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ANCA celebrates a half-century contribution to industrial progress through precision cutting tools

1.1 billion cutting tools and counting have shaped the world around us for 50 years

Family, fulfillment, and a fascination with technology are all part of a formula that has seen ANCA lead the demanding niche of CNC tool and cutter grinders for a half-century.

In its time, the Australia-based global business has made an enormous yet largely hidden contribution to the world, selling over 10,000 5-axis CNC machines to over 2,500 customers. Around 1.1 billion tools have been created using ANCA’s grinders.

“You would be very unlikely to find any bit of advanced equipment, anywhere in the world, that hasn’t been touched by a cutting tool which has been manufactured on one of our machines,” explains co-founder Pat Boland, whose company’s customers include Boeing, Rolls-Royce, Iscar, Sandvik, Sutton Tools and many other household names.

Boland and Pat McCluskey – then an electrical engineer and an industrial electronics tradesman – met at a government-owned munitions factory in Melbourne in 1968. The two Pats started ANCA in 1974 in a spare room at Boland and wife Libby’s home.

“It wasn’t about money in the beginning, and for me it’s not about money now…I get my kicks out of designing new machines,” explains McCluskey. “Even before we started ANCA, Pat and I have always been driven by simply wanting to get machines to do things better. My enduring philosophy in business is if you always do what you’ve always done, you’ll always get what you’ve always gotten. New ideas and new thinking are the basis of our business.”

ANCA’s highly sophisticated CNC grinding machines are exported around the world, with 98 percent of its revenue being generated by exports. The ANCA Group also makes associated equipment and software, including robot arms, software, and control systems, and offers automation services and technology to OEM machine builders.

Leading the incredibly demanding tool and cutter market – where nanometer-level details matter – means a reinvestment of roughly a tenth of revenues back into R&D.

A near-obsession with solving customer problems has seen ANCA contribute a collection of world firsts to its industry, including the first probe for digitizing tools, first modem for support and diagnostics in a machine, first full and true 3D simulation of the grinding process, and many more.

Martin U. Ripple, who has been at the helm of ANCA as CEO since November 2022, reflects on the company’s enduring legacy. “In all my interactions, I’ve observed a consistent thread – our customers invariably share fond recollections of their encounters with ANCA dating back to the ‘70s, ‘80s, and ‘90s. It’s evident that there’s a deep-seated loyalty and trust towards our brand,” he notes.

Ripple, always keen on uncovering the unique elements that set a business apart, asks, ‘What is the secret ingredient that differentiates us from our competitors? What makes ANCA exceptional?’ His answer is the involvement of family in the business, a fervent passion driving the company forward, and a steadfast commitment to providing customers with the most innovative products. This blend, according to Ripple, is the essence of ANCA’s success and longevity.” 

Edmund Boland, son of Pat and ANCA CNC Machines’ General Manager, values ANCA’s agility as a privately owned company which enables swift decisions to support ANCA’s people and customers.

“ANCA has always endeavored to stay ahead of the curve, anticipating market trends and delivering cutting-edge solutions which enable our customers to thrive. With 50 years of innovation behind us, our product and technology portfolios are perfectly placed to meet the challenges of the future.”

The delivery of technical and practical excellence has required a sharp focus on both vertical integration – creating everything from the machines’ motors to their polymer concrete bases to their sheetmetal canopies – and both trade and university-taught skillsets.

ANCA has trained more than 60 apprentices and established its formal apprenticeship program in 2011. McCluskey enthusiastically wrote the course material for this.

While being very particular with skill and technology development is one way to look at ANCA’s story, Pat Boland also likes to zoom out to a very general view.

The ANCA era runs 50 years and counting, touching countless lives, operating in the background.

It’s shorter than, but has similarities to the overall story of toolmaking: critical to industrial progress, even if it needs pointing out every now and then.

“For the vast sweep of history, the only evidence of homosapiens and our predecessors are cutting tools,” says Boland.

“And a number of the broad eras of human life are really named after cutting tools. So the stone age, the bronze age, the iron age. What we’re talking about is the technology of cutting tools as much as anything.”

Celebrating a golden achievement across the globe

To mark the occasion of ANCA’s 50th anniversary, the company is hosting a series of open houses, seminars, events, and attending tradeshows worldwide. As innovation has motivated ANCA throughout the company’s history, new products and developments will be at the center of the 50th year celebrations.

