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Editorial

By Dr. Christian Walti

In the many conversations I have had about the coronavirus crisis, I noticed that we are suddenly communicating more intensively. As we can no longer participate in visits, trips or conventions, all of our communication now takes place over the telephone or via a video conference.

I am therefore sure that we will overcome every aspect of this crisis, because there is one word that has suddenly increased in importance: We. The exciting projects in our  new customer magazine Star make me confident that we are already in a good position for this.

For example, Italian precision forgers Pietro Rosa TBM and Starrag have developed the LX 021 machining centre, which allows complete machining of turbine blades. US company Orizon Aerostructures has even built a new factory around its new flexible production system comprising nine five-axis ECOSPEED machining centres, which will “eclipse everything we have ever done in the past” (Orizon-CEO  Charlie Newell).

“What is the secret to outstanding power plant components?” is also a fascinating read about Harbin Electric Machinery Company, based in China. The power plant manufacturer chose a double-column vertical lathe from the Dörries VC product line to machine XXL components – not only because of its high-precision operation and efficiency, but also because the protective shut-off function means it continues to operate for over 15 minutes in the event of a sudden power failure.

Starrag is particularly proud to have sold its 600th Bumotec s191, which it has been manufacturing for 15 years. Bumotec customers often order additional machines of the same type – for example German length measurement specialist Kroeplin. After purchasing their first machine, the company’s order volume increased so much that it decided to buy a second Bumotec s191. One of the first centres was purchased by Swiss company Del West Europe, a supplier of components for motorsport, who has since acquired a second s191 – the 600th sold. What do these customers have in common? They both swear by good dialogue and active communication with Starrag.

Karl-Hubert Jacobs from the Starrag Customer Training team demonstrates active dialogue in the Advanced Maintenance Training course, where customers and Starrag service technicians learn how to replace a spindle in just two weeks. During the course at the Mönchengladbach plant, participants not only learn from each other, but they can also benefit from the expertise of staff in specialist departments. This is “we” at its finest.

Find out what else we all have in common in the latest edition of Star, 01-2020. I wish you good health as we start this journey together.

Christian Walti