Hermle Machine Company Joins Commonwealth Center for Advanced Manufacturing

RICHMOND, VA., OCTOBER 16, 2012 – The Commonwealth Center for Advanced Manufacturing (CCAM) today announced that Hermle Machine Company has joined CCAM’s growing roster of industry members. The company, with global headquarters in Gosheim, Germany, is a leading manufacturer of high-precision 5-axis milling machines. The medical, aircraft, automotive and other industries use Hermle’s milling machines to precisely cut material to the exact specifications advanced manufacturing requires. The company, established nearly 75 years ago, brings global manufacturing experience and expertise to CCAM that will benefit the research activities of all members.

Hermle’s C42 UMT 5-axis mill-turn machine will be located at CCAM. Having onsite access to Hermle’s state-of-the-art machine tool to support CCAM’s collaborative research projects adds significant value to CCAM members.

“CCAM brings together some of the world’s best-regarded advanced manufacturers under one roof to explore new possibilities for the benefit of all,” said Robert Komljenovic, president of Hermle Machine Company. “We are honored to contribute our time, talent and cutting-edge tools to this cause and are excited to work closely with CCAM’s members to solve business challenges.”

CCAM brings together best-in-class manufacturers, Virginia’s top research universities and CCAM’s experienced scientists and engineers in an exclusive R&D collaboration designed to help industry accelerate the transfer of laboratory innovations to production-line solutions. Industry sets the research agenda and joins dedicated university and CCAM researchers in pursuit of new discoveries that improve products, processes and profits.

CCAM recently completed construction of its new, state-of-the-art, 60,000 square-foot facility in Prince George County, Va., just south of Richmond. The building features computational and engineering research labs in addition to high bay production space for commercial scale equipment and other tools required to explore CCAM’s research focus areas – surface engineering and manufacturing systems.

In addition to Hermle Machine Company, other CCAM industry members include Aerojet, Buehler, Canon Virginia, Chromalloy, Cool Clean Technology, GF AgieCharmilles, Mitutoyo America Corporation, Newport News Shipbuilding, Rolls-Royce, Sandvik Coromant, Siemens, Sulzer Metco and TurboCombustor Technology. University members include the University of Virginia, Virginia State University and Virginia Tech.

Hermle Machine Company joins CCAM’s ranks as a Tier 2 member. It will participate in CCAM’s “core research” program, meaning it will jointly fund and direct research activities with CCAM’s other Organizing, Tier 1 and Tier 2 members. Members share ownership of intellectual property resulting from core research. Organizing and Tier 1 members at CCAM, however, can sponsor “directed research.” Sponsors of directed research exclusively own IP resulting from their sponsorship. For more information about CCAM’s membership levels and research types, visit www.ccam-va.com.

“Hermle brings both insight and innovation to CCAM that will take our research efforts to another level,” said David R. Lohr, CCAM’s president and executive director. “With so many great companies sharing ideas, addressing problems collaboratively and accessing advanced tools onsite, the advanced manufacturing industry is going to see some incredible opportunities emerge from CCAM.”

About Hermle Machine Company
Hermle Machine Company, as the leading manufacturer of high precision 5-axis milling machines, invites you to visit with us in our North American headquarters in Franklin, WI. Hermle has been known worldwide to design and build milling machines that can achieve the most difficult machining tasks covering a wide industry span, including medical, defense and tool & die mold, all the way to commercial aerospace and high-tech R&D laboratories. For 74 years our innovative staff has been building our machines exclusively in Gosheim, Germany. We continue to provide sales, service support and application engineering out of this facility. Our integrated demo center is utilized to provide test machining, process development and full scale turnkey engineering projects for our customers throughout the US, Canada and Mexico.

About the Commonwealth Center for Advanced Manufacturing
CCAM is a research-based collaboration between the University of Virginia, Virginia Tech, Virginia State University and manufacturing companies worldwide. Manufacturers join CCAM as members and guide research leveraging both university faculty and CCAM scientists in two focus areas: surface engineering and manufacturing systems. CCAM recently completed a 60,000 square-foot, state-of-the-art research facility in Prince George County, Va., adjacent to Rolls-Royce’s jet engine components plant. CCAM took occupancy of the research center on September 11, 2012. For more information, visit www.ccam-va.com.