Cutting Edge Cleanliness.
Deep in the heart of Switzerland, Victorinox has been manufacturing its world-famous Victorinox quality knife at its site in Ibach since 1884. It all started with a small craft workshop founded there in the Canton of Schwyz by Karl Elsener.
For over 100 years, the Swiss Army Officer’s Knife was protected by law, and it has since become a synonym for Swiss quality and reliability. At the present time, 60,000 Swiss Army Knives and other pocket tools are produced daily, in a wide variety of models. In addition to these 60,000 household and professional knives are made. About 90% of this output is exported all over the world.
Modern, environmentally friendly production.
Today Victorinox provides work for 900 employees, and is recognized as a traditional firm that upholds innovation, quality, protection of the environment and social responsibility. When its ageing cleaning plants had to be replaced in 1994 and 1996, Victorinox opted for the acquisition of modern Pero solvent installations. After the plant delivered in 1994 was successfully installed and operational on several levels, it was replaced in 2007 with a installation offering higher performance. The procurement project was launched in 2005. In view of the positive experiences of acquisition and operation of the first installation, this project too was addressed with Pero AG. After a variety of cleaning experiments with a variety of cleaning agents, it became clear that trichloroethylene, the cleaning agent used up to that time, was the only one capable of meeting the customer’s requirements. After comprehensive technical clarifications in close collaboration with Victorinox, a solution was found that met all requirements.
Efficient, space-saving plant
The V2 Universal cleaning plant for A3 Hydrocarbons and Chlorinated Hydrocarbon solvents started operation in the Victorinox factory in 2007. The high vacuum plant, equipped with baths for washing and rinsing, a generously proportioned steam generator and a high performance ultrasound unit, meets the requirement for higher throughput rates. In addition to optimized product movement, which can be assigned freely to each stage in cleaning, two vacuum pumps ensure that the products being cleaned are optimally flushed, degreased and dried. The programming and maintenance software with automatic feed and the bar code reader ensures user and maintenance-staff friendliness and reduced personnel needs. Each cycle processes 2 baskets 480 x 320 x 200 mm. An automatic feed system was designed, adapted to operating conditions, and capable of handling 16 loads = 32 baskets. The roller conveyor buffer runs on two levels with a 90 degree change of direction. On the loading side, the baskets travel along the left-hand side of the installation on a single track almost at floor level to the back, where they are raised by a lifting module to feed level (height 880 mm). After return transport to the front, the baskets are moved by a transverse displacement trolley with on-board roller conveyor on to a twin-track roller conveyor, where they are carried in front of the installation to the working chamber. Here, the assigned cleaning program is automatically memorized. The working chamber is closed after each batch of 2 baskets is pushed into it. The cleaning cycle then takes place, with the corresponding product movement and flushing, bath, steam-degreasing and drying sequences. The 2 baskets are then brought out and carried away in front of the installation. At the end of the twin-track output roller conveyor, they are transferred on to the single-track output retaining roller conveyor by a transverse trolley to be carried back. After being brought down to the lower level, the baskets are once more brought to the front, where they can be removed after separation. As the available space was extremely constricted, construction involved a struggle to save every centimetre. To provide optimum access to the cleaning plant, the rearward roller conveyor is mounted on wheels and can be quickly released and pushed out of the way at need.
Range of parts
In addition to the product baskets, coils of 450 mm diameter can be cleaned on pallets. At the present time, about 100 loads, each one in 2 baskets, are processed every working day in two shifts. In this way about 12 tonnes of parts are cleaned daily. The products to be cleaned consist mainly of flat, stamped parts. Some of these are thin plates that cling together, which must be cleaned gently as a bulk product. The baskets are filled to between 60 and 90%.
On-site advice
Pero AG, a medium-sized family company in the German town of Königsbrunn, near Augsburg, has been making and developing aqueous and solvent cleaning plants since 1955. The company employs 100 people in Königsbrunn as well as 60 employees in Gothar. Pero cleaning plants are in use today all over the world, and provide innovation, quality, technical progress, environmental protection and reliability of performance.
UK Customers enjoy the same excellent support and advice from Kumi Solutions.
