Atributions:
Transcript by :Sarit Cepeda
THE LARGEST GANTRY MEASURING MACHINE DEVELOPED AND BUILT BY WENZEL UP TO THIS DAY, HAS BEEN IN OPERATION AT FORMA MASCHINENBAU ZERSPANUNGSTECHNOLOGIE GMBH
& CO. KG
Think big, but please be accurate to the thousandth. This is how the philosophy of FORMA MASCHINEN BAU Zerspanungstechnologie GmbH& Co. KG can be summarised. The company, headquartered in Borken, Germany, is one of the “big players” in the industry ⎯ literally. With production capacities for workpieces up to 24 meters in length, 5 meters in height and 160 tons in weight, the company clearly exceeds the usual performance dimensions. Not to mention the impressive, modern machinery with seven large machines, ten machining centers and four lathes for the large parts or small parts produced here in the highest quality as individual or series parts.
NEW “LARGE ARRAY” OF MEASUREMENT TECHNOLOGY
Now, “Think Big” also applies to FORMA in the field of measuring technology, in the form of the largest WENZEL single-piece measuring machine ever built. A performance giant with a measuring range of 2,600 by 4,500 by 1,750 millimeters and a total weight of 27,330 kilograms, whereby the base plate alone, made from a granite block with the finest lapping, already weighs 18 tons.
The “large array” named LH 2617 was developed on the basis of the WENZEL LH 2015, whose measuring range is 2,000 by 4,000 by 1,500 millimeters which have been extended. This was not an easy undertaking, since the performance capacity of the highly developed LH 2015 machine was basically considered to be technologically exhausted.
“As much as WENZEL’s overall expertise excited us,” Tobias GroßOnnebrink recalls the beginning of the selection process, “none of the solutions from the standard program seemed to meet our dimensional requirements. And we needed an overall concept for our very specific conditions and processes.”
FROM CONCEPT TO INSTALLATION
Based on this combination of competencies, a conclusive overall concept for the upgrade of a serial 3-D coordinate measuring machine WENZEL LH 2015 was quickly developed in close cooperation with WENZEL. The gantry measuring machines of the LH series from WENZEL are equipped with an incremental measuring system that has a fine graduation period as well as a high contamination tolerance. This ensures the best possible position stability at high speed for all axes. The LH is thus, ideally suited for applications that require both speed and maximum precision.
The series is available in different system sizes. Starting with the LH 65 with a measuring volume of 600 millimeters in X and 500 millimeters in Z, through the LH 87, 108, 1210 up to the LH 1512. The length of the base plate can be determined very flexibly due to WENZEL’’s own stone processing. In addition to the standard sizes, the modular system makes it possible to react very flexibly to individual customer requirements and to realize them. “However, we had not yet reached a dimension as desired by FORMA,” explains Managing Director Christian Klostermann, “So it was a matter of breaking new ground together.”
NO FEAR OF BREAKING NEW GROUND
Already during the first acceptance test by FORMA at WENZEL, the required accuracy of “less than 5 micrometers” was achieved with ease. Thanks to the outstanding ambient conditions in the newly designed, air-conditioned measuring room at FORMA, this value was ultimately improved to 3.8+L/300[µm].
It was also crucial for the placement in the measuring room to have a measuring machine that does not require its own additional foundation. As is the case with the construction concept of a single piece measuring machine from WENZEL, even with a measuring range of 2,600 by 4,500 by 1,750 millimeters and a total weight of 27,330 kilograms.
New big plans are already being made. “There is certainly more to come …” Christian Klostermann hints. Hence, it will be interesting to see what partnerships FORMA and WENZEL have planned for the future.
