# 22 | April 2019

Pioneering together | WITTENSTEIN and baramundi together towards Industry 4.0
Perfect fit, not one size fits all | Customized drive technology from design to implementation
Galaxie® | Welding gun reinvented

New smart gearboxes
for the IIoT

The magazine for customers and partners of WITTENSTEIN SE

Masthead
Publisher:
WITTENSTEIN SE
Walter-Wittenstein-Str. 1
D-97999 Igersheim
Phone: + 49 7931 493-0
www.wittenstein.de
move@wittenstein.de

4

Shaping the future of the manufacturing world
WITTENSTEIN Group6

New smart gearboxes for the IIoTWITTENSTEIN alphaResponsible for the content:
Stefan Schraivogel, Head of Marketing
and Communications

8

Pioneering together
WITTENSTEIN Group

Chief editorship:
Julia Riedmeyr

10

Advertising in motion
WITTENSTEIN alpha12

Perfect fit, not one size fits all
WITTENSTEIN cyber motor

14

Welding gun reinvented		Galaxie® Drive System

18

WITTENSTEIN World Garden
WITTENSTEIN Group20

Gearboxes for retrofit specialist
WITTENSTEIN Belgium

22

WITTENSTEIN inducted into the “Circle of Excellence”
WITTENSTEIN Group24

NanoFactory officially opened
attocube systems

26

Trade fair calender 2019

Editorial office:Dirk Heyden (text)
Thomas Holstein (text)
Sabine Maier (text)
Dieter Thiel (layout)
Picture credits:
Pages 10-11: Simtec Systems GmbH
Pages 20-21: GIMA-Machines bvba
Pages 22-23: Deutscher Zukunftspreis
Ansgar Pudenz, Agentur bildschoen,
Jesco Denzel (Bundesbildstelle),
Svea Pietschmann (ZDF)
Issue:
22 / April 2019
Circulation:
German: 3600 copies
English: 1200 copies
Printing:
Schweikert Druck
Wieslensdorfer Str. 36
D-74182 Obersulm-Eschenau
All rights reserved. This document
may not be reprinted or electronically
distributed without the express
permission of the publisher.

Dear readers,

Get started: play IIoT smart & simple! This year’s motto for the
Hannover Messe is one that concerns us all. It’s time to stop
simply talking about Industry 4.0 and digitalization. It’s time to get
on with it. Together. Wherever we are. Particularly in production
shops. That’s where the digital transformation is most tangible.
Because that’s where the virtual world of design is being fusedwith the real world of manufacturing. Step by step. Today’s engineering and other specialist departments think and act in networks that are more closely interconnected than ever before. The
new, smart products which are created in this way are capableof exchanging information both about themselves and about theirenvironment. This is giving rise to new business models basedon continuous streams of data, which are supplied and evaluated by networked products and machines in real time. No matter
where we look – development, production, logistics or in sales
and marketing – these radical changes are causing us to reinvent
how we work.
In this latest issue of move, our customer magazine, you can findseveral examples of how WITTENSTEIN, as a family-run enterprise, is responding holistically to these challenges. By seeking

outside expertise – with the acquisition of baramundi software
AG, a leading manufacturer of unified endpoint management solutions. By simultaneously setting up our own Digitalization Center,
where our vision of Industry 4.0 is meanwhile being driven forward
Group-wide by more than 30 sensor, electronics, software, dataand cloud specialists. And of course, first and foremost, by developing network enabled drive technology. Smart gearboxes fromWITTENSTEIN alpha, our biggest subsidiary, will be on show for
the first time at our booth in Hall 15 in Hannover.
Finally, we also have something important news to report to you
about ourselves, namely a change of leadership at WITTENSTEIN.
Dr. Bernd Schimpf has stepped down from the Group’s
Management Board and will be succeeded by Dr. Bertram
Hoffmann as our new Chairman of the Board and CEO on April 1,
2019. Dr. Hoffmann holds a doctorate in engineering and will bejoining us from the Executive Board of Bosch Rexroth AG. We
are delighted that he has agreed to take over the helm: with his
extensive experience as a manager and an industry expert, he is
the ideal person to spearhead our positive global development.

Dr. Anna-Katharina Wittenstein
The WITTENSTEIN SE Management Board

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3

WITTENSTEIN Group

Shaping the future of the manufacturing world
The digital transformation is a catalyst for profound changes
in all branches of industry. Products, production, sales
and work culture are all going digital in the Industrial Internetof Things (IIoT), creating huge opportunities in the process.
WITTENSTEIN SE recognized this trend early on
and has already been pursuing a digitalization strategy
for several years now – with considerable success.

