Download brochure Aerospace - F. Zimmermann GmbH

Aerospace 

High Performance 

Milling Technology

Do you know what it means 

to keep within 0.02 mm over 

40 000 mm? 

2 Aerospace

A portal milling machine from Zimmermann 

is able to machine components with a 

length of 40 000 mm or more. This is longer 

than the wing of a Boeing 747. And at the 

same time it is fast, efficient and accurate to 

within 0.02 mm. That really is remarkable. 

3

Customer Feedback from the International 

Aerospace Industry 

“The aim of EADS is to sign up 

strong suppliers and work closely 

with them. Only in this way can 

complex technological projects 

such as Airbus be achieved. 

Through everyone concerned 

taking on new challenges and 

bringing them to a successful 

conclusion. Dependable and 

intelligent action is the basis for 

achieving the required – successful 

– competitive advantage.” 

Werner Münster 

V. P. Project Management 

Investment Procurement 

Airbus Deutschland GmbH 

“Our main criteria to select a 

supplier for an advanced machine 

equipment is of course the 

hardware itself together with the 

soft side. When I am talking 

about the soft side I don't mean 

the software but suppliers 

willingness to listen to the customer's 

needs regarding flexible 

solutions to meet the needs for 

the production in the workshop. 

We have found the Zimmermann 

personnel very competent and 

open to our questions concerning 

flexible solutions for our production. 

Our business relation is 

based on trust, open-mindedness 

and a willingness to achieve 

the best result in each particular 

situation.” 

Roland Spiegel 

Purchasing Manager 

Capital Investment Procurement 

Saab Aerostructures, Sweden 


“We at Boeing Winnipeg are 

responsible within the Boeing 

concern for wing and panel 

components, fuselage shells, 

engine cowlings, pilons, etc. 

We are responsible for the whole 

process from design to the 

finished product range. An important 

topic is cost-effective 

machining of complex composite 

materials. We carried out a 

benchmark of all 5-axis portal 

milling machine manufacturers 

and carefully compared the 

features offered. For us it was extremely 

important to have as 

many technological features as 

possible at the same time as 

achieving the highest possible 

performance (throughput) 

and the greatest accuracy. In the 

benchmark the FZ 32 from 

Zimmermann came out on top by 

a wide margin, way ahead of the 

other competitors. 

In numerous intensive project 

workshops, the configuration of 

the FZ 32 was fine tuned to suit 

our individual requirements. 

We are more than satisfied with 

the results achieved and the 

service provided by Zimmermann. 

As throughput time is of key 

importance to us, we have found 

in Zimmermann a partner with 

whom we can really take off.” 

Edmond Mah, P. Eng. 

Engineering Specialist, 

Business Development, 

Boeing Canada Technology 

▲ Our customers and 

F. Zimmermann GmbH – 

always hand-in-hand on the 

way to the optimal solution. 

5

Milling Technology for the 

Aircraft Industry 

A modern aircraft is one of the 

most ambitious machines that 

mankind ever invented. It unites 

a multitude of superlative 

technical challenges. All components 

have to be of the highest 

quality and reliability to satisfy 

stringent safety standards. 

The materials used combine high 

strength and low weight. Sizes 

are huge. And finally the cost 

pressure is enormous due to international 

competition. 

In this competitive environment, 

suppliers and manufacturers of 

aircraft have to respond equally 

to technical and economic 

challenges to offer their customers 

the perfect solution. 

The milling technology from 

Zimmermann offers valuable 

support in a crucial area. Milling 

is one of the key operations in 

aircraft manufacture. With its 

portal design Zimmermann has 

an ideal machine concept which 

is combined with long term 

experience and intensive cooperation 

with the aircraft industry. 

An old aviation saying has it: 

“Never trust anything you did not 

check out yourself”. In this sense 

we hope you will find some 

answers and inspiration in this 

brochure. 

Contents 

References 4 

Applications 7 

Solutions 10 

Technology 12 

Machine range 14 

Partnership 16 

6

Extreme Requirements and Intelligent Solutions – 

Typical Milling Application in Aircraft Construction 

This example of an aircraft model 

Special requirements 

■ 

Different coolant systems 

shows some components which 

The aircraft parts produced often 

■ 

Ultrasonic cutters 

are usually machined with portal 

place heavy demands on the 

milling machines of Zimmermann. 

