The German based Rohwedder Group acquired the Finnish production, automation and test specialist JOT Automation from Electrobit Corporation earlier this year. JOT Automation joins and expands on Rohwedder’s Electronic Productions Solutions (EPS) business. EPS will now incorporate the JOT Automation brand across all of its product offerings. The JOT Automation brand encompasses assembly, material processing, material handling and manufacturing test equipment for a range of electronics manufacturing industries. In this interview, Joachim Rohwedder, Chairman of the Board, comments on the merger and on one of four new JOT Automation products launched at this years Productronica.
What are the benefits you derive from the merger with JOT Automation?
The merger between Rohwedder and JOT Automation has enabled us to become even more international. We compete globally and now we are able to offer the complete range of products. We now even cover the sector of micro-system technology. This acquisition is the decisive step on our way to becoming the leading international automation technology enterprise, especially with regards to our Electronics Production Solutions (EPS) division. This division will have the capability to serve customers locally in all global market areas. It will offer manufacturing across three continents including Europe, Asia and the Americas.
How important is Asia?
Asia in particular and even more importantly China and India, are the emerging markets – as well of course as Eastern Europe. We see a large potential of customers in the automotive and medical sector. The message is simple: Follow the customer! For example, in Beijing, China, JOT Automation already runs a production facility. Currently we want to enlarge the production there and to also establish the engineering capabilities.
A merger seems to be not an easy task. How do you want to achieve a strong relationship?
It’s not easy to cope with the changes a merger brings. Sometimes different cultures can cross, the German here, the Finnish there. During this years Productronica, both groups met for the first time and got to know each other a little better. I can now say that we are on the right track. The honeymoon is over and it works well. We are highly pleased with how it has progressed. We have even engaged a new board member to promote the integration of the different business units in Radolfzell, Germany, Tallinn, Estonia, and Oulu, Finland.
What new products did you showcase at Productronica?
We introduced four new JOT Automation machines at Productronica this year, all of which can be implemented throughout the world. Let’s have a look at one of them: our new JOT Automation Maxi-router J501–45 for the automotive and telecommunication industries. This is the first time that JOT Automation has exhibited this machine under the Rohwedder Group. The J501–45 Maxi-router joins a wide range of routers including the Mini and High-speed router. The Maxi-router was built and designed in response to a need for more flexible inline depaneling systems. Last year, JOT Automation’s customer requirements for routers pushed them to research into new solutions. The main customer requirements to be considered in development of new machines, and what in fact all manufacturers will face in the future, are high production volumes. Therefore, machines are now working 24 hours a day and customers need routers that have highly reliable components. These machines support the large variety of electronics industry manufacturing process areas like test and assembly lines or cells. The working area can vary from 50 x 50 mm to 470 x 470 mm. Rohwedder and JOT Automation work in close partnership with their customers and offer scalable services for the customers’ manufacturing processes.
The overall service offering is aimed at reducing manufacturing costs. This can be achieved by maximizing the re-usability of the test methods and assembly solutions, optimizing the manufacturing process and the test strategy, introducing design for manufacturing enhancements in the product’s R&D phase and securing the volume manufacturing capacity.
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