One solution for many applications

Anyone who wants to move aluminum, light metal or plastic profiles with different cross-sections and surfaces with one and the same vacuum application quickly reaches its limits with standard devices. All the more so if the semi-finished products are also delivered in different positions. Based on the vacuum lifting device from the eT-Hover series, euroTECH has developed an integrated overall solution for TSE Trailer System Engineering that can cope with all the specified variants. The manufacturer of truck bodies has thus made its operating processes safer and more health-friendly. Since then, the number of employees reporting sick has fallen. 

After the eT-Hover vacuum lifting device has been precisely positioned on the narrow aluminium profile, which is up to 10 meters long, the light metal is sucked in and transported to the pick-up position of the long goods processing center by means of a motor-driven smooth-running overhead crane including chain hoist. In several steps, the semi-finished product is turned into a system component that will later become a load-bearing part of a truck tarpaulin roof. Until recently, inserting the aluminum profiles was a job for two employees.

"With a length of 6, sometimes almost 10 meters, the beams weigh up to 60 kilograms. The number of employees who complained of back problems and were therefore absent for several days was steadily increasing.",

says Torsten Ledabil, Project Manager at TSE Trailer System Engineering GmbH [&] Co KG. In addition, a second employee always had to be kept on hand to install and remove the beams. For this reason alone, TSE saw an urgent need for action.

TSE is a subsidiary of Schmitz Cargobull AG, one of the leading manufacturers of truck bodies in Europe. With around 60 employees at its sites in Ratshausen and Dotternhausen near Balingen, the company develops and manufactures the basic and diverse frame structures for truck bodies that are required in today's transport and logistics industry. The required raw material is extruded aluminum profiles. Depending on the function and intended use, these are profiles with very different cross-sections, surfaces and lengths. For space and cost reasons, the semi-finished products are delivered in different positions. This places particularly high demands on powerful and efficient handling technology. 

TSE therefore wanted an application for all specified profile types and positions, without time-consuming conversions or extensions. Due to the geometry of the parts and the limited space around the machining center, other handling solutions were ruled out. As euroTECH was already well known at TSE as a provider of sophisticated complete vacuum solutions, the company from Rosenfeld in the Zollern-Alb district was consulted. With a comprehensive range of vacuum systems, components and the flexible modular system typical of euroTECH, the company manufactures efficient customer and process-specific handling solutions for the metal, glass, wood and plastics industries.

"We first thoroughly analyzed the situation and framework conditions on site, specified the task, drew up a specification sheet together with TSE and presented an expandable solution approach as a first step,"says Danny Locher, design engineer and project manager at euroTECH. "The aim was to optimally integrate the desired application into the existing process flow."

The complete solution implemented includes planning, design, the load-bearing steel structure with smooth-running overhead crane, chain hoist and control system. The core of the comprehensive overall handling solution from euroTECH is the vacuum handling device from the eT-Hover series. This device allows the profiles to be lifted horizontally and swiveled through 180°. All movements can be controlled precisely and intuitively using the ergonomically designed radio remote control. The handling device has 5 suction plates. Each is equipped with 6 oval flat suction cups in three parallel groups. These are divided into three vacuum circuits. The suction cup arrangement is designed so that the suction plates can be used for every type of profile and layer. These suction plates, which are part of euroTECH's extensive modular system, have been modified to suit the specific task at hand and, with their internal suction channels, eliminate the need for external tubing. 

How the complex task was solved by euroTECH is illustrated by the example of the so-called megaholm profile: This L-shaped semi-finished product with dimensions of 173 x 97 millimetres and a length of up to 10 meters is rotated by 180 degrees to the required processing position. The operator has to suck in the beam, swivel it, set it down in an intermediate position, suck it in again and then position it in the machining center's pick-up device. Because a U-shaped groove runs along the entire length of one side of the megaholm profile, the operator uses a valve to shut off the middle suction cup line, which remains contactless here. The remaining two suction cup circuits build up the vacuum. With the support of the crane, the eT-Hover lifts the aluminum profile. A motorized drive now swivels the longitudinal beam, on which the five suction plates are mounted, together with the workpiece along the horizontal axis by 180 degrees. When the former top side is facing downwards, the handling device places the profile on the turning device and lifts the vacuum. The axis swivels back to its starting position. Now the eT-Hover can suck in the side to be machined: The crane moves the semi-finished product to the height of the clamping position, the lifting system and lifting device place the profile in the clamping device of the machining center. The multi-stage machining process of sawing, milling and drilling can begin.