Zimmermann portal milling ma- 

Each part has its own special 

chines. To satisfy them different 

requirements and characteristics. 

technologies are often used in 

Whether a complex milling 

combination: 

contour, a difficult material to 

machine, the high accuracy 

■ 

Large flexible working areas 

required or simply the huge size – 

■ 

5-axis machining 

maximum demands are made on 

■ 

High positioning accuracy 

the technology used. 

■ 

Rapid changeover 

■ 

High chip removal rates 

Almost all components shown 

■ 

High spindle power 

are successfully produced for one 

■ 

High torque 

or more of the national and inter- 

■ 

Efficient dust extraction 

national aircraft manufacturers 

■ 

Efficient chip transport 

on Zimmermann portal milling 

■ 

Large milling head pivoting 

machines. 

angle 

■ 

High spindle speeds 

■ 

Short non-productive times 

■ 

Rapid rotary axes 

■ 

High computing power 

■ 

Intelligent, partly automatic 

clamping technology 

Winglet (CFC, GFC) 


Vertical T-Plane 

(GFC, stainless steel) 

Pilons, Flap Track Fairings 

(CFC, GFC) 

Center Box (CRP) 

Aft Strut (CFC, GFC) 

Flap Tracks (Titanium) 

Dorsal Fin (GFC) 

Aft Body Tail Cone 

(CFC, GFC) 

APU Door (CFC, GFC) 

Leading Edge (Alu, GFC) 

Panels, Spoilers, Flaps, 

Stringers, Spars, Slats 

(Alu, CFC, Titanium) 

Fan Cowling 

(CFC, GFC, Alu, Honeycomb) 

Nacelle 

(CFC, GFC, Alu, Honeycomb) 

Impeller (Titanium, Inconell) 

Fan Blades (Titanium, CFC) 

Blisks (Titan, Inconell) 

8 CNC Portal Milling Machine FZ 38

»Thumb Nail« 

Enginge forward Strut 

(CFC, GFC) 

Fuselage in general 

(Alu, CFC, GFC, Glare) 

Cabin Interior 

(Alu, Honeycomb, GFC etc.) 

Floor Beams (Alu) 

Combustion Chamber 

(Titanium) 

Wing-to-Body-Fairing 

(CFC, GFC) 

Landing Gear (Titanium) 

Landing Gear Door 

(CFC, GFC, Honeycomb) 

Cockpit Transparencies 

(multiplayer special glass) 

»Bullnose« (CFC, Alu) 

Inner Rear Spar (Titanium, Alu) 

9

Portal milling machines from 

Zimmermann exactly fit the 

needs of aircraft industry. These 

are manifest in seven challenging 

issues. Basically the correct balance 

between dynamics and rigidity 

is what always counts. 

Large working areas 

Zimmermann is committed to the 

portal design. This is not without 

reason as this construction makes 

huge working areas possible. 

In order to still achieve high 

accuracy a very rigid structure is 

necessary. 

High accuracy 

Precision is paramount in aircraft 

construction. This concerns both 

the dimensional accuracy of the 

workpiece and its surface finish. 

This cannot be achieved by 

isolated design features but only 

together through the interplay 

of all factors such as structural 

▼ Portal milling machine with large 

working areas. 

High-precision aluminium machining. 

Titanium – a complicated material. 

▼ 

▼ 

▼ 

Seven Challenges – 

and more than enough Solutions 

rigidity, dynamics, drive technology, 

milling head selection, 

measurement and control 

systems, etc. The right balance is 

what counts. 

Pure dynamics 

HSC machining with high chip 

removal rates, low machining 

times in 5-axis simultaneous machining, 

low non-productive 

times, frequent tool changes or 

complicated milling technologies 

calls for the highest dynamic 

properties. Right from the start 

Zimmermann portal milling 

machines have been designed to 

provide optimum feed rates and 

accelerations. 

Complicated materials 

The aircraft industry uses a multitude 

of materials with complex 

requirements: 

■ Composite materials such as 

carbon and glass fibre, reinforced 

plastics as well as some sandwich 

structures are difficult to machine 

and generate problematic fine 

dust. 

■ Titanium is very ductile and 

can generally only be machined 

with uncompromising power at 

low speeds. 

■ Aluminium is used for large 

and very precise workpieces and 

requires enormously high chip 

removal rates and high accuracy. 

■ Honeycomb material needs 

to be cost-effective and cut with 

sufficient accuracy in large 

dimensions 

■ And there are many more... 

