No. 48 / 2016

InfoMAXThe experts for leveling and deburring

Lengefeld/Markgröningen, Germany – Manufacturing chassis and radia-tor parts is a high-pressure job – in the truest sense of the word. High-performance presses apply forces between 50 and 1500 tons. This is done to sheet metal strip in order to bend them into a specific desired shape. The interaction between the

press and the feeding line is a critical factor for the quality of the formed parts. In order to produce high-quality parts, the feeding line has to supply the coil material to the press exact-ly as needed. These parts guarantee the precision of the subsequent pro-cesses such as laser welding. “We continuously invest in our production equipment in order to maintain this quality. Increasingly complex parts and ever stricter safety standards de-mand high-precision production sys-tems, especially for vehicle manufac-turing“, explains Eberhard Mayr, CEO and Founder at a.i.m. – alles in metall. For a.i.m. this ment to invest in new feeding lines.

In sync with the customers

a.i.m. was founded in 1993 and is an expert in forming, punching and joining technology. That is why the compa-ny handles all of the production steps itself. With 13 lasers and 28 presses, a.i.m. produces up to 35,000 tons of special parts every year for well known

German passenger and commercial vehicle manufacturers.Around 85% of the products are des-tined for German companies and the rest is delivered to international custo-mers. The company maintains two pro-duction sites. The Lengefeld plant in Saxony presses sheet steel and alumi-num panels before they are laser wel-ded at the Markgröningen plant. The welding center was founded roughly a year ago and reflects the company‘s vigorous expansion. “As our customers increase, so do the number of pro-ducts that we manufacture for them“, says Jim C. Kohn, CEO at a.i.m. “The-se include complex assemblies which require us to press large panels, for

example. Up until now we focused on tube and deep-drawn parts.“ In order to keep pace with the developments, the company recently invested in new presses and a new hall. The latter ex-pands the two existing facilities in Len-gefeld. However, that is not all: the new and powerful presses also needed sui-table feeding lines.

A job for ARKU

ARKU was the only partner that came into consideration. This was due to a good reason: “We have known the company since the EuroBlech 2008. A year later a stable business relation-ship developed and continues to this day“, remembers Mayr. “At the time we purchased a CompactFeed® 80, our first compact press feeding line. The compact system was the per-fect solution for the space we had available.“ Over the course of the ye-ars, four more CompactFeed® fee-ding lines were purchased. These consistently enable a.i.m. to react ra-pidly to the current demands. Due to

ARKU Maschinenbau GmbH � Siemensstraße 11 � 76532 Baden-Baden � Germany � T: + 49 72 21 / 50 09-0 � E-Mail: info@arku.de � www.arku.de ARKU Maschinenbau GmbH · Siemensstrasse 11 · 76532 Baden-Baden · Germany · Phone: + 49 72 21 / 50 09-0 · Fax: + 49 72 21 / 50 09-11 · E-Mail: info@arku.com · www.arku.com

Continued on page 2

All smiles: (from l. to r.) Rainer Menten, Plant Manager Lengefeld at a.i.m., Drazenko Dobras, Sales Manager at ARKU, Eberhard Mayr, CEO and Founder at a.i.m., Jim C. Kohn, CEO at a.i.m. and Kerstin Dittrich, Authorized Officer at a.i.m., look to the future with confidence.

Up with the times a.i.m. GmbH manufactures high-precision formed parts thanks to the CompactFeed® systems from ARKU

Coil Lines

Leveling, deburring and coil sys-tems are our topics at the EuroBlech from 25th to 29th of October 2016 in Hanover. We will have two exhibition booths – featuring deburring for the first time – in hall 11 near Trumpf. We will also present additional so-lutions in hall 27, right next to our partner Feintool.

We look forward to seeing you and surprising you with the new Edge-Grinder deburring machine or the FlatJack® automated flatness control system.

Naturally, you can also enjoy our famous cocktails!

See you soon in Hanover,

Albert Reiss, ARKU CEO

Are you going to be in Hanover?

CONTENTS

COIL LINES: P. 1

LEVELING: P. 2 to P. 4

DEBURRING: P. 3

their low failure rate, the systems have provided a.i.m. real increases in pro-ductivity. When it came to technical questions, ARKU distinguished itself with its rapid reaction time and expert knowledge and know-how.

In other words: the chemistry between the two companies was perfect. That is why a.i.m. decided to purchase two new feeding lines from ARKU in 2016.

