FAQ
Industry-specific
Aerospace industry Additive manufacturing Doors & fire protection elements Formwork construction Furniture construction Instrument making Metal processing Mold and model making Prefabricated houses Processing of acrylic glass Timber construction Staircase construction
Processing of acrylic glass
What do machines have to be capable of in order to process acrylic glass?
The material can be formed, drilled and cut to size, while being robust, tough and UV-resistant. In addition to great transparency and good heat insulation, it has a long service life. When processing the material, machine operation must really be smooth, as any disturbance would definitely show in the delicate material. A challenge is the fact that the chips are charged and adhere to all metal parts.
It therefore makes sense to use a blast nozzle with ionized air, an adjustable extraction hood and a cross laser, which travels with the Y‑slide. The spindle should also be equipped with built-in vibration monitoring (IFM), which indicates status changes via binary switching outputs.
What needs to be considered in order to obtain clear edges on acrylic glass components?
When processing acrylic glass, clear edges can only be achieved through the absolute precision of the spindle in combination with an optimum minimum quantity lubrication. This is why there are explicit specifications regarding minimum quantity lubrication, as well as concerning the high cable chain guide for better cleaning, as many different materials such as the thermoplastics PP, PVC, PMMA, but also polystyrene or MDF can be processed on the CNC.
What are the challenges of bonded components?
High-performance composite materials are becoming increasingly popular for the production of lightweight structures. The objectives are energy efficiency and maximum weight reduction, for example in rail and bus vehicles.
If you want to cut large bonded components into individual parts using a CNC system, you need to ensure high-precision machining so that no damage to the primer coating ensues. The precondition for this is absolute accuracy in the milling process, which is 0.01 mm in the Z‑axis range and 0.1 mm in the X/Y‑axis range.
You also need to pay attention to the table concept, including the vacuum concept. A concept with different clamping devices allows the easier and faster changeover of the table from flat materials to curved components, minimizing unprofitable downtimes. Other useful technical equipment: a blasting nozzle with ionized air to prevent the chips from sticking to the material, a tracing spindle unit with tracing bell, a 3D measuring sensor for determining the component positions in the X/Y‑plane, and a cable chain placed in an elevated position to permit free access to the rear side of the machine.
What needs consideration for large components?
If required, the electronic coupling of a 5‑axis machining center with a stationary 2‑column portal and two independently movable machining tables, each with 6 support beams, will be possible. This increases flexibility, as it permits even the processing of large components with a length of 10 m and a width of 6 m in a single clamping operation. Here, all customary lightweight construction materials, wood-based materials and plastics, as well as high-density materials and composites can be machined.
High-performance 5‑axis units with a 24 kW spindle, equipped with a torque support, permit the use of additional heads from the tool magazine in any angular position. Rotating/swivel movements in the C‑axis and an undercut in the B‑axis allow for the machining of the entire workpiece circumference. Special probing cycles also enable dimensionally accurate machining in all axes.
How to counter temperature fluctuations during measuring?
Glass scales guarantee a measuring of the machine in its current state, as, because of the structural heat, deviations can ensue on a long machine bed. Glass scales render the machine even more precise, as there are two systems monitoring each other, which signal any deviation from the reference value. This ensures considerably higher accuracy.
Additive manufacturing
What is additive manufacturing?
In CNC machine engineering, additive manufacturing refers to a process in which components are not machined from the material but are built up layer by layer from plastic or metal. It complements classic CNC machining by enabling the production of complex geometries, lightweight structures, and rapid prototypes that would be difficult or impossible to machine using conventional methods.
What is LFAM?
In CNC machine engineering, large format additive manufacturing (LFAM) refers to large-format additive manufacturing processes in which plastic, composite, or metal materials are built up layer by layer to form voluminous components.
In conjunction with hybrid manufacturing systems – i.e., machines that combine additive and CNC subtractive machining in a single system – LFAM enables the efficient production of large blanks and complex structures that can be precisely finished directly in the same process. This shortens production times, reduces material usage, and allows the creation of components that would be impossible or very costly to produce using machining alone.
