Fromgranule to
long-distance
runner
Festoproducesaround90per cent of its tubing
at itsplant
in thenorthernCzechcityofČeskáLípa.Here, small granules
are transformed into50-metre long tubes inadvanced
productionprocesses.Theplantoperatesexclusivelyon the
basisof just-in-timeproduction.
Productionof tubing for industrial automation
A
lthough thefinishedproduct
may looksimple, theautomated
productionof tubingdemands
extensiveexpertiseandmaxi-
mumprecision. Becausenot all tubing is
thesame. For optimum reliability indiffer-
entapplicationsyouneedexactly the right
material.
Around100kmnorthof Prague, Festo
ProductionČeskáLípaproduces tubing
made frompolyurethane, polyethylene
andpolyamide. Beginningwithpolyur
ethane, theplant processes threebasic
materials: semi-crystallinepolyurethane,
amorphouspolyurethane, andaspecial
highlyflame-retardant variant. In the case
of polyethylene, thereare two types:
cross-linkedandnon-cross-linked. Each
material usedneedsadifferent typeof
production line thatmust bepreciselyde-
finedby the requirementsof that particu-
larmaterial. Therearealsomajor differ-
ences in termsof dimensions. InČeská
Lípa, thesmallest tube theyproducehas
adiameter of 3mmwhile the largest
standard is currently20mm.Onasmaller
scale, FestoProductionČeskáLípaalso
produces customisedsolutionssuchas
tubingwithspecial conductivity.
Inaddition tohigh-qualityseriesproduc-
tion, oneof the local specialitiesof Festo
ProductionČeskáLípa iswelding twoor
more tubes. Although it seemssimple, it
isnot simpleat all.When thewelded
strandsare later separated, their surfaces
mustnot showanydamageand theirends
must easilyfit intofittings.
Thefinished tubing isdelivered toFesto in
Germany. At theCustomer ServiceCentre
inSt. Ingbert-Rohrbach (see report in
trends inautomation2.2014), ordersare
processedand tubing isdelivered toend
customers.
1
Material:
FestoProductionČeskáLípa
produces tubingmade frompolyurethane,
polyethyleneandpolyamide. Thebasic
rawmaterial isdelivered to theplant asgranules.
1.2015
trends inautomation
Synergies
26
–
27