Zimmermann has a lot of experience 

with all these materials and 

can offer practical solutions. 

Performance data 

X-axis 

40 000 mm and more 

Y-axis 

up to 5 000 mm 

Z-axis Close up 

up to 2 500 dynamik mm 

Chip Aluform removal rate 

up to 4 500 cm 3 /min (alu.) 

Acceleration of linear axes up to 60 m/min 

Spindle speeds up to 35 000 min -1 

Torque of rotary axes 

up to 900 Nm 

Feed rates of rotary axes 

up to 360°/s 


▲ Titanium workpeace. 

High component complexity 

The often complicated, spatial 

and curved workpieces used in 

aircraft manufacture extend the 

demands made on machine dimensions 

through their complex 

shapes and intricate fixtures. 

With 5-axis simultaneous machining, 

NC controlled vacuum extraction, 

dimension-optimized 

milling heads and large travel distances, 

Zimmermann machines 

fulfil all the prerequisites for optimal 

machining. 

▲ 5-axis machining of a high-precision 

aluminium workpiece. 

Huge volumes 

The wing panel of a larger commercial 

aircraft has a volume of 

100 m3 but for 5-sided machining 

the milling machine must 

be even bigger. Extremely high 

machining performances can be 

achieved in all materials through 

systematic use of HSC machining, 

fast drives which transmit their 

force optimally thanks to the rigid 

machine construction as well 

as through a wide and powerful 

range of milling heads. 

Maximum flexibility 

Flexibility starts with the selection 

of the correct basic machine 

from a product range of 10 machines 

and 6 types of milling 

head. Then, the machine is configured 

exactly to the customer's 

needs according to size, performance 

and equipment required. 

Besides a full range of options, 

unique features such as automatic 

spindle changing, divided 

working areas, two portals in one 

machine or two milling heads in 

one portal are examples of our 

flexibility. The sky is the limit! 

Optimum efficiency 

A machine is only cost-efficient if 

it is adequate but not overdimensioned 

for its intended use. Similarly 

all performance parameters 

and technical features must be 

geared to the actual requirements. 

Besides our wide expertise, 

the main prerequisite here is 

Zimmermann's wide and finely 

differentiated range of machines 

and milling heads as well as 

an intelligent machine design 

in combination with additional 

customized equipment. 

11

Design Features – 

Why Zimmermann Portal Milling 

Machines do more 

The application demands always 

determine the prerequisites 

for the machine technology. 

The construction thus derived 

combines the latest calculation 

and design techniques with 

modern components and the 

engineer's intuition based on his 

understanding of the customer's 

requirements. 

Construction principle 

Basically the design advantages 

of the gantry type overhead travelling 

portal is self-explanatory: 

low moving masses, fixed workpiece, 

critical components like 

the drives kept well away from 

the dirt, drives and measuring 

systems on both sides, side 

walls dimensioned as large as 

required and maximum spatial 

movement in all axes lead to 

a concept of uncompromising 

performance. 

Structural rigidity 

The high rigidity results from the 

portal principle, the fixed, partly 

trapezoidal side walls, their 

filling with special fibre reinforced 

DemTec ® concrete and the 

targeted dimensioning of all 

components specifically optimised 

through FEM analyses. 

The clever positioning of the 

drives ensures optimal force 

transmission. 

B A L L 

SCREW 

RACK & 

PINION 

LINEAR 

MOTOR 

Drives 

Depending on the type of 

machine and the application 

Zimmermann always chooses 

the optimal drive technology: 

■ Linear drives for maximum 

dynamics, low non-productive 

times and continuous 5-axis 

simultaneous machining. 

■ Rack-and-pinion drives for 

high dynamics, good damping 

and large working areas. 

■ Ball screw as a proven 

alternative for many standard 

applications. 

Dust and chips 

Naturally Zimmermann machines 

are equipped with efficient extraction 

systems. Especially when 

machining composite materials 

what counts is drives which have 

proved their worth in practice 

which are top mounted, are well 

away from the source of the dirt 

and are protected by compressed 

air. An absolute highlight is the 

extraction unit of the VH 5 milling 

head with its own NC controlled 

axis – by adapting to the contour 

and the tool length, efficiency 

can be considerably increased. 

