06 EN: Tailwind For Precision - Milling Machines By Miba Automation Systems

00:00:00: This episode was translated from a German interview with AI.

00:00:31: Our experts from MIBA explain how our components ensure that products and applications of our customers become safer, more reliable & energy efficient.

00:00:40: And why MIBA is a world leader in several of these specialist fields!

00:00:46: Today however we're talking about something you can definitely see... ...and quite clearly the special purpose machines form.

00:00:53: MIBA Automation Systems MAS, MEBA Automation Systems builds specialized machinery for various applications and today we're going to focus on so-called monopiles.

00:01:05: These are the structures offshore wind towers are built on.

00:01:08: MAS manufactures the milling machines used for the circular and longitudinal seams in their construction.

00:01:14: That might sound a bit complicated, but really it's not!

00:01:18: And above all we have guests here today who can explain it really well.

00:01:21: Jacob Walchatzeder is responsible for sales at Mieba Automation Systems... ...and Andreas Schranzinger leads the research & development team.

00:01:29: A very warm welcome to you both.

00:01:32: Hello

00:01:33: It's great to have you here.

00:01:34: My name is Autrun Shandel.

00:01:36: I'm excited to guide you through this podcast.

00:01:39: Jakob, Andreas?

00:01:40: Let's start with a few quick questions so our listeners can get to know you a bit better!

00:01:45: How long have you been at Mieber,

00:01:46: Andreas?".

00:01:48: It has been six years for me

00:01:49: now.".

00:01:49: Same here...six years… We actually started it almost the same

00:01:53: time!".

00:01:53: That's fantastic – both of you've been here for six

00:01:56: years!!

00:01:56: What do you like best about your

00:01:57: work?!

00:01:58: For me its definitely the variety and close contact with customers.

00:02:02: We always develop our solutions based on the customer's specific problem, working closely with them to find the perfect fit for their application.

00:02:10: And that is why we have a broad product portfolio With lots of variety in both products and requirements For them.

00:02:17: The mix of technical challenges Our team creativity and our customer focus That what makes it so exciting.

00:02:23: Very cool!

00:02:23: What about you Andreas?

00:02:25: I can only agree.

00:02:26: The diversity here Is truly incredible.

00:02:28: The technology itself offers a wide range of challenges and it feels as though we encounter every single one at least once.

00:02:35: What is your educational background?

00:02:37: what kind of training brought you to MIBA Automation Systems?

00:02:40: For me, It was pretty straightforward.

00:02:42: I went to Technical College, Vöklabruck for Mechanical Engineering then continued my studies at Graz University of Technology specializing in production engineering and simulation.

00:02:53: i started out as an apprentice electrical systems technician Then studied innovation and product management, And did a Masters in Operations Management.

00:03:02: That's how I ended up at Meeba.

00:03:04: So A perfect mix of technical know-how & management skills AND innovation skills.

00:03:09: Very exciting!

00:03:10: In MAS You're working with completely different products than other divisions At Meebah Which basically build components.

00:03:17: Your machines are pretty big.

00:03:18: Does that make you different in character too?

00:03:21: Compared to other Meebah

00:03:22: colleagues?!

00:03:23: I think we were bit like close knit group within Meebar.

00:03:26: The key difference is definitely that our batch sizes start at just one unit.

00:03:30: We build custom machines tailored to each customer, and we also have standard machines in our portfolio such as the circular-and longitudinal seam milling machines which we keep customizing and developing to meet new market demands.

00:03:42: How about you Andreas?

00:03:43: Do feel different from other Meeber colleagues too?

00:03:46: Yes I do!

00:03:47: It's definitely single unit production.

00:03:49: Today we have a project involving coatings.

00:03:52: Tomorrow it'a Project Involving Milling.

00:03:54: You have to be able to switch gears very quickly.

00:03:56: And do these huge machines affect your ego?

00:03:59: I mean, others work on small components but you're building these massive machines!

00:04:03: Does that make you proud?

00:04:04: Yes definitely especially when you can make a customer happy or when you've really managed to meet their requirements to their satisfaction.

00:04:12: it's a fret feeling

00:04:13: Speaking of Customer Requirements.

00:04:14: let's talk about the unit.

00:04:16: It is Small But Mighty.

00:04:18: Where exactly are MiBAR Automation Systems located?

00:04:21: Well i think we're at the westernmost site in Austria.

00:04:24: We're based in Arashkirchen, together with bearing materials.

00:04:27: It's one motorway exit away from the head office at the Regal Motorway Junction.

00:04:32: That is where a massive motorway bridge goes right over your heads Your mechanical engineers and as you've already mentioned The applications for machines are incredibly varied.

