Results Today 7 (PDF | 4.8 MB)

The Global Customer Newspaper
07
ENGLISH
EDITION
Milling centers
that are up
to any task
Milling TECHNOLOGY
Laser opens
the doors to
differentiation
14
Laser technology
Leading the
way in wire,
die-sinking EDM
15
EDM technology
14
Tomorrow’s
solutions
available today
MARKET REGION europe
+ five
customer
successes
3
+ SCHWANOG | 4-5
Skill, flexibility
support clear strategy
+ Aditek | 6-7
Quality, precision
yield smiles worldwide
+ Delphi | 8-9
Continuous improvement
is the top priority
AEROSPACE INDUSTRY:
THE CHALLENGES AHEAD
With durability and safety — once key aerospace challenges — guaranteed, the
aerospace industry faces new and formidable challenges. Dr. Anton Binder, Executive
Vice President of Corporate Development and Strategy with MTU Aero Engines,
talks about the industry’s growth drivers and the challenges ahead.
+ C&J Industries | 10-11
Celebrating
50 years of success
+ STEPPER | 12-13
At the forefront of
modern tool making
Achieve more...
Aerospace and Aeronautics
2
« We must deliver
on time, every time,
and the quality must
be perfect. We are
committed not only
to our customers,
but also to public
safety. »
and financial stability from their
partners, including MTU.
The important role
of suppliers
“We must deliver on time,
every time, and the quality must
be perfect. We are committed
not only to our customers,
but also to public safety,” he said.
“Reliability, financial stability,
fast turnaround, customersupplier relationship, and closeness to the relevant market are
especially important.”
From raw materials and
finished parts to machinery,
tools and engineering services,
MTU Aero Engines depends
on a broad network of suppliers
to meet its partners’ demands
for aero engines and MRO
services. Binder believes that
network will make important
contributions to innovation
toward meeting both demand
and environmental targets.
Big challenges ahead
Dr. Anton Binder,
Executive Vice President
of Corporate Development
and Strategy,
MTU Aero Engines
MTU Aero Engines, headquartered in Munich, is Germany’s
leading aircraft engine manufacturer. Engaged in the development, manufacture, marketing
and support of commercial and
military aircraft engines in all
thrust and power categories as
well as industrial gas turbines,
MTU Aero Engines employs 8,500
people and has a global footprint. MTU serves key aerospace
players including GE Aviation and
Pratt & Whitney.
GF AgieCharmilles | Results Today | 07
Binder, educated as a mechanical
engineer, has a 25-year history
with the company, including five
years in the aerodynamic design
of turbines, and responsibility
for two of MTU’s major divisions,
commercial OEM engines business for 14 years and strategy.
Binder was named Executive Vice
President of Corporate Development and Strategy in July 2013.
extraordinary way of doing
business: There is a significant
investment that you must make at
the beginning of any partnership,
and you get the rewards back
after 15 to 17 years. Because this
is a long-term business, with an
engine program lasting for 40 to
50 years, our relationships with
our customers and suppliers are
very important,” Binder explained.
“One important thing to keep
in mind is this industry’s
Aerospace original equipment
manufacturers demand reliability
The global commercial aviation
industry, with a market value of
nearly US $5 trillion, is poised
to accommodate unprecedented
growth in the coming decades,
thanks to soaring travel demand
driven by key megatrends:
increasing globalization,
rising gross domestic product,
liberalization of air transport,
and urbanization. In parallel,
the industry is committed in the
next two decades to reaching
ambitious targets for boosting
fuel efficiency and reducing
aircraft weight, as well as
reducing emissions of carbon
dioxide, mono-nitrogen oxides,
and noise levels.
“Innovation does not happen
only at MTU; it also comes from
suppliers of raw materials,
machines and tools,” he said.
“Our suppliers’ expertise
about new materials and
processes is important to us,
so that interaction is becoming
increasingly important.”
“In the next 20 years, we anticipate a global demand for 36,000
new aircraft ranging in size from
70 to 500-600 passengers, excluding business jets. Multiple by two
engines each, and you get the
demand for engines,” said Binder.
For more information, visit:
www.mtu.de/en/
EDITORIAL
DEAR READERS,
Welcome to this latest edition of Results Today.
In these pages, you will see how GF AgieCharmilles’
Milling, EDM, Laser, Automation and Customer
Services solutions can help you realize your highest
potential. From tool, mold and die making to the
production of high-value precision parts, businesses
of all sizes rely on us for application and process
expertise and products.
Our customers in a wide range of industrial areas,
like automotive, medtech, aerospace, information
and communications technology, and electronic
components, are always a step ahead of their
competitors, thanks to our machines, Automation
solutions and Customer Services.
On the following pages, you will find expert insights
about emerging trends as well as examples of
successful customers who look to us as a global
source of strength and an asset to their businesses.
Better than any other partner in the machine tool
business, your GF AgieCharmilles team is positioned
to help you take your business to the next level of
success. “We put customers first” is one of our core
values, and we endeavor to prove it to every customer,
every day.
Pascal Boillat,
President, GF AgieCharmilles
GF AgieCharmilles | Results Today | 07
MARKET REGION Europe | gf AgieCharmilles
3
Bernard Kasper,
Head of GF AgieCharmilles’
Market Region Europe
BRINGING TOMORROW’S SOLUTIONS
TO CUSTOMERS TODAY
With eight sales companies, and 450 employees operating in 58 European countries, GF AgieCharmilles
has long been — and remains — a success-triggering partner to more than 19,000 customers across
Market Region Europe. The Group’s customers represent a wide range of growing industries,
from medical technology and aerospace to automotive and motorsports.
