Reliable performance in continuous operation

ROFA is based in Kolbermoor near Rosenheim in Bavaria. Established in 1967, it is now a global player boasting over 1,100 employees, 13 branches and an annual turnover exceeding 380 million euros. The company’s product range includes electric overhead tracks for the automotive and commercial vehicle sectors, control systems, warehousing technology and automated guided vehicles (AGVs).

ROFA’s electric overhead tracks are used in the automotive and commercial vehicle sectors to transport material and components on a track system. Brackets are used to suspend the track from the ceiling, leaving the floor space beneath the rails available for manufacturing. The heavy duty wheels in the system are in use around the clock and subjected to punishing loads. 24/7 automobile manufacturing processes demand a lot from the systems and components supplied by ROFA, and most standard components simply aren’t tough enough to withstand the heavy workload. ROFA found that the wheels it was using wore down quickly due to the constant use. The company decided to find a high-performance alternative.

The company didn’t have to look long to find the perfect partner, as Blickle has been a supplier of high-quality wheels and castors to other ROFA departments for years and came highly recommended. Working hand-in-hand with ROFA, the Rosenfeld-based wheel and castor specialists designed a specially tailored wheel - the GB 250x90/40. “Our team provided the customer with a number of different tread designs. Each underwent meticulous testing under real-world conditions at an automotive facility,” explains Thomas Zimmer, Head of Heavy Duty Wheels at Blickle. In consideration of the extreme conditions in play, Blickle’s experts optimised the tread geometry until the perfect solution was available.

The heavy duty wheels developed by Blickle have a tread made from the durable polyurethane Blickle Besthane, which is thicker than the standard versions in the company’s product range. This allows the wheel to handle any unevenness when transitioning between rails. The specially designed tread with a hardness of 96° Shore A provides a high level of rigidity and boosts the load capacity of the wheel so that it can handle heavy-duty loads weighing up to twelve tons. The polyurethane wheels also have a lower rolling resistance Blickle also incorporated two rows of high-quality angular contact ball bearings, which are capable of handling significant wheel loads without any issues.

ROFA is extremely happy with Blickle’s tailored solution, which reliably transports heavy vehicle bodies and other components around the clock. The wheels are also hydrolysis resistant to protect them against rust. Choosing Blickle has also paid off economically for ROFA as the custom solution is maintenance-free.