Starrag and Walter AG: Turbine Technology Days 2017

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Starrag and Walter AG: Turbine Technology Days 2017

Starrag and Walter – who have already teamed up successfully three times – held their fifth “Turbine Technology Days” event; the trade meeting for turbine production. Over 200 visitors from 19 countries travelled to Starrag headquarters in Rorschacherberg by Lake Constance to pick up tips on managing turbine production in an even more efficient and reliable manner. After all, the aviation industry is booming and demand for gas turbines is growing in the power generation sector.

That means OEMs and suppliers need to balance increasing their production volumes with meeting more stringent quality criteria. At the same time, globalisation is making the competitive environment more difficult.

For Starrag and Walter, the aerospace and energy industries are strategic fields of business, where they work in close partnership with their customers to develop application-specific solutions. For Starrag CEO Walter Börsch, this application-based approach is the key to the increases in productivity that improve competitiveness: “We possess excellent process expertise covering machinery, tool and fixture technology as well as software and automation. In line with our motto ‘Engineering precisely what you value’, this enables us to offer not only Starrag machines, but also complete production systems that are tailored to the customer’s needs and provide maximum benefit”.

Walter AG is also adjusting to future requirements. Walter offers customers a complete process, from the tool to the machining strategy. Mirko Merlo, CEO of Walter AG, stresses the importance of digitalisation: “Digital solutions are the future of modern machining, which is no longer simply about turning, cutting, drilling and threading. Perfection and precision are the fundamental requirements”.

Walter showcased solutions that go far beyond tools, with customised and efficient processes as their essential prerequisites. Walter used the example of smart glasses to give visitors a live insight into digital networking and “Industrie 4.0” at the event.

Keynote speaker HyunSoo Yoon, Director of Engineering Division, Aerospace & Defense Group at the South Korean company Hanwha Techwin, spoke about how successful automation can be in the context of innovative production systems. In partnership with Starrag, he has increased efficiency in the production of jet engine components by 42 % by using flexible production systems and robotic automation. He believes that the new technological opportunities must be studied continuously and implemented in practice.

TheTurbineTechnology Days event is focussed on applications in the field of turbine production. Participants can visit 14 activity stations with real-world relevance to pick up tips on how they can improve profitability and reliability and thus generate growth.

Efficiency of jet engine component production increased by 42 %

The Turbine Technology Days offered plenty of inspiration in this regard. Together, Starrag and Walter created 14 stations demonstrating practical ways to increase productivity. One striking example is a blisk machining process using new barrel-shaped and torus milling cutters, which reduce costs by up to 60% compared with conventional approaches. In addition to the machining examples, Starrag and Walter highlighted the wide range of potential improvements that can be made through digitalisation and state-of-the-art software.

The event was supported by the nine specialist partners whose products – from coolant, testing and measurement technology to tool systems and software solutions – play a significant role in the process chain. On an optional third day, Walter opened the doors of its headquar- ters and new technology centre in Tübingen to visitors who wanted a deeper insight into the future of machining.