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Swiss steel trader modernizes cutting: Higher degree of automation, better quality

The Swiss steel trading company Ferroflex decided to replace its existing oxy-fuel gantry cutting system. For reasons of age, it had to make way for an erlcut cutting system from ERL Automation GmbH - the new system has been in operation since August 2017 and the results are impressive: With the erlcut, Ferroflex achieves significantly better cutting results. At the same time, thanks to the partially automated machine, processing times have been shortened and user convenience has increased.

erlcut at Ferroflex

Ferroflex AG, founded in 1968 and based in Rothrist, is a leading provider in the Swiss steel trade. Today, together with ten other companies, the company belongs to the FF Group, which focuses on the trade and processing of steel and building materials as well as the operation of various craft centres. With steel beams, steel bars, hollow profiles, sheets, flame-cut parts and other steel products, Ferroflex covers a very broad product range. The company, which employs around 60 people, is a classic steel logistics provider that, in addition to trading in steel products, also offers a wide variety of services - from burning and drilling to sawing, blasting and priming. "We maintain the country's most extensive stock of steel beams and process sheets from 8 to 150 mm thick," explains Stephan Gerhard, operations manager at Ferroflex. The company's products are mainly used in the construction industry. Thanks to the steel trader's central location, customers in Germany as well as in neighbouring countries can be supplied directly.

 

Challenging task

Until now, Ferroflex had been using a cutting system, consisting of a gantry for plasma cutting and a gantry for oxyfuel cutting on a track as well as a water cutting table for sheet metal formats up to 3,000 x 12,000 mm. Since the system had already been in service for many years and could no longer fully meet the quality requirements due to its advanced age, those responsible at Ferroflex decided to modernize the cutting system step by step - due to the heavier use of the oxy-fuel cutting system, this should be renewed first.

Ferroflex's main requirements when considering the purchase of a new oxy-fuel cutting system were a high level of component accuracy and a higher degree of automation, which would result in both increased productivity and greater convenience in system operation. In addition, the new machine was supposed to be able to carry out component marking, which previously had to be done by hand. Last but not least, the system had to be perfectly matched to the existing components. In addition to the adaptation to the existing raceway system and the water cutting table, this also included the integration of the programming system used so far. Various system manufacturers presented their solutions, but in the end one system concept from ERL Automation GmbH was convincing: an erlcut e5.

 

Perfectly fitting solution

The automation specialist for welding and cutting technology from Landau in Lower Bavaria has developed a system that is optimally adapted to the conditions at Ferroflex. The erlcut in the e546 version with a special track width of 4,600 mm is equipped with one driven and four towed supports with oxy-fuel cutting torches of the FIT+ two type. As a result, Ferroflex is optimally prepared for sheet thicknesses from 3 to 250 mm, but the system is mainly used for sheets from 25 mm. Sheet thicknesses below this are still cut with the existing plasma system. The erlcut e546 is also equipped with a support for component marking. With the FineMarker from Kjellberg, Ferroflex can not only apply markings for subsequent machining processes, such as the application of centre punch dots for drilling or marking points for following cutting processes, but also information such as part numbers. The user can decide how deep these should be, depending on the requirements. In addition to tempering colours that are no longer visible after painting, Ferroflex can also implement deep markings that are still visible even after painting. Whereas components previously had to be marked by hand, this step can now be done by the machine. For cutting the residual grids, a scrap torch is attached to the side of the gantry, which is supplied via the portal system.

The system is operated via the e*volution touch-screen control with a 21-inch display and non-reflective glass surface for good readability and fatigue-free working. The operating concept is highly appreciated by the system operators at Ferroflex. Not only does the large display make handling the system much easier, but the user interface is also easy to understand and intuitive to operate, according to Gerhard, summarizing the feedback from the operators. The control system is equipped with a converter specifically developed by ERL, with which programmes of all common nesting systems can be converted. Ferroflex can thus continue to use its familiar programming system and start producing parts without having to train employees to use a new software.

The process database included in the scope of delivery, which is based on ERL's many years of experience, also ensures an easy handling of the machine. All cutting parameters are stored ready to start, but can also be edited and expanded by Ferroflex at any time. In this way, the full performance capability of the machine can be achieved after only a short training period.

 

More productivity and user convenience

After a good six months of use in production, the conclusion is very positive. "On the one hand, the quality of the cut components has increased significantly with the erlcut - the cut surface and angle are much better compared to before. On the other hand, fewer interventions by the machine operators are required and the processing times are correspondingly shorter," Gerhard sums up. The components installed in the erlcut are decisive for this, such as double-sided rack drives with brushless AC servo motors, which offer excellent dynamic properties with high contour accuracy. In addition, the rigidity of the gantry and the fully automatic and precise Z-axis are decisive for the accuracy of the cutting results.

Furthermore, the erlcut is equipped with an automatic pneumatic blade clamping system. Unlike the cutting system used so far, the four dragged torch carriages are automatically clamped to the steel strip at the correct distance, depending on the programme. On the one hand, this is much more convenient for the operator in terms of handling, and on the other hand, measurement inaccuracies can be eliminated and valuable time saved.

While standard gantry cutting systems operate with only one proportional valve even in multi-torch mode and thus require operator intervention when switching torches on and off to ensure a consistent flame pattern, the erlcut has one proportional valve per torch. This means that in multi-torch operation, the amount of gas and oxygen is automatically adjusted to the number of torches in use. A correction of the flame pattern by the operator is not necessary and the resulting savings are not insignificant: Assuming that the adjustment of the flame pattern takes six minutes and the change from single to multi-torch operation and vice versa takes place twice a day, 4,400 € can be saved annually at a machine hour rate of 100 € / hour and 220 working days, just by eliminating the adjustment of the flame pattern. Apart from the time and cost savings, Ferroflex achieves a significantly higher degree of automation through the interaction of the automatic blade clamping and the use of several proportional valves. After all, the automatic torch infeed and valve adjustment allows almost any nesting on a sheet metal panel.

In the foreseeable future, the plasma cutting system is also planned to be brought up to the latest state of the art. Since Ferroflex has come to know ERL Automation GmbH as a reliable and flexible partner, it is quite possible that Ferroflex will also draw on ERL's cutting expertise here, from optimizing tool paths to NC programme creation. Whenever possible, the software works automatically, but leaves the final choice to the user to achieve optimum efficiency in every situation.


About us

We are a manufacturer of gantry and robot cutting machines as well as special systems.


ERL Automation GmbH
Siemensstraße 12, 94405 Landau a.d. Isar

+49 9951 - 60 34 66 0
info@erl-cutting.com

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