Reference Trumpf Maschinen Austria, Pasching

Keeping everything running smoothly

Thomas Havlicek-Stuhlhofer has worked at Trumpf Maschinen Austria for over 20 years and has seen the site grow over the years. “When I first started, we were producing 50 metres of tools a month – now it’s 50 metres a day.”

Challenge:

Before modernising their approach, the company extracted metal shavings from the milling machines using industrial vacuum cleaners. The waste containers on the vacuum cleaners had to be emptied of shavings several times a day.

Solution:

These days, an extraction system from Kärcher transports the metal shavings into a container that is emptied just once a day. A real boon for industrial processes, cleanliness, occupational safety and company image.

So, you manufacture bending tools from your facility in Pasching in Upper Austria. What are the biggest challenges you face in your day-to-day operations?

Our products – bending tools for bending machines – are an integral element of our customers’ production process. They are used in the metalworking and sheet metal processing sectors to bend workpieces into the required shape. Our customers may order bending tools when they have a large order coming up and they need to reorganise their production accordingly. Or, alternatively, they may order bending tools as spare parts for bending machines they already have on site, because even a bending tool can break after a certain amount of time and stress.

Given that our customers’ production grinds to a halt if we don’t deliver, our greatest challenge is ensuring delivery is fast and on schedule. We have a range of standard products that we always hold in stock. On our special tools, the bend radius of the tool, which determines the degree of curvature of the workpiece, deviates from the standard. These products can be with our customers within 3 to 7 working days. For bending tools that need to be designed, tested and manufactured to specific requirements, we need around 10 days. We supply customers around the world, which involves several tonnes of material leaving our factory every day.

Some ten years ago, you came up with the idea of modernising how the metal shavings were extracted from the milling machines. How did that come about?

We had industrial vacuum cleaners for the milling machines and swarf containers that had to be emptied several times a day. This was disruptive to the workflow, especially when volumes increased, and no longer made sense from a logistical point of view. We also introduced the Synchro lean management system to improve lead times and material flow.

This made it all the more important that the machines and the halls in general were kept clean. After all, dirt – metal shavings in our case – presents an obstacle to production that can lead to errors and downtime. So, my main concern was how to remove dirt from the process more effectively. That’s when we bought an extraction system from Kärcher’s subsidiary Ringler, which was designed for use with one or two milling machines – purely to test the thing as a whole.

Then you didn’t wait long before expanding the system. How did you go about that, and how did the collaboration with Kärcher come about?

We realised that an extraction system is hugely valuable to general cleanliness and is easier to handle when production processes are underway. So, we wanted to install a new system, and the search for a partner brought us straight to Kärcher. We worked together really closely and scaled the new system up so that it could initially handle three milling machines on this line, with a plan to ultimately expand the line to four machines.

How does the system benefit you and your team?

We have two employees operating four millingbmachines, with the idea being to enable them to focus on their main task. The extraction point is located on the machining centre itself, removing the need to deal with a cumbersome vacuum cleaner.

The built-in swarf crusher minimises the volume of the metal shavings produced, so that we only have to empty the 1,500-litre swarf container once a day. This also means the recycling material is already prepared in a compact form. For me, the extraction system is also a major benefit in terms of health and safety at work. Some facilities use compressed air to clear up metal shavings – which can then fly in the wrong direction and cause injuries. What’s more, it ensures our production environment is kept clean, which not only improves occupational safety by reducing slip hazards but is also good for our overall image. We often receive visits from international delegations who look to us as a point of reference in the industry, so this is particularly important to us. In my mind, the way we work is truly state-of-the-art within modern manufacturing.

How has the collaboration with Kärcher been over the years?

What I really like about it is that they are always prepared to find a solution that is right for us. To give some examples: our steel is really tough, which is why the pipelines have been modified to prevent them getting damaged. We’ve also jointly developed a swarf rinsing system, because we have high suction power and a specific pipe length, which means the shavings would dry out and get stuck in transit. Now the process runs smoothly. Another important little detail was switching from a painted swarf hopper, where the shavings would always get stuck, to a stainless steel one.

When the fourth milling machine was added to the line, the dimensions we had worked out with Kärcher a few years earlier proved to be just right. The only change was to replace the swarf shredder with a two-blade crusher station to cope with the volume of metal shavings.

Are there any other areas in which you work with Kärcher?

We have two scrubber dryers and two mobile wet and dry vacuum cleaners from Kärcher that we use in production to clean the aisles or tidy up spillages or leaks. We’re really pleased with those products too; they make for a well-rounded overall package.