AR KOVO – From a Small Workshop to a Modern CNC Manufacturing Company AR KOVO is a Czech family-owned company specialising in high-volume CNC machining of precision metal components. The company was founded in 1996 by Rudolf Arlt in Světlá nad Sázavou, building on his experience as a trained turner and his previous work in precision engineering. The story of AR KOVO actually began several years earlier. After moving from Krupka near Teplice to Světlá nad Sázavou, Rudolf Arlt started machining parts as a side business while working full-time in the local glassworks. Production initially took place in a small workshop, where he and his business partner operated just a few machines. What started as evening and weekend work gradually developed into a full-time business and, in 1996, officially became AR KOVO. An important part of the company's early development was its cooperation with German customers. In 1994, Rudolf Arlt established cooperation with D+S Präzisionsteile GmbH through the Chamber of Commerce in Hradec Králové. This partnership lasted for more than 20 years and is now being renewed with the company's successor. The second generation, Rudolf's son Jiří, joined the company after studying mechanical engineering at the Czech Technical University. He initially combined his engineering job with helping his father in the evenings, but soon joined AR KOVO full-time. Today, Jiří Arlt is the company's Production Director and General Manager. The third generation, Jan Arlt, joined the family business in 2015 and currently works as Sales Director. Having spent much of his childhood around the production floor, he gained practical experience in machining long before joining the company professionally. Modern CNC production Over the years, AR KOVO has developed from a small workshop into a modern CNC manufacturing company. Today, the company operates 40 CNC machines and employs around 100 people. The company focuses primarily on serial production, typically from 1,000 to 1,000,000 pieces, with a strong emphasis on productivity, process stability and consistent quality. AR KOVO specialises in CNC turning and milling, with turning capacities covering component diameters from approximately 5 to 80 mm and machining of larger components on its milling and turning equipment. The company uses predominantly Japanese CNC technology, including Citizen and Nakamura-Tome turning centres, as well as horizontal machining centres and automated production cells. Automation and unattended production are an important part of the manufacturing strategy. Robots are used for part handling, allowing machines to operate efficiently with minimal operator intervention. Depending on the component, materials include automatic steels, stainless steels, carbon and alloy steels, brass, aluminium alloys and engineering plastics. The company also manages a wide range of outsourced surface and heat treatments through qualified local partners, including zinc and nickel plating, anodising, passivation, hardening, case hardening, nitriding, painting and other customer-specific treatments. Precision and productivity AR KOVO manufactures components where dimensional accuracy, repeatability and stable production processes are critical. The smallest components produced have diameters of only a few millimetres, while larger components can reach several hundred millimetres depending on the technology and application. Production is organised for high productivity and stable series manufacturing. Automated bar feeding, robotic unloading and conveyor systems allow individual machines to run for extended periods with limited operator intervention. The company has historically produced millions of components per year. In recent years, AR KOVO has continued to invest in new CNC machines and technologies, expanding both its production capacity and the range of components it can manufacture. Industries and future development AR KOVO supplies components to customers in a range of industrial sectors, including hydraulics and pneumatics, medical technology, energy, mechanical engineering, material handling, fire protection systems, transportation and other industrial applications. The company deliberately focuses on projects where stable serial production and reliable delivery are more important than simply achieving the lowest possible piece price. Today, AR KOVO combines the advantages of a family-owned company – long-term relationships, flexibility and direct communication – with the production capabilities of a modern industrial manufacturer. After three generations, the original philosophy remains unchanged: build long-term partnerships, invest continuously in technology and deliver consistent quality in serial production.