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By introducing an automation solution, the Grafenau-based sheet metal processing specialist, Sedlbauer AG, has boosted its productivity in the fields of laser cutting and stamping by up to 25 percent. To achieve this, components supplied by AMADA are precisely adapted in situ to specific local requirements.
“The shortage of skilled labor and price pressures due to competition from manufacturers in Eastern Europe and Asia are the main challenges that we in Germany have to overcome if we are to remain competitive,” says Sebastian Gross, Chief Operating Officer at Sedlbauer AG. The market is demanding higher productivity. The solution is to use automation to reduce both downtimes and the staffing levels needed for the manufacture of variable parts quantities. Sedlbauer AG is a globally active solution provider for high-quality parts and complete systems, supplying sectors such as telecommunications, medical engineering, electromechanical systems, e-mobility or rail technology. The company, which is part of the Edwanz Group, was founded 125 years ago. At the Grafenau site, 190 employees ensure a high level of vertical integration during sheet metal processing – from mechanical machining to surface treatment and on to the assembly of customer-ready systems. The company performs all the individual steps itself, from development and design through to production and assembly.
Minimizing downtimes
Sedlbauer has relied on technology from AMADA ever since the 1990s. Back then, two punch-laser, one laser and one fiber-laser machine were used for sheet metal processing. “The production process and quality were good, but there was not enough capacity to manufacture large runs. The downtimes required for the manual loading and unloading of the single machines were simply too long,” explains Head of Production, Martin Pfoser. The solution lay in the changeover to automation. “This was a step that we thought about very carefully,” says Gross. “Not just because of the scale of the investment, but also because of the changes to our working practices. Naturally, the manpower requirements shrink, but at the same time the existing personnel need to be more highly qualified.” So it was a further plus that AMADA was not only able to supply the innovative technology, but also offer the training activities needed to qualify the personnel.
Extremely flexible storage capacity
At the heart of this forward-looking, all-round changeover of production operations lies a two-row, fully-automatic AMADA CS II 300 rack storage system with 300 storage locations for the centralized handling of raw material and finished parts. Material that used to be fetched by a forklift from an adjoining hall is now made available in a matter of minutes and can be processed in the three connected machines. A fully-automated AMADA VENTIS-3015AJe with 6 kW of laser power is used for large runs. The connected AMADA TK-3015 EU parts removal system automatically removes, sorts and stacks the laser-cut parts. A partially-automated AMADA VENTIS-3015AJe with 4-kW laser is used for small parts, short runs and prototypes. The processing portfolio is rounded off by an AMADA EML-2515AJe punch-laser combination machine. This is equipped with a PDC tool changer which can stock up to 220 punches and 440 dies and install these in the machine fully automatically. An automated loading and unloading unit, the AMADA LIII300S + R-3015TK ULS, is used to feed the raw material and to separate small parts. Two additional transfer stations simplify the task of removing parts for downstream mechanical processing, for example in the form of bending, welding or surface treatment, all of which can be done by Sedlbauer inhouse.
More than just a productivity boost
Gross sums things up as follows: “With this new solution, we achieve higher throughput with less manpower – we’ve become 20 to 25 percent faster depending on the part. Thanks to the new machines, we also consume considerably less energy than before.” Alongside the shot in the arm this has given production, he also mentions a positive side effect at the level of the company’s image: “Customers who visit us are impressed by our innovative approach and the way we invest in the future. That increases trust and confidence and stimulates an interest in working together on new projects.”
Trust-based collaboration was also the basis for the changeover to automation at Sedlbauer. The company has been doing business with AMADA ever since the 1990s. “Excellent support is important – in particular, the peer-to-peer consulting activities and integration in the Technical Center are a great advantage,” explains Gross. There, it has been possible to look at solutions and cooperate in their design. Joint visits to reference customers who are using similar AMADA solutions made Sedlbauer even more confident in its decision, and the two companies are already discussing plans for the future. This was Sedlbauer’s first venture into the world of automation and other departments are due to take the same step – for example in the bending and welding unit in order to ensure that operations continue to meet market demands and quality requirements in the future. One possibility is to extend automation to the company’s bending operations and use a bending robot to further optimize efficiency in this area.
Photos: Wolfgang Kleiner
