A successful trade fair appearance
Specific project enquiries and practical discussions – the all about automation trade fair in Friedrichshafen at Lake Constance was a resounding success for IEF-Werner. The automation specialist welcomed numerous visitors to its stand on both days of the event. Existing and potential customers showed particular interest in the aiPRESS servo press series and the palletising systems.
“Many visitors had already brought components with them for specific applications. This underlined the relevance of their enquiries,” says Ulrich Moser, Head of Marketing and Sales at IEF-Werner. There was particular interest in the aiPRESS series of servo presses. These impress with their high running speed, compact design and customisable features. The series is available in four sizes ranging from 3 to 100 kN. Thanks to the intuitive aiQ-Control press control system, continuous quality control is integrated straight from the factory. Assemblies can thus be classified not only into good and bad parts, but even into different quality grades. All force- and stroke-monitored forming, joining and assembly processes can be implemented. Another version of the servo press currently under development – the aiPRESS JM Basic – also attracted considerable interest from visitors.
Feeding components
It wasn’t just joining processes that caught the attention of the trade fair visitors. There was also a growing interest in the topic of component feeding. “This meant our palletising systems were also in the spotlight,” says the head of marketing and sales. In line with this, the automation specialist presented its reliable and modular transport system, MOVEsystem. The experts at IEF-Werner have specifically further developed this system for three areas of application. Whilst palletMOVE transports workpiece carriers with parts, for example in assembly lines, to different production stations, productMOVE allows products to be conveyed directly on the transport belt.
Among other things, trayMOVE can be used to feed small parts in thermoformed trays of various sizes into palletising systems such as varioSTACK or ecoSTACK. “Our MOVEsystem is based on a clearly structured modular system that allows systems to be designed specifically to meet individual requirements,” explains Moser.
Lively discussions and project enquiries
Another crowd-puller was a specially adapted linear axis designed to accommodate a robot or cobot – keyword: ‘7th axis’. The axis extension kit developed by IEF-Werner can further expand the robot’s working range in both assembly and material handling, thereby significantly boosting its efficiency. What makes it special is that the axis and the robot/cobot can be moved via a shared control system. The axis, driven by a servo motor, therefore does not require its own independent control unit. As a result, the axis extension kit not only saves space that would otherwise be taken up by a separate control cabinet, but also reduces costly programming work. Thanks to modern single-cable technology, a single cable is sufficient from the control cabinet to the motor of the 7th axis.
“Many visitors were specifically looking for solutions to make production processes more efficient, safer and faster. We can deliver that. What are we taking away from Friedrichshafen? Valuable new contacts, concrete project enquiries and interesting discussions,” summarises Moser.
