Press report

What a premiere: Over 1,600 enthusiastic visitors experienced a real spectacle at the first edition of the so-called ‘U|S-Days 2024’. The two leading machine suppliers for the window industry, Urban GmbH & Co. Maschinenbau KG (Memmingen in the Allgäu region) and Schirmer Maschinen GmbH (Verl, East Westphalia), had invited visitors to the Urban headquarters in Memmingen for this multi-day joint event. Over 450 visitors from all over the world attended the specialist event for the window construction industry alone, which included presentations, expert round tables and factory tours.

The top-class lecture programme featured experts who provided insights into smart, networked technologies for production and maintenance, among other things. The programme also focused on new materials for window construction, such as bioplastics and AI-supported product development.

In the machine hall, visitors could marvel at high-end window production and process optimisation at its finest. As technology leaders, Urban and Schirmer demonstrated what is already possible with the combination of a Schirmer processing centre (BAZ 1000 Medium) and a welding and fettling line (two AKS 9610-30/45 CUT/4 in front of an SV 840/6) as well as perfect logistics with an automatic buffer from Urban. Schirmer not only showed the trade visitors a PVC processing centre, but also its Alu-BAZ Composite module for processing aluminium and aluminium-composite profiles. Urban presented the new version of the FBA 2500 automatic sash trimming machine with electric motors as well as a large VPA distribution buffer system and a new GZA 500 automatic glazing bead trimming machine.

Both companies used the first day of the ‘U|S Days’ for an international dealer briefing to inform their worldwide partners about the latest product developments. The event concluded with a family day for all Urban employees and their families, which attracted a further 1,200 visitors.

‘The effort was definitely worth it. We have received nothing but positive feedback from all sides for our new event format. Together with Schirmer, our aim for the U|S Days was to inspire our customers, partners and our employees and their families with a mix of specialist event, show and Bavarian hospitality. We did indeed succeed,’ says a delighted Martin Urban, Managing Partner of Urban GmbH & Co. Maschinenbau.

Ludger Martinschledde, Managing Director of Schirmer Maschinen GmbH, is also very satisfied with the premiere: ‘The U|S Days were an exciting and engaging event that was great fun for everyone involved. After the premiere in Memmingen, the bar has now been set very high for the next event, which will take place at our premises in Verl. We want to establish the U|S Days in the long term as our own format for the window construction expertise and scene get-together.’ However, a fixed rhythm is not planned for the time being.

Manfred Merschmann, Managing Director of Merschmann Fenster GmbH & Co KG, based in Delbrück-Ostlanden in North Rhine-Westphalia, explained what customers value about their partners such as Urban, Schirmer and leading software provider Klaes at the expert round table. ‘My aim was to optimise the level of automation in our production and minimise the error rate at the same time. I chose Schirmer, Urban and Klaes not only because of the high reliability of the machines and systems, but also because all partners are willing to accept my ideas and concepts. That's what I mean by a genuine partnership,’ says Merschmann. The fact that the best solutions for customers like Manfred Merschmann can be found in a team was confirmed by the other regulars' table participants, Achim Binder (Area Sales Manager at Klaes), Roland Vogt from the management of Schirmer and Hermann Deller (Senior Sales Manager at Urban).

In the U|S Days lecture programme, several speakers gave interesting insights into future technologies in industry, such as Prof. Dr Carmen Constantinescu from the Fraunhofer Institute for Industrial Engineering. She explained the approach and solution for cognitive digital twins for resilient production - in other words, production that defies all odds and has no faults. Together with the Fraunhofer Institute, TMP Fenster + Türen GmbH (Bad Langensalza) had developed an exoskeleton to provide ergonomic relief for employees. Plant manager and authorised signatory Jörg Wellendorf explained the details.

Nikolas Zimmermann, Head of Digital Engineering at the Fraunhofer Institute for Industrial Engineering (IAO), explained how a digital twin can be used to optimise maintenance and repair processes. ‘However, we still have a dilemma here: technological change is progressing exponentially, while organisational change in companies is changing logarithmically, meaning it is lagging well behind the technology,’ says Zimmermann. A successful digital transformation with new services therefore always requires a holistic view of people, technology and organisation.

Prof Dr Detlef Gerhard, Head of the Chair of Digital Engineering at Ruhr University Bochum, took the same line: ‘The use of generative artificial intelligence for industrial value creation has enormous potential, and we are really only at the beginning of development,’ said Gerhard, who also provided insights into Generative Engineering & Design (GE&D). ‘Here, the engineering task shifts from modelling the solution to defining the boundary conditions and evaluating the solutions.’ GE&D utilises and combines a variety of different AI approaches, models and algorithms.

Niklas Voß, a graduate engineer (FH) from FKuR Kunststoff GmbH, explained the opportunities and challenges for the PVC window industry on the path to greater sustainability through the development of bioplastics. ‘There is huge potential here, because bio-based plastics have the same structure, the same polymer properties and the same possible applications as conventional plastics.’

Jürgen Leonhardt from the Omya Group provided everything you need to know about calcium carbonate (CaCO3), i.e. lime, in his presentation. The mineral is already being used for the production of PVC profiles.

While visitors had already been able to find out all about Urban and Schirmer's technology during the highly popular factory tours and in the machine hall, they were left in awe in the evening. Both partners staged their high-end machines with a brilliant laser and movie show. The evening ended on a rocking note with the German rock band Troglauer, who really got the audience going.

The organisation team led by project manager Michael Walther from Urban can look back on many happy faces. ‘We started planning 16 months ago and I can only say a big thank you to everyone involved. It really was a great team effort,’ says Walther, who not only took on the main part of the planning but also the moderation of the U|S Days.

Further information:
Urban GmbH & Co. Maschinenbau KG, Dornierstraße 5, 87700 Memmingen,
Telephone 08331/858-0, fax 858-58, urban@u-r-b-a-n.com, www.u-r-b-a-n.com

Press contact:
Jensen media GmbH, editorial office, Hemmerlestraße 4, 87700 Memmingen,
Phone: 08331/99188-0 Fax 08331/99188-80, info@jensen-media.de,
Internet: http://www.jensen-media.de
Contact person: Ingo Jensen (ingo.jensen@jensen-media.de)