Energy efficiency and durability: cooperation projects at IFW set new standards in threading technology
Together with Bornemann Gewindetechnik GmbH & Co. KG to research and optimize parts of thread production in two ZIM cooperation projects. In the TopGewinde project, a method for the defined adjustment of the surface topography was developed in order to increase the efficiency of screw drives with the help of micro-lubrication pockets. In the Quali-Wirb project, a measuring system for process-parallel recording of the thread geometry and surface was developed in order to identify production deviations during the manufacturing process and compensate for them with suitable measures.
In the world of manufacturing technology, the collaboration between the Institute of Production Engineering and Machine Tools (IFW) and Bornemann Gewindetechnik GmbH & Co. KG has the potential to permanently change the landscape of thread production.
In two ambitious ZIM cooperation projects – Quali-Wirb and TopGewinde – the IFW and Bornemann teams have combined their expertise to achieve groundbreaking advances in thread production. Both projects were proof of the high innovation potential that lies in cooperation between research and industry, both in their conception and in their implementation.
In the Quali-Wirb project, an innovative measuring system was developed for the process-parallel recording of thread parameters. The special significance of this system lies in its ability to detect deviations during the production process. It enables these deviations to be compensated for immediately, thereby significantly increasing the quality of the threads produced. The system can also be used to measure threads with a wide range of diameters and pitches and allows automated application, which enables efficient measurement from batch size 1.
The second project, TopGewinde, went one step further by analysing and optimizing the surface topography of trapezoidal thread spindles. Thanks to the use of the IFW CutS material removal simulation, the surface structure on the trapezoidal thread flank could be precisely predicted, which enabled the targeted generation of defined microstructures for storing lubricants. As a result, the friction coefficient of the spindle-nut system could be reduced over the entire service life.
Our partnership with IFW has taken us to a new level of precision and efficiency in thread production. Thanks to the successful collaboration and the exchange of know-how, we have been able to significantly improve the accuracy of our threads. We are now the first thread manufacturer in the world to be able to produce a tribologically optimized thread surface. These advances have a considerable positive impact on the service life of our products and the energy consumption of our customers. At a time when energy costs are constantly rising, this is a truly unique selling point. We are convinced that these innovations will help us to further expand our global customer base and maintain our place at the forefront of the industry.
Moritz von Soden, Managing Director at Bornemann Gewindetechnik
The successful collaboration between Bornemann Gewindetechnik and the IFW is an example of the potential of research and development work in partnerships between science and industry. With the results achieved, they are laying the foundations for a more efficient, durable and sustainable future in threading technology.
The research projects “Online quality monitoring during thread whirling – Quali-Wirb” and “Tribologically optimized surface topographies to increase the service life of screw drives using the whirling process – TopGewinde” were funded by the Federal Ministry of Economics and Climate Protection (BMWK) based on the decision of the German Bundestag as part of the Central Innovation Programme (ZIM) and supervised by the German Federation of Industrial Research Associations “Otto von Guericke” (AiF). The IFW and its cooperation partner Bornemann Gewindetechnik GmbH & Co. KG would like to thank them for their financial support in these projects.
Contact:
For further information, please contact Niklas Klages, Institute of Production Engineering and Machine Tools at Leibniz Universität Hannover, on +49 (0) 511 -762 18343 or by e-mail (klages@ifw.uni-hannover.de).