Servo drive technology for everyday useĀ
From hydraulic drives to servo drives: STOBER increases precision and energy efficiency in ID card production
Tiepner, a manufacturer of fixtures and special machines, develops and engineers systems for producing and personalizing ID cards, among other applications. Previously, the punching process was carried out using hydraulic drives. Although these offered high power density and were robust, they did not meet the required accuracy and caused high maintenance and energy costs. That is why the machine builder now relies on STOBER drive technology. In addition to drive controllers and servo motors, different gearboxes are used, ranging from powerful designs for demanding tasks to a cost effective economy variant.
Pforzheim, 2026-10-28 ā ID cards, driver’s licenses and gym membership cards ā without these small plastic cards in our wallets, our everyday lives would be almost impossible to manage. But have you ever wondered how they are made and how complex the technology behind them is? Christian Hƶltge knows the answers. He is Managing Director of Tiepner, a special machine manufacturing company, headquartered in Tƶging am Inn. The company develops and engineers systems that customers such as the Bundesdruckerei, Germany’s Federal Printing Office, use to produce and personalize ID cards in ID-1 format. “They consist of multiple layers of film that can contain embossing, chips, magnetic stripes, security features such as holograms or RFID and memory modules,” he explains.
The family-owned company’s portfolio also includes tools and fixtures for welding plastics. In addition to the Bundesdruckerei, its customers also include companies from the medical technology and automotive industries. “Our automotive business is in sharp decline,” says Hƶltge. “We therefore need to restructure and adapt our products in order to tap into new markets and applications.” The competitive environment is challenging. Flexibility, quality and reliability are becoming increasingly important. With 13 employees, the company operates worldwide and aims to grow further. Tiepner is taking proactive steps in that direction, such as entering into cooperation agreements with partner companies and steadily expanding its sales and marketing.
For the production of ID cards such as national identity cards, up to eight different films are automatically taken from sheets or rolls and combined. The system aligns the films, checks the material thickness and stacks them in the correct position. It then transfers the film stack to the laminating unit, which bonds the layers into a sheet. The laminated sheet is then fed to the punching unit. After the punching process, the cards are checked for dimensional accuracy, surface quality, RFID function and other possible features before they are stacked in a magazine. Hydraulic drives were previously used for triple punching. These are characterized by a high power density, infinitely variable adjustment and a robust design. In practice, however, there were limits to the adjustment accuracy and the reproducibility of the results, along with higher maintenance costs and susceptibility to leaks.
Tiepner wanted to optimize the design of the axes, make the unit more compact, increase energy efficiency and ensure simple commissioning. To achieve this, the punching unit was to be converted from a hydraulic to a servo drive. During operation, electric drives are often more economical in terms of energy consumption, while hydraulic systems can quickly become cost-intensive. Electric drives are also easier to maintain. Oil leaks are simply not an issue. Temperature fluctuations also have little effect on the performance of electric drives. In hydraulic systems, in contrast, performance can depend heavily on how hot or cold the oil is.
“We’ve been in contact since 2020. Back then, we supplied a drive solution, and our customer is still very satisfied with it today,” reports Florian Sonnenberg, Account Manager at STOBER. During the first on-site meeting about the new project, he gained a thorough overview of the systems, their functions and their wide range of applications. He was enthusiastic about what he saw.
Optimally coordinated drive technology
“We supplied our SI6 series drive controllers as a multi-axis drive system,” reports Sonnenberg. Thanks to their compact design, they require little space in the control cabinet. At the same time, they offer a range of useful functions. “But more important than the compactness of the SI6 is the fact that it eliminates the need for redundant supply modules,” continues Sonnenberg: “A whole series of drive controllers can be connected to the central PS6 supply module. This also removes the need for separate fuses and cabling for each individual axis.”
The installed components include compact EZ synchronous servo motors. This series offers maximum torque, high dynamics and low torque ripple.
Depending on the requirements for torque, speed, smooth operation, efficiency and size, different gearboxes are used in the systems. These include the P series planetary gearboxes with extremely high efficiency and the helical gearing typical of STOBER, which ensures smooth and quiet operation. The P series is complemented by the highly economical PE series planetary gearboxes. They also have helical gearing ā a feature that is unique in this product and price class.
“In addition to drives for demanding positioning tasks with high dynamics, we also need drives for lifting and conveying,” explains Sonnenberg. These drives have to meet all of the high quality standards of the machines with regard to smooth operation, backlash stability and service life. The KLM geared motor ā a combination of a helical bevel gearbox and Lean motor in a direct attachment configuration ā provides the user with an extremely energy-efficient drive that is particularly suitable for automation applications, for example, as a lifting unit for unpunched card sheets.
The KLM is very compact, and its robust housing geometry ensures a long service life. . It owes its high energy efficiency to the IE5 efficiency class of the Lean motor. In addition, users benefit from low installation effort.
With Lean motors, the SI6 series drive controllers determine position and speed without an encoder and provide infinitely variable speed control. This reduces cabling work, simplifies commissioning and lowers costs. Communication takes place via PROFINET.
Precise and flexible
STOBER supplied a high-performance system with coordinated components. Design engineers get everything from a single source and benefit from an experienced contact who supports them in implementing all drive tasks. “We were very satisfied with the advice, design, delivery and on-site commissioning,” says Hƶltge in summary. “It’s the whole package. Even as a small company, we received good support.” The systems are now more precise and flexible. They process sheets of 3Ć6 to 3Ć10 cards, i.e., 18 to 30 cards per sheet. Users benefit from shorter setup times, intuitive operation and a flexible design. At maximum output, around 12,000 cards can be produced per hour. “This makes us particularly competitive,” says Hƶltge with satisfaction. In addition to the high throughput, the systems also boast low maintenance requirements.
Captions:
Photo credits: STĆBER Antriebstechnik GmbH + Co. KG
You can find high-resolution image material for downloading here.
STOBER develops and produces precise, highly efficient drive components and systems, including gearboxes, motors, gear racks and drive controllers for custom solutions. They are used in various industries, including automation and robotics, as well as the plastics, packaging and machine tool industries. STOBER has 14 locations and 80 service partners in over 40 countries. The family-owned company currently employs around 1,000 people worldwide.
Contact data for country-specific publication:
| Germany: | Austria: |
| STĆBER Antriebstechnik GmbH + Co. KG Kieselbronner Str. 12 75177 Pforzheim Phone: +49 7231 582-0 sales@stoeber.de www.stober.de | STĆBER Antriebstechnik GmbH HauptstraĆe 41a 4663 Laakirchen Phone: +43 7613 7600-0 sales@stoeber.at www.stoeber.at |
| Switzerland: | |
| STĆBER Switzerland AG Rugghƶlzli 2 5453 Remetschwil, Switzerland Phone: +41 56 496 9650 sales@stoeber.ch www.stober.ch |
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