move

The magazine for customers and partners of WITTENSTEIN AG

September 2014

APPS TO SPEED UP THE MILK RUN
WITTENSTEIN bastian lives – and breathes life into – Industry 4.0

SHAPING THE FUTURE

13

The WITTENSTEIN Innovation Factory is officially opened

move

The magazine for customers and partners of WITTENSTEIN AG

Content

4Interview with Dr. Bernd Schimpf,
General Manager of WITTENSTEIN alpha GmbH

6

The WITTENSTEIN Innovation Factory
is officially opened

12

Apps to speed up the milk run
WITTENSTEIN bastian lives – and breathes
life into – Industry 4.0

18

Trend identifiers – and trendsetters
Technology foresight at WITTENSTEIN

20

Exploring new avenues with linear motors
WITTENSTEIN cyber motor GmbH

Cover photo:
Service technician Michael Heusler in the
WITTENSTEIN Innovation Factory22

Nano-precise rotor runout measurements
attocube systems AG

All rights reserved. This document may not
be reprinted or electronically distributed
without the express permission of the
publisher.

24

Rack-and-pinion system for portal positioning
WITTENSTEIN Benelux

27

Trade fair calendar 2014/15

Masthead

Publisher: WITTENSTEIN AG
Walter-Wittenstein-Str. 1
97999 Igersheim / Germany
Phone: +49 7931 493-0
www.wittenstein.de
move@wittenstein.de
Editorial content:
Sabine Maier,Manager Press & Public Relations(Responsible under press law)
Circulation:
1000 copies
Production: IMMAGIS
Franziskanergasse 1
97070 Würzburg / Germany

2 moveDear readers,
For several years now, WITTENSTEIN has been pursuing its of the virtual and real worlds is especially important in logistics.
vision of becoming a system provider for mechatronic drive By optimizing logistical processes in this area, we can save retechnology. By converging mechanics, electronics and soft- sources – both material and capital. WITTENSTEIN’s “Future
ware, we are aiming to create new, win-win solutions that al- Urban Production” facility in Fellbach, near Stuttgart, is alreadylow you – our customers – to continue on the growth trajectory underlining this claim. The “Milk Run 4.0” is currently undergoingwith us. The huge potential inherent in mechatronics is still far a test phase there and is proving to be about fifty percent morefrom exhausted: on the contrary, the limits of mechatronics are efficient than the traditional method for supplying materials tobeing pushed back farther and farther. Innovations – new and the production shop. You can discover exactly how this works inoriginal ideas, devices and processes – are breaking into the practice in this latest issue of our customer magazine.
markets with unprecedented success. Our group sales, which Simply converging the three disciplines mentioned above will
increased to 254 million euros in fiscal year 2013/14, provide not be enough, however. We are all called upon to step up
impressive testimony to this. Yet to quote Christian Morgenstern, our efforts to understand the needs and individual situations of
the popular German poet: “If you do not know the destination, our customers – and their customers too. WITTENSTEIN alpha
you cannot find the way”. Put simply, innovations are impossible GmbH, our biggest subsidiary, is strongly committed to thiswithout visions.
objective: in an interview overleaf Dr. Bernd Schimpf, the new
You don’t need to be a visionary, however, when it comes to General Manager there, gives a personal introduction to himtomorrow’s production processes. Classic engineering will be self. He has worked for the Group for many years now and has
fused with modern information technology in “smart factories”. big plans to maintain the momentum of WITTENSTEIN alpha’s
The question is, where will this future of ours be shaped? I’m global growth. I would like to join him in cordially inviting you tovery optimistic on this point: Germany – and in particular the visit our booth in Hall 9 at Motek 2014, the International Trade“German Mittelstand”, which is the object of worldwide envy and Fair for Assembly and Handling Technology.
admiration – enjoys a clear competitive edge.
Today, the WITTENSTEIN Group is represented by around 1800
The main benefits Industry 4.0 holds for customers are undoubt- staff worldwide. Every single one of them is an innovator and aedly the ability to control flexibility and the realization of new net- future shaper. With this in mind, we promise to stay on the moveworks between people and objects. This interconnectedness for you in the future!

Professor Dieter Spath
President of WITTENSTEIN AG

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Dr. Bernd Schimpf
Dr. Bernd Schimpf took over as General Manager of WITTENSTEIN alphaGmbH with effect from April 1, 2014. Dr. Schimpf, aged 52, who originally trained as a mechanical engineer and can draw on rich expertise andmanagement experience in his new challenge within the WITTENSTEIN
Group, previously held overall responsibility for the three mechatronic
Business Units as Director Mechatronics.

move talks to:

