In 1924, Joseph Sunnen, a young auto mechanic, saw the need for a tool to help repair cylinder heads without injuring his fingers. His spirit of innovation drove him to develop a unique valve compressing tool, which made the job quick and safe. Soon after, he started a mobile business, selling his new tools out of the back of a converted 1916 Hupmobile where he and his wife also camped. Early success led Joe to develop and patent a manual cylinder hone for auto garages. Decades later, this basic honing device has evolved into a highly capable CNC machining process by the company he founded. Today, St. Louis, MO-based Sunnen Products Company is a large, vertically integrated manufacturer of precision honing systems, operating sales, service and manufacturing facilities in 14 countries worldwide.
"As we celebrate our 100th anniversary, Joe Sunnen would be proud to see that his spirit of innovation lives on in our drive to develop new products and techniques," said Tom Dustman, Sunnen Director of North American Sales. "The Hupmobile remains on display at our St. Louis headquarters, and it reminds us not only of where we came from, but also what we can accomplish."
The success of Joe's first tool fueled his imagination, and in 1928 he designed the first manual cylinder hone, establishing Sunnen's roots in precision bore solutions. Ever since, Sunnen experts have conceived, developed and delivered a continuing line-up of advanced honing systems, tools and abrasives. The company has also branched into lapping, deep-hole drilling and skiving/roller burnishing-furthering its reputation as a provider of total bore solutions.
"Automotive, marine and air race winners learned in the 1930s their engines got a significant performance boost from precisely sized and finished cylinder bores made with Sunnen hones," said a company spokesperson. "Today, the desire for more speed, power and accuracy-with lower noise, emissions and fewer maintenance problems-is leading manufacturers to employ Sunnen bore solutions for an ever-expanding range of products, in more industries than ever before."
The company's latest generation of automated honing systems provides the capability to control hole size with accuracy of 0.000010"/0.25 µm, correct geometric errors in the bore and produce a specific surface finish to enhance lubrication and sealing properties. The results produce gearboxes and transmissions that run quieter, smoother and longer; hydraulic systems that are more precise, responsive, efficient and leak resistant; chainsaws and weed trimmers that deliver higher power densities with lower emissions; and firearms that are more accurate and easier to clean. Sunnen controls all R&D, manufacturing, service and support of its products, including specialized abrasives and tooling. This dedication allows for development of end-to-end processing systems that are custom designed and single-sourced to meet customers' required quality and production levels.
Sunnen roots are in the U.S., but its reach extends around the world. In addition to its U.S. headquarters, Sunnen has operations in Switzerland, Germany, Austria, France, Italy, U.K., China, India, Brazil, Belgium, the Czech Republic, Poland, Mexico and Canada.
For more information contact:
Sunnen Products Company
7910 Manchester Road
St. Louis, MO 63143
800-325-3670 / 314-781-2100
sales@sunnen.com
www.sunnen.com
www.sunnen100.com