Efficient automation
with high flexibility

MINK optimizes production processes with a robot cell of MAFU-SHERPA.

August Mink GmbH & Co. KG has been setting standards in the manufacture of innovative brush solutions for decades and, since its founding in 1845, has evolved into the global market leader in modern fiber and brush technology. From a range of well over 250,000 variants, more than a million brushes are produced annually at five manufacturing plants in Göppingen. The continuous expansion of this facility and the industry’s most advanced machinery enable the production of brushes of the highest quality and faster delivery, even for custom-made products.

Before automation

When designing a new production line for thermoplastics, it was clear from the outset that efficient automation was essential. MINK was looking for a solution that would enable continuous production with maximum autonomy, even with multiple product changes each day. Therefore, it was essential to create a large yet flexible material storage system. This is where MAFU-SHERPA’s proven robotics solution came into play.

The Solution

MAFU-SHERPA’s “Stacking” program module provided the ideal solution to this challenge. In this process, blanks are stacked on pallets and made ready for processing. The robot picks them up from a pallet, loads a processing machine, and then unloads the finished parts onto a second pallet, again in stacks. Through close collaboration between MINK and MAFU-SHERPA, adjustments to the design and robot programs made it possible to increase the stacking height to a total of ten levels. A single pallet can now hold over 1,000 parts—significant progress that substantially increases the efficiency of production processes.

Manuel Fischer, Project Manager of MINK:

“I really enjoyed working on this project. With a few small but crucial adjustments, MAFU-SHERPA was able to tailor its standard system very effectively to the specific needs of MINK.”

Florian Andre, CEO of MAFU-SHERPA, also emphasizes the company’s philosophy:

“MAFU-SHERPA provides established standards for loading and unloading CNC-controlled machine tools. To a certain extent, we can accommodate customer requests, as long as the basic principle of ‘fitting the round into the square’ is maintained.”

Greater efficiency,

less labor costs

Thanks to the MAFU-SHERPA robot cell, MINK was able to significantly optimize its workforce allocation in production. Skilled workers can now focus more on quality assurance and value-adding processes, while automation ensures a smooth material flow. Production now runs at maximum efficiency—around the clock.