The second plant in Lindlar-Kaiserau of Rolf Kind GmbH was being under expansion work in the last months.
Around two and a half kilometres away from our headquarter building in Gummersbach-Nochen, the existing workshop structures were energy efficiently refurbished and extended by an additional 550m². To handle the increasing volume of orders, new machinery was installed.
In addition to the existing extensive machinery, a horizontal type milling machine of type “Varnsdorf TOS WRD 170 (Q)” was installed. Not less than 28 trucks were necessary to deliver all single components on side, with a weight of more than 180 tons.
The number 170 in the type name describes the outer diameter (in mm) of the working spindle. The machine is equipped with a most modern automatic tooling change system. This state of the art milling machine with extendable quill and working spindle is going to be used for milling and drilling of KIND-produced open die forgings.
Particularly heavy open die forgings with single piece weights up to 50 tons can be machined on the base area of 12.000 x 4.000 mm.
Furthermore, two new large scale band sawing machines (with table lengths of 8.500 and 6.500 mm and a maximum capacity of 35 tons) of type “Behringer” were installed. With an available sawing area of 1.600 x 1.350 mm, the machines are capable of executing all necessary sawing work relevant for our large size open die forgings.
A turning device capable of turning open die forgings of up to 30 tons weight completes the set of new machines in the new building.
These open die forgings in stainless and corrosion resistant stainless steels, as well as in nickel based alloys and titanium are the main field of operations of the company Rolf Kind GmbH. Since more than 40 years, the family owned business manufactures open die forged components according to customers’ demands, like rings, bearings, flanges, cones, rectangular blocks and bars – which are machined up to the final required dimensions.
Because of the long-time experience in heavy open die forgings with exceptional high requirements, Rolf Kind GmbH was awarded a 30 million € contract for stainless steel forgings for the construction of the fusion power plant ITER in 2013. (see also our news line of 08.02.2013)
Since then, hundreds of single components made from special ITER material 316L(N)-IG are forged, inspected under demanding quality requirements and machined to complicated shapes.
The successful processing of this major project by Rolf Kind GmbH lead to other major contracts for the company, awarded by large component manufacturers of the ITER project.
By erecting the new building and by increasing their machining capabilities, Rolf Kind GmbH is even more capable in processing current and future contracts.