1 | 12  Stamper The magazine for high-performance punching technology

World premiere at BRUDERER US in-die laser Precision metalwork

in-house exhibition technology M
At its in-house exhibition from 7 – 11 May 2012, BRUDERER Weiss-Aug has developed a process using hapema GmbH provides its customers
will be unveiling a world-first: the BPG 22 switchable planetary in-die laser technology that is ideal for pro- with the latest in modern technology and
gearbox, which enables the BSTA 510 to be used both as a ducing high-precision medical equipment. It innovative solutions. Over the years, the
regular punching press and for testing and running in new enables components to be manufactured in German company has come to trust the
tools. This extra functionality will open up new perspectives for a cost-effective and economical way. precision and reliability of BRUDERER
BRUDERER customers. machines for testing tools and for stamping.
Pages 4 – 5 Page 6 Page 7
 Issue 01/2012

Editorial Meet and greet at BRUDERER

BRUDERER will be attending various trade fairs in
2012, the next ones being MACH 2012 in Birming-
ham in the UK from 16 – 20 April and of course
also EuroBlech in Hannover in late October.
The exhibition year started in India with IMTEX
held in Bangalore from 19 – 24 January, where
BRUDERER unveiled a new product.

A passage to India for the PRIMA

Every other year, the Indian Machine Tool Manu- General and Exhibition Manager. »We at the MTA be-
facturers Association organises the Indian Machine lieve that not only is it a good sign for MACH but that
Tool Exhibition IMTEX in Bangalore. BRUDERER has it will be a great decision for BRUDERER too.«
Combining innovation attended every one of these exhibitions since the BRUDERER @ MACH 2012 – Birdseye view

very first and considers it a good platform for inter-

with tried and trusted national players to showcase their products as well
as the latest technological developments.
favourites
This year, BRUDERER chose IMTEX to launch its
»Curiosity is always at the forefront of a problem compact high precision PRIMA, a fully-automated
that needs to be solved.« This quote from Galileo stamping press with simple handling. This new mo-
Galilei is an illustration of how the Italian philoso- del addresses the needs of small and medium-sized
pher and scientist lived his life, making revolution- companies which supply the electronic industry,
ary new discoveries along the way. making BRUDERER’s high-quality stamping tech-
nology accessible at an economical price. After a
Curiosity, and the ability to listen to our customers’ successful market introduction in China, the machi-
needs, have led us to develop a world first – the ne is now being released for India. MACH, Hall 4, Stand 4625, 77m2 Design Built Exhibitions Ltd
Telephone  00 44 (0)1527 69132
Facsimile   00 44 (0)1527 65692

BRUDERER BPG 22 planetary gearbox. This addi-

08.02.12

tional gearbox creates an added functionality which Various key customers including Indian Ord- BRUDERER has joined the Metalforming Machi-
previously was not possible. The high-performance nance Factories and Hindustan Aeronautics Ltd, nery Makers Association, helping it to double in size
BSTA 510 fully-automated stamping press can be as well as multinationals like TYCO, Molex and FCI compared with 2010. »We aim to make a statement
turned from a production into a test machine at the to name but a few visited the BRUDERER Presses to the world that manufacturing is on an upward
flick of a switch and can be used for the try-out of India Pvt. Ltd stand at the Bangalore International curve in Great Britain and here to stay, and we will
new tools. The speed of the ram movement can be Exhibition Centre and had the opportunity to see the be showing the latest technology in the stamping
adjusted in stages by manual control and the press PRIMA in operation. sector to support that belief,« said Adrian Haller,
can be moved at a stroke rate of one. This provides Managing Director of BRUDERER UK Ltd.
our customers with real added value from which The response was very encouraging for
they will benefit in many respects. BRUDERER’s Indian subsidiary, which celebrated BRUDERER will be in hall 4 with a BSTA 280-75
its 10th anniversary in 2011. with B2 control system and including comprehen-
The BRUDERER planetary gearbox will be unveiled sive peripheral equipment from German company
to the public for the first time at our in-house Leicht Stanzautomation GmbH.
exhibition from 7 – 11 May 2012. We will also take UK industry meets at MACH 2012
this opportunity to show our guests various other In 2011, the UK industrial sector has seen some www.bruderer.co.uk
extensions to our range, including the BSTA 1600- remarkable recovery figures in engineering-based
220 and the BSTA 2500-250. With the automotive manufacturing. The Manufacturing Technologies
industry and the wind power sector now coming to Association (MTA), which represents companies
rely more and more on electric motors, we have ad- in that sector, reported that orders were running
justed our product programme in certain areas to around 66% higher than during 2010 for the first nine
cover the stamping of motor case lamination using months of the year. »In the current economic cli-
this type of machine. Another item on the in-house mate, the role of manufacturing has become more
exhibition agenda is a guided tour of our facilities, important than ever,« explained MTA President Si-
showcasing our manufacturing depth – an impor- mon Pollard, of Kyal Machine Tools. »We continue to
tant element of BRUDERER’s trademark quality. show growth and we’re aiming to pull the economy
along.«
This edition of STAMPER also features Korean com-
pany KUM who managed to secure a competitive What is driving the increase in the manufacturing
advantage in the tough electronics market thanks technology market is the growth that key end-user
to BRUDERER technologies. Long-term BRUDER- industrial sectors are experiencing in the UK. The
ER customers such as hapema GmbH of Germany, automotive sector for instance is seeing important
C. Brandauer & Co. Ltd. in England and Weiss-Aug outlays, with companies as diverse as Jaguar / Land
in the USA meanwhile use our high-performance Rover, Mini and Nissan all recently announcing
fully-automated stamping presses for efficient significant plant investment programmes. In power
manufacturing in a host of fields of usage, proving generation, the UK has long been strong in oil and
that the precision of our products, our experience gas but is now looking to take a lead in offshore wind
and our quality continue to lead the way. power.

