Interview with Uwe Keller, Head of Marketing at Dr. Heinrich Schneider Messtechnik GmbH, one of the leading providers of optical and 3D multisensor coordinate measuring machines.

 

IndustryArena: Mr. Keller, from spectacle lenses to high-tech measurement technology - Dr Heinrich Schneider Messtechnik GmbH has already made an impressive journey. Can you tell us how Schneider's brand identity has changed over the decades?

Uwe Keller: In fact, the development of our brand identity is a reflection of our innovative strength and adaptability. Originally based in eyewear optics, our focus for many years was on the precise manufacture of optical and eyeglass lenses - an area in which accuracy and reliability have top priority. These values remain with us to this day.

Over the decades, Schneider Messtechnik has developed into a highly specialised provider of industrial measurement solutions. Our brand identity has clearly evolved - from a classic machine manufacturer for optical metrology to a partner for holistic, intuitive solutions in optical and multi-sensor production metrology. Terms such as innovation, automation, digitalisation and user-friendliness characterise our self-image today. At the same time, we have remained true to our roots: Precision and quality are still our top priorities.

User-friendliness as a driver of innovation: How important is intuitive operation for highly specialised technical measuring systems - and how do you implement this in your products?

For us, user-friendliness is an absolute key to the success story of our measuring machines. It is also necessary to adapt to the constant change at our customers. Quality assurance is increasingly pushing its way into production and it is up to us to provide the customer with a good setting for this. This is precisely where operation must be simple and intuitive, because the operating personnel have a different focus at this point. Our aim is to enable users without in-depth technical knowledge to work efficiently with our systems without having to compromise on precision or functionality.

When developing our products, we attach great importance to designing the user interfaces in such a way that all relevant functions can be accessed quickly and intuitively. Above all, this includes a situation-dependent design of the user interface. Training and support also play an important role - we want to ensure that our customers can utilise the full potential of our systems.

Non-contact production metrology is considered a key technology. In which sectors do you currently see the greatest growth potential for your solutions?

Non-contact production measurement technology has gained enormously in importance in recent years, as it enables precise, fast and non-destructive quality assurance. We see great growth potential for our solutions, particularly in industries that require maximum precision and efficiency.

We are currently focussing on industries such as aerospace, the automotive industry and medical technology. In the aerospace industry, we were able to significantly expand our strong market presence with a spectacular new development in shaft measurement technology. We were able to realise extremely complex measuring tasks with time savings of up to 80% compared to a coordinate measuring machine. These are investments that pay off.

We see further major growth potential in medical technology, particularly in the production of a wide range of implants and surgical instruments. The requirements for precision and quality are particularly high in this industry, and our measuring systems offer an efficient way to inspect even complex geometries with the highest accuracy, quickly and efficiently.

Last but not least, the automotive sector continues to offer growth potential. The focus here is on electromobility. The trend towards ever lighter components continues, as this ultimately reduces fuel consumption and is a key driver for the use of our measuring machines. This industry demands solutions that offer maximum precision in production and quality assurance - and this is precisely why we have customised machine concepts in our range.

Schneider has been synonymous with precision and experience for almost 80 years. How do you manage the balancing act between technological innovation and tradition-conscious company management?

The success of Schneider Messtechnik is based on a strong foundation of almost 80 years of experience in precision measurement technology. This tradition is invaluable to us as it teaches us what really counts: top quality, precision and reliability. At the same time, we see ourselves as an innovative company that is constantly evolving to keep pace with the latest technological developments and fulfil new market requirements.

We manage the balancing act between technological innovation and tradition-conscious company management through a balance of experience and future-orientation. On the one hand, we draw on the wealth of experience that we have built up over decades, while remaining true to our values such as precision, reliability and customer focus. On the other hand, we continuously promote the exchange between traditional knowledge and modern technologies. Our employees are the foundation of this development - through targeted further training and an environment that promotes creative thinking and technological development, we are able to implement innovations without losing sight of our company's roots.

Your products promise considerable efficiency gains directly in production. Can you give us a specific practical example of how your customers benefit from this in everyday life?

An excellent example of how our products contribute directly to increasing efficiency in production is the use of our 3D multisensor shaft measuring machines in the aviation industry. A customer specialising in the production of highly efficient turbines was able to achieve a significant reduction in measuring time with a simultaneous increase in measuring accuracy by using our systems. We are talking about 80 PERCENT.

