Fit for the future with flexible production: Mink Bürsten install ABUS EOT cranes in new plant

Technical brushes in machinery and plant engineering may not always be quite so obvious but you cannot do without them in almost all areas whether it be cleaning and deburring, smoothing, sealing, transporting or labelling. Technical brushes make sure that components and conveyor belts are clean, surfaces are finished and plants and rooms are protected from dust and dirt. The requirements for the production of industrially used brushes are just as diverse as the applications. The company August Mink GmbH & Co.KG (https://www.mink-buersten.com) in Göppingen, a town in southern Germany, better known under the brand name Mink Bürsten (Bürsten means brushes), was founded in 1845 and has become the world leader in fibre and brush technology. Four plants at the Göppingen site supply millions of the company’s own products as well as bespoke products every year to over 14,000 active customers in more than 60 industries worldwide. The brush bodies that hold the actual brushes in the further production processes are produced by injection moulding machines. The production processes themselves require maximum flexibility as the machines have to be changed over quickly and flexibly in order to produce a wide range of standard products as well as customised products. At the end of 2019 another plant was added to the production site. Two ABUS EOT cranes were installed to aid with changing tools and with maintenance and conversion of the injection moulding machines in particular.

Maintenance, conversion, service: ABUS cranes are flexible

The cranes are mainly tasked with changing the tools of the injection moulding machines. They are also employed in maintaining and servicing the machinery. Heavy moulding tools have to be lifted above the machines and positioned precisely into them when the injection moulding plants are converted. Mink Bürsten decided on the installation of two single girder EOT cranes of the ELV type with SWLs of 3.2 and 2 tonnes respectively and spans of 10.3 and 10.5 metres following extensive consultation with the ABUS agent in Stuttgart. The main girders of this crane type consist of sturdy rolled section girders allowing a maximum lifting capacity of 10 tonnes for spans of up to 18.5 metres. These two EOT cranes are operated via radio remote controls ABURemote Button, ergonomically designed handheld transmitters, that allow the crane operators to keep an eye on both the cranes and the loads at all times from a safe location. The backlit displays inform the operators about selected settings, active cranes and hoists, strength of the radio signals and battery percentages. Recharging the batteries is easy as pie: the transmitters are placed in their inductive charging trays; it is not even necessary to remove the rechargeable batteries. The protective pouches, the wrist straps or shoulder straps also remain on the transmitters during charging. The inductive charging trays are available as tabletop charging stations but can also be mounted on the wall with the right fittings.

Both cranes feature ABUS electric chain hoists to lift the loads. These chain hoists form part of the ABUCompact series and are suitable for lifting ranges between 80 kg and 4 tonnes. They may be used in conjunction with cranes or as stationary solo chain hoists. Mechanical slipping clutches to serve as overload protection come as standard with all chain hoists. Slipping clutches are preset at the factory. ABUS chain hoists have a range of additional equipment options in addition to the standard equipment. The hoists used at Mink Bürsten feature operating hours counters (to determine the actual hoist working time and thus the remaining service life) among other things. One of the two chain hoists also has an electronic hoist limit switch: additional safety is achieved with two freely selectable cut-off points for the highest and lowest hook position. This is really very helpful for Mink Bürsten when changing and positioning the tools. Both cranes have proved very successful since being first installed at Mink Bürsten.