What is hybrid manufacturing and what are its advantages?
Hybrid manufacturing refers to the combination of additive and subtractive manufacturing processes in a single machine. The component is first built up additively and then CNC-finished directly in the same system.
Advantages:
- Higher precision: Functional surfaces are CNC-machined immediately without re-clamping.
- Time savings: No transport or setup between different systems.
- Material efficiency: Only the required volume is built up, the rest is precisely removed.
- More complex components: Combination of freely formable additive structures and high-precision CNC geometries.
- Repair & reworking possible: Additively build up damaged areas and machine them directly.
What is model building and prototyping?
In CNC special machine construction / milling machines, model making involves the precise manufacture of models, prototypes, and master models that are used for the development, design, and testing of components. Prototypes make it possible to test the shape, function, and fit at an early stage before series production begins. CNC machines guarantee maximum accuracy and repeatability, even with complex geometries.
What are master models or core boxes for casting molds?
Master models and core boxes serve as templates for casting molds in metal or plastic production. They are manufactured precisely using CNC machines to ensure the subsequent dimensional accuracy and surface quality of the casting. The use of modern CNC technology allows both individual pieces and small series to be produced quickly, reliably, and with high dimensional accuracy.
What is tool and mold making?
What is a clamping device?
A clamping device is a device or clamping tool used to position and secure workpieces securely and precisely on a CNC machine. It ensures that the component is held accurately and repeatably during machining, regardless of shape, size, or material.
Clamping devices are crucial for accuracy, surface quality, and efficiency in the manufacture of prototypes, tools, or series components.
Prefabricated houses
What does the comprehensive processing of façade elements involve?
If you want to deliver almost completely closed façade components to the construction sites (including façade formwork, plaster, and with windows and doors in place), the CNC has to carry out all formatting, such as socket, door and window cutouts, anchoring angles and fixing holes, bevel cuts for gables and other technically necessary notches, in the prefabrication stage.
What do you need to make the customization of prefabricated houses economically viable?
The use of CNC technology is mandatory for the efficient prefabrication of building envelopes, façade elements, ceilings, walls and exterior components. If, apart from timber-frame construction, also solid wall and ceiling elements, as well as elevator walls for multi-story buildings are to be produced, for which wood and plasterboard, fiber cement, HPL panels and large-format, thick CLT panels are used, the CNC machining center needs the appropriate technical equipment.
Moreover, the machine should have correspondingly spacious working dimensions, because the larger a panel is the more waste-optimized and therefore more economical it can be processed. A powerful working spindle (e.g. 24 kW) guarantees a high machining capacity, while the machine achieves precise work results thanks to its stable, low-vibration design. A special 2‑channel extraction system is useful, if, apart from wood, gypsum or cement dust is to be extracted from the panel materials through another channel.
What does Smart Factory mean?
The intelligent interlinkage of all components in the sense of a smart factory makes a significant contribution to an increase in efficiency. Prerequisite is a central CAD planning system that provides the complete data sets with the correct project reference for all workstations. This saves time and ensures optimum fitting accuracy and high quality. It also enables you to process many times more material than with conventional methods.
Why is strong planking important for prefabricated houses?
Houses built using the pure prefabricated timber construction method (K60 construction method), are usually characterized by walls with wood fiber insulation and planking 25 mm thick made of the natural building material gypsum, as they ensure a healthy indoor climate thanks to their perfect temperature and moisture balance. For this reason, planking is extremely important and industrial wall production with 5‑axis CNC systems is the most essential part of a modern production process. Individualized process solutions, such as those from Reichenbacher, are indispensable for implementing a new panel-processing center in an existing production sequence with the objective of improving the latter.
It is possible, for example, to realize a high degree of prefabrication using an efficient through-feed system. As the panel stacks are stored in an upstream storage area, the panels handled by a flexible gripper system only have a short distance to cover to reach the milling machine. Pre-positioned grippers transfer the panels via a driven roller conveyor onto the CNC system, where they are fixed and processed.