00:04:42: Before we dive into todays topic What sort of machine does MIBA automation systems generally build?

00:04:48: Thats not an easy question because there so many different areas.

00:04:52: We usually divide them to four groups.

00:04:54: The first is high-tech automation, which we offer for many different Mieber sites.

00:04:58: Mechanical machining actually grew out of that because even a plain bearing or a sintered green part needs to be machined and with that know how we moved on special purpose machines particularly in situ machining large components.

00:05:11: Basically, if a component is too big to bring to the machine our machine goes through the component.

00:05:16: That's called in situ machining.

00:05:18: from there we moved into weld seam preparation especially for large components with sheet thicknesses up to one hundred fifty millimeters really huge things that we transport move and process.

00:05:28: And The fourth business division that has also developed is decommissioning.

00:05:32: these are mostly mobile machines again such as For the decommisioning of nuclear power stations.

00:05:37: where?

00:05:37: We also develop our own systems and source

00:05:41: Exactly, so anything to do with demolition.

00:05:42: Anything that's specialized in any way?

00:05:44: So it's not just about using a jackhammer to knock something down wherever sophisticated technology is needed.

00:05:50: That's where we come in.

00:05:51: We're also thinking ahead.

00:05:52: now were talking about monopiles But we are considering how remove them at the end of their service life.

00:05:58: Were exploring these ideas To see if can grow this area too.

00:06:02: Very interesting, how does that actually work?

00:06:05: You have four different business divisions each with very different requirements and customers.

00:06:10: How do you get your projects to customers?

00:06:13: come directly or Do you hear about a problem and see if you can solve it?

00:06:17: A bit of both.

00:06:18: sometimes an inquiry comes into Jacob one of his colleagues And they come in our office all excited about the customer's problems.

00:06:24: That when we ask ourselves Do we have the right people?

00:06:27: do We Have The Right Skills For It?

00:06:29: And If We Answer Yes, We're Actually Straight Into The Discussion and Finding A Solution.

00:06:33: Then The Whole Thing Follows Its Normal Course.

00:06:36: And He Leaves Just As Full Of Energy.

00:06:38: That's Right!

00:06:40: Let'S Move On To Today's Topic.

00:06:42: Your specialists in milling machines, Andreas as you've already mentioned and your most successful machine is the RNF-Sixty Five.

00:06:50: That's a circumferential seam milling machine which is why it has the abbreviation rnf for the German term Rundnaut Fraser.

00:06:57: perhaps we need to take a step back here.

00:07:00: people might know what a Milling Machine does but why circular joints?

00:07:03: Where is it needed?

00:07:04: You have already mentioned monopiles The foundations of wind turbines.

00:07:08: But where exactly is this machine needed that mills circular joints?

00:07:12: Let me give you an example.

00:07:14: A monopile is basically a long steel tube, as long as the football pitch and tall-as-a two story house.

00:07:21: About twelve meters in diameter And now up to fifteen metres.

00:07:24: In the latest developments This monopyle Is driven into the seabed like a giant nail So it has to withstand a lot of stress.

00:07:31: To build a Monopyle you start with a large sheet Of metal about four by twelve metres And one hundred to one hundred fifty millimetres thick.

00:07:38: The sheet is rolled out where ends meet.

00:07:41: It's welded together.

00:07:42: That's the longitudinal weld.

00:07:44: And before you can start welding, You have to mill the seam so that the welder has a proper surface to work on

00:07:50: because The normal sheet metal edges aren't suitable for welding right?

00:07:54: Exactly and after the first weld you basically Have A ring or segment thats four meters high.

00:07:59: To build a monopile, you stack several of these segments together and that's where the circumferential weld comes in.

00:08:05: All the way around again You need to prepare the weld And that is what we mill into our tulip shape which is perfect preparation for welding.

00:08:12: Finally attach flange to long pipe The monopiles are ready.

00:08:16: These are then transported by ship to installation site Lifted by crane Set into seabed with few meters sticking out above sea level.

00:08:26: That's when wind tower erects.

00:08:28: What I might add is that the monopile is essentially an iron pipe.

00:08:32: There's a yellow section at the top, and everything above that – The white part…is the wind tower

00:08:37: itself.".

00:08:38: I'm curious about this tulip shape!

00:08:40: Is that special milled shape from Meeba Automation Systems?

00:08:44: The edge looks kind of three-pronged so it fits together

00:08:47: well?!

00:08:48: Well...the tulip shapes are actually quite common in the welding industry especially for thick sheets.

00:08:53: For a weld joint thats one hundred to one hundred fifty millimeters thick.

