An air of optimism in production

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industrial

A breeze of optimism in production

Mechanical production in Chemnitz is currently being upgraded to the latest state of the art. One of the most important new investments is in a flexible manufacturing system incorporating two Heckert HEC 800 X5 MT machining centers, which recently went into operation. The second standout feature is a Droop+Rein FOGS HD large machining center, for which a vast foundation is currently being laid. What prompted these measures? An ambitious corporate strategy.

June 2024 at the Starrag plant in Chemnitz, Hall 4: This will be the future focal point of mechanical production for medium and large components, which make a decisive contribution to the precision and durability of various Starrag machining centers. It is currently being upgraded to the highest technical level at a cost of tens of millions of euros.

Automation makes its entrance

art of the investment has already gone into financing the new flexible manufacturing system (FMS), which is over 98 ft. (30 m) long and was recently put into operation by the Chemnitz-based machining specialists. At its core, it contains two identically configured Heckert HEC 800 X5 MT machining centers, which are linked via a Fastems linear storage system with 64 storage locations. The addition of a third machining center is also scheduled.

Production Manager Benjamin Walter explains: “We use the FMS for sophisticated, high-precision components, which is why we have chosen the best of the best in terms of machines. The five-axis HEC 800 X5 MT all-round machining centres we produce in Chemnitz are equipped to the maximum with a turning function and an extensive portfolio of functions. The tower magazines each offer 450 tool places, so that the machines can perform a wide range of machining tasks in fully automated operation, which in turn allows for large variation in the range of components.”

With a pallet size of 31.5 inch × 39.4 inch (800 × 1000 mm) and a workpiece displacement circle of 47 inch (1200 mm) in diameter, Walter and his team have selected the machines for small to medium-sized focus workpieces, as they are calling them. These are components with the highest requirements in terms of precision and durability, such as bearing blocks for ball screw drives, gearbox housings and guide parts for main spindles, etc. The Fastems linear storage system can be loaded with up to 64 machine pallets during the machining operation via two set-up stations, which reduces non-productive times and enables long-term automated operation. Batch sizes are of secondary importance. “We are able to cover a very large portfolio of different parts. Even prototypes are no problem,” says Benjamin Walter. “With the FMS, we can significantly increase our throughput and increase added value at the site.”

“ With the FMS, we can signifi cantly increase our throughput and increase added value at the site.”

Benjamin Walter, Production Manager

Machining machine beds in the μm range

As of June, excavation work is taking place on an enormous scale right next to the impressive Fastems FMS. Preparations are underway for a foundation to accommodate a new Droop+Rein FOGS HD large-scale machining center, which will be built in fall.

Kai Fischer, Product Line Manager for Production Systems, is in charge of the Hall 4 remodelling project. He knows the figures that show the extent of the preparations for the large machine: “The Droop+Rein occupies a floor space of 72 × 46 feet (22 × 14 m). For the foundation, we broke up around 4521 square foot (420 m²) of concrete flooring and excavated it to a depth of around five meters.” Over the next few months, 70 tonnes of reinforcing steel and 24720.3 cubic foot (700 m³) of concrete will be installed to form a deep foundation. The machine foundation itself, which requires a further 18716.8 cubic foot (590 m³) of concrete, will be surrounded by an additional 29311 cubic ft. (830 m³) of compacted frost protection material.The prospect of the forthcoming heavy-duty machining center manufactured at the Starrag site in Bielefeld is a very exciting one, explains Production Manager Benjamin Walter: “This enables us to machine all machine beds, columns and other precision-determining large parts to an accuracy of just a few μm. This is a significant improvement on our previous solution and also ends our dependence on external suppliers.”

Utilizing synergies, increasing added value

The modernization of mechanical production in Chemnitz is an important part of Starrag’s future strategy, which began a year ago. Since then, the Starrag sites in Chemnitz, Germany, and Rorschacherberg, Switzerland, have been combined under the umbrella of the “High Performance Machining Systems (HPMS)” business unit.

Its director Christian Kurtenbach explains: “In HPMS, we want to utilize the synergies in mechanical engineering offered by the two renowned sites together with the expertise of their employees. There is enormous potential in the combination of ‘Made in Germany’, which stands for quality and reliability among other things, with the proverbial ‘Swiss precision’.” He points out that sales and expertise for “Aerospace and Energy” in Rorschacherberg and for “Transportation and Industry” will remain assigned to their respective locations. “The industry-specific technological know-how is at home there and we don’t want to change anything,” emphasizes Christian Kurtenbach. “Our focus is on the production of Heckert, Starrag and Ecospeed machines, which we are reorganizing.”

Kurtenbach mentions a new organisational structure with overarching responsibilities and a shared database as an important starting point: “We are introducing an MDE/BDE system that includes all the existing order-related workstations in Chemnitz and Rorschacherberg in design, technology, production, assembly and project management. This is supplemented by a detailed planning system. There is also a shared tool data management system that makes it easier for data to be exchanged between the two production sites.”

“ We use the FMS for sophisticated, high-precision components, which is why we have chosen the best of the best in terms of machines.”

Benjamin Walter, Production Manager

Large and medium-sized specialist parts are processed in Chemnitz

As part of the reorganization, all basic units will be machined in Chemnitz in future – e.g. machine beds and columns, as well as other parts that are also responsible for the accuracy, durability and availability of the machine tool. Some large components will therefore be transferred from Switzerland to the Chemnitz production specialists’ area of responsibility. They in turn outsource the manufacture of components such as circular swivelling tables, spindles etc. to Rorschacherberg. “To ensure that this is successful, we make sure that both Chemnitz and Rorschacherberg are as qualified as possible for their repective production tasks,” promises HPMS Manager Kurtenbach, adding: “It is important to us that each site retains its own identity and that we do not interfere with the corporate culture. Instead, the goal is to make the best possible use of their expertise through a tailored range of tasks and to better balance the utilisation of the plants.” A positive knock-on effect: If both sites are jointly involved in the value creation of each product, they become less vulnerable to economic fluctuations in individual sectors.

“ Our goal is to increase our output in Chemnitz by a total of 40 per cent over the next two years.”

Benjamin Walter, Production Manager

Starrag machines manufacturing Starrag machines

Back in Hall 4, where, aside from the temporary excavation work, lots of chips are being produced. For this, not only the new Fastems FMS, but also other Starrag machines are in operation, incluing the large Heckert HEC 1800, 1250 and 1600 machines and a SIP 5000 jig boring machine. “When the modernization project is completed, we will have a showcase production facility for medium and large precision parts here,” says Production Manager Benjamin Walter. “We will then be able to produce a selected range of components for all other Starrag sites as well. In any case, our goal is to increase our output in Chemnitz by a total of 40 percent over the next two years.”