en.Wedoany.com Reported - German medical device manufacturer Stryker-Leibinger GmbH has achieved unmanned production during night shifts and weekends at its facility in Mühlhofen-Stetten, a mode of operation whose reliability depends on Blum-Novotest laser tool setting systems and workpiece probes. During night shifts, no operator is present; the machine tools autonomously perform broken tool detection, automatic tool changes, and scrap part rejection.
Stryker-Leibinger GmbH produces implants such as jaw fixation plates and wrist joint prostheses, requiring extremely high precision. The factory employs a shift strategy with manned early and late shifts and an unmanned night shift, while weekends run completely unattended for three consecutive days and nights. Simon Heise, Head of Machining, stated that the reliability of unmanned operation would be unimaginable without the BLUM laser tool setting system.
Every tool in the workshop—from ball-end mills with a diameter of 0.5 mm to roughing mills of 63 mm—must pass through a laser scan by the Blum-Novotest LaserControl Micro Compact NT system after each machining operation and before being returned to the tool magazine. The laser detects whether the cutting edge is chipped or completely broken. If tool damage is found, the system automatically determines the current workpiece as scrap, replaces the tool, and continues production, losing only a single workpiece without stopping the entire production line.
The lead time for some special profile cutters is up to nine weeks. To avoid tool collisions caused by improperly clamped blanks, a measurement command is added at the beginning of the machining program: the Blum TC52 workpiece probe first touches the fixture handle to confirm the blank is securely clamped before the cutter is allowed to start machining. The entire process takes only a few seconds, and since then, these expensive cutters have not broken due to clamping issues.
In 2012, Stryker-Leibinger GmbH saw a demonstration of the Blum TC52 workpiece probe at the AMB trade fair. The workpiece probe previously used had a positioning speed of 3 to 5 meters per minute, while the TC52 achieves up to 40 meters per minute—nearly a tenfold increase. During the contact measurement phase, it moves at 2 meters per minute, reducing overall measurement time by 50% to 70%. Faster measurement allows for an increased number of repeat checks, thereby enhancing process reliability.
Stryker-Leibinger GmbH has used BLUM laser tool setters for many years, initially only for broken tool detection. Following a recommendation from a Blum service engineer during an on-site repair, the factory organized a one-day on-site training session. Since then, the laser tool setter has been used to measure wear and chipping on shaft mills, T-slot cutters, drills, and gear tools, as well as to check tool concentricity and complete profiles. Because measurements are taken at rated speed and under actual clamping conditions, machine tool influences are compensated, improving machining accuracy. Manufacturing Engineer Jörg Hermann stated that off-machine tool presetters are now rarely used.
The blow-off nozzle on the laser measurement system is used to remove coolant and chips from the tool before measurement. Blum has installed a check valve inside the nozzle to prevent coolant backflow and accumulation. Simon Heise noted that this design prevents dirty water from spraying out and contaminating the tool, and the nozzle airflow shape has been optimized for faster measurement speeds and higher accuracy.
Jörg Hermann commented that Blum's service engineers not only resolve the specific machine tool issue for which they were called but also inspect other machining centers and provide recommendations, while the telephone hotline staff offer quick and professional support. The rapid on-site response enables the factory to entrust more critical processes to the BLUM system.
The latest DMU 60 Linear machining center purchased by Stryker-Leibinger GmbH is fully equipped with Blum systems. Manufacturing Engineer Jörg Hermann stated that future new equipment will be configured the same way, due to ease of use, reliability, and excellent service. Product-related technical support, consulting, and after-sales service are all top-notch.
