2022-05-19 02:54:09
Starrag has announced its Aerospace Competence Center, an initiative to combine the expertise already available within the group in terms of manufacturing turbines and structural components. The site is located in Rorschacherberg, Switzerland.
The aerospace industry has been one of Starrag’s core markets ever since the company began to build machine tools in the early 20th century—and this is still the case today. Dr. Bernhard Bringmann, Managing Director at the Rorschacherberg site and Head of the High Performance Systems business unit, explained: “Over the years, we have built up a vast and diverse knowledge— not just of our own machines, but of the entire manufacturing process for components that are often used in the aerospace industry.”
The Center is an approximately 21,528 sq. ft. hall that is equipped with state-of-the-art NB, LX and STC 5-axis machining centers, which can be used to create a broad variety of flow surfaces and complex structural components. Starrag technologists test and optimize new, sophisticated machine processes at the site, usually in response to customer orders and under production conditions—and all while continuing to gather valuable experience.
“We are also commissioning an Ecospeed machine featuring a pallet 157 inch in length to allow us to reproduce our expertise in structural components on this scale,” said Bringmann. “To achieve the best possible synergy, future development and production of the Ecospeed series will be relocated from Mönchengladbach to Rorschacherberg. By moving our Ecospeed facilities, we can offer the aerospace industry a huge range of applications from a single source in a way that very few other companies can.”
This includes manufacturing solutions for blades, vanes, blisks, impellers, casings, gearboxes and housings for turbines. The range also covers aluminum and titanium structural components of various sizes, plus landing gear components.
“We see ourselves less as a machine supplier and more as a solution provider, we see our customers as partners to whom we provide continuous support due to our process expertise,” said Bringmann.
This support starts as soon as Starrag receives an inquiry. “A customer can come to us asking for a manufacturing solution with the component, material and required quantity already in mind,” said Bringmann. “We can use all of our expertise to find a solution for manufacturing the parts with maximum production reliability and at the lowest possible unit cost.”
Starrag also offers auxiliary components for machining: for example, it can produce solid carbide milling tools specifically designed for a customer’s workpiece as well as customer clamping technology and fixtures. Even custom CAD/CAM software is developed in Rorschacherberg, including post-processor programming. Starrag also looks after any required measuring cycles and simulations in order to complete automation and digitalization solutions.
Any process elements that Starrag cannot cover are passed onto selected specialist partners who can provide optimal products for the process. These products range from coolants and tool systems to additional software.
At the Center customer applications are tested and optimized under actual production conditions. “This means we can create a truly effective, reliable production process and optimized, processsecure, realistic unit costs,” said Bringmann. “But our commitment does not end here: we also provide support in terms of implementing the solutions on site—no matter where that site is in the world—and continue to help our customers even when the process is up and running.”
For more information contact: Starrag USA Inc. Skyport Business Park 2379 Progress Drive Hebron, KY 41048 859-534-5201 ussales@starrag.com www.starrag.com
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