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Simple and precise welding

Automated welding is productive, safe and creates space. At least when it is as simple as working with the TruArc Weld 1000 welding cell. It makes life easier for the staff and keeps the boss happy – as the transport device manufacturer SANO discovered.

SANO Transportgeräte GmbH

www.sano.at

SANO Transportgeräte GmbH was founded in 1989 by Jochum Bierma. The entrepreneur developed so-called stairclimbers, mobile electric transport solutions for heavy loads and people with restricted mobility. He had the idea patented. SANO has two sales and distribution subsidiaries, SANO Deutschland GmbH and SANO UK powered stairclimbers Ltd. The company is successfully active in 60 countries worldwide. The stairclimbers, which are predominantly made of aluminum, are made up of single parts which are manufactured by a supplier network, and developed and assembled at the headquarters in Linz. The emphasis is on quality and safety.

Industry
Transport devices for loads and people
Number of employees
55
Site
Linz (Austria)
TRUMPF products
  • TruArc Weld 1000
Applications
  • Automated arc welding

Challenges

Clever transport solutions were in demand even before online shopping took off. The ergonomic transport of heavy loads as well as of people with restricted mobility is a growing market. Safety is the top priority for SANO stairclimbers. This is why the supplied parts are welded together by highly qualified personnel at the Linz site. CEO Matthias Winkler wanted an automation solution to make the production of safety-relevant series parts more efficient in future and to make life easier for his welding technicians. But it had to be simple with no need for programming expertise.

The weld seams are perfect and the quality is consistently reproducible every single time.

Matthias Winkler
CEO of SANO Transportgeräte GmbH

Solutions

At the beginning of 2021, David Falkner, welding technician at SANO, discovered the automated welding cell TruArc Weld 1000 from TRUMPF and was enthusiastic: "It is so easy to operate the system, you do not need any CNC expertise to weld even complex parts. I could start as soon as I had downloaded the virtual training onto my mobile phone." Matthias Winkler is also impressed with the welding cell: "The complete system comprising a suction system, housing with anti-glare protection and the high-performance welding source from Fronius is a modern workstation where my employees feel comfortable." SANO uses the TruArc Weld 1000 to weld safety-relevant series parts. Once the system is set up, untrained personnel can reload the machine. This gives the welding technicians space to deal with the production of prototypes and small series. "We will continue to grow," explains Winkler. "In future, we will not only weld to a good quality standard with the TruArc Weld, but we will also be faster than ever before."

Implementation

SANO is already using the TruArc Weld 1000 to weld series parts such as the brackets that lock a wheelchair onto the stairclimber. A virtual training course which can be called up using the QR code attached to the machine facilitates immediate integration of the welding cell into the production. The company also benefits from the option of two-station operation as a large number of the parts at SANO are relatively small. An extendible partition wall divides the work area. This means that several parts can be processed parallel to production.

Forecast

As soon as all four welding experts employed at SANO have completed the virtual operator training, they will work together to prepare more and more series parts for automated welding on the TruArc Weld. The more components can be welded in automated processes over time, the more space they will have for creative work, such as new and further product development.

Find out more about the product

TruArc Weld 1000
TruArc Weld 1000

The entry-level welding cell is a fully equipped machine tool, tested by the Technical Supervisory Association (TÜV) and certified with CE. Its features include a suction system, housing with anti-glare protection and safety equipment in line with TRUMPF standards. The TruArc Weld can be operated immediately after watching a short video tutorial. The welding cell can be used in one- or two-station operation, depending on the component and lot size. This means, for example, that a larger component or smaller components in larger batches can be processed parallel to production.

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