The TIER 1 supplier primarily manufactures carbon fiber reinforced plastic parts for premium automotive manufacturers. They mainly source visible parts in Class-A quality and structural components made of CFRP, whose contours and trims must be milled before painting. For this purpose, the company from Lake Constance uses three 5-axis CNC portal milling machines of type P-S-F (20-25)/S from HG GRIMME SysTech.
Easy switching between identical machines
The identical machining centers, each with two tables and shuttle as well as Siemens 840d sl control, were acquired by ACE between 2016 and 2024. A uniform operation and machine tables with the same drilling pattern with a fixed zero point also contribute to short setup times. Furthermore, ACE can alternately reprocess the CFRP parts on all machines from HG GRIMME SysTech without compromising quality.
CFRP dust is extracted
The milling machines are suitable for workpieces with external dimensions up to 2,000 x 2,500 x 650 mm, which can be processed dynamically thanks to rapid feed speeds of 80 m/min in X/U/Y and 30 m/min in Z.
Double tables and shuttle ensure a machine length of just under 11 meters and a width of just under six meters. This also provides sufficient space for good accessibility of the machine table and milling head from all sides.
The components to be processed are up to 2,000 x 2,500 mm in size, with thicknesses between 1 and 3 mm, and batch sizes usually vary between 500 and 10,000 pieces.
About two-thirds of the products are visible parts, primarily for passenger car bodies, especially fenders and hoods. The remaining parts are structural parts such as monocoques for the powertrain, battery trays for electric vehicles, and coverings for B-pillars and center consoles.
Given the high dust generation during CFRP milling, CNC machining centers from HG GRIMME SysTech are completely enclosed, and an extraction system removes many airborne particles already in the cabin. Additionally, the components are cleaned by hand with high pressure after processing.
ACE primarily manufactures CFRP components using the closed RTM process
ACE produces ninety percent of the CFRP components and assemblies using the closed RTM process. In this process, textile preforms are cut and prepared for molds, which are then placed in presses, injected with resin, and baked into shells. The edges of the two or, less commonly, three shells must still be milled before they are subsequently glued to form the carbon part.
After contour and trim milling, the glued and painted components are inspected before being delivered by ACE to its customers' assembly lines. These include well-known brands such as Lamborghini, Porsche, Aston Martin, Bugatti, BMW, Mercedes, AMG, Audi, and Volkswagen. The main customers from the aviation sector are Airbus and Boeing.
Praise for solidity, reliability, and competence
Peter Klaus Gröschl, production manager and one of the managing directors of ACE, praises not only the solidity and reliability of the systems but also the service from HG GRIMME SysTech. His conclusion: “At HG GRIMME, they understand processing composite materials, and the communication is on an equal footing. The company is down-to-earth. We enjoy working together.”
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