At the core of transformer production
When Swiss based Heinrich Georg, the leading manufacturer of production lines for the transformer industry, required an automated solution for the manufacture of power and distribution transformers up to several hundred tons, they turned to Güdel gantry robot technology for the solution.
Ongoing collaboration between Heinrich Georg and Güdel has resulted in the development of a comprehensive production solution which encompasses the complete range of operations from de-coiling through to the automated stacking of transformer cores.
The core of a power transformer in the 50 to 350-metric tons range consists of several thousand layers of stratified sheets, each around 0.25 mm thick, which must be stacked with high levels of precision.
Heinrich Georg have several customers who cut and then stock laminations which they want to stack to a core offline at a later stage. Currently, this is predominately a manual operation, with up to eight people simultaneously stacking sheets up to 6m long and 1m wide. This translates to a very time-consuming process, potentially up to 400 hours for an average core weighing 120 metric tons and with 4,000 layers.
The automated offline core stacking system developed jointly by Güdel and Heinrich Georg uses a high proportion of Güdel manufactured items including: the entire portal, the bridge, grippers, gearboxes and control system. This technology supports the extensive industry and production line expertise resident within Heinrich Georg.
When positioning the laminates, the Güdel gantry robot achieves very high levels of accuracy and repeatability, of +/- 0.5mm, and also accelerates the core stacking process significantly.
By comparison to the original manual process on 4,000 layers, the automated system reduces this to just over 100 hours, a saving of some 75%. The ability to transfer data directly from the cutting line to the robot unit means these new systems can be easily integrated into a digitally networked environment.
Güdel’s contribution in this collaboration mirrors the company’s philosophy of working with industry specialists and integrators across multiple sectors, to reduce technical and commercial risk by providing technology solutions beyond just the robot.
