Specialized positioning system for maintenance of main technological equipment for aluminum profile productionInvestor: Stilmet AD

Project

Raising the efficiency of the main technological equipment for aluminum profile production.

Challenges

Existing situation

The production complex consists of an extrusion press and a gas tunnel-type furnace with a conveyor. The removal from the furnace and the transportation of the hot blanks to the extruder is performed by a mechanical device consisting of a grip and a sloped chute.

Work conditions

The technological complex is designed to work with small, but frequently changing orders.

Problems

  • Prolonged time for taking the blank out of the furnace – heat loss;
  • The orientation of the blank going out of the furnace depends on its length;
  • Transportation is carried out gravitationally along a sloped chute;
  • Uncertain transportation time due to frequent blank jamming in the chute;
  • Increased heat losses influencing the extrusion process – in some cases it is necessary to return the blank in the furnace. This leads to losses due to downtime of main equipment and additional costs for repeated heating.

Solution

The positioning system developed by us is autonomous equipment consisting of two synchronous-operating manipulators.

Positioning system - Stilmet AD

Results

Technological advantages

  • Reduction of the time necessary for taking the blank out of the furnace;
  • The manipulators operate with all sizes of blanks without the need for readjustment;
  • Possibility for flexible work cycle with intermediate point for awaiting and call from the operator if additional maintenance is necessary;
  • Superposing of all auxiliary times with the extrusion time.

Economic effect

After the commissioning of the positioning system developed by us the efficiency of the main technological equipment reaches nearly 100% of its production capacity while decreasing the energy consumption by more than 10%.

The developed automation solution achieves further economic effect because it makes unnecessary the reconstruction of the main technological equipment, which would lead to losses from production downtimes and need of additional investments.