A state-of-the-art centre for manufacturing large enclosures is currently under construction at Rittal’s Rittershausen plant, based on Industry 4.0 principles. While work there is ongoing, Rittal is also installing new high-tech production lines for its new VX25 large enclosure, at a total cost of €120m.
The company is gearing up its production to Industry 4.0 through consistent digitization of processes and fully automated profiling, welding and panel manufacturing units, making the new centre a model for all Rittal production plants worldwide.
Subscribe to PII and receive:
Our long-established bi-monthly digital magazine *Process Industry Informer*, featuring exclusive articles, news and updates across the Process Industries, plus commentary from our three industry experts:
Sean Moran
Gavin Smith
Dave Green
PLUS:
- Process Industry Update — our weekly e-newsletter
- PII Podcast
- Special messages from our advertising partners
In 1961, Rittal made history by manufacturing the first volume-produced enclosure at its Rittershausen plant and by launching its off-the-shelf delivery programme.
It was a game-changer for the industry.
Today, the plant is the company’s most efficient factory for manufacturing high-quality enclosures.
The €120m investment sets the future direction for the plant, once work there is complete in 2020.
“Our goal is to establish the world’s most modern centre for manufacturing large enclosures. To this end, we have started the transformation into the age of Industry 4.0. We are setting the next standard in the Rittal production system for our worldwide plants – based on the ‘one Rittal, one standard’ principle,” says Carsten Röttchen, Managing Director International Production at Rittal
The Rittershausen plant already featured a high degree of automation in its sub-processes.
“With the increasing digitization called for by Industry 4.0, we will be automating further sub-processes, increasing data consistency and integrating the production process into a completely digitized value chain through a manufacturing execution system“, added Mr Röttchen.
The process improvements include knowledge-based systems that are constantly evolving through data networking and analysis. Trends can be detected in real time, as they arise, by means of continuous target-to-actual comparisons of the production machines and statistical processes.
As a result, interference factors can be avoided before they occur and tolerances can be safeguarded in order to achieve the high-quality demands of the process. In addition, predictive maintenance data is used to improve the technical availability of the production facilities.
More than 30 Robots Required for VX25 Volume Production
In contrast to the new Haiger plant, which is being built on a greenfield site and will be ready to start production at the end of 2018, the conversion towards digitized and automated processes at Rittershausen is taking place during ongoing operations.
The first units for the VX25, such as the fully automated panel lines for mounting plates, as well as the profiling and welding systems, have already been installed.
When completed in 2020, the new production facility will have three profiling systems, each 70 metres in length. This means that the horizontal and vertical frame sections of the new VX25 large enclosure system, which have perfect symmetry and a consistent 25-mm pitch pattern, will be manufactured in one process.
The volume production lines also have fully automatic welding systems. Thirty-one robots (for welding and handling) deployed in the fully automatic volume welding system will ensure that the transport and welding processes run reliably within the plant. They will also guarantee the Rittal quality standard of the new Rittal VX25 large enclosure system.
“The development of the new VX25 production lines was only the first step on the way to the digital future of the Rittal production facilities. The global transformation of Rittal’s production towards Industry 4.0 is already going flat out,” Carsten Röttchen explained.
The transformation has already begun in the Valeggio plant in Italy. The first Industry 4.0 principles are being applied there for manufacturing Rittal Blue e+ cooling units.
Rittal is also planning to expand and reorganise the Chinese and US sites, focusing on digital transformation, and getting them ready for the future.
Further information at www.rittal.co.uk and www.friedhelm-loh-group.com or on twitter @rittal_ltd.
Rittal Ltd
- 01709 704000
- information@rittal.co.uk
- http://www.rittal.co.uk
- Braithwell Way, Hellaby Industrial Estate, Hellaby, Rotherham, South Yorkshire, S66 8QY GB
About us
Since its foundation in 1961, Rittal has continuously evolved into the world"s leading systems provider for enclosures, power distribution, climate control, IT infrastructure and software & services.
Today, "Rittal – The System." offers you a perfectly coordinated system platform. It unites innovative productions, pioneering engineering solutions and global service to accommodate the most diverse requirements. It caters to a whole host of industries, from machinery and plant engineering, to the automotive industry, through to information technology.All from a single source, all in top quality.
That is what "Rittal – The System. Faster – better – worldwide." is all about.
A workforce of 10,000 manufactures and develops "Rittal – The System." on your behalf. Ensuring you stay on track for success. Tap into synergy potential with our sister company Eplan, the leading manufacturer of software for cross-disciplinary engineering solutions.We never lose sight of our responsibility to the environment and society.
Where we supply to
Europe, Africa, Asia, Australia, South America, North America
Industries we supply to
Automation, Chemicals, Consultants, Components Electronics, Energy and Power, Food and Beverage, Glass Ceramics Cement, Metals and Minerals, OEM, Paper and Pulp, Pharmaceutical Cosmetics Toiletries, Plastics and Rubber, Recycling, Textiles, Tobacco, Water and Wastewater
-
Make wire processing ten times faster with Rittal’s Wire Terminal WT C: The versatile solution for wire processing
Rittal’s Wire Terminal WT C5 and C10 machines offer fully automatic wiring processes that go one step further. The innovative...
-
Smart cooling unit solutions with sustainable DNA Rittal Blue e+ S Cooling Units
Rittal is expanding its smart cooling unit solutions by adding the new Blue e+ S range. Our latest generation of...
-
Temperature vs Equipment – Who will Win?
Every year, there is a battle of two forces. The immovable object comes upon the unstoppable force in a war...
-
Experience Rittal live!
There are only weeks to go until the 2022 Drives & Controls exhibition which is held at the NEC Birmingham from the 5th-7th...
-
Rittal celebrates the one-millionth VX25
2021 was a triple milestone for Rittal, the company celebrated the 60th anniversary of its founding, the 75th birthday of...
-
Designing a Switchboard for a Fishing Trawler
When NU-Design Limited, a marine electrical services business based in Peterhead, Aberdeenshire, Scotland needed help in the designing of a very...
-
Support arm system
-
Smart Solutions for a changing world - Challenging the Edge
-
MAN VS MACHINE
