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Schuler’s Digitalization & Modernization Workshop provided innovative and practical solutions for creating a fully networked press shop
Canton, MI, March 2, 2023—Schuler North America, subsidiary of Schuler Group GmbH, hosted a Digitalization & Modernization Workshop last week. The workshop was also the grand opening of Schuler’s Michigan Ave Service Facility.
Attendees included senior leaders, directors, and engineers from major OEM and Tier-One suppliers, the Supervisor from the Charter Township of Canton, Anne Marie Graham-Hudak, and senior editors from top trade publications.
“We want our customers to take tangible information back to their shop and know that Schuler is available to support them in their digitalization journey,” states Kevin McAllister, President of Schuler North America. “I can safely say we achieved this objective based solely on the feedback we received. We will certainly host more workshops to support those that could not attend last week.”
Domenico Iacovelli, CEO of Schuler Group GmbH and Member of the Executive Board Andritz Group, and Kevin McAllister opened the workshop with a live press conference. Session topics included:
The Press Shop of the Future, presented by Tiago Vasconcellos, Sales Director at Schuler North America, identified key technologies used at Schuler’s Smart Press Shop that reshape costs, output, and carbon footprint. The Press Shop of the Future was instrumental in laying the foundation for the entire workshop as it provided attendees with the current market status and future expectations of digitalization.
Optimize Shop Floor Operations, presented by Andreas Gebele, Product Manager of Digital Automotive Solutions at Schuler Pressen GmbH, provided solutions to achieve increasements in availability, performance, and quality with Schuler’s Track & Trace, laser serialization, blank measurements, and downtime detection.
Protect Dies & Prevent Damages with VDP, presented by Samuel Czyzewski, Service & Digitalization Engineer at Schuler North America, included a live demo of Schuler’s Visual Die Protection (VDP) and the immediate ROI from the camera-based system’s capability to detect foreign objects, inspect processes, and monitor die functions.
The Shop Floor Tour, presented by Robert Tyler, Facility & Operations Manager at Schuler North America, gave attendees an inside look at the 32,000 sq. ft. facility’s 50-ton crane, in-house press pit for rebuilds and assembly, specialized equipment, and team of field service and engineering support at work.
Press Shop Planning with Cloud Solutions, presented by Andreas Gebele and Flavio Rudiger, Lead Digitalization Engineer at Schuler North America, included a live demo of Schuler’s machine applications that provide predictive maintenance to avoid efficiency losses and damage risks.
Get Proactive with Service Agreements, presented by Andy Osborn, Director of Modernization at Schuler North America, provided value-add predictive maintenance, remote service, and spare parts with Schuler’s Service Agreements. Two supporting topics included Schuler Smart Inspections, presented by Rodrigo DePaula Branco, Engineering Group Lead at Schuler North America, and Schuler Connect, a live demo of the smart glasses and application for safe and cost-effective remote support and troubleshooting, presented by Flavio Rudiger and Samuel Czyzewski.
Future Products, presented by Flavio Rudiger and Andreas Gebele, covered all Schuler Digital Suite products coming soon to the USA. Solutions included DIGISIM simulation software to increase productivity, Smart Assist to increase output, Smart Monitoring System (SMS) to detect machine stress from older equipment, Visual Quality Inspection (VQI) to detect part quality issues efficiently, and Service Portal to access contracts, warranties, technical equipment data, inspection protocols, service history, Schuler’s 24/7 helpline, and spare parts stock availability.
“The Digitalization & Modernization Workshop highlighted our local availability,” explains Telvi Zanin, Vice President of Service at Schuler North America. “Schuler North America has over 300 employees. We are the largest local OEM service support, and the grand opening of our new facility greatly enhances our capabilities for the local market.”
Website
About Schuler Group—www.schulergroup.com
Schuler offers customized cutting-edge technology in all areas of forming—from the networked press to press shop planning. In addition to presses, Schuler’s products include automation, dies, process know-how, and service for the entire metalworking industry. Schuler’s Digital Suite brings together solutions for networking forming technology and is continuously being developed to further improve line productivity and availability. Schuler customers include automotive manufacturers and suppliers, as well as companies in the forging, household appliance, and electrical industries. Schuler presses are minting coins for more than 180 countries. Founded in 1839 at the Göppingen, Germany headquarters, Schuler has approximately 5,000 employees at production sites in Europe, China and the Americas, as well as service companies in more than 40 countries. The company is part of the international technology group ANDRITZ.
Schuler’s global portfolio of world-renowned brands include BCN (Bliss Clearing Niagara) Technical Services, Müller Weingarten, Beutler, Umformtechnik Erfurt, SMG Pressen, Hydrap Pressen, Wilkins & Mitchell, Bêché, Spiertz Presses, Farina Presse, Liebergeld, Peltzer & Ehlers, Schleicher, and Sovema Group.
About Schuler North America—www.schulergroup.com
Schuler North America (Schuler), headquartered in Canton, Michigan, is the North American subsidiary of Schuler Group. Schuler provides new equipment, spare parts, and a portfolio of lifecycle services for all press systems—including preventative maintenance, press shop design and optimization, turnkey installations, retrofits for existing systems, and localized production and service. Schuler’s best-in-class position in the metalworking and materials industry serves automotive manufacturers and tier suppliers, as well as home appliance, electronics, forging, and other industries.
