PRODUCT REVIEWS
Taking on the weight
Overhead cranes from R & M Materials Handling , Inc . have been installed at a U . S . producer of stainless steel . Based in Fort Wayne , Indiana ( USA ), Valbruna Slater Stainless , Inc . ( VSSI ) is part of the Valbruna Group . Founded in 1925 , Valbruna has 2,500 employees and an annual output of approximately 250,000 tons of specialty steels . Production is primarily focused on stainless steels and specialty alloys , such as nickel alloys and titanium long products .
As part of its investment in continuous improvement , Valbruna is constantly updating its production capabilities and experience . For VSSI , this included upgrading its overhead cranes , which are used to move finished goods and raw materials for stainless-steel processing .
VSSI wanted to replace two older DCpowered cranes with more powerful AC cranes , but still retain the existing bridge structure . The older cranes had become unreliable , and the hoists were heavy compared to more modern solutions . Getting new cranes to work on the current bridge would ensure that the upgrade was highly cost-effective .
VSSI turned to Hoosier Crane Service Co . for assistance . HCS , founded by Tom and Cherie Schmidt , is a family-owned business headquartered in Elkhart , IN ( USA ). It has grown throughout the last 20 years from four employees to approximately 100 employees and is presently providing overhead crane material-handling solutions throughout the USA .
The older DC cranes were each equipped with 20-ton and seven-ton dual hoists on one trolley . Hoosier Crane ’ s original plan was to keep a centre line bridge drive motor on both but replace the DC motors with larger AC motors . However , it decided that the more viable solution was side-mounted SEW Euro Drive gearboxes with motors .
Hoosier Crane therefore removed the two existing hoists and replaced them with new R & M ten-ton hoists . It installed the new hoists on a new ASCE rail . These new hoists were one third the weight of the old hoists . Using the R & M 10t hoists , Hoosier Crane was able to deploy a lightweight and modern system without replacing the bridges .
Patrick Hilger , Engineering and Maintenance Manager , Valbruna Slater Stainless , Inc . said : “ We were looking for a reliable , cost-effective solution that could still be designed to fit on the existing bridge structure . Using the existing bridge structure saved cost on install and material .” n
Smart factory solutions
Sheet-metal specialist TRUMPF has opened new opportunities for collaboration with STOPA , a manufacturer of automated storage systems . The two companies recently announced an agreement to work even closer together in the future .
STOPA ’ s automated storage solutions are used in a variety of settings , including TRUMPF ’ s smart-factory solutions . STOPA systems enable customers to load and unload their machines automatically and link machines together to form logistics networks . This helps to boosts productivity on the shop floor by significantly reducing non-productive time .
“ Versatile STOPA storage systems can be tailored to the growing challenges of modern smart-factory production environments or integrated seamlessly into existing factories . Their benefits come to the fore when combined with our new Oseon software , which is designed to make production planning and control even simpler , up to and including fully automated automation of the sheet-metal fabrication process ,” TRUMPF told ISMR .
TRUMPF believes that partnerships and open standards are the key to developing and enhancing its smart-factory solutions . These include open interfaces from umati and open-locating standards from omlox as well as TRUMPF ’ s existing partnerships with intralogistics specialist , Jungheinrich ; coil-processing , levelling and deburring machine maker , ARKU ; metal-industry software specialist , Lantek , and STARMATIK , an automation company specialising in customised solutions .
TRUMPF recently brought all the different aspects of its smart-factory solutions business under one umbrella with the goal of fuelling further growth .
Till Küppers , CEO of TRUMPF Machine Tools , emphasised the companies ’ joint ambitions : “ Our goal is to forge a solid new basis for embarking on the next stage of our successful journey with STOPA , especially the ongoing expansion of our smart-factory solutions . Partnering with STOPA will enable us to offer our customers an even more comprehensive range of efficient , sustainable and productivity-enhancing solutions in the future .”
TRUMPF ’ s investment in STOPA is still subject to approval by the relevant antitrust authorities . n