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From Stefan Lehmann
Riesa. The new technology is housed in enclosed units and behind a darkened window. The only way to follow what is happening inside the large box is via an operating terminal and screen: Line by line, the laser follows the pre-drawn contour and cuts the shapes into the metal plate inside. The "RimeThe "T" lettering, the slanted year, a star-shaped logo: all no problem for the new machine that the Riesa-based sheet metal specialist has now acquired.
The company already had laser technology before, but the new machine is something special: "Previously, our most powerful machine managed 15 kW, but this one is Trumpf's flagship with 24 kW, so to speak," says plant manager Sebastian Krybus.
The company has spent more than one million euros on this. The additional capacity has several advantages. Firstly, thicker sheets can be processed - up to six centimeters are possible.
"However, the focus should remain on 30 millimetres," says Krybus. From the Riesa-based company's point of view, it is more important that orders can be processed faster with the new device. "We realized last year that the laser department was our bottleneck."
This has now been remedied. The new laser works about three times as fast as the older devices, so it's more up to the machine operator to keep up. "The most important factor is time. We have to be able to react quickly to customer requests."
There are various reasons why lasers are increasingly being used. For one thing, significantly more complex shapes can be cut. The cuts in the metal are also straighter and require less post-processing. A competitive advantage, explains plant manager Torsten Gast. There is only one thing the new machine cannot do: three-dimensional cutting. Other devices have to be used for this.
Company is still looking for employees
Its customers come from a wide range of sectors, from the automotive and mechanical engineering industries to the construction and food industries and environmental technology. This is probably one of the reasons why Rime is in a fairly stable position in the face of many crises. "We had a quiet start to the year," says Sebastian Krybus. However, he is satisfied with the current development. However, it is not easy to predict how things will look in the second half of the year in the industry anyway, as orders are sometimes received in Riesa with a very short lead time.
The new laser, for which Rime had to wait nine months, will certainly remain the company's biggest investment this year. But possibly not the last. "Our plan is to add a new robot," explains Sebastian Krybus. It will assist with sanding work in the future. In general, this will continue the trend towards more technology and automation.
Nevertheless, more staff are still needed, says Sebastian Krybus. Three or four more people are needed for the laser department alone. Rime currently has 125 employees, 85 of whom work in production. At the most recent "Look clean" week The interest was great, with 14 young people taking a look at the work in the company's Gröba halls. Women are also welcome - they have only worked in Rime's administration so far. For the first time, the company will therefore also be taking part in Girl's Day in the district of Meißen on April 25.