Schuler North America unveils digitalization and modernization best practices with an industry workshop and grand opening of new facility.
Schuler North America, subsidiary of Schuler Group GmbH, will host a Digitalization & Modernization Workshop on February 23, 2023. The workshop is also the grand opening of Schuler’s Michigan Ave Service Facility in Canton, Michigan.
Schuler will identify the press shop of the future and highlight key technologies that maximize overall equipment effectiveness (OEE), implement digitalization practices, and conduct smart press shop practices. Attendees will learn how the press shop of the future reshapes costs, output, and carbon footprint.
“Topics, and marketing buzz words, such as IIoT and digitalization have oversaturated the market,” states Telvi Zanin, VP of Service at Schuler North America. “Our Digitalization & Modernization Workshop provides the valued ‘how-to’ ingredient and is designed to help attendees build their own state-of-the-art press shop of the future.”
Schuler’s Digitalization & Modernization Workshop is a full, one-day event with various sessions that provide innovative and practical solutions for making press shops smarter. Session topics include:
The workshop also serves as the grand opening of Schuler’s Michigan Ave Service Facility. The facility is 32,000 sq. ft. and is equipped with a 50-ton crane, in-house press pit for rebuilds and assembly, specialized equipment, and full-time field service and engineering support hub.
“The Digitalization & Modernization Workshop is an opportunity to inform the market about Schuler’s Digital Suite solutions and how manufacturers can create a fully networked press shop. Concurrently, our new facility exemplifies Schuler’s capabilities to the local market,” explains Kevin McAllister, President of Schuler North America. “The Michigan Ave Service Facility enables reduced turnaround time for repairs, press rebuilds, and modernization projects. We created a convenient space for customer shipments, follow-ups, reviews, and buy-offs.”
The workshop and grand opening will begin with an on-site press conference and conclude with a cocktail reception for guests to meet with Schuler’s presenters and team of qualified experts.
Website
Schuler’s Digital Suite
Schuler Service
Schuler Modernization
About Schuler Group—www.schulergroup.com
Schuler offers customized cutting-edge technology in all areas of forming—from the networked press to press shop planning. In addition to presses, Schuler’s products include automation, dies, process know-how, and service for the entire metalworking industry. Schuler’s Digital Suite brings together solutions for networking forming technology and is continuously being developed to further improve line productivity and availability. Schuler customers include automotive manufacturers and suppliers, as well as companies in the forging, household appliance, and electrical industries. Schuler presses are minting coins for more than 180 countries. Founded in 1839 at the Göppingen, Germany headquarters, Schuler has approximately 5,000 employees at production sites in Europe, China and the Americas, as well as service companies in more than 40 countries. The company is part of the international technology group ANDRITZ.
Schuler’s global portfolio of world-renowned brands include BCN (Bliss Clearing Niagara) Technical Services, Müller Weingarten, Beutler, Umformtechnik Erfurt, SMG Pressen, Hydrap Pressen, Wilkins & Mitchell, Bêché, Spiertz Presses, Farina Presse, Liebergeld, Peltzer & Ehlers, Schleicher, and Sovema Group.
About Schuler North America—www.schulergroup.com
Schuler North America (Schuler), headquartered in Canton, Michigan, is the North American subsidiary of Schuler Group. Schuler provides new equipment, spare parts, and a portfolio of lifecycle services for all press systems—including preventative maintenance, press shop design and optimization, turnkey installations, retrofits for existing systems, and localized production and service. Schuler’s best-in-class position in the metalworking and materials industry serves automotive manufacturers and tier suppliers, as well as home appliance, electronics, forging, and other industries.
The technology offers maximum flexibility, efficiency and part quality, as well as material savings of up to one million USD per year
Canton, Michigan, July 27, 2022 – A blanking line is usually made up of a coil line, an uncoiler, a threading unit, leveler, roll feed, the cutting area and the stacking unit. This holds true with laser blanking lines, but the material is cut by a laser cell instead of a shear or press. Justine Fonteyne, Schuler’s Area Sales Manager of the Americas, has recently explained the technology’s multiple advantages in an online seminar.
There has been a rising interest for laser blanking lines, given the die-free blanking capabilities. Schuler has sold 15 worldwide, including five in North America. With the frequent changeover of new car models, vehicle manufactures are happy to avoid investing in expensive dies – especially new players within the EV market, for which ramp-up production may be slower. “And die change time costs production time,” Fonteyne underlined. Additionally, no dies equate to no die storage or maintenance, and less initial infrastructure investment as no heavy press foundation or loop pit is required. Apart from that, no noise or vibration is emitted.
Overall equipment efficiency of up to 80 percent
Because of Schuler’s Dynamic Flow Technology (DFT), Schuler’s laser blanking lines are also much faster than conventional stop and go laser cutting systems like flatbed lasers. The material runs continuously without the need to stop-and-start before cutting. The output can reach 45 parts per minute, depending on the geometry of the blank. Due to no die changes, the overall equipment efficiency (OEE) is up to 80 percent.
