On track to success at Czech manufacturer

The long-established Czech company Wikov Gear Ltd is renowned worldwide as a manufacturer of high-quality gears and gear wheels. To meet increasing demand within the railway sector, Wikov recently invested in a Studer S41 CNC universal cylindrical grinding machine, which has significantly increased its production speed by up to 60%.

In the factory's own Wikov Museum in Hronov, legends are lined up one after the other, polished to a mirror finish, including a fiery red Wikov 7/28 racing car. Like all the other classic cars here, it is adorned with the iconic Wikov logo with the hammer-carrying worker. Anyone looking at these impressive engineering achievements from the first third of the 20th century will understand why Wikov is known as the ‘Czech Rolls-Royce’. However, the main business of the company ‘Wichterle & Kovářík’, founded in 1918, was the production of agricultural machinery, making it the largest Czech company operating in this market.

This proud history is still part of the Wikov Group, among other traditional Czech brands. Today, with over 1,000 employees and factories in several locations, Wikov is a leading manufacturer of high-quality mechanical gearboxes and gears for industry. The factory in Hronov mainly produces gearboxes for the railway sector and is the Group’s largest production site with around 400 employees.

Outstanding precision and surface finish
Jaromir Hornych operates a recently installed ‘state of the art’ Studer S41 CNC universal cylindrical grinder and has recently used it to machine a pinion gear for a railway gear shaft. He said: “The precision and surface quality is outstanding, and achieved in an astonishingly short machining time.”

Thanks to the machine’s revolutionary C.O.R.E. hardware and software architecture and Studer’s own software, the operation of the S41 is modern and intuitive. Efficiency, precision, flexibility, and future viability through proven quality mixed with modern technologies, were key considerations for Wikov when selecting the S41 from Studer. Dominik Sádlo, head of the technology department at Wikov, said: “By using the S41, we are able to significantly speed up the grinding process with high process stability, in some cases by over 60% per component.” In addition, many machining processes can now be carried out in ‘one hit’ instead of the several individual steps previously required.

With centre distances of 1,000/1,600mm, centre heights of 225/275mm, and a maximum workpiece weight of 250kg, the S41 is one of the largest machines in the Studer portfolio. However, Wikov uses it for the production of its smaller gearbox components. Mr Sádlo explained: “Our order situation has increased significantly in recent years, and we were looking for a more flexible and productive grinding machine, especially for the production of smaller gear components in large quantities. The S41 was the best choice due to its flexibility, quality of parts, and short set-up times.”

The many advantages of the S41 are the result of Studer’s extensive know-how garnered over many years. Like Wikov, the Swiss manufacturer of quality grinding machines is an international company with traditional values that have evolved since the company was established over 111 years ago. Many components in the S41 have been developed and are continuously optimised in-house. These include the high-precision, wear-resistant StuderGuide guide system in the cross and longitudinal slides, the configurable wheelhead with integrated B-axis with up to four grinding wheels for complete machining in the same set-up and the patented Granitan mineral cast machine bed with its excellent thermal and damping properties.

Studer is also one of the world’s leading innovators in grinding machine technology for even more efficient, precise, and resource-saving production. The market-leading innovation technologies available for the S41 include SmartJet cooling for up to 50% less energy and water consumption, and the WireDress process for more precise and economical dressing of metal-bonded grinding wheels at full working speed.

Studer also has a special focus on the development of automation. Mr Sádlo continued: “Automation capability is an important factor for us when selecting machines, and it will become ever more relevant for us in the future.” As in many industrialised countries, the shortage of skilled workers is becoming more acute in the Czech Republic and night shifts are already difficult to fill due to a lack of personnel.

Cost-effective automation
Intelligent automation is the only way to maintain or even increase production in the long term without compromising quality. With easyLoad, Studer offers a particularly cost-effective standardised automation solution for the S41. This gantry loader system with a V-gripper can handle a wide range of components and makes workpieces easily available. It is operated via the machine control system and no robot programming knowledge is required. Customer-specific bespoke automation solutions are also a possibility.

Pavel Branda, Studer area sales manager for the Czech Republic, Slovakia, and Hungary, said: “Despite all the technology, one thing should not be forgotten — the focus for us is always on people.” He provided Wikov with expert advice when he purchased the S41 and is still in regular contact with his customer for all kinds of questions.

Mr Sádlo added: “The excellent customer care in our local language is a major advantage that Studer has. This aspect is particularly important in the initial phase of technology introduction. We were able to learn how to achieve the desired results with the S41 for our specific components from Studer’s competent experts. Cylindrical grinding at Wikov is now at a whole new level.”

Mr Branda continued: “In addition to the optimal configuration and installation of the S41, it was very important for us to train the operators so that they can use all of the machine’s capabilities efficiently and achieve optimal grinding results.”

Wikov grinder Jaromir Hornych also travelled to the Studer training centre in Thun, Switzerland, specifically for this purpose. Later, an in-depth follow-up training session was also held at Wikov’s facility in Hronov.

Mr Sádlo concluded: “We were pleasantly surprised at how quickly our people learned how to operate the S41 and achieve such high-quality grinding results. The S41 and the cooperation with Studer have brought our production to a higher level and this is making a significant contribution to our continued success.”