Turning with MCD makes polishing superfluous

Stiemert-Duschglas GmbH relies on GARANT MCD indexable inserts

Stiemert-Duschglas GmbH has been able to gain an initial insight into the innovative GARANT MCD indexable inserts. The results were brilliant: Working with the diamond inserts was quicker, easier, and delivered much more accurate results.

For more than two decades the Sauerland-based company Stiemert-Duschglas GmbH has been one of the leading premium manufacturers of shower cubicles made of safety glass. As well as the shower cubicles, the company had earlier manufactured a range of door handles in-house. The chromium plating of these handles was performed by local businesses. The company then changed its strategy and procured the complete components at an attractive price from the Far East. However, dissatisfaction with this delivery chain and the associated long lead times soon emerged.

Finish machining with MCD indexable inserts makes polishing superfluous

During the search for alternatives, the final conclusion reached was that a large part of the costs were being devoted to polishing. Therefore, Jurij Neufeld, Project Engineering Manager at Stiemert-Duschglas, and Enrique Tello Munoz, Machining Application Technician at the Hoffmann Group, jointly came to the idea of using diamond inserts.

Thanks to the GARANT MCD indexable inserts, “we are now producing turned components of such a quality that polishing is superfluous,” says Stiemert Managing Director Markus Schwermer. “That makes in-house production in Germany just as economical as purchasing the parts from the Far East. In addition, having the entire process within the company brings significant advantages. We have a much quicker response time and we once again have the complete process under our own control.

Move away from standard towards diamond

Buying inserts of mono-crystalline diamond (MCD) is more expensive than conventional indexable inserts. Therefore, many users may hesitate to place their trust in the new tool, for fear they might damage the diamonds. However, that worry is unfounded, as Jurij Neufeld confirms: “I am sure that every turner can use these tools without problems. The experience gained using perfectly standard indexable inserts is entirely sufficient to allow the turner to work with MCD indexable inserts.” To which Markus Schwermer adds: “Anyone who really wants to have a surface finish with the absolute minimum roughness can’t ignore diamond-tipped indexable inserts. Because in our special case there is just no comparison between MCD indexable inserts and conventional indexable inserts.”

The pilot project has become series production

The idea of using GARANT MCD indexable inserts arose as a type of joint production project between the companies Stiemert and Hoffmann. It was Jurij Neufeld who first expressed a desire for diamond-tipped tools. In response, Enrique Tello Munoz created the first sample indexable inserts to Stiemert’s requirements. After this they both worked together to bring the innovative pilot project through into series production maturity. Stiemert Managing Director Markus Schwermer sums up as follows: “We are a series product manufacturer, so our expertise on individual tools is relatively limited. Therefore, of course, we have to rely to a great extent on a good application technician. In this respect Mr Tello, who is always there when we need help, has done outstanding work.”

Stiemert-Duschglas – the premium manufacturer from the Sauerland

Ruth and Franz Stiemert founded Stiemert-Duschglas in 1987. The first products they sold were imported Italian genuine glass shower cubicles. The company subsequently became the first manufacturer to produce free-standing folding glass doors. In 2001 the Stiemerts retired on grounds of age and the company passed to Markus Schwermer and Ralf Becker.

Under their stewardship the company continually added to its product portfolio, so that it could present itself as a premium manufacturer and pursue positive further developments. Since it had run out of factory space, in 2016 the company moved into new larger premises. With innovative product solutions, Stiemert-Duschglas takes the quality cachet “Made in Germany” seriously and has been able to maintain an annual growth rate of around 20 per cent.

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