The new V623 is one of Voortman's flagship products. This combined drilling, milling, and sawing solution for various types of steel is equipped with a drive system ctrlX DRIVE and a Cartesian Motion System, both from Bosch Rexroth. This allows the machine to operate largely autonomously, making it more compact in size and greater in performance. Let's take a closer look at this powerhouse.
"We were looking for a compact drilling/sawing machine that we could ship fully assembled in a container," says electrical engineer Jeroen van den Poll. "In addition, we wanted our new machine to operate autonomously. So, while the machine is running, the operator should be able to perform other tasks. This way, our end customers, steel processing companies, can immediately make significant gains in their hourly capacity."
Jeroen van den Poll approached Werner Knapen, branch manager at Bosch Rexroth. "Our collaboration has had a stable character for years, with innovation and reliability as the core values," explains Jeroen van den Poll. Werner Knapen nods. "First, we worked on the servo drive, which controls the movements, such as the delivery of steel beams and the rotation of the drilling heads. We immediately chose the ctrlX DRIVE, which is so compact that the control cabinet could be placed on the machine. Later, we also provided the mechanics for the tool changer: the Cartesian Motion System. And of course, we are always available for co-engineering and consultancy."
Looking at the ctrlX DRIVE, in addition to its compact size, a few other things stand out. First, the single cable connection for the motors. Werner Knapen explains, "A classic servo motor has two cables, one for power and one for the encoder. With the introduction of ctrlX DRIVE, these encoders are digital instead of analog, which means we can work with a single cable. This results in space and weight savings, as well as a smaller margin of error."
Furthermore, the MAD motors for the main spindle provide a significant advantage for Voortman and their customers. Werner Knapen elaborates, "We are talking about asynchronous servo motors, specifically developed for spindles. In the case of Voortman, they drive the drilling and milling. The asynchronous servo motors have an ideal torque-speed curve. If you need to drill through thick steel with a large drill, you need a low speed and high torque. But for milling, it's exactly the opposite. The MAD motors can handle both."
The machine as a whole also features a certified safety onboard system, ensuring the correct, safe feed speed of the steel parts, tailored to factors such as the profile and mass.
Jeroen van den Poll is also enthusiastic about the Cartesian Motion System. "With this, we can accommodate 42 tools in a very compact application - both drills and mills - which the machine seamlessly offers to the drilling heads. A big difference from the past, where each drilling head had its own tool changer with a limited number of drills. Now we have one tool changer that distributes the drills and mills across all the drilling heads in the machine. This makes the machine much more flexible and efficient."
The Cartesian Motion System is a standardized system. The assembly takes place in Schweinfurt, Germany, after which it is sent to Voortman as a complete module. Jeroen van den Poll explains, "This is an advantage for us. Because everything we receive pre-assembled means time savings. This approach only works if the quality is in order. Fortunately, we know that is always the case with Bosch Rexroth. That's why we enjoy working with them so much."
An interesting detail is that Voortman initially considered choosing a 'lighter' motor. Jeroen van den Poll explains, "Slightly less power would have been sufficient. But it would have led to customization. Werner Knapen recommended the standardized Cartesian Motion system: a standard product with more capacity at a lower financial investment." Werner Knapen agrees, "An advantage for Voortman and therefore also an advantage for us, because we like to help our partners. Of course, with customization, we might have achieved higher revenue. But in our view, partnership is not about money, but about joint success."
Bosch Rexroth engineers are regularly present in the Voortman factories, which the Voortman engineers highly appreciate. "The Bosch Rexroth engineers feel like colleagues," says Bas Oenema, R&D project leader. "I can reach them just as easily as my own colleagues, and they are always willing to help. That's why we work together perfectly."
Several Voortman customers are already impressed with the V623. Voortman itself also uses the V623 in one of its branches. "And in the first week - before the commissioning phase was even completed - the V623 produced more than its predecessor," Jeroen van den Poll observes with satisfaction. And in the future? Other Voortman machines will also switch to ctrlX DRIVE. Electrical engineer Orhan Bilgin is looking forward to that moment. "Thanks to the compact drive, we can also make the mounting plate smaller, which further increases the open space in the control cabinet. And that offers opportunities for potential new features. In short: bring on the future."
Voortman creates high-end steel processing machines with integrated business software. Its solutions enable Voortman's (end) customers to automate and optimize their production processes. Voortman's headquarters is located in Rijssen (NL). The company is active worldwide, with a total of ten locations in countries including France, England, Germany, Poland, the United Kingdom, Australia, and the United States, in addition to the Netherlands. The company has about 650 employees.
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