Andreas Fischer, CEO As a result of the prevailing market conditions,

the UK’s engineering-based manufacturing sector BRUDERER at trade fairs 2012
Imprint: is looking forward with confidence to its bi-annual
Publisher: Bruderer AG Stanzautomaten
MACH 2012 UK 16.04. – 20.04.2012
CH-9320 Frasnacht, Phone +41 71 447 75 00 showcase MACH, being held in Birmingham from
Fax +41 71 447 77 80, [email protected] SIMTOS Korea 17.04. – 22.04.2012
www.bruderer-presses.com
16 – 20 April 2012. The exhibition – the UK’s largest
4. Kongress Stanztechnik Germany 23.04. – 24.04.2012
for manufacturing technologies – has always been
Project: Bruderer AG Stanzautomaten, CH-9320 Frasnacht BRUDERER Hausmesse Switzerland 07.05. – 12.05.2012
Texts: Russ Cockburn (BRANDAUER); Drew Lilley (KUM, at the forefront of technology and is celebrating its
MECANICA Brasil 22.05. – 26.05.2012
WEISS-AUG); all other texts: Bruderer AG 100th anniversary this year.
Translation: Drew Lilley Die & Mould China China 31.05. – 03.06.2012
Graphics/Layout: www.gnaedinger-und.de
Photography: p. 1,2,4,5 www.ellensohn-fotografie.com; BRUDERER’s interest in this exhibition is a posi- STANZtec Germany 16.06. – 21.06.2012
p. 3: Brandauer & Co Ltd, p. 6: Weiss-Aug, MSV 2012 Czech Rep. 10.09. – 14.09.2012
p.7: hapema GmbH, p.8: KUM Co., Ltd; tive sign, with the size of its stand four times larger
all other pictures: Bruderer AG than in previous years, showing a significant expres- TATEF Turkey 02.10. – 07.10.2012

sion of faith in the UK as a manufacturing location Vienna Tech Austria 09.10. – 12.10.2012

All articles of the STAMPER magazine are protected
by copyright. The respective companies are liable for and a statement of intent on the part of the company. EuroBLECH Germany 23.10. – 27.10.2012
their articles and illustrations. The right to publication,
»We’re delighted by the vote of confidence BRUDERER FABTECH USA 12.11. – 14.11.2012
translation and electronic storage are transferred to the
publisher upon acceptance of the manuscript. has cast,« said Graham Dewhurst, MTA’s Director DMP 2012 China 14.11. – 17.11.2012

2
Issue 01/2012

Brandauer celebrates 150 years with two new

BRUDERER presses
Precision pressings and stamping firm Brandauer has found a business-savvy way of celebrating its 150th
anniversary. The company, based in Birmingham at the heart of the United Kingdom, has decided to invest
£750,000 in two state-of-the-art BRUDERER fully automated stamping presses which will increase capac-
ity, improve accuracy and open up a host of new markets. It represents the largest single investment in
the company’s history, with the new machines able to produce two billion parts every year. This increase in
output could be worth up to £2.5 million in potential new sales, with Brandauer now targeting a £10 million
turnover.

orders for complex and larger components for the

medical and renewable sectors respectively,« said
Spears, who sees the acquisition of the two BRUDE-
RER machines as the next stage of the company’s
development. »Turnover rocketed to over £9 million
and we have reached a stage where we require ad-
ditional capability in order to meet anticipated client
demand. We identified the fact we needed machines
that could give us greater speed, accuracy and a
bigger tool die area that is able to deliver more
added value at point of manufacture, which is why
we turned to BRUDERER.«

With 29 BRUDERER machines ranging from 20

to 60 tonnes of press force already in their machi-
Thierry Lebaut, Geschäftsführer von SOPIL (links), und ne press shop, it is clear that Brandauer had the
Jérôme Deutschlé, Vertriebsleiter (rechts) utmost respect for the Frasnacht-built technology,
and very soon it will also have a BSTA 510-125 and a
280-75 to rely on as it targets lucrative international
markets.