The handling solution implemented by TSE can handle loads of up to 60 kilograms. In addition to the controls for the vacuum, the electronic chain hoist and crane drive, the control cabinet also houses two batteries for emergency power operation.

"The decisive factor for us was that with the eT-Hover, which is tailored to our needs, we can handle all specified profiles with one application without having to make time-consuming conversions. It was also an advantage for us to receive all services from euroTECH, including expert advice, from a single source.",

says Torsten Ledabil. Certainly a solid basis for continuing the cooperation in the coming years.

Characters incl. spaces:euroTECH realizes flexible vacuum handling device for extruded profiles - including steel construction, overcrane and control

Anyone who wants to move aluminum, light metal or plastic profiles with different cross-sections and surfaces with one and the same vacuum application quickly reaches its limits with standard devices. All the more so if the semi-finished products are also delivered in different positions. Based on the vacuum lifting device from the eT-Hover series, euroTECH has developed an integrated overall solution for TSE Trailer System Engineering that can cope with all the specified variants. The manufacturer of truck bodies has thus made its operating processes safer and more health-friendly. Since then, the number of employees reporting sick has fallen. 

After the eT-Hover vacuum lifting device has been precisely positioned on the narrow aluminium profile, which is up to 10 meters long, the light metal is sucked in and transported to the pick-up position of the long goods processing center by means of a motor-driven smooth-running overhead crane including chain hoist. In several steps, the semi-finished product is turned into a system component that will later become a load-bearing part of a truck tarpaulin roof. Until recently, inserting the aluminum profiles was a job for two employees.

"With a length of 6, sometimes almost 10 meters, the beams weigh up to 60 kilograms. The number of employees who complained of back problems and were therefore absent for several days was steadily increasing.",

says Torsten Ledabil, Project Manager at TSE Trailer System Engineering GmbH [&] Co KG. In addition, a second employee always had to be kept on hand to install and remove the beams. For this reason alone, TSE saw an urgent need for action.

TSE is a subsidiary of Schmitz Cargobull AG, one of the leading manufacturers of truck bodies in Europe. With around 60 employees at its sites in Ratshausen and Dotternhausen near Balingen, the company develops and manufactures the basic and diverse frame structures for truck bodies that are required in today's transport and logistics industry. The required raw material is extruded aluminum profiles. Depending on the function and intended use, these are profiles with very different cross-sections, surfaces and lengths. For space and cost reasons, the semi-finished products are delivered in different positions. This places particularly high demands on powerful and efficient handling technology. 

TSE therefore wanted an application for all specified profile types and positions, without time-consuming conversions or extensions. Due to the geometry of the parts and the limited space around the machining center, other handling solutions were ruled out. As euroTECH was already well known at TSE as a provider of sophisticated complete vacuum solutions, the company from Rosenfeld in the Zollern-Alb district was consulted. With a comprehensive range of vacuum systems, components and the flexible modular system typical of euroTECH, the company manufactures efficient customer and process-specific handling solutions for the metal, glass, wood and plastics industries.

"We first thoroughly analyzed the situation and framework conditions on site, specified the task, drew up a specification sheet together with TSE and presented an expandable solution approach as a first step,"says Danny Locher, design engineer and project manager at euroTECH. "The aim was to optimally integrate the desired application into the existing process flow."

The complete solution implemented includes planning, design, the load-bearing steel structure with smooth-running overhead crane, chain hoist and control system. The core of the comprehensive overall handling solution from euroTECH is the vacuum handling device from the eT-Hover series. This device allows the profiles to be lifted horizontally and swiveled through 180°. All movements can be controlled precisely and intuitively using the ergonomically designed radio remote control. The handling device has 5 suction plates. Each is equipped with 6 oval flat suction cups in three parallel groups. These are divided into three vacuum circuits. The suction cup arrangement is designed so that the suction plates can be used for every type of profile and layer. These suction plates, which are part of euroTECH's extensive modular system, have been modified to suit the specific task at hand and, with their internal suction channels, eliminate the need for external tubing. 