Dr. Bernd Schimpf

move: Does your new challenge mark a return to your true
professional roots?
Dr. Bernd Schimpf: Yes, it does, although what I really wanted
was to specialize in aerospace engineering. In those days, there
were quite simply more places available for undergraduates in mechanical engineering. I therefore studied Mechanical Engineering
at the Institute for Machine and Gear Unit Design at the Universityof Stuttgart. Following my graduation, I initially worked as an academic assistant for gear units, structural mechanics and information technology. I joined WITTENSTEIN – or to be more precise the
WITTENSTEIN bastian subsidiary in Fellbach, just outside Stuttgart –in 2001. My first job there was to help the Executive Managementtransform what was a traditional family business manufacturing gear
wheels into a competitive industrial producer of gearing technology.
It took us two years to introduce a new bevel gear technology thatwould put us in a position to design and make premium quality bevel
gears.
In 2008, you moved to headquarters as Head of Generating
Process Management, where you described your new mission

4 moveat the time as being to “generate new things from creativechaos”. That sounds very exciting.
The chaos principally consists of a future which sometimes announces its intentions but is loath to give any promises regarding successes or failures. We’ll only find out in a few years time whether the issues we’re tackling today are the right ones. If you want to succeed,
you must be able to rely on your instinct and not just on your technical know-how. And you have to create suitable conditions for yourstaff to develop their creative, explorative potential. If the general direction is on target, the issues addressed in the generating process
will also make the transition to production and sales.
WITTENSTEIN is driving the technology shift from mechanics to mechatronics – and up until April this year you were
responsible. Could you give us your own personal assessment?
Our Group strategy of systematic specialization in mechatronic solutions also includes the physical convergence of our three mechatronics Business Units: WITTENSTEIN motion control, WITTENSTEIN

Dr. Bernd Schimpf
General Manager of WITTENSTEIN alpha GmbHcyber motor and WITTENSTEIN electronics. The new WITTENSTEIN
Innovation Factory – the biggest single investment in the history of
the company costing thirty-five million euros – enabled us to reachthis important milestone earlier this year at the end of May. I switched
to WITTENSTEIN alpha with mixed feelings, but with a clear conscience, just in time for the move into the new building.
What are your plans for WITTENSTEIN alpha?
My team and I hope to build on the company’s impressive success story so far – while keeping a sharp focus on our objectivesof continued worldwide growth as well as innovative products andservices that will benefit our customers. At the same time, I’ll becareful not to neglect the challenges of Industry 4.0. My experience to date both at our various subsidiaries and at the headquarters of the WITTENSTEIN Group will stand me in very good steadwith WITTENSTEIN’s oldest family member and help us uphold ourcommitment to being a world class global partner for the customers of our innovative drive components and systems. The close cooperation between the subsidiaries and Business Units is now also

reflected at top management level: Philipp Guth and Michael Müller
(joint General Managers of WITTENSTEIN bastian) now also belong
to the Executive Management of WITTENSTEIN alpha. We can therefore leverage synergies better and interact even more strongly in future.
You’ve been supporting WITTENSTEIN on its journey into the
future for thirteen years now. Would you care to give us an
Idea of what you expect to be doing in the next thirteen years?
I’m afraid I haven’t got a crystal ball to gaze into. If I look back to thedays when I was a student, for instance, I could never possibly haveimagined how computer performance would literally explode within
the space of a generation, not to mention the advent of the Internet orof course the Internet of Things. I can still recall very well how, when
I was writing my doctoral thesis on the flow inside a gearbox, it took
one of those mainframes two weeks to calculate something that actually happens in no more than a few milliseconds. What I’m trying to
say is that only one thing is certain, namely that the future – both myown and that of WITTENSTEIN – will stay just as exciting as it is today.

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5

Shaping the future
The WITTENSTEIN Innovation Factory is officially opened

6 move»Congratulations on thismagnificent installation:
I’m not sure whether it sprouted
from the fields or landed fromouter space.«
PROFESSOR PETER SLOTERDIJK

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7

»Industry 4.0 reaches far out into uncharted terrain.
If we can succeed in illuminating, penetrating and comprehending this
topic on the broadest possible basis, we will be able to play an active
part in shaping the future rather than simply enduring it as our fate.«
DR. MANFRED WITTENSTEIN

Industry 4.0
powered by people

In the middle of the Production areasome six hundred invited guests fromthe worlds of business, politics andscience celebrated the official opening of the WITTENSTEIN Innovation
Factory

Two-year construction project
condensed into 76 seconds:
The making of the
WITTENSTEIN Innovation Factory

8 moveAn unusual building and an unusual speaker: just two years after the
ground-breaking dig, the WITTENSTEIN Innovation Factory was officiallyopened at our company headquarters in Baden-Württemberg (South-West
Germany) in the presence of six hundred invited guests, who gathered in
the middle of the new production spaces. Professor Peter Sloterdijk, thewell-known philosopher, shed light on the meaning of “innovation” from acultural-philosophical perspective. His speech focused on the evolutionof man – an inquisitive creature by nature – into an architect of innovation.
Industry 4.0 powered by people
The experts are in no doubt: the core ideas of Industry 4.0 provide a uniquechance to respond even more flexibly to customer needs – not only withdedicated products but also with innovative, dedicated production processes. Professor Dieter Spath, President of WITTENSTEIN AG, is extremely enthusiastic about the new opportunities for flexible work organization:“Industry 4.0 is powered by people.” He is convinced that the new building
offers the best possible conditions for achieving this objective: “We’d bedelighted if customers from all over the world came to visit us, curious tolearn more about the prospects for cooperation with us in a partnershipdriven by innovation. Who knows, maybe the Innovation Factory will become another popular place of pilgrimage for future production methods,
similar to the one already set up in Fellbach, just outside Stuttgart, with our‘Future Urban Production’ concept.”Future Production

Official opening of the
WITTENSTEIN Innovation Factory

Hands-on drive technology:
Following the official ceremony,guests had a chance to takepart in an interactive tour of the
new building.

