For us, the “Green Heart of Germany” is far more than just a symbol of Thuringia. It stands for the people who roll up their sleeves and get to work here. For the ideas that take shape here. And for the innovations that find their way from here into a wide variety of industries. Just like in today’s photos: The Green Heart meets the orange of a KUKA robot. Home meets high-tech. Tradition meets the future. In the heart of the Thuringian Forest, we develop and implement automation solutions that are used far beyond the borders of our region. In doing so, we remain firmly connected to what defines us: Thuringian down-to-earthness, an engineering spirit, and the conviction that progress arises where people create with passion. We received the “Green Heart” this week during a visit by Thur…

☝ This robotic cell won’t be manufacturing mass-produced items, and that’s exactly why it’s interesting. ☝ 🤖 What looks like a classic robotic application in this picture will soon be automating a complex process in medical technology. Once again, we’re creating an automated solution for a previously labor-intensive, time-consuming manual process. That’s exactly what this industrial robot in front of the rotary indexing table is for—a system that’s currently in the mechanical assembly phase. What’s exciting here is that while automation has been the norm in the automotive industry for decades, its potential in many other sectors is still far from being fully realized. ❓ After all, what about processes that don’t reach astronomical production volumes? ❓ What about applications that…

  👉 “If I turn that little screw up here just a tiny bit more, the assembly will run much more smoothly.”   Sounds harmless. But it’s a risk. Because that’s not a process. It’s empirical knowledge without any safeguards.   The reality: - Workflows depend on individuals - Errors occur when people are absent - Training new employees becomes a gamble   👉 In short: You’re under-automated.   This is exactly where your leverage lies: - Make implicit knowledge explicit - Standardize procedures - Make processes independent of individuals   💡 And importantly: It’s not about replacing Ingo. It’s about enabling Horst to work just as efficiently. Often, it’s not about million-dollar projects— but rather small devices, configurable individual workstations,  or clearly defi…

More than you think. Anyone who has ever tinkered learns early:   👉 You have to ask someone who knows their stuff – or educate yourself. You have to take action – the moped does not build itself. 👉 You have to maintain it – genuine upkeep does not happen in the gaming den in front of the console. 👉 You have to buy fuel if you want to be mobile. 👉 And when it breaks, there are two options: leave it or repair it.   That is exactly an early understanding of value creation: ☝ Real value arises from one's own effort.   We embrace this mindset in our internships: Students should not just watch, but experience for themselves how something is created.   🎁 For this reason, they design their own keychain in our production – The overwhelmingly chosen favorite motif: the classic T…

In highly complex automation systems, one topic is often underestimated: 👉 NIO handling (NOK)   Because of course: Everyone optimizes for quality and minimal scrap rate. But what happens when parts still need to be rejected?   In the picture, you can see the drop shafts installed in a 3 × 9 m system. Here, over 20 stations perform assembly, testing, and measurement tasks, which for NIO management means: ➡️ Multiple drop shafts ➡️ Clear NIO classifications ➡️ Continuous monitoring & counting Sounds simple – it isn’t.   The reality in engineering: ✅ No jamming in the shaft ✅ Safe arrival in the correct box ✅ Master different component geometries ✅ Ensure 100% clean software logic   Why this is crucial: NIO is not an exception – it is an integral part of the proce…