LSC uses two decoiling machines to unroll and cut steel coils. Once cut, the steel sheets end up on an exit roller conveyor and subsequently, the new robot places wooden cubes on top of them. Thanks to these separator cubes, the sheets can be stacked with enough space between them to be easily picked up by forklift trucks and an overhead crane with a sheet clamp.

• The cubes are delivered by a large tipper and first pass through a cleaning system that removes any excess splinters.
• They then enter the vibrating unit, which ensures that the cubes are correctly oriented and aligned. Via a transport system they are then transported to the stacking robot.
• Depending on the sheet width, the robot grabs 2 or 3 cubes at a time and places them in a pattern on the steel sheets with the help of line tracking: the system automatically measures the supplied stack and knows exactly where and when to place the cubes.

Edwin Cramer, plant manager at LSC: “First of all, we save on a very labour-intensive activity. In the past, three operators worked on the line to supply the sheets with cubes from the storage crates and to remove the sheets at the end of the line. Due to the high production rate, this method gradually proved to be no longer feasible: in 2020, we placed no fewer than 850,000 cubes manually. Thanks to the cube stacker, we can work much more efficiently and only two workers are needed to coordinate the entire process. Our decoiling machine can now also run non-stop.”

Edwin : “We instantly knew that we were in good hands with Fraxinus, which would supply the best possible technical solution. The first proposal not only took our current requirements into account, but also our future needs: for example, switching from cubes to bars in the long term is perfectly possible. The engineering team built a test set-up that we could assess on site, before the machine was installed in our warehouse. During the run-in period, a number of minor adjustments were needed to ensure a smoother flow.

The cooperation with the programmers also went very smoothly. We can always call on Tim’s help, who can log into the system remotely to set new parameters if necessary. This way, we are always reassured that technical problems can be solved quickly. Fraxinus is highly recommended if you are considering logistics automation!”