Contact us today:
(847) 934-4500
tdaro@bernardandcompany.com
Contact us today:
(847) 934-4500
tdaro@bernardandcompany.com
Visit us
TD Convention Center, Booth 701
Forecasted growth rates of 6.3% in sales of automobiles in the USA clearly demonstrate one thing: that the USA is and will remain one of the most important trading partners for Germany and German industry. The USA is traditionally an important market for EMAG, a leading machine tool builder in Germany. This is emphasized by the fact that EMAG has been present in Farmington Hills, Michigan, for many years now. Thanks to the deep roots that EMAG has in the USA, it is not only an important employer in the region near the “Motor City” of Detroit, but it is also a reliable business partner for numerous companies throughout North America. See the quality and reliability of our products for yourself at this year’s South-Tec show in Greenville, South Carolina. EMAG will showcase its machines in the TD Convention Center at Stand 701 at the trade fair to be held between October 29 and 31, 2013.
VL 2-P – productivity thanks to pendulum technology
When the aim is to shorten idle times, there are very few machines which can rival the EMAG VL 2-P. Workpieces up to 100 mm in diameter can be machined on the VL 2-P with unbeatably short cycle times. While there is a pause on other machines to allow the workpiece to be changed, the next workpiece is directly ready to machine on the VL 2-P. The key is that 2 spindles are used and these load themselves alternately while the tool turret swings between the machining positions. When machining is completed on one spindle, the tool slide moves to the second spindle to start a new machining process. Loading and unloading of the spindles which now occur in parallel with machining are virtually eliminated from the machining process and reduce idle times to an absolute minimum.
VT 2-4 – top-quality shaft machining
The vertical, 4-axis pick-up-turning machine VT 2-4 allows machining of shafts with a length of up to 400 mm and a diameter of up to 100 mm. Our consistent demand for maximum productivity is demonstrated by integration of the automation solution whereby the machine loads itself with raw parts using workpiece grippers. It takes approximately 6 seconds to change the workpieces and this thus leads to short idle times and, consequently, lower component costs. The actual turning process for which two tool turrets, each with eleven tool positions, are available (fitted with turning tools or driven tools) is performed at a speed of 6,000 rpm in extremely short cycles.
VL 2 – pick-up turning machine for small chuck parts
The VL 2 vertical pick-up turning machine is just the right choice for machining chuck parts with a maximum diameter of up to 100 mm and a length of up to 150 mm. At the same time, the VL 2 offers a whole range of clever design details and hi-tech components. These include the pick-up spindle which loads itself with raw parts from the integrated conveyor belt and the tool turret equipped with 12 tool positions which allows diverse machining scenarios. The machine body made of MINERALIT® polymer concrete ensures high strength and excellent vibration damping which is indispensable particularly when machining small chuck components.
VL 5i – flexible and efficient
Be it small or large series production, the EMAG VL 5i is the ideal manufacturing solution for turned parts up to 250 mm. The VL 5i is an interesting manufacturing solution above all for small- and medium-sized component producers, thanks to its excellent characteristics (e.g. short retooling times and fast programming). An automation system functioning on the basis of the drag-frame principle is integrated to round off the equipment features. This automation system, combined with the pick-up technology from EMAG, is the basis for the high productivity of the VL 5i. The workpieces are conveyed to the inside of the machine via the revolving automation system. The pick-up spindle loads itself there and it also deposits the finished workpiece back on the conveyor after machining. The advantages are obvious: the revolving automation system allows simple and very reliable loading and unloading of the parts, while the self-loading spindle ensures maximum machining reliability since clamping errors are virtually completely eliminated.
For more information on this announcement, please contact:
EMAG LLC
38800 Grand River Avenue
Farmington Hills, MI 48335
Tel: (248) 875-0313
Fax: (248) 477-7784
E-mail: info@usa.emag.com
Web: www.emag.com
Attention: Peter Loetzner
Remarkable U.S.-only engineered and equipped foundry praised by New Hampshire Governor and Franklin, NH Mayor for technological initiative and for creating local jobs
One of two Hunter XL2024 Molding Machines at Watts Water’s WEFCO 2 lead-free foundry
SCHAUMBURG, IL — Watts Water Technologies has begun operation of a new lead-free foundry in Franklin, NH that reflects the company’s commitment to proactively meet the requirements of the “Reduction of Lead in Drinking Water Act,” which goes into effect in January 2014 and establishes new limits on the lead content in every pipe, fixture, and fitting used to convey water for human consumption. Watts’ new WEFCO 2 foundry produces lead-free products exclusively, including lead-free versions of products the company produces at its WEFCO 1 facility (which is also located in Franklin, NH), as well as other products. Opening ceremonies were highlighted by comments from New Hampshire Governor Maggie Hassan and Franklin, NH Mayor Kenneth Merrifield.
