Intralogistics: producing ideas at the state of the art

All-round innovation - of products and services -  at Interroll, which is investing in quality, research and education at its multifunctional site in the town of Baal, where high performance drum motors are manufactured and where new ideas become technology.

Among the world’s foremost producers and suppliers of intralogistics products and services, Interroll caters to some 23,000 customers worldwide, with a large portfolio that is divided into four product areas: rollers; conveyor motor and drive systems; conveyors and sorters; and pallets and carton flow systems.
Innovation, research and training are the key factors that have always oriented and sustained the Interroll Group’s growth. A recent concrete example of this philosophy in practice is the concern’s investment of over 13 million euro to upgrade its site in Baal/ Hückelhoven, which has been renovated and expanded to house the new Interroll Academy and Interroll Research Center.

The new facilities at this multifunctional technology center are of strategic importance not only in terms of production but also as a campus and hub for coordinating innovation throughout the Group. They were inaugurated during the course of an Innovation Summit held on 14 April 2016, with 200 customers in attendance, along with financial operators and journalists from the international technical press in attendance. The event was kicked off by Interroll CEO Paul Zumbühl, who discussed the hot topics of the main outlet sectors for Interroll products, such as hygienic procedures for the food industry and crucial intralogistics planning issues for e-commerce.
The guests were then treated to a guided tour of the site.

The kaizen site. The first stop on the tour was the drum motor production facility, the jewel of Interroll internal logistics solutions.
The Baal factory offers a perfect example of how the Group’s production processes have been reorganized according to Interroll Production System (IPS) standards. IPS is based on the principles of lean production and kaizen (continuous improvement), following the Toyota model.
In particular, IPS provides for clear and easy to understand roles within the organization, meticulous cleanliness, reduced waste, efficient use of materials and equipment and well-defined standards. In terms of how processes are organized, the goal is to transition from autonomous assembly to one-piece-flow, as well as employing less time for modifications in order to drastically reduce delivery timeframes (thanks to IPS, Interroll now delivers approximately 97% of all 80,000 of its drum motor variants within three or four days, without the use of already finished rollers). Furthermore, the IPS model incorporates frequent intensive training workshops for employees, who are regularly involved in the process of improving production processes, with auditing and standard verification procedures.

Research and knowledge. The Interroll Research Center has also moved to Baal from its former location in Wassenberg (where it had been until 2015). The recently constructed Innovation Campus serves as a hub around which all the Group’s research and development activities are coordinated, in partnership with universities and institutional partners.
Over a total surface area of 2800 m2, some 20 engineers and technicians work in synergy with the Interroll Centers of Excellence (CoEs) around the globe, developing prototypes on the basis of detailed planning, executing specifications, analyzing patents, vetting suppliers... Production can start at the CoE only once the final product’s assembly has been defined and tested by the IRC.
The analyses carried out cover energy efficiency assets, system control, noise reduction, hygiene, new materials and, of course, conveyance, storage and sorting systems.
In such a context education is also key, which is why construction on the new Interroll Academy was completed at the end of last year. The Academy represents a place where technology, market and people meet. It will offer dedicated courses and workshops not only to the Group’s own employees and others who work with it, but also to clients, who in such a way will enjoy the possibility of constant updates on products as they and their possible applications development.

Synchronous drum motor: clean design and efficiency
The Baal facility is an extremely important site for the production of drives. Claudio Carnino, sales director and country speaker at Interroll Italia highlights a few of the advantages offered by the concern’s synchronous motor.
«Our drive guarantees efficiency, no noise and extremely reduced bulk. It requires no maintenance and has no sensors, guaranteeing minimal power loss and reducing energy consumption by as much as 30%. It also offers excellent torque, maximum acceleration and braking performance, low operating temperatures (max 45 degrees Celsius), and precise startup/shutoff functions».

The drum motor drive, combined with the superior efficiency of a permanent magnet motor, guarantees high torque and a dynamic drive with excellent energy yield (82%).  The tubular stainless steel housing, which is sealed and free of cavities, with IP66 and IP69k gaskets, reduces the risk of contamination, enabling quick and accurate cleaning and disinfection using high pressure water, steam and disinfectants.
The exclusive advantage of this solution is its ultra-compact design, which is certified by the European Hygienic Engineering & Design Group and complies with USDA/FDA and EU/EC 1935/2004 regulations for materials used in the food sector. It is also a suitable solution for applications in aseptic environments in the cosmetics and pharma sectors.