At global tradeshows and ANCA Open House events, precision manufacturers can experience new hard- and software for micro tool and gear tool manufacturing, edge preparation, closed loop manufacturing and automation.

Russell Riddiford says: “Our large and experienced group of engineers and developers is continuously presenting new solutions to meet customers’ needs. Highest quality tools and lowest cost per part are the guiding principles leading to groundbreaking, real-world innovations. Examples are our new MicroX CNC grinding machine, using nanometer control technology and ANCA Machine Intelligence to produce micro tools of unseen quality, or our AIMS system, the world’s first and only autonomous system for tool manufacturing.”

ANCA’s U.S. Open House will take place on May 7 & 8 from 9:00-6:00 at their Wixom, Michigan headquarters. Please RSVP to: amanda.bakun@anca.com


For further information, please contact:

Amanda Bakun
Marketing & Communications Manager – Americas
248-497-1168
amanda.bakun@anca.com

ANCA is a market leading manufacturer of CNC grinding machines. It was founded in 1974 in Melbourne, Australia where the company still has its global headquarters. ANCA has offices in the UK, Germany, China, Thailand, India, Japan, Brazil and the USA as well as a comprehensive network of representatives and agents worldwide.

ANCA CNC grinders are used for manufacturing precision cutting tools and components across a diverse range of competitive industries including cutting tool manufacture, automotive, aerospace, electronics and medical.

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Wardwell Acquires Cobra Braiding Machinery

Brings additional technology and customer base to leading manufacturer

Wardwell Braiding Company announces its acquisition of Cobra Braiding Machinery and the company assets, effective immediately.  The announcement was made by Wardwell Vice President John Tomaz at the company’s headquarters in Rhode Island (USA). 

According to Mr. Tomaz, “Wardwell and Cobra have been friendly competitors for many years on the global market in wire and cable harnessing and when this opportunity for acquisition arose, we knew it was a great fit for our company and our customers.  I have the highest respect for the Cobra line of braiders and especially the company’s managing director, Neil Hyde.”  Mr. Hyde will remain active in the company as general manager for a period of time yet to be determined, according to Mr. Tomaz.

Neil Hyde of Cobra Machine (left) and John Tomaz of Wardwell (right) celebrate the signing of the deal. Wardwell has acquired the assets of Cobra, its friendly competitor in braiding machinery.

Established in the UK in 1981, Cobra is a family-run company now in its fourth generation. Innovation, quality and service have allowed Cobra to develop a strong reputation as a leading manufacturer of wire harness and cable harness braiding machinery.

Cobra manufactures and supplies braiding machines and equipment for a wide range of wiring harness markets including heavy vehicles, agricultural equipment, construction and mining equipment, military and defense vehicles, marine engines and aerospace. 95% of the braiding machines Cobra manufactures are exported overseas to countries including the USA, Mexico, Europe, China, Japan and Australia. “Teaming up with Wardwell gives us the confidence that our customers will continue to receive the performance and support they are accustomed to getting from Cobra,” said Neil Hyde.

Wardwell is a member of the Wilms Group which includes other major equipment manufacturers around the world such as SKET, Henrich and Spirka-Schnellflechter. This global network of suppliers to the industry has improved each member’s market position. The Wardwell braiding machine offerings will now include the entire Cobra line, highlighted by the industry-recognized Cobra 450, according to John Tomaz.  “We see the Cobra line, when joined with ours, creating a positive synergy in sales and marketing for us on a global scale.”


For more information on this development, please contact:

John Tomaz, Vice President
Wardwell Braiding Co.
1211 High Street
Central Falls, Rhode Island 02863
USA
Phone: 401-724-8800
Web: www.wardwell.com
Email:  sales@wardwell.com

Wardwell is a world-leading supplier of braiding equipment. Since its founding in 1911 by Simon Wardwell, the Company’s engineers have continually introduced advancements in machine technology that have made Wardwell braiders the industry standard for overall value.

Wardwell machines are entirely designed, engineered, manufactured, tested and shipped from its factory in Central Falls, Rhode Island, near Providence.  Our global network of partner companies reaches all industrialized countries. 

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Michael Rose, new president and CEO at GMTA

New CEO at GMTA

After 32 years as president of GMTA (German Machine Tools of America), formerly American Wera, Walter Friedrich is stepping down, having appointed Michael Rose to be his successor as the new president and CEO at GMTA.

