VDW participates in Spanflug

The German Machine Tool Builders' Association (VDW) becomes a minority shareholder in the start-up Spanflug.

The German Machine Tool Builders' Association (VDW) is taking a minority stake in Munich-based start-up Spanflug Technologies. Spanflug is primarily an operator of a manufacturing platform for CNC turned and milled parts. These are required for CNC lathes used in the production of musical instruments or camshafts, among other things. In addition, Spanflug offers a fully automated procurement process from instant pricing to ordering in the online shop.

"As both sides are interested in a long-term, close cooperation, a financial participation of the VDW was very quickly envisaged and implemented beyond the cooperation in terms of content," says founder Markus Westermeier. The VDW's managing director, Dr. Wilfried Schäfer, says in a statement: "The participation offers great potential, both for our member companies and their customers, and for the entire mechanical and plant engineering sector in Germany. The aim is to secure the competitiveness of the manufacturing industry in Germany in the long term through the use of Spanflug technology and the associated efficiency gains."

The VDW has about 300 members and represents 90 percent of the industry's turnover. Spanflug was spun off from a project at the Technical University of Munich in 2018. With the VDW participation, they aim to accelerate and expand the development of their platform. "The VDW brings extensive industry knowledge to the table and is therefore the ideal partner for us on this path," says Westermeier. No details were given about the amount of the investment.