Progress in the niche

At MAE, the 1970s and 1980s were characterized by an increasing focus on very specialized, demanding areas of responsibility. In addition to straightening, other special applications for hydraulic presses were also included.

It was already becoming apparent at the end of the 1960s that competitive pressure in the standard press sector would continue to increase. By comparison, MAE was a rather small company that could only survive in the long term by focusing on a few market niches in which even a medium-sized company could build up a strong position.

Straightening as a significant niche

By far the most important niche to date has been the construction of straightening presses. Here the market, especially the automotive industry, demanded a departure from the hitherto exclusively manually controlled process and the development of an automatically controlled system. The aim was to be independent of "the judge's" skill and to achieve a process-safe, controllable operation.

The first automatic MAE straightening machine

At the end of the 1960s, Ford-Werke in Cologne was looking for suppliers for a larger number of automatically controlled straightening machines. MAE was still negotiating a contribution to development costs when an Italian competitor unexpectedly presented a pilot plant developed on its own account in Cologne. Now haste was the order of the day. In order not to lose the promising market for the future, MAE also carried out the development for an automatic straightening machine without a customer order. Together with the development partner commissioned for the measurement and control technology, Mahr-Feinprüf from Göttingen, it was possible to complete the automatic straightening machine of the ARM series in a fairly short time. Similar to a manual press, it was designed as a C-frame with a motor-driven straightening carriage and workpiece rotary drive. Stroke adjustment was performed by a modified control block from the S RH series with a flange-mounted stepper motor. The measured values were recorded and the stroke determined using a precision analog computer.

All beginnings are difficult

After completion of the first automatic straightening machine, Ford became the first customer in 1974. The order included six identical lines for the plant in Bordeaux, France, and one for Valencia, Italy. It was a bold step to deliver these barely tested systems in such large numbers. However, despite considerable rework efforts on site, the machines were successfully handed over and were in operation for more than 25 years. MAE had thus established itself in this market niche. Subsequently, automatic levelers were supplied to all major European car manufacturers.

On the road to success

The C-frames were quickly replaced by the ADS and ADSF double-column series, which were better suited for use in production lines and set a standard for almost 20 years. The market success was considerable. Despite the rather high price and some strong competitors, an average of about 10 to 15 machines were sold annually in the 1980s.

The cooperation with Feinprüf was extremely positive and successful. Soon, the step to the microprocessor-controlled directional computer could be taken. The quality of the associated software quickly became a key performance characteristic for the overall performance of the machine. With each delivered leveler, MAE has been able to expand its experience potential and continuously improve the control system.

An important milestone was the first use of a programmable logic controller (PLC) in 1980. For the first time, it was possible to conveniently change and optimize motion sequences during commissioning without having to laboriously reinstall control cables and contactors.

Important changes

As a further mainstay, the assembly machines of the MM and WP series equipped with complicated tools and linkages became increasingly important. They, too, found their market primarily in the automotive sector.

The share of simple standard presses declined as expected. The share of sales accounted for by single-column presses fell from around 50 percent to just 10 percent in the 1970s and 1980s. There was also a decline in contract production for Pöting. Due to market saturation and strong competition, the sales realized with Pöting decreased slowly but steadily.

Another change of leadership

In 1976, Rüdiger Götzen began his work in the company as a representative of the third generation. Hermann Götzen's son was well prepared for his task as managing director with a commercial degree. Together with Manfred Deutschewitz, he was largely responsible for sales of the sophisticated products.

One man's sorrow is another man's joy

In 1977, Eitel, the most important competitor in some segments, unexpectedly had to file for bankruptcy. The renowned company had obviously overstretched itself with a production program that was unusually broad for its size and the associated financial risks. For MAE, this situation offered the opportunity to "get involved" in ongoing projects and, above all, to establish contact with important trade representatives at home and abroad. Some of the contracts concluded are still valid today.

Expansion

While MAE's standard systems were previously mainly used by medium-sized customers, the automotive industry became the main customer group with the automatic leveler business. MAE was able to assert itself from a standing start with good, robust equipment as well as fast service and was soon a recognized and often preferred supplier.

However, the decision to focus on a relatively narrow niche also meant that the machines had to be sold worldwide in order to achieve adequate unit sales. Beyond the contacts to the commercial agencies, an orientation and strengthening of the sales department was the logical consequence. Thus, in the early 1980s, the export share could be increased significantly. They were particularly successful in France and England, as well as in the USSR, the GDR and Czechoslovakia. At the end of the 1980s, MAE presented itself as a flexible and powerful medium-sized company with motivated and qualified employees.

Machines need space

The assembly areas had to be enlarged to accommodate the new, rather large and heavy equipment. In 1978, the "hydro hall" used for the MAE presses was extended with a spacious annex for this purpose. The significantly greater height and sufficient crane capacities also allowed rational assembly of large forming and wheel presses. The "Pöting Hall", which was mainly used for the assembly of the glass presses, was almost completely rebuilt by 1985. In 1980, the company built its own prefabricated office building for the significantly enlarged administrative areas. The renovation of the mechanical production buildings, the control cabinet assembly and the office areas in the old building as well as the construction of a new cold storage hall were further investments until 1989.

Important new acquisitions also affected the administrative area. While the commercial data processing was initially handled by an external company, the first foundation stone for the company's own EDP was laid with CAD workstations in the technical office. The electrical design department was equipped with personal computers from 1986, and the mechanical design department from 1987, which significantly improved flexibility and lead time.

Target market USA

At the end of the 80's, the connection was made with the Hess-Engineering company in Edwardsburg, USA, which adapted the automatic and manual MAE straightening presses for the American market. In this way, MAE was able to secure this important market for the time being and take into account the fact that, when in doubt, Americans prefer to buy a domestic machine.

At home in the niche

In the 1980s, straightening and assembly lines already accounted for about 70 percent of sales, with Pöting machines accounting for about 20 percent. Only 10 percent remained for the standard range of hydraulic presses. This marked the successful launch of the company's development into a globally operating niche supplier.

The period from 1970 to 1989 was also characterized by significant cyclical fluctuations. MAE showed itself to be quite robust due to the rather broad range of products on offer, but also due to the even more significant share of sales accounted for by Pöting machines. The solid financial policy made it possible to avoid compulsory redundancies even in worse times. The number of employees remained virtually constant at 80 during this period.