“Depending on the part mix, Laser Blanking can be the cheapest way of blanking,” Fonteyne stated. “Due to digital nesting solutions, the technology has much greater material utilization.” In contrast to conventional lines, the parts can be designed independently from die restrictions. Also separation strips can be avoided with edge-to-edge nesting. Improvements in material utilization of an outer body part mix of approximately 1 percent quickly add up to material savings of up to one million USD per year.
No wear of dies and presses
Schuler’s laser blanking lines produce homogenous cutting edges with hardly any burr. “This is relevant for aluminum because the flitter in the die is reduced to almost zero,” Fonteyne explained. The rising number of high-strength steel pose further challenges to conventional lines regarding the wear of dies and presses, but the lasers are not affected by this at all. Schuler offers workshops for part simulation and optimization as well as business calculation.
Fonteyne provided insight into Schuler’s Track & Trace solution that has already been implemented at the Smart Press Shop in Germany, a joint venture between Schuler and Porsche. “Being the first station for the material in the press shop, we start the tracking of the production data here,” said Fonteyne. “The production data is connected to every part and can be tracked easily and continuously. For example, data pertaining to the thickness of a blank or the amount of oil distributed can be transmitted to the press line in order to achieve a perfect forming process.
Watch the complete video of the online seminar here: https://youtu.be/oC59OzaCW0c
Listen to Carla Bailo, President & CEO of the Center for Automotive Research (CAR), and Justine Fonteyne discuss laser blanking via CAR’s podcast: https://anchor.fm/the-car-podcast/episodes/Laser-blanking—featuring-Justine-Fonteyne-of-Schuler-Group-GmbH-e1krdmp/a-a8799jm
Internet
laserblanking.schulergroup.com
About the Schuler Group – www.schulergroup.com
Schuler offers customized cutting-edge technology in all areas of forming—from the networked press to press shop planning. In addition to presses, our products include automation, dies, process know-how and service for the entire metalworking industry. Schuler’s Digital Suite brings together solutions for networking forming technology and is continuously being developed to further improve line productivity and availability. Our customers include automotive manufacturers and suppliers, as well as companies in the forging, household appliance and electrical industries. Presses from the Schuler Group mint coins for more than 180 countries. Founded in 1839 at our headquarters in Göppingen, Germany, Schuler has approx. 5 000 employees at production sites in Europe, China and the Americas, as well as service companies in more than 40 countries. The company is part of the international technology group ANDRITZ.
For further information on Schuler Inc., North America, please contact:
Jaime Bartholomai, Marketing & Communications Manager
Schuler Incorporated
7145 Commerce Blvd.
Canton, MI 48187 USA
Jaime.Bartholomai@schulergroup.com
In addition to the latest press technology, Schuler will demonstrate its “Digital Suite” solutions for networking forming technology
Canton, Michigan. August 25, 2021 – After a year off due to the pandemic, the FABTECH trade show will return to Chicago’s McCormick Place in September from the 13th through the 16th. At booth D46935, Schuler will not only present its latest servo and hydraulic press technology, but also its “Digital Suite” solutions for networking forming technology. They include, among others, “Visual Die Protection” which prevents unwanted production shutdowns and “Schuler Connect” which offers fast assistance in resolving unforeseen problems.
“Without a FABTECH show last year, we are especially looking forward to exhibiting in Chicago this September,” Kevin McAllister, President of Schuler North America, points out. “We will bring lots of exciting developments that we would love to show to our customers, because our solutions can really make their lives easier. As the largest service provider of any press supplier in North America, we’re anxious to highlight our service capabilities and offerings.”
Schuler’s “Cloud Solutions,” e.g., can be used to retrieve data on press forces and stroke rates. Cooling and lubrication circuits, temperatures and system pressures as well as power consumption are also recorded and visualized. Schuler also recently established a new U.S. workshop with a 50-ton crane that significantly expands the service footprint, especially the ability to execute large modernization projects.
For more information, please visit:
https://digitalsuite.schulergroup.com
For further information on Schuler Inc., North America, please contact:
Kevin McAllister, President, North America
Schuler Incorporated
7145 Commerce Blvd.
Canton, MI 48187 USA
734-207-7200
Kevin.McAllister@schulergroup.com
About the Schuler Group – www.schulergroup.com
Schuler offers customized first-rate technology in all areas of forming – from the networked press to press shop planning. In addition to press, our product includes automation and software solutions, dies, process know-how and service for the entire metalworking industry. Our customers include automotive manufacturers and suppliers, as well as companies in the forging, household appliance and electronics industries. Press from the Schuler Group mint coins for more than 180 countries. When it comes to the digital transformation of the forming technology, we support our customers worldwide as a supplier of innovative system solutions. Founded in 1839 with headquarters in Göppingen, Germany, Schuler AG has about 5,000 employees at production sites in Europe, China and America, as well as service companies in more than 40 countries. The company is part of the international technology group ANDRITZ.
