Founder Joe Sunnen’s quest to sell his honing inventions started 100 years ago with cross country sales calls made from the back of his 1916 Hupmobile. Today, Sunnen technology is used worldwide to make performance engine parts, energy exploration equipment, aerospace components, gears, fuel injectors, fluid-power components and more.
In 1924, a young auto mechanic – Joseph Sunnen – 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, Missouri-based Sunnen Products Company is the world's largest 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. 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 a unique capability to control hole size with accuracy of ten millionths of an inch (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 ensure they meet customers' required quality and production levels.
Sunnen roots are in the US, 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. A worldwide network of over 30 authorized distributors assures that the sun never sets on Sunnen’s global sales capabilities.
“To this day, Joe Sunnen’s story of commitment and reliance reminds us of how far we’ve come and inspires us to push to boundaries of what’s possible,” added Dustman. “What began in the back of a Hupmobile has grown into a massive operation bringing innovative machinery and advanced tooling to some of the world’s greatest manufacturers. We are excited to carry the Sunnen legacy forward.”
For more information, visit www.Sunnen100.com or www.sunnen.com.
