The processing of copper plays a decisive role in high-quality distillery systems. One important task is to weld numerous individual parts of the precious metal, for which clean cutting edges are essential. The experienced coppersmiths at Müller Brennereianlagen GmbH produce these reliably with the compact, cordless TruTool S 160 battery-powered shears from Trumpf.
© Müller Distillery Plants
Oberkirch in the Black Forest is regarded as Germany’s capital of distillers. In the district of Tiergarten alone, around 100 of the 1000 inhabitants have distilling rights. Founded in 1929, Müller GmbH, one of the five most renowned manufacturers of distillery equipment in Germany, is also based there – in the midst of incredible distilling experience. Master coppersmith Bernd Müller is the third generation to run the company, and his three sons Sebastian, Lukas and Clemens are also involved after completing their studies and training.
Until the early 2000s, Müller’s delivery area was primarily limited to German-speaking countries. In the meantime, the high quality of the systems has also become internationally renowned, meaning that sales are now distributed differently. The DACH region is still important with a good 30 percent. However, the rest of Europe is the main customer base with just under 50 percent, and the remaining 20 percent or so is sold to the rest of the world.
Optimal processes and good working conditions are important
The high quality of the distillery equipment is the main reason for the good order situation. Lukas Müller, an industrial engineering graduate who has also trained as a coppersmith, cites two important features: “We produce the still and stillhead with the help of the force converter, which maintains the material thickness of the copper sheet throughout. This and the subsequent hammering process allow it to naturally bind unwanted by-products such as hydrocyanic acid, which are produced during fermentation, in the best possible way. We also guarantee an optimal distillation process with our patented distillation columns.”
The owner family of the Oberkirch-based company is pleased about the constantly increasing number of customers, but would like to reduce the long delivery times of currently one and a half years. Lukas Müller, who is responsible for production, sees this as a major challenge: “It is currently very difficult to find and retain good coppersmiths. This is one of the reasons why we attach great importance to good working conditions.”
The fact that we are succeeding in this is noticeable as soon as you enter the production halls. Friendly faces indicate a pleasant working atmosphere, which master coppersmith Patrick Vollmer associates with the management of the family business and the technical equipment: “We make work as easy as possible for our employees.” Accordingly, several machines are used, including a so-called power former, a press brake, guillotine shears and a bending machine.
© Trumpf
Maximum relief for manual work
And even where manual work is still necessary, there is maximum relief. Vollmer highlights its modern TruTool S 160 cordless shears from Trumpf, which are otherwise used particularly frequently in roof and façade construction. They are used to carry out important preparatory work for welding a wide variety of copper sheets in the distillery plants. This is because perfect weld seams can only be produced with clean cut edges.
Many of these are needed when assembling the distillery systems, as master coppersmith Vollmer confirms: “Long weld seams are required in particular for the spherical stills and the stills, which are formed into hemispheres.” In addition, many smaller connections have to be made in the systems – for pipes, sight glasses and various access points.
Müller’s employees used to make the necessary seams using hand shears or, in some cases, angle grinders. For Vollmer himself, angle grinders in particular were not an option at this point, because “extensive protective equipment is required to work with them due to the flying sparks and fumes. The high heat development can also lead to corundum inclusions. The grinding wheels also have to be replaced frequently.” He therefore primarily chose the hand shears – a strenuous job, but a reliably good result.
© Trumpf
Copper experts agree: battery scissors are top
Since electric shears from Trumpf have been in the company, the question of tools no longer arises for any employee. All the copper experts at Müller are unanimous, especially when it comes to the new TruTool S 160 cordless shears from Trumpf: no other tool is as easy to use for copper cutting and, according to Vollmer, there are no two opinions when it comes to the quality of the results. The tool is robust, and thanks to the unrestricted view of the work surface and cutting line, work can be carried out quickly and precisely. The cordless TruTool S 160’s ability to negotiate curves is also enormous – even the smallest radii of up to 15 mm are no problem.
At the same time, the quadruple reversible blades ensure a long service life and low operating costs. As Patrick Vollmer reports, there is hardly any noticeable wear, at least when cutting the copper sheets of up to three millimetres in thickness that are common at Müller: “We have been using the new S 160 almost every day for six months now and haven’t even had to turn the blade. We are therefore completely happy with our decision to buy these cordless shears.”
The right tool thanks to good advice
In this case, Philipp Herwerth, Sales Manager Germany for power tools at Trumpf, played a decisive role in the process of finding the right tool. According to coppersmiths Patrick Vollmer and Lukas Müller, they originally had a different, larger Trumpf tool in mind: “Philipp Herwerth came to us with several different cordless shears and nibblers, all of which we were able to try out. We realized that the small, 1.7 kg machine was completely sufficient for our purposes, as it is extremely powerful despite its compact size. We can easily cut three-millimeter-thick copper sheet with it,” reports Lukas Müller.
© Trumpf
The 4.0 Ah 12 V LiHD battery used in the S 160 also ensures a high level of satisfaction at Müller Brenneriananlagen thanks to its long runtime. This high-performance battery developed by Metabo is used in various Trumpf tools and can also be used in many other battery-operated hand-held machines such as rotary hammers, nailers, plunge-cut saws and hot air guns from more than 40 other manufacturers in the CAS network. This saves users a lot of money, as they have to keep fewer batteries and battery chargers in stock, and at the same time fewer raw materials (e.g. lithium) are consumed.
Trumpf battery-powered tools on the roof and façade
High productivity, precision and reliability of battery shears are not only required for copper boiler production. It is just as important in the processing of sheet metal roofs and facades. As the tasks in this area are varied and many different materials are used – from copper, zinc and aluminium to galvanized sheet steel and stainless steel – the demands on the cordless tools used are correspondingly high. The Trumpf portfolio also covers all requirements here. In addition to the new addition to the cordless series, the TruTool S 250, there are other thick plate shears as well as cordless slitting shears such as the C 250. Thanks to its high working speed of up to 10 m/min, it is particularly suitable for distortion-free longitudinal cuts.
Nibblers and profile nibblers from the TruTool PN series are used just as frequently. These tools are also known as all-rounders on the roof. While curve shears produce a slight deformation at the cut edges of the sheet metal, nibblers work without any distortion. They can be guided over trapezoidal, U and l profiles, and notches and inner contours can be cut out.
Trumpf has been producing power tools for sheet metal processing since 1934.
Web:
www.trumpf.com
