Wehl & Partner GmbH
About us
Wehl & Partner – Your Ideas. Our Prototypes. The Future.
We bring your vision quickly and precisely from the first model to small series production.
Our team of experts, high-tech processes, and decades of experience make us your partner for innovations that inspire and give form and function to your product development.
Since 1994, partners such as Porsche, Mercedes-Benz, Siemens, Bosch, Continental, and Airbus have trusted our quality – and with us, they are setting standards for tomorrow – worldwide.
Products & services
RAPID TOOLING - TOOL MAKING, DESIGN, FIXTURE CONSTRUCTION and INJECTION MOULDING
Pilot-run and small-scale series tools in rapid tooling. Electrical discharge machining (EDM). Precision and perfect timing – Wehl customers have been benefi ting from these signature characteristics for many years. We master challenging requirements of the production of pilot- run and small-scale series tools using the latest software at 8 CAD/CAM design workstations. Interfaces for many commonly used data formats are available. This also enables computer-aided, really fast mould separation and electrode design. The electrodes are manufactured on our HSC graphite machine and are fully automatically burnt into the mould inserts. Specifi c tasks such as undercuts are realized using loose parts. Our many years of experience and expertise are also used to produce multi-component parts and parts with insertmoulded inlays and strip conductors. • Service life at least approx. 1.000 – 20.000 parts • Multiple cavities and exchangeable inserts possible • Max. mould size of up to 520 mm (distance between tie bars) • Aluminium or steel mould inserts (can also be hardened) • Machines: Arburg - 3 Allrounder 270 (clamping force of 25-40 t) - 5 Allrounder 320 (clamping force of 50-85 t), 3 horizontal, 2 vertical and 2 with removal handling - Allrounder 370 M 1000-250 (clamping force of 100 t) - Allrounder 420 C 1000-290 (clamping force of 100 t) - Allrounder 470 M 1300-350 (clamping force of 130 t) - Allrounder 520 C 2000-675 (clamping force of 200 t) - BOY XS (clamping force of 10 t) injection weight 9,3 g • Plastic granulates with a melting point of up to 350 °C can be processed • Dry-air granulate dryer available • Residual moisture measurement possible • Mould temperature control up to 180°C • Complex parts with inlays and undercuts possible • Part volumes of up to around 690 ccm (+Intrusion) • Materials can also be coloured ERODE • 1 wire EDM machine • 1 sinking EDM maschine • 1 sinking EDM center with handling system GF Form 300 + Mikron Mill S400
CNC MACHINING TECHNOLOGY 3-AXIS/5-AXIS MILLING AND TURNING
5-AXIS MILLING Highest precision for complex 5-axis components – from unique pieces to whole ranges. Our impressive technological expertise in CNC milling opens up exciting new possibilities for our customers: On our 3- and 5-axis high-performance milling centres, we produce detailed initial samples, series production parts, and small-scale series – in all common plastics and metals down to the smallest milling radius. We have 20 machining centres available for this. Our specialist area: Machining aluminium, magnesium and technical plastics. The added benefi t of this procedure: Thanks to our special clamping system, small-scale series can be produced with an impressive price/performance ratio. MILLING • 5-axis automation for serial processing • 26 machining centres in DNC operation (3-axis/5-axis) • 2D/3D CNC programming • Programming with Cimatron and Unigraphics • Up to 40,000 revolutions • Up to X=1300, Y=635, Z=635 • Up to 120 tools in the changer • Machining of all common plastics and metals • Specialized in aluminium, magnesium and plastics such as PBT GF30, PA66 GF30, POM, PC TURNING • In jaw chuck with diameter of up to 220 mm • Rod with diameter of up to 50 mm • Rod loaders • Machining of all common plastics and metals
VACUUM CASTING
Realistic prototypes or near-production pre-production parts. Drastically shorten development times, identify weak points early, and reduce costs. With our vacuum casting, we reproduce master models, production parts, or milled and bonded parts – precise, high-quality, and near-production, with custom machining upon request. • 11 vacuum casting chambers with a size of up to 1m x 1m x 1m are available • Materials for plastic, rubber, and silicone • Temperature resistance of up to 200 ºC possible • Production of complex cast parts with inlay parts, e.g. strip conductors, inductors, cooling elements etc. • Small-scale cast series • Production of transparent cast parts • Colouring as required • Problem-free thread moulding • Production of 2-component parts • Surface treatments as required
SELECTIVE LASER SINTERING (SLS)
Rapid manufacturing for functional checks directly from your CAD data. The quick way to achieve market-readiness: Our laser sintering process produces highly resilient fullfunction prototypes and mini-series with near-series mechanical properties – and an excellent cost/performance ratio. The result: Three-dimensional functional models for test series and design checks. The procedure: CAD data provides information to a fi ne laser spot which constructs the model by means of the layered melting of powder thermoplastics. The great practical advantage: Even overhanging structures without support geometries are possible. Large parts that exceed standard construction space sizes are accurately joined at the end of the process using welding technology. This procedure also enables undercuts and complex geometries. • Length tolerances ± 0.15 mm • 8 machines of type EOS 395/396 with standardconstruction space size of: 350 x 350 x 600 mm • 1 Formiga EOS P100 with construction space of 200 × 250 × 330 mm • Layer thickness 0,1 - 0,12 mm • Design appraisal • Quick production of small-scale series with no need for mould making • Checking of functional principles • Easy mechanical fi nishing, e.g. thread insertion • Safe for use in the food industry • Water-tight • Delivery times of approx. 2-4 days following submission of data
FUSED DEPOSITION MODELING (FDM)
