Since 2004, DT Swiss, based in Biel/BE, has been producing innovative and highly complex system wheels for bicycles of all disciplines. An important supplier in this process: The Jakob Müller AG in  Frick, carries out rim machining. SUHNER’s subsidiary, SU-matic, joined in, with Jakob Müller AG to optimise their horizontal milling machine for machining bicycle rims with regards to the performance, production quality and reliability.

  

A process analysis quickly showed that the requirement «should take up less space» led to the idea of drilling the holes for the spokes from the inside to the outside. The design engineers from SU-matic developed an inner milling angle head with a multiple support. This massive connection ensured an extremely strong increase in the stability of the angle heads, which led to a noticeably reduced production noise and decreased vibrations during the drilling. Thus, the lifetime of the cutting tools was doubled, which in turn slashed the tool costs by half.

  

After the changeover to minimum quantity lubrication (MQL), a further customer requirement was fulfilled. In this way, the angle head components can be lubricated, which almost completely eliminates the need to carry out maintenance work, as well as the resulting disruptions in the production process.

 

 

The machining center can use the time saved from the tool change and maintenance and apply it to production purposes. The resulting reliability, performance and cost savings was a deciding factor for Jakob Müller AG. Due to the new inner milling angle head from SU-matic, the company can machine many more bicycle rims to the required standard and in the required time for the same fleet.