Interview with

Günther Klingler,

Managing Director Mayr GmbH + Co. KG, Mauerstetten:

"We've been picking up speed on 2010 right from the start and are just coming to 2008's results."

From transmissions for sawmills and mills to modern drive elements: Since 1897, the product range has been developed by Mayr Antriebstechnik. It comes as no surprise that the clutch and brake specialist from the Allgäu region holds numerous patents, one of which was freedom of play. development scout spoke to Günther Klingler, who takes the zero game at face value.

development scout: How is Mayr economical these days, Mr. Klingler?

Klingler: Since the beginning, we have been picking up speed on 2010 and are just starting to get used to the result of 2008. That exceeds all our expectations. So we are almost back to the "stop" today. We lift employees' hourly accounts, bridge bottlenecks with temporary workers at short notice, hire new employees and invest in our machinery.

development scout: They are known as market leaders for safety clutches, elevator and stage brakes as well as shaft couplings. How big is your lead over the competition?

Klingler: In the area of ​​safety couplings, we see ourselves at the forefront. In the elevator and stage brakes there is still a noteworthy competitor. The other market participants have a clear distance. With shaft couplings, we see ourselves more as a competence leader, especially in the breadth of the application and for customer-specific applications. But here we are not the leader in quantity.

development scout: Which product group would you like to be the next in this market position?

Klingler: Unfortunately you have to wait for an answer until the next Hannover Messe. There we will present some things in this regard. Only so much: Trend topics such as energy efficiency and safety will play a role here.

development scout: What's new about your portfolio?

Klingler: The entry into locking technology with hysteresis clutches is brand new. The technically very high-quality "Roba-capping head" capping heads, which are preferably used in filling systems, are based on the patented "Roba-contitorque" hysteresis coupling, which has been around for almost ten years. Due to its high torque accuracy and the very precise adjustability, this coupling is the ideal basic element. Permanent magnetic clutches based on the hysteresis principle limit the torque precisely and with repeatability to the set value with a tolerance of approximately ± 2 percent. This allows the bottles to be closed very precisely, reliably, cleanly and airtight. The capping system thus achieves one hundred percent output. Alternatively, only cost-intensive, servomotor-driven sealing heads can achieve a comparable level of quality with regard to the sealing quality. The increase in operational safety and system reliability through the use of our products is another topic that we are promoting. Here, for example, we can support machine builders in meeting the new safety standard EN 13849-1.

development scout: What exactly does "backlash-free" in practice mean for your eponymous products?

Klingler: A distinction has to be made here between torsional backlash and torsional rigidity. Both are undesirable or even harmful in dynamic, reversing drives. For us, freedom of play actually means zero play. When the direction of rotation is changed, the individual torque-transmitting components must not twist against each other even in the µm range. We achieve this zero backlash with our safety and shaft couplings through the appropriate structural design of the torque transmission unit or non-positive connections. In contrast to play, elastic twisting cannot be completely avoided. According to our definition, a good backlash-free coupling has zero backlash and sufficiently high rigidity so that it remains rigid under load.

development scout: One and a half years ago you were surprised by the unexpected interest of the visitors at the presentation of their EAS sensor for the Hannover Messe. What has become of it?

Klingler: Just as it looked at the time that we could reach a market penetration in a timely manner, the business did not develop. Due to the great interest, however, we have taken up numerous market stimuli, which we are currently implementing in the development. Here we will show results in the near future.

development scout: Mayr holds numerous worldwide patents. Which is your personal favorite?

Klingler: At the moment this is the vertical axis brake "Topstop". This security element can also be integrated into existing structures very easily. The Topstop is an additional safety brake that can be placed between the servo drive and the gearbox or spindle drive; It is easily adaptable to the most popular servomotors, gearboxes and spindles. By integrating a second or third brake, a higher level of security can be achieved. The topstop sits directly on the output point - this is the patent protection. During maintenance work on the system, the servo motor can be removed without the axis sinking. In conjunction with the appropriate control mechanisms safe operation and movement of persons are possible even under load.

development scout: You are working for the wind energy industry. Which products do you offer for this?

Klingler: We manufacture pitch and azimuth brakes, which are usually installed by the drive specialists in the complete powertrain before they are used by the plant manufacturer. For brakes, we are not the classic standard brake manufacturer, but have always focused on high-quality products in special sectors and niches. It may not be as well known, but we have been working for this industry since the beginning of the technology of wind power. Therefore, we have a lot of experience here, be it in corrosion protection grades, friction lining technology or in the mounted constructions. In addition, we offer shaft couplings with overload protection, but with which we move more in the medium power range to 3 MW systems. Currently we are watching the market in the upper performance range.

development scout: They have manufacturing plants in China and in Poland. How satisfied are you with the results of these companies?

Klingler: We have expanded our international presence in these two production plants. Poland is now a very efficient international production location and is growing in a manner comparable to the location here in Mauerstetten. In China we see ourselves more and more as the local manufacturer for the Chinese market. We focus here on selected customers and products with a focus on the elevator, wind and machine tools industries. The clear strategy here is "mayr China should produce for China". The key components remain in Germany.

development scout: The Chinese are catching up, technologically too. Do Europeans have a chance in China in the long term?

Klingler: In my opinion, Chinese development is comparable to the development of any other emerging industrial nation. The current competitive structures are changing, the Chinese companies will also catch up technologically. The associated growth will also lead to an alignment of wages and material costs in China. The market situation will be the same for everyone. This will allow companies that produce locally to be competitive. To be sustainably successful, we strive to always be ahead of the famous required nose length; although you have to be everywhere - even in Germany. In the Asian region, about 30 million new consumers are entering the market each year. One should not ignore this. Without Asia, European companies could no longer generate their growth in the known order of magnitude.

development scout: How many white spots on the map does Mayr currently occupy and with what?

Klingler: We will step up our activities in areas where we are not yet well positioned. These are in principle the BRIC states, especially India and Brazil. In the long run, we will introduce ourselves to other mayr subsidiaries.

development scout: Which innovations will you present at SPS / IPC / Drives?

Klingler: The topic of 'safety and reliability' will be a major focus. For the aforementioned Roba-Topstop, we will introduce product extensions with two new sizes for the upper and lower area. As an alternative to the rotary brake, we are presenting for the first time a linear brake that can brake dynamically and should not be confused with the known brake and clamping units. In a long-term test, it achieved 30.000 dynamic braking operations with maximum load without any problems and thus exceeded the test principle of the employers' liability insurance association, which requires 1000 braking operations. The previously mentioned Roba-capping head hysteresis coupling is also the theme of the trade fair. In addition, we round off our servo portfolio with the plug-in metal bellows coupling "Primeflex". With the Roba-Multiswitch we show that energy savings of up to 75 percent are possible through intelligent control of safety brakes.

Interview by Editor in Chief Angela Scheufler.

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