Schroff, a leading developer and manufacturer of electronics packaging systems, has invested 2.3 million euros in the automation of the cabinet manufacturing line at its facility in Betschdorf, Alsace, France. The result is increased production flexibility and product quality. Customers also benefit from the automated production with reduced delivery times.

The new, 35 m long production line for the cabinet cladding parts (e.g. doors, side and top covers, etc) of all Schroff's cabinet ranges begins with two high storage towers, each with nine bin locations for standard plate formats (steel and aluminium, maximum dimensions 3000 mm x 1500 mm) in various thicknesses (1, 1.5 and 2 mm). Next follows the centrepiece of the line, a state-of-the-art, fully automated punching machine capable of deploying 60 different punching tools without tool change, for punching the plate sections. The system manufactures parts to order; no off-the-shelf stock parts are manufactured here. To ensure optimal use of the standard plate format, each day's production is composed by the system computer into jobs with parts nested within one another. The result is minimal waste.

In this method of production, punched parts of varying shape leave the machine one after another and are transported to the next station, an automated bending machine. This machine processes the parts, arriving in unsorted order, according to the job specifications given. Between the punching and the bending machine, parts can be automatically transferred in or out. The new production line is supplemented by two existing units - a stud welding and a spot welding machine. These welding machines are also integrated into the automated control system of the plant, which functions without printed information. All processing steps, together with the drawings of the individual parts, can be accessed via displays on the individual machines. The parts emerging at the end of the production line are 80 to 90 % finished.

This investment in modern production systems, which will be followed by further similar developments, enables Schroff to satisfy its customers' demands for greater flexibility while maintaining the same high product quality. Manufacturing time per component is also reduced, thus allowing reduced delivery times.