Photo: Homner

The sound of a running machine is often music to the operator’s ears. However, two employees of the Swiss Schuler subsidiary Beutler Nova have now proven that a C-frame press can actually make a cymbal sound rhythmically when a drumstick is attached to the slide.

The two had even learned to play the harmonica at the preliminary acceptance test in the Gettnau site for the instrument manufacturer Hohner. Since then, the video has been running in an endless loop on the screen of the customer’s production hall in Trossingen, Germany, where the C-frame press has been in operation since the beginning of February.

The CFL 63 system with a table size of 820 x 590mm is characterised by its modular design, which enables ergonomic setups and offers more comfort for the operators. Thanks to two different clamping concepts, it can be optimally adapted to the respective customer requirements. It allows both manual and automatic operation.

For Hohner, this is the first press from Schuler alongside an older system from Müller Weingarten. Operator Thomas Hahn emphasis: “Operation is absolutely self-explanatory.” Production manager Pascal Deleye not only appreciates the high quality of the machines from Schuler, but also the service with the respective contact persons who can be reached quickly if necessary.

The new press is now used to produce reed plates, lid supports and slides for the harmonicas. Hohner Musikinstrumente GmbH was founded in 1857 and today, with 122 employees at its Trossingen site, is a world leader in the production of harmonicas — around half-a-million a year — and accordions. The company also manufactures melodicas and recorders.

Manual work continues to play a major role at Hohner — unlike other manufacturers, the company relies on nailed reed plates rather than screwed ones, which requires a particularly high level of precision. In 1965, the smallest harmonica called ‘Little Lady’ was the first instrument ever to be played in space because an astronaut had smuggled it on board.

Hohner not only wants to shine with its past and present, but also to inspire future generations with music. To this end, the company relies on brand ambassadors such as the daughter of German singer Nena, Larissa Kerner. She plays an accordion that her mother used to play. Today, she passes on her passion for music to children and supports her mother at performances with the same Hohner accordion. According to the brand ambassador, instruments will sooner or later encourage children to make music themselves and are therefore more useful than countless toys.