In “Team Clamping Technology Switzerland”, the specialists for workpiece clamping technology and production automation, GRESSEL AG and SCHUNK Intec AG, unite to form an integrated competence team for solutions in precision manufacturing.
In addition to the comprehensive product portfolio, essential building blocks of success are a very high degree of in-house production and qualified specialists, most of whom are trained at GRESSEL AG itself. Anyone who, like GRESSEL AG, has been able to successfully hold its own in Switzerland as a production location and, in conjunction with its partner SCHUNK Intec AG, as a sought-after supplier in national and international business for more than 100 years, has probably often looked beyond the end of their nose. Started as a manufacturer of precision mechanical components, it initially developed into a range of vices and clamping devices, which was later followed by machine vices and centric clamps. Today, GRESSEL’s product range stands for high-precision and durable workpiece clamping technology in all variants for the flexible single-part and series production of precision parts. Combined with SCHUNK Intec’s product range, complete manufacturing solutions for all levels of automation are now possible, starting with problem analysis, through delivery and installation at the user’s premises, to after-sales service. The product range of clamping and automation technology today includes machine vices, 5-axis clamps, multiple clamps, zero point clamping systems, clamping towers, 5-axis pyramids, automation components and workshop equipment. The mechanical components, subsystems and complete tensioners are largely manufactured at the main plant in 8355 Aadorf, and the specialists have the latest production equipment, measuring technology and intralogistics facilities at their disposal.
Aware of your own strength
For precision parts production, e.g. by turning, milling and grinding, CNC-controlled machine tools as well as 5-axis CNC high-performance machining centers are used exclusively, which are used in single- to multi-shift operation depending on requirements and the degree of automation.
Qualified personnel such as polymechanics EFZ or production mechanics EFZ are required for programming and operation. Logistics specialists (EFZ), for example, are responsible for internal supplies, and the areas of administration and marketing are handled by businesswomen and men.
EFZ organized. In order to cope with the ongoing growth and to be able to meet the customers’ requirements in the long run, GRESSEL AG has been relying on in-house training for many years.
of professionals from all disciplines.
Jörg Maier, Managing Director, explains: “It is not only since the last few years that the Swiss workplace has been
characterized by an extreme shortage of skilled workers. We can only meet our demand for skilled workers nationwide if corporate responsibility is not just reflected in grandiose
speeches, but is expressed in active involvement in vocational training. We at GRESSEL recognized this many years ago and therefore created an efficient training structure. We try to maintain our trainee quota at at least 10 percent, which we usually succeed in doing thanks to an aggressive personnel policy and a training and development program that is very interesting for young people. We have thousands of articles in our program that have to be manufactured economically and with high precision, which we can only achieve in the long term if every single employee knows exactly what is important in detail.”
Training and education marketing at its best
The following list clearly demonstrates that the GRESSEL management is very serious about its “Pro Vocational Training” cause. For example, there has been close cooperation with the upper secondary school in Aadorf and the surrounding area for many years, an annual student table fair is organized as an information platform for apprenticeships in the “dual system”, the upper secondary school graduating classes are invited to the parent company, and there are taster days for potential apprentices in all areas of the company. In addition, the open apprenticeship positions are advertised each summer on the website as well as on the LENA “berufsberatung.ch” apprenticeship certificate and finally on bulletin boards.
To complement this, GRESSEL invites its apprentices to participate in SwissSkills and, of course, supports its own apprentices here as well as the organizing leading SME-MEM employer association, Swissmechanic. In conclusion, Jörg Maier makes an urgent appeal
to the industry representatives: “We can only maintain the slogan “Swiss made” if all those involved pull together and one does not help itself to the other, who invests in technical training, in terms of personnel. With the rapid advance of digitalization in all areas
of a company, and especially in the MEM industry, new and very big challenges also arise with regard to the training of future skilled workers, which the industry has to face. As entrepreneurs, we have to take on even more responsibility and push the training of skilled workers to the highest level. Only then will Switzerland as a manufacturing location and the products manufactured there have a promising future in international competition.”
