Safety Integrated fulfills latest safety standards Perfect Precision

spectrum 

LIGNA 

Innovative Solutions for the Wood Industry 

s 

May 2007 

Safety Integrated 

fulfills latest safety 

standards 

Perfect Precision: 

Sinumerik 840D at 

profiling center 

Modern automation enables cost-efficient and flexible 

wood processing 

Successful in Batch Size 1

2 CONTENT 

3 EDITORIAL 

TRENDS 

Innovative Automation in the Wood Industry 

4 Successful in Batch Size 1 

Modern automation enables cost-efficient, 

flexible wood processing 

SAFETY 

Safety in Woodworking 

6 Trendsetter in Safety Matters 

Safety Integrated fulfills latest safety standards 

CASE STUDIES 

Saw Mills 

8 Faster Alignment 

Innovative saw mill solution with Profinet and 

Sinamics 

10 

19 

20 

Weber EiMa 

Weinig 

The Safe Way to More 

Productivity 

Sinumerik technology 

streamlined manufacture 

of interior travel trailer 

components 

Grinding Out Innovations 

In terms of technology and 

convenience of operation, 

Weber has been setting 

standards for years in 

automatic belt sanding 

machines 

Perfect Precision 

The PowerGrip clamping 

table holds the workpiece 

in the exact position at the 

required place 

CASE STUDIES 

Presses 

9 Know-How for Press Operators 

Knowledge transfer with state-of-the-art drive 

and automation technology 

Machining Centers 

10 The Safe Way to More Productivity 

Automation standards for highly specialized 

machines in travel trailer manufacture 


12 A Vision Based on Experience 

New wood machining centers with integrated 

safety 


14 New Dimension 

5-axis machining with the latest automation 

technology 


16 Fast Retooling 

Integrated automation in door processing 

Coatings 

18 Everything Under Control 

Remote diagnostics with Profinet for photovoltaic 

coating machines 

Grinding Machines 

19 Grinding Out Innovations 

Network solutions with automatic sanding 

machines in wood processing 

Profiling Machines 

20 Perfect Precision 

Sinumerik 840D at the Profiling Center Conturex 

of Weinig 


21 Tradition Meets Technology 

Future-oriented automation at 

Swiss window manufacturer 

SERVICE 

Machine Building 

22 Optimized Machine Service 

For OEMs and owners 

Full Customer Service Support 

Faster machine designs with Mechatronic 

Support 

Electrical Cabinet Production 

23 Completely Equipped from A to Z 

WKC accompanies customers during the entire 

life cycle of electrical cabinet production 

spectrum LIGNA 2007

photocase 

spectrum LIGNA 

Publisher 

Siemens Aktiengesellschaft 

Automation & Drives, Erlangen 

Group Executive Management 

Helmut Gierse, Hannes Apitzsch, 

Dr. Peter Drexel, Anton S. Huber 

Responsible for content 

Peter Miodek 

Responsible for technical content 

Harald Polczer 

Telefon: (09131) 98-2127 

E-Mail: harald.polczer@siemens.com 

EDITORIAL 

Editorial Staff 

Dr. B. Bellinghausen, 

G. Stadlbauer 

Publishing House 

Publicis KommunikationsAgentur GmbH, GWA 

Corporate Publishing Zeitschriften 

Postfach 32 40, 91050 Erlangen 

Telefon: (091 31) 91 92-5 01 

Telefax: (091 31) 91 92-5 94 

publishing-magazines@publicis-erlangen.de 

Coordination: 

Daisy Kraus 

Artwork and layout: 

Jürgen Streitenberger 

Moving Wood Forward 

The motto of this year’s LIGNA plus could literally 

also stand for automation solutions in wood 

machining and processing. Wherever wood as a 

raw material is processed into valuable end 

products, drives play a central role: whether in 

wood transportation and positioning, pressing 

and planing, sawing and milling, gluing and 

coating. All of these processes are controlled and 

monitored by automation solutions of increasing 

quality and complexity, but also increasing 

reliability. Automation technology enables us to 

scale productivity at the same or even higher 

level of precision. This, for example, has led to 

considerable increases in throughput speeds and improvements in machine 

reliability. At the same time, machines and systems are becoming more and 

more flexible, with the goal of achieving “batch size 1” production, both 

economically and in terms of higher quality. 

Safety plays a crucial role in this context – whether the immediate safety of the 

people operating the machines, the safety and reliability of the system in 

operation, safety in the event of a fault, in conducting servicing tasks, but also 

reassurance in opting for and employing future-proof and industry compatible 

standards. We have therefore selected safety as the feature topic of our trade 

show exhibition at the LIGNA plus 2007. 

We invite you to stop by our booth and convince yourself of our intelligent and 

safe automation solutions for virtually all areas of wood machining and 

processing. Siemens will be exhibiting end-to-end automation solutions for 

machines used in solid woodworking and panel dividing saws, in CNC machining 

centers as well as surface finishing machines, in other words, for sanding, 

varnishing and laminating. Services and supplies for automation solutions in the 

woodworking industry round off our exhibition program portfolio. 

Günther Müller 

Head of Business Development Automation 

Wood, Glass, Ceramics and Stone Processing 

DTP Repro 

der Döss für Kommunikation, Nürnberg 

Cover picture 

Weinig 

Printed by 

Wünsch Offset-Druck GmbH, Neumarkt/Opf. 

28 3084 05071. 

“spectrum LIGNA” is printed on 100% recycled 

paper. 

ASI SAFE, DRIVE-CLiQ, MASTERDRIVES, 

MP370, S7-200, S7-300, S7-400, SIMATIC, 

SIMATIC HMI, SIMATIC Multi Panel, 

SIMATIC Safety Integrated, SIMODRIVE, 

SIMODRIVE POSMO, SIMOTION, SINAMICS, 

SINUMERIK, SIRIUS, WinCC are registerd 

trademarks of Siemens AG. 

When trademarks, trade names, technical 

solutions or similar are not specifically referred 

to, it does not mean that they are not 

protected. 

© 2007 by Siemens Aktiengesellschaft 

Berlin and Munich. All rights reserved. 

Order number: E20001-A520-P620-X-7600 

3

4 

BED 

TRENDS 

Professor Köster, Professor Ober, what 

trends do you currently see in the wood 

industry, and how are they impacting 

automation? 

Maximilian Ober: One has to distinguish 

between the wood machining and the wood 

processing industry, in other words, 

between saw mills and the furniture industry. 

We also refer to them as the primary 

and secondary industry. In the first process, 

the saw mill industry, various current 

trends are identifiable: the first of these 

involves the mobilization of wood, which is 

rapidly approaching its limits in Germany. 

There are still resources in the east, where 

more and more saw mills are emerging at 

the moment. The automation demands in 

the west, where saw mills with a capacity of 

one million solid cubic meters of timber 

per year are located, are much higher. 

Faster speeds are run here, ensuring a high 

cubic meter throughput and high productivity, 

and therefore lower costs per cut. 

Heinrich Köster: Another trend we are seeing 

at the moment is an excess of large timber, 

in other words, wood with a diameter 

of at least 35 to 40 centimeters. The long 

Innovative Automation in the Wood Industry 

Modern automation enables cost-efficient, 

flexible wood processing 

Successful in Batch 

Size 1 

To be able to produce cost-efficiently in high wage countries, the 

wood industry is increasingly relying on automation solutions. In 

the following interview, professors Heinrich Köster and Maximilian 

Ober, faculty members of the school of wood technology at the 

Rosenheim Technical University, offer their views on the automation 

demands today’s wood machining and processing industry. 

years of cutting down small timber led to 

the present situation, where there are 

hardly any saw mills which can handle 

these heavy trunks. As a result, there is an 

increased demand for technologies for 

these products. In North America, on the 

other hand, the focus is directed at achieving 

a better wood yield. 

The furniture industry is no doubt the 

largest area. What are the trends there? 