4 move

The digital transformation represents a major
technological and social challenge. At the sametime, it opens up new prospects for the future.
Patrick Hantschel therefore sees the digital transformation as an “opportunity to which there is noalternative”. He is in charge of the Digitalization
Center at WITTENSTEIN, where 30 or so sensor,
electronics, software, data and cloud specialists
are actively shaping the digital transformationand driving it forward Group-wide. “There’s nodoubt that digitalization’s biggest potential lies in
the increased efficiency and added value of ourown products as well as in the development ofsmart products, additional services and derived
business models”, says Hantschel.
Broad digitalization expertise
His words are also the outcome of
WITTENSTEIN’s experience since 2012 with
“Future Urban Production”, the shop window

The Industrial Internet of Things –what lies behind it?

factory at the Group’s Fellbach facility. “That’s
where Industry 4.0 concepts have been implemented, tested, optimized and successively
integrated into production and logistics”,
Hantschel explains. “It’s accelerated the build-up
broad digitalization expertise in manufacturing,assembly, logistics and materials management
processes for the entire WITTENSTEIN Group.”
The lessons learned from the Smart Factory are
now also paving the way for a new generation of
the WITTENSTEIN product world.
Gearboxes are learning to talkMechatronic drive systems that can collect andcommunicate information independently are
fundamental to the IIoT’s implementation. Theirdecentralized intelligence enables data that waspreviously hidden from sight to be mined, so thatnew knowledge can be created and information
flows made more efficient. Patrick Hantschel:

The Internet of Things (IoT) refers to a global IT infrastructure linking physical and virtual objects together
in networks and enabling them to communicate interactively. Information from the real world is captured,connected and made available in a network within the
IoT’s Internet-like structure. On the one hand, IoT technologies allow status information on real objects to becollected, shared, communicated and evaluated. At
the same time, they form the basis for digital services
that assist human beings by performing a diverse rangeof activities, for instance, or that optimize a variety ofprocesses.

“Our drive solutions are increasingly smart as aresult, and we’re expanding them with suitable
digital services for the Internet of Things and thecloud. This gives WITTENSTEIN the ability toanalyze and interpret data The knowledge
gained from data analyses can then be incorporated into data based services and shared withcustomers.
The development of a smart gearbox, whichis due to be unveiled at the Hannover Messe
2019, is one example that illustrates what form
this could take in practice. “Gearboxes have always been unable to talk in the past, but now
they literally have something to say”, comments
Michael Herkert of Product Management at
WITTENSTEIN alpha. You can discover on thenext few pages what WITTENSTEIN gearboxes
will be talking about tomorrow and how.

The Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT) is a subset of the
IoT. It differs from consumer oriented applications suchas wearables, smart home technologies and autonomous
cars in that it concentrates on industrial processes andworkflows. The idea is that the IIoT will help businesses
manufacture at lower cost, establish faster and more
efficient processes, optimize the availability and productivity of machinery, equipment and systems and develop
new business models.

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5

Products

The sensorized Galaxie® drive system, the cyber® iTAS® servo drive systemwith a web server for automated guided vehicles and the smart drive system
for heavy-duty torque multipliers: the WITTENSTEIN product world has
been gradually going digital for some time now. The new smart gearboxes
with cynapse from WITTENSTEIN alpha are a significant milestone
on our path into the digital future – thanks to an integrated sensor modulethat enables Industry 4.0 connectivity.

New smart gearboxes
for the IIoT

Once again, WITTENSTEIN is living up to its reputation as a pioneer.
“We’re taking advantage of the upcoming Hannover Messe 2019 bybecoming the first component manufacturer in our field to bring smart
gearboxes to market as standard products”, says Michael Herkert,
Product Manager at WITTENSTEIN alpha. “They come in an industrial
grade design, in other words there are no externally mounted parts –with its IO-Link interface and form-closed connection, the sensor module is elegantly integrated into the gearbox.” It’s a fact that there are no
major, external constructional differences between the Premium Line
gearboxes with cynapse – they are identical in terms of design, size andcontour, so that existing drive solutions need no further modification.
Gearboxes with “something to say”
“The most important differentiator is the sensor module, which lets us
output data using IO-Link as a standardized interface.” In practice, thismeans that smart gearboxes are able to identify and measure influencing quantities in the process and the environment which impact on
gearbox operation, and exchange them with the machine control aswell as with applications on IIoT platforms. Herkert sums up the situation
as follows: “Until now, gearboxes have been no good at communicating– thanks to cynapse, they’ve now got something to say for the first time”.

6 movecynapse comes hand in hand with integrated logic functions that are capable of “thinking” and allow gearboxes to execute intelligent monitoring
activities independently. Smart gearboxes measure temperatures andreport overheating, they detect vibration, they count operating hours,
and they store and document all events linked to gearbox use. Michael
Herkert: “All of this supports condition monitoring and preventative
maintenance, minimizes the risk of gearbox damage or machine downtime and optimizes the availability and productivity of machines”.
Double ROI
For the first time in this form, gearboxes with cynapse deliver processdata that originates directly from the gearbox itself. According to reports
from the first lead customers, this direct and transparent visibility enables even more performance, reliability and availability, especially withcritical axes. Critical operating states are avoided, laying the ground for
efficient process improvements – an invaluable return on intelligence formachine operators. “Invaluable but not priceless”, Herkert comments.
“At the very latest, the costs which result from damage far outweigh thecomparatively modest markup for the integrated sensor module. When
you look at it that way, the return on investment is right as well.”
It comes as no surprise to learn that WITTENSTEIN alpha intends tofollow up the launch of its Premium Line gearboxes with cynapse by
gradually extending this feature to all other gearbox series.

