In order to continue to meet the highest quality requirements according to international standards in mechanical and plant engineering and to produce economically, the Austrian company Thöni Industriebetriebe GmbH wanted to replace an ageing flame-cutting machine at its Landeck metalworking plant. Thöni therefore realized the project "New cutting system for the mechanical and plant engineering sector" - in line with the company motto "We shape the future". An efficient solution was implemented with Messer Cutting Systems, which led to better cutting quality, cost savings and simplified work processes. The successful implementation now paves the way for future digitalization and automation projects.
Conserving resources
Thomas Lang, Head of Purchasing and Work Preparation at Metallwerk Landeck, describes the starting point for the ‘New cutting system for mechanical and plant engineering’ project: ‘Our aim is to develop, design and manufacture products and services of international top quality at competitive prices, considering environmental and energy aspects. We set ourselves the goal of continuously improving our services. In doing so, it is important to us to prioritize new and more efficient technologies.‘
A twenty-year-old cutting system no longer met the requirements, particularly in terms of cutting quality and efficiency. Thomas Juen, foreman at the Landeck metal plant, adds: ‘The manual steps and inefficient utilization of the old system had a significant impact on our production processes.’
Challenging goals
Martin Haag, work planner at Metallwerk Landeck, took over the management of the project. He and Thomas Lang clearly defined the objectives from the outset. Metallwerk Landeck needed a modern machine that
- delivers outstanding cutting quality,
- minimizes reworking steps, such as weld seam preparation,
- automates the cutting of pipe parts and
- cutting sheet formats up to 8.5 x 2.5 meters.
Utilizing experience
‘The contact came about through a tender for CAD/CAM software that Thöni had issued two years previously,’ recalls Gerhard Wimmer, Head of Messer Cutting Systems Austria. "Thomas Lang and Martin Haag were in charge of the tender at the time and held discussions with manufacturers. We then organized several visits to reference customers for Thöni. There were visits and an exchange of experiences with three Messer Cutting Systems customers. That's how we were able to convince Thöni."
In addition to the visits and discussions, other criteria also played a role in the decision, says Martin Haag. Besides to the quality of the machine, these were factors such as the fast and short-term availability of spare parts, competent local contacts, and efficient support.
Finally, the concrete requirements for the cutting machine included specifications such as plasma cutting up to 35 mm and drilling at a ratio of 1:1, bevel cuts up to 50° and a pipe rotation axis for pipes up to 500 mm diameter.
100 percent Messer
The overall solution from Messer Cutting Systems was ultimately convincing. This includes
- the MultiTherm flame cutting machine with
- the Skew Rotator Delta plasma bevel unit and
- an ALFA oxy-fuel torch,
- the pipe cutting system PTC500,
- the CAD/CAM software OmniWin and OmniBevel as well as
- gases from Messer
MultiTherm®
The MultiTherm® is a versatile cutting system for plasma or oxyfuel cutting, also in combination. Thanks to its diverse equipment options, it is designed for a wide range of applications. The CNC cutting machine is efficient with the highest demands on quality and productivity.
Skew Rotator Delta plasma bevel unit
The Skew Rotator Delta provides the option of bevel cutting up to 400 amps for users in the mid to large-size gantry machine market, providing a wider range of options to better suit your needs.
ALFA-Torch
The ALFA torch is characterised by integrated height sensing and automatic ignition. The torch nozzle can be changed without tools, which drastically reduces set-up times. The torch cuts effectively right up to the edge of the panel, ensuring better material utilisation.
OmniWin and OmniBevel
As a modern and flexible design and nesting software, OmniWin is the ideal tool for work preparation for flame cutting, oxyfuel, plasma and laser cutting.
OmniBevel is the professional software for bevel cutting and stands for straight cuts, cylindrical holes, exact bevel angles and dimensionally accurate components.
Special solutions required
Martin Haag still remembers the special requirements for the system layout: ‘The old gas supply was converted by Messer Austria (Gases) and expanded to meet our new needs. To do this, we created a detailed system layout in the area of the old system so that we could place the extraction system into the foundations. The new system was installed over the turn of the year to minimize disruption to production."
‘The milestone for us was definitely the commissioning of the new system and the immediate start of production. This meant that we had no downtime in production,’ says workshop manager Thomas Juen, pleased with the successful system installation. The excellent co-operation between Messer and Thöni also deserves a positive mention, explains Juen. Even during operation, Messer is always available and is always on hand with help and advice.
Saving time and costs
Lang, Haag and Juen all agree that many things have improved since the new system went into operation. These include the high cutting quality, modern bevel cutting, precise pipe cutting, the increase in the sheet formats that can be cut and the simpler plate alignment using a laser diode.
‘We now produce small hole diameters and bevel cuts directly on the machine. This means they no longer have to be milled or drilled. This has significantly reduced costs. Today, we also cut thicker sheets than before. What's more, we now have much shorter set-up and changeover times. All of this also saves us time and money,’ summarizes Haag.
‘With the pipe cutting system, we can now process pipes with a pipe diameter of 50 - 500 mm and a pipe wall thickness of 2 - 30 mm and a length of 6 meters. Another new feature is that we can apply bevels to the components,’ continues Haag.
The production team is also pleased with the improved working conditions. Placing and setting up the metal sheets has become much easier. By moving the extraction system into the foundation, the machine is more accessible and requires less space. The machine control system is more modern, making the machine easier to operate.
Digitalization and automation
‘We are very satisfied with our “Messer Experience” and would opt for this solution again,’ says Lang looking back. ‘Messer has delivered a practicable overall package, even compared to the competition. The ‘Made in Germany’ quality feature was implemented perfectly.‘
Haag attributes the success of the project to a few specific things that he would also recommend to any company that needs to replace old systems: ‘In terms of a long-term solution, savings should not be made in the wrong place. We felt well understood by Messer Austria right from the start and had the opportunity to visit various reference plants to talk to the operators about their experiences."
Areas of responsibility were also clearly defined. The selection process is certainly very complex and varies from case to case. The more you invest in preparation and planning, the easier and clearer the process will be.
The next priority for Thöni in Landeck is the digitalization and automation of work processes. Because this is where future success lies.
‘We are planning to completely digitalize the cutting area. This will later include the ERP connection. We can well imagine the Industry 4.0 software suite OmniFab from Messer Cutting Systems here. With the new system, we have definitely taken a first step in this direction,’ concludes Lang.
