Vericut supplies manufacturers with superior CNC simulation and service
NC Code Simulation as a Fixed Part of the Process
As an automotive supplier, the Hirschvogel Group manufactures around 15,000 to 20,000 parts per day – over three million annually. Fully automated series production is essential, with optimised cycle times and maximum process reliability being top priorities. By using the simulation and optimisation software Vericut, machining processes can be analysed and optimised for series production in advance – with remarkable benefits.
By Ing. Robert Fraunberger, x-technik
Founded in 1938 as a village blacksmith in Denklingen, the Hirschvogel Group looks back on a long tradition. Today, the company is one of the world’s largest automotive suppliers in the field of hot and cold forging of steel and aluminium, as well as subsequent machining. Its customers include all major automotive manufacturers and suppliers worldwide. The company produces a wide range of components and assemblies for drivetrains, transmissions, chassis, bodywork, fuel systems, combustion engines, and electric motors. It’s no surprise that most cars around the world contain a part made by Hirschvogel.
Development Partner and Manufacturing Specialist
A clear trend is always present: “The components we develop are constantly becoming lighter, while also needing to withstand high loads,” explains Peter Zotz, responsible for machining process development and with Hirschvogel’s Schongau plant for 15 years in various departments. Hirschvogel brings a wealth of experience and innovation when it comes to highly stressed, weight-optimised parts and components.
From forged parts to ready-to-install components, the family-owned company based in Denklingen (Bavaria) provides everything from a single source. “We are a development partner and manufacturing specialist for the automotive industry. Besides forging, machining plays a major role in production,” says Zotz. As a cost-sensitive supplier dealing with high volumes, every cent and every second counts. “That’s why we’ve been using Vericut since 2013. It allows us to identify errors and optimise our manufacturing processes before actual machining even begins.”
Vericut as a Key Component of the Process
At Hirschvogel, all machining programs are written manually as NC code using an editor. “This is the fastest process for our needs,” says Philipp Berchtold, responsible for programming at the Schongau site, explaining this unconventional approach. As components are becoming lighter and more complex and must be delivered ready for installation, challenges in machining are increasing. To verify and optimise these programs, Hirschvogel relies on Vericut.
Because each part is optimised as much as possible, Hirschvogel uses a wide range of control types and machine tools. “Vericut is completely independent of control systems, and we can test and optimise our parameterised programs at our desks before a single chip is cut,” Berchtold explains.
Since 1988, Vericut has been considered an efficient tool for simulating, verifying, and optimising CNC machining. “For the user, it's the safest way to simulate real machining using a virtual machine,” adds Dirk Weiß, responsible for sales in Germany and Austria at Vericut. The simulation software is, as mentioned, entirely independent of the control system, CAM software (if used), and CNC machine.
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