Automation in enclosure assembly
Published: 16 April, 2015
RITTAL reports there are many and varied benefits to automation which a large number of industry sectors have clearly embraced.
However it says it seems strange then that so many panel builders, given they are regular suppliers to these sectors, have been slow to embrace the clear benefits of automation themselves. Rittal says its acquisition of Kiesling in 2013 was a milestone in the company’s ability to support its customers.
The company says the machines and solutions from Kiesling now facilitate the optimisation of the complete work-flow in panel building manufacture, from machining of the panel parts and automated wiring of the panels to testing of the finished panel, supported by a diversity of handling systems such as the Assemblex.
w: www.rittal.com / www.friedhelm-loh-group.com
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RITTAL says we live in a world of rapid change, driven by the growth of ‘smart technology’, automation components are becoming more compact, both for centralised and decentralised applications, while still delivering considerable computing power and sensors and actuators are also getting more ‘intelligent’.
Manufacturing switchgear can be very labour intensive, despite the advances in automation, there is still a huge amount of manual work involved in cutting and machining busbars, support rails and cable ducts. RITTAL AUTOMATION SYSTEMS says it is now offering new and improved machines and tools that will help automate or part-automate these previously time-consuming activities.
When it comes to processing panels, CNC machining centres, such as Perforex from RITTAL AUTOMATION SYSTEMS, are said to be light years ahead of the alternative, manual approach when it comes to productivity and efficiency. In fact, machining centres can speed up processing by as much as 66% compared to the traditional hand-tooled method.
When the directors of panel builders Pneumatechnique were looking at ways to improve efficiency and offer better production consistency they turned to RITTAL and its automation systems for switchgear construction. One of the main issues the company faced was the underemployment of the highly skilled labour force. This had become obvious during an evaluation of work practices that considered how customer demand was being met, and how the company in turn made demands on production as an “internal customer”.
