Mechanical Engineering Company Increases Occupational Safety
With the RUD Tecdos TM Tool Mover

Domenica Kolb-Hertog, marketing manager,
RUD Ketten Rieger & Dietz GmbH u. Co. KG
Special Collaboration

 


More occupational safety and greater efficiency when handling tools weighing several tons – this is now the current situation at Arburg GmbH + Co KG, a German machine manufacturing company, which is using the RUD Tecdos TM Tool Mover to move tools safely and efficiently. The RUD Tool Mover turns and rotates tools in seconds at the touch of a button. The Tool Mover has the Arburg employees ecstatic because it optimises work safety and ergonomics on the floor.

Arburg offers trials and tool tests together for its customers in its 2,100 m2 customer center at its head office. It has more than 30 Allrounder injection moulding machines, 3D printers for additive manufacturing and laboratories for special processes. This facility allows customers to test tools and machines and optimize processes in a practical and professional environment.

Rotating Tools 90° In Under a Minute
“When tools arrive at our premises, they are usually ‘inverted’ so that they must be turned 90° for testing. This is now done by the RUD Tecdos TM Tool Mover,” explained Roland Gruber, group manager Application Programming & Commissioning in the Automation & Turnkey department at Arburg.

The injection moulding machine manufacturer also uses the tool mover during the commissioning of turnkey projects, i.e., when a customer uses a machine and mould before delivery. Arburg uses the RUD Tecdos TM 13/13-10, which rotates moulds safely and efficiently. Tools up to 1.20 m in size and weighing between 200 kg and 10 t arrive in Lossburg. In the past, the company used a crane for the 90° turning of the tools.

“With the crane, the entire rotating process could take 30 to 45 minutes; now we have a net turning time of around 45 seconds,” emphasized Mr. Gruber.

Work Safety and Flexibility
However, saving time was not the main factor in Arburg’s decision to opt for the RUD Tecdos TM. “Our focus was clearly on increasing work safety and ergonomics for our team,” said Roland Gruber, who sees the time savings as a nice side effect. “The tool mover enables BGV-compliance and safe working without the risk of injury, for example from diagonal movements.”

For the teams in the customer centre and in commissioning, the handling process has changed fundamentally. Previously, employees used to drive the tool to the crane and to the attachment points. Now the employees can bring the Tool Mover to the tool. The RUD Tecdos TM can be moved with a forklift or pallet truck, and can be transported easily between the various halls at Arburg to the desired location.

Ergonomics for Employees
In addition to increased work safety, the RUD Tecdos TM also ensures ergonomics for the team. The customer tools that arrive at Arburg are lifted onto the tool turner by crane and then rotated by the employees at the touch of a button while standing. For the RUD Tecdos TM, which Arburg also uses in its customer centre, the engineers at RUD have come up with a special system: they have lowered the work surface to a height of 595 mm. Thanks to the low working height, it is possible to work directly on the tool if required.

Gentle on the Tool
The RUD Tecdos TM not only makes work safe for people, but also for the tools. The tool turner is designed for axial rotational movements of tools and machine components up to 64 t (in the largest version). The load is turned at the centre of gravity smoothly. The RUD Tecdos TM ensures particularly smooth starting and stopping and is equipped with a high-end drive system from the Tecdos range.

Individual Adaptations
Depending on requirements and customer wishes, RUD equips its tool mover with different table supports made of polyethylene; anti-slip polyurethane supports, and custom supports are optional. Optional add-on parts such as safety bars or guard rails as well as light curtains or safety barriers ensure higher safety. The RUD Tecdos TM for Arburg is equipped with polyethylene table supports – for increased protection for the customer’s tools. Another special feature: RUD has branded the tool mover in the Arburg colour (dark grey). Arburg has also made a special adaptation for the pallet truck on the tool mover.

“This adaptation was made in consultation with us, and we calculated everything necessary, for example the load capacity. Although we manufacture our mould handling products in a standard version, we are open to customisations as required,” said Tobias Rathgeb, Area sales manager for Mould Handling at RUD.

Based in Lossburg, in Baden-Württemberg, makes electric, hybrid and hydraulic plastic injection moulding machines, turnkey systems and its industrial additive manufacturing system. Founded in 1923, the family-owned company is among the industry leaders in the sector, with approximately 2,500 employees in Germany and a further 500 worldwide. The ARBURG family also includes AMKmotion and ARBURGadditive including innovatiQ.

The portfolio includes injection moulding machines, 3D printers for industrial additive manufacturing, robotic systems and customer- and industry-specific turnkey solutions. It also includes digital products and services. In the plastics industry, ARBURG is a pioneer in the areas of energy and production efficiency, digitalization and sustainability. ARBURG machines are used to manufacture plastic products for the mobility, packaging, electronics, medical, construction and apparatus engineering and leisure sectors.

ARBURG is certified to ISO 9001 (quality), ISO 14001 (environment), ISO 27001 (information security), ISO 29993 (training) and ISO 50001 (energy).

RUD Ketten Rieger & Dietz GmbH u. Co. KG, founded in 1875 by Carl Rieger and Friedrich Dietz in Aalen, Germany, generates an annual turnover of €200 million ($293 million) with over 1700 employees in more than 120 countries. RUD offices are located around the world in Australia, Brazil, China, India, Romania and the U.S. The family-owned company produces sling and lashing technology, anti-skid chains, hoist chains, conveyor and drive technology as well as equipment for tool handling. Under the Erlau brand, the long-established German company also manufactures tyre protection chains and equipment for indoor and outdoor use.

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