Gerhard Schubert
GmbH
Industriegebiet Südost
Hofäckerstr. 7
D-74564 Crailsheim
www.gerhard-schubert.de
Area of activity:
Flexible packaging solutions,
TLM packaging machines,
systems and robots
Interview
trends in automation:
As a manufacturer of
packaging machines how do
you deal with the trend
towards always having to
supply them more cheaply?
Reiner Weidmann:
With highly
flexible packaging machines
that customers can also use
for other products. With easy
expansion and conversion
options. That is one of the
fundamental differences
between low-cost and
high-end machines.
In the food industry how long do people expect packaging
machines to last?
Weidmann:
Our machines can be operated for 10, 15 and
20 years. The problem is, however, that companies only want
to spread the risk over two, perhaps three or, at the most,
four years.
What part does the purchase price of a machine play?
Weidmann:
It’s not only the low purchase price of a
packaging machine that is critical for a company’s success.
It’s also its availability, quality and service life, i.e. what is
called the life cycle-cost, that need to be considered.
Do components also play a critical role?
Weidmann:
Definitely. In principle we can use any product,
any valve on the market. However, if you want to achieve
sustainability with appropriate life cycle costs, you must
use high quality components. Factors such as the technical
quality of the product, the market leadership of the
manufacturer and the reliability of the supplier also carry
weight.
How important is the size of a packaging machine today
and how can the dimensions be reduced still further?
Weidmann:
The size of a packaging machine is very
important. Space is money. The more space a machine takes
up the more expensive it is for the customer. Dimensions
can be reduced by using standardised components that are
designed to be small. Add to this the important role played
by state-of-the-art technologies. Machines that were once
rigidly synchronised using chains are now being replaced
with intelligent machines that move products flexibly.
Reiner Weidmann,
Sales Director
at Gerhard Schubert GmbH
Low consumption, high availability
In this simple but intelligent way, the
world market leader in top loading
packaging machines is constantly
increasing the flexibility of its equipment.
Short tool changeover times, low energy
consumption and continuous availability
of the high-end machines gives this
company with its 40-year old success
story a decisive competitive edge on
the world market for food packaging
machines.
www.festo.com/catalog/vuvg
quickly and reliably. And its design is
extremely compact. Its tiny footprint
fits in well with the compact design of
the automatic tool changer and means
it can be fitted directly on the cylinder.
A flow of up to twice that of traditional
valves ensures high energy density
with a pressure power of up to 10 bar.
The high level of modularity of the valve
range was also advantageous for the
development of Schubert’s automatic
tool changer. By moving the packing
glands, the base plate can be easily
converted and adapted to the required
functions. On the front individual valves
can be replaced by dummy plates by
undoing two screws and doing them
up again. This is how Schubert makes
up to 30 variations based on three
components.