Demand for decreased CO2 emissions means the automotive industry must not only look for new engines and powertrains, but also for solutions that provide lighter chassis and thus energy savings.
Lighter weight and greater passive safety are achieved with high-tensile steel in vehicle chassis. KIRCHHOFF Automotive, which is one of the automotive industry's leading suppliers of chassis parts and modules, has produced new metal combinations and hybrid structures for quite some time as a means of achieving these goals.
In KIRCHHOFF Automotive's opinion, press hardening is the production technology best suited for forming high-tensile steel.
Introduction of the method began with a pilot plant consisting of a press and a furnace. When it had obtained a significant level of experience in forming techniques, the company decided to invest in its own press hardening line at the plant in Iserlohn, Germany. The decisive factors were growing demand from customers and an attractive offer from AP&T.
Attractive turnkey solution
In light of the company's positive experiences of automation solutions from AP&T, it also welcomed AP&T's offer of press hardening lines with complete service. The customer procured the furnace for the press hardening line, and AP&T integrated it into the line.
Fully automated and flexible
Components move from the palette to the furnace via blank feeders on the press hardening line where they are heated up to 950°C. They are then transported to an 800 metric ton hydraulic press with AP&T's SpeedFeeder press robot. As a supplier to the automotive industry, it is important to react quickly to the varying needs of customers and build up available resources to enable the same line to produce different batches, all of which are economical and have short set-up times. As a result, the press hardening line at KIRCHHOFF Automotive was built for maximum flexibility. The tool exchange can handle press tools weighing up to 26 metric tons, and can make exchanges within a few minutes. The line is equipped with pyrometers that measure the temperature of warmed-up components. Positioning of the pyrometers is controlled automatically, enabling a high level of product quality to be combined with quick changeovers.
Major advantages with one supplier for the system
The entire press hardening line was designed according to AP&T's One Responsible Partner® concept, while the furnace was procured by the customer.
This means KIRCHHOFF only needs to interface with one partner during the entire project phase and during daily operation of the plant. All of the press line's components are naturally controlled by the same control system, which facilitates the operator's work.
KIRCHHOFF finds cooperating with one single partner that is responsible for the entire production solution advantageous, which is one reason the decision was made in AP&T's favor.
Continued investment
KIRCHHOFF is convinced there is a great deal of potential in press hardening as a production technology and that an increasing number of chassis components will be produced in this manner in the future. The company has also discovered what is needed to increase competitiveness with the technology. Since AP&T is one of the leading companies in the area, cooperation is looked upon as being exceptionally advantageous.
The technology must be refined to become even more effective, so it can be used to ensure an increased level of competitiveness. The trend of growing demand is already noticeable, and further investments in press hardening can be expected.
