Own sheet metal working machines open new possibilities

Demand for mobile units is skyrocketing. Need extra office space? A yard container? Or even a temporary home? Warsco's units always offer an excellent solution. All parts are folded, punched and reassembled like mecano at the Zutendaal site. A unique concept that counts on the machines of TRUMPF for precisely fitting pieces. V.A.C. MACHINES provided the successful guidance.

Warsco's story begins with the distribution of yard containers. But the inflation and crisis of the 1970s forced the company to take a different path: they took control of container production themselves. "Then in '87 Warsco Units came into being," recalls managing director Marc Warson. "With that, we invested in our own production equipment. Back then, we were working with steel structures and it mainly involved a lot of welding. I myself joined the business in the early 1990s. My father then had about 300 containers for rent. He predicted that if we ever grew to 600, we would have reached the ultimate. Today we have 3,500 in rental. Just to say what phenomenal growth we have experienced over the last few decades."

A new bending cell that excels at smaller work now handles the smaller profiles found in every Warsco unit.

Opening door to export

Growth meant a constant need for welders in the workshops, a scarce resource in these times. Moreover, the arrival of the EN1090 brought additional obligations around welding qualifications. Warson therefore started looking for another, better way to produce. "Actually, we were initially looking at a drilling line, but two or three exchanges later we ended up with the punching machine. By reducing our construction to profiles in flat galvanized steel, we can start putting together a package for the same price but with more flexibility. This also allows us to exceed the 200 km radius, about the limit at which logistical costs start to weigh too heavily. Punching could open the door to export."

Stable turning

That it had to be a TRUMPF was also very quickly apparent. "We need to be able to punch pieces of 5mm. Tests showed that these are a bit more difficult to extract under a turret today. However, the Sheetmaster pulls them out of the skeleton without any problems." The machine was there, a TruPunch 5000, now the punching knowledge. Production manager Musab Tekeli really stepped up in four years to become a true expert not only in operation but also in programming. "We had gotten rid of the labor-intensive welding, from now on automation was central to produce the profiles as efficiently and qualitatively as possible." At the same time came a cell for bending: TruBend Cell 5000. After all, the large and difficult to manipulate parts also had to be folded "The automation allows us to work manless and if there is a malfunction it automatically falls into pause so there is no damage." Warsco can also work "restgitterfrei," meaning there is no skeleton left after punching.

"We are still getting to know the machines better every day, and we use that experience to rethink certain components."

Twice as fast

By making profiles fit together like mechanic's pieces from now on, there are smaller pieces that recur in each unit. "We therefore needed a new bending cell that excels at the smaller work. Since series are involved in each case, automation was central," Tekeli summarized the wish list. An extensive market study led back to V.A.C. MACHINES and TRUMPF. Tekeli: "The TruBend Cell 7000 was perfect for us because of its enormous capacity. It performed twice as fast as the competitors. To give an example, here we have a part that gets four folds in 24 s. A LoadMaster that picks up the parts and prepares them for the BendMaster (robotic arm) work simultaneously and provide tremendous productivity. Because of the good experience with the offline programming software at the large cell, we had no doubts here either.

Higher, consistent quality

Warson still stands by his decision to opt for a new way of producing. "By making the switch, we can now achieve higher and more consistent quality than before. We are still getting to know the machines better every day, and we use that experience to rethink certain components. Take wire tapping for example, we only added this to the option list last minute but didn't really know what to do with it. Meanwhile, it helps us come up with new solutions and shorten assembly time. The fact that we only have one brand here in the workshop speeds up that process and simplifies the organization. All the machines speak the same language, which makes it easier to master them."   

On the occasion of Openbedrijvendag Warsco Units came up with a brand new concept: Cocon. The classic unit is transformed into a cozy home with all the luxuries of a classic house. The living area of 48 m² is heated, cooled and ventilated by means of a heat pump boiler and thus also meets the EPB regulations. "Cocon stands for the new living. 100% worry-free and 100% free. That's what we believe in," says managing director Marc Warson. "It is the ideal solution for young people who like to keep all options open or as a kangaroo home for the elderly. And because the unit is also expandable with additional modules, Cocon also offers a great alternative for families."