Metalworking company from Bavaria invests in laser equipment from MicroStep Europa, strengthening its manufacturing capabilities

Our customers’ stories are a proven and popular by our followers. Through interviews, we gain authentic impressions and a summary of real-world experiences. This time, we were interested in how satisfied the Bavarian company Kölbl Metallbau is with the EX-TRABEAM® laser head.

Company introduction: Kölbl Metallbau GmbH

Kölbl Metallbau GmbH, based in Tiefenbach in the district of Passau in Lower Bavaria, has a history spanning 40 years. The company was founded in 1985 and is now managed by Georg and Martin Kölbl. The medium-sized company has developed into a universal supplier in the field of metalworking and steel construction – complemented by a high-performance cutting center that includes four cutting technologies: plasma, oxyfuel, water jet, and, from 2025, laser.

“Our company employs 22 well-trained employees who are masters of their craft. But we also have a very modern machine park, which we constantly maintain in the most up-to-date condition and which enables us to fulfill all the requirements of the metalworking industry internally.”

Georg Kölbl,
Managing Director | Kölbl Metallbau GmbH

Four cutting technologies – each with its own significance

Kölbl Metallbau has four cutting technologies at its disposal that are crucial in metalworking today: laser, plasma, oxyfuel, and water jet—and each of them is deliberately used in the family business. “Each of the four cutting technologies we have at our disposal has its own justification; none of them can be dispensed with,” emphasizes Kölbl.

Plasma: flexible and durable

For many years, the company has been using a combined plasma-oxyfuel system from MicroStep. The team primarily uses plasma to cut sheets up to 35 mm thick – a process that delivers consistently good results regardless of the surface quality of the sheet metal. “A simple and uncomplicated cutting method,” says Kölbl. Autogenous technology is particularly advantageous for thick sheets: “We use autogenous technology to cut structural steel up to 150 mm thick,” explains the managing director. And the water jet system enables precision in materials where thermal cutting processes do not work or are undesirable due to heat transfer: Kölbl’s company cuts plastics, stone, glass, and even granite, for example, with the finest internal contours.

“The laser is the perfect addition to our system.”

From 2025, production will be boosted by a new laser cutting system from MicroStep Industry powered by ACCURL. “The laser is the perfect addition to our system,” says Kölbl. “With it, we can cut even the smallest internal contours, just like with a water jet. This takes some of the load off our waterjet system, which nevertheless remains indispensable.” The new laser system has a working area of 4,000 x 2,000 mm and is equipped with an 8kW Raycus laser source and a cutting head from řady EX-TRABEAM® series from THERMACUT®. It processes aluminum, stainless steel, and structural steel, as well as high-strength steels such as Hardox, with sheet thicknesses ranging from 1 to 25 mm

More than 20 years of partnership with MicroStep Europa: “Fair advice is something special”

Kölbl Metallbau and MicroStep Europa have a long-standing relationship. “We purchased our first system more than 20 years ago,” recalls Georg Kölbl. It was therefore no coincidence that we purchased another cutting system from MicroStep Europa: “Fair advice that really ensures the best results for the customer is something truly exceptional. That’s why we chose MicroStep Europa again.” According to Kölbl, the implementation of the new laser system confirmed that this was the right decision: “The implementation was very professional—from planning and design, i.e., how to ideally position the system in the space with all the necessary media, to training and commissioning.” According to Kölbl, the initial phase is particularly important: “When you have a new machine with technology that is new to you, you have a lot of questions at the beginning. And then you call MicroStep Europa and they quickly provide you with a solution.”

Fast, stable, and powerful

Georg Kölbl is very satisfied with the new MSE SmartFL laser system: “The performance level is very high. The machine is ready for operation very quickly – it only takes a few minutes to start up and begin cutting. And the running stability is also excellent.”

“Fair advice that truly delivers the best results for the customer is truly something exceptional. And that is why the decision was once again made in favor of MicroStep Europa.”

