IBAK automates its DMG Mori and Hermle machines with seven RoboJob systems
From a first Turn-Assist in 2016 to a RoboJob Wall serving two DMU 95s
IBAK automates its DMG Mori and Hermle machines with seven RoboJob systems
IBAK, the Kiel-based world market leader in sewer inspection and rehabilitation systems, has automated its CNC production with RoboJob since 2016. Seven RoboJob systems now run on DMG Mori and Hermle machines: three Turn-Assists, two Racks systems, a Tower and a RoboJob Wall serving two DMG Mori DMU 95 machining centres.
Key facts
- Company: IBAK Helmut Hunger GmbH & Co. KG
- Location: Kiel, Schleswig-Holstein, Germany
- Founded: 1945
- Employees: approx. 400
- Industries: Machine construction
- RoboJob products: Turn-Assist (3×), Racks (2×, predecessor of the Pallet-Load), Tower, Wall
- CNC machine brands: DMG Mori, Hermle
- Automated machines: DMG Mori CTX 800 Beta TC, DMG Mori CTX 1250 Beta TC, a third DMG Mori lathe (CTX beta series), Hermle C22 (2×), Hermle C42, DMG Mori DMU 95 (2×)
- RoboJob customer since: 2016
- Key results: extra spindle hours, more unmanned hours, a higher return, better working conditions and more autonomy
Inspection technology from Kiel since 1945
IBAK was founded in Kiel in 1945, when Helmut Hunger registered his business as “Ingenieurbüro Atlas Kiel”. IBAK’s products have always been closely linked to water: from searchlights for ships and underwater TV cameras to today’s high-tech systems for inspecting and rehabilitating sewers and pipes that are hard to reach.
Still family-run, IBAK develops and produces its systems in Kiel with a high level of vertical integration and sells them worldwide. Since 2022, Daniel and Dorian Hunger have led the company.
Automation as a conscious choice
IBAK has worked with automation since 2007, and very deliberately so.
“In this global economy, it is more important than ever to be able to produce both efficiently and flexibly. It’s the only way to keep costs under control and to produce profitably.”
— IBAK, Kiel
Seven RoboJob systems on DMG Mori and Hermle machines
IBAK started working with RoboJob in 2016. Since then, the company has automated turning, five-axis milling and a complete machining cell:
- DMG Mori CTX 800 Beta TC with a Turn-Assist 250
- DMG Mori CTX 1250 Beta TC with a Turn-Assist 270
- DMG Mori lathe (CTX beta series) with a Turn-Assist 270
- Hermle C22 with a Racks system (predecessor of the Pallet-Load)
- Hermle C42 with a Racks system
- Hermle C22 with a Tower
- Two DMG Mori DMU 95s with a Wall
Turn-Assist cells load and unload three DMG Mori turning centres. On the Hermle five-axis machining centres, two Racks systems, the predecessor of today’s Pallet-Load, and a Tower take care of the loading.
The RoboJob Wall: one system for two DMU 95s
The centrepiece of IBAK’s automation is a RoboJob Wall serving two DMG Mori DMU 95 machining centres. The Wall is RoboJob’s modular storage system that centralises raw materials, clamps, tools and fixtures in one compact, scalable unit, and serves several CNC machines from that single source.
The result
With seven RoboJob systems, IBAK gets extra spindle hours and more unmanned hours from its DMG Mori and Hermle machines, and with that a higher return. The automation also improves working conditions: operators no longer handle every part themselves and work with more autonomy.
Frequently asked questions
Which machines did IBAK automate with RoboJob?
IBAK in Kiel, Germany, runs seven RoboJob systems: Turn-Assists on a DMG Mori CTX 800 Beta TC, a CTX 1250 Beta TC and a third DMG Mori lathe, Racks systems on a Hermle C22 and a Hermle C42, a Tower on a second Hermle C22, and a Wall serving two DMG Mori DMU 95 machining centres. IBAK has been a RoboJob customer since 2016.
What is the RoboJob Wall and where is it used?
The RoboJob Wall is a modular storage system that centralises raw materials, clamps, tools and fixtures in one compact, scalable unit and serves several CNC machines. At IBAK in Kiel, Germany, a Wall serves two DMG Mori DMU 95 machining centres.
Can a Hermle C22 or C42 be automated?
Yes. IBAK automated a Hermle C22 with a RoboJob Tower, and a second Hermle C22 and a Hermle C42 with Racks systems, the predecessor of today’s Pallet-Load. See the Hermle automation page.
Can DMG Mori CTX beta TC turning centres be automated?
Yes. IBAK automated a DMG Mori CTX 800 Beta TC with a RoboJob Turn-Assist 250 and a CTX 1250 Beta TC with a Turn-Assist 270. Other DMG Mori references include Weber-Hydraulik (CTX 2500) and Strautmann Hydraulik (NTX 2000). See all DMG Mori automation projects.
Can different RoboJob systems be combined in one factory?
Yes. IBAK combines four RoboJob product lines in one production: Turn-Assist on its lathes, Racks and Tower on its Hermle machining centres, and a Wall for two DMG Mori DMU 95s. Each machine gets the automation that fits its type and job mix.