Göppingen/Uedem, 3 September, 2020 – What a shock: at the turn of the year an arsonist sets fire in the production halls of Mühlhoff Umformtechnik on its site at the border with the Netherlands. The column of smoke can be seen for miles, resulting in damage in the high double-digit million euro range, including loss of production. But just six months later, the automotive supplier can start up again with its large presses: Schuler Service has already repaired two of the four damaged presses, and a new 2000-ton system from the TSD series is scheduled to go into operation in early 2021.

 

Mühlhoff managing director Markus Wermers had only been in office for three months when the fire broke out: “Just a few days later, Schuler Service was on site with nine employees.” Together, the decision is made to first repair the machines with 800 and 1,300 tons of press force that were only a few years old. In order to do this, the specialists have to replace the entire electrical and control system, and also remove several mechanical parts in order to have removed the contamination with soot and extinguishing water manually.

 

Mühlhoff can send some of the dies to the Schuler site in Erfurt so that parts production can continue there on a 1,600-ton press with TwinServo technology. "Other suppliers have also stepped in to process our orders," recalls Wermers, who is currently running the business from a container in the parking lot – the administration building was also damaged by the major fire. He is grateful to his competitors for being able to continue to supply customers from the automotive industry with parts: "Everyone has helped so that everything can now gradually start up again."

 

Mühlhoff Umformtechnik goes even further and is also investing in a new press from the TSD series with ServoDirect technology and 2,000 tons of press force. In addition, the system features the camera-based system "Visual Die Protection" and the "IIoT Connector" from Schuler, which enables numerous other Industry 4.0 functions such as process monitoring or predictive maintenance. "This means that we are optimally positioned for the future," says production and project manager Christian Pennekamp with conviction. Pennekamp has been responsible for the configuration and project planning of the complex press systems at Mühlhoff for more than ten years.

 

 

Caption

Bild.jpg: Automotive supplier Mühlhoff Umformtechnik has ordered a 2,000-ton servo press from Schuler. © Schuler

 

About Mühlhoff Umformtechnik – www.muehlhoff.de

Founded as a coppersmith in 1832 at the headquarters in Uedem, Mühlhoff Umformtechnik GmbH today manufactures complex formed components for the automotive industry. Customers include almost all well-known automobile manufacturers and their suppliers worldwide. The company manufactures parts and components for bodywork, frame construction, chassis and drive train. Steel and aluminum are processed, which are cold formed at the Uedem site. State-of-the-art forming and joining technologies and around 400 qualified employees ensure absolute precision and compliance with the highest quality standards every day. In 2018 the turnover was 80.3 million euros.

 

 

About the Schuler Group – www.schulergroup.com

Schuler offers customized cutting-edge technology in all areas of forming—from the networked press to press shop planning. In addition to presses, our products include automation and software solutions, dies, process know-how and service for the entire metalworking industry. Our customers include automobile manufacturers and automotive suppliers, as well as companies in the forging, household appliance and electrical engineering industries. Presses from the Schuler Group mint coins for more than 180 countries. When it comes to the digital transformation of forming technology, we support our customers worldwide as a supplier of innovative system solutions. In the 2019 fiscal year, Schuler generated sales of € 1.136 billion. Founded in 1839 at our headquarters in Göppingen, Germany, Schuler AG has approx. 6,000 employees at production sites in Europe, China and the Americas, as well as service companies in more than 40 countries. The company is majority-owned by the Austrian ANDRITZ Group.