Gebr. Heller
| GmbH | |
| Industry | Manufacturing |
| Founded | 1894 |
| Headquarters | Nürtingen, Germany |
Key people | Manfred Maier, Managing Director (Managing Director), Christian Pfleiderer, Managing Director (Managing Director), Klaus Winkler (CEO and Chairman of the Board of Directors), |
| Products | Machine tools |
| Revenue | €375 million (2009)[1] |
Number of employees | 2,150 (2009)[1] |
| Website | www.heller.biz |
Gebr. Heller Maschinenfabrik GmbH is a German manufacturer of milling machines, manufacturing systems and crankshaft and camshaft machines. The company’s headquarter is located in Nürtingen in the Stuttgart region. The company’s customers come from a variety of industries including automotive manufacturers and their suppliers, machine building industry, contract manufacturers, power engineering, tool and die manufacturing as well as aerospace[2] companies.
History
On 7 February 1894, 25-year-old Herman Heller (1869–1931) founded the company „Hermann Heller Handelsgeschäft und Produktion von geschützten Artikeln und Uhrmacherwerkzeug“ – which traded and manufactured patented products and watchmaker’s tools. Initially, staff comprised seven craftsmen and three apprentices. The company produced machinist vices, chimney cowls, fans and spiral stairs.
In 1898, the company entered the machine building industry by producing cold circular metal sawing machines and saw blade skiving machines as well as thread cutting machines. On 5 January 1900, the original company was superseded by „Gebr. Heller Maschinenfabrik GmbH“ founded by the brothers Ernst (1866–1936) and Hermann Heller.
In 1940, the company produced the first milling machines for the machining of crankshafts and Heller has been offering solutions for the automotive industry in this segment ever since. In 1970, Heller founded subsidiaries in the UK and Brazil. In 1980, Heller opened production facilities in Chicago, IL in the United States. In the year 2000, the company was awarded certification to ISO 9001, QS 9000, TES and VDA 6.4 standards. In the same year, Heller doubled the production capacity of the company’s production plant[3] in the US and introduced a new internal milling machine for the machining of crankshafts.
In 2007, Heller introduced the ModuleLine manufacturing system and presented the H series of machining centres at EMO in Hanover. In 2009, the company launched the F series for simultaneous 5-axis machining and in 2010 presented bevel gear machining on 5-axis machining centres from the MCH-C and F series.
Products
- 4-axis machining centres from the H and MCH series [4]
- 5-axis machining centres from the F[5] and MCH-C series
- Flexible manufacturing systems
- Special solutions for crankshaft and camshaft machining
Organisational structure
Heller operates production facilities around the globe, e.g. in Germany, the UK, Brazil and the USA. HELLER Services GmbH based in Nürtingen is a wholly owned subsidiary specialising in services and training. Additionally, Heller is operating subsidiaries and representations in all relevant markets around the globe.
Recently, Heller has been expanding its presence in the Asian market. Two examples are the TechnologyCenter in Pune/India founded in 2009 and the company’s subsidiaries in Shanghai and Beijing. With a staff of 2,150 worldwide, Heller is generating a turnover of approx. € 375m. Heller staff also include 120 apprentices. This corresponds to a percentage of trainees of more than 7% at the company’s facilities in Nürtingen.
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 "Annual Report 2009". Heller Group.
- ↑ "Made in the U.S.A.: Returning Home". American Machinist.
- ↑ "Heller Has The Tools For Growing In Oakland County". Metromodemedia.
- ↑ "High Speed, Flexible Performance". Modern Machine Shop.
- ↑ "Five-Axis Machining Centers". Modern Machine Shop.