Technology

Automated processing of metal sheets

In our company, we use production lines by Salvagnini which serve as automated centre for processing bodies made of sheet metal. The production line comprises two separate parts interlinked with conveyors and communicating with one another over the network.

The first part consists of a shearing centre in which holes are made in sheets cut differently into the desired shape. To do that, we use about 60 different cutting tools readily available in the cutting head. Thus, the semi-finished product automatically passes to the other part of the line – a bending centre. The machine positions and bends the part based on a prepared programme. At the end of the process the light's body is bent into the desired shape. The only additional operation is spot or laser welding. For bodies of the economical Unolux series there is no welding, the design of the body is adapted so that the works are completed during the bending operation on this production line.

At the present, at OMS we operate three such installations and process approximately 250 tons of sheets per month with minimum human resource requirements. One operator only always controls the whole production line. The CAD data coming from the R&D centre serve as the input for the production, which our technologists and programmers process into a programme understandable for these machines. The Salvagnini CNC programming machines are a great asset for us in mass production, as well as in customised solutions. Rapid reprogramming of machines allows us to be very flexible and productive in the relationships with customers.

Production of plastic parts

We use the Krauss Maffei injection moulding machines for production of plastic parts. The Krauss Maffei presses installed achieve the force of 2300 t and 2700 t. A six-axis automated robot receives the mouldings. For each type of moulding, we have double moulds. We use only good quality materials and proven manufacturers - Bayer, Basf, GE.

Surface treatment

Our company has commissioned the modern Ideal Line painting line equipped with cutting-edge technology with the capacity to prepare surfaces of all metal parts (Fe, Al, Zn) of a light fixture, in large quantities and excellent quality.

The whole process consists of 4 main activities with precise timing:

1, preparation, 2, drying, 3, painting a 4, burning. The line is adjusted for controls via a Web interface and so in fact, a manager can interfere with the production process at any time and from any place. We were the first ones in Europe to switch from four-sectional to three-sectional preparation in the process of pre-treatment of metal sheets using the Bonderite formulation. The time and technology saved is manifested in a more affordable price of our products.

However, the principal element of the entire process is the application of powder paint provided for using 22 automated spray guns. After application of paint from the spray gun it adheres reliably to the body of a light fixture thanks to static electricity. Having passed through a furnace at a temperature of about 200 °C the paint coating polymerises and turns into rigid, integral and durable layer. With respect to a customer’s preferences, we can prepare surfaces resistant to moisture, mechanical abrasion, chemically aggressive environment, intensive UV light, or with antibacterial properties. It takes less than 10 minutes to replace paint in the spraying line with no contamination from a previous paint.

Wiring robots

Cutting down the operating costs in large-scale production is achieved through the automation process which enables to reduce the time needed to make a lighting fixture, through flexible production, the ability to use standard components and meeting quality targets.

All of these benefits are used in a new robot-operated workplace for light fixture wiring. The unique design of the wiring head makes it possible to perform all operations needed to connect individual components of the light fixture, from cutting the exact lengths and insulating wire terminals, to precise embedding of wires in the light fixture to the actual connection. Simple programming of robots by Kawasaki allows to change wiring in a simple and quick manner.

Photometry

Accurate definition of photometric properties of lights and light sources becomes increasingly important for the light industry from many reasons:

the primary pre-requisite for a correct calculation of illumination is to know a light fixture’s lighting characteristics
the data gained are inevitable for simulation and development of light fixtures and light sources
this is the most important information about a light fixture for catalogues and presentation purposes

Our company includes a modern laboratory for measuring thermal and technical properties of light fixtures which conforms to the most recent standards and requirements for instrumentation of light fixtures and sources. As a result, we are able to retrieve all of the necessary photometric data on our products, such as:

light emission characteristics of light sources (luminous intensity curves))
lighting surface description of light sources (brightness balance)
spatial characteristics of light sources (4-dimensional brightness field, passage of light beams through various materials)
energy-related conditions and balance of light sources (light efficiency, total input power, temperature-based dependencies of the light's parameters)