IO-Link:
the “USB port”
for digital products

Plug in, identify and play – what would
computers, peripherals and many mobile
devices be without the simplicity,reliability and standardization of the
Universal Serial Bus (USB)? It’s a questionthat is equally applicable to IO-Link.
The term “IO-Link” – specified in IEC 61131-9 –refers to a standardized communication
system that connects intelligent sensors,
sensor hubs, actuators and mechatronic
components such as gearboxes or grippers
in a fieldbus structure, which in turnexchanges data with an automation systemor with an IIoT platform or a cloud application.
IO-Link devices are integrated via a fieldbus-specific IO-Link master, which serves
as the interface to higher automation levels.
The necessary IO device descriptions (IODD) –including those for WITTENSTEIN’s new,smart gearboxes with cynapse – can be
downloaded from a central, online IODDfinder
portal.

Gearboxes with cynapse
have an integrated sensor modulethat enables Industry 4.0 connectivity.

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7

Pioneering
together
Together towards Industry 4.0
Dr. Dirk Haft (centre) is responsible for
information management and digitalizationon the WITTENSTEIN SE Management Board.
In this role he bridges the gap between
the WITTENSTEIN engineering world andbaramundi software AG.
Uwe Beikirch (right) has responsibility on the
baramundi software AG Management Boardfor sales, marketing, HR and services.
Dr. Lars Lippert (left) oversees research anddevelopment, product management as wellas support & management software on the
baramundi software AG Management Board.

8 moveWITTENSTEIN GroupIn March 2017, WITTENSTEIN SE acquired the entire share capital of the Augsburg firmof baramundi software AG. The purchase strengthened WITTENSTEIN with competenciesof strategic value as the Group treads the digital transformation path. Two years on,
the Management Boards of both companies have absolutely no regrets.

WITTENSTEIN is an innovation driver for mechatronic
drive technology while baramundi is a leading software
manufacturer of unified endpoint management (UEM)
solutions. How does this unusual combination work?
Haft: German businesses are still relative novices compared toother countries when it comes to digitalization. Industry, in particular, shows a markedly delayed response to the digital disruption – in spite of the dramatic increase in product variance andmarket dynamics in the drive technology sector. Smart products and flexible factories will be in high demand in the future.
By purchasing baramundi, we came a big step closer to our
vision of Industry 4.0. The acquisition will have a thoroughly
positive impact on our efforts to strengthen our technology
base even in the future, especially where our products’ networking capabilities are concerned.
Beikirch: We also held a firm belief from the outset that valuable synergies would be created for both sides. Together withWITTENSTEIN, we now have a chance to realize our UEM
technology in new industrial applications. That will open the door
for us to the exciting new markets arising from Industry 4.0.
“Pioneering together” is a shared vision with which you areaiming to set new benchmarks for Industry 4.0.
Are the first fruits of your collaboration already visible?
Lippert: We’re cooperating closely and we regularly exchange
ideas and experiences, especially with the WITTENSTEIN Digitalization Center. Our strategy for endpoint management inproduction environments will also be featured in the exhibit at
the Hannover Messe 2019. Our demonstration there will centeron the IT map which is integrated in the baramundi Management Suite (bMS): the bMS automatically creates an inventoryof servers, PCs and mobile devices as well as network devices
that can be managed using Simple Network Management Protocol. The software scans these devices and then presents themgraphically in an IT map.

Haft: The IT map is our first joint step in the field of operational
technology (OT). This same principle will also be used to integrate Industry 4.0 devices – such as digitalized mechatronic
components from WITTENSTEIN – into the IT map in the
future. Production managers will thus have a powerful toolwith which to keep track of a large number of devices which
are networked together.
Lippert: Our cooperation is designed to enable manufacturing
employees to maintain production availability in tomorrow’s
world. At the same time, it will allow us to analyze the actual
security status of the OT infrastructure and protect it as effectively as possible.
Last year, WITTENSTEIN SE purchased a 9677 square meterbuilding lot for the new baramundi headquarters in theAugsburg Innovationspark – one of the biggest businessparks of its kind anywhere in Europe. Is that the clear signal
it appears to be?
Beikirch: The reason for moving to new premises was to create
extra space for us to expand further and to optimize leverageof networks with research and teaching. The new headquarters were also an opportunity to establish a futuristic working
environment that adapts very flexibly to our employees’ needs.
Haft: The new location will unquestionably have multiple
benefits for WITTENSTEIN and baramundi’s shared vision for
Industry 4.0.

baramundi software AG was founded in Augsburg
in the year 2000. Around 200 employees
currently develop and market the “baramundiManagement Suite”, a unified endpoint
management software. The solution optimizes
IT management processes by automating routine
tasks and providing an extensive overview
of the status of all endpoints. baramundi has
more than 3000 customers including KUKA,RENK and Bosch.

