The CHIRON Group takes over the complete process responsibility in turnkey projects – from planning to project management to the commissioning on site. In doing so, it provides optimum production solutions for the customer, technically and economically. Since the customers are focusing more and more on completely automated cells, the CHIRON Group is already equipping around 50 percent of new machines with an automation solution. With the integrated milling and turning operation, the group of companies offers a broad range of applications with the machine brands CHIRON, STAMA and SCHERER. With approx. EUR 341 million in sales and a share of 74 percent, CHIRON is the largest individual company in the Group. In 2016, STAMA contributed over EUR 80 million (17 percent), and SCHERER generated a share of 9 percent in the Group’s turnover with just under EUR 40 million.
ON TRACK WITH DIGITIZATION
The CHIRON Group has already laid the foundations for digital technologies before terms, such as "Industry 4.0" or "Digital Manufacturing" were coined. With SmartLine, the Group is taking an individual modular approach when it comes to digitization, that is geared closely towards the requirements of our customers. The SmartLine products such as DataLine, ProcessLine and RemoteLine offer decentralized machine and process data analyses, simulate and optimize complex machining processes and, among other things, enable an even higher productivity, quality and availability by providing remote diagnosis. In addition, it is getting more and more important for our customers to be able to trace workpieces data. For this reason, the CHIRON Group is working on systems that collect and consolidate data on the production process, and provide these to the customer system.
GROWTH IN NEW MARKETS
In concrete numbers, the development is as follows: In 2016, the CHIRON Group increased its sales to around EUR 461 million. This slightly exceeded its own target which was based on the sales figures from the previous year. In 2016, the Group sold approx. 700 machines worldwide.
The revenue share of the European markets decreased from 70 to 66 percent, while Asia increased its share by 2 percent to a total of 17 percent. The share of the markets on the American continent also increased by 2 percent to a total of 17 percent. This is proof that the decision to setup a new location in the North American Detroit and in the Mexican Querétaro was the correct one.
The largest share of the Group turnover was generated with turnkey orders (40 percent), followed by the sale of standard machines (32 percent) and with service (28 percent). Sector-wise, the automotive and supplier industry dominates with 64 percent, followed by mechanical engineering (10 percent), medical and precision technology (7 percent), and aerospace (4 percent).
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