Continue readingGöppingen/Halle, 07/27/2021 – At the beginning of June, Porsche and Schuler began the operation of a fully-connected press shop in East German Halle (Saale). In addition to a servo press line with an output of up to 20 strokes per minute, the Smart Press Shop also features a state-of-the-art blanking line; a Laser Blanking Line 2.18 equipped with two cutting heads for processing strip material with a width of up to 1,880 mm.
Blanking lines with lasers do not require expensive and heavy blanking dies, which is why they are particularly suitable for the production of new parts or small batch sizes with frequent product changes. The continuously moving coil material is processed into blanks at high cutting speeds. Thanks to tooling-free scrap separation, a high output is also achieved. A gentle transport of sensitive materials, such as aluminum, is ensured, too.
The Laser Blanking Line is the ideal solution for the “Smart Press Shop” in Halle, which focuses on the production of aluminum outer skin parts in small batch sizes. By recording various measured values of the system as well as the coil material and by smart marking of the blank, the line which supplies the blanks for the servo press line forms the point of departure for a “Track and Trace” system.
For further information on Schuler Inc., North America, please contact:
Kevin McAllister, President, North America
Schuler Incorporated
7145 Commerce Blvd.
Canton, MI 48187 USA
734-207-7200
Kevin.McAllister@schulergroup.com
About the Schuler Group – www.schulergroup.com
Schuler offers customized first-rate technology in all areas of forming – from the networked press to press shop planning. In addition to press, our product includes automation and software solutions, dies, process know-how and service for the entire metalworking industry. Our customers include automotive manufacturers and suppliers, as well as companies in the forging, household appliance and electronics industries. Press from the Schuler Group mint coins for more than 180 countries. When it comes to the digital transformation of the forming technology, we support our customers worldwide as a supplier of innovative system solutions. Founded in 1839 with headquarters in Göppingen, Germany, Schuler AG has about 5,000 employees at production sites in Europe, China and America, as well as service companies in more than 40 countries. The company is part of the international technology group ANDRITZ.
Continue readingThe German press manufacturer Schuler has numerous manufacturing and service locations worldwide. This ensures that customers can receive fast and efficient support from local Schuler employees. In the Americas, for example, there are sites in the USA, Mexico, and Brazil, ready to support one of the company’s latest innovations: the Laser Blanking Line.
Laser blanking makes it possible to manufacture blanks completely without dies. Instead of using presses or shears, the geometries are cut by two or three high-precision laser heads. This has several advantages: no dies, die change, die storage or die maintenance, but also no costly press foundation and no loop pit. The technological development of laser performance, combined with intelligent line automation, enables Schuler to achieve cutting speeds of up to 100 meters per minute (approx. 328 ft/min).
The design of a Laser Blanking Line is very similar to a conventional press cutting line. “Simply said, the press is only replaced by a laser cell,” explains Oswald Schoenberger, Product Manager for Laser Blanking Lines. “Operators who already have experience with conventional blanking lines can learn to handle the system very quickly, but even the ones without blanking experience the system can be operated intuitively and reliably after completing our training program,” he continues.
Programming the lasers also requires no process know-how thanks to LBL Studio. The offline program is so intelligent that cutting contours for new parts are automatically created based on CAD files. The optimal cutting distribution of the lasers is taken into account and reliable predictions about the output can be calculated in advance. Of course, changes can be made manually at any time.
With several lines around the world and production experience since 2012, Schuler is by far the leader in terms of laser blanking lines. “This is also related to our strong local service,” explains Telvi Zanin, Vice President of Service. In addition to Europe and Asia, Schuler also has long established service and manufacturing locations in North America. Schuler Inc. was founded in 1978 in Columbus, Ohio, and now has its headquarters close to Detroit in Canton, Michigan.
“With our team of 80 qualified service employees we are ready to provide high quality technical support to all our customers in North America”, says Telvi. A team from the U.S. has been sent to the product centers in Europe to join the in-house assembly where they can learn firsthand the laser blanking technology. “Our trained employees can thus react quickly and provide optimal on-site service”, says Telvi. “In addition, remote service like with Schuler Connect offers the possibility of immediate assistance from our headquarters in Canton, Michigan or from our experts in Germany if required – for established products as well as for innovations such as the Laser Blanking Line.”
www.schulergroup.com/laserblanking
About the Schuler Group – www.schulergroup.com
Schuler offers customized cutting-edge technology in all areas of forming—from the networked press to press shop planning. In addition to presses, our products include automation and software solutions, dies, process know-how and service for the entire metalworking industry. Our customers include automobile manufacturers and automotive suppliers, as well as companies in the forging, household appliance and electrical engineering industries. Presses from the Schuler Group mint coins for more than 180 countries. When it comes to the digital transformation of forming technology, we support our customers worldwide as a supplier of innovative system solutions. Founded in 1839 at our headquarters in Göppingen, Germany, Schuler AG has approx. 5,000 employees at production sites in Europe, China and the Americas, as well as service companies in more than 40 countries. The company is majority-owned by the Austrian ANDRITZ Group.