Governor Hassan commended Watts for the types of products it produces at the new WEFCO 2 foundry, as “contributing to public health and safety, and for the company’s educational efforts around the Lead Free initiative.” She complimented the Franklin workforce, noting that, “The work effort here is extraordinary,” adding that the company is “emblematic of the ingenuity found across the Granite State.” Mayor Merrifield noted how rare it is to have a manufacturing facility that lasts 50 years, and how quickly the new foundry came into being. He referred to meeting this development challenge as a “remarkable accomplishment” and added “Congratulations, to an absolutely fabulous company.”
Discharge on Hunter XL2024 Molding Machine
The new WEFCO 2 foundry expands and diversifies the production capacity of Watts’ WEFCO 1 foundry, which opened in April 1977, has undergone 16 updates, and produces products for many Watts brands. Based on its decades-long history of working with the WEFCO 1 foundry Hunter Foundry Machinery Corporation has kept pace with these expansions and updates.
“This is a great day for our company and its employees, our industry, and the Franklin community,” said Watts Water Technologies CEO and President David Coghlan at the June 21st ribbon-cutting ceremony of WEFCO 2 30,000-square foot state-of-the-art foundry. Coghlan stated the Watts WEFCO 2 foundry “will enable us to be the ‘safe choice’ for Lead Free products, since we can eliminate the possibility of cross contamination of materials. It will also enable us to provide efficient and timely availability of products.”
Former President and CEO, and Watts Water Director Emeritus, Tim Horne observed, “This significantly advanced foundry is the latest example of our commitment to the State of New Hampshire, and the city of Franklin.” Part of Watts’ strategy in this industry-leading facility are two XL2024 molding machines that feed onto a common HV-20 24 + 24 x 3 turntable mold handling systems, all produced by Hunter Foundry Machinery Corporation in Schaumburg, IL.
HUNTER’S ROLE
Since its inception in 1977, the WEFCO 1 foundry used a full range of Hunter mold making and mold handling machinery. Originally, Hunter’s HMP-10 molding machines were installed on a Hunter HMH-210 mold handler alongside two Hunter HMP-20 machines that were installed on a Hunter HMH-220 mold handler. Hunter later addressed challenges in the older section of the foundry, including the need to increase pouring speeds, by replacing its older machines with Hunter’s C-series products. In 1999 these Hunter HMP-10C machines were replaced with Hunter’s HMP-10H mold making machines.
For the new WEFCO 2 foundry, Hunter integrated an Inductotherm Auto-Pour unit fed by two Hunter XL2024 molding machines into common Hunter HV-20 24 + 24 x 3 turntable mold handling systems through use of a proprietary mold-tracking program. Hunter’s direct interface controller communicates computer-based pattern data with the correct pouring profile to an Inductotherm Auto-Pour furnace.
Looking over Accumulating Conveyor at Hunter HV-20 Mold Handler mold elevator
In addition to this 35-year working history, according to New Hampshire Operations Engineering Manager Mike Geldermann there were several reasons why Hunter Foundry Machinery Corporation was the molding machine and mold handling system provider of choice for the new foundry. “Hunter was the only single-source mold handling and mold making interface,” he states. “Their equipment was directly interchangeable with our current pattern plate setup and tooling, and provides us with improved cope-and-drag alignment to eliminate mold shift,” Geldermann says. Additionally, notes Geldermann, “Hunter’s systems were highly cost competitive when compared with other options,” he says, adding that Hunter’s familiarity with maintenance and upkeep of WEFCO 1 foundry machines was a key factor in their selection for the new WEFCO 2 production line.
