Just 4 weeks to the finished product

Just 4 weeks to the finished product

Ever since Franz Roming founded Roming Werkzeugbau GmbH 85 years ago, the firm in Rottweil has been a hallmark of quality and reliability in mouldmaking. With injection moulding as the main activity, Roming is now a full-range supplier to customers in the automotive industry and electronics sector who appreciate the flexibility of the injection moulding experts as well as their commitment to quality and rapid response to customer needs. Roming recently invested in a wire-cut EDM machine from Mitsubishi Electric – for good reason, because this production technology handles a good third of the workload in the mouldmaking department.

Any component supplier who wants to stay competitive in the automotive sector has to respond flexibly and supply high-grade products. And Roming Werkzeugbau GmbH has been acting on this principle for many years. The injection moulding and mouldmaking experts from Rottweil support their customers in the development of a new product, make the associated moulds and produce the mouldings in anything from small series to produc­tion runs amounting to millions of parts. “Not only are our customers accustomed to this comprehensive service and high quality, but these two attributes are also necessary today if we want to hold our own in the face of high-output com­petition from abroad,” says Michael Roming, head of mouldmaking, outlining everyday business.

 

Roming has been engaged in injection moulding for about 50 years and has been supporting its customers as a suitably experienced and competent service provider. The fact that Roming supplies nothing but high-grade components is thus due to the high level of skills of the workforce and to high-performance machines in injection moulding and mouldmaking. Karl Roming highlights at this point the strong deadline pressure. “Depending on the size of the mould, we supply the finished product within four weeks in some cases.” This period covers the entire development of a new mould on the basis of a 3D model of the end-product.

Wire EDM a key technology

This rapid response is only possible because Roming can resort to a fully equipped mouldmaking shop that encompasses all conceivable production technologies. Along with HSC, which has revolutionised production, sinker EDM has long played an important part, backed up in recent years by wire-cutting. The most recent investment in mouldmaking was made in wire erosion, one of the key technologies in mouldmaking. “We considered conventional 5-axis milling, but wire-cutting currently has priority,” says Michael Roming reviewing the purchase. The advantages were obvious. “Dimensional accuracy and reproducibility in automated operation are immensely important for us.”

The decision in 2010 went in favour of a wire-cutting EDM machine from Mitsubishi Electric, the NA1200 Essence. Firstly, they had already had positive experience with Mitsubishi Electric in the sinker EDM sector, and secondly the arguments in favour of this model were highly persuasive. “The machine’s excellent price/performance ratio was decisive and such features as the FS generator and thin-wire technology matched our re­quirement profile to perfection,” says Michael Ro­ming, summing up the advantages. In addition, the NA1200 Essence has slightly larger dimensions than the FA10-S Advance, which makes it better suited to the product range.

Although the NA1200 Essence is the first wire-cutting EDM machine from Mitsubishi Electric, Roming’s employees were able to resort directly to their experience with the sinker EDM machines. In this context, Michael Roming highlights the control. “The user interface is intuitively structured, so familiarisation didn’t take long.” At any rate, the investment soon paid off, as a glance at the results shows. Roming operates with tolerances of just a few µm and machining performance has been almost doubled compared to that of the previous machines.

Michael Roming also draws attention to the machine’s dependability: “Our flexible working method calls for a smooth-running machine park in all departments.” The NA1200 Essence has so far proven to be extremely dependable, and he also has nothing but praise for the Mitsubishi Electric service. “The hotline is both competent and easy to reach and the online shop is a useful source for any parts that we need.”

A broad basis for the future

Michael Roming is unable to estimate exactly how the various sectors of industry will actually devel­op, but he knows that demand for elec­tron­ic components will continue to grow. “That’s why we shall continue to have a broad basis and supply as many and as different customers as possible.” This is the best way of mastering the ups and downs of the economy. The workforce is already set to grow. Roming currently employs 22 skilled operatives, a number that will soon ­increase. Roming ensures the standard of quality in this area by training its own staff and thus counteracts the short­age of suitable young job candidates.

Our customers are accustomed to comprehensive service and high quality.

In the field of wire EDM, the optimum has now been achieved, Michael Roming believes. “The NA1200 Essence will be the benchmark for the next five years, but we shall of course keep an eye on developments in technology.”

Interview