Lenord+Bauer automates two Mazak Integrex machines with RoboJob Turn-Assist
After a three-month trial, the operators didn’t want to give the robot back
Lenord+Bauer automates two Mazak Integrex machines with RoboJob Turn-Assist
Lenord+Bauer, a specialist in motion sensors and integrated drive technology from Oberhausen, Germany, has automated its CNC production with RoboJob since 2014. Two Turn-Assist 250 cells now load two Mazak Integrex multitasking machines, which run nearly around the clock.
Key facts
- Company: Lenord, Bauer & Co. GmbH (Lenord+Bauer)
- Location: Oberhausen (headquarters) and Gladbeck (production), North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany
- Founded: 1965
- Employees: approx. 240
- Industries: Machine construction
- RoboJob products: Turn-Assist 250 (2×)
- CNC machine brands: Mazak
- Automated machines: Mazak Integrex 200-IV ST, Mazak Integrex 250 ST
- RoboJob customer since: 2014
- Key results: machine runs nearly around the clock; fast changeover between products; operators fully on board
From a basement in Oberhausen to a global sensor specialist
In 1965, Günther Bauer, Horst Lenord, Hans Look and Dieter Westerhoff founded Lenord, Bauer & Co. in a basement in Oberhausen, building compact industrial controllers to customer requirements. Today, the family business develops motion sensors and integrated drive technology for the mobility and machinery sectors. Around 240 people work at the headquarters in Oberhausen, the production and logistics centre in nearby Gladbeck, and subsidiaries in China, Italy, India and the United States.
Why automate: shorter delivery times, lower prices
“The delivery times in our industry have drastically reduced in recent years. Today our customers expect delivery within a few days. On top of this, prices are also under pressure and these are lower than a few years ago.”
— Franco Dichiara, Group Leader CNC Turning and Milling and Purchasing, Lenord+Bauer
Lenord+Bauer first invested in a new machining centre to shorten cycle times. To keep up with rising demand and shorter delivery times, automation was the next step. After talking to several suppliers, the company chose RoboJob: the robot is easy to operate, the machine can be changed over quickly from one product to the next, and the work area is protected by a laser scanner instead of a fence. Operators can check the machine at any time; the robot slows down or stops when someone comes too close.
Bringing the operators on board
Lenord+Bauer produces high-precision gearwheels, and did not know in advance how automation would affect quality, or how its people would react. So the team involved its operators from the start and took them to Belgium for a demonstration at RoboJob.
“Then we started a three month trial period. When the three months were up, our operators didn’t want to give the robot back!”
— Franco Dichiara
Two Turn-Assists on two Mazak Integrex machines
The first RoboJob Turn-Assist 250 arrived in 2014. A second followed, and today both run on Mazak Integrex multitasking machines:
- Mazak Integrex 200-IV ST with a Turn-Assist 250
- Mazak Integrex 250 ST with a Turn-Assist 250
The result: nearly around the clock
“Now we’re looking at how we can further automate our production because our machine can nearly work around the clock, thanks RoboJob!”
— Franco Dichiara
Frequently asked questions
Which machines did Lenord+Bauer automate with RoboJob?
Lenord+Bauer in Oberhausen, Germany, automated a Mazak Integrex 200-IV ST and a Mazak Integrex 250 ST with RoboJob Turn-Assist 250 cells. The company has been a RoboJob customer since 2014.
Can a Mazak Integrex 200-IV ST be automated?
Yes. Lenord+Bauer runs a RoboJob Turn-Assist 250 on a Mazak Integrex 200-IV ST and another on an Integrex 250 ST. Gedro Metaal also automated an Integrex 200-IV ST with a Turn-Assist 250. See all Mazak automation projects.
Can a robot cell work safely without a fence?
Yes. At Lenord+Bauer, the work area of the RoboJob Turn-Assist is monitored by a laser scanner instead of a fence. Operators can check the machine at any time; the robot slows down or stops automatically when someone comes too close.
How do you get operators on board with automation?
Lenord+Bauer involved its operators from the start, took them to RoboJob in Belgium for a demonstration and began with a three-month trial. When the trial ended, the operators did not want to give the robot back.
Which German manufacturers use RoboJob Turn-Assist?
In Germany, RoboJob Turn-Assist cells run at Lenord+Bauer in Oberhausen, Strautmann Hydraulik, Tridelta Magnetsysteme, NEXTec+ Fertigungstechnik and IBAK.