Manufactory for vibration-optimized high-end turntables and tonearms made from milled and turned solid components.
Ars Machinae, Inh. Dipl. Ing. (FH) Alexandra Krug
Lichtenfels (Bavaria) · Gnellenroth 10, 96215 LichtenfelsNew on Amplifa
About Ars Machinae
Ars Machinae is a manufactory in Lichtenfels, Upper Franconia, that develops and produces turntables, tonearms, and accessories such as platters, record clamps, and drive tables. Building on more than three decades of experience of developer Ralf Wölfel in machine tool engineering, the entire development and design is carried out in-house. The components made from solid blocks of aluminium, Corian, graphite, wood, and carbon are machined at a regional mechanical engineering supplier on CNC milling machines and CNC lathes, then measured, inspected, and given a ceramic-based surface treatment. Assembly and final inspection take place in the company's own manufactory, where the M1 and TM1 models as well as the Lignum L tonearm and the UMAI drive table are exclusively manufactured. The approach follows the principles of stiffness and damping from mechanical engineering; the record clamp was developed jointly with the University of Bayreuth and the Fraunhofer Institute. A 10-year warranty is provided on the mechanical parts, along with lifelong manufacturer service.
- Site
- Lichtenfels
- Processes
- CNC milling, CNC turning, Ceramic-based surface treatment, Precision measurement and inspection of manufactured parts, Development and design (product development from a single source), Bonding/joining of solid layers (Corian, aluminium, graphite) into platters, Assembly (manufactory production of turntables and tonearms), Development and design (in-house)
- Materials
- Aluminium, Graphite, Corian, Wood, Carbon, Ceramic (surface coating), Wood-carbon combination
- Industries
- HiFi/high-end audio, HiFi/high-end audio (turntables and tonearms)
- 01
Development and design (in-house)
- 02
CNC milling and CNC turning (regional supplier)
- 03
Precision measurement and inspection of the parts
- 04
Ceramic-based surface treatment
- 05
Bonding/joining of solid layers (Corian, aluminium, graphite)
- 06
Assembly and final inspection in the manufactory
Materials & Processes
Aluminium
Solid components such as platters and chassis, manufactured on CNC milling machines and CNC lathes.
Corian
Layers of the TM1 platter, which is bonded from six solid layers.
Graphite
8 mm thick platter mat that eliminates static charge and forms a unit with the record clamp.
Wood-carbon combination
12.2-inch arm tube of the tonearm for effective damping and high stiffness.
Ceramic (surface coating)
Surface treatment of the manufactured and inspected components.
Locations
Lichtenfels
DEManufactory: development, production and assembly
- Part weight / size
- up to approx. 80 kg chassis / 24 kg turntable
- Materials
- Aluminium, Corian, graphite, wood, carbon
- CNC milling machine
- CNC lathe
Components & Products
Inside the production
Industries
Processes & technical limits
| Processes | Tolerance | Max. part | Weight | Lot size | Materials |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| CNC millingMachining | – | – | – | – | Aluminium, Corian, Graphite, Wood, Carbon |
| CNC turningMachining | – | – | – | – | Aluminium, Corian, Graphite, Wood, Carbon |
| Ceramic-based surface treatmentSurface | – | – | – | – | Aluminium |
| Precision measurement and inspection of manufactured partsTesting | – | – | – | – | – |
| Development and design (product development from a single source)Engineering | – | – | – | – | – |
| Bonding/joining of solid layers (Corian, aluminium, graphite) into plattersJoining | – | – | – | – | Corian, Aluminium, Graphite |
| Assembly (manufactory production of turntables and tonearms)Assembly | – | – | – | – | – |
2 Anlagen & Maschinen
| Machine | Manufacturer / model | Quantity | Working area | Year built | Site |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| CNC milling machine | – | – | – | – | Lichtenfels |
| CNC lathe | – | – | – | – | Lichtenfels |
Additional services
History
More than three decades of experience in machine tool engineering (Ralf Wölfel) form the basis of the company's activities
Joint development of the record clamp with the University of Bayreuth and a Fraunhofer Institute, patented bearing development