Special-purpose designs 

Divided working areas permit 

loading and unloading while 

machining is going on, thus 

increasing the parts produced 

per unit time and minimising the 

non-productive time. Furthermore, 

machines with two portals 

▼ Comparison of different side wall 

materials according to the most important 

functional criteria 

30 

25 

20 

15 

10 

5 

0 

▼ FZ 50 – Duo model 

▼ FZ 37 – Tandem model 

DemTec ® 

Castings 

Steel 

Damping 

Rigidity 

Thermal 

conductivity 

Thermal 

accumul. 

capacity 


(Tandem) or two milling heads 

on one portal (Duo) for maximum 

flexibility can also be 

supplied. 

Lightweight construction 

Only through the intelligent introduction 

of lightweight design 

by keeping the same stiffness 

through welded constructions 

and the reduction in weight of 

diverse assemblies has it been 

possible to achieve the necessary 

dynamic characteristics needed 

for precise and fast HSC machining 

without impairing the accuracy 

of the machine. 

Clamping tables 

Grey cast iron clamping tables 

fixed directly to the foundation 

permit high loading rates. 

Optional pendulum, shuttle and 

elevating table increase the 

flexibility and productivity of the 

machine design. 

Intelligent clamping systems 

Most components produced for 

aircraft and the aerospace industry 

are spatially complex parts, 

i.e. with difficult contours and 

strong curvature and often thin 

walled parts with a large surface 

area. They call for high quality 

milling and a perfect surface 

finish often of very resistant unruly, 

materials. 

The Zimaflex system uses vacuum 

suction pads mounted on telescopic 

actuators which can be positioned 

in the X-, Y- and Z-directions. 

Thus the complete 

clamping assembly can be automatically 

adapted to the next 

workpiece in a matter of seconds. 

▲ Pendulum, shuttle and elevating 

tables. 

For the Zimmermann portal milling 

machine to achieve the best 

possible surface finish under 

high performance conditions, the 

workpiece must be clamped so 

that it cannot vibrate. 

▼ Dustproof overall housing. 

So as not to have to produce and 

store separate fixtures for each 

individual component, but above 

all to increase flexibility where 

there are frequent changes 

of parts and low batch sizes, 

Zimmermann uses a fully position 

controlled, NC monitored 

clamping system. 

13

The Zimmermann Machine Range – 

The right Machine for every Application 

FZ 50 

FZ 42 

Machine for heavy machining with fixed 

portal for maximum stiffness. 

Portal milling machine for heavy complete 

machining with MuST ® spindle 

technology. 

FZ 38 

High-end machine specially tuned to 

the high dynamic characteristics of your 

linear drives. 

Zimmermann offers CNC portal 

milling machines of the highest 

technical standard with the 

quality you would expect from a 

German machine manufacturer. 

Our uniquely wide and finely 

differentiated programme with a 

wide range of machines and 

different milling heads, allows 

you to choose – particularly in 

the case of the very specific 

requirements of the aircraft 

industry – the optimal and most 

cost-effective machine. 

FZ 37 FZ 35 

Flexible machine for highly dynamic 

complete machining of all kinds of 

material. 

FZ 32 

The economical multi-purpose machine 

for medium heavy machining. 

FZ 25 

Rigid machine, ideal for all applications 

up to finish machining of steel 

FZ 30 

The multi-purpose, tried-and-proven 

classic machine 

FZ 20 

Rigid construction permitting very large 

working areas for lightweight materials. 

The ideal classic portal milling machine 

for machining lightweight materials. 

FZ 15 

14 Aerospace 

Very light, highly efficient and costeffective 

gantry machine.

VH 6 VH 5 VH 4 

VH 3 VH 2 VH 1 

Extremely strong 

torque milling 

head with flexible 

MuST ® spindle 

changing concept. 

Dynamic high-tech 

torque milling 

head with low 

weight and NCassisted 

swarf 

extraction. 

Extremely strong 

gearhead with 

high torque. 

The allrounder for 

a wide range of 

applications in all 

areas. 

Medium heavy 

milling head for 

large working 

areas and light 

machines. 

Compact milling 

head for lightweight 

materials 

and large working 

areas. 

The Multiple Spindle Technology (MuST ® ) 

of the VH 6 milling head developed by 

Zimmermann. Fully automatic spindle 

changing increases the range of applications, 

reduces machining and non-productive 

times and may even make investing in 

a second machine unnecessary. 

15

Partnership und Turnkey Competence – 

our most Important Characteristics 

Zimmermann customers don't 

just buy a machine – rather they 

benefit from genuine, customeroriented 

allround support. 

