DERATECH
Customer Introduction
An industry giant in the grain machinery sector is a high-tech enterprise specializing in grain drying, bulk material conveying, intelligent warehousing, and smart IoT. The company provides one-stop solutions covering product R&D, manufacturing, complete engineering, and technical consulting for industries including agriculture, grain and oil, feed, and bioenergy.
In November 2025, Derateck entered into a strategic partnership with this industry giant, leveraging the intelligent laser cutting + bending unit of Phase II Smart Factory as the vehicle to jointly drive the intelligent upgrade of grain equipment manufacturing.
Project Background & Production Requirements
To align with the enterprise’s Phase II Smart Factory goals of scale, flexibility, and digitalization, it was necessary to address pain points such as low processing efficiency for large-format sheet metal parts of various types, inconsistent quality, weak digital infrastructure, and insufficient production flexibility. This led to the introduction of Derateck’s customized integrated intelligent production line: “Intelligent Stereo Material Warehouse + Automated Laser Cutting Loading/Unloading & Sorting + Automated Bending.”
Overall Solution
Automated Laser Cutting Unit
The unit is built around two FuturA 4020 6kW fiber laser cutting machines, supported by one 8-layer stereo raw material warehouse, a gantry-type automated loading/unloading system, an intelligent sorting system, and a full set of auxiliary equipment, enabling fully automated material flow from storage to finished cut parts.
(1) Core Cutting Capabilities
Compatible with materials including carbon steel, wear-resistant plate, stainless steel, and galvanized sheet, with a thickness range of 2–10 mm. Cutting area: 4000 × 2000 mm. Maximum single-part weight: 300 kg. Positioning accuracy: ±0.03 mm/m. Equipped with Maxphotonics laser resonators, Beckhoff CNC system, and intelligent cutting heads. Supports common-edge cutting and intelligent nesting to improve material utilization.
(2) Automated Logistics & Sorting
The stereo warehouse enables coordinated scheduling for automatic plate storage/retrieval and automatic return of leftover material. The composite mechanism of suction cups and fork teeth performs automated loading/unloading, with a plate-tilting thickness measurement device to prevent double-sheet feeding. Intelligent sorting is based on layout coordinates and automatic edge-finding positioning, achieving a sorting success rate of ≥99% for workpieces ≥300 × 300 mm. Supports mixed-line production with dual work orders, with manual processing interfaces reserved for small or irregular parts.
(3) Digitalization & Interfaces
Built-in Beckhoff CypNest professional nesting software supports automatic layout optimization to improve sheet utilization. Three core data categories — OEE, material utilization rate, and production traceability — are provided free of charge. Standard interfaces include Modbus TCP and API, with reserved capability for MES system integration and MQTT IoT connectivity.
Automated Bending Unit
A flexible combination configuration of “automatic bending unit + manual bending stations” is adopted, comprising two TAM-300/4100S CNC press brakes, covering the bending requirements of all product specifications while balancing mass production efficiency and complex part flexibility.
(1) Closed-Loop High-Precision Automatic Bending Unit
A 7+1 axis full closed-loop press brake with a nominal force of 3000 kN, equipped with a Data-m laser angle detection system (detection accuracy: ±0.3°), ensuring finished bending angle accuracy consistently ≤ ±0.5°. Paired with a FANUC R-2000iC/270F robot and a long-stroke floor-mounted rail, three sets of grippers with automatic quick-change, integrated gravity positioning table, and turnover frame, achieving fully unmanned operation across loading, bending, and stacking. Offline programming software reduces changeover and debugging time by over 50%.
(2) Manual Bending Station
Equipped with one 6+1 axis CNC press brake, paired with a bending support cart with a rated load of 380 kg, handling narrow-edge small parts, complex process parts, and urgent supplementary orders, complementing the automatic bending unit’s capacity to maximize line utilization.
(3) Workpiece Adaptation Range
Supports workpiece lengths from 142 to 3122 mm, thicknesses from 2 to 10 mm, single-part weight < 130 kg, and bending angles from 40° to 170°.
Whole-Line Intelligence & Safety Protection
The entire line is managed by a unified upper-level control system, with Ethernet and standard industrial protocols enabling network communication between units, centralized task distribution, centralized data collection, and full-process production monitoring. The line is equipped with fully enclosed safety fencing, safety light curtains, emergency stop interlocks, anomaly alarms, and a full set of protective devices. Dust treatment and equipment noise levels comply with relevant national environmental and safety standards.
Core Value of the Solution
High Flexibility & Adaptability: Supports mixed-line processing of multiple materials and specifications with efficient changeover, matching the multi-variety, variable-batch production characteristics of grain machinery.
Efficiency Improvement & Cost Reduction: Automated core processes reduce labor intensity and dependency, significantly increasing overall production capacity.
Consistent Quality: Closed-loop precision control across the entire cutting and bending process ensures strong product consistency, high yield rates in mass production, and reduced rework losses.
Digital Empowerment: Full-process production data is traceable, with native support for MES system integration, enabling refined management and long-term digital transformation.
Reliable Assurance: Core components are sourced from leading brands, supported by a comprehensive spare parts inventory and prompt after-sales service, ensuring stable and continuous production line operation.
The successful implementation of this sheet metal automation production line in the enterprise’s Phase II Smart Factory represents both a landmark achievement in the deepening strategic cooperation between Derateck and an industry giant, and a deep practical validation of intelligent sheet metal manufacturing solutions in the grain machinery segment. Leveraging their respective technical expertise in equipment manufacturing and grain machinery, both parties precisely targeted core pain points including multi-variety mixed-line production, large-workpiece processing, and digital production line upgrade. Through full-process collaboration from solution customization and equipment delivery to installation and commissioning, the project not only helped achieve capacity upgrades and quality improvements in sheet metal processes but also provided a replicable benchmark for intelligent transformation in the grain equipment industry.
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