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9

"Le Chandelier" – the first ScreenFLITE® ad system at Rome-Fiumicino International Airport Leonardo da Vinci – was officially inaugurated on 27 July 2018.

cymex® 5 sizing tool:
reading and evaluation of the motion simulations
The freely programmable ScreenFLITE® ad system can be easily adapted to individual requirements with regard to shapes and patterns. All motions of the rings
which form the rotational planes as well as of the scissor arms for the displays are
possible with up to 20 degrees of freedom. As the basis for sizing the individual
gearboxes, Simtec produced nine different characteristic motion cycles with movement profiles and forces. “These were imported into cymex 5®, WITTENSTEIN alpha’s
sizing tool, as ASCII files”, Ms. Kaufmann explains. WITTENSTEIN then selected thegearboxes and servo drives according to the program’s recommendations.

10 moveApplications

WITTENSTEIN alphaputs advertising in motion

In mid-2018, Rome acquired yet another stunning attraction.
To be precise, Terminal 3 at Rome-Fiumicino International
Airport “Leonardo da Vinci” now boasts a spectacular media
information system in the market today. With high dynamics
and precision, low-backlash planetary gearboxes and servo
actuators from WITTENSTEIN alpha position twelve giant
LED panels to create shape-shifting billboards in ever-changing formations.

A total of 20 WITTENSTEIN gearboxes of different sizes
are used in the interactive structure of ScreenFLITE®.

“Le Chandelier” – this is the name given by the Italian operator to the
ScreenFLITE® ad system developed by Simtec Systems GmbH ofBraunschweig in northern Germany. As if by magic, twelve displays on
three rotational planes with a total area of 24 square meters shuffle inan elaborate dance, arranging advertising messages in umpteen different patterns. Polymath Leonardo da Vinci, who the airport is named
after, would surely have delighted in the precision, dynamics and synchronicity of the ScreenFLITE®’s vibration-free motions. And he would
have loved the low-backlash planetary gearboxes and servo actuatorsfrom WITTENSTEIN alpha, which are fundamental to this supreme kinematic feat.
Eye-catching ads
Anne Kaufmann, Head of Project Management Digital Signage at Simtec
Systems, is convinced: “ScreenFLITE® marks the dawn of a new era in
the use of digital media content in advertising and information systems
for high-traffic indoor areas and high-capacity public venues. Whereas
static LED or billboard advertising is characterized by low levels of perception, moving ads with electronic effects in 3D are an eye-catcher thatpromise significantly higher earnings for all stakeholders.” The ScreenFLITE® ad system consists of three rings that can be rotated jointly oragainst each other. Four LED displays mounted on each ring are moved
in and out by scissor arms which can be extended or retracted by about1100 millimeters. The arms of the upper level can be tilted upwards, thearms of the lower level downwards. In addition, each display can berotated independently around its vertical axis. The actual movement of
the displays in practice depends on the motion programming by theoperator’s content designer, who can adapt the rotations and horizontal
movements individually according to the media content and effects.

Precise, dynamic performance in all motions
The ScreenFLITE®’s kinematic perfection plays a decisive role in presenting the advertisers’ customized media content. This is largely due toseventeen TP+ gearboxes of different sizes in the alpha Advanced Line
as well as three TPMP+ servo actuators, which are integral elements of
the interactive advertising system. “Their high torsional rigidity ensures
only minimal vibration no matter how high the motion dynamics; together with the low torsional backlash it enables optimal synchronism andpositioning accuracy of the individual giant LED panels”, Ms. Kaufmannconfirms. The high power density of the low-backlash gearboxes wasanother crucial aspect: the space-saving design was ideal for integration into the narrow installation spaces of the rotating structure. At thesame time, they provide less than four arcminutes of torsional backlashin combination with high torsional rigidity. Anne Kaufmann: “No othergearbox offered those features with such compact dimensions”.

Experience theScreenFLITE® in a movie.

move 11

Products

Customized drive technology

Perfect fit,
not one size fits all

Adapting drives to fit an application almost
always involves functional restrictions – especiallywhen the manufacturer’s product portfolio
imposes tight constraints on the sizing process.

12 move

Not so with WITTENSTEIN cyber motor,
where customized drive solutions
are created as a perfect fit, not one size fits all.

WITTENSTEIN cyber motor develops
drive solutions that are completely tailoredto the customer's logistical, technicaland commercial requirements.

When WITTENSTEIN cyber motor sets out to design a perfect-fit mechatronic system solution, the emphasis is on customer and their specificapplication. “We normally address three requirement areas – performance, installation space and environmental conditions – because thechances are that one of them will be dominant in the design process”,
explains Product Manager Christoph Weis.
Design and implementation as a complete package
There are several, very different strategies for achieving these goals,
depending on the requirement. For example, performance can be improved through higher dynamics, shorter cycle times and efficiently optimized motion and load profiles. “Software tools help identify extended
sizing spaces and reconcile them with a perfect-fit design”, says Weis.
The specifications and insights are then implemented on the motor sidein WITTENSTEIN’s highly specialized microfactory for small batches.
“Stators, for instance, are manufactured to fit the application using
advanced machining and test methods, in other words the laminations
for the stators are individually designed, the electric strip materials optimized and the windings executed according to each client’s respective
needs.”