Maximilian Ober: This brings us to the 

wood processing industry where automation 

plays the biggest role. In low-wage 

countries such as Russia and China, 

machines are needed which are easy to 

operate and maintain for parts manufactured 

in large quantities. Countries with a 

high level of automation use machines with 

a high control content, which are very 

streamlined and which operate at a high 

performance level. These machines operate 

at batch size 1 production level. Here, the 

cost-efficient production of changing parts 

with as little human intervention as possible 

plays a more important role than high 

speeds. Particularly the production of office 

and kitchen furniture is highly automated 

these days. This enables manufacturers to 

establish themselves here at home. On the 

whole, the furniture market can be divided 

Professor Heinrich Köster: “Investing in 

safety pays off for companies in several 

ways. The technological lead ultimately 

gives them a competitive edge” 

spectrum LIGNA 2007 

Kradisch

into a low-price range, which produces 

mass furniture with a high degree of 

automation, and a higher quality range 

with individual production of single items. 

Heinrich Köster: The production of individual 

items places great demands on the 

logistics, for example, for staircases, object 

doors or kitchen furniture. Good labeling is 

crucial to ensure that the proper parts are 

actually joined together after production. 

This requires a barcode or transponder as 

a data medium, which has to be legible even 

after varnishing. It is usually attached to the 

piece of furniture with a kind of button. If 

economically feasible, RFID also plays an 

important role. 

Maximilian Ober: We are also experiencing 

a change in materials in the furniture 

industry at the moment. Composite materials 

are now mainly used – we are all familiar 

with the classic chipboard. An increasing 

amount of lightweight materials is 

being used here. These are honeycomb 

constructions which weigh up to a third 

less than conventional particle boards. 

However, these materials place higher 

demands on the machines as far as the handling 

system, the cutting and the edge 

machining are concerned. The trend in 

boards is heading in the direction of direct 

printing, which is order specific according 

to the customer’s individual specifications, 

for example, for floors or kitchen furniture. 

Heinrich Köster: All in all, the machine 

development for the furniture and interior 

design industry can be summed as follows: 

higher accuracy, a very high level of availability, 

and continuously increasing flexibility 

play the bigest role today. For the 

technology, that spells high precision, 

more information technology, the latest 

control systems and simple maintenance. 

Maximilian Ober: A global trend that has 

developed out of the furniture industry and 

its high-precision machines is the pre-fabricated 

housing industry. It enables living 

space to be created from regenerative materials 

at a price that is very interesting for 

the end user. 

What about safety? There is a stricter DIN 

standard that calls for a reduction of the 

throughput speed to a safer level. 

Heinrich Köster: Furniture manufacturers 

today are faced with the problem that 

their employees are frequently less qualified, 

and therefore at a greater risk. At the 

same time, however, the machines are 

becoming increasingly more complex, 

which means they feature faster feeder and 

unit speeds, as well as higher rotation 

speeds. Great attention must therefore be 

given to safety. The problem can be solved 

either by reducing machine performance, 

or increasing investment. Ensuring a high 

level of safety at low investment, and while 

Students at the Rosenheim Technical University receive modern training in all wood 

technology-related fields 


Kradisch 

Professor Maximilian Ober: “New 

materials offer the wood industry many 

opportunities. Their processing needs 

are more complex, and thus an innovative 

automation solution is required” 

still achieving maximum performance, will 

play an important role for future development. 

It will require the close cooperation 

between developers, users and trade cooperative 

associations. A DIN standard, such 

as the one you mention, is really only the 

catalyst for certain developments. 

And in which direction will the wood 

industry develop in your opinion? 

Maximilian Ober: There will probably be 

a division between production in highwage 

and low-wage countries. Each market 

will require specific criteria and components 

to ensure profitability. High-wage 

countries will score points by manufacturing 

innovative, intelligent products, 

because they have the appropriate technologies. 

This mainly applies to wood processing 

in combination with other materials, 

be it as a comprehensive solution for 

interior building design, or as an ideal insulating 

material to meet energy efficiency 

requirements. 

Professor Köster, Professor Ober, thank 

you for taking the time to speak with us. 

More information: 

www.siemens.com/woodworking 

E-Mail: mueller.guenther@siemens.com 

Kradisch 

5

6 

SAFETY 

Safety in Woodworking 

With Safety Integrated, Siemens 

has gone ahead and already integrated 

the safety into the automation. 

Safety Integrated offers maximum 

malfunction protection for everything 

from sensor technology to evaluation 

units and safe machine operation. Thanks 

to the safety-oriented communication via 

Profibus and Profinet, as well as over the 

actuator-sensor interface ASIsafe, all of the 

components can be combined in the system. 

Profitability combined with safety 

In woodworking, machining centers equipped 

with the Sinumerik 840D CNC controller 

and Safety Integrated functions have proven 

Safety Integrated fulfills latest safety 

standards 

Trendsetter in 

Safety Matters 

Applications in the area of machine safety and process 

technology, as well as modern automation process 

technologies demand a high degree of safety for 

operators, machines and the environment. A 

sophisticated safety concept plays an important role 

particularly for the high feed speeds typical of today’s 

woodworking industry. Users can therefore choose from 

numerous Safety Integrated functions. 

particularly effective. They feature extremely 

short response times, which is particularly 

important for the high woodworking 

feed speeds of more than 120 meters per 

minute. 

Sinumerik Safety Integrated also improves 

machine productivity, given the fact 

that operators can make tool magazine, 

machine table or working area adjustments 

on the machine while production is up and 

running. The Safety Integrated functions 

of “Safe Operating Stop” and “Safely Limited 

Speed” also protect the operator when 

the machine is in operation. To increase the 

machine availability, wear-prone hardware 

and electromechanical solutions can be replaced 

by software and electronics. There is 

no need for expensive parallel wiring, because 

the Profisafe protocol enables the 

transfer of safety-oriented signals to the 

Profibus standard. 

Drive-independent safety functions 

Appropriate converters are also available 

for the Sinumerik control. Siemens offers 

drive-independent safety solutions both for 

low-cost starter machines with standard 

asynchronous motors, as well as for panel 

dividing saws with servo technology. In accordance 

with the latest DIN standard 1870- 

2 for horizontal circular beam panel saws 

and vertical circular beam panel saws, “… 

the maximum operating speed of the panel 

feeder in the direction of the operator 

spectrum LIGNA 2007

Ideal combination: panel cutting 

saws and Sinamics S120 converters 

and the side aligner in the direction of the 

stop may not exceed 25 meters per minute.” 

The new V.25 version of the Sinamics 

S120 converter features additional safety 

functions. The safety functions Safe Stop 2, 

Safe Operating Stop, Safe Brake Ramp, Safely 

Limited Speed (SLS) and Safe Speed Monitor 

extend the previously integrated basic 

safety functions. When selected, the basic 

safety functions of Safe Torque Off (STO), 

Safe Stop 1 (ASS1) and Safe Brake Control 

(SBC) always ensure a safe disconnection of 

the power supply to the motor. Extended 

safety functions, on the other hand, enable 

reliable monitoring of the drive in operation, 

as well as during temporary exceptional 

situations such as setup or maintenance. 

Since the drive axis is immediately 

restarted at the end of the exceptional situation, 

maintenance work can be carried out 

conveniently and safely, while machine and 

plant downtimes are also reduced. 

Failsafe controllers with Profisafe 

For several years already, safety technology 

based on Simatic S7 controllers, Profi- 


Siemens AG 

Scheer 

bus and Profisafe has been integrated into 

the standard automation. The Safety Integrated 

product range includes all of the 

necessary components from the sensor to 

the controller and the actuator, and is certified 

for safety levels up to SIL 3 (Safety Integrated 

Level) of IEC 61508, as well as for 

category 4 of EN 954-1. Profinet-compatible 

components have been added to the product 

range, so that a comprehensive product 

portfolio of failsafe controllers, failsafe I/Os 

as well as an appropriate engineering environment 

is now available. By porting of 

the Profisafe profile to Profinet, the conditions 

for vertically and horizontally integrated, 

failsafe automation solutions based 

on Industrial Ethernet were created. The 

PLC-based solution with Profinet and 

Profisafe offers new, innovative solutions 

with simultaneous integration of existing 

bus systems. 

