eepos base at Flexa
The clean solution for power supply and material feeding.Flexa GmbH produces high-quality protective hoses in its new production hall in Hanau. The eepos media columns are the central collection point for supplying your injection molding machines with everything they need in terms of energy and material - and also for being able to flexibly convert or retrofit in the future.
Product diversity is crucial to the success of the Flexa cable protection systems: Depending on the area of application, the Flexa hoses can be manufactured in a wide variety of designs such as solvent-resistant, liquid-tight, UV-resistant or silicone-coated. Even a temperature range of -60 to +300°C or gradations up to IP class 69K are no problem for Flexa's cable protection systems. Since the need for cable protection systems in mechanical engineering, vehicle technology, the rail vehicle industry, wind turbines and medical technology is constantly increasing, the company management decided to expand the existing machine park and build another production hall on the company headquarters site.
A new hall – built with 70 years of experience
The challenge for the new production facility was to be able to manufacture the wide range of products on the machines as flexibly as possible and to increase output. At the same time, it should be easy to quickly test and manufacture the latest Flexa developments. And despite all the flexibility, the greatest possible order, cleanliness and clarity should be ensured. Due to the extensive experience in the manufacture of cable protection systems, the rough cornerstones of the production environment such as the setup of the machines and the general material flow were quickly worked out. The supply of material and energy should take place via a second level above the machines and yet be inexpensive and easy to expand. When the technical manager, Mr. Sieke, came across the eepos media column base M, everyone at Flexa was enthusiastic. It was immediately clear that the media columns would solve the handover issue at each machine in a stable, centralized and uncomplicated way.
Martin Sieke
Technical Manager,
Flexa GmbH & Co. Production and Sales KG
"The media columns keep everything tidy and well-structured. They take up very little space and look good too."
Media column eepos base M convinces with flexibility
The media columns from eepos GmbH are designed as a modular system and are available in 3 sizes: S, M and L. The media column is firmly anchored in the ground by a stable base plate. The top of a base column can be closed with a plate or left open at the top. A wide variety of media inserts and covers can be viewed on the eepos online platform "eeworld" and can be ordered as standard. This results in the greatest possible degree of freedom for a wide range of applications. For the two sizes base M and base L, the eepos carbon slewing crane can also be installed or retrofitted on one side or on both sides.
Base M version as 4m and 6m high column
At Flexa, it was decided to supply energy such as compressed air and electricity from above into the base M media column and that communication with the sensors and actuators should also be carried out in the aluminum column. The material hoses with the larger diameters were to be attached to the external Item® grooves. Since the heights on each machine were determined by the existing crane system, the wish was expressed that the construction of the media columns should be completed before the final floor was installed. For Mr. Sieke, the base M media columns from eepos came at just the right time: "When the decision was made to go with eepos, the speed of the final design, delivery and installation fit in very well with our schedule. We decided on the heights of 4m and 6m and immediately ordered the first 11 columns. The support and assistance from eepos was very fast and really good. Our employees here at Flexa immediately recognized and used the possibilities of the base M media column."
Media column in self-assembly kit
Mr. Sieke then has an example to hand: "It's good that eepos provided us with the cover plates for the front and back unprocessed. This meant that we were able to optimally determine the individual positions and heights of the connections and outlets here in the hall in discussions with the production and service employees. What made me very happy is that this immediately led to great acceptance in the individual departments. The joint determination triggered an interactive process, so that we now have the best possible design. And everyone supports it!" In addition, the electricians were involved in the decision-making process from a very early stage. Mr. Sieke: "The electricians decided to use the internal Item® grooves for the cable holders. This saves us the cable duct down to the machines and at the same time the cables are protected. The individually screwed and front-removable media inserts also make it easy for the electricians to change or retrofit cables and protective hoses."
Looking for new areas of application
In the hall, the plastic injection molding machines are lined up in rows, and the eepos media columns next to them provide the desired clarity. Mr. Sieke: "The media columns keep everything tidy and well-structured. They take up very little space and look good too." At the end of the tour, Mr Sieke summarizes the experiences: "We don't just show our new hall to every supplier. But we all really enjoyed working with eepos. The speed and flexibility of their people and their products convinced us. We can absolutely recommend the eepos media columns. It is also interesting that the eepos base media column is repeatedly suggested for a wide variety of solutions. This is how we realize that it was exactly right for us. We are actually looking for new areas of application to use the media column."
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