Mikkeli-headquartered Casemet Group continues to invest in the energy efficiency of its production processes and manufacturing, as well as in the productivity of flexible automation. At the Pärnu plant, the first Salvagnini S1 combination punching and fiber laser cutting center in the Baltic region will be taken into use, integrated with a compact MTW automatic storage system for both sheet stacks and cut blanks.
A successful combination of enclosure solutions and contract manufacturing
Casemet Group is a Finnish family-owned company whose main products are steel enclosure solutions. In addition, the company’s offering includes contract manufacturing of electromechanical structures and sheet metal assemblies. “We have successfully combined the production of our own products and contract manufacturing at both our Mikkeli and Pärnu plants,” says Sanna Vihersalo, one of the company’s second-generation owners and current CEO, and continues: “This has required investments in intelligent and versatile production technologies that enable, for example, a higher level of productivity and cost savings. In the selection of our new S1 punching and fiber laser cutting center, key factors included unmanned operation enabled by compact material handling, waste minimization through automatic nesting, and the most advanced compressed-air cutting capabilities.”
S1 combination machine with compact storage, loading and stacking equipment
Salvagnini’s TM unloading and stacking system enables the individual separation and stacking of punched, formed and fiber-laser-cut parts from the combination machine, as well as skeleton handling, within a very compact floor area. The modular MTW mini-tower storage system can be configured with the desired number of storage locations, even in low production spaces. The punching station consists of Salvagnini’s patented SPD hybrid power system with programmable stroke length for Thick Turret tools. The B, C and D punching stations are located in the tool cassette, and each tool has its own separate activation. According to comparisons and customer feedback, part times with this type of Multipress cutting concept are approximately 30% faster than, for example, with turret machines, as no machining time is lost in tool changes and sheet transfer movements are optimized. In addition, a separate tapping station is integrated into the side of the unit, using standard forming taps. The twin-clamp feed is equipped with freely positionable gripping clamps, enabling the entire sheet to be processed without waste.
Energy-saving digital manufacturing
“Cutting programs and nests are created directly from 3D models, which Salvagnini’s StreamPunch.EVO office software automatically unfolds into 2D form and nests using highly intelligent algorithms developed through decades of the factory’s own software development,” says Pasi Pitkänen of Fredko Group, Salvagnini’s representative in Finland and the Baltic countries, adding: “The patented Dry Cooling cutting head, which does not use nitrogen for cooling, together with Acut compressed-air cutting, processes the parts using only a low amount of electrical energy. At present, sheet metal cutting or forming can hardly be carried out with greater energy efficiency or lower material waste.”
