Press release PM 2712-EU
Page 1 of 2
Hours rather than days
New, quickly customised assembly transport frame for ready-to-install energy chains
igus has been producing pre-harnessed readychain energy chain systems for around 20 years. At the AMB 2012, igus is presenting a newly developed modular transport frame which has been designed to transport and fit these to the customer machine; this frame can be quickly adapted down to the last millimetre in order to allow quick and accurate interfacing with the machine. This will lead to a significant reduction in process costs in machine and plant construction.
At the igus location in Cologne alone, between 400 and 500 orders are currently pre-harnessed every week by 127 employees working in three shifts. A further 13 project engineers are involved. In Quality Assurance, the functional safety of every single readychain system is tested using special testing equipment before it is dispatched. Five test fields, around 1,800 test adapters and approx. 18,000 test programs are available for this purpose.
The difficulty lies in the detail. Currently, several weeks to months are required from the joint drafting of a provisional frame at the customer's site through to steel construction and system delivery. Subsequent changes to the welded frames are then difficult do. For this reason, a modular transport and assembly frame has been developed made up of support and brace modules which fit into one. These are also telescopic, allowing lengths to be adapted easily and quickly at any point in the process. Various locking mechanisms ensure that components can also be added to later. The whole system is easy to move thanks to specially developed transport units.
In cooperation with the customer, the system is put together on site within one day. If modifications become necessary due to changes on the machine, they can easily be realised at any time thanks to the versatility of the system. If the machine series is discontinued at the customer's, the transport and assembly frame can be dismantled into its individual parts to be used again. This means the new frame is more environmentally friendly and sustainable, whereas up to now, transport frames have had to be disposed of at the end of series production.
The telescopic frame is a way of reducing a company's process costs, which are mainly labour costs. The reason is the shortened assembly times. The faster the pre-harnessed energy chain system is delivered, the shorter the mechanical engineer's time needed. This allows companies to be more competitive and secure or expand market shares. This comparatively low-cost concept is profitable from a total of five machines produced per year, allowing mechanical engineers to benefit from the advantages of the new modular frame even for small series.
Picture PM2712-01: igus GmbH, Cologne
The new telescopic transport and assembly frame for completely pre-harnessed and tested energy chain systems from igus. Eco-friendly thanks to the unlimited re-usability of its individual modules, set up within only a few hours and profitable from only five systems per year.
Picture PM2712-02: igus GmbH, Cologne
The readychain factory in Cologne has everything necessary for the fast, lean and high-grade production of pre-harnessed cables: more than 3,000 m² of space, 127 employees, 13 project engineers. Purchasers, planners, order managers and sales employees. There are five test fields, around 1,800 test adapters and approx. 18,000 test programs are available testing the readychain systems.
CONTACT:igus® GmbH
Spicher Str. 1a
D-51147 Köln
Phone +49-22 03 / 96 49-0
Fax +49-22 03 / 96 49-222
www.igus.de / The terms “igus, chainflex, readycable, easychain, e-chain, e-chainsystems, energy chain, energy chain system, flizz, readychain, triflex, twisterchain, invis, drylin, iglidur, igubal, xiros, xirodur, plastics for longer life, manus, vector“ are legally protected trademarks in the Federal Republic of Germany and, where applicable, in some foreign countries.
PRESS CONTACT:
Jörg Landgraf
Corporate Communication
igus GmbH
Spicher Str. 1a
D-51147 Köln
Phone +49 (0) 22 03 / 96 49 - 459
Fax +49 (0) 22 03 / 96 49 - 631
www.igus.de
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