Alfing bet by Junker technology in the manufacture of crankshafts with CBN wheels

Alfing Kessler factory with about 1000 employees, it is the largest company of the Group Alfing and is primarily engaged in the manufacture of crankshafts for engines of tourism and the manufacturing of crankshafts for large gas engines or diesel for mobile and stationary power generationconstruction machinery, locomotives and ship drives. Apart from this company founded in 1911 with the aim of manufacturing crankshafts, temple machines and pieces of wrought iron, also belongs to the factory for special machines Alfing Kessler founded in 1938 and mount technology AMT Alfing since 1980 a group of companies with approximately 1,700 employees and approximately 250 million euros sales. Alfing invests approximately 8-10% of the volume of sales technology, rationalization and expansion. In 2003 / 2004 was held as a key point, the expansion of the production of crankshafts of tourism area of additional production of 7,000 square meters with considerable investments in new machines. In the field of production of crankshafts, Alfing specializes in higher performance engines. Formula 1 also belongs to the Group of customers. Doctor Bömcke indicates that "not we care cast iron crankshafts, or by 3 or 4 cylinder engines business." "We concentrate on crankshafts forgings for great performance with 6, 8, 10, 12 and more engines cylinders".

Each year they occur, for this group of customers, approximately 250 to 300,000 crankshafts. There are independent manufacturers of crankshafts, but in this specific aspect, for Alfing, the field of competitors is limited.

Alfing offers an interesting manufacturing technology manufacturers of engines for the majority of them and, especially, in the case of small and medium-sized series with special requirements. Basically for series of up to 100,000 crankshafts per year. Engineer Bernt Söllner, director of production of Automotive explains, especially in high-performance engines, to permanently transmit more performance to the crankshaft through major moments of pair. "For us this means that we we must produce crankshafts every day more complex, more accurately and better mechanical characteristics." The large number of small and medium-sized series also requires us to a high degree of flexibility. These increasingly higher requirements, have no compensation in price because customers expect and demand improvements in the concept of productivity. To meet these requirements, we can only the alternative bet by a park of machines and ultramodern and very productive, in addition to improvements in the organization. "This means that a task of this kind, can be resolved more easily if we have the support of manufacturers of machinery".

Junker Maschinenfabrik Nordrach has conceived a type of machine practically made to measure for these tasks: the machine Jucrank. The concept of the Jucrank series machine has been developed for complete grinding of crankshafts on a single subject. It rectifies at high speed with CBN wheels. The grinding wheels and grinding by oscillation in support of bearings and necks of Bank, are the standard. At the same time, this concept is designed for a fully automatic production cycle. Meanwhile, Alfing uses three systems of machines of this type. Söllner explains why "despite our very short series, decide the achievable cycle times and high flexibility and the great ability to play levels". At the same time, the Junker machines allows to comply with the requirements of the information. While the costs are always an important argument, are not decisive by themselves such as indicated by the Börmcke, "Won orders through our technical know-how together with variety of correct and acceptable price." Our customers know that with complex and complicated products can not enter in all markets. Here he has the experience. In development projects we are working with the manufacturers of engines and we can already give initial recommendations to be unable to comply the manufacturing technology that is used later. "Therefore it is not unusual that a manufacturer of automotive ask us for the manufacture of crankshafts, of how we should start the technical solution of this or another task".

In the process of production in Alfing, pendulum grinding is an important part. Both here and in the above-mentioned Junker machines, Mr Wegner explains the possibilities:

"With the machine Jucrank, can machine is necks of Bank and main bearings in a single subject regardless of whether they are cylindrical, concave or convex." "Motivated by the principle difference is practically zero".

According to Bernt Söllner, "in the field of the CBN technology, always have to keep us at the last level because, only with the CBN technology, we can make major outbursts of chips without damaging the structure of the surface." And in the CBN sector, Junker not only belongs to the pioneers, but also absolute technological leaders. The criterion by having us determined by Junker is the acceptance of our collaborators, that also depends on the command team. Here Junker has adapted to the demands of the client and equipped the Fanuc control with a panel operator which is oriented in the usual handling surfaces in factory. We've longed a concept offering a surface area of the common operator independent of the hardware from the manufacturer of the command. The important thing for us was that controls Fanuc we exclusively empleáramos to pendulum grinding and that we can offer an identical interface with respect to the other tasks to be solved. Junker specialists have also integrated other significant solution: through our diagnostic module to distance, have access in all fields of the CNC via Profibus and not only as before only on the surface of programming or operator. Previously could not see where he was, where was the Group sensórico of boot or did the system of balanced. This meant that all ancillary aggregates were not accessible. "With our new system, we have managed that everything is accessible through Profibus".