Product and Manufacturing Development
Manufacturing
Assembly & Test
Sales & After Market Service
The required precision and features of almost all of our spindle components doesn’t allow to use suppliers or sub-contractors. Thus we not only have specialized in design and simulation tools, but also in unique production technologies
which we have semlessly integrated into the creation and producion process of our products. This includes spindle shafts ground to a sub-micron tolerance level, ultra-precision machined aerostatic bearings based on our patented technology,
electric motors, HSK tool clamping system and much more. Of course, because of their unique properties we also have seamlessly integrated our own spindles products in our production processes. Also, because and as you might know,
you can create more accurate aerostatic spindles using aerostatic spindles.
This being a strategy since the beginning, we now have a vertical integration of more than 95%, covering design, simulation, production, inspection, sales and after market service. Whenever you have specific question or request, be sure, we offer professional services not only on a technical level and at short reponse times.
You need, for example, assistance with integrating a spindle into your machining system? Having everything under one roof offers you turn-key solutions out of one hand.
“95% Vertical Integration”
Your benefits
Reduced lead times
Because we have everything under one roof and don’t rely on suppliers or sub contractors, we can reduce lead times and turnarounds to a minimum.
Flexibile and efficient
Production control always optimizes manufacturing and production processes to match quantities. Thus we are felxible to meet your special requirements and still mamage to follow our production planning.
Consistent quality
Because we have control of almost all production steps and follow a strict optimization policy, we not only can provide consistent, but also continuously improving qualities.
Bespoke customer services
With a vertical integratioin of more than 95% and because we think in solutions and not components, our customer service is experienced in applications and can even assist you with integrating our spindle solutions in your machining system.
Our development process at a glance
We always had close contacts to existing and potential customers. In discussions they often communicate their future needs and technologies which would help them to explore new marktes or to become more successful on their existing ones.
Everything starts with a brief look if we can see a unique and innovative approach to these requirements. If this is the case, we initiate a market analysis and surveys with our international customers followed by preparing a
development and cost frame. This also lead to numerous process and product improvements.
Same applies to internal requirements. Should, for example, no commercially available soution be available that suits our requirements on quality and performance, our experts gather ideas, and if we see feasible solutions to
meet our standards and needs, we prepare a development and cost plan. This approach lead to selling products like our patented spring-less HSK clamping systems
SLH-x, our spindle analyzer systems
ShakesBear
or ultra-precision HSK tool holder series
UTS-x.
3Where other spindle manufactureres focus on designing solutions around parts they can buy in, we focus on designing and optimizing our solutions for the aplications without compromise.
Along with a strong scientific background and a sound knowledge in spindle and bearing design we thus have developped comprehensive multi-objective optimization methods based on genetic coding or finite elements tools for structural
or flow analysis. Once a basic design has been prepared, it is processed within many and combined optimization cycles with respect to bearing properties, rotor dynamics, motor performance of thermal behavior e.g. Thus designs
for CNC machining, for example, differ from these for ultra-precision machining.
Once the pilot batch has been tested by key customers, their feedback is returned into the optimization process to get the best products for the market or application.
The following development and optimization tools you can find in Levicron:
- Analytical methods to determine and optimize properties of contact-free bearing technologies
- Numerical finite-elements methods for strucural analysis
- Coupled numerical finite-elements simulation for flow analysis to determine and optimize cooling jackets or bearing properties. These are also used to verify and optimize analytical methods and are partly coupled with the structural finite elements analysis
- Genetic Code and Population based Multi-Objective Optimization methods applied to entire spindle systems covering bearing, thermal, motor and dynamics properties
- CAD/CAM-Systems for 3D/2D design and production drawings
- Technical ERP and test systems (
ShakesBear) for satic and dynamic spindle testing, report generation, quality control and spindle/part tracing
To have the best quality and process control, all 3D models and 2D drawings are adaptive and represent the entire machining process in single stages. This not only means that there is a drawing for each single machining step,
but also that if anything is changed, all stage models and drawings are derived in a new revision automatically. All revisions are automatically stored in a revision database and updated automatically.
This makes not only sure that only the last revision is to be manufactured, but gives also an outstanding production and quality control.
Bespoke production technologies are key for spindle solutions and components for ultra-precision machining. Here standard CNC machining only can be used for pre-machining, but must be closely linked with bespoke ones to ensure consistency.
As most of the technologies for finish machining are not commercially available and must be linked to pre-machining, we decided right from the beginnign to accomodate both in our production with currently more than 95% vertical
integration.
Our production technologies and competences:
- CNC turning with life-tooling
- CNC 5-axis milling
- CNC ultra-precision bore grinding
- CNC (internal/external) cylindrical grinding
- CNC laser drilling
- CNC wire EDM
- CNC ultra-precision diamond turning
- Semi-automatic dynamic multi-plane balancing for spindle shafts and tool holders
- Laser marking
- Nickel plating
Our bespoke and in-house developed machining technologies significantly contribute to part qualitity and consistency and thus also to the quality and prrecision of our spindle products. Of course, our spindle solutions are widely
used in our production to continuously push qualities to better values.
