Help in preparation

AMAG now uses three robots in tests

The smart factory, which is equipped with three robots, has been in operation for just over a year.(Bild: Markus Wenzel)

In order to increase the performance of its own test center in Ranshofen, AMAG has set up a so-called smart factory in its "Center of Material Innovation". The aluminum producer relies on three robots to carry out the preparation work - around the clock.

Ramona Tosone remains standing in the room with the three screens mounted on the wall. Thanks to these monitors, the employees have an immediate overview of what is happening in the Smart Factory.

Here in the part of the aluminum producer's "Center of Material Innovation" equipped with artificial intelligence, everything runs fully automatically. Three robots are on duty around the clock, seven days a week as required, taking sample sections from production and cutting them to the required sizes.

"250,000 samples are produced here every year. Over the next few years, this figure is set to rise to around 400,000," says Tosone, who heads the research and testing center in Ranshofen. Of the 160 employees in development, 60 work in materials testing.

Aviation tests take up to a month
The work requires not only a keen eye and an understanding of complex details, but also patience. While tests for aluminum products used in the automotive industry take around five days, "the tests for aviation take up to a month," says Tosone.