(l-r) Rowan Crozier (Brandauer), Adrian Haller (BRUDERER UK) and David Spears (Brandauer)
Specialist tooling transfer and refur-
Brandauer began in 1862 as a manufacturer of which are being funded through the firm’s own cash bishment service
pen nibs, achieving a reputation for excellence with reserves. Brandauer uses its established multi-sector
a series of royal warrants, special commissions technical and engineering skills to offer an efficient,
and high-volume global sales. Traditional pen nibs »This is a real show of intent and will illustrate low-risk tool transfer service. It can offer a full QA
became obsolete during the 1950s and 60s and the to existing and new customers that we plan to offer approval and component verification process with a
company gradually diversified into precision pres- them the very best level of service and manufactu- free 15-hour tool inspection and status report, with
sing to supply components for the growing electrical ring performance,« said managing director David defective tooling repaired, in-house, as required.
and telecoms industries. Spears. Several high-tech customers in the automotive and
medical sectors have benefitted from this capability
Markets, customer demand and global supply »Both of the presses feature the ground-brea- in the past year, allowing them to consolidate their
chain relationships continued to change, so Bran- king BRUDERER B2 control technology and are fit- supply chain and improve efficiency.
dauer developed an increasing specialisation in the ted with high-speed precision servo feeds for grea-
manufacture of complex metal components, par- ter flexibility. The BSTA 280-75 is also able to offer www.brandauer.co.uk
ticularly where extreme precision was required in up to 2,000 strokes per minute, which is twice as
challenging materials. 50% of the world’s cars now fast as anything we currently have. The BRUDERER
contain a Brandauer component, as do a significant machines will give us greater speed, accuracy and
proportion of the world’s kettles! efficiency to target new industry sectors.«

The company is now well-established as a world- The BSTA 510-125 and 280-75 will be delivered
class engineering specialist with significant experi- to the firm’s Newtown facility by April 2012, and en-
ence across a diverse range of industries, including gineers from BRUDERER UK will then be on hand
electronics, telecoms, IT & computers, medical, to oversee the installation and train staff to get the
automotive and renewables, whilst still adhering to maximum performance from the machines from
the core values which made its name 150 years ago day one. »We’ve worked with Brandauer for more
– namely precision, customer service and value. than 40 years and are delighted to be able to extend
this working relationship even further with this la-
test acquisition,« explained Adrian Haller, managing
Competitive through efficiency director of BRUDERER UK. »At £750,000, this is the
Brandauer, which is one of ten companies that largest order we have secured in our history and is
make up MAN (the Midlands Assembly Network), a further indication that UK manufacturing is com-
produces in excess of 15 million parts every week mitted to being the best in the world.«
for its customers.

Despite being a solely UK-based, family-owned Extra staff to cope with increased
business now in its sixth generation of ownership, demand
the company is justifiably proud of its international »It is part of our mission statement to offer cus-
reputation as one of the leading independent manu- tomers world-class performance and to do what you
facturers of high-precision metal components. need to invest in the best machines, which is exactly
It exports over £6 million per annum, with United what BRUDERER provide,« added Brandauer’s sa-
States its largest market by volume (with 600 mil- les and marketing director Rowan Crozier. »Once
lion parts heading across the Atlantic) and China this additional capacity is in place, we would expect
being the largest by value (almost 40% of turnover turnover to break the £10 million barrier in 2012 and
heading to clients in the Shenzhen region). this will involve taking on five new members of staff
to cope with the new orders.« Those extra emplo-
Brandauer is enjoying success in what is a highly yees represent a 10% increase in staff, who will be
competitive global market, but the company needs housed at the company’s 45,000 square foot factory.
to stay ahead of the game: hence the investment
in the two new machines. It has orders placed on »2011 went well and saw us win new business in
BRUDERER for a BSTA 510-125 and a 280-75, both of both existing and new markets, including exciting Multi-sector stamping experience applied to every project

3
 Issue 01/2012

BPG 22: A fully-automated stamping

press and test press all rolled into one
The BPG 22 planetary gearbox developed by BRUDERER is a world
first, and something that stamping experts and tool-makers have
been waiting for – for a long time. It is an additional gearbox which
will enable fully-automated BRUDERER BSTA 510 stamping press-
es to be turned into test machines for trying out new tools at the
flick of a switch, and then afterwards return to serial production –
creating incredible added value for BRUDERER customers!