“For GF AgieCharmilles,
Europe has always been the
reference market. In addition
to the European countries, our
Market Region Europe also
includes the Commonwealth
of Independent States (CIS),
the Middle East and Africa,”
said Bernhard Kasper, Head
of GF AgieCharmilles’ Market
Region Europe. “In Europe,
we see a robust increase in
demand in medtech — including
a range of dental and surgical
applications, like implants. The
innovations of the last decade are
impressive and have been made
predominantly here in Europe.”
Kasper said the region’s
aerospace and aeronautics
industries have demonstrated
stable growth supported by
strong demand worldwide, and
automotive and motorsports
remain key contributors to the
European economy. European
vehicle manufacturers, he pointed
out, are global players driving
innovation toward cleaner, safer
and more sustainable transport.
MARKET LEADER
WITH TOMORROW’S
SOLUTIONS TODAY
Manufacturers in Market Region
Europe face challenges including
continuous product innovations
that increase complexity,
miniaturization and demand for
high precision. GF AgieCharmilles
is known for helping customers
stay ahead of the market.
“The global competition imposes
on our customers to incessantly
innovate their processes, maintain
local research and development
and increase production.
In the past, in order to help our
customers, it was sufficient to
offer better products than our
competitors offered,” Kasper
explained. “Today, as the market
leader, we anticipate future
market needs.
That’s why the machines our
customers will need tomorrow
are available today from
GF AgieCharmilles.
Our challenge is to innovate
and bring added value for our
customers, the end users.”
GF AgieCharmilles’ leading
position didn’t spring up
out of nowhere. It is based
on a 60-year history as the
pioneer and master of electrical
“These are big successes, but
we also take into consideration
customers’ high expectations,”
he said. “For example, the new
GF AgieCharmilles Academy
adds value by delivering
essential process and
application knowledge across
many market segments.
This clearly shows our
commitment to continuously
helping our customers become
more successful.”
Services, makes the Group unique
in the machine tool industry.
“Another key success factor is
our network of more than 160
technology experts and more than
165 service engineers located
close to our customers in Market
Region Europe and — better than
anyone else — able to deliver
the best solutions for continued
production efficiency,”
said Kasper.
« Today, as the market leader, we anticipate future market
needs. That’s why the machines our customers will need
tomorrow are available today from GF AgieCharmilles. »
Bernard Kasper, Head of GF AgieCharmilles’ Market Region Europe
discharge machining (EDM),
leadership in high-speed Milling
and Automation and,
more recently, Laser texturing
and Customer Services.
That commitment to adding
value for customers, combined
with a unique array of Milling,
EDM, Laser and Automation
technologies and Customer
That, he said, is exactly the kind of
industry leadership that has helped
GF AgieCharmilles maintain its
No. 1 position in EDM and enter the
top three players in five-axis Milling.
europe | SCHWANOG SIGFRIED GÜNTERT
4
GF AgieCharmilles | Results Today | 07
Schwanog’s automated
production line, featuring nine
GF AgieCharmilles wire-cutting
EDM machines, helps shorten
the company’s time to market.
SKILL, FLEXIBILITY
SUPPORT A CLEAR STRATEGY
Just as the Danube River’s international journey begins in Germany’s Schwarzwald-Baar district,
so does the mission of Schwanog Sigfried Güntert GmbH, a leading producer of insertable
form tool systems. GF AgieCharmilles wire-cutting electrical discharge machining (EDM) plays
a key role in Schwanog’s high flexibility.
Schwanog’s management has a
clear vision: to extend sales to
emerging countries — including
India and Brazil — and create
small, local production sites
to increase reaction speed and
closeness to customers. Hand-inhand with that vision is a drive to
manage the production of small
batches of three to five pieces by
increasing flexibility.
Flexibility carries a lot of weight
with Schwanog, because it has
been a key success factor in the
company’s evolution from a small
maker of turning production
parts and tools and measuring
equipment and machine tools
to a leader in tungsten carbide
plate machining and holders for
special applications.
Founded in 1946, Schwanog today
specializes in machining carbide
and polycrystalline diamond (PCD)
plates, plate holders and turning
« Our target turnaround time is three
weeks between idea and delivery. That’s
why we use a completely automated line
for wire EDM. »
Clemens Güntert, Managing Director,
Schwanog Sigfried Güntert GmbH
FLEXIBILITY IS A
KEY SUCCESS FACTOR
and the skill and stability of our
staff. Some of our employees
have been with us for 30 years,”
Managing Director Clemens
Güntert said. “Our strengths
include our permanent focus on
quality and innovation to produce
at the lowest cost and with the
greatest flexibility.”
“Our key success factors are our
clear strategy, flexibility and fast
reaction to our customers’ needs,
Today, the company has headquarters in Obereschach, with 70
employees, and its part produc-
tools. Schwanog’s products and
expertise serve lathe and turning
operations producing precision
parts for the automotive and
medtech industries and others.
A central computer easily manages the automated production line.
tion facility is about 10 kilometers
away under the supervision of
Clemens Güntert’s brother, Georg.
“We have sales companies in the
United States, France and China,
in line with our strategy to create
small production sites close to
our customers in order to quickly
respond to their needs,” Güntert
said. “Flexibility and fast response
are of critical importance because
60 percent of our production is
the replacement or broken or
worn out carbide and PCD plates
for turning tools.”
When Güntert says “quickly,”
he means it.
“Our target turnaround time is
three weeks between idea and
GF AgieCharmilles | Results Today | 07
europe | SCHWANOG SIGFRIED GÜNTERT
5
Schwanog Sigfried Güntert GmbH leadership includes (left to right) Production Manager Franz Hummel,
Managing Director Clemens Güntert, and Workshop Manager Carsten Schwabe.