Highlights of the opening
ceremony:
Keynote speech by Professor
Dieter Spath, President of
WITTENSTEIN AG, and panel
discussion between philosopher
Professor Peter Sloterdijk and
Dr. Manfred Wittenstein,
Chairman of the WITTENSTEIN AG
Supervisory Board

Tomorrow‘s employees
will be planners anddecision-makers in acomplex environment

A place of pilgrimage
for future production
methods

Creating value by blurring boundaries
The inner workings of the WITTENSTEIN Innovation Factory are designed to spearhead Industry 4.0 in several different ways. Through theInnovation Factory WITTENSTEIN is pushing ahead with the development of mechatronic products and systems for customers’ future applications. Parallel to this the company is gradually establishing dedicated assembly processes in line with Industry 4.0 principles. Professor
Dieter Spath, who is passionate about the overall concept for the new
Mechatronics Centre, predicts: “You create value by blurring boundaries. That’s why we expect to become faster and more efficient – andgenerally better than ever as far as our customers are concerned.” In
the factories of the future, human beings are at the centre of the production process. According to Spath, people come first, not machines:“Tomorrow’s employees will be planners and decision-makers in a complex environment.”

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ENTREPRENEUR 4.0 AWARD 2014

The night is upon us, the valley lies indarkness, the city lights are glittering.
A cherry tree is in full blossom.
There’s no time to spare, the petals are
already flying through the air – fleeting,shimmering pulses of light against a
backdrop of obscurity.
Sascha Weidner (*1976) is the winner ofthe first ENTREPRENEUR 4.0 AWARD photography competition with the picturesin his “Hanami 4.0” cycle (Japanese for“flower viewing”). His photographs form
part of the “Portraying Visions” exhibitionat the WITTENSTEIN Innovation Factory inIgersheim-Harthausen.
The exhibition can be viewed by appointment (please phone +49 (0)7931/49310463 or send an e-mail to veranstaltung@wittenstein.de).

ENTREPRENEUR 4.0 AWARD 2014

Art is creativity in perfection.
If you don’t have courage,
you can’t be creative.
And without creativity there
is no innovation.

A knowledgeable guide through the»Portraying Visions« exhibition:
curator Felix Hoffmann. He was amember of the ENTREPRENEUR 4.0
AWARD 2014 jury and is Chief Curatorof C/O Berlin.

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The WITTENSTEIN
Innovation Factory is
an art gallery

What does the future hold for entrepreneurs?
Dr. Manfred Wittenstein, competition initiator and successful entrepreneur, fired the
public debate with an exciting question when he launched the ENTREPRENEUR 4.0
AWARD: What does the future hold for entrepreneurs? In his opinion, there is definitely
no demand for yes-men; on the contrary, critical companions – both internal and external – are called for. “That’s why we need a mirror on the wall – an artist’s perspective on
what we do and our plans for the future. Artists stand for freedom of thought: they’rea valuable sounding board for all of us.” He dearly hopes that other business organizations will gradually share the responsibility for the competition and steer it in new, alternative directions with their own ideas and their own interpretations of entrepreneurship.
This could lead over the years to a global community of enterprises which understandIndustry 4.0 not simply as a technological but also as a social challenge.

Around fifty photographs by ten different photographers can be admired at an exhibition entitled“Portraying Visions”, for which Felix Hoffmann, Chief Curator of C/O Berlin, has agreed to act as curator.
Apart from the award winning submissions by Sascha Weidner, Bastian Gehbauer, Mara Ploscaru andJulia Runge they also include works by Michael Najjar, Erwin Olaf, Claus Goedicke, Niko Luoma, Tyyne
Claudia Pollmann and Daniel & Geo Fuchs. Each of these photographers has documented very effectively their own, highly personal view of the transformations currently impacting on working life as well as
the accompanying changes in values and behaviour.

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Apps to speed up the milk run
WITTENSTEIN bastian lives – and breathes life into – Industry 4.0

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Definitely one of today’s hottest topics: Industry 4.0.
It’s essentially about achieving tighter integration between the digitalworld of information as it exists in production planning systems, forinstance, and the real world of physical objects such as workpieces,
tools or pallets. People, machines and products will in future exchange
information continuously in smart networks with the help of cyber-physical systems (CPS) – enabling processes to be represented almost
completely in real time.

