Precisie in rood en wit

Tool and die maker 3D CNC, located in Niederkrüchten in the Lower Rhine region of Germany, was founded thirteen years ago on the basis of a specific idea. Norbert Wilms, a machinist by profession, developed a product for the inventory security industry, had it registered it as a utility model, and concentrated on marketing this product. Three years later, in 1998, he purchased his first CNC machining centre and started making his own parts for this product. The company’s first CNC machining centre was a modest HEDELIUS BC 40.
“I got acquainted HEDELIUS at a mechanical engineering trade show”, said the entrepreneur. “Right from the start, they treated me – with my little business – as an equal. I appreciated that.” The number of employees of 3D CNC has since increased to ten. Its new, 800-square-meter workshop houses not only the little BC 40, but also four new HEDELIUS CNC machining centres with their striking red-and-white livery.

Diverse application areas
3D CNC machines aluminium, steel, copper, brass and plastics. The main focus of their business is tool and die making. The dies manufactured by 3D CNC are used in many different areas, ranging from dies for producing the body panels of luxury SUVs to heat-shield fittings on exhaust pipes, which are also made using stamping dies produced in Niederkrüchten. Other dies are used for the construction of the Eurofighter.
According to Wilms, any SME that wants to be a player in this league has to deliver top quality on short order with absolute reliability. In addition to dies, 3D CNC produces highly complex pieces, such as a head sculpted from aluminium. This shiny part is an excellent example of what can be done with current technology. “We can photodigitise free-form objects of almost any shape, program them, and finish them precisely”, according to Norbert Wilms.

For this sort of exacting work, he needs not only enthusiastic employees but also machines that won’t let him down. “HEDELIUS’s machine concepts are simply right for us”, he said.
He is proud of the fact that his company mills profiles for the end cars of ICE high-speed trains under order to Siemens. “This is the ultimate in precision work”, according to him. “What makes it difficult is the curved shape of the profiles, which is slightly different for each profile.” He produces enough profiles for two ICE end cars in one month. Before Siemens started working with 3D CNC, they had to wait a full two and one-half months for the parts for just one end car. Wilms uses a HEDELIUS T8, which is equipped with a pivoting spindle, to fabricate the profiles for the end cars. This option enables machining in three planes. The combination of four machine axes and glass measuring scales guarantees superior accuracy with high dynamic performance, even for demanding components. The T8 is fitted with powerful liquid-cooled motor spindles, and Wilms especially appreciates its high cutting performance of up to 45 m/min.

Two machines in one
Wilms is also impressed by the HEDELIUS RS 80: “It combines two machines in one. This is naturally much more economical that having two buy two.” The RS 80 is designed as a stand-alone production centre featuring two workspaces with outstanding accessibility and very high cutting performance. The clamping surfaces are machined in the smaller workspace, while five-sided full machining is performed in the other workspace.
In addition to the optimal machine concepts and the precision, cutting performance and reliability of the machining centres, Wilms appreciates the ongoing cooperative relationship with his machine tool supplier. The only criticism he has is the waiting time of several months for a new machine.

The tool and die maker has a very high opinion of the service provided by the machine manufacturer: “If I have a question during our everyday operations, when I contact HEDELIUS I am connected immediately to the responsible specialist. And problems can occur any time”, Wilms noted. “So far, I’ve always been happy with the way HEDELIUS resolves problems.”

Profile

3D CNC Marita Wilms

Founded thirteen years ago, 3D CNC now has ten employees. The machines in its new, 800-square-meter workshop include four new HEDELIUS CNC machining centres. 3D CNC machines aluminium, steel, copper, brass and plastics. The main focus of its activities is tool and die making. The company’s main line of business is the production of forming dies for a wide variety of industries, in addition to the production of sophisticated free-form parts.

3D CNC Marita Wilms,
D-41372 Niederkrüchten,
Phone: 02163/873980,
www.3dcnc.de

Trends with micrometre accuracy

Test therefore, who join forever…

Actually, it should be a matter of course: the machine manufacturer treats its users as equals, knows their wishes and requirements, and doesn’t leave them in the lurch when they need service. Relatively small companies are especially dependent on a close working relationship with their machine manufacturers, which is why they want to be taken just as seriously as a major corporation.

werkzeug&formenbau
· September 2008

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