For further information on Schuler Inc., North America, please contact:
Guido Broder, Vice President of Sales & Marketing
Schuler Incorporated
7145 Commerce Blvd.
Canton, MI 48187 USA
734-207-7200
Guido.Broder@schulergroup.com
Canton, Michigan, January 14, 2021 – The first major members of Smart Press Shop GmbH have arrived at the Star Park industrial area in Halle (Saxony-Anhalt). These are the components for a ServoLine 20, induction press and laser blanking line, which is to be put into operation in 2021 in the state-of-the-art press shop of the joint venture between Porsche and Schuler. In this newly emerging press shop, the body parts of the Porsche Macan II are pressed, followed by assembly at the body shop in the Porsche plant in Leipzig.
The press line with an output of up to 20 strokes per minute (for example 40 doors, 80 fenders) has numerous intelligent functions from the Industry 4.0 kit by Schuler.
For example, cameras monitor the drawn edge of the shaped components. Under consistent conditions in the forming process, the shape and size of this drawn edge remain largely the same. If there is a change here, it indicates a deviation in material properties, lubrication or pulling forces. Process monitoring is used to inform the plant operator, so corrections can be made at an early stage to avoid expensive scrap/rework parts to a large extent.
The camera-based tool monitoring “Visual Die Protection” controls the correct attachment of connections, detects foreign objects such as wrenches or punch residues in the tool and checks whether the parts have been inserted, reshaped and removed correctly. In the event of a registered deviation from the target state, the press stops immediately to avoid costly consequential damage in the tool.
The oil circulating in the system is continuously monitored to determine the aging of the lubricant. The aim is to change the oil only when its condition really requires it, which significantly increases the useful life. In addition, lubricating oil monitoring allows detection of short-term changes in oil properties, for example indicating contamination with water or foreign particles.
The documentation of the entire system is also available in digital form. This saves employees from spending time searching. The files are available from each control station with HMI and screen as well as from mobile devices that all employees of the Smart Press Shop carry. For faster identification, electrical and fluid components of the system are equipped with a DMC code.
About the Schuler Group – www.schulergroup.com
Schuler offers customer-specific cutting-edge technology in all areas of forming technology – from the networked press to press shop planning. In addition to presses, the product portfolio also includes automation and software solutions, tools, process know-how and service for the entire metalworking industry. Customers include automotive manufacturers and suppliers as well as companies from the forging, household appliances and electrical industries. Presses from the Schuler Group mint coins for more than 180 countries. As a provider of innovative system solutions, we support our customers worldwide in the digital transformation of forming technology. In the 2019 financial year, Schuler generated sales of 1.136 billion euros. Schuler AG, founded in 1839 at its headquarters in Göppingen (Germany), is represented with approximately 6,000 employees at production sites in Europe, China and America as well as service companies in more than 40 countries. The majority of the company is part of the Austrian ANDRITZ Group.
For further information on Schuler Inc., North America, please contact:
Guido Broder, Vice President of Sales & Marketing
Schuler Incorporated
7145 Commerce Blvd.
Canton, MI 48187 USA
734-207-7200
Guido.Broder@schulergroup.com
As expected, the strategic realignment of press manufacturer Schuler resulted in high one-off burdens on earnings in 2019. Due to cyclical effects, new orders were down but performed much better than the German machine tool industry as a whole. Consolidated sales reached € 1.136 billion (prior year: € 1.212 billion). Earnings before interest, taxes and goodwill amortization (EBITA) fell to minus € 75.5 million (plus € 45.3 million).
As part of its future concept, Schuler invested heavily in 2019 in the restructuring of its manufacturing sites; in its focus on core competencies in press construction, automation and service; and in the strengthening of the Group’s innovation capabilities. The company has thus responded to the far-reaching structural changes taking place in the global automotive industry.
“Group’s inner strength permits extensive realignment”
“As a press manufacturer, Schuler is part of the dramatic transformation of the global automobile industry toward electromobility, autonomous vehicles, and digital networking. In 2019, we identified and began to implement the resulting strategic and structural consequences for our company,” stated CEO Domenico Iacovelli at the presentation of the company’s results for fiscal year 2019 in Göppingen, Germany.
“This obviously had a significant impact on earnings. However, there was no alternative. Schuler has the financial strength, the global footprint, and the technological quality to be able to withstand such a one-off burden for the workforce, the balance sheet, and earnings in a market environment characterized by challenging transformation processes and political risks. This makes us confident that we can expand our leading position in metalforming technology in the medium term and thus achieve better results once again,” added Iacovelli.
Normal operating business slightly profitable
Together with the previously announced writedowns on the intangible goodwill of subsidiaries AWEBA and Yadon, the structural measures to realign the company amounting to € 84 million, and other one-off items, Schuler recognized negative special items of almost € 96 million in 2019. Net income after taxes was minus € 121.9 million (plus € 13.5 million). In its normal operating business – in other words EBITA before restructuring costs – Schuler generated a slightly positive result of € 8.5 million in a very challenging business environment.
New orders well above one billion euros
Schuler started its fiscal year 2020 with an order backlog of € 868 (€ 926) million. New orders received in 2019 amounted to € 1.092 (€ 1.255) billion. Europe accounted for the largest share of new orders (€ 562 million, thereof Germany € 293 million), followed by the Americas region (€ 253 million), and China (€ 221 million). With a decline in consolidated new orders of 13 percent in 2019, Schuler performed much better than the German machine tool industry as a whole, which suffered a decline of 22 percent according to the latest figures of sector association VDW.
