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The Maintenance Workshop Operation

Parker Hannifin has a global turnover of $13 billion and is a world leader in motion and control technologies. The company designs, manufactures and markets a wide range of hydraulic, pneumatic and electro-mechanical systems and components. The Breton factory in Muzillac, which employs 130 people, is located 25 km from Vannes and specialises in the plastic injection of products from the FSCE division and the automatic assembly of instant fittings. The factory is certified to ISO 9001, ISO 14001 and ISO TS, and the injection mould maintenance workshop has been equipped with three Verlinde Europoint rolling cranes, each supporting two Verlinde Hoists.

The Moulding Workshop
The moulding workshop is at the heart of the production of the Muzillac site. Twenty-two injection moulding machines from Engel, Fanuc and Ferromatik are supplied by a rolling crane equipped with a 3 tonne Verlinde Eurochain ​​Vario Electric Chain Hoist for mould changing operations. These presses are used for the moulding of connectors for small air pipes and fittings for air networks in industrial buildings. For the automotive industry, five presses are dedicated to the production of fittings for the fuel distribution systems that Parker Autolive integrates into its manufacture. Mickael Le Pon, production manager of the injection unit: “We carry out between 300 and 350 changes of parts series per month, Which involves as many changes of injection moulds. In order for this moulding workshop to run at full speed, it is first and foremost essential that the moulds are in perfect condition and that their handling can only be carried out with the rolling crane, Reliability. “

Maintenance of Moulds, a determining factor in production
Mickael Lepon: “If our business is complex, we must understand that it revolves essentially around the two basic equipments that are plastic injection molding machines and molds. To guarantee volume and quality of production in line with our objectives, it is imperative to ensure regular inspection and maintenance of the molds, as they are the major part of guaranteeing the productivity and quality of our products. ”

A specific workshop for mould maintenance
The 500 m² workshop dedicated to the maintenance of molds includes three square work stations of 10 m sides. After a certain number of cycles of use, the mold is dismantled, cleaned by ultrasound and the toolmaker can be made to redo spindles by electro erosion or to replace any defective parts.

Installation of Verlinde Eurochain ​​VR Electric Chain Hoists and cranes.

Prior to the installation of the Europont travelling cranes, a single girder served the three work stations. Like the handling of metal moulds weighing between 50 and 1500kg and requiring multiple precautions, toolmakers frequently had down time, waiting for the availability of the stem. It was therefore decided to make each station autonomous, with its own crane equipped with two Verlinde hoists of 1.6 T payload. The three Europont bridges move on the same metal structure and in order to avoid accidental collisions, end-of-travel sensors guarantee the safety of the movements. With this new organisation, which makes each workstation stand alone, The productivity of the mould maintenance workshop increased by 25%. Since the moulds are in two parts of different sizes and weights, each bridge has been equipped with two Verlinde Eurochain ​​Vario Electric Chain Hoists to facilitate their safe handling.

The Verlinde Eurochain ​​Vario Electric Chain Hoists that have been retained are equipped with two-speed motors for lifting and a variable speed motor for transverse displacement. Thus, the load is perfectly controlled in its two axes of displacement, without swinging effect. The daisy-chain power supply is conventional and the control boxes are cable-wired. This solution has been preferred to wireless remote controls for safety.

Verlinde, a partner of Parker Hannifin, Muzillac.
Mickael Lepon: “We have very old relationships of trust with the company Sere Maintenance and therefore, naturally, we turned to them for the reorganisation of our mould maintenance workshop. They delivered and installed the bridges and hoists and together we received the equipment and tested the resistance of the metal structure. Our experience with different Verlinde equipment has convinced us to set up Verlinde Eurochain ​​Vario Electric Chain Hoists, whose reliability meets our requirements with a very high cost / quality ratio. Added to this is the geographical proximity of Sere Maintenance and the preventive maintenance service they provide. In the medium / long term, We plan to install a second crane in the moulding workshop, another Verlinde hoist will find its place there. “

Sere Maintenance, led by Ludovic Mathis is a partner of Verlinde, and a member of its network of Verlinde Europoint Overhead Crane manufacturers for more than forty years. Fifteen people are involved in the various activities of the company: lifting, which accounts for 80% of turnover, as well as the cathodic protection of metals, mainly for water, gas and air networks in industry . A variety of customer services are also offered, such as the maintenance of lifting and handling equipment.