PRODUCT REVIEWS
Automated material storage / flow
Hérige Group subsidiary Atlantem ( a French producer of aluminium , PVC , wood and hybrid windows as well as entrance doors , garage doors , gates and roller shutters ) took the opportunity during the construction of its new , 20-million-euro factory at Saint-Sauveur-des- Landes ( Brittany ) to improve its stocking and flow of materials .
To automate logistics in the manufacture of its products , the company chose German storage and sawing equipment manufacturer , KASTO , to supply an automated UNICOMPACT honeycomb warehouse . Long stock is supplied to around 15 workstations and the storage of remnants can also be managed .
The manufacturer employs 850 people at nine sites in France . In the 2019 fiscal year , sales amounted to 140 million euros , making the company a leading supplier of products in this sector in the French market . They are delivered exclusively to construction firms and the building trade throughout France via four distribution channels . No products are exported .
Jérémy Jouvrot , manager of Atlantem ’ s Continuous Improvement department , explained : “ We have created a highly networked factory . The Industry-4.0 plant is intended as a showpiece for our industry and will serve as a pilot project for the optimisation of our other manufacturing centres .”
His goal was to optimise processes within the new building and he was searching for an efficient system for material storage and supply . A centralised system was needed for storing the company ’ s profiles and feeding them automatically to sawing machines . Additionally , a dedicated station was required
The KASTO UNICOMPACT honeycomb storage system at Atlantem ’ s Saint-Sauveur-des-Landes factory .
to allow orders to be prepared by taking materials from multiple cassettes . The system also needed to be capable of sorting and storing profiles returning from a coating unit .
KASTO recommended its UNICOMPACT honeycombtype , material-to-operator storage and retrieval system , which starts at around 400 stock locations . It can be either a self-supporting silo structure with roof and wall cladding or a stand-alone unit in existing buildings . The high storage density is designed for the efficient use of space .
“ Fast cassette cycles in fully automatic operation enable short retrieval times for efficiently supplying the machines processing the material . The storage system continuously maintains an inventory , allowing orders to be picked economically . The system is of modular design , so modifications and capacity increases can be implemented quickly ,” KASTO told ISMR .
The system is controlled by KASTOlogic warehouse management software .
The installation in Saint-Sauveur-des-Landes contains 1,504 storage locations and is 52- metres long , 22 metres wide and 16 metres high . Each cassette measuring 6,600 x 760 x 770mm accommodates a maximum load of one tonne and stores profiles directly into the cassette or within customer racks .
“ The energy-efficient operating gantry crane ( OGC ), which handles two cassettes simultaneously , reaches speeds of up to 160m / minute in longitudinal travel , while the lifting beam moves at up to 50 m / minute . Jerk-free starting and braking prevents profiles from shifting when the cassettes are transported . The system is controlled by KASTOlogic warehouse management software , which manages inventory data as well as machining orders ,” explained KASTO .
The system has been in steady operation at Atlantem .
“ The storage and handling system was installed and commissioned on time and on budget . It has significantly reduced our employees ’ workload . We prepare orders from several cassettes and the system runs smoothly and fully automatically . The control software , which is linked to our ERP system , was delivered with modifications customised to our method of working . In addition , handling operations for feeding our machining stations have been simplified ,” concluded Mr Jouvrot . n
Burnishing agent for steels
Emil Otto GmbH has introduced burnishing agents for special steel alloys and high-alloy stainless steels .
Its new burnishing agent , Nigrit VA-Extra , has enabled the German metal chemistry specialist to further expand its portfolio . The new product is intended for cold burnishing and blackening special steel , alloys and highalloy stainless steels .
Emil Otto offers a range of different burnishing agents to create a black colouration on metallic surfaces . It already offers burnishing agents in the Nigrit series for aluminium and aluminium alloys ; iron and steel ; copper ; brass ; bronze as well as titanium and titanium alloys . With the newly developed Nigrit VA-Extra , special alloys can now also be processed .
By soaking the workpieces in the solution , black mixed oxide layers are formed which protect the surface . The layers created by burnishing are resistant to bending and abrasion , which enables subsequent processing of the metal .
“ Depending upon the material , blackening occurs relatively quickly , approx . 15-30 seconds after application . If the workpiece remains in the Nigrit VA-Extra longer , loose oxides accumulate on the surface , which have to be removed after the process ,” Markus Geßner , Marketing and Sales Manager , Emil Otto GmbH , explained .
After removing the loose oxides , which can be done with the Neutrasol product developed by Emil Otto , the workpiece must be dried and preserved . Emil Otto also offers a product for preservation .
“ The after-treatment fluid is temporarily-effective , preservative metal protection that can be applied thinly after the Nigrit VA-Extra has been used . All burnishing solutions are intended for immediate use in metal processing ,” concluded the manufacturer .
As an owner-managed company , in existence since 1901 , Emil Otto develops and manufactures fluxing agents . This includes fluxing agents for electronics production ; strip tinning ; cooler construction and for galvanizing . n
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