Schuler CFO Thomas Kamphausen explained that the company had borne the full load of costs incurred by its structural adjustments in 2019. “We do not anticipate any further significant additional special items in 2020. Major cost reductions resulting from our structural adjustments are to be expected as early as 2021,” he said. “As far as our regular business development in 2020 is concerned, it is too early to estimate any effects of the Corona virus disruptions on our revenue and profits at this point.”
At the end of 2019, Schuler’s equity ratio amounted to 35.4 (40.1) percent – and was thus still above the industry average. The number of Group employees fell to 6,276 (6,574). At year-end 2019, headcount in Germany amounted to 3,962 (4,195).
Future concept: focus, localization and innovation
Announced in summer 2019, Schuler’s future concept is based on three main pillars. As the name CORE suggests, Schuler will focus in the future on its core business of building cutting-edge presses, as well as the optimization and digitalization of automation systems for the manufacturing processes of its internationally operating clients in the automotive, industrial, hydraulic and other sectors. In addition, Schuler is systematically strengthening its offerings in the field of service and smart networking.
In 2019, Schuler sold its die construction unit for the production of car body panels to Deutsche Werkzeugbau, a company set up by a strategic investor group. However, its core business of cutting-edge die construction for customers in the metalforming industry was spun off from Schuler Pressen GmbH and established as a separate growth business under the umbrella of the AWEBA Group, a subsidiary of Schuler.
Schuler Innovation Rate 2019 grows to 45.4 percent
The second pillar of Schuler’s future concept is a significant acceleration of new development and time-to-market processes in the field of press construction. The Group’s calculation basis for this objective, the Schuler Innovation Rate (SIR), doubled to 45.4 (prior year: 22.9) percent in 2019. This figure indicates that current product innovations accounted for almost half of all new orders received in Schuler’s main business fields of Automotive, Hydraulic and Industry during the past fiscal year. This enabled Schuler to offset a large part of the reduced demand from the automobile industry for classic forming technology products.
The third pillar of the future concept is a strict focus on localizing production and added value. Together with Group investment Yadon, Schuler China mainly serves customers throughout Asia. Schuler’s Brazilian operations focus in particular on the North and Latin American markets. Germany remains the location for machines and equipment produced for Schuler’s European customers. The high quality standards at all sites create a manufacturing network which can flexibly balance out peaks in demand between the regions. Within Germany, Schuler has pooled its press production in Erfurt and is expanding its home base in Göppingen to become a central innovation site. In the coming months, an additional service center with its own production and assembly capabilities serving customers throughout Germany will also be set up in Göppingen.
Schuler Group at a glance (IFRS)
About the Schuler Group – www.schulergroup.com
Schuler offers customized first-rate technology in all areas of forming – from the networked press to press shop planning. In addition to press, our product includes automation and software solutions, dies, process know-how and service for the entire metalworking industry. Our customers include automotive manufacturers and suppliers, as well as companies in the forging, household appliance and electronics industries. Press from the Schuler Group mint coins for more than 180 countries. When it comes to the digital transformation of the forming technology, we support our customers worldwide as a supplier of innovative system solutions. In its fiscal year 2019, Schuler posted sales of € 1.136 billion. Founded in 1839 with headquarters in Göppingen, Germany, Schuler AG has about 6,000 employees at production sites in Europe, China and America, as well as service companies in more than 40 countries. The company is majority-owned by the Austrian ANDRITZ Group.
For further information on Schuler Inc., North America, please contact:
Guido Broder, VP
Schuler Incorporated
7145 Commerce Blvd.
Canton, MI 48187 USA
734-207-7200
info@schulerinc.com
www.schulergroup.com
Canton, Michigan, December 2, 2019 – Customers from Germany, the US and China have already invested in laser blanking lines from Schuler. Recently, Schuler received another order from the People’s Republic—this one by one of the largest Chinese steel producers for a plant in Tianjin, as well as an order from a customer in South Africa. Around 50 visitors took advantage of Schuler’s invitation to learn about the benefits offered by the technology during two days in Heßdorf, Germany. They also had a chance to look at the actual system that will be delivered to China.
South African automotive supplier VM Automotive is expected to begin producing blanks for the plant of a high-end German automaker in South Africa (among other jobs) on a Laser Blanking Line 2.18 in the fall of 2020. The newly established blanking operations will handle the full scope of material logistics for the car manufacturer, thereby increasing the value in South Africa. By investing in this highly flexible laser blanking line, VM Automotive was able to gain the upper hand over competitors that use conventional blanking systems. Additional logistics centers are planned for other auto manufacturers in South Africa.
