Thanks to the swivel fork head, even complex contours can be machined quickly and precisely.

“We actually needed two types of machines – a portal machine with a movable table for very large components and a dynamic gantry machine that can be set up during operation for night, slim manned shifts, among other things,” explains the managing director. “An automotive company would simply use two types of machines, but we cannot afford that.” Since Bielefeld has always been “ready to listen” in the past 20 years, Schwab once again drove to the Starrag plant. There, the experts for large-scale machines suggested combining the two machine types Droop+Rein FOGS and TF into a completely new machine concept. This led to the creation of the Droop+Rein FOGS HD, a powerful, precision-cutting high-gantry machine (X-axis: 591 in. (15,000 mm); Y-axis: 197 in. (5,000 mm); Z-axis: 79 in. (2,000 mm)) with extremely high torque (1,770 ft-lb to 5,532 ft-lb (2,400 to 7,500 Nm)) and fast, dynamic axes. CONCAD is not only pleased with the new dynamics: The FOGS HD is about 20 to 30% faster and more economical than a portal machine. In addition to the possibility of unmanned production, the option of parallel set-up in the machine at peak times is also a plus for the newcomer. CONCAD already uses them intensively, as an on-site visit showed: The job shop used the entire length of 49 ft (15 m) to simultaneously process an aluminum housing, a workpiece from the marine area and a deep drawing tool. This is made possible by the safety zones with a partition wall.

CONCAD places high demands on the basic accuracy and robustness of the volumetrically dimensioned and calibrated machines, which can perform precise finishing to 15 to 20 µm, thereby implementing the production know-how of CONCAD with extreme accuracy. CONCAD also owes these values to its high investments in machine bases that are several meters deep and the elaborately air-conditioned new building. “When it came to calibration, we realized after a year that it was the right decision”, explains the managing director with pleasure. “The calibration specialists measured twice because they could not believe that the measured values in this small µm range had remained constant for a year.” However, CONCAD also owes these excellent results to the Siemens 840D sl control system and the Volumetric Compensation System (VCS) that automatically compensates for geometry errors in the new machine duo. For example, one important task is pressing tools for the automotive industry, which Schwab says is constantly “in search of the µm” when it comes to surface quality and dimensional accuracy. Equally important to the job shop from Odenwald is entering into new industries and new materials with the machine duo.

One of the few exceptions to the understandable secrecy rule in this sector is a pool cover of around nine meters by four meters in size, which CONCAD was asked to mill for a South Korean customer. The starting material consisted of multiple stainless-steel castings welded together in the shape of a figure eight. “Another call was made to Dennis Hamm to collaboratively come up with clever ideas, such as during programming, in order 
to receive at a special solution of this magnitude”, says Schwab. Yet for Starrag, this is not a one-way street. “I once heard from Mr. Schwab that CONCAD is working on problems of tomorrow that others don’t even know about,” explains Dennis Hamm. “This will also help us to learn and later on we will use the things we are investing in now for future projects.”

At the end of many success stories, we are left with the question of what effect the Starrag claim “Engineering precisely what you value” brings: Where did CONCAD come up with exactly what the company especially values 
with this duo – such as in terms of precision, speed of work and performance? While Schwab agrees with all of this, the relationship with the machine supplier is even more important to him: “What I appreciate about Starrag is Dietmar Wallenstein and his squad, who are always up-to-date and have visions and ideas that we talk about as partners and equals”.  With such a partnership, it is no wonder that half of the eight total CNC milling machines come from Starrag.