“We see ourselves as one of the leading manufacturers of design and data control models, inspection and function cubing, and control gauges for the European automotive industry,” explained Jörg Große-Beilage, head of the model making department, which has been based in Osnabrueck since 1962.

Additional activities include models for vehicle interiors and prototypes for vehicle lights, as well as jigs and moulds for aerospace carbon fibre composites. 

Konrad Schäfer GmbH transforms customers’ ideas into reality – five to ten years before they are ready for batch production – with the help of innovative approaches to prototyping, the newest CAD, CAM and metrology technologies, and a modern machine shop.  Große-Beilage also proudly pointed out that technical skill is still a crucial part of the organisation’s philosophy, something that wouldn’t be possible without motivated and well-trained staff.

At nearly every workstation, there is a CMM, either a stationary manual or CNC CMM, or a portable measuring arm.  The range of measuring machines are of different ages and from Mora, Zett Mess and Stiefelmayer, while the portable arms are from FARO.

In addition to the extensive feature set and the support from Delcam, the user-friendly interface was a key factor for Herr Große-Beilage and his team.  The CAD File Manager in PowerINSPECT is just one example; this makes it easy to manage component groups. The decision was also easy because PowerINSPECT offered by far the best price-performance ratio.

Konrad Schäfer GmbH currently uses 16 licenses of PowerINSPECT, which have been purchased progressively.  At the start, in 2009, the company purchased two licenses and contracted to buy four additional licenses in each subsequent year.