Igniting the spark of FMS

In a Q&A session, Alfred Lilla Starrag’s sales director aero structures, explains how the company has written the ‘never-ending success story’ under the flexible manufacturing system (FMS) banner.

A ‘never-ending success story’. That is how Starrag best sums up its Ecospeed machining centre. Its quality has been proven in the 5-axis milling of large, aluminium aircraft components due to its parallel kinematic Sprint Z3 machining head. According to Starrag, the machines work even better together by being interlinked to form a highly productive FMS - with no compromises in performance.

Q) How did you come to develop a completely new machine concept?

In 2000, as head of NC programming at DASA, which later became EADS, I was researching a completely new machine technology with production engineer Helmut Färber. This technology would need to be suitable for the highly productive machining of the complex structural components for the central section of the Eurofighter fuselage. As there were no suitable or effective machines on the market, we developed an HSC system with horizontal parallel kinematics in collaboration with DS Technologie Werkzeugmaschinenbau, now a Starrag subsidiary. This invention proved to be a very good machine concept, which has developed into a successful Starrag product range under the Ecospeed name. Its success is because there is no other machine tool in the world that can match its performance.

Q) Currently, out of more than 130 Ecospeed machines installed worldwide, 60 work in combination as an FMS. How did the 19 FMS systems come about?

Since 2009, one of our key customers, Korea Aerospace Industries (KAI), has ordered a total of 12 Ecospeed machine tools for high-speed machining of large aluminium structural components. KAI ordered an FMS made up of nine ECOSPEED F 2060 machines for machining wing ribs, following an analysis that revealed that they are 30% more productive than the linked machines of any other competitor. Since 2016, KAI has been the home of one of the world's largest Ecospeed FMS systems, with nine machines, four set-up stations, two transfer wagons and a total of 90 pallets.

Q) How does KAI rate the performance of this line now?

Very highly, because it now processes the wing ribs of the Airbus A350 five times faster than on their previous conventional machining centres. As a result, KAI, together with local suppliers now uses Ecospeed to manufacture all Airbus A350 wing ribs. Overall, several hundred wing ribs are now produced each month. It’s not only the performance that is impressive, but also the high availability of the FMS, at 97%. According to our customers, the Ecospeed technology is significantly less error-prone than machines with circular axes (AC or AB kinematics). But it was ultimately the performance and reliability that finally convinced customers to invest in Ecospeed FMS. In addition to Chinese companies CAC, Chengdu Aviation and AVIC Shengyang Aircraft, which have ordered four FMS with 20 ECOSPEED F machining centres in total, a US aerospace supplier showed interest in our product range for the first time, particularly our linked solutions.

Q) Did you win the customer?

Yes, it is Orizon Aerostructures, which first saw an ECOSPEED F 2060 in use when in the process of acquiring another company. Impressed by the performance, it closely examined the FMS solution adopted by KAI, before deciding to build a new production hall with six linked ECOSPEED F 2060 machining centres. We saw success not just with the fast commissioning and performance, but according to Orizon, the new FMS works 40% faster than comparable existing machines. Orizon therefore decided to order three more ECOSPEED F 2060 machining centres, which will go into operation in 2019. The results for Orizon speaks volumes for its investment in an FMS with nine Ecospeed machining centres. The owners of the company are thrilled to be able to expand production capacity by at least 50% thanks to the new machines.

Q) Is this technology only for large companies?

Our customers range from the supplier Premium Aerotec, our largest and oldest regular customer with a total of eight FMS and 20 Ecospeed machines, down to the small Swiss aircraft manufacturer Pilatus, which ordered an FMS with two ECOSPEED F 2040. It’s clear that FMS are also suitable for SME companies too.

Q) What do FMS buyers really value and appreciate?

The customers rely primarily on growth and safety. We meet them with significantly increased productivity, which we substantiate with average performance increases of 300% to 500% when compared with old conventional machines, and from 30% to 40% compared to new machines from competitors. Additionally, thanks to the robust technology, we can provide an extremely high system availability of >96%. For the majority of buyers, however, it comes down to a rapid return on investment. We ensure fast, productive utilisation of the FMS with fast delivery and commissioning. For example, Orizon expected its new FMS solution to be operational within just eight months, in accordance with its ‘letter of intent’ — and we achieved just that. This also contributed to increased growth and safety.

Q) Does digital transformation play a role in the specifications of customers? How do you meet their requirements?

The best example of this can be seen in Korea with KAI. As its core element, the FMS features a cell controller, which automatically monitors all processes. This ensures that everything runs automatically. The user only needs to clamp the parts to be machined onto the pallets - everything else is done automatically. The cell controller controls the entire process - from the automatic loading and storage of the raw material to the unloading of the finished components. All information and resources are managed via the cell controller, which receives orders from the primary ERP system of the end customer. The cell controller ensures there is digital transparency in the factory because it centrally manages all the FMS information, which it forwards on to primary computer systems as required via standard interfaces. For us, Industry 4.0 is not a vision for the future; it’s already a reality and ensures high levels of reliability and effectiveness in the production process.

Q) Are we talking about tailored solutions that only large, solvent customers can afford?

Yes, they are tailored. We rely on the foundation of our Integrated Production System (IPS), from which the customer can select their individual Industry 4.0 solution. But they are also available to medium-sized suppliers: The Starrag IPS is used as a platform for automating and digitising production - step by step if desired. IPS ranges from individual machines, to FMS and right up to complete production lines. In contrast to other providers, we also use products developed in-house for all important components: The core element is the cell controller, developed by Starrag, which monitors FMS and production lines to ensure reliable processes. This digital icing on the cake shows not only that it can guide and control the entire production process - in conjunction with a higher-level ERP system where applicable - the cell controller also ensures digital transparency in the factory by visualising the system status, for example. And thanks to our in-house development, we also ensure high availability when it comes to digitalisation.

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