With the
delivery in fall 2008 of the PIKO-G starter sets, the PIKO G-Scale program
reached a milestone. Together with the PIKO G-Track, a scant two years after
entering the G-Scale train market, PIKO now offers a complete system.To meet the growing needs for both high-quality
and high-volume production, PIKO must rapidly expand capacity at its
headquarters in Sonneberg.
For this, a
custom pad-printing machine, designed especially for G-Scale models, was
ordered early in 2008, and now it has been completed and delivered to the PIKO
factory in Sonneberg.
The
semi-trailer carrying the over 5-Ton machine arrived on time from the supplier
in Italy and all the necessary preparations had been made to accommodate the
huge machine.
The
ultramodern and fully automated machine, which was specially designed to PIKO’s
specifications for the high-pressure pad-printing requirements of G-Scale
models, was lifted off the truck and moved into the pad-printing shop.
For this, a
specially-ordered heavy-duty forklift with 10-ton capacity was used with the
greatest of care – especially so, considering the over-¼ million Euro value of
the new machine – to gently lift it off the trailer and then onto rollers for
the journey to its newly prepared location in the printing department.
The fully-enclosed
pad-print machine has its own climate-control system.For the pad-printing process, this assures
constant temperature and humidity, which provides the ideal conditions for
maintaining optimum decoration quality in the finished product.
Starting in
the middle of August, two European freight cars, the #37700 Shimmns-tu
tarp-covered car and the #37730 Eaos gondola car, became the first PIKO-G
models decorated by the new machine, readying them for delivery to retailers in
August.
With this new pad-print machine, PIKO acquired the most modern
technology in Western Europe for the production of G-Scale models.
This enables PIKO to supply PIKO-G fans with their garden railway wishes
even more quickly, all with the well-known PIKO quality.
Sonneberg,
July 22, 2008
Jens Beyer
The
semi-trailer carrying the new pad-print machine from Italy arrives on schedule
in Sonneberg.
To allow
the huge machine to be unloaded, the side covers must be completely
removed from
the trailer.
PIKO’s
technical director, Mr. Günther Heilmann, and the decoration department
manager,
Mr. Günter Götz, are very pleased with the new machine.
The
heavy-duty forklift carefully lifts the more-than-5-ton print machine from the
trailer.
The
forklift carries the print machine into the production room. The climate-controlled
compartment fully
enclosing the machine allows for maintenance of optimum
pad-printing
conditions.
Mounted on
rollers, the machine is carefully manoeuvred into its planned position
in the
decorating department.
After half an hour, the move-in is
completed.The pad-print machine has
arrived in its place in the decoration department.Now, Mr. Heilmann and Mr. Götz, as well as
Mr. Potrawa of the production department, and assistant technical director, Mr.
Eck, check the positioning and set-up of the machine.
PIKO’s
technical director Mr. Günther Heilmann, and the manger of the decoration
department, Mr. Günter Götz, stand proudly by the new pad-print machine.The
impressive size and capabilities of the
machine will be put to good use beginning
in August for production of PIKO-G
cars and locomotives.