How the complex task was solved by euroTECH is illustrated by the example of the so-called megaholm profile: This L-shaped semi-finished product with dimensions of 173 x 97 millimetres and a length of up to 10 meters is rotated by 180 degrees to the required processing position. The operator has to suck in the beam, swivel it, set it down in an intermediate position, suck it in again and then position it in the machining center's pick-up device. Because a U-shaped groove runs along the entire length of one side of the megaholm profile, the operator uses a valve to shut off the middle suction cup line, which remains contactless here. The remaining two suction cup circuits build up the vacuum. With the support of the crane, the eT-Hover lifts the aluminum profile. A motorized drive now swivels the longitudinal beam, on which the five suction plates are mounted, together with the workpiece along the horizontal axis by 180 degrees. When the former top side is facing downwards, the handling device places the profile on the turning device and lifts the vacuum. The axis swivels back to its starting position. Now the eT-Hover can suck in the side to be machined: The crane moves the semi-finished product to the height of the clamping position, the lifting system and lifting device place the profile in the clamping device of the machining center. The multi-stage machining process of sawing, milling and drilling can begin.

The handling solution implemented by TSE can handle loads of up to 60 kilograms. In addition to the controls for the vacuum, the electronic chain hoist and crane drive, the control cabinet also houses two batteries for emergency power operation.

"The decisive factor for us was that with the eT-Hover, which is tailored to our needs, we can handle all specified profiles with one application without having to make time-consuming conversions. It was also an advantage for us to receive all services from euroTECH, including expert advice, from a single source.",

says Torsten Ledabil. Certainly a solid basis for continuing the cooperation in the coming years.

Characters incl. spaces:euroTECH realizes flexible vacuum handling device for extruded profiles - including steel construction, overcrane and control

Anyone who wants to move aluminum, light metal or plastic profiles with different cross-sections and surfaces with one and the same vacuum application quickly reaches its limits with standard devices. All the more so if the semi-finished products are also delivered in different positions. Based on the vacuum lifting device from the eT-Hover series, euroTECH has developed an integrated overall solution for TSE Trailer System Engineering that can cope with all the specified variants. The manufacturer of truck bodies has thus made its operating processes safer and more health-friendly. Since then, the number of employees reporting sick has fallen. 

After the eT-Hover vacuum lifting device has been precisely positioned on the narrow aluminium profile, which is up to 10 meters long, the light metal is sucked in and transported to the pick-up position of the long goods processing center by means of a motor-driven smooth-running overhead crane including chain hoist. In several steps, the semi-finished product is turned into a system component that will later become a load-bearing part of a truck tarpaulin roof. Until recently, inserting the aluminum profiles was a job for two employees.

"With a length of 6, sometimes almost 10 meters, the beams weigh up to 60 kilograms. The number of employees who complained of back problems and were therefore absent for several days was steadily increasing.",

says Torsten Ledabil, Project Manager at TSE Trailer System Engineering GmbH [&] Co KG. In addition, a second employee always had to be kept on hand to install and remove the beams. For this reason alone, TSE saw an urgent need for action.

TSE is a subsidiary of Schmitz Cargobull AG, one of the leading manufacturers of truck bodies in Europe. With around 60 employees at its sites in Ratshausen and Dotternhausen near Balingen, the company develops and manufactures the basic and diverse frame structures for truck bodies that are required in today's transport and logistics industry. The required raw material is extruded aluminum profiles. Depending on the function and intended use, these are profiles with very different cross-sections, surfaces and lengths. For space and cost reasons, the semi-finished products are delivered in different positions. This places particularly high demands on powerful and efficient handling technology. 

