TPT September 2018

AR T I C L E

Kasto Maschinenbau GmbH & Co KG

Integration of tube and sheet laser metal working and storage systems By Kasto Maschinenbau GmbH & Co KG

“Snel metaal op maat” (Metal – made to measure, fast) is the motto of this company with headquarters in the town of Oisterwijk, near Tilburg. Founded in 1982, it specialises in partially finished goods, which it produces in small batches. De Cromvoirtse has operated an online portal since 2008. Today it gets about 70 per cent of its orders through this channel. Customers can use it to upload drawings and various specifications, and within two minutes they receive an automatically calculated quotation for production of the component in question. Small batch sizes and shor t delivery times De Cromvoirtse’s manufacturing capacity includes a number of laser cutting machines and folding presses. About 90 per cent of its products are steel, inox or aluminium sheet metal parts; the remainder are pipes and sections. “Most of our roughly 1,200 customers are small and medium- sized companies, like agricultural machine manufacturers, car body makers and machine builders,” said Janwillem Verschuuren, one of the two managing directors. “For them it often doesn’t pay to buy machines of their own and hire expert personnel, because they only have small production runs.” De Cromvoirtse holds a strong position on the Dutch market as a manufacturer of custom-made parts in small quantities. It also enjoys a unique reputation for fast deliveries: “As a rule, we can deliver laser-cut parts in 24 to 48 hours; folded sheet metal parts can be supplied within a week,” said Mr Verschuuren. To serve the needs of its growing customer base reliably and quickly, De Cromvoirtse has not only automated its ordering process, it has also automated most of its production. Its metalworking machines operate around the clock, seven days a week – and on 1.5 days fully unattended. Large stocks are another big success factor. On average, 400 to 500 tonnes of material are kept in supply. The storage equipment is also state-of-the-art. A double-sided Kasto Uniline in-line storage system with almost 1,000 storage locations has been in place since 2011, efficiently supplying sheet metal. It has special pallets for different materials and sizes, as well as for remnants. A stacker crane travels between the two rows of the facility, storing and retrieving items fully automatically as needed.

Online shopping is on the rise – not only for clothing, books and electronic goods, but also in businesses like the steel trade. Manufacturers are increasingly ordering materials with a simple mouse click. This saves time and cuts costs, because it makes comparison of different offers very easy. But the increased competition poses a challenge to vendors. To be successful, they must not only have a broad range of products and attractive prices, they must also be able to make fast deliveries and provide a comprehensive array of services. The Dutch steel wholesaler and contract manufacturer of sheet metal products De Cromvoirtse spotted this trend very early and took appropriate steps. With its online shop, wide range of production equipment and highly efficient material flow, De Cromvoirtse, a Netherlands-based steel wholesaler and contract manufacturer of tube and sheet metal products, is well equipped to deal with the increasingly intense competition in its sector. In order to ensure fast deliveries to its customers, the manufacturer of semi-finished metal products relies on automated storage equipment from Kasto. The Uniline in-line storage system and Unitower B tower storage system ensure fast, damage-free and error- free material handling. These systems are automatically connected with three laser metalworking machines. A uniform KASTOlogic warehouse management system keeps perfect track of stocks and ensures smooth order processing.

De Cromvoirtse, a Dutch steel wholesaler and contract manufacturer of sheet metal products, has successfully used automated storage equipment from Kasto for many years

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SEPTEMBER 2018