Augusta Technic: Precision Tools and Equipment for the Jewelry Industry

Messe.TV visited the Augusta Technic stand at Inhorgenta 2016 in Munich. The company offers tools, technology and spare parts for the repair or redesign of watches and jewelry - and much more. Presenter Jenny Dettner talks to Managing Director Mr. Bullnheimer.

Watch technology and jewelry technology at Inhorgenta Munich

Augusta Technic, a highly interesting company that takes care of everything that makes our jewelry work. This includes devices, batteries and tools. Yes, and I'm going to take a closer look at that now. Jenny Dettner: Good morning Mr. Bullnheimer! F. Dieter Bullnheimer: Greetings! Hello. Jenny Dettner: It looks a lot like technology here, but what does the Augusta company do in particular? F. Dieter Bullnheimer: Well, as the name suggests, we are actually a complete supplier in the field of technology, watch and jewelry technology, from spare parts to tools to testing equipment, i.e. everything that watchmakers and goldsmiths need in their daily work for repairs, new designs, development and design. Jenny Dettner: You also have motors? F. Dieter Bullnheimer: Yes, so motors, especially the hand tools: the micromotors that are replacing the former overhead drill motors to some extent. This is one of our trade fair highlights - the Osada, which is very well known in the industry. A device that is almost unlimited in its use for professionals. The further development is of course enormous: you can combine the whole device in different ways: as a motor, with a setting hammer - so once a goldsmith has had the device, he won't want to do without it. Jenny Dettner: So for me as a layman, it's a device with which you can work on jewelry, so to speak. F. Dieter Bullnheimer: Yes, I can do everything from polishing, rough work with the cutter, working on parts - for example, using the setting hammer to set stones in the appropriate places and, as the setter says, setting - everything. It gives me the freedom to work as universally as possible for the respective area of application using the foot or hand switch. Sometimes I have both hands free, sometimes I just need the foot switch and this is a professional device that helps me in many areas. From a slow speed for processing to a high speed for polishing. Jenny Dettner: Yes, I'd like to see that now! F. Dieter Bullnheimer: Okay, we have it here. The device is easy to use. If you would like to take it in your hand.

Osada micromotors for jewelry processing

Jenny Dettner: It looks a bit like a pedicure. I'm familiar with that. They always cut away the calluses so nicely. F. Dieter Bullnheimer: Exactly, similar devices are used there. They are certainly less precise and less powerful, but the system is the same. I have a quick-release attachment with this lever because almost all tools in the industry - in this case with the appropriate shaft - can be fitted. I can clamp everything from polishing to milling to drilling in a standardized way. Jenny Dettner: Can we turn it on so that I can see that? Or is that rather difficult now? (Mr. Bullnheimer switches on the device) Wow, there's a lot of steam behind it. F. Dieter Bullnheimer: So turn it on, yes, it's running at the moment. You can feel it. The important thing is that you want it to be relatively quiet, so you might only hear it if you listen carefully. Jenny Dettner: Yes, a bit like the drill at the dentist. F. Dieter Bullnheimer: You can certainly still hear the somewhat older devices. It's really technically sophisticated and high quality. It's simply quiet. It's a device for professionals for continuous operation. Jenny Dettner: And mainly now for jewelry suppliers. What is your main industry, where do you sell? F. Dieter Bullnheimer: Well, the machine is mainly used by goldsmiths - for processing and trimming jewelry. Jenny Dettner: Now you really have an enormous product range and you even do something in the photography sector, among other things. F. Dieter Bullnheimer: Yes, jewelry and watch photography for catalogs or simply for documenting repairs. I can also show you. Let's take a look at it.

360-degree jewelry photography

Jenny Dettner: Wow! Gemstones in 360° degrees! Now you've made me curious, how does the system work? F. Dieter Bullnheimer: The system is relatively simple. I need good light - always necessary when taking photographs - and the devices offer me a 360° rotating turntable that I can control from a laptop or computer. So I can use the camera to take an all-round shot of a piece of jewelry, a watch, or new - gemstones. Jenny Dettner: What is the advantage of a jewelry manufacturer having such a system with them? F. Dieter Bullnheimer: Well, there are different areas of application. In the past, when a customer had an idea of what jewelry he wanted from the manufacturer, he would say send me a selection of 10 rings. And then I'd pick one. There was a lot of money involved and it took a long time. Today the customer says, what can you suggest? And he gets the 10 pictures, which are very informative thanks to the 3D view. Of course, the customer now has a real idea and can choose more precisely, and say I like the fourth ring - I'd like that. Not much value is sent around the world and the customer can see in advance whether his idea and the manufacturer's idea match.

Jenny Dettner: So now we have the photo studio - the ring - the laptop. And how does the whole thing work now? F. Dieter Bullnheimer: Well, we've already mounted a ring on the rotating platform here. I can use the computer to rotate the platform and see how my pictures will turn out. In the end, the procedure is like this. I say I want to see the ring 360° from all sides, give a start signal and create a video. The video will show the ring from all sides. Jenny Dettner: One complete 360° degree. And is it also possible to create a 3D photograph with this program? F. Dieter Bullnheimer: Yes, the 3D animation. I have set the camera here on the arch at different angles. If I photograph the ring flat or in two or three other planes, record a similar video, then the computer calculates a 3D animation for me. An all-round view. Jenny Dettner: Can you compare that with X-ray images? This 3D technology is now also available. Like an MRI scan, for example - that also uses this technology, doesn't it? F. Dieter Bullnheimer: Yes, you could compare it. Jenny Dettner: Could I stand on this plate and get a 360° view of myself - or is that not possible? F. Dieter Bullnheimer: Not on these small plates, but there are also large plates that can take a lot of weight. You could put two of them on it, then I could also use it for people - but no, joking aside. The small platforms are of course intended for jewelry, watches or small decorative objects. We have the larger ones in the wine area to hold beautiful bottles of wine. In the motorcycle sector, we have helmets that like to be displayed from all sides and, of course, the optics industry.

Jenny Dettner: Do you think it's a future trend that everyone will switch to this 3D, 360° degree photography? F. Dieter Bullnheimer: I think so - the trend is that a picture is worth a thousand words and a movie is worth even more. Moving images - especially nowadays - are very important. People don't surf the Internet to look at individual images, they want to see the whole picture, they want to see moving images. That certainly helps when presenting and selling. And if I imagine that I can use my laptop to save this video in various files and can upload the whole thing to YouTube or my own homepage within a very short time, tell a prospective customer and customer to look at my homepage, under this name in this folder you can see the ring you want and the customer can look at it from whatever distance. then that helps enormously with sales. Jenny Dettner: And tell me, what does a company have to invest in to have this system? F. Dieter Bullnheimer: You can say that the device costs around 4,000 euros - the prerequisite for this is a decent computer or laptop and the quality of the images depends on the camera, of course. Of course, a good camera and a good lens make for a good overall result. I would say that if someone is starting out, with 5,000 euros they are really all set. Jenny Dettner: Wow, that's really interesting. So today I've learned a lot about 3D and 360° degree photography. Thank you very much. Thank you very much for the nice conversation and good luck at the trade fair F. Dieter Bullnheimer: And if you ever want a ring, come and see us. Jenny Dettner: Yes, with pleasure. Thank you very much.

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