Since 1911, Ortlieb Precision Systems GmbH & Co. KG has been manufacturing clamping technology for machine tools, which is used as a key component for the production of high-quality products and the optimization of manufacturing processes by international customers. For more than 20 years, the company from Baden-Württemberg has been active in drive technology and acts as a pacemaker for new solutions or product improvements.

High Value Creation Depth

Despite various challenges, Ortlieb has been able to exist in the market for more than 110 years. "A great strength is the high production depth from raw material to finished product," says Dipl.-Wirt.-Ing. (FH) Dirk Laubengeiger, managing director. "Thanks to our high value creation depth, for example, we were able to use advantages over competitors with a lower production depth during the Ukraine crisis because we quickly stocked up on raw materials."

Additionally, the company is very flexible and able to tailor its products to the individual needs of the customers. Besides clamping technology, drive technology is also a business area in which Ortlieb has built up high competence. The spirit of innovation of the Swabian company is evident, for example, in the further development of the Planetary Roller Screw (PWG), which was originally conceived by the German Aerospace Center (DLR).

"The servo spindle directly converts the rotary motion of a motor into a linear motion," explains Dirk Laubengeiger. "We have worked many years to develop this technology to industrial maturity. Today, the PWG is the central drive element for all our servo drives. With our product portfolio, we certainly do not need to hide from the big players."

Continuous Development

For applications that previously depended on hydraulic drives, the ASCA servo spindle now offers a real alternative. It combines the functions of a planetary gearbox with those of a linear spindle, leading to a significant reduction in space and weight of a drive axis. The fields of application are extremely diverse, for example, in stamping and powder presses, automation solutions, the food industry, or the pharmaceutical sector.

"Electric drives replace the old hydraulic drives because they are more environmentally friendly and energy-efficient," notes the managing director. "For this, we provide the components that the customer integrates into their applications. Since many no longer have the competence or capacity for this integration, we want to expand this area and develop into a system supplier."

The further development of Ortlieb Precision Systems GmbH & Co. KG also determines the strategy for the coming years. In the recent past, the company was able to improve its productivity by over 20%, significantly increase delivery reliability and quality, and almost halve the throughput time. Another goal is the focus on sustainability. In 2017, the new production and office building was completed, which is state-of-the-art and has a heat pump with an ice storage, a ventilation system, and a 370 kWp photovoltaic system.

"My goal is to achieve and certify CO2 neutrality," says Dirk Laubengeiger. "In addition, we want to automate as much as possible in production. We commit to our location and will continue to invest here."