Neuman Aluminium Raufoss
AP&T future-proofed production line at Neuman Aluminium Raufoss
Raufoss, a small Norwegian town about an hour and a half north of Oslo, has a long tradition of aluminum manufacturing. The company known as Raufoss is today a global division of the Neuman Aluminium Group, and specializes in the development and manufacture of lightweight aluminum chassis components for the automotive industry. Neuman Aluminium Raufoss is a global tier 1 supplier to, among others, Volvo, Daimler, GM, BMW, Jaguar Land Rover and Ford, and has production facilities in Norway, China, Canada and Mexico. Where AP&T comes into the picture, however, is with the company’s Norwegian and Canadian operations.
The factory in Raufoss has two three-press lines from AP&T. They were installed at the end of the 1990s, and have performed admirably ever since.
Both of the lines are used to manufacture various types of aluminum parts through a complex process with a large number of different operations. Production requires short cycle times and basically runs 24/7, which means demands on reliability and availability are high.
In order to future-proof its equipment, Raufoss consulted with AP&T a year or so ago and decided to upgrade one of its lines with a modern control system for the presses and new automation. There was, however, no reason to replace the presses. Thanks to their extremely durable design, they still have many productive years ahead.
“By investing in new linear robots, we wanted both to future-proof production and achieve higher productivity. AP&T took full responsibility for the entire rebuild, which was extremely reassuring for us,” says Hans Jørgen Lundstein, project manager at Neuman Aluminium Raufoss.
“The work started in mid-October last year, and was completed right before Christmas. We replaced several old linear robots with new SpeedFeeders, and replaced the old control system with the newest generation, which is adapted to AP&T’s newest software and our new, user-friendly HMI,” says Anders Rundén, project manager at AP&T.
In addition to a more stable process, the upgrade also enables much shorter cycle times.
“As a result of the measures we have now implemented and the service commitment which is included in the transaction, we can ensure effective and profitable production in the three-press line for many years to come. We are helping Raufoss prepare for the future, which is naturally very gratifying,” says Anders Rundén.
Hans Jørgen Lundstein is very satisfied.
“The entire project was conducted very professionally. The installation was completed within the agreed time frame, and we have reduced our cycle time and ensured long-term access to spare parts. And it was easy for our operators to switch over from the previous system to the new one. In other words, we have achieved our goals,” he says.
September 2019
