Lock is at home all over the world

When you hear the name of the Ertingen-based company Lock, you immediately associate it with the "winch lock". The company has been based in the town for 178 years, but only insiders knew exactly what this innovative and globally active company produces and sells. Managing partner Frank Lock therefore took the opportunity to provide an informative insight into the company as part of the "Schwäbische Zeitung opens doors" campaign and then send the 30 newspaper readers on an interesting tour of the factory.

"We manufacture everything ourselves in Ertingen, from the basic material to the finished product, and it is our task to continue to do so," said Frank Lock at the beginning of his presentation. Starting around 150 years ago with a rack and pinion gearbox, Lock Antriebstechnik has positioned itself worldwide with its products and can point out that the most sold drives in the agricultural sector worldwide come from Lock.

Frank Lock, the fifth generation to take over the business from his father Freimut in 2002, wanted to be prepared for the future. A master plan was drawn up to secure the future of the company. As a result, the company is at the cutting edge of everything from product development to automation. No matter what the customer wants, the complete package offered in drive technology in the horticulture, agriculture, lifting technology and glass construction sectors is comprehensive, says Frank Lock. He can count on 130 employees in his company, with a ten percent share of apprentices.

45 percent of the products are exported. It is important to be present with branches in the USA, China and, above all, in the Netherlands. "We simply want to occupy the niche in greenhouse construction and stable technology," says Lock. "The basis of our success is based on passion, responsibility and trust," says the company boss: "It has to be fun to work for us." However, you can't say: it will work with a four-day week, but that's just not how it works. "We belong here, but we also know that we have to go out into the world to sell our products," says Frank Lock.

The main products and therefore also the possible applications for drive technology from the Ertingen-based company are based on four pillars. The first is greenhouse construction, including garden and DIY stores. Ventilation with various systems plays a major role here. But the focus is also on shading the greenhouses, some of which cover large areas around the world. The SBE Farm Management System is also used here, which ensures optimized operating processes by monitoring the various sensors and reacting accordingly. In barn technology, Lock is at the forefront of dairy cow, pig and poultry farming with its ventilation drives. In other words, the company is a world leader in some areas.

All technical components for ventilation and many other applications in the barn area are used here, whereby the SBE Farm Management System is also used here, which also serves animal welfare. "If you ever see a new barn with a kind of awning on the side walls, then you can assume that we have equipped this barn with our products," said Frank Lock with a smile, addressing the audience. With the SBE app, the Ertingen-based company offers a further monitoring and control option. A large number of sensors can be monitored and controlled via smartphone or tablet, whether ventilation, lighting or even yard security.

Another field of activity is lifting technology. Here, lock drives, gears and gear racks can easily solve lifting and adjustment processes mechanically. The fourth branch of business is glass construction. The glass fronts, some of which are impressive, are fitted with sun protection slats and ventilation systems that need to be controlled. Shading and light control are also required, which are usually custom-made products. "The main product is the electric drive, but manual and rack and pinion drives are also used. That's our part," says Managing Director Frank Lock. The vision of creating a global environment in which people, animals and plants feel comfortable is based on the use of Ertinger lifting technology.

During the tour of the company, production manager Joachim Wiedergrün and Andreas Mayer from process planning gave the guests an insight into how the optimized drive technology workflows take place. From the incoming goods department, the materials are transported to the individual stations for turning or milling. The components are assembled in the assembly lines until the product is ready for dispatch to the customer after the paint has been applied.

Of course, the production halls were ventilated in the heat, naturally with the Lock brand. The participants were also able to see for themselves the relaxed yet concentrated way of working. As one apprentice, who was just getting a taste of production, put it: "Definitely a brilliant place to work here."

Source: Schwäbische Zeitung, Ausgabe Riedlingen, 13.09.2023