Reference project: DMG MORI 

At the DMG MORI site in Pfronten, the company produces the complete model mix of the Monoblock series, including the series with pallet changer (DMC) and milling/turning table (FD), a 5-axis machining centre which Alubis Stahl covers 80% of all applications and is ideal for small and medium-sized companies in particular.

"The popularity of the monobloc machines is leading to high demand across the entire model mix," says Reinhard Musch, Managing Director at Deckel Maho Pfronten. The machines are adapted precisely to the requirements of the users in a modular system. In order to be able to serve customers even faster in the future, DMG MORI has now comprehensively modernised the factory in Pfronten. "The goal," says Musch, "was to increase space efficiency and to be able to manufacture the complete model mix of the Monoblock series in a highly flexible and even more productive manner." In the so-called Excellence Factory, the machines are now manufactured in a continuous flow production. The backbone of the production is the driverless AGV transport systems on which the machines are placed and allow them to glide through the production at a speed of 45 mm per minute. In this way, they pass through the 34 cycles to the finished machine within seven days - previously it was ten. Now, more than 1000 customised machines can be produced annually. Things have also changed for the employees. "As soon as the machine is on the AGV transport system, the employees work at the individual stations with optimal accessibility on the AGV and on travelling platforms," Musch explains. The Excellence Factory, which opened in September this year, is the only production facility that uses AGV transport systems.
"Compared to rail systems, AGVs are a much more flexible solution, so they optimise the infrastructure on the shop floor," Musch says, adding, "It's also possible to switch out the machine if necessary."

New assembly line requires new supply
In order to optimally supply the Excellence Factory with C-parts, DMG MORI worked from the very beginning with Keller & Kalmbach, specialists in connection and fastening technology. "Keller & Kalmbach is already a long-standing partner of Deckel Maho Pfronten who always develops one hundred percent with our requirements," Musch emphasises.
Keller & Kalmbach was involved in the Excellence Factory project right from the start. Stephan Schissler, Key Account Manager Keller & Kalmbach, explains: "The big challenge was to deliver the goods to the respective cycle at the right time, taking into account the available space." Two supply routes are therefore available for the Excellence Factory: Parts that have a high assembly rate are delivered from the Keller & Kalmbach central warehouse in Hilpoltstein directly to the assembly line. Parts that are used less often are pre-commissioned by a service employee in the central C-parts supermarket at the site and delivered to the cycles. When containers are empty, they are dropped into the dropLOG^® box, which immediately triggers an automatic order via RFID. Two months after the start of production, optimisation is now on the agenda. It is mainly about shortening the delivery routes in the factory, adjusting the quantities of unit loads and adding or removing parts for delivery.

Thomas Bimmel, Deputy Head of Customer Logistics and Services at Keller & Kalmbach explains, "Our goal is that fluctuations in demand no longer have to be reported by the customer, but that we analyse them predictively and adjust them if necessary before bottlenecks occur." Next year, another step will be taken: Keller & Kalmbach then wants to connect third-party suppliers in the Excellence Factory to its own eLogistics system in order to be able to offer procurement from a single source. DMG MORI is also planning for the future. Musch says: "The new Excellence Factory offers us and our customers so many advantages that we will also transfer this concept to other plants."

Extract "Industrie Anzeiger", Edition 26.2020, Author: Sanja Döttling

The project at a glance

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