Mold and model making
What does the requirements profile in mold, model and prototype construction look like from a production engineering perspective?
Usually, a large table with a high Z‑axis is required. Moreover, an especially sturdy machine should be used, as model making involves large machining volumes. Roughing is often carried out from the solid, while high surface quality and precision are required for subsequent finishing. That is why a powerful spindle and a system designed for high feed rates are the cornerstones of mold and model making.
We recommend a system with a vibration-free, stationary bridge portal (ECO), which, for reasons of the considerable table size and design, is a heavy welded construction completely enclosed in a protective cabin. One or more robust aggregate carriages, which are responsible for the transverse and vertical movements of the working units, are attached to the portal.
Why is digitized product development important in mold and model making?
The introduction of computer-aided manufacturing has revolutionized the production of complex components, particularly in tool and mold making. The use of up to six or more axes of movement opens up completely new possibilities for the optimization of component manufacturing processes.
After completion and approval of the 3D design, it will be possible to establish the master pattern for molding the fiber composite. Based on the 3D data, the programming, the simulation and the safeguarding of the milling process is effected offline at the virtual twin of the machine. For reasons of the size and shape of the components and of the materials used (mostly a very easy-to-machine pattern foam based on polyurethane (PUR) and epoxy (EP)), a Reichenbacher portal milling machine is ideally suited for the production of the prototype component. Thanks to the 5‑axis kinematics of the machine, the entire milling process can then take place collision-free in just one clamping operation.
The block material consisting of panel material is pre-sawn to raw part dimensions close to the final contour plus machining allowance and glued together in order to avoid unnecessary material removal. Once the milling process is finished, the laminating mold for the final fiber composite component can be formed from the master pattern.
Timber construction
Why is industrial production becoming increasingly important in timber construction?
The rapidly growing demand for living space and the focus on sustainability are bringing dynamic solutions in timber house construction more and more into focus; automation is therefore playing an increasingly important role. For timber construction companies, this means that more intelligent and interlinked production lines will have to be implemented in the future to enable an automated and precise prefabrication of timber elements in the factory. High-precision systems are only one side of the coin; in the future, it will be even more important to think in terms of processes. Timber construction in particular will shift significantly towards industry and away from actual craftsmanship – and that means partial or full automation.
What are the requirements for the industrial production of planking components in timber frame construction?
The following applies to both solid wood construction and timber frame construction, or to a combination of both: the planking components used, made of various materials and intended for different functions, place high demands on the production facilities and on the sequencing. This is reflected in our machines, which are used in the industrial production of various modules for house construction. We do not only have the individual panel or the individual wall in mind, but we are also dealing with the manifold preconditions that have to be met before we can speak of an industrial production of planking components used in timber frame constructions.
What is the basis in designing a system for timber construction?
The task of a panel processing center is primarily defined by the workpieces and the degree of automation, and thus by the overall performance. A wide range of parameters determines the design of a system: on the one hand there are the dimensions of the raw parts, the weights of the raw panels, and the total stack weights, the materials to be processed and the raw materials, while on the other hand there are the processing units and the total system output, the panel materials and thicknesses, the ways of processing the planking components (cross-section) and – last but not least – the software environment.
What is the difference between the individual Reichenbacher plant systems?
In order to define the parameters of a panel-processing center precisely, we split the systems up into individual functions. Depending on the application, it will be possible to define such a stand-alone system up to a fully automatic panel-processing center with a stock of raw parts and workpieces. This is why there is no answer to the question for the optimum panel-processing machine, as the individual company structure always has an influence on the design of the system.
However, there is one important factor to consider and that is the question for the degree of automation of the materials to be processed. Therefore, we differentiate between the so-called material-bound machine systems (only one material category is processed, for example mineral materials such as gypsum plasterboard), and the all-in-one machine systems (processing of all materials required, such as wood, gypsum, etc.), with or without automation technology.
What does Reichenbacher mean by the term panel factory?
