About 24 machines from the entire range of Wafios machinery will be exhibited on site to present new developments and best practices for the wire and tube processing industry. A number of co-exhibitors will also be presenting their solutions for the industry. Visitors will have the opportunity to see the latest innovations live and talk about them directly. A supporting program with lectures on innovations and technology top off the Wafios “Innovation Days”.

Modular, highly flexible spring production with the “Multi-FMU 32”
The new “Multi-FMU 32” is a modular machine for the production of extension springs with extended loops. The “Multi-FMU 32” follows the modular system of the “BQ 10”, the transfer bending machine for bent wire parts. Once the spring body has been produced using either the coiling or winding method, there are further bending stations for producing the loops. They can be arranged flexibly to suit the spring geometry and customer's requirements. A transfer system transfers the springs from one station to the next. At the “Innovation Days”, the “Multi-FMU 32” will demonstrate the production of extended loops, with the extension spring body being wound around the mandrel.

One advantage of the modular structure is the great flexibility of the machine. The number and function of the workstations is freely configurable and can be adjusted to suit the specific requirement. In addition to extension springs with extended loops, it is also possible to produce springs with machine (German) and crossover (English) loops on the machine.

"The ‘FMU’ has established itself over the last twenty years as the standard for flexible production of torsion springs. The ‘Multi-FMU’ combines the great flexibility and easy programming of the ‘FMU’ with the high productivity of traditional mechanical multi-station machines, for example the well-known ‘FSO 3’ or ‘ASF/BSF’. In the future, another variant will follow as the successor to the ‘ZO 4/ZO 41’ and ‘ZO 42’ and the ‘ZOS 3/4’ and ‘ASF 4/BSF 4-S’," says Dr. Uwe-Peter Weigmann, Speaker of the Board at Wafios.

Large quantities in the production of bent parts from wire and tube
The “BQ 10” will be another modular machine on display. It is a CNC transfer bending machine for wire diameters of between 3 mm and 10 mm. The machine can process round and profiled wire. The machine on display has four stations with modules for bending, forming, flattening and die cutting. In addition, a thread roller can be integrated between the feed module and the wall. This is perfect for producing a whole family of components.

"Several work steps can proceed simultaneously with the different stations. Carrying out production in parallel results in a high output rate," says Jörg Eisele, member of the Board at Wafios. A patent has been filed for the freely programmable transfer system with a modular structure and it will be demonstrated at the Innovation Days with five CNC single transfer modules.

They can each be programmed individually and independently of each other. The stations can be installed offset to the original position. Thanks to the programmable CNC axes, the single transfer system also offers quick adjustment to new positions within existing programs.

Production of springs with machine (German) and crossover (English) loops with the “FMU”
While the production of extension springs with extended loops will be demonstrated on the “Multi-FMU 32”, the two “FMU” machines will show the production of springs with machine (German) and crossover (English) loops. The “Innovation Days” will show the application of the “Modular Loop Concept”, a flexible tool concept for producing loops, on two sizes of machine, the “FMU 20+” and the “FMU 50+”.

The monitored 3-channel sorting device
The new sorting device will show on the “FUL” series what a modern 3-channel sorting device is capable of. The sorting device is motor-driven and electrically controlled. Maximum reliability in the sorting process is achieved by monitoring the position of the flaps. During the correct sorting process, the dropping behavior of the springs is monitored by sensors. This increases production reliability because it prevents springs from jamming or an incorrectly positioned flap. Automatic setting of the delay time as a function of the drop time also ensures a smooth and reliable setup process.

Speed mode for compression springs
The “FUL 76” is able to adjust the axis parameters automatically based on the required spring specification. The spring coiling machine can optimize the feed speed on its own, based on the wire diameter, spring index and tensile strength, depending on whether a higher feed speed is required, e.g. for small wire diameters, or a maximum force for large wire diameters. As a result, for small outer spring diameters or large spring indices, an up to 13% higher output can be achieved by dynamic axis parameters. The machine switches to "speed mode" so to speak.

Setting up new parts easily with the “Wafios Assistant”
At the “wire 2024”, Wafios unveiled its assisted machines, such as the “BM 36 HS” wire bending machine, for the first time. "We received very positive feedback from the market. This showed us that we're on the right path," says Dr. Weigmann. A new requirement is logging assistance processes for individual customers. The result is the new “Wafios Assistant”, which will be unveiled to the world for the first time at the “Innovation Days”.