TSE therefore wanted an application for all specified profile types and positions, without time-consuming conversions or extensions. Due to the geometry of the parts and the limited space around the machining center, other handling solutions were ruled out. As euroTECH was already well known at TSE as a provider of sophisticated complete vacuum solutions, the company from Rosenfeld in the Zollern-Alb district was consulted. With a comprehensive range of vacuum systems, components and the flexible modular system typical of euroTECH, the company manufactures efficient customer and process-specific handling solutions for the metal, glass, wood and plastics industries.

"We first thoroughly analyzed the situation and framework conditions on site, specified the task, drew up a specification sheet together with TSE and presented an expandable solution approach as a first step,"says Danny Locher, design engineer and project manager at euroTECH. "The aim was to optimally integrate the desired application into the existing process flow."

The complete solution implemented includes planning, design, the load-bearing steel structure with smooth-running overhead crane, chain hoist and control system. The core of the comprehensive overall handling solution from euroTECH is the vacuum handling device from the eT-Hover series. This device allows the profiles to be lifted horizontally and swiveled through 180°. All movements can be controlled precisely and intuitively using the ergonomically designed radio remote control. The handling device has 5 suction plates. Each is equipped with 6 oval flat suction cups in three parallel groups. These are divided into three vacuum circuits. The suction cup arrangement is designed so that the suction plates can be used for every type of profile and layer. These suction plates, which are part of euroTECH's extensive modular system, have been modified to suit the specific task at hand and, with their internal suction channels, eliminate the need for external tubing. 

How the complex task was solved by euroTECH is illustrated by the example of the so-called megaholm profile: This L-shaped semi-finished product with dimensions of 173 x 97 millimetres and a length of up to 10 meters is rotated by 180 degrees to the required processing position. The operator has to suck in the beam, swivel it, set it down in an intermediate position, suck it in again and then position it in the machining center's pick-up device. Because a U-shaped groove runs along the entire length of one side of the megaholm profile, the operator uses a valve to shut off the middle suction cup line, which remains contactless here. The remaining two suction cup circuits build up the vacuum. With the support of the crane, the eT-Hover lifts the aluminum profile. A motorized drive now swivels the longitudinal beam, on which the five suction plates are mounted, together with the workpiece along the horizontal axis by 180 degrees. When the former top side is facing downwards, the handling device places the profile on the turning device and lifts the vacuum. The axis swivels back to its starting position. Now the eT-Hover can suck in the side to be machined: The crane moves the semi-finished product to the height of the clamping position, the lifting system and lifting device place the profile in the clamping device of the machining center. The multi-stage machining process of sawing, milling and drilling can begin.

The handling solution implemented by TSE can handle loads of up to 60 kilograms. In addition to the controls for the vacuum, the electronic chain hoist and crane drive, the control cabinet also houses two batteries for emergency power operation.

"The decisive factor for us was that with the eT-Hover, which is tailored to our needs, we can handle all specified profiles with one application without having to make time-consuming conversions. It was also an advantage for us to receive all services from euroTECH, including expert advice, from a single source.",

says Torsten Ledabil. Certainly a solid basis for continuing the cooperation in the coming years.

Characters incl. spaces:euroTECH realizes flexible vacuum handling device for extruded profiles - including steel construction, overcrane and control

Anyone who wants to move aluminum, light metal or plastic profiles with different cross-sections and surfaces with one and the same vacuum application quickly reaches its limits with standard devices. All the more so if the semi-finished products are also delivered in different positions. Based on the vacuum lifting device from the eT-Hover series, euroTECH has developed an integrated overall solution for TSE Trailer System Engineering that can cope with all the specified variants. The manufacturer of truck bodies has thus made its operating processes safer and more health-friendly. Since then, the number of employees reporting sick has fallen. 

After the eT-Hover vacuum lifting device has been precisely positioned on the narrow aluminium profile, which is up to 10 meters long, the light metal is sucked in and transported to the pick-up position of the long goods processing center by means of a motor-driven smooth-running overhead crane including chain hoist. In several steps, the semi-finished product is turned into a system component that will later become a load-bearing part of a truck tarpaulin roof. Until recently, inserting the aluminum profiles was a job for two employees.

