INTERNATIONAL NEWS

Autonomous five-axis machining around the clock

Since 1983, Peter Josef Klein Feinmechanik GmbH (PJK) – a 50-employee subcontractor based in Sankt Augustin near Bonn, Germany – has been producing precision components and assemblies from aluminium, titanium, stainless steel and high-performance plastics for customers principally in the medical, food and aerospace industries. For metal cutting, the company mainly uses machine tools from DMG Mori, including seven DMU 60 eVo machining centres, all of which feature automation.

Two of the machines are connected via a pallet handling system, which has 40 locations and can accommodate 300 fixtures that are exchangeable between pallets. An Erowa MTS zero-point clamping system serves as the basis for the flexible, automated cell.

Second-generation Peter Klein, who runs the company with his brother Julian, says: “Our main challenges are the extreme quality customers require and the high degree of competitive pressure. Our components are accurate to within microns, while at the same time we also have to continuously check and optimise our processes.”

One way of meeting these challenges is autonomous manufacturing, with PJK using automated cells to maximise machine utilisation since 2011. It means an employee can operate several machines during day shifts, while the company gains extra production output during unmanned running overnight and at the weekend.

To ensure precise and dynamic machining, the majority of DMG Mori machining centres on site at PJK are fitted with linear drives.

Says Julian Klein: “The machines produce our range of components efficiently by five-axis machining and meet our tight tolerance requirements. Customers stipulate accuracies down to single-figure microns, which we have to hold consistently. Five-axis machining contributes to our ability to control this level of quality, as the number of manual re-clamping operations is reduced or even eliminated.”

More information www.dmgmori.com

SW to launch BF 12-21D at EMO 2025

The right solution for every application, from small to large series production: at this year’s EMO 2025 exhibition in Hanover, Schwäbische Werkzeugmaschinen (SW) is presenting a new machine tool on stand C05 in hall 12. With the BF 12-21D, SW says it is responding to the current trend in automotive engineering toward die-cast aluminium body parts. The BF 12-21D is suitable for high production volumes, in particular for the fast machining of frame and structural components.

“In automotive engineering, we’re seeing a clear trend toward the use of aluminium die-cast parts in vehicle body construction,” explains product manager Michael Kreuzberger. “These parts require less manufacturing precision than, for example, gearbox or stator housings. With the BF 12-21D, we offer an economical and dynamic machine concept for precisely these applications.”

The BF machine series differs from other SW machines in its structural design: to fit specific market conditions it features a hybrid axis configuration, utilising a linear drive for the X axis, while the Y and Z axes are driven by ball screws. SW also relies on proven twin-spindle technology to meet high productivity requirements. With two three-axis units and one spindle per working area, the BF 12-21D can replace two conventional single-spindle machines and achieve higher output with a smaller footprint, reports the company. When components are changed in one working area, the second spindle in the other working area can be used to achieve even higher productivity.

SW will also exhibit an established machining centre at EMO. The BA 442 is one of SW’s fastest and most sustainable machines. With four spindles, it offers high effectiveness per square metre of space while also being energy-efficient.

More information www.sw-machines.com

Robotic Production with Autonomous Process Control 

Flexxbotics says that Precision Metal Industries – a manufacturer specialising in precision sheet metal products, precision machining, and complex mechanical and electromechanical assemblies – has selected Flexxbotics for robotic machine tending to enable robot-driven manufacturing with autonomous process control in multi-machine processes. The result is greater unattended operation, increased capacity and higher yields.

With Flexxbotics, Precision Metal Industries achieves a cellular-based set up based on a single robot managing multiple factory machines, including a Haas vertical machining centre with tool breakage sensors, a CMM for in-line inspection, along with deburring and cleaning blow-off stations. By increasing per shift throughput productivity and running an additional ‘lights-out’ shift each day, an overall production capacity increase of 125% is achieved with a 17:1 machine-to-man ratio.

