New handling technology for Hungarian tyre manufacturer
"The great thing about my job is that no two projects are the same, so you never get bored."
Work routine in engeneering. About a recent project that delivered a complete materials handling concept for an expanding international tyre manufacturer.
Designing the complete materials handling technology for a tyre warehouse must be an interesting project. What is the background and how did this order come about?
"An Indian tyre manufacturer set up its first European factory close to Budapest. The factory is currently in the test phase and is designed to produce around six million car and HGV tyres per year. We were awarded the tender for this interesting project to implement the handling technology for the tyre warehouse."
What were the specific requirements for the handling technology?
"We had to design specialised machinery that we had never produced before. Specifically, we developed shuttles to fill the high-bay warehouse with freshly pressed tyres and also remove them. The delivery scope also included lifting equipment, which moves along the different levels of the warehouse to supply the shuttles with tyres.
We also designed a robot feeder to transport the tyres to a robot after they have been removed from the shelf. Here, the tyres are stacked in pallet cages and then sent for shipping.
Of course, all handling has to be performed rapidly, which is a challenge for such a large production volume – and must be suitable for handling all tyre types, with diameters from 470 – 905 mm and a width of 200 – 360 mm."
That sounds like a challenging task. Was it?
"Well, something that was a little challenging was that we had to work with fixed specifications in terms of the shelving. The shelving was already a fait accompli, if you like. However, we cooperated closely with the shelving manufacturer and everything worked smoothly from the start. In the beginning, even we were a little surprised by that. We are a young, finely-tuned team, and three of us worked together on the design. We have a great working atmosphere, everything just fits."
So, mission accomplished, and now nothing can get in the way of a successful start to production?
"Yes, indeed. The customer feedback was very positive and we have already received a follow-up order. Obviously we are particularly pleased about that!"
