The Swiss subsidiary KLINGER Gysi can now digitally measure templates and sample gaskets. This benefits the team, the customers and, last but not least, the environment.
If a new special gasket had to be made, until summer 2020 a KLINGER Gysi employee usually drove to the customer, took the measurements on site and made a cardboard template. This was transferred by hand to the cutting plotter. A comparatively complex, cost-intensive procedure that, especially recently with social distancing rules, was not so easy to perform.
Contacts mentioned in the article:
Reto Wermelinger, Division Manager of Sealing Technology at KLINGER Gysi
Optimal material utilization
In addition, Reto Wermelinger, Division Manager of Sealing Technology at KLINGER Gysi, wanted to save material and keep waste as low as possible: “When cutting gaskets, the question of how to recycle the residual material kept coming up. In the case of complicated shapes, it was incredibly difficult to determine the zero point on the cutting table. It was a challenge to get the most out of the material. That is why we were looking for a more efficient solution,” he explains.
With the digitization software “VirtualDigitizing”, which was specially adapted for this area of application together with the Austrian company Softsolution, we have now found the perfect solution. With their help, templates, sample gaskets and 2-D objects can now be digitized in no time at all. The process in the KLINGER Gysi stamping plant in Rheinsulz is now much leaner. The new process guarantees the customer the most precise results and a quick solution.
How are digital templates made?
In order to produce digital templates, a sample is laid out on the CNC machine (as can be seen in the sequence of images), photographed and scanned at the same time for its dimensions. This data is transferred directly to the CAD drawing program, saved and can then be transferred directly to the CNC machine. This now automatically cuts gaskets that fit precisely.
Save costs, protect the environment
„This process saves time and money. But we can also use our leftover pieces, which have very individual shapes, much more efficiently. The machine now automatically detects where there is enough material to cut out another workpiece,“
says Reto Wermelinger, not only thinking about money, but also the environment. Ultimately, less waste also means less material that has to be disposed of.
The advantage for customers is also obvious: While complicated gasket surfaces previously had to be measured on site and transferred to cardboard samples, which also required several passes, the process is now much more customer-friendly. With the mobile camera, pictures are simply taken on-site, the dimension scan function is activated and the existing gasket surface is precisely reproduced in the KLINGER Gysi Auto-CAD system. This saves time and effort on both sides and leads to even more precise results. Another advantage: The data is stored at KLINGER Gysi and can be called up as soon as another gasket needs to be made.
Digital templates: customer benefits at a glance
- Photographing gasket surfaces is also possible on-site at the customer
- Faster capture & documentation
- Shorter stay with the customer
- Improved contour recognition: even complex shapes can be defined with just a few clicks
- Most precise results
- Subsequent adjustments & corrections are extremely rare
- Production of the gaskets directly on the cutting plotter
- More efficient use of residual materials » cost savings and increased sustainability
- Cost reduction through time savings
Frequently asked questions (FAQ)
As a customer, how can I have my gasket template measured by KLNGER Gysi?
Reto Wermelinger explains: “Our customers can either send us their gaskets and we can photograph them here. Or we can visit the customer with our camera and take the picture on-site and then parameterize it in our factory. It is not possible for customers to simply take pictures with their own digital camera, because our camera is a special model that automatically takes the dimensions directly into account.”
Which products does KLINGER Gysi specialize in?
The Swiss subsidiary KLINGER Gysi produces gaskets and sells, among other things, industrial fittings and fluoroplastic components.
Which industries does KLINGER Gysi supply?
The range of products from KLINGER Gysi is aimed at district heating providers, drinking water suppliers, the mechanical engineering industry, pipeline construction, the chemical and petrochemical industry and power plant operators, among others. The pharmaceutical and food industries have also relied for many decades on the quality of the company founded in 1927.
