PERFORMANCE Many industries have inconspicuous structures at their core: servers in data centers ensure that large amounts of data can be quickly processed. They are usually located in so-called racks, i. e. special protective casings. In manufacturing com- panies and almost every type of system, on the other hand, control cabinets contain important components for industrial electronics. In times of digital production processes, the demand for control cabinets is particularly high: in 2023, the German automation industry recorded strong sales growth of around 12 percent compared to the previous year. Rittal is a global player within this industry. The company provides switch cabinet systems, and automation and infrastructure solutions for the Industrial, IT, Energy & Power, Cooling, and Service sectors. Rittal's products are used in over 90 per- cent of industries worldwide. In addition to man- ufacturing, for example, in Rittershausen, Rittal relies on a sophisticated sales and manufacturing network to bring its switch and server cabinets to customers all over the world – ready for quick delivery and available from stock. A QUESTION OF SAFETY It goes without saying that manufacturers like Rittal have to face several challenges, not just in the production of the cabinets: transporting these products, which can sometimes exceed two meters in height and weigh several hundred kilos, requires sophisticated logistics including secure transport packaging. Thousands of cabinets leave the production sites every day via a dedicated 10 THE MOSCA TECHCENTER OFFERS EFFECTIVE LOAD TESTS ON DIFFERENT TEST STATIONS logistics network in Germany. In addition, products from the German factories are sent to subsidiaries abroad, from where they are shipped to the end customers. Rittal relies on two tried-and-tested means of transportation: pallets and robust strapping material. Depending on the size of the products, up to four can be securely palletized. Until recently, Rittal used a combination of horizontal and vertical strapping from strapping machines at the Rittershausen site. The tricky thing was that despite double strapping, the product and pallet could often not be per- fectlyfastenedtogether.Asaresult,thecabinets risked moving around on the pallets. “We knew that we had to minimize this risk in order to trans- port our products as safely as possible even over long and very challenging distances,” reports Philipp Grahn, Head of Global Distribution Center in Rittershausen. “So, we looked for sustainable ways to improve the quality of our load units.” TESTING FOR TRANSPARENCY But where to start? Anexternalexpertfound that the transport of the pallets in the truck – and hence acceleration and braking maneuvers – played a role in the pallet movement. Rittal has its own vibrating plate for internal product testing. “However, we wanted to understand more precise- ly what forces act on the load units during the journeys. This required extended testing options and a partner with the appropriate equipment who could objectively assess what was happen- ing,” emphasizes Philipp Grahn. Together with his team, he set out on a search and found what he was looking for at Mosca GmbH. “Mosca is an expert of strapping and stretch wrap- pingmachines.Becausewefixthecontrolcabi- nets with strapping, we wanted Mosca to assess this type of fastening more closely,” he continues. The colleagues at Rittal did not know at the time that Mosca had been operating its own “Tech- Center” in Waldbrunn since mid-2023, where it has carried out corresponding tests. Philipp Grahn and his team were all the more delighted when they heardabouttheservicesforthefirsttime:Mosca can realistically simulate vibrations, impacts from potholes, or jerky braking and acceleration thanks to appropriate equipment.“Mosca’soffercameat