Mr. Friedrich was one of the first three employees when GMTA—American Wera at the time—was formed in 1991. He started his career at Pittler Maschinenfabrik where he advanced from toolmaker to NC programmer, eventually transferring to Chester, Connecticut in 1984 to support the North American operations of the company.  He later joined Liebherr in 1986, where he was project manager within the automation group.

On January 30 of this year, he spoke with the company’s board of directors and decided to step down. The change was effective April 1st.

Mr. Rose brings twenty-plus years of machine tool experience to the new post, having been most recently employed as the Director of Sales for a leading German machine tool builder.  Mr. Friedrich is confident that Mr. Rose is fully prepared to handle all his new responsibilities. “Michael’s experience within the Automotive sector as a Key Account Manager and most recently as Director of Sales, has prepared him well for his future responsibilities within GMTA.  I’m sure he will continue the company’s expansion.”

Mr. Rose is grateful for this opportunity, adding, “My objective is to continue the tradition of excellence established by Mr. Friedrich, while at the same time creating additional growth opportunities for the organization.”


For more information:

German Machine Tools of America
4630 Freedom Drive
Ann Arbor, MI 48108
www.gmtamerica.com

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Peter Li Named President of Hunter

Peter Li President Hunter Foundry Equipment Corporation

Recently Peter J. Li became the third President in the history of Hunter Foundry Machinery Corporation, a world leader in matchplate molding and sand casting technology.  The announcement was made by Chairman of Board Bill Hunter at the company headquarters in Schaumburg, Illinois, near Chicago.   

Peter joined Hunter in May, 1996 as a sales engineer. He was promoted to Regional Sales Manager Asia Pacific in 1998. In the year 2000, he became General Manager of Hunter Shanghai; in 2016 he was promoted to Managing Director, International.  This history totals 25 years at Hunter, mainly in executive level positions.

Peter graduated from Shanghai Jiaotong University with a B.S. in Foundry Engineering. He then obtained an M.S. in Mechanical Engineering at Oklahoma State University; spent three years in the PhD Metallurgical Program at the University of Alabama, where, by coincidence, the very first Hunter molding machine was donated for that institution’s foundry education programs.

Before joining Hunter, Peter worked for Presto Castings as a metallurgist in Phoenix, Arizona. 

Peter comments, “When I first encountered a Hunter machine, I quickly realized it had a unique and very practical labor-saving aspect and this fact was a big reason for its success in the global foundry market.”  Li knew the reputation of the company’s founder, Al Hunter, as well as Bill Hunter, the two men who preceded him as President of the company. 

Li further observes, “Our challenge for the future is to keep an open mind and remove restrictions on our thinking about the foundry business.  The most successful companies in our industry have automated and that bodes well for Hunter matchplate molding machinery, automated mold handling equipment and the advanced software we bring to our customers worldwide.”  He also commented that his combination of sales, technical experience and corporate management at Hunter, both in America and at the Shanghai plant the company operates, have given him a perspective on the company and the market that will serve him well in his new role as President of Hunter.  “I do consider myself a people person and I believe that remains an important element in our relationship with the foundry business, Li added.” 

Hunter is a global force in the foundry business, with an installed base in nearly every industrialized country in the world.  In addition to the manufacturing locations in Chicago and Shanghai, Hunter has a worldwide network of sales agents.

The company was founded in 1964 by Al Hunter, who pioneered the automated matchplate molding machine concept and held dozens of patents in the industry.  His son Bill, the current Chairman of Board, likewise developed numerous innovations in sand molding machine and mold handling equipment for the global foundry market. 

In naming Peter Li the new President of Hunter, Bill commented, “Peter is exceptionally qualified for this position and we know he will lead Hunter into a bright and prosperous future.  We have a great team of people at Hunter and, under Peter’s leadership, I am certain the company will move forward in a positive direction.”    

For further information on this announcement, interested parties may contact:

HUNTER FOUNDRY MACHINERY CORPORATION
2222 Hammond Drive
Schaumburg, Illinois 60196-1094
USA
Phone:  +1 847 397 5110
Email:  info@hunterfoundry.com
Web: www.hunterfoundry.com
Attention:  Bill Hunter  

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Marius Braun Named VP of Sales at GMTA

Marius Braun Vice President of Sales  GMTA (German Machine Tools of America)

Today, Walter Friedrich, the president and CEO of GMTA (German Machine Tools of America), Ann Arbor, Michigan, has named Marius Braun to the post of Vice President of Sales for the company, effective January 1, 2022. Marius Braun will supervise the North American sales for this powerhouse distributor of various gear making and related lines of machine tools for automotive and other power transmissions, plus cleaning equipment and the newly acquired line of lasers for motor lamination production, Steifelmayer.

