A big plus point is the small footprint required. The heating zone is located in the upper part of the Toto-Tower 800 and the loading and cooling area in the lower part. © Roto Evolution

Compared to existing processes, the new rotation process in the so-called Roto-Tower 800 results in time savings with the same output as well as significant energy savings. Thanks to digital control elements, process controlling can be transparently tracked and regulated. Thanks to the modular design of the system, production can grow organically as required. Thanks to the innovative drive concept, molds can be changed without any loss of time. Cycle times and the required number of tools are minimized, as are space, time, energy and personnel costs.

The Roto-Tower can be equipped with an electric heater or a gas blower burner. The ROTO Tower measures 1,200 mm x 1,750 mm x 2,750 mm (WxDxH) and can accommodate tools with a maximum diameter of 656 mm, a height of 794 mm and a weight of around 35 kg. The ball diameter of the Roto-Tower 800 is 800 mm. The next generation is set to reach 1,100 mm.

High output on a small area

A big plus point is the small footprint required. The highly efficient heating zone is located in the upper part of the Roto-Tower, while the insertion and cooling area is located in the lower part. The drive unit with the slip ring is housed underneath in the tower's lifting frame, which moves the ball with the tool into the heating or cooling zone depending on the process phase. The entire rotation process is designed as a modular system. In addition to combined and individual heating and cooling stations, stations for manual and semi-automatic opening, for tool changes and an infeed and outfeed station for tool changes can also be integrated. If several Roto-Towers are linked in a circular arrangement to form the Roto-City and loaded and unloaded with a central six-axis robot, three times the product output per mold can be achieved and energy savings of 30 to 50 % can be achieved compared to conventional rotary processes. According to the latest findings, the total cost of manufacturing products using the ball rotation process is at least 30 percent lower than with conventional processes. The modular system and the ingenious transportation of individual tool carriers, combined with the continuous monitoring of each individual tool, enable dynamic and highly efficient production.

Versatile application possibilities

The hollow shaft slip rings of the SVTS-C series with hollow shafts from 3 to 100 mm in diameter have proven themselves with their 13 model series and numerous sizes. © Servotecnica

The successful hollow shaft slip rings of the SVTS C series with hollow shafts from 3 to 100 mm in diameter have already proven themselves in converting, packaging, CNC and pharmaceutical machines with their 13 model series and numerous sizes for applications. In addition to electrical signals and power, the cost-efficient slip rings from Raunheim-based Servotecnica can also be equipped with fieldbuses and fluidic lines. The robust slip rings in a hard plastic housing made of ABS and with steel ball bearings are designed for a service life of¹⁰⁸ revolutions. They can be used at temperatures from -20 to 80 °C. In addition to the production of series components, Servotecnica also uses its manufacturing expertise to produce customer-specific complete packages.