The new RUD Tecdos TMB Tool Mover Workbench makes it possible
Aalen, Germany (jm).
Can you really turn moulds, tools and even particularly large workpieces weighing up to 2.5 tonnes with a cordless screwdriver? Yes, you can. Thanks to the new RUD Tecdos TMB Tool Mover Workbench from RUD. The latest innovation from the drive technology specialist based in Aalen (Baden-Württemberg, Germany) is a novel 2-in-1 combination of workbench and turnover device. It not only allows lightweight and medium-heavy tools to be turned efficiently, but it can also be used to serve them directly on the spot. With no loss of time. In addition, the RUD Tecdos TMB saves space and protects the infrastructure in the workshop and during operation. Extremely practical: Thanks to its low weight and compact dimensions, the Tool Mover Workbench is versatile and can be used flexibly throughout the plant.
The new RUD Tecdos TMB has a table size of 80 x 80 cm and can accommodate tools and moulds weighing up to 2.5 tonnes. The latest innovation from RUD is perfect for use in the tool and mould-making industries, with injection moulding and pressing tools and with stamping, bending and forming technologies. It is also ideal for applications in the automotive, medical technology, electronics and packaging industries.
RUD Tecdos TMB completes the portfolio
“So far, users have been faced with a dilemma, especially in this weight class – because most parts are simply too heavy to be handled manually, but a crane is also not an efficient solution for something weighing just 2.5 tonnes. This is no longer necessary because our new Tool Mover Workbench makes it so simple to turn the piece using just a cordless screwdriver. It’s great that we were able to come up with an innovative solution for efficient, ergonomic and safe handling, especially for lightweight and medium-weight pieces. This is a real enrichment and rounding off of our portfolio”, explains Anne Kühling, Product Manager for the Conveyor & Drive division of RUD Ketten Rieger & Dietz GmbH u. Co. KG.
And users see things in just the same way. “The Tecdos TMB from RUD lets us safely turn injection moulds, even if there is no crane available at the respective site. In particular, the high level of work safety you get when working with this table is absolutely outstanding,” says Graduate Engineer (FH) Ralph Straberger, Managing Director of E. Straberger + Söhne Werkzeugbau GmbH, based in Kirchheim (Baden-Württemberg, Germany).
A trio of innovations
Following the RUD Tecdos TM turning table and the RUD Tecdos TS tool separator, the new workbench with integrated turning table is now the third innovation from RUD Tecdos mechanical engineering in just under two years.
The impetus for the new development came directly from the market, from the Netherlands in fact. “In the Benelux countries, tools are generally somewhat smaller and lighter. For the ranges up to 2.5 tonnes, however, there was no appropriate handling solution to date, mostly just ropes and cranes were used. But that’s dangerous and not good for the employees’ backs either”, stresses Anne Kühling. To address this, RUD not only configured its tried-and-tested RUD Tecdos TM turning table somewhat smaller – for pieces weighing up to 2.5 tonnes – but also integrated a workbench. As a result, both steps (i.e. turning and then working on the tool) can be carried out in one place and on a single piece of equipment – accelerating and optimising the whole process.
Ergonomic and safe working
The RUD Tecdos TMB makes work and repairs on the moulds not only quick and easy but above all also safe and ergonomic. The RUD Tecdos TMB turns tools and moulds weighing up to 2.5 tonnes by 90 degrees and can hold them in any angular position during the turning process. This allows staff to work on the complete mould during maintenance without any problem. The table height, in line with all standard workbenches, also makes working on the moulds particularly comfortable and ergonomic.
The RUD Tecdos TMB can be attached directly to existing workbenches and can thus be perfectly integrated into factory equipment and processes. Optional side tabletop surfaces serve as an extension to the workbench, shelf or assembly surface. Extremely practical: Drawers can also be attached to the Tool Mover Workbench so that maintenance tools are always within easy reach.
Give the crane a break
Cranes and ropes for handling workpieces, tools and moulds are really no longer necessary with the RUD Tecdos TMB, so they can be saved for other purposes. The workbench with an integrated turning table enables fully DGUV-compliant safe working. (DGUV = German Social Accident Insurance). “Anyone who uses a crane to haul or pull loads across the floor is not only creating a hazard but is also in contravention of current standards. For instance, Paragraph §37 of German trade associations accident prevention regulations for cranes expressly prohibits this”, says Kühling.
The integrated Tecdos drive: a well-rounded solution
The turnover device integrated into the workbench is designed to axially rotate tools and machine components of up to 2.5 tonnes. This ensures that even the heaviest loads can be rotated and turned over reliably and safely. The turning takes place at the centre of gravity of the load and is therefore absolutely smooth and safe. The cordless screwdriver is connected using a special plug-in attachment. The turning table is equipped with a high-end Tecdos drive system that ensures perfect rotation during the turning process.
Compact and flexible
Compact dimensions of approx. 118 x 67 cm (L x W) make the RUD Tecdos TMB particularly space-saving and flexible to use in the factory and workshop. It can be moved using a pallet truck, forklift or crane. And yet another benefit: The RUD Tecdos TMB also protects the entire infrastructure, such as the production hall floor or crane, because tools and machine components no longer have to be dragged across the hall to maintenance points.
Link to the landing page: www.rud.com/en/fa-rud-tecdos-mechanical-engineering
Author: Sabrina Deininger
About RUD:
The company RUD Ketten Rieger & Dietz GmbH u. Co. KG was founded by Carl Rieger and Friedrich Dietz in Aalen, Southern Germany, in 1875. Today, it has a workforce of more than 1,700 employees in 120 countries and achieves annual revenues of over 200 million Euros. RUD is acknowledged as the global leader in the tyre chains, sling chains and chain systems industry (According to the German business journal Wirtschaftswoche, Prestige-Hochschule St. Gallen). With the group’s motto, “Tradition in Dynamic Innovation” firmly in mind, this family-run company continues to manufacture integrated chain and component solutions at its sites in countries including Germany, Australia, Brazil, China, India, Romania and the USA. Its product ranges not only include attachment fittings and non-skid chains but also hoist chains and conveyor systems. The long-established German company also manufactures tyre protection chains and interior and exterior fixtures and fittings.