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Special purpose presses and equipment
News Release from: AP and T AB, Automation, Press and Tooling | Subject: Press hardening process
Edited by the Manufacturingtalk Editorial
Team on 01 November 2007
Press working hardens chassis components
A novel press hardening process for the automotive industry allows steel parts to be manufactured more efficiently with high strength and low weight.
Working with Korean company Hwashin, power press builder, AP and T, has developed a novel process for press hardening automotive chassis components AP and T said that the technology produces steel chassis pressings (stampings) more efficiently, giving higher strength and lower weight
This article was originally published on Manufacturingtalk on 5 Sep 2005 at 8.00am (UK)
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* Greater strength and lower manufacturing cost - the Korean firm Hwashin designs and produces chassis and car body components for Hyundai and KIA Motors, among others.
Now the company, together with AP and T, has developed a novel, patent-pending, press hardening process for manufacturing torsion bar axles for vehicle rear wheel suspensions.
The Hwashin Research and Development said, in a report to manufacturingtalk, that the process has made it possible for subcontractors to exceed, by a wide margin, car manufacturers' demands for strength and weight.
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Gi-Dong Lee, at Hwashin Research and Development, told manufacturingtalk: "The torsion bar axle used today has a material strength of 500MPa".
"With the new method, we will soon be able to triple the strength to 1400MPa.
This means that the component can be made both stronger and lighter than before".
The new manufacturing method also provides a high degree of hardness.
Kent Eriksson at AP and T said that the same hardness and strength can be achieved with conventional production methods, but would want considerably more work processes.
He told manufacturingtalk.com: "Using our previous experience in press hardening as a basis, we developed a method where forming and hardening occur in the same process.
This means that production is significantly faster and much more efficient and offer significant lower manufacturing costs.
It was an important key that we were able to add to the actual tool design".
AP and T's tool designers worked closely with Hwashin and material specialists to develop methods where the material is formed a high temperature and then cooled quickly.
* Test results exceeded expectations - in the middle of June, 2007, representatives from Hwashin and Hyundai came to AP and T for final inspection of the equipment to be used for the process.
The first material samples had originally been sent to Hwashin for tests and evaluation in May of 2007.
AP and T's agent in Korea, Young Shik Choi, enthused: "It was a great success.
The test results exceeded all expectations".
* First production line - the first line will be installed at Hwashin in Korea at the end of September, 2007.
The first cars with press hardened torsion bar axles are expected to be produced by Hyundai's factories in 2008.
Hwashin will then implement the process in production plants in China, India and the USA.
* Cooperation - Gi-Dong Lee commented: "Using our common strengths, we created something completely unique.
The technique has fantastic potential for the future.
Now