For a video on this installation, please visit http://youtu.be/1d8475iM9Fo
For more information on the products in this story, please contact:
HUNTER AUTOMATED MACHINERY CORPORATION
2222 Hammond Drive Schaumburg, IL 60196
Phone: (847) 397-5110
Fax: (847) 397-8254
Email: info@hunterfoundry.com
Web: www.hunterfoundry.com
Connect with Hunter Foundry online: 
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ABOUT WATTS WATER TECHNOLOGIES, INC.
Watts Water Technologies, Inc., through its subsidiaries, is a world leader in the manufacture of innovative products to control the efficiency, safety, and quality of water within residential, commercial, and institutional applications. Its expertise in a wide variety of water technologies enables it to be a comprehensive supplier to the water industry. For more information, visit www.wattswater.com.
ABOUT HUNTER
Hunter Foundry Machinery Corporation was established in 1964 as Hunter Automated Machinery Corporation with the invention of the world’s first gravity-filled automated matchplate molding machine. This began the company’s history of innovation and launched the foundry industry into a new industrial revolution. Pioneered by William “Al” Hunter in his home garage, the original HMP-10 machine streamlined the laborious metal casting process by offering foundries unimagined new capabilities by producing as many molds in one hour as most had previously been produced in an entire day. As industry demands grew, Hunter responded with advanced solutions such as automated mold handling equipment and coresetters.
Now in its 50th year, Hunter Foundry Machinery Corporation’s inventions have earned nearly 150 U.S. and international patents. Hunter has produced more than 1,800 molding machines and mold handling systems for customers around the world. The company’s global reach extends from offices in the U.S., Brazil, China, India and Italy through North American, South American and Asia-Pacific manufacturing sites. Hunter’s sales and technical support is underscored by its $12 million parts inventory, established to maintain each machine’s original production capability across the worldwide foundry market.
Continue readingMajor German supplier of finished length tube and solid bar processing equipment to open new 30,000 square-foot facility in Grand Rapids area for tooling and component manufacturing; plans in place to expand for full machine builds
New Rattunde facility underway in Caledonia Township, Michigan, near Grand Rapids, due to open in April, 2014.
Rattunde Corporation, a German-based manufacturer of finished length tube and solid bar production systems, has been operating in the North American market for over seven years. The company’s success during that time has resulted in today’s announcement by Rattunde Corporation President Richard Stadler of plans to build a 30,000 square-foot facility near the company’s current location in Grand Rapids, Michigan. 14 acres of land have been purchased by the company in nearby Caledonia Township and work has begun on the new facility, scheduled to open in April, 2014.
The plant will continue to house the North American sales and service operations and will allow for expanded spare parts inventory and manufacturing operations, including the production of tooling and various machine components. Area within the new facility will also house a technical center with a machine onsite at all times for demonstration and training. Future plans call for an expansion of the building to over 100,000 square feet, enabling Rattunde to produce their entire finished length tube and solid bar production systems here. This decision was reached, after an analysis of the current and anticipated business needs of the company, according to Stadler. “Our growth in North America has been rapid, though not unexpected, due to the unique nature of our equipment and the reliability and performance characteristics of our machines.” Stadler further noted that solid growth of the company into diverse markets throughout North America made the new facility a logical choice.
In commenting on the new facility, Richard Stadler noted, “There were several reasons why we wanted to remain in the greater Grand Rapids area, but one of the main reasons is the excellent talent base here. Companies are built on people and, whether you are looking for an experienced veteran of industry or a fresh graduate from one of our ranking high schools, colleges, or universities, outstanding people can be found here.”
Concurrent with this development, Rattunde has expanded its workforce with technical service and administrative personnel. As Stadler explains, “Whenever a machinery company grows quickly, there’s an ever-present need for more customer service and technical personnel. Of course, new people must be found and trained.” But, Stadler went on to explain that rapid growth also means working smarter. Rather than waiting for a customer to reach out to Rattunde in a time of need, Rattunde is proactively sending technicians to the customer and performing comprehensive machine inspections, identifying and correcting small issues before they become large ones.
In the end, Stadler says, “This new facility will solidify our North American presence in the high-volume tube and solid bar production markets, thus benefiting our current and future customers in many ways. It’s a purpose-built building, with a forward-looking eye on all we will need to build our machines and systems from the ground up.” Rattunde will continue to occupy its current facility until completion of the new facility.