Economic benefits for customers
The ability to design individual, perfect-fit motors combining this kind oftechnological depth and application breadth is what sets WITTENSTEIN
cyber motor apart from most other suppliers of mechatronic drive technology. “We also clarify the optimum delivery interface with the customer – from just the motor for inhouse integration through the assemblyof customized, separately provided parts to a complete plug-and-playdrive module”, Weis says. For many clients, the option of a perfect-fit
motor design, coupled with the multiple possibilities for customizing the scope of delivery, promises significant economic benefits. “At
WITTENSTEIN, ‘service and delivery interface’ means customers are
not obliged to invest in production and assembly capacity of their own
or bear the interface and performance risks”, Weis comments.
Exciting examples
A heavy-duty torque multiplier, transfer units in glass production, thread
forming tools in punching machines and workstations in high speed
bending machines are only a few examples of how perfect-fit drive concepts by WITTENSTEIN cyber motor can make a decisive difference.

When it comes to systematically adapting the drive solution to the given installation space, expertise beyond mere catalog data once again
ensures optimal integration into the machine’s mechanical environment.
“The spectrum ranges from frameless motors to complete drive modules integrating a gearbox, screw, holding brakes and various othercomponents. Furthermore, by designing the flange and shaft accordingly, we can adapt the motor optimally to the installation conditions onsite”, Weis continues.
A perfect-fit design is additionally realized with regard to the specificenvironmental conditions. For example, legal requirements in hygienic,
radiation or hazardous areas are reliably implemented and the machineor drive’s service life extended by selecting the most appropriate typeof construction and materials. Christoph Weis: “In some cases, we canalso provide more design freedom results – say, if drives can be used inplaces where this was previously impossible.”

Learn here what the differenceis between customized drives andreally customized drives.

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Galaxie®

NIMAK – Specialist forthe perfect connection
NIMAK GmbH, which has its headquarters
in Wissen an der Sieg, east of Bonn, has globally unique expertise in two different fields:
resistance welding technologies for steel
and aluminum as well as joining know-how
in the form of gluing and dosing systems
for non-weldable multi-material mixes. The
company enjoys a reputation among customers and users as an innovation leader
in both of these areas. NIMAK additionallyhas the capability to build complete robot
systems using technologies developed
in-house, integrating the welding and gluing
processes in one. Robot welding guns were
invented by NIMAK, who also helped thistechnology gain widespread acceptance.

Applications

The Galaxie® drive system is revolutionizing the designof welding guns. The compact design of this innovative
motor-gearbox unit – in combination with high torquedensity, rigidity and dynamics – inspired NIMAK tocome up with a completely new welding gun system:
thanks to the galaxy®GUN, the productivity of welding
processes is significantly improved. And that’s not all:force generation is rapid and dynamic, so that it is now
also possible to weld new and different materials.

Weldinggun

reinvented

Galaxie®: Enabler for next-generation concepts
Again and again, Galaxie® causes existing design strategies in highperformance engineering to be overturned. This new gearbox class
has several decisive features: dynamic teeth instead of a rigid gear ring,tangential and hydrodynamic tooth contact over the full surface when
loaded rather than pitch-point linear contact and a new type of bearing
with a segmented outer race ring. All of these innovations add up to anovel design principle, with the result that Galaxie® is clearly superior
to established planetary, cycloidal, eccentric and standard strain wave
gearboxes in all key technical disciplines compared to the market
standard.
NIMAK chose the Galaxie® D in size 135 on account of its compact
design and high power density. The company’s engineers were thus
able to mount the complete drive unit directly at the gun’s pivot point anddispense with the basic gun body that is normally a must. The gun has
an up to 50 percent smaller interruption contour on the robot as a result.

„

Never before has a welding gun
had such a compact design
with so few components.

“

Kay NagelSales Manager at NIMAK

galaxy®GUN: compact and lightweight
Conventional welding guns are configured from a modular systemcomprised of various basic bodies, gun arm designs, servo drives andmedium frequency transformers. A totally different concept was invented for the new galaxy®GUN. The basic body, Galaxie® Drive System
and gun arms are now all combined in a much more compact andapproximately 20 percent lighter module. The decisive innovation hereis as follows: the torque-dense, highly dynamic and extremely torsionally stiff drive system is integrated into such a small space that it could
be mounted directly at the gun’s pivot point. As a result of this, therotary motion of the drive is now converted into the gun arm movementwith absolutely no slip. What’s more, the electrode arms can open
much wider than is possible with conventional robot welding guns andthus steer clear of interruption contours in the vicinity.

move 15

Galaxie®

Very short cycle times andperfect welding results
The new design approach with Galaxie® D
as the central component has numerous
benefits. The drive system allows more
rapid opening and closing of the gun arms;
the force generation time is shorter andthe repeat accuracy of the electrode force
extremely high. Since the guns can now
be designed with less mass and the centerof gravity is close to the robot’s flange
connection, the robot can move the guns
faster. The galaxy® GUN’s low weight likewise enables more dynamic robot motions.
Galaxie® D’s high dynamics and torsional
rigidity not only permit ultra-precise processcontrol based on active force profiles but also
lie behind the even more dynamic follow-up
characteristics of the electrodes. Finally,
shorter welding times are possible – the spot
welding process for aluminum is now completed in as little as 100 milliseconds.

