Being able to accept orders quickly while remaining flexible is a crucial factor in making the A. Erglis GmbH competitive. To achieve this, the model making and mold construction company relies on Zimmermann portal milling machines for more than 28 years. The machine fleet continues to grow with the capacities of orders and was recently complemented by a compact and dynamic FZU22. A. Erglis is using this system, which is reduced to its essentials, exclusively for processing composites and plastic parts.
“What makes us so competitive?” – Rainer Eckelt does not have to think long. “We are able to react very swiftly when it comes to client orders and are thus able to deliver quickly.” A crucial factor that is extremely important for his clients, but especially to those in the motorsports sector. Mr. Eckelt is an executive manager of the A. Erglis GmbH in Heilbronn, Germany . The company, specializing in model making and mold construction, was founded in 1965 by Arnold Erglis. It was taken over by Josef Eckelt in 1979, who then passed on the company to his son Reiner in 2003. The team, consisting of over 30 employees, is constructing molds, models and prototypes according to client’s specifications and requirements. Following this process, specialists are programming the data for the NC-milling machines. “Because we are offering construction as well as manufacturing from one single provider, we guarantee flawless compatibility”, assures Eckelt. The materials used are epoxy resin, ureol, various plastics, aluminum and steel, amongst others.
Currently, the order books for the upcoming months are well-filled. Besides motorsports, other clients are primarily operating in the automotive, as well as the aerospace sector. But especially in the Formula 1 racing series, speed is not only crucial on the racetrack. “Oftentimes we receive an order on Monday, asking for delivery on Friday”, explains Eckert. “This can be positive molds, but also direct machining tools for the sidepods or the front spoiler of a car.” The executive manager usually declares these especially urgent projects a top priority for himself. “If I open an E-mail in the evening then it is almost always difficult to catch any sleep at night. After all, the end client does not want to fall behind on race day.” Seriously? At least to some extent. “Not a lot of suppliers offer such service”, says the executive manager. To ensure this kind of speed, the model making and mold construction company also relies on its excellent network which is able to quickly supply the needed materials in the necessary quantity.
It’s all about the workspaces
Every order is different, there can be parts with complex shapes, but also simple parts, unique parts or parts demanded at large quantity – the size also varies significantly. “We are, for example, able to manufacture small components economically by using large machines with interchangeable plates, whereas we would not be able to manufacture large components on small machines.”, says Eckelt. Due to this, the machine fleet has adapted to the order situation in recent years. The major share of systems is produced by Zimmermann. “We already knew about the Swabian company from model construction. In 1997 we got the first portal milling machine – a FZ30”, Mr. Eckelt remembers. Back then he was already working in the family business, while his father was still leading the company. “We liked the regional proximity, because fast service is a very important factor”, he says. In addition, we quickly established a relationship of mutual trust with Rudolf Gänzle, the director and executive manager at F. Zimmermann GmbH in Germany at the time. “The contract was not signed, but sealed by a handshake as usual in this time”, says Mr. Eckelt with a smile.
For the first portal system the company built a new hall, which continued to fill up. Since the FZ30 was not designed for aluminum, but for plastics, a FZ37 was added in 2002 and another one of the same model four years later. Afterward, Zimmerman exchanged the first FZ30 with a new one, providing larger workspaces. A FZ33 compact followed, allowing quick and complete processing of aluminum and composite parts from all five sides – furthermore it enables the company to finish steel and cast components with high dynamics and in simultaneous operation. Two machines from a market competitor are also running during the two-shift operation of the company. “We always selected the systems by the size of their workspaces and the technologies, which are continuously developed further by Zimmermann”, Eckelt explains. Of importance are short processing times and high precision, to avoid reworking the components, as well as a very high availability of the systems.
Efficiently plastic milling
At the beginning of March, Rainer Eckelt expanded the machine fleet again. “We spent one or two years searching for an economical portal system, which we can exclusively use for composites and plastics, while not having to invest more than a million.” The FZ30 with interchangeable plate system had become too slow for him in the meantime, due to its setup times paired with the multitude of components. Alongside factors like reliability and efficiency, the price played a particularly important role. He looked at different machines, also from competitors. Of course, there had been discussions with Zimmermann and with Rudolf Gänzle, who is still closely connected to the A. Erglis GmbH.
A. Erglis GmbH.
The initial plan included a FZU32. The compact five-axis-portal milling machine specifically processes aluminum, but also fiber-reinforced composites, plastics and ureol. The centrally guided portal is rigid and less vulnerable in adverse environmental conditions due to the thermo-symmetrical design. “We liked the machine, but it was too much for our limited demands, also regarding the price”, explains Eckelt. But Gänzle did not give up. The executive manager of Erglis was then able to take a look at a FZU22 at another model making and mold construction company – “it is basically a base, or economy version of its bigger sister machine”, describes Sandra Bayer Teixeira, marketing manager at Zimmermann Germany. Eckelt: “We were also able to talk to the operator and even mill a test part.” The result was compelling due to its high precision and the quality of its surface finish.
When the other company decided to purchase another FZU22, it became clear to Eckelt that he would make the right decision when buying this product family. The construction space measures 1,800 x 3,000 x 1,250 millimeters. The standard equipment includes, amongst other things, a 12- or 24-position tool changer. The specifically developed, dynamic 5-axis-milling head C2 with fork head and the 15kW spindle is well suited, even for hard-to-reach areas, due to its geometry. It is equipped with a two-sided bearing pivot axis, which is made of cast.
Adapted to specific requirements
Rainer Eckert continued to construct his very own design for the machine. This way the FZU22 was equipped, for example, with a double-acting zero-point clamping system, to be able have two interchangeable plates installed at the same time. The dust extraction was manufactured independently, while the air-conditioned hall is sufficient for cooling.
“We refrained from using anything we do not need, which makes the machine even more efficient”, says the executive manager. Sandra Bayer Teixeira compares this to a car: “If I do not add seat heating or a rain sensor as equipment components, the price becomes more attractive and the chance that such a sensor will cause problems in the vehicle diminishes. I will reliably get from A to B.”
Easy transport, easy installation
“The nice part about such a compact system: transportation is quite uncomplicated”, says the marketing manager from Zimmermann. It took only a few months for the machine to be built and delivered. Sandra Bayer Teixeira:” We did not have to disassemble our lightweight machine when loading it on a truck and a crane was able to lift it into the hall.”
The tools for the FZU recently arrived from Heilbronn. The machine is not working at full capacity yet, but this will change in the upcoming weeks. It has already shown what it can do. Reiner Eckelt is presenting a small, complex model of a racecar, which has been shaped from the full: the milling of undercuts and of the small edges is actually quite challenging. The compact FZU22 mastered this without problems. Rainer Eckelt is satisfied and also positively surprised, by just how fast the minimally equipped machine was able to complete the first orders – many small parts made of plastic – within one clamping process.
