"We think in systems"

Universal energy chain construction kit for modular CNC machining centres

Whether trade show stand and moving gantry or bridge centre: the CNC 5-axis technology from MAKA-Systems GmbH proves its efficiency in many sectors of machining, whether wood, aluminium or plastic. And since various energy supply systems from the modular system comprising around 80,000 parts have been installed, significant savings have been realised - with simultaneous increases in performance.

"We build and develop CNC machining centres and integrated machining solutions at the highest level," explains the CEO of MAKA Systems GmbH,
Ulrich Gnädinger. "From decision-making to machine handover, we are a reliable partner for our customers, who we then support throughout the entire service life of their machining centre." Production takes place at the Nersingen site. With a subsidiary in England and trading partners worldwide, the mechanical engineering company has a global presence. Founded in 1952, it is
one of the pioneers in CNC machining. Business operations were reorganised in 2010. "While customised machine concepts used to be realised down to the last detail, the focus today is on increased standardisation,
on increased standardisation," says the CEO. "Our declared aim is to offer largely modular machining centres at the very latest state of the art at affordable prices. For this reason, we are always open to design improvements."

CNC machining centre for the woodworking industry

Intelligent energy chain solutions
"Customers' requirements for the stability of the systems have steadily increased. At that time, the name igus® appeared more and more frequently in the specifications," says Reinhard Hiller, conductor Production & Logistics, looking back. "And the collaboration proved its worth. Over time, we have jointly developed a large number of customised solutions for the energy supply of the individual units that clearly stand out from the competition. Thanks to intelligent energy chain solutions, we have achieved double-digit percentage cost savings right from the start, while at the same time increasing performance data." Our energy chains score particularly well when it comes to unsupported lengths, such as those found on bridge centres. This is where we clearly stand out from our competitors.

All current energy chain series are currently installed in the CNC machining centres and have already proven themselves in countless machining centres around the world. The CNC specialist has now also decided to use pre-assembled energy supply systems in a machine for plastic and composite machining. "This topic is currently our number one priority," Reinhard Hiller emphasises. "As we are increasingly focusing on standardisation, we see a number of technical and economic advantages in prefabrication."

From the prosthesis to the Panamera
MAKA Systems is divided into three business divisions: Wood, Aluminium and Plastics/Composites. In the wood division, the CNC machining centres with 5-axis technology are indispensable. "Whether doors, piano bodies or wooden scaffolding for children's playgrounds - our customers are convinced by our high-quality milling machines," says the CEO, adding that the market share in the high-speed machining of light metal, such as the machining of extruded profiles and technical components, is also growing steadily. In the aluminium business field, versatile functions and high flexibility lead to use in industries that place the highest demands, for example in spaceframe technology in automotive construction, in aircraft and rail vehicle construction and in façade construction.moulded plastic, as deep-drawn parts, CFRP or glass-fibre reinforced plastic components, is the focus of the plastics/composites business field.

"Sophisticated work on spatial bodies is realised with our 5-axis technology and is just as convincing in aircraft interiors as it is in yacht building or large-scale model construction," says the CEO, outlining the product portfolio. There is also a complete service package for the machine. From a rotary table milling centre for the highly dynamic production of small prosthetic parts to the integration of a CNC system into a time-dependent cycle line for Panamera production - the mechanical engineering company offers the right solution for every customer requirement. The highly complex CNC machining centres are usually in continuous use under the most difficult conditions. Their trade show stand safety must therefore be guaranteed. No company can afford downtime. The installed components must function reliably. Of course, this also applies to the energy supply systems.

Changing requirement profiles
The different materials that are processed on the CNC machines place different demands on the energy supply systems. Dust, chips and abrasive materials promote wear. Added to this are the issues of manoeuvrability, speeds and continuous operation. 100 m/min. and strokes of 40 and 50 m are not uncommon. "Accelerating and decelerating the masses in particular must not stress the energy supply system in the long term," emphasises Reinhard Hiller. The chains are filled with electric, pneumatic and sometimes hydraulic cables. The operating pressures, especially for hydraulic cables, can reach several hundred bar. During load changes, the cables within the energy chain can develop a life of their own. "We only have good experiences. They are laid so securely that we have not yet encountered any problems," reports Reinhard Hiller.

Special bracket chains that can accommodate suction hoses with diameters from 36 mm to 300 mm have proven themselves on a number of specialised CNC machines. If the hose had to be routed inside the energy supply system, this would only be possible with larger energy chains, which are of course much more expensive to purchase. The relatively lightweight air hose, on the other hand, can be routed separately along the actual energy supply system without any problems and without having to compromise on manoeuvrability.

Pre-assembly in future
In order to get the cost structure under control in the long term, MAKA Systems has decided to increasingly pre-assemble basic assemblies without the end customer being fixed. They are then installed from stock. "We are increasingly focussing on this platform strategy, especially for industry solutions," explains Reinhard Hiller. "The pre-assembled energy supply systems play an important role here."
As the axis travel paths have been defined in advance, the chain and cable lengths are 100% fixed and can be assembled quickly. In this context, the mechanical engineering company emphasises the ease of assembly of the energy chain, which has proven itself in everyday operation. The route to the pre-assembled energy supply systems is always the same: Project engineers inspect the machine or system on site and determine the interfaces and chain lengths. Normally, depending on the requirements profile, all the necessary information is available within a few days so that the design can be customised to the respective model.

From left: Ulrich Gnädinger (MAKA Systems), Michael Offner (igus®), Reinhard Hiller (MAKA).

The advantages for the customer are obvious. The procurement of countless individual parts is no longer necessary. The number of suppliers and orders can be reduced many times over. There are no storage costs. The pre-assembled energy supply system is delivered on time. Over 1,400 cables for all drive and bus technologies are available from stock as standard. There are also countless plug connections, connectors and over 80,000 plastic parts. They are assembled to order and delivered tested so that there is no need to compromise on quality and reliability. "In our case, we simply assembled the energy supply system and utilised the freed-up capacity elsewhere in the company," confirms Reinhard Hiller. "Based on the positive experience with the pilot project, we will increasingly rely on harnessing in the future." The only area where the benefits of pre-assembly are unlikely to be utilised is for special CNC machines in the high-end sector. "These are absolutely customised products that are individually designed from A to Z."

The machine in monobloc design impresses in single version with the best prerequisites for the highest processing quality at maximum feed rates

The name is programme
The platform strategy is beginning to bear fruit. Two machines,
which were prefabricated in assemblies on bearing,
have been sold to a supplier in the automotive industry for aluminium processing within a very short space of time. "We also saved a lot of assembly time thanks to the preassembled energy supply systems and were able to deliver quickly," emphasises Reinhard Hiller. The company sees itself as a system integrator. "We think in systems and want to combine the individual parts of our machines into modules, into mini-systems, in the long term," the CEO makes clear. "We are taking this step together with our suppliers. In this environment, pre-assembled energy supply systems naturally also play an important role, as they pay off for us in the long term. On the one hand, procurement costs are reduced and, on the other, we can react more flexibly to our specific capacity utilisation." The CNC processing machines are the centrepiece of production. If they stand still, the entire production comes to a standstill.

"And we want to avoid outages and the associated services at all costs," concludes Ulrich Gnädinger. "We have gained the best experience with the energy supply systems in recent years and will continue to work together on new projects in the future."

You can find more interesting applications from a wide range of areas here

energy chain application examples from practice

To the vector competition

vector award for innovative cable carrier solutions from igus®