Deburring and part levelling machine in a single line at Suer Stahltechnik

Suer Stahltechnik is a young company. It was founded in 2020 by Leonard Suer. With a total of 12 employees, they provide high quality sheet metal work. From laser cutting to deburring. From edging to milling. All sheet metal processing is done in Raesfeld. A product that has gone through the laser cutter is not yet finished. “We want to deburr it, mill it, galvanise it, and so on… We take over all the processing for our customers, so they do not have to do it themselves anymore.” The customers largely come from the same German state: North Rhine-Westphalia. They mainly work in machine construction, steel and hall construction, but also in railing and staircase construction or even the automotive industry.

Growth

Suer Stahltechnik is committed to their customers. What sets them apart from others? They are still young and like to take on challenges. Leonard: “If a customer comes to us, tells us where they want to go and asks if we want to be their partner, we say: we’ll do it.” For example, Suer recently purchased a machine to meet a customer need. The customer wanted a product they could not initially make. Together, they discussed what needed to be done. That led to an additional machine.

Deburring

Speaking to several abrasive belt and brush manufacturers, Suer was pointed in the direction of Timesavers International. After the first conversation with the sales person, it was clear to them: it will be Timesavers. At the time, the choice fell on a 42 RB series with a working width of 1,350 mm. It was later replaced for the same series, but with a working width of 1,600 mm. The machine with rotating brushes is ideally suited for deburring, edge rounding to a radius of 2 mm, laser oxide removal and finishing. Oxide removal is crucial for coating and galvanising. The applied layer adheres much better to a clean surface. 1A-Maschinen GmbH, dealer of Timesavers machines, played a major role in the project. They provided the deburring machine in combination with AMI roller tables and Absaugwerk GmbH’s dust extraction unit.

Bended parts and plates

The German company had been working with Timesavers’ deburring machine for two years. They were quite satisfied with it. Yet they kept running into the same problem. The parts they ran through in the deburring machine were not completely straight. When laser cutting, tension enters the sheet metal. When that tension is released, the metal deforms. This can happen during follow-up processes such as welding or assembly. The post-processing that is then required can lead to higher costs. To save such costs, the stress should be removed from the sheet metal. Hence the purchase of the Peak Performer 85P.1600 from KOHLER Maschinenbau.

Levelling

The Peak Performer 85P.1600 part levelling machine levells sheet metal made of steel, aluminum and stainless steel with dimensions up to 1,500 x 3,000 mm and a sheet thickness up to 28.0 mm. The part levelling machine has an advanced cleaning system, which allows the levelling rollers to be electrically moved out of the machine. The cleaning process is significantly simplified, especially after levelling black steel. This is very important for Suer Stahltechnik, as various metals such as aluminium, stainless steel and black steel are processed. The machine is also equipped with an electromechanical gap control, which shows its full strength with varying cross-sections and easily masters the changing forces that occur. The patented electromechanical gap control recognizes the changed force flow in milliseconds, compensates for it and counteracts it immediately. The gap control also remains constant during the levelling process – an enormous advantage for optimum levelling results, especially with more complex components. The part levelling machine is also equipped with a barcode scanner, reversible levelling rollers for longer service life and functions such as edge and overload protection systems.

All is one

To save space, Suer wanted to link the part levelling machine to the deburring machine. This way, it forms one process. The control panels of the KOHLER and Timesavers machine are integrated into one system, with three cameras on top. This allows one employee to manage and oversee the entire process. “You save time, space and energy. And it works very well,” says Leonard. KOHLER’s part levelling machine ensures flat and low-stress sheet metal. Max Burgert, product manager at KOHLER, explains that levelling involves more than just straightening a sheet. By reducing and balancing the tension in the material, further work becomes more process reliable and efficient. Next, the levelled part passes over the roller table into the deburring machine. There, deburring, edge rounding, oxide removal and finishing take place. At the push of a button, the conveyor belt reverses again. This way, the part is fed back to the front.

Cooperation

The companies KOHLER, Timesavers, 1A-Maschinen and Suer Stahltechnik look back on a pleasant cooperation. It went beyond just delivering a product. It was about offering the optimum process. Regular meetings were crucial during the development and completion of the production line. Raoul Knoop, machine operator and workshop leader: “What I really liked was that they responded to every customer request. That you can say: I would like it to be this way and that way. Is that possible? And they also tried and realised it. Moreover, they worked very closely together on this. So I really liked that. It turned out very, very well.”