Switzerland-headquartered cylindrical grinding specialist Fritz Studer AG revealed a mix of business, product and strategy news at its annual gathering in February, held in Thun, in the Swiss canton of Bern.
The company is part of the United Grinding Group, which is part of Gemany's Korber Group, and not only manufactures machines for its own brand but also provides base machines for its sister United Grinding Group operations Schaudt (crankshaft/camshaft) and Mikrosa (centreless), both located in Leipzig. United Grinding includes five other brands, too (Walter, Ewag, Maegerle, Blohm and Jung – www.grinding.com).
Studer claims both market and technology leadership in cylindrical grinding across the Studer, Schaudt and Mikrosa brands. The company revealed that its global market share has grown from just under 17% in 2012 to around 20% last year, with its nearest competitor able to claim just 8%. This latest increase in market share was achieved against a backdrop of falling sales by value for the three brands, following the recent high point of 2012.
Managing director Fred Gaegauf says that growth is targeted this year at about 10%, in terms of unit numbers (585 machines for the three brands), taking the three back towards the 2012 sales figure of €272 million. But he adds that in a saturated market where production capacity is not fully utilised, this can only be achieved by taking market share from others. In support of that, the company is developing both new products and new features, as well as driving home the message about its existing technology.
"Our goal is to be the best in every technical discipline," says managing director Gerd Koenig, who oversees supply chain management, production and Studer systems for the company.
The big news on product expansion is in Studer's internal grinding portfolio, which has been broadened to take in a full line of machines. Studer entered this market following its acquisition of Biel-located Combitech in 2008 and has a "mid-term aim" of becoming "number one in this field", Gaegauf highlights.
Unveiled at the February event were the S131, S141 and S151 models (see 'New internal grinder range details' box), providing an all-new internal grinding portfolio that will put in a showing at October's EMO exhibition, in Milan. Only the S141 family, with three grinding lengths, is currently available – the others will follow by EMO. This new family of machines will see the existing CT models retired, the company reveals.
Within its products, the company emphasised its various existing technology elements (see 'Leading technology' box), as well as signposting other developments to come. In particular, a 'self-learning machine' is in the company's sights. Studer's Dr Gereon Heinemann, managing director, technology divisions, says that a team of 12 precision machining experts have been working on this for the last year, building upon the company's existing StuderTechnology software that offers guidance to setters, in term of operations and process parameters. In addition to that, the self-learning machine will adaptively optimise processes and self-diagnose faults.
As Gaegauf highlights, the strengths of StuderTechnology were already demonstrated several years ago when its output was tested against the programs of grinding experts, with positive results. In fact, the company first offered a CNC cylindrical grinder that could set itself up in 1987, he underlines.
And part of the benefit of such a smart machine, indeed the benefit of efficient grinding cycles already achieved with StuderTechnology software, are reductions in energy consumption. This element of competitive advantage was also underlined at the Thun event.
ENERGY CONCERN
Already a user of solely renewable energy to power its factory, the company gained environmental accreditation to ISO 14001 just last year, is already a member of European machine tool manufacturers' body CECIMO's Blue Competence environmental programme centred on the reduction of energy consumption and is now able to offer machines in compliance with the EE4C process (Energy Efficiency for Customer quotation).
This latter item sees an energy consumption analysis linked to the component, or type of component, to be produced, such that a customer can see how much energy can be saved through investment in a new Studer machine. In the USA and Germany, government investment support is on offer where such savings can be demonstrated, highlights the Swiss grinding expert. The EE4C process has already been successfully employed by the company in Germany.
Studer wraps up its entire environmental approach to machine tool design and supply in what it calls its four blue steps. These take in the selection of efficient machine components, standby energy consumption management, StuderTechnology and EE4C.
In relation to the Studer S33 cylindrical grinding machine, the first three steps saw a 14.8% reduction versus the model's predecessor, 5% for a certain 14-min duty cycle and 5% taken off total consumption for an unnamed part, so about 25%. In comparison to an alternative machine, therefore, an EE4C analysis will highlight the energy-saving credentials of Studer machines for any particular component.
The S141 boasts four grinding spindles
New internal grinder range details
The S141 is available in three models, able to accommodate workpiece lengths of up to 300, 700 and 1,300 mm. All feature a swing of 400 mm diameter over the table, while the maximum grinding length is 250 mm for internal and 150 mm for external diameters. The S141 is said to be the ideal machine for grinding spindle shafts, spindle casings, rotor shafts, axes or flange parts.
The S131 is a smaller, more compact machine having a swing over table of 250 mm diameter and a maximum grinding length of 175 mm for internal and 125 mm for external diameters. Workpieces with a maximum length of 300 mm can be accommodated.
The larger S151 has a swing over table of 550 mm diameter and a maximum grinding length of 400 mm for internal and 150 mm for external diameters. Workpieces up to 700 mm can be handled.
Faster machine build
By October this year, Studer will be assembling base machines via its 'assembly plus' line. Base machines go on for customisation/option fitting thereafter. This new set-up will see the company apply flow-line techniques in place of the current static machine build approach. According to managing director Fred Gaegauf, this will cut build time by 25 to 30%. The line will have a capacity of 1,000 machines/year, with flexibility to respond to demand a key advantage. This development is just one part of Studer's continuous improvement initiative, PULS.
Leading technology
Of a long list of Studer technology advantages, the company set out to emphasise three in particular:
- StuderGuide linear motor guideway system that offers the advantages of both hydrostatic and hydrodynamic guideway designs. The system, which features on the company's S41 cylindrical grinder and now on all of the latest internal grinders, offers best surface line straightness, dynamic compensation for load variation, as well as damping in the direction of movement.
- Wheelhead B-axis, fitted to the S41, which offers repeatability of positioning to 1/36,000 of a degree, a rotation time of 3 sec/180° and which is direct driven by torque drive (rotary linear motor).
- The power of the group. Each member of the United Grinding Group benefits from collective efforts not achievable by any single company. Indeed, mooted at the February event was a United Grinding Group initiative that is underway to develop a new, more intuitive machine control interface (HMI). Currently, Studer's S11 production cylindrical grinding model, launched at EMO 2013 and featuring StuderWINfocus software is the lead machine in the group in this respect, Machinery was told.
