Lisocore® production line with WITTENSTEIN servo gearboxes

With the Lisocore^® production line, Lightweight Solutions GmbH and its subsidiary Iws maschinenbau GmbH entered completely new territory. The goal was an automated production line for up to two million square meters of Lisocore^® per year with high availability and flexibility. WITTENSTEIN supported the project with comprehensive engineering support, including large‑scale simulations and detailed sizing calculations. Using SAM and cymex^® 5, load and motion data of conveyor elements, gantry axes and lift units were simulated and optimized. This made it possible to adapt motor‑gearbox combinations precisely to the application and to size the gearboxes so that maximum motor load remains at 75 to 80 percent. The result is smooth operation, design reliability and sufficient reserves for future requirements such as thicker materials.

The new lightweight material has a unique structure:

A three-dimensional core structure made from natural fibers is locked firmly in place between two cover layers, which are point-milled and glued at the attachment points. Lisocore^® uses between 30 and 50 percent less material, and is up to 70 percent lighter, than conventional composite wood panels. The material’s special properties open up an array of applications: in furniture production, exhibition and display systems, interior fittings for ships, stage construction and transport packaging.

The Lisocore^® production line covers around 500 square meters and includes drilling, gluing, feeding and combining of cover layers with the three‑dimensional core. Around 100 axes are used, all equipped with servo gearboxes from WITTENSTEIN. Size 240 SPK⁺ right‑angle gearboxes with an integral output stage are used for lift arms due to their high performance and torsional rigidity. The Z axis of the board turner is equipped with power‑dense planetary gearboxes in the RP⁺ series, ensuring maximum positioning accuracy. In conveying and positioning modules, economical CP series gearboxes are used, while compact XP⁺ and TP⁺ gearboxes dominate in the flat press, gantry axes and rack‑and‑pinion systems. The entire drive train was designed using cymex^® 5 with access to thousands of motor and gearbox variants.

Our products in use at Lightweight Solutions GmbH

SPK⁺

Used for the lift arms of the board turners, their high performance and torsional rigidity enable precise and dynamic handling of the cover layers.

RP⁺

Installed in the two actuators of the Z axis of the board turner, their highly rigid design ensures maximum positioning accuracy during lifting and positioning.

CP

Applied in conveying and positioning modules directly downstream of the double feeding station as an economical entry-level model for reliable material flow.

XP⁺

Predominantly used around the flat press and in gantry axes, these extremely compact and power dense gearboxes are partly designed as rack-and-pinion systems.

TP⁺

Implemented in gantry axes of the automatic drilling and gluing stations as well as the gantry palletizer, supporting compact and high-performance axis designs.

Rack and pinion systems

Integrated in selected axes of the production line, particularly in gantry applications, to support dynamic positioning tasks.

SPK⁺

RP⁺

CP

XP⁺

TP⁺

Rack and pinion systems

Two board turners are installed near the cover layer feeding station while a third flips the first cover layer so that the second layer is placed squarely over it. The two layers are then glued together and combined with the core to form sandwich boards. The conveying and positioning modules located immediately downstream of the double feeding station are each fitted with the economical entry-level model in the CP series. Gearboxes belonging to the extremely compact and power dense XP+ and TP+ series – some of them designed as rack-and-pinion systems – dominate around the flat press as well as in the gantry axes of the automatic drilling and gluing stations and the gantry palletizer. The line has 100 axes in total, every one of which is equipped with servo gearboxes from WITTENSTEIN.

WITTENSTEIN has supported us in a manner with large-scale simulations and detailed sizing calculations.

Lws maschinenbau GmbH, a subsidiary company, trod completely new ground with a production line for two million square meters of Lisocore^® per year. WITTENSTEIN provided valuable assistance here. The load and motion data of the various conveyor elements and gantry axes was simulated and adapted where necessary with cymex^® 5, the innovative sizing software.

Iws maschinenbau Gmbh, a subsidiary company, trod completely new ground with a production line for two million square meters of Lisocore^® per year. WITTENSTEIN provided valuable assistance here. The load and motion data of the various conveyor elements and gantry axes was simulated and adapted where necessary with cymex^® 5, the innovative sizing software. To simplify the configuration of drive trains, this software has access to a database listing around 14,000 motor versions from more than 50 different manufacturers – including Beckhoff, who were Iws maschinenbau’s choice to supply the motors. cymex^® 5 also contains more than 8000 WITTENSTEIN gearboxes and over 200 combinations of WITTENSTEIN linear systems including all technical specifications. Thanks to our software, it was possible to size the WITTENSTEIN gearboxes so that the maximum load applied to the motors is no more than 75 to 80 percent and operation is as smooth as possible. What’s more, this prevents the drive trains from coming up against their limits straight away, for example when manufacturing thicker materials.

We are happy to design a solution that meets your specific application needs. Benefit from our engineers' expertise and the commitment of our team to deliver tailored and high-performance solutions.

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