This is virtually the highest level of expansion: here, in a so-called Giga-Factory, a processing center with an associated high-rise storage system, including shelf storage and retrieval unit, processes the panels. The objective is to alleviate manufacturing pressure by virtue of the great storage capacity for raw materials, goods on consignment or purchased parts. On the one hand, this allows for material-optimized production, but above all, it makes production planning easier. Thus, it not only optimizes the handling in general, but also the processing of a wide range of panel materials.
The process chain here differs greatly from the customary systems, as there is no simple integration of a panel plant into an existing assembly line for wall modules, for example, but the entire production process is redesigned and optimized. The intelligent interlinkage of all components in the sense of a smart factory thus makes a significant contribution to increasing efficiency. The control via a master manufacturing computer system guarantees the timely assembly of the wall modules and the targeted degree of prefabrication of 90 % for wall modules can become a reality.
Instrument making
Which machines are suitable for the production of musical instruments?
There is no general answer to this question. We know that the sound characteristics of an instrument directly depend on the effect of the materials used, the stress ratios and the manufacturing process. Moreover, some surfaces of exclusive musical instruments have a coating of piano lacquer, a particular type of polyester lacquer, which is very delicate and does not forgive any handling mistakes. The rounded contours of some musical instrument bodies, too, make great demands on the manufacturing technology.
Depending on the musical instrument, a system fulfills a very individual task in the production process. For example, you require a metal processing machine for the mold of the sound box of an upright or grand piano, which, among other things, provides the components with threads and holes. If you want to polish polyester lacquer surfaces to a high gloss, you must use a system with buffing wheels. This is why you need a very precise definition of the requirements profile for each machine.
Aerospace industry
Components for the aerospace industry – what needs to be considered?
The demand on many components of military and civilian aircraft in terms of precise dimensions and repeatability is considerable. When manufacturing large aircraft components made of aluminum, titanium and CFRP, for example for fuselage parts and heavy-duty structural components, the declared objective is to achieve maximum product durability. To this end, the machines must deliver utmost processing precision.
Moreover, component measuring on the machine is always necessary prior to each machining sequence to determine the exact component position on the machine. This virtually eliminates faulty holes.
Metal processing
What do you need to bear in mind when intending to make precise holes in double-walled V2A or sheet steel panels?
Steel sheets are relatively easy to mill. However, when the milling of stainless steel sheet components is involved, things become more difficult. On the one hand, this material demands different clamping, and on the other, the machining processes must be precisely adapted in terms of feed rates or tools. Hence, the technical equipment of a corresponding CNC system depends on the geometry of the components and the materials used.
For double-walled V2A or sheet steel panels, apart from closed cable drag chains, a minimum quantity lubrication and a lubricant mist extraction, an additional laser projector is also useful. It projects the various geometries with pinpoint accuracy onto the sheet metal parts and the machine operator can see immediately where holes and recesses are necessary. This precise positioning is essential for batch size 1 production in order to completely rule out errors in advance.
Furniture construction
What tools do you need for upmarket furniture construction?
For reasons of the different types of wood, but also due to the sometimes unusual geometries of exclusive furniture, many individual tools are required to process them: starting with profile cutter, end mill, finishing and roughing cutter, via the rebate cutter, face milling and joint cutter up to the biscuit joiner (groove cutter), recessed grip cutter, threading tools and deburring tools. Since each piece of furniture is different in design, it even makes sense to use an additional multi-drilling unit so that you can perform actually all working steps in the same clamping operation.
What challenges are there in the production of round, semi-finished wooden parts?
The tasks involved in milling a body from pressed wood, for example, include processing the 3D data, generating the design data for the machine and several other tasks. Easily bendable wood is first layered, then pressed under vacuum or hydraulically, afterwards formed and finally processed on the CNC machine.
It is advisable to use a system with a high Z‑axis, for example 780 mm, for the production of round components for interior fittings. Please consider in this context that not every tool is suitable for this height. The extraction system must also be very powerful to cope with the large amount of raw material removed. The experts, who do the drawing, create the construction plans and are responsible for the programming, have to keep all this in mind, although they can use a 3D simulation for collision control.
What kind of support does an industry-specific software offer?