Compact systems for lean processes

A CompactFeed® 50 will support one of the new presses coming this fall. The unique feature of the CompactFeed® series: It combines strip leveling and feeding in one machine. This redu-ces the system length and noticeably shortens the unwinding and rewinding times. In addition, the new press fee-ding lines are specifically designed for thick panels. As a result, a.i.m. can now also process coils up to 4 millimeters thick and 1,500 millimeters wide. This further expands the company‘s already

broad range while also ensuring even more precise manufacturing. “The pre-cise coil material feeding increases the quality of the formed parts. In addition, it prevents damage to the production tools“, emphasizes Mayr. After stam-ping, the high quality parts also have a positive influence on the subsequent processes: “Thanks to ARKU, our laser

welding is now even more precise“, says Mayr. “This enables us to strengthen our position as an exclusive welder for a leading German passenger vehicle manufacturer.“ The company founder is already ma-king new plans while always having a view for preparing a.i.m. for future tasks. The seventh CompactFeed® sys-

tem for another press is scheduled for 2017. “The future of production belongs to laser-welded parts and forming technology. Those are equipped with such technology, are able to secure their long-term success. With ARKU as a partner we are confident that we will continue to remain competitive.“www.alles-in-metall.de

InfoMAXContinued from page 1

Endless shapes: a.i.m. transforms sheet metal coils with various qualities into a vast range of parts for the automotive industry.

Leveling

The curtain is set to rise for the world‘s largest sheet metal processing trade fair from October 25th to 29th in Hanover, Germany. Discover our la-test developments and other news for deburring and leveling machines. Experience our machines live. Share the excitement! We look forward to seeing you on our booth J128 in hall 27 and on booth E61 in hall 11.

ARKU at the EuroBlech 2016

ARKU-Ticker

Nový Hrozenkov, Czech Republic – As one of the region´s leading sheet me-tal experts, Zamet spol. s.r.o. is well-known for high quality steel and short lead times. Since 1994, the company manufactures sturdy sheet metal and subassemblies for the construction, rail and agricultural industries. Backed by the latest laser and plasma cut-

ting, bending and welding equipment, machining and painting processes, Zamet serves customers across the Central European market. “Smooth processes are key to meeting the re-quirements of our large customer base and to ultimately expand it”, says Monika Krenkova, Sales Manager at Zamet. To further increase process ef-

ficiency, Zamet opted for an automated leveler. The FlatMaster® 88 160 from ARKU proved to be the right choice in many respects.

Increased quality and speed

Leveled parts are essential to Zamet’s high-grade products, as they ensure

enhanced bending and welding pro-cesses. For many years, Zamet relied on the same hydraulic presses to carry out both leveling and bending opera-tions. “In order to speed up the leve-ling process and optimize sheet metal tolerances for bending and welding, we decided to ramp up our leveling capacities,” Monika Krenkova empha-sizes.

Zamet had heard about ARKU’s FlatMaster® before, so the compa-ny decided to contact the German leveling expert. Following tests with complex parts in the leveling and de-burring center in Baden-Baden, Za-met decided on a FlatMaster® 88 160. Since the installation in 2015, the Czech company has sped up leveling operations by 50 percent. The stand-alone leveler has also increased ca-pacities on the hydraulic presses. Hence, Zamet can handle 20 percent more bending orders. What is most important to Monika Krenkova, is the ability to realize flatness levels of up to 0.3 millimeters without additional machining. “This has greatly expan-ded our client base in the construction industry.”

www.zamet.cz

Higher performance: Zamet utilizes the FlatMaster® 88 160 from ARKU to process sheet metal parts faster and also creates additional capacities on its mechanical systems.

Leveling for successful downstream processes Zamet spol. s.r.o. boosts production efficiency and customer base with ARKU FlatMaster®

InfoMAX

Thedinghausen, Germany – Massive constructions are a norm for the ag-ricultural and construction machinery industry. The cut pieces used to cons-truct them are as large as you would expect. In addition to the thickness, the flatness of the parts plays an important role. That is the reason why PS Laser added a FlatMaster® from ARKU in ad-dition to two systems from ARKU‘s sub-sidiary HRC. Since then, the company not only offers a significantly broader range of leveling services – but also an essential additional service.

