FEATURE Industry 4.0 & Smart Factories y Kistler's maXYmos


process monitoring system guides a production


employee through the assembly process.


Making excellent connections


H


igh-frequency technology specialist Rosenberger is one of the “hidden champions” that Germany’s reputation as a


technological leader is based on. Well over 2,300 people are employed at the company's headquarters in Fridolfing, Upper Bavaria, close to the Austrian border with Austria. Across the globe, upwards of 11,300 employees work on solutions and services that focus on connectivity in high-frequency, high-voltage and fiber optic technology. Today, products from Rosenberger are an integral part in many vehicles, antennas, computing centres, hospitals and households all over the world. This success story dates back to 1958,


when Hans Rosenberger Senior founded the company. One of its first products was the “Stüpfler” – an implement that bakeries could use to literally “stamp” bread rolls into their characteristic shapes.


Rosenberger relies on quality monitoring by Kistler – not only during pre-series production, but also for its automated manufacturing processes. Kistler products used by this high-frequency technology specialist mainly comprise force sensors and process monitoring systems in the maXYmos series, together with other components such as a new drag chain-compatible cable.


Rosenberger's entry into the high- frequency technology segment in 1967 was a shining example of the strategic intuition and strength that still benefits the company today. From its base in Upper Bavaria, Rosenberger has achieved global success in six business fields. Especially in the last ten years, sales have continued to soar: in 2019, they reached almost EUR 1.3 billion – and Rosenberger now manufactures over three billion parts each year.


Longstanding partnership leads to exclusive supplier status


What are the critical factors behind Rosenberger's global success? Aldo Croci Torti, vice president Marketing Services at Rosenberger, answers emphatically: “Our production has an extremely high level of vertical integration – we handle all our tool manufacture, surface processing and injection molding in house – and our quality standards are very high. These advantages make us the supplier of choice for many customers – in Europe as well as America, and especially in Asia.” Since 2005, Kistler has contributed to this


Two 9340A Force Links from Kistler monitor the forces that act during the joining process.


14 June 2020 | Automation


success story by equipping Rosenberger with tried-and-tested measurement technology – the key to reliable and efficient quality monitoring. Sensor technology and process monitoring systems from Kistler are deployed at manual workstations and in semi- automated and fully automated plants. “Kistler systems are installed on many of our production lines. In fact, we now specify Kistler as the measurement


technology provider for our external special-purpose machine manufacturers,” Croci Torti adds. Christian Wimmer holds a highly


responsible position in the production operation at the Fridolfing facility. He joined Rosenberger back in 2003 as an industrial mechanic in the Tool Manufacturing department. Since 2012, he has been a member of the 40-strong Manufacturing Equipment Design department, with responsibility for Tool Design and Engineering. In practice, Wimmer's work focuses mainly on prototype assembly, ongoing optimisation of production, and issues such as ergonomics, efficiency and consistency. “When I joined the design team in 2012, Kistler was already integrated in many of Rosenberger's production processes. Depending on production volumes, we sometimes opt for manual workstations – especially in the pre-series phase. To take one example, we use force sensors from Kistler to ensure that the components in a complex connector are assembled correctly,” Wimmer explains. Rosenberger also uses the maXYmos


process monitoring and control system from Kistler to monitor entire processes, both for manual and automated assembly. “The system's integrated Sequencer Mode means that we can use maXYmos as a small control – so no additional controls are needed. Production line employees get direct feedback via the display, telling them whether the individual steps were completed correctly and what needs to be done next,” Wimmer continues.


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