STUDER – Press Conference 2023

 

 

 

 

Fiscal year 2022 – Fritz Studer AG More than 60 journalists from around 20 countries attended the press conference at the STUDER-headquarters in Thun/Steffisburg.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

At this year’s press conference of Fritz Studer AG, CEO Jens Bleher welcomes the press representatives to a historic site: “Exactly 111 years ago, Fritz Studer founded his company here in Steffisburg. Since then, the pioneer in cylindrical grinding has presented countless technological innovations a long tradition that is our obligation for the future.” We are therefore particularly pleased that STUDER succeeded in continuing its growth course in 2022 and significantly increase sales. Bleher is thus also very positive about the outlook for 2023: “After a remarkable final spurt at the end of the year, STUDER started 2023 in full momentum, with a large order backlog.”

 

 

 

Positive Development of the Order Situation

 

 

 

In 2022, almost all markets showed growth in orders. New customers were responsible for 37 percent of the orders. Furthermore, December was the second-best individual month in our history. The Aerospace and Energy segments significantly contributed to this positive development. The Tooling, Die and Mold, and Machine Manufacturing segments remained stable at a very high level. The Precision Engineering segment with the small and medium-sized supplier companies and contract manufacturers remains our largest individual segment. In the Automotive sector on the other hand, there was a decline, which specifically affected demand for production machines. “However, our good positioning and broad portfolio are helping us greatly,” emphasizes CSO Sandro Bottazzo.

 

 

Broad Portfolio as Key to Success

 

 

A broad portfolio that can fulfill a wide variety of customer requirements is both our trademark and an important pillar for STUDER’s success. In the 2022 business year, universal and internal cylindrical grinding machines showed a positive trend, in both the standard and system business. The bestseller among the STUDER machines was once again the versatile S33 CNC universal cylindrical grinding machine, which is capable of producing small and large workpieces in both single and series production. Other machines that sold very well were the favorit, the S31, and the S41. In the sales of internal cylindrical grinding machines, STUDER achieved its second-best annual result ever. Another area that reached a record high was the WireDress® technology, which enables the precise dressing of metal-bonded grinding wheels possible and thus boosts productivity to extremely high levels.

 

 

 

Development of Numerous New Products

 

 

The 2022 business year also brought numerous new developments and an expanded product range. “With our product offensive, innovative, and application-specific solutions, we can even better address the needs of our customers,” says Daniel Huber, CTO at STUDER. On the China market, on the one hand, the new generation of the well-proved KC33 CNC universal cylindrical grinding machine, was presented. On the other hand, with the ecoGrinder, Chinese customers now have an economical entry-level solution available and it has already found numerous buyers. “In 2022, we presented an innovation at almost every large trade show,” says Huber. This includes the S36 production machine at GrindingHub in Stuttgart. It closes a gap in the portfolio between the S11 and S22 and is particularly well-suited to applications and components in the field of electromobility. Now the S36 is also available with an innovative energy monitoring concept. Or there’s the new S100 that was presented at the BIMU in Milan, a perfect entry-level option in the field of CNC universal internal cylindrical grinding machines.

 

 

More Machines with C.O.R.E.

 

 

The revolutionary and cross-brand hardware and software architecture of the UNITED GRINDING Group can also be found on an ever-increasing number of machines. C.O.R.E. offers smart networking of several machines, freely configurable and user-friendly operation, and latest generation contact sensors. C.O.R.E. also features a modern, large-scale multitouch display with intuitive operation and numerous visualization options for more efficient production. In 2022, STUDER was already able to convert four machine types to C.O.R.E. and will continue the rollout on the internal cylindrical grinding machines in the coming year.

 

 

Investment in the Future

 

 

Regular and systematic investments in all areas of the company are part of STUDER’s company philosophy. “We are convinced that this will keep our locations competitive and that Studer machines ‘Made in Switzerland’ will have a strong foothold on the world market in the long term,” explains COO Stephan Stoll. Following the redesign and modernization of assembly, the focus was on manufacturing over the past few years. In 2022, several projects contributed to ensuring that the production resources remain state-of-the-art, with a special focus on automation and digitization. In the coming year, spindle shaft production will be renewed and expanded, and the warehouse and logistics infrastructure comprehensively modernized by 2025.

 

 

Training and Attractive Career Changes

 

 

STUDER provides in-house vocational training to qualify its skilled workers and offers them attractive career and professional development opportunities. CEO Jens Bleher emphasizes the importance of well-trained employees for a technology company: “STUDER kept its vocational training program running fully at all times.” Trainees account for more than 11 percent of the workforce. “We take this into account by investing in the latest generation of CNC machines for the training workshop, as we also did in previous years.”