In the past, stamping firms who created tools in-house fully-automated stamping press and equip it at very low
had only one solution for these two very different tasks – stroke rates with the capabilities of a test press, which
they had stamping presses for actual production whilst however do not have any influence on the (day-to-day)
having to carry out tool and stamping tests on a separate functioning at higher stroke rates. A particular challenge
machine, which would then as a rule stand idle until the was making the strength and torque which are required for
next series of tests, taking up valuable capital and produc- comprehensive test settings available without the need for
tion space. a significantly larger electric motor or having to changing
something significant to the basic principles of the tried
and trusted BRUDERER stamping press.
Two becomes one
This new development from BRUDERER now offers a
practical alternative which provides the customer with real All different, all new
added value. A planetary gearbox that is built into the shaft The project team found themselves confronted with
The sunwheel drive is at the heart of the transmission of the main motor of a fully-automated stamping press quite a task. It was not merely a case of developing a plane-
enables test runs to be carried out, steered by manual tary gearbox – it had to be a three-level version. The basic
control, at the lowest stroke rate and at full press capaci- concept also called for it to be enclosed in a rotating ca-
ty. The values that are produced can then be carried over sing, which posed a further challenge. For project manager
exactly and used in the regular production process. The Pascal Hardmeier and the rest of his team, there was a lot
advantages for customers are manifold: increased effici- to learn, and while that did not make for an easy time of
ency, reduced costs, less space required, simple handling things, it was certainly exciting and enriching work.
and more flexible work proces-
ses. There is also a gain in terms « We’ve proved that two does indeed After the gearbox had been
of logistics, since tools have to be go into one – and this is exactly what constructed mechanically, it was
transported less often. our stamping experts and toolmak- time to focus on the development
ers have been waiting for, for so of the software, and this proved
The catalyst for this develop- long.. » Andreas Fischer, CEO to be an exciting challenge for
ment was the servo technolo- Herbert Högger, Head of Control
gy which has become far more prevalent in recent years. Engineering, and Sven Kächelin, in charge of the relevant
While it is of little or no use for stamping at high stroke software development. This was a project where production
rates, which is one of BRUDERER’s core competencies, it at low speed was the main priority as opposed to stamping,
is however very suitable for slower processes such as test and this meant that everyone involved had to approach the
stamping and try-out of tools. BRUDERER therefore deci- project from a completely different point of view. The work
ded to use these very properties and adapt them to their on the BPG 22 also provided new insights of a more general
high-performance fully-automated stamping presses, and nature, for example in terms of process monitoring or the
the result is the BPG 22. The aim was to combine two ma- behaviour of BRUDERER fully-automated stamping pres-
chines in one – namely to take a regular high-performance ses at low stroke rates. What Herbert Högger found most

« The BRUDERER planetary gearbox is

an incredible idea and we are sure that
this extension of functionality will be a
real success. »
Adrian Bruderer, company owner

Teamwork is the basis for successful development at BRUDERER

4
Issue 01/2012

The three-level planetary gearbox A planetary gearbox with all connection lines mounted on the main motor

