A day in metal processing

Variohm Group products can be used in many different industries from the production of household appliances or cars, to road construction or wood processing. There are many areas of application in which sensors, switches or gears are installed. The products can be built into a product or into a machine that assists in manufacturing or recycling and Herga’s switches, for example, could be used in metal processing.

What does metal processing mean?

The branch of metalworking is defined through the production and processing of shaped pieces of metal according to specified geometric sizes and their assembly into functional results. This may include, but is not limited to, the fabrication and assembly of pipes, connectors, or guards made of steel or other metals.

Cutting metal pieces to size

Especially when cutting pieces of metal or pipe, foot controls or hand controls are often needed to safely operate heavy and large equipment. The most well-known processes include, for example, turning, bending, rolling, milling, drilling, sawing and grinding. Foot switches are used to turn the machines on and off, while hands are used to insert a piece of metal into the machine or to shape the metal appropriately on a milling table on the cutters. In such dangerous work, it is also often a requirement to have an emergency stop switch on the machine. This allows the machine to be stopped directly in an emergency.

Stow the cut metal pieces

There are operations where the product is made to order, but in many cases there are one-size-fits-all and standards that are always kept in stock. Thus, some orders can be processed without long waiting times. However, the processed metal is not stored with the machines, but in a specially designed warehouse. Forklifts and lifting platforms are used to transport the products from the production hall to the warehouse. Especially for the latter, there are often manual controls that are used to move the electric lift up and down.

The shipment of the manufactured metal goods

In the case of a manufacturer, the packages are often picked up directly at the production site by a parcel service provider. The service provider parks his truck backwards directly at the roll-up doors provided for this purpose, so that the products can be transported from the warehouse directly into the truck at ground level.

These rolling doors can be equipped with infrared hand switches, among other things. Thus, a person in a forklift does not have to get out to open the gate with a key but can comfortably press the button from his place in the cabin, so that loading can begin directly.

 If you have any questions about our products, please feel free to contact us at sales@herga.com or by phone at +44 (0)1294 701 422.

This article is part of a series. The other articles will be published in the next few days.

Variohm: A day in aircraft building

Limitor: A day in the production of household appliances

Positek: A day on a construction site

Heason: A day in the food industry