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which are integrated in a factory Internet. Information printed on paper is making way for
digital formats, which are made available for
specific applications or tasks in real time andcan be converted by people into optimized
processes in a targeted way appropriate to thesituation. What this means in practice is thatorganizational losses on the shop floor – for instance due to material not being delivered toa machine on time – can be avoided. Overall
productivity is increased.

We work for people
The role of human beings as “cooperating production factors and decision-makers” is being
defined anew: “In the factories of the
Production planning and control in the age of Industry 4.0»Even in Industry 4.0 problems withtools and processes cannot always be
ruled out. In this case, prompt and robust
decisions are called for. And that’s something human beings can still do best.«
DR. MARIA HERGESELL, HEAD OF TECHNOLOGY MANAGEMENT,WITTENSTEIN BASTIAN GMBH

The transparency created by digital networks
is vital in order to take robust decisions, optimize processes and avoid wasting valuable
resources. It is also essential to shape andsafeguard a company’s future in a sustainable
way. Against the background of today’s mega
trends like product customizing – in extreme
cases with a batch size of 1 – increasingly
volatile markets and globalized, net-centric
production, the ability to systematically channel and leverage the flow of information about
goods movements is crucial for long-term survival.
Shop window factory in Fellbach
At WITTENSTEIN bastian’s “Future Urban
Production” facility, which opened about two
years ago in Fellbach, selected pilot applications are currently taking shape under the

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CyProS (cyber-physical production systems)
research project funded by the Federal Ministry of Education and Research. This has
been a key aspect of the shop window factory on this site from the outset. “As an innovation driver for mechatronic drive technology,
WITTENSTEIN is also at the forefront of Industry 4.0. In particular, we are committed to
optimizing production processes and developing Industry 4.0 capable products. All new
concepts are tested in Fellbach”, confirms Dr.
Jochen Schlick, Manager Future Field Cyber-Physical Systems at WITTENSTEIN. Twoapplications have recently gone live: “Optimizing Intralogistics” and “Representing Production Planning with Mobile Information Access”.
In both projects Industry 4.0 is implemented in
the form of auto-ID technologies, embedded
systems and IT-assisted production systems,

future, human beings are at the centre of the
production process. People come first, notmachines. The machines simply support theoperators with tailored information to enable
them to carry out their work efficiently in theright place and at the right time. Tomorrow’s
employees will be planners and decision-makers in a complex environment, and a higher
skills level will be demanded of them”, emphasizes Professor Dieter Spath, WITTENSTEIN
President. Despite this new perception of theirrole, human problem-solvers will still be in demand because even in Industry 4.0 problems
with tools and processes cannot always be
ruled out”, says Dr. Maria Hergesell, Head ofTechnology Management at WITTENSTEIN
bastian. “In this case, prompt and robust decisions are called for. And that’s somethinghuman beings can still do best.” Each person
needs a complete and up-to-date map of allprocesses relevant to them for this purpose,plus a tool for taking decisions and controlling
workflows. In both these current projects –Future Production“Optimizing Intralogistics” and “Representing
Production Planning with Mobile Information
Access” – WITTENSTEIN bastian is putting
its trust in the very latest generation of information technology: tablet PCs with dedicatedapps, organized in a WLAN. This hardware isnot simply necessary from a technical pointof view; it also provides added motivation to
get involved. “Compared to traditional media
like planning boards and T-cards, new technologies such as tablet PCs and smartphones
open up brand new opportunities for interaction – people are obviously very curious andexcited about what the future has in store”,
explains Dr. Peter Stephan, Project Manager, Future Field Cyber-Physical Systems at
WITTENSTEIN.
Progress not opposition, acceptance not rejection: in this way, staff themselves help drive
the implementation of Industry 4.0. By definition, these dynamics are conducive to the ongoing optimization of processes.

Optimizing intralogistics: “Milk Run 4.0”
Among the products manufactured at WITTENSTEIN bastian’s “Future Urban Production”
facility in Fellbach are gear wheels. In the past
the intralogistics, in other words the physicaltransport of goods between the various delivery and pick-up spaces, have been controlled by means of the “milk run”: a logistics
operator drives around the factory once every
hour in an electric truck. This relatively inflexible procedure only partially reflects the actual requirements of optimal material supplies;

after all, when the driver sets out, he has no
way of knowing which production orders will
be ready to be picked up where or what theirpresent status is. This routine is now being superseded by material supplies on demand at
WITTENSTEIN bastian in the framework of an
Industry 4.0 pilot project. In future, better use
can be made of vehicle capacity, resources
economized because the distances driven are
shorter and materials delivered more flexibly
according to the actual order situation.

Up to 50% more efficientin tests:
Material supplies in Fellbach are now organized on
demand.

