The whole thing started under the company name Zweiradtechnik Köhler, with the production of motorcycle prototypes for Motorradwerk Zschopau (MZ). This was followed by orders for a large West German motorcycle manufacturer. At the same time, due to the company's main field of expertise, the focus was placed on the development of chassis components; in contrast, the manufacture of precision milled parts for gearboxes and crankshafts was partially outsourced. However, after a short time, says CEO Bernd Köhler, this external quality could no longer live up to the company's own expectations in terms of precision. That was, if you will, the birth of Köhler Präzisionstechnik, and after the company invested in a P 55 milling machine, 15 FEHLMANN machines were added to the shop floor. Interestingly, Bernd Köhler quickly realized how necessary it is for this market niche to be filled. A niche which he defines as follows: "We always wanted to do something that others don't or aren't able of doing. In conjunction with our expertise in motorcycles, the timing was perfect. At the beginning we had no experience with CNC milling." He, therefore, sent his son, Jens Köhler, for training to Switzerland. Immediately after the latter's return an order came in for production of connecting rods for a 4-stroke motorcycle. Triggered by the crisis in 2008, the company however began broadening its business. The "motorcycle factory" transformed into an industrial manufacturing operation that is almost unique in the Ore Mountains region, because in Ehrenfriedersdorf nothing runs without automation. This was the path chosen by the company after its first investment in a FEHLMANN PICOMAX 90 machining center – a machine that generated so much enthusiasm that a link to a robot was immediately considered. This was followed by five more PICOMAX 90 systems, which were each linked to three double plants via an EROWA robot. Now, such automation solutions are not necessarily unusual. However, for a company like Köhler, investments in such systems can only be managed step by step. Therefore, a single machine or robot was added to the inventory depending on the order situation. It was not only the need for efficient production that pushed Köhler to rely on automation systems. Rather, the shortage of skilled workers in the region was a decisive factor. The company currently has 23 employees; without automation, however, it would have to additionally employ eight to ten employees, according to its own estimates.

Investments influenced by efficient integration of automation and number of tool stations
While at the beginning of the automation era Köhler still had its doubts, today capacity constraints may arise from time to time.
The PICOMAX 90 with indexing swiveling axis was perfect for prototype and small series production of components of the size 150 x 150 x 150 mm, covering the entire spectrum of work pieces. The machines were excellent in terms of accessibility and components could also be machined with short tools. Bernd Köhler saw that his decision to purchase FEHLMANN machines had been validated and became a FEHLMANN fan. At least until a major German printing machine manufacturer came up with a new workpiece. The indexing swiveling axis was too delicate for this component and FEHLMANN did not have a suitable machine in its portfolio at the time. The Ehrenfriedersdorf-based company, therefore, briefly changed its preferred brand. But only briefly, since in 2013 the Köhler family decided to invest again in a FEHLMANN 5-axis machining center: "The VERSA has an interference diameter of 560 mm and work pieces of up to 350 kg can be machined on it. But the most important factor for us was that we can handle both small and large pallets with this machine and also have a tool magazine with 220 stations. In conjunction with the positive experiences we had previously made with FEHLMANN, there was no other choice for us." Thanks to the EROWA pallet handling system, Köhler can load 30 large pallets or up to 90 small pallets. Meanwhile, FEHLMANN has taken the tool magazine one step further. Currently, up to 346 stations are possible. The number of pallets and tools is not far-fetched for Köhler, because Jens Köhler sees the benefits especially in possible unmanned shifts: "Our batch sizes range from five to several thousand pieces. Regardless of batch size, we already operate with a robot from 20 pieces because four to five different types of workpieces can be produced overnight. Even more interesting is the case of repetition parts, as tools and programming are already available."
The fact that the youngest machine of Köhler Präzisionstechnik is a FEHLMANN VERSA of course also has many other reasons. On the one hand, there were the consistently positive experiences with FEHLMANN. On the other hand, there was no other machine in this "weight class" which enabled a similarly efficient integration of automation or such easy expansion.

Interesting side note
An automation solution involving six machines could easily lead one to think about line automation. For Köhler Präzisionstechnik, this was not an option because, on the one hand, these systems were planned to be expanded step by step according to the order situation and, therefore, easy to finance. On the other hand, the double plants are treated as three independent units.

Incidentally
Bernd Köhler: "As the company Zweiradtechnik Köhler we focused on the restoration and production of components for motorcycles. At that point we would have never considered producing precision milled parts."

About Köhler Präzisionstechnik
The company was founded in 1993 with two employees under the name Zweiradtechnik Köhler and supplied major German motorcycle manufacturers. In 2008 it was renamed Köhler Präzisionstechnik. Meanwhile, 23 employees are employed in multiple shifts and the company focuses exclusively on the manufacture of precision milled parts for the microelectronics and automotive industry, mechanical engineering, medical industry and precision engineering optics.

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