Title
Description

    Modellbau Schäfer focuses on efficiency with Tebis Consulting

    When those responsible at Modellbau Schäfer in Osnabrück realized a few years ago that their existing strategies, processes and workflows would hardly allow them to maintain their competitiveness, let alone improve it, they took an active approach to realigning their company.

    Because such far-reaching changes can hardly be managed from within, the company called on the comprehensive expertise of Tebis Consulting.

    Company

    Schäfer Modellbau

    Location

    Osnabrück

    Focus

    Process analysis and improving competitiveness

    Benefits:
    • Process optimization
    • Increasing efficiency
    • Improving productivity
    Sector

    Model making

    Published

    2024

    Interviewee: Maik Ostermann, Deputy Head of Production - Photo: Pergler Media

    We developed a solution with our partners from Tebis and Tebis Consulting that creates new possibilities for us. It improves our flexibility, and above all gives us significantly longer machine run times.

    We now manufacture much faster and more safely. And that's a very nice result..

    Maik Ostermann, Deputy Head of Production at Schäfer
    Schäfer GmbH & Co. KG
    For over 100 years, Modellbau Schäfer in Osnabrück, Germany, has exemplified the implementation of complex models and gauges. The high degree of vertical integration and modern machinery enable the production of high-precision products in the shortest possible time. – Photo: Schäfer Modellbau

    Modellbau Schäfer in Osnabrück is a frontrunner when it comes to precision parts. The company enjoys an outstanding reputation in the industry for the precision and surface quality of its products. The product spectrum ranges from 1:1 models of entire cars or an air taxi to functional experience vehicles, display models and data control models to 3D-printed door handles individually designed for the customer. The experts are also sought-after contacts throughout the industry for high-quality classic car conversions or for customizing vehicles. 


    In all of their activities, the model makers are known for uncompromising quality and absolute adherence to deadlines. "However, it's known that the situation for automotive industry suppliers in this country has become difficult in recent years," explains Maik Ostermann, Deputy Head of Production at Schäfer. "This is also affecting us on a day-to-day basis. We realized that we had to actively improve our competitiveness."

    Thinking outside the box

    Initiating changes while keeping up with day-to-day business is always a challenge. Especially when it comes to thinking outside the box of previously ingrained corporate practices and taking new approaches. 
    "We therefore called on help from the outside for this," explains Ostermann. "We decided on the team from Tebis Consulting. It quickly became clear in the initial discussions that they had precisely the expertise and the experience we needed. The positive reputation of these industry experts was also a deciding factor. There was ultimately a lot at stake here, and first impressions are critical."
    Process analysis with Tebis Consulting: Although the focal points in every customer project have to be determined on an individual basis, every project still includes several typical stages and goals. (Image: Tebis Consulting)

    The right sequence to follow is also crucial

    The experts from Tebis Consulting went to work examining all the processes and structures together with those responsible at Schäfer.

    "They looked very closely at how things are done here,"

    Ostermann reports.

    In principle, we already knew in advance where the problems were, but not across all processes. The existing processes had not evolved much in recent years and there had been hardly any innovation.

    The challenge for was not only to identify what needed to be changed, but also to approach the optimizations in the right order. We were actually surprised at how practical and detailed the consulting team's analysis of our processes was. All employees were involved in the optimization process right from the start. 

    Everyone was able to identify with the optimization concept and was highly motivated to take on the issues.

    Standardization as the basis for effective optimization

    (Image: Tebis Consulting)

    Further steps were based on a comprehensive analysis of the current situation. "We first recorded and visualized our existing order throughputs together with Tebis Consulting on a department level," says Ostermann, describing the procedure. "This enabled us, together with the employees, to determine the average weeks for all departments. Finally, a benchmark with 188 questions was processed. The resulting recommendations for action were absolutely to the point and based in practice."

    For example, one of the basic core areas in this analysis determines the degree of standardization of both the procedure in the projects as well as, to a certain extent, the products themselves. "We shouldn't have to reinvent the wheel for each new project," explains Ostermann. "It makes sense to cluster parts with similar processing requirements and then standardize the processes for these part classes. We had to take urgent action."

    Flexible use of software in all areas

    CAD/CAM systems and programming are critical for standardization. And Tebis, which the model makers have been using as a CAD/CAM package since 1989 and which they now use in the current version 4.1, is predestined to be the backbone for standardized and automated processes. Ostermann clarifies the challenge: "A bumper is always a bumper." "The individual products often look very different from one another. But the material, the approach, the machining strategy – all this remains essentially the same. Tebis can use feature identification to determine key features and can then use templates to efficiently convert these to executable programs.

    Especially routine tasks, such as placing the holes for clamping systems, designing fill surfaces for roughing or generating the blanks can be elegantly combined in rule-based CAD templates. This enables the programmers to concentrate on their actual task. However, some basic decisions had to be made to ensure smooth operation. One result of the initial assessment was that there was no standardized procedure for specifying zero points. This resulted in a great deal of communication effort and left room for error. The definition of a rule-based procedure provided a remedy.

    Safe and efficient setup

    Setup was another important activity. Here as well, the processes at Schäfer used no standards. Setup was performed entirely on the respective machine – with all the inefficient side effects, such as searching for missing components and standard parts or the right clamping device. In the smaller parts area, standard blanks were often missing. And: Each machine operator had their own preferences and individual approach to setup.

