August Wenzler Maschinenbau, a HELLER company, and BENZ Tooling are joining forces to take the machining of megacasting components for e-mobility to a new level
The transformation of the automotive industry calls for new manufacturing technologies. In the field of e-mobility in particular, large-format structural components made of aluminum — known as “megacastings” or “gigacastings” — are becoming increasingly important. These complex components place the highest demands on machines, tools, and process reliability. August Wenzler Maschinenbau GmbH, based in Spaichingen — the Center of Excellence for the machining of structural and large-scale cast components within the HELLER Group — has taken on this challenge and relies on technology from BENZ Tooling.
As a medium-sized, owner-managed company with approximately 35 employees, Wenzler specializes in the development and manufacturing of high-precision 5-axis machining centers for the HELLER Group. A key focus is on solutions for the machining of geometrically complex structural components. With the WH 10000 series, the company offers a machine platform specifically designed for machining large aluminum castings in the megacasting segment. Combined with BENZ Tooling’s 5-axis heads — including motor spindles and angle heads — the result is a solution that sets new standards in precision, dynamics, and productivity.
As a horizontal 5-axis machining center, the WH 10000 combines the robust design principles of HELLER’s standard components with the specialized Wenzler kinematics, which are engineered for maximum agility and process stability. At the heart of the machine’s design is the dual-spindle concept, with the spindles mounted side by side on a solid machine bed: Two linear 3-axis units face each other and machine a centrally clamped workpiece in parallel from two sides. This allows large megacasting components to be fully machined in a single setup — a decisive advantage for complex structural parts such as front or rear subframes.
The workpiece is mounted on a horizontal swivel axis, allowing it to be positioned flexibly and ensuring that both machining units always have optimal access. The fourth and fifth axes are located in the 5-axis head, allowing the two BENZ units to operate with a high degree of motion freedom. This interplay of machine kinematics and tool technology enables precise, simultaneous machining of even complex-shaped cast structures that would be difficult to access with conventional machine designs.
The motor spindles integrated into the milling heads — equipped with an HSK-A63 interface and speeds of up to 16,000 rpm — ensure high dynamic performance. This allows even long and high-volume machining processes to be carried out with stability. Each unit’s tool magazine accommodates 51 tools, which are supplied via a pick-up magazine. Tool changes take place directly next to the machining area, eliminating unnecessary movements and allowing the machine to resume production quickly.
The WH 10000 was also designed for continuous automated operation. The workpiece can be loaded via a gate system or a robot, while the large roll-up door opens wide to the operating area, providing optimal accessibility for setup, handling, and service. Centralized chip removal, efficient minimum-quantity lubrication, and modern electronic equipment featuring absolute measuring systems and digital drives ensure stable, energy-efficient, and maintenance-friendly operation.
These features make the WH 10000 a highly productive manufacturing system. Simultaneous machining not only significantly reduces cycle times but also ensures exceptionally high component quality, as geometries are produced in a harmonized process.
The BENZ 5-axis head defines the performance of the entire machining unit. Simultaneous control of all five axes allows complex geometries to be machined in a single setup — a decisive advantage for megacasting structural components, which often feature large, hard-to-reach contours.
The heads’ robust design, combined with highly dynamic drive technology, enables precise positioning and high repeatability even when machining heavy materials and during long machining times. Innovative cooling concepts, a modular design, and the compact form factor ensure consistently high process reliability and first-class machining results.
A great deal of development work has also gone into the internal components: A high-precision position measurement system continuously monitors the position and movement of all relevant components and transmits this data to the machine control system. The integrated IO-Link signal transmission collects all status data — such as temperature, speed, and spindle runtime — and makes it available for diagnostics and process reliability. The rotary distributor with slip ring technology ensures that electrical signals and power, as well as pneumatic and hydraulic media, are reliably transmitted during rotation.
With this combination of power density, flexibility, and process monitoring, the BENZ 5-axis heads have become a key component of modern large-casting machining — and an indispensable part of the WH 10000.
What makes this project special is the close integration of three core technologies from BENZ Tooling:
The 5-axis head with motorized spindle, together with the angle head, form a single system unit that is precisely coordinated both mechanically and in terms of control technology. This combination ensures harmonized kinematics, high rigidity, and maximized process reliability — a decisive advantage for manufacturing companies that rely on continuous availability and consistent precision.
“The demands in the megacasting segment are enormous — large machining volumes, long cycles, and, at the same time, the highest precision. Our 5-axis technology is designed to master exactly these challenges. It offers high performance capacity in a compact design and is ideally aligned with the HELLER machine. The result are stable, high-precision processes with maximum flexibility.”
Tom Weis, Product Manager Metal, BENZ Tooling
Megacasting offers manufacturers enormous efficiency advantages: Where hundreds of small structural components once had to be manufactured and then assembled, a single, large-area aluminum casting is now produced. This eliminates interfaces and joining processes while increasing the stability and precision of the final product — all while reducing weight. For production, megacasting means reduced complexity in terms of the supply chain and assembly: the process is shortened from months to just a few days. The combination of HELLER’s WH 10000 and BENZ Tooling’s 5-axis technology is designed to make this paradigm shift productive and cost-effective.
The close collaboration between August Wenzler Maschinenbau and BENZ Tooling impressively demonstrates how successful technology partnerships can accelerate innovation. HELLER contributes its decades of experience in building high-performance machining centers, while BENZ Tooling provides the ideal complement with its expertise in developing high-performance heads, motor spindles, and angular units.
Together, the two companies are creating solutions that elevate the machining of large aluminum castings to a new level of quality. With their combination of precision, efficiency, and reliability, they are decisively advancing the industrial implementation of megacasting — and thus making an important contribution to the future of lightweight automotive production.
Our precise, easy-to-maintain 5-axis heads give you a decisive competitive advantage. Benefit from well-designed interfaces, high power density, and flexible integration that fits perfectly into your individual machine design.
Let’s discuss your plans — together we can plan the optimal integration for your machines!
BENZ Tooling is one of the world's leading manufacturers and suppliers of components and systems for tool and machine tooling technology. The company employs about 300 people and is represented in over 30 countries worldwide.