Safe shutdown 

A wide range of failsafe controllers is available 

for safety-relevant applications 

The Sirius safety switchgear is an essential 

part of the Safety Integrated concept. Sirius 

safety switchgear is used when a reliable 

evaluation of sensor signals and the safetyrelevant 

shutdown of dangerous states 

(hazards) is required. In the woodworking 

industry, this involves monitoring the dangerous 

movement areas of saws, mills, 

grinding machines, and of the transport 

routes of shopfloor vehicles with laser scan- 

ners, as well as safe shutdown or switch-off 

after an emergency stop command. 

Integration of safety-oriented 

components into AS-Interface 

Safety-oriented components such as emergency 

stop, safety door switches, safety 

light barriers, contactor controls, etc. can 

be linked to AS-Interface via ASIsafe. By 

equipping standard and safety components 

with a safety monitor, there is no need for 

a failsafe PLC or special master. The AS-Interface 

safety monitor evaluates the safe 

inputs of the safety slaves from the return 

circuit, and links these via logistic components. 

This data is used to determine the 

safe output of the release circuits of a safety 

monitor. With its wide variety of function 

components, the AS-Interface safety monitor 

allows for many different system configurations. 

Utilization of Safety Integrated really 

pays off for the user. Expensive wiring for 

diagnostics and maintenance functions is 

virtually eliminated, while uniform engineering 

tools and methods enable cost savings 

for planning, installation and maintenance. 

� 


www.siemens.com/safety 

E-mail: harald.polczer@siemens.com 

Siemens AG 

7

8 CASE STUDY 

Saw Mills 

Innovative saw mill solution with Profinet and Sinamics 

Faster Alignment 

A high yield of cut timber at a high processing speed is characteristic of 

modern saw mills. Linck Holzverarbeitungstechnik, a leading manufacturer of 

saw mill systems, offers concepts for cutting capacities of up to 1.5 million 

solid cubic meters of timber per year. Linck further optimized the cycle time of 

a trunk handler at a new factory located near Ingolstadt with a drive solution 

that uses Sinamics and Profinet. 

Machines from Linck are used in the 

25 largest companies in Europe’s 

timber industry. The product 

portfolio of the international company located 

in Oberkirchen includes round stock 

stations and feeders as well as reducing, 

trimming and profiling systems. The round 

stock is fed into the system at the saw mill 

either with the thick or thin trunk end first 

(top end or stock oriented). A trunk handler, 

which aligns the wood accordingly, 

usually precedes the sawing line. 

As one of the main suppliers, Linck delivered 

a very fast, low-cost version of the 

trunk handler, a so-called rotary star wheel 

with control and drive technology from 

Siemens, for the new, large saw mill of a 

Tirolean timber company. The performance 

of the handler was recently considerably 

increased to accommodate more than 

30 trunks per minute. One of the greatest 

difficulties involved covering the wide load 

range from the smallest to the largest piece 

of timber. 

Complex control drives with adequate 

power reserves, a more accurate sequence 

of movements and corresponding drive 

profiles were stored. Shock absorbers used 

with the elements under high-level stress 

help to counteract material wear. 

Maintenance-friendly system 

The trunk handler is driven by a central 

Simatic S7-416F-3PN/DP controller. The rotary 

movement is controlled and monitored 

in the PLC program. Users can parameterize 

the drive profiles via a visualization system 

with PC and operator panel. 

The Sinamics S120 drive system handles 

positioning tasks, for which a standard single 

positioner is used. Since all of the data 

are stored on a CF card, hardware is easily 

exchanged and the solution is extremely 

maintenance-friendly. 

Data exchange in the entire system occurs 

via Profinet. This has the advantage 

that both the Profinet and the standard 

TCP/IP communication can be handled over 

the new bus system. The data rate has been 

increased to 100 megabits per second, allowing 

for fast data exchange between the 

system parts. Profinet enables an increase 

In the sawing hall, trunks are 

prepared for machining on the round 

stock stations 

The trunk handler correctly positions 

the wood for the sawing system 

in the number of bus users to over 1,000, 

as well as communication via Wireless 

LAN, thereby saving cabling costs. It also 

simplifies consistent commissioning while 

making web topology diagnosis more efficient. 

These strengths suggest that it would 

make good sense to extend the modernized 

automation and drive solution to the 

entire sawing line – an option which the 

saw mill owners are seriously contemplating 

after the successful start-up of the system. 

� 


www.siemens.com/profinet 

E-mail: peter.hofsaess@siemens.com 


Pictures: Linck

CASE STUDY 

Presses 

Knowledge transfer with state-of-theart 

drive and automation technology 

Know-How for 

Press Operators 

As of recently, Siempelkamp, the global market leader 

in the field of continuous presses for the timber 

industry, has been passing on its knowledge to 

customers and employees through its own academy. 

Technology from Siemens thereby plays an important 

role: among other things, in training courses in which 

the automation and drive system of the forming and 

pressing lines is simulated. 

Siempelkamp Maschinen- und Anlagenbau 

has been a major influence 

on the successful development of 

wooden materials, and now supplies the 

timber industry with end-to-end systems 

for manufacturing all types of boards such 

as chipboard, MDF and OSB boards. ContiRoll 

presses, which Siempelkamp developed 

itself and which have had a decisive 

influence on system capacity and product 

quality, form the heart of the plant. The 

Siempelkamp ContiRoll system technology 

enables board types to be produced from a 

number of different materials. 

Profitable and flexible 

A superior concept: since the introduction 

of the ContiRoll to the market some 20 

years ago, Siempelkamp has sold approximately 

200 of its continuous presses worldwide. 

The continuously adjustable feeder 

section, which significantly increases the 

technological flexibility and profitability 

of the production system, is a truly unique 

feature. 

Control of the ContiRoll and the entire 

plant from material preparation to storage 

and finishing with Simatic S7-400 and S7- 

300 offers a consistent data integration 

from the HMI to the sensor/actuator level, 

and makes automation easy to configure 

and easy to understand. The previous Masterdrives 

standard drive system, which 

already provided accurate speed synchronization 

for uniform belt speed and a trouble-free 

matt surface, will soon be replaced 


All types of fiber 

boards can be 

manufactured by 

the ContiRoll, 

which features 

state-of-the-art 

technology 

by the successor system, a Sinamics S120/ 

G150. Siempelkamp will install air-cooled, 

compact asynchronous motors of the 1PH7 

type. 

Learning based on simulation 

The Siempelkamp Academy in Krefeld, Germany, 

which has equipped rooms with the 

The ContiRoll from Siemelkamp is in 

operation worldwide: a look at an MDF 

production line in Brazil 

latest presentation facilities and an original 

plant control stand, rounds off the company’s 

partnership with Siemens. As with 

its plants, Siempelkamp favors a strong 

partner for the facility who is capable of 

manufacturing innovative technology with 

a high degree of reliability. Among other 

things, the company has set up a miniature, 

glass-front automation cabinet row 

with three programmable logic controllers 

(PLC) for the dispersion system, the forming 

line and the press of a forming and 

pressing machine. The PLCs are linked to 

simulation PCs via Profibus. 

At the LIGNA plus 2007, customers will 

have the opportunity to experience a typical 

training course at the academy via a live 

broadcast. A Sinamics model on display at 

the trade show will also provide a glimpse 

of the future via Web cam. 

� 


www.siemens.de/tia 

E-Mail: markus.buettner@siemens.com 

Pictures: Siempelkamp 

9

10 

EiMa 

CASE STUDY 


Automation standards for highly specialized machines 

in travel trailer manufacture 

The Safe Way to 

More Productivity 

Today, modularization, efficient automation standards and modern 

simulation methods allow individualized production solutions to be 

streamlined more than ever before. The reduced engineering effort 

enables rapid, precise and calculable implementation, along with an 

attractive price-performance ratio. For a highly specialized machine, the 

travel trailer manufacturer Dethleffs and the EiMa Maschinenbau 

company rely on Sinumerik-based automation with integrated safety 

technology. 