 

 

The management was also particularly pleased about the successes at the World Skills competitions. After winning the gold medal at the SwissSkills and the silver medal at the EuroSkills competition, Polymechanic Gil Beutler crowned his excellent performance with a bronze medal at the WorldSkills in Canada. CEO Jens Bleher: “We are very happy about Gil’s successes and view his top placements on an international level as a confirmation of the consistently excellent work of our entire vocational training team over many years.”

 

 

The Seventh Edition of the “Fritz Studer Award”

 

 

The “Fritz Studer Award” is another way the company promotes the best talents and innovative ideas. The research award comes with a prize of CHF 10,000 and will be hosted for the seventh time this year. It is aimed at students of European universities and technical colleges. Submissions are invited from areas such as: innovative machine concepts, digital solutions for supporting the grinding process, or alternative materials. and Participants can enter either their individual work or team projects.

 

 

 

CLEVER COOLING

 

 

More efficient, more sustainable, and with shorter tooling times: with the new SmartJet® concept from STUDER, a new era dawns for cooling systems in grinding applications. Both the customers and the environment profit from this.

 

 

 

 

 

 

A large part of the power and water consumed during grinding processes is required for the cooling. In these times of increasing energy prices and sustainability commitments, it is all the more important that the technological development in this field keeps progressing. STUDER has now achieved a true breakthrough with its SmartJet® concept: An intelligent cooling concept based on high-tech, which saves a significant amount of energy and resources and additionally even simplifies operation considerably.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

“SmartJet® can reduce water consumption by 40 percent and energy consumption by 50 percent,” says Martin Habegger, who is in charge of the project at STUDER. Those are substantial savings. But how are they achieved? In short: By using a clever nozzle design and an optimized line system with the appropriate pump for the machine line. Additionally, there is sensor-supported, intelligent control software that can support the operators to a much greater extent than in the past. Until now, operators had to take care of the cooling for the grinding process themselves. This involves first and foremost the correct positioning of the nozzles and manual adjustment of the volume flow, so that the pump can convey the cooling lubricant to the location where the grinding takes place.

 

 

 

Fundamental Principles Developed in Cooperation with ETH Zurich

 

 

To change this, STUDER joined forces with ETH Zurich to develop the technological bases and then advanced the SmartJet® concept to market maturity. With it, the machine control can now provide significant assistance with the coolant supply in practice, this makes grinding much easier, more precise, and more efficient.

 

 

3D-Printed High-Tech Nozzles

 

 

The innovative 3D-printed nozzles produced by STUDER’s sister company IRPD in St. Gallen also contribute to making this intelligent coolant system possible. Inside the streamlined design, there are several channels positioned next to each other. They distribute the cooling lubricant evenly across the width. If necessary, the downstream manifold can hold several nozzles in a row. The system has been designed as a modular solution with a quick coupler system, which makes it possible to recombine individual components in no time at all. It is always possible to adapt the nozzles individually to fulfill the needs of the customers.

 

 

 

Another aspect with which the SmartJet® makes life a lot easier for people who need to do grinding work is the way the coolant supply is digitally integrated into the machine as an assistance system. The concept will already be part of the standard scope of delivery of the S36 cylindrical grinding machine, which is equipped with the cross-brand hardware and software architecture of UNITED GRINDING: C.O.R.E. On the large, intuitive touch display, the setup wizard helps to configure the nozzles for each workpiece optimally, and all relevant information is displayed. The grinding machine operator can choose between automatic or manual nozzle adjustment. And of course, the settings for different workpieces can be saved and are immediately available agan for the next use.

 

 

Soon to be Standard in more Machine Types in Addition to the S36

 

 

 

The Advantages at a Glance

• Optimized coolant supply
• Operator-independent, reproducible results
• Adjustments through the machine control
• High grinding power
• High process reliability
• Shorter tooling times
• Up to 40% lower water consumption and 50% lower energy requirements

 

 

 

The New S100: the Perfect Machine for the Entry-Level Segment

 

 

 

 

 

 

High-precision, flexible and reliable: With the new S100, STUDER presents the ideal universal internal cylindrical grinding machine for the entry-level segment. Its excellent price-performance ratio makes it the perfect machine for a wide range of internal grinding applications.

