We are delighted to be part of the Tour Ginkgo 2024 again this year and to be pedaling together for a good cause. From July 4 to 6, 2024, the group of cyclists will cycle through the picturesque Black Forest-Baar district.
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Seven young talents from the stoba training department in Backnang have been IHK-certified “Energy Scouts” since this week. To this end, they have identified areas in the company where energy efficiency can be optimized – and then developed corresponding proposals for solutions. The results are to be implemented this year.
In our latest TecStory, we describe the great cooperation between stoba and Beckhoff.
Especially in the area of series production, the shortest possible inspection times are important, even for different components. stoba achieves this with the InspectorONE visual inspection system – based on deep learning and with the XPlanar planar motor system from Beckhoff as the conveyor system core. This enables the shortest possible cycle times to be achieved when inspecting components. In the last project implemented, for example, high-pressure injection valves from a well-known automotive supplier. Around 6 million parts per year can be tested in just 3 seconds in three-shift operation. XPlanar enables a short cycle time that would be difficult to achieve even with a rotary indexer. It is also an extremely flexible and customizable transport system. What’s more, the floating movers are wear- and abrasion-free conveyor technology and can therefore also be used in clean rooms. Read more about InspectorOne and our cooperation with Beckhoff from page 30: https://www.beckhoff.com/media/downloads/information-media/pc-control/pcc_0223_d.pdf
Innovative companies need creative minds who want to make a difference. Our working students, among others, provide a breath of fresh air and constantly new perspectives: They enrich the Marketing & Communications and HR departments with knowledge and current topics and are therefore an important part of stoba.
The training period at stoba is something very special. In addition to educational content about the company, culture and technology, the assignment abroad during the apprenticeship at stoba is a key highlight.
Climate change cannot be ignored and requires action. While other companies are only slowly beginning to address the issue of CO2 neutrality, stoba Weinstadt started to reduce its CO2 emissions ten years ago.
Michael Fesenbeck joined stoba in 2011 as an apprentice machine operator. Today, he is the head of a team of 23 people. His development shows: If you want to develop, grow and help shape the company, stoba gives you the chance to do just that. In this interview, Michael Fesenbeck gave us an insight into his experiences at the company: first an apprenticeship as a machine operator, then on to become a cutting machine operator and finally a permanent position in production. This meant that Michael Fesenbeck had already passed through several stages at stoba. However, when short-time working began with the coronavirus lockdown in 2020, it was clear to him that he couldn’t stop there. “That’s why I decided to take a weekend course on my own to become a master craftsman,” says the 29-year-old. “I regularly spent my Saturdays, Sundays and public holidays at school until I completed the course at the end of 2021.” A decision that required a lot of commitment and motivation in addition to working at stoba in a 3-shift model, but was more than worth it in the end: “A position as head of department was advertised internally in January 2022 and I applied for it straight away,” says Michael Fesenbeck. And with success: since the end of last year, he has been responsible for a team of 23 in his new position. He had no experience as a manager before then. “But I know the other side and know what I expected and wanted from my manager back then. I can therefore put myself in my people’s shoes very well and am aware of what they do every day,” he explains.
“We are looking for people who enjoy their work and have fun with the product. Who simply really want to!” These are the most important qualities that Ulrich Schwerin, Head of Human Resources at stoba Customized Machinery in Memmingen, mentions when asked about the desired qualifications of potential applicants.He is currently looking for new colleagues for the Memmingen site in a wide variety of areas – and attaches great importance to ensuring that they really fit in with the company and the existing team.
As a leading expert in the development and production of electrochemical (ECM), precision electrochemical (PECM) and laser machining processes, working with innovative technologies is part of everyday life at stoba Customized Machinery. In addition, the work there is characterized above all by solidarity, cooperation and trust. This is reflected in the high level of flexibility that employees have in their day-to-day work. “You have a lot of freedom in your work here – in thinking, being creative and, if necessary, also in organizing your working hours,” reports Cigdem Karabulut, warehouse logistics specialist at stoba Customized Machinery. “Such freedom is based on the fact that we always coordinate well and support each other. I really appreciate that.” Another reason why the work is still exciting for her even after twelve years: the opportunity to gain insights into other areas. “I can always look over the shoulders of colleagues from other departments and exchange ideas with them,” she reports. “You learn something new every day and it never gets boring.”
