Project 11

New cycle for switch cabinets

Delivery period: January 2017

The client: Siemens Sanayi ve Ticaret A.Ş.
The company Siemens Sanayi ve Ticaret A.Ş., based in Gebze, Turkey, is an internationally active manufacturer of switchgear cabinets for industry and the energy sector as well as the health care sector. The state-of-the-art plant in Gebze is the first company in Turkey to be certified with LEED Gold (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design). This certification is awarded to companies that make efficient use of natural energy resources, demonstrably save energy costs and create an ergonomic working environment for their employees.

The challenge
Until commissioning, the 600 x 1400 x 2300 mm (L x W x H) large and several hundred kilograms heavy empty switch cabinets had to be transported manually on rollers for individual loading from work station to work station. This method of working was both very strenuous and unergonomic: The switch cabinets are extremely unwieldy due to their angular design and volume and can weigh up to 1,900 kg when fully loaded. In addition, it was suggested that the work processes should be optimised in terms of transparency, reproducibility and production time.

The solution – the conveying process
The model for the solution was a conveyor system which ALFOTEC had developed and installed for a branch of Siemens Deutschland GmbH. The plant in Turkey consists of a 24 meter long assembly line, where a stable substructure, a chain conveyor as well as MDF-wood panels were installed to form a unit. At the beginning and end of the conveyor line there is one lifting table each.

Clients

Features

Conveying Elements: Strand conveyor
Lift table
Convey Goods: Switch cabinets with max. 1
900 kg
Industry: Plant construction

The conveying sequence or production process works as follows:

The empty control cabinet is moved on rollers over the lifting table, which is positioned at the beginning of the conveyor line. Afterwards the lift table lifts the switch cabinet vertically so that the employees can remove the rollers manually.

Then the lift table moves down again and transfers the control cabinet to the chain conveyor. This moves it onto the accessible assembly conveyor, which is equipped with a constant feed rate of 0.1 – 0.2 metres per minute. This results in a total assembly time of 2 – 4 hours per switch cabinet.

conveyor system with assembly line for control cabinets

While the control cabinet is being transported on the assembly conveyor line, its walk-in environment provides direct access for employees to equip it with the required components and groups.

conveyor system for control cabinet construction

At the end of the assembly line, the lift table lifts the completely filled switch cabinet and the employees reattach the transport rollers.

The lifting table lowers the switch cabinet together with the rollers back down to the floor. From there, employees transport it to the desired storage location.

The customer benefits:

The conveyor system enables the setup and control of cycle times and work processes.
The overall productivity of the production becomes measurable.
The manufacturing costs of the individual cabinets become standardized and more transparent, which allows a more precise price calculation from a commercial point of view.

The transport routes between the individual work stations are eliminated.
The physical strain on the employees is considerably reduced.
The system can be easily extended.
ALFOTEC organised the complete project logistics including transport, customs clearance, certification and additionally supervised the installation and commissioning on site.

New cycle for switch cabinets

Delivery period: January 2017

Clients

Features

The conveying sequence or production process works as follows:

The customer benefits:

ALFOTEC GmbH

Locations

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