Interview C2 Germany and FMS AG on the 30th anniversary of the company.
On the occasion of the company's 30th anniversary, C2 spoke exclusively with Jörg Inhelder, Managing Director of FMS Force Measuring Systems AG (Oberglatt, Switzerland).
C2: FMS Force Measuring Systems is celebrating its 30th anniversary. Please tell us about the beginnings of the company – and what did force measurement look like back then?
Jörg Inhelder: Basically, force measurement looked very similar: Force sensors based on strain gauges and measuring amplifiers. However, the range was much smaller than today, both in terms of force sensors and amplifiers. The amplifiers were all built in analogue technology and were powered from 230 V AC. Even then, strong German machine manufacturers were among our regular customers. After the buyout from FAG Kugelfischer, the sales department, which had previously been run entirely by FAG and its foreign subsidiaries, had to be completely rebuilt. From the very beginning, R&D was one of the strengths of FMS, and over the years all components were continuously adapted to the state of the art and the requirements of our customers. FMS started in March 1993 with 10 employees.
C2: How has the area of force and tension measurement developed since then – and what is its importance today?
Jörg Inhelder: FMS counts itself among the leading suppliers when it comes to new technical solutions. For example, with the introduction of Profibus amplifiers in 1998, or ETHERNET IP on the American market, we were years ahead of our competitors. Force measurement or web tension measurement is still our mainstay, and we have always been able to outpace market growth thanks to innovative solutions. In the field of wire applications (stranding machines), FMS is today THE supplier of fully integrated closed-loop solutions with radio transmission and brake control. Furthermore, we have consistently made our strength in customised solutions available to optimise our customers' machines, even in relatively small quantities.
C2: Let's talk about your target markets and the challenges they face today ...
Jörg Inhelder: Our target markets are all niche markets: converting, wire & cable, paper, textile, metal. A major challenge is the unsteadiness and unpredictability, which makes reliable planning over a longer period impossible. Nevertheless, investments in promising new developments are always worthwhile. Similar premises are cost pressure, production speeds, Industry 4.0.
C2: What role does Industry 4.0 play for your company?
Jörg Inhelder: The awareness of our end customers is changing. As a component supplier for machine builders, they expect us first and foremost to be easy to integrate into complex control systems. Precise measurement data must be made available as quickly as possible. In addition, we develop our own software for specific solutions with data storage and analysis.
C2: As a location, Switzerland stands for the highest quality and innovation – how much “Swiss DNA” is there in FMS?
Jörg Inhelder: 100%, because development and assembly are all located in Switzerland. In addition, 80% of our suppliers are based in Switzerland. Our innovations go hand in hand with forwardlooking product planning, the fulfilment of customer wishes and high flexibility. We strive to meet upcoming market demands before they are even asked for.
C2: Let's talk about the FMS-segFORCE: What feedback do you get from the converting sector and what have you learned/improved since the launch?
Jörg Inhelder: We have received a lot of interest in the production of battery foils. Since the FMS-segFORCE is a brand new solution, it takes a lot of convincing and a lot of marketing effort to raise awareness. For many users, the FMS-segFORCE is the key to identifying production and process problems, which was not possible before. In the field of mechanics and electronics, we are constantly developing: e.g., friction values for rolling bearings, functionality of the software, etc. Sometimes it's a matter of minor details that make a big difference in the end. In addition to the extremely important quality assurance and process reliability, there are many reasons for the retrofitting at the end customers. By detecting tension differences within the material web, tension profile measurement offers completely new possibilities.
C2: Finally, we would like to ask you for a brief outlook: What do you wish for the next 30 years at FMS?
Jörg Inhelder: The wishes are many: We wish our customers to recover from the consequences of the Covid pandemic and the war in Ukraine. We also hope for a stable economic environment for all industries, as well as a strengthening of mechanical engineering in Europe as a whole. To this end, we continue to rely on the passion and high performance of our employees.