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The first step entailed identifying the real world –order documents, pallets, delivery and pick-up
spaces – with barcodes and making it suitable
for recording electronically. The production
planning and enterprise control systems were“tapped” for this purpose, and the staff concerned equipped with scanners and tablets.
Data can now be recorded in digital form anda transparent map generated of all materials
in the production shop. The logistics operator does this by scanning the barcodes on theaccompanying documents into the planningsystem for all production orders to be moved
with the help of a tablet app. This procedure isthen repeated with the codes for the pick-up
and delivery spaces. A virtual map of the necessary material flow is created in this way inthe background. In the second step this map
is converted into a transport route, completewith departure times and stops, and displayedon the milk run driver’s tablet.
A smart planning algorithm, which calculates
the optimal travel times based on the virtual
map of the required material flow and the number of transport orders per day, is currently being tested. The preliminary results confirm theenormous potential for optimization that waspreviously predicted with a simulation: by interconnecting smart components, the numberof transport cycles actually completed and the
distances travelled in order to supply parts forgear wheel production can ideally be halved!

Join us on a trip around WITTENSTEIN
bastian‘s »Future Urban Production«
facility with the Milk Run 4.0

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Digital networks create thenecessary transparency to takerobust decisions and optimize
processes.

»New technologies open up brandnew opportunities for interaction«
DR. PETER STEPHAN, PROJECT MANAGER, FUTURE FIELD CYBER-PHYSICAL-SYSTEMS

Future Production

Mobile information access
The second pilot project taking place at theshop window factory is concerned with strategies for optimizing WITTENSTEIN bastian’sorganizational processes in Fellbach’s Production Planning and Control department. Onceagain, the underlying aim was to reconcile
physical with informational realities. The traditional media gap between planning board
systems based on T-cards, as used at shop
floor level, and the IT-assisted production planning system already implemented resulted incontent and time disparities between the twodifferent “worlds”, leading to practical coordination problems and hence organizational
losses because insufficient or only obsolete
information was available. At the heart of thisIndustry 4.0 compliant solution is a digitalplanning board, which is connected both tothe planning software and to each operator’s
mobile tablet PC. The media gap is closed
in this way; scheduled orders in the process
can no longer be overlooked or postponedby mistake and given another priority. Planners and machine operators have consistent,
up-to-date and above all identical information

at their disposal. They have mobile access toupcoming jobs and can visualize them on themachine. Thanks to the app, production orderprocessing information can be retrieved on theuser’s tablet and any problems in connection
with a particular order, for example if a tool is
not ready, reported and documented using
multimedia. Ultimately, this data also provides
essential input for the continuous improvement
process. Good planning – good processes –good production: this is another project whichclearly demonstrates the tremendous benefits
and potential of Industry 4.0!

All machines in Fellbach are marked
with data matrix codes for fast andprecise access to information in
production planning systems – withno media gaps

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WITTENSTEIN Group

Excellent technology foresight at WITTENSTEIN

Trend identifiers –		and trend setters
Technology foresight, sometimes also referred to as technology intelligence,is the systematic determination and identification of relevant technologicaldevelopments as well as their targeted commercialization – a highly complex
challenge.

Generalists, open to all things new, are called
for here rather than specialists. Walter Lang,
Michael Lesch and Raphael Rilli, responsible
at WITTENSTEIN for technology foresight, fit
this definition. A small, seemingly unremarkable mould printed in 3D is a good exampleof the “successful practices” this team has developed.
Never let technologies take you by surprise –in the light of rapidly expanding technological know-how as well as increasingly complex technology chains and materials technologies, what initially sounds rather trivial isin fact a key condition of long-term businesssuccess. In the early phase of the innovation
process, therefore, technology foresight is allabout identifying promising technology trends,
analyzing their development potential and taking appropriate action in preparation for themarket launch of new production methods. To
Walter Lang, Manager Preliminary Technology Development at WITTENSTEIN, “scanningand monitoring” are the two most important
aspects when he and his colleagues Michael
Lesch (Expert for Technology Identification)
and Raphael Rilli, a development engineer, set
out to investigate a defined research area within a so-called future field, for example.
“To examine additive technologies” was themission in this particular case. More specifically, the challenge for this close-knit team, which
belongs to the WITTENSTEIN Group’s central

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WITTENSTEIN is up among the top fiveIn the summer of this year the Fraunhofer Institute for Production Technology (Fraunhofer IPT),
together with a consortium of high-tech industry leaders, selected WITTENSTEIN as winner of its“Successful Practices in Technology Intelligence” award. Although only a relatively small, family
owned firm, WITTENSTEIN is one of five “best in class” companies identified within this European
benchmarking project, also beating several big corporations. Out of the 207 business enterprises taking part, WITTENSTEIN was singled out by the jury for its strong focus on future issues,reflected in the definition of so-called future fields. This positive overall picture was rounded off
by the preproduction centre, which was set up to perform early validations and qualify staff as
a way to simplify the transfer of new technologies to production. The aim of the project was to
identify particularly successful strategies and concepts for technology intelligence in Europe’s
premier enterprises.