In 2006, 12,400 travel trailer and motorhome 

RVs ran off the production 

lines at Dethleffs – that is more than 60 

vehicles per day. When the decision was 

made to purchase a machine for processing 

sheet-shaped composite materials, the future 

walls and roofs of the vehicle bodies, 

overall streamlining of the operation and 

Popular with families: 

the individual travel 

trailer from Dethleffs 

higher capacity ranked among the most important 

objectives. The machine would 

need to perform more processing steps, increase 

throughput and availability, and the 

level of integration improved on the production 

line. 

Standards save time and money 

EiMa Maschinenbau in Frickenhausen, 

which specializes in custom-built machines, 

won the contract. The company 

uses standards wherever possible to save 

time and money in the interest of their 

customers. In order to capitalize on the 

streamlining factor of high-performance 

standard automation, an often critical as- 

spectrum LIGNA 2007

EiMa 

pect for the success of custom-built machines, 

EiMa uses Sinumerik-based automation 

technologies with Safety Integrated 

technology, as well as 1FK7 servo 

motors with absolute value transmitters. 

The remote maintenance and diagnostics 

functionality of the CNC system, which 

extends down to drive level, forms the basis 

for efficient and resource-friendly 

servicing. 

The gantry machine automatically transports 

the composite plates from the press 

to the processing section of the machine via 

a roller track, and then clamps them into 

place fully automatically. The positioning 

range of the X-axis is 10,200 millimeters, 

and 4,000 millimeters for the Y-axis. Two independently 

operated milling spindles 

with 15 kilowatt and 24,000 rpm each, as 

well as several drill heads and special units 

perform all of the necessary machining 

steps on the future walls and roofs of the 

travel trailers, whereby feed speeds of 60 

meters per minute are achieved. 

The high-level cutting and positioning 

speed of the system has a direct influence 

on the productivity of the machine, because 

tool change and processing algorithms 

have been designed in such a way so as to 

eliminate ancillary times altogether; despite 

the fact that both milling spindles are 


operated by a common tool changer. The 

finished travel trailer part is automatically 

forwarded to the next station on the production 

line, while the machine cleans itself 

of any drilling and cutting chips. 

Narrow deadlines not a problem 

The newly designed machine had to be 

completely commissioned and integrated 

into the production line over the three- 

Sinumerik 

technology 

streamlined 

manufacture of 

interior travel 

trailer components 

week plant vacation period. Approximately 

a total of six months were available for 

the design, engineering, construction and 

preliminary commissioning – not long for 

a new design with 13 axes, two spindles, a 

large number of special units and a complex 

functionality. 

All of the machine functions and the 

speed control of the sheet machining center 

were implemented with the help of an 

NCU 572.5. The multi-channel design of the 

Sinumerik CPU allows independent and 

therefore easier programming of simultaneous 

machining processes of the two spindles 

as well as the drill and special tools. 

Gunter Nagel, head of design at EiMa, 

stresses the importance of an integrated 

standard automation solution for a tight 

schedule: “For a project as functionally 

complex as this one, it is particularly important 

that everything in the automation 

solution is a good match, that the entire 

team is working in a familiar technical environment, 

that we can continue to use existing 

program standards and HMI elements 

from earlier projects to a large extent, 

and that we can fall back on efficient 

support from our automation partner, if 

necessary.” 

The CNC functionality also helps to ensure 

that special machine projects can be 

handled quickly, starting with the milling 

with dynamic tool orientation, standard cycles 

and the gantry. As a result, the required 

machining precision was achieved with relatively 

little moderate construction effort, 

despite the long positioning distances and 

the gantry drives. The integrated safety 

functionality and the simple HMI and control 

computer link via Profibus or Ethernet 

help to keep the system architecture manageable 

while minimize cabling costs. 

While EiMa handled the development of 

the necessary user programs and the HMI, 

Dethleffs assumed responsibility for the NC 

part programs. The Siemens plant in 

Chemnitz supplied the electrical cabinet 

construction. 

On-site commissioning was also completed 

in a very short period of time. The 

CNC thereby once again made a major contribution. 

With its guided commissioning, 

drive optimization and extensive diagnostic 

functions, the basic machine functions 

were quickly verified. As a result, attention 

soon turned to optimizing the actual machining 

functions and the line integration. 

At the end of the company vacation period, 

the travel trailer production immediately 

resumed with increased productivity and 

capacity. The throughput and availability of 

the new sheet machining station fully met 

the expectations of everyone involved. In 

the meantime, Dethleffs is continuing to 

expand its production capacities. At an entirely 

new travel trailer production site located 

in Neustadt near Dresden, Germany, 

EiMa technicians are already in the process 

of commissioning a second sheet machining 

center, and also making preparations 

for the production of a new model series. 


www.siemens.com/sinumerik 


11

12 

CASE STUDY 


New wood machining centers 

with integrated safety 

A Vision Based 

on Experience 

Reichenbacher Hamuel has been 

manufacturing CNC machining 

centers for over 30 years. However, 

the earliest machines and those of 

the newest generation really only 

have the basic concept in common. 

The two latest products on display at 

LIGNA 2007 were consistently 

improved with the help of innovative 

control and drive generation. 

Abroad range of universal CNC 

milling machines capable of machining 

wooden boards, composite 

materials, even aluminum, form the heart 

of the Reichenbacher Hamuel product portfolio. 

The machines are used primarily in 

furniture construction, but also for interior 

building design. 

This year’s LIGNA will feature the latest 

development, the so-called Vision-U. The 

machine is a further development of the 

legendary Vision Sprint 5-axis machine, 

which was first introduced in 1997, and 

which has been successful thanks to its machining 

versatility and excellent milling 

quality. 

New design architecture for faster 

throughput 

First and foremost, the new Vision-U is 

used for 3D machining of wooden materials. 

The CNC machining center offers precisely 

those capabilities, which play a particularly 

important role, for example, for 

manufacturing stairs, doors and freestanding 

furniture in interior building design. 

It offers a tremendous amount of design 

freedom and can be adapted to a large 

variety of different tasks thanks to its modular 

architecture. Its special feature: the Ushaped 

gantry with two Y-carriages, which 

enable operation of four large 5-axes heads. 

The heads operate completely independent 

of one another, and can be fitted with a 

variety of different tools. Simultaneous access 

to two 24-fold disk magazines, or to a 

common chain magazine with up to 120 

bays, enables tool changes to be conducted 

in a mere two seconds, while also accelerating 

the machining process. 

The machine sets new standards in 

terms of high-speed machining: not only 

thanks a positioning speed of up to 100 meters 

per minute on both axes (X/Y), but also 

through its capability to perform four 

operations and access two tool changers si- 

spectrum LIGNA 2007

multaneously. In addition, setup time is reduced 

to a minimum thanks to an automatic 

setup table, which also helps to increase 

overall productivity. 

To enable cost-efficient and flexible machining, 

the machine is equipped with a 15 

kW spindle both in the vertical unit and in 

a cardan operating head. It also features a 

21-fold drilling head with lock, as well as a 

rotating groove saw. The open 1,600-millimeter 

working surface on the Y-axis and 

dual 2,400-millimeter working surface on 

the X-axis allow different parts to be machined 

precisely to customer specifications. 

Control with integrated safety concept 

But there are also new developments on 

the automation side: the Vision-U is 

equipped with the latest Sinumerik 840D 

solution line (sl) control generation, as well 

as a Sinamics S120 drive system. Reichenbacher 

Hamuel selected the 840D sl, because 

it optimally suits the design concept 

of the Vision-U with its open design and 

modular system architecture. The scalability 

of the hardware and software enables 

simple positionings as well as complex 

multi-axis machining tasks. Also, the CNC 

functions can be adapted to different machine 

kinematics at low cost. The machine 

features quick and intuitive operation 

thanks to a graphical user interface. Reichenbacher 

is also very pleased with the 

services provided by Mechatronic Support, 


which considerably facilitates the development 

of efficient machines through simulation 

and optimization. 

