Page 17 - MetalForming September 2017

Dietronic system, lube consumption went from 12 barrels/yr. to only 1 barrel/yr.”
Rather than using rollers that cover the entire sheetmetal work surface, or spraying lubricant without control into the die, Electrolux employs the Sagoma pre- cision-spray system to cover just the areas to be formed with a precise amount of oil. Using the Sagoma system, an operator views the sheet layout on a touchscreen control unit, and can select the amount of lubricant to be applied (in ounces/sq. ft.) among eight different areas on the blank. The setup allows coverage of a minimum area of 50 by 50 mm.
In addition to reducing lube consump- tion, Electrolux improved its working envi- ronment by eliminating oil mists and leaks while reducing die-maintenance costs. The firm also employs a double- tank solution that allows the use of more than one kind of lubricant, minimizing changeover times.
“Since installing the new lubrication system on the press line,” says an Elec- trolux production manager, “downtime and scrap rates have been reduced by 70 percent.”
Dietronic: www.dietronic.eu/en
AP&T, ESI Develop
Virtual Process
Modeling for
High-Strength Hot-
Formed Aluminum
Using advanced simulation tools, AP&T and ESI have implemented several virtual models that reflect the process for hot forming of high-strength aluminum (AA6xxx and AA7xxx). The simulations have been
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MetalForming/September 2017 15
compared to the results of real tests
Tech Update
production manager. “We realized that
using more oil than the requested quantity
did not improve quality,” he says. “On the
contrary, our department was getting
more and more claims from other depart-
ments here due to the scrap caused by
improper surface treatments. We had
been using a pre-pressurized lubrication
system, leading to excessive lubricant performed at AP&T’s R&D facilities in consumption. When we switched to the
Ulricehamn, Sweden, and the outcome shows a high degree of conformity. Con- sequently, AP&T plans to offer its automa- tive customers an opportunity to virtually test components made of high-strength, hot-formed aluminum, so that they can lower their development costs and shorten lead times.
AP&T: www.apt-usa.com
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