In order to expand its capacities, the welding shop at CFM Schiller, based in Roetgen near Aachen, moved into a new hall in February 2018. While the welding shop previously only used cranes with lifting capacities of up to ten tons, much heavier loads can now be lifted and transported. The production and assembly departments had already been upgraded to cranes with a lifting capacity of up to 40 tons. Two ABUS double-girder overhead traveling cranes equipped with the ABUControl modular crane control system are now in operation in the welding shop: A ZLK double-girder overhead travelling crane with a 20-tonne hoist and another ZLK 10 + 10-tonne with two separately movable electric wire rope hoists, each with a load capacity of ten tons, which enable both lifting and lowering of the load as well as a turning process. With the help of the two new cranes, CFM Schiller employees can now use all hoists in tandem operation to move particularly heavy or bulky components, for example to turn them and place them precisely.

Load-bearing elements made of wood
The attachment of the crane runways to the walls of the hall is remarkable. The load-bearing elements are made entirely of wood for visual reasons, while at the same time complying with the strict fire protection regulations in the industry, which is ensured, among other things, by a special paint finish on the pillars. In the event of a fire, the hall is easier to repair as, unlike metal, wood does not deform at high temperatures. This means that only elements that are actually damaged need to be replaced. The entire project was supervised by ABUS factory representative Uwe Speck from Koblenz. CFM Schiller has been an ABUS customer for many years and uses various crane types such as pillar jib cranes and double girder overhead traveling cranes in various halls at its site in Roetgen.

The family-owned company CFM Schiller is a global manufacturer of vibration-isolated systems for test bench technology and industrial applications. The company develops and manufactures test stand components and the complete mechanics for sophisticated static and dynamic test systems, including the necessary clamping technology. The products are used in a wide range of industries; in the automotive sector, for example, axle, powertrain, tire and crash test stands are used. The company also manufactures agricultural machinery test benches, engine test benches with shaft simulation for shipbuilding and rotor blade test systems for wind turbines. Other areas include railroad and aviation technology as well as high-precision laboratory equipment. In all areas, extensive welding work with steel beams and sheets weighing several tons is necessary for the production of component elements. Series production is rare. Most products are based on welded steel or aluminum constructions. The welding department is equipped with the latest manual and robot welding technology.

Loading the plasma cutter
The plasma cutter is loaded using a ZLK 10 + 10 ton double-girder overhead travelling crane with a span of 24.6 meters. The crane is designed as a welded box girder. Its two separately movable electric wire rope hoists each have a load capacity of ten 10 tons, so when used together, both hoists can move loads weighing up to 20 tons. This means that even large steel parts with widely spaced load attachment points can be transported safely. The plasma cutting system is primarily used for cutting sheet steel to size. One of the crane's two hoists is equipped with an additional 16 amp connection to enable convenient transportation of the sheets. This supplies a vacuum lifter with energy, which can be used to lift and transport steel sheets weighing up to 2.5 tons.

Equipping the welding systems
The welding systems are supplied by an ABUS ZLK double-girder overhead traveling crane, which is also designed as a welded box girder. The crane has a load capacity of 20 tons with a span of 24.6 meters. This double-girder overhead traveling crane is used to load the two six-axis welding robots, which primarily produce heavy standard components. Components with a unit weight of up to ten tons and a length of ten meters can be precisely welded longitudinally. As with the ZLK 10 + 10-tonne double-girder overhead travelling crane, ABUControl ensures convenient operation. The 20-tonne crane with one hoist unit is controlled using the ABUS ABURemote Button radio remote control. The operator can therefore choose his position freely and move the load from the safest position in the hall and with the best overview. The suspended load is visualized both on a large LED matrix display and on the display of the radio remote control. The crane and trolley drives are each equipped with frequency inverter control for optimum start-up and speed behavior of the electric motors; this also has a damping effect on load sway.