Air delivery network  for bus maker

Designed to enhance productivity and provide a clear, safe floor on the production lines, the Teseo ATS Air Track Supply system enables the trolley system to slide effortlessly along a 12m ATS fixed rail carrying the compressed air supply lines and the assembly tools on a balance support cable to reduce operator effort.

The Teseo HBS aluminium pipework supply network is installed 3.5m above the floor in a grid scheme parallel to the production line so that compressed air stations are provided on each side of the multi-station production line to serve the varied assembly operations as the chassis moves forward during build.

The Teseo modular aluminium pipework system for the delivery transfer of compressed air, inert gases, fluids and vacuums, features smooth bore, lightweight aluminium extrusions for increased flow and lower pressure drop. A comprehensive range of connectors and adaptors adds to the versatility of the system and allows fast and efficient installation and subsequent alterations without major down-time. System assembly does not require any threading, welding or painting and the four flat surfaces of the pipework enable easy and safe fixing. Perfect  Dual O-ring sealing eliminates air leaks reducing wasteful energy costs. The Teseo product range carries a 20 year warranty.

The new 110,000ft2 facility for Wright EN-Drive, the chassis build operations, sister company to Wright-bus passenger transport vehicle production, is brand new, giving the company significantly greater production capacity. Simon Robson, operations director, had the benefit of a clean sheet to start the layout of the new facility but had to work to a tight timeline to meet start-up schedules. He comments: "The key for me is the modular benefit afforded by the Teseo system. It is easy to make changes to the compressed air delivery network without shutting down the whole works. Teseo worked everything out with our staff – where they used air and how best to deliver it to them correctly – so they bought into the layout right away. The floor is clear and safe and the tools are in the right place. It is certainly a very effective system.”

Wright EN-Drive had a clear vision of how they wanted the production line to operate with a layout that determined what capacity of compressed air was needed at which work station. It is easy to alter or increase this capacity with the Teseo system. Special fixings were made to carry the grid pipes from the roof structures and fix the ATS running rails. Everything is colour-coded, and additional valves were installed so that each line section can be closed if expansion is required and can be fitted quickly without losing the whole line pressure and time. An accumulator system was added which provides boosted compressed air at 13 bar, 6 bar above the network’s 7bar pressure. The 13 bar compressed air is required to test the brakes of the bus before it leaves the production line.