Raufoss Technology
Specially built hydraulic press for aluminum forging line
- Industry
- Automotive
- Application
- Press systems & Forging
- Date
Shorter cycle times and more efficient process from AP&T’s upgrade of Raufoss Technology’s forging line
Raufoss Technology in Raufoss, Norway, manufactures link arms and other aluminum parts for the automotive industry. By having long-standing partner AP&T upgrade one of the company's existing forging lines with a new, specially designed 2,500 ton hydraulic press, not only have the press’ cycle times been reduced but the company can now also manufacture larger parts than before.
Some projects are simply more challenging than others, and in this case the challenge was twofold. The first challenge was the design and construction of the press. To be integrated into the existing line, the new press with its higher tonnage had to be adapted to the physical limitations of the factory premises. Among these were the ceiling height and the size of the foundation, which required a lot of special solutions. Secondly, there was the matter of time. Raufoss Technology wished to have the upgrade completed as quickly as possible. AP&T's answer was a tight schedule in which everything needed to go according to plan to reach the finish line.
“We had a tight slot for installation, but AP&T did a good job and everything was finished on time,” says Ole Ronny Heksum, project manager at Raufoss Technology.
One year after the order was signed, almost to the day, the machines and control system were finally in place around the turn of the year 2022/2023.
“We had to lift the press through the roof of the factory using a crane. Everything went smoothly and the entire installation, including the integration and commissioning, was completed in just 12 days,” says Mikael Karlsson, Product Manager of Presses at AP&T.
Multi-step production process
Since January 2024, the facility in Raufoss has been producing. The actual manufacturing of the aluminum parts takes place in a process with a great number of steps. Cylindrical blanks are heated and then formed in several steps, including a specially designed forming machine, also from AP&T. After pre-forming, the blank is taken to the new hydraulic press where the forging operation takes place, to finally be edge-cut in the last press of the line.
“After a period of adjustment, we can now manufacture parts with significantly higher pressing forces and at a higher production rate than before,” says Heksum.
Facts
Raufoss Technology, with approximately 160 employees in Raufoss, Norway, manufactures link arms and other aluminum parts for a number of different car manufacturers. The company already has several production lines with equipment from AP&T.
AP&T's delivery consisted of:
A new hydraulic press with 2,500 tons of press force and a large number of hydraulic functions, specially designed and built to meet Raufoss Technology's needs.
A heating system with process monitoring for press tools.
A forming machine from AP&T.
Integration of the new machines, control systems and HMI to the existing line.
- The equipment is covered by AP&T's availability agreement.