The “Wafios Assistant” guides the operator through the process of setting up new parts and assists inexperienced users with instructions, images and videos. This will make it much easier to set up complex parts as well. In addition to the setup processes provided by Wafios, operators now have the option to create their own, individual assistance processes and so help to ensure that the machines are set up consistently within the company. The company's internal know-how is easy to multiply with the “Wafios Assistant”. It will then ensure consistent programming processes. This will improve the level of quality and production reliability, while also ensuring that the company's internal know-how does not leave the company. The individual assistance processes remain within the company. "We're thus fulfilling a long-standing requirement to protect our customers' know-how, and it's also easier to share knowledge within the company," says Dr. Weigmann.

Continuous improvement in quality during straightening
At the “Innovation Days”, the “R 36” will be presented with the new rod position detection option in conjunction with the end working device “EBF”. Especially when producing rods with chamfered ends, length deviations can be seen directly on the product. The end working device “EBF” is equipped with sensors that are attached to both end working units and optically record the position of the rod ends during clamping. Based on these positions, the control unit calculates the feed values required for the desired chamfers and transfers them to the corresponding feed rates for the chamfering spindles. This compensates for any differences in length caused by temperature or cutting tolerances and produces continuous chamfers. This results in a continuous improvement in quality, reliable chamfering, shorter setup times and fewer rejects.

Wide range of variants in the production of busbars
Whether they are used in purely electric or hybrid vehicles, busbars are a key technology in e-mobility today. But the requirements differ enormously. They range from a small manoeuvrable car with little space to busbars for a truck with large conductor cross-sections. Wafios machines can cover a wide range of different variants. At the “Innovation Days”, three different machine concepts adapted to the needs of the manufacturers will be presented.

The “BMF 90” busbar machine can process material up to a maximum of 200mm², depending on the material specification and the ratio of the cross-section. The specially designed and patented bending tool allows the smallest bending radii with minimum bending distances while always maintaining the highest quality. Mechanical insulation stripping can also be integrated on the “BMF 90”. Mechanical insulation stripping is a cost-effective alternative to the CO2 laser and helps to reduce the cycle times by 40% or more.

For long, three-dimensional busbars with asymmetric geometries, Wafios will be presenting the new “BTF 90”, a groundbreaking machine concept, as a prototype for the first time. It combines the well-known geometry of the double-head wire bending machine from the “BT” series with the “BMF 90”. The “BTF” expands the options for the BMF technology from smaller and medium-sized busbars to long busbars for cross-sections of up to 200mm². In addition, it offers the option to process pre-assembled material from a magazine. The flexible “BTF” can be adjusted to suit requirements and extends from the production of prototypes to series production.

One highlight is the newly developed transfer system with a gripper feed unit that will be presented for the first time at the “Innovation Days”.

The “Twister²” provides new possibilities for the production of long busbars with large conductor cross-sections of up to 400mm². The tools from the tube section prevent surface deformations and at the same time provide sufficient bending moment to bend busbars flat wise as well as edge wise. The large range of machines for the production of busbars enables Wafios to cater for customer-specific requirements, such as short bending distances, long lengths, different cross-sections, high output rates, different insulation stripping procedures and the integration of further process steps.

New loading concept and support with tool changes
A number of innovations in relation to traditional tube bending will also be presented. One of them is the “Top Bend 35”, a complete right/left tube bending machine for entry into the market. It offers a very high operating speed thanks to its performance optimized design, maximum energy efficiency with its state-of-the-art drive technology and a modular machine concept. As a less expensive variant, the “Top Bend” is also available as an “Eco” version with just one bending direction. The second bending direction can be retrofitted at any time.

The machine will be presented with the new tube magazine with CNC loading unit for the first time at the Wafios “Innovation Days”.

The newly developed loading concept consists of a tube magazine and an additional CNC-controlled loading arm system that is arranged between the magazine and the bending machine. One advantage of this system is that the picking-up position can be freely chosen to be in the rear or front area. As the tube material for the bending machine is already provided within the non-productive time, this also produces optimized cycle times.

The “Top Bend 100” has been developed for large tube diameters. It is a tube bending machine for tube diameters up to 100mm x 4mm and can be configured flexibly. The flexible configuration will be visualized with a new digital concept at the exhibition. The Wafios programming software “WPS 3.2 Easy Way” is continuing to evolve. One new feature of the software is automatic compensation for radius deviations. The software calculates the radius increases that occur during bending on the basis of the material data and adjusts the geometry of the component. This means that the operator obtains a good part that is true to gauge faster.

Visit the “Reutlingen Innovation Days”, from May 7 to 9, 2025, at Wafios headquarters in Reutlingen/Germany. Register here: https://www.wafios.com/en/whats-new/events/innovation-days

Wafios AG
Silberburgstrasse 5
72764 Reutlingen/Germany
Tel.: +49 7121 146-0
sales@wafios.de
www.wafios.de