With a view to increasing productivity, companies are increasingly focusing on improving production processes – even seemingly secondary process steps. The increasing demand for part leveling machines in combination with a deburring machine underlines this trend.
Suer Stahltechnik in Raesfeld, Germany, is a young company. It was founded in 2020 by Leonard Suer. With a total of twelve employees, it offers high-quality sheet metal work: From laser cutting to straightening and deburring – from edging to milling. All sheet metal processing takes place in Raesfeld. A product that has been through the laser cutter is not yet finished. “We would like to deburr, drill, galvanize and thread-cut it. We do all the processing for our customers so that they no longer have to do it themselves,” explains Leonard Suer. The majority of customers come from the same federal state: North Rhine-Westphalia. They mainly work in machine, steel and hall construction, but also in railing and staircase construction or even in the automotive industry. Suer Stahltechnik is committed to its customers in order to grow together. What makes Suer different from others? You are still young and like new challenges. For example, Suer recently purchased a machine to fulfill a customer request. The customer wanted a product that he was originally unable to manufacture. Together they discussed what needed to be done. This led to the purchase of an additional machine.
Deburring
After discussions with several abrasive manufacturers, Suer was steered in the direction of Timesavers. It quickly became clear that a timesaver was the way to go. The choice fell on a 42 RB Series with a working width of 1,350 mm, which was ultimately replaced by the same series with a working width of 1,600 mm due to changes in customer requirements. The machine with rotating brushes is ideal for deburring, edge rounding up to a radius of 2 mm, oxide layer removal and finishing. Oxide layer removal is crucial for coating and galvanizing. The applied coating adheres much better to a clean surface. 1A-Maschinen, dealer of Timesavers machines, played an important role in this project. It supplied the deburring machine in combination with AMI roller tables and the extraction system from Absaugwerk. 
© Kohler
Curved parts and plates
Suer had been working with the Timesavers deburring machine for two years. They were very happy with it. Nevertheless, they always had the same problem. The parts they fed into the deburring machine were not completely flat. During laser cutting, tension is applied to the sheet metal. When this tension is released, the sheet metal deforms. This can lead to time-consuming reworking and higher costs in subsequent processes such as welding or assembly. However, deburring is also difficult with deformed, uneven sheet metal. To save such costs, the voltage should be removed from the sheet metal. The Peak Performer 85P.1600 was therefore purchased from Kohler Maschinenbau GmbH. The deburring machine from Timesavers and the part leveling machine were then linked together by Kohler to form the line in question.
Relaxed sheet metal straightening
The Peak Performer 85P.1600 part straightening machine straightens sheet metal blanks made of steel, aluminum and stainless steel with dimensions of up to 1,500 x 3,000 mm and a sheet thickness of up to 28.0 mm. The part leveler has a so-called extended cleaning system in which the leveling rollers can be moved out of the machine electrically. The cleaning process is significantly simplified, especially after straightening black steel. This is very important for Suer Stahltechnik, as various metals such as aluminum, stainless steel and even black steel are processed. The machine also has an electromechanical straightening gap control, which shows its full strength with varying cross-sections and easily masters the changing forces that occur. The patented electromechanical alignment gap control detects the change in force flow in milliseconds, compensates for it and counteracts it immediately. The straightening gap also remains constant during the straightening process – an enormous advantage for optimum straightening results, especially with more complex components. The part leveler is also equipped with a barcode scanner, reversible leveling rollers for longer service life and functions such as pinch edge prevention and overload protection. 
© Kohler
Relaxed combination for a process-optimized production line
To save space, Suer wanted to combine the part leveling machine with the deburring machine. In this way, they form a single process line. The control panels of the Kohler and Timesavers machines are integrated into one system. This enables one employee to control and monitor the entire process. “This saves time, space and energy. And it works very well,” emphasizes Leonard Suer. The Kohler part leveling machine thus ensures flat and low-stress sheets. Max Burgert, Product Manager at Kohler, explains that there is more to straightening than just leveling a sheet. By reducing and equalizing the stresses in the material, further processing becomes more reliable and efficient. The straightened part then runs over the roller table into the deburring machine. This is where deburring, edge rounding, oxide layer removal and finishing take place. If required, the conveyor belt reverses again at the push of a button, conveying the part back to the infeed.
Good cooperation as the basis for success
The companies Kohler, Timesavers, 1A-Maschinen and Suer Stahltechnik can look back on a good working relationship. This was not just about supplying individual products. The main aim was to offer the best possible process. Regular consultations were essential during the development and delivery of the production line. Raoul Knoop, machine operator and workshop manager: “What I really liked was that they responded to every customer request. That you could say: I want it this way and that way. Is that feasible? And they tried and implemented it. They also worked very closely together. I really liked that. It worked very, very well.” Web: www.kohler-germany.com
