The WILD Group is adding a KERN Micro HD to its plant equipment and thus reaching a new level in precision manufacturing.

Be it optical assemblies, complex medical devices or precision parts for the semi-conductor industry: when manufacturing difficult workpiece geometries, WILD is confronted with processes that require utmost repeat accuracy and tolerances of just a few μm. From now on, the technology partner can meet such requirements even more reliably and at greater speed. WILD recently brought a KERN Micro HD on stream, a machine considered to be the benchmark in five-axis milling of small parts. ”For us, this investment means an advance into a higher precision class. At the same time, the HD features an integrated pallet system and can be fully automated, making it an essential step toward even greater profitability and productivity“, stresses production manager Christian Tazoll.

In future, using the KERN Micro HD‘s high-frequency spindle, WILD can process, among other things, hydraulic components for medical technology at a rotational speed of up to 42,000 r/min. In combination with the high rigidity of the machine bed and the elimination of reversal marks thanks to an optimised reversal behaviour, WILD expects the machine to deliver an unprecedented surface finish.

NEW STANDARDS IN PRECISION AND LONG-TERM STABILITY
The machine achieves this exceptional precision not least because of its temperature management: in practice, it adjusts the temperature of the linear motors and integrates these in the hydrostatic system to minimise heat input. In addition, it precisely regulates the cooling fluid, sending it through all relevant components at a volume flow of up to 200 l/min. This results in temperature fluctuations of a mere ± 0.05 K. ”In combination with an enormous positioning accuracy and wear resistance thanks to state-of-the-art micro-gap hydrostatics, it guarantees utmost precision even in a non-air-conditioned environment“, Tazoll explains. ”Under ideal conditions, the manufacturer guarantees a positioning accuracy of <1μm, a position spreading width of <0,5μm and a circular deviation of <1μm“. 

The second investment in the modernisation of WILD‘s machine park was a Hermle C22: a compact, quick machine that can cover approx. 90 percent of the parts range. ”This translates into increased productivity. WILD has already had very good results with an identical machine, albeit with a smaller magazine“, says Tazoll.