Interview with Marcus Kurringer, Head of Marketing of Gebr. Heller Maschinenfabrik GmbH, one of the leading machine tool manufacturers in the machining sector.

 

IndustryArena: Mr. Kurringer, which key moments in HELLER’s history significantly influenced its transformation from a small craft business to a global company?

Marcus Kurringer: HELLER entered the machine tool industry in 1898 with the production of cold circular saws for cutting metal, as well as saw blade sharpening machines and thread cutting devices. In 1900, Hermann Heller’s brother Ernst, a trained businessman, joined the company, marking the establishment of "Gebr. Heller Werkzeug- und Maschinenfabrik" in Nürtingen.

In the early 20th century, HELLER ventured into manufacturing milling machines, introduced production lines in 1942, implemented electro-hydraulic controls in the 1950s, and by the early 1960s was supplying its assembly stations with materials via inductively controlled floor conveyors.

During the 1960s, Hubert and Berndt Heller took over leadership of the company, transforming it into an internationally successful corporate group with multiple locations in key markets, including production facilities in England (Redditch) and Brazil (Sorocaba), which both celebrate their 50th anniversaries this year.

Key milestones include:

• 1978: Expansion of the product portfolio with camshaft milling machines.
  
  
• 1990s: Introduction of a broad range of machines tailored for productivity and efficient manufacturing, including machining centers (MCA, MCS, MCP), transfer machines (HCS), crank and camshaft milling machines (RFK, RFN), and rotary broaching centers (DRZ).
  
  
• 1997: Launch of the MC series centers with the new HELLER uniPro CNC 90 control system.
  
  
• 2007: Introduction of the H series, featuring highly flexible 4-axis horizontal machining centers for diverse materials and parts, from single-unit production to mass manufacturing.
  
  
• 2009: Launch of the F series, offering 5-axis production machines with and without pallet changers for a wide range of industries.
  
  
• 2011: Introduction of the C series, featuring 5-axis machining centers capable of combined milling/turning tasks on a single machine (combined processing).
  
  
• 2012: Delivery of the first CBC modules for the innovative coating of cylinder bores in crankcases, alongside the start of flow-line assembly at the Nürtingen facility. The company secured its largest order to date.
  
  
• 2016: Introduction of the HELLER4Industry concept, offering additional machine functionalities, on-demand services, and enhanced service options. Launch of the HF series, horizontal 5-axis machining centers designed for high productivity, flexibility, and ease of operation and maintenance.
  
  
• 2021: Release of the fourth generation of the proven 4-axis machining centers from the H series, featuring a wide range of Industry 4.0 functionalities.
  
  
• 2023: At the EMO trade fair, HELLER unveiled the new generation of 5-axis machining centers from the F series.
  
  
• 2024: HELLER celebrates its 130th anniversary. During the HELLER Open House and the AMB trade fair in Stuttgart, the company will present additional models from the F series, alongside diverse services and forward-looking technology, digitization, and automation solutions.

 

Which future trends and technologies do you see as particularly important for advancing your services and machines??

For companies investing in machine tools, the key considerations are long-term reliability, combined with productivity, flexibility, stability, and precision. Machines must embody these characteristics to ensure dependable production. The optimal integration of mechanical engineering, automation, digitalization (including artificial intelligence), and technological processes is crucial for delivering successful, customer-specific manufacturing solutions.

Can you provide a specific example of how the company values ‘Systematic, Sustainable, and Cooperative’ are implemented in daily operations and influence your business practices?

The terms "systematic", "sustainable" and "cooperative" are our brand attributes and significantly shape our working methods, designs, communication, and interactions. A concrete example is our comprehensive 360-degree approach to manufacturing solutions. We see ourselves not only as a manufacturer of machine tools but, more importantly, as a competent technology partner for our customers. By analyzing their specific needs, we develop customized, modular solutions.

HELLER has been in the machine tool business for over 130 years, making it one of the oldest machine manufacturers still in operation. What are the key strategies that have enabled the company to endure for so long?

HELLER’s drive to develop highly productive solutions for demanding environments is embedded in its DNA. This expertise has been successfully applied to our various machine concepts and now also to universal solutions. We leverage attributes such as high productivity, durability, precision, and flexibility to benefit customers across various industries.

We offer a quality promise based on four pillars:

• Made by HELLER:
  Maximum in-house manufacturing depth—HELLER machines produce HELLER machines.
  
  
• Made to Work:
  HELLER machines are designed for the rigors of everyday production—24/7 in three-shift operations.
  
  
• Lifetime Partnership:
  HELLER Services provide comprehensive support throughout a machine’s lifecycle.
  
  
• HELLER Global Footprint:
  Our global reach, paired with strong local presence, ensures close customer proximity worldwide.
  
  

How have the new generation of 5-axis machining centers improved in terms of cutting performance and precision, and what specific benefits do complementary technologies like Power Skiving offer to the manufacturing industry?

The new generation of 5-axis machines from the F series, featuring head kinematics, is suitable for applications ranging from single-part production to flexible 24/7 series production for industries such as mechanical engineering, energy, and aerospace. Like all HELLER machines, they set benchmarks in cutting performance and precision. Key highlights include short non-productive times and optimal automation capabilities. With the F series, we’ve raised the bar, thanks to newly developed core components "Made by HELLER," such as completely redesigned swivel heads with integrated, in-house developed motor spindles. Additionally, the 5-axis machining centers stand out with top-tier equipment, a compact footprint, and the ability to expand with technologies such as mill-turn, interpolation turning, or power skiving.

With the Power Skiving technology cycle, HELLER offers customers a highly productive and flexible process for gear skiving various types of gears. Through user-friendly input, high gear quality can be achieved on a 5-axis machining center equipped with a mill-turn solution. Processing components in a single clamping operation provides several advantages: machining accuracy and productivity both increase, while component handling efforts decrease. To help customers unlock these potentials, HELLER in Nürtingen is gradually integrating additional technologies into its machining centers. One example is gear skiving, which enables users of 5-axis machining centers to produce gears without reclamping.

In Power Skiving, there are virtually no spur gears that cannot be manufactured. Whether straight or helical, external or internal gears — all are easily achievable. Even crowned gears can be produced with high profile accuracy. The need for an additional gear-cutting machine is eliminated, and the process is two to three times faster than shaping, making it significantly more productive. Furthermore, gear skiving boasts fewer interfering contours, greater flexibility, and lower tool costs compared to broaching and hobbing.

The only requirement is that the 5-axis machine used must also have the turning functions of the HELLER mill-turn option with the directly driven rotary table. If this is the case, the skiving technology can be easily integrated into modern Siemens controls and just as easily programmed. Even machine operators with little experience in gear cutting will have no trouble creating a reliable program. The foundation for this is a technology cycle with a clear structure and a graphically supported input mask. Programmers simply input all relevant gear data step by step and confirm it at the end. The cycle then automatically performs a comprehensive plausibility check. If this is successfully completed, the production process can be started.

Power Skiving on machines from Baden-Württemberg expands the range of complete machining in a simple and reliable way. The additional investments remain minimal since only the respective tools are required.

Finally, in one sentence, what makes HELLER unique and sets it apart from the competition?

Knowing how it’s done: For 130 years, the HELLER team has been passionately developing tailored solutions for and with its customers to meet their manufacturing needs.

Mr. Kurringer, thank you very much for the interesting interview.

 

For more information about HELLER click here.