In machine manufacturing, demands 

for more safety play an increasingly important 

role. With the high machining 

speeds customary of the wood industry in 

particular, shutting down machines safely 

is a critical issue. With its Safety Integrated 

concept, Sinumerik 840D sl offers an ideal 

solution, which meets category 3 safety 

standards according to EC standard EN954- 

1 and Safety Integrated level SIL 2. Given 

the fact that all safety functions are integrated 

directly into the control and drive 

technology, the intelligent solution offers a 

high level of protection for both man and 

machine, along with convenient handling. 

Precision paired with intelligence 

Reichenbacher Hamuel will also display another 

new product at LIGNA: the Eco 4430- 

B, equipped with a special nesting function 

which has been added to the proven Eco 

machining center. The machine features an 

extremely high feeding speed and, for example, 

allows smaller parts with complex 

contours to be manufactured with a high 

level of precision. Thanks to the nesting 

function, specifically configured for the 

machine, production orders are also performed 

cost-efficiently. All manufactureready 

parts are optimally arranged on one 

or more plates to enable streamlined ma- 

All pictures: Reichenbacher 

The swivel unit of the Vision 

machine enables precise machining 

from all sides 

The new Vision-U is ideal for all interior 

building components such as freestanding 

furniture, stairs and doors 

chining on the machine with minimum 

waste. 

The two worktables, arranged in parallel, 

can be fed from three sides, and support 

a continuous machining process. The tables 

can also be moved to defined positions. 

An integrated vacuum field allows boards 

to be fixed quickly and securely without the 

need for clamping tools. As with the Vision- 

U, Reichenbacher Hamuel is also relying on 

Sinumerik 840D sl and the efficient Sinamics 

S120 drive system with its new Eco. The 

drive, designed for high-performance applications, 

is equipped with a digital Drive- 

Cliq interface, and enables fast drive components 

changes. 

Proven service 

For reasons of investment security, Reichenbacher 

Hamuel has again chosen an 

automation concept from a proven partner 

for the two new machines. As a result, the 

company has easy access to spare parts for 

all of the automation components for the 

next ten years. Thanks to the Repair Service 

Contract (RSC), it can also take advantage of 

special worldwide services. 

� 



E-mail: jakob.einwag@siemens.com 

13

14 

CASE STUDY 


5-axis machining with the latest automation technology 

New Dimension 

The new Pro-Master CNC machining center from HolzHer-Reich Spezialmaschinen enables perfect 5axis 

machining of all types of wooden parts. In addition to its vibration-free operation, the modern 

Sinumerik 840D solution line control system also plays a key role in the machine’s performance, 

providing optimal results even for high-speed cutting. 

The new HolzHer Spezialmaschinen 

Pro-Master CNC machining center 

sets new standards in terms of high 

machining speeds, good precision and simple 

operation. With its compact and robust 

base frame and the large-scale machining 

dimensions, it is ideally suited for cost-efficient 

production of pressboard furniture 

and interior fittings. 

Efficient machining technology … 

The new Pro-Master machining center can 

also manufacture curved parts such as back 

rests for chairs, hand rails for staircases, 

wooden balls or mold parts. The machine is 

equipped with a cardan 5-axis head fitted 

with drilling, sawing, milling and groove 

units, capable of withstanding wear even 

under continuous operation. Powered by a 

precision drive featuring high-level dynamic 

response and acceleration as well as 

accurate positioning. An on-board tool 

changer with 6, 12 or 18 tool bays helps to 

achieve short setup times and a high level 

of productivity. In order to position workpieces 

with complex shapes quickly and 

easily, the workpieces are clamped onto 

flexibly moving consoles with the help of 

suction units and a single-circuit vacuum 

system. The machine stiffness together 

The multifunctionally 

equipped 5-axis 

machining head 

with the high-powered units enables extreme 

acceleration forces and a high level 

of dynamic machine performance. 

… with open and flexible automation 

True to its motto “always offering customers 

the best available solution,” 

HolzHer made the choice to rely on the latest 

control and drive technology from 

Siemens. The Sinumerik 840D solution line 

CNC controller is used together with 

Sinamics S120 drives, which fully unfold 

their advantages particularly during complex 

5-axis machining tasks, and which ensure 

maximum precision and surface qual- 


Reich

ity at minimum machining times. For this 

purpose, the Sinumerik 840D sl is equipped 

with an integrated 5-axis transformation, 

which is programmed in TRAORI (Transformation-Orientation) 

in the workpiece 

coordinate system. As a result, the correct 

traverse movements are created independently 

of the kinematics using only the position 

and orientation data of the CNC program, 

whereby the current workpiece 

length is taken into account. 

In addition to its digital precision, 

HolzHer is also very pleased with the flexibility 

and simple operation of the new Sinumerik 

controller. Users have the option of 

providing data to the controller via parameter 

or macro-programming. Existing data 

can be transferred to the machining program 

and new machining programs created 

quickly directly on the machine per 

mouse click. The open architecture of the 

controller also allows for simple connection 

to the Campus user interface of the direkt 

cnc-systeme system provider used by 

HolzHer. Users need only position the 

workpieces at the desired stop of the machining 

area with the mouse pointer. The 

program then handles the stop placement 

and offers support with the positioning. 

The option of processing the workpieces in 

parallel mode with intra-table programs is 

also highly efficient, and minimizes retooling 

times. 

Highly dynamic, flexible and easy to operate: the new Pro-Master 5XL with Sinumerik 840D sl 


The new machining center also features 

an efficient, intelligent drive system. 

HolzHer utilizes 1FK7 digital synchronous 

servo motors to handle the extreme acceleration 

forces and fast operating speeds. 

The Sinamics S120 drive system with Drive- 

Cliq interface integrated into the controller 

enables fast component changes and easy 

commissioning. It features an electronic 

rating plate containing all of the relevant 

component data. All of the components can 

therefore be clearly identified during commissioning 

or replacement. 

Wide range of services included 

The cooperation with Siemens worked perfectly 

right from the very start. From configuration 

to hardware planning and finally 

commissioning, the technicians again 

provided their know-how and contributed 

to the success of the entire project. 

HolzHer will also rely on switching cabinets 

from Siemens with its new Pro-Master 

machining center, which were entirely produced 

in series at the Engineering & Manufacturing 

Center (EMC) in Linz, and which 

are equipped with all of the elements needed 

for controlling and driving the machine. 

The pre-configured switching cabinet are 

equipped with all of the customer’s options, 

and will be delivered to the assembly line 

just in time. The individually equipped 

electrical cabinets will therefore arrive at 

the customer’s site on schedule – even if 

tight timelines were arranged. In designto-cost 

analyses carried out by EMC together 

with the R&D department at 

HolzHer-Reich, equipment standards are 

defined and machine options determined. 

This allows for a lower cost design of the 

entire equipment and the process. 

Global service support plays an important 

role for an international company such 

as HolzHer. By signing a Repair Service 

Contract, HolzHer can rely on worldwide 

service from Siemens Support at all its 

branch offices. With the help of regional 

spare parts stores and repair shops, the RSC 

ensures that defective machine parts are 

exchanged locally within 24 hours. Service 

technicians rely on EunaWeb to quickly determine 

which parts are needed. The password-protected 

database contains all of the 

information about a customer’s machines, 

and can be accessed worldwide over the Internet. 

The necessary data are entered into 

the EunaWeb by HolzHer technicians during 

installation. This extensive cooperation 

on all levels pays off both for the internationally 

active machine manufacturer as 

well as for the end customer. 