For us, turnkey solution support 

starts when we first hear your 

requirements; and it usually continues 

for ever. 

Individual consulting and 

conception 

Your production process is the 

focus of our attention. We are 

open to all ideas and are pleased 

to work on each individual topic 

jointly with our customers in 

meetings and workshops. Naturally, 

the best prerequisites for 

a good solution are our highly 

versatile machine concept and 

our wide product range. But it is 

only through the individual 

adaptation of the concept to your 

needs, enhanced by customized 

special-purpose equipment, 

which transforms a project into a 

fully functioning, cost-effective 

solution. 

According to your needs 

During the sales consultation we 

place great value on finding the 

optimal technical solution. Latest 

innovations and further development 

are an integral part of the 

discussion. Finally the most suitable 

configuration for the customer's 

needs is put together. It is 

essential that the final solution is 

economic. Only after a clear 

appraisal of what is really needed 

is it possible to come up with the 

most cost-effective solution. 

The machine is just the 

beginning 

Zimmermann's expertise also 

includes peripheral equipment 

with advice on 

■ Tool technology 

■ Clamping technology 

■ Process integration 

■ Extraction technology 

■ Chip transport 

■ Safety features 

■ Protection guards 

■ CAD/CAM programming 

■ Data administration 

■ Leasing and financing 

Quality and process reliability 

These are considerations which 

override all decision in the aircraft 

industry. As genuine 

German machine manufacturers 

we are committed unconditionally 

to quality. And comprehensive 

quality assurance runs 

through all processes at Zimmermann. 

A certified quality and 

process organisation with individual 

project management ensures 

that each machine is ready for 

use to the guaranteed quality 

standard on the specified date. 

Portalmillingmachine 

Zimmermann 

Portalmillingmachine 

Competitor 

TCO 

Cumulative 

incl. 

Investment 

mio. euros 

2 

1,5 

0,5 

0 

0 1 2 3 4 5 

Investment 

Years 

1 

Investment and operating costs 

Fair prices come naturally to us. 

However, the price for us is not 

the only thing that counts when 

considering Total Cost of Ownership 

(TCO). And this is where 

Zimmermann machines – thanks 

to high availability and speedy, 

uncomplicated maintenance – are 

out ahead. 


After Sales Service 

Quick response times, remote 

diagnostics and a Hotline service 

(also available in the evenings 

and at weekends), maintaining 

value through reconditioning 

and retrofitting options, customised 

maintenance contracts and 

high availability through keeping 

spare parts in stock are assured. 

Over and above this is the quality 

awareness and dedication of our 

staff – at Zimmermann there will 

always be someone to deal with 

your request. 

Bild Gänzle 

und Lörzel 

Rudolf Gänzle, President and shareholder 

of F. Zimmermann GmbH, in conversation 

with a customer. 

About us 

As an owner-managed company 

with a long tradition, we stand 

by our word. Today the traditional 

values of the German 

machine tool industry are more 

important to us than ever before. 

Loyalty and trust are the basis 

of all our dealings with customers 

– decisiveness, creativity 

and a sense of responsibility are 

the basis of every decision. 

Our single-minded engineers 

aim to achieve technical improvements 

and creative innovations 

without any fuss or showing off, 

because they are dedicated to 

their job. 

The customer and his requirements 

is at the heart of all we 

think and do. 

17

High Performance 

Milling Technology 

Styrofoam 

Milling Technology 

FZ 50 

FZ 20 

FZ 42 

FZ 15 

FZ 38 

FZ 37 

Zimmermann is synonymous 

with CNC portal milling machines 

on a big scale. Specialisation and 

our high rate of innovation has 

put our technology out in front 

worldwide. 

A uniquely wide and finely tuned 

programme, including a large 

number of different machines 

and milling heads, enables you to 

choose the perfect machine for 

every application, thus offering 

you the ideal solution with regard 

to quality and cost-effectiveness. 

FZ 35 

FZ 32 

FZ 30 

FZ 25 

BK 4 · 3·2 

F. Zimmermann GmbH 

Goethestraße 23 – 27 

D-73770 Denkendorf, Germany 

Phone +49 (7 11) 93 49 35 - 0 

Fax +49 (7 11) 934935-300 

info@f-zimmermann.com 

www.f-zimmermann.com 

Member of the 

DMTG 

Dalian Machine Tool Group Corp. 

38 Anshan Road 

Dalian 116022 

PRC 

www.dmtg.com 

Apollo 11 10.06

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