TRUMPF in times of digital transformation

Digital transformation has long since grown beyond the simple goal of optimizing processes. It has become an issue that affects all of society, and it’s vital that we understand its implications. It’s no longer a question of for or against, but instead of how we can actively shape the future. It is our firm conviction that it will be possible to find a solution that allows us to progress in this direction – without compromising our values as a family-run business in terms of its work but also its workforce.

We finally found what we were looking for when we came across photos of baseball icon Sandy Koufax and came to appreciate what baseball fans mean when they talk about a no-hitter. The legendary Los Angeles Dodgers pitcher had not one, but rather four no-hitters in his career – which means a single run in those four games. Four times zero. And this happened at a time of many changes, when the large wave of automation was sweeping through mechanical engineering.

This parallels our own story. When TRUMPF launched the TRUMATIC 20 in 1967, it was the first punching and nibbling machine with numerical control. Seen in retrospect, it set off a chain of events that established our reputation as technology leaders. Nobody could have known then that it heralded a digital transformation that would change every aspect of our lives. People at that time were enthralled by the conquest of space and the exploits that culminated in the epic Apollo 11 lunar mission in 1969 – a symbolic event in the race for technological supremacy on Earth.

Looking back over a fiscal year in which worrying political news dominated the headlines, we have a second reason for placing Sandy Koufax’s photo on our cover page. We want to send a signal to the United States – confirming our allegiance with our longstanding partner, at a time when free trade and transatlantic relations are sometimes being called into question. For us, the United States still represents one of our most important growth markets – especially in the domain of digital production.

The demonstration plant in Chicago that we opened recently is proof of our commitment. And it’s perhaps a positive sign that 2016 proved to be a hugely successful year for the Chicago Cubs, after a seeming eternity during which the team simply could not manage to win it all. 

First published in the TRUMPF annual report 2016/17.