 

 

“The S100 internal grinding entry-level machine perfectly complements our comprehensive internal grinding portfolio”, explains CSO Sandro Bottazzo, when presenting the S100 at the BI-MU Exhibition for Machine Tools in Milan.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Like all STUDER cylindrical grinding machines, the S100 also has a machine bed made of Granitan®. Its outstanding dampening, and thermal characteristics ensure consistently good grinding results and the renowned STUDER precision. During development, special attention was given to a simple and efficient design of the components, making operation and maintenance easier for the operator. However, the equipment of the S100 also makes it suitable for grinding a universal spectrum of parts comprising of geometrically defined basic forms and contours, which can be generated with interpolating axes.

 

 

 

Flexible Equipment Ensures a Diversity of Parts

 

 

 

The machine can be equipped with up to two internal grinding spindles or one internal and one external spindle. In addition to a fixed wheelhead, it can be equipped with a manual with a 2.5 degree Hirth and, in its optimum configuration, with an automatic wheelhead with 1 degree Hirth. A synchronous motor drives the grease-lubricated internal and external belt spindles. The machine is operated by the Fanuc 0i-TF PLUS controller, together with the proven STUDER operating system.

 

 

 

A further advantage of the S100 is the automation option. On request, it can be equipped with a loading interface and an automatic sliding door, enabling automatic operation and the production of large series.

 

 

 

Typical workpieces for production on the S100 include collets for toolmaking, bearing rings, ball bearings and cylinders, as well as hydraulic control valves in small series. External and internal machining of flange parts or grinding of threads or non-circular forms is also possible.

 

 

The competent and reliable STUDER Customer Care is naturally also on hand to provide advice and technical support for the S100. A total of more than 200 specialists worldwide ensure that the machine operates reliably and efficiently throughout its entire lifetime and fully satisfies all requirements. Customers can rely on the over 110-year grinding tradition of the Swiss company, founded back in 1912.

 

 

 

Technical Data of the S100 at a Glance

• Max. workpiece length: 550 mm (21.65 inches)
• Max. swing diameter: 425 mm (16.73 inches)
• Max. internal grinding diameter: 300 mm (11.8 inches)
• Max. diameter of internal grinding wheel: 63 mm (2.48 inches)

• internal grinding spindle speeds: 20.000/40.000/60.000 rpm
• Max. diameter of external grinding wheel: 400 x 40 x 127 mm (15.74 x 1.57 x 5.00 inches) F1N

• Workhead: Chuck workhead ISO50/110 or chuck workhead MT4/70

• Machine dimensions W x D x H: approx. 3090 x 2090 x 1990 mm (121.65 x 82.28 x 78.34 inches)

• Machine weight: approx. 4500 kg (9,920 lbs.)

 

 

GRINDING REQUIRES SMART AUTOMATION

 

 

Faster, more accurate, and more cost-efficient machining is only one of the advantages of automating grinding processes. Factors such as a higher safety for the operators and their health also play a large role. STUDER is therefore one of the technology leaders in this field.

 

 

 

 

 

 

“There are still a lot of prejudices about automation in grinding,” says Daniel Schafroth, Systems Division Manager at STUDER. There are frequently concerns that people or jobs could become redundant. “However, for us at STUDER, the opposite holds true: Automation should enable the human operators to do their work more easily, efficiently, and safely,” he says. Additionally, the special requirement of grinding necessitates that automation is used very wisely and selectively not every solution used in the industry is suitable for this. But what are the important factors?

 

 

 

 

 

 

“For grinding, it is particularly important that processes are performed repeatedly in the same way, with high precision and reliability, for example clamping workpieces and aligning them correctly with micrometer accuracy,” explains Schafroth. However, grinding fundamentally requires the operators to have a high level of competence, and automation should not be something that hinders them,” says Schafroth: “Automation only makes sense where the operator doesn’t have to have a decisive influence on the process.”

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Small Companies Profit from easyLoad

 

 

 

If correctly used, automation can be a real game changer for grinding companies regardless of whether it is a small business or a large company with several systems. “Where grinding machines are concerned, automation pays off for all sizes of companies,” emphasizes Schafroth. For example, the easyLoad loading system for external and universal cylindrical grinding machines (S31, S33, S22, and S41), which offers excellent value for money, including integration in the machine control, is explicitly also aimed at small companies.

