To cut picture frame backing boards to size, HALBE-Rahmen GmbH has built a new water jet cutting system that includes a 3D gantry made from item components.
When you look at a framed picture, your main focus is on the picture itself. You don’t tend to pay any attention to the board at the back holding everything in place, and yet this part of a picture frame also needs to be manufactured to fit perfectly. To ensure this is the case, HALBE-Rahmen GmbH uses a water jet to cut its rigid foam boards to size. In a 3D gantry, linear units moving along the predefined linear cutting paths guide a cutting head over a rigid foam board, while the water jet cuts out the actual shapes.
The water jet cutting system is therefore responsible for a key step in the manufacturing process, so high levels of availability and reliability are crucial. “We use this machine to cut important parts of the frames. If it’s out of action, production also grinds to a halt,” explains Niklas Schwandt from HALBE‑Rahmen. When the previous water jet cutting system stopped working, a new solution therefore had to be found fast. That’s why HALBE-Rahmen decided to build a completely new system itself, using item profile technology. The main base frame and a rack frame for the water pump were constructed using aluminium profiles from two different product lines, while item linear technology is responsible for moving the cutting head.
New water jet cutting system for cutting backing boards to size
Ever since starting out in 1946, HALBE-Rahmen in the German town of Kirchen (Sieg) has been developing and manufacturing premium picture frames that boast “Made in Germany” quality. With its magnetic frame principle, the company has set a benchmark for simple, professional framing. Its frames are used by the general public, photographers and galleries alike.
With the new water jet cutting system, HALBE-Rahmen is taking a key production operation back into its own hands. This decision was made when the previous system stopped working. The company opted for item profile technology and components from the item Linear System for its new solution.
The centrepiece of the new water jet cutting system is a 3D gantry made from various item aluminium profiles.
The centrepiece of the new water jet cutting system is a 3D gantry made from item Line 8 and Line D30 aluminium profiles in various sizes. In the 3D gantry, a water jet cutting head is moved with the help of linear units to produce 2D cut-outs from rigid foam boards. The electrical control system is based on Siemens components and uses the G-code programming language. The cutting paths stored in this system are designed to optimise the cutting process.
Linear units for different travel paths
HALBE-Rahmen relies on various linear units to move the cutting head. Two item Linear Units KLE 8 move in the XY plane. The X axis covers a travel distance of 3600 millimetres and the Y axis a distance of 1650 millimetres. With this timing-belt-driven linear unit, the roller elements are protected in the aluminium profile. Other moving elements are also covered by the timing belt, with the result that only the carriage is located outside the profile. This improves occupational health and safety. It also prevents soiling on the roller elements and guides.
Linear Unit KGT 6 with a travel distance of 200 millimetres is used for the cutting nozzle’s Z-axis movements within the 3D gantry. This linear unit with a ball screw drive combines a robust carriage with a compact design and precise positioning. The ball screw drive moves the cutting nozzle with excellent precision, achieving a repeat accuracy of 0.01 millimetres. The spindle lead of 20 millimetres per revolution enables high feed forces even when drive torque is low.
The arrangement of the linear units ensures a large work area combined with precise nozzle guidance.
This arrangement of the linear units ensures a large work area combined with precise nozzle guidance. The cutting head can follow the programmed contours as it passes over the board, and it can also move vertically. The design of the base frame was also adapted to the specific operating conditions. “Our original plan was to install the water pump on the base frame, which has a walk-on design. Pump operation generates vibrations, though, so we had to find a different solution,” explains Schwandt. A separate rack frame made from item Line 8 profiles was therefore used to keep the pump and the main base frame apart.
Using digital item configurators for planning
HALBE-Rahmen used the item Engineeringtool to design the system. “The Engineeringtool is highly practical and saves a great deal of time when it comes to CAD, which makes planning much easier,” says Schwandt. The linear axes were configured using item MotionDesigner®. Based on the specific information provided, this tool simplifies the process of configuring linear technology solutions by finding the appropriate combination of linear unit, motor and controller.
In addition to several small projects that are in the pipeline, HALBE-Rahmen is planning to use other item linear axes to build a second water jet cutting system in the future. The company will be able to draw on the experience it has gained from building its own system.
Quite clearly, modularity and availability are the key advantages offered by item.
HALBE-Rahmen started using item components back in 2012. “Quite clearly, modularity and availability are the key advantages offered by item. You can find an appropriate solution for virtually any application,” Schwandt emphasises. That’s a key consideration when a system needs to be built under significant time pressure.
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