TPT March 2018

HANDL I NG & LOG I S T I C S

On the way to creation of the smar t factory IN the plants of Ravenna and Casalmaggiore, Italy, ‘Industry 4.0’ is a reality, with robot works improving the supply chain and reducing human errors.

R&D, product and cutting-edge process technology are some of the keywords driving the development of Marcegaglia. The Italian industrial group in the steel processing sector has a yearly output of 5.6 million tons (2016), and 39 manufacturing plants covering six million square metres. Through the adoption of a unified network for company and plants, capable of enabling the re-engineering of processes in a perspective of ‘Internet of Things’, Marcegaglia, supported by Cisco, is on the way to smart factories, along a totally digitalised supply chain. In the plants for the processing of flat products (Marcegaglia Ravenna) and welded steel tubes (Marcegaglia Casalmaggiore), important technological investments were brought forward, on the path of connected factories, in the creation of a fully interconnected and automated production system, improving the controlled supply chain that reduces the human error in certification and safety. Marcegaglia Ravenna is the company’s largest steel metallurgy plant, specialising in the treatment and finishing of coils, plates and pre- painted steel, as well being the centre

Marcegaglia’s Ravenna plant uses automated guided vehicles to transport materials

welded pipes with diameters up to 406.4mm. With dedicated production for the automotive sector, Marcegaglia has developed an intelligent and automated crane system that handles storage of the collected bundles of tubes, directly from the production plants, moving them to the area for loading onto transport vehicles.

for integrated logistics to supply each production and distribution facility of the group. Technological innovation has led to the creation of a fleet of automated guided vehicles for the transport of materials between the processing plant and the points for final shipment. Marcegaglia is also a supplier for carmakers and OEM manufacturers of structural parts, components and interior details and, in the plant of Casalmaggiore, specialises in machining

Marcegaglia – Italy Email: info@marcegaglia.com Website: www.marcegaglia.com

Integrated stacking/packaging system REDUCING workplace injuries and increasing productivity are common goals for manufacturers. Haven Manufacturing is helping a Midwest USA tube producer achieve those goals by developing a four-axis robotic packaging system and integrating it with a cut-to- length and brush de-burring line. begins with a Soco model SA-115NC- CL2 sawing machine with automatic bundle loading and servo length control. Cut tubes are deposited onto a Haven- built conveyor, which transfers and diverts the tube into a Haven model #970 wire brush de-burring machine. As the tubes exit the brush machine they are deposited onto a preparation table that orientates them for pick-up by the packaging robot.

handler to forklift out the full container and replace it with an empty container. The container orientation is guided by a two-sided fixed locator with electronic position verification. The process cycle allows enough time to exchange containers without delaying production. Haven also has the option of adding an automatic container egress and ingress conveyance system. Haven is a full service turnkey equipment supplier for a wide variety of tubular applications for cut-to-length, finishing and material handling.

The customer produces a wide range of conduit diameters from 1" to 4.5" and wall thickness from 0.049" to 0.237". What once required three or four people to operate a line, including manually packaging product, now takes one operator and one part-time material handler. The equipment had to be flexible, reliable and user-friendly. The process

The pickup head design is electro- magnetic, with head motion of X, Y, Z and 90° rotation. Several packaging patterns are pre-programmed to allow for quick and easy changeover for diameter, length and container size. This particular application requires a material

Haven Manufacturing – USA Email: sales@havencut.com Website: www.havencut.com

99

www.read-tpt.com

MARCH 2018