For more information on this development, please contact:
RATTUNDE CORPORATION
4980 Kendrick Street SE
Grand Rapids, Michigan 49512
Phone: 616-940-3340
Fax: 616-940-2771
Web: www.rattunde-corp.com
Email: company@rattunde-corp.com
Attention: Richard Stadler or Alec Banish
No. 1021 is a 1250ºF high-temperature belt conveyor oven from Grieve, currently used for drying steel nesh (sieve) materials at the customer’s facility. Workspace dimensions of this oven measure 21” W x 38” D x 3” H. 40 KW are installed in Incoloy-sheathed tubular elements to heat the oven chamber, while a 1600 CFM, 1-1/2 HP recirculating blower provides vertical downward airflow to the workload.
This Grieve packaged conveyor oven features 10” thick insulated walls made from 8” of 1900ºF block and 2” of 10 lb/cf density rockwool insulation, aluminized steel exterior, Type 304, 2B finish stainless steel interior and an 18” wide, 1” x 1” stainless steel flat wire conveyor belt with 1/3 HP motor drive, variable from 0.05 to 1.20 feet per minute. The oven travel comprises a 30” long open belt loading zone, 38” long insulated heat zone with recirculated airflow and 30” long open unloading zone. 10” x 10” stainless steel mesh screens above the return ductwork below the conveyor are provided to collect debris from the workload.
Controls onboard No. 1021 include a digital indicating temperature controller, SCR power controller and wall mounted remote control panel (shown detached in photo).
For more information, please contact:
THE GRIEVE CORPORATION
500 Hart Road
Round Lake, IL 60073-2898
Phone: (847) 546-8225
Fax: (847) 546-9210
Web: www.grievecorp.com
Email: sales@grievecorp.com
Attention: Frank Calabrese, VP
Corbas – REP international, leader in the rubber injection molding machine with the head office being located in Lyon-Corbas, France, has just concluded the acquisition of the patented HSM devulcanization technology on an exclusive right basis, as well as the devulcanization center Watson-Brown HSM-Berlin. This center is equipped with an operational devulcanization line and a test laboratory operated by a team of 6 persons.
Bruno Tabar, CEO of the REP group announces that “REP International will carry on with the development of the HSM technology, its implementation in the center of Berlin and promote a sales offer of devulcanization machines and a devulcanization service on the international market with compounders and processors“.
A resolutely promising eco-process
Watson Brown HSM Berlin becomes so far the 7th subsidiary of the REP group, the 6 others being involved in the sales and after-sales of REP presses throughout the world. This take-over confirms REP’s readiness to extend their offer, as accentuated through their new corporate baseline “Rubber in motion”. Aiming to work beyond the injection of rubber and devoted to the tradition of innovation at customers’ service, REP has developed a technical and commercial partnership with Watson Brown HSM the purpose of which is to devulcanize rubber production scraps and reintroduce them into the production chain.
After a series of validation tests conducted in REP’s customer plants it was established that the process is technically performing and economically efficient. That’s when REP decided after many years of collaboration to integrate Watson Brown HSM in their group.
But what is the HSM devulcanization process?
This patented process applies to any kind of uncontaminated rubber production waste. Once the compound is devulcanized, it is reintegrated into the basic compound. This results in significant savings on both compound and waste disposal costs.
Watson Brown has developed a patent for devulcanizing cured rubber. Controlling the strain applied to the compound by the HSM machine causes the rubber to be devulcanized by preserving properties which are very close to the initial compound.
This is a 100% thermo-mechanical process without adding any further substances or chemical agents and is performed at low temperature, in order to prevent the characteristics of the devulcanized rubber from being altered.
From the devulcanization service to the series machine
REP relies on their industrialization capacities, their experience and geographical international presence to develop the commercialization of HSM machines. The HSM structure and its components being very close to those of a press, REP has the capacities to industrialize and manufacture these machines.
With the acquisition of the intellectual property and the plant of Watson Brown in Berlin, REP is developing a devulcanization machine offer intended for compounders and rubber processors in addition to the existing devulcanization service.
What do the activities of Berlin’s center consist in?
Berlin’s devulcanization center is equipped with a laboratory to run tests on samples intended for customers who are willing to test the process based on their own compound, so as to validate the properties before running industrial HSM tests. The existing capacities grant the center the ability to service all customers who want to devulcanize and reintegrate their scraps back into production, in order to substitute them for one part of the basic compound, resulting in a drop in operating cost.
