HEB Hydraulik-Elementebau automates a Mazak Integrex and a DMG Mori CLX with RoboJob Turn-Assist
More spindle hours, without hiring extra people
HEB Hydraulik-Elementebau automates a Mazak Integrex and a DMG Mori CLX with RoboJob Turn-Assist
HEB Hydraulik-Elementebau in Freiburg, Germany, is one of the leading manufacturers of high-quality hydraulic cylinders. To get more spindle hours without hiring more people, HEB automated a Mazak Integrex i-200 and a DMG Mori CLX 350 V6 with RoboJob Turn-Assist 200 cells. The result: more capacity, more flexibility and less stress for the operators.
Key facts
- Company: HEB Hydraulik-Elementebau GmbH
- Location: Freiburg im Breisgau, Baden-Württemberg, Germany
- Founded: 1980
- Employees: approx. 70
- Industries: Machine construction
- RoboJob products: Turn-Assist 200 (2×)
- CNC machine brands: Mazak, DMG Mori
- Automated machines: Mazak Integrex i-200, DMG Mori CLX 350 V6
- RoboJob customer since: 2018
- Key results: significantly more spindle hours without extra staff; operators run multiple machines; compact solution for a machine with little floor space
Hydraulic cylinders from Freiburg since 1980
HEB was founded in 1980 by three experienced colleagues in a garage in Freiburg, and moved to its own production halls in Freiburg-Hochdorf in 1989. Today, the family business employs around 70 people and has sales partners worldwide. In Freiburg, it develops and produces round and block cylinders, flange and screw-in cylinders, standard and position-measuring cylinders, locking and multi-position cylinders and highly specialised custom designs, using state-of-the-art CNC technology and automation.
Why automate: less downtime, more focus
“Our goal was to reduce ‘down time’ in our production by implementing automation. We wanted to get more spindle hours out of our machines without having to hire more people. Another objective was to let our operators focus on their main task: preparing the machines for the next job. We found that this was often difficult because they had to combine physical, repetitive tasks with creative tasks.”
— Philipp Hamann, Head of Application Engineering, HEB Hydraulik-Elementebau
Why RoboJob: the software makes the difference
Several of HEB’s machine suppliers had worked with RoboJob, and a colleague had met the company too. After comparing offers, HEB chose RoboJob for its software.
“We were highly impressed with RoboJob’s software: RoboJob really makes the difference here. We also compared the offer with that of other suppliers, but no one could offer the same level of user-friendliness. It is so easy to operate plus it’s also logical and modular in design. Anyone could work with the platform.”
— Philipp Hamann
Two Turn-Assist 200 cells
In November 2018, the first RoboJob Turn-Assist 200 was installed on HEB’s Mazak Integrex i-200, mainly for larger batches. Positive results and operator feedback led to a second Turn-Assist 200 just eight months later, on a DMG Mori CLX 350 V6 used mainly for smaller batches. Floor space at that machine was tight, and RoboJob designed a solution that kept the footprint to a minimum.
- Mazak Integrex i-200 with a Turn-Assist 200
- DMG Mori CLX 350 V6 with a Turn-Assist 200
The result: more spindle hours, less stress
“Both systems function smoothly. We have increased both our capacity and our flexibility. It is easy to switch from one product to another and this has also resulted in less stress for our operators. In the past they were under significant pressure to keep up with our schedule. We’re now seeing that it’s become a lot easier for them to follow that schedule. They’re now able to operate multiple machines and we’ve significantly increased our spindle hours.”
— Philipp Hamann
Frequently asked questions
Which machines did HEB Hydraulik-Elementebau automate with RoboJob?
HEB Hydraulik-Elementebau in Freiburg, Germany, automated a Mazak Integrex i-200 and a DMG Mori CLX 350 V6 with two RoboJob Turn-Assist 200 cells. The company has been a RoboJob customer since 2018.
Can a Mazak Integrex i-200 be automated?
Yes. HEB runs a RoboJob Turn-Assist 200 on a Mazak Integrex i-200, mainly for larger batches. Puget Production Mécanique automates an Integrex i-200S with a Turn-Assist 250, and KNF Neuberger one with a Tower. See all Mazak automation projects.
Can a DMG Mori CLX 350 be automated?
Yes. HEB runs a RoboJob Turn-Assist 200 on a DMG Mori CLX 350 V6, mainly for smaller batches. Jehle CNC and Hainbuch also automate DMG Mori lathes. See all DMG Mori automation projects.
Can a lathe be automated when floor space is tight?
Yes. At HEB, there was little room around the DMG Mori CLX 350 V6. RoboJob designed a Turn-Assist 200 solution that kept the footprint to a minimum. Boton-Merlet also chose a compact Turn-Assist because it had no room for a second machine.
Can one operator run several machines with robot cells?
Yes. At HEB, the RoboJob Turn-Assist cells take over physical, repetitive loading. Operators focus on preparing the next job, run multiple machines and keep up with the schedule with much less stress, while spindle hours have increased significantly.