Upon arrival at the company headquarters at Hornstraße 1, one did not feel like attending a house exhibition, but rather a trade fair. Many people and full parking lots required the numerous attendants placed around the impressive buildings of the company to ensure a smooth process.
Inside the buildings, a similar picture was visible. All guests were warmly welcomed and guided through the Horn world in Tübingen, where they could move freely in nearly all production areas equipped with 'state of the art' technology. And there was a lot to see.
Quick from idea to tool
The demands of successfully running a company are enormous. Whether world politics, domestic politics, or new regulations such as the REACH and RoHS directives, which cause quite a headache for manufacturers as lead components in materials have been banned.
At this point, Horn reacted quickly and presented a completely sintered chip geometry with the new Supermini tools of the 3rd generation last year, which significantly optimizes chip breaking in otherwise long-chipping materials and has continuously expanded with new variants to this day. 'The new Supermini generation is very well received by our customers. Nationally and internationally. We have even achieved strong growth in China,' emphasizes sales manager Andreas Vollmer, highlighting the success of the new development.
For the Technology Days 2025, Horn also introduced this new geometry for the Mini tool system for the first time. In developing the I-geometry, Horn also considered the machining of lead-free materials and presented it in practice to the visitors.
With the Horn Supermini and Mini tools, Horn covers a remarkable range of cutting tools for various applications and materials.
The Tübingen facility produces a lot of special tools. The current share is 50 percent with a rising tendency. Horn promises a delivery time of 5 working days for special solutions from the release of drawings. 'Customer requirements have broadened, and we need to be able to react quickly. We have improved our processes, technology, and logistics, and can offer our new Supermini and Mini tools at an unbeatable price,' says managing director Matthias Rommel.
Another highlight was the live presentation of the also expanded PKD milling program. Designed for cycle-time-oriented as well as universal applications, Horn now offers a change head milling system for aluminum processing with the DM 50 series.
The path to the perfect precision tool
Live machining, presentations, application examples, open contacts, and plenty of freedom of movement. Guests at the Technology Days could experience firsthand what it means to develop and manufacture the highest quality precision tools while recognizing the customer advantage. The interplay of substrate, microgeometry (cutting edge), macrogeometry (chip breaking), and coating was made clear to the visitors.
Whether the sintering processes carried out at the Horn plant, or the grinding and laser systems for producing the cutting geometries, or the coating systems, they showed what is developed and produced at the Tübingen location. And the variety of precision tools in various geometries gives a glimpse of what happens daily in the Horn plants.
Exhibits underline the variety of application possibilities
'Cutting in any form is the royal discipline in cutting technology. And here at Horn, we have our origins and therefore a lot of experience and solutions,' conveyed a proud and satisfied managing director Markus Horn during the tour he personally moderated.
During this, he explained the interesting application examples based on the displayed exhibits. From the ICE brake system, heart valve implants, or the combustion chamber of an Ariane engine to a pasta machine (Swabian noodle machine), an electric guitar from a 3D printer, or high-precision sports weapons, extraordinary end products were exhibited that were closely examined by the visitors.
Future-oriented from every perspective
The training department, with an area of around 1,200 m², is equipped with modern CNC machines. Under the motto 'Apprentices for Apprentices,' the current year group has come up with something special and crafted a Horn workshop hammer as a gift for visitors interested in training.
'A significant part of our future lies in the training department, and we place great importance on providing our apprentices with optimal conditions for their further development,' explains Markus Horn during the tour. Horn has an average of 70 apprentices. About 20 new apprentices join each year.
The company employs around 1,500 people worldwide. At the Tübingen location, there are about 900 people working in plants 1 and 2. Thus, Horn is the largest industrial employer in Tübingen.
Horn closed the year 2024 with a turnover of 305 million, of which around 200 million was in Germany.
'Training and technology are the key to long-term future security. And we also hope for politics to support companies in these difficult times and provide planning security,' concludes managing director Markus Horn.
Conclusion:
At the Technology Days 2025, visitors could experience Horn live. From new machines and production processes to innovative and forward-looking AI projects. Horn presented itself as a 'state of the art' company.
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