For companies interested in implementing the tests, a few kilograms of scraps will be sufficient to conduct the lab tests resulting in data on the elongation, tensile strength and rheology of the samples. After the test, the customer receives back the processed compound for assessment. It is then possible to conduct production tests to test the final parts on an industrial scale.
Taking the green path towards responsible production; making upgraded scraps become raw material!
Rendezvous at the K2013, Hall 14, Booth B57, October 16-23!
For more information on this announcement, please contact:
REP Corporation
8N740 Tameling Court
Bartlett, IL 60103-8146
Phone: 847-697-7210
Fax: 847-697-6829
Web: www.repinjection.com
Email: tgraham@repcorp.com
Attention: Tim Graham, President
Integrated operation, programming, and diagnostics of KUKA robots via the Sinumerik Operate user interface from Siemens
Automation of machine tools will immediately become more flexible: with Sinumerik Integrate Run MyRobot, Siemens Drive Technologies Division and KUKA Roboter GmbH presented a solution for integrated operation, programming, and diagnostics of a KUKA robot in Sinumerik at EMO 2013. For example, in conjunction with the new “Run myRobot” technology, the CNC control Sinumerik 840D sl package can optimally enable KUKA robots to perform handling tasks on machine tools, in particular, loading and unloading of machining cells. Interaction, such as operation, tool retraction, teach-in, and diagnostics of robots, can be performed through just one operator panel with the Sinumerik 840D sl, thus increasing the efficiency and flexibility of the machine tools. Customer can order this technology package with immediate effect from Siemens.
As part of the dynamic automation solution, functions for handling are one hundred percent available at the Sinumerik Operate user interface. The execution of the machine tool and robot program can be tracked and controlled on screen on parallel channels. This gives the operator a quick overview of the current status of the machine tool and robot. The Sinumerik hand-held terminal HT8 and the user interface can be used to “teach” not only machine tool-related setup actions but, as part of the same operating philosophy, also the path points and functions of the robot.
Execution of the robot movements, provision of robot safety functions, and other robot-specific functions are still performed by the KUKA robot control KR C4. The Sinumerik 840D sl is connected to the KUKA control via a command interface.
With the mxAutomation function block library from KUKA, the motion sequence of the robot can be programmed completely in the Sinumerik control 840D sl. In this way, the robot program can be created completely without any knowledge of Step 7, the Siemens tool for PLC programming.
This press release and further press material are available at http://www.siemens.com/press/emo2013
For more information on this story, contact:
Siemens AG, Media Relations
Franz-Ferdinand Friese, phone: +49 911 895 7946
E-mail: franz.friese@siemens.com
KUKA Roboter GmbH, Corporate Communications
Wolfgang Meisen, phone.: +49 821 4533 1981
E-Mail: WolfgangMeisen@kuka-roboter.de
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The Siemens Drive Technologies Division (Nuremberg, Germany) is the world’s leading supplier of products, systems, applications, solutions and services for the entire drive train, with electrical and mechanical components (Integrated Drive Systems). Drive Technologies serves all vertical markets in the production and process industries as well as the infrastructure/energy segment. With its products and solutions, the Division fulfills the key requirements of its customers for productivity, energy efficiency, and reliability. For more information, visit http://www.siemens.com/drivetechnologies
The KUKA Roboter GmbH, with its headquarters in Augsburg, is a member of the KUKA Aktiengesellschaft and ranks among the world’s leading suppliers of industrial robots. Core competencies are development, production and sale of industrial robots, controllers and software. The company is the market leader in Germany and Europe and the number three in the world. KUKA Roboter GmbH employs about 3180 people worldwide. In 2012, sales totaled 742,6 million Euro. 25 subsidiaries provide a presence in the major markets of Europe, America and Asia.
Continue reading
Dr. Robert Neuhauser (left) and Manfred Gundel (right) announce Siemens/KUKA cooperation
Siemens and KUKA held a press conference at the EMO Hannover 2013. Manfred Gundel, CEO of the KUKA Roboter GmbH, and Dr. Robert Neuhauser, CEO of the Motion Control Systems (MC) Business Unit of the Siemens Drive Technologies Division, has informed about an enhanced cooperation.