Level for smoother subsequent process

PS Laser cuts around 17,000 tons of steel every year with 14 state-of-the-art laser systems. The results consist of panels up to 60 millimeters thick for around 1200 customers from the en-gineering, equipment and plant engi-neering industries. PS Laser processes the cut pieces further to create parts for tractors and excavators – and relies

on perfect flatness: “The flatter the pa-nels and the less internal stresses they have, the easier they are to edge, mill

and weld“, emphasizes the CEO Jürgen Schröder. “This makes it easier for our customers to complete the assembly

with their high precision production fa-cilities. That is why flat parts are essen-tial for production.“

In other words: the company needed a system for thicker panels. The FlatMas-ter® 120 200 from ARKU was the right solution. “We knew about ARKU as a leading manufacturer of high-quality levelers through the press“, explains Schröder. “We initially decided to carry out test runs with standard parts.“ The tests were a complete success: since the middle of the year, PS Laser has been reliably leveling parts up to 2,000 millimeters wide. “Thanks to ARKU we are on the safe side when it comes to level parts. With three systems for vari-ous sizes we now cover a leveling spec-trum between 0.5 and 35 millimeters. Furthermore, we can also provide con-tract leveling services for large-format panels. All of this is what truly sets us apart in the market – and guarantees follow-up orders“, concludes Schröder.

www.ps-laser.de

Frederick Bender, Order Manager at ARKU (1st from left), Volker Brinkmann, Operations Ma-nager at PS Laser (2nd from left), Peter Eiswirt, Head of Sales Business Unit Leveling at ARKU (3rd from left), Marcus Bartle, Managing Director at ARKU (3rd from right) and Jürgen Schröder, CEO at PS Laser (1st from right), examine the leveling results.

On the safe sidePS Laser GmbH levels standardized large format panels with the FlatMaster® from ARKU

Leveling

Bøgballe, Denmark – The use of mine-ral fertilizers in the agricultural indus-try calls for sturdy mounted spreaders. As the highly potent substances inter-

act with the device’s steel casing, opti-mum protection is the key to ensure the spreaders’ durability. BOGBALLE, one of the world´s largest manufacturers

of mounted fertilizer spreaders, relies on protective powder paint. To optimize the painting process, the company de-cided to switch from partially manual to entirely automatic deburring.

Deburring for optimum coating

BOGBALLE has been producing mounted spreaders for over 60 years. The company covers the entire ma-nufacturing process, including laser cutting and then deburring. This or-der is crucial for smooth parts and uniform painting results. “Deburred parts prevent the coating from pee-ling off,” Henrik G. Nielsen, foreman at BOGBALLE, explains. “Intact paint keeps off corrosion, which might occur due to chemical reactions between the fertilizer and casing.”

For several years, the company ma-nually deburred thick parts. Thin-ner components are processed on an EdgeRacer® deburring machine. Since 2015, ARKU exclusively markets the

entire EdgeRacer® series, developed by Wöhler Brush Tech GmbH, Germa-ny, worldwide. Given the good perfor-mance of the EdgeRacer®, BOGBALLE decided to purchase another automa-ted solution from ARKU. “We wanted to increase both quality and output of thi-cker parts. An internet search quickly led us to the EdgeBreaker® 2000, which deburrs thick parts up to 80 mil-limeters,” Henrik G. Nielsen reports.

The company first tested the machine in ARKU’s leveling and deburring center in Baden-Baden. The results didn‘t fail to impress and BOGBALLE quickly de-cided on the EdgeBreaker® 2000. Since May 2016, the machine has boosted production by roughly 20 percent and significantly reduced manual labor. Henrik G. Nielsen is highly satisfied: “Our products continue to meet our customers’ quality requirements. The machine also ideally complements the EdgeRacer® and extends our debur-ring range.”

www.bogballe.com

(From left to right) Jan V. Christensen, Operator at BOGBALLE, Thomas Weinfurtner, Deburring Sales Manager at ARKU and Henrik G. Nielsen, Foreman at BOGBALLE verifying the parts after the process.

A perfect matchBOGBALLE A/S enhances product safety with the ARKU EdgeBreaker® 2000

Deburring

Which materials does ARKU debur or level at the Leveling and Deburring Center in Baden-Baden, Germany? What is the added value for customers? Find out this and much more in ARKU‘s regular podcasts. Tune in and listen! www.arku.com/en/levelinganddeburringcenter/podcast.html

ARKU‘s podcast is online

Profit from the results of numerous leveling demonstrations and our extensive expert knowledge. Experienced leveling specialists at the ARKU Leveling and Deburring Center pass on their practical know-how to you during our trainings. Mr. Alexander Enke (alexander.enke@arku.de) looks forward to receiving your registrations for the next training seminar in Baden-Baden on 12.10.2016.

