INNOVATIVE STRENGTH at the Meckenbeuren site
INTERVIEW with Eckhard Maurer Managing Director SMW-AUTOBLOK Spannsysteme GmbH and Managing Director/Shareholder SMW-electronics GmbH
now cover almost 30.000 m2 of floor space and in- clude, in addition to the main build- ing with the adja- cent production building, a large- scale production facility, a technical and logistics cen- ter and the new SMW-electronics building. The total office space amounts to 5.000 m 2 and
accommodated in an area of approx. 1.000 m 2 over 2 floors. This allows for highly efficient processes and short distances. The building is also equipped with the latest technologies for CO 2 reduction and energy effi- ciency. It has a photovoltaic system in combination with a heat pump, which puts it in energy efficiency class 40 EE. What exactly are inductive coupling systems and how long have they been around? SMW-electronics is one of the world's leading suppliers of in- ductive coupling systems for energy and signal transmission. The energy and signals are trans- mitted contactfree via an air gap between stationary and moving/ rotary components. The air gap can be up to 10 mm. An induc- tive coupling system consists of a stationary coupler and a movable mobile coupler. These inductive coupling systems enable energy of up to 1.500 watts to be trans- mitted, which is used to operate
actuators or sensors. At the same time, a signal is transmitted be- tween the two units. The types of signals transmitted contactlessly range from digital or analogue signals and IO-Link to state-of-the- art Ethernet-based field buses. Incidentally, the idea of simulta- neous wireless transmission of energy and information goes back to the end of the 19th century. In this context, the in- ventor, physicist and engineer Nikola Tesla should be mentioned.
» Eckhard Maurer
Where does the name SMW-AUTOBLOK come from? How long has the company been in existence? SMW-AUTOBLOK began as a sales company for clamping devices, founded in Friedrichshafen in 1967 under the name SMW. The letters SMW come from the first letters of the surnames of the founders at the time. After the merger with AUTOBLOK s.p.a., based in Caprie (Turin), Italy, the company SMW-AUTOBLOK Spann- systeme GmbH was formed in 1993. With the founding of the company SMW-electronics GmbH in September 2021, an indepen- dent business unit has been cre- ated that brings together the worldwide development activities for products for digitized process- es and automation. These include the product areas of mecha- tronics, contactfree transmission technology, intelligent sensor technology and software.
Does the technical develop- ment really take place here?
the production space (including the warehouse, assembly and testing) to over 12.000 square meters. SMW-electronics now has its own building. How did this development come about? What happens there and what do you have planned there for the future? The new building and the fur- ther investment in equipment and jobs represent a clear com- mitment by SMW-AUTOBLOK Spannsysteme GmbH and SMW-electronics GmbH to the location in Meckenbeuren. SMW-AUTOBLOK has been based at the Meckenbeuren site for 47 years and works success- fully there, partly because of its lean organisation and short communication channels. So, it made sense that the new building for SMW-electronics GmbH was constructed in the immediate vicinity. The engineering and production departments, the testing area, the warehouse and the logistics and assembly departments are
Yes, it takes place here at our Meckenbeuren site. The develop- ment area includes mechatronic systems, hardware electronics and software. Currently, 12 employ- ees work in the SMW-electronics building. The number will in- crease to about 20 employees in the coming year.
How big is the entire compa- ny site in Meckenbeuren in- cluding the new building?
The entire company premises
» Manufacture of products for digitizing and automating processes
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