00:08:57: We mill out a tulip shape so the welder can reach the center of this sheet.

00:09:01: If you just chamfered it, You'd need more weld material which is expensive.

00:09:05: The Tulip Shape is much more

00:09:06: efficient.".

00:09:06: We've

00:09:07: talked about how usually end up building custom machines... ...the customer comes to with enthusiasm!

00:09:12: You discuss possibilities and leave as excited.

00:09:16: How did work with circular seam-milling machine?

00:09:19: How do build this special purpose machine?

00:09:22: Basically we built the first Circular Seam Milling Machine wasn't actually for monopiles, but for tank construction.

00:09:28: For an Austrian customer we saw potential to use it elsewhere and that's how we got into the wind industry.

00:09:34: The sector has been growing for years with wall thicknesses and diameters increasing So there is a need of machines for weld seam preparation And even more complex systems.

00:09:45: We've been very successful in this area

00:09:46: And the wall thicknesss are increasing because the wind turbines getting bigger.

00:09:51: Did I understand well?

00:09:52: Yes!

00:09:56: We're

00:09:56: already looking at over twenty megawatts in this sector.

00:09:59: And the turbines are correspondingly large, aren't they?

00:10:01: I saw somewhere that they reach a total height similar to the Eiffel Tower in Paris.

00:10:07: Yes so the goal is to extract as much energy from as little space possible and thats why wind turbines keep getting bigger.

00:10:15: Offshore wind power is big topic especially in Asia.

00:10:18: More than half of world's offshore wind electricity was produced last year.

00:10:24: Taiwan and South Korea are following, though not

00:10:34: And that's where our milling machines come in.

00:10:57: We're exporting them, and now Chinese manufacturers are supplying Europe so they need to meet European production

00:11:03: standards.".

00:11:04: So Chinese wind turbine manufacturers are building turbines in Europe?

00:11:08: And your machines are used for

00:11:09: that?".

00:11:10: Exactly!

00:11:16: You've already said you're the market leader.

00:11:18: What makes your machines stand out from

00:11:46: so that the process runs automatically.

00:11:49: We're not traditional machine builders who say, here's the system have fun with it do whatever you like but rather we deliver complete solutions.

00:11:57: So we look at the tool and optimize it to suit their requirements in there process.

00:12:01: .We Deliver Complete Solutions Optimize The Tools And Support The Customer With Service And Maintenance Contracts.

00:12:08: We Stay In Touch Even After Delivery And Customers Appreciate That They're willing to pay more for it than Asian competitors.

00:12:18: In our

00:12:26: project team there aren't just designers, each with their own specialty but also includes electrical engineering and software experts so we can develop the complete product later.

00:12:35: We need a procurement team And assembly specialists who know exactly how put everything together.

00:12:41: It's a diverse group of technicians

00:12:43: who are all always happy to travel the world.

00:12:46: That is real advantage!

00:12:48: You need these colleagues at different project phases, right?

00:12:51: How do they work together?

00:12:53: There're different phase in projects.

00:12:55: At start there'a big question mark because you don't know exactly what your building or how solve problem.

00:13:00: it important that everyone involved and contributes ideas.

00:13:03: Once plan clear process moves from design to electrical planning procurement finally implementation.

00:13:10: Especially

00:13:10: in the design phase, we coordinate closely with a customer.

00:13:14: That's our strength and what sets us apart from the competitors!

00:13:17: We really focus on understanding customers' needs rather than assuming that they know their

00:13:22: needs.

00:13:22: Do you need to join your team?

00:13:24: No... You don't.

00:13:25: You're both university graduates but do also need highly specialized

00:13:29: professionals?!

00:13:31: Yes… Our staff already have a great deal of experience And that wealth is like a treasure chest.

00:13:37: So that means you also train apprentices in Aarashkirchen?

00:13:40: That's right, partly at our site and together with colleagues from Mieberg-Leitlager in La Kirchen.

00:13:45: You can't just rest on your laurels!

00:13:47: The competition certainly isn't resting either.

00:13:49: so what is the next step?

00:13:50: where are we heading for round type milling?

00:13:53: Well... We're constantly developing systems further.

00:13:56: For example.. We've created a smaller system more compact machine to serve other markets like container construction In the pipe industry.

00:14:05: A big topic is combining milling and welding.

00:14:08: We want to help our customers to minimize their process time by combining these processes rather than doing them one after the other.

00:14:15: You'll need to explain that in more detail.

00:14:18: So, you're doing the weld preparation with milling And then... The welding takes place?

00:14:23: How does that work?

00:14:24: Do two teams work on the same monopile at the same time?

