From office chairs to airplanes: if a whole is to be created from individual parts, the right parts first have to be manufactured from wood, plastic or metal. CNC milling machines are the first choice for shaping materials of almost any kind. Every millionth of a meter counts in order to achieve the desired performance and durability. Zimmermann in Neuhausen auf den Fildern near Stuttgart in Baden-Württemberg has specialized in the construction of milling machines for more than 80 years.

New and pioneering: horizontal machining centers that work with precision. Zimmermann built a new production hall for them in 2017. Powerful cranes are needed to transport milling machines and these machining centers safely and precisely. Konecranes has therefore designed an all-round package for Zimmermann - including special services. The new hall will receive three new double-girder overhead cranes, while the older production hall will get a new double-girder overhead crane and two single-girder overhead cranes. Another crane will also be modernized.

Konecranes also takes care of service and maintenance. © Conecranes

Cranes for new and old production halls
Zimmermann manufactures its milling machines at the company's headquarters in Neuhausen auf den Fildern. To ensure that the finished machines work as accurately as users in the automotive and aviation industries expect, the utmost care must be taken during their manufacture. The requirements for the six new single and double-girder bridge cranes from Konecranes are correspondingly high. They have to transport everything from small mechanical parts to complete milling machines safely from place to place in Zimmermann's two production halls.

"In order to manufacture our new horizontal machining centers, we expanded our production capacity in 2017 with an additional production hall," says Marcus Birnbaum, authorized signatory at Zimmermann. "In the process, we clarified with Konecranes which cranes needed to be procured and which needed to be modernized in the old hall." Three Konecranes double-girder bridge cranes with lifting capacities of 55, 50 and 25 tons respectively are now in use in the new hall. A 20-tonne double-girder bridge crane with a span of 21.9 meters is at work in the older hall. "To install this new crane, we first had to dismantle one of the existing systems. And we had to do this during ongoing operations," emphasizes Jan Lauer, Service Field Supervisor at Konecranes.

Dismantling and modernization in a confined space
To do this, the Konecranes experts dismantled two six-tonne bridges and the four-tonne hoist unit of the old crane in a confined space. "The whole process had to be very safe and careful, because there are high-quality machines in the hall, which of course shouldn't get the slightest scratch," says Jan Lauer. The dismantled plant components were removed immediately so that operations could continue. Following an analysis, another crane in the hall will also receive a new hoist that can lift up to 40 tons. "The structure of the system is still in very good condition, but the fine lift brake of the old crane failed at maximum load," explains Jan Lauer. "By only replacing the hoist, we are saving money, time and resources."

Safe operation is also ensured by a new 100-metre conductor line that supplies the cranes in the hall with electricity. Two single-girder overhead cranes, each with a lifting capacity of four tons, are used in an outbuilding of the older hall for smaller lifting tasks.

The service package includes everything from crane expert approval to UVV maintenance. © Conecranes

Service for milling machine specialist
The Konecranes experts also design an all-round service package for Zimmermann's cranes. Jan Lauer: "This starts with the crane expert approval for the new and modernized systems. We take care of everything, engage an expert and provide a service technician who attaches our own test weights." After acceptance, Zimmermann receives complete documentation on all crane systems. "Complete information about the crane systems makes it easier for the customer to keep them in the best possible condition," emphasizes Jan Lauer. as