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More efficient production with new machines and pioneering solutions

H. K. Heun and its affiliate company, Primetall, with headquarters in Dillenburg in Hesse, are typical job shops. Together, they make up the HEUN Group. The companies manufacture individual customer parts in lot sizes of one as well as entire assemblies. While Primetall processes thin sheet with thicknesses of up to 4 millimetres, H. K. Heun uses mild steel which is up to 25 millimetres thick. Marc Willgenss is the CEO, his sons Yannik and Raphael are also employed in the group of companies. Even though there is no talk of transitioning at the moment, Marc Willgenss gives his sons free rein when it comes to planning for the future. After the three men decided to buy a TruLaser Tube 7000 fiber on the spur of the moment when visiting TRUMPF in Ditzingen almost by accident rather than design, Yannik and Raphael pushed for a change of direction for the other machines as well. Modern, energy-efficient and productive laser and bending machines from TRUMPF as well as software solutions supporting further automation ought to keep the HEUN Group on the road to success in the future.

H. K. Heun GmbH

www.hkheun.de

In 2000, Marc Willgenss assumed the role as CEO of the metal-processing company H. K. Heun with headquarters in Dillenburg in Hesse, taking over from the company's founder, Fritz Heun. Willgenss acquired the nearby company, PriMetall, in 2013, and merged the two companies. The HEUN Group offers everything from construction to final assembly from one source, manufacturing individual and series parts for various industries such as gastronomy, sanitation, medical and laboratory techniques, aerospace and packaging. Over 60 years of experience, around 15,000 square meters of production space, a modern machine pool with its own logistics and streamlined hierarchies ensure expertise, quality and short delivery times. The company is certified in accordance with EN ISO 9001:2015, DIN EN ISO 3834-2, EN 1090-1, Welding on Aerospace Structures in accordance with DIN ISO 24394.

Industry
Sheet metal processing
Number of employees
110
Location
Oberscheld (Germany)
TRUMPF products
  • TruLaser Tube 7000 fiber
  • TruLaser 3030 fiber / 3040 fiber / 3060 fiber
Applications
  • Laser tube cutting
  • Laser cutting

Challenges

Pure chance played a role in the encounter between Marc, Yannik and Raphael Willgenss and TRUMPF. On their way to view a competitor's machine, the three businessmen made a detour to Ditzingen and on the spur of the moment decided to buy a TruLaser Tube 7000 fiber to extend their portfolio. Raphael visited the TRUMPF Smart Factory Center during the operator course and was enthusiastic: "Of course, it was extremely interesting for me as an IT person. I am the one in the company who drives anything to do with digitalisation. TRUMPF solutions such as production control and programming software won me over." To ensure a strong position in the future, Yannik and Raphael wanted to implement software for further automation in the HEUN Group – the aim was to make the production more effective and energy-efficient with a new machine pool. They chose a holistic solution from TRUMPF.

Automation and digitalisation are important issues for us. The solutions from TRUMPF won me over.

Raphael Willgenss
Digitalisation specialist for the HEUN Group

Solutions

Utilisation of for the TruLaser Tube 7000 fiber at 30 to 40 percent is ensured thanks to a customer framework agreement. Raphael Willgenss explains, "We have been receiving numerous additional queries ever since our customers found out that we have this system." The entrepreneurs are aiming for a more productive and energy-efficient production as well as an extension of the portfolio. Not without reason: calculations show that the monthly electricity consumption of the aging laser cutting and bending machines at HEUN were costing about 18,000 euros. Raphael und Yannik Willgenss decided to invest in new machines. A TruLaser Cell 7040 was installed in the production system at Primetall in May 2021. Two TruLaser 3030 systems were added at H. K. Heun. One machine is loaded manually, and the second TruLaser 3030 is automatically loaded and unloaded by a LiftMaster.

Implementation

From the very beginning, the emphasis was on a long-term relationship for the business partnership between HEUN and TRUMPF. Raphael Willgenss says, "TRUMPF offered us the solutions and general framework that we needed. We are on the right track for success with the solutions from Ditzingen."

Forecast

Increased automation and digitalisation will be important topics for the HEUN Group far into the future. The TruTops Fab production control system which is already installed at Primetall will also be in operation at their affiliate company H. K. Heun from the summer of 2021. The brothers are also planning on replacing the existing bending machines with TRUMPF bending machines. The TruTops Boost programming system will take over the programming of the laser and bending programmes.

Find out more about our products

TruLaser Tube 7000 fiber
TruLaser Tube 7000 fiber

Built for maximum productivity, even for XXL tubes. Quick and flexible processing thanks to the solid-state laser TruLaser Tube 7000 fiber. 

TruLaser 3030, the standard re-defined
TruLaser 3030 fiber / 3040 fiber / 3060 fiber

As true all-rounders for laser cutting, the TruLaser Series 3000 machines are sure to impress you with their flexibility and reliability.