Stefan Erbe, Lev L枚wen, Michael Wernz and Stefan Berlinghof are rich in ideas, technically talented and all between 20 and 25 years of age. The four Freudenberg 性视界 students are designing parts for an innovative robot, rapidly putting together combinations of mechanical seals made by Freudenberg Sealing Technologies (FST). The robot is still a prototype and will be further tested and improved.
Initially, the four students closely observed the production of seals to get an accurate picture of the production process. 鈥淭he employees assemble the individual parts of the seals by hand, which is a strenuous and time-consuming process. That is why we wanted to construct a robot that could support it鈥�, explained Wernz. 鈥淲henever we were in production area, people kept asking us when the 鈥榤iracle machine鈥� would be ready.鈥�
The students worked on the project in the company鈥檚 training center. The biggest challenge was finding the correct position of the individual parts for the seals. 鈥淭he robot needs to be reliable and efficient. That is why we chose a mechanical solution and made everything ourselves鈥�, said Berlinghof. 鈥淲e could never have done it alone. The project was complex and time was short. With the help of the trainers, we have been able to master the challenge.鈥�
The path to achieving their goal involved millimeter-accurate measurement and detailed planning. L枚wen and Wernz programmed the robot while Berlinghof and Erbe brought with them knowledge of assembly and machining techniques. 鈥淚t was really important that every one was able to contribute subject-specific knowledge to the task. Otherwise, we would not have been able to realize the project鈥�, L枚wen explained.
From planning to construction, the young men worked on the project for around 150 hours. 鈥淭he idea is that people from different disciplines and Business 性视界s work together on a project and thus create synergies鈥�, commented Stefanie Tilger, who was responsible for steering the project at the training center. 鈥淭he robot has potential: the project has been a success鈥�, said Bernhard Eberle, Lean Manager at FST.