Hydraulic cylinder manufacturer installs first fully automated production line

Pedro Roquet are now finishing the installation of a highly automated new line at their Dinacil hydraulic cylinder factory in Centelles (near Barcelona, Spain). This is thought to be the first cylinder factory where robotic automation has been applied to the assembly and test processes in addition to the machining and painting processes.

The Roquet cylinder factory Dinacil was built in 2000 and made 32,000 cylinders in the first year of production.

In 2006 the quantity increased to over 350,000 cylinders. The new automated line will add a further capacity of 200,000 cylinders per year.

During the automated assembly and test only two operations are still manual: starting the piston nut onto the rod thread and attaching the hoses on the test rig. An additional line with similar capacity is planned and will be installed when necessary.

The cylinders produced are up to maximum 120mm bore/80mm rod and closed centres of up to 1750mm. The vast majority of cylinders produced are 50-80mm bore and 25-50mm rod. Production batches are 100-2000 of any specific type.

Most rods produced are induction hardened and are highly corrosion resistant (500 hours NSS salt spray). Unlike many manufacturers the cylinder tubes are honed AFTER welding the ports in position, which removes the typical deformations produced by this welding operation and permits some interesting damping options (piston over port), as well as dramatically improved seal life.

	Typical cylinders produced - for front loaders, small back-hoes, fork-lift trucks
	Partial view of automatic assembly area for cylinders

Roquet also produces hydraulic valves and pumps (aluminum and cast-iron) and has it's own foundry (www.fundicionesderoda.com) which also supplies some of the largest manufacturers of hydraulic components.

The company has an extensive development department and produces products specifically designed and developed to meet the arduous demands of modern construction and other mobile machinery.

For the first time Roquet will have a stand at Conexpo/IFPE in Las Vegas March 11-15, 2008 - Booth # S-15347

Pedro Roquet, S.A.
Antonio Figueras, 91
08551 TONA
(Barcelona)
SPAIN
T: +34 93 812 4664
F: +34 93 887 1798
roquet@pedro-roquet.com
www.pedro-roquet.com