For Machining Applications Where Safety and Precision Have Top Priority
Zeltwanger | Tübingen, Germany
hyperMILL® TURNING Solutions and hyperMILL® VIRTUAL Machining help streamline precision machining: At leading precision manufacturer Zeltwanger Maschinenbau, maximum quality and process reliability are of critical importance when it comes to machining. The NC programs generated using the hyperMILL® CAD/CAM software from OPEN MIND provide the basis for this. The CAM programmers at Zeltwanger consider the hyperMILL® VIRTUAL Machining Center to be an invaluable addition to the 2.5D, 3D, and 5-axis milling modules and the hyperMILL® TURNING Solutions as it ensures collision-free, optimized toolpaths based on NC code simulation.
Zeltwanger Maschinenbau is a leading service provider for highly complex machining and assembly. It has been the company’s philosophy to mainly focus on a few major customers and to maintain close partnerships. In recent years, the semiconductor industry has been the main source of sales growth. One of these companies, which specializes in laser technology, sources various ultra-high-precision components from Zeltwanger – from pin-sized stainless-steel parts to aluminium blocks machined from three tons of raw material to a finished part weighing just 250 kg. “µm tolerances are the order of the day for us,” says Wolfgang Pfeiffer, Head of CAM Programming at Zeltwanger Maschinenbau. “For large components, we have to drill holes with positional tolerances of 20 micron over a distance of 2000 mm with unerring reliability, which is also a major challenge.”
The Zeltwanger machining team competently fulfills these challenging demands. The employees are all well trained and use a machine facility at their headquarters in Tübingen that leaves nothing to be desired. There are over 50 modern CNC machines in production—mainly 5-axis vertical and horizontal machining centers from 650 mm to 2100 mm X-travel, partly automated with additional turning, turn-mill, and mill-turn machines.
Wolfgang Pfeiffer, Head of CAM Programming at Zeltwanger Maschinenbau: “We have never regretted our decision to use hyperMILL®. The CAD/CAM software perfectly caters to our needs – from importing CAD data through to simulation in hyperMILL® VIRTUAL Machining.”
“We shortlisted four systems. hyperMILL® came out on top due to its outstanding milling strategies, which guarantee fast and high-quality machining, and OPEN MIND provide high quality support.”
Wolfgang Pfeiffer, Head of CAM Programming
This stock weighs close to 3000 kg and is machined on the DMG MORI DMU 210 in a process that lasts several hours. The result is a high-precision housing part that weighs less than 250 kg.
Zeltwanger manufactures various optics carriers for the semiconductor industry on a Heller H3500 horizontal machining center. This machining process is programmed with hyperMILL® MAXX Machining, which reduces machining times by up to 60 percent.
CAM programming creates the basis for high-performance production
All these machines need to be supplied with CNC programs. The CAM programming team of ten is led by Wolfgang Pfeiffer. He explains: “As the batch sizes range from 1 to small series of around 500 units, we have to generate between 20–60 executable, reliable NC programs each week on average, depending on the complexity. To handle this workload, we program in two shifts and need CAM software that supports us, quickly, and reliably.”
Zeltwanger Maschinenbau has been using the hyperMILL® CAD/CAM system from OPEN MIND since 2008. At that time, it replaced the 2.5D system of a local manufacturer, which was being phased out. “It was essential that the CAD/CAM software could handle the entire milling spectrum, i.e., 2.5D, 3D, and 5-axis milling,” says Wolfgang Pfeiffer, who has been working at Zeltwanger since 2000 and still remembers the selection process well. “We shortlisted four systems. hyperMILL® came out on top due to its outstanding milling strategies, which guarantee fast and high-quality machining, and OPEN MIND provide high quality support. Our contact person at OPEN MIND at the time had enormous expertise and was always available to answer our questions, which soon established a strong relationship based on trust. That played an important role in our decision.”
At Zeltwanger Maschinenbau, all milling, mill-turn or turn-mill programs are created using the hyperMILL® CAD/CAM system from OPEN MIND. hyperMILL® VIRTUAL Machining is an important tool to ensure reliable machining.
Those responsible appreciate the powerful 5-axis technology. Wolfgang Pfeiffer explains: “Our machine components hardly have any free-form surfaces, but we still need 5-axis strategies time and again, especially if this enables us to dispense with expensive special tools.”
Pfeiffer also emphasizes another decision factor: “It was also important to us that OPEN MIND develops its own software, strategies, automation technologies, and postprocessors. The advantage of this is that we have a single point of contact, and our suggestions and change requests reach the software developers quickly, which means quick results.”
The right strategy for any machining application
hyperMILL® supports the Zeltwanger programmers from the moment they receive the CAD data. This is because nearly all of the orders are sent as 3D models in STEP format, so they can be imported directly into hyperMILL®. Whenever necessary, a programmer can remodel them in the integrated CAD section. The required fixtures are also designed using the CAD functions in hyperMILL®.
“hyperMILL® offers the right strategy for every machining operation, is easy to use, and provides us with a large number of automation options,” says Pfeiffer. “For example, we rely on feature and macro technology as a standard tool to speed up processes.”
The hyperMILL® MAXX Machining performance package, which is used at Zeltwanger Maschinenbau, particularly for stainless steel roughing, ensures reduced machining times and perfect surfaces. “Depending on the component, this allows us to achieve time savings of up to 60 percent. In addition, tool costs are cut in half most of the time because I can use smaller – and thus cheaper – carbide tools that also have a significantly longer service life. And even when we can only realize small savings, we benefit from a reliable process.”
