Maximising Machining Flexibility and Reliability with FANUC ROBODRILL
ABOUT ARCUS ELEKTROTECHNIK:
Germany-based ARCUS ELEKTROTECHNIK ALOIS SCHIFFMANN GMBH employs around 130 people in the design and manufacture of high-precision products for the energy industry. Founded by Alois Schiffmann in 1928, the company specialises in cable connection and electrical protection solutions at its 14,000 m² facility in Munich. The safety-critical products produced for customers worldwide maintain a strong focus on quality and reliability in support of long service life.
Making the Right Connections for Smarter Production
For ARCUS ELEKTROTECHNIK, manufacturing high-precision, safety-critical products in Germany demands both quality and competitiveness.
Manfred Schicht, CEO at ARCUS, says: “The products are 100% made in Munich. That means, without automation, we would have no chance of producing competitive products here.”
The latest investment at ARCUS centres on the Häberle ROBODRILL Plus-K, an automated solution based on a FANUC ROBODRILL 𝛼-D21M𝑖B5 ADV Plus machining centre.
According to Florian Häberle, Technical Head of Mechatronics at Häberle Feinmechanik CNC-Technik GmbH, the ROBODRILL provides an ideal platform for automated machining:
Florian Häberle
Technical Head of Mechatronics
For ARCUS, the key challenge has changed significantly in recent years, as Head of Production Philipp Lutzny confirms: “In the past, the challenge was to automate simple parts and large batch runs. Now, the task is to automate small batch sizes and complex parts.”
The ROBODRILL Plus-K addresses this requirement by automating both workpiece and tool handling. Its integrated FANUC LR Mate 200𝑖D robot has a 7 kg payload and 717 mm reach, while the cell's storage system accommodates up to 65 tools and 60 workpiece pallets. This capability means ARCUS can operate economically from batch size one, with the cell able to switch between different parts automatically.
“It can change over to a new component on its own, unmanned, during the night shift, for example,” points out Lutzny. “By the next day, various orders have been processed and we can deliver to customers quickly.”
The compact, self-contained system also simplifies operation, with pallet management and program assignment handled directly through the FANUC 31𝑖-Model B5 Plus control.
Reliability is another key consideration for ARCUS. The company has used FANUC-controlled vertical lathes for decades and now benefits from the same dependable technology in its ROBODRILL machining operations.
“We are very satisfied with the FANUC machines,” states Lutzny. “They are very reliable, with hardly any downtime.”
For Florian Häberle, close co-operation with FANUC is equally important: “We maintain a very close working relationship and partnership with FANUC. The dialogue takes place on equal terms, and we always reach a solution quickly.”
The combination of flexible automation, reliable FANUC technology and responsive support is helping ARCUS maintain its competitive edge in the manufacture of safety-critical electrical products in Munich.
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Maximising Machining Flexibility and Reliability with FANUC ROBODRILL
ARCUS ELEKTROTECHNIK is using a FANUC ROBODRILL Plus-K automated machining cell to manufacture complex, high-precision energy sector components economically from batch sizes as small as one. Combining a FANUC ROBODRILL 𝛼-D21M𝑖B5 ADV Plus CNC machining centre with integrated tool and workpiece handling via a FANUC LR Mate 200𝑖D robot, the solution enables flexible, unmanned production with rapid changeovers and minimal downtime.
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