In 2014, a high-end German automaker ordered one of two laser blanking lines for mass production, and the equipment began producing two years later. “Our customer no longer has any dies for these blanks,” noted Martin Liebel, who manages the Schuler site in Heßdorf, a town located in the vicinity of Nuremberg. A highly flexible laser beam now performs the work formerly handled by the dies. This laser beam makes it possible to alter the blanking shape at the push of a button, whereas altering a blanking die can take several months, not to mention the accompanying costs for storage and maintenance. And when the set up time is taken into consideration, the overall equipment effectiveness (OEE) climbs to 80% for the laser blanking line, compared to just 65% for conventional press blanking lines.
With the system’s DynamicFlow Technology, a laser blanking line is up to 70% as productive as a modern servo blanking line with a press. “Output actually significantly exceeded our expectations,” said Liebel, adding that it had been possible to regularly increase output by a few percentage points with the help of a number of smaller measures. A proven cleaning process ensures that the system produces high-quality blanks which are also spotless—an important requirement for critical body shell parts. The same German carmaker went on to order two additional high-tech lines in 2017.
At roughly the same time, Schuler began developing a new concept featuring two laser heads instead of three. “We needed a basic machine that would also deliver solid, acceptable performance for the rest of the world,” said Liebel. The decision proved to be the right one, as evidenced by the orders for one Laser Blanking Line 2.18 each from China and South Africa this year. “The systems are becoming more and more dynamic, and the concept will win out in the end,” said a confident Liebel.
One of the things that makes these systems so dynamic is the distance control for the lasers. This control maintains a distance of 0.7 to 0.9 mm from the continuously moving coil and, where necessary, corrects the distance within fractions of a second to ensure that any residual surface irregularities in the sheet metal do not damage the heads. Liebel explained, “This axis is critical to the line’s output. Each coil contains residual waves. If I’m looking to blank at a rate of 100 meters per minute, I need to be able to respond extremely dynamically.”
Larger surface irregularities are eliminated by the straightener. “The straightening result is a key ingredient to a stable process, especially for the laser blanking line,” added Regional Sales Manager Justine Fonteyne. “To make this happen, we use the ‘Check2Flat’ system, which adjusts the crowning on the straightener rollers.” Either the visualization system makes a recommendation based on the adjustment system, which the operator must then review, or the straightener itself can provide a fully automated control. “It’s important to remove as much of the tension from the material as possible so that the metal doesn’t pop up during blanking. These types of systems help to ensure process stability.”
According to Liebel, another increasingly important aspect for carmakers is the intelligent capacity utilization of production facilities across the globe. “But it’s difficult to make a product somewhere else on short notice if you’re using a press blanking line. To do so, our customers first have to move the die, prepare it for shipment and then send it off.” If a supplier is producing the blanks, the scrap chutes or something else may not fit. “With laser blanking lines in the production network, all I have to do is send a data set for the desired part and make sure that the coil material is available on-site. If the system has available capacity, production can start one or two hours later. It’s really a huge advantage.”
Fonteyne’s coworker Berthold Jüttner offered another example: “One of our customer’s plant managers had a problem with a blanking press and had asked another plant manager if he would be able to cut a few blanks for him on the latter’s laser blanking line. He then immediately sent the drawings and had the coils brought to the site. Blanking began the next day.”
In addition to the newly achieved blank programming freedom, Jüttner saw another advantage in the line’s excellent dimensional accuracy, reproducibility and surface quality. “There are no burrs and the amount of cuttings is significantly less than in conventional blanking.” The so-called “angel’s hair” phenomenon is especially prevalent where blanks are cut from aluminum coils, and is also the reason why blanking presses regularly need to stop so that the dies can be cleaned. “This is no longer an issue with the laser blanking line.”
Laser blanking also makes it possible to support the material across its entire surface area. “We can nest the parts edge-to-edge on the coil and no longer need the 8 to 10 mm dividers required when using the blanking dies. For small cutouts, we can briefly open the belts and the scrap can drop into the scrap chute. On the new lines, the scrap and the usable parts are no longer separated using robots, but rather by an intelligent sorting system. This provides an additional boost in output.”
The growing amount of high strength steels used in automobiles is increasingly pushing blanking presses closer and closer to their maximum mechanical loads, adds Liebel, who noted: “When it comes to yield strengths, there are no limits in laser blanking. We have performed many tests and high-strength steels are no problem.” As Jüttner added, “The laser doesn’t care at all what’s under it.”
According to Liebel,” The bundled beam of light darts across the metal coil at speeds of up to 100 meters per minute and a thickness between 0.7 and 2.5 mm.” Before the year 2000, it was only possible to achieve blanking speeds of 4 or 5 meters per minute using CO2 lasers. Then the fiber laser made its triumphant entrance and opened up the possibility of laser blanking for the first time. This development wouldn’t have been possible with conventional gas lasers.”
In addition, noise emissions are much lower than with blanking presses. “If sound protection is installed on the laser blanking line, you’ll have to look very carefully to see whether the line is running or not,” Jüttner commented. He added that a person can have a completely normal conversation, as long as a press isn’t running next to them. The investment cost is also significantly lower, since the laser line is not as tall and also does not require an elaborate press foundation. “That’s a huge cost factor,” concluded Jüttner. The loop for the material buffer is also routed above ground. However, the laser line’s energy requirements are comparable to those of a press blanking line.
