Page 39 - MetalForming May 2011

German Die Shop Sports a Toolroom for Tomorrow
German tool maker Formenbau Keller- mann GmbH has reduced lead times by more than 20 percent since investing in Visi die-design software from UK-based Vero, and installing a palletized production process with a zero-point clamping system. Vero maintains a U.S. office in Wixom, MI.
“Pricing pressure, competition from emerging countries and the trend toward shorter project terms are challenges that force tool manufacturers to rethink the classical form of single-item pro- duction,” explains Sabine Kellermann. “In tool making, flexibility and the use of the latest technology is a must. This basic principle also is applicable to Formenbau Kellermann where we have invested heavily in machinery and software so we are ready to adapt to changing market conditions.”
Process automation is a speciality of Formenbau Kellermann, and this starts with the tool design.
In 2004, the firm’s NC department was equipped with Vero’s Visi Machining, where the CAM tasks were shared with PowerMill, from Delcam. In 2009 the com- pany switched entirely to Visi for all machining activities. “The advantages of a uniform, consistent CAD/CAM sys- tem outweighed the benefits of dual products,” explains Kellermann. “Typically we deal with short programming times, and feature recognition from native CAD data is an important component of our automation strategy.”
One function used extensively at Keller- mann is the ability to automatically convert three-axis to five-axis continuous tool paths. “This enables us to reduce expen- diture on programming time and still ben- efit from the advantages of five-axis machining,” explains Kellermann. “For example, one machining center allows for an approach angle from +16 deg. to - 120 deg., where the distance between spin- dle and table is only 30 mm. This approach is applicable for most geometries and we benefit from better surface finish through the use of shorter, more rigid
tooling and reduced vibration.
“There is rarely something that we can-
not mill and we no longer experience bot- tlenecks on the CNC machines,” con- tinues Kellermann, noting that the firm’s five-axis machining centers are equipped with a palette system that includes three round tables that can each be loaded with zero-point clamping sys-
tems. “A running process can be inter- rupted at any time,” Kellermann says, “without losing the zero-point. This can be particularly useful in the case of urgent repairs, or when spotting sur- faces must be quickly remilled, all which affect lead-time and efficiency.”
Vero USA Inc.: 248/869-4040;
www.vero-software.com
www.metalformingmagazine.com
MetalForming/May 2011 37
Tooling Update