Handtmann Machines Airbus A330 Part at EMO.

At this year’s EMO, Handtmann A-Punkt Automation GmbH demonstrated the advantages of horizontal machining for high speed cutting in aluminium by presenting the HBZ CompactCell with 2x1 meter table size, palette automation on rails, 75kW and 30,000rpm. The HBZ CompactCell – highlight of the Handtmann booth - has first been displayed in public along with the palette automation on rails and represented the motto “5-axes. Automated. Successful.” with which the various automated solutions for Handtmann machining centres have been shown. On the work table with a length of two and a width of one meter – also lengths of three and four meters are optionally available – the advantages of the combination of horizontal machining and automation were highlighted during live demonstrations. The space-saving automated solution on rails guarantees increased productivity, as its application is minimizing set-up times.

In cooperation with ASCO Deutschland GmbH from Gedern, an aerospace customer, Handtmann could prove power and precision in machining a wing rib for the Airbus A330 on the HBZ CompactCell 200/100. In two hours, Handtmann could achieve a material removal rate of 96% in aluminium. The high chip removal rate caused a huge amount of chips every day, so that the briquetting system RAP 4/3800/60x40 of RUF GmbH & Co. KG, situated in Zaisertshofen, was applied to handle the 1.5m³ chips per day. Fourtynine liters of chips per workpiece have been transformed into handy 60mm x 40mm x 50mm briquettes with a specific forming pressure of about 3.88kg/cm² (300bar) and powers of 4kW. Beneath briquetting aluminium, RUF briquetting systems are also available for materials like steel, cast-iron, titanium, brass, magnesium and grinding swarf. Main advantage of these machines is a volume-reduction up to 20:1. This also leads to reduced costs in storage, handling and transports and an increase of value of the waste material. With a weight-reduction of more than 130kg from the workpiece machined on the HBZ CompactCell, the briquetting system was pretty valuable.

Machining a real customer’s workpiece was impressive to EMO-visitors and also ASCO, the Handtmann customer who provided the material, fixture and programs, was satisfied with the outcome of the wing-rib production, as Handtmann was able to achieve the given times and accuracies with the HBZ CompactCell.

“After three years of positive experiences with our Handtmann HBZ AeroCell for machining larger structural parts for the aerospace industry, we are now convinced that Handtmann is also providing an optimum solution for smaller parts with the HBZ CompactCell.” This is the impression of Klaus Junker, manager technology of ASCO Deutschland GmbH regarding the machine.

EMO has been an important platform to Handtmann to discuss international projects and will lead to even more action in the upcoming months. With a better part of German visitors on the Handtmann booth, there were way more international visitors than expected. The spacious 194m² booth especially attracted new customers.

Existing contacts were intensified, running projects were pushed on and new contacts have been acquired during those six days of the exhibition. Shaped by high innovative power among the 2,037 exhibitors from 41 countries, also Handtmann A-Punkt Automation was able to convince through their innovative machine concepts along with automated solutions for the HSC-machining centers under the motto “5-Axes. Automated. Successful.”

Handtmann draws a positive conclusion of the EMO 2011. Notably the international trade fair visitors were decisive factor for the German machine manufacturer.