It is also important to realise that 100% of the components have to be measured. Before using our measuring technology, the customer had to carry out several steps for each component inspection, which resulted in long cycle times and high material costs. With our new shaft measuring machine, he was able to carry out the measurement in a single, automated step, reducing throughput times by more than 80 %. At the same time, sources of error caused by manual measurements were drastically reduced, which significantly improved the quality and accuracy of the parts produced.

The improved efficiency not only reduced downtimes but also increased the capacity of the production lines to the same extent - two factors that are indispensable in today's industry.

Your own SAPHIR measurement software is an integral part of your devices. What strategic importance does in-house software development have for your market position?

Years ago, we firmly integrated measuring software into our market strategy as the central key to the success of our measuring machines on the market. The in-house development of our SAPHIR measuring software plays a central role and enables us to offer customised solutions that are perfectly tailored to the needs of our customers and the specific requirements of their production processes. This gives us a decisive advantage, as we can react quickly and flexibly to changes in the market or in customer requirements.

A major strategic advantage of SAPHIR is that the software is closely linked and integrated with our measuring machines. This not only allows us to provide optimal user experience but also ensures that the software and hardware work together seamlessly. This close integration makes our systems particularly efficient and reduces potential sources of error that could occur when using third-party software.

Another decisive advantage for our customers is that we can operate all measuring machines with the same measuring software. This allows our customers to build up a sustainable pool of knowledge and utilise it efficiently in all areas.

Schneider Messtechnik is a medium-sized company with decades of history. What values characterise your corporate culture - and how do employees experience these in their day-to-day work?

As a medium-sized company with almost 80 years of history, our corporate culture is strongly characterised by traditional values, which we continuously integrate into our day-to-day work. Values such as precision, quality, reliability and customer focus are our top priorities and are reflected both in our products and in the way we work and interact with each other.

A core value that characterises our corporate culture is treating each other with respect. We promote open communication and a working environment in which every employee can contribute their ideas. This leads to a strong team spirit and a high level of identification with the company. Our employees experience these values daily through close collaboration in interdisciplinary teams and direct dialogue with managers.

We also attach great importance to continuous training and development. We believe that only by developing the individual potential of each employee can the company remain successful. We therefore offer regular training and development opportunities so that our employees can expand their skills and familiarise themselves with the latest technologies and trends.

Another important value for us is our willingness to innovate. Even though we look back on a long tradition, we always endeavour to integrate new ideas and technologies to keep pace with the requirements of the industry. Our employees are an essential part of this innovative process and we encourage them to think creatively and develop new solutions.

Does the topic of sustainability in measurement technology play a special role for you - both in product development and in the operation of your devices?

Sustainability is playing an increasingly important role for us - both in the development and operation of our measuring systems. Our devices are energy-efficient, durable and designed to minimise the impact on resources. We also reduce material wear and reject through non-contact measurement technology.

One current example is the new photovoltaic park at our site in Bad Kreuznach. In combination with intelligent heat recovery at Allit AG's injection moulding machines, it enables us to operate independently across the Group and thus actively reduce our carbon footprint in the long term. We also rely on digital processes internally to reduce paperwork and travelling.

Sustainability is not a trend for us, but an integral part of our corporate strategy.

Looking ahead: digitalisation, AI, automation - a lot is changing. What trends or technologies do you think could fundamentally change the measurement technology industry in the next ten years?

Measurement technology is facing an exciting change. In the next ten years, three topics will characterize the industry: Artificial intelligence, automation and networked systems in the sense of Industry 4.0.

AI will help to analyse measurement results even faster, automatically detect deviations and even provide recommendations for action in real time. The classic measuring machine is thus increasingly developing into an intelligent assistance system in production.

Full integration into digital production chains is also becoming increasingly important - the keyword here is "closed-loop manufacturing". Measurement data is fed directly back into the production process to enable automated corrections.

At Schneider, we believe we are well positioned to play an active role in shaping these developments - with a clear focus on software, interfaces and user-friendly solutions.

Finally, if you had to describe Schneider Messtechnik in one sentence - what is the fundamental difference between you and the competition? 

Schneider Messtechnik combines high-tech mechanical engineering with maximum precision and innovative software expertise - and offers customised optical and multi-sensor measuring machines that are as intuitive as they are future-proof; in short - SIMPLY PRECISE.

Mr. Keller, thank you very much for the engaging conversation.

 

For more information about Schneider Messtechnik, click here.