    The setup processes for both large and small parts were fundamentally overhauled. And the experts at Tebis CAM Implementation worked together with the Schäfer team implement the new concept. Comprehensive standardization in combination with newly installed setup stations now ensures stable setup processes and high efficiency and frees up available potential. "In addition, processes can only be meaningfully and systematically further optimized starting from a defined basis," adds Ostermann. "This enables us to stay competitive with our company workflows and processes over the long term."
    The model makers can easily process parts in sizes up to 5,000 x 2,500 x 1,500 mm with their machines. They sometimes mill entire cars on the machines. And significantly longer spindle run times can now be achieved by using the existing tool changers – while simultaneously improving process safety. – Photo: Pergler Media

    Spindle run times left room for improvement

    The model manufacturing experts can draw on a high-performance machine pool for their work. Among other things, they have access to three high-performance Fooke Endura gantry milling machines (Endura 905, Endura 704, Endura 705) as well as machining centers from Fidia (two Fidia G996 machines with rotating/tilt table and a D321) and a Zayer Memphis machine with a Fidia milling head. That's a total of seven high-performance machines.

    However, the machine run times were generally tied to the presence of their operators. Work at Schäfer is done in shifts – and although employees were always busy, those responsible were certain that there was still potential to be exploited in machining. The machine analysis revealed that the large machines were only operating for 29 percent of the available time, and the small machines for only 24 percent.

    We were not surprised by the simple fact that we had large periods of unused time, 

    explains Ostermann. "But we were certainly surprised by how large those periods were. We wanted and had to free up this untapped potential!"

    Extensive unused machine capacity

    The mold makers primarily process model boards and other relevant plastics on their machinery, as along with aluminum alloys, tool steels and composite materials. The experts sometimes also machine other materials like hardwood. – Photo: Pergler Media

    One result, for example, was that although the machines are equipped with tool changers, the operators still usually changed the tools in the machine by hand. "This made it impossible to achieve longer unattended operating times," reports Ostermann. "Once we had standardized the tools in programming, we were able to make more reasonable use of the tool changers, thus achieving significantly longer spindle run times. With the virtual machines and digital twins in Tebis 4.1, we can now simulate the programs precisely and then run them directly on the machines without any subsequent changes."

    Where seven operators were previously at work for each of the seven machines in two shifts, four to five operators are now sufficient despite the considerably higher throughput. "Together with the experts from Tebis Consulting and Tebis CAM Implementation, we have restructured our processes," explains Ostermann. "The machining operations are now prepared in the evening and the parts are finished the next morning. "We have achieved our goal with careful programming that accounts for all eventualities in advance." The machines are running much more productively, efficiently and safely. 

    Significant improvements

    The improvements in tool changing, the setup concept and standardization enable significantly more parts to be produced per day. "No jobs were lost in this in the realignment – on the contrary, were able to train some of the machine operators to be good programmers. This means that we can also make very good use of our new possibilities and easily handle the increased programming workload." The operators, some of whom had been skeptical and were quite anxious about the transition beforehand, are now convinced.

    "Nobody wants to go back to the old way of doing things," assures the manufacturing expert.

    Workplace quality has improved significantly, and the work itself is more pleasant and stress-free 

    And we're continuing consistently in this way – we want to continue improving in the near future, especial in the area of multiple setups. We have achieved a solution with our partners from Tebis, Tebis Consulting and Tebis CAM Implementation that improves our flexibility and, above all, yields significantly longer machine run times. 

    And it all works very smoothly. We now manufacture significantly faster, better – and safer. And that's a very nice result..                                                                           

    Richard Pergler

    Profile

    Schäfer GmbH & Co. KG 
    For over 100 years, Modellbau Schäfer in Osnabrück, Germany, has exemplified the implementation of complex models and gauges. The high degree of vertical integration and modern machinery enable the production of high-precision products in the shortest possible time. The 200 employees at three locations have distinguished themselves with their great flexibility, extensive expertise and a high level of commitment. The company's scope of services extends from project planning and design to classic mold, gauge and model manufacturing and to CNC machining and additive manufacturing. Another mainstay is vehicle conversion: Among other things, the experts here modify classic cars, electrify cars and customize vehicles. 

    Focus

    Working with NC templates
    When working with NC templates, the programmers use company-specific process libraries that contain all the machines, including controls, tools and clamping devices, in the form of individually prepared digital objects. The Tebis software accesses these libraries. The company's unique production environment is represented by the virtual machines and the clamping device and tool libraries, as well as the data for the measured blanks. The optimized manufacturing knowledge from the company is also stored in NC templates; this is where the expertise of the programmers and machinists is saved. The company's expertise has been systematically prepared in Tebis, which enables standardized work and automation in NC programming.

    Perspective

    Looking beyond one's own horizon
    Of course a production manager usually knows at least roughly where there’s room for optimization in their area. What needs to be addressed and where measures for improvement are overdue. But these are often only highlights: We can be blind by our day-to-day operations to a critical view of the big picture. Statements like "It actually works great the way it is!" and "It's always worked well in the past" are then often the final blow to optimization projects. And this is where a critical perspective from the outside can help, offered by experts who aren’t wearing blinders. For example, the Tebis Consulting experts for process optimization, increasing efficiency and improving productivity now know exactly where to start and what measures have to be consistently implemented to ensure the complete success of an optimization project. And finally, everyone can benefit from the company's increased competitiveness.