How is an industrial plant developed that is precisely tailored to a specific raw material and a customer’s requirements? During a field trip to Gebr. Jehmlich GmbH, 13 students from the Mechanical Engineering and Engineering degree programmes gained insights into the development, manufacture and assembly of industrial crushing plants.
Accompanied by Prof. Matthias Kröger and Dr Ringo Nepp, the students visited the company on 15 June 2026. Gebr. Jehmlich GmbH develops and manufactures crushing technology as well as bespoke grinding systems for various sectors – including the chemical, pharmaceutical, food and plastics industries.
Crushing technology starts with the raw material
Dr.-Ing. Lisa Kühnel began by introducing the group to the fundamental principles of grinding technology. It became clear that there is often no universal standard solution for industrial applications: the systems must be designed on a case-by-case basis, depending on the material, the desired particle size, the production volume and other requirements.
At the company’s own technical centre, the students were able to see how different raw materials are analysed and how grinding trials are carried out. The insights gained here form an important basis for the selection and configuration of the future grinding plant.
This clearly demonstrated how material behaviour, process engineering and design development interact in the field of specialised machinery manufacturing.
Insights into manufacturing and assembly
During the subsequent tour of the production halls, the participants saw how the concepts they had previously developed were turned into ready-to-use machines. They were able to observe various manufacturing processes, as well as the assembly of pin and hammer mills, at close quarters.
The students took the opportunity to ask questions about the individual design and manufacturing stages, the technical specification of the plant and the requirements of international customers. This enabled them to make a direct link between much of the material covered in their studies and real-world tasks from industrial practice.
Mechanical engineering with bespoke solutions
The field trip highlighted just how varied the tasks in mechanical and plant engineering are. From the analysis of raw materials, through trials in the technical centre and design, right through to production and assembly, numerous specialist areas are interlinked.
For the students, the visit therefore not only provided a practical complement to their lectures, but also offered insights into potential future career paths in specialised machine construction and process engineering.
The Faculty of Mechanical Engineering, Process Engineering and Energy Technology would like to thank Gebr. Jehmlich GmbH, and in particular Dr.-Ing. Lisa Kühnel, for the technical insights and guidance provided during the field trip.
