AP&T recently delivered its second press line for manufacturing heat shields for the automotive industry to Dana – REINZ-Dichtungs-GmbH in Germany. The unusually smart solution improves productivity and accessibility.
Some of the absolutely best cars in the world are produced in southern Germany. It is, though, not only car manufacturers that refuse to compromise on quality and precision – their subcontractors have the same approach. One of them is Dana in Neu-Ulm, located between Stuttgart and Munich.
Heat shields
Amongst other things, Dana manufactures Victor Reinz® gaskets, heat shields and other parts for a large number of European car brands. The company has been in operation for over 90 years and has a solid reputation as a supplier of quality products.
Heat shields produced at the factory at Neu-Ulm are used to prevent heat from the exhaust branch pipe, exhaust manifold and muffler from reaching the inside of the vehicle. A heat shield consists of a middle layer of thermal damping and insulation material, surrounded by two thin aluminum plates.
Simplicity and reliability
The machinery and tools used for manufacturing must be as simple and reliable as possible. This strategy posed a challenge for AP&T when the first order arrived from Dana a couple of years ago for equipment to press aluminum plates.
“As usual when meeting customer need, we used our standard modules as the point of departure. Doing so ensures quality and offers a high degree of reliable operation. As a result of installing line number two right before the end of 2010, however, we took simplicity one step further,” says Magnus Svenningsson, Sales Manager at AP&T Press Systems.
Two press lines
The two press lines at Dana each have a coil feeding equipment with decoiler, straightener and feeder, four presses and four SpeedFeeders.
Rather than giving the four presses separate hydraulic systems and electrical control systems, only two hydraulic systems and a common electrical control system are used for each press line. This means the presses work in pairs – one and three perform one operation while two and four rest and vice versa. Even so, production rate is just as high as if all four presses operated simultaneously.
The solution
“Since it is only necessary to feed and remove the plates, total cycle time is the same. This is a very cost-efficient solution that offers a very high degree of accessibility and flexibility. The entire line can be reset in less than 20 minutes,” says Michael Hunger, President of AP&T’s German subsidiary AP&T Vertriebs.
AP&T is now in full swing producing yet another production line for Dana – this time the line will have seven presses. Delivery is planned for summer 2012.
Facts
- Dana Holding Corporation is a global supplier of components and parts to the transport equipment industry with approximately 22,000 employees in 26 countries.
- Gaskets, heat shields and other vehicle parts are produced under the Victor Reinz® brand.
- Over 1,000 employees work at the facility in Neu-Ulm.
