Pipes as far as the eye can see – with diameters from three to 660 millimeters and wall thicknesses from 0.5 to 100 millimeters made of steel and stainless steel. On 30,000 square meters of hall space, Rohr-Mertl cuts, commissions, and stores 8,000 tons of steel pipes in a total of 5,000 qualities and dimensions.
Karl Mertl Handelsges.m.b.H. is a specialist for steel pipes of all kinds and has continuously expanded its range and service since its founding in 1949. The company now employs 90 people. Based in Schwechat, southeast of Vienna, Rohr-Mertl supplies various customers throughout Europe, including industrial corporations as well as workshops. In 1968, the wholesaler took over the 90,000 square meter site of the former brewery of the city of Vienna.
"In the historic vaulted cellar is one of our warehouses, and one of our KASTO band saw machines also works there," says managing director Marie Gruscher-Mertl. The family business is already being run by the fourth generation, both daughters are actively involved in management, and since 2019, son-in-law Jürgen Spannraft has been managing director.
Rohr-Mertl currently operates ten band saw machines and two hacksaws from KASTO – the oldest dates back to 1970. "We have been using the EBS 400 U hacksaw for over 50 years, and it still runs wonderfully," says Marie Gruscher. The saw is located in the company's own workshop and is used whenever employees carry out maintenance work on the buildings or shelves. "Of course, something has broken during this long time, but KASTO quickly got the machine back in shape," explains Marie Gruscher.
It is precisely this customer service that Rohr-Mertl appreciates in its partnership with KASTO. "Very high product quality, punctual delivery, and above all reliability in service cases," describes Christian Wunderlich the collaboration. He is the head of the warehouse and knows he can count on KASTO. "A new machine is quickly purchased, but when spare parts are needed, that's when the wheat is separated from the chaff. We have had excellent experiences with KASTO in this regard."
Steady growth
Since 1970, Rohr-Mertl has continuously expanded its machine park with new saw machines from KASTO. For example, in 1994, two fully hydraulic high-performance band saw machines of heavy construction, type KASTOhba AU, were added to the company. The horizontally parallel moving saw blade is suitable for cutting profiles, pipes, and solid materials in all qualities. Even difficult-to-machine materials like Hastelloy can still be reliably and quickly sawed today. "The system has been running like clockwork for 30 years now," emphasizes Christian Wunderlich.
As the old overhead storage system of type SNLS 3000 S with 1,012 cassettes was bursting at the seams, Rohr-Mertl built a new hall in 2012. Since then, the honeycomb storage UNICOMPACT 2.0 with 2,633 cells, combined with fully automatic band saws, has provided more capacity and efficient processes. "The decision for KASTO was not difficult for us," reflects Marie Gruscher-Mertl. "We already knew the quality of the products and the great service. KASTO's proposed solution also best matched our requirements. The connection to our packaging machine was also seamless."
Safe processes
Storage systems of the UNICOMPACT type are named for good reason: the storage and retrieval system (RBG) has a small footprint. This allows Rohr-Mertl to utilize a lot of space for storage purposes. "The new hall was an important milestone for us," emphasizes Marie Gruscher-Mertl. "We have not only significantly increased our storage space but also safety." The goods now come to the person and not vice versa. "Less manual handling and movement in the warehouse means reduced accident risks. This is very important to us," underlines the managing director.
To process long goods, usually in the standard length of seven meters, Rohr-Mertl uses different band saws from KASTO at the UNICOMPACT stations: KASTOtwin LE 4, KASTOssb A 2, and KASTOtec A 4.
The KASTOtec is particularly convincing in large series productions and with especially hard materials. Innovative technologies such as intelligent control achieve maximum throughput. This includes, for example, the automatic assignment and permanent storage of cutting technology. This can be tailored to the corresponding material qualities and the respective saw blade used, whether bi-metal or carbide. The KASTOtwin is an all-rounder. The machine can be flexibly used with various types of saw blades and is suitable for versatile applications due to its proven technology.
The KASTOssb cuts bars precisely and quickly – especially in series production. Thanks to the vertically running saw blade, the machine is extremely compact and delivers high performance in a small space. The special feature: The KASTOssb A 2 has a stable feed roller conveyor with fixed but adjustable sides. This makes the saw perfect for bundle and mass cutting.
Thanks to the UNICOMPACT, Rohr-Mertl has been storing and commissioning fully automated since 2012. In conjunction with the saw machines, the system processes orders without personnel. A packaging machine prepares the orders for shipping at the end of the line. "We use a proprietary ERP system that is precisely tailored to our needs," explains Christian Wunderlich. Together with KASTO, Rohr-Mertl's IT department has connected the high-bay warehouse to the ERP. "This way, we can make the best possible use of automation," adds Marie Gruscher-Mertl.
Trusting cooperation
Since 1970, the managing directors of Rohr-Mertl have valued KASTO as a reliable partner. "The then sales representative completely convinced us of his solution," recalls Alfred Gruscher, director and authorized signatory at Rohr-Mertl. "We have never regretted the decision, as the collaboration has been very pleasant over the years – both personally and by phone."
When new investments are on the horizon, Rohr-Mertl gladly accepts KASTO's offer to visit systems at reference customers and speak directly with the users on-site about their experiences. "Three of our employees are absolute experts when it comes to our high-bay warehouse and our saws. Over the years, they have gained a lot of experience," says Marie Gruscher. This is also very helpful when problems arise. "They can communicate with KASTO's service technicians on an equal footing," explains Christian Wunderlich. This way, any problem can be resolved quickly.
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