The main task of the R&D department is to develop product and process innovations for products in our portfolio, such as punching dies, electrical machinery laminations, cores and welded structures.
Our indirect aims are to create our own research and development facilities and thus improve our competitiveness on the market and adapt our business to meet to the new and growing demands of our customers.
The R&D team at DONAKO was set up in 2017.
Our main achievements have been:
- The design and introduction of technology for welding hydrogenerator housing in parts, (with overall diameters of up to 23m,) which have allowed us to quadruple the speed of our production cycle and reduce costs by 40%.
- The design and introduction of a laser system for the automated positioning of beams connecting the housing with the hydrogenerator core (Height 2.5m, diameter 20m).
- Significant reduction in process time and costs.
- The design and introduction of software for the automatic construction/design of transport packaging/boxes for the packaging components shop.
- The design of technology for the production of ring engine casings.
- Industrial research in electrical sheet metal punching with progressive punching dies, which have led to the optimization of the punching die manufacturing process, the introduction of new materials and changes to the structure of punching tools.
- The adoption of the SMED system.
- The drafting of design guidelines for the production of advanced progressive and conventional punching dies.
- The design and introduction of an automated line for collecting metal sheets from high speed presses based on in-house solutions.
- The design and introduction of various types of transport machines and specialized presses, used for improving the fulfilment of DONAKO projects and expanding our range of services.
- The support of other production functions, i.e., technical service, internal service - PDCA, DIMAC, 6SIGMA MES analyses, dynamic analyses.
- Initial work on design assumptions and a major contribution to drafting NCBIR documentation and securing an EU research and development project.
