MAPAL provides retooling services for GROB machine tools, including complete process planning, tool design, fixture design, and programming. For a new automotive project, GROB outsourced the entire machining process to MAPAL for the production of aluminum steering racks on four new G350 machines in China. MAPAL's experience with similar parts and tooling solutions convinced GROB to rely on MAPAL to deliver the project on time according to a tight schedule.

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Customer benefits
– Complete implementation by experienced specialists
– Saving in resources, costs and time
– Dependable local support
MAPAL re.tooling service: complete process
planning for new workpieces up to commissioning
A B S O L U T P R Ä Z I S I O N
A perfect team: GROB high performance machines and MAPAL re.tooling
were undertaken by MAPAL staff on
the machines at GROB in Mindel-
heim. Due to changes in the alumini-
um casting at short notice, a further
machining step had to be added and
various MAPAL solid carbide tools re-
vised. „MAPAL has proven itself with
its flexibility and speed of reaction“,
says the project manager at GROB,
Hong Lou.
After preliminary acceptance and
demonstration of the process capabili-
ty, a further 200 pre-series production
parts were manufactured. The specia-
lists from MAPAL were also on site
during this period to be able to react
immediately if necessary. Shortly af-
terwards the machines were shipped to
the end customer in China. With the
final acceptance MAPAL and GROB
again jointly confirmed the capabili-
ty of the machine, fixture, tools and
process. Hand-over to the customer
then followed.
With MAPAL re.tooling our customers
receive a complete, reliable process
from a single source. New projects are
realised using the latest technologies
in the shortest time with transparent
costs.
Your contact person for further information:
Frank Stäbler | frank.staebler@de.mapal.com
For many years GROB and MAPAL
have collaborated closely and success-
fully in the project business. Custo-
mers with the highest requirements
and demands in manufacturing rely
on high performance machinery from
GROB and MAPAL tool technology.
For three years GROB has marketed a
series of standard machines. Alongside
the G350, the G550 series for larger
workpieces now completes the product
range of the Mindelheim-based ma-
chine tool manufacturer. The horizon-
tal 5-axis centres impress with their
stability, flexibility and performance.
For a new project GROB has sold four
G350 series machining centres to an
automotive supplier. The machines are
used for the production of aluminium
steering rack tubes in China. The order
placed by the automotive supplier on
GROB was not just for the sale of the
machines. The project also inclu-
ded the complete process planning
including the design of all tools, the
clamping fixture and the NC program,
including commissioning in China.
For this project GROB decided for
the MAPAL re.tooling service, that is
GROB decided to give the entire res-
ponsibility for the machining process
to MAPAL. GROB was convinced by
the many years of experience with the
planning of complete tool packages,
the innovative MAPAL tool techno-
logy and the know-how related to
efficient processes. A further decision
criterion for „outsourcing“ the respon-
sibility for the process to MAPAL was
the very critical schedule due to the
high level of utilisation of in-house
resources.
MAPAL tools have already been used
successfully worldwide for machi-
ning aluminium steering rack tubes
for a number of years. MAPAL has
extensive experience here and offers
a cost-effective solution for every re-
quirement. Special MAPAL PCD tools
have become established in the series
production manufacture of these parts.
MAPAL re.tooling in practice
The new project started with the de-
finition of the process and machining
strategy, a cycle time study, as well as
a draft clamping concept to enable the
entire part to be manufactured on a
5-axis machining centre in one clam-
ping system. The most cost-effective
machining sequence and the optimal
tools for this strategy as well as a
detailed collision analysis are crucial
factors here.
This work was immediately followed
by the manufacture of the tools and
the clamping fixture. In parallel MA-
PAL prepared the NC program for the
machine controller.
The project manager Timo Killinger
from MAPAL reports: „Due to the
close collaboration with fixture and
tool design as well as the NC pro-
grammer, it was possible to prepare a
high performance overall process in a
very short time“.
Both the installation
of the process
as well
as the fine
tuning
of the
NC program
f.r.t.l.: Hong Lou (project manager at GROB),
Roman Kutzner (MAPAL regional sales mana-
ger) and Timo Killinger (project manager at
MAPAL re.tooling).
Innovative and cost-effective MAPAL tool technology. Everything from a single source – MAPAL takes over complete project responsibility.
GROB G350 – machining centre for the highest
requirements.