� 



E-mail: michael.bartel-prinz@siemens.com 

Reich 

15

16 

CASE STUDY 


Integrated automation in door processing 

Fast Retooling 

As part of a pilot project, the MAKA 

Max Mayer Maschinenbau company 

developed a new machining center 

for wooden, aluminum and plastic 

door machining. With its minimal 

space requirements and flexible 

applications options, it also offers 

vocational businesses the opportunity 

of implementing automatic 

machining. Equipped with state-ofthe-art 

control and drive technology, 

the machining center for doors meets 

all of the company’s expectations in 

terms of speed and flexibility. 

MAKA has been manufacturing automatically 

controlled machines 

for the wood industry for more 

than 50 years. Over the years, the company 

has accumulated an enormous amount of 

experience in the machining of all types of 

doors, and has also developed a good understanding 

of customers’ needs. In order 

to cover all of the needs requirements from 

vocational business to large factories, the 

Swabian specialist for CNC machines developed 

the new CR 27 TBZ 5-axis machining 

center for doors, which can be retooled 

quickly and flexibly. 

Innovative and compact machine 

design concept 

As part of the project, MAKA developed an 

innovative pallet system with which the pallet 

tables are alternately drawn into the machine. 

The machine enables the machining 

of doors measuring 1,400 x 2,800 millimeters. 

The tables themselves feature no 

stops. Rather, the doors are precisely positioned 

using feeding robots. Two independently 

controlled robots operate alternately 

to measure the workpiece, position 

it and remove it. During machining, they 

assume additional functions such as table 

and vacuum positioning or protection plate 

removal. The advantage of the pallet machine 

as compared to a tandem machine is 

that it requires far less space while providing 

the same level of performance. The CR 

27 TBZ also combines a high degree of 

The CR 27 TBZ and 

pallet system in 

the CAD model 

working safety with flexible processing capabilities, 

and easily accommodates the 

large volumes of chips. A chip conveyor located 

under the completely open machine 

frame and covering the processing area removes 

the chips generated during machining. 

A CNC-positioned chip catcher and 

dust suction as well as the fully encapsulating 

machine guard also help to protect 

the machine against flying chips. 

High performance to meet 

high-speed requirements 

The machining center features a tool magazine 

with 51 bays. The machine can be 

equipped with tools measuring up to 200 

millimeters in length and saw blades with 

a diameter of up to 400 millimeters for 

every conceivable application. The tools are 

exchanged with the help of a feeder system. 

A shuttle collects the new tool from the 

magazine during machine operation. Toward 

the end of the machining process, it 

approaches the unit at a speed of 150 meters 

per minute and synchronizes its X-axis 

speed with the milling unit to conduct the 

tool change, while the milling unit moves to 


MAKA

the starting point of the next machining 

process. Control of this demanding task is 

handled by the new Sinumerik 840D solution 

line, equipped with an NCU 730 and 

highly efficient Sinamics S120 drives. The 

advantage of combining of Sinumerik 840D 

sl with Sinamics lies in its modularity, openness, 

flexibility and high performance. 

Thanks to the multi-channel structure, it is 

possible to control processing, feeding and 

tool change as separate processes. 

“We chose the Sinumerik 840D sl controller 

generation because it offers a wide 

range of functions in connection with high 

processor performance. A high powered 

controller and efficient drive system are essential 

for operating rapid traverses at 150 

meters per minute, for controlling 12 NC 

axes plus one high-speed spindle, as well as 

for performing NC machining with 5-axis 

transformation,” as Johann Hefler, head of 

electrical design at MAKA, explains. Servomotors 

of the 1FT6 and 1FK7 design series 

are used for the axis drives. The integrated 

DriveCliq interface offers maximum convenience 

for drive parameterization and 

commissioning. 


The Ethernet-based control architecture 

provides the user with a wide range of options 

for integrating the machine with a 

production control system to control material 

and data flow, as well as to coordinate 

the processes between the machining center 

and the positioning and removal robots. 

Graphical user interface for reliable 

operation 

In addition to the controller’s own user interface, 

a CAD/CAM-based graphical user 

interface precisely tailored to the requirements 

of MAKA is also available. The controller 

features a PCU 50 with Windows XP 

operating system operated by a Sinumerik 

OP 015A panel PC. 

The clamping procedure is projected onto 

the graphical user interface, and the part 

to be machined graphically positioned on 

the table. The tool magazine can also be 

loaded with the help of the graphic support. 

Thus, the operator is able to monitor 

the collision-free machining or collisionfree 

tool positioning already on the screen, 

and can intervene before a “crash” occurs 

in the event of a collision risk. 

Gugelfuss 

The new machining 

center for doors can 

even manufacture 

highly advanced door 

designs such as these 

from Gugelfuss 

Modern machine technology with 

integrated automation 

With the CR 27 TBZ, MAKA will be presenting 

a flexible and innovative machine at LIGNA 

2007 capable of quick retooling to meet 

changing door machining requirements 

with little effort, and that can also be fed 

manually. In summary, Max Mayer, managing 

director of MAKA, comments “I think that 

we are heading in new directions with this 

machine version. What is important for us 

and our customers is a very high level of 

availability, safety, speed, flexibility and, of 

course, state-of-the-art machine technology. 

This is what ultimately distinguishes us from 

our competitors.” By equipping the machine 

with Siemens automation technology, provides 

MAKA with the advantage of having a 

system from a single source. This ensures a 

high level of integration extending from the 

controller to the drives, an aspect that is very 

important in terms of engineering, service 

and diagnostics. 

� 




17

18 

CASE STUDY 

Coatings 

Remote diagnostics with 

Profinet for photovoltaic 

coating machines 

Everything 

Under 

Control 

A reliable service is indispensable for 

machine manufacturers in worldwide 

competition. Modern remote 

diagnostics techniques over the 

Internet are precise and reliable while 

saving time and money. To enable 

faster, more flexible and more 

extensive remote diagnostics 

capabilities for a photovoltaic coating 

system, the Swabian company Bürkle 

relies on Simatic S7 components with 

Sm@rt Service. 

Robert Bürkle presses, machines and 

systems are a familiar sight in the 

wood processing industry with companies 

that manufacture furniture parts, 

wooden boards, doors and parquet flooring. 

But the company also makes complex 

pressing and coating systems for the printed 

circuit board industry. The AKLE system, 

of which two are currently in operation in 

the US and four in Germany, coats solar 

cells for thin-film technology and dries 

them with the help of a UV unit. 

Remote diagnostics for the system were 

once performed using a modem. At the 

time, there were communication failures 

leading to long downtimes, particularly 

abroad. In addition, the connection was difficult 

to set up. Bürkle was therefore interested 

in finding a solution which could be 

implemented at short notice, which had adequate 

diagnostic capabilities, and which 

could be integrated into the company network. 

Consistent system for optimized 

diagnostics 

The combination of the Simatic S7-315PN/DP 

and S7-200 controllers with Ethernet CP 

Bürkle 

Bürkle in Freudenstadt is the technology 

leader in the field of surface technology 

along with two Simatic Multi Panels 277 

with WinCC flexible Sm@rt Service for diagnosis, 

maintenance and remote control 

via the Internet fully convinced company 

officials. All of the components can be parameterized 

via software and connected 

with one another through the Ethernet 

standard Profinet. This increases the system’s 

diagnostic capabilities, because the 

respective parameterizations can be transferred 

to all units with the help of remote 

diagnostics. The respective status of the 

components can be requested without any 

problem. One can also operate the systems 

over remote access to the panels, to monitor 

current system runtimes, and to view 

the operator inputs. The great advantage is 

consistency of the system in terms of configuration 

and diagnostic capabilities. 

These days, the company’s service support 

department is able to respond much 

faster. Given the fact that many of the problems 

can not only be diagnosed, but also 

solved with the help of remote diagnostics, 

the number of service assignments, in general, 

has been reduced. This saves time and 

money. In addition, end customers are more 

satisfied because more specific and effective 

Engineering-Station 

PC/PG 

S7-300 S7-200 

action is taken in the event of a service need. 

Technicians at Bürkle have easy access to all 

of the customer’s systems, while the security 

provided by the VPN (Virtual Private 

Network) connection remains very high. 

