Dowaldwerke GmbH has once again chosen a machining center from the CHIRON Group for the processing of aluminum profiles. With a MILL 3000, the company is expanding the production of long hollow profiles. In addition to technical advantages such as fewer clamping setups, easier handling, and reduced auxiliary times, other factors played a decisive role: technical capability, collaborative partnership, and not least the positive experiences of employees with the existing solution.
Both the existing MILL 2000 and the new machining center from the CHIRON Group are primarily used for the production of aluminum profiles and step plates for rail vehicles. Typical workpieces include profiles for interior door systems, boarding aids, platform edge transitions, and other components of rail technology. The processing steps include drilling, contour and edge milling, as well as lateral processing. Many of these aluminum hollow profiles are significantly longer than two meters and could only be processed on the existing production solution with increased time and personnel effort. Additional clamping processes, repositioning, and handling of the workpieces extended the lead times and tied up valuable capacities.
Therefore, the company sought a more efficient solution for processing these components. At the same time, it decided to expand its own production. 'Since external providers could not cover either the required precision or the necessary travel distances, it was clear to us: We will do this in-house in the future. With a solution that economically manufactures long workpieces while meeting our quality and productivity requirements,' says Rico Eißler, managing director of Dowaldwerke GmbH.
Dowaldwerke: Partner for rail technology and hydraulics
Dowaldwerke GmbH, based in Dippoldiswalde in Saxony, belongs to the Richard Grießbach Holding group with around 350 employees. In the field of rail technology, the portfolio includes vacuum toilets, interior door systems, partition walls, and boarding aids for well-known European manufacturers of rail vehicles. In the field of hydraulics, the company primarily manufactures hydraulic cylinders for agricultural and construction machinery as well as other vehicles.
Why choose the CHIRON Group again?
For several years, Dowaldwerke has relied on a MILL 2000 machining center for processing aluminum profiles. The existing machine performs well in daily use, according to Rico Eißler. The managing director is also convinced by the collaboration – partnership-based and always aimed at finding the right solution for each task together.
When investing in new production solutions, the company consciously involves the later users in the decision-making process. The specialists in milling largely program, set up, and process their workpieces themselves. Accordingly, user-friendliness and efficient workflows in everyday work are very important. For cutting machine operator Lisa-Marie Ganz, it quickly became clear that the MILL 3000 is the right machine for the long profiles: 'We were already familiar with the machine concept, are comfortable with the operation, and have had good experiences with it.'
Tailored concept for long profiles
Together with the responsible parties at Dowaldwerke, the CHIRON Group developed a production concept based on a milling center from the MILL series. The machines are characterized by high cutting performance and cover workpiece lengths from 800 mm to 8,000 mm, depending on the variant. Large and variable working spaces for larger workpieces or multiple clamping setups, high dynamics and powerful drives, as well as quick setup and easy operation are further advantages for productive variant manufacturing.
'The challenge was to process the workpieces as much as possible in a single clamping setup. This required a precisely coordinated production concept that offers sufficient flexibility for the various profile types and geometries,' explains Frank Scheibe, technical consulting and sales at the CHIRON Group.
The goal: to consistently reduce the number of clamping processes and reference points and to represent different profile variants on a unified production platform. A significant contribution to this is made by the individually designed swivel bridge.
The fourth axis makes the productive difference
A key element of the production concept is therefore the swivel bridge – the added fourth axis. Workpieces can be swiveled by 90 degrees, and lateral processing is possible directly and without re-clamping. This significantly increases the efficiency of the process – in addition to the number of clamping setups, the reference points are reduced. 'With the swivel function, we can perform many operations directly on the workpiece without re-clamping. This simplifies the workflows and saves time in the production process,' says Lisa-Marie Ganz.
Another advantage arises from the clamping technology. For the complete processing of a profile, only one clamping jaw is now sufficient, and processing between the clamping tools is also possible. This reduces setup effort, simplifies the handling of long profiles, and increases process reliability.
The short tool change times were another plus point for David Steinigen, head of production planning at Dowaldwerke: 'We have many tool changes, which gives us a significant advantage in program flow. We can change tools as often as we want without it taking a lot of time.'
The advantages of the production solution
- At least one clamping setup less per workpiece
- Processing between the clamping tools possible
- Reduced setup times through a uniform clamping concept
- Less shifting, re-clamping, and zero-point setting
- Higher process reliability through fewer position changes
- Flexible processing of different profile types and geometries
- Shorter lead times and lower handling effort
- More economical production due to lower setup and auxiliary times
- High operator acceptance due to a familiar machine concept
Partnership with future perspective
For Dowaldwerke, in addition to the technical suitability of the MILL 3000 and the individual production concept, the collaboration with the CHIRON Group also played an important role.
'Why did we choose a machine from the CHIRON Group again? Ultimately, it is – beyond the qualities of the machining centers – the collaboration. Very partnership-based, very solution-oriented,' summarizes Rico Eißler, managing director of Dowaldwerke GmbH.
Even after installation, Frank Scheibe was the contact person for the project. Together with the responsible parties in Tuttlingen and the CHIRON Group service on-site, he coordinated technical adjustments, modifications, and retrofitting. This way, requirements that only arose during ongoing operations could be implemented quickly and pragmatically.
For Dowaldwerke, the decision for the CHIRON Group is confirmed not only in the daily use of the machining centers. The successful collaboration of the past years continues with the new MILL 3000 – based on technical capability, partnership collaboration, and the positive experiences from everyday manufacturing.
Contact:
www.chiron-group.com
www.dowaldwerke.de