The hyperMILL® MAXX Machining finishing module is used less often at machine manufacturer Zeltwanger. “We use finishing with barrel cutters primarily for inaccessible areas, large machining depths, or free-form surfaces, which are not common tasks for us,” comments Pfeiffer. “But we also save a lot of time when it comes to finishing.”
The NC codes for the DMG MORI DMU 125 µPrecision 5-axis machining center are optimized with hyperMILL® VIRTUAL Machining and checked for collisions.
Precision is the result of many things playing together: In addition to expert employees, programming, and machinery, high-quality measurement technology is also essential.
Turn-milling ensures cost-optimized complete machining
While Zeltwanger almost exclusively focused on milling when it purchased hyperMILL®, turn-mill centers have been introduced to the production halls in the meantime. “We got our first turn-mill center in 2015 – a DMG MORI CTX beta 800 TC,” says Wolfgang Pfeiffer, going on to point out the advantages in production: “By combining turning and milling on a single machine, many parts can be completely machined in a single set-up. This eliminates downtimes when changing machines and prevents reclamping errors.”
In his own department, the introduction of hybrid machining presented a challenge. This is because programming turn-mill centers is one of the most demanding tasks for programmers. hyperMILL® has the answer with its TURNING Solutions and the TURN-MILL Machining module.
“Overall, familiarizing ourselves with this software module was easy,” says Wolfgang Pfeiffer. “The operation of the turning function is similar to milling for the most part, so that it was virtually self-explanatory for our colleagues, who use hyperMILL® a lot.” This provides programmers with reliable toolpaths and a dependable simulation for these collision-prone machines.
At present, Zeltwanger owns three DMG MORI CTX beta TC turn-mill centers and a DMG MORI DMU 80 FD mill-turn center, which is equipped with a high-speed rotating table. hyperMILL® also offers the perfect tool for this with the MILL-TURN Machining module. The high-performance milling strategies can be combined with turning operations, which enables complete machining with efficiency, precision and safety.
Edgar Maier, the OPEN MIND sales representative responsible for Zeltwanger since the beginning of 2023, explains: “Mill-turning has enormous potential when it comes to manufacturing a particular range of parts. When a milled part has a rotationally symmetrical outer or inner contour, it is often most efficient to use a turning operation. That’s why we have closely connected milling and turning in our hyperMILL® TURNING Solutions.”
Whether it’s milling, mill-turning, or turn-milling – the programming team at Zeltwanger Maschinenbau relies on the hyperMILL® CAD/CAM system for all tasks. The company particularly turns to the hyperMILL® VIRTUAL Machining module for optimization and simulation.
OPEN MIND and Zeltwanger Maschinenbau enjoy an excellent partnership. Left to right: Wolfgang Pfeiffer (Head of CAM Programming at Zeltwanger), Carolin Lang (OPEN MIND Marketing), and Edgar Maier (OPEN MIND Sales Representative)
Virtual Machining ensures safe and optimized milling paths
hyperMILL® VIRTUAL Machining (VM) is a valuable tool for optimizing complex machining operations while ensuring that they are free of collisions. It combines the advantages of a CAM data-based simulation with those of an NC code simulation. Edgar Maier explains how this impacts production: “By incorporating the entire process information from the CAM system, such as negative allowances, broken edges, or drilling parameters into the simulation, users can avoid being presented with incorrect collision warnings. This helps avoid the time-consuming evaluation of alleged collision zones.”
Wolfgang Pfeiffer agrees. He cites the safety that results from using hyperMILL® VIRTUAL Machining for any type of machining, as the key advantage. He also appreciates that hyperMILL® VIRTUAL Machining “insists” on precise preparation. Users must follow proper protocol, such as precisely defining the holder and tool. If they fail to do so, access to the NC code is barred. The software only provides access to successfully tested and, therefore, safe, collision-free programs, explains the chief programmer.
Zeltwanger has been using the hyperMILL® VIRTUAL Machining software module extensively for some milling machines and usually purchases this helpful module for every new machine. Zeltwanger even contributed to the development of VIRTUAL Machining as a beta tester for mill-turning and is currently involved in virtual turret loading in hyperMILL®.
Ready for the future
Zeltwanger would like to use its OPEN MIND software for one more thing: Wolfgang Pfeiffer would love to program the new DMG MORI beta 1250 4A with hyperMILL®. However, this high-performance turning center is equipped with a turn-mill spindle and a second tool holder designed as a turret. The hyperMILL® TURNING Solutions features are being continuously upgraded, and the programming of multi-channel machining is also on the agenda.
If you need parts of the highest quality...
…Zeltwanger Maschinenbau is the right choice. The company is part of the Zeltwanger Group, which comprises eight cooperating companies, employs over 470 staff, and generated €81 million in revenue in 2023. Zeltwanger Maschinenbau processes any metallic material, with aluminum and stainless steel leading the list. Around 170 employees ensure that demanding customers from the semiconductor and automotive, medical device technology, and micro-automation sectors are supplied with components and assemblies of the highest quality.
Edgar Maier (right) and Wolfgang Pfeiffer regularly discuss new production optimizations with hyperMILL®.