Flexxbotics solution seamlessly connects the robot to each piece of equipment, co-ordinating the work so the robot has command and control of the machines in the work cell. Based on inspection results, closed-loop feedback corrections are provided to the CNC machine in real-time for autonomous process control to maintain continuous operation while achieving tight tolerances.

“Our customers demand precision quality and Flexxbotics takes advanced robot automation to the next level with autonomous process control,” says Greg Wilson Jr, owner of Precision Metal Industries. “We especially like Flexxbotics ability to detect tool breakage and automate tool change to keep production running without downtime.”

He adds: “We were impressed with Flexxbotics full turnkey deployment services, which ensured our business goals and requirements drove the solution’s design.”

Precision Metal Industries makes custom missile containers, cabinets, electronics enclosures, chassis, medical equipment housing and many other parts and components for the defence, medical, electronics and avionics industries.

More information www.flexxbotics.com

SW Mobile Robot Cell Represents World-First

Schwäbische Werkzeugmaschinen GmbH (SW) presented a new solution for modular automation at the recent Automatica 2025 exhibition in Munich. The Mobile i-Cell robot cell is a scalable unit that flexibly connects assembly, logistics and machining stations. It supports manufacturing companies in the automated and efficient machining of a wide variety of components and order volumes without rigid interlinking or complex integration.

“As a mobile unit for automated machining, the Mobile i-Cell opens up new possibilities, from small-scale to easily expandable large-scale automation,” says Roman Wolf, team leader for control technology development at SW Automation.

With its combination of high productivity, modular design, flexible application options and end-to-end connectivity, the self-sufficient Mobile i-Cell fits seamlessly into modern manufacturing environments, especially where product diversity and dynamic production requirements are commonplace.

The i-Cell is mounted on a mobile carrier system and can be moved through the production environment using a driverless transport system (Mobile i-Wagon). The cell docks at the desired station, be it machining, washing, assembly or a DMC laser station. An integrated robot with a gripping system takes the raw material from upstream storage stations, known as Mobile i-Storages, loads the machining station, and returns the workpieces after completing the process.

The Mobile i-Storages are also automatically movable by the Mobile i-Wagon, with workpieces fed and removed independently of the cell.

“Flexible docking eliminates the need for complex and rigid coupling of the processing stations with the robot cells – and our customers gain efficiency and design freedom,” explains Wolf. This saves space, increases machine availability, and makes production processes more adaptable.

More information www.sw-machines.com

Welding System Automates Furniture Production

Panasonic Factory Solutions and long-standing partner SYN-TIG have upgraded the production line for medical furniture manufacturer, Haelvoet, using Panasonic’s TAWERS G4 welding robot system. The project will enable manufacturing subcontractor, Grovinvest, to increase flexibility and automation in the production of specialist medical equipment for customers across Europe.

First deploying previous iterations of Panasonic’s robot cells in 2009, with a subsequent upgrade delivered in 2014, the upgraded production line at Grovinvest’s northern Romania facility enables it to manufacture four variations of Haelvoet’s medical bedframes. With all required components automatically detected prior to production starting, Panasonic says its TAWERS G4 welding robot system delivers the required precision and speed, while minimising ramp-up time.

The integrated Panasonic TAWERS G4 optimises welding process management into a single controller for high-speed, high-quality arc welding. It features increased controller processing speeds, and optimised communication between the controller and the robot. When compared with previous models, the G4 is more reliable and smaller, saving space and costs without compromising reliability.

Furthermore, the G4’s teach pendant touchscreen simplifies programming on the production line, while consumables – such as contact tips – last longer than previous models. This reduces the need to keep excessive spares and minimises maintenance downtime.

The G4 also features offline programming software, enabling remote digital access to real-time production and system operating data. This enables Grovinvest’s engineers to re-program all or some of the parts of the welding process while the robot is still running.

Bogdan Pienaru, managing engineer at Haelvoet contractor Grovinvest, says: “The welding quality provided by the G4 is superb; Panasonic continues to set the standard in welding precision, speed and accuracy.”

More information www.bit.ly/41NI4yd