impressive is the fact that the complete tonnage of the Functional and practical Unveiling at BRUDERER in-house
machine is literally in the hands of the machine operator. Safety was always foremost in mind during the deve- exhibition
Kächelin found the development of the manual control par- lopment of the BPG 22 since there are times when machi- The BPG 22 planetary gearbox will be unveiled to
ticularly demanding. The requirement was for it to be able ne operators have to use their hands inside the tooling or members of the international stamping community at the
to work slowly but at high strength and this ended up crea- stamping area when in test mode. The BPG 22 was thus BRUDERER in-house exhibition from 7 – 11 May 2012 in
ting various new functionalities. BRUDERER and the rele- constructed according to the European 2006/42/EG machi- Frasnacht. The event will also feature the company’s com-
vant suppliers were also involved nery guidelines, and is designed prehensive range of high-performance fully-automated
on the hardware side, and whe- « The complete tonnage of the in such a way that test mode is stamping presses, from the BSTA 200 through to the BSTA
reas »speed at all costs« used to machine is literally in the hands of the automatically switched off if there 2500, some of them fitted with peripheral equipment and
be the watchword, now it is more machine operator. » is any kind of power outage. If the which will be operational during the exhibition. The event
a case of »slower but stronger«.  Herbert Högger, Head of process control stamping press is then switched will also be showcasing how used BRUDERER machines
Consequently everybody invol- on again, it starts up in regular can be retrofitted, with a BSTA 400-95B2 from 1996.
ved in the BPG 22 project has come to see the BRUDERER stamping mode. Test mode also needs to be able to be
stamping press in a new, previously unseen light. activated manually if required. The machine is constantly The programme will show guests the various produc-
engaged when it is in test mode and the operator controls tion departments as well as the assembly and the training
The result of this teamwork is a three-level planetary the stamping press manually. When it is switched off, the areas, with high-quality food and refreshments also being
gearbox with a ratio of approximately 1:19. The real heart gearbox then goes into neutral and the machine is ready to served.
of the BPG 22 is the software and the manual control for resume its normal stamping functions.
the machine. The main functionalities include the switching
on and off of the gearbox in test mode, movement of the The BPG 22 has no negative effects on the regular If you have not yet signed up to participate, it is not too
machine and adjustment of the ram height all via manual stamping process. On the BSTA 510 when it is in stamping late. Please contact us by 30 April 2012, either:
control, as well as production at low stroke rates. The data mode, the usual stroke rates of between 100 and approxi-
that is generated can then be transferred to the tool data mately 1100 strokes per minute, depending on the machine by e-mail: [email protected]
memory of the machine’s control system. size, are still possible. The BPG 22 also has no effect on the or telephone: +41 71 447 75 00
footprint of the machine – the planetary gearbox is fitted in
a way that the stamping press needs no extra floor space www.bruderer-presses.com
Everything in hand to accommodate it, which is another advantage compared
The manual control enables the speed of the ram mo- with previous solutions which required separate equip-
vement to be adjusted to different levels. Maximum press ment for test and production functions.
capacity and the highest torque levels can also be set and
recorded. The machine operator can thus start the top and As far as company owner Adrian Bruderer and CEO
bottom dead centre individually and move the ram to pre- Andreas Fischer are concerned, the BPG 22 which is not
cisions of a hundredth of a millimetre. The manual control only a world first but also an incredible idea, and they are
can activate and control the functions that are required for sure that this extension of functionality will be a real suc-
test mode. This for example means that the ram and the cess. The gearbox was developed in close cooperation with
upper part of the tool can be moved extremely slowly onto a number of key customers and will be commercialised
the lower part, imitating a stamping process and testing with a software stand, with any further enhancements
the efficiency of the tool. It is also possible to have the ram worked out with customers based on needs and practical
move slowly forwards or backwards in fixed geometrical experience.
increments or by regulated shifting using pre-set values.
Backwards movement can be implemented depending on The new 22 kW planetary gearbox is available for the
the tool, and the permitted press capacity can be changed BSTA 510 with three different die mounting lengths of 950,
where necessary. The operator can also specify break- 1100 and 1250 millimetres and will be delivered exclusively
off criteria for continuation or return stroke in the control with new machines. Other versions for the various different
system. types of BSTA will also be developed, depending on market
requirements.
The manual control has several different indications. A
multi-coloured display shows the maximum and current
press capacity, the press angle in degrees and the dis-
tance of the ram from the lower dead centre. The control « What this means for customers is in-
also enables error messages from the machine to be dis- creased efficiency, reduced costs and
played and acknowledged. It is linked to the machine by a space required, simple handling and
pluggable cable and can be used in front of or behind the more flexible work processes. »
fully-automated stamping press, with the necessary cable  Pascal Hardmeier, BPG 22 project manager
connections built in on both sides. If the manual control is
not required, it can be stored in the wall mounting that is
delivered as standard or attached by means of a magnet to
a place of the operator’s choice around the machine. Simple controls with all the required functions

5
 Issue 01/2012

Weiss-Aug branches out with BRUDERER’s support

Weiss-Aug, a leader in metal stamping, insert injection molding and assembly for the medical device industry, recently
launched in-die laser welding at their East Hanover, NJ headquarters. They chose BRUDERER to assist them with their
complex press needs. With BRUDERER’s outstanding support effort during the design, installation and initial testing of
the press, Weiss-Aug’s manufacturing cell has been successful, and delivers substantial cost savings for their customers.