Galaxie® has enabled
NIMAK to break withconstructive conventions
and completely rethink
the welding gun.
(from left to right:
Kay Nagel, Sales Manager,
Johannes Steudter,
Design Manager,
both NIMAK, andTobias Burger,
Start-up Manager
Galaxiesystems,
WITTENSTEIN SE)

Efficient and economical
Thanks to the galaxy®GUN, NIMAK’s modular system for welding guns
has been greatly simplified and the assembly time is significantly shorter.
The concept also opens up new options for realizing customer projects.
NIMAK is now in a position to configure and provide guns sooner, whichmeans there is more time for on-site simulation and commissioning. The
gun geometry no longer needs to be adjusted and measured. Servicingof the galaxy®GUN and stocks of spare parts are likewise far more efficient and economical.
First prototype after only a few weeks
WITTENSTEIN originally showed NIMAK the Galaxie® early in 2017.
The presentation and the sample of the Galaxie® gearbox kinematics
evidently inspired the company’s engineers. The high torque density inrelation to the volume and dead weight of the drive system were thestarting point for something radically new. The first prototype of thegalaxy®GUN was ready and integrated in an experimental robot only
weeks after the specification was agreed. The results of the field tests
spoke for themselves – NIMAK was able to unveil the new robot welding gun at “Schweißen und Schneiden”, the international trade fair for
welding and cutting, in September 2017.

16 moveApplications

Professor Dirk Bartel
heads the Institute of Machine Design and Tribology
at Otto von Guericke University Magdeburg

Interview with Professor Dirk Bartel:

Galaxie® –Superior on principle
The scientific proof that Galaxie ® is an independent gearbox
class and its successful use in high performance engineering
are now also rapidly establishing WITTENSTEIN’s invention
as a firm fixture in research and teaching.

When did you first hear about Galaxie®?
What thoughts and ideas occurred to you spontaneously?
Professor Bartel: I first heard about Galaxie® in 2014 when I was
contacted by WITTENSTEIN. I found it difficult to imagine what
this gearbox was all about simply from the name, so I had tobe patient and wait until I was given a personal demonstration.
Of course, the logarithmic spiral principle, which is also found inspiral galaxies, as a new tooth geometry and the resulting surface
contact by multiple teeth posed a number of questions for me,
as a tribologist.
What, in your opinion, is the single most importantdifferentiator of the new Galaxie® generation?

„

Galaxie® is unquestionably
the most power-dense
and precise drive system
in today’s global market.

“

Kay NagelSales Manager at NIMAK

Professor Bartel: Owing to the large number of load-transmitting teeth, the gearbox is characterized by very high rigidity andfreedom from backlash, which are vital in high-precision drive
systems.
Evolutionary or revolutionary – which category,in your view, is a more apt description of this invention
as a technological innovation?
Professor Bartel: The Galaxie® is quite clearly a disruptive
innovation. It’s therefore fair to describe the invention of the
Galaxie® as a technological revolution.
Galaxie® is applied tribology – would you agreewith that statement?
Professor Bartel: Yes, absolutely. The full-surface sliding contact between the teeth has to be mastered in terms of friction
and wear. This presupposes that the latest scientific findings on
tribology are adequately applied.

move 17

WITTENSTEIN World Garden:
the only one of its kindIt all began with a Japanese ornamental cherry – agift to WITTENSTEIN at the topping-out ceremony
for the first production shop. Today, the 10 hectare(25 acre) site at the WITTENSTEIN headquarters inIgersheim-Harthausen is home to more than 630 different woody plants: trees and shrubs from 31 countries where the Group has a subsidiary or is represented by an authorized dealer.
A unique parkland, which is constantly expanding
along with the company, has grown up around the
production shops and offices since 1999. The World
Garden is the only botanical garden owned by anindustrial company in Germany to be admitted to
the German Dendrological Society (DDG), an elite
association dedicated to the science of trees. Whenselecting new plantings, Würzburg botanist Dr. Uwe
Buschbom does not restrict himself solely to exotic
species which are typical of each country; he also
sets rare birch or alder varieties from the surrounding meadows and woods into the ground between
the biotopes, the stream and the water catchment
basins that serve as sunken gardens. He then uses
them as “measuring stations” to observe climatechange.
The WITTENSTEIN World Garden is freely and publicly accessible. Signs next to each cluster of trees
provide information on the country of origin as well as
the local, German and scientific (Latin) names. The
garden is clearly well worth a visit – for employees
and outsiders alike, whether making a conscious
detour or simply passing by – at any time of the year.

18 moveWITTENSTEIN GroupSix bee colonies are at home in the WITTENSTEN World Garden –each consisting in the summer months of about 50,000 bees
that produce between 20 and 30 kilos of honey per year.
The huge diversity of the trees and shrubs gives it a special
flavor. Much to the delight of beekeeper Paul Geiger, shown here
during one of his regular checks of the brood-combs.

move 19

WITTENSTEIN Belgium

GIMA squeezes out
more performance with WITTENSTEINWITTENSTEIN gearboxes havehelped the Belgian retrofit specialist
boost machine output.

