January 2009 – ITW Heartland announced the purchase of a Klingelnberg Model P26 Gear Measuring Center and a Koepfer Model 200 CNC hobber. According to General Manager Brian Baustian, this investment was made primarily to expand the company's manufacturing capabilities and to strengthen ITW Heartland’s long-standing reputation as a leader with precision manufacturing technology.

The Klingelnberg P26 is a state-of-the-art, four axes, CNC gear measuring machine that will significantly improve the quality verification of the Spiroid®, Helicon® and Concurve® gears that ITW Heartland manufactures. The certainty of quality is driven to a much higher level with the P26 as it delivers increased accuracy, reduced inspection times, checks on a broader range of parts, and verification of adjacent part attributes such as length and diameter in the same set-up that is used to check the gear and pinion thread form. An additional benefit is an enhanced capability to analyze design and production issues.

“The P26 is the type of inspection equipment necessary to achieve and guarantee the levels of quality our customers expect,” said Jim Pospisil, Business Unit Manager for ITW’s Spiroid division. “We understand the need for better methods of inspecting and verifying precision tolerances, and we are thrilled to add the Klingenberg P26 to serve our customers in this way.”

The Koepfer Model 200 CNC hobber revolutionized the gear hobbing processes by combining current technology with maximum versatility and flexibility. The machine cuts very close tolerance specialized gear designs which is essential to ITW Heartland’s Spiroid®, Helicon® and Concurve® gear manufacturing process. The Model 200 offers the flexibility to make changeovers in minutes instead of hours. Such efficiency enables ITW Heartland to serve customers with faster turnaround, shorter lead times, and lower costs. The machine is also equipped with automatic loading and unloading system, allowing for greater efficiencies.

ITW Heartland is a certified leader in precision engineered machines, parts, gears, and electro-mechanical products. Located in Alexandria, Minnesota, ITW Heartland has three distinct divisions: Spiroid Gearing (design and manufacturing of custom gearing); Manufactured Products (machining of close tolerances and complex components); and Strategic Assembly Solutions (complete machine assembly services). As an Illinois Tool Works company, ITW Heartland operates from a position of financial stability, engineering excellence, and refined manufacturing process.