A global producer of metal components, Fischer Group, has chosen AP&T’s solution for the hot forming of high-strength aluminium parts. The technology enables the cost-effective production of complex components made from various aluminium alloys (6000 and 7000 series).

By replacing conventional sheet metal with high-strength aluminium, it is possible to reduce component weight by up to 40% without forsaking strength. This factor also lays the foundation for increasing the use of aluminium in cars, aircraft and other applications where there is a requirement to reduce energy consumption and/or increase safety.

“We’ve chosen AP&T as a partner for this innovation due to the company’s long experience with the technology itself and their expertise in automation and press building,” says Hans-Peter Fischer, CEO of Fischer Group. “In addition, we are very pleased with the modularity of the system, which allows us to adapt line output and meet any increases in required capacity. Finally, the servo-hydraulic press is a step forward in achieving energy-efficient production to optimise the CO2 footprint of forming technologies.”

The complete, fully automatic high-strength aluminium hot forming production line from AP&T is currently in the process of becoming commercially operational at Fischer Group’s facility in Achern, southern Germany. Included in the equipment is AP&T’s servo-hydraulic press, which enables high-precision forming control throughout the press cycle. According to AP&T, the servo-hydraulic press is also considerably more energy efficient than conventional hydraulic presses.

“Initially, the line will be used for small and medium-sized manufacturing volumes, but thanks to the flexibility of our modular system of standard components, it will be possible to expand the line and scale-up production at pace in line with demand,” says Christian Koroschetz, chief sales officer at AP&T.

For further information
www.aptgroup.com

Rhodes Interform, part of Group Rhodes, has won a contract to carry out a major refurbishment on a high-temperature Superplastic Forming Press (SPF) in the aerospace industry. The press, one of a pair manufactured by Rhodes Interform for a major customer in the northwest of England, operates continuously at 1000°C to form highly complex titanium aerostructures. This is the first major refit of the machine since its installation 10 years ago and is one of the largest projects of its type conducted in the UK in recent years.

The refurbishment by Rhodes Interform will focus on the replacement of all high-temperature components, including press platens, platen fixings, supporting insulations and heatshield trims.

Rhodes Interform’s technical director Peter Anderton says: “This is a large project which involves careful project management to ensure it can be completed on time, so the customer can return to a full production in a planned, controlled manner. We have a highly experienced team of service engineers who have expertise in running contracts which reduce plant downtime and maximise operational efficiency through planned maintenance schedules.”

To help minimise downtime, Rhodes Interform’s team of specialist service engineers will provide a seven day per week service for a period of six weeks.

Rhodes Interform provides a complete one-stop refurbishment service, from arranging for machine transportation, through to retrofitting new components and re-commissioning on site. Parent company Group Rhodes, based in West Yorkshire, boasts a 200-year metalforming history, and has been manufacturing presses to form composite materials from as early as the 1930s.

For further information
www.grouprhodes.co.uk

Stamping press specialist Komatsu is staging an educational webinar that involves two sessions this week. On Tuesday 10 August, the company will set out how users can best determine their press parameter selections. A day later on Wednesday 11 August, the webinar will focus on die set-up procedures and keeping the press in good working order. Both sessions run from 09:00 to 11:00 CST.

Komatsu wants to provide its users with the tools, as well as the knowledge, needed to stamp today’s increasingly difficult materials. The purpose of this webinar is to do exactly that. The webinar will go over the spectrum of aforementioned topics and will include live demonstrations. By the end of the webinar, press shops will be able to gain a further understanding of today’s stamping materials in order to not only maximise efficiency, but increase the life of the tool and the press. The sessions in this webinar are meant to be attended in order, although if there is one session that particularly appeals, please register.

The speaker is Art Hedrick, the owner of training and consulting firm Dieology, located in Greenville, Michigan, USA. He is journeyman tool and die maker with over 40 years of metalworking experience. In addition, Hedrick is a past instructor at General Motors University and has been the recipient of many training and education awards. He has held the position of chairman on a number of stamping councils with the Society of Manufacturing Engineers and the Fabricators and Manufactures Association.

Register at https://is.gd/nc1huL

Beckwood Press Co has recently delivered and installed a Triform model 68-10FC Fluid Cell sheet hydroforming press to a major supplier of space launch vehicles. The machine features a 1.73 m diameter round forming area that can hold one large tool or multiple smaller tools simultaneously, and a versatile recipe handling system.

Once the tooling and blank are loaded, they are transported into the press via an automated hydraulic shuttle system. The operator then sets the optimal forming pressures (up to 689 bar) and the desired dwell times, if any. Notably, the versatile recipe set-up feature allows the operator to program up to 10 individual steps, selecting the desired pressure and dwell time for each. Up to 500 recipes can be stored in the HMI for fast, easy recall.

During the cycle, a pressurised rubber diaphragm acts as a universal die half, applying equal pressure over every square millimetre of the part’s surface. The finished part is near-net-shape, requiring little or no secondary finishing operations.

“This is the largest Triform press featuring a round forming area and one of the largest sheet hydroforming machines in the world,” says Josh Dixon, Beckwood’s director of sales and marketing. “Beckwood is proud to support the ongoing efforts in commercial space travel and excited to manufacture machinery for this emerging industry.”

For further information
www.beckwoodpress.com

A Midlands-based precision stamping specialist is set to play a significant role in the development of cleaner mobility solutions. Tech company Saietta has selected Brandauer to be part of a new consortium that has won an Advanced Propulsion Centre (APC) grant to fast-track production on new electric propulsion motors for use in vehicles from scooters to buses.

Axial Flux Traction technology is said to mark a step-change in how the sector can make electric vehicles go faster for longer. Production specialists at the Birmingham-based firm will use their thin-gauge stamping and progression tool-making expertise to produce busbars and laminations for use in the state-of-the-art motors.

A nomination has secured £500,000 of R&D funding for Brandauer, with the potential to generate up to £1m of new sales in the first 12 months following project completion and more revenue to follow as manufacturing volumes increase.

“Providing cleaner transport is a major global opportunity for the UK and we are delighted to be part of the Saietta consortium to help bring important new technologies to market,” explains Rowan Crozier CEO of Brandauer. “We are heavily involved in providing specialist busbars and laminates to a number of clients in the electrification field, and this latest project will give us the perfect platform to use our ‘manufacturing to microns’ expertise to make a major difference in supporting the development of greener vehicles.”

The APC research contract will enable Saietta to ramp up production capacity to 150,000 motors per annum and trigger the hiring of 150-250 highly skilled engineers in the first round of recruitment.

For further information
www.brandauer.co.uk