TPT March 2021

KASTO Maschinenbau GmbH & Co KG, located in Achern in Baden, Germany, specialises in sawing and storage technology. The company works in the area of metal sawing machines, semi-automatic and automatic storage systems for metal bar stock and sheet metal, automated handling equipment for metal bars, sheets, and cut-pieces including the necessary software. In 2019, KASTO celebrated its 175 th anniversary, making it one of the oldest family-owned businesses in Europe. It owns 170 patents and has been responsible for more than 140,000 sawing machines sold across the globe and over 2,200 installed automated storage systems. As well as the subsidiary plant in Schalkau located in Thüringia, Kasot it also operates subsidiaries in the UK, France, Singapore, China, Switzerland and the US.

With the sawing technology, steel distributors rely on versatile, high-performance machines and robot connectivity

or the circular saw KASTOvariospeed. With their output and the corresponding periphery, both machines achieve high-performance without human intervention and ensure efficient production operations. Designed specifically for the machining of tubular material, KASTOwin tube offers a special solution. Straight and mitre cuts on steel carriers can be made easily with the KASTOmiwin series. The steel dealers have evolved more and more into complete service providers that must offer a continually expanding range of materials and serve increasingly large delivery areas. “50 years ago, the steel industry supplied approximately 2,200 locations with nearly the same volume as today – however, only 600 of those locations are left today”, outlined the BDS chairman, Mr Ellermann. “For a long time, large steel distributors tried to set up fewer, albeit larger, warehouses to cover several steps simultaneously, thus becoming more efficient. “This concentration and consolidation only work when the remaining companies become more flexible and efficient.” A key to this is automation and digitalisation of processes. Me Ellermann added: “Whether in sales, the supply chain or organisation – the potential for meaningful technical progress is enormous.” “We need new ideas – also because due to demographic changes, we have fewer and fewer skilled professionals at our disposal.” KASTO recognised this development early on, and for quite some time, it utilises digital and automated solutions. These include, for example, its own warehouse management system, KASTOlogic, which independently controls and manages all of the processes related to storage and sawing.

Large steel distributors try to cover multiple steps simultaneously with fewer but larger warehouses to become more efficient

The software can also be connected seamlessly via its own established interfaces to the ERP systems from various providers. The mobile solution, KASTOlogic mobile, enables flexible management of the entire warehouse through a smartphone or tablet – even for inventories outside of an automatic warehouse. To clearly display status data and error messages of connected machines on mobile devices, Kasto developed the KASTOapp. Additional examples are the intelligent tour distribution system KASTOrail that efficiently and ergonomically provides the picking bundle for shipment, the integration of industrial robots for downstream handling and processing steps, or the interactive remote maintenance using apps and smart glasses. “The important thing is that the increasing degree of automation and networking remains manageable for the employees,” Mr Ellermann explains. “This applies especially to small and mid-sized companies that operate regionally and handle small needs locally. Because the centralisation and specialisation are not yet apparent here as is the case with the large corporations.” For this reason, Kasto has numerous future innovative solutions in the pipeline to make the daily work in the steel industry more flexible and efficient but easier as well.

Oliver Ellermann, chairman of the Federal Association of the German Steel Industry

Kasto Maschinenbau GmbH www.kasto.com

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TUBE PRODUCTS INTERNATIONAL March 2021

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