PAINT & POWDER / ROBOTS & AUTOMATION
Electrical cabinet manufacturer Rittal offers insight into their production
Rittal is one of the world ‘ s leading system suppliers for enclosures , power distribution , climate control , IT infrastructure and software & services . This global player based in Herborn , Germany , offers insights into the configuration and processes of its state-of-the-art powder coating systems .
In all markets , in countless industries , and in nearly every company , “ Industry 4.0 ” is the next big thing : but does the investment in new equipment really pay off ? What conditions have to be met and what changes must be made in order to manufacture high-quality products that satisfy customer requirements cost-effectively today ?
Machinery and equipment from Germany are a calling card of local industry and in high demand the world over . Wherever electronics have to be protected , the chances are good that the enclosures for the equipment control system , power distribution or climate control come from Rittal . Headquartered in the German state of Hesse , Rittal is a genuine global player employing over 9,300 people and operating 13 production facilities worldwide .
Millions of square meters and intelligent standardisation
“ Our goal is to use standardised products to meet customer-specific requirements faster and on a more timely basis . We are in the process of creating the conditions to achieve this , especially in the coating systems area ,” admits Heiko Denner , Project Manager for Surface Finishing Technology at Rittal , during our meeting in the company ’ s own Rittal Innovation Center , “ and we ’ re doing so
34 JUNE 2021
Powder Coating 4.0 – Maximizing process control by means of dense-phase technology as well as analysis of production data for optimization and for an efficient set up of coating application parameters . It is often the coating that serves to fulfill specific customer requirements of an enclosure . Those requirements arise , for example , from the installation site of an enclosure for photovoltaic or wind turbine systems , in the production halls of automotive suppliers , in the food and beverage industry , or in a data center .
despite the fact that the total number of square meters of powder coated surface area per year measures in the millions !”
In addition to Rittal ’ s standard Light Gray RAL 7035 , many other colours approved by Quality Assurance are available as serial production to satisfy customer wishes .
“ For anyone offering such a broad variety of colours , an intelligent , extremely flexible booth concept is absolutely vital .” Rittal relies here on the highest standards of Nordson ColorMax3 booth technology , with special booth floor material and highly automated cleaning cycles that enable extremely fast colour changes . “ ColorMax3 booths are ideally suited for all our applications , no matter whether we run a single colour in a shift or have to change colours frequently ,” says Denner .
It is often the coating that serves to fulfill specific customer requirements of an enclosure . Those requirements arise , for example , from the installation site of an enclosure for photovoltaic or wind turbine systems , in the production halls of automotive suppliers , in the food and beverage industry , or in a data center .
Along with the design possibilities of Rittal enclosures , the company started already from an early stage to develop specific solutions for an extremely wide range of applications . For the food and beverage industry , for example , which is subject to uncompromising hygiene requirements in all
CONTINUED ON PAGE 36
twitter : @ surfaceworldmag