Whether small businesses or large corporations, many rely on products of Bödenpresswerk Daaden GmbH. The company has been manufacturing domes for many years now and is in high demand with companies involved in apparatus, container and plant construction. The experts in dome production at Bödenpresswerk have been using MicroStep technology since 2012. To expand capacities and product range, they decided to invest into a specialized dome cutting machine in 2017.
Red-hot domes are emerging out of the blast furnace, a few steps further the flanging and dishing machines hammer with constant rhythm and trained fingers operate several joysticks at once. Dome production is a complex process that requires skilled workforce and the right technology. After all, different industries have different requirements in terms of shape, surface quality and accuracy of the torispherical, semi-ellipsoidal or flat dished heads they need. Bödenpresswerk Daaden is a renowned company with around 70 employees at its headquarters in Westerwald, Germany. The company, although founded only in 2001, draws on 70 years of tradition in dome production. “We stand out through our flexibility and the know-how of our employees. This allows us to undertake even the most complex projects that involve a wide variety of dome shapes,” says Daniela Gerold, Head of Sales at Bödenpresswerk Daaden. The dome producer has customers from many different industrial segments – manufacturers of pressure vessels and machinery, companies from the chemical, food and transport industries as well as architects and artists.
The first technological step to a high-quality dome takes place on a plasma cutting machine. Here a circular blank is cut out of flat sheet – in later processing steps it is going take its dome shape. Since late 2012, Bödenpresswerk’s dome pressing plant has been using a MicroStep MG machine for this purpose – equipped with a bevel head to cut material thicknesses between 3 and 30 mm. One of the deciding factors in that purchase was a recommendation from a long-term customer of MicroStep – the German vehicle manufacturer Feldbinder Spezialfahrzeugwerke GmbH – who is using the domes to produce tank ends for silo and liquid tanks of their transport vehicles.
Meeting growing demands with innovative technologies
In 2017, a new MicroStep plasma cutting machine of the DRM series was added to Bödenpresswerk’s machine park. Equipped with a 3D plasma rotator with torch tilt up to 120° and a work area for placing domes up to 5.5 m in diameter and 1.5 m height, its main focus is dome processing. “The requirements for processing of domes have been growing steadily over the past 20 years and therefore it is very important for us to constantly invest in latest, state-of-the-art technologies,” says Daniela Gerold. The dome and plate cutting machine is capable of cutting complex weld edges such as X cuts in the whole surface area of various dome types and shapes, to trim domes with bevels and cut precise openings in different parts of domes. Thanks to MicroStep’s unique mScan technology the cuts require little to no further processing before shipping to Bödenpresswerk’s customers.
“The 3D plasma cutting system has optimal capabilities for cutting of socket holes in all dome types. Furthermore, the built-in scanning technology provides us with a quality check: a comparison of the modeled and real shapes of each dome, which enables us to work even more quickly and precisely,” explains Sebastian Buchner, mechanical engineer who is also responsible for production planning.
The machine allows to cut dome into segments, trim the bottom, make cut-outs, cut-outs with micro-joints and also to mark the dome surface. The tolerances of ±1 mm required in dome cutting are problems for the DRM. “Thanks to this we can provide our customers with an optimally prepared product,” says Mr. Buchner.
“Competent partner at our side”
The impression created by the two machines was good indeed. So much so that there was no hesitation when Bödenpresswerk Daaden considered an upgrade of their cutting machinery – they decided to replace the original MG machine with a combined plate and dome cutting machine of the CombiCut series. The 2021 delivered new machine gives them the ability to cut 7.5 x 4 m plates along with domes of up to Ø 3,000 mm in two separate work zones.
In addition to higher production capacity, processing speed and portfolio expansion, the arrangement with two machines has other advantages. Two cutting machines allow the separation of mild steel and stainless steel cutting required by pharmaceutical and chemical industries. Also, dividing the production between two halls has minimized issues connected with material handling. One partner, two machines, many advantages!
“With MicroStep, we have a competent partner at our side. Regular information exchange as well as trainings and reliable service are the corner stones of our good cooperation,” emphasizes Daniela Gerold.
