Stara invests to increase the manufacturing capacity of its units
Always in Constant Evolution, Stara is making investments in all its factories at all times to increase manufacturing capacity. In the past months, the units in the town of Não-Me-Toque (headquarters), the state of the Rio Grande do Sul and the city of Carazinho, the state of the Rio Grande do Sul received several pieces of equipment to further modernize the manufacturing process.
The director of Manufacturing, Lucas Arend, points out that the investments aim to increase the manufacturing process, always maintaining the quality and excellence of the Stara brand. Lucas explains that Industry 4.0 is already a reality inside Stara: “We are qualifying and training everyone for this new manufacturing format with high productivity.”
In 2021 and 2022, the factory in Não-Me-Toque will receive investments worth R$112 million in all processes. Among them, the Machining Department, where three saws, five CNC lathes, and a machining centre were acquired. Adeli Kutzleb, who has been working in the Machining Department for 13 years, highlights that the new lathe machine has made her job much easier, automating the process, which previously had manual steps. “The new equipment encourages us to improve, to work harder, to grow together with Stara,” says Adeli.
For the Laser Cutting Department, two machines were purchased, one with 10 thousand watts and another one with 12 thousand watts so the process becomes faster. The operator of one of these machines, Roniel Hoffmann dos Santos, who has been working in the Cutting Department for nearly 13 years, explains that the new machines have brought more agility and quality, and require less physical effort, making the process easier. “I guess that working here is getting even better. I really like the way they are working to help the department evolve,” says Roniel.
Another department that received new equipment was the Pressing Department, which now has a new machine for the bending process, a plate bending machine. The Welding Department also received important investments. Two robotic welding pieces of equipment will simplify the welding process.
In the Painting process, automation and sensor technologies were implemented, improving the existing system and increasing the process productivity. The logistics, which monitor the entire manufacturing process, also received investments in equipment such as forklifts and tugs.
The assembly lines received upgrades to expand manufacturing capacity, where investments were made in automation and the implementation of the line of two new products, the Hércules 4.0 and the new Bruttus 12000.
The branch in Carazinho is also being expanded. It is currently manufacturing 104% more than expected in 2010 at first, exceeding expectations. For this year it is planned to expand the factory by 4,000 m². One of the sectors that had improvements was the Casting Process, where two furnaces were purchased, increasing the melting capacity by 150%.
The moulding lines have been extended and the casting process moulders have been automated to increase productivity. The burring process was also automated with the acquisition of a robot. The painting capacity of the unit was expanded and two horizontal machining centres were acquired. By 2022, the investments will total R$ 14 million.
Igor Barp, Manufacturing Engineering supervisor, a Stara employee from Carazinho for nearly 11 years, highlights that the new equipment works with higher speed and better performance, providing more safety in the operation and even more quality in the final product. “Technology has evolved a lot compared to when it all started. We are proud to be part of this development,” says Igor.
The investments in modernization and expansion of the Stara manufacturing process result in increased production and job creation, providing even more excellence to the Stara brand.
