automatizar procesos

The benefits of Aritex process automation for wind energy, construction and intralogistics

Solving the most challenging quality and production issues is just a small part of what Aritex does for its clients. Our engineers are experts in the industries where our clients’ projects are developed, and they can detect the points where improvements can be made, with the ideal process automation for each case.

Increasing job safety, eliminating the gender gap, saving on materials and optimising processes are just some of the benefits of working with Aritex and its divisions in sectors such as wind energy, construction and intralogistics.

Table of Contents

Boosting safety in wind turbine production

The greatest stumbling block to applying robots and automated processes in the wind energy sector is the constant changes made to wind turbines in the search to make them more efficient. One of the foundations for process automation is knowing that processes are standardised enough to constantly, precisely and effectively replicate tasks. If the product’s useful life is a very short one, there is no return on investment, and so automation makes no sense in economic or productive terms.

automatizar procesos

The added value of automated solutions in markets like these is that they minimise risks for operators. The division of the Aritex Group that specialises in automatic applications for measuring, drilling and riveting, combined with specific Loxin systems and software is there for you to make your aims a reality. One of the most common applications in this field is the use of high torque screwing robots that operate under stringent quality and traceability requirements to work on the mechanism inside the hub to turn the wind generator blades. The operator no longer has to handle and move a large 30 kg drill with a torque reaction arm and other accessories such as balancers and find a way to work with the minimum degree of comfort. The robot easily reaches any screw and applies the 8,000 Nm necessary to complete the screwing process – and that’s just one example of what it can do.

Of all the sectors we work in, wind turbine production is where the heaviest parts are handled. Other industries work with parts weighing hundreds of kilograms, but the wind energy sector works with tons. That’s another reason why automation works so well in this market. You can’t leave everything in the operator’s hands and depend on their skills with a gantry crane to move parts that can weigh between 100 and 500 tons. Heavy machinery is needed, along with a certain degree of automation to do the work with the required methodology – and guarantee your employees’ safety – without leaving anything to chance. Here are some Aritex solutions that we’ve applied to the wind energy sector.

 

The challenges of process automation in the construction industry

Despite its huge turnover, the construction industry ranks among the least automated ones in the world. But Aritex’s solutions are doing their bit to advance automation there – and in some very surprising ways.

This industry is traditionally famous for the severe physical demands it imposes on its workforce and for its deeply-rooted gender bias. This has led to a progressive shortage of suitable job profiles. To counter this challenge, process automation has been presented as a solution for capturing and retaining talent thanks to the democratisation of access to this particular labour market. The aim is that with time and effort the gender gap, the need for brute force and the physical wear and tear associated with the construction industry will gradually be eliminated.

automatizar procesos

Aritex has a range of customised products for highly specific applications that have no competition in the market place. These tools have been designed to eliminate craft or manual work and improve ergonomic conditions for the people who work on building sites.

Aritex offers automation projects for the construction industry that enable tons of prefab steel to be moved with greater efficiency, reducing the use of cranes and labour by up to 70%. Thanks to safe, precise and automatic transport of materials, alternatives can be found to the wasteful use of resources found in traditional construction systems. Examples include avoiding the need for concreting steel substructures placed simply to facilitate the placement of other structures that have actually been calculated and found to be necessary. This creates an estimated saving of 25% in steel on-site and a corresponding reduction in the carbon footprint.

Having efficient and high-quality production lines for building prefab metal elements is another patent need in the building sector. Aritex has a division that specialises exclusively in the design of such lines. The people who work on Aritex production lines do so in a safe setting with safe atmospheric conditions.

Semi-automated production processes like these also reduce the carbon footprint. On-site manual production and off-site manufacture by Aritex enables machinery and equipment to be used that gets rid of useless internal intermediate reinforcement, thus reducing waste material and minimising environmental impact.

Eliminating operations with low added value

One of the most common misunderstandings of process automation is the belief that it will replace people with machines, in a process where human labour is doomed to disappear forever. Nothing could be further from the truth. What Industry 4.0 sets out to do is create a scenario of maximum optimisation where each and every resource makes sense, thus creating a need to use the technology available and so employ people’s talent in areas where it’s irreplaceable, such as the design of new solutions and products, technical team management, sales relations, etc. People are needed for tasks where the human factor is crucial.

Thanks to the growing number of technical options offered by cobots, industrial robots and the new autonomous mobile robots, people no longer have to manage tasks such as palletising or transferring goods with hand pallet trucks or forklifts. The Aritex Mobility business area offers a range of profitable options for group clients.

Our customers can discover the potential benefits of collaborative robotics, where machines form, seal and palletise boxes at the end of a line without occupying more space than the area originally used by manual operators. Collaborative robots can be adapted to any production setting and companies don’t need to budget for changes in production lines.

Automation with Aritex autonomous mobile robots enables loads to be automatically moved from point A to point B. Processes are optimised, safety is increased and bottlenecks and the risks associated with forklifts are minimised.

Every industry is a unique challenge, and these examples show how Aritex understands and helps its clients; and that’s not all, because we’ve demonstrated the transformative power of process automation in other sectors such as automobiles, aeronautics and rail. No matter who the client is, Aritex offers experience and know how to make the change that a company needs, and make it a successful one.

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