After the machine debuted at the WAFIOS Innovation Days in May 2025, the MULTI-FMU 32 will also be exhibited for the first time at the wire show in Düsseldorf, Germany. With this machine, WAFIOS combines maximum flexibility with industrial high performance in a completely new machine concept.
The modular CNC spring machine produces extension springs with extended loops made of wire diameters from 1.2 - 3.2 mm on an almost second-by-second basis. Spring bodies with tangentially positioned legs are produced using the mandrel coiling technique. In a next step, the springs are passed from one station to the next by a patent-pending, innovative transfer system to bend the extended loops. At the fair, the machine will be equipped with a trimming device, a camera measuring system and a sorting device to meet highest quality standards.
Maximum flexibility thanks to modular structure
A modular structure and a flexible transfer system are the core of the new machine. Freely configurable processing stations enable different expansion levels with up to 65 CNC axes. The product range covers everything from extension springs for e.g. windshield wiper springs with small spring indexes up to challenging applications, like springs for drum brakes used in e-mobility applications where a compact design and maximum precision are crucial. Aside from extension springs with extended loops, the machine shall also be able to produce machine (German) and crossover (English) loops in the future.
Developed over the last 20 years, the FMU has a machine concept that is flexible, quick to convert, and automated. These are features that offer clear advantages over their primarily mechanical predecessors, such as the ASF/BSF and FSO 3. However, the output of extension springs with loops or extended loops that are produced with the FMU is lower. The MULTI-FMU combines all advantages of the FMU and offers a three to five times higher output. Many customers praise the flexibility of the FMU, describing it as the “Swiss Army knife” of spring production.
Proven FMU technology taken to the next level
After the spring body has been coiled, the loops are produced at individually arranged bending stations. A transfer system moves the springs precisely from one station to the next. And this is where the crucial difference to the FMU's production concept kicks in: Every station works completely independently and every station can be approached individually. The transport of workpieces is therefore not rigidly clocked but highly flexible and based on demand.
"You can't get any more manufacturing flexibility than this!" The MULTI-FMU has been based on the technology of the reliable FMU series which has been the standard for the flexible production of torsion springs for many years", explains Dr. Uwe-Peter Weigmann, Speaker of the WAFIOS Executive Board. "Sliders and rotary units are the same - as is the familiar programming interface. At the same time, we are taking the concept of a modular transfer and parallel processing of workpieces to a whole new level of performance."
Intuitive programming with WPS 3.2 EasyWay
Programming takes place via the WAFIOS Programming System WPS 3.2 EasyWay which FMU operators are familiar with and can thus immediately navigate. Spring bodies and loops, for example, are defined as a sequence of geometry elements: spring body, bend, shank and loop. The operator just has to select the required elements. Suitable tools can be selected from the integrated catalog. The result: short setup times, high process reliability and a quick implementation of complicated spring geometries.
Five times higher performance for medium-sized and large batches
The MULTI-FMU 32 demonstrates its strength particularly in the production of medium-sized and large batches. Thanks to the parallel production process, the MULTI-FMU 32 reaches impressive cycle times: up to 55-60 extension springs with extended loops per minute (depending on the dimensions of the spring body). Thus, it is five times faster than a universal torsion spring machine such as the FMU 32+. The transfer system with three degrees of freedom reduces mechanical settings and shortens the setup time considerably. At each station, the spring can be positioned at the tool with millimeter precision.
A machine that grows with your requirements
The MULTI-FMU 32 follows a clear, industrial concept: it is delivered fully configured for the specific project. From the very beginning, the machine is designed precisely for the task at hand. This ensures maximum process reliability, top performance, and an optimally coordinated overall architecture.
The number of bending operations is unlimited and additional bending stations can be integrated into the machine concept. Various optional equipment is available: a trimming device for tight tolerances of loop openings, a camera measuring system with sorting device for checking the spring geometry, systems for color-marking the springs as well as embossing devices for labeling the springs. With this configuration philosophy, the MULTI-FMU 32 has virtually no functional limitations.
The next level of spring production live at the wire 2026
The MULTI-FMU 32 combines flexibility with high production speed in a compact and modular structure. The machine offers distinct advantages, particularly for large batch sizes.
At the wire & Tube show, the MULTI-FMU will be combined with a spring machine that uses the mandrel coiling technique to produce extension springs. However, an upstream spring machine that uses the free coiling technique for the production of extension spring strands can be configured as well. The transfer system then passes the extension spring strands to the processing stations of the MULTI-FMU where conventional German or English loops can be produced at the spring ends.
Simultaneously, WAFIOS is designing a system for an automated feeding-in of spring bodies via vibratory bowl feeders or similar devices. This allows downstream processing and testing steps to be integrated inline. Thus, the spring bodies are produced independently of the CNC transfer bending machine while its transfer system still transports them to the individual stations where the spring loops are being bent. Consequently, the MULTI-FMU is gradually evolving into a modular high-performance platform for industrial production.
Come and see the MULTI-FMU 32 at the wire 2026 in Düsseldorf, from April 13 through 17! You will find WAFIOS in hall 10 at booth F22/40.
