Seventy years ago, two brothers opened a workshop in Southern Brazil. They went on to become the largest manufacturer of trailers and semitrailers in Latin America. To maintain this position and expand it further, the Randon Group is investing in a reduced machine pool and digitalization.
Less is more: more productivity with networking and reduction
Randon laser
www.randon.com.brRandon SA Implementos e Participacoes is Latin America's largest manufacturer of trailers and semitrailers, also producing rail carriages, special vehicles and automotive parts on a large scale - in a total of 22 factories. Ten companies, one bank and 87 hectares of test grounds also belong to the group.
Challenge
The ultimate objective of business owner Daniel Randon is to maintain the leading role the company has achieved over seven decades with vision and foresight by guaranteeing up-to-date products with cutting-edge technologies and by anticipating trends. For this reason, Randon is actively driving the digitalization of his production forward. At the moment, the group is occupied with a large retrofitting project, which is to be completed this year. Reduction of the machine pool and the corresponding operating costs is paramount. The goal is clear: Randon is aiming to operate with the largest laser cutting system in Latin America.
Solution
The decisive factor for the lower operating costs of the new TRUMPF laser cutting machines: Highspeed Eco. With this cutting process, which is suitable for all of the TruLaser Series 5000 machines and some of the 3000 Series, Randon saves 30 percent of their gas when laser cutting. What really makes this possible is an innovative nozzle that enables up to 70 percent gas savings depending on the material. Barely any cutting gas escapes and it is directed straight at the kerf. The gas pressure needed to free the kerf from molten material is reduced by up to 60 percent.
Implementation
At the moment, Randon is replacing 32 machines used for the current production of the huge trailer parts with five TruLaser machines of varying laser powers. Six TruBend bending machines will also be added, as will a STOPA storage system which will be connected to the machines. The group will manage 80 percent of their trailer production with this new production system.
Forecast
Randon believes there are two options for the future: when the market no longer requires high production, they will only work with the new system, and in doing so will have high productivity at low cost. If the market requires more production, the company can also include some older machines that they keep stored. In this case, the progressive mutual networking of the machines helps the Randon workers. "We use the intelligence and connectivity of the machines," says Bernardo Bregoli Soares, industry manager at Randon.
