Nussbaum Metallhandel supplies the German market and several European countries with semi-finished products made of copper, brass and bronze to customers for spring parts and plug contacts for the automotive and electrical industries. With the decision to move into a new building, Nussbaum reviewed the efficiency and safety of coil handling. Initially, Nussbaum sought advice from the in-house supplier of standard equipment, but this was not designed for this special task. Once it was clear that only a special device could be considered, the choice quickly fell on Genkinger as a renowned supplier of standard and special storage technology products.

Until two years ago, the coils at Nussbaum were set up and lifted using a C-hook. The company improved handling in terms of safety in the old building by installing a turntable. However, the coils still had to be picked up and transported from there by crane. After Nussbaum and Genkinger analyzed and reorganized all processes, the following process is now mapped in the new building: The turning/turning table is located outside the production line. The storekeeper usually prepares all the material for a working day near it. Colleagues then move individual coils onto the turning table, place them on the correct side for further processing, remove them from this table using the special high-lift truck and move them into the production area onto defined storage areas or directly onto the reels of the machines.

Today's Nussbaum metal processing is carried out by a completely new system as well as one that was already present in the old building. Genkinger sales consultant Elmar Mößlang explains: "The specially manufactured high-lift truck can handle both Nussbaum systems and coils of different weights and sizes up to 3.5 tons. The device also transfers very narrow coils, which are secured by prismatic forks and a hold-down device, to the machine." There are around ten to 15 lifting cycles per shift, and Nussbaum has created potential for future growth. Most of the coils currently weigh between 1.8 and 2.4 tons, but the Genkinger device also handles the narrow coils with a width of just 19 millimetres precisely and quickly. "Thanks to a remote control, the employees move far away from the danger zone and are therefore always safe, even if a coil should slip," says Production Manager Wilfried Herzog. The increase in safety has noticeably reduced employees' stress levels. "The special device works as it should; the investment has proven to be very worthwhile. By transporting narrower coils, we have even been able to cover one more area of application," concludes Herzog. as