered in Rheinböllen, took over the majority of shares in Ruhrbotics GmbH. The Recklinghausen-based company with 12 employees specializes in complex robot programming. In the future, it will continue to expand these services under the name HAHN Ruhrbotics and strengthen the Robotics Division of the HAHN Group.

Philipp Unterhalt, Managing Director of the HAHN Group, is pleased about the transaction: „We receive a team with outstanding training which will also support us in projects within the group.“ HAHN Ruhrbotics forms another building block in an extensive network of smaller robotics integrators. With agile organizations and proximity to the customer, the automation offer for industrial and collaborative robot solutions will be further expanded.

The founder and former CEO of Ruhrbotics, Daniel Bunse, has taken over the management of Rethink Robotics, another HAHN Group subsidiary, since October 1st. „It was important to me that the company can continue to develop solidly and sustainably,“ emphasizes Bunse, and adds: „As part of the HAHN Group, Ruhrbotics employees now have the opportunity not only to harness their passion for robotics and automation in the service of their customers but also to share it with the other brands of the HAHN Group.“

The former authorized representative, Christopher Drewer, will take over the management of HAHN Ruhrbotics. He has been with the company for more than 10 years. „We have built a great company in the Ruhr area and are proud to continue this story from our location together with the HAHN Group on a global level,“ says Drewer.

Waldorf Technik integrates digital printing and digital service for even more productivity

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Engen, Germany – In the future, manufacturers of disposable syringes will be able to print directly and flexibly on cylinders through digital printing processes right inside the system. The offer by Waldorf Technik is rounded off through the use of EVE Suite – the digital service portfolio of HAHN Digital to raise productivity, efficiency and quality.

Waldorf Technik developed an automation system, together with their long-standing partner Netstal – premium brand for injection molding machines from the KraussMaffei group – which is based on their Vario TIP® System. This way syringe barrels can be printed on, directly after extraction from the injection molding machine, using digital printing. The system will be displayed in hall 15, booth D24.

Production and processing on the site runs completely cavity sorted for maximum efficiency and safety. Immediately after extraction of the syringe barrels from the injection molding machine, the piston stop of the syringe is checked for proper processing by means of camera systems. Thereafter, the barrels are set up on a moving table for transport. The next camera check controls the Luer fitting before the cylinders are transported to the print station. Before the print, the cylinders are prepared with plasma treatment. This ensures an optimal adhesion of the print. Afterwards, the prints are dried through UV radiation. Then the syringe barrels can be packed or individually processed according to the customer requirements.

The digital printing process guarantees maximum flexibility because the print data is sent directly from the computer to the printer. A modification or print head replacement is not necessary. Waldorf Technik realized this printing solution in collaboration with Hapa AG, using their compact digital print module redcube.

Another highlight on the fair site is Waldorf Technik’s presentation of EVE Suite, the comprehensive digital service portfolio of HAHN Group, to which Waldorf Technik belongs as a subsidiary. With EVE Analytics system operators are, for example, able to monitor the status of their systems remotely and at any time conveniently via PC, smartphone or tablet. On top of that EVE Support offers an opportunity for guided and individual remote maintenance with the use of augmented reality and smart glasses for video calls.

The subsidiary companies GeKu, Waldorf Technik and Wemo form the division Material Handling within HAHN Group, establish a global network and bundle their extensive competencies in the plastics industries. All three will be represented jointly in hall 10, booth E61.

Smart automation – boost your productivity

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Värnamo, Sweden – Wemo presents a wide range of robotics and will show several robot applications for automation in plastics manufacturing at K 2019. As a highlight, Wemo provides industrial logistics solutions for material handling. Trade show visitors are invited to experience how to boost product quality with smart automation at booth E61 in hall 10.

Wemo launches WIPS 4.0 software for a user experience in the programming of robots as one of the highlights at K 2019. The new WIPS 4.0 software platform is based on experiences from the successful dialogue programming, which was implemented in thousands of Wemo robots in the last decade. The new ergonomic and lightweight handheld controller W-Hp12, in combination with a 10.1” landscape full color screen, gives operators and programmers a better overview of the status and program structure. The handheld is equipped with three levels of safety buttons (dead-man-grip). Furthermore, the customer experience continues with hardware buttons for the most-used functions like the activation of axes movement and main operational buttons like start, stop, and reset. In addition to an integrated touch pen the screen is now equipped with swipe functionality for an intuitive usability. This improves the speed of daily use, makes the process more efficient and results in better monitoring for the user with fewer jumps to different pages. The WIPS 4.0 user friendliness is rounded off with a customized start screen.
The new software and handheld will be demonstrated at the Wemo stand at booth E61 in hall 10.
Wemo offers 21 different models for adaption to injection molding machines, of which three are displayed at K:

  • Wemo 3-5 Linear Picker: The compact, servo-driven linear robot with a handling capability up to 2.3 kg is used for sprue and part handling. The Wemo 3-5 Linear Picker can be mounted either within the machine’s protected area or above the gate to the machine safety area as a conventional linear robot. The installation is extremely compact, while the adaptation of external protections around the machine becomes significantly easier. This solution solves limits in flexibility of additional operations, as well as higher cost, due to CE regulations for approved machine protection.
  • Wemo 8-5 sDesign: The high speed linear robot for thin-wall parts in the packaging industry is best in class for packaging parts and medical applications on two-platen and stack moulds. The sDesign series is especially suited for the removal of packaging parts. The high-speed handling units are optimised for ultimate efficiency and speed. They have a cycle time of less than 2.7 seconds and may be used both for side-entry and top removal. A Wemo 8-5 sDesign application with a handling weight of up to 3 kg for machine sizes from 750 up to 3,000 kN can be seen at the Wemo booth in operation along with a servo driven stacking unit, which helps to achieve the faste cycle times.
  • Wemo 120 xLine Tandem: The Wemo tandem robot concept mounts two robots on the same Z-axis, resulting in a more cost-effective production. Often additional operations are added outside the injection molding machine, such as assembly, inspection or packing of pattern layouts in boxes. With the tandem concept, required operation processes are divided without installing two separate robots in the cell. Using this method, valuable floor space is released in comparison to previous solutions. At K 2019, Wemo will demonstrate a Wemo 120 xLine Tandem for industrial parts.

Wemo Handling Automation offers efficient industrial logistics solutions for handling parts and boxes to and from pallets. The product range of user friendly and flexible linear robots is based on the handling concept, which comes with additional modulized conveyors, End-Of-Arm tooling and safety guarding. At K 2019, visitors can discover the following solutions: The Wemo xPacker packing line consists of the Wemo xPacker mini robot to fill boxes and the larger Wemo xPacker midi robot to pack boxes on pallets.

  • Wemo xPacker mini: The fast Pick-and-Place robot for filling boxes is a speedy robot type for handling parts up to 5 kg. With its small footprint it can be used inside existing automation lines or directly after the out coming conveyor from the molding machine.
  • Wemo xPacker midi: The compact robot for palletizing boxes with 20 kg handling weight is a complete robotics unit. With an incoming conveyor and integrated safety guarding, Wemo xPacker midi is ready for easy plug-in. It is placed directly after the molding machine’s out coming conveyor belt or in a centralized logistics department. All types of boxes or packages can be handled with a unique vacuum gripper which can detect the object size and use the vacuum channels according to the needed surfaces. In combination with the intuitive programming WIPS handling software, less knowledge is required to operate this unit in an efficient way.