When manufacturing consumer electronics, larger quantities are often needed. This also applies to machines and manufacturing systems. When Beckhoff received the order to make several thousand controllers for testing machines, it quickly became apparent that this could only be achieved with a strong partner like Rittal. The Rittal enclosure had to be available in large quantities, and all the holes needed to be in precisely the right positions, and it had to be possible to make changes at lightning speed during the start-up phase.
Overview
- Project
- Beckhoff Automation
- Location
- Verl, Germany
- Challenge
A major order from the consumer electronics industry required control systems, to be assembled in three-digit quantities every week.
The Rittal enclosures for the Beckhoff Controlbox had to be delivered reliably in such large quantities. They had to be prefabricated as far as possible so that the interior installation could be carried out quickly.
While setting up series production, Rittal had to change the enclosure design on the fly.
- Solution
Rittal supplied the KX enclosures with many holes in the side panels to simplify series production at Beckhoff.
Rittal made design changes during the series production set-up and supplied the KX enclosures, including the modified design, without interrupting deliveries.
The need to make the challenging series production of the control box as efficient as possible placed high demands on the suppliers involved,
The construction of enclosures in three-digit quantities is rather unusual. This is not the case in consumer electronics, however, where everything is always bigger, faster, and more innovative. Beckhoff quickly developed a concept of what a standard box could look like for many different testing machines for a customer in this sector. The automation specialist knew that the essential components, such as bus terminals and controllers, could be prioritised for in-house production. But who could reliably provide hundreds of pre-assembled terminal boxes every week? In Rittal, Beckhoff spotted a suitable partner to support the step into large-scale production consistently. The concept proved effective, and Rittal has since delivered 24,000 of the small and flexibly expandable KX enclosures to Beckhoff, which are pre-machined and pre-assembled. There, the employees assembled the inner workings of the Controlbox. Every step was now perfect.
First, a production-ready concept had to be developed and tested. How should the optimal production logistics look? How should the components be arranged on the mounting plate, and what sequence of production steps should result from this?
The expertise of all the partners was also required. This meant that Rittal could make numerous drilled holes in the side panels of the KX enclosure at the factory, reducing the number of work steps at Beckhoff.
Only when the individual work steps are tested in series does it become clear which steps do not work in practice as intended in theory. So, for example, assembly workers may have difficulty reaching the earthing bolts on the KX enclosure after installing the components. Rittal reacted quickly: the designers simply moved the earthing bolts to a different place on the enclosure. As soon as the prototypes were approved, Rittal changed the production order. Beckhoff received the new KX enclosures straightaway with the earthing bolt in an easily accessible position.
While setting up series production, the partners also considered possible future changes. Since the KX enclosure offers space for additional components via an interior installation rail, Beckhoff knows that the series will remain capable of development in the long term.
Projects of this scale can only be implemented if all the individual production steps come together smoothly. Rittal and Beckhoff combined their expertise and created the ideal framework for the production of the Controlbox.