KBS 1010 and HDM 1432 –

State-of-the-art sawing systems drive up productivity

The name Salzgitter has been synonymous with steel for more than 150 years. The Salzgitter Group has over 160 subsidiaries and affiliated companies worldwide whose core business is the production of rolled steel and pipe products and the global trade in these goods. The Gladbeck subsidiary of Salzgitter Mannesmann Stahlhandel GmbH is one of their major professional steel cutting plants. This 41,000 square meter production facility processes numerous orders for international customers.

When it comes to procuring steel and steel products, flexibility on the shop floor and rapid, reliable deliveries are a high priority. In an era of just-in-time production, successful suppliers don't just need well-conceived warehousing and logistics; they also require machinery which is capable of implementing changing order requirements seamlessly – with no ifs or buts. And that calls for a machinery supplier who can offer sophisticated engineering concepts and solutions tailored to the local manufacturing environment. They must also be able to link their machinery to upstream and downstream processes.

A long and successful partnership

Speed, precision and throughput on the shop floor are essential requirements for cutting steel profiles. This is certainly true at the Gladbeck plant, where for years they have relied on the technology and expertise of KALTENBACH, the international machine tool manufacturer from Lörrach in Germany. The company is second to none when it comes to providing advice and identifying the best solutions for customers.

The fact that many of the profiling saws in the Gladbeck production plant bear the name of this manufacturer, and that they can also be found in many of the Group’s other production facilities indicates that Salzgitter Mannesmann Stahlhandel GmbH holds KALTENBACH products in high esteem. This can be put down to both the technical performance of these machines and the comprehensive advice and support provided by the experts from Lörrach.  Nowadays, the modern sales process requires far more than mere knowledge of the product. An optimum blend of technical and commercial advice is also a necessity. KALTENBACH’s one-face-to-the-customer approach to customer service has proved effective. And if the provision of customer service is not to end with the purchase, it must evolve into an ongoing consultancy and support service underpinned by a good understanding of peripheral device integration and layout planning.

Basis for exceptional performance: excellent engineering

Different saw models from KALTENBACH were chosen to deal with the high volume of wide-ranging orders at Gladbeck. After all, they had a proven track record for durability and reliability; the previous KALTENBACH models had been successfully deployed on the shop floor for twenty years. The employees in Gladbeck are especially keen on the KALTENBACH HDM 1432 high-performance circular sawing machine for processing large, heavy steel sections – they already have three of them. With this latest model, which is particularly suitable for large cross-sections, KALTENBACH has created a feature unique in the large saw sector. Residual stresses within the material often present a challenge during the machining of large beams. If these are released during band saw operations, there is a risk that the saw will jam and break the blade. This does not happen with circular saws like the HDM 1432 because the saw blade is significantly stronger and more stable.

The HDM 1432 also handles large profile dimensions, e.g. HEM1000 beams, with impressive speed. It really comes into its own for cutting structural steel sections and copes effortlessly with mitring, single and layer cutting.  Companies that process a five-figure monthly tonnage of steel need machines designed to optimise productivity. This requires power, which is supplied by an 18.5 kW frequency-controlled motor. Beams with maximum dimensions of 1200 x 450 mm can be machined just as easily as 440 x 440 mm rectangular pipe. An NC-controlled cutting-angle setting and long blade life afforded by the powerful, robust clamping mechanism play straight into the hands of an economic cooperation. The LS 270 NC length measuring device helps to ensure optimum precision. A high degree of accuracy is essential to reduce time-consuming manual reworking or costly scrappage. A pneumatically extendable adapter makes it possible to cut short sections extremely accurately, including automatic measurement.

The all-rounder KBS 1010: For light to medium steel construction

For the fabrication of light to medium steel structures, the Gladbeck team opted for the KBS 1010 high-performance bandsaw, a versatile all-rounder which perfectly complements their two existing KBS 750 DG bandsaws for small profiles up to 600 mm. The KBS 1010 really comes into its own cutting medium profiles. The material can be cut with straight or mitre cuts, which ideally suits the company's requirements. And its build quality is clear to see: The stable, twin-column construction of the horizontal saw combined with a powerful drive motor gives very good cutting results and ample cutting power. The NC-controlled cutting-angle setting ensures precision. KALTENBACH's signature low-maintenance design is a further plus point. The M 150 P-NC sliding measurement carriage positions the material with pinpoint precision and transports it securely. This system prevents measurements from being lost once they have been made. Job data are transferred from the CAD system to the saw in DSTV format. The operator imports the job data to the Proficut software on the saw and then starts the cut.  Alternatively, the operator can program orders directly on the machine console. Solutions are tailor-made.

The long-standing collaboration between the Salzgitter Group and KALTENBACH easily qualifies as a success story. Mr Zschuckelt, authorised signatory at the Salzgitter Mannesmann Stahlhandel GmbH, is convinced that investing in Lörrach engineering and expertise is the right decision: “In this tough competitive environment our international customers must be able to rely on us one hundred percent. For this we need a fleet of machines which deliver the necessary flexibility and the greatest possible productivity. KALTENBACH has satisfied both these requirements for us for several years, and in addition offers an excellent support and advisory service. Not just for the Gladbeck plant, but throughout the Group. The comprehensive service combined with modern technology has proved invaluable for our steel processing operations." For the experts at KALTENBACH, this is a vote of confidence in their performance and underlines the value of productive partnerships.

Salzgitter Mannesmann Stahlhandels GmbH
Schwannstraße 12
40476 Düsseldorf                                                                                                                                                                                                                                    Germany

Tel.: +49 211 43 00-1
Fax: +49 211 43 00-90
info@szmh-group.com
www.salzgitter-mannesmann-stahlhandel.de