Aventics pneumatic components to drive the press.
Tectra Automation upgraded PG Bison’s 6th melamine faced board (MFB) press to increase production capacity at the company’s Mpumalanga-based plant. The scope of work included specifying equipment required for the upgrade, determining and procuring necessary pneumatic and vacuum components, retrofitting these components, control panel construction, installation and commissioning.
The press laminates melamine-impregnated décor paper onto both faces of medium density fibreboard (MDF) or particleboard. This produces decorative panels used on furniture and fixtures. Tectra Automation used Aventics pneumatic components to drive the press and Schmalz vacuum equipment to ensure press vacuum capability, using approximately 4 000 components.
“The additional capacity brings increased flexibility to our product offering,” says Brand Engelbrecht, PG Bison Manufacturing Executive. “It also ensures that we are able to maintain our standard service levels during peak trading periods.”
Tectra Automation carried out the retrofitting at PG Bison’s Boksburg facility, while installation and commissioning were done at the Piet Retief plant in Mpumalanga.
“The PG Bison engineering team completed the project earlier than planned,” says Cobus Snyman, Tectra Automation’s Senior Sales Representative. “We contributed to this achievement by providing a fast manufacturing turnaround time of the control panels and new cylinders.”
This is the second PG Bison MFB press upgrade for Tectra Automation, the first carried out at PG Bison’s Boksburg plant in 2012.
The MFB press solution.
