Karl Klausmann founded the company in 1965 in Schwörstadt, a town some 25 km east of Basel. 10 years later it assumed the status of a GmbH (Limited Company). There followed several phases of expansion, yet the company remained constantly tied to the local site and the local community. In the latest phase of innovation, the company invested in the 3D technology of Missler Software as well as in its own comprehensive machinery pool. The firm employs 28 people.

In close collaboration with its customers, Karl Klausmann GmbH develops and produces injection molds, cutting tools and tools for special purposes. TopSolid solutions from Missler Software play a vital role in the company’s success.

The south-west of Baden-Württemberg is well-known as a high-tech region. Many medium-sized manufacturing companies have settled there, and have become market leaders in various industrial branches, large and small. Karl Klausmann GmbH, based in Schwörstadt (1), does not stand out on account of its size, but is nevertheless a model company, for this manufacturer of compression molding and die casting tools employs a universal process chain based on 3D tools from Missler Software. “The design engineering for the tool is derived from the 3D-CAD article data. For this, we need to make certain modifications to the component in order, for example, to facilitate removal from the mold and to define the separation process for the injection mold,” explains design engineering manager, Thomas Tremmel, in conversation with the editorial team. “We do all this with TopSolid modules, since they interface well with the CAD systems of our customers and our external design engineering partners.” TopSolid'Design and TopSolid'Mold are used for the 3D modelling of the tools and injection molds, and TopSolid'Mold comes complete with a host of automatisms and functions for free-form surface modelling, making it the perfect tool for form modelling. TopSolid'Cam is used for the programming, and the corresponding post-processor is used for the NC-code generation of the milling stations. The company also uses the TopSolid’Wire application and its post-processor for wire erosion: “The positioning of the electrodes takes place via automatic data transfer from the CAD application to TopSolid’Cam,” says Tremmel. This is highly advantageous, since it makes the programming of the electrode machining so much quicker. The design engineer goes on to say: “Today we are capable of programming 40 to 50 large electrodes in one day using just one person.” At Klausmann, molds are produced in the case of die erosion exclusively with graphite electrodes.

Since the company caters predominantly for the automobile and motorcycle industry, the article data comes mostly in Catia-V5 or Pro/Engineer format. Klausmann tools are used in the production of internal lighting, headlamps/rear lights and attachment elements such as cable fasteners or cable ducts. The company even produces foam moldings: “This involves handling tools that can weigh up to 4 tons, measure 1000 x 800 mm and have any number of cavities – from single to 32-fold,” says Tremmel with a certain pride. Klausmann tools produce parts for practically the entire automobile industry.

To get a reliable impression of the process quality, you just have to scrutinize the change process. Tremmel is relaxed about this: “With TopSolid we have been able to implement seamless change management. Thanks to the parametric-associative coupling of the Missler Software tools, our data is for the most part adapted automatically to the modified customer data. This requires no PDM system, since the data administration functions included in TopSolid amply suffice,” the CAD/CAM expert points out. This in fact was a key argument in favour of the system being chosen. “We are able to produce excellent representations of our engineering-business processes using TopSolid, without the need for any PDM system.” For materials administration, a proprietary solution has been developed based on Microsoft Access, so avoiding likewise the need for any commercial PPS system. 

TopSolid has been used in the company for around two years. Since 3D-CAx technology has now been in use for some 10 years, the question arises as to why the change to the engineering IT infrastructure was made: “The previous system was no longer being developed. For several years it had remained practically static, and benchmarks had shown that we would be able to obtain an excellent all-round solution with TopSolid,” Tremmel recalls. The universality of the solution extends from CAD/CAM through wire erosion to 5-axis milling: “Now, for example, wire erosion is possible on the 3D-CAD model, which was unthinkable before.”

“We shall need still more data compatibility,” says Jürgen Klausmann. “After converting the customer CAD data into IGES, the variance analysis must run consistently with the electrode design. This involves direct measurement of the free-form surfaces and direct measurement control on the tool. This is how things will be in the future.” A process chain without media discontinuity is important, therefore, since the electrode geometries are set to become increasingly complex. This trend will also lead to 5-axis simultaneous machining becoming an everyday procedure in the future. And are customers demanding ever shorter turnaround times? They sure are, according to Thomas Tremmel. Thanks to the company’s experience with Missler tools, considerable progress has already been made in this regard. “As far as this is concerned, TopSolid – with its parametrics and specific features – offers valuable aid in shortening machining time for standard tasks,” says the design engineering manager. “Previously it might have taken 14 weeks to produce a tool; now we can do it in 10.” The design engineering department uses simultaneous engineering methods to reduce the machining time. A design engineer begins by determining the separation process, while his colleague works simultaneously on the design of the tool. “This alone saves you a week.” Yet it does not stop there. Since it is now possible to produce a universal design derivative with TopSolid, the electrode design engineering and the production of the NC program can kick in at a relatively early stage.

The order books are looking healthy and the customers are satisfied. What does the future have in store? “Growth is important and must continue,” says Lothar Klausmann when asked about his own expansion strategy. His brother nevertheless says that the fact that the company is in a “three-nation triangle” must be taken into account. The Rhine forms a natural border standing in the way of expansion. “We get no staff coming from the south. Switzerland is a border for us that we have great difficulty in getting beyond,” says Jürgen Klausmann. The same applies when it comes to attracting new customers. And yet at least, as he says: “The exchange rate is moving in the right direction for us.” As regards France, which is only 40 kilometres away, what stands in the way is the language barrier. There are not many French-speakers in the region around Lörrach/Rheinfelden and, since there is no inward migration here, “we can only grow by training staff ourselves and recruiting people from within the region,” Jürgen Klausmann concludes.

1) www.adequatesolutions.com