Two German firms, 5-axis vertical machining center manufacturer Wenzler (Heller group) and workholding equipment specialist Roemheld, have developed a process that allows a casting or other component to be secured ready for machining, while at the same time checking it for accuracy of form and position before machining starts.

It avoids adding value to defective workpieces that will later be scrapped, increasing process reliability, raising productivity and lowering production costs.

The idea was conceived by Wenzler, which wanted to be able to offer its customers, particularly in the automotive industry, turnkey production centers for the reliable machining of aluminium chassis and suspension components, 24/7.

The company’s technical manager Sebastian Knaus says: “We wondered in early 2019 how workholding technology could contribute to making our customers’ production even more stable and efficient.”

Already familiar with Roemheld’s workholding equipment, which he describes as sophisticated, reliable, and sturdy, he contacted the Friedrichshütte supplier’s key account manager Benjamin Nagel.

Development of the innovative clamping technology was based on a cast aluminium rear axle frame secured in a test fixture in Wenzler’s technical centre in Spaichingen. The pilot phase ended in spring 2020 and this year it will be used for the first time to assist the series production of aluminium structural components at a German automotive supplier.

The innovative concept is based on swing clamps from Roemheld with integrated pressure sensors able to detect the accuracy of the workpiece about to be machined cost-effectively and easily. The intelligent clamping technology checks the parts for defects and contour variations, detects fixturing errors and provides information on the position of the component and the applied clamping forces during machining.