· Joint solutions offered: integrated, operator-friendly loading of machine tools using robots
· Integration of robotics and CNC solutions for machining workpieces with robots
· Strengthening the fundamental idea of integrated production processes
· Development of new applications in lightweight construction
Siemens Drive Technologies Division and KUKA Roboter GmbH have announced comprehensive cooperation at EMO in Hanover. The central pillar of the cooperation is integration of KUKA robots and Siemens CNC solutions for loading machine tools. “With this joint approach, the two companies are strengthening the fundamental idea of integrated production and can, for example, develop new markets by close intermeshing of machine tool tasks and loading tasks,” says Manfred Gundel, CEO of KUKA Roboter GmbH. “The CNC control from Siemens and the robot controls from KUKA are ideal for integrating robot and CNC technology. With this cooperation, we are deepening our many years of cooperation and together advancing intelligent automation solutions as outlined by the Industrie 4.0 project for the benefit of both partners and to expand business,” says Dr. Robert Neuhauser, CEO of Business Unit Motion Control Systems at Siemens.
Highly flexible and fully automated production today demands complete integration of robots into the production flow and into the automation environment. In this area, in particular, applications for robots and machine tools are growing together steadily as a result of new requirements and technological progress. Given these developments, Siemens and KUKA are strengthening their cooperation in automation and industrial robots. The aim is to be better able to serve industries with high automation requirements in loading and machining. With the shared development, customers will have access to new products and solutions that are coordinated optimally over their entire life cycle, from design, to production simulation, to engineering and the production shop level. Moreover, in the long term, the two companies will be including aspects of robot automation in their activities as outlined in the Industrie 4.0 project.
With this close partnership, Siemens and KUKA can offer end customers integrated solutions with a high technological demand and level of maturity and position themselves still better on global markets. At the center of the joint development and the closely meshed marketing activities is seamless, operator-friendly integration of the robot for loading the machine tool. The companies will also develop scalable, integrated solutions for machining workpieces with robots, especially for lightweight construction. In this field, in particular, new materials such as composites require innovative machining concepts that the two companies will be intensively advancing as part of the cooperation.
KUKA will provide robot systems that make use of proven solutions in the field of CNC with Sinumerik from Siemens for integration with machine tools. The standard implementation of the concept includes loading by a KUKA robot, which is integrated in Sinumerik. A scaled offer is also planned ranging from a robot with additional CNC machining functionality to a robot as a pure CNC machining unit. Here, too, the aim is complete integration of the robot into the PLM processes.
At EMO 2011, both partners have already presented the integration of the robot into the Sinumerik user interface as an application, for programming, teach-in, and diagnostics. The next step will now be the connection to CNC tasks.
Click here to view the slide presentation from the press conference.
For more information on the story above, contact:
Siemens AG, Media Relations
Franz-Ferdinand Friese, phone: +49 911 895 7946
E-mail: franz.friese@siemens.com
KUKA Roboter GmbH, Corporate Communications
Wolfgang Meisen, phone.: +49 821 4533 1981
E-Mail: WolfgangMeisen@kuka-roboter.de
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The Siemens Drive Technologies Division (Nuremberg, Germany) is the world’s leading supplier of products, systems, applications, solutions and services for the entire drive train, with electrical and mechanical components (Integrated Drive Systems). Drive Technologies serves all vertical markets in the production and process industries as well as the infrastructure/energy segment. With its products and solutions, the Division fulfills the key requirements of its customers for productivity, energy efficiency, and reliability. For more information, visit http://www.siemens.com/drivetechnologies
The KUKA Roboter GmbH, with its headquarters in Augsburg, is a member of the KUKA Aktiengesellschaft and ranks among the world’s leading suppliers of industrial robots. Core competencies are development, production and sale of industrial robots, controllers and software. The company is the market leader in Germany and Europe and the number three in the world. KUKA Roboter GmbH employs about 3180 people worldwide. In 2012, sales totaled 742,6 million Euro. 25 subsidiaries provide a presence in the major markets of Europe, America and Asia.
Continue readingResponding to growth in sales and expanded market opportunities, industry leader in rubber injection presses adds to staff
John “JR” Mohl
REP Corporation
Bartlett, IL – REP Corporation announces the appointment of John “JR” Mohl to the position of regional sales manager, effective immediately. JR will cover select regions of the country, representing the full line of rubber/TPE injection presses and other processing equipment built by REP, the longtime world leader in rubber molding technology.
