FOCUS ON SURFACE FINISHING
“ With this precision leveller , we can reduce residual stresses in the sheets . The subsequent processing steps then become more productive ,” explained Diane Silberhorn .
“ Thermal processing with the laser introduces stresses into the sheet metal . For further processing , however , it should lie as flat as possible ,” added Siegfried Bayerl , the company ’ s sales manager .
During visits to several trade fairs , management personnel from the company researched the full range of precision levellers available .
“ We wanted a robust machine , made in Germany , with no long journeys for service . That ’ s why we chose ARKU ,” offered the CEO . After a visit to ARKU for testing purposes , it was quickly clear that the company would choose a precision leveller from the specialist in Baden-Baden .
Thomas Pröbster ( middle ), production manager at Silberhorn Blechtechnik , inspects the results from the FlatMaster ® 88 precision leveller with CEO , Diane Silberhorn ( right ) and sales manager , Siegfried Bayerl .
A range of requirements
For the precision levelling process , the sheet metal worker receives cut blanks - from small sheets to the oversize format of 4 x 2 metres . Initially , the operator cuts them with the laser . The sheets are then deburred and levelled for further processing .
“ Workpieces of various dimensions go into the precision leveller . These can be small aluminium sheets of 300mm × 300mm with a thickness of 3 to 4mm or stainless steel plates of up to 15 or 20mm thick that just fit through the machine ,” commented Bayerl .
“ The precision levelling machine has a servo-hydraulic gap control , a hydraulic overload protection system to prevent damage to the leveller and ensures reproducible levelling results . This makes it suitable for levelling laser-cut , punched and plasma-cut parts ,” added Christian Nau , ARKU Sales .
In this context , levelling has proved to be very important for quality assurance .
“ In the stainless steel sector , there are strong fluctuations in the quality of the material supplied . We don ’ t know the cause , but there are frequent distortions ( even in the same batch of material ). This is difficult when you have to ensure consistent quality in production ,” offered production manager , Thomas Pröbster .
Silberhorn Blechtechnik does not use the FlatMaster ® 88 precision leveller for all its workpieces .
“ It is mainly used for parts which need high precision levels in subsequent processes . This is the case , for example , with bending , welding or milling ,” explained Bayerl . Only a few external customers explicitly ask for levelled sheet metal . However , so many of the company ’ s customers specify high-quality requirements for further processing that the
After levelling , the sheet metal parts are flat which makes downstream processing easier .
Thermal processing with the laser introduces stresses into the sheet metal . For further processing , however , it should lie as flat as possible .
ARKU ’ s FlatMaster ® at Silberhorn Blechtechnik .
ISMR September 2021 | sheetmetalplus . com | 73