EROWA Report - OTTO BIHLER

REPORT - OTTO BIHLER GMBH & CO. KG

There‘s no such thing, as no can do Bihler production systems are 100% customer-specific, while great diversity in workpiece production determines daily activities. Because of this reason, Bihler needs flexible automation as well as versatile, fast, process-integrated and automated quality assurance. Since Otto Bihler developed the world‘s first automatic stamping and forming machine in1956, Otto Bihler Maschinenfabrik GmbH & Co. KG has evolved into the globally leading producer of special machines. No matter what stamped and bent parts or assemblies customers want to manufacture, Bihler combines a wide variety of processes such as punching, bending, welding, threading, screwing, assembling, etc. into fully automated complete solutions on its fully automated machines. For the production of machine components, Bihler processes workpieces made of steel, hard metals, plastics, special copper alloys and ceramics in part sizes ranging from a few millimetres to over 3 meters in length.

Once a Bihler customer, always a Bihler customer Bihler technology can be found in a wide variety of industrial sectors such as the automotive industry, the electrical and electronics industry, household technology and medical technology. The company generates approx. 40% of its turnover from the automotive industry. This broad diversification is a challenge but also constitutes Bihler‘s core competence. More than 1,100 employees and a worldwide service and distribution network take care of the often decades-long partnerships with customers. High degree of parts mix, low volume This customer loyalty is the result of the highly individualized system designs. Almost all Bihler machines are unique, which means that many parts and components that are required are only produced once or twice and then never again. The machines are designed and manufactured precisely to meet customer requirements. „The resulting high degree of part diversity at a very low volume is one of the big challenges, not only for the design process, but also for automated production and quality assurance,“ explains Paul Höldrich, Production Manager at Otto Bihler. This is precisely the reason why Bihler relies on longstanding partnerships with suppliers and technology partners

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REPORT - OTTO BIHLER GMBH & CO. KG

EROWA‘s CubeScan technology „That‘s precisely what we need - easy and quick measurements and checks without any additional programming and absolutely necessary specialist personnel,“ says an enthusiastic Höldrich. But one thing at a time: with the EROWA CubeScan software, you can non-contact measure the workpieces with the help of a laser scanner in next to no time. The only thing to be done in advance is to enter the actual dimensions of the workpiece into the template; after that, the measuring process will start automatically. The superimposition of the scanned measured points with the CAD model results in a color mapping which reveals any errors straight away. The result is directly fed back into the JMS 4.0 process control system. Thanks to complete data automation, conclusions regarding quality and productivity can be drawn through JMS 4.0 at all times. And one immense advantage is constituted by the fact that CubeScan measurements don‘t require any additional programming for a measuring program. Also, the CubeScan application enables operators to digitalize existing components quickly and without a great deal of work, i.e. to effect so-called reverse engineering. This is very helpful, particularly with components for which there in no digital data.

such as EROWA. „In this way we profit from each other and can continue our development together.“ It was on the basis of this cooperation that the idea emerged to integrate an EROWA measuring machine into the manufacturing processes. „At Bihler, we‘ve already been cooperating with EROWA since we started automating our machines in the 1990s but to be honest, I wasn‘t aware at first that EROWA would also be able to provide the relevant solution in the field of automated measurement. But the overall package did more than convince us,“ explains Paul Höldrich. Measuring made quick and easy For Bihler it‘s essential that the measuring machine is integrated into ongoing workpiece production in order to make interim measurements on site, automated and without additional measuring programs. „And this without any great expense and as precisely as possible,“ adds Höldrich. „Process-integrated measuring and checking enables us to detect deviations from the required tolerances early on and to correct them during the production process.“ In this way, Bihler is able to supply the requisite quality and to minimize the reject rate since the parts can be rectified during the production process. „It‘s this overall package precisely put together to satisfy our requirements that we found at EROWA: the EROWA CMM Qi quality measuring machine combined with the CMM CubeScan technology software and the accompanying automation solution,“ says the Production Manager.

„The overall package convinced us: super measuring machine, simple, quick and very versatile.“ Paul Höldrich, Production Manager, Otto Bihler

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REPORT - OTTO BIHLER GMBH & CO. KG

Expectations fulfilled „This versatility and simple operation totally convinced us,“ says Paul Höldrich and measuring technician Manuel Schmölz enthusiastically. Direct measuring during component production allows for quick and uncomplicated corrections and minimizes the number of rejects and unidentified errors. This provides a further boost to quality while cutting unnecessary costs. Thanks to the CubeScan software, operators notice possible deviations from tolerances immediately. In the future, the measuring machine will also be fully integrated into automation in order to be even more completely incorporated into the manufacturing process.

EROWA AG Knutwilerstrasse 3 CH-6233 Büron info@erowa.com www.erowa.com

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