The special plant for the fully automatic processing of wood fiber insulation boards, which covers an area of around 400 square meters, has required a great deal of research and development time. EBAWE Anlagentechnik GmbH, a PROGRESS GROUP company, is a machine manufacturer for the precast concrete parts industry and, with the I-System, has developed a production line for the fully automatic processing of insulating material in just two years. The individual stations are driven by linear technology from HIWIN GmbH. A total of 13 linear tables and linear modules with belt and spindle drives, as well as over 60 linear guideways, have been installed by the drive specialist from Offenburg in the new XXL plant.

The individually processed, ecological wood fiber insulation boards are used by the end customer of machine manufacturer EBAWE Anlagentechnik GmbH as a displacement body in the precast concrete industry. With a weight of up to 30 kilograms, the insulation boards displace a large part of the concrete in the composite walls. This not only saves cement when manufacturing the concrete parts, but also reduces costs and ensures raw materials are used efficiently.

The individual stations of the XXL system reliably process the individual panels. Milled and water-jetted grooves and notches for cables and pipes or inscriptions are worked into the raw panels at the individual stations. This makes each processed panel a unique piece.

The modular structure of the I-System allows it to be adapted to a wide range of customer requirements. This means that the system can be customized for a variety of other processing operations and materials. “This is a plant in a different dimension,” explains Florian Bischoff, team leader of the design department at EBAWE Anlagentechnik GmbH. The newly developed I-System includes a total of eight stations for storing, separating, gluing, labeling and cutting the insulation material, as well as milling and water jet cutting. “The biggest challenge, apart from the design effort, was to ensure that the individual stations interacted smoothly,” says Florian Bischoff. The focus here was primarily on the cycle time: a custom-made plate leaves the plant every 15 seconds.

Linear technology installed with a stroke length of almost 40 meters

Linear axes with a total stroke length of 14 meters and 25 meters of linear guideways, combined with a rack and pinion drive, achieve the dynamic movements required for the minimum cycle times.

Particularly worthy of mention is the HIWIN HD double axis installed in the I-system. It serves as a transfer unit consisting of two toothed belt axes from the HM-B series and a gigantic synchronising shaft. Over a stroke of 7 meters, the double axis transports the raw panels into the processing line at 15-second intervals. The ready-to-install system impresses with an extra-long slide and high moment load capacities in the axial direction.

The linear axes installed were designed in detail by the design teams of the two partners together: “In close coordination, we calculated the sizes, slide lengths, gear ratios and motors,” says Florian Bischoff, design team leader at EBAWE Anlagentechnik GmbH. This is where the bendable sizing tool from the drive specialist HIWIN came into play. “The option of being able to save the current project status directly online in real time made it possible for both sides to work on the project in parallel. This impressed us very much and made our work much easier and, of course, faster.”

In recent years, HIWIN GmbH has become a specialist in particular in the field of long linear axes. For example, toothed belt axes with strokes of up to 16 meters or linear motor axes with strokes of up to about 48 meters are possible. Linear axes with rack and pinion drive are also available with a freely selectable stroke in millimetre steps.
In some cases, EBAWE uses HIWIN linear guideways instead of linear axes, combined with a rack and pinion drive: “The unit is fundamentally flatter and more compact than a linear axis can ever be,” says the design team leader at EBAWE Anlagentechnik GmbH, explaining the use of linear guideways in the system. The built-in ball recirculation guides impress with their high load capacity and rigidity.
The HIWIN linear technology also scores points with all kinds of accessories. “When processing fiberboard, a lot of chips and dust are naturally produced. We had to take this into account when designing the drive technology,” explains Bischoff. All installed linear axes are therefore equipped with a sealing air connection. The overpressure created in the axis prevents dust and chips from entering the interior of the axes, thus significantly extending their service life. And the linear guideways used are also protected against the ingress of dust and dirt by a cover strip and special wipers of types SW and ZWX. “Here we were able to rely on the wealth of experience of the HIWIN technicians, who gave us excellent advice,” says Florian Bischoff in praise.

Sustainability was also considered: the chips produced during milling are extracted and collected for reuse. “A compact linear axis from HIWIN, an HM40B, is also used to transport the extraction unit,” says Florian Bischoff, Team Leader of Design Engineering at EBAWE Anlagentechnik GmbH.

Long-standing and professional partnership

EBAWE Anlagentechnik GmbH and the motion technology specialist HIWIN GmbH have been working together successfully for some time.

“HIWIN has been a very professional partner of ours for many years. It was clear that we would work closely together on this major project as well,” confirms Florian Bischoff, Design Team Leader at EBAWE Anlagentechnik GmbH. ”Fast response and reaction times are extremely important for such projects.” And the machine manufacturer for precast concrete parts also praises the easy operation of the online tools: “The sizing tool and the CAD configurator are super easy to use. And if we have any questions, the technical colleagues in the office and in the field at HIWIN are always available to help within a very short time.” The delivery times from HIWIN are also worth mentioning: “In the field of special-purpose machine construction, this is of course a major advantage and makes us even more competitive. HIWIN has always been strong in this respect, which of course brings further benefits for our cooperation,” says the design team leader at EBAWE with a wink.

HIWIN is not only a force to be reckoned with in the standard segment, but also in the development and construction of special solutions, the specialist for drive technology, based in Offenburg, impresses its customers throughout Europe with its custom-made products.

Watch the application video now!