Ceer, Saudi Arabia’s first electric vehicle (EV) brand and OEM, has partnered with Schuler to supply and install the first completely automatic press shop at its state-of-the-art Ceer Manufacturing Complex (CMC) in King Abdullah Economy City – said to be the most advanced manufacturing facility in the MENA region.

The CMC encompasses every stage of vehicle production, from press shop and body shop to paint shop and general assembly. It also integrates comprehensive logistics, waste management, warehousing, offices, a water treatment system and a dedicated vehicle test track.

Ceer’s latest milestone at the facility, just four months after raising of the first steel frame, is the start of the installation of the Schuler press shop, an important step in building the country’s EV sector. The partnership with Schuler is central to the manufacturing process, which is rapidly taking shape.

The press shop – including two press lines, a try-out press and a laser blanking line – is the nucleus of vehicle production where precisely cut metal blanks are transformed into chassis parts, and where body components like side frames, doors and bonnets are formed from sheet metal. Schuler’s presses and laser blanking lines offer an output of up to 64 parts per minute. Overall, the press and laser blanking lines offer high availability, flexibility and output, as well as decreased power consumption. Ceer’s press lines, powered by cloud-based applications, prioritise energy efficiency and sustainability.

This landmark partnership with Schuler marks a crucial first step in Ceer’s manufacturing process and will form the backbone of its EV production, paving the way for a new era of smart manufacturing in the region.

More information www.schulergroup.com

AIDA-America, a specialist in mechanical and servo press systems technology, has welcomed HMS Products, a manufacturer of press automation, to the AIDA family. AIDA and HMS have a long history of working together on turnkey solutions for customers. AIDA’s acquisition of HMS will act to strengthen further this partnership and benefit mutual customers with the resulting integrated stamping press system solutions tailored to the requirements of customers in North America.

President Kland Aida states: “Both companies are excited about the added value, as well as the additional expertise and collaboration opportunities that this new alliance brings to our customers.”

HMS will continue to operate from the company’s Troy, Michigan headquarters, with its 60-strong team remaining in place. Kevin VanDenBrouck has been appointed as COO of HMS and will lead the company into this new chapter. Under his leadership, HMS will continue to build on its 47-year history of in providing technologically advanced press automation equipment. This includes ‘through the window’ and ‘front and rear’ mounted transfer systems, blank de-stackers, custom front- and end-of-line solutions, and transfer tooling.

AIDA is a supplier of metal stamping presses and metal-forming equipment. Through engineering, manufacturing, sales, service and support, the company provides partnerships to numerous industries worldwide. AIDA servo and mechanical stamping presses are available in capacities from 35 to 4000 T and 1 to 800 strokes per minute.

Single-press, tandem-line, high-speed, lamination and cold-forging models for single-stroke, transfer and progressive-die applications provide a full range of production capabilities. Additionally, AIDA offers material handling and automation systems for turnkey solutions produced by a single manufacturer.

Sales, service, engineering and manufacturing locations in more than 40 cities across 20 countries support press installations exceeding 80,000 units in over 60 countries.

More information www.aida-global.com

International technology group Andritz has received an order from Olympic Steel to supply a cut-to-length line for its facility in Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA. The new line will enhance the company’s production capabilities and efficiency. Commissioning is scheduled for the fourth quarter of 2025.

Founded in 1954, Olympic Steel is a US metals service centre focused on the direct sale and value-added processing of: carbon and coated sheet, plate, and coil steel products; stainless steel sheet, plate, bar and coil; aluminium sheet, plate and coil; pipe, tube, bar, valves and fittings; tin plate and metal-intensive end-use products, including water treatment systems; commercial, residential and industrial venting and air filtration systems; Wright brand self-dumping hoppers; metal canopy components; and EZ-Dumper dump inserts.

The cut-to-length line has a coil capacity of 3.5 x 1525 mm wide x 27 tonnes and operates at 91 m per minute. It can handle yield strengths up to 5515 bar and process cold-rolled, pickled and oiled, stainless, and coated materials.

Key features of the new line include a heavy-duty precision leveller designed for increased separating loads, a split leveller drive system ensuring greater levelling performance, and a high-performance roll-feed system offering high accuracy and repeatability. The production shear has a capability of 60 cuts per minute, with sheet inspection following the shear.

Additional features include a reject stacking mode, an air float stacker and weigh scale, as well as a line safety fencing with gate interlocks per ANSI requirements. The electrical panels are UL-certified for safety and reliability.

This advanced equipment will ensure high performance, accuracy and repeatability in Olympic Steel’s operations. Andritz says the order underscores its proficiency and success in the metals processing industry.

More information www.andritz.com

Waldale Irwin Hodson Group (WIHG) is North America’s largest private manufacturer of licence plates, servicing 20 American states and Canadian provinces. The combined output of WIHG’s multiple factories results in 11 million plates printed per year in nearly 1000 different designs. The licence plate manufacturing process begins with massive coils of aluminium, which are fed into a press line that stamps out standard blanks of 6” x 12” rectangles with rounded corners. These blanks go on to a traditional embossing process. 

Sutherland Presses has been a manufacturing partner for WIHG since 1996. Jean Bourque, WIHG’s engineering manager for tooling, relies on Sutherland to meet the high standard of quality and efficiency that such a high volume of output demands: “I like it when I can deal with the owners directly. I also like that the presses are made with North American parts.” 

In March of 2016, one of WIHG’s factories was in need of a new press for its blank stamping line. Bourque knew that Sutherland was his best bet: “I didn’t do a lot of shopping around.”

Sutherland and WIHG agreed that the right press for the job was the next generation of the Mark series press.

The Gen 2 Mark series single-point gap-frame press exemplifies Sutherland’s commitment to innovation in metal forming, with numerous improvements made over the first generation. Featuring more steel in the C-section of the frame, angular deflection is reduced under full stamping loads, allowing for better performance in bottom coining, and permitting WIHG to form the letters of the plate with reliable high definition. Furthermore, the slide guides are designed with a taper wedge to assure long die life during production runs.

More information www.sutherlandpresses.com