Cost-effective small series cutting thanks to flexible machines

Sawmills are a rare phenomenon. Yet you can make a good living at it, provided at least your machinery has the necessary flexibility. Werkzeugtechnik Bernsmann proves this across the border in Germany. Managing director Stefan Bernsmann has found in the machines from Spontan the ideal tool to supply his customers quickly and reliably with profiles and tubes of the highest quality.

Werkzeugtechnik Bernsmann in Iserlohn was founded in 2003. It is another typical family business where the craft that saw was passed down from father to son. But each generation likes to leave its own mark. Stefan Bernsmann: "We were doing it like everyone else: turning large series for large automotive customers. But when one of our customers dropped out during the crisis, we were forced to change tack. Away from millions of pieces for one customer, to small to medium series for multiple companies and for multiple industries." Bernsmann went out on his own and knocked on the doors of nearby companies for contract sawing work. Companies that had some sawing work, but too little to justify the investment in their own machine. "Sawing is and always will be a craft. To a layman, a pipe seems like something trivial, but you can make so many beautiful things with it. The fact that we have been versed in it for years and excel in quality meant that in no time we could have our machines running at full capacity again."

When a piece comes off the saw blade, it is pushed up by the profile that comes after it. In this way, there is only minimal loss of material.

Wanted: new type of machine

But the canny people who were on the shop floor then no longer possessed the right profile for the company. "Flexibility had now become the key word. That's why I started looking out for other machines for cutting pipes and tubes that had just made this their strength." It didn't take long to find that match. In 2012, Bernsmann purchased his very first Spontan machine. A choice he has not yet regretted, also confirms the two other machines that have been working there since 2015 and 2017, respectively. "The beauty of these machines is that they can change shape and length in no time. A necessary condition for those who do not operate in larger series work. We must be able to switch flexibly so that we can even offer single pieces profitably, so to speak. That little programming time is involved is the great advantage of these machines."

"Every piece that comes off the machine has the right characteristics. As a contract sawmill, that consistency in quality is crucial."

Barely any loss of material

This profitability is further enhanced by the sawing principle. When a piece comes off the saw blade, it is pushed up by the profile that comes after it. In this way, there is only minimal loss of material. "Only 35 mm, the distance required for clamping, is actually lost," Bernsmann summarizes. "In addition, the machines give the freedom to play with parameters for a perfect finish in any material. The operators at the machines can do more than just push the button. They are experts with knowledge of saws and saws. That gives them the ability to use their experience and technically always push the limits of the manufacturable."

"We need to be able to switch flexibly so that we can offer even single pieces profitably. That there is little programming time involved is the great advantage of these machines."

Reliable operation, excellent service

The Spontan machines have quickly become Bernsmann's workhorses that also prove themselves to be particularly reliable and stable. "Every piece that comes off the machine has the right characteristics. As a contract sawmill, that consistency in quality is crucial. And because we also want to guarantee short lead times, we can't afford downtime. Spontan has excellent service and are not far away from us either. Problems are rare, but they are also solved in no time," Bernsmann concludes.   

"DNA that matches well"

Since June Promatt can call itself official distributor of Spontan in the Benelux. Director Marco Toebes: "We have been looking for some time for an opportunity to provide our Benelux customers with an even more complete package of solutions. Spontan's offer, sawing and deburring machines for pipes and tubes, complements our existing portfolio. Moreover, during the discussions with Spontan we very quickly noticed that the DNA of both our companies also matched well. As a family business, they highly value customer orientation. They are still willing to adapt their machines based on customer requirements."