Trumpf is investing around €4 million into one of its subsidiaries, ScaleNC, a startup offering cloud-based sheet metal manufacturing services.
The enterprise intends to use this investment to fuel growth in Germanophone countries and branch out its services to customers in the US.
ScaleNC handles machine programming and the preparation of manufacturing data for its customers – who can upload data, drawings and sketches to a cloud platform at any time for this purpose.
The firm not only uses artificial intelligence and data-based algorithms for the subsequent programming; it also has experienced CAD/CAM specialists double-check the programming.
This combination enables the company to handle even very challenging jobs at short notice.
The inceptive ideas for digital, platform-based, machine programming services emerged at Trumpf in 2019. The founding team validated the idea in collaboration with Trumpf customers as part of Internehmertum, an in-house incubator program, and developed it further to create a business model. ScaleNC was then spun off in Summer 2020.
Having initially invested in the startup when it was first spun off, Trumpf has been using the cloud-based solution for its production lines for over a year now.
'Trumpf’s renewed investment in ScaleNC will help us pursue our growth targets,’ said ScaleNC founder and CEO Holger Röder. ‘Industry demand for cloud-based services is growing, and we look forward to making our solutions available to even more customers.’
Customers seeking to plug gaps when skilled workers are short supply can draw on ScaleNC’s services selectively at a fixed standard price without any contractual commitments. They can also enjoy the benefits of even more cost-effective operations by opting for a long-term agreement.
'ScaleNC is the answer to the skills shortage,’ said Tom Schneider, R&D managing director at Trumpf Werkzeugmaschinen SE + Co. KG. ‘Many of our customers struggle to fill vacancies. On top of that, ScaleNC provides cost benefits and helps our customers strengthen their competitive stance.'
As it stands, ScaleNC serves primarily customers in Germany, Austria and Switzerland. The company aims to offer its solution in other countries and is preparing to plant a footprint in the US market in 2023. The firm currently employs 11 people and is determined to continue growing.