HELLER’s ‘Passion for Production’ Showcased at Nürtingen Open House

Nürtingen, Germany – Gebr Heller Maschinenfabrik GmbH, under the motto ‘Passion for Production’, kicks off its 4-day in-house exhibition at its headquarters in Nürtingen. The HELLER Open House will focus on the latest 360° solutions for tomorrow’s production. These include the latest generation F 5000 5-axis machining center and a newly developed rack-type tool magazine. In addition, the machine manufacturer will be presenting a wide range of services and future-oriented technology, digitalization, and automation solutions.

"We are the go-to technology partner for our customers. Our focus is on them and their specific challenges. The HELLER team is passionate about developing the right production solutions for and with our customers," says Dr Thorsten Schmidt, CEO, HELLER, at the beginning of his speech at the 2024 Open House. Numerous guests from home and abroad are expected to attend his first HELLER in-house exhibition.

The CEO continues, "This coming week is another opportunity for us to demonstrate our capabilities and offerings." In addition to the latest 360° solutions, the company will be offering guests an extensive program with presentations on a range of topics, including ‘Digital Twin’, ‘Automation Solutions’, ‘Shopfloor Excellence’, and ‘Technology Excellence’. On top of that, various guided tours will provide exclusive insights into the world of HELLER and plenty of opportunity for dialogue with the HELLER network, including subsidiaries GSN, STS, Paatz, and Wenzler, as well as selected cooperation partners.

5-axis machining center F 5000: Designed for Production

HELLER_F_5000

This is the first opportunity for visitors to see up close the F 5000, another machine size from the new generation of the 5-axis F series, equipped with new features and key components such as motor spindles with HSK-A-63 tool interface and space-saving rack-type tool magazines. With its modular design, the new high-performance 5-axis machining center can be configured to suit a wide range of applications, ensuring maximum precision and performance in the production of small to medium batch sizes.

Highlights include free chip fall, short idle times, optimum automation capability, and compatibility with the H and FP series for a wide range of workpieces. The F 5000 also boasts first-class equipment, a narrow footprint, and expandability with technologies such as Mill-Turn, interpolation turning, grinding, or power skiving. Another key element of the F series is the revised drive concept of the linear axes, with twin ball screw drive in the Z-axis and a significantly reinforced X-axis. Dr Manuel Gerst, Head, Development, HELLER Group, explains, "Both the F 5000 and F 6000 offer increased dynamics in the linear axes. Additionally, we have further improved the positioning tolerances with the PRO package. Overall, this results in top marks for workpiece accuracy and machining time."

New rack-type tool systems with a slim footprint

Combined with HELLER’s new rack-type tool systems, the F machines retain their compact footprint while still offering high tool capacity. And despite their high storage capacity, they are almost two meters slimmer than the previous models. This is particularly useful when it comes to automating multiple machining centers. Four machines can now be placed in a row where previously only three could be installed.

The various expansion stages differ only in length. The racks, designed for HSK-A 100 tools with storage capacities of 200, 260, and 340 tools, are no longer than 7,000 mm. They provide 489 storage locations for HSK-A 63 tools. The space-saving arrangement of the tools is crucial to the compact dimensions. It enables a high packing density. The integrated preferential storage module significantly reduces tool provisioning times.

HELLER automation solutions for maximum system availability

An automation solution with a HELLER RSP 12H4 rotary pallet storage will also be presented at the Open House. The pallet automation with a total of 11 pallet storage locations ensures maximum flexibility in a small footprint. A model H 4000 automated with a HELLER RZ 50 robot cell will also be on display. It allows autonomous changeover by using different clamping fixtures in combination with a 5-position clamping fixture magazine. The flexible workpiece automation, including a GRESSEL gripper system, is particularly suitable for medium and large batch production. The HF 5500, automated with the flexible RC 150 robot cell, features a double gripper and depalletizing function to ensure fast handling of workpieces stored on multiple layers. Combined with a range of digital solutions, flexible workpiece automation significantly reduces non-productive time.

Digital solutions for the factory of tomorrow

The digital twin provides customers with a digital image of their machine. The simulation behaves exactly like the real machine. Its use saves considerable time and money during development, commissioning, and optimization. For example, using tested workpiece programs can help prevent damage to the machine. SETUP-Assist is an assistance system that actively supports the operator when running in processes. It can be used to prevent collisions between machine components and between tools and machine components. ACCURACY-Assist helps to visualize and optimize the thermal stability and accuracy of the machine.

HELLER Services – Lifetime Partnership

The HELLER Services Interface provides an intuitive operating concept to ensure transparency in manufacturing, maintenance, and service processes throughout the entire lifecycle of the machine. This option can also help reduce machine downtime by providing evaluations and statistics. Visualization of specific machine status information, including status indicators for axes, spindles, or other assemblies, enables users to determine the wear status and take preventive action to reduce unscheduled downtime.

HELLER Lens is a web-based AI parts identification system for mobile devices, designed to provide customers with faster and more reliable spare parts identification. The myHELLER customer portal helps customers to keep track of their entire machine fleet. Spare and wear parts can be ordered quickly and easily—from anywhere, at any time. The HELLER Academy offers customized and practical training from basic to expert level.

HELLER know-how – where experience meets the spirit of innovation

Complete machining on a single machine is the key to increased productivity. That is why HELLER specialists have been integrating various technologies into the current range of machining centers. Power skiving and gear hobbing, grinding, friction stir welding, out-facing head, and complex 5-axis machining of a titanium workpiece will be demonstrated at the in-house event.

Image Source: Gebr Heller Maschinenfabrik GmbH