Technology innovation = maximum efficiency

The area surrounding the city of Pforzheim in Southern Germany, is becoming a stronghold for a special kind of tool manufacturer, those working with hybrid materials. Among them, Kummer GmbH, stands out in particular as an innovator in this unique sector.

As far back as 1998, the two company directors Wolfgang and Jens Hofmann recognised that the plastics and stamping industry would become increasingly competitive and invested in forward-thinking plastics technology. After intensive R&D and thorough testing, they introduced a sequential laminated injection process only two years later. Currently at Kummer GmbH, there are approximately 140 staff in the four business areas: tooling technology, stamping technology, plastics technology and installation technology.

Three tools in one machine
With traditional reel-to-reel procedures, stamping and injection machines are connected to each other with regulated loops, as part of a longer assembly line. The material is then processed in several consecutive steps. The production speed of the entire line depends on the injection cycle, and therefore, the stamping machines have to work at a slower and more uneconomical speed. However, the laminated injection method developed by Kummer, requires only one combined machine. This process can manufacture reliable, cost-efficient and high-value components in all sizes.

Development partner
When an order comes in, the design engineers start working immediately with the client, offering practical suggestions as to how the design could be modified or optimised, in order to make the best use of the laminated injection process and ultimately make the component more cost-effective to produce.

Throughout the complete design and manufacturing cycle, Kummer use the VISI suite of CADCAM solutions from Vero Software. VISI Modelling is used for the design of the components and development of the punch tool. VISI Progress is used to develop the sheet metal component and strip layout, and VISI Mould is used for the design of the plastic injection mould.

“It was important for us to cater for all 3 scenarios using a single 3D system,” states Thomas Härdt, Head of Development and Construction. Kummer already had an in-house design system from one of the 'big three' (CATIA, Pro-E and UG), but found that the system was not efficient for tool design and led to massive increases in production times. Thomas Härdt continues, “These systems are fully parametric and so complex, they require 80% of your brain power to foresee the best working practice – which leaves only 20% for the project itself. With VISI, the opposite is true. The system has proved so easy to use that we were already up and running within two weeks and more efficient than with our previous system after only three months."

Once the tool design is completed, Vero's Compass Technology is used in the CAM department for 2 and 2½-axis CNC programmes. The feature recognition is capable of analysing the 3D model for regular geometries such as holes, pockets or T-slots - dramatically reducing programming time and eliminating human error. Based on the standard component type (screw, pillar, dowel etc) feature properties are applied during the tool design phase which are automatically picked up by Compass. That means, for example, a hole can be automatically recognised and machined regardless of its diameter, using a different sequence of CAM cycles. “With our previous 2D system, the feature recognitions rate lay between 80 - 90%. With Compass we have already surpassed that mark, and there is still room for further optimisation. In total, we are running 16 licenses of VISI Modelling as a base platform and a number of licenses for VISI Mould, VISI Progress and VISI Machining with Compass Technology,” explains Thomas Härdt.

Concluding, Jens Hofmann, Operations Manager at Kummer explains how with three other companies and a banking institute, the company has founded a scholarship in Stamping Technology at the Pforzheim University. "There were two reasons behind this, the first being a connection with the local high school; something that is not so easy for a medium-sized business to establish. The second reason is that we wanted to celebrate our location – this is where the stamping technology was born…”

Company Web : www.kummer-gmbh.de

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