Investing in the future with ABUS EOT cranes: a Polish manufacturer of generators did just that

The company FOGO sp.z.o.o. (www.fogo.pl) is the largest manufacturer of power generators in Poland. In 2003 FOGO started their production in Wilkowice, west of the capital Warsaw, and continued to increase their market share in the following years. FOGO offers a wide range of gasoline and diesel powered generators in the power range between 2 kW and 2.5 MW. For 2 years now the company has also been represented in other future oriented industrial sectors, such as combined heat and power generation, biogas plants, and photovoltaics. Numerous awards testify to the innovative strength of the company and the quality of their products. More than 50% of their products are exported which led the company to become one of the top 10 manufacturers of power generators in Europe.

FOGO put much emphasis on quality and innovation as well as the use of environmentally friendly technology such as heat recovery from production processes for example. These criteria also apply to the careful selection of FOGO’s suppliers.

Economic, precise and future oriented production

Several production stages are required to produce these generators in the production plant measuring 25.000 m². The initial production stages include a cutting station with press brakes as well as a bending and welding station for tubes entirely robot controlled. At the end of these processes is a fully automated warehouse. Two modular light weight crane systems, the ABUS suspended rail systems with load capacities of 500 kg, are available to the 11 staff in order to transport the necessary elements for the production within the production plant. The second production stage includes the powder coating line. The painted semi-finished products proceed to the preliminary assembly stage where staff mount further components such as motors, generators, and heat exchangers. Four ABUS single girder EOT cranes of the ELK type with SWLs of 12.5 tonnes are installed in this part of the production plant. Once assemblage is complete, the EOT cranes are used to transport the finished products to the area of quality control where the current tests of the generators take place among other tests. The largest generators come with lengths of 16 metres and weigh above 20 tonnes. The energy generated during testing is used to heat water which in turn is used to heat the production plant. A further production area is used to manufacture biogas plants. Two ABUS double girder EOT cranes of the ZLK type with safe working loads of 16 tonnes are operating in the area and are used for the assemblage of these complex biogas systems. Biogas systems take between 2 and 6 weeks to complete.

Investment in state-of-the-art solutions

This year FOGO invested in the construction of a new production plant with a surface area of 16.000 m². The new building is to be inaugurated in January 2021 and will effectively triple the production volume. A total of 14 ABUS double girder EOT cranes of the ZLK type are going to be installed in this new building. These EOT cranes will be operated via radio remote control ABURemote Button. This new production plant is to be divided into five production sections: 3 sections for assemblage, one for the production processes of sheet metal processing (cutting, bending, welding and wet painting of large components). The last production section is fully automated (without the use of personnel): 40 industrial robots process components for generators.

The entire investment is aimed at the greatest possible automation of the production processes. Double girder EOT cranes will be in operation in each of these production stages in order to increase the efficiency of the material flow and to optimise the production processes of the generators. The cranes are fitted with tandem operation controls so that two cranes can be controlled together. Tandem controls are the preferred solution when long goods or components have to be moved between workstations. Cranes operating in this plant have also been fitted with collision protections devices. When two cranes approach each other, they are braked to the lower travelling speed before they are stopped altogether. A signal tone is emitted for safety reasons when these cranes are moving.

An additional warehouse is planned outside of the plant employing a double girder EOT crane of the ZLK type also but with a load capacity of 32 / 16 tonnes. This EOT crane features two electric wire rope hoists GM 5000. In addition, a so-called anemometer is fitted too as this crane will be operating outside at times and will thus be exposed to wind (in particular) and weather. The anemometer warns the user should the wind strengthen: depending on the strength of the wind a well visible signal lamp on the crane informs the user whether it is still safe to use the crane or whether the crane needs to be secured because of the wind and the resulting dynamic pressure.

FOGO plan long-term and implement solutions that will increase the production capacity and will also strengthen the brand's position in Europe and worldwide. The company intends to make further investments in the expansion of their warehouse capacity. ABUS Crane Systems Polska, the Polish subsidiary of ABUS Kransysteme GmbH, assist FOGO with all projects in the field of intralogistics right from the consulting stages through to the final implementation.