"One of our customers manufactures filters. For that they needed special slotted screen filters. So he asked us if we could make our CONIDUR® plates into a cylindrical shape that would fit his support cylinder on site exactly. That was a challenge for us at first."
Andreas Langen knew that this was not going to be easy. But working in the CONIDUR® sales department at HEIN, LEHMANN since the mid-1990s, he has successfully implemented various projects that seemed impossible at first. In other words, as sales director he had enough experience to tell the customer confidently: Just give us a little time. We can do it.
"Due to the welding process, we could not simply wrap the CONIDUR® plate around the support cylinder and weld it in place. So we tried to mold the plate into the cylinder shape as accurately as possible so that it could rest as close as possible against the support cylinder."
But no matter what was done, a little play always remained between the CONIDUR® plate and the support cylinder. The customer, however, wanted to eliminate this gap as far as possible.
"So we asked ourselves: How can we put our cylinder more closely over the customer's cylinder? One of our employees then came up with the idea of using the laws of nature, so to speak. He relied on the fact that metal contracts when cold."
So, in a stroke of engineering ingenuity worthy of Gyro Gearloose, he organized a box of dry ice and got to work.
"With the dry ice, he applied a cold impact that shrank the customer's support cylinder. Then he fitted the newly manufactured CONIDUR® cylinder tightly over it. As soon as the customer cylinder warmed up again, it expanded – and our CONIDUR® cylinder was as tight as could be. That was extraordinary."
Mr Langen was not the only one to think so. Our customer was also highly satisfied with the final product, which was just as he had imagined it.
Do you also have a challenge for us? Then contact us – we will gladly advise you!