GIMA is a Belgian retrofit specialist for machine tools. Its
customers’ expectations are high: they want higher speeds,
more precision and shorter maintenance intervals. As a result,
GIMA is constantly on the lookout for innovative technologies
to help meet these requirements. The company recently
managed to boost the output of six existing machines at a
manufacturer of aircraft parts. In doing so, GIMA put its trust
in WITTENSTEIN’s RP+ gearboxes.

The new drive unit from WITTENSTEIN offers
very high accuracy, so that the exact
position of the machine on the machine bed
is known for every movement.

20 move„

Thanks to the WITTENSTEIN technology, the machines now operatewith up to five times higher precision and move ten times faster.

“

Stef Bruynseels
Managing Director of GIMA-Machines

GIMA-Machines – well-known in the retrofit world
The company re-engineers machine tools for a variety of industries.
Advanced technology is integrated into existing machine concepts, inorder to bring them into line again with current market requirements.
Precise attention to each customer’s specific wishes and needs is a
top priority.
Performance boost for an existing application
GIMA regularly receives solid support from WITTENSTEIN in connection with machine retrofits. One of the Belgian company’s current projects entails modernizing six machines for a manufacturer of aircraft
parts. The machines stand on a bed with straight-toothed racks. Two
motors on either side are responsible for moving them. WITTENSTEIN
helped optimize this setup with a combination of an RP+ gearbox anda customized pinion.
The RP+ is a high-performance gearbox that works extremely precisely
and is hence ideal for controlling machines these. Moreover, with its
compact design it takes up very little space. This is particularly important with retrofits because GIMA is restricted by the amount of space
available. The WITTENSTEIN solution thus enables optimal design freedom as well as cost reductions through downsizing.

„

WITTENSTEIN supplied a gearbox
with a customized pinion. We were able
to complete the conversion fasterbecause of that and make the drive
far more reliable.

“

Stef Bruynseels
Managing Director of GIMA-Machines

Five times more precise and much faster
The machines for the aircraft parts are equipped with straight-toothed
racks and have a modulus of 6.5. Spare parts are very difficult toget hold of. WITTENSTEIN was able to assist here by supplying an
RP+060 gearbox with a modified pinion. The new drive unit achieves
very high precision, so that the exact position of the machine on the
bed is known with every movement. GIMA’s designers succeeded inreplacing the outdated, mechanically preloaded solution with one thatis electrically preloaded.
The redundant, computer controlled master-slave configuration withfour motors for the X axis has resulted in an enormous leap in precision: the machines now operate five times more precisely and are
moved much faster than before.
One contact for everything
WITTENSTEIN supported the Belgian firm from the pilot study phaseright through to delivery. WITTENSTEIN experts were at hand to guidethe project from the outset. The calculations on which they collaborated laid the foundation for the new drive design. After close consultation, GIMA’s design engineers opted for the RP+060 gearbox – among
other things because it needs no maintenance and has practically nodowntime. WITTENSTEIN then set to work developing a customized
pinion – the starting point for a much more reliable drive configuration.
GIMA values the way WITTENSTEIN keeps the firm regularly informed
about new and improved products. That way, the retrofit specialist isperfectly placed to offer customers the latest state of the art.

move 21

Presentation of the Deutscher Zukunftspreis 2018

WITTENSTEIN inducted into the“Circle of Excellence”

The Deutscher Zukunftspreis is theFederal President’s Award for Innovation in
Science and Technology and has beenpresented annually since 1997. Once a year,
the jury chooses three teams to take partin the final round. The three candidates toemerge from the rigorous selection process
are subsequently inducted into the“Circle of Excellence”.

1

It was by no means a simple task for the jury on the evening of thepresentation on November 28 in Berlin: innovations from three totallydifferent fields – medicine, energy and engineering – had been nominated for the Federal President’s Award. WITTENSTEIN’s Galaxie®
gearbox was shortlisted for the Deutscher Zukunftspreis 2018 alongwith an anti-infective medication and a project on hydrogen.
As you are no doubt aware, the jury ultimately decided in favor of the
medical project, yet the fact remains that WITTENSTEIN and Galaxie®,
the radically new gearbox class, have now been officially inducted
into the “Circle of Excellence 2018”. Put another way, Galaxie® is theGerman engineering industry’s top innovation in 2018. The invention
by Dr. Manfred Wittenstein (Chairman of the Supervisory Board) andThomas Bayer (Manager Innovation Lab) not only won the hearts of theaudience in Berlin but was also clearly a source of fascination for German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier. And even though we didn’t
quite win in the end, we were nevertheless proud and delighted tohave reached the final, and we enjoyed every minute of the receptionthat followed the presentation.

22 move

2

WITTENSTEIN Group

1
Federal President Frank-Walter Steinmeier(centre) with Thomas Bayer (right) and
Manfred Wittenstein (left) on the occasionof a preliminary talk on the Deutscher
Zukunftspreis 2018 at Schloss Bellevue.
2
A short explanation video informed
the audience about the special featuresof the disruptive Galaxie® invention.