In-die laser welding Tom Sheridan, Stamping Operations Manager and Jeff Cole,
Vice President of Engineering at Weiss-Aug
Weiss-Aug was founded in 1972 by Dieter Weissenrieder position the component for welding. Optimal welding can
and Kurt Augustin. In 1980 with the purchase of a molding only take place when the modular laser heads have been
company, Weiss-Aug expanded and began to develop accurately aligned and fixed within the laser module. As the Jeff Cole concludes: »With BRUDERER’s support, we
its insert molding capabilities. Weiss-Aug now employs press cycles through bottom dead center (BDC), short pul- have proved that combining metal stampings with laser
over 175 team members and services four key mar- ses of energy weld the two areas closed, where it is then welding can produce precise components with complex
kets: the automotive sector (sensing and electronics), 100% inspected by an inline vision system and singulated requirements through a cost effective and efficient ma-
medical (safety products and surgical instruments), according to the customer’s specifications. nufacturing process. The medical device market shows
as well as the electronic and aerospace industries. continued growth and will continue to change almost cons-
The medical market is the largest sector, accounting tantly; but thanks to our highly-skilled and creative tooling
for approximately two thirds of Weiss-Aug’s business. Processes developed with BRUDERER’s and design engineers, a strong apprenticeship program,
Automotive follows closely as the second largest at about support and a continued focus on advanced technologies, Weiss-
one quarter. The company sells their products to major Having purchased their first BRUDERER machine some Aug will continue to be a valued partner for medical device
markets worldwide, with customers in North and Central 35 years ago, Weiss-Aug decided to work in close coopera- companies.«
America, Europe and Asia. tion with the Frasnacht Swiss-based company to develop
their press needs for their in-die laser welding program. In www.weiss-aug.com
addition to their new press needs, consideration for laser
All-encompassing development process safety, and integration with the eight pieces of peripheral
Quality, on time delivery and customer service are the equipment was critical. BRUDERER was key in providing
guiding principles for Weiss-Aug since its inception over a customized solution for Weiss-Aug’s complex manufac-
40 years ago. The company manufactures over 1.5 billion turing cell.
parts every year and maintains industry-low PPM (parts
per million) levels. For instance, in 2011, the PPM level for The fully automated stamping press purchased for this
insert molded parts was 1.17 defective parts per million. process was a high-speed BRUDERER BSTA 510-110 with
integrated class 1 laser safety capabilities. The press is
Weiss-Aug works closely with customers to better en- equipped with a longer bed to accommodate advanced pro-
gineer complex components at a lower cost. They have gressive tooling with interchangeable modules. The press
extensive resources for research, part development, and is also fully integrated with an Otto Vision system and an
prototyping; all of which are crucial steps in the overall SLE Microlub automated oiler, Fuchs gas extraction sys-
process of bringing new products to market. The compa- tem, Festo air manifold, and PLC (Programmable Logic
ny believes that this process should be all-encompassing, Control) solenoid bank. It features the BRUDERER B Con-
and as such, has a program development team in place. trol smart press touch screen which is also used for exter-
This team consists of highly creative and experienced tool nally controlling the laser.
makers and engineers, focused on working closely with
customers, and developing concepts into manufacturable »Weiss-Aug has a long relationship with BRUDERER,
programs. and exclusively uses BRUDERER presses,« explains Tom
Sheridan, Stamping Operations Manager. »With the addi-
tion of a specially-equipped press for in-die laser welding,
In-die laser welding BRUDERER is helping Weiss-Aug to remain the pioneer
Presented with a product concept that called for high and leader in precision metal stamping.« Weiss-Aug’s ma-
strength requirements, Weiss-Aug engineered the pro- nufacturing and engineering teams worked closely with
duct to utilize the unique process of in-die laser welding, a BRUDERER engineers and received outstanding support
process which was virtually unavailable in North America, during the design, installation and initial testing of the
until now. This unique combination of metal stamping and press.
laser welding inside the stamping press eliminates the
needs for separate welding and assembly operations. This »Our customers have been very impressed by Weiss-
technology is ideal for the product, a type of disposable Aug’s solutions utilizing BRUDERER technology, which has
medical device component for one of Weiss-Aug’s major resulted in significant cost savings for them,« adds Jeff
customers. Cole, Vice President of Engineering. »The customer, a FTSE
Inside the progressive die, after the blanking and for- 100 company, requested a presentation of pictures and vi- Precision down to the last detail as illustrated by this medi-
ming of the part, specially designed stations properly deos for their executive board.« cal safety product

6
Issue 01/2012

hapema – small but perfectly formed

Precision metal-working company
hapema, based near Pforzheim in
Germany, are specialists not only in
demanding stamping technology but
also in highly-developed polished
single-stage and progressive die
tools for international customers.