»We were particularly impressed by the activerole WITTENSTEIN plays in shaping thefuture, for example through the construction of the“Future Urban Production” facility in Fellbach.«
PROFESSOR GÜNTHER SCHUH, DIRECTOR OF FRAUNHOFER IPT
AND THE LABORATORY FOR MACHINE TOOLS AND PRODUCTION ENGINEERING (WZL)
AT RWTH AACHEN

The Fraunhofer Institute for Production Technology (Fraunhofer IPT) currently ranks
their work among the five “best in class”: Walter Lang (right) is responsible for technology foresight at WITTENSTEIN AG; together with Michael Lesch (left) and Raphael
Rilli (centre) he identifies and determines new technology trends. It is not uncommon
for new products and production processes to emerge at the end of a fascinating
working day: this mould insert printed in 3D rather than manufactured in the usual way
from steel is only one example.

Fresh from the 3D printer:
Plastic injection moulds

Development department, involved clarifying
the general conditions and constraints, researching the limits of this disruptive technology and then formulating an implementation
strategy. The first step following an intensive
debate was to purchase a 3D printer. Basic
tests with new materials and the crossoverwith injection moulding technologies finallyyielded in the following result: a plastic injection mould, rather than one milled from steel
in the traditional way, can be printed using additive technology. Walter Lang was delighted:“From the initial product idea to the finished injection moulded part in just twenty-four hours –the goal we set ourselves had suddenly become realistic.” The fact that, thanks toadditive prototyping, the customer can often
be presented with a sample only a few days
after the first meeting is a genuine added benefit. It takes about a year on average for an idea
to be turned into a concept and finally a project plan. The trio of inventors make a point ofcooperating closely with their customers because “successful technology foresight nevertakes place in splendid isolation. It thrives on
openness and external feedback”, Walter Langinsists. He and his colleagues leverage theknow-how accumulated at conferences, trade
fairs and congresses as the starting point for
new concepts, which can also be a functional model, as in this instance: the two parts ofthe mould insert were printed using so-called

MultiJet technology. The finished mould insert halves from the preproduction centre trial
were altogether convincing and the go-ahead
was given for series development. “We keepa tight watch on every process from the initialidea to the final implementation”, says Walter
Lang. The three development engineers arefull of praise for the preproduction centre: it ishere that promising technologies are investigated and optimized long before the actual series launch on the future production machinery.
“It’s a great advantage – both for us and for ourcustomers – and something that certainly can’t
be taken for granted in this structured form at
a company the size of WITTENSTEIN.” Walter
Lang and his two colleagues are unanimous:“We succeed because we don’t just sit in anivory tower; right from the outset, we work
hand in hand with everyone who will later be
involved in the new products and production
processes.”

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Applications

Exploring new avenues
with linear motors“There must be another way”, manufacturers of high speed process automation equipment often think when searching for theperfect drive concept. A growing number meanwhile choose linear servo technology instead of pneumatics, hydraulics or puremechanics, for instance in transport and assembly systems.
The reasons are many and varied: linear motors offer a long lifetime, better control response and extremely high dynamics andprecision. They are ideal whenever short, fast movements determine the process flow.
Precise positioning in three dimensions
The LTM-CI high speed assembly systems manufactured by theAustrian STIWA Group are an excellent example here: they allow
small parts to be assembled fully automatically to obtain bigger units absolutely precisely and with very short cycle times. A
linear motor solution developed by WITTENSTEIN cyber motorin close cooperation with STIWA meets the specific power andinstallation requirements of these assembly systems. Basedon the “cyber linear motors” product family, it enables the highspeed assembly machines to position components the size ofa pinhead with exceptional accuracy, namely +/- 0.02 mm at a
speed of 2 m/s and a cycle rate of 100 parts per minute. “Fourmotor versions were developed altogether for different axes
and axis lengths”, explains Carolin Ank, a sales engineer in Product Management at WITTENSTEIN cyber motor. “They permit
speeds up to 5 m/s and a maximum acceleration of 500 m/s2.
The housings of the linear motors are always customized to ensure optimal integration in the assembly systems.”
The solution package put together for STIWA also includes rotary motors in the “cyber power motors” family as direct drives forthe chain of the pallet transport system.

20 moveThanks to servo technology
made by WITTENSTEIN
cyber motor, the STIWA
assembly system allows
cycle times of less than 0.6
seconds.

In combination with a displacement measuring system thepermanent magnet linear motor
provides direct power transmission with maximum dynamics
and precision.

“They allow the parts to be cycled through highly dynamically between consecutive pick-and-place modules with a positioning
time of 150 ms”, adds Robert Adam-Thaller, Head of ProductManagement at STIWA.
High performance with linear servo technology
Linear servo technology is rapidly taking the place of pneumatics, hydraulics and mechanics – for a number of reasons. For
one thing, linear motors deliver superior performance. They
are easier to control than pneumatic or purely mechanicaldrive solutions and they offer more dynamics and repeatability.
They are characterized by shorter cycle times and enable positions to be approached flexibly with extreme precision. “Thespeeds of up to 2 m/s we get in combination with controlled,jerk-free positioning profiles would not have been possible without WITTENSTEIN cyber motor’s linear servo motor technology”,
Adam-Thaller confirms. The compact design is another advantage: the space required to install the STIWA system is between
a third and half that of alternative solutions. The system is simultaneously lighter in weight, so that there is less moving mass andless kinetic energy. This improvement in energy efficiency is not
the only benefit for end customers, however; the linear motors
are also highly reliable as well as wear and maintenance-free. “Ifyou add up all these points in their favour, linear motors clearly offer considerable development potential as a substitute forpneumatic, hydraulic or mechanical drive concepts in process
automation”, Carolin Ank predicts.

