The Fraunhofer Institute for Production Technology IPT and the WZL Laboratory for Machine Tools and Production Engineering at RWTH Aachen selected the competition's eleven finalists on the basis of an extensive comparison of more than 290 tool and die making companies. "Our employees manufacture top-quality products and we have these people to thank for the award. I am pleased that we were able to come out on top against such strong competition," says Dr. Volker Franke, Managing Director HARTING Applied Technologies.
HARTING Applied Technologies products are used in applications ranging from large housing components for connectors made of plastic and aluminum to micro injection molding components with the toughest demands on surface quality. The jury found the shop floor management in the HARTING toolmaking area to be especially positive: The employees are largely personally responsible for the quality of their work, while also enjoying excellent workplace ergonomics. The jury also praised the standardized and efficiently synchronized flow that allows fast tool manufacturing.
Nine expert jurors from industry, politics and science selected the winners in the four categories as well as the overall winner. This was the eleventh "Excellence in Production" competition.