We would like to thank you, all our customers, partners and employees, for your cooperation and the trust you have placed in us over the past year. A year in which we were able to meet new challenges through intensive exchange, flexibility and solidarity. Let us build on this in the new year. We look forward to 2023 with confidence and courage, because a new year also means many new encounters and personal discussions in which we develop forward-looking ideas and innovations together with you. With this in mind, we wish you a happy and relaxing holiday season.
Work at stoba is characterized by two things in particular: working with innovative technologies and a strong team spirit. This is also the case at our Czech site in Brno. Coupled with fair working conditions that leave enough time for a life outside work and other company benefits, employees there can expect a job with both security and prospects. We are currently looking for new colleagues who would like to become part of the team and drive stoba’s success story forward.
Support is currently being sought in production in particular. Here, most of the machines run 24 hours a day, seven days a week, as David Čadík, Production Manager, explains: “Our job is to ensure that all parts meet the quality requirements 100% and satisfy the minimum tolerances and visual requirements of our customers. For this demanding production, we are looking for committed people who are willing to learn new things and constantly develop themselves further.”
The tasks range from controlling the CNC machines and carrying out high-precision measurements to activities in machine set-up and maintenance. “Every day is different and offers new challenges and solutions,” summarizes application engineer Luboš Kadlec. Christoph Herms, Managing Director of the stoba site in Brno, adds: “Some of our machines are unique in the world and can only be found here. That makes the work very exciting. We are also a very dynamic team with a good mix of young, creative minds and colleagues who have been with us for decades and have a wealth of experience. This is the basis for us being able to grow continuously and offer secure jobs despite various crises and the fast-moving, international environment in which we operate.”
Finding a suitable training company is not an easy task for many young people. This is mainly because they often lack insight into the company and find it difficult to assess what to expect. At stoba, great importance is therefore attached to getting to know the applicants well during the application process and giving them as clear a picture as possible of the company, its culture and the training process. The fact that this approach works is demonstrated by the performance of our trainees, among other things:For the second year in a row, they have achieved such good grades in their final exams at the Backnang site that the IHK Region Stuttgart has presented stoba with a certificate for particularly good training performance in the technical/industrial sector. The certificate reads: “Trainees from your company have completed their training particularly successfully and achieved excellent results in this year’s IHK final exams in the summer term 2022. […] These achievements would not have been possible without a high level of commitment and good cooperation between all those involved in the training.” This result is a particular success, especially in view of the fact that the majority of this year’s training period took place during the coronavirus pandemic. “We offer our trainees project-based training throughout, in which they can independently plan and practically implement a holistic production process and check its quality,” says Markus Gebhardt, Head of Training at stoba in Backnang. “We have done this to the best of our ability, even under the special conditions of the last two years, and are delighted that the work has paid off.”
CO2-neutral production – no easy undertaking for a production facility that, like stoba, operates with up to 7,000 kW of electricity per hour at peak times. At the same time, it is precisely this high energy requirement that makes industry responsible for using more environmentally friendly ways of generating energy. The issues ofCO2 emissions and energy generation are not only an increasing financial burden – customers, suppliers and society are now also demanding that their business partners act in an environmentally conscious manner and make an active contribution to climate protection. Based on these developments, stoba is now working on precisely this in a joint project with Siemens – and could thus not only have achieved the step towardsCO2 neutrality by 2030, but also supply charging stations for electric vehicles through its own sustainable energy generation. The corresponding concept was developed jointly, and stoba is relying on Siemens’ expertise and experience to implementit. The joint project was launched back in 2019 – ideas were developed on what the path to emission-free production could look like. The result: the generation and use of electricity in particular and the switch from fossil fuels to renewable energies offer great potential. Now, at the beginning of 2022, the first of two project steps is already being implemented, with work initially focusing on a more flexible power supply. In particular, the way in which energy resources are accessed is changing, explains Christian Vockel, head of the department responsible for energy and environmental management: “We have two company-owned power plants that run on natural gas and until recently generated electricity and hot water under continuous load. We now try to only activate them in a very targeted manner, i.e. whenever there is a short-term increase in energy demand.” This process, known as “peak shaving”, means that the previous natural gas consumption at the site can be reduced by around 50 percent in a short space of time. In addition, a battery storage system will be installed in which up to 500kW can be temporarily stored. “This will enable us to balance out our consumption peaks even better,” says Arne Bihler from Energy and Environmental Management. Another important role is played by a new control system that can track current developments on the energy market and react to them. For example, if there is too much energy at the site, it is fed into the general power grid – if there is too little, electricity is supplied that is not needed elsewhere. In addition, electricity consumption can be reduced in the event of bottlenecks by switching off individual systems at short notice. In this way, stoba helps to keep the entire grid in balance.
