Customer

The STOBAG AG plant in Muri, Switzerland, is dedicated to the manufacture of high-quality wind and weather-resistant awnings and other shading systems. STOBAG AG's products include solutions for windows, facades, balconies, patios, conservatories, glass roofs, pergolas and pavilions attuned to the architecture and environment.

With 700 employees worldwide and subsidiaries and specialist trade partners in 35 countries, STOBAG is one of the leading manufacturers of sun and weather protection solutions with operations around the world.

Project description

By the height of summer at the latest, appropriate weather protection is needed on the patio. Just as people need protection from the sun, modern and efficient production at STOBAG relies heavily on an automated high-bay warehouse for storing long goods. Comprising 32 aisles and a total of 1678 storage spaces for long goods, the 30-meter-high system supplies a constant stream of parts for the production of a huge range of shading systems.

400 custom-configured awnings – painted in virtually any color desired – are manufactured here every day. That makes a just-in-time production process essential, and the system must be integrated to the highest standards and offer maximum flexibility. One of the top priorities for STOBAG is providing customers with the most extensive personalization possible and the best quality standards, while also achieving optimum production efficiency. To manufacture products to this high standard and offer an appropriate warranty, companies need system technology of the utmost quality and components that function perfectly without exception. We have been supplying STOBAG with drive technology for several years. As a result, the warehouse, assembly plant and conveyor lines run almost exclusively on drives and inverters from SEW‑EURODRIVE and benefit from the best possible support from service engineers at our Swiss agency Alfred Imhof AG.

The first oil leak after thousands of operating hours

Since its manufacture in 2005, four parallel-shaft helical gearmotors have been working tirelessly in STOBAG's long goods high-bay warehouse, moving the grippers of the storage/retrieval system to the targeted storage space and back. It was only after more than eleven years and several thousand operating hours that the drives showed the first signs of wear and oil leaks. The staff in the Technical Service team at STOBAG AG immediately reported what they had found to our agency in Switzerland.

On visually inspecting the drives, our colleagues from Alfred Imhof AG quickly ascertained that oil from the gear unit had already entered the motor. In a case like this, the most likely cause is worn oil seals, and these ones had thousands of operating hours behind them. A vibration analysis was carried out, too, and showed that the rolling bearings had also reached the end of their rated service life.

Revolving replacement principle: Step-by-step overhaul without shutting down the system

It was important to act fast. The overarching idea was to implement a revolving replacement concept during ongoing operations! This solution was possible because STOBAG had a spare drive that it kept for those times when things don't go to plan. While this took the place of the first of the four gearmotors, drive number one was brought in for overhaul. This repaired drive then replaced the next gearmotor, and so on and so forth until all four drives were checked in turn. The as-new repair of the disassembled drives involved inspecting all the gearing and replacing the hollow shafts and bearings of the gear unit. The AC motors were de-oiled and dried. The next step was to fit new bearings and a new oil seal to the motors. During final inspection, a high-voltage test and resistance measurement were carried out on all the motors.

By adopting this approach, the project team was able to carry out maintenance on all the gearmotors at different times, one after the other. At the end of the process, awning manufacturer STOBAG had a total of five gearmotors, all restored to as-new condition – four in use and one in storage as a spare. The advantage to this revolving replacement concept is that production was disrupted only to a limited extent and for a short period of time. It looks like all should be well at STOBAG for the next ten years – at least as far as these parallel-shaft helical gearmotors are concerned. The company can once again count on smooth production operations as it manufactures its huge range of shading systems.

Further offerings and added value

• Brief check with 12-month SEW functional warranty for the drive components checked and found to be OK (excluding sealing elements)
• Pick-up and delivery service for fast pick-up and delivery of your drive technology. If necessary, including assistance from a service expert during the removal and installation of drive components
• Examination with an inspection scope and oil analysis for preventive drive technology diagnostics and prevention of production downtime
• 24h Service Hotline (01924 896 911) for round-the-clock access to trained technicians and engineers
• Never far away with 4 sites across Great Britain

Repairs

are one of the many services we offer throughout the entire system life cycle.

Only with state-of-the-art machines and systems can you achieve the best possible productivity. Using our repair service to integrate our latest drive technology and drive automation will optimize your existing system's availability and process reliability.

Further information about repairs .