Progressive dies produced to customer specifications

The company is headquartered in Engelsbrand, Germany

The success story began back in 1988 when Hans-Peter hapema’s 65 employees work in a factory stretching
Christmann and Marc Bechtle first set up hapema GmbH. over some 4,500 square metres, producing millions of
The company, based in Engelsbrand in Baden Württem- stamped parts each year in a two-shift set-up and with up
berg, has grown since then and now provides ultra-high- to 60 precision tools. Complex stamping parts are made
precision stamped parts and tools for reputed international in single-stage progressive die tools comprising several
customers as well as local firms. The precision for which reels, and where necessary additional assembly parts and
their products have come to be known also applies to hape- wires are also fed into the stamping process. Another of
ma’s reliable delivery times. Customers know that their or- the company’s fields of expertise are perfectly-fitting inlay
ders will always be delivered on time – a precious commod- parts and components made of bondable materials which
ity in this day and age, explains factory manager Ralf Thom. have to be produced according to the strictest purity re-
The basis of this success has 65 different parts – namely quirements. Other than a special solution for client-spe-
the company’s various employees. Their knowledge, mo- cific blister packs, hapema has deliberately chosen not to
tivation and meticulous work ensure that everything pro- offer additional production phases such as overmoulding
duced by hapema meets the most stringent criteria. Initial or material finishing. Where necessary, they call on tried
and further training is therefore part of the company’s cre- and tested partners whom they have come to trust over a
do, as is the formation of younger employees. That almost number of years and who are as reliable and efficient as Precision metalwork, as shown here in the stamping
all trainees choose to remain with the company is proof of hapema themselves. department
the quality of the training and also the team spirit.
The precision tool-making can feature single-stage and hapema also relies exclusively on BRUDERER technology
Customer demands are becoming ever-more complex progressive die tools, draw tools and modular tamping for its feeds, which are as high-precision and reliable as
when it comes to precision tool-making and stamping tools, based on the customer’s requirements or own con- the stamping presses, with which they are of course set up
techniques, requiring hapema to respond with the latest in struction. The more difficult the job, the more exciting it is perfectly to correspond.
technology and with innovative solutions, the latter coming for the team from Engelsbrand to come up with a solution.
not from the development department but directly during A good example of this is the hapema draw concept, which The latest addition to hapema’s machine park is a reno-
construction, as often as not in close cooperation and with enables stamped individual contacts to be correctly posi- vated BSTA 800-145, which was added in 2011 since the ex-
the agreement of the respective customers. Bechtle, a tal- tioned and further processed within the tool. The trimmed, isting fully-automated BRUDERER stamping press, with a
ented design engineer with innovative ideas, is always look- bent and separated partial grids are thus accurately po- press force of 80 tonnes, was already being made to work
ing for new ways to come up with solutions while Christ- sitioned and held in a draw. After the separation process, at full capacity and therefore unavailable for tool-tests in
mann is someone who knows how to produce a part in the the draw moves on to the pre-programmed end location, this press range. Some 20 experts are employed in the
most efficient and cost-effective way. It can happen during where the parts for example can be picked up at precisely stamping room, operating with a press capacity range of
the early phases of a project that a customer acts on a rec- the right point by an assembly robot and transported into 25 – 80 tonnes and working on a wide variety of reel materi-
ommendation by the hapema team and adjusts the speci- the moulding tool. The traverse paths, cycle times and en- als up to 2.5 millimetres thick and 200 millimetres wide.
fications of a part to achieve the desired effect in an opti- gineering of the tapping process of the draw can be adapted The machines work within a tolerance of 0.01 millimetres
mum way. hapema see themselves as expert partners for to meet the exact demands of each customer. at up to 1,000 strokes per minute.
their customers, aiming to provide them with high-quality
solutions. And since 75 per cent of their main customers hapema now relies exclusively on BRUDERER auto- hapema is anticipating the processing of bondable mate-
are from the automotive industry, the company made sure mated stamping presses for the testing of its precision rial that has to be stamped according to the strictest purity
that it achieved ISO TS 16949 certification a number of years tools and the production of high-precision stamping parts. levels as a future trend. What is clear is that developments
ago. Around a quarter of hapema’s products are used in the Christmann has come to know and appreciate the qualities are heading towards ever longer precision tools which
electrical engineering, telecommunications, metal fittings, of the Swiss-made machinery for over 30 years now, and combine various tasks in one. hapema knows however that
household appliances and domestic installations indus- recognises in BRUDERER all of the characteristics which in the future, the company still needs to continue to focus
tries, to name just the most important. The main geograph- have helped hapema make a name for themselves, namely on its core competency: namely precision metal-working.
ic concentration of their client-base is in Western Europe, neatness, punctuality, reliability and an excellent service
primarily Germany. in the unlikely event that there is a defect with a machine. www.hapema-gmbh.de

7
 Issue 01/2012

KUM invest in quality and in the future

After using locally sourced presses for a number of years, Korean-based automotive component supplier KUM decided that it
was time to move to the next level – and this is where BRUDERER came in.

