Customized solutions
We are a turn-key machine supplier ranging from technology innovation to full-scale production equipment, ready for 24/7 production. It’s not always clear to our customers exactly what machine solution they need when they turn to us.
It’s often a matter of complex challenges where conventional solutions just don’t cut it. This requires us to not only take great responsibility and be highly innovative, but also to be experienced in a variety of industries and familiar with the entire development process. We cross-pollinate our knowledge from various industries, refine existing technologies and question established practices in our quest for the best way to achieve our ultimate goal.
Whether this involves optimizing a product lifecycle for our machine solutions, developing future-oriented platforms, automating a packaging process or developing an advanced robotic cell, we have everything we need to provide complete solutions that give your company a better, safer and more efficient production process. That’s why we’re always at the forefront when it comes to developing smart and creative machine solutions.
Experiments
In a world overwhelmed with promises, it is critical to our success that we keep our word. Our pledge to existing and prospective clients and to ourselves is that we create machine solutions through clever minds: a unique combination of talented employees with one common denominator – they all exceed in proficiency, are highly skilled and have vast experience.
The creativity of our employees comes from a curiosity and a drive to investigate, experiment and create new solutions. Sometimes this results in us being truly innovative, proof being the thirty plus patents we’ve obtained over the years.
We often face technically difficult challenges with no obvious solutions. This requires us to ignore prevailing truths and think outside the box. Our open, non-judgmental culture facilitates this innovation. We are not afraid to test our employees’ visionary ideas, even when they may seem crazy at first glance. And we are not afraid to fail. Because we know it’s through trial and error that we try new ways and find unexpected solutions.
By putting our heads together and creatively facing the challenges we will always produce the best solution regardless of problem or need. This is what we stand for today and what we will stand for in the future.
Challenge us
Do you have a technical problem that needs to be solved or a solution that you think could be running smoother and faster? Put us to the test. We’re driven by the impossible and committed to solving the unsolvable.
ARRANGING BOTTLES TO BE PICKED BY ROBOT
Using a robot, we developed a tray packer for pharmaceutical bottles.
BACKGROUND
A major player in the pharmaceutical industry came to us with a request to develop a machine solution that packaged pharmaceutical bottles in a tray. The solution had to contain several parts and there were multiple challenges:
The bottles arrived in an uneven flow on the line at a speed of up to 220 bottles a minute. A sufficient number of bottles had to be grouped and picked up simultaneously to give the robot sufficient cycle time.
The bottles had to be accurately arranged so they could be picked up by the robot. At the same time, they had to be arranged loosely enough to avoid the risk of getting caught when the robot picked them up.
The machine had to be able to handle three different sizes of bottles. One bottle model had a lid with a diameter larger than the bottle itself. When lined up, they had a built-in tendency to fall over. A precise number of bottles had to be grouped so they could be picked by the robot.
THE FIRST TEST
After an initial analysis of the entire situation and an intense brainstorming session, we arrived at an idea for a solution that we felt was both simple and powerful. We knew that we wanted to use robots as part of the solution. The first prototype was built out of wood and plywood to prove that the concept worked. After this step, we were able to continue designing the solution. Since the machine was to be used in a drug-production process, the final design also had to address challenges concerning hygiene and enable rapid, tool-less format changeover, etc.
HIGH SPEED INLINE INSERTER FOR CLICK FURNITURE
We developed a quicker and more cost-effective machine solution for our client who manufactures flooring and furniture with click technology.
BACKGROUND
Our customer who develops and licenses laminate flooring and furniture solutions uses a mechanical locking system to assemble the products, known as a click-lock solution. The locking mechanism requires a machine that installs the small plastic lock tabs in the various components. We were asked to develop a faster, more cost-effective solution for this assembly.
THE FIRST TEST
The customer had certain specific requirements for the solution. It had to be faster than the one they already had. It had to be cost-effective without compromising operational reliability. We started out with a brainstorming session based on the various functions that were absolutely necessary and looked at alternative solutions that could resolve the problems. Based on this, we chose the best solution for each function in terms of performance, price and the most reliable solution.
We built test rigs to test each function in the machine separately. The biggest challenge proved to be reaching a sufficient speed on the machinery solution without compromising on cost objectives or reliability. We created an innovative solution for inserting the plastic springs, thus achieving the goal of 300 units per minute.
MAKING IT OBVIOUS
We helped a customer shorten the product development process by several weeks with the help of a 3D printer.
BACKGROUND
Our customer in the pharmaceutical industry needed help with developing a product for a medical-device mounting fixture. The product was relatively complex, comprising several advanced components that made assembly difficult. We presented what we considered the best solution – to mount the product upside down. The customer had difficulty visualising our solution, so we had to come up with a way of demonstrating what we meant.
THE FIRST TEST
During an early brainstorming session, our engineers came up with what turned out to be an obvious solution: buy a 3D printer and print some mock-ups so the customer gets to see and touch the solution. We immediately ordered our first 3D printer, and a week later we were able to convince the customer with the help of Graniten’s first-ever 3D-printed prototypes.
Using this process enabled us to shorten the product-development process by several weeks. Since then, we’ve used the printer in countless projects to illustrate hard-to-imagine solutions and to manufacture complex components. 3D printing is now a natural part of our development process.
