Manufacturing Reinvention

May 7th, 2008 at 04:17pm Tom McDunn

Bob,

I would like to relay an example of Manufacturing Reinvention that I had the opportunity to see first hand, Trumpf lasers. Trumpf started as a manufacturers of small hand tools for sheet metal work. As the business grew they branched into more stationary machines like press brakes and punches. In the early 80’s they started to add lasers as part of their machines in cutting sheet metal. Today, the lasers have become a large portion of their business to the point that they now are a laser manufacturing company with recent acquistion of a “chip” maker that builds the diode that is the basis of the laser system. The GOOD NEWS: They recently opened the largest laser development building in North America in Farmington, CN USA!! Just in time to cash in on the favorable exchange rate to export lasers from the US. This is an exciting story and shows that manufacturing never really dies but can transform and reinvent itself.

Entry Filed under: Technology