Potential for expansion 

TCP/IP 

ISDN/DSL 

Modem/ 

Router 

Diagnosis via the Internet with Siemens 

components is now a major sales argument 

at Bürkle. The company has concrete plans 

to introduce communication between the 

CPU and HMI via Profinet in other Bürkle 

systems. 

� 


www.siemens.com/winccflexible 


ISDN/DSL 

Modem/ 

Router 

Industrial Ethernet 

WinCC flexible Sm@rt Service enables 

local diagnosis, maintenance and 

remote control of operator stations 

via the Internet 

spectrum LIGNA 2007

CASE STUDY 

Network solutions with automatic 

sanding machines in wood processing 

Grinding out 

Innovations 

Thanks to Simatic Multi Panel, the Weber company is able 

to integrate automatic belt sanding machines into the 

user’s IT environment. The link was recently employed for 

the first time to transfer customer-specific operating data 

for a leading provider of prefabricated hospital beds. The 

order-specific set delivery concept from Siemens has also 

proven cost and space efficient in other ways. 

In addition to their excellent sanding results, 

Maschinenfabrik Weber belt sanding 

machines are noted around the 

world for their unique operating convenience, 

whereby the company located in Kronach, 

Germany prefers to rely on Simatic 

HMI devices with touch screen operation. 

Weber machines therefore feature either a 

Touch Panel TP270 or a Multi Panel MP370 

Touch. The latter is used whenever several 

variables require quick processing, or 

when extended PC functions or network capabilities 

are needed such as in the case of 

one the leading furniture providers for the 

nursing care sector. 

High-level availability via operating 

data acquisition 

As a result, the desired functions were 

added to the proven HMI system for the 

company. The device can be integrated cost 

efficiently into networks through the Ethernet 

interface, while the Windows CE operating 

system enables the use of additional 

software, in this case, for processing 

and transferring operating data. Weber 

customers can in turn use this on a KSF4- 

1350 to, for example, acquire fault and system 

messages, machine utilization data 

and sanding belt wear information on all 

units. These data are transferred to the 

company network in separate CSV files via 

Ethernet. Data analysis reveals weak spots 

such as quality fluctuations on the sanding 

belts. The company can then respond as 

needed to maintain system availability at a 

high level. Additional order-specific calculations 

are thereby also easily made. To en- 


Grinding Machines 

In terms of 

technology and 

convenience of 

operation, 

Weber has 

been setting 

standards for 

years in automatic 

belt 

sanding 

machines 

sure that no information is lost, the network 

connection is continuously monitored 

and automatically written onto the 

CF card in the MP370 Touch in event of a 

fault. 

Complete order-specific delivery 

The HMI devices are part of a matched component 

automation package, designed to 

implement the machine functionality as efficiently 

and at the lowest cost possible 

First choice for visualizing several 

items of information: the Simatic 

Multi Panel MP370 Touch 

while, at the same time, further improving 

logistics and spare parts warehousing and 

minimizing the number of suppliers. 

Siemens provides matched component 

electrical and automation engineering 

technology for all Weber machines, for 

everything from switchgear and circuit 

breakers to the Simatic S7-300 and HMI system 

as well as the motors and conventional 

safety technology. 

In the case of the order-specific “set delivery,” 

the machine manufacturer sends 

the parts list to Siemens electronically, and 

receives all of the components required for 

the respective order as part of a complete 

package in return, just in time for assembly. 

Weber equips its switch cabinets directly 

with these kits, which are collected and subsequently 

picked back up again. Stefan 

Müller, head of the sales/application division, 

notes with praise: “This saves us a lot 

of costs, time and space, and the assembly 

has been optimally supplied ever since.” � 


www.siemens.com/hmi 

E-mail: michael.floegel@siemens.com 

Weber 

19

20 

CASE STUDY 


Sinumerik 840D at the Profiling Center Conturex of Weinig 

Perfect precision 

As a high technology trendsetter, the Weinig company has significantly 

expanded the possibilities for complete processing of workpieces with its 

Profiling Center Conturex. To ensure perfect precision, the world’s leading 

manufacturer of machines for solid wood processing has once again chosen 

to rely on digital control and drive technology from Siemens. 

The most important features of the 

new Conturex production technology: 

the dual processing on two stations, 

as well as the patented PowerGrip 

grip-feed clamping table for workpiece feed 

and fixing. Sawing, cutting, drilling and 

grinding of complex workpiece contours is 

performed on two independent units 

equipped with tool-storage magazines. 

While one station is processing, the other 

can be equipped with the required tool and 

prepared for the next processing step. This 

drastically reduces tooling times. Clamping 

elements arranged in a row on the clamp- 

Weinig 

The PowerGrip clamping 

table holds the workpiece 

in the exact position at 

the required place 

ing table hold the workpiece in the absolute 

exact position at the required places. As a 

result, even small parts can be machined 

perfectly from all six sides. 

Optimum alignment 

These complex functional processes are 

controlled and monitored by the “brain” of 

the Conturex center, a Sinumerik 840D CNC 

controller. The flexible, scalable control 

and drive solution enables short tooling 

times as well as extremely fast and precise 

workpiece processing. Weinig chose 

Siemens also for the fact that a specialist 

was on site to accompany the pilot project 

from the engineering to the design and 

finally the commissioning phase. The 

resulting optimum alignment achieved by 

combining the high-quality machine technology 

of Weinig with the digital control 

and drive technology of Siemens helps to 

ensure maximum dimensional accuracy 

and perfect surface quality in the complete 

processing of workpieces. 

Another important factor for Weinig 

involved the capability for open communication 

standards and data exchange 

between various machine or system components. 

The interfaces to the operator PC, 

the Weinig user interface and the CAD software 

are provided by proven standards 

such as Profibus, OPC and Delphi. 

Equipped for the future 

Whether for molding machines, window 

machines or Conturex: switchgear, motors, 

controllers and drives from Siemens play 

an active role in the machines that founded 

and that continuously confirm Weinig’s 

reputation as a technological leader in the 

field of solid wood processing. 

The company is also excellently 

equipped for the future with innovative 

technology designed to ensure highest possible 

investment security: Sinumerik solution 

line, Profinet components and Sinamics 

converters for all drive classes. � 



E-mail: roland.schultheiss@siemens.com 

spectrum LIGNA 2007

CASE STUDY 

Future-oriented automation at 

Swiss window manufacturer 

Tradition meets technology 

The G. Baumgartner company has further expanded its window production capacities 

with the construction of a new production hall. Wood processing machines from Beth 

along with modern automation technology have netted the Swiss family operation a 

highly flexible, streamlined and reliable production facility. 

The portfolio of Baumgartner Windows, 

a fifth generation family-run 

business, features a wide spectrum 

of wooden and metal windows. In the 

Spring of 2006, a new production hall was 

built in Hagendorn near Cham (canton 

Zug), in addition to the already existing 

factory buildings. Since then, the previous 

production capacity has been doubled 

at the largely automatic production facility 

to a total of 120,000 windows a year. Also, 

production times were minimized 

while upholding the high quality standard. 

Any window you like 

The production of many different windows 

in lot size 1, without the loss of time, 

is a specialty of the new Baumgartner 

plant. The high level of flexibility and 

speed required by the company prompted 

it to select a production system manufactured 

by Beth Holzbearbeitungsmaschinen 

in Lübeck, Germany. The system enables 

the manufacture of window sashes 

up to 3,000 x 3,000 millimeters in size, as 

well as window frames measuring 3,000 x 



4,800 millimeters and vertical transoms 

up to 6,000 millimeters. Four complete 

window sash parts are manufactured 

every minute on the window sash machine, 

whereby the various parts are profiled, 

sawn and drilled. The production 

progress of the parts can be monitored on 

the host computer. 

