Gear Cutting on Standard Machines
The history of Kumera Antriebstechnik GmbH from Graz dates back to the year 1898, when Norricum Cless Graz built chainless gears for bicycles. Since 2000 the company has been a wholly owned subsidiary of the Finnish Kumera Cooperation.
Within the Kumera Power Transmission Group, the Austrian company with its approximately 50 employees produces special gear units for hydropower plants, the paper industryand chemical installations. 50 percent of sales are also generated by the service business, such as the overhaul and repair of industrial gearboxes from our own product range as well as third-party products. Reliable machining of the gear components is ensured by five turning and turn-mill machines from DMG MORI, including an NT 5400 and the NT 6600 installed in 2021 for turned parts having diameters of up to ø 1,070 mm and lengths up to 4,000 mm. Kumera produces sophisticated gears on both turnmill centers with the help of the exclusive DMG MORI gearMILL technology cycle.
Reverse engineering of individual parts in just a few days
“The order situation has developed positively over the past few years,” says Helmut Hochegger, Managing Director of Kumera Antriebstechnik, about the good utilization of capacity in production. As the focus is mainly on individual parts that have to be delivered as quickly as possible, flexibility plays a key role. “Especially in the service business, we try to provide spare parts within a few days.” The engineering expertise of the team is an important mainstay in this sector. “Very often we only have a single component, which we measure completely, redesign and carry out calculations and then produce it in the required quality”, is how Helmut Hochegger describes the reverse engineering process. In production, Kumera can draw on a number of different technologies: conventional machining, wire eroding, hobbing and grinding. The company continuously optimizes its processes by regularly investing in innovative manufacturing solutions. “The two turnmill centers from DMG MORI helped us enormously here”, says Helmut Hochegger recalling the procurements. With their large work areas, both the NT 5400 and the NT 6600 cover a wide range of components and offer maximum machining versatility. Long shafts, for example, can be set up thanks to the steady rest.
Maximum reliability – in use for over 20 years
Helmut Hochegger has been familiar with the high level of reliability of the DMG MORI models for many years: “We already had lathes from Japan in use in the 1990s and still use some of them today for training purposes.” The quality is impressive after such a long time. “The sturdy construction ensures optimum long-term accuracy and a high level of process reliability.”
Fast and simple gear production with gearMILL
The main reason for the purchase of the NT 5400 was the possibility of milling gears efficiently. What DMG MORI had previously made possible on machining centers and CTX TC models was implemented on an NT machine for the first time. “With the gearMILL technology cycle, we can produce herringbone, bevel and helical gears at any time – quickly and with maximum precision,” says Helmut Hochegger, assessing the technology integration. “Depending on the size, we achieve quality in the range DIN 5 to 7.” After the successful introduction of gearMILL on the NT 5400, it was clear that Kumera would implement the same principle on the larger NT 6600 in 2021.
Cost-efficient production of demanding gears
What makes gearMILL so easy to use is the program creation based on drawings and gear data. In the case of the two NT machines, production takes place on standard machines with standard tools. “In combination with user-friendly programming, this allows us to produce sophisticated gears flexibly and economically,” explains Helmut Hochegger.
Healthy growth and motivation of the next generation
Kumera remains competitive in a fiercely contested market by investing in advanced manufacturing solutions, such as the complete machining of gears described above. Added to this are investments in training and further education, as Helmut Hochegger goes on to tell us: “Well-trained specialists are needed to get the most out of the technology.” In addition Kumera promotes a self-reliant way of working in its modern production facility. “Experience shows that this contributes to staff motivation.”
Into the future with technology integration and complete machining
Technological progress in production will continue to play a major role at Kumera in the future. Also, against the background of limited production space at the urban site, complete machining and technology integration are a great help, says Helmut Hochegger: “We focus on high-quality products and components, which we must manufacture all the more efficiently if we want to keep growing strongly.”
Kumera Antriebstechnik GmbH
Raiffeisenstraße 38 – 40
A-8010 Graz, Österreich
www.kumera.com