3

3
Thomas Bayer (left) talking with
Federal President Frank-Walter Steinmeier(centre) and presenter Dirk Steffens (right).
4
The presenter Dirk Steffens (front),
known from German television, led throughthe event. In the background the speakersof the nominated teams (from left to right):
Prof. Peter Wasserscheid,
Prof. Helga Rübsamen-Schaeff andThomas Bayer as well as
Federal President Frank-Walter Steinmeier.

4

5
Numerous guests watched the presentation of the Deutscher Zukunftspreis 2018
live at the STATION in Berlin.

You can watch the nearly 50 minute
German broadcast in the ZDF media library(German only):https://www.zdf.de/wissen/
deutscher-zukunftspreis/deutscher-zukunftspreis-2018-102.html

5

move 23

WITTENSTEIN Group

Room for growth, transparency and openness
The ultra-modern NanoFactory in Haar near Munich was officially opened in mid-October 2018, less than two years after
the ground-breaking dig. Around 150 employees of attocube systems AG and its subsidiary neaspec GmbH – both companiesof the WITTENSTEIN Group – plus the sales team of WITTENSTEIN alpha GmbH, previously based on Ottobrunn,
have since been working under one roof in this high-tech building.
The infrastructure and work processes at the new headquarters are optimally adapted to each firm’s respective needs.
The open architecture and brightly lit building will promote cooperation both among colleagues and with customers,
business partners and research institutes. The official opening of the NanoFactory marks the start of a new era in the historyof the company: the foundation has now been laid for further growth.

Moving into the future:

NanoFactory
officially opened

1

24 move2„

The NanoFactory is more thansimply a new building; it’s a vision
for unlocking the potentialof all employees andfor fostering team spirit.

“

3Peter Kraemer
Chief Executive Officer
attocube systems AG

1
The focal point of the building is thelight-flooded atrium – an opportunity
to meet and communicate and thecentral reception area for customers
and visitors.

4

2
A stairway provides access to themezzanine, where a 5 x 2 meter,
floor-to-ceiling glass wall offers asplendid view into the heart of the
NanoFactory: the manufactory
and adjacent laboratories.

3
Innovative products go hand in handwith optimized manufacturing processes and modern infrastructure.
When planning the building, particularattention was paid to short lines ofcommunication: the development,
production, delivery and warehouseareas are all ‘workflow optimized’.

4
Designed by HENN, the internationallyrenowned Munich architects, theNanoFactory makes a stunning first
impression with its fourteen meterhigh glass facade and dynamic
architecture.

The building
Hybrid building:

Combination of production areas, offices and catering

Production space:1200 m²

Facade:				Superinsulated exterior, partially with triple glazing, glass frontage
totaling approx. 1800 m²

Energy efficiency:

Low-energy building under the German KfW 55 standard

move 25

Trade fair calendar
2019

Hannover Messe 2019

OTC 2019

Paris Air Show 2019

Hannover, Germany
WITTENSTEIN SE
April 1 to 5, 2019

Houston (TX), USA
WITTENSTEIN motion control GmbHMay 6 to 9, 2019

Paris, France
WITTENSTEIN aerospace & simulation GmbH
June 17 to 23, 2019

Automate 2019

EXPOMAFE 2019

Taipei Automation 2019

Chicago, USA
WITTENSTEIN Holding Corp.
April 8 to 11, 2019

São Paulo, Brazil
WITTENSTEIN do Brasil
May 7 to 11, 2019

Taipei, Taiwan
WITTENSTEIN Co., Ltd.
August 21 to 24, 2019

China International
Machine Tool Show 2019
(CIMT)

SMART AUTOMATION 2019

IKMT Forum 2019

Linz, Austria
WITTENSTEIN GmbHMay 14 to 16, 2019

Würzburg, Germany
WITTENSTEIN cyber motor GmbH
September 10 to 11, 2019

SPS IPC Drives Italia 2019

EMO 2019

Parma, Italy
WITTENSTEIN S.P.A.
May 28 to 30, 2019

Hannover, Germany
WITTENSTEIN SE
WITTENSTEIN alpha GmbH
September 16 to 21, 2019

Beijing, China
WITTENSTEIN (Hangzhou) Co., Ltd.
April 15 to 20, 201926 moveWITTENSTEIN is represented at numerous trade fairs and exhibitions worldwide.
We look forward to meeting you!

Pack Expo 2019

productronica 2019

Las Vegas (NV), USA
WITTENSTEIN Holding Corp.
September 23 to 25, 2019

Munic, Germany
WITTENSTEIN cyber motor GmbH
November 12 to 15, 2019hi Tech & Industry
Scandinavia 2019

Automation fair 2019

Herning, Denmark
WITTENSTEIN AB
October 1 to 3, 2019

MSV 2019
Brno, Czech Republic
WITTENSTEIN GmbH
October 7 to 11, 2019

Chicago, USA
WITTENSTEIN Holding Corp.
November 20 to 21, 2019sps 2019
Nuremberg, Germany
WITTENSTEIN SE
November 26 to 28, 2019
Trade fair calendar

FMB 2019
Bad Salzuflen, Germany
WITTENSTEIN alpha GmbH
November 6 to 8, 2019move 27

Get started:
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WITTENSTEIN at the Hannover Messe 2019: Find out moreto this year's trade fair motto as well as to the product highlights at
www.wittenstein.de