Vollmer technology makes tool manufacturer tick

Tools being manufactured at Huber

Germany-based Huber GmbH CNC-Präzisions-Werkzeugschleiferei has for 30 years been manufacturing and repairig precision tools for the metaworking industry. The company also develops and produces high-quality special tools, circular saws and bandsaws.

The Vollmer Group’s sharpening machines have been part of the Huber set up from the very beginning, and last year the company added to its a VGrind 360S automated grinding machine to its line-up which is operating 24/7 producing semi-standardised milling tools for the metalworking industry.

Andreas Fröhlich, operations manager at Huber GmbH, said: “We have come a long way since the foundation of our company in 1994, and we are now a strong medium-size German company with 30 highly motivated employees. Furthermore, Huber must set a good example in the tool manufacturing industry in terms of quality, customer focus and employee satisfaction.”

Manufacturing high-quality, durable and cost-effective standard and special tools, resharpening circular and bandsaws as well as knives and reliably supporting customers with services — this is how Huber has made a name for itself in the industry. Its range of carbide tools includes high-performance milling cutters such as end mills, radius and ball end mills, torus cutters, special milling cutters and mould tools. It also offers personalised advice and services such as a coating service. By coating its tools with temperature-resistant and wear-resistant auxiliary materials, Huber ensures significant improvements in carbide tools’ operating life and cutting performance.

Huber is based in Eggenfelden, the largest town in the Lower Bavarian district of Rottal-Inn and is situated directly on the connecting line between Munich and Passau. The company supplies around 90% of its tools to customers in Germany with the remaining products supplied to Austria, France, Italy, the Netherlands, Bulgaria and Slovakia. Huber generates a profit of around 2.7 million euros a year, with customers primarily based in the metal and woodworking industries and also the machine, tool and mouldmaking sectors.

Mr Fröhlich added: “When it comes to sharpening machines, we have relied on the technological expertise of the Vollmer Group since our company was founded. We currently have five Vollmer machines in use — our most recent purchase was the VGrind 360S last year.”

Pictured right: Huber engineers with the Vollmer representative for Bavaria

Huber uses the Vollmer CHD 270 machine and the Solution K850-T and KBN710 sharpening machines from Loroch — a company of the Vollmer Group to machine carbide-tipped and high-speed steel circular saws. Thanks to automation solutions, the machines typically run around the clock, grinding carbide-tipped circular saws with diameters of up to 840mm.

To meet the increasing demand for high-performance carbide milling cutters, Huber purchased a new Vollmer VGrind 360S tool grinding machine in 2023. This investment has enabled Huber to expand the production of standardised cutting tools. Equipped with the Vollmer HC4 chain magazine, up to 158 shank tools with different sizes and geometries can be automatically produced and machined.

Christoph Ziegler, production manager at Huber GmbH, said: “The VGrind 360S grinding machine with chain loader enables 24/7 production, allowing us to fulfil our high order volume quickly and with high-quality and precision. As such, the Vollmer machine is a perfect match for our guiding principle to deliver the best possible quality and precision ‘despite’ speed.”

Alongside automation, the decisive factor for Huber was that the VGrind 360S is suitable for ensuring consistently high-quality machining thanks to the wear-free linear induction motors on the X, Y and Z axes, which also reduces maintenance costs. With two grinding spindles situated one above the other and the grinding wheel set positioned at the C-axis pivot point, the VGrind 360 tool grinding machine enables efficient multi-level machining. This means that machining times can be reduced thanks to the shorter travel distances of the linear axes, which is also beneficial in terms of the speed promised by Huber.

Furthermore, spindles and motors are cooled by a plate heat exchanger which increases thermal stability to improve both the precision and performance of the grinding process. Huber can minimise axial and radial run-out errors in the grinding wheel packages thanks to the integrated spindle indexing of the VGrind 360S. This means that the grinding machine is equipped with an orientated spindle stop, which always stops the end of the spindle at exactly the same position for changing the grinding wheel.

Yannick Geisinger, area sales manager Germany South and Switzerland at the Vollmer Group, said: “Huber is a prime example of how we have been working with our customers in a spirit of trust and partnership for decades, and how we can provide ideal technological support for the growth of medium-size tool manufacturers every step of the way. That is why we are doing everything we can at Vollmer to ensure that Huber can continue to use our machines and services to adapt to new market challenges in the future.”