Investment in Long Parts unit by Belgian Picanol
The market is changing rapidly, and so constant investment in the production process is crucial for Belgian Picanol. With rising demand for wider weaving machines of up to 5.40 m, the structural elements are becoming correspondingly longer. In our weaving machines there are many parts whose length depends on the width of the machine, varying from 1.90 m to 5.40 m
Parts in these lengths are made of aluminium or steel sections, shafts and tubes with various diameters and wall thicknesses. The main processes include sawing, turning, milling, welding, adhesive bonding and various surface treatment methods such as hard chroming, phosphating, shot blasting and metallization. Already in 2010 Picanol began an investment program of around EUR 2 million to modernize the production processes for these parts. Among other things it has recently invested in a new CNC tube polishing machine and a CNC long-bed lathe. It has also completely revamped the electronics and software for the computer-controlled transport system.
In 2014, on the 25th anniversary of the department, there followed a new series of investments in among other things a new CNC long-bed milling machine. In close cooperation with the supplier, Picanol developed a customized machining table with hydraulic snap-locks for our own machining jigs. In addition Picanol has invested in a new welding robot and a new adhesive bonding robot, with significant gains in productivity and in the quality of the welding and adhesive joints. Finally, Picanol has acquired an automatic wire winder for winding wire on round cores.