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[May 2008]
Keller HCW Meets Tough Robot Challenge at Klinker Plant
Late last year, the machine and plant constructors of Keller HCW GmbH (Ibbenbüren-Laggenbeck, Germany) met a new challenge: Within 14 days they replaced the old setting plant of the Küsters clinker work in Kleve (NW Rhein-Westphalia, Germany) with a modern robot setting plant and everything has since reportedly met the objectives.
The Keller employees had to make a precision landing above all in time management matters. It was necessary to position and commission the new setting plant as fast as possible so Küsters did not have to stop the kiln.
With a complete test run, the engineers established that the project could be done within the time frame. "Intensive preliminary talks and the excellent cooperation ensured that everything went according to plan and we could reach our aim without any obstacles," said a Keller spokesman.
The kiln was slowed to the lowest pushing rate and the total kiln car pool of the clinker work was positioned in front of it. Then the works on the setting plant started. During these two weeks the Küster and Keller employees were busy around the clock. The success is self evident: the plant was actually commissioned ahead of schedule.
Combined with an existing gathering frame, the new dry side operates with a high degree of flexibility. Two products can be produced at the same time. The automatic feed to the setting machine as well as a possible manual setting station can be operated optionally by means of a transfer robot. Due to the many different machine units in the feed to the setting robot, a wide variety of setting patterns can be achieved.
The setting robot operates via two setting tracks. The automatic setting of facing bricks – from facing strips to angle facing strips – does not pose a problem for this plant. The output amounts to 14 million units per year in a one-shift operation. The main focus was on the huge flexibility and the operator convenience of this machine. The whole area is supervised by only one employee.
www.keller-hcw.de
ENDS