Cooperation
Cooperation with ZEISS and a3Ds
for customised digitalisation in medium-sized industrial companies
Krefeld, November 24, 2022
Together with its project partners ZEISS Industrial Quality Solutions and the start-up a3Ds, Siempelkamp Giesserei today presented the world's largest contactless robotic measuring cell to the public in Krefeld.
More sustainability and efficiency
“With this unique and highly innovative technology, we are further advancing our comprehensive digitalisation strategy. We are now able to track the component geometry of our products from the model to the mould to the finished casting in a continuously digitised manner,” explains Dr Georg Geier, Managing Director of the foundry. The new robot measuring cell is a world first and the pride and joy of the world's leading hand-casting manufacturer from Krefeld. It enables fully automated, contactless and reliable inspection of finished components weighing up to 240 tonnes. Although the robotic measuring cell is almost as big as a tennis court, its measuring accuracy is less than 0.6 mm thanks to up to twelve million 3D measuring points. "This system is the most modern and powerful of its kind in the world and helps us to optimise our casting and manufacturing processes even further through digital technology," adds Geier. The foundry's customers also benefit from the new measuring technology: thanks to the millimetre-precise inspection of components that are metres long and weigh several tonnes, the quality of the components increases for the benefit of sustainability and efficiency in machining and operation.
Innovative developments from the market leader
The world's largest non-contact robotic measuring cell was manufactured by metrology specialist ZEISS Industrial Quality Solutions in cooperation with the automation experts from the start-up a3Ds. ZEISS Industrial Quality Solutions is an innovation leader in the field of optical 3D measurement technology and developed a state-of-the-art scanner for the robotic measuring cell. This has a measuring field of 2,000 by 1,600 mm and, thanks to its groundbreaking depth of field, is able to record complex components such as ship engines, grinding bowls or presses within a very short time. With a total of two measuring rooms, the a3Ds automation system offers both maximum flexibility and the greatest possible efficiency. Impressive here is the use of state-of-the-art robot technology, with which a complete “digital twin” of the examined component can be created and analysed on the screen quickly and in a user-friendly manner. Dirk Behring, Managing Director of ZEISS Industrial Quality Solutions Germany, summarises: “For ZEISS, the automated measuring system at Siempelkamp Giesserei is a best-practice example for the measurement of very large cast components. Here, our metrology solutions serve the high requirements for effective measurement processes in production and score points for flexibility - especially made possible by the complete digitisation of components.” David Skuratowicz, co-founder and managing director of a3Ds, is also proud to have played a decisive role in the creation of the system and to have successfully realised this large automated measuring system. In general, he sees growth potential for the start-up in this business field: “The demand for such or similar systems will certainly increase in many industrial sectors. Industrial, optical and automated 3D measurement technology is becoming increasingly important. Here we see the trend towards digitalisation, increased efficiency and the optimisation and safeguarding of processes in quality management.”
New digital measuring technology is also used at the beginning of the process chain
But not only the finished cast components of the Siempelkamp Foundry will be inspected in the future with millimetre precision for compliance with the highest quality standards with the help of digital technology. Already at the beginning of the process chain, the foundry uses 3D measurement technology from ZEISS Industrial Quality Solutions, which was also demonstrated today. With the ZEISS T-Scan hawk, the foundry has once again significantly expanded its options for optical laser measurement technology in the pattern shop. The handy scanner can precisely check the dimensions and geometries of wooden models, which are a positive of the finished cast component, and avoid errors right at the start of component production. “In this way, target and actual can be mapped quite transparently for our customers in the early stages of our manufacturing processes and never-before-dreamed-of potential can be raised in terms of design accuracy,” clarifies Dirk Howe, Managing Director of Siempelkamp Giesserei. Thanks to the ZEISS Quality Suite software platform, the entire component creation process can be seamlessly tracked throughout the entire foundry process. The foundry's customers benefit from a multitude of information about the manufactured components determined by the digital processes, which they can use for their further use.
Digitisation offensive succeeds thanks to strong technological partnerships
At today's presentation of the latest successes in the digitalisation strategy of the Siempelkamp Foundry, Dirk Howe was very proud of the developments achieved with ZEISS Industrial Quality Solutions and a3Ds. The commissioning of the technologically groundbreaking robotic measuring cell is now the latest success in the Siempelkamp Foundry's complete concept to make its entire process chain more automated and digital. Already last year, Siempelkamp Foundry set standards with the digitalisation of its induction crucible furnaces. With the optimisation of the measurement technology in the foundry, another pioneering achievement has now been implemented. “With our cooperation partners, we have developed the world's first high-tech robotic measuring cell for such large and complex components on our own initiative. In this way, we are sustainably strengthening Germany as a business location and at the same time making a noticeable contribution to more digitalisation and automation in German SMEs. We are pleased to now be able to offer customers all over the world even higher quality solutions for their competitive advantage,” says Howe.
The cooperation partners
About Siempelkamp
Siempelkamp is a globally active group of companies with the business units Machinery and Plants, Casting Technology, and Engineering and Service. Nearly 3,000 employees worldwide ensure that the Siempelkamp Group is represented with its technologies among the world leaders. The Siempelkamp Foundry in Krefeld specializes in the production of hand-molded large castings of up to 320 tons made of cast iron with nodular graphite. With a casting volume of 50,000 tons per year and 375 employees, it is one of the largest hand-molding foundries in the world. The comprehensive and customer-oriented service package includes the entire production process from design, calculations, pattern making, molding and casting to machining, packaging and transport.
About ZEISS Industrial Quality Solutions
ZEISS Industrial Quality Solutions is a leading manufacturer of solutions for multidimensional metrology. These include coordinate measuring machines, optical and multisensor systems, microscopy systems for industrial quality assurance as well as metrology software for the automotive industry, aircraft and mechanical engineering as well as the plastics industry and medical technology. Innovative technologies such as 3D X-ray measurement in quality assurance round off the portfolio. ZEISS Industrial Quality Solutions also offers a global range of services with ZEISS Quality Excellence Centers close to its customers. The headquarters are in Oberkochen. Production and development sites outside Germany are located in Minneapolis (USA), Shanghai (China) and Bangalore (India). ZEISS Industrial Quality Solutions is part of the Industrial Quality & Research division.
About a3Ds
Based in Braunschweig, Germany, a3DS GmbH offers high-precision optical measurement and analysis services for the industrial sector. High-resolution measuring cameras and special optics from the renowned manufacturer Zeiss GOM Metrology are used for precise measurement. The company was founded in 2011 by Artur and David Skuratowicz. With 35 highly specialized employees, 11 optical measurement systems and 4 automated GOM scanboxes, a3Ds is one of the most efficient measurement service providers in Germany. The measurement systems are available as a mobile solution for use at the customer's site or in the automated GOM Scanbox. In the scanboxes the sensor is guided by a robot, this allows the acquisition of the components in a shorter time with the help of an automated measuring program. In addition, a CT system is available for high-resolution non-destructive testing of geometries in components that are not visible from the outside.