Busbar System Study Confirms Up to 75 Percent Time Savings

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A study by the Fraunhofer Institute for Material Flow and Logistics IML examined the assembly time of the new busbar system platform Ri Line X from Rittal in use at the switchgear manufacturer Gefeba Elektro GmbH. The result: Assembly can be accelerated by up to 75 percent.

Rittal commissioned an independent study by the Fraunhofer Institute for Material Flow and Logistics IML to determine the time savings in assembling its new busbar system platform Ri Line X. The result: compared to the previous Ri Line 60 solution, Ri Line X can be assembled up to 75 percent faster. The manufacturer's previous estimates, which had conservatively assumed a time advantage of around 50 percent, were thus significantly exceeded.

Significant time savings were also achieved for the assembly of devices in some cases. The study was conducted under real working conditions at the medium-sized switchgear manufacturer Gefeba Elektro GmbH in Gladbeck, accompanied by the aforementioned Fraunhofer Institute from Dortmund.

Assembly Reimagined

The new Ri Line X busbar system platform from Rittal, examined in the study, fundamentally rethinks the electromechanics of 2.4 inches busbars. An innovative "click-and-work" principle enables tool-free and quick assembly. Additionally, unlike traditional systems, there is no need to design and position holders or cut components such as the touch protection.

Ri Line X is available either as a pre-assembled complete board including copper rails for direct placement in the control cabinet or as a modular system without rails. With the modular approach, users can assemble their system highly individually from modular components. Globally available standard flat rails made of copper, aluminum, or Cuponal in various cross-sections only need to be suspended or cut to size and simply inserted.

Comparison With Predecessor System

To independently validate the speed advantages of Ri Line X during assembly, inherent in its system design, the assembly processes of Ri Line X complete boards and modular systems were compared with the assembly of the widely used predecessor system Ri Line 60 using the so-called REFA standard method. The study also differentiates between a manual assembly process and one performed using CNC-assisted drilling. The assembly work was carried out by experienced professionals from Gefeba, the Gladbeck-based specialist in control cabinet construction.

The greatest time advantage was achieved with the use of the pre-assembled Ri Line X complete boards: compared to Ri Line 60, assembly time could be reduced by 75 percent with manual processing and 80 percent with CNC-assisted drilling. However, the Ri Line X modular system also showed significant time savings, with 60 percent for manual assembly and 55 percent for automated assembly. For the modular board, the time savings with CNC drilling are slightly lower than with manual drilling, as the machine—unlike with the compact board—needs to be used multiple times and the board must be processed with various drilling plans. The time advantages in fitting device components depend on the specific type and reach up to 85 percent.

"The System Seemed Well-Thought-Out And Straightforward"

"The significantly faster assembly time of Ri Line X really surprised me," emphasized Marcel Birkenberger, Head of Manufacturing and Production at Gefeba Elektro GmbH. "Even during Rittal's product presentation, the first impression of Ri Line X was positive—the system seemed well thought-out and straightforward. However, we did not expect the actual time advantage in practice to be this substantial." Gefeba plans to leverage this advantage in the future. "High customer orientation has driven our family business forward since its foundation. If we want to maintain that, we need to keep a keen eye on innovations that enable us to meet the increasingly demanded short delivery times, even for complex solutions." Volker Schmidt, Ri Line X Product Manager at Rittal, added: "For the relevance of the study, it was important for us to select a company with seasoned professionals who have extensive experience with the efficient use of currently standard busbar systems like Ri Line 60. At Gefeba, everything fit perfectly."

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