Marius Braun has worked in the USA since 2018. He was previously a regional sales manager for Hermle and a Tier One Key Account Manager for Magna.

For GMTA, Marius will oversee the sales of the gear making machine lines sold by the company, most notably PROFILATOR, originators of the patented Scudding® technology for gear generating. In addition, he will supervise the efforts on BvL parts washers, the STIEFELMAYER laser cutting machines for motor laminations, the SAMAG Multi Spindle machining centers, the ARNOLD laser welding machines, and the entire line of RASOMA vertical lathe and special purpose machine.

“GMTA is a leading supplier of gear making machines to the North American market and Marius has many related skills that will allow him to make a strong start for us, as we enter another busy IMTS year,” noted Walter Friedrich.

For more information on this announcement, please contact: 

GMTA (GERMAN MACHINE TOOLS OF AMERICA)  
4630 Freedom Drive
Ann Arbor, MI 48108
Phone:  734-973-7800
Fax:  734-973-3053
Web:  www.gmtamerica.com
Email:  sales@gmtamerica.com
Attention:  Walter Friedrich, President/CEO

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Profilator S150

GMTA Demonstrates Profilator Capabilities with Scudding® Videos

GMTA (German Machine Tools of America) in Ann Arbor, Michigan represents the Profilator line of gear pointing, rounding, cutting, Scudding®, Hard Scudding®, deburring and polygon machine tools in North America. These highly modular machines are used for polygon and slot facing, shifter stop machining, chamfering and deburring of highly complex automotive and other powertrain gears.

Profilator also developed the S-type machine. This is a compactly and modularly designed, vertical single spindle pick-up gear cutting machine.  Machines in the S Series are better than broaching and most applications feature a dry machining process. All machine components are designed for especially high static stiffness and optimal dynamic behavior. Furthermore, the machine’s twin spindle arrangement speeds up the process considerably. S-type machines are available in three sizes, namely Profilator S-150,  Profilator S-250 and Profilator S-500. Profilator S-150 has a part diameter up to 150 mm, while Profilator S-250 and S-500 have a part diameter up to 250 mm and 500 mm, respectively. 

The Scudding® and Hard Scudding® process offers a marked improvement on skiving technology. To see our series of Profilator videos, click here:  


For more information, please contact:

GERMAN MACHINE TOOLS OF AMERICA (GMTA) 
4630 Freedom Drive
Ann Arbor, MI 48108
Phone:  734-973-7800
Fax:  734-973-3053
Web:  www.gmtamerica.com
Email:  sales@gmtamerica.com
Attention:  Walter Friedrich, President

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BVL Machine Explanation

BvL Opens New Technical Center

BvL, a designer and builder of quality parts washer systems and partner with German Machine Tools of America (GMTA), recently opened a technical center at their company headquarters in Germany. The new technical center gives customers the chance to go through a real world cleaning process scenario on a demo system.

Various demo systems allow customers to select the cleaning agent, temperature, circle times and method. The hands-on experience shows them exactly how their parts will be cleaned. Technicians are available to answer questions and help customers try out different settings in a safe environment. They can also help them to make minor modifications and fine tune, if necessary.

For a short video on the new BvL Technical Center, please see the link below:

GMTA is the exclusive distributor for a number of top-quality German and other metalworking machine builders companies including Arnold, BvL, K+G, Praewema, Profilator, Rasoma, Samag and WEMA Glauchau. The company’s headquarters is located in Ann Arbor, Michigan with a subsidiary in Queretaro, Mexico.


For more information, please contact:

GERMAN MACHINE TOOLS OF AMERICA (GMTA) 
4630 Freedom Drive
Ann Arbor, MI 48108
Phone:  734-973-7800
Fax:  734-973-3053
Web:  www.gmtamerica.com
Email:  sales@gmtamerica.com
Attention:  Walter Friedrich, President

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GMTA Presents Several Products at Motion + Power Show

German Machine Tools of America (GMTA) in Ann Arbor, Michigan, will showcase several of its machine tools and metal fabricating equipment at the Motion + Power Technology Expo.  The show will take place September 14-16, 2021 in St. Louis, Missouri and is produced by AGMA.  It connects top manufacturers, suppliers, buyers and experts in the mechanical and gear power, electric power and fluid industries.

