GROB Systems hosted an open house for 2,500 visitors at the company’s North American headquarters in Bluffton, OH on September 20, 2014.
GROB’s 390,000 square foot Ohio facility is one of few full-scale machine tool manufacturing facilities in the U.S. Customers and prospective employees were intrigued by the tour of many specialized departments. The largest casting machined in-house is 19 feet long, 12 feet wide, and 8 feet high, with a weight up to 25,000 pounds. After machining, GROB has various departments for sheet metal, full component subassembly, electrical (UL) and hydraulic systems, automation design and integration, and more.
This full vertical integration of processes – from design to machining and assembly – is important to achieving GROB quality standards. The machines are built for critical manufacturing operations, and the company is responsible for performance of every component and software system.
The Open House drew a staggering number of visitors in part due to interest in GROB’s apprenticeship program, which has more than 250 graduates to date. In 2012, the program was updated from a skilled trade program to a four-year work and study program accredited by the local university. GROB apprentices earn their associates degree in Manufacturing Engineering Technology from Ohio’s Rhodes State College while earning full-time pay. Admissions testing for the next class will be held in November.
GROB Systems has been a major supplier of machine tools to the automotive industry for decades, but is relatively new to manufacturers in other industries. Since 2012, GROB has offered a stand-alone version of its G-Series machining center designed for 5-axis applications in die/mold, aerospace and other industries. Demonstrations on two such Universal Machining Centers attracted more than 1,000 visitors to the GROB booth during IMTS.
GROB Systems is a subsidiary of GROB-Werke GmbH & Co., located in Mindelheim, Germany. Machines are produced in Germany and the U.S., with all service and replacement parts available from the Ohio location. Click HERE for more information about this NTMA National Associate Member.
