BACK TO GROUPNEWS eurocylinder systems AG, a Serafin Group company, has completed an important investment project in its manufacturing. The company has been producing high-pressure steel cylinders at its headquarters in Apolda, Thuringia, for over 60 years. In order to further increase production efficiency, a second part of the furnace system was renewed and structurally modified. The first part of the oven was modernised in 2019.
The company executed this important investment measure smoothly. Renovations took place during the summer holiday season and were limited to a maximum of four weeks. The prior oven was dismantled with the new system being set up, assembled and put into operation on the first day. Tests will be carried out in the coming weeks and months to determine the optimal heat treatment parameters and to achieve optimal performance.
For bottle types with large volume and weight, heat treatment was a bottleneck in the production line. The investment now prevents such a bottleneck. CEO Michael Dathe says: “Investing in this essential part of production will enable an improvement in performance for the entire company and will also reduce energy consumption and therefore costs.”
Investment in a new CNC system
Another significant investment was made during the summer of 2022. The CNC machining center, on which the entire processing for the necks of bottles had been carried out, was replaced by a new production system. Important requirements when selecting the system technology were efficiency, reduced cycle times and reliable processes without shortages. The new CNC system with two identical machines arranged in mirror image is very flexible and is controlled via central automation. The advantage: If, for example, one machine is not in service due to maintenance, production can continue with the other.
The company employs over 100 people in Apolda and the current order book is strong. The new investments will enable eurocylinder to expand capacity for its customers. These initiatives pay off in the long term and are important to maintain a strong market position.