July 2019

| APPLICATIONS | T he plant’s highly automated production processes - working in conjunction with the neighbouring distribution centre (GDC) - enable seamless order fulfilment, guaranteeing ongoing availability of standard products and accessories. Rittal says it is putting Industry 4.0 theory into practice. The provider of solutions for enclosures, power distribution, climate control and IT infrastructure (as well as corresponding software and services) is creating a smart factory which the company claims will become the world’s most advanced production plant for compact and small enclosures: “The plant will be fully aligned with highly efficient Industry 4.0 principles,” states Professor Friedhelm Loh, Owner and CEO of the Friedhelm Loh Group. “The new manufacturing site will also safeguard future competitiveness for our customers and our own business. The total investment of 250 million euros is a positive statement in terms of the regional economy and the 290 jobs at our Haiger plant. We have quite consciously decided to proactively shape the future with the local people who made us what we are today.” The new factory halls cover 24,000m2 of floor space and will soon house more than 100 high-tech machines. Around 9000 AX compact and KX small enclosures will be manufactured every day, processing approximately 35,000 metric tons of steel annually. Manufacturing in a smart factory The equipment will be highly automated, producing individual items which are then assembled with exceptional efficiency. In the past, individual steps such as cutting to size, edging, welding and painting were transactional, sequential and independent of one another. In the new era, all workers, machines and materials will be increasingly integrated into the manufacturing execution system. At the end of the process, the individual assemblies are automatically merged and a QR code is applied, for easy identification and onward processing by the customer. Both the machines and handling systems communicate with each other and with higher-level control systems via modern industry 4.0-capable communication networks. Materials and components will be moved using 20 automated, guided vehicles. Packaging, marking and transfer to the distribution centre are managed automatically. Knowledge- based “learning” systems will enable www.smartmachinesandfactories.com July 2019 | 43 | A digital transformation A new 250 million-euro Rittal plant in Haiger is embracing the principles of Industry 4.0. It represents the company’s largest-ever single investment, which the company claims will enable them to establish the world’s most advanced manufacturing facility for its new compact and small enclosures. Smart Machines & Factories reports.