SCHWANOG
Contact
GF AgieCharmilles machines
SIGFRIED GÜNTERT GmbH
Clemens Güntert, Managing Director
6 Challenge
Niedereschacher Str. 36
[email protected]
2 CUT 2000 with AWC
D-78052 VS, Obereschach
1 CUT 2000 OilTech with AWC
Phone: +49 7721 9489-0
Toll-free from Germany:
+49 7721 9489-0
Fax: +49 7721 9489-99
+ www.schwanog.com
A CUT 2000 in the automated line
GF AgieCharmilles’ top-end CUT 2000 OilTech adds flexibility by making it
possible to machine corrosion-prone workpieces in oil dielectric.
delivery. That’s why we use a
completely automated line for
wire EDM, entirely managed by a
central computer,” he said. “We
have standardized the plates in
order to maintain our objectives.”
GF AgieCharmilles’ Automatic
Wire Changer (AWC) technology
allows Schwanog to have various
diameters of wire pre-installed
on their wire EDM machines,
ready for use depending on the
wire diameter needed to cut the
desired profile.
“That means we don’t have
to stop the production line to
« GF AgieCharmilles is always attentive to our needs and
responds with the right products for the right applications. »
Clemens Güntert, Managing Director,
Schwanog Sigfried Güntert GmbH
change wires, and this helps
optimize our production,” Güntert
explained. “In our case, the AWC
is not used as a tool to decrease
machining time, but as an
instrument of flexibility.”
CUT 2000 OILTECH
ADDS FLEXIBILITY
Also adding flexibility to
the company’s processes is
GF AgieCharmilles’ CUT 2000
OilTech with AWC. That top-end
machine makes it possible to
machine special parts in oil and
allows pre-programming of the
machine for use in Schwanog’s
production line.
“We buy what we need, and we
had already calculated that the
AWC would pay for itself in about
a year, thanks to the solution it
offers for automatically changing
various diameters of wire,”
he said.
GF AgieCharmilles’ technology
support and good knowledge
of Schwanog’s processes and
applications bring additional value
to the relationship.
“GF AgieCharmilles is always
attentive to our needs and
responds with the right products
for the right applications,”
Güntert said. “A good example is
how GF AgieCharmilles supports
our competitiveness is the AWC
in combination with the option of
using oil dielectric to eliminate
corrosion on workpieces. Our
main concerns are the load on
our machines and our need to
avoid operator intervention. With
GF AgieCharmilles’ support,
we continue to optimize our
automated wire EDM line for
efficiency and flexibility.”
These complex turning form tools
were machined with GF AgieCharmilles
Turning tools (black piece)
wire EDM technology, using a small
machining a location of compression
Turning form tool
Tool to machine for retaining screw
wire to reach the finest details and the
The completely finished set along with
ring of a piston head (silver piece)
for bar turning industry
(medical industry)
best surface finish.
necessary tool for screw machining
(automotive industry)
americas | Aditek
GF AgieCharmilles | Results Today | 07
6
Thanks in part to GF AgieCharmilles
EDM machines and support, business is
booming at Aditek do Brasil.
ADITEK QUALITY, PRECISION
YIELD SMILES WORLDWIDE
When Drs. Alexandre and Dilza Lopes decided to start manufacturing dental parts as a complement
to their orthodontics practice, people said they were crazy. But with the skill and enthusiasm of
the local workforce, a fast-growing global market for orthodontic appliances, and support from
GF AgieCharmilles, business is booming.
Located in the primarily
agricultural city of Cravinhos,
300 km north of São Paulo, Brazil,
Aditek do Brasil Ltda is a prime
example of how proven expertise,
unmet market needs and the
support of expert supply partners
can converge to spark success.
Aditek’s orthodontic products
help orthodontists worldwide
transform patients’ lives by
constructing beautiful smiles,
improving self-esteem, function
and aesthetics for better living.
“My wife and I are dentists with
specialty degrees in orthodontics.
When we thought about starting
a manufacturing facility in an
area traditionally tied to farming,
everyone told us we were crazy.
Fortunately, we found great help
in town with talented people
eager to learn and evolve for a
better future,” Alexandre Lopes
explained. “Today, we employ 150
people and are one of the
Assemblers working on Aditek do Brasil’s clean assembly line
GF AgieCharmilles | Results Today | 07
americas | Aditek
7
Aditek do Brasil Ltda,
located in Cravinhos, exports 50 percent of its products
to the Americas and Europe.
« GF AgieCharmilles
was key in the process
of educating us
about technology and
equipment, supplying
information and training
to our workforce. »
Dr. Alexandre Lopes, Industrial Director,
Aditek do Brasil Ltda
Aditek do Brasil Ltda
Contact
GF AgieCharmilles machines
R. Cesário Motta,
Dr. Alexandre Lopes,
1 ROBOFIL 240 CC
14 – Cravinhos – SP
Industrial Director
2 CUT 20
CEP 14140-000 Brasil – BR
[email protected]
1 AC Progress VP2
Phone: +55 16 3651-3000
1 FORM 2000 HP
Fax: +55 16 3651-3009
3 SP1
1 DRILL 20
The Easy Clip,
Aditek do Brasil’s patented
self-ligating bracket system
for orthodontics (shown
+ www.aditek.com.br
here unlocked), is created
with GF AgieCharmilles
FORM 2000 HP,
AC Progress VP2,
and DRILL 20.
area’s largest employers.
We are recognized in academic
circles and by our growing
customer base around the world.”
REFERENCE FOR
QUALITY, PRECISION
The Easy Clip
self-ligating
bracket (locked)
« Regulatory requirements
are becoming more and more
stringent, so quality, tight
tolerances, surface finish
and all of the complexities
involved in dental parts must
be incorporated into our
processes.»
