PlanTRUSION designs and manufactures what is probably the world's ultimate handling plant for aluminium extrusions. The company recently re-engineered the gripper cylinders.

PlanTRUSION designs and manufactures what is probably the world's ultimate handling plant for aluminium extrusions. To remain competitive the company ruthlessly re-engineers its designs to employ commonly available parts that are cost effective and reliable. Recently this policy has led to the adoption of ASCO Joucomatic's PES cylinders to replace more expensive hydraulic cylinders on the gripper Head and Swing tailstock mechanisms of a 50 tonne stretcher system.

The cylinders are part of a range of standard equipment packages supplied by ASCO Joucomatic, which the customer can just call-off to simplify ordering.

The effectiveness of PlanTRUSION's modular build concept, employing the latest in control, manipulation and handling technology, is evidenced by the fact that currently over 80% of the company's production goes for export.

This success is easy to appreciate when one considers that the fully automated technology, operating with a 16MN press, would allow 2 or 3 people to handle over 6000 tonne of high quality extrusion per annum.

For all its success on world markets, with both new and retrofit equipment, external factors, notably the strong pound, mean that the PlanTRUSION must continually seek ways both to improve the performance and reduce the cost of its plant.

Historically the company has used hydraulic cylinders for many of the peripheral functions on its modular equipment.

However, the cost, complexity and potential for leakage of these units has meant that they are being replaced progressively with ASCO Joucomatic's PES (Pneumatic Euro-Standard) cylinders.

Fred Runeckles is one of the senior designers at PlanTRUSION.

'With our particular accent on export markets we are always looking to standardise components to ensure ease of replacement', he said.

'In terms of hydraulic cylinders it makes sense to replace them, where possible, with more compact, cleaner and less expensive pneumatic equivalents.

A recent case in point is the Gripper Head and Swing Tailstock mechanisms of our Stretcher System.

We have been able to replace the hydraulic cylinders on these functions with clean line PES cylinders from ASCO Joucomatic.

Apart from the cost benefits this provides, we now have cylinders that are the industry standard and are therefore totally interchangeable'.

The major feature of the PES range, as highlighted by Mr Runeckles, is that it complies with all the relevant European standards: CNOMO, ISO and VDMA.

This provides benefits to machine builders and equipment suppliers as it helps them to achieve total conformity between their machine actuation systems and their customers installed plant and equipment.

An additional aid to designers is that units from 32mm to 125mm bore in the PES range employ a clean-line aluminium barrel, which is profiled to avoid dirt entrapment areas.

The profile design also simplifies, considerably, the task of mounting magnetic detectors (standard or magneto-resistant), or valve assemblies on the cylinder barrel.

Versatile in operation, the PES range is designed for operation on dry filtered, unlubricated or lubricated air.

The cylinders contain a piston seal, which ensures low breakaway pressure and is insensitive to distortion or temperature differences (in the range -20degC to +60degC).

For operations above 60degC a high temperature PES version is available.

This extends the cylinder operating range to 150degC.

The PES cylinders are one component in a range of consolidated packages of pneumatic automation equipment, which PlanTRUSION is able to call-off from ASCO Joucomatic.

'The system of consolidated standard packages makes our ordering easy', says Fred Runeckles.

'If we want to add to a package we just contact the local ASCO Joucomatic area engineer to determine what we need.