FlexLink has set up a highway/satellite solution for the toggle lever production at VW in Salzgitter. The customer, EMAG subsidiary Reinecker Karsten Kopp GmbH, manufactured the turning and grinding centres. All process stations are reached via satellite lines, the pallets are electronically coded with a data media and read/write heads are installed in the line.

Flexible highway/satellite production flow 
The work piece transport runs mainly on one highway with a raw and finished part line. All process stations are reached via satellite lines, including turning and grinding centres, drilling and thread cutting machines as well as a laser drilling, several measuring stations and a washing station.

The special features of the XK conveyor system include the special chain geometry, which allows very narrow radii in the line. With 180° bends with just 200 mm radius, extremely spaces saving layouts are made possible. The pre-assembled components allow different line layouts with standard connections between highways and satellites. 

Continuous flow with a minimum of controls 
Continuous flow means that the work pieces are perfectly accurately positioned. Further, the system will guide them back in without using pushers and diverters, thereby saving an enormous amount of controls needed as well as lowering the energy consumption. 

Proactive and continuous product and automation solutions development 
In order to be able to develop the pallet conveyor concept further through proactive product development with our customers, FlexLink has chosen to supply complete systems directly to end-users or through partners or machine suppliers. Since the entire pallet conveyor system is based on re-usable standard modules, solutions are still available in component form as well. This makes a FlexLink line a strategic production platform, since the existing systems can easily be converted, extended or reused in any way.