Robot-assisted processing & 3D-façades
Robot-assisted processing
As a pioneer in the natural stone industry, the Bamberger Natursteinwerk has played a major role in developing and implementing the automated processing of natural stone with industrial robots since 2007.
Before then, industrial robots were not used for pre-milling, but primarily for handling, welding and installation support. Thanks to their six controllable axes and the high degree of freedom of movement, our robots are ideal for working natural stone.
After the development and modification of appropriate software and the new and further development of sufficiently robust milling spindles and wear-resistant tools that are suitable for the special environmental conditions, we now mill and produce complex three-dimensional objects using three industrial robots. By means of a further linear axis (7th axis) we can even pre-mill natural stones that are up to 8 metres long. The robots can be programmed on the basis of 3D models. We can create these from existing originals or from clay modelled templates using 3D scanners. The digital data can also be supplied directly by architects, designers or specialist planners.
Thanks to this automated prefabrication, we are able to provide highly complex three-dimensional natural stonework of the highest quality in the shortest possible time. This is illustrated well by the reconstruction of the Potsdamer Stadtschloss (Potsdam City Palace), which was completed in 2013. Within just two years, it proved possible to finish 2 600 m3 of highly complex stonemasonry work in addition to producing more than 140 Corinthian capitals.
Robot-assisted pre-milling also played a major part in the ongoing reconstruction of the Berliner Schloss (Berlin Palace), the Palais Barberini and Frankfurt's historic city centre. It also has extensive applications in contemporary architecture, particularly for the creation of façades made from high-quality natural stone featuring complex three-dimensional shapes.
The new building of the visitors’ entrance to Hambach Castle and the new extension to the Historical Museum in Frankfurt am Main illustrate this well.
3D natural stone façades
Natural stone has been used in architecture for centuries as an exceptionally sustainable material for designing façades. The development of automated stone production using industrial robots opens up new individual design options characterised by a distinctive three-dimensional design language.
In modern façades construction, buildings can be realised featuring monolithic design elements with bespoke 3D geometries using individually robot-milled stones. From constructional details to design elements of any size or complete building-structures that can be realised as sculptures itselves – the possibilities are endless.
Individual patterns can also be easily displayed in the façade, be it as masonry walls or as curtain walls.