GEWO Feinmechanik GmbH & Co. KG | FORTE 85
Field of application: Machine and plant construction, contract manufacturing, medical technology and air and space technology | Company headquarters: Wörth-Hörlkofen, Germany | Employees: 752
"The machine can really do everything"
Family-run GEWO Feinmechanik GmbH & Co. KG, based in Wörth-Hörlkofen near Munich, specialises in the development, design and production of highly complex precision components - even under strict cleanroom conditions. The company supplies various global players from the semiconductor industry, air and aerospace, automotive, medical and research sectors, combining a high level of vertical integration with a clear focus on precision and purity down to the molecular level.
With more than 40 years of experience, high purity cleaning and cleaning and assembly processes in ISO class 5/6/7, GEWO has extensive expertise in components where every micrometre counts. Since August 2024, the FORTE 85 Single 1620is also a high-performance 3-axis machining centre from HEDELIUS.
Wanted: Compact all-rounder with large Y travel path
"At the time, we were open to looking for a large machine in the 3-axis range," recalls Andreas Empl, Head of the Milling Department at GEWO. What sounds trivial at first, however, was subject to a central condition: "The Y travel path had to be at least 800 mm, and the machine still had to remain as compact as possible. This significantly limited the choice on the market.".
In addition to the technical requirements, a rock-solid partnership was also important to those responsible: "We therefore specifically looked around the German market in order to have a reliable contact person at our side beyond the purchase of the machine," emphasises Harald Reiser, Head of the Milling and High Purity Cleaning department.
"An excellent symbiosis of two family-run companies" - this is how Harald Reiser (l., GEWO) assesses the partnership between his company and HEDELIUS. Next to him (from left): Andreas Empl (GEWO), Martin Gumpp (HEDELIUS) and Lukas Dömötör (GEWO).
A favourable coincidence that saves you the stress of travelling
In order to get a "tangible" impression of the FORTE 85 afterwards, the GEWO delegation would normally have had to open themselves up to a considerable amount of travelling. After all, it is a whopping 750 kilometres from Wörth-Hörlkofen to HEDELIUS demonstration centre in Meppen. However, the fact that the visit even ended up being a "home game" is thanks to a favourable coincidence: "After the initial contact with HEDELIUS, it turned out that a machining company in our neighbourhoodalso uses exactly this machine. So we were able to see the FORTE 85 in action for ourselves without having to travel all the way to Meppen.".
The FORTE 85 Single 1620 already comes with a generous 80-place tool magazine as standard.
FORTE 85: Ideal for demanding tasks
The FORTE 85 is a powerful 3-axis machining centre for the precise and economical production of single parts and small series. With travel paths of 1,620 x 850 x 700 mm, a generous contact surface of 1,800 x 900 mm and a heavy-duty fixed machine table, it offers the best conditions for demanding machining tasks.
As standard, the FORTE 85 is equipped with direct measuring systems and an 80-cavity tool magazine; as an option, the tool capacity can be expanded modularly to up to 344 chips.
"All-round successful machine concept"
In view of the strict requirements for precision and purity, the FORTE 85 Single 1620 is exactly the piece of the puzzle that was still missing in GEWO's production. Harald Reiser is convinced that the high machine rigidity in particular opens up new possibilities: "There are not many models on the market that are so compact and stable in this length-to-width ratio. The machine concept is a real all-round success."
In daily use, the FORTE 85 impresses with its practical, user-friendly design: The fixed machine table with recessed ZeroClamp zero point clamping system, the large machine window and the ergonomic working height make it easier for the operator to access the workpiece directly. A big plus, according to Andreas Empl: "You're close to the machine table and don't have to twist your cross to get to the centre of the table.".
Less post-processing - more efficiency
In day-to-day production, the 3-axis machining centre is mostly used to machine workpieces made of stainless steel and aluminium, but also materials that are difficult to machine. After the day shift, the machine often continues to run in order to close series parts. The proven Operator's platform design of the FORTE 85 ensures lasting dimensional stability. "We can run the machine at a lower hourly rate. As there is no need to go to the measuring table and rework, we still achieve a high chip removal rate and therefore more economical production," explains Reiser.
Constructive separation of machining and precision engineering
A key advantage of the HEDELIUS design is the clear separation between the work area and the precision mechanics. The work area essentially contains what is required for machining: workpiece, tool, clamping devices, chips and cooling lubricants. Guides, ball screws and direct measuring systems are protected by design. As a result, these components are not exposed to cooling lubricants and chips, and the entry of oils into the cooling lubricant is prevented. This improves the cleanliness of the work area, supports stable machining conditions and makes it easier to maintain the Coolant system.
On the FORTE 85 Single 1620, the cab door and cab roof form a functional unit. When the door is opened, the roof opens automatically and authorises the work area for convenient crane loading. At the same time, the operator remains better protected from dripping cooling lubricants during the set-up process.
Machine operator Lukas Dömötör is completely satisfied with the FORTE 85 Single 1620. Even in heavy-duty machining, the machine delivers impeccable dimensional stability - and thus enables noticeable increases in productivity..
15 to 20 per cent more productivity in heavy-duty machining
Machine operator Lukas Dömötör works on the FORTE 85 day in, day out - and with obvious enthusiasm: "The machine can really do everything," he attests. "It fulfils the most precise tolerances and still works very quickly."
Naturally, however, a machining centre must also deliver reliably under challenging conditions - for example with difficult-to-machine alloys, as Dömötör emphasises. GEWO has also purchased a heavy-duty spindle for such machining tasks. He believes that the FORTE 85 is equipped for all eventualities, even if not all of his colleagues share his enthusiasm: "We really put the machine to the test once. The machining result was flawless as usual - but then our colleagues working one floor below complained about the noise," he recalls with a smile.
However, the temporary fuss is paying off, as Andreas Empl reports: "Across the product range of difficult-to-machine materials, we have seen productivity increases of 15 to 20 per cent.".
"At HEDELIUS, we really think in partnership"
At GEWO, everyone agrees: the FORTE 85 delivers what it promises. For Harald Reiser, the high level of satisfaction is more than just the result of technical workmanship: "HEDELIUS really thinks in terms of partnership. We weren't just sold an off-the-shelf machine, we worked together to make it what it is," he explains with a view to individual equipment requeststhat were realised in a very pragmatic way. "Elsewhere, this would have been added as a special equipment package with a lot of fanfare," he says with safety. For him, the collaboration with HEDELIUS is an "excellent symbiosis of two family-run companies".
Andreas Empl also praises the generous equipment, which is already standard at HEDELIUS: "80 tool stations and a two-year warranty as standard - not everyone offers that," he emphasises. "Even without further configuration, you could get started immediately with any HEDELIUS machine." Nevertheless, he wouldn't want to do without the customised equipment of "his" FORTE 85.
Rough prospects for GEWO
It should come as no surprise that GEWO is optimistic about the future: Artificial intelligence is booming and the demand for microchips is unbroken. The expansion of the site, which was completed in 2025 and now covers a total of 30,000 square metres, is an expression of this optimistic mood. The production hall in which FORTE 85 is now closed was also part of this expansion - and there is still space there. Although there are currently no concrete plans to purchase another HEDELIUS machine, Harald Reiser and Andreas Empl are certain: "If a second one were to come along at some point, it would be exactly the same.".
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