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Greater occupational safety and efficiency when handling tools weighing several tonnes: this is now the case at Arburg. The leading machine manufacturer for plastics processing uses the RUD Tecdos TM turntable at its headquarters in Lossburg (Baden-Württemberg), enabling it to move tools more safely and efficiently than before. The rotary table turns and rotates tools in a matter of seconds at the touch of a button. This is not only cool for the tool, but also for Arburg's employees: the RUD Tecdos TM ensures optimised occupational safety and ergonomics.
Arburg conducts trials and tool tests together with its customers in the 2,100 m2 customer centre at its headquarters in Lossburg. More than 30 Allrounder injection moulding machines, 3D printers for additive manufacturing and laboratories for special processes are available for this purpose. This enables customers to test tools and machines in a practical, professional environment and optimise processes. Employees in the turnkey division also benefit from a particularly ergonomic turning aid: the RUD Tecdos TM.
In less than a minute: tools rotated by 90 degrees
‘When tools arrive at our premises, they are usually in the “wrong” position, meaning that they have to be rotated by 90 degrees for subsequent testing in our machines. This task is now performed by the RUD Tecdos TM turning table,’ explains Roland Gruber, Group Leader Application Programming & Commissioning in the Automation & Turnkey department at Arburg. The injection moulding machine manufacturer also uses the rotary table when commissioning turnkey projects, i.e. whenever it puts a machine and its tools through their paces before delivery to a customer. Arburg uses the RUD Tecdos TM 13/13-10, which rotates tools weighing up to 10 tonnes safely and efficiently.
Tools up to 1.20 metres in size and weighing between 200 kilograms and 10 tonnes arrive in Loßburg. A crane was originally used to turn the tools through 90 degrees. ‘With the crane, the entire turning process could take 30 to 45 minutes; now we have a net turning time of around 45 seconds,’ emphasises Gruber.
Work safety and flexibility
However, time savings were not the main factor in Arburg's decision to choose the RUD Tecdos TM. ‘Our clear focus was on increasing work safety and ergonomics for our team,’ says Gruber, who considers the time savings to be a nice side effect. The turning table enables BGV-compliant and safe working without the risk of injury, for example due to inclined pulling.
For the teams in the customer centre and in commissioning, the handling process has changed fundamentally: whereas employees previously had to move the tool to the crane and the attachment points, now it's the other way round: they can simply move the turning aid to the tool. This is because the RUD Tecdos TM can be moved with an industrial truck, such as a forklift or pallet truck, and is transported 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 ergonomic working conditions. The customer tools that arrive at Arburg are lifted onto the tool turner with a crane and then turned by employees standing at the machine at the touch of a button. For the RUD Tecdos TM, as used by Arburg in its customer centre, RUD's engineers have come up with a special ergonomic feature: 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 on the turning table 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 rotary movements of tools and machine components weighing up to 64 tonnes (in the largest version). The load is turned at its centre of gravity and therefore extremely gently. The RUD Tecdos TM ensures particularly smooth start-up and stopping and is equipped with a high-end drive system from the Tecdos range.
Individual adaptations
Depending on requirements and customer specifications, RUD equips its slewing table with different polyethylene table pads. Anti-slip polyurethane pads and pads individually adapted to the tool are also available. Optional attachments such as protective bars or intervention protection, as well as light curtains or protective fences, ensure even greater work safety. The RUD Tecdos TM for Arburg is equipped with such polyethylene table covers – for increased protection of the customer's tools, which are tested in Lossburg. Another special feature: RUD has painted the turntable in the desired Arburg colour (dark grey).
Arburg has also made a special adaptation for the pallet truck on the turntable. ‘This adaptation was made in consultation with us and we calculated everything necessary, for example in terms of load capacity. Although we manufacture our products in the mould handling sector in standard designs, we are open to many adaptations and extras and deliver them as the customer needs them in practice,’ says Tobias Rathgeb, Area Sales Manager for Mould Handling at RUD.