Georg Kölbl,
Managing Director | Kölbl Metallbau GmbH

OVERVIEW OF THE MOST IMPORTANT ADVANTAGES OF MSE SMARTFL:

Efficient 2D laser cutting with 8 kW power and automatic exchange table:

For precise and economical cutting in the 2D area, Kölbl Metallbau GmbH relies on the MSE SmartFL series fiber laser system from MicroStep Europa. The machine features an automatic exchange table for fast loading and unloading, modern machine control (MSE SmartControl), and first-class components from renowned manufacturers, such as the EX-TRABEAM® laser cutting head from THERMACUT®. The machine is equipped with a working area measuring 4,000 x 2,000 mm and an 8 kW Raycus laser source.

Do you want to know about the EX-TRABEAM^®? For more information, please visit our website www.ex-trabeam.com, or contact us at the following email: ingo.hollberg@abicor-group.com

CUSTOMER PROFILE:
KÖLBL METALLBAU GMBH

Kölbl Metallbau GmbH, based in Tiefenbach in the district of Passau in Lower Bavaria, has a history spanning 40 years. The company was founded in 1985 and is now managed by Georg and Martin Kölbl. The medium-sized company has developed into a universal supplier in the field of metalworking and steel construction – complemented by a high-performance cutting center that includes four cutting technologies: plasma, oxyfuel, water jet, and, from 2025, laser.

More information: www.koelbl-metallbau.de

EQUIPMENT PROFILE

MSE Smart^FL Baureihe

• Workspace 4 000 x 2 000 mm
• 2D laser cutting
• Raycus fiber laser with a cutting power of 8 kW
• EX-TRABEAM® laser cutting head by THERMACUT®
• Fully automatic exchange table

EX-TRABEAM® HP laser cutting head

EX-TRABEAM® HP cutting heads not only offer the same advantages as the EX-TRABEAM® ECO cutting heads but also monitor all optical components and cutting process signals, thus achieving maximum cutting precision and reliability as a fail-safe solution.

The main advantages of EX-TRABEAM® HP:

• Piercing sensor
• Monitoring of all optical components and cutting process signals
• Ready for smart factories and Industry 4.0 applications
• Laser power of up to 8 kW
• Motorized focus control
• Temperature-stable capacitive height sensor
• Embedded control system with an EtherCAT interface
• Compatible with ring-shaped laser beams and other laser beam shapes requiring high NA

ABOUT MICROSTEP EUROPA:
OUR PARTNER FOR CUTTING, BENDING, AND AUTOMATION

MicroStep Europa GmbH was founded in 1999 in Bad Wörishofen, Bavaria, and supplies manufacturing companies – from small workshops to large corporations – in the DACH region with cutting-edge metal processing technology. The company specializes primarily in the sale and service of CNC cutting systems for 2D and 3D cutting of sheet metal, pipes, profiles, and vessel bottoms using laser, plasma, oxyfuel, and waterjet technology. Since MicroStep Europa offers its customers innovative and unique solutions in all cutting technologies that are crucial for metal processing, customers can be sure that they will receive exactly the solution they really need. In addition, the company offers advanced bending technology for almost all areas of application.

The company is gaining an ever-growing customer base thanks to its excellent services and support, its range of other innovative metalworking products (surface treatment, material handling, etc.) and its revolutionary solutions in the field of digitalization.

MicroStep Europa operates the CompetenceCenter Süd technology and logistics center at its headquarters in Bad Wörishofen, Bavaria, and the CompetenceCenter Nord training and demonstration center at its branch in Dorsten (North Rhine-Westphalia). Both showrooms have state-of-the-art cutting solutions and other metal processing technologies available for demonstration purposes at all times.

MicroStep Europa also has other branches: in Berlin, Germany; near Vienna, Austria (in Bratislava, Slovakia); and near Bern, Switzerland

MicroStep Europa GmbH is part of the international MicroStep Group, one of the world’s leading manufacturers of CNC-controlled cutting systems with over 30 years of experience in the market.

More information: www.microstep.com

Thank you for reading this article.. There is also another successfull customer story you may be interested in, such as How the EX-TRACK®CNC helps M P M TECH to be flexible, independent and efficient.

Text:      Thermacut, k. s.,
Photo:   archive of Thermacut, k. s.