DRIVING LINEAR TECHNOLOGY FORWARD
Schneeberger is a global leader in the development of linear guide technology products for the mechanical engineering industry. Philip Yorke talked to Adrian Fuchser, the company’s president, about its latest products and its move into new niche market sectors.
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chneeberger was founded in Switzerland in 1923 and is a privately owned company managed by its third generation family. The world’s first linear guideways were conceived and developed by Schneeberger almost 70 years ago, which established the foundation for the world’s advanced linear technology systems that exists today. The company’s original guidelines for the construction of linear guideways defined the modern criteria for load-bearing capacity, reliability and economy, thus setting the industry standards that are still subscribed to throughout the world today. The spirit of innovation, technically superior products and uncompromising quality remain the company’s key maxims. Today the company is a global operator that employs more than 800 people worldwide,
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with offices and manufacturing facilities in Switzerland, Italy, the USA, Japan, China, the Czech Republic, India, Germany and more recently, Singapore and Korea.
Raising the bar on quality and efficiency Today Schneeberger offers a diverse range of quality products and services to its global OEM customers in the machine tool, solar energy and semiconductor industries, as well as to those in the electronics and medical technology sectors. The company develops and manufactures linear bearings, profiled guideways, measuring systems, gear racks and slides. In addition, it produces positioning systems and mineral casting products. Schneeberger’s capacity for innovation and technical development allows it to develop complex miniature
guideways for a number of niche markets, including micro-manufacturing and machining, biotechnology, medical technology. nano-technology, robotics and optical industries. The company continues to lead the world in its specialised high-technology disciplines through continuous investment in R&D and the development of new manufacturing technology. Mr Fuchser said, “At the heart of everything we do is innovation, and our new smaller bearings are a good example of this; they have been developed especially for handling automation applications, which is a big market and a growth segment for us. We are also planning to expand our capacity by doubling the facilities that are involved in electrical applications and rail and carriage products. Another key focus is our investment in high levels of automation
