ISMR December 2022 / January 2023 | Page 49

FOCUS ON STAMPING

KLEINER punching grid fitted with EloPin .
the pandemic hit , he worked in sustainability and quality management for a U . S . company .
“ The most important thing for us , though , is that they can do what they want – they ’ re not under any pressure to do anything . We ’ ve always made that clear to our sons ,” explained Jutta and Thomas Kleiner , who have formed a team at work and at home .
Thomas Kleiner is a man who does not mince his words . “ We can ’ t say that we ’ re the best because there ’ s no such thing as the best . We ’ re also not the fastest , as we take care in our work . And we ’ re not the cheapest either , as quality comes at a price . We ’ re different , and all we want to do is deliver the best !”
That principle is appreciated by the company ’ s customers , who include leading businesses from the automotive industry and companies right up to Tier 1 .
“ Our products are now primarily used in electric vehicles , which means that we ’ re in a strong position for the future , despite rising oil prices ,” Thomas Kleiner explained .
KLEINER offers all key components for e-mobility with a focus on battery contact systems , high-current contacts , capacitor assemblies and bus bars . It develops series products and manufacturing technologies for
In the KLEINER manufacturing cell , a six-axis industrial robot steers production and carries out the mounting .
48V on-board voltage , battery management and all electric drive concepts in the vehicle . KLEINER has also developed a stamped highcurrent socket , available as a series product , for charging connectors .
Other industry sectors for the company include electronics , telecommunications and medical technology .
A Bruderer high-precision stamping press , Type BSTA 510-150B2 .
High levels of automation
KLEINER GmbH ’ s core competency is stamping technology , with operations running almost around the clock in three shifts spread across Pforzheim and Eisingen .
Around three billion workpieces are manufactured each year with material thicknesses of up to 5mm , using machinery offering up to 250 tonnes of capacity , 3,000mm of tool-loading space and 1,500 strokes per minute . Much of this is carried out using Bruderer precision stamping presses . KLEINER has no fewer than 39 of them in operation , with none more than ten years old .
“ Modern machinery that can be ideally adapted to the growing digitalisation and automation of our company is one of our strategic goals ,” Thomas continued . “ The impressive re-sale value of Bruderer highperformance stamping presses and high levels of demand supports us in this approach .”
A clear illustration of the significant levels of automation can be seen in KLEINER ’ s own in-house manufacturing cell . Technologies from tool- and mould-making , measurement and industrial robotics are combined to enable the fully-automated manufacturing of tool components . The manufacturer even develops and creates individual automation solutions for
ISMR December 2022 / January 2023 | ismr . net | 49