How CNC maschines work more effectly with aggregates

How CNC aggregates support the efficiency of CNC machines

MARKET INSIGHT

Wood & Panel delved deep into the industry insights with Armin Schmieder, Head of Sales, ATEMAG.
He shared his opinion on latest developments, innovations, CNC updates and future possibilities along with Industry 4.0 trend. We also got the opportunity to know more about sustainability in woodworking industry. Excerpts.

 

WPE: CNC has become one of the prime innovations in the woodworking industry. How do you look at the technological advancements related to CNC of recent times?

Armin Schmieder: Starting with 3 and 4-axis machines, the trend is moving towards 5-axis machines with automated loading and unloading stations - towards full
automation in stationary machines and production lines. A shortage of skilled labour and rising ancillary costs are increasing the pressure on companies to rely more and
more on automation.
As an independent specialist, ATEMAG has been able to establish itself as the market leader in this sector and is moving with the times. Where initially units purely for
deflecting the vertical machining direction into the horizontal plane for edge processing on 3- or 4-axis machines were the measure of all things, ATEMAG today
increasingly supplies complex solutions adapted to the respective challenge-even in individual production. For example, label printing units for automatic identification of
corpus elements during nesting or dowel insertion units to increase automation on compact machines. In addition, ATEMAG has established itself as a problem solver in new industries such as aerospace and rail vehicle transport over the past 7 - 8 years.

 

WPE: How does CNC impact the industry, and what are the latest advantages people can expect from ATEMAG’s CNC Aggregate? Can you enlighten us on this?

Armin Schmieder: Even though there are still many companies that work without CNC, the majority have already started with CNC manufacturing. CNC brings
the capacity to produce large series. To react flexibly to customer requirements.
CNC can be used for sawing, drilling, milling, cutting and brushing. Especially in combination with ATEMAG aggregates, the possibilities of machining on the CNC are
almost limitless. ATEMAG units increase the functionality and flexibility of the CNC machine immensely. Production of acoustic elements with a 21 Spindler.
Ornamental grooves in doors with a tracing unit with firstclass precision, as the unit copies the reference surface via spring pressure and always maintains
the defined milling depth. Convert your routing machine into a cutting machine with an ATEMAG agglomerate for cutting soft core materials such as Honeycomb.
ATEMAG stands for quality, durability, and customer focus. ATEMAG works together with the customer to find the optimum solution - with strong development and design, complex special solutions are developed when a standard product is not sufficient to carry out the machining. ATEMAG is a partner for CNC units and works pragmatically
and solution orientated.

WPE: How did you implement Industry 4.0 within the Aggregate? What are the outcomes you have experienced?

Armin Schmieder: In order for your CNC machining center and your ATEMAG unit to achieve ideal and maximum performance, it is necessary to exploit all of the unit's potential for improvement. This is easily achieved by using the ATEMAG Control 4.0 chip, which is attached directly to the unit. The high-tech sensors of the data chip collect the process data of the unit and transmit it to the user in real time. The machine operator thus has insight into the following current data: Speed, operating hours, temperature and vibration. This
enables us to support our customers worldwide.

The primary advantages are:
Increased performance:
Based on the data transmitted by the Control 4.0 chip, which can be viewed by the machine operator at any time, parameters can be adjusted at any time to optimise the process. The targeted modification of the operating parameters makes it possible to achieve maximum performance.

Service life of the unit:
The performance data of the unit is permanently monitored and analysed by the sensors of the Control 4.0 chip and, if critical parameters are exceeded, communicated directly to the machine operator, who is notified of faults and can take corrective action by changing the parameters.

Cost-effective production:
In order to produce cost-effectively, high quantities are required. This can only be achieved by optimising the settings of the unit and with regular maintenance, whereby wearing parts are checked and replaced if necessary. The operating hours counter of the control chip reports the service intervals recommended by ATEMAG in good time so that maintenance of the unit can be planned, and breakdowns can be prevented. The maintenance schedule is therefore precise, smooth, and cost-effective.

Remote maintenance:
Thanks to an implemented infrastructure, each genset can be monitored anywhere in the world at the customer's request. The status of a genset can be determined via remote maintenance using analysis test runs. Based on this, a qualified decision can then be made as to whether maintenance is recommended.

WPE: Can you tell us the latest innovations and trends related to the CNC sector? Also, what are the recent developments ATEMAG focused on?

Armin Schmieder: The trends are clearly focused on automation and the variety of possible machining operations. The aim is to avoid reworking by ensuring that the CNC process is completely finished. When I think of our latest developments, we are talking about a mechanical dowel insertion unit that was developed for a compact CNC machine and a stand-alone dowelling system.
The plate now comes already dowelled from the machine. Automatic labelling during the nesting process with our label printer unit. The carcass elements are labelled before machining, eliminating the need for manual labelling. We are pushing more and more into processes where ATEMAG acts as an end-of-arm solution on robot systems, e.g. to precisely machine complex moulded parts with touch units. The unit compensates for inaccuracies in clamping and position and precisely processes the edges. In the timber construction segment, we build special chainsaw units for joinery systems with automated chain tensioning or reduction gears for processing large saws with optimised motor spindle power. These are just a few examples, our daily business is to provide our customers with the best possible advice and to bundle our knowhow with foresight. We develop close to the market and contribute to cross-market process optimisation with our solutions.

WPE: Sustainability is the talk of the town. According to you, why has sustainability become a major concern in woodworking platform? Are you implementing the strategy into your
products and innovation?

Armin Schmieder: Sustainability is and always has been a very important topic. Our  philosophy and orientation are always strongly characterised by sustainability. Resources
are not infinite. Our society must learn to rethink accordingly. Environmentally friendly resources are indispensable. ATEMAG is a manufacturer with very low energy consumption. Milled parts such as housings or torque arms are manufactured by our subsidiary in the neighboring town. Our supply chain extends locally over approx.
30 kilometers. The distances are short, and agreements are simple. The aim is to create jobs in our region and promote the surrounding economy. It is also about offering our customers a stable delivery performance. Especially during the Corona lockdown, we were not affected by bottlenecks and were able to deliver. Whether customer loyalty, environmental awareness, or strategic corporate orientation - stability is only possible with a sustainable mindset!

WPE: Lastly, what are the marketing strategies going forward in 2024?

Armin Schmieder: ATEMAG remains close to the customer, innovative and a technology leader. We would like to continue to grow in the wood segment with good partners.
Expanding areas such as aerospace, automotive and rail transport. Be a partner for system integrators with end-of-arm solutions in the robotics industry. Based on the current economic situation and tense global situation, we are confident that after a good year in 2023, the course has been set for another successful 2024.