The company represents several high quality, high performance lines including Arnold, BvL, K+G, Profilator, Rasoma, Samag and its latest addition, Stiefelmayer.  Arnold laser technology provides a complete line of laser welding machines for the automotive, aerospace and other markets. BvL offers parts washing systems, equally suited as a one-off station for large castings/forged products or as a continuous washing and drying line. K+G are high-tech machine tools for internal or external grooving, turning and milling.

Profilator is a world-renowned brand of machines for gear pointing, cutting, rounding, deburring, polygon slot facing and the SCUDDING® process.  Rasoma is a builder of vertical turning centers and inverted spindle turning machines for milling, drilling and special machining. Samag machining centers and deep hole drilling machines are used in the automotive, off-highway and moldmaking industries. Stiefelmayer lasers cut products such as motor laminations, as well as laser hardening, fiber and diode types. Lastly, GMTA offers its own line of baskets, trolleys and lift tables.

Visit GMTA at booth 3513, co-located with STAR SU


For more information, please contact

GERMAN MACHINE TOOLS OF AMERICA (GMTA) 
4630 Freedom Drive
Ann Arbor, MI 48108
Phone:  734-973-7800
Fax:  734-973-3053
Web:  www.gmtamerica.com
Email:  sales@gmtamerica.com
Attention:  Walter Friedrich, President

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GMTA Offering Stiefelmayer Lasers in North America

Full line of fiber and diode laser machines for cutting and hardening

Stiefelmayer

Ann Arbor, MichiganGerman Machine Tools of America (GMTA) proudly announces the signing of an agreement with Stiefelmayer GmbH (Denkendorf, Germany) to represent that company’s line of laser machines in North America.  Stiefelmayer offers lasers for various cutting applications, including motor laminations, plus laser hardening. 

The agreement is effective immediately and was announced by GMTA President Walter Friedrich from the headquarters in Ann Arbor, Michigan.  Friedrich commented, “The Stiefelmayer line is a highly regarded brand in Germany.  Coupled with our Arnold line of laser systems, the new lasers will give us a formidable offering to the North American market, especially in automotive and the burgeoning EV market.” 

Stiefelmayer further prides itself on their blue effective® program of energy saving technology and sustainability, designed to create both environmental and economic benefits to the user. 

The Stiefelmayer laser is particularly well adapted to cutting precision shapes in thin substrates, including mild steel, stainless, copper and brass.  Motor laminations are a particular specialty and this fact matches the drive to EV in the American auto industry. 

For full specifications on the Stiefelmayer machines, please visit:
https://stiefelmayer-lasertechnik.de/en/laser-technology/home.html

For a video of the Stiefelmayer laser used to produce motor laminations, please watch:


For more information on this announcement, please contact: 

GERMAN MACHINE TOOLS OF AMERICA (GMTA) 
4630 Freedom Drive
Ann Arbor, MI 48108
Phone:  734-973-7800
Fax:  734-973-3053
Web:  www.gmtamerica.com
Email:  sales@gmtamerica.com
Attention:  Walter Friedrich, President

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Jumbo 500ºF Walk-in Oven From Grieve

No. 1019 is a 500ºF electrically heated walk-in batch oven from Grieve, currently used for curing coatings onto large discs at the customer’s facility.  Workspace dimensions on this oven measure 18’ W x 18’ D x 10’ H.   260KW are installed in Incoloy-sheathed tubular elements to heat the oven chamber, while a total of 66,000 CFM generated by two 30-HP recirculating blowers provides combination airflow to the workload. 

This Grieve walk-in oven features 6” insulated walls, aluminized steel exterior and interior, 2” thick insulated flooring with built-in oven truck wheel guide tracks and motorized dampers on the intake and exhaust for accelerated cooling of the oven chamber.  The oven was sectioned into four pieces for shipping convenience. 

All safety equipment required for handling flammable solvents, including explosion-venting door hardware, is provided on No. 1019. 

Controls on this jumbo walk-in oven include an SCR power controller. 


For more information, please contact:

THE GRIEVE CORPORATION
500 Hart Road
Round Lake, Illinois 60073-2835 USA
Phone: (847) 546-8225
Fax: (847) 546-9210
Web: www.grievecorp.com
Email:  sales@grievecorp.com
Attention:  Frank Calabrese

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