Drive towards diversification

For many customers Stober is synonymous with mechanical variable speed drives.

For many customers Stober is synonymous with mechanical variable speed drives.

The company has been in existence for over 60 years but these classic drives are still selling.

Stober is now known worldwide for its high-quality mechanical and electrical drive systems.

The founders of the company, the Stober brothers, soon recognised the potential benefits that would be achieved by optimising the production processes.

In 1934, the year of its formation, the first controlled drive solutions were created.

The steplessly adjustable mechanical variable speed drives from Stober impressed so many users that the term 'Stober variable' became synonymous with the distribution of these drives.

The company expanded its gear range continuously until the 1970s.

In 1979 it moved into electronic drive technology with the formation of a separate division.

This step marked the beginning of a long-term product and market orientation.

The strong focus on application-based solutions, the increasing automation and the need for higher drive system dynamics resulted in a change of direction in the early 1980s towards servo systems as the logical extension to the familiar asynchronous world.

That period also saw the design and manufacture of the first planetary gears which represent the ideal solution for high dynamics applications when combined with servomotors.

Stober initially sourced in electronic equipment, but the systematic strategy and increasing expertise required the development of its own frequency and servo inverter series which has now been successfully established on the market for years.

The group offers the customer a complete axis or drive train with coordinating electronic and mechanical components.

The slogan is: "The drive for your automation", ie Stober offers customers application-based drive solutions for their machines or installations and looks at and solves the electronic and mechanical problems as a whole.

Because of the variety of applications and solutions within industry as a whole, three main centres of activity have developed: first the asynchronous systems with 'MGS' gear motors and frequency inverters; secondly the synchronous systems with servomotors, planetary gears and servo inverters, and thirdly marketing of the gear range as precision gears which can easily be fitted to servomotors from leading international manufacturers.

Stober is a globally active medium-sized company in private ownership and now employs over 400 people in Germany alone.

Its headquarters and adjacent production plant are located at Pforzheim.

Abroad, the necessary local presence is provided by a number of companies and numerous agencies.

Another manufacturing plant has been set up in the USA and produces and assembles gears for the American market.

In Germany 15 technical service offices look after distribution and support of our products.

The high level of advice and support and the orientation of all activities towards specialising in application-based solutions inevitably means to expand the scope of operations by additional companies - like now in the UK.

After a period of continuous growth, company turnover has now passed the Eur 50 million threshold.

Alongside the traditional home market and Europe, the volume of business in the USA is growing at an above-average rate.

Stober products can be found in every industry, but the company has always been particularly attracted to innovative businesses looking for high-tech, leading edge solutions in order to improve its own market position long term.

Developments in drive technology (such as the trend towards decentralised automation), the increasingly complex problems to be solved and the receptive attitudes on the part of customers towards new technology and applications represent a challenge for Stober to offer both mechanical and systemised solutions, without wanting to overstress the word "system".

With the wide range of products, Stober looks on it as a supplier of complete shafts and therefore as the ideal partner for customers who prefer not to or cannot do without electronics.

Despite the considerable number of suppliers on the market, users often face a situation where they cannot find a solution to their problem.

Along with the mechanics expertise, Stober has been developing detailed electronics knowhow for years and using it in products like the Posidrive and Posidyn inverter ranges which are not only co-ordinated with the mechanical part of the drive but are also extremely user friendly.

They are quick to program and easy to use - as shown by the size of the manual.

It is about 90% shorter than manuals given to customers for competitive products with the same functions.

Customers also like the fact that Stober offers the same programming environment for frequency and servo inverters.

Fieldbus access is also standardised.

Although this has meant more hardware costs, it makes the programmer's work easier.

Stober software engineers have also developed special user software (eg for turning and winding) which greatly reduces the programming effort.

Digital frequency and servo inverters without a bus capability are no longer marketable.

Stober has universal interfaces independent of protocols, which means that in principle any fieldbus system can be used.

Stober now concentrates on CAN and Profibus DP because of their market spread and rapid market penetration.

The systematic concentration on application support integrates customers into the design of new products at an early stage.

The principle is: for mechanical drives the main emphasis is on modularity, but in the electronics range Stober relies on systems with standardised hardware and flexible, user-friendly application software.

This means that dedicated solutions are always based on standard technology and therefore continuity and availability are maintained.

After-sales service costs are at the lower end compared with relevant competitors.

Stober gives its customers a three-year guarantee for the MGS range and associated inverters.

In addition to employing mechanical and electronic maintenance staff, for many years now Stober has used a network of service partners who are trained and qualified for Stober products.

They also provide a local presence for our customers, both around Germany and internationally.

A 24-hour helpline completes the service range.

Modern methods of communication such as the Internet and the logistics now available provide additional means of customer support, both in the planning phase and during startup and maintenance.

Back to top