Full speed ahead into the mobility revolution

E-mobility and Industry 4.0 are boosting business at Prowin A + W Automationstechnik GmbH

The mechanical engineering specialist from Lower Bavaria uses networked robots and state-of-the-art camera technology to manufacture assembly lines for the automotive industry. HELUKABEL products help the company meet the extraordinarily high demands placed on these semi-automated or fully automated production lines.

The mobility revolution is in full swing. Alongside new economical combustion engines, the majority of vehicle manufacturers are currently developing fully electric or hybrid models. Rapid action is required to keep up with the advance of these drive technologies. Shop floors must be reconditioned to manufacture electric vehicles – something that often requires completely new assembly lines. For Siegfried Anetseder, this means running his factory at full speed. “We can hardly cope with the inquiries from car manufacturers at the moment,” says the founder and managing director of Prowin A + W Automationstechnik. Its workforce, which now numbers around 210 employees, is spread across three locations: Hauzenberg, Hundsdorf (both in the district of Passau) and Magdeburg. The specialist is a single source supplier of everything: sensor technology, measurement technology, robotics, test engineering, electrical assembly, software and connectivity to higher-level control and database systems. “This broad spectrum makes us a particularly powerful partner,” says Anetseder. Thanks to its own production facilities, the company can react flexibly and precisely to the requirements and wishes of its customers. Anetseder, who first set up a toolmaking business 25 years ago with his business partner Hubert Wimmer, describes on the latest expansion of the company: “Prowin recently built a new assembly shop at the Hundsdorf site. Here, assembly lines for well-known automotive conglomerates are designed, built, tested and dismantled before being installed and commissioned at the customer’s facility. The latest order was for a 104-metre (341-foot) long fully automated front axle assembly line for electric cars in which the motor and transmission, steering system, axle, and suspension components, basically the entire front section of a car, had to be assembled in 35 seconds.”

“Inquiries, orders and sample inspections are handled in real-time.”

 

Günter Ehrentreich,Area Sales Manager at HELUKABEL, key account BMW, AUDI

Such numbers aren’t just impressive to the ordinary person. Even Siegfried Anetseder is sometimes amazed at the speed of manufacturing processes in the age of Industry 4.0. “Customers today expect 98 percent machine capacity,” he says, explaining the requirements. This means an assembly line must function correctly around the clock with no interruptions. According to Anetseder, although cables only account for about five percent of the total cost of electronics in Prowin’s customer projects, they play a disproportionately important role. Based on his experience, smooth assembly workflow is only possible if all components are high quality, exceptionally robust and durable: “We can’t afford service interruptions,” he says. For this reason, the company has been gradually upgrad-ing to HELUKABEL products since 2016 and now completely relies on HELUKABEL quality for customer projects. Such qual-ity is particularly important in production lines with industrial robots. “Think how often robots are continuously moving and rotating with parts in their arms in order to place them somewhere else.”

At Prowin A+W Automationstechnik, HELUKABEL products are not only used to integrate robots into production lines, but anywhere flexi- bility and resilience are required. Typical products include control cables in a line’s electrical sub-assemblies, hook-up wires in switching cabinet construction, data cables, glands and other accessories. HELUKABEL’s new special products for efficient EMC screening offer significant benefits here: Prowin is already using class 2 (multi-wire) and class 5 (fine wire), concentrically stranded, conductor grounding cables (tinned Cu) and copper straps in varoius cross sections and lengths. “These prevent electromagnetic waves from interfering with equipment,” says Anetseder.

“These days customers expect 98 percent machine capacity.”

 

Siegfried Anetseder, Managing Director of Prowin A+W Automationstechnik GmbH

The managing director of Prowin A+W Automationstechnik GmbH is not only extremely satisfied with the quality of HELUKABEL products, he also appreciates the steady cooperation with the Hemmingen cable manufacturer and its commitment to delivery dates. Credit here also goes to HELUKABEL’s area sales manager, Günter Ehrentreich, and his sales support colleague, Sina Staiger, who work closely with Peter Degenhart, Prowin’s head of hardware planning and material procurement. “Our orders are usually delivered within two to five work-ing days; even special products arrive within 14 days,” says Degenhart. And there’s a reason for this: “Thanks to good communication, we can always discuss new requirements on short notice. This ensures rapid processing and real-time sample inspections at all times. The rest is taken care of by our logistics centre,” adds Günter Ehrentreich.