KUM was set up in 1987 to market connector In this respect, training is also given the high-
technology from their Japanese parent organisa- est priority with employees given anything between
tion, the Union Machinery Company. Since then, three months and three years continuous formation,
KUM has continuously focused its investments on be it overload training, external formation or inter-
research and development, employing highly quali- nal on-the-job training.
fied personnel and training its employees on an
annual basis. KUM now develops its own parts in-
house, providing fuse boxes, band cables, clips and Investing in technology
connectors for all of the big names in the automotive Over the years, KUM has come to rely on BRU-
industry on the Asian continent, including Hyundai, DERER’s fully automated stamping presses to get
Kia, GM Korea and Renault Samsung Motors. the most in terms of productivity and quality and to
drive the company towards peaks of international
The company has various locations around Ko- competitiveness. They have no fewer than 17 press-
rea, with its headquarters and a factory in Sang- es, including BRUDERER presses, in operation at
buk, which is also home to its R&D centre, injection their production site in Duseo, with press capacity Mr. Ki-Taek, Han – Executive Director of KUM
moulding plant, mould manufacture and mainte- ranges of between 10 – 160 tonnes. The machines
nance facilities. They also have two production sites are used to stamp copper alloys at speeds between dles all the spare parts requirements of our ma-
in Duseo, both of which house injection moulding 200 – 1,000 strokes per minute, to tolerances of 0.01 chines which were built 10 years ago,« said Ki-Taek,
plants, terminal plants, rubber seal plants, assem- millimetres. Han, KUM Executive Director. »It inspired us with
bly plants and a branch office in Gyeonggi where the confidence straight away and we now see BRUDER-
marketing team is located. With 214 people working At the outset, KUM used Japanese presses as ER as one of our most trustworthy partners.«
at the headquarters and factory in Sangbuk, a fur- their main production machines, and then switched
ther 227 at the two production sites in Duseo and 16 to a cheaper, domestically manufactured press in KUM knew that the BRUDERER machines would
at the branch office in Gyeonggi, KUM has no fewer order to reduce production costs. This proved to justify any increased initial investment – and more
than 457 employees. They also have four subsidi- be a false economy however, as they could not get – thanks to productivity increases and cost re-
aries, one in Korea and three in China. Turnover in satisfactory results for the production of automotive ductions. The company now relies on BRUDERER
2010 including these related subsidiaries was KRW connectors, which have highly precise, functionally presses and has continued to add extra equipment
140 billion (c. EUR 95 million). terminal parts. The Japanese presses which the to its machine park, which now contains a BSTA
company still had on site had been in use for over 10 500-110 with B control, a BSTA 250-75 with B con-
years and needed to be overhauled, so KUM decided trol, a BSTA 510-110 with B2 control and a BSTA 510-
Investing in talent to look for a new press with increased levels of ac- 125 with B2 control. One of the main advantages for
The local workforce is a rich seam of talented curacy, productivity and durability. KUM has been the reduction in tooling maintenance
specialists, all of whom are highly hard working and costs and of course the stabilisation in part quality
– as is the case throughout this technologically ad- Switching to BRUDERER was by no means thanks to BRUDERER’s high levels of precision.
vanced country – experts in various fields of IT. KUM an easy decision however. The presses from the
also works in conjunction with the Korea Institute of Frasnacht-based company are more expensive than 2012 promises to be a big year for KUM which is
Industrial Technology (KITECH) and Japan Mitsubi- their Korean or Japanese equivalents, and due to set to unveil a new and innovative production factory
shi Cable Industries to ensure that the flow of talent their different levels of technology, they would re- at Choongju, to service customers in the centre of
into the company – and others like it – continues. quire a certain amount of retraining for the opera- the country. This large-scale construction project
tors, who put up some initial resistance. requires significant investment and of course faith
KUM’s continuous investment in R&D and insist- in the company’s capacity to increase output. And
ence of the use of cutting-edge equipment and pro- »We visited BRUDERER AG before we purchased with productivity having increased from original
cess innovation, has enabled the company to move a BRUDERER press for the first time and we were levels of 400 spm to 700 spm thanks to the switch
on from relying on imported technology and develop highly impressed by the fact that the company han- from local presses to BRUDERER machines, along
with the reduction in tooling maintenance costs that
these new presses bring, KUM can approach this
new venture with confidence – both in their own
abilities and in the support they will get from their
experienced partner from Frasnacht.

www.kunion.co.kr

High voltage
connector

its own connectors, and thus attain the leading posi-

tion that it occupies today. The R&D department was
established in 2001, and KUM has continued to give
it full support for the study of the latest equipment,
tools and materials and also testing equipment. This
meticulous attention to detail means that KUM was
able to weigh up all the pros and cons before decid-
ing to use high-tech production equipment such as
BRUDERER presses. And whenever new equipment KUM Co., Ltd. – facts and figures
is acquired, KUM always sends its operators to the
machine supplier, whether local or overseas, for Headquarter Sangbuk, Korea

training so that the new equipment can be used to Established 1987

maximum effect. CEO Sung-Won Jeon, President

QS9000, SQ (service quality) for moulding and
Certified rubber sections, ISO/TS 16949, ISO14001,
Single PPM certification
Customers Automotive industry
BSTA 500-110 and BSTA 250-75 with B control
BRUDERER presses used
BSTA 510-110 and BSTA 510-125 with B2 control