One hour of set-up for 100 hours of unmanned production at Hertenberger Solutions
A RoboJob Tower on a Heller HF 3500 machining centre
One hour of set-up for 100 hours of unmanned production at Hertenberger Solutions
Imagine one hour of setting up the robot, then 100 hours of production. For Hertenberger Solutions in Laupheim, Germany, a specialist in precision components, that is now standard. Since 2023, a RoboJob Tower has automated its Heller HF 3500 machining centre, combining large production runs, high mix, low volume work and unmanned machining.
Key facts
- Company: Hertenberger Solutions GmbH
- Location: Laupheim-Baustetten, Baden-Württemberg, Germany
- Founded: 1988
- Employees: approx. 10
- Industries: Subcontracting, Machine construction, Aerospace
- RoboJob products: Tower
- CNC machine brands: Heller
- Automated machines: Heller HF 3500
- RoboJob customer since: 2023
- Key results: 1 hour of set-up for 100 hours of unmanned production; 300 parts in 100 hours; operators programming independently after two days of training
Precision components from Baden-Württemberg
Founded in 1988 by Ulrich Hertenberger and taken over in 2016 by long-standing employee Holger Völk, Hertenberger Solutions offers CNC machining, prototyping and fixture construction. Its team machines ready-to-fit precision components for machine building, aerospace, automotive, medical technology and defence. Hertenberger is highly digitalised and automated, and won the Industrie 4.0 Award of Baden-Württemberg.
Why automate: flexibility for changing demand
Long production runs without interruption, flexible handling of high mix, low volume work, and unmanned machining: those were Hertenberger’s criteria when it compared CNC automation solutions. Like its customers, it has to respond to changing production needs.
“Thanks to the generous workpiece storage space, we can react quickly to changing production requirements. In a recent order, we produced 300 components in just 100 hours, with a set-up time of less than one hour. With this flexibility, we are consolidating our market position and increasing our competitiveness.”
— Holger Völk, Managing Director, Hertenberger Solutions
Easy for every operator
Storage capacity and endurance were not the only reasons Hertenberger chose the RoboJob Tower.
“The RoboJob Tower is also easy to operate by less experienced workers because the 3D programming process is self-explanatory. As a result, all our operators can quickly make adjustments to the production process so that we can produce around the clock.”
— Holger Völk
After two days of training, the operators were programming the Tower independently. Integration with the Heller HF 3500 also went smoothly: thanks to close cooperation between Hertenberger and RoboJob, the Tower and the machine were communicating in record time.
The result: productivity, flexibility, efficiency
“The RoboJob Tower helped us make significant progress in productivity, flexibility and efficiency. We are very satisfied with RoboJob as a partner and look forward to further projects in the future.”
— Holger Völk
Frequently asked questions
Which machine did Hertenberger Solutions automate with RoboJob?
Hertenberger Solutions in Laupheim, Germany, automated a Heller HF 3500 machining centre with a RoboJob Tower. The company has been a RoboJob customer since 2023.
Can a Heller machining centre be automated?
Yes. Hertenberger Solutions runs a RoboJob Tower on a Heller HF 3500. Thanks to close cooperation between Hertenberger and RoboJob, the integration went smoothly. See the Heller automation page.
How long can a RoboJob Tower run unmanned?
At Hertenberger Solutions, one hour of set-up is enough for 100 hours of unmanned production. In one order, the Tower produced 300 components in 100 hours, thanks to its large workpiece storage.
How long does it take to learn to program a RoboJob Tower?
At Hertenberger Solutions, operators programmed the Tower independently after two days of training. The 3D programming process is self-explanatory, so even less experienced operators can adjust production.
Which German manufacturers use a RoboJob Tower?
In Germany, RoboJob Towers run at Hertenberger Solutions in Laupheim, Fecken-Kirfel in Aachen, IBAK in Kiel and Kocks Manufacturing in Bremen.