Affolter Technologies celebrates 100 years of innovation

SHANGHAI,Feb. 27,2019 -- At the trade shows SIMM in Shenzhen (March 28-31) and CIMT in Beijing (April 15-20),Affolter Technologies (www.affolter-technologies.ch) will showcase its innovative gear hobbing center AF110 plus (SIMM Hall 1,Booth G79; CIMT Hall W1,Booth 692). At the Affolter booth,visitors can not only inspect the high-precision gear hobbing machines and innovative technologies,but also get in touch with a Swiss industry leader with a rich history: Affolter celebrates its 100-year anniversary in 2019! With its long history and track record of technological breakthroughs,Affolter combines tradition and innovation in a unique way.

The company was founded on May 1,1919,by Louis Affolter. Louis was the second child of Samuel and Marie-Louise Affolter,both of whom were watchmakers. He quickly developed his skills in the art of watchmaking as well,working for Swiss watch manufacturers in the area of Biel. After opening his own company to produce gears and pivots,he soon acquired a piece of land in Malleray for a building that included both a workshop and an apartment- very near to the site of today's modern company headquarters.

Internationalization & diversification

What started in a small workshop 100 years ago,is now a global high-tech enterprise. In the early decades,Affolter manufactured clockwork wheels as a subcontractor for the Swiss watch industry. Today,the Affolter machines are also tailored to other industry segments such as automotive,aviation,medical technology and the micromechanical industries. While the Swiss watchmaking industry is still important for Affolter,the company has successfully expanded into global markets. The opening of a sales office in Shanghai in 2008 and subsequent establishment of Affolter China was a milestone.

On the innovation track

Today,the fourth generation is in charge of the enterprise. Vincent Affolter serves as Managing Director of Affolter Technologies. "Throughout the decades,Affolter Technologies was always dedicated to be leading in its field,aiming to make our customers more productive and efficient",explains Vincent Affolter. To keep a step ahead of the competition and ensure to offer state-of-the-art and highest precision micro gear hobbing centers,the company started its research and development initiatives many decades ago. "We continue to go into this direction. Robots,machine learning,in-house designed and developed CNC controls,our own software,Industry 4.0 - we embrace the future",explains the Managing Director. In its very important apprentice program,Affolter Technologies trains the chief engineers of tomorrow- both software and mechanical engineers.

SIMM & CIMT

At the Chinese trade shows SIMM in Shenzhen and CIMT in Beijing,Affolter will showcase its most advanced machine- the AF110 plus. The gear hobbing center convinces with its versatility,precision,power,rigidity and ease of use. The AF110 plus has eight axes,a cutter-spindle speed of up to 12,000rpm capable to make gears with a maximum DP17 and minimum of DP1270. Different automation systems for part loading and unloading are available,such as universal grippers,drum loader or robot loading as well as options such as deburring,dry cutting,centering microscope and oil mist aspiration.

For more,please visit www.affolter-technologies.ch and www.affolter-applications.ch

Affolter Technologies at SIMM

March 28-31,2019

Shenzhen Convention & Exhibition Center,Shenzhen

Hall 1,Booth G79

Affolter Technologies at CIMT

April 15-20,2019

New China International Exhibition Centre (NCIEC),Beijing

Hall W1,Booth 692

About Affolter Technologies SA:Tradition meets innovation: Affolter Technologies SA is a part of the Affolter Group with more than 160 employees around the globe and was founded in 1919 by Louis Affolter in Malleray,Switzerland.Today,the fourth generation leads the family enterprise. A China daughter company was founded in 2013. Affolter Technologies operates worldwide with a broad network of distributors. The highly-specialized company is world technology leader in high-precision gear hobbing solutions. For more information,please visit: www.affoltergroup.chand http://www.affolter-applications.ch/