Issue 2015 / 2016

Machining gears with highest precision

Top News: Dr. Benedikt Sitte new President and COO // Machining generator rotors and turbine rotors on a single machine

Highly precise and flexible machining of gear housings

Special gearbox manufacturer RSGetriebe was faced with a challenge that is familiar to many: “The tight tolerances required by us could not be met using a classic boring mill. A jig boring machine was not an option for us – due to the disproportionately high investment costs on the one hand and the limi-ted degrees of freedom on the other,” explains Thorsten Mehlhorn, President and COO of RSGetriebe. Instead, the gearbox manufacturer in Sonthofen, Germany decided to invest into the precision boring mill KCG 125 recently developed by UnionChemnitz.

The precision boring mill unites the advantages of a classic boring mill with those of a jig boring machine. The accuracy of the new machine tool was significantly in-creased in comparison to a classic boring mill by the help of various amendments. At the same time, the precision boring mill is characterized by high flexibility. The boring spindle allows for the machining of contours deep within the workpiece.

Comprehensive optimizationsThomas Grimm, Senior Sales Manager at UnionChemnitz, explains the develop-ment of the precision boring mill: “The KCG 125 is based on our reliable planer type boring mills. These offer the best preconditions for highly precise machining results in terms of design. As a result of many small optimizations and the introduction of a special thermal management we have developed a machine concept with which we are the first manufacturer to enter a vacant market segment.”Several highlights of the machine guarantee the highest precision regarding both po-sitioning accuracy and geometrical precision. Those include optimized ribbing for an increased stiffness of the machine bed and column, linear guideways of the highest quality standards and hand-scraped guides. Various optimizations also result in an outstanding thermal stability of the machine. Among those are ceramic hybrid bea-rings for the main spindle and longitudinal compensation of the boring spindle.

Precise and flexible machiningRSGetriebe in Sonthofen is a German manufacturer of high-quality special gear-boxes for a broad range of industries. The high-performance gearboxes, which are manufactured tailored to the customers’ requirements, are used in industries such as the plastics and machine tool sectors or for test stands in the automotive industry. “Our workpieces have to be machined with a precision of under 0.005 mm regarding parallelism and coaxiality of surfaces and boring holes at times,” says Thorsten Mehlhorn, President and COO of RSGetriebe. In addition to housings for milling units, KCG 125 reliably machines all gear housings at RSGetriebe. Gear-boxes with volumes of 1.5 to 2 m3 and weights of up to 6 t can be manufactured in Sonthofen now.In order to ensure stable temperatures during the machining process, the precision boring mill is equipped with an air-conditioned housing including a roof and an ex-traction system. Therefore, even larger temperature variations in production halls do not affect the constant machining conditions. An operating platform is situated within the air-conditioned housing. “From here, the work area is easily accessible and the whole process can be monitored manually. That is a great advantage for our machine operators in their everyday routine,” Thorsten Mehlhorn says.After the machine has been in operation for half a year in Sonthofen, Thorsten Mehlhorn’s summary is positive: “The KG series by UnionChemnitz with its increa-sed accuracy is a very interesting investment option in comparison to a jig boring machine. The machine’s precision is nearly identical and it offers much higher de-grees of freedom and greater traverse.”

You can find the complete application report and more information on the new pre-cision boring mill on: unionchemnitz.com/kg-series

Precision boring mill by UnionChemnitz at work

COMMUnICATIOnS

EditorialDear readers,

In October 2015, Dr. Benedikt Sitte was appointed new President and COO of Uni-onChemnitz. After Michael Bergmann left the company, this is the initiation of a generation change on the one hand. He represents a new generation of senior management which is set to develop the business and shape the future of the com-pany with new ideas. On the other hand, the position was purposely occupied with a highly qualified engineer. Despite his relatively young age, Dr. Sitte brings great experience and competence to his new task.

After finishing his studies and working at RWTH Aachen University, Dr. Sitte became Manager of Mechanical Engineering at the heavy-duty machine tool manufacturer WaldrichSiegen. There he did not only prove his ability to lead, but his evident tech-nological competence, too.

