SK Technology manufactures components and assemblies with a dimensional accuracy of 0.3 µm. "The challenge is to achieve the highest precision in the shortest possible time - with the highest level of complexity, and reliably," says Managing Director Benedikt Kulzer, who is the second generation to run the family business.

Delivering precision at a high level was already the credo of company founders Johann Stangl and Stefan Kulzer. The two work colleagues founded Stangl & Co. Präzisionstechnik in Roding in 1988 in order to be able to manufacture to their own standards. They transported the first machine to the Upper Palatinate town on a trailer themselves. Two years later, they moved out of the barn and into a new 1,300^m2 production hall, which they expanded to 4,000^m2 in 1994 and 1997. In 2008, they opened a second plant in Waldmünchen. In 2015, SK Technology once again invested in more space and air conditioning at its headquarters in order to meet the growing demands in terms of precision and cleanliness.

Benedikt Kulzer has been managing the company since the end of November 2019 together with his father, which they renamed SK Technology in 2022. Today, the system provider employs around 300 people at two locations. They manufacture prototypes, individual parts, small and medium-sized series for the aerospace, medical technology and mobility sectors - from motorsport to commercial vehicles - as well as the energy and semiconductor industries on an area of 15,000^m2. "We deliver a level of precision that only a few companies in Germany can offer," emphasizes Kulzer. He reports on a metal-cutting machine that alternated between producing good parts and rejects after a change of location. The precision fluctuated by 0.01 mm - despite air conditioning. "We eventually discovered that the minimal draught of air when opening the personnel entrance was enough to get outside the tolerance."

Benedikt Kulzer, Managing Director of SK Technology. © Hermle

The secret behind this precision is the interaction between man, machine and the air-conditioned environment. "The torque during clean cutting is just as important as the water quality and temperature of the cooling lubricant," says Kulzer. These are subtleties, but they are crucial for the highest level of precision. "The successful pursuit of absolute perfection also depends on the basic precision of the machine. The milling centers from Maschinenfabrik Berthold Hermle are the ideal basis for us. Because the more precise they are, the higher the level that can be achieved," adds the Managing Director. The collaboration with Hermle began even before his time: "The second or third machine was already from Gosheim," says Kulzer. This meant that they were often a role model for other companies, which of course is not the only reason for him to buy. "It's the whole package that counts: The fact that the service is right and the cooperation works is just as crucial for us as the reliability and precision of the machines."

Does a robot pay for itself?

In 2016, the family business started automating its milling operations with new Hermle systems: two C 32 U machines with the RS 2 robot system. Initially, those responsible were unsure whether and how they should automate the 5-axis machining centers. "We went to Hermle with six components and a few questions. What interested me most was whether it would also pay off for smaller quantities," recalls Matthias Bücherl, head of the milling department. After the test run and a discussion with Hermle, it was clear to him: "It will definitely pay off."

The robot handles both pallets and individual workpieces. This makes SK Technology flexible - even if pallet handling becomes predominant over time. "Due to their size, geometry or complexity, some of our components cannot be processed in just one clamping operation," explains Kulzer. That's why, convinced by the automation and due to a lack of capacity, he ordered the robot system for the second machining cell with pure pallet handling in mid-2021. Here, too, the automation operates two C 32 U. Both production cells were soon working at full capacity. When the order situation picked up again at the end of 2021, the entrepreneur was already planning the next investment.

Fast start-up thanks to standardization

SK Technology purchased two C 42 U with HS-flex system in 2022. The switch from robots to the flexible handling system initially came as a surprise. "We would have preferred to house both machines in our second plant in Waldmünchen, but in the end there wasn't enough space," reports Kulzer. For the employees there, the C 42 U with HS flex was a double challenge: they had to learn the automation and the new user interface of the 5-axis milling center. "Hermle's own operating software, HACS, is so intuitive that we were able to familiarize ourselves with it in no time at all," recalls Kulzer. This is also due to Hermle's standardized operating concept: "The employees here know the interface, the machines and the little things behind them. Added to this is the reliable and competent service." As a result, switching between the Soflex robot controller and the Hermle Automation Control System (HACS) went smoothly.