For years, the piston rods kept breaking at an international machine manufacturer. Machines stood still, spare parts were needed every two years, and end customers were dissatisfied. Today, around 40 of these machines run trouble-free worldwide – with cylinders from Storz. Read here how a recurring defect turned into a global success story.
A defect that cost money
Kautex, an internationally active manufacturer of blow moulding machines, had been using Storz hydraulic cylinders successfully on one side of its machines for years – completely trouble-free. On the opposite side, however, the company chose cylinders from another supplier to move the locking rods in the robot area.
At first the solution worked. But serious problems soon appeared: the piston rods broke regularly. The consequences were expensive:
- Machine downtime and production interruptions
- High spare-parts demand – every two years
- High costs and dissatisfied end customers
The cause – and a solution that lasts
The manufacturer’s engineering department turned to Storz to get to the bottom of the issue. Our experts quickly identified the weak point: the connection between the piston rod and the locking element was not designed for long-term cyclic fatigue loading. Under continuous load, failure was practically inevitable.
On our recommendation, the technology already proven on the other side of the machine was adopted – and specifically optimised further. In 2017 we were awarded the contract to equip around 40 machines worldwide with a total of 160 new cylinders. By combining many years of experience with modern simulation technology, we developed a solution designed uncompromisingly for long-term performance.
The results speak for themselves
The conversion was completed in 2019. Since then, the machines have run permanently and trouble-free worldwide. The most convincing proof:
- In more than six years, only a single replacement cylinder was needed – in 2025 at an operator in Japan.
- Instead of recurring failures, the customer now benefits from planning reliability and dependability.
- The investment has paid off many times over – through lower spare-parts demand and minimal downtime costs.
“Since switching to Storz, our machines have been running smoothly worldwide. The combination of technical expertise and practical implementation has won us over for the long term.”
For the technically minded
Our cylinders impress not only in operation but also on paper: 400 mm stroke, up to 160 bar operating pressure, a tested tensile force of 475 kN and FEM-verified fatigue strength. Made in Germany to ISO standards, with extensive in-house manufacturing – and spare-parts availability for up to 50 years.
The full story – download the PDF
How exactly we analysed the weak point, evaluated the prototype and calculated the final solution – including the technical details on end-position cushioning, FEM calculation and customer-specific design – is described in our complete case study. Download the brochure free of charge:
Solutions that last – today, tomorrow and for decades
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We develop solutions that last – and support you personally along the way.
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