Accelerated production process 

The process involves a great many processing 

steps with many different types of 

Faster, more flexible window 

production: the Beth machine in the 

Swiss production facility 

Beth 

tools. As a result, Beth utilizes 112 1FK7 

servo motors (16 Newtonmeter) and 

22 Simodrive Posmo A drives (75 Watt) 

to adjust the processing tools. The intelligent, 

distributed Posmo A motors are connected 

via Profibus DP to the central controller, 

which relieves them of positioning 

tasks. This minimizes retooling times. A 

Simatic S7-400 acts as central system controller, 

while the positioning of the axes is 

handled by Simodrive 611U converters. 

Thomas Baumgartner proudly refers to the 

production technology installed in the recently 

enlarged facility, engineered and developed 

for the most important part by 

the engineering consultants Lüchinger, 

Gasser + Partner in Altstätten, Switzerland, 

as “Switzerland’s most modern window 

factory.” Despite the high degree of automation 

in the factory extension, Baumgartner 

has taken on more staff and increased its 

number of employees to 120. 

� 


www.siemens.com/simodrive 

E-mail: schroeder.stefan@siemens.com 

Beth 

21

22 

SERVICE 

Machine Building 

For OEMs and owners 

Optimized 

machine service 

To help keep costs for machine manufacturers 

(OEM) within planned 

budgets, and thus predictable, 

Siemens now offers a Repair Service Contact 

(RSV). The contract provides machine 

manufacturers with worldwide repair support 

at a reasonable flat rate charge – even 

at the owner’s site. The RSV contract is optionally 

available either for a 12 or 24 

Traditional procedure, mechanical design construction 

Mechanical 

draft 

Virtual prototyping 

Interdisciplinary 

draft 

mechanics 

electronics 

information 

technology 

Selection of 

electrical 

components 

Simulation and 

testing phase 

Result 

virtual 

machine 

Result 

Faster machine designs with Mechatronic Support 

Full customer 

service support 

Machine innovations require 

the close interdisciplinary cooperation 

between machine manufacturers 

and their partners in automation 

and drive technology. With its Mechatronic 

Support, Siemens has developed a 

tiered service support portfolio: a combination 

of consulting, machine simulation 

and virtual prototyping ensure the functionality 

of a new machine even before one 

piece of metal has been manufactured, 

thereby reducing the time to market. The 

Prototype 

Prototype = 

finished 

machine 

month period, and includes the following 

service offerings: service personnel support, 

error diagnostics and on-site repair 

as well as fault correction documentation. 

The RSV is activated after the final status 

notification of the machine, thereby 

enabling rapid machine-specific spare 

parts procurement during a service emergency 

without the need for tedious pre- 

functionality of already existing machines 

can be optimized with the help of machine 

analysis, as well as through thereby generated 

suggestions for improvement. 

Virtual saves costs 

Testing phase 

Modifications to the prototype 

Time, effort, costs 

Savings potential: 

time, resources 

Reliability in 

achieving the goals 

Many companies are familiar with the problem 

where an existing machine does not 

meet requirements, or a machine in operation 

needs to be upgraded. A thorough 

machine analysis is the answer. In the highly 

dynamic interaction between the me- 

clarification between the end customer/OEM 

and Siemens. As a result, one 

certificate number is all that is needed to 

ensure optimum service support. Contract 

archiving is conducted via EUNAweb 

(end user notification administration via 

Web). EUNAweb is a database that enables 

access to equipment and RSV data by authorized 

contract partners at all times. 

Interested? Simply contact your Siemens 

partner. 

� 


www.siemens.com/automation/support 

E-mail: gerd.bedner@siemens.com 

Result: 

finished 

machine 

chanics, the drive and the 

control technology, weaknesses 

frequently remain 

hidden and need to be 

identified. This is most effectively 

when mechatronic 

support is already taken 

into consideration at the 

beginning of the development 

process. 

The machine analysis 

also provides insights 

into the development potential 

of a machine design 

concept. Together 

with simulation and vir- 

tual prototyping, machine properties can 

be precisely quantified. As a result, the 

customer is able to determine which investments 

are likely to pay off, and can 

seek out the least expensive solution already 

at this stage. 

The analysis results provide engineers 

with the material needed for a simulated 

machine model. The concept phase offers 

the best opportunity for this – modifications 

can still be made to the design at this 

stage. The virtual prototype then created on 

the computer already contains all of the essential 

performance features of the actual 

machine. Apart from a shorter development 

period and a faster time to market, 

this also brings with it a significant cost advantage. 

� 


www.siemens.com/mechatronik 

E-mail: jochen.bretschneider@siemens.com 

spectrum LIGNA 2007

SERVICE 

Founded in 1992, the approximately 

468 employees at WKC manufacture 

more than 14,400 electrical cabinets, 

175,000 modules and 500,000 flat modules 

a year. The secret of the Chemnitz company’s 

success is its wide range of products 

and services, enabling it to meet a variety 

of customer requirements. Not surprisingly, 

the company’s motto is “We offer machine 

manufacturers comprehensive solutions 

as an integral part of their productivity 

chain.” 

One-stop service 

Electrical Cabinet Production 

WKC accompanies customers during the entire life cycle 

of electrical cabinet production 

Completely equipped 

from A to Z 

The WKC plant for combination technology in Chemnitz, Germany offers 

customers all types of tailor-made automation technology solutions. All of the 

services of the solution-oriented factory are from a single source – including 

everything from consulting to hardware and software configuration and 

UL certification as well as commissioning. Design to cost analysis, tailor-made 

cooling concepts and the use of WKC logistics, including customs clearance, 

also provide considerable cost savings for machine manufacturers. 

Customers also benefits from the company’s 

cooperation with a competent partner 

for the complete equipment needed for 

their machines. After a customer-specific 

consultation, configuration is initiated with 

the required products from the Sinumerik, 


Simatic, Simotion and Sinamics or 

Masterdrives product lines. If necessary, customized 

electronic accessory modules are 

also developed and manufactured at the 

same plant site. Sophisticated material 

logistics and procurement concepts specifically 

adapted to the customer’s needs, as 

well as an appropriate supply chain management, 

save customers costs. 

In the production, every order is accompanied 

and carried out by special customer 

teams. Preferred suppliers provide considerable 

price and logistical advantages. During 

electrical testing, the machine manufacturers 

can choose from various service 

packages to optimize their process costs. As 

a result, they can get fully tested total 

equipment, if they so desire. Delivery logistics 

is also specifically adapted to customer 

requirements. One example are the 

The Chemnitz 

electrical 

cabinet 

production 

After assembly, 

the electrical 

cabinets are 

tested 

ship-to-line concepts for different customers. 

WKC technicians also provide onsite 

support during installation and commissioning. 

The production team is a crucial element 

in the high quality of a electrical cabinet. 

The customer therefore has a competent 

contact for all service needs. Checklists in 

the production and a testing process ensure 

compliance with customer-specific requirements. 

Exploiting the streamlining potential 

The Reichenbacher machine factory in Dörfles-Esbach 

specializes in high-quality 5axis 

wood, plastic and lightweight metal 

processing. The company has a long-standing 

partnership with WKC, which, in addition 

to the assembly of the Sinumerik 810D, 

840D and 840DI power line and solution 

line control and drive components, supplies 

the entire productivity chain. As part 

of a close cooperation, the partners jointly 

invest in many individual optimization 

projects to positively influence the process 

and system costs in the interest of both parties. 

The synergies resulting from the 

changeover to the new equipment generations 

have proven to be an invaluable advantage. 

Without the need to tie up additional 

resources by the OEM, the company 

managed to integrate the new design concept 

into the product environment, while 

also meeting required standards and specifications. 

� 



E-mail: uwe.zimmermann@siemens.com 

Pictures: WKC 

23

More freedom for machine tools 

with SINUMERIK solution line 

sinumerik 

SOLUTION LINE 

¸ Scalability of hardware and software, distributed and modular 

¸ Tailored operating concepts under Windows or Linux with Thin Client units 

¸ Simple engineering thanks to self-identifi cation via electronic name plates 

¸ Diagnostics right into the drive with DRIVE-CLiQ 

¸ Optimized machine networks through Ethernet 

More information under: www.siemens.com / sinumerik-news

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