"With a length of 6, sometimes almost 10 meters, the beams weigh up to 60 kilograms. The number of employees who complained of back problems and were therefore absent for several days was steadily increasing.",

says Torsten Ledabil, Project Manager at TSE Trailer System Engineering GmbH [&] Co KG. In addition, a second employee always had to be kept on hand to install and remove the beams. For this reason alone, TSE saw an urgent need for action.

TSE is a subsidiary of Schmitz Cargobull AG, one of the leading manufacturers of truck bodies in Europe. With around 60 employees at its sites in Ratshausen and Dotternhausen near Balingen, the company develops and manufactures the basic and diverse frame structures for truck bodies that are required in today's transport and logistics industry. The required raw material is extruded aluminum profiles. Depending on the function and intended use, these are profiles with very different cross-sections, surfaces and lengths. For space and cost reasons, the semi-finished products are delivered in different positions. This places particularly high demands on powerful and efficient handling technology. 

TSE therefore wanted an application for all specified profile types and positions, without time-consuming conversions or extensions. Due to the geometry of the parts and the limited space around the machining center, other handling solutions were ruled out. As euroTECH was already well known at TSE as a provider of sophisticated complete vacuum solutions, the company from Rosenfeld in the Zollern-Alb district was consulted. With a comprehensive range of vacuum systems, components and the flexible modular system typical of euroTECH, the company manufactures efficient customer and process-specific handling solutions for the metal, glass, wood and plastics industries.

"We first thoroughly analyzed the situation and framework conditions on site, specified the task, drew up a specification sheet together with TSE and presented an expandable solution approach as a first step,"says Danny Locher, design engineer and project manager at euroTECH. "The aim was to optimally integrate the desired application into the existing process flow."

The complete solution implemented includes planning, design, the load-bearing steel structure with smooth-running overhead crane, chain hoist and control system. The core of the comprehensive overall handling solution from euroTECH is the vacuum handling device from the eT-Hover series. This device allows the profiles to be lifted horizontally and swiveled through 180°. All movements can be controlled precisely and intuitively using the ergonomically designed radio remote control. The handling device has 5 suction plates. Each is equipped with 6 oval flat suction cups in three parallel groups. These are divided into three vacuum circuits. The suction cup arrangement is designed so that the suction plates can be used for every type of profile and layer. These suction plates, which are part of euroTECH's extensive modular system, have been modified to suit the specific task at hand and, with their internal suction channels, eliminate the need for external tubing. 

How the complex task was solved by euroTECH is illustrated by the example of the so-called megaholm profile: This L-shaped semi-finished product with dimensions of 173 x 97 millimetres and a length of up to 10 meters is rotated by 180 degrees to the required processing position. The operator has to suck in the beam, swivel it, set it down in an intermediate position, suck it in again and then position it in the machining center's pick-up device. Because a U-shaped groove runs along the entire length of one side of the megaholm profile, the operator uses a valve to shut off the middle suction cup line, which remains contactless here. The remaining two suction cup circuits build up the vacuum. With the support of the crane, the eT-Hover lifts the aluminum profile. A motorized drive now swivels the longitudinal beam, on which the five suction plates are mounted, together with the workpiece along the horizontal axis by 180 degrees. When the former top side is facing downwards, the handling device places the profile on the turning device and lifts the vacuum. The axis swivels back to its starting position. Now the eT-Hover can suck in the side to be machined: The crane moves the semi-finished product to the height of the clamping position, the lifting system and lifting device place the profile in the clamping device of the machining center. The multi-stage machining process of sawing, milling and drilling can begin.

The handling solution implemented by TSE can handle loads of up to 60 kilograms. In addition to the controls for the vacuum, the electronic chain hoist and crane drive, the control cabinet also houses two batteries for emergency power operation.

"The decisive factor for us was that with the eT-Hover, which is tailored to our needs, we can handle all specified profiles with one application without having to make time-consuming conversions. It was also an advantage for us to receive all services from euroTECH, including expert advice, from a single source.",

says Torsten Ledabil. Certainly a solid basis for continuing the cooperation in the coming years.

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