Fast delivery of two mill-turn centres will help medical equipment manufacturer

摘要

With the help of machining centres from DMG Mori, which has a UK subsidiary in Coventry (www.dmgmori.com), the German manufacturer Franke GmbH is meeting the challenge of soaring demand for the urgent supply of system components for medical equipment such as computed tomography (CT) scanners. In 1936, Erich Franke developed the 'wire race' bearing, which he described as a "ball bearing with exceedingly low space requirements that satisfies the highest demands for the precision of movement." His company now has 280 staff and also manufactures lightweight rotational and linear movement systems - with and without drives - that are used in applications as diverse as CT scanners, robotic automation, motor-sport, satellite antenna rotation, solar-panel positioning, water-jet cutting, dental X-ray equipment and food packaging. As a result of the Covid-19 pandemic, the first quarter of 2020 saw sales of components to the medical sector grow from 35% to more than 40% of turnover. Franke relies for its production on six machining centres with turning capability from DMG Mori, including some with twin pallet change and an 'accuracy pack'; the delivery of two more DMC 125 FD DuoBlock mill-turn centres (to meet demand from the medical sector) is imminent. Sascha Eberhard, managing director of Franke, said: "We are presented with the challenge during the pandemic of ensuring uninterrupted supply of our products to vital industries, while at the same time diligently implementing social distancing and other protective measures in our factory. Our special bearings combine complex system components with advanced housing designs, seals and integrated direct drives. Their production requires highly accurate milling, drilling and turning." Oliver Schroder, head of purchasing and material management, said: "The DMG Mori DuoBlock models in particular play a key role in our manufacturing. Milling and turning in a single set-up - combined with automatic pallet change - offers us the ideal package for machining highly complex bearing components from 300mm up to 2m in diameter to an accuracy that is within microns.