Future-proof wheel manufacturing
The history of Karl Georg Stahlherstellungs- und Verarbeitungs GmbH started in 1925 with the repair and construction of agricultural machinery. The manufacture of crane wheels was added in 1966 – a production area that was moved to the current Ingelbach-Bahnhof location in 1968.
Under the motto “Moving a lot together” and with 120 employees, today Karl Georg supplies well-known crane manufacturers, logistics companies and also plant and machinery manufacturers. In its 8,500 m2 production facility, the company has relied on the latest CNC technology from DMG MORI since 1980. A total of 13 machine tools are installed, including a DMC 80 FD duoBLOCK for milling / turning, four NLX turning centers and a CTX beta 1250 TC with Robo2Go for turning / milling. Digital solutions – exclusive DMG MORI technology cycles such as gearSKIVING 2.0 and the Digital Manufacturing Package – are also being used with increasing frequency.
Complete machining of 2,500 wheels per month
“Up to 2,500 wheels leave our manufacturing facility every month,” says Andreas Löhmann, Production Manager at Karl Georg, giving an insight into the everyday business of the experienced workforce. A high degree of vertical integration from turning, milling and drilling to gear cutting and painting, and also the outstanding qualifications of our specialists, allow us to react flexibly to customer requirements at any time. In order to make sure that it stays that way, Karl Georg regularly takes on trainees and attaches great importance to giving staff further training, for example in courses at the DMG MORI Academy. The company ensures that it has efficient, quality-oriented manufacturing processes by investing regularly in production plant.
NLX 4000 – heavy-duty machining of workpieces up to ø 500 mm
The range of components at Karl Georg mainly centers on rotationally symmetrical steel components in a wide variety of diameters and mainly in small series down to a batch size of 1. “This means we have to be able to react very flexibly in production,” says Philipp Hüsch, who is responsible for tool management at Karl Georg. The long-term cooperation with DMG MORI has resulted in the installation of four NLX turning centers since 2017 – one NLX 3000 and three NLX 4000s. “We benefit from the stability of the NLX models for heavy-duty machining,” adds Andreas Löhmann. The compact design in relation to the 600 mm turning diameter in the larger model was also an argument in favor of using these machines.
DMC 80 FD duoBLOCK – mill-turn complete machining
Since 2021, Karl Georg has been using a DMC 80 FD duoBLOCK with a special chuck from Schunk for machining even bigger wheels up to ø 700 mm. “The technology integration on the milling / turning center is a leap in innovation that allows us to completely machine large wheels,” explains Andreas Löhmann. The DMC 80 FD duoBLOCK also increases productivity because of its pallet changer: “Being able to set up while production is in progress increases the utilization of the machine considerably.”
CTX beta 1250 TC with Robo2Go: Automated turn-mill machining of medium-size batches
Karl Georg also achieves a high degree of machine utilization with an automated CTX beta 1250 TC. The turning-milling center was purchased for complete machining of series production parts. In this case, batch size is up to 20 parts. “An optimal volume for the Robo2Go,” thinks Philipp Hüsch. As the CTX beta 1250 TC operates autonomously for long periods, the operator can work in parallel on one of the NLX 4000 machines. Andreas Löhmann sees great potential in the automation of manufacturing processes and in multi-machine operation: “We are increasing our capacity and working much more efficiently with this approach.”
DMG MORI technology cycles: Complete machining including turning, milling and gear cutting
For complete machining, Karl Georg relies on turning and milling in a single clamping as well as on exclusive DMG MORI technology cycles for gear cutting. “We carry out hobbing on the CTX beta 1250 TC,” says Philipp Hüsch, quoting an example. gearSKIVING 2.0 is used on the DMC 80 FD duoBLOCK. “ We are currently machining module 10 spur gears.” According to Andreas Löhmann, the company wishes to continue developing the use of DMG MORI technology cycles. “The more process steps we implement on a machine, the more effective we become.”
Digital Manufacturing Package with NETservice: Short downtimes thanks to remote service
A basic requirement for high utilization of production capacity is highly reliable Karl Georg uses WERKBLiQ and has networked the machines with the Digital Manufacturing Package in order to minimize downtime. machine tools on the shop floor. “We use the DMG MORI NETservice so we can transmit technical problems live to the DMG MORI Service which helps us to keep machine downtime as short as possible,” says Philipp Hüsch. Many of the downtimes that occur can be discussed and rectified over the phone using this remote solution, which DMG MORI provides as part of the Digital Manufacturing Package. Technology integration, automation solutions and digital processes – Karl Georg has found a way of making its production sustainable. Andreas Löhmann regards DMG MORI as an important partner: “The wide range of products, the automation solutions from a single source and the focus on further digital developments make us optimistic that we can continue to implement innovative manufacturing processes.”
Karl Georg Stahlherstellungsund Verarbeitungs GmbH
Bahnhof, Karl-Georg-Straße 3
57612 Ingelbach, Germany
www.karl-georg.de