Electricity + Control 2019

PLANT MAINTENANCE, TEST + MEASUREMENT

New technology drives precision machining retrofit Strausak Mikroverzahnungen AG specialises in the manufacture of high-precision machinery used in the watchmaking and apparatus manufacturing industries. To enable the continued precise machining of parts no bigger than a grain of dust, Strausak recently retrofitted its machining centre using technology from Siemens.

1. The retrofitting of new electrical control and drive technology to the bur- nishing machine supports continuing precision, effi- ciencies and safety in this specialist application. Take Note! 1

T he new electrical control and drive components make for significantly easier machine set-up and commissioning, saving valuable time. Another benefit is that the compact components used take up a minimum of space. Over the medium-term Strausak plans to retrofit all its machines with Siemens solutions to leverage the benefits of using an integrated concept from a single supplier. Depending on the manufacturer and the level of quality, mechanical wristwatches can comprise over 1 700 perfectly interacting components. The ultra-

precise machining of gears less than a millimetre in diameter with seven teeth throws up a number of challenges. No friction is admissible between the bearing pivot and the ruby, meaning that the surface of the pivot has to be absolutely level. Because polishing alone is insufficient to achieve this, the watchmaking industry uses what is known as a burnishing process, which is a combination of stock removal and surface hardening. After 50 years in use, Strausak’s burnishing machine was ready for an electronic retrofit, which the company opted to implement using control

Depending on the manufacturer and level of quality, mechanical watches can comprise over 1 700 components, some hardly bigger than a grain of dust.

Strausak Mikroverzahnungen specialises in the manufacture of high- precision machines used in the watchmaking and apparatus industries.

26 Electricity + Control

JUNE 2019