From the very fi rst prototype through working models to mini-series – there’s no development step in additive manufacturing that can’t be covered by FDM. Fuzed plastic material (thermoplastic) is extruded, applied in layers and merged thermally. The built up parts are dimensionally stable and of high precision. The used original material makes the parts durable and offers high near-series properties – climatic infl uences do not impact on the measurements. Your idea is transformed into a sample part you can use immediately. • Layered build-up with original material • Machine Fortus 450mc • Construction space size 405 x 355 x 405 mm • Parts of original material: ABS M30, ASA, PC, ULTEM9085, ULTEM1010 • Tolerances of approx. +- 0,2 mm • Delivery time of approx. 3-5 work days • Material properties: food-safe, biocompatible, high-temperature resistant, UL94-V0
P3 PHOTOPOLYMERIZATION
Visual model. Functional prototype. Small series. Your prototype or small series will be created directly from your 3D data with high surface quality, attention to detail and a large selection of materials – from the visual model to design assessment, functional prototype, as a complex individual piece up to small series. The range of applications of the available resins is wide to cover all industries. Your three-dimensional sample is created by a digital light processor, which serves as a UV light source and solidifi es photoreactive resin. The built-in high-resolution LED light matrix guarantees an extremely high printing speed and a high level of detail resolution. The components are placed upside down on the construction platform, with the light projector illuminating the UVcuring material layer by layer from below. After each exposure, the platform moves up layer by layer until the complete component can be completely pulled out of the resin bath. • Production tolerances: General tolerance of approx. ± 0,15 mm (± 0,15% > 100mm) • Available machines: GENERA G2-F2 construction space size of: 384 x 216 x 320 mm Stratasys OriginOne construction space size of: 192 x 108 x 370 mm • Materials: Loctite 3843, 406, 147, 405 clear, 3955 (FST), Ultracur3D ST45, more on request • Material properties: high impact strength, high temperature resistance up to 230°C, UL94-V0, biocompatible according to (ISO 10993 5/23) • Machinability, e.g. threading • Delivery times of approx. 3-5 days following submission of data
DIRECT METAL LASER SINTERING (DMLS)
Additive Manufacturing at its finest. Individual parts, small batch series, punched and bended parts, sheet metal parts, lightweight parts with biometric structures and tooling inserts with internal cooling systems made of metal – produced over night – are no longer a problem thanks to the direct metal laser sintering process. Within a very short time it is possible to build complex geometries, shapes and movable prototypes based on CAD data using a powdery raw material – no further moulds needed. The high-performance laser of our state of the art EOS and DMG machines melts the fi ne metal powder locally. Layer by layer a bubble free part of highest precision, high density and great mechanical properties is built. Small tolerances, tight fi ts or sealing outlines can be reworked afterwards using either the CNC milling process or mechanical rework. • Smallest possible wall thickness: approx. 0,3-0,4 mm • general tolerances: ± 0,15 mm per 100 mm (for parts without rework using CNC milling) • Quick production of individual parts, small batch series as well as punched and bended parts • Tooling inserts for Rapid Tooling • Available materials: - Aluminium AlSi10Mg - Tool steel MS1 - Stainless steel 316L - NickelAlloy IN718 - Titanium • Delivery times of approx. 3-4 working days after receipt of order (for parts without rework using CNC milling) • 1 machine EOS M290 with 400 W construction space: 250 x 250 x 325 mm • 1 machine DMG LASERTEC30 (2. Generation) with 400W construction space: 300 x 300 x 300 mm • 1 machine EOS M400-4 with 4 x 400 W construction space: 400 x 400 x 400 mm
STEREOLITHOGRAPHY (STL)
The original model for subsequent processes. Extremely precise and produced in just a few hours: From your CAD data, we can create an exact prototype with no need for mould making – as a display model in the initial project phase or as the basis for subsequent processes such as vacuum casting using silicone moulds. The latest laser technology is used to set liquid epoxy resin in layers. This creates a fi nely detailed threedimensional model with functional areas, undercuts, and clean surfaces. The advantages: The fl exible, impact-resistant material is also suitable for snap-in hooks and catches. Transparent samples can be created, as can prototypes that are larger than the standard construction space sizes. In the latter case, the components are normally produced in several pieces and then precisely joined using adhesion bonds. • Production tolerances of approx. ± 0.1 mmm • Available machines: - SLA 3500 max. construction space size of: 250 x 250 x 250 mm - SLA 5000 max. construction space size of: 350 x 350 x 400 mm - max. construction space size of: 500 x 500 x 500 mm • Design appraisal • Checking of functional principles • Layer thickness 0,1 mm • Delivery times of approx. 3-5 days following submission of data • Easy mechanical fi nishing, e.g. thread insertion • Basis for vacuum casting
3D-PRINT WITH POLYJET PROCESS
Functional prototypes with high geometric precision. Experience the product of tomorrow today: Directly from the CAD system, our 3D-printer shapes highquality, cost-effective prototypes or original models for subsequent processes by applying model material in layers. In no time at all, your idea becomes a tangible display object. 3D-printing is ideal for small, thin-walled and fi ligree components with complex geometries and really fi ne surface structures. Another advantage: If required, the surfaces can be ground and painted. • System: Objet Eden 350 • Production tolerances of approx. ± 0.1 mm • Standard construction space sizes of: 342 x 342 x 200 mm • High level of detail accuracy and dimensional stability • Complex geometries and really fi ne structures • Easy mechanical machinability • Layer thickness of 0.016 mm • Delivery times of approx. 2-3 days following submission of data
Friction Stir Welding (FSW)
- High welding depths - Different materials can be welded together - Weld seams without porosity