At WaldrichSiegen, he cooperated closely with UnionChemnitz. He is familiar with the products as well as the structures and processes in our company. This staf-

fing within the group will further increase our cooperation with WaldrichSiegen. Dr. Sitte will contribute to a further strengthening of the communication and mutual exchange between the two companies.

The order of a rotor slotter (see article on page 3) shows that through the united competence of both companies, we can create complex products and pioneering technological solutions. It also shows: Despite the stagnation of our markets, Union-Chemnitz occupies a strong position. We offer a broad product range to our custo-mers which does not only consist of machines, but of comprehensive, customized equipment, too. This includes milling units manufactured within the company group as well as a broad range of tables.

We will further expand this competence with Dr. Sitte’s expertise.

Heinrich Haumer

New President of UnionChemnitz

Interview with Dr. Benedikt Sitte

Dr. Bendikt Sitte has been the new President and COO of UnionChemnitz since Oc-tober 2015. He will lead the company together with Christoph Thoma, Helmut Bart-mann and Heinrich Haumer. Dr. Benedikt Sitte was team leader at the Laboratory for Machine Tools and Production Engineering of RWTH Aachen University before he became Manager of Mechanical Engineering at WaldrichSiegen. In our interview, he told us about his new area of responsibility and its opportunities.

Dr. Sitte, what are the most important skills required for successfully leading a company?

Dr. Benedikt Sitte: In my opinion, a good company leader is a good integrator, strategist and motivator to begin with. As an integrator, he has to bring together the collective knowledge of the company, or rather the company group, across depart-ments. That way, tasks can be managed efficiently and effectively. As a strategist, he has to foresee goals and tasks and derive fields of action from these. As a mo-tivator, he has to internalize the company’s aims and be an example for employees in the working processes and business relationships every day.

What do you find fascinating about engineering heavy-duty machine tools?

Engineering heavy-duty machine tools poses enormous technological, economical and time-related challenges. This is why the projects are interesting and fascinating. Special care and diligence are essential in all stages of design and construction with machines of such size and the high demands concerning machining results. Achieving the next milestone in each project is therefore always exciting for me.

You have managed the mechanical engineering department at WaldrichSiegen for three years. In your view, what are the special strengths of UnionChemnitz pro-ducts?

The entire portfolio of boring mills and travelling column mills offers robust and high-performance systems regarding the machine technology. In the area of control technology, too, UnionChemnitz products offer a wealth of opportunities well be-yond the market standards. In combination with great application technology, which we support directly, we are able to ensure high efficiency and performance at our customers’ facilities with our machines. In the future, we will strengthen our range of extra machine equipment, such as milling heads and rotary tables, in addition to the range of boring mills and travelling column mills. UnionChemnitz occupies a strong market position in comparison with its competition, which we will expand in the years to come.

Within the company group, UnionChemnitz cooperates with WaldrichSiegen, a ma-nufacturer of heavy-duty machine tools, concerning some projects. What are the opportunities arising from that?

There is a very intense cooperation already in the areas of sales, design, construc-tion and assembly. In recent years, many smaller and larger projects have shown that the companies harmonize, and that new prospects arise from the cooperation for both businesses. One example for that are the tables for heavy workpieces which are built by WaldrichSiegen and integrated into the boring mills by UnionChemnitz. Another example is the rotor slotter: a WaldrichSiegen and an UnionChemnitz ma-chine are combined to form a high-performance machine. On the whole, both com-panies benefit from the close cooperation. In the future, we will further intensify this.

UnionChemnitz can draw on the competences of all HerkulesGroup companies. What advantages derive from that?

For our customers, the vertical range of manufacture within the HerkulesGroup means that they can trust us as a reliable partner with high-quality products regar-ding both new machines and machine services. We have direct control over delivery times and quality for a great number of critical machine components. This inclu-des, for example, structural components, boring spindles, rotary tables and milling heads. These and many more components are manufactured and assembled in the specialized factories of the HerkulesGroup. Thus, we avoid problems regarding time and production directly. The HerkulesGroup is available for fast, short-term and un-complicated machine services, as well, thanks to its worldwide network of offices. One single company would find it very hard to provide that on its own.

Finally, a personal question: how do you like Chemnitz?