Schuler has developed a software package, the LBL Studio, designed to greatly reduce the operator workload required to program the laser cutting movement. “All you have to do is upload the drawing data and the program will calculate the best-possible contours, the possible nesting options and the optimum level of laser utilization,” Fonteyne said as she listed the software’s benefits. “This means that users can already define the laser movement contours and configure the transitions offline. The binding output quantities can also be predicted. After that, the data can be transferred to the control system, and production can be run exactly as configured.”
www.schulergroup.com/Laserblanking
About the Schuler Group – www.schulergroup.com
Schuler offers customer-specific cutting-edge technology in all areas of forming technology – from networked presses to press shop planning. In addition to presses, the product portfolio also includes automation and software solutions, dies, process know-how and service for the entire metalworking industry. Our customers include automobile manufacturers and automotive suppliers, as well as companies from the forging, household appliance and electronics industries. Presses from the Schuler Group mint coins for more than 180 countries. As a provider of innovative system solutions, we support our customers worldwide in the digital transformation of forming technology. In the 2018 fiscal year, Schuler generated sales of € 1 212 billion. Schuler AG, founded in 1839 at its headquarters in Göppingen (Germany), has approx. 6 600 employees at production sites in Europe, China and America as well as service companies in over 40 countries. The company is majority-owned by the Austrian ANDRITZ Group.
Schuler in Heßdorf was founded in 1962 as Hermann Schleicher GmbH, with the original headquarters in Erlangen, before joining the Schuler Group in 1990. The facility’s product portfolio includes automation solutions ranging from coil loading to end-of-line destacking. The most important areas it serves are the auto manufacturing, automotive supplier, and household appliance industries. The location employs approximately 350 people.
For further information on Schuler Inc., North America, please contact:
Guido Broder, Vice President of Sales & Marketing
Schuler Incorporated
7145 Commerce Blvd.
Canton, MI 48187 USA
734-207-7200
Guido.Broder@schulergroup.com
Whether mechanical stamping presses or hydraulic composite lines: Digital solutions can improve the productivity of every machine
Predicting potential downtime of a press well in advance and thereby improving its availability and productivity? Sophisticated sensors and actuators in the latest Schuler machines make it possible – whether mechanical transfer presses, hydraulic hot stamping or composite lines, for instance. Visitors of this year’s Fabtech November 11-14 in Chicago will find out more at the Schuler booth D46055.
In Schuler presses, machine components can be monitored for changes, wear, and damage to optimize the maintenance process. For this purpose, regular test runs of the system are performed in which vibration data, torque progressions, and energy consumption, among other things, are measured, stored, and compared. Sensors in the press bed and slide record the acceleration per stroke for example, enabling stampers to monitor the forming processes in detail.
The most recent example is the completely redesigned MC 125 stamping press. Thanks to additional integrated sensors, its condition can be fully monitored at all times. This ensures the productivity of the stamping machine. The functionalities are also available on mobile devices.
However, digital solutions can also help to accelerate the production startup significantly. Schuler’s servo presses come with a software called “Smart Assist” which guides the user through the process step-by-step with the aid of videos and graphics, optimizes the movement curves of the slide and transfer fully automatically, and transfers the data to the overall system. Compared to setting up the system manually, which can take up to eight hours for an expert, the Smart Assist reduces the process to just 30 minutes.
Track & Trace with pinpoint accuracy
Compared to cold forming, significantly more factors influence the production process in hot stamping, which is usually done with hydraulic presses. Here, Schuler’s process monitoring solution records the exact temperature of the red-hot blanks as they leave the furnace, the amount of time that passes before they are placed in the die, the press force applied, and many other things. All of these parameters have a direct effect on the part quality. In case there is any doubt, stampers can track and trace these parts with pinpoint accuracy.
When it comes to composite presses and the production of parts made of carbon fiber reinforced plastic (CFRP), it is all about manufacturing costs. Within the research project “iComposite 4.0,” Schuler and its partners have succeeded in reducing both costs and throughput times for a prototype part dramatically. The production line runs Aachen Center for Integrative Lightweight Production (AZL) of RWTH Aachen University in Germany.
About the Schuler Group – www.schulergroup.com
Schuler offers customer-specific cutting-edge technology in all areas of forming technology – from networked presses to press shop planning. In addition to presses, the product portfolio also includes automation and software solutions, dies, process know-how and service for the entire metalworking industry. Its customers include automobile manufacturers and automotive suppliers, as well as companies from the forging, household appliance and electronics industries. Presses from the Schuler Group mint coins for more than 180 countries. As a provider of innovative system solutions, we support our customers worldwide in the digital transformation of forming technology. In the 2018 fiscal year, Schuler generated sales of € 1 212 billion. Schuler AG, founded in 1839 at its headquarters in Göppingen (Germany), has approx. 6 600 employees at production sites in Europe, China and America as well as service companies in over 40 countries. The company is majority-owned by the Austrian ANDRITZ Group.
For further information on Schuler Inc., North America, please contact:
Guido Broder, Vice President of Sales & Marketing
Schuler Incorporated
7145 Commerce Blvd.
Canton, MI 48187 USA
734-207-7200
Guido.Broder@schulergroup.com