Workpieces, for example programmed with NC-hops and assisted by auxiliary geometry for multi-sided machining, can be visualised with the aid of a 3D workpiece display and collision control will be possible by simulating all work steps beforehand. Previously calculated milling paths with pre-set feeds and cutting depths will lead to burr-free results. Simple work steps, such as elongated grooves in cabinet fronts or shelf units, as well as holes for plug-in connections or round recesses for hinges, are processed to the same perfection as templates for intricate geometries.
Formwork construction
Formwork is necessary for high-quality precast concrete parts. What do you have to consider?
The formwork is a mold into which fresh concrete for the production of concrete components is poured and which is removed after curing. First, you need to know whether it is relevant if joints are visible in the concrete (for example on balconies or stairs as opposed to the undersides of bridges). For formwork that is complex in shape due to different angles, it therefore makes a difference whether the formwork consists of one or several panels. Joints are clearly visible in the concrete, after all. The result will therefore only be perfect if just one large panel serves as a negative mold for the concrete.
Which system meets the requirements of formwork construction?
As part of the overall concept, for a 5‑axis machining center from the VISION or OPUS series with nesting operation, which takes the maximum panel sizes into account, a lifting table and a printer unit can additionally be implemented on the loading side and a table with a brushing and push-off station on the removal side. The 5‑axis unit of the CNC system carries out milling and sawing work, while an additional multi-spindle drilling gear is installed for hole line and construction drilling.
What is so challenging about free-form formwork?
For reasons of their geometric complexity, in particular architecturally sophisticated buildings usually require formwork for freeform construction. The demands on the intricacy of the formwork bodies are high. A three-dimensional model of the building serves as a basis for developing the concept for the computer-aided planning of formwork bodies, their prefabrication and mounting on loadbearing static base elements. Assembly and positioning of the individual elements on the construction site then takes place with the help of measuring points, auxiliary axes and positioning gauges.
How is bridge formwork manufactured?
Bridge formwork is actually a construction aid. The formwork binders are to shape bridge formwork and other structural elements made of concrete. The formwork’s appearance or construction depends solely on the expertise of specialized carpentry shops. Bridge construction involves a lot of knowhow, because you need to have knowledge of girder deformation, structural deformation and settlement.
The production of the parts for the formwork bodies, for example, takes place on the OPUS. The processing of panels with dimensions of 2.5 m x 1.25 m is possible with little effort: recesses, notches, drillings, stop faces, cavities and the necessary connecting elements for very complex component geometries can be realized within short and the components used promptly on a construction site.
Staircase construction
What does a CNC accomplish in modern staircase construction?
The most suitable CNC system permits a very flexible reaction on the part of the process planner in assigning the immense range of components, which consists of different short or long stringers, steps, handrails, posts or special components, to different machines with respect to size, material and complexity that, due to their technical equipment, optimally implement the machining modes. A column portal system guarantees maximum precision – even for very large staircase components.
What can be produced on a CNC?
All the components of a staircase, starting from stringers, steps, newel posts, landing slabs, landing substructures, up to handrails and risers. This requires an appropriately equipped CNC system, which should also have a string wreath and post clamping device. When it comes to the machine table, you should pay particular attention to choose one with sufficient length so that you can produce very long stringers including end face machining.
What distinguishes stairs beyond standardized norms?
The secret is the combination of craftsmanship with ultra-modern 5‑axis CNC technology. CNC technology combines extraordinary precision and flexibility. Here, the programming with the corresponding industry software is essential for the entire process. This turns initial ideas into precise planning and production steps. All relevant factors, such as the optimum pitch ratio, are calculated and shown in 3D simulation, followed by the creation of the data required for machining and their transfer to the CNC.
How can tool-changing times be reduced?