The town struck me as multifaceted and very interesting during my visits so far. The industry is strong and the companies are very well interconnected. Besides that, there is a broad range of cultural and leisure time activities. I am looking forward not only to working, but also to living here.

Thanks for the interview!

New President and COO of UnionChemnitz: Dr. Benedikt Sitte

UnionChemnitz Communications

UnionChemnitz Communications

Machining generator rotors and turbine rotors with one single machine

Flexible boring and milling at maximum performance

Engineered in Germany – built in the USA

UnionChemnitz horizontal boring and milling machine manufactured in the USA

For American customers, the delivery times of UnionChemnitz horizontal boring and milling machines will be signifi cantly shorter in the future. For the fi rst time, an UnionChemnitz machine is built in the USA. The PCR with a fl oor plate was de-signed in Germany. UnionChemnitz’s partner in the USA is KPM, a HerkulesGroup service company in Ford City, Pennsylvania with a wealth of experience in manu-facturing heavy-duty machine tools. Here, the PCR 160 is built and assembled in close cooperation with the German colleagues.

The machine is unique in the market: the horizontal boring mill with a Heidenhain iTNC 530 HSCI control is the fi rst machine built in the USA that is equipped with a hydrostatic guidance system. This minimizes wear; therefore, the machine has an outstanding durability. The extremely stiff, strongly ribbed column and robust, cast-iron bed which absorbs vibrations guarantee precise machining results even when performing heavy-duty machining tasks. Spindle and RAM droop as well as column tilt are reliably compensated. In addition to stable heavy-duty machining, PCR 160 is suitable for extremely precise fi nishing tasks and allows for the effective machining of large, heavy workpieces from fi ve sides. A technological highlight: the ceramic-coated boring spindle. Its surface is signifi cantly harder and more resilient than that of gas-nitrided boring spindles. Higher resistance to corrosion and wear are major advantages.

PCR 160 will be applied in the manufacturing of machine components for the HerkulesGroup in Ford City. Highest precision and reproducibility are the major challenges here. Boring mills made by UnionChemnitz have proven themselves in these areas. Engineering and manufacturing of the Y-slide, RAM and spindle system of the PCR 160 take place at UnionChemnitz. The range of services and spare parts is expanded for UnionChemnitz’s North American customers through the close cooperation with KPM in this project. At the moment, heavy-duty machine tools in operation in the USA are largely imported from abroad. From now on, horizontal boring and milling machines built in the USA and engineered with German know-how are available here.

PCR 160 – boring mill with RAM and hydrostatic guidance system

Rotor slotter: combined machine technology by UnionChemnitz and WaldrichSiegen

New President and COO of UnionChemnitz: Dr. Benedikt Sitte

UnionChemnitz has raised the bar once again in the machining of workpieces for the energy industry. In May 2015, a contract covering the delivery of a rotor slotter with a fl oor plate was concluded between UnionChemnitz and a large American power plant manufacturer. The challenge: it is required to machine both generator rotors and turbine rotors. Classic rotor slotters are capable of machining generator rotors only.

It was clear from the earliest stages of the project that a new machine concept had to be developed to allow for both applications. In cooperation with its experienced sister company WaldrichSiegen, UnionChemnitz managed to meet this combina-tion of technical and technological demands. The machine adapts to the required technology with the help of special attachment units for boring and milling. Thus, the rotor slotter is able to fulfi ll a diverse range of machining tasks.

PCR 260 is UnionChemnitz’s most powerful horizontal boring and milling machine. It has suffi cient performance, torque and speed to fulfi ll the tasks required by the customer. The cast iron bed is strongly ribbed and absorbs vibrations. Even when performing heavy-duty machining tasks, a hydrostatic guidance system guarantees highest precision and protection from wear. The machine is equipped with an auto-matic tool changer for effi cient and time-saving machining of workpieces.

The workpieces to be machined are placed in a highly precise clamping device and can be adjusted with the help of numerically controlled steady rests. The rotor slotter machines workpieces with a length of up to 15,500 mm, a diameter of up to 2,400 mm and a maximum weight of 150 t reliably and accurately.

The initial reactions on the market have been positive and suggest that this product could be applied in many more interesting projects.

