» Prototyping

Prototyping What we create: Tailored components and car bodies.

Our construction department creates well-thought prototypes from development studies and ideas. Equipped with the cutting-edge manufacturing technologies, about 95 employees work on a production surface of 11,600 m². Production is performed order-related either manually for individual components, or automated for small series.

Besides the construction of concept car bodies or vehicle components, our competences cover the manufacturing of sheet metal parts and milled parts. We are familiar with the automotive, railway and aerospace industry.

We have the following skills in the area of prototype construction:

Your contact in prototype construction:

We have cutting-edge manufacturing technologies.

Erik Schwarzenberg

Head of Prototype Construction
Please send your inquiry
via e-mail to:
> info@fes-aes.de

Your message will be forwarded to the responsible department immediately.
For telephone inquiries, please call our center:

Tel.: +49 375 5660-0

Any questions on this area of services?

We will answer you gladly.

Proven quality

The Prototype Construction Department is certified according to DIN EN 15085-2 and DIN EN ISO 3834-2.
By this our department proves the competence for welding work at rail vehicles and rail vehicle parts

Having reached the highest certification level CL1, we are able the process also parts with high safety relevance.

Certification according to DIN EN 15085-2 EN ISO 3834-2 (Prototype Construction Department)

Certification according to DIN EN 15085-2 EN ISO 3834-2 (Prototype Construction Department)

The welding processes in rail vehicle construction follow special quality specifications.
The certifications according to DIN EN ISO 3834-2 and DIN EN 15085-2 prove our competence for welding work at rail vehicles and rail vehicle parts.
Having reached the highest certification level CL1, we are able the process also parts with high safety relevance.The required extensive quality management measures have been introduced and are implemented within the processes.

You can find a complete overview about our certifications in the section > Quality management

Project management Consulting. Limiting risks. Leveraging opportunities.

We do the following for you:

Implementation on desired innovations
Planning and control of manufacturing processes
Domination of multi-faceted manufacturing methods
Selection and application of cutting-edge manufacturing technologies
Calculation, programming and documentation
Composition of individual project teams

What marks us:

A long-standing tradition at the vehicle construction site of Zwickau, as well as experience, passion, and innovation all around prototype manufacturing are our distinguishing features.
With our solid knowledge we are your contact for the manufacturing of metal assemblies.

Out prototype construction consistently stands for highest quality.

Documenting

Consulting

Leveraging opportunities

Method planning / simulation / tool construction Virtual safeguarding of the manufacturing method

Planning and elaboration of the manufacturing processes ideal for the component
Construction of required tools
Feasibility simulation/analysis

Applied software:

CATIA V5 | Autoform

Process plan with Autoform

Calculated thinning on percentage basis

Comparison simulation - pressed part

Tool-related implementation

Mechanical machining / sheet metal forming Complex and precise parts in short cycle times

Milling, turning and bending

Mechanical machining is performed with cutting-edge technologies. A CNCN controlled folding/bending bench is used in order to achieve a repeatable manufacturing of folded and bent parts. Exhaust systems are manufactured with a CNC tube bending machine.

DMU 5-axis milling centre

Milling and turning

Hermle 5-axis milling centre

Sheet metal forming

In sheet metal forming, the component is manufactured by bringing a level sheet into its final shape. The material receives the required shape only by plastic deformation, without cutting processes.

Thanks to cutting-edge hydraulic presses and folding benches we are able to manufacture your sheet metal parts with a pressure force of 10 to 1,200 tons.

400 t press

1200 t press

CNC controlled

folding/bending press

Laser cutting / laser welding We machine steel, stainless steel and aluminium with laser technology.

2D & 3D laser cutting/laser welding according to CAD data:

3.2 kW laser and 5 kW 3D laser, make: Trumpf
Laser welding according to DIN EN 15085-2 (railway certification)
Cutting possible up to the size of a vehicle side wall
Cutting of parts (developed blanks/3D geometries) in small series
Laser welding table size 4.0 x 1.5 m
Laser cutting Steel up to 15 mm thickness, stainless steel up to approx 8 mm thickness, aluminium up to approx. 6 mm thickness
Rotary axis for tubes, profiles etc.

