ZK software for external setup and measurement

Rationalisation and automation in tool making and mould construction

Our customer and partner WESCHU has been operating machine tools for more than 40 years. At their in-house showroom, WESCHU operates fully automatic production cells, which are also used for job order manufacturing.

Managing director Werner Schumacher says “I always focused on the areas of rationalisation and automation, asking the question: How can I shorten processes? To implement rationalisation in this field, we needed to determine the offset data externally on a measuring machine and then automatically transmit this data to the machine tool.”

The Alphamoduli software from Zimmer & Kreim was the key to making this possible. In Alphamoduli, all job data is centrally stored in a database and can then be automatically transmitted to the machines.

Major advantages thanks to external setup

External setup is an important step on the path towards automated, rationalised production. Even small operations and systems can reap the benefits.

“The use of a measuring machine is just as worthwhile in an automated system as in a stand-alone solution,” explains WESCHU managing director Kathrin Schumacher, “because both situations involve eliminating the measurement process on the corresponding machines and performing this step externally. Firstly, because the precision of a measuring machine is significantly better, which means that everything can be recorded and stored and provided to the customer. Secondly, because the processing machines are able to continue production while this step is performed, meaning that the customer can sell these hours.”

Software-supported external setup reduces machine downtimes in the manufacturing process, thereby increasing productivity. Werner Schumacher sums it up nicely: “In some instances, we have achieved 40 to 45 percent shorter setup times and runtime increases, which have been guaranteed through the use of the measuring machine.”

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