Highest efficiency in the measurement process

Founded in 1864, the DEUTZ AG the oldest engine factory in the world and one of the world's leading independent manufacturers of diesel engines. With around 5,000 employees, DEUTZ develops innovative engines and engines that meet the latest standards.

My colleague Lorenz Köper and I work in marketing at WENZEL. We are invited to take a look behind the scenes at the Ulm site to see how quality assurance has been raised to a new level there through the use of cutting-edge measurement technology from WENZEL. We visit a company that has laid the foundation for worldwide motorization, which is extremely fascinating.

The DEUTZ small series and service plant is located in Ulm on the outskirts of the Swabian Jura. The proud DEUTZ logo is decorated by Ulm Cathedral. The experienced team in Ulm specializes in the assembly of air and liquid-cooled engines for a wide range of applications, whether in road transport, on construction sites, underground or in rail vehicles. Ulm is also home to DEUTZ AG's Xchange plant. Under the DEUTZ Xchange brand, refurbished engines and parts are used worldwide for servicing DEUTZ engines.

In the car park in front of the factory premises, we meet our colleague Benjamin Seyboldt, who has supervised the project from the start as sales manager for the Baden-Württemberg area and is the first point of contact for DEUTZ. At the factory gate, we are welcomed by Mona-Lena Wolf, head of in-house production quality assurance. On the way to the measurement room, we get a first impression of the lively production at DEUTZ. There we also meet Moritz Laupheimer, team leader of the measurement room, and Robin Deutsch, an experienced measurement technician.

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High-quality and complex components

Here, where the tradition of engine manufacturing merges with modernity, crankcases, crankshafts with spur gears and engines are measured in an astonishing variety. Up to 500 features are recorded on some components. Mona-Lena Wolf explains another challenge to us: “A 100% measurement is required for crankshafts in particular so as not to cause bottlenecks in the production line.”

It is interesting to learn that DEUTZ not only produces ultra-modern engines, but also measures parts that are 40 to 50 years old. In fact, DEUTZ AG's Xchange plant is also located on the factory premises in Ulm. Under the name DEUTZ Xchange, around 4,000 engines are produced annually, which are of the quality of a new engine. This is crucial as around half of the engines produced are no longer available on the market as new engines.

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The previous measurement solution at DEUTZ in Ulm presented the team with significant challenges. The CMG hardware used, and in particular the outdated software, simply reached their limits. Moritz Laupheimer remembers these times: “The CMG was getting on in years and the measurements were extremely time-consuming. We had to do a lot of manual work and the numerous stylus configurations were adventurous. It even happened that small buttons came off during the measurement process.” The old solution was not only technically outdated, but also overwhelmed in terms of software. Separate 2D and 3D measurements had to be carried out, which further complicated the process.

The switch to measurement solutions from WENZEL was a turning point. With the new coordinate and gear measurement devices and the innovative WM | Quartis and WM | Gear measurement software, all geometries and gears can now be recorded in a single measurement. This has not only significantly increased accuracy and efficiency, but has also drastically reduced manual effort and complexity and, above all, the number of stylus configurations. The adjustment times of the probe insert configurations have also been significantly reduced. A major step forward that has significantly improved the workflow at DEUTZ in Ulm.

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Accurate and reproducible results

The decision to introduce a new measurement technology solution was out of the question for DEUTZ. Various options were carefully considered, including the possibility of retrofitting existing equipment. However, the costs of a retrofit proved to be too high, which made the search for a more effective alternative urgently necessary.

The requirements for the new solution were extremely demanding. The aim was not only to ensure 100% crankshaft measurements, for example, but also to achieve extremely precise and reproducible results in the range of up to 5 microns. In this strict selection process, WENZEL stood out for its outstanding quality, intuitive software and excellent support and service.

Mona-Lena Wolf emphasizes: “I already had experience with REVO and the Quartis software and was able to illustrate the benefits of the new solution for us.” This experience and conviction helped decisively to make the right decision for the WENZEL solution.

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At the end of 2022, the time had come — WENZEL's ultra-modern measuring devices were introduced at DEUTZ in Ulm: A LH 1512 coordinate measuring machine with the 5-axis measuring head REVO by Renishaw and the gear measuring machine GT 450 with a motorised backholder for components up to 1300 mm in length. The associated software World Cup | Quartis and World Cup | Gear rounded off the solution.

But this implementation went beyond simply exchanging devices. The entire measuring room at DEUTZ was adapted to accommodate the new machines. These changes transformed the measurement room into a showcase location in DEUTZ production, which is proudly presented during factory tours.

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Huge improvement in throughput and measurement times

The introduction of WENZEL measuring machines, in particular the REVO 5-axis measuring head and the WM | Quartis measurement software, resulted in significant improvements. Robin Deutsch talks enthusiastically about the benefits of the REVO system: “A program that previously lasted six to eight hours now only lasts three hours. The number of incorrect measurements has been drastically reduced.”

Mona-Lena Wolf points out: “In particular, we can now also program offline. The knowledge of the Quartis software was already available. The measurement software supports the gear measuring machine as well as the coordinate measuring machine.”

However, the benefits went beyond mere efficiency. The new solution made it possible to convert the measurement room from two to three shifts, with one shift running completely automatically. The GT 450 gear measuring machine with its intelligent counterholder and pedal control made work considerably easier. The software and new IT systems enable easy archiving of measurement data. And the location in Cologne can also benefit from the measurement room in Ulm if the measuring machines there are working at full capacity.

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Integrated roughness measurement without spanning

The REVO SFP2 also integrates roughness measurement into the CMM measurement process. Until now, sensors were used to determine roughness, which had to be placed or held in the hand manually, or the component had to be brought to a measuring device intended exclusively for this application.

“With the REVO multi-sensor measurement system, the roughness measurement is integrated into the CMM measurement process without spanning the component,” says Moritz Laupheimer. This unique function makes it possible to fully integrate the roughness measurement data into the component's measurement report. The technology of 5-axis measurement in conjunction with automated SFP2 roughness measurement therefore means significant time savings, less effort when feeding the workpiece and rapid amortization of the CMM.

“The introduction of the WENZEL solution was not just a modernization, but a real transformation of the entire work process at DEUTZ,” explains Mona-Lena Wolf.

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Even more innovations in the future

DEUTZ will continue to improve the quality and precision of its production in the future, while the development of engines is also moving towards electric motors and hydrogen drives. WENZEL DEUTZ will do everything it can to help, and there are already promising approaches for upcoming projects.

Another exciting aspect of the future collaboration could be the use of REVO for gear measurement. This has already been implemented at WENZEL and presented for the first time at EMO in Hanover. This could be particularly important for specialized applications, such as measuring sprockets. The partnership between WENZEL and DEUTZ highlights the shared values of both companies — quality, durability and sustainability. Together, we are working to shape the future of measurement technology and to produce high-quality products for industrial applications.

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Author: Steffen Hochrein, Communications Manager

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