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Successful start
into robot automation

Industrielle-Präzisions-Technologien GmbH, Heilbronn—IPT—specializes in

The machining of individual parts, prototypes, and small production runs on state-of-the-art machining centers in a climate-controlled environment. Complex geometries, sophisticated 5-axis multi-sided machining, and comprehensive documentation of extremely tight tolerances characterize our day-to-day operations, particularly in the production of precision parts for use in satellite technology.

When one of IPT’s customers significantly increased its order volume, the company faced a critical challenge: How could the existing DECKEL MAHO DMU 60 eVo 5-axis machine be automated cost-effectively?

Before automation

As a contract manufacturer, IPT must plan its investments strategically and find economically viable solutions. An inquiry to the machine manufacturer revealed that the retrofitting required for automation—including rotary feed-throughs on the 4th and 5th—had a limited load capacity. axes, a hydraulic clamping system, an automated machine safety door drive, and a Profibus automation interface—would have cost a high five-figure sum. For a machine that had already been in service for ten years, there was none of this. IPT therefore sought a needs-based alternative—and found it with MAFU-MAFU-SHERPA CNC Automation.

The Solution

Instead of carrying out costly machine modifications, IPT opted for the custom-fit automation solutionSherpaLoader® M25 :

  • For processing machines without a rotary feed-through, MAFU-SHERPA installs the RoboBuddy electric torque wrench of ALLMATIC to efficiently automate mechanical vises. This eliminates the need for retrofitting a hydraulic clamping system.
  • MAFU-SHERPA supplied a custom I/O interface that was retrofitted for less than half the price of a Profibus interface from the machine manufacturer. This made it possible to implement the automation connection in a cost-effective and flexible manner.
  • MAFU-SHERPA has equipped the machine’s existing round door with a personnel-safe door drive that integrates seamlessly into the production process.
  • MAFU-SHERPA’s SpaceBox can hold over 500 parts within the space of a euro pallet. This allows the system to run autonomously for more than 8 hours without manual intervention.

Holger Gräbeldinger, Managing Director:

“We started using the MAFU-SHERPA automation system about nine months ago. Today, I can’t even imagine how we would have managed the workload of the automated system if we had to load it by hand.”

Thanks to MAFU-SHERPA, IPT was able to automate its manufacturing process cost-effectively without having to invest in expensive machine modifications. This was a crucial step toward greater efficiency and competitiveness.