The InspectorONE from stoba takes visual component inspection to a new level: fully automatic and equipped with deep learning software, it not only detects the smallest defects in a wide variety of workpieces, it also learns to predict them. With this innovation, we enable our customers to reduce reject quantities and increase product quality at the same time. stoba has now been nominated for the Best of Industry Award 2022 in the measuring and testing technology category with the InspectorONE. You decide who the award ultimately goes to: you can vote for your favorite at Best of Industry Award 2022(vogel.de) until 31.10.2022.Would you like to know more about InspectorONE and its use? Read our TechStory!
On June 24, the two Managing Directors Gerhard Firlbeck (COO of the stoba Group) and Christian Peschke (Managing Director of stoba Precision Technology in Backnang) once again received the TOP100 Award for outstanding innovative strength. The award ceremony by science journalist Ranga Yogeshwar took place in Frankfurt and was hosted by long-time TV presenter Linda Zervakis. Following the 2020 and 2021 awards, this makes stoba one of the 100 most innovative SMEs in Germany for the third time in a row – a great success.In this interview, Managing Director Gerhard Firlbeck explains how he perceived the event and what he thinks makes stoba so innovative.Mr Firlbeck, three TOP100 awards in a row – what is the decisive factor that has enabled stoba to achieve this? Innovation is something that is in stoba’s DNA. For several decades now, we have made it our mission to do pioneering work and develop technologies that really bring progress. Our principle is to always think one step ahead and to continuously improve. The basis for this is, on the one hand, our committed employees and their high level of expertise. On the other hand, we work together with our customers on innovations in the early stages of development in order to bring successful products to the market.Actually implementing innovative ideas is a crucial sticking point in many companies. Inyour opinion, whatdoes it take? This is probably a little different in every company. At stoba, we have the great advantage of having three specialist departments at a total of seven locations worldwide, whose expertise we combine under one roof.
Manufacturers and buyers expect flawless products. Procedures for seamless quality management are therefore essential in every industry. Even the smallest defects, such as scratches, pores, dents, blowholes or impact marks in the surface can therefore lead to expensive complaints, safety defects, loss of function and even functional failures. If these are only detected later in the production process, they cause high costs. Complex geometric or safety- or function-critical components must also be manufactured reliably with consistently high quality in order to ensure that the company’s reputation is not damaged.
Higher quality thanks to automatic optical inspection
The inspection of very small components with different surface characteristics places high demands on the inspection process used: They should be highly productive and flexible with maximum quality, as well as inspect cost-efficiently and without interference. However, complex object geometries and a wide variety of material properties are increasingly placing limits on conventional optical inspection methods: If, for example, the surface structure of a test piece is irregular or its reflective characteristics fluctuate greatly, it is often no longer possible to reliably detect and evaluate defects. This increases the risk of defects on the one hand and the proportion of pseudo rejects in quality inspection on the other. For the manufacturer, additional downstream manual inspections result in additional costs that could be avoided with optimized systems. Advanced vision systems work quickly, precisely and objectively: based on optimized technologies, they provide exact information regardless of the surface quality of the test object – even with high inspection throughput and short throughput times.