Dr. Alexandre Lopes, Industrial Director,
Aditek do Brasil Ltda
Lopes said Aditek’s relationship
with GF AgieCharmilles today
is a partnership focused on
the quality and complexity of
orthodontic parts made with
GF AgieCharmilles wire-cutting,
die-sinking, and hole-drilling
EDM technologies.
“Twenty-two years ago, we were
importing orthodontic products
as a complement to our
clinical activity. Factors in our
success have been research
and development of innovative
products with an emphasis on
quality and extreme precision,”
Lopes said. “In order to make
these parts, we had to start
from scratch and train talented
young people to become skilled
tool makers.”
Because in-house mold making
was an essential to the success
of the business, Lopes searched
for the right equipment to
produce the tooling in a vertically
integrated system in order control
processing time and quality.
The company’s products include
brackets using microcasting,
metal and ceramic injection
molding sintering technology,
archwires using exotic allows
like nitinol, and all the related
peripherals. Aditek exports 50
percent of its products to the
Americas and Europe.
“GF AgieCharmilles was key
in the process of educating us
about technology and equipment,
supplying information and
training to our workforce, and
sometimes providing financing for
us to acquire equipment,” he said.
“By reaching high quality
standards, we have been able to
introduce and sell our products
to the most demanding and
competitive markets in the world.
Associating engineering, design
and manufacturing with the
latest tool making technology has
given us the edge of being able
to control our whole production
chain and meet customer
expectations.”
TURNING GREAT IDEAS
INTO GREAT PRODUCTS
Lopes considers
GF AgieCharmilles a main partner
in the business.
“Our solid business and friendly
relationship with GF AgieCharmilles
has helped us overcome many
challenges to transforming ideas
into products,” Lopes said. “We
combine different processes and
materials — like molds for micro
parts and precision stamping of
exotic alloys that require precision
and durability in aggressive
environments like the oral cavity.”
In an increasingly competitive
and highly regulated marketplace,
Aditek continues to partner with
GF AgieCharmilles.
“Regulatory requirements
are becoming more and more
stringent, so quality, tight
tolerances, surface finish and all
of the complexities involved in
dental parts must be incorporated
into our processes. In this
way, we streamline production
speed and traceability from raw
material to the final consumer,”
Lopes said. “High quality is an
attribute inherent to our products
today and not a selling pitch.
The technical support, service,
training in new equipment and
technology delivered by the
GF AgieCharmilles team here
in Brazil play an important role
in the performance and results
of our tooling and mold making
capabilities.”
asia | Delphi Packard Electric Systems
8
GF AgieCharmilles | Results Today | 07
Delphi Packard’s global tool factory
boasts 10 FO 350 SP
die-sinking EDM machines.
A HIGH PRIORITY:
CONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENT
Delphi Packard Electric Systems Co., Ltd., is the biggest domestic supplier of wiring harnesses
and connectors to the automotive industry, with customers ranging from Faw-Volkswagen
to General Motors. The company’s global tool factory relies on GF AgieCharmilles Milling and
wire-cutting and die-sinking solutions.
Delphi Packard’s global tool
factory, located in Shanghai,
China, is known as a giant in
automotive mold manufacturing.
The factory got into mold
manufacturing in 2005, importing
a number of machines — including
a MIKRON HSM 300 that still
performs at high precision
today, three die-sinking
machines and six wire-cutting
EDM machines — from the US.
Today, the factory produces
500 molds per year for plastic
injection, high-speed stamping
and liquid silicone. Those molds
are supplied to Delphi branches
not only in China, but Mexico,
Germany and Brazil, as well.
It is said that the Shanghai mold
plant accounts for 80 percent
of all molds for Delphi Packard
Electric Systems.
When the company moved into
mold production, continuous
improvement in equipment
and technology was high on its
list of priorities.
FIRST CHOICE
IS GF AgieCharmilles
To accommodate Delphi’s
move into molding, manage­ment began considering
machine purchases. Their
first choice was — and still
is — GF AgieCharmilles because
the company knows the excellent, long-term performance of
the Group’s machines.
For example, some of
Delphi’s GF AgieCharmilles
machines have been in use
for nearly 10 years,
and they’re still performing
important manufacturing
tasks. The factory’s first
GF AgieCharmilles wire EDM
machine still delivers 5 μm
accuracy and 50 to 70 percent
cutting efficiency. Delphi
management said that’s far
better than the Japanese
machines that the factory used
for five years and can now
use only for rough machining.
Delphi’s deep trust in
GF AgieCharmilles is evidenced
by its growing GF AgieCharmilles
machine fleet:
10 MIKRON machining centers,
14 wire EDM and 19 die-sinking
EDM machines.
Take Delphi’s MIKRON HSM
400U LP, for instance.
The five-axis machine cuts
complex three-dimensional
forms with excellent machining
speed and surface quality.
AUTOMATION BOOSTS
STANDARDIZATION
AND QUALITY
Standardization and high
efficiency are essential in modern
mold manufacturing. In fact,
Delphi considers standardization
the best way to expand business.
That’s why the company’s
mold plant has invested in
GF AgieCharmilles Automation
since 2010, with a line using only
After nearly 10 years of use, Delphi’s
MIKRON HSM 300 still yields high accuracy.
GF AgieCharmilles | Results Today | 07
asia | Delphi Packard Electric Systems
9
Delphi Packard’s global tool factory in Shanghai, China
GF AgieCharmilles EDM machines imported from the US in 2005
are still in use.
Even with this impressively automated production line, Delphi wants
more Automation equipment.
