Modular support system protects workpieces from damage

Image 1: The workpieces are placed on plastic clips protected against scratches and impact marks. (Image: Kögel GmbH)

Image 2: The combination of plastic clips and stainless steel grid ensures safe storage of the workpieces. (Image: Kögel GmbH)

Image 3: Industrial component cleaning places high demands on the transport safety of workpiece carriers. (Image: Kögel GmbH)

Transport safety of workpiece carriers is increasingly demanding in industrial component cleaning and logistics processes. Kögel GmbH, based in Oberderdingen, has developed modular solutions for this purpose. By combining plastic supports and robust stainless steel components, goods can be moved precisely and without damage.

Fully automated loading and unloading or integration into complex production lines require workpiece carriers to meet high standards of accuracy and quality. Many goods need to be handled in such a way that they do not get scratched or bumped. Therefore, the selection of suitable materials and constructive design are very important. In manual handling, plastic coatings applied by dipping or spraying are often sufficient. The resulting layer thickness tolerances of ± 30 percent are negligible here. However, automated handling demands significantly tighter tolerances of just a few tenths of a millimeter. As a result, round wires or sheet metal grids are often partially protected with a Teflon coating. However, even here, the tolerances are still quite large.

Kögel GmbH has now combined the advantages of stainless steel workpiece carriers with those of injection-molded plastic parts to create a flexible modular system. Machined workpieces such as camshafts, piston rods, or aluminum cast parts rest on differently shaped edge protection clips. These are made from solvent-resistant plastic and enable damage-free storage. The actual workpiece carrier consists of a basic frame made from round wire and precisely cut laser sheets. Thanks to the precise manufacturing of the sheets, the often required positional tolerance of ± 0.5 millimeters can be maintained.

Users benefit from Kögel's modular system with great flexibility. The combination of stainless steel grid and plastic clip results in a variety of geometries tailored to specific requirements in automation and cleaning technology. Expensive coatings, such as those made from the thermoplastic polymer Halar, are unnecessary. Furthermore, the positioning accuracy is higher, and the cost is lower compared to comparable systems.

As one of the leading providers of logistics elements for demanding industrial components in the areas of transport, storage, order picking, and production, Kögel further expands its portfolio with this development and offers its customers fully functional complete systems across the entire logistics chain.