00:14:27: Yes for both processes the monopiles are rotated on heavy-duty rollers At different speeds of each process.

00:14:33: Our idea was to develop a tool that can adapt its feed rate, To match the welding process.

00:14:38: The next issue concerned electrical currents.

00:14:41: During welding we have leakage currents.

00:14:43: These have go somewhere and if machine component with metallic tools The electronics will be damaged.

00:14:49: The idea is design our machine with protective insulation To ensure no leakage current flow through it.

00:14:56: And the second issue was to optimize milling tool.

00:14:59: So the process speeds are aligned.

00:15:01: Which was faster, the welding or the milling?

00:15:04: It depends on the weld.

00:15:05: The first weld is slower but for filler welds, welding is faster.

00:15:09: We can achieve up to one thousand millimeters per minute creating a groove and tulip shape in that component.

00:15:14: So customers get two processes at once Milling & Welding – saving time

00:15:19: Exactly!

00:15:20: Running the process in parallel shortens turnaround times and saves costs.

00:15:24: As diameters increase, the weld seam preparation takes longer.

00:15:28: For a ten-meter diameter monopile you can save at least half an hour per weld seam.

00:15:32: And how many welds does standard monopiles need?

00:15:35: That

00:15:35: depends on length of the monopyle but I'd say usually about twenty to twenty five circumferential welds in a monopil.

00:15:41: Okay, that's quite a long process.

00:15:43: It is good you can get other things done in between.

00:15:45: That's the clear advantage for customers.

00:15:47: We've now filed it with the patent office.

00:15:49: Let us take quick look into future.

00:15:51: Apart from the patent application The smaller machines we have already mentioned Can also be used For other round steel shapes and in other industries.

00:15:59: Where this already being done?

00:16:01: And where else will it be used?

00:16:03: I'd say anywhere where cylindrical welded steel structures are used.

00:16:06: That includes pressure vessel construction classic reactor pressure vessels, pressure vessels built for gas or liquids right through to railways and tank wagons LNG and LPG gas transportation across Europe.

00:16:20: We actually want to expand into those areas and further develop our technology.

00:16:25: so basically wherever pipes are made

00:16:27: a large one in that case

00:16:28: yes it has to be a rolled welded sheet metal.

00:16:32: That's always a good indicator of where our plant technology can be used.

00:16:36: That's quite a specialized topic, isn't it?

00:16:38: How did you actually end up with milling machines.

00:16:40: Was is coincidence or have always been so interested in them that led to you straight-to-me bar?

00:16:45: Well

00:16:45: not exactly by coincidence.

00:16:46: the core expertise of this area dates back when MAS was still part of transitional warehouse.

00:16:52: right from start we were able work wide variety machining technologies and one of those is milling Millings.

00:16:59: aren't actually that specialised anymore.

00:17:02: In Upper Austria in particular, there are some fantastic companies that manufacture milling machines.

00:17:07: What makes the MS special is on one hand applications which we use milling and other systems mobility.

00:17:14: The fact you can actually position a system right next to it's component Is quite unique But basically You could say that the DNA of milling is rooted somewhere within every employee.

00:17:25: I agree

00:17:26: Yes!

00:17:26: It has to be doesn't?

00:17:30: Jakob, you've already mentioned that if you like travelling this is the right place for you and your building a machine that doesn't really exist anywhere.

00:17:38: And yet it comes from little Austria in even smaller town of Ahrach-Kirchen.

00:17:43: What's actually liked about you?

00:17:45: How are received abroad especially big markets such as China?

00:17:48: Basically I think very well.

00:17:50: we're always welcomed.

00:17:51: our technology and expertise are appreciated.

00:17:55: Our quality is valued too.

00:17:57: Customers tell us they used to have competitor machines with higher tool wear, slower speeds and lower quality.

00:18:03: That's where we come in – and customers appreciate it!

00:18:05: Plus… We get to travel.

00:18:07: Monopile plants are usually by the sea so see a lot of world.

00:18:10: Very

00:18:11: nice!!

00:18:11: If our listeners are now fascinated about this topic & would like find out more what is best thing for them do?

00:18:17: The best thing to do is simply visit the MiBAR Automation Systems website, have a look around follow us on LinkedIn and there are already quite a few videos on YouTube that you can check out.

00:18:27: Or

00:18:27: just pop in and visit us!

00:18:29: Are your doors always open?

00:18:30: Yes.

00:18:31: Dear Andreas dear Jakob thank you for coming.

00:18:33: it was truly fascinating talking with you both.

00:18:36: Thank you very much for the invitation.

00:18:38: Thank You.

00:18:38: Together we're creating technologies for a cleaner planet Until next time, take care.