GrindingHub’s ‘Grinder of the Year 2024’ Contest Opens Doors for Young Grinding Enthusiasts

Frankfurt am Main, Germany – Young talents can now register for the ‘Grinder of the Year’ competition and put their theoretical knowledge and practical grinding skills to the test. Also to be won, alongside the ‘Grinder of the Year 2024’ title itself, are training vouchers of up to € 3,500 in value and many other attractive prizes. Apprentices, journeymen, and women, as well as career-changers, can apply until February 26, 2024. The campaign has been launched by GrindingHub, the trade fair for grinding technology, in cooperation with the Australian grinding machine manufacturer and principal sponsor, Anca.

Dr Markus Heering, Managing Director, GrindingHub organizer VDW (German Machine Tool Builders’ Association), explains: “The aims of the competition are to consolidate GrindingHub’s status as the meeting point for grinding technology and also to show how the sector is combating the shortage of skilled workers by promoting young talent. That is why we are pleased to have found such an influential partner in Anca and are looking forward to seeing the new generation in action.”

The KSKomm agency from Ransbach-Baumbach is responsible for organizing and running the competition. The preliminary round of the competition consists of a theory test and two days of training on the competition machine, an FX5 ULTRA 5-axis tool grinding machine, at Anca in Weinheim, Germany. The five best entrants will then give a live demonstration of their practical skills by grinding a workpiece or tool during the GrindingHub from May 14-17, 2024, in Stuttgart.

Edmund Boland, General Manager Europe in Anca’s CNC Machines division, points out: “The diverse roles within the grinding industry are exciting yet challenging. As parts become more and more demanding in terms of accuracy and complexity, challenges for tool grinders also increase. ANCA products are designed to solve these complex tasks and also encourage the younger generation to pursue these captivating high-tech professions. We are honored to support the competition as the main sponsor, addressing the crucial topic of skilled labor in the year of our 50th company anniversary.”

The prizes:

Prize: Training voucher worth € 3,500 (e.g. for participation in master classes, seminars, conferences, training courses, etc.)
Prize: Training voucher worth € 2,000
Prize: Training voucher worth € 1,000
and 5. Prices: One training voucher each, worth €500

The following conditions apply:

The competition is aimed at apprentices, career changers, journeymen, women, and trainee skilled workers in the field of metal grinding.
It is open to young talents from German, Austrian, and Swiss companies which use grinding technology in their production.
These include occupations such as cutting machine operators, precision mechanics, precision tool mechanics, metal (cutting) technology specialists, specialist metal technology trainees, specialist cutting mechanics trainees, machine and plant operators, punching and forming mechanics, polymechanics, production mechanics, and tool mechanics.

Image Source: VDW (German Machine Tool Builders’ Association)