All good things come in threes: this time, our NIRO AI journey took us to our member company, VULKAN Kupplungs- und Getriebebau Bernhard Hackforth GmbH & Co KG in Herne. There, we exchanged experiences and explored the opportunities offered by the use of AI in product development.
Around 20 AI-savvy people from our member companies came together that afternoon in VULKAN’s air-conditioned conference room and accepted the invitation from Dr. Gunnar Gödecke, Global R&D Director at VULKAN, to take a closer look at AI in product development.
After a brief welcome from Ingrid Lange, Managing Director of NIRO, there was a round of introductions with initial assessments of the topic.
This was followed by four impulses from the VULKAN team, which addressed individual focal points.
Dr. Gunnar Gödecke kicked things off. He first introduced the VULKAN Group, which has been around since 1889. Today, six production sites, 18 sales companies and around 1,500 employees at 18 locations worldwide ensure the highest quality standards. The innovative products of the technology and market leader can be found in marine, industrial and energy technology as well as refrigeration and air conditioning technology. Innovation and ideation play an important role in product development at VULKAN. Dr. Gödecke opened up the topic, showed the participants different scenarios and presented his approach.
Rüya Bebermeier, Head of Project Management Office, reported on how the AI team at VULKAN came together and what steps were initially necessary to gain a foothold in the company and get started with the topic of AI.
In his presentation, Dipl.-Ing. Joachim Flintrop impressively explained how far apart desire and reality can be when it comes to AI applications. You can start small. You can approach the topic step by step, try things out, test tools and get to know their limits. And learning happens in the process, the first results and successes become apparent.
In the fourth impulse, Fabia Flesch introduced us to what she is working on intensively as part of her master’s thesis in mechanical engineering at VULKAN. Specifically, she is focusing on cost estimation in the calculation of individual hubs. The aim is to make cost estimation quicker and easier and to incorporate the existing database. An AI model can support this and use simulations to identify potential savings.
Before we went into the workshop unit in small groups, we were given a short tour of the Technology Center to see how VULKAN tests and analyzes its products on a large and small scale and also tests them in operation. This is where the crucial data basis is created in order to obtain relevant data sets for possible AI applications.
In the following workshop session, three smaller groups intensified the discussion on the use of LLMs (Large Language Models), predictive analytics and the potential of computer vision-based applications as well as the current challenges of bringing AI into the company and various problem-solving options.
Brief conclusion from the final round: others also find it difficult to take their first steps. Finding a sensible start is challenging, but getting started is all the more important.
Internal company knowledge must be linked with external expertise. In general, knowledge management and the support of AI in the area of information security and utilization is an important topic.
Data security and compliance issues must be taken into account, especially in Europe and Germany, and sometimes hinder further development.
Usability is at the top of the list of requirements for AI applications. Employees need training and knowledge transfer as soon as they start working with AI. This ties in with how AI is integrated into the organization with all its people in a planned manner.
For certain wearing parts, you don’t need AI to tell you when to replace something: When does AI make sense, improve a process or make it more efficient? The main task is to have to solve fewer problems.
Many thanks to the VULKAN team for preparing and organizing the content of the workshop and for allowing us to be guests at VULKAN.
A lively afternoon with lots of new ideas and impulses is part of our AI journey and we look forward to continuing it.
Our AI journey continues on 8 July 2025, when we will visit OBO Bettermann Holding GmbH & Co. KG in Menden and discuss how AI can be anchored in the company’s organization. You can find the information in our app. You can also register there at short notice.
And for anyone interested in learning more about how AI can support knowledge management: We are planning a workshop on this topic for August 7, 2025. You will also find the information in our app in the next few days.
We were able to continue our discussions in small groups. Photo: NIRO e. V.
Dr. Gunnar Gödecke gave us an insight into VULKAN’s Technology Center and its testing and inspection facilities. Photo: NIRO e. V.