Delphi Packard Electric
GF AgieCharmilles machines
Systems Co., Ltd – Delphi
Connection Systems,
Milling
Wire-cutting EDM
Die-sinking EDM
200 Yuanguo Road,
1 MIKRON HSM 300
1 ROBOFIL 4020SI
2 FO 35 P
Anting, Jiading, Shanghai,
1 MIKRON HSM 400U LP
1 ROBOFIL 6020SI
1 FO 350 MS
P.R. China
5 MIKRON HSM 400
1 ROBOFIL FI2020SI
1 ROBOFORM 4000
Phone: +86 21-59592200
2 MIKRON HSM 700
1 ROBOFIL 240
10 FO 350 SP
Fax: +86 21-69573310
1 MIKRON HSM 800
6 FI 240 CCS
2 ROBOFORM 35P
1 FI 440 CCS
1 DRILL 11
Contact
1 AC PROGRESS VP4
2 DRILL 20
Mr. Xi Cheng, manufacturer
4 CUT 2000
[email protected]
+ www.delphi.com
GF AgieCharmilles machining
solutions — two MIKRON
machining centers and four
EDM machines — plus a cleaning
machine and a measuring
instrument. The line is used for
plastic injection mold making.
The automated line yields
great benefits for Delphi: The
company saw a fast return — just
eight months — on its capital
investment. More importantly,
Delphi saw an eight-fold increase
in production efficiency. Prior to
Automation, the production line
required four shifts per day, at 15
employees per shift: 60 workers
total. Using an automated line,
the line requires only seven
people who monitor the whole
production line over 24 hours.
Moreover, Automation puts
customers at the heart
of production by ensuring
consistent quality.
In late 2011, Delphi
purchased its second piece of
GF AgieCharmilles Automation
equipment, a System 3R
mechanical arm. The cooperation
of various machines in the
Automation line is very important,
and the second line includes four
GF AgieCharmilles wire EDM
machines to make stamping
molds. With GF AgieCharmilles,
Delphi benefits from one-stop
service including professional
support for maintenance, training
and technical solutions.
Copper electrode for
automotive appliances,
produced on Delphi’s
MIKRON HSM 400U
Delphi management foresees
a bright future for the global
tool factory, as requirements for
automotive appliances include
not just connectors but also
global positioning systems,
sound, and new electric vehicles.
Consequently, Delphi’s high-end
automotive products have great
market potential.
In the future, Delphi’s
advanced vehicle electrification
products will help improve the
marketability of electric vehicles.
Delphi Connection System is
expanding its core business and
will become more important.
GF AgieCharmilles is focused
on meeting Delphi’s needs by
improving their Automation
efficiency and helping to shorten
the company’s time to market.
« With GF AgieCharmilles, Delphi benefits from one-stop service including
professional support for maintenance, training and technical solutions. »
americas | C&J Industries
GF AgieCharmilles | Results Today | 07
10
Inside C&J Industries’ 180,000 square foot facility
where the staff has used GF AgieCharmilles machines
for more than 20 years.
FIFTY YEARS OF SUCCESS
FOR C&J INDUSTRIES
If Meadville, Pennsylvania (US) custom injection mold maker C&J Industries has a point of pride, it is
the company’s resilience. In the past five years, the privately held, family owned business has not only
survived one of the worst recessions in US history but actually grown and come out ahead.
Situated in a small town about
90 miles from Pittsburgh,
Pennsylvania’s “steel city,” C&J
Industries was founded in 1962
as a tool builder. Over the years,
the business evolved to take on
injection molding (1974), achieve
US Food and Drug Administration
(FDA) certification (1981) and — in 1994 — become the first tool
builder and injection molder
to become ISO 9001 certified
through global independent safety
science company UL. Seven years
ago, the company combined its
tool and mold activities in one
facility, and in January 2012
inaugurated a $6.8 million facility
expansion.
Today, the business boasts a
180,000 square foot (16,722
square meters) facility including
50 plastic presses with a
clamping pressure range from
20 to 720 tons, three Class 8
medical molding cleanrooms,
one Class 7 clean assembly room,
a white room per assembly,
and a general, environmentally
controlled white room conforming
to ISO standards for molding.
C&J Industries maintains
more than 1,000 active molds,
ranging from one to 64 cavities,
of various sizes and materials.
GF AgieCharmilles helps C&J
Industries meet the challenges
by providing the reliable and
highly precise electrical discharge
(EDM) machines needed to
complete new tool builds and the
maintenance to kee those active
molds in service.
“Maintenance, upkeep and
throughput make things complex.
Satisfying each and every
customer is challenging, but we
define success by the amount of
repeat business we get,” said C&J
Industries Sales and Marketing
Director Mark Fuhrman.
And there’s plenty of repeat
business.
DRAMATIC
GROWTH THROUGH
DIVERSIFICATION
“We have seen dramatic, doubledigit growth in the past five
years,” he said. “Key factors in our
growth include the fact that we
planned for strategic, diversified
growth. No single customer and
no single market segment will
make us successful.”
Aerial views of C&J’s facility
before and after 2012 expansion.
The $6.8 million project combined
Today, with 330 employees and
annual revenue of $40 million,
C&J Industries enjoys a mix of 89
the company’s tool and mold
operations in one facility.
GF AgieCharmilles | Results Today | 07
americas | C&J Industries
11
Getting their start as tool builders, Dick Johnston (foreground) and Harold Corner (center) founded C&J Industries
in 1962, working out of a garage. Today, C&J Industries has annual revenue of US $40 milliion and employs 330 people
at its 180,000 square foot facility in Meadville, Pennsylvania.
