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Issue 28
trends in automation
Synergies
26
–
27
From granule to
long distance
runner
Production of tubing for industrial automation
Festo produces around 90 per cent of its tubing
at its plant
in the northern Czech city of Ceská Lípa. Here, small granules
are transformed into 50 metre long tubes in advanced
production processes. The plant operates exclusively on the
basis of just-in-time production.
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1
Material:
Festo Production Ceská Lípa
produces tubing made from polyurethane,
polyethylene and polyamide. The basic
raw material is delivered to the plant as granules.
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A
lthough the finished product
may look simple, the automated
production of tubing demands
extensive expertise and
maximum precision. Because not all
tubing is the same. For optimum reliability
in different applications you need exactly
the right material.
Around 100 km north of Prague, Festo
Production Ceská Lípa produces tubing
made from polyurethane, polyethylene
and polyamide. Beginning with
polyurethane, the plant processes three
basic materials: semi-crystalline
polyurethane, amorphous polyurethane,
and a special highly flame retardant
variant. In the case of polyethylene, there
are two types: cross linked and non cross
linked. Each material used needs a
different type of production line that must
be precisely defined by the requirements
of that particular material. There are also
major differences in terms of dimensions.
In Ceská Lípa, the smallest tube they
produce has a diameter of 3 mm while the
largest standard is currently 20 mm. On a
smaller scale, Festo Production Ceská
Lípa also produces customised solutions
such as tubing with special conductivity.
In addition to high quality series
production, one of the local specialities of
Festo Production Ceská Lípa is welding
two or more tubes. Although it seems
simple, it is not simple at all. When the
welded strands are later separated, their
surfaces must not show any damage and
their ends must easily fit into fittings.
The finished tubing is delivered to Festo in
Germany. At the Customer Service Centre
in St. Ingbert-Rohrbach (see report in
trends in automation 2.2014), orders are
processed and tubing is delivered to end
customers.
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