Precision from the filigree snow chain to the huge anchor chain

The family company Thiele GmbH & Co. KG, based in Iserlohn, specializes in everything in the form of a chain. Their expertise ranges from snow chains to huge anchor chains that keep the oil rigs in the ocean in place, up to scraper conveyors in mining. What all these products have in common is being manufactured with the highest precision. Intelligent chains even contain stretch marks and a small chip to measure and register any change in the chain, no matter how big the chain is.

Monitoring and optimizing all processes

The expensive special machines that produce the different chains have to run as smoothly as possible and avoid downtimes. Andreas Kemper, head of the electrical engineering staff, decided ten years ago on the VIPA 200V controllers, which take up little space in the cabinets. Originally, VIPA systems were a supplement and a modernization for the existing S5 technology. Today, they work independently, not only in manufacturing but also in access control at the entrance or in the pumping station for the water cooling.

High-speed CPU in the hammer of the drop forge

Parts for the conveyor elements in mining get formed in the drop forging process under a large hammer. Control commands for the air suspension valves, which cause the rise and fall of the hammer, must be carried out extremely quickly and precisely - 20 milliseconds. The hammer's downtime for maintenance and repairs was reduced from 30% to 5% with help from the new CPU 315SB/DPM controller with SPEED7 technology.

Unusual challenges require extra-ordinary solutions – with VIPA, it's no problem!

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