« We can count on
GF AgieCharmilles
equipment to do the
job right. »
Mark Fuhrman,
Sales and Marketing Director
C&J Industries
C&J Industries
Contact
GF AgieCharmilles machines
760 Water Street
Mark Fuhrman,
FI 440 CC
Meadville, PA, US 16335-338
Sales and Marketing Director
FO 550 SP
Phone: +1 814 724 4950
[email protected]
ROBOFORM 30
Fax: +1 814 724 4959
+ www.cjindustries.com
percent US sales and 11 percent
offshore sales in Europe, Canada
and Mexico.
“Most offshore business is a
result of customers with divisions
outside of the US. Favorable
US-Canadian currency exchange
helps us attract new Canadian
customers,” Fuhrman said.
About 29 percent of C&J
Industries’ business is in medical
device molding and another 28
percent is in the pharmaceutical
industry, with particular emphasis
on drug delivery devices. Other
major end markets include
industrial, telecommunications
and consumer products.
DOING IT RIGHT
THE FIRST TIME
IS A KEY TO SUCCESS
“Getting it right the first time”
is key to thriving across a wide
range of market segments,
Fuhrman said.
“Technical challenges are tight
lead times, increasingly complex
product designs, learning new
technology, and having the
equipment to support the job
as demands change and parts
become more complex,”
he added.
“We focus on the positive — what
we can do well — and don’t let
the negative or setbacks pull us
down,” Fuhrman explained.
“Our company philosophy is
about improvement and it comes
down to one very fundamental
thing: trust.”
GF AgieCharmilles helps C&J
Industries overcome some of
those challenges with computer
numerical control EDM machines
perfectly suited for multi-cavity
medical devices including
closures like bottle caps and eye
dropper tips.
It is, then, not surprising, that
C&J Industries partners with
like-minded suppliers, including
its 20-year partnership with
GF AgieCharmilles, whose
core values include, “We put
customers first,” and “We do what
we say.”
“We can count on
GF AgieCharmilles equipment to
do the job right,” said Fuhrman.
“When we say we’re going to do
something, we do it. There is no
option,” said Fuhrman.
The company maintains singular
focus on its successes.
« Our company philosophy is about
improvement and it comes down to
one very fundamental thing: trust. »
Mark Fuhrman, Sales and Marketing Director, C&J Industries
europe | STEPPER
GF AgieCharmilles | Results Today | 07
12
Stepper Modular System
STEPPER IS AT THE FOREFRONT
OF MODERN TOOL MAKING
Pforzheim, Germany-based stamping technology leader Fritz Stepper GmbH & Co. prides itself on being
at the forefront of modern tool making. That’s one of the reasons the company turns to GF AgieCharmilles
for standard-setting machine tool technologies that drive quality and precision.
The company’s impressive array
of equipment — including 45
CAD/CAM/CIM work stations
with 2D and 3D finite element
method (FEM) and visualization
software, 41 sawing, milling
and turning machines,
industrial robots, grinders,
diamond coating systems, laser
measuring machines, laser
welding and marking systems
and 34 GF AgieCharmilles diesinking and wire-cutting EDM
machines — serves a single
purpose: ensuring the highest
precision and quality of the
production of stamping tools and
progressive dies.
THE BEST OF MODERN
TOOL MAKING
“From our start in 1965, the
Fritz Stepper brand has been
synonymous with modern tool
making, including state-of-theart technologies and developing
quantum leaps on behalf of
our customers,” said Managing
Director Michael Stepper,
son of the company’s founder,
Fritz Stepper. “Examples are
our Stepper Modular System,
our High-Performance Combined
Progressive Die, and the Stepper
Special Diamond Coating.”
The company’s continued
evolution includes the special
modular system that makes
it possible to change a single
module and significantly reduce
the time it would otherwise take
to restart the stamping machine.
Fritz Stepper GmbH and Co.
also pioneered double feed
equipment on the tool with
two materials, gold and
stainless steel or bronze and
another material. Such core
expertise is one of many factors
setting the company apart
from competitors.
“The factors that have made
our business so successful are
The Integrated Vision Unit (IVU), shown here ready for measurement, ensures measurable results for Fritz Stepper GmbH
machinist Daniel Mattheis.
GF AgieCharmilles | Results Today | 07
europe | STEPPER
13
Managing Director Michael Stepper
« We always need first-in-class
equipment to maintain our reputation
and produce the necessary results. »
Michael Stepper, Managing Director,
Fritz Stepper GmbH & Co. KG Precision Tools
Fritz Stepper GmbH & Co. KG
GF AgieCharmilles machines
Precision Tools
Fritz Stepper GmbH machinist Daniel Mattheis operates the compact
and easily accessible CUT 1000 OilTech wire-cutting EDM machine.
Robert-Bosch-Str. 5
1 WF 21C TNC 150 Q
3 AGIECUT EVOLUTION
1 DRILL 11
75180 Pforzheim, Germany
1 WF 3 SA TNC 114
11 AGIECUT EVOLUTION
4 CUT 1000 OilTech
Phone: +49 (0)7231 - 97 33 0
1 AGIETRON 2U
2 AGIE MONDO STAR 20
Fax: +49 (0)7231 - 97 33 33
1 AGIETRON 50
7 AGIECUT VERTEX
3 AGIETRON INNOVATION
4 AGIECUT EXCELLENCE
Contact
1 AGIECUT 250 SF
Michael Stepper
[email protected]
+ www.stepper.de
IVU GUARANTEES
HIGHEST PRECISION
Among Fritz Stepper GmbH’s
impressive machine fleet are four
GF AgieCharmilles CUT 1000 and
CUT 1000 OilTech wire-cutting
EDM machines equipped with
the Integrated Vision Unit (IVU),
a technology that guarantees
easy, automatic and accurate
tool measurement and
positioning. That in-process
measurement plays an
important role in guaranteeing
the precision expected by the
company’s customers.
