HAINBUCH America: Pushing the Boundaries of Innovation in Workholding

When it comes to workholding industry innovators, HAINBUCH, and its subsidiary HAINBUCH America Corp., provide answers to machining operators before questions are even asked, noted Michael Larson, marketing director, HAINBUCH America. Based in Germantown, Wis., HAINBUCH America is celebrating its 25^th anniversary in the United States.

HAINBUCH, a leading provider of workholding solutions for the machining industry, has earned more than 150 patents since its founding in 1951 in a small garage in Germany. Today, the company is family-owned, headquartered in Marbach am Neckar, Baden-Württemberg, Germany. The company has more than 850 employees worldwide; with 600 based in Germany, 45 of whom are engineers.

The HAINBUCH America facility is nearly 16,000 square feet and the company manufactures products and accessories such as draw tube adapters, end stops, flanges and so on. There are 20 employees in Germantown and 10 regional sales managers located throughout the U.S. and Canada.

“We look at problems and find good solutions, and we evolve those into standard solutions,” Larson said. “We patent those solutions and it becomes a standard product. What gets lost is our ability to do special customized solutions. And we are brilliant at that.” Each year, the HAINBUCH team develops more than 1,000 customized solutions for customers located throughout the world.

HAINBUCH’s workholding products are well suited for industries such as automotive, electric vehicles, medical, aerospace, and the gear industry. “There is no project in the machine tool industry that we wouldn’t try to tackle,” Larson said. “We don’t just handle small parts. We can handle really large parts.” For example, parts used in the oil and gas sector.

HAINBUCH’s line up of  innovation solutions dramatically decrease set up time from days to hours — or even minutes. “We are most well-known for the development of the HAINBUCH System, which started with the clamping head that fit into round chucks,” Larson said. “And once that patent ran out, it has been copied more than 50 times around the world.”

Larson added that HAINBUCH remains an innovator with regard to these systems due to the vulcanization of the spaces between the segments; they are vulcanized to adhere rubber to steel to ensure the system expands and contracts to hold parts tight.

The company also developed a variety of adaptations, Larson noted, where manufacturers “can use a regular clamping head, pull it out and use a mandrel to I.D. clamp with the chuck, without indicating, so it holds extreme precision because of the way we do things.” The CENTREX ring pulls back like a zero point clamping system. “You can take that MANDO adapt out and put in a larger three-jaw chuck module and expand the diameter of your part and clamp it without changing over the entire chuck — you’re ready to go in two minutes or less,” Larson said.

Larson said HAINBUCH is the only company that can do adaptations successfully without indicating. From those product advancements, the innovative team of HAINBUCH engineers dug deeper and added more flexibility into the workholding products. The TOPlus line of chucks features a hexagonal clamping head, which features 25% more clamping force, resulting in more rigidity, which enables longer tool life and delivers better surface finishes. With less chatter during cutting, operators are able to cut faster and deeper, Larson pointed out. The stability resulting from the rigidity of the products ensures tighter tolerances, and alignment of the workpiece relative to the cutting tool, resulting in consistent and repeatable machining operations. What’s more, secure workpieces distribute forces evenly from the cutting tool, preventing deformation of the parts.

Larson pointed out that the hexagon format offers all the same adaptations as the HAINBUCH System. The company has developed a line of mandrels for I.D. clamping. “When you are pulling back and clamping something on a bore, nobody believes it is going to hold,” Larson said. “They think it is going to twist or spin the part. And when you see it take a deep cut out of that and there is zero movement — it’s fun to watch their eyes open up.” Larson added that HAINBUCH’s mandrels, used in gear cutting for I.D. clamping, as an example, has been extremely successful.

Another advantage of these adaptations used in lathes is they also apply to stationary milling. “You can switch from the lathe to the mill and use these adaptations,” Larson said. “Again, it is the flexibility and keeping that precision.”

Revolutionizing Manufacturing Efficiency

HAINBUCH’s latest workholding optimization builds on the company’s long history as innovators in workholding solutions. The new Automated Change (AC) Line solution marks a significant milestone as the first fully automated system for workholding device changeover of its kind, setting new standards in manufacturing efficiency and precision.

The AC Line, a quick-change robotic system, is the direct evolution of the company’s core product lineup and is built on the centroteX high-speed clamping device quick change system. The AC Line debuted at IMTS 2024 in Chicago, Ill., and provides a comprehensive suite of solutions that cover clamping, changeover, measuring and automation. The entire process begins and ends with HAINBUCH, which results in a seamless, fully integrated approach to automation.

Tim Wachs, president of HAINBUCH America, noted the system marks a significant advancement in workholding technology. “This groundbreaking solution reflects our dedication to pushing the boundaries of innovation and empowering manufacturers with tools that optimize efficiency, precision and productivity.”

The AC Line features the centroteX clamping device quick change system, which is a machine adaptor — a plate that permanently attaches to a spindle — enabling the changing out of chucks within five minutes or less, depending on their size. “You can change over from a three jaw and you can use your existing workholding [non-HAINBUCH or HAINBUCH], put it on these plates, snap it in there and within five minutes, without indicating, you are ready to go,” Larson said. Additionally, manufacturers can use a mandrel, switch it over, “or you can put on one of our TOPlus chucks,” Larson added. “So, you have all the adaptations. There is a lot of flexibility. And, if you put that machine adaptor on each lathe, you can share workholdings back and forth.”

