Mechanica moves Electrolux refrigerators with Interroll
The technicians of Mechanica S.r.l., based in San Quirino, Pordenone province, have recently completed the delivery of the conveyor systems for the third and final production line at the Electrolux plant in Susegana, Treviso. With this completion, Mechanica has equipped the entire built-in refrigerator production plant with state-of-the-art conveying and assembly systems. The material handling technology for the entire facility was developed together with Interroll.
Paolo Mussio, general manager of Mechanica S.r.l., highlights the importance of this achievement: «Mechanica has been working on this very particular project for about 4 years. Electrolux had decided to concentrate the production of built-in refrigerators in Italy, specifically in the Susegana plant. This decision by the Swedish multinational, which is of great significance for our country, meant a special commitment and the search for top-level technological partners in material handling such as Interroll».
Mechanica is an important player in the design, production and installation of industrial conveyor systems both for production and for logistics and storage. With over thirty years of experience, it operates in the international market with plants in Italy (Pordenone), Poland and Turkey. Overall, it employs 140 people, the majority of whom are at the Italian plant, equally divided between design and production. Mechanica boasts specialization in the design and installation of assembly and conveyor systems in the white goods sector, and Electrolux is a long-standing partner.
The Electrolux plant in Susegana is unique in the white goods production landscape. The size of the plant is enormous, with 157,000 sqm of built-up area of which 110,000 sqm are production areas. The scale and particularity of the production structure led to a co-design approach, where Mechanica and Electrolux technicians developed the structures side by side, adapting them to the workflow and to any future production needs.
Alberto Tandura, project engineering manager at Electrolux, points out: «Strengthening the production of our built-in refrigerators in Susegana was a challenge we had to win no matter what. We asked our partner Mechanica to develop with us a solution that would bring a significant level of automation to the plant. The collaboration was truly intense but above all very positive. Together, we analyzed all the production requirements that could arise, and the cooperation across the entire design chain led to the development of production lines ready to respond flexibly and automatically to any management need».
Riccardo Neri, also project engineering manager at Electrolux, followed the project from its inception: «The project was challenging, but the collaboration with Mechanica helped simplify the most complex phases. Being able to share the design stage and their experience in the white goods sector meant that this long and complex project was delivered with precision and on time. We are really satisfied to have set up a plant that is efficient and at the highest level of automation».
Smart conveying solutions for refrigerators
Material handling technology is a fundamental element in the development of Electrolux production lines.
The need for a high degree of automation led to the choice of Interroll’s DC Platform.
Paolo Mussio emphasizes that for the entire plant, as it was designed, a top-of-the-range material handling technology was needed both for reliability and to meet the requirements of flexibility. The Interroll DC Platform meets these needs thanks to the possibility of designing technological systems at 24 and 48 Volts, although only the 24 Volt technology was used for the Susegana plant.
In addition to saving and containing investment for the entire system and commissioning with a significant potential reduction of errors, the DC platform, with the RollerDrive EC5000 also available in 60mm diameter, increases flexibility even in mechanical output power.
The motorized rollers used in the Electrolux plant in Veneto are 50W models that meet the most diverse conveying requirements, from light goods to heavy ones. The Interroll DC Platform also offers models with 20W and 35W power.
In connection with the Interroll Multicontrol card, which manages PROFINET, EtherNet/IP and EtherCat communication protocols, it is possible to display countless information and functionalities on screen via PLC or Web platform. The Bus interface of the RollerDrive EC5000 allows the implementation of control functions specifically required in automation.
Not only can acceleration, speed and braking of the transported goods on the system be controlled even more precisely, but objects can be positioned to the millimeter on the conveyor line, a prerequisite for continuous interaction of the conveying solutions with robots or automated gripper arms.
Paolo Mussio further emphasizes that some areas of the newly delivered third line specifically required Interroll technology: «There are areas where the Interroll motor roller technology is technically the most correct choice. For example, we have built a carousel system that extends for 140 linear meters where the product is tested electrically and for performance. The motor rollers from the DC Platform applied are simply perfect, having a very satisfying range also in terms of size. We can move everything from a complete fridge (100kg) to smaller and lighter items».
The entire Electrolux plant in Susegana has a conveying structure that extends for about 6,000 linear meters, where Mechanica installed over 1,300 RollerDrive 24V units, 335 Multicontrol cards, more than 130 power supplies and over 12,000 driven rollers.
Alberto Tandura and Riccardo Neri from Electrolux followed the development of the entire project from the very beginning, relying on the partnership with Mechanica and the quality of Interroll’s material handling technology. «Designing, developing and realizing such a production project in the province of Treviso is for us a great source of pride. Electrolux is a brand particularly linked to our country, but like all international companies, it is subject to the logic of market competitiveness. The possibility of setting up a plant capable of supplying built-in refrigerators for the whole world is a collective success of Electrolux’s design capabilities combined with the technological excellence developed by Mechanica and Interroll».