For very small workpieces
“We have a leadership role in
our market, and we always
need first-in-class equipment
to maintain our reputation and
produce the necessary results,”
Stepper said.
A key advantage of IVU is that its
autofocus positions the built-in,
charge-coupled device (CCD)
camera at the right distance and
directly measures any shape on
the workpiece without removing
the workpiece from the machine,
saving trips to the metrology
department and precious time.
Special integrated software allows
the machine to detect the right
position of the edge by analyzing
variations in light intensity. The
resulting metrological data can
be used in various applications.
Moreover, IVU makes it possible
to take any reference of the
workpiece for hole centering,
corner detection, internal or
external centering between two
faces, and distance between
holes, centering and dimensions.
That means 100 percent reliable
machining results.
“Our vision is to expand our quality
with the best partners, integrate
the top technologies into our
products, and train our people,” he
said, explaining that IVU is just one
example of how GF AgieCharmilles’
techno­logies help drive his
company’s success and, ultimately,
the success of his customers.
“GF AgieCharmilles’ technologies
and high-end products offer the
precision we need.”
Very small and complex details
our unique tooling style,
our innovative modular tools, and
our very short time to market of
two or three weeks for a ‘ready to
start’ tool,” Stepper said.
The company has a global
customer base and a foothold in
many growing industries,
but its greatest following is in the
automotive industry, thanks to its
tooling for connector stamping
and connectors themselves.
“The end customers look for the
highest quality connectors, and
they are ready to pay for that
degree of quality,” he explained.
“Our products add value through
permanent quality optimization.”
« GF AgieCharmilles’ technologies and high-end
products offer the precision we need. »
Michael Stepper, Managing Director,
Fritz Stepper GmbH & Co. KG Precision Tools
NEWS | GF AgieCharmilles
GF AgieCharmilles | Results Today | 07
14
MILLING CENTERS THAT GET THE JOB DONE
From general machining to high-performance Milling of components for aerospace,
GF AgieCharmilles’ MIKRON machining centers are up to the task.
When it comes to flexibility,
ease of use and space saving
design, the universal, five-axis
MIKRON HEM 500U can’t be
beaten. It is especially suitable
for a wide range of parts
production applications in
general machining.
With its newly developed rotary
tilting table, the HEM 500U
offers competitive performance
in terms of stiffness and
versatility. For the standard
production of precision parts in
prototyping to series of five or
more workpieces, the machine
is an ergonomic answer. It offers
a good view of the machining
process and easy loading and
access to the workpiece.
This easy-to-use Milling solution
comes with Heidenhain’s iTNC
530 control for production of
highly accurate workpiece
contours during high-velocity
machining. Optionally available
is FANUC’s well-known Oi-MD
control with various advanced
and powerful features.
HPM 800U:
A POWERFUL MILLING
SOLUTION
The high-performance MIKRON
HPM 800U machining center
works hard for the praise it
earns in demanding sectors like
aerospace and aeronautics.
Featuring powerful ballscrew
feed drives on the X, Y and Z
axes and watercooled direct
drives on the circular and
swiveling axes, the HPM 800U
provides extremely dynamical
and economical machining and
allows for optimal automatic
loading of workpieces with a
pallet changer, and tool changers
from 30 up to 245 tools.
Even when fully automated,
the work area remains
accessible and unrestricted.
High-performance machining
(HPM) technology necessitates
best spindle performance.
For the HPM 800U, inline
motor spindles, with speeds
of 20,000 min-1 for general
machining, or a 28,000 min-1
CoolCore motor spindle
for high-precision machining,
are available.
MIKRON HEM 500U
The MIKRON HPM 800U comes
with a Heidenhain iTNC 530
control, and the Siemens 840D sl
control is available as an option.
MIKRON HPM 800U
LEADING THE WAY IN WIRE, DIE-SINKING EDM
GF AgieCharmilles lays the foundation for precision, productivity, and flexibility with wire-cutting,
die-sinking, measuring and Automation solutions to ensure your success.
GF AgieCharmilles’ new
CUT 2000 S features a
new generator concept to
significantly boost performance
in terms of machining time,
thanks in no small part to
running time increases and
reliable and automatic wire
threading. Beginning with its
mechanical design, highest
precision, perfect surfaces
and high productivity are the
machine’s hallmarks. The
CUT 2000 S paves the way
to perfection in the serial
production of miniature
components where there is
absolutely no room for error.
cut 2000 S
Automation. With IVU Advance,
you’re sure to get the best fit for
a contour in accordance with the
theoretical shape indicated by
the DXF source file.
With the second-generation
Integrated Vision Unit (IVU
Advance), GF AgieCharmilles
takes micro machining to the
next level. The optical-based
measurement system, designed
to visualize and measure pieces
cut 200 ms
directly on the highly-precise
CUT 1000 and CUT 2000 wire
EDM machines, features fully
automatic setup by the integrated
charge-coupled device (CCD)
camera and duplication
of measuring cycles for
cut 300 ms
GF AgieCharmilles’ new
CUT 200 mS and CUT 300 mS
machines feature a vertical
sliding door to save floor space
and thermostabilization to
ensure accuracy even when
ambient temperature fluctuates.
The CUT 200/300 mS range
is the most versatile on the
market, plus you can expect
highest quality, thanks to Swiss
manufacturing and superior flat
form 20
precision grinding of the guiding
and assembly surfaces.
On the die-sinking side,
GF AgieCharmilles offers the
FORM 20/30 machines featuring
the intuitive and fast-reacting
AC FORM human-machine
interface (HMI) and an integrated
Rotary Tool Changer (RTC).