To comply with the standards of our DIN ISO9001 certification, we have a well structured and strict process landscape. This not only makes sure that you keep control of your quality and production when you grow as a company,
it is simply essential when your parts require dozens of production steps before they can used in an assembly or spindle system. Any deviation in dimension you miss will likely result in an assembly or spindle you have will to
take apart again right after testing.
When creating a station drawing for a production part, it contains the dimensions and tolerances to check as well as their inspection rate. After taking a measurement of these dimension or tolerances they are stored in a database for tracking. This covers dimenial and – for us more important – form tolerances.
This way and using CMMs and form testers we can control, assure and track the quality of our parts in production and spindle solutions.
After the finished machined, approved and cleaned parts went into stock, they get released with an order as a package that contains everything for the order. Basic assemblies and sub-assemblies (1) are stocked, too, to shorten
lead times. All assemblies are tested and certified (2). An assembled spindle system is then tested (3) and certified for its static properties and finally released for its dynamic testing (3). All tests and test results are
done and recorded using our internal
ShakesBear system that is installed on every computer system.
Step 1: Sub-assemblies
The modular design of all of our spindle products makes it possible and useful to stock tested and certified core assemblies to shorten lead times. This includes bearing cartridges, backcap units and spindle housings e.g.
Step 2: Core assemblies and static system tests
All single core assemblies are tested and certified before they are stocked. After core assemblies and other components have been assembled to a complete spindle system, its basic function without any rotation is tested and recorded
with respect to the following functions and properties:
- Tool change cycles and tool clamp errors using tool clamp monitoring
- Static bearing load tests
- Determination of static zero-point stiffness values
- Static run-out values of shaft taper and tool
- Multi-step leak-down tests of the cooling jacket
- Encoder settings and testings
- Electric testing of motor, sensors and wiring
Step 3: Dynamic testing and multi-plane balancing
After the spindle is released by our internal ShakesBear system, the spindle is ready to run and for its “burn-in” test. Also here our ShakesBear system is used and able to run and assess all tests automatically, taking the operator out of the loop to a significant part. To guarantee its dynamic properties, the following dynamic spindle test are done:
- Automated performance testing from standstill to top speed with safety monitoring, data logging and assesment
- Automated dynamic tool run-out, spindle vibration and spindle asynchronous error measuement with safety monitoring, data logging and assesment
- Automated resonance speed map creation with safety monitoring, data logging and assesment
- Automated sub-nanometer spindle error measurement (sync/async, radial/axial) with speed, DIN ISO 203-7
- Long-term testing followed by final inspection
One process that is not part of a dynamic testing, but production is our dynamic multi-plane balancing. Within this process the static and dynamic imblance of parts – shafts and tool holders in particular – are compensated in up to three planes. The industry standart for this process is to support the part on roller elements, spin it at low speed and to detect and compensate for these imblance in the balancing plane. As the part spins at low speed and the roller element and the shaft consist of shape errors, balance qualities are by far not good enough for the required final balancing quality of our spindle products.
But as we design and manufacture our own bearings and spindle systems, we created bespoke or modified aerostatic bearings that support the shaft. Because of the outstanding accuracy and properties of gas bearings we not only get motion errors on a nanometer level, but can also spin part or shafts at significantly higher speeds. We thus achieve balancing qualities of 0.05 mm/s at 30.00 rpm in three planes as a standard for shafts. Assembled in a spindle, we also can balance the shaft as a final step at top speed.
This also makes life very easy to us when creating our ultra-precision HSK tool holder series UTS-x. We simply use our own spindle products in bespoke balancing rigs to clamp and spin the tool holder. This not only replicates
the condition during a later us in a machine tool, it also allows to balance tool holders at high speeds. Here we achieve, for example, a balance quality of G0.3 mm/s at 60,000 rpm and, because of a repeatability of the tool
clamp of under 200 nm, a repeataibility of under G1 mm/s at 60,000 rpm.
All spindle components and systems are made in and shipped from Germany to 100%. Due to this and our seamless services, primary contact also for our international customers is our head office in Germany. This includes technical consultation for your process, technical information, sales and after market service. Once you can tell us the spindle serial number, we have its entire histroy and data on the screen and can speed up a repair service or can consult you with your machining process.
The requirements for our yearly DIN ISO9001 certification allows us to find specific information about any spindle delivered. Yearly customer surveys prove that we do everything to help you before, during and after a purchase
from us.
National and international safety regulations continuously change also for motor spindles. We are not only obliged to update our product and internal safety measures and features, we see this as an opportunity to improve our product quality and your safety according to
- 2006/42/EG, EU-Maschinenrichtlinie
- 2014/35/EU, Niederspannungsrichtlinie
- 2014/30/EU, Richtlinie über die elektromagnetische Verträglichkeit
- EN ISO 12100, Sicherheit von Maschinen
- EN 60204-1, Elektrische Ausrüstung von Industriemaschinen Allgemeine Anforderungen
- EN 60034-5, Umlaufende elektrische Maschinen Einteilung der Schutzarten für Gehäuse