The requirements in the manufacturing industry, such as in the automotive, medical, aerospace and tool and mold making sectors, are constantly increasing. Increasing quantities combined with high precision results demand flexible and precise machining technologies for the processing of workpieces.
Most efficient ablation with optimum energy density.
Ultra-short pulse lasers have the potential to replace conventional manufacturing processes in many areas. They enable new applications that were previously unthinkable. Ultra-short pulse lasers are lasers with a pulse duration in the pico- to femtosecond range. The main feature of these light pulses is their high peak intensity, which can be achieved with very low output power due to the strong temporal compression. This enables high-precision material removal as well as the processing of temperature-sensitive materials without thermal damage in the edge zones. This also makes USP lasers ideal for processing sensitive and transparent materials.
High-precision laser processing and automation
The laser systems from stoba Customized Machinery based on USP lasers enable metal workpieces to be processed with pinpoint accuracy down to the micrometre range. The range of applications is impressive, from laser ablation such as micro-drilling and structuring to fine cutting.
Every year, new, motivated trainees start their careers at stoba. They are an essential part of stoba’s future-oriented approach, which follows the motto “Committed to progress”. The main aim is to develop our own highly competent specialists who have long-term prospects at stoba. In Backnang, particularly good performance in training is therefore also particularly encouraged:As part of the talents@stoba program introduced in 2015, the idea of the support program is to introduce young people in a structured and strategic way to specific tasks that they can later take on at stoba. “To this end, we usually nominate one or two people from each year group who stand out due to their very good grades and their personal appearance,” explains Roland Gaus, Head of Human Resources at the stoba site in Backnang. The respective trainees then receive various offers, for example for stays abroad, further training and permanent employment contracts.
What distinguishes the talent program from those of other companies is the point in time at which the trainees are guaranteed the funding: “We accept some trainees into the program after their first year of training,” says Roland Gaus. “So if they want to get involved, they already know after the first third of their training what position they can expect at stoba in the long term.” Depending on their performance and the assessment of the training team, the young talents are assigned to one of three levels, which are associated with different support measures. Level 1, for example, includes training in specialist areas such as turning or special processes as well as targeted training for the relevant machines. In the second level, additional training courses (paid for by stoba) are offered in the areas of programming and set-up, as well as funding for the master craftsman evening school. This is followed by a stay abroad at one of stoba’s locations worldwide, also financed by stoba. In the third and highest level, the young skilled workers benefit from even more extensive internal further training and the financing of the evening school for technicians or a course of study. This is also followed by an assignment of several months at a stoba location abroad.
9,000 square meters of production space, 110 employees, 5,000 parts per day: that’s our stoba site in Small Dole, UK.
I started my apprenticeship as an industrial clerk at stoba in Backnang in September 2020.I found out about the company about six months beforehand through the employment agency website and then applied there. I was then invited to an online interview by the commercial trainer. A few weeks later, we met in person. We also went on a tour of the company. I immediately noticed the very friendly employees, which made me want to do my apprenticeship at stoba. I was therefore delighted when I was accepted a few days later. In the first week, I got to know my fellow trainees and was given a laptop, a smartphone and other work materials. The commercial apprenticeship consists of the apprenticeships for industrial clerk and warehouse logistics specialist. Another industrial clerk and two warehouse logistics specialists started their training with me.
Since 1986, stoba has been training young people to become experts in their field – in a total of nine different professions in the technical, industrial and commercial sectors. As a global driver of innovation, we offer our trainees a job with prospects: Future-oriented, practical, in an international environment and collegial teams, we prepare them optimally for their professional life.
But what do our trainees themselves actually say about this? Why did they choose stoba and what do they particularly like about us? We asked them and summarized their answers in a video. In it, we provide exclusive insights into the day-to-day lives and personal experiences of our apprentices – definitely worth watching! If the video has convinced you and you’re still looking for a suitable apprenticeship for yourself or someone close to you, you can find all the apprenticeship vacancies for this year on our People & Jobs page. Applications are still possible until the end of April 2022.