 

 

 

easyLoad is suitable for use as a gantry loading system for shaft parts with a workpiece length of up to 300 mm (11.8“), a diameter of up to 30 mm (1.18“), and interfering contour diameters of max. 50 mm (1.97”). The adjustable synchronized conveyor allows autonomous processing of max. 50 workpieces. The standard gripper is designed for individual parts, the V-gripper for two parts, and the heavy-duty gripper for workpieces that weigh more than five kilograms (11 lbs.), and the changeover time is only around six seconds. This enables the machine to run autonomously for half an hour or longer with ease.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

ecoLoad and uniLoad Increase Production

 

 

 

STUDER has also developed optimal automation solutions for larger-volume series production. “Small companies mainly benefit from the universal and flexible systems, whereas speed and precision are the important factors in the production of large quantities,” explains Schafroth. Here, good automation concepts can produce a large number of high-quality workpieces and make the most of every second. The ecoLoad for the STUDER S22 production platform is an automatic loading system for series production using high-speed grinding, production-oriented cylindrical grinding, as well as form and thread grinding.

 

 

 

ecoLoad can load workpieces with a diameter of up to 50 mm (1.97”) and a length of 250 mm (9.85”). This is either done using a carousel magazine or an insertion prism, which can also be used as the interface for standalone tool magazines. The programming is already integrated into the grinding machine control. This ensures short retooling times.

 

 

 

The uniLoad automatic loading system also makes it possible for operators of the STUDER S31 and S33 external cylindrical grinding machines to significantly increase productivity without any loss of quality.

 

 

 

The system docks to the machine from the left. With a prismatic conveyor and all racks at full capacity, it can perform automatic processing for around an hour. It is suitable for workpieces with a length of up to 350 mm (13.8”) and 100 mm (3.94”) diameter and thus covers a large range of the parts normally produced on these machines.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Automation When Space is Tight: smartLoad and roboLoad

 

 

 

Solutions for applications with limited space are another important trend in the automation of grinding. “In modern production halls, it is of particular importance to make efficient use of the space,” says Schafroth. This is another topic where STUDER is a trailblazer, for example with the smartLoad for the S11, a production cylindrical grinding machine for small workpieces which has a footprint of only 1.8 square meters (19.4 sq. ft). The smartLoad unit is also compact and can feed in workpieces from outside the machine, using either a conveyor or a swiveling unit, as well as clamp them and place them back after the machining. Thanks to the wide variety of configuration options, numerous applications are possible, for both small and large-volume series.

 

 

 

In the past, radius internal cylindrical grinding machines, which are used in the manufacturing of drawing dies, for example, have been particularly difficult to automate, due to the limited space available. One reason for this is the restricted enclosure geometry resulting from the high workhead. STUDER has now developed an optimal solution for this as well: roboLoad. This external loader for the S121, S131, and S141 is designed as a gripper arm with quick-change jaws and has a lot of space for workpieces on six trays (each 1080 x 320 mm (42,5” x 12.6”)). At 1.50 m (59”), the system is only half the width of the machine itself.

 

 

 

Automation is Digital as Well

 

 

 

This freedom includes easy and intuitive operation, a special USP of roboLoad and the other STUDER concepts. “The grinding machine operators do not need any programming skills to perform the setup; it can be done easily and quickly within a matter of minutes,” says Schafroth. For him, automation in grinding means more than just physical machine support. It is equally important to have digital assistance, such as that offered by the STUDER grinding software and in particular C.O.R.E., the revolutionary new cross-brand hardware and software architecture of the UNITED GRINDING Group.

 

 

 

On the large C.O.R.E. touch display with intuitive icons, the operators can quickly find what they need and important information regarding the machining process is displayed. RFID access chips can be used to let the machine only display the options and information for which the individual users are qualified. “This prevents unqualified employees from making changes that could cause an error or a crash,” explains Schafroth. With applications of UNITED GRINDING Digital Solutions™, efficient remote monitoring of the machines is possible even today, and in the future machines will monitor themselves for optimal functioning and proactively provide information on required maintenance measures.

 

 

 

Advantages at a Glance:

 

 

• Automation in grinding protects the health of the operators and makes their workplaces safer and more comfortable.

• In small grinding companies with few employees, automation gives the staff more time for other tasks.

• In large-series production and mass production, grinding machines with automation can process large quantities very quickly, and with consistent quality.
• Smart, network-capable software and digital assistance systems form part of automation ecause they make the work easier and faster for the operators and increase the quality.
• STUDER has developed optimal automation solutions for a variety of applications: easyLoad (S31, S33, S22, and S41), ecoLoad (S22), smartLoad (S11), uniLoad (S31 and S33), as well as roboLoad (S121 Radius, S131 Radius, S141 Radius).