The STIWA GroupThe STIWA Group, which employs around 1200
staff, has its headquarters in Attnang-Puchheim(Upper Austria) and is a specialist for productand high performance automation.
STIWA develops, manufactures and ships comprehensive automation solutions comprised offeeding systems, material logistics, packaging,assembly and process modules and transportsystems. Its core competencies also include
product and software development for production
automation, metal and plastic components forautomotive manufacturing, energy efficient building engineering and laboratory automation.

move 21

Products

Nano-precise rotor runout measurements by attocube systems

Restoring theright balance

All of us are familiar with at least four fast rotating objects: the wheels on a car. Vibration
while the car is in motion creates an unpleasant sensation for the vehicle’s occupants andaccelerates wear. This radial runout can beeliminated by balancing the wheels, in otherwords by measuring the imbalance and attaching a balancing weight. Something thaton a car is relatively straightforward calls foradvanced technology if position errors and imbalance need to be measured with sub-nanometre precision. To show the kind of scale
involved, a particle from exhaust gases is ten
thousand times bigger by comparison.
The instruments used to detect and compensate such minute imbalances or position errors
are, in other words, a true test of engineeringskill. The above-mentioned car wheels do notreally need such extreme precision – in contrast to nano physics and a growing numberof industrial applications, which are about tomake the jump from micro to nano. This is thecase, for instance, when absolute rotational
symmetry is vital for the drive screw of a CNC
machine tool or the motor shaft of a servo actuator. attocube systems AG, a WITTENSTEIN
subsidiary, has accepted this challenge andcome up with an ultra precise, contactless interferometer for measuring runout on fast rotating objects: the FPS3010.
A question of distance
The FPS3010 is an optoelectronic displacement measuring system with up to three sensor heads. In order to measure the runout of
the shaft on a high-precision planetary gearhead, for example, two of these heads arealigned on the rotating shaft axis so that theysense it at an angle of 90°.

22 move

Each of them then scans the shaft with a laser at a frequency of 10 MHz and measures its
distance from the shaft continuously with fraction-of-a-second accuracy. The interferometer assigns two linear displacement values toeach reading – one for the 0° position and one
for the 90° position. The difference between
the angular distances from one measuring
point to the next corresponds to the shaft’s eccentricity. The measured values are represented on a graph as a circular line; by visualizing
the runout information in this way, the locationand extent of position errors and imbalances
can be assessed. Conclusions regarding thecauses of, say, ball bearing errors or machine
vibration can be drawn from this data and theelectronic evaluation of the measurements.
Fit for the world of runout measurement
If you think the FPS3010’s ultra precise laser
measuring system is only of any use in thelab and needs an expert in interferometry tooperate it, you couldn’t be farther wrong. The
compact sensor heads have a large beam
angle, which means they are easy to adjust
no matter how confined or inaccessible thespace: as soon as they have been aligned, thecharacterization can start without any specialist know-how. Another advantage is that thesetiny sensor heads only contain passive opticaland mechanical components, so that they arealso suitable in extreme industrial conditions –such as heat, cold or vacuum.

Runout measurement on arotating object:
The two sensor heads of the
FPS3010 interferometer simultaneously measure the error
motion of a shaft perpendicular
to the rotating axis.

Extreme industrial conditions
are not a problem for the
FPS3010 interferometer.

Runout measurements at WITTENSTEIN“The ability to measure runout contactlessly
and with high resolution in the sub-nm range,
combined with the ease of integration anduser friendliness, opens up an array of applications for the FPS3010”, declares Dr. Thomas
Wimmer, Manager Mechatronic Testing at
WITTENSTEIN AG.
“They extend from dynamic radial and axial
runout measurements through validations ofdeformation simulations to displacement controlled adjustment of bearing preload.” He isplanning to deploy one of these systems in his
own department – and there are many more,equally interesting fields of use, not just within
the WITTENSTEIN Group.

pioneers of precision

The black lines show the runoutof a rotating shaft in the µm range.

move 23

The side panels for the carriages manufactured by an Indian railway company on Balliu
MTC laser weld and cutting machines are about 25 m long. Yet even parts as big asthese still have to be transported and positioned with millimetre accuracy. That’s why theimposing laser machines for cutting, welding and cladding plates, profiles and parts are
genuine masterpieces of drive engineering – thanks to rack-and-pinion systems made by
WITTENSTEIN.

