The GROB Vision for 2025 and Beyond

What does “intelligent manufacturing” mean to you, and how is your organization contributing to this transformation?
 At GROB, intelligent manufacturing means seamlessly integrating advanced digital technologies to enhance efficiency, flexibility, and quality across our production processes. Recognizing the importance of smart production early on, we established a dedicated department nine years ago to develop digitalization software tailored to our manufacturing needs. Today, with a team of over 50 developers, we are setting new standards in the digitalization of machining production. A key focus for us is creating solutions that enable the digitalization of all machines within the production environment. We believe this is the only way to unlock true efficiency gains.

Can you share a recent breakthrough or initiative that helped empower your customers or channel partners in a significant way?
 Building on the previous topic of digitalization, the GROB4PartFlow part tracking system represents a significant advancement. This system enables the unique serialization of parts, allowing each component to be linked with its specific process and production data. As industries face increasing demands due to new regulations and customer-specific requirements, the traceability of components has become essential. This is particularly true in modern, fully automated production environments, where not only value-adding processes are carried out but also critical tasks such as quality control.

One of the major challenges in digitizing these systems lies in establishing standardized interfaces between machines from different manufacturers while ensuring high data quality. GROB4PartFlow addresses this by offering a cross-manufacturer and cross-process solution. It stores and visualizes production parameters, making them readily available for analysis.

The system provides several key benefits: it ensures complete traceability by assigning process data to individual components, allowing for early detection of quality fluctuations and better identification of their causes, leading to optimized production processes. Furthermore, it supports holistic digitalization by centrally networking all machines and systems within an automation setup. Historical and current production data are clearly visualized and accessible at any time, enhancing transparency and decision-making.

How is your company embracing sustainability in machining – from materials to energy and lifecycle design?
 Excellence in Sustainable Technology – this is not just our company motto but a guiding principle in everything we do. In a world where resource efficiency and sustainability are more important than ever, energy efficiency has become a key factor for both business success and environmental responsibility. That’s why we are fully committed to improving energy efficiency in machining centers and providing practical solutions to help optimize our customers’ production processes.

Machining centers are the backbone of modern manufacturing. Using energy wisely not only reduces operating costs but also minimizes environmental impact. At GROB, our development engineers continuously explore new technologies to enhance energy efficiency. As a result, we’ve developed a wide range of measures, most of which are now included in our standard machine configurations at no extra cost.

These measures include selecting the motorized spindle based on process requirements, using hydraulic power units with intermittent operation, implementing highly efficient drives, utilizing efficient cooling systems, employing regenerative frequency converters, and integrating frequency-controlled exhaust systems. In addition, optional features—such as a switch-off function during machine standstill or a frequency-controlled high-pressure coolant pump—further reduce energy consumption.

By strategically optimizing both the machine and the machining process, impressive energy savings can be achieved. Compared to a completely unoptimized setup, energy consumption can be reduced by up to 37%.

What role are MSMEs and local suppliers playing in your machine tool ecosystem, and how are you enabling their growth?
A well-established and reliable supplier network is critical to the success of our new plant in Bangalore, which opened in 2024. Although GROB Machine Tools India has been active in the market since 2009, this is a whole new level. For us, it was the logical next step in deepening our commitment—transforming our long-standing presence into a full-scale production capability. We will offer our customers the GROB quality they expect at a market-driven price. For this, local suppliers who understand our quality standards and are willing to grow with us step by step are essential. Our top priority is always delivering the GROB quality known from Germany.

When we consider MSMEs from the perspective of our customers, we are currently observing that more and more companies are switching from 3- and 4-axis machining to 5-axis machining. As specialists in 5-axis machining, we can, of course, provide our customers with the best possible support during this transition—both technologically and in training their personnel. In addition, the aerospace market in India is experiencing strong growth. We support companies entering this sector through strategic partnerships to ensure that precision, high-quality parts are successfully machined from even the most challenging materials.

How do you see digital technologies (like AI, IoT, or digital twins) redefining machine tool applications in the next 3–5 years?
We see digital technologies such as artificial intelligence, the Internet of Things, and digital twins as transformative forces that will redefine machine tool applications over the next few years. These technologies are not only set to plan, monitor, and control future production processes—they will fundamentally reshape how machines are designed, operated, and continuously optimized. Companies that proactively assess and implement automation and digitalization across their manufacturing operations will not only lead the machining industry but also shape global market dynamics.

The integration of AI will enable real-time, self-optimizing production environments, while digital twins will allow for virtual testing and predictive maintenance, significantly reducing development cycles and downtime. IoT connectivity will ensure seamless data flow across systems, enhancing transparency and decision-making. Data-driven insights will help reduce energy consumption, material waste, and carbon footprint—key priorities for the future of manufacturing. At GROB, we are actively investing in these innovations to ensure our solutions remain at the forefront of intelligent, resilient, and sustainable manufacturing.

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