Proximity, expert advice and individualized design of the machine type are the deciding factors for the Wasseralfingen-based company
SHW Werkzeugmaschinen GmbH (SHW WM) is well positioned in the competitive machining center market. “Our order books are well filled and we are more than on target for 2019,” says Martin Greis, Managing Director of the Wasseralfingen-based machine manufacturer since October 2018. After four months of insolvency in 2018, almost all SHW WM customers have remained loyal to the company. Oggenhausen-based Lohse GmbH is one of the companies that are convinced by SHW WM machines. At the end of April, the fittings and machine manufacturer from the Heidenheim suburb put an SHW WM UniSpeed 2000 machine into operation. The signs are pointing to growth for both companies. Both SHW WM and Lohse are currently on the lookout for new employees.
The successor model to the UniSpeed 5, of which SHW WM has sold over 200 units and which was presented for the first time at the leading trade fair EMO in Hanover in 2017, is equipped with a dual pallet changing system.
“The machine was individually adapted to Lohse’s needs,” says Lohse Managing Director Dietmar Warnke – one of the many advantages he sees as a customer of SHW WM.
“In addition to the intrinsic value and individualization of the SHW machine, the good sales advice and support provided by the service team of the Wasseralfingen-based machine manufacturer were decisive factors in our purchase,” says Warnke.
And: “The accessibility of the machine’s work area was an important selling point for us. The SHW WM machine is unbeatable in this respect.”
Utilizing synergies from SHW WM machinery
Back in 2015, Lohse ordered a machine from the PowerSpeed series from the nearby specialist for moving column and portal machines as well as compact machining centers. “We want to utilize the synergies that arise from the use of a second SHW WM machine in our production. The second SHW machine is a replacement investment that will enable us to increase our productivity and output. Reliable handling is particularly important for us as a processor of stainless steel,” says Warnke. “Due to the flexibility required in the production of individual and series parts at Lohse, we have supplied the UniSpeed 2000 with a larger tool magazine,” explains Martin Greis.
For Lohse, it was also important that the SHW machine concept of the UniSpeed 2000 can be mirrored in order to be even better prepared for the production conditions at
in the future.
Another advantage of the SHW WM machine is that it can be installed without a costly and inflexible concrete foundation.
“Over 90 percent of our customers buy another machine after they are convinced by the performance, robustness, quality and availability of our product lines,” says Martin Greis.
SHW WM technology has established itself at Lohse: After purchasing a machine from the PowerSpeed series, the Heidenheim-based company now trusts the UniSpeed 2000, which was purchased directly from the trade fair stand at the AMB in Stuttgart.
Information about SHW Werkzeugmaschinen GmbH and the Lohse Group
SHW Werkzeugmaschinen GmbH is one of the world’s leading manufacturers of travelling column machines, portal machines and machining centers and is an internationally recognized specialist in machining. “Our machines manufacture large parts for mechanical and plant engineering, large diesel engines, turbines and environmental technology, among other things. We are relatively independent of the automotive industry,” emphasizes Martin Greis. The heart of every system is the SHW milling head, which contains all the know-how and guarantees the precision that customers demand. SHW WM currently employs around 210 people. In addition, there are almost 60 employees at the sister company SHW Bearbeitungstechnik, which is grouped together with SHW WM under the umbrella of a joint holding company and positioned on the market. “We are currently investing in four new machining centers there,” explains Martin Greis, who manages the business at SHW WM together with Anton Müller.
At the Lohse Group, over 110 employees manufacture high-quality steel and stainless steel products for the paper and chemical industries as well as environmental technology on more than 10,000 m² of factory space – from simple steel blanks to complete machines and apparatus as well as high-quality fittings. “Our company’s recipe for success is high quality and individual solutions for new designs as well as repairs and spare parts,” explains Dietmar Warnke, who manages the business at Lohse together with Ulrich Sekinger. “With the machines from SHW WM, we believe our production is well positioned for the challenges of the future,” says Warnke.
Technical data of the UniSpeed 2000
Travel: x-axis: 2000 mm; y- and z-axis: 1300 mm
Universal milling head in orthogonal design
Feed speed and rapid traverse:
up to 30,000 mm/min at an acceleration of 2 m/s²
Main drive/motor spindle:
Drive power of up to 44/70 kW at 8000/24,000 1/min
The new UniSpeed 2000 from Lohse has been in operation since the end of April.