Visitors of all age groups were delighted with the “Spätschicht” (late shift), which took place in the UnionChemnitz production halls on September 25. Industrial com-panies with many years’ history in the region opened their doors for visitors during the “6. Tage der In-dustriekultur” (days of industrial culture). The guided tours offered by Uni-onChemnitz were booked out well in advance. Families with child-

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Issue: 2015/2016

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PCR 130 for machine tool manufacturer

Successful addition to the product portfolio

A PCR 130, last year’s addition to the UnionChemnitz product range, will begin operation at the machine tool manufactu-rer Maschinenfabrik Herkules Meuselwitz soon.

PCR 130 is a new develop-ment in the modular machine range offered by UnionChem-nitz. It complements the floor type P-series with a RAM (PR), which specializes in heavy-duty machining of large and heavy workpieces. The new machine is lighter, works more dynamically in the lower areas and reaches a speed of 4.400 rpm. In the future, the heavy-duty machine tool manufac-turer Herkules Meuselwitz will use the PCR 130 to machine

UnionChemnitz at the start line of 10th Company Run in ChemnitzA UnionChemnitz team parti-cipated in the biggest corpo-rate run to date in Chemnitz on September 2, 2015. Ronny Braun and his team showed their colors for UnionChemnitz among the machine builders in the region. “This event is very popular in the area, the at-

mosphere is fantastic and it’s great to be present as a com-pany,” says the team captain. Together with his colleagues Robert Enderlein, Enrico Kühn and Matthias Schönheider he revived the company’s run-ning tradition after a few years’ break.

6,000 runners from 500 com-panies in total took on the 4.8 km track – many of them in fancy dress. You do not have to be a top athlete to participate. As always, having fun and en-joying the experience together were the main focus during this year’s 10th anniversary event.

Besides runners in sportswear, Minions, a team wearing full-body cow costumes and even a bus, which was awarded the prize for the most creative co-stume, were among the star-ters.

Every year, sports events of

Running tradition revived in Chemnitz

UnionChemnitz will present its product range at its booth at the International Manufacturing Tech-nology Show in Chicago, one of the largest industrial trade fairs worldwide, from September 12 to 16, 2016.The exhibition of a PCR 160, a floor type boring mill, will be the highlight of the booth. Manufac-tured in Ford City, Pennsylvania, it is the only boring mill built in the USA which features a hydrostatic guideway system.

Days of Industrial Culture – open doors at UnionChemnitz

RAM and boring spindle allow for great flexibility

weldments at medium metal removal rates. It is suitable for universal application in the areas of boring, milling and fi-nish-boring. In addition to its flexibility, the machine works very precisely: tolerances in the area of 0.01 mm are met in the machining process.

The machine is equipped with a RAM and a boring spindle. Therefore, it reaches a machi-ning depth of 1,500 mm (RAM) und 750 mm (boring spindle), which equals a combined depth of 2,250 mm on and in-side the workpiece, not coun-ting the tool. The machine’s guideway system is equipped with preloaded linear-compact roller guides. The machine

this type become more po-pular, as proven by this year’s record of participation. “It was great fun,” Ronny Braun said. “Next year, we hope to have an even bigger team at the star-ting line!”

also features an automatic tool changer with 60 pockets in order to ensure quicker and more efficient machining, as well as an inner and outer co-olant system.

In addition to delivery, the service package includes as-sembly, commissioning and handover ready for production, as well as operation and user training. With this investment, Herkules Meuselwitz makes sure that machining at medium metal removal rates at its pro-duction facilities is stable and precise at the same time.

ren, prospective apprentices and pensioners were among those interested. Every 20 minutes, Uni-onChemnitz employees guided groups of up to 20 people, showing them the machines and facilities. “The visitors were surprised by the size of the machines. These dimen-sions – a caliper of 2,5 m length, for example – are very impressive for the younger visitors in particular”, said Hans-Jörg Großmann from the sales department, who was very satisfied with the event.

UnionChemnitz’s co-exhibitor is its sister company WaldrichSie-gen, which will showcase its range of high-performance portal milling machines and lathes.

We are looking forward to your visit at IMTS!

UnionChemnitz exhibits at IMTS 2016 in Chicago

Source: www.firmenlauf-chemnitz.de