02/23/2011

Schuler installs largest-ever feed straightener for Norwegian agricultural machine manufacturer

One of the leading international companies for the development of agricultural equipment is the Kverneland Group in Norway. As of April, its facility some 25 kilometers south of Stavanger will be using a machine supplied by Schuler Automation in Hessdorf, Germany, for the production of plows. The automation experts are developing their largest-ever feed straightener, with a total weight of around 55 metric tons. Of particular importance for the Norwegian production planners is the flexibility of the new line, which will be used to produce a wide variety of parts. The agricultural equipment experts also know from many years of experience that the Schuler solution will guarantee long service life and reliable manufacturing.

The first similarly large feed straightener from Hessdorf was transported to Norway in 1973 and Kverneland is still using it today to feed a forming press producing various steel plows. The 55-ton machine was designed and constructed by Hermann Schleicher Maschinenfabrik, the former name of Schuler Automation. “A time gap of almost 40 years between two orders is probably quite rare,” explains project manager Michael Weiss of Schuler Automation when asked about the background to the current order. “The main focus today is to enhance the flexibility of Kverneland’s forming processes, in order to process widely varying coil widths for example. The old line could no longer meet these requirements. We therefore proposed a completely new and customized solution in our offer. That finally clinched the deal for us.”

Focus on reliable production

The new line for Kverneland boasts two key features: its size allows the feeding of very large and firm coil material, while its technical design enables the production of a wide range of parts. The line also guarantees the reliable processing of Kverneland’s strongly scaled and cambered coil material. To this end, the line features a decoiler with an expansion range of 450 to 800 millimeters. Coils weighing up to 25 metric tons can be decoiled. The coil is then fed through a feed straightener with nine synchronized servo axles and 350 kilowatts of straightening and feeding power. The straightening rollers require no additional support, thus preventing the build-up of scale deposits from the coil material during the straightening process. “Together with the fully automatic camber compensation, this guarantees high process accuracy and thus plays a decisive role in securing part quality,” explains Weiss.

Flexible requirements

A variety of plow-blade models will be produced on the Schuler line, which must meet widely varying manufacturing requirements. Materials with widths of 500 to 1,000 millimeters and thicknesses of 5 to 12 millimeters have to be straightened for processing in the subsequent forming press. The coil’s outer diameters can vary from 1,600 to 2,200 millimeters. “These figures speak for themselves. At the same time, Kverneland will also be overhauling its existing 800-ton press so that from the summer of next year it has a fully future-safe and flexible production system,” states Weiss.

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