Made in Romania: iPAD solutions

Initiatives, commitment, determination, perspiration, search, and so on. These are the “engines” which led iPAD company to achieve remarkable results. The combination of activities from design to execution, assembly, tests, service led to increasingly varied products in very different fields. Meeting the customer demands ensures the future of the company, including by approaching complex structures. Improvement, permanent enrichment of knowledge and the seriousness of the team also warrant success in the future.

• 14 years of operation
• 90 people
• 20 digitally controlled machine tools
• 8,000 sqm of land
• 7 new production facilities
• 2,500 sqm production area
• Approx. 16 million RON turnover

This is one possible description of iPAD – iP AUTOMATIC DESIGN, located in Lunca Corbului, on the national road linking Pite[ti with Slatina and Craiova, between Dacia and Ford. Or should I describe what we managed to do with these resources? Maybe that will give you a clearer picture about us, iPAD.

We are working a great deal for the automotive industry, but also have orders in industries like aerospace or fashion articles. Most of our projects are custom built and require mechanical design, automation, pneumatic and hydraulic actuation, manufacturing of mechanical parts, assembly, testing, disassembly (for modification), reassembly, commissioning, delivery, customer service.

It is a very complex and often under pressure activity.

Our works are typically based on specific customer requirements to which we find apply an iPAD solution.

We have just delivered to a foreign customer in the premium automotive industry a full line for Diesel and petrol tank assembly. The new iPAD concept was gladly accepted by the customer. Of course there were many issues to be solved during the project, and of course we had to modify many things as we went along, but now other 2 similar assembly lines will follow. This time, with some additional automation – fully automated supply and removal of parts, with portal robots made by iPAD.

And speaking of robots, we have delivered and are currently working to full robot automation solutions. The so-called robotic cells, where certain difficult, dangerous or strenuous operations are taken over by robots. Of course, such a cell is about much more than a plugged robot. We have to prepare the functional concept of the cell, design and build the parts access and removal ways, usually motorized conveyor belts, and also deliver parts clamping devices or special tools in certain cases.

A very important element is the robot gripper, which is designed and built by us. We even brought dimensional cell measuring solutions with 0.01 mm accuracy, also designed by iPAD. The integration of these cells in the general production line, considering all the operational safety, upstream and downstream integration aspects, were also resolved by us.

Another iPAD strength is the design and manufacturing of hydraulic clamping devices for the parts to be subjected to mass production splintering processes. We have more than 10 years experience in this field and we resolved very diverse issues so far. Since 2004, we delivered more than 100 special clamping devices. Some are being used even as we speak.

Special projects such as the automatic mushroom trimming machine, chute hooks manufacturing machines for the construction industry, parts deburring machines, bucket handles manufacturing machines, welding devices, measuring and control devices, are all part of our product portfolio.

By taking advantage of our experience, we were able to also manufacture solutions for the restoration of digitally controlled machine tools, even including the replacement of the digital control units, replacement and correction of guideways, restoration of cases, and alignment to current security requirements. In addition, we had the opportunity to deliver full turnkey solutions to large scale manufacturers of parts.

These solutions consist in digitally controlled machine tools, clamping devices, tools, processing programs, service – iPAD solutions.

Development, expansion

At the time of reading this article, we would have definitely completed the last 600 sqm facility, where we planned a mass production line for parts turning and cutting. The beginning of next year will see the delivery of parts manufactured at this very facility.

An already advanced project consists precisely in the manufacturing of specialized machine tools for this production type.

This idea came to my mind a few years ago, but I kept postponing since we did not have a suitable frame manufacturing solution available. Now, this problem is fixed by developing a metal sheet high definition plasma cutting department and a digitally controlled bending machine. I hope I will be soon able to deliver the first parts turned on an iPAD machine tool – made in Romania.

In conclusion, I would like to say that all these things were made possible by a lot of work, passion, patience and determination.

I am glad to say: YES, WE CAN DO IT! I sincerely hope that things will soon turn for the better at top level in our country, in order to revive education and vocational training. We are very focused on this as far as we are concerned. More than 15% of the employees started from ground up, and some are now working on complex 5-axis digitally controlled machine tools.

Presentations of iPAD – iP AUTOMATIC DESIGN are available at:

• https://youtu.be/1YNuur1e3-U
• https://youtu.be/Mu77I3dRLs8

I hope the Romanian industrial sector will develop harmonious, to pave the way of young people to a responsible, decent and fulfilled life. No further than here, in Romania, our country.

Ion Pătrașcu,engineer, iPAD General Manager