Leveling training for operators

Westoverledingen, Germany – From machine components the size of a credit card to sheet metal panels meters long: n-cut24 cuts metal into almost every imaginable shape. Correspondingly, the sheet metal experts offer a diverse ran-ge of services. The company carries out laser cuts, plasma cuts, deburring and

leveling in a 6,000 square meter plant. The n-cut24 production facility exclusi-vely manufactures unique pieces from a variety of materials. The specially pro-duced parts made of high tensile steel are ordered by customers such as ship-builders and wind energy turbine manu-facturers. Different leveling systems are needed, depending on the type of sheet metal, in order to achieve the best possi-ble flatness. These flat parts ensure that the cut pieces can then be assembled quickly and easily.

Important portfolio expansion

“We use the FlatMaster® 50 80 from ARKU to level parts up to 800 millime-ters wide and 12 millimeters thick. We already have a rough leveling system for large cut pieces up to 2,500 millimeters wide“, explains the Managing Director Ulrich van Scharrel. However, the com-pany lacked a leveler for medium-width parts until now. Yet the machine was an urgent necessity. “We wanted to reduce

the load on the FlatMaster® and also si-gnificantly expand our service portfolio“, continues van Scharrel. “This makes us a more attractive full-service partner and creates long-term customer loyalty“.

Said and done. Mr. van Scharrel received a presentation about the PlateMaster® L

at the EuroBlech 2014. n-cut24 then tested the system in Baden-Baden. The results made one thing clear: with its 2,000 millimeters opening width, it was the perfect complement to the existing levelers. The system not only redu-ces the load on its smaller brother, the FlatMaster®: “The PlateMaster® L pro-cesses panels rapidly and with even less internal stress with a very low rejection quota. Thanks to its efficient interaction with the other systems, we now offer contract leveling for all coil widths. Our customer base is growing as a result“, emphasizes van Scharrel in closing.

www.n-cut24.de

Masthead / Publisher: ARKU Maschinenbau GmbH, GermanyResponsible: Albert Reiss, CEO Coordination: Alexandra Schuldt, Head of MarketingLayout: Marschner+Kühn GmbH & Co. KG, Rommel & Company, Germany Print: Naberdruck, Germany

InfoMAX

The perfect addition: the leveler expands the machine park of n-cut24 with a middle width system.

From narrow to extra-widen-cut24 GmbH expands its leveling spectrum with the PlateMaster® L

Leveling

Perfectly equipped thanks to ARKU: (from left to right) Thomas Incani, machine ope-rator, Kuno Fokken, workshop foreman and Reemt Steenblock, sales employee from n-cut24, in front of the new PlateMaster® L.

The workshop for ARKU‘s trainees and students, which recently took place in the Black Forest, kicked off with a major challenge: the const-ruction of a 12 meters long suspen-sion bridge. The bridge needed to be

wide and sturdy. A black forest action team only provided the material and the concept. The trainees as a team handled the building of the bridge. Goal of the ambitious project was to create trust in each other and also to reinforce both the team mentality and solidarity. A success. After suc-

cessfully completing the project, the ARKU trainees then learned more about the company. All of the partici-pants took part in role-play exercises covering topics such as customer meetings in the service department.

Everyone involved gained a lot of ex-perience and trust for the new tasks thanks to these practical exercises. The location provided the perfect setting for this teambuilding work-shop. All in all – a successful and motivating event.

At this year‘s ARKU Maschinenbau GmbH summer festival on the 16th of September 2016, the company owner and CEO Albert Reiss paid tribute to four employees for their long-standing commitment to the company. Birgit Brandt, Matthias Mussler and Stanislav Merker ce-lebrated 10-year anniversaries and Martin Hertweck celebrated 40 ye-ars of employment at ARKU. All four

employees have contributed to the company‘s continuous growth with their knowledge and experience. Albert Reiss thanked the employees for their long-standing loyalty with a personal speech and presented each one with a unique gift. This year‘s festival took place at ARKU‘s premises in Baden-Baden, provi-ding a worthy location for the anni-versary celebration.

Building trust by building bridges

This is loyalty

(from l to r) Albert Reiss CEO of ARKU, employees celebrating their company anniversa-ries, Martin Hertweck, Stanislav Merker, Matthias Mussler, Birgit Brandt and Managing Director Marcus Bartle.

A success: ARKU‘s trainee team and the suspension bridge they built.