Laser welding/brazing:

Robot welding and brazing plant for car bodies, roofs and side walls, configured for vehicles up to van size
2 KUKA laser welding robots on 2 linear tracks, different brazing and welding heads
4 kW Trumpf solid-state laser

Robot-supported laser welding and brazing

Car body construction

Manual welding and brazing

3 spatially separated medium frequency welding lines for manual spot-welding of car bodies or assemblies
3 KUKA precision framing plants for car body construction
Car bodies up to a length of 7.5 m can be manufactured
70 medium frequency welding guns with different gun windows, allowing highest manufacturing flexibility
Medium frequency spot and projection wending machines
Harms & Wende control systems
Pegasus welding software
Resistance welding of e. g. hot-shaped components, coated plates, stainless steels
WIG, MAG, MIG, CMT welding, also according to DIN EN 15085-2
CMT, MIG brazing (steel, aluminium, copper, magnesium; nickel-base alloys)

Framing

Welding line

Automated welding

Spot welding in automated welding plant:

Dual robot plant, 2 external axes with 10 m track each
2 round tables for machining components and small parts
2 horizontal turning units for components up to 5 m in length
Pegasus Gold welding software
17 different gun geometries possible

Spot-welding

Laser welding/brazing:

Robot welding and brazing plant for car bodies, roofs and side walls, configured for vehicles from passenger car size up to van size
2 KUKA laser welding robots on 2 linear tracks, different brazing and welding heads
4 kW Trumpf solid-state laser
Cold-wire and hot-wire brazing possible

Robot cell with

Scansonic head

Automated cold joining

Hollow self-piercing riveting (HSN) / Flow-drilling screwing (FLS) / Clinching HSN (self-piercing riveting)

Clinching in automated body assembly line:

Robot plant with external axes with 10 m track
2 round tables for machining components and small parts
2 capture units for components up to 6 m in length
6 HSN tools with different geometries
Clinching tools

FLS (Flow-drill) in automated body assembly line:

Robot plant with external axes with 10 m track
2 round tables for machining components and small parts
2 capture units for components up to 6 m in length
Flow-drill screwing devices

FLS robot

HSN clinching cell

Manual cold joining

Stationary self-piercing riveting
Self-piercing riveter
Rivet feed with belt or manually, rivet diameter 3.3 and 5.3 mm
Manual self-piercing riveters

Quality assurance / measuring technology Precise. Flexible. Customer-oriented.

We have cutting-edge measuring and testing technology in order to assure the quality desired by our customers.

E. g. welding assemblies are ultrasound-tested, and tightness measurements are performed in the overall vehicle with radio-controlled sensors.
We perform qualitative and dimensional tests from the individual part up to body shell construction – for products manufactured internally and as measuring service.

Tactile measuring systems

3 Duplex measuring machines Zett-Mess, of these 1x CNC and 2 x manually, with measuring ranges of 6 m x 3 m x 2 m
1 manual measuring machine with the measuring range 2.5 m x 2 m x 2 m

Mobile measuring systems:

One 7-axis Edge gauge arm 2.7 m
Laser tracker Ion up to 45m, retro probe for drills etc.

Optical measuring system:

Full color laser WLS 400A
Robot-supported, 8 m external track and 3 t round table
Measuring range 30 x 30 cm up to 5 m x 2.50 m x 2.80 m
Processing in real time
Measuring of surface and trim contours without contrast medium
Reverse engineering possible
Intuitive colour-coded deviation analyses

Applied software:

Metrolog, Polyworks, and Core View.

CNC measuring machine

Faro Edge gauge arm

Measuring system

WLS 400

Model making and special designs Flexible. Fast. Versatile.

Our competencies in the area of model making cover vehicle camouflage, the modification and adaptation of interiors, the manufacturing of trim plates, mounting and adjustment fixtures, the manufacturing of cutaway models, as well as the production of GRP components.

Camouflage of test vehicles:

Laminates, tapes, foils, or plastic parts are used to achieve a targeted disassociation of the vehicle prior to driving tests. However, the modification of exterior and interior serial components is also possible without any problems.

Model production:

We manufacture descriptive models and sectional representations for you with technical precision and skilled craftsmanship. Our scope of services covers, among other things:

Master patterns milled according to CAD data
Hammer forms
GRP sample parts
Manufacturing of measurement gauges, positioning gauges and trim plates, as well as of adjustment and mounting fixtures
Section models of technical assemblies

Special designs:

Rework of car body parts – We perform the rework of car body parts and complete car bodies for you. Our core competences for this are the surface finish as well as the correction of the component geometry according to manufacturer specifications.

Sheet metal work

Manufacturing according to drawings / sketches / stamps
Manufacturing of models / hand samples
Implementation of concepts ans individual bodies

Replica of Auto-Union race car

Cockpit

Replica of Auto-Union race car