Commenting on the appointment, REP Corporation President Tim Graham observed, “We have been experiencing considerable growth in our business, with new machine orders from many of our longtime customers and also the acquisition of new customers who’ve come our way as the result of the new equipment offerings in our suite. We know JR will be a real asset to our efforts in the field. He also obviously has the right genes for the job,” Graham joked in reference to the new employee’s father, John Mohl, also a REP regional sales manager and an acknowledged expert in rubber molding technology. John will be speaking at the upcoming International Elastomer Conference in Cleveland on various aspects of the molding and curing process.
A resident of Kalamazoo, Michigan, JR Mohl comes to REP with 15 years experience in various customer service and sales roles. He holds a degree in Aviation Flight Science from Western Michigan University, where he is currently enrolled in the MBA program.
For more information on this announcement, please contact:
8N740 Tameling Court
Bartlett, IL 60103-8146
Phone: 847-697-7210
Fax: 847-697-6829
Web: www.repinjection.com
Email: tgraham@repcorp.com
Attention: Tim Graham, President
Milwaukee-based commercial heat treater now a formidable player in the Midwest
Milwaukee, Wisconsin – Complete Heat Treating, LLC today announces the completion of its acquisition of all assets and equipment of the former Wisconsin Steel Industries, Inc. Complete co-owners Jake and TJ Dolhun made the announcement from the company headquarters here. By this acquisition, Complete becomes a formidable player in the commercial heat treating market in the Midwest, as the combined companies boast 75 years of service to the metalworking industry, with substantial heat treating and related capabilities. The purchase of Wisconsin Steel was made by Complete in 2011, with the relocation of all equipment and key personnel having now concluded.
All equipment from both companies has been consolidated at the 65,000 square foot Complete facility in Milwaukee, where the highlight is a gas-fired car bottom furnace with a 53’ x 22’ x 14’ workspace, powered by 40,000,000 BTU’s with a 1,000,000-pound load capacity and operating temperatures to 2150ºF max.
The equipment and services now offered here include five car bottom furnaces, five box furnaces, heavy-duty polymer and water quench tanks, stress relieving, sand blasting, prime and finish painting, annealing, normalizing, BHN inspection, straightening, saw cutting of test specimens, tractor/trailer fleet and full compliance with ISO 9001 certification standards. Workpieces to 50 tons are routinely processed here, using existing and new crane equipment recently installed.
Customers for this commercial heat treater include many of the Midwest’s leading builders of farm equipment, mining equipment, materials handling equipment, rail systems, construction equipment, power generation, oil/gas and other machinery.
Wisconsin Steel was established in 1939 by Ted Dolhun, Sr., grandfather to the current owners of Complete.
For more information on this story, interested parties should contact:
COMPLETE HEAT TREATING, LLC.
125 East Greenfield Avenue
Milwaukee, Wisconsin 53204-2937
Phone: 414-643-5161
Fax: 414-383-8766
Web: www.completeht.com or www.wisconsinsteel.us
Email: rfq@completeht.com or jake@completeht.com
Attention: Jake Dolhun, TJ Dolhun or Catherine Mercuri
To guarantee perfect workmanship and the highest possible product quality, BMW uses five-axis machining centers equipped with Sinumerik 840D sl and a range of new user interfaces for machining operations in its Berlin motorcycle plant.
BMW motorcycles enjoy an outstanding reputation around the world for their reliability, quality, performance and safety. This is not achieved by chance, however. BMW’s motorcycle plant in Berlin uses around 50 machine tools to create numerous key components on-site, from frames and valve shafts to connecting rods and cylinder heads. Among these tools are Grob’s horizontal five-axis G550 machining centers equipped with Sinumerik 840D controllers, which are used in the manufacture of cylinder heads for flat and 4-cylinder engines. Prices are obtained from suppliers at regular intervals, especially when the company is investing in new machining centers. The aim is to ensure that BMW can manufacture its components more cost-effectively than external contractors, while at the same time comparing the prices offered by the various machine suppliers. One of the major reasons for choosing the G550 was because it was equipped with a Siemens CNC.
The horizontal design of the Grob five-axis G550 guarantees the highest levels of rigidity, which keeps axial deviations below 10 µm.
