Q: How would you describe your company’s primary business?
A: GMTA is the North American division of Profilator GmbH located in Wuppertal, Germany. Profilator is a German machine tool builder and our business is the sales, service and spare parts support of these products. Additionally, we distribute for a number of other German companies, providing the same sales, service and spare parts support. These companies include Praewema Gear Honing Technology, Samag Multi-Spindle 5 Axis machining, Rasoma Turning and Grinding Technology, Arnold-RV Laser Welding Technology and BvL Parts Washing Systems. This line up of machinery is built in support of automotive, aerospace, energy, heavy equipment, OTR truck, medical, and hand tool industries.

Q: In brief, what is your history with the company?
A: I began with GMTA in July of 2005 as the head of sales. At this time the company was already in operation for 24 years and well established in the market. Since 2005 we have seen the introduction of the Profilator “Baukasten” series of modular machines, the interest of gear manufacturers to explore “Power Honing” via Praewema, and most significantly the introduction by Profilator of the “Gear Scudding” process to the industry. I have been fortunate to participate in these technological advances in the gear industry. In 2015, I was presented the opportunity to become a company vice president and most recently was promoted to company president in 2019. We are looking at a bright future.

Q: What are interesting applications of your products?
A: As I stated earlier, I think the most revolutionary products are the Profilator patented “Scudding Process” and the Praewema Gear Honing “Vario-Speed” Technology. The Scudding process is a gear cutting process that 5-10 times faster than gear shaping. Scudding is a continuous generating process, meaning no idle strokes on the machine tool, as when shaping gears. Why this is so important is that the slow gear shaping process can be mostly replaced and the increased speed and superior accuracy of the “Scudding” process allow it to compete with gear hobbing and broaching!

Q: What drives customers to purchase your products or services?
A: Generally, people look to purchase our products based on “value added” operations. Of course, the large companies evaluate the cost of make vs. buy but the larger tier 1,2’s and job shops look for ways to add value to what they are currently providing. Our equipment provides mostly niche type operations such as, Gear Scudding, Gear Honing, Gear Tooth Pointing, Laser Additive Manufacturing, finger milling of gears, et cetra, which if positioned correctly in a manufacturing model can provide a large advantage over a competitor that does not have this ability, in terms of delivery speed, knowledge and process control.

Q: What are you excited to bring manufacturing professionals in 2019?
A: The evolution of the Scudding technology has produced, “Hard Scudding” and “Micro-Finishing”. These processes performed on hardened parts utilize the gear Scudding technology to re-cut (in the case of Hard Scudding) or abrasively finish (Micro-finishing) a gear. These operations are all completed using “DRY Machining!”