3/19/2011
More automation for the production of solid precast concrete parts
The company Weckenmann has been providing shuttering systems for over 25 years for the production of large-sized precast concrete parts, which are fixed by magnets and provide a faster and safer way to complete the work and are also gentler on the surface. This basic idea has then been dynamically developed over the years and the next milestone to this technology was the development of the switchable magnet that is directly built into the profile. This has simplified and accelerated both, the manual and the robot-assisted positioning of the formwork.
As the market for the production of floor slabs and double walls used this technique to a large extent, it became obvious to adopt this idea for the shuttering systems for the production of solid precast concrete parts.The shuttering formwork series type M, which was launched by Weckenmann about 10 years ago, was then just as successful, although the requirements were significantly different. For the shuttering, manufacturers of solid parts are confronted with the challenge to adapt to different sizes and also to three-dimensional shape details. In order to meet this requirement, this has been solved until now by having an own set of profiles for each thickness of the element.
However, if the market required solid elements with a thickness of 100 - 500 mm, and even adjustable for many different undersizes, the limits of what are possible were quickly reached. Both space requirements and investment volume required restrictions to the most important thicknesses and the less frequently occurring intermediate thicknesses had to be shuttered in a complex way, for example, with Wood.
The Shuttering robot needs a formwork system which is a combination of standardized individual modules
This fact was especially counterproductive, when a shuttering robot was used in these plants. The shuttering robot needs a formwork system which is a combination of standardized individual modules in a modular system. Out of this demand originated a new formwork system for solid parts, which is principally based on the successful M-series. The highlight of the matter is that one or more profiles of different heights, but with the same length can be placed on top of the basic profile with integrated magnets and can be locked to it. The switchability of the magnet is passed on through a coupling element to the formwork top. The biggest challenge was to manufacture the various components of the system so precise that they can be combined arbitrarily while they fit accurately on top of each other. In the production of solid parts not only the surfaces of the parts, but also the front sides have to be manufactured in such a way that they comply to the claim of fair faced concrete.
Reliable identification of elements with RFID
While realizing the project the following question quickly arose: how can the individual composed elements be reliably and safely identified in the automated use in the environment of a robot system. The previous method using sensors which scans the length and height of the profile did not work here anymore. It is possible that a formwork height is achieved by different combinations of individual formwork profiles. The Weckenmann engineers therefore chose the RFID technology.
With this new development, which includes many interesting and clever individual solutions, Weckenmann has again succeeded to improve significantly the application of modern formwork systems in combination with the robot technology. The practical experiences of this system are very promising and you can be sure that this might just be the beginning of a groundbreaking new development.
