World Cup fever on a massive scale: TRUMPF and Daktronics reveal who will be crowned world champions

48 teams, 104 matches, more than three million spectators in the stadiums. The 2026 FIFA World Cup is a truly spectacular sporting event, and the whole world will be watching when the whistle blows across the 16 stadiums in the USA, Mexico and Canada.

The electronics manufacturer Daktronics Inc. is turning the World Cup games into a real visual experience. The company from Brookings, in the US state of South Dakota, specializes in LED displays, audio and sports display systems. The company caused a sensation with the world's largest double-sided Halo display in the Inuit Dome, the basketball stadium of the Los Angeles Clippers. It is also kitting out numerous World Cup arenas with its equipment. "Our display systems are installed in six US stadiums and one in Mexico," reports Matt Kurtenbach, Vice President of Manufacturing at Daktronics. "Large video screens, as well as main and perimeter display systems. In addition to the current scores, these also show stadium scenes, video clips and adverts. Some of them are made up of millions of tiny LEDs. We naturally ensure that they function perfectly on this grand stage and are ready for the World Cup."

Matt Kurtenbach has been with Daktronics for 35 years. Seeing how the displays produced in-house create emotional experiences still fills him with pride – and that goes beyond just the spectacular XXL solutions. "Of course, our large projects such as the Inuit Dome are impressive. But what pleases me most is that we accompany people on their entire journey, from their home to the venue. When they are travelling by car, they see Daktronics displays that help them navigate the traffic. At the filling station, our displays show the fuel price or advertise in-store offers. At the subway station or in the stadium, they help visitors to find their way. So our products are everywhere, in very different forms."

Daktronics relies on a high vertical range of manufacture. Across the globe, 2,500 employees manufacture all components in-house – from the metal housing and LED modules to the electronics and controls. Most of the housings are made of aluminium, some are made of steel. The actual display unit, the LED module, is installed in it and connected to all components in the system.

Daktronics has been using TRUMPF machines for cutting, punching and bending metal components for around 25 years. Matt Kurtenbach oversaw the transition. Before that, the company still worked with turret punching machines. The problem was that the tools quickly became blunt. The constant tool changes increased the system idle time. "TRUMPF promised us a much longer service life. So we decided to try out a punching machine to see if it could deliver on that promise. And it did! Incidentally, that first system is still in use today."

The machine fleet now includes numerous bending and punching machines, a TruMatic 6000 fiber punch laser machine and a TruLaser Weld 5000 laser welding system. When selecting machinery, Kurtenbach focuses not only on high precision and reliability, but above all on durability and, consequently, total cost of ownership: "TRUMPF doesn't make cheap machines, but they are extremely reliable. This pays off over the entire service life of the systems. TRUMPF also offers us continuous service over this long period." Almost all systems are equipped with automation components such as the SheetMaster for sheet handling,STOPA storage and the ToolMaster for automatic tool changes. Kurtenbach emphasises that Daktronics benefits from increased productivity and greater safety for its staff.

Daktronics' production is characterised by a wide variety of products and small batch sizes, as the company usually manufactures to order. "Similar to TRUMPF, our customers have options to choose from, which we then combine to create a customised solution," says Kurtenbach. He adds: "TRUMPF's integrated and networked manufacturing approach was therefore a real inspiration for our production processes. When I saw how TRUMPF was using it in its production, I said: Hey, I think we can do that here at Daktronics too."

This vision of flow production in Brookings has long since become a reality and Matt Kurtenbach is already thinking ahead: "Getting the raw materials to the automated cell and moving the finished parts on to the next production line will be the next challenge in terms of automation." Kurtenbach has already seen the benefits of automated production at Daktronics' strategic partner, Counterpart, Inc. They use the TruLaser Center 7030 automated laser cutting system and the robot-assisted TruLaser Weld 5000 laser welding system to ensure that production parts are delivered reliably and on time.

In addition, the displays are currently assembled mainly by hand; this stage of production could also be automated to a greater extent. Kurtenbach currently sees a real growth market in high-resolution indoor displays. Demand is increasing, as are the production requirements: "The closer the pixels are to one another, the higher the precision of the display as a whole. That is why we will be working towards tighter tolerances in future."

Modern systems, more automation, greater precision – for Matt Kurtenbach, all of this is based on a key promise: "When customers buy from Daktronics, they are not just purchasing a display; above all, they are investing their trust in a reliable product and a partner who is committed to their product in the long term." With a partner like TRUMPF, who shares his vision, he aims to ensure that this promise remains true in the future and that Daktronics continues to deliver an impressive experience at the next sporting event, whether on a large or small scale.

When the Daktronics displays light up in the stadiums during the World Cup, Kurtenbach will also be tuning in – as an avid sports fan, he is looking forward to the special atmosphere at the tournament. He is keeping his fingers crossed for the host countries USA and Mexico, not least because Daktronics has offices there. "I'll definitely be watching those games."