Swiss-based Starrag is presenting real-life industrial applications at this year's EMO – from established Industry 4.0 solutions to highly efficient machines for machining large titanium and aluminium aero structural components.
The theme of the trade fair, "connecting systems for intelligent production", is being used by the organiser, VDW (German Machine Tool Builders' Association), to promote the EMO 2017 trade fair in Hannover. While others are still talking about Industry 4.0, Swiss-based Starrag is providing digitally networked production to its customers.
With a completion date of summer 2019, six Ecospeed F 2060s are to be installed at Chengdu Aerospace's aircraft factory to create a ‘smart factory’, one of the most productive and efficient plants in the world for the complete processing of aluminium structural components.
This is just one example of several holistic concepts that have been successfully implemented under the umbrella of Starrag's ‘Integrated Production System’ (IPS) which includes cell controller technology that has been developed in house.
Innovative machines with a small footprint
The new machines in Starrag's Heckert product range which are receiving their world premieres in Hannover are no less innovative. A 30% reduction in footprint and 15% increase in productivity set the newly developed Heckert X40 and Heckert H50 machining centres apart from the competition, the company claims.
The modular structure of these horizontal machining centres with a pallet size of 400 - 500mm enables them to be configured specifically for the application in hand, from light metal machining to heavy-duty cutting – all offering 5-axis machining solutions. As well as providing the optimum flexibility demanded by the marketplace, Starrag also has placed particular focus on future-orientated performance parameters for these machines: a 20 % improvement in chip-to-chip time and rapid traverses of up to 80m/s.
Automation solutions from a single source
Starrag's portfolio includes solutions for all typical automation requirements, from space-saving production cells to centrally controlled production lines. At EMO, Starrag is presenting a pallet storage system that is integrated into the Heckert H50, resulting in a minimised footprint. This six-pallet solution provides a cost-effective entry into autonomous production.
New for heavy-duty cutting
Starrag is opening a new chapter thanks to the successful Droop+Rein overhead gantry milling machine (FOG) series. The Bielefeld-based product range is presenting the first high-speed machining centre for extremely heavy and large components that combines the benefits of portal and gantry machines. The Droop+Rein FOGS HD (Heavy Duty) offers almost twice the performance and power of a standard FOGS, due to high machine dynamic smoothing increase of 20 - 30% in speed and economy.
Extreme precision
Berthiez RVU 2800/250 machining centres are ideal for high-precision machining, thanks to a radial and axial runout of less than 2μm. The machines can grind, turn, cut and perform inline measurements on large, heavy components of up to 20 tonnes (maximum diameter: 2,500mm, maximum height: 1,500mm) in a single clamping operation. They are of particular use during the complete processing of discs for gas turbines. The machines can also optionally be equipped for robotic tooling, enabling automated operation. The arguments must be convincing; a large international turbine manufacturer has already ordered six machines.
Highly efficient machining of titanium structural components
The Scharmann Ecoforce Ti 9 and Ti 13 were developed for use in the aviation industry as they can machine titanium structural components of up to 8,000mm in length (for example modern military aircraft frames or larger frame components). These machines use an ultra-compact A/C machining head with a powerful geared spindle (1,300Nm at 5,600rpm in S1 operation) with a high degree of rigidity.
The use of a wide range of pallets (1,000 x 4,000mm up to 2,500 x 8,000mm) enables highly efficient machining of a variety of components with high cutting rates of 750cm³/minute.
Putting service first
The complete Starrag product offering has one common denominator – they have all been developed according to Starrag's claim, ‘Engineering precisely what you value’. The customer will only receive exactly what they need and what is relevant to them if they receive the appropriate service. Starrag customer service is presenting a range of customer focused services at EMO Hannover.
Throughout the machine’s lifecycle, its customer service team is committed to partner with clients to achieve the lowest cost of ownership possible: standard service, spindle service, geometric alignment, production support; preventive maintenance and complete support through to retrofitting and rebuild.
The new Starrag Training Centre at the company's headquarters in Rorschacherberg, Switzerland, together with additional centres in Chemnitz and Mönchengladbach, provide tried and tested training facilities. Starrag develops customised individual training based on customer requirements – an example being a custom-designed training course lasting several weeks for an aviation company in Malaysia which machines large jet engine housings on a Starrag STC 1800/170.
Starrag www.starrag.com Hall 12, Stand B60
