Excellent product engineering for tailor-made solutions: That’s how our development department works

Jan: When you work on a development project as an engineer, you’re deeply involved and are the primary contact point for any technical questions. You accompany the development of the product, starting from the first idea or customer problem through development of solution variants, production and initial assembly to testing and completion of fatigue tests and finally to the complete product, ready for serial production.

Udo: Usually a development project starts with a conversation with the customer or even a visit to the customer’s premises. This helps us understand the special features of the machines in question and the customer’s requirements. Based on this conversation, we develop ideas that we discuss with the aid of a design drawing.
In this phase, it does not matter all that much whether the machine is a serial machine or a unique special product. So our special expertise is to use a relatively low actuation force to generate a high force at the customer interface – typically in the application of tool clamping, with systems consisting of a gripper, a spring stack, a release unit and a rotary union. If possible, I make use of time-tested technology. When developing a new product, it helps a lot that BERG’s production and assembly are in the same building. This means a design engineer can be there when the prototype is assembled and immediately see if there is room for improvement. After prototype assembly, the testing area plays an important role. We now have a total of four fatigue testing benches that execute up to 140,000 clamping strokes a day to test clamping units, e. g. spring stacks with grippers. So we can see right away whether a product meets the customer’s requirements.

Jan: At BERG, we try to find the best possible solutions for our customers’ specific requirements and we are always willing and ready to look for and develop new solutions. We always focus on achieving the greatest possible quality and the longest product service life. This means that a product designed by BERG meets every customer requirement and request that it can possibly meet. We’re by your side from the initial consultation all the way through to initial operation. We walk that extra mile to offer you a reliable product through extensive calculation, simulation and trials.

Udo: I’ve now been working in the design department at BERG for over 25 years and I can confirm: “If you don’t keep up with the times, you will be left behind.” It’s crucial to keep your eyes and ears open and recognise what the market demands. It really helps to be in direct contact with our customers.
What plays a particularly large role for BERG at this point is e-mobility and the new challenges it brings. We are glad not to have missed the jump to this new application of clamping technology. It is also important to stay in the loop within our company, particularly where technical improvements are concerned. New materials, manufacturing and coating methods have allowed us to achieve amazing improvements in durability and wear protection, especially for highly stressed grippers.

Jan: As a developer at BERG, I frequently face new professional and personal challenges. To overcome these, I need to perform extremely well. But that’s what keeps my work interesting and exciting. Besides, my colleagues and other departments always provide great support when I run into difficulties.

Udo: I’m particularly motivated by new developments that have not existed in the same way before. Usually we get the impulses for these directly from customers who, for instance, have new products to manufacture. Discussing a variety of ideas in a small team and then developing them into a product is a really fascinating process.