Hamm AG invests in its factory: innovative long-term test facility and even greater emphasis on quality control

Over the course of the past three years, Hamm AG has realised numerous building projects at its Tirschenreuth factory. Particularly conspicuous to visitors is the new sales and development centre packed with environment-friendly technology. In the production area, investment in a new testing hall and the construction of an innovative long-term test facility underline the great importance afforded to quality at Hamm.

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The demand for Hamm AG road and earthworks compactors has been growing steadily for many years. In response, Hamm has invested more than 20 million euro in the ongoing development of its site in the north of Bavaria over the last 36 months. The biggest building projects were:

1. The construction of a modern sales and development centre with environment-friendly technology

2. Upgrading of the testing capacity to match the increased production numbers

3. Erection of a long-term test facility in which to put prototypes through their paces

The modern sales and development centre exploits the benefits of geothermal energy

Hamm has invested heavily in research and development in recent years. This has brought about a two-fold increase in the number of employees in this area and an expansion of office capacity became necessary. To accommodate them, an attractive new building with modern work stations for engineers and developers was constructed in 2013 / 2014. It provides the best possible environment in which to continue developing innovative products for customers the whole world over.

State-of-the-art environment-friendly technology beneath the associated car park ensures an agreeable climate in the new building. Instead of a conventional gas or oil-fired heating system, Hamm is exploiting the potential of geothermal energy: 48 geothermal heat exchangers were sunk 140 metres into the ground for this purpose. A special fluid circulating in the system warms up deep underground. Heat pumps and heat exchangers utilise this warmth for space heating. The system as a whole produces around 600,000 kWh/year of heat energy from regenerative energy – equivalent to a consumption of around 60,000 litres of heating oil.

And the principle can also be reversed. In summer, Hamm uses this system to cool the room air, covering around 200,000 kWh/year of its cooling energy requirement in the process. In this way Hamm is reducing its CO₂ emissions by up to 70% compared to conventional compression refrigerating machines.

Expansion of the testing capacities: more room for quality inspection

As part of the factory expansion, Hamm also invested in the quality inspection area, doubling the final inspection capacity in the process. This requirement arose from the growing production numbers. Since then, the team has been paying particular attention to the new rollers with the complex exhaust gas systems in the new testing bay.

With the state-of-the-art testing bay, the testing has also become more efficient. A new SAP module holds meticulously detailed test plans and error messages for each machine. This simplifies testing, enables accurate and swift fault analysis and facilitates quality management.

Endurance test for new developments: driverless long-term product development tests

Buyers of the next generation of Hamm rollers will reap the benefit of an investment of a very different kind: the long-term test facility. Prototype endurance testing can now be taken to a new level of intensity there. It allows the developers to operate the rollers and devices with new ancillary and special equipment day and night in hilly terrain under remote control without the need for a driver. In this way, they accumulate meaningful measurement data over the course of countless operating hours, while simulating different loads.

The long-term behaviour of new devices and assemblies is investigated with the aid of the test results. Among other things, it also enables the developers to further optimise the fuel consumption and wear and tear based on the findings. In short: the new facility enables the conduct of unique endurance tests, the results of which will make the rollers from Tirschenreuth even more robust, resilient and reliable.