Automating the centroteX system was the next logical step regarding HAINBUCH’s product solutions. “Nobody’s ever automated changeover of complete workholding devices,” Larson said. “We did that. Not only that, we can do the clamping heads with end stops, too. And nobody else can do that. We’re changing over the entire workload and you can go from a three jaw to a mandrel to one of our modular chucks seamlessly and robotically.”

Larson said that the new AC Line has opened eyes in the industry. In fact, manufacturers have placed orders for additional systems within six months of installing their first AC Lines. “There are some check boxes that have to happen for you to invest in this kind of technology, but the customers that have have been very successful and very impressed,” he said.

HAINBUCH’s AC Line’s precision-engineered automation ensures consistent and reliable changeovers, eliminating human error and optimizing machining processes. Among the system’s features are an intuitive interface that allows operators to program and adapt quickly, enhancing operations. Larson noted that AI will play an important role in the future of metalworking when it comes to robot programming, machine monitoring and other functions. He envisions HAINBUCH will most likely incorporate AI technologies within its systems at some point. “AI is impressive and I think if you are not finding ways to utilize it, you are going to miss out,” he said.

Higher Quality, Premium Results

Larson noted that because HAINBUCH develops innovative and premium workholding solutions, coupled with the reputation of German engineering, the perception of expensive workholding solutions is unwarranted. When HAINBUCH representatives visit a shop and learn internal processes in-depth and first hand, they are able to develop quotes that provide optimal value to make the most of the shop’s capital expenditure budget.

The time savings alone resulting from the speedy workholding changeovers significantly decreases the time spent changing over workholding, as well as provides safer solutions to reduce the potential of operator injury. The systems are also stronger and provide more rigidity than other systems.

For example, with the MAXXOS mandrel, ideal for use in demanding processes that require high torque transmission and rigidity, the hexagonal clamping pyramid design provides up to 155% more transmissible torque and up to 57% higher rigidity. As such, manufacturers feel empowered to push machining capabilities.

With another product, the TOPlus chuck, manufacturers benefit from a 25% increase in holding force compared to standard round versions. The performance is thanks to the hexagonal design, which provides heightened stability during machining, ensuring workpieces remain securely in place in demanding conditions. What’s more, with TOPlus, manufacturers can change out adaptations for more flexibility. For example, O.D., I.D. and jaw clamping are available in hexagonal configuration for turning and stationary applications. 

Solutions Engineered for Unique Requirements

The team at HAINBUCH is comprised of experts who develop custom solutions to address the unique needs of individual customers. For RW Screw Products Co. in Massillon, Ohio, an eight week lead time was the typical timeline for the company’s production process. HAINBUCH America partnered with Hydromat Inc., a manufacturer of rotary transfer precision machines, to significantly decrease the eight week lead time per part to 25 seconds per part. Using the Hydromat Eclipse 12, HAINBUCH placed its 65 mm HYDROK hydraulic stationary chucks on each of the 12 rotary transfer stations. The HYDROK offers quick changeover to different diameter clamping heads. Clamping is possible with the workpiece and end stop or front end stop. (The HAINBUCH System consists of one clamping device (chuck or stationary chuck) that adapts to workpieces, enabling a manufacturer to clamp 1,000 different workpieces, providing everything required for complete machining.)

If RW Screw Products wants to changeover all 12 stations at the same time, with the 65 mm HYDROK on the Eclipse 12s, the company is able to do so in 30 minutes, Larson noted. “That was very significant on their part because they could trust the accuracies, and of course, the rigidity,” Larson noted.

Another advantage for RW Screw Products is that in the past when using bar stock, the product would feature tail whips when cutting as a result of machine vibrations. With the rotary transfer machine and HAINBUCH’s solutions, RW Screw Products cuts their bar stock into individual pieces. “It was really vital that we can cut that off and then create these parts faster and more accurately,” Larson said.

In another customer success anecdote, much like other metalworking shops across the country, STOBER Drives, a manufacturer of industrial gearboxes and servo drives in Maysville, Ky., was researching solutions that would provide greater flexibility and increases in productivity. After a review of the company’s processes and operations, the HAINBUCH team recommended the centroteX M system. With the machine adapter, the plate, STOBER Drives was able to switch its workholding in a much faster manner. For example, STOBER Drives went from using two lathes to produce one part to one lathe to conduct all the machining, and in a faster manner. “They are changing out [workholding] in five minutes, which took them two hours before,” Larson said. “They said it [centroteX M] exceeded their expectations. They have since bought more of those, too.”

HAINBUCH America is committed to customer success, which extends beyond innovative technologies, where its experts provide comprehensive support, ranging from personalized solutions to hands-on guidance, to ensure a seamless integration of systems into manufacturing operations. “I think customers will be very happy with the outcome,” Larson said.

At HAINBUCH, “we thrive on three things: precision, flexibility and rigidity,” Larson added. “We are not on the leading edge — we are on the ‘bleeding edge.’ We really like to take chances and find ways to make things happen before there’s a problem.”

www.hainbuchamerica.com

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