On the right track
Rack-and-pinion system for portal positioning

Precision cut and welded: the side panels for the railway carriages

Timetable to quality with no delays
Balliu MTC machines are used worldwide in
the most demanding applications. The manufacture of side panels for railway carriages is
no exception. Yet despite their huge size thesepanels, weighing more than a ton, have to behandled with millimetre accuracy. “If not, they
won’t fit properly later on when they’re welded”, explains Wim Goossens, Engineering
Office Manager at Balliu MTC. This means inturn that the portals which transport the sidepanels from one production step to the next
have to be precisely positioned – a challenge
just made for WITTENSTEIN rack-and-pinion

24 movesystems. Wim Goossens fully agrees: “A rackand-pinion system with four racks in a row,each two metres long, is installed on eitherside of the portals. The distance between thetwo sides is seven metres, within that distancethe deviation is a maximum of one tenth of amillimetre.” Thanks to this virtually non-existenterror, ultra precise recesses can be achieved
for the windows, doors and buttons as well as
precisely welded side panels. “It’s about as accurate as you can possibly get”, adds Jelle vanDeun, a sales engineer at WITTENSTEIN bvba
in Belgium. And about as efficient too – whereas it takes a team of twenty labourers in India

up to three days to produce a side panel likethis manually, the Balliu MTC machines do thesame in not much more than an hour – fully
automatically with no delays.
Technology gets the green light
Balliu MTC’s engineers have already seen forthemselves in the past what WITTENSTEIN
rack-and-pinion systems are capable of. Twosimilar machines featuring this drive technology were sold to India more than ten years ago.
Of course, extensive reengineering has taken place since then. “The first machines had
racks of half a metre. Now they are two metres

WITTENSTEIN International»The distance between the two sides isseven metres, within that distance the deviation
is a maximum of one tenth of a millimetre.«
MANAGER ENGINEERING OFFICE, BALLIU MTC

A rack-and-pinion system withfour racks in a row is installed oneither side of the portals.

and this makes the installation so much easier”,
Goossens replies when asked to name a typical improvement. Van Deun confirms that themechanical precision has increased dramatically in the space of a decade: “That applies toboth the racks and the pinions. Their size has
been halved in the last ten years, mainly due to
new production processes. The linear error ofthe drive is quite a bit smaller because of thesmaller diameter, and this has also had a positive effect on rigidity.” These are developmentsthat have profited Balliu MTC at the same time:“The dynamics and accuracy of our machines
have improved”, says Goossens proudly.

WITTENSTEIN technology gets the green light,
in other words – “a good thing”, according to
Wim Goossens, who stresses that “almost
every laser machine is custom made and demands an awful lot of the drive technology.
Every project is also a new challenge, withspecial requirements regarding precision, dynamics and load.”

move 25

Expert consulting
WITTENSTEIN experts are looking
forward to meeting you at numerous trade fairs and exhibitions
worldwide.

High visitor volume at the Hanover Fair 2014

26 moveTrade Fairs

Trade fair calendar
2014/15
Motek

Stuttgart (Germany)International Trade Fair for Assemblyand Handling Technology
WITTENSTEIN Group
Hall 9, Stand 9-121
October 6 to 9, 2014

Scanautomatic

Gothenburg (Sweden)
Trade Fair for the Automation Industry
WITTENSTEIN AB
Stand B02:11
October 7 to 9, 2014

LogiMAT

Stuttgart (Germany)International Trade Fair for Distribution, Materials
Handling and Information Flow
WITTENSTEIN motion control GmbH
February 10 to 12, 2015

Subsea UK

Aberdeen (United Kingdom)
Exhibition and Conference for Offshore
Technology
WITTENSTEIN motion control GmbH
February 11 to 13, 2015

CeMAT

embedded world

Shanghai (China)
Trade Fair for Materials Handling,
Automation, Transport / Logistics
WITTENSTEIN (Hangzhou) Co. Ltd
October 27 to 30, 2014

Nuremberg (Germany)
Exhibition and Conference for Embedded
Technologies
WITTENSTEIN high integrity systems
February 24 to 26, 2015

CIIF

INTEC

Shanghai (China)
International Industry FairWITTENSTEIN (Hangzhou) Co. Ltd.
November 4 to 8, 2014

Leipzig (Germany)
Trade Fair for Manufacturing, Tool and SpecialPurpose Machine Construction
WITTENSTEIN alpha GmbH
February 24 to 27, 2015

Forum Maschinenbau

Bad Salzuflen (Germany)
Trade Fair for Suppliers in the
Machinery Manufacturing Industry
WITTENSTEIN alpha GmbH,WITTENSTEIN cyber motor GmbH,WITTENSTEIN motion control GmbHHall 20, Stand B36
November 5 to 7, 2014

SPS IPC Drives

Nuremberg (Germany)
Exhibition for Electric Automation –Systems & Components
WITTENSTEIN Group
Hall 4, Stand 4-221
November 25 to 27, 2014

TIMTOS

Taipei City (Taiwan)International Machine Tool ShowWITTENSTEIN Co., Ltd.
March 3 to 8, 2015

Hanover Fair

Hanover (Germany)
Flagship Trade Fair for Motion, Drive & Automation
Hall 15, Stand F08
WITTENSTEIN Group
April 13 to 17, 2015

move 27