Injection moulding machine specialist Arburg opens new training centre
March 11, 2020
Arburg GmbH & Co KG officially opened its new Training Centre at the company’s headquarters in Lossburg, Germany, on March 6. Covering some 13,700 m2, the new building has increased the total usable space at the Arburg’s headquarters by just under 5%, taking it to approximately 180,000 m2. The training area alone spans two floors, while the remaining three floors house open-plan administrative offices and a new Arburg Health Centre. Through this development, the company aims to set new standards in customer education, with a focus on cutting-edge digital training.
Amongst the 170 guests in attendance at the opening were Dr Klaus Michael Rueckert, Administrator of Freudenstadt district where Lossburg is situated; Lossburg Mayor Christoph Enderle; plus representatives of the companies and institutions involved in the building’s construction.
“Arburg is known for the premium range of services it offers and its focus on customers. We’re always thinking ahead and we set new standards time and time again. Whether we’re developing products and processes or working on construction projects, we create a blend of outstanding functions and aesthetic appeal – and we combine high-tech, innovative ideas with sustainability and a prudent attitude to resources,” stated Michael Hehl, who is responsible for Plant Development in his role as Managing Partner at Arburg.
“The fact that we have invested a double-digit million euro sum in a new Training Centre is testament to just how important our customers and employees are to us,” added Hehl. “Not only that, but it also illustrates our strong belief in Germany as a location in which to do business – and specifically how much we value Lossburg itself.”
He continued, “This is a building of the future, where customers and other stakeholders can take advantage of the industry’s latest training resources. Over these 2,200 square metres, we can now offer interactive, networked learning opportunities focusing on both theory and practice – right here in Lossburg.”
The ground-floor machine hall is the heart of the training area, spanning some 1,160 m2 and housing fifteen electric, hybrid, hydraulic and vertical all rounder injection moulding machines of various sizes, including a multi-component version. The machines chosen for the hall represent a cross-section of all the sizes and drive versions available in Arburg’s product range. Each injection moulding machine is equipped with a robotic system plus an IIoT gateway, and is linked to the Arburg ALS host computer system. There is also a Freeformer available for training in Additive Manufacturing.
While the training rooms themselves have a dedicated area on the first floor, theoretical concepts and their practical applications will be knitted more closely together in future. To achieve this, each of the eleven training rooms is equipped with a state-of-the-art smart board and every course participant will work on their own touch screen PC with a simulated control system. The PCs will also be networked with one another, enabling interaction, screen sharing and application sharing – making it possible to transfer the on-screen content from one computer to another and work collaboratively on the same document.
Arburg states that digitalisation will take things even further, allowing data to be transferred from the training room’s smart board to a smaller board on each machine. This will enable participants to work together in real time, wherever they are and no matter what device they are working on.
Since Arburg first launched its training courses in 1969, more than 120,000 participants in Germany alone have taken advantage of the extensive range of learning opportunities in order to tap fully into the potential that machinery, application technology and service hold. Today, the thirty-strong training team organises 650 to 700 courses for more than 3,500 customers every year.