Thanks to previous positive experience with Siemens, the BMW manufacturing specialists in Berlin already employ technology from Europe’s market leader for 90 percent of their controllers. This allows both operators and tool setters the flexibility to work on almost all the machines in the plant. Other key requirements noted in the specification were adequate space for manufacturing all relevant components, the highest levels of precision and surface finish, compliance with pre-defined cycle times, and the ability to reuse all current tools and equipment.
The highest levels of precision on even the hardest material
Before committing to the new investment, the responsible BMW production engineer worked with a colleague from process engineering to investigate the effectiveness of the Grob machines in cylinder head production. Initially, it was the G550’s near-identical sibling, the G350, that was under consideration. As a first traditional single-workplace machine tool, it already met almost all the main criteria, but the space available inside was deemed too small to accommodate all the required processing tasks. However, the G550 satisfied this requirement as well. Among other factors, the horizontal design of this five-axis machine, which has both rotary axes in the work area, contributes significantly to its outstanding rigidity. As a result, axial deviation remains process-compliant at values under 10 µm. The level of precision that can be achieved is correspondingly high, even when processing extremely hard materials, as with valve seat inserts, for example.
The machine also produces a high-quality surface finish, with roughness (Rz) of up to 2 µm. Christian Heiß, applications engineer at Grob, explains a further benefit of the horizontal design: “Tool life can be increased by approximately 30 percent compared with that of vertical machining centers. And the problem of jammed slivers is almost completely eliminated because they are not able to fall onto the workpiece in the first place, but instead fall right through to the ground.”
One of the G550’s strengths is its compact size, at only 3800 mm x 6300 mm. However, despite its size, it still features an extremely long z-axis stroke of 1020 mm, meaning that tools up to 500 mm long can be retracted completely out of the work area and into the so-called spindle tunnel. The swivel-mounted shuttle table is another feature that helps deliver high levels of productivity. While one workpiece is being processed, the next can be clamped and set, thus minimizing costly downtime. 
Programmed and set in no time at all
Employees find the new Sinumerik 840D sl CNC especially easy to operate because, in the production of BMW cylinder heads, only Siemens controllers are used. Despite this, the user interface presented on the Grob machines looks completely different from the others. Until now, operators and setters have been used to the DIN-based HMI Advanced user interface, but the new CNC on the G550 features the Sinumerik Operate animated graphical display. Siemens has integrated a new operation and programming structure, with practical functions such as copy and paste that are well known to users from their daily use of PCs. This allowed BMW employees to quickly adapt and master the new Sinumerik user interface in no time at all.
Thanks to its excellent usability and intuitive operation through various technology cycles, measurement cycles, and setting functionality, the new G550 machines can be set up for new batches much more quickly than before. As Heiß explains: “This means our customers are much faster than before. Previously, it might have taken several hours to set up the machine and the workpiece, now it can be done in just a few minutes.”
Highly trained employees and specialist suppliers help BMW motorcycles maintain their excellent reputation for reliability, quality, and safety.
Quick and reliable with remote maintenance
Along with the tools and equipment from the current machines, the German motorcycle manufacturer was able to reuse all its existing programs as well. It took a single employee only two days to upgrade these programs to be compatible with the latest software, which can be loaded onto the relevant machine as required either over the network or from a USB stick. The modern Windows Explorer-style program manager means that complex programs can be managed either on the CF (Compact Flash) card or directly on the CNC.
If problems arise while the machine is operational, BMW production engineer Taner Ögretmen and his colleagues use the network-based remote maintenance functionality provided by Grob. This has rarely been required so far – but when it has, it proved to be extremely smooth and efficient, stresses Ögretmen. Grob can also perform minor optimizations together with Siemens using the teleservice. This is usually done automatically and without any disruption to ongoing production. The Sinumerik-controlled Grob machines have met every expectation in full, which is why BMW has already ordered an additional four G550s.
Programming and operation using Sinumerik Operate
Sinumerik Operate provides several different programming methods to let users program and set the workpieces: ShopMill graphical user interface, programGUIDE for G-code with cycle support, and pure DIN/ISO programming. If the user decides to use ShopMill, he or she receives an animated graphical work-step programming environment for simple dialog programming. The interface is designed to
be clear and self-explanatory, so that even operators with no programming experience can learn the basics in no time at all. To write programs in programGUIDE, the operator will need some knowledge of G-code. The highlights here include new cycle support functionality and animated elements that can be used to represent the cycle graphically. Tooltip support is also provided.
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