FACE TO FACE
ARKU InfoDays
In its new production facility at Bühl , ARKU relies on an assembly line for the deburring machines and s fixed-station assembly for the precision levellers .
customers are still buying stand-alone machines but other high-end customers are choosing OSEON or other high-end connectivity tools to connect their machines to MES systems . I think we have an advantage there , at least for TRUMPF customers who are already using OSEON as it gives them a future-proof solution ,” commented Gottfried Sihler .
Andreas Hellriegel emphasised the popularity of fibre laser cutting systems and ease of operation in machine design . “ Customers today want systems that offer easy operation : it is so hard now to find qualified workers , with labour shortages globally . That is why we offer solutions such as the ARKU Wizard intelligent machine control system on our systems ,” he told ISMR .
“ Our HMI still differentiates us . Its ease of use and flexibility ( i . e different rights management for users etc .) really make it easier for customers to operate our machines and avoid unnecessary breakdowns . Our aim is to design machines that will eventually become ‘ infallible ’ by making them as easy as possible for customers to operate in an environment of labour shortages ,” added Gottfried Sihler .
Artificial intelligence ( AI ) integration was one of the highlights at several booths at this October ’ s EuroBLECH exhibition . It is a technology that ARKU is also developing in several key areas .
“ We do use AI , to some extent , more generally in our organisation . This is for internal processes as well as to enhance the customer journey with us ( i . e . in our service and sales offerings ). As regards our product portfolio , we already offer an automation solution that incorporates AI . I think AI will gain in importance over the next few years , and we will definitely release more solutions that incorporate this technology ,” confirmed Gottfried Sihler .
A sustainable future
With its ESG approach ( Environment , Social and Governance ), ARKU is pursuing a holistic concept to ensure that its actions “ have a long-term positive impact on the environment , make a contribution to society and promote entrepreneurial thinking .”
From an environmental standpoint , ARKU is increasing the energy efficiency of its machines , processes and sites , promoting the electrification of mobility and focusing on renewable energies . It has already implemented measures to reduce its carbon footprint and remains committed to increasing these efforts . Over a third of its vehicle fleet is electrified , so that many of its routes and transport are emissionfree .
“ We have just issued our new sustainability report , which can be accessed on the ARKU website . Our ESG approach is well advanced on the use of green power in our production as well as the steps we have taken to reduce the carbon footprints of the machines that we produce . Our machines are built for durability , which feeds into sustainability . We also offer retrofits , particularly on our coil lines , which substantially increases the life of lines ( typically , by around ten years ),” outlined Gottfried Sihler .
From a social and governance standpoint , the company has invested in young people with a training rate of 11.9 %, to ensure that it continues to have highly qualified staff in the future . ARKU offers apprenticeships in an environment designed to promote their personal and professional development and give them an opportunity to fully develop their skills . Every year , skilled workers also move up from ARKU ’ s own training and dual study programmes . The company actively promotes its employees to fill vacant positions through further qualifications .
Green energy for ARKU .
From 22-26 April 2024 , ARKU InfoDays attracted visitors from Germany and overseas to ARKU ’ s headquarters in Baden-Baden , Germany , to experience the latest advances in levelling and deburring . In addition to ARKU ’ s levelling and deburring machines , this year ’ s focus was on ARKU coil lines .
“ Visitors were able to experience various coil lines for press feeding and roll forming up close in the assembly hall . This included cutting systems that produce customised blanks for sheet metal processors to modern coil laser systems . The differences in the systems could be seen , for example , in the cross-sections to be processed , the required straightening results or the degree of automation ,” explained ARKU .
Visitors brought their own sheetmetal parts for testing on ARKU ’ s deburring and levelling machines . ARKU also presented its EdgeBreaker ® 3000 NEXT deburrer as well as the EdgeBreaker ® 9000 LINE ( for thicker flame- or plasma-cut parts and plate ). The EdgeBreaker ® 9000 LINE removes slag , deburrs and rounds the edges in one single pass . Parts only have to be loaded into the machine once ; turning is no longer necessary thanks to double-sided processing . This , said ARKU , reduces throughput times by over 50 per cent by linking all three processes in one single line .
“ We focus on communication , training and employee development to promote an open and inclusive corporate culture . The culture of our organisation as a family business helps us to react more flexibly than large corporations ,” concluded ARKU , pointing to company initiatives such as its Health Day . n
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56 | ismr . net | ISMR November 2024