Expansion at the Lünen production site: High-bay storage and more capabilities for R&D
Despite the current circumstances, Lünen-based fuse manufacturer SIBA is still well able to serve its customers – not least because the company opted to modernise and expand its activities several years ago. In 2018 SIBA inaugurated a production island featuring several industrial robots, and 2019 saw the introduction of a smart high-bay warehouse, improving SIBA’s delivery capacity significantly. Last but not least, last year the go-ahead was given for a step-wise renewal of the laboratory – the centerpiece of the R&D activities of the “hidden champion” in the field of electrical fuses.
“We are currently setting up the first of the new test rigs,” said Dr. Jens Weber, director of R&D at SIBA, “with more to follow.” The renewal of its laboratory is SIBA’s answer to the constantly changing and increasing requirements: “Fuses are being designed for ever increasing capabilities and ever higher currents.” Among other things, SIBA will in future be able to put high-voltage fuses to the test in its own facility – something it was not equipped to do before. SIBA’s activities in this area are primarily geared to support fuse development processes more efficiently, as “pure safety testing will also in future be sourced out to external partners who specialise in this.” Owing to the fact that the revamp of the laboratory is taking place while day-to-day operations continue, SIBA has scheduled ample time for the expansion – approximately three years according to Dr. Weber. Even now, with the installation of the new test rig, there is an uptick in the laboratory’s work load – something SIBA has solved by hiring two additional staff.
In 2018 SIBA inaugurated a production island featuring several industrial robots.
