Aicher knows how to make a million

On 15 April 2010, the Getrag lorry which transports the assembled selection shafts to the factory in Untergruppenbach was expected here in Königsheim as every Thursday.

However this time, it was no ordinary Thursday.
On this occasion, the company management was ready with champagne and a finger buffet, the press and the head of our advertising agency were there and executives and employees of Aicher Präzisionstechnik awaited our guests in the reception hall.

Aicher was holding a reception,
and the motto was “How to make a million“.

Customers, suppliers and employees were able to witness live the production and assembly of the 1 000 000th selection shaft for the transmissions of the BMW 1, 3 and 5 series, shortly after 9.30 am.

We were able to welcome Buying Agent Michael Staudinger, Supply Chain Manager Dieter Jäger and Design Engineer Christopher Stroh from Getrag, for whom we manufacture this complex subassembly for integration into the GETRAG Powershift® double clutch transmission (DCT).
Sales Manager Olaf Schröder from Jung, Boucke, the manufacturer of drop forgings for shift fingers and connecting rods, travelled here specifically from the Sauerland region.
The company Gosma, which is responsible for the phosphate coating of the selection shafts, was represented by Dieter and Gunther Weber.
Uwe Fürst, Finance and Administration Manager at HTU Härtetechnik, which performs the surface hardening of the selection shafts for us, came up from Lake Constance to join us here in Königsheim.

In 2003, when Getrag sent us drawings and enquired whether we could supply these selection shafts, we never would have dreamt that it would become one of our top products.

A complex product in huge quantities, which required machines that we did not even possess – that was the greatest challenge we have had to date.

CEO Franz-Karl Aicher was however convinced of one thing: “Our team can do it“.

Complex subassemblies for transmissions and engines have since become our main business.

Today you can find 2 large turning lathes, 13 milling centres, 1 grinder and numerous tools in our production hall which are used for the production and assembly of selection shafts alone. Selection shafts have created 25 to 30 jobs in our company and further jobs were created amongst our suppliers.

In the year 2009, whilst virtually all automotive suppliers feared for their existence, Aicher was manufacturing full speed:
1200 selection shafts daily with all machines at full capacity.

Now – the first million has been reached.
As a thank you for the outstanding cooperation, Authorized Signatory Franziska Aicher presented Mr. Jäger with a gold-plated selection shaft – the “Aicher Cup”.

For the record, it was not built into a special collector BMW but was given pride of place at Getrag.

Buying Agent Michael Staudinger confirmed that the Getrag lorry would of course continue to collect selection shafts from Aicher every Thursday:
“Aicher is a supplier with whom we enjoy working very much. They think ahead and have made several suggestions for improvements which have saved a lot of money.“

And we will continue to do this up to the 10 millionth selection shaft and even beyond!

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Two press releases about the event can be read here (german version).