Tool-changing times, which are generally longer in staircase construction, should be reduced to an absolute minimum. Our solution: three vertical milling motors in addition to the 5‑axes unit. Mounted on the Y‑slide, the three units are connected to the cardanic working head. Each of these milling motors is pre-positioned individually and has a collet chuck holder. Thus, one motor is responsible for the outer contours of stringers and steps, the other one for the recesses and riser grooves, and the third one with integrated height tracing manufactures the high-precision profiles. This assigns the work processes to several milling spindles, which in turn results in a considerable reduction in tool-changing time. The main milling motor then only performs horizontal work, freeform and sawing processes. Another benefit is that there is plenty of room for maneuver with three motors, and even a failure could be compensated for without any problems.
What is the basis for convincing processing results?
A massive machine substructure, which has an optimum rigidity/weight ratio and thus permits high acceleration values. Moreover, a 5‑axis working unit with a cardanic spindle that covers all axes. In addition to the plate changer and pick-up station, a manual or automatic table for stairs will be useful, which e.g. possesses eight beam carriers made of steel profiles with 16 base bodies for the fixing of vacuum clamps, stops, swivel stops and support rails. Thus, the system with its table for steps and post clamping device is perfect for the requirements of staircase manufacturers.
Doors & fire protection elements
What is the optimum way to equip a table for door processing?
The design concepts for doors are becoming increasingly unusual. In order to be able to react flexibly during processing, many door plants are equipped with an automatic beam table that allows the processing of door blanks and door frames with maximum dimensions of 6,940 x 2,170 mm and weights of up to 250 kg. The option of alternate processing guarantees work without downtime.
Pneumatic clamps, stops and support rails are attached to the beam table. Moreover, an infrared 3D measuring probe, which serves for the vertical measuring of part positions in the X/Y plane. A tracing bell additionally guarantees precise surface milling.
What is the advantage of using a 5‑axis CNC system in the production of sophisticated functional door systems?
The manufacture of high-end doors or construction kits places the highest demands on processing, no matter whether it involves concealed hinges, three-dimensional hinge systems, special dimensions, multi-point locks, sidings or cross-veneered door leaves with frame and edges. State-of-the-art CNC technology is a prerequisite for efficiency. A high-performance system from Reichenbacher processes a standard blank with light cutouts, complete rebate geometry, sealing grooves, triple locking and hinge pockets in the shortest possible time necessitating just one clamping operation. Even complex blanks with many functions, including surface milling, milled glass strips or special cable ducts and stainless steel applications are produced in a fraction of the usual time required.
What needs to be considered when manufacturing special doors?
As door production necessitates many tools, a tool magazine with a sufficient number of places is recommended. With a 5‑axis unit, rebates required in special applications can be produced, light cutouts can be milled out and corners that are normally milled out round can be milled out square. Horizontal and vertical working is necessary for the insertion of all door fittings required on multifunctional doors today. Reichenbacher’s CNC machining centers can machine anything: cable ducts, lock cases, light cutouts, concealed hinges, three-dimensional hinge systems, multi-point locks and much more.
Fire protection elements: what is important?
Numerous rebate formatting operations, complex work steps for locking mechanisms, different door types and thicknesses, small and large light cutouts – all these processing operations require different tools. Therefore, our systems are equipped with tool magazines that hold up to 61 tools.
Fire protection elements: what is important?
Slow-grown wood with dense annual rings is preferably used for fire protection elements, as it is very stable and less flammable. Tight growth rings provide the wood with particularly hard and resistant properties. Oak is often used here. However, the machining of such hardwoods in particular must be effected with suitably robust CNC systems such as those from Reichenbacher.
What do you have to look out for when cutting a lot of solid wood?
Frequent machining of solid wood and the use of numerous profile tools causes high milling pressure. It makes no sense to use the 5‑axis unit for this, as vibrations occur and the blade impacts show in the material. We recommend a system with a double portal, which is equipped with a 5‑axis and a 4‑axis unit and designed for single-part production. The 4‑axis unit, which is more stable and has firmer mountings, is used for certain operations.
The 5‑axis unit is ideal for the milling of fittings, such as horizontally milled locks, and saves on the lock case unit. The 5‑axis head also perfectly mills arches for outdoor applications where 15-degree slopes are required to allow the water to drain away. Both units are thus used for very specific tasks, work completely independently in parallel, but can be coupled if required.