More power for the lifelines

SEDOTEC has established a competence center for copper processing that boosts switchgear manufacturing and at the same time gives customers more time for new challenges. (© SEDOTEC)

The gantry system is the core of automation for the two independently operating stamping machines. Under the portal crane, there are two storage areas, each for 40 tons of material of different dimensions. (© SEDOTEC)

Copper processing requires responsibility, specialized machinery, as well as a lot of know-how and experience in manufacturing the necessary parts. (© SEDOTEC)

After only 14 days of setup and commissioning, the result was: Turn on – it runs. The collaboration between SEDOTEC and EHRT dates back to 2014. (© SEDOTEC)

With one of the most modern copper processing facilities in Europe, SEDOTEC has established a competence center that is second to none. The company aims to boost switchgear manufacturing and at the same time give its customers more time to face the new challenges brought by digitalization. Fields partially built with copper facilitate the construction of even complex switchgear significantly and speed up their production. As a long-standing close partner, EHRT has installed the facility for manufacturing the lifelines of modern energy distribution.

"Digitalization is coming with force and speed, which is why switchgear manufacturers and electrical installers must face new challenges. There is less and less time for traditional tasks. Here, we want to help and offer even better solutions and services that take over or ease these tasks for our partners and customers," emphasizes Dirk Seiler, Managing Director of SEDOTEC GmbH & Co. KG in Ladenburg. With one of the most modern copper processing facilities in Europe, SEDOTEC built a competence center in summer that implements this philosophy in money and time savings for customers.

Copper processing is a responsible job

Anyone processing copper into busbars and couplings should know what they are doing. And they should be aware of their responsibility. Starting with the specialized machines required, know-how and experience in manufacturing the individual copper parts are also essential. For the types of copper that Sedotec processes, factors such as tensile strength, yield point, and elongation at break must be known and considered. The fact that these values can change depending on the processing method does not make it easier. All of this must be taken into account when cutting, punching, notching, bending, grinding, sinking, and deburring copper to produce couplings and main busbars for a switchgear. A coupling comprises 60 to 80 copper parts. Additional kilograms and meters are added for the busbars. With over 500 tons of copper processed annually, the Ladenburg-based company has long been recognized as an expert in copper processing.

With this semi-automated copper processing plant, Sedotec made a significant leap into the future in July 2020 and set another milestone in the company's development. The long-standing machine partner EHRT supported this. The experts from Rhineland-Palatinate have been developing and manufacturing punching and bending machines for copper, aluminum, and steel busbars for nearly 60 years. In precision processing of flat materials such as busbars, rods, or profiles, the company is a global market leader. "Our collaboration dates back to 2014 when Sedotec received a prototype machine. It has always been a development partnership," recalls Thomas Ehrt, Managing Director of the machinery manufacturer. And Seiler adds: "We gladly shared our wishes and ideas, and Ehrt always implemented them perfectly." This was also the case with the current plant. "The team did a great job. After 14 days of setup and commissioning, the result was: turn on – it runs!" praises Seiler.

Gantry system with portal crane replaces material storage

Now, in Ladenburg, there are autonomous copper punching machines supplied by a shared gantry storage system with a portal crane. In addition to the existing HC 80, a further highly professional punching machine, the Holecut Professional HC 80 of the latest generation, and two copper bending machines, EB 40 Professional E with electric servo drive, have been added.

Under the portal crane in front of the machines, there are two storage areas, each capable of holding around 40 tons of material of various sizes. The gantry system with the storage and the portal crane forms the core of automation for the two autonomous punching machines. Fed material is automatically detected, stored, managed, and fed into the machines. "Especially the automatic storage of material makes our work much easier," enthuses Sedotec production manager Leonardo Torresi. The current status of the system can be accessed at any time – at the machine and in the office. "The gantry can replace an existing material warehouse," assures Daniel Schenk from Ehrt's technical sales. And Sedotec is glad that Ehrt also took care of dismantling the massive paternoster storage system. "That monstrous piece would probably have outlived us all," Seiler says with a smile.

Interface with ERP enables full transparency

The highly modern and largely automated system is controlled by PunchPRO, Ehrt's solution for nesting multiple production orders. Schenk explains the possibilities: "The challenge today is to organize production orders optimally. PunchPRO offers the solution because it can arrange the production orders to optimize material utilization." The sequence itself is not affected, as the focus is solely on optimizing material usage. "The waste of raw materials is minimized, which saves costs and reduces waste," promises Schenk.

The operator sees the production orders displayed clearly. The status of each order can be checked both from the office and by the operator himself. Individual orders and entire production layers can be planned in advance in the office while the machine produces in the hall. "This setup time optimization significantly increases machine run times," emphasizes Schenk. Production orders can be saved and retrieved at any time. Any deviations in the batch size can be easily edited here.

Less is more – revolutionary design

"This elevates our manufacturing both qualitatively and quantitatively to a completely new level," Seiler is convinced. However, quantity is not the primary motivation at Sedotec. "We don't want to 'sell more' copper," says Seiler. "On the contrary, Vamocon systems actually require less copper." This is achieved through an equally intelligent and revolutionary trick. For the Vamocon low-voltage switchgear, the main busbar system remains at its central standard height, just like the other 13 field types of the system. With this clever solution, Sedotec stunned the industry in 2008 and caught competitors off guard with other solutions.

Digitalization instead of copper manufacturing advances customers

With this expertise and the new plant, Seiler aims to convince switchgear manufacturers that it will be more profitable for them in the future to focus on the challenges of digitalization. "By digitalizing a switchgear and integrating it with the operator, switchgear manufacturers and electrical installers can develop a new field with high added value and better position themselves in an increasingly competitive market," Seiler is confident. Internal copper processing, including procurement, storage, manufacturing, and secondary activities like pressing nuts, is no longer cost-effective for switchgear manufacturers in the long run. "We can do it faster, better, more transparently in costs, and cheaper," promises Seiler. The new automated copper competence center, installed by Sedotec with its machine partner Ehrt, which provides more power for manufacturing the lifelines of a switchgear, will likely prove him right in the end. And that can also energize the lifelines of customers and partners.

A partnership with a common goal

Seiler has already presented Ehrt with the next wishes, such as integrating secondary processes like deburring, bending, or pressing into the automated punching process to achieve fully automated manufacturing. "We are aiming for a fully linked and automated line manufacturing, as we have already realized in our sheet metal production," he describes the next step. Thomas Ehrt is fully supportive of this. "That's exactly the direction our developments are heading, and digitalization supports us excellently," he says. There is nothing standing in the way of continuing the development partnership between Sedotec and Ehrt. Switchgear manufacturers, electrical installers, and planners will be pleased to hear this.