With the RTC, the compact
FORM 20/30 machines deliver
versatility, reliability and ease of
use expected in a wide variety of
market segments.
form 30
GF AgieCharmilles | Results Today | 07
NEWS | gf AgieCharmilles
15
LASER TEXTURING OPENS
NEW DOORS FOR DIFFERENTIATION
Across a wide range of automotive applications, every product in the GF AgieCharmilles’ LASER line
delivers consistently high quality, accuracy and infinitely repeatable results, allowing “color and trim”
studios and product and interior design centers to take differentiation to new and higher levels.
With a truly innovative and global
approach to mold texturing,
GF AgieCharmilles has stepped
to the forefront by providing
auto manufacturers and their
suppliers with a 100 percent
digital texturing process and
wide range of Laser texturing
solutions, from the LASER 600
3Ax/5Ax to the extra-large
capacity LASER 4000 5Ax, which
was engineered specifically for
automotive applications.
With a unique machine concept
and extra-large capacity the
LASER 4000 5Ax is the biggest
Laser texturing solution on the
market. Thanks to its portal
structure design, distinct
textures can easily be applied
to oversize and overweight molds
(4 x 3 x 1.5 meters, unlimited
weight), without sacrificing
accuracy, for end products
like truck and auto bumpers,
instrument and door panels,
central consoles, airbag covers
and headlights.
molds, thanks to 500 mm
long focal distance. All of the
LASER machines have a unique
capability for undercuts related
to master molds.
THE FUTURE OF
TEXTURING — TODAY
Textures can be derived from
images created in Photoshop
for geometrical or continuous
patterns or from natural
surfaces reverse engineered
via 3D scanner. Onboard
machining strategies ensure
that textures are perfectly
rendered over countless
iterations. And, because the
cutting tool is a pulsed laser,
GF AgieCharmilles’ Laser
texturing technology is a clean,
sustainable solution: no broken
tools and no pollutants.
Moreover, the LASER 4000 5Ax
is a visionary texturing solution
for texturing molds for aircraft
and luxury yacht interiors,
home appliances and big-screen
TVs, as well as casting molds
and forging tools. It is ideal
for applying both aesthetic and
functional textures.
The LASER 4000 5Ax expertly
textures workpiece surfaces
with ultra-fine detail at a depth,
for example, of 0.15 mm on
steel. Multiple layers are also
easily applied on deep cavity
laser 4000 5Ax
CUSTOMER SERVICES GETS YOU FIT FOR SUCCESS
Just as a fit body needs a 360-degree approach to achieve optimal power, agility and endurance,
your Milling, EDM and Laser machines require key services to remain fit for success.
GF AgieCharmilles Customer
Services’ three levels of support
represent the machine tool
industry’s greatest resource for
increasing uptime and keeping
your machine fleet in tip-top shape.
OPERATIONS SUPPORT:
A HEALTHY DIET
MACHINE SUPPORT
TO INCREASE AGILITY
A nutritious diet gives
your body the power to compete;
similarly your machines’ top
performance and precision
require a quality diet of original
wear parts, certified wires,
electrodes, drilling electrodes,
filters and other consumables.
Customer Services Operations
Support offers a full menu
of the highest quality ingredients
for your continued success.
Another critical fitness compo­
nent is agility, which requires
maintenance and preventive
measures. Customer Services
Machine Support maximizes
the agility and productive
time of your machines with a
Helpline, service interventions,
components and machine
overhauls, spare and exchange
parts, and our unique Uptime+
program. Our fundamental
preventive services and
leading edge advanced preventive
services — calibration by laser
interferometer, geometrical
control, circularity test with
ballbar gauge, spindle services,
Nadcap accreditation support to
facilitate your certification — take your agility to the next level.
BUSINESS SUPPORT
TO BOOST ENDURANCE
Whether your chosen sport is
running, cycling or swimming,
endurance is a key success
factor. The same applies to
your business. That’s why
GF AgieCharmilles Customer
Services offers Business Support
with solutions tailored to your
long-term business needs.
These include feasibility and
test cuts; training to make
your employees real experts;
Automation to increase
productivity and cost efficiency;
upgrades, options and
accessories to ensure higher
sustainable productivity; and
application support to help you
achieve your long-term potential.
Imprint
Publisher
Agie Charmilles Management SA,
Geneva, Switzerland
Editor in chief: Rolph Lucassen
Managing editor: Melody M. Corrieri
Editorial board
Rolph Lucassen, Elke P. Magnin,
Melody M. Corrieri
Layout: David Hirsbrunner
Reporting
Danielle Bloom,
Shirley Dai, Gilles LaForge,
Silvio Mitsunaga
Photography
Marinus van Breugel, Shirley Dai, Aditek do Brasil,
Dr. Alexandre Lopes, C&J Industries archives,
Mark Fuhrman, Steve Kalasky, Stephanie Goss,
MTU Aero Engines (pages 1 and 2)
© Agie Charmilles Management SA, 2013. The technical data and illustrations are not binding. They are not warranted characteristics and are subject to change. 259.805.562
Translations
Karsten U. Timmer,
Wieners + Wieners
Print
Tipografia Poncioni SA
Circulation :
27,000 copies
Unleash your
potential
www.gfac.com
Milling + EDM + Automation +
Laser + Customer Services
We are the partner of choice to
successful tool, mold and die makers,
and to producers of high-value parts in
fast growing market segments.
We offer innovative Milling, EDM, Laser,
Automation, and Customer Services
solutions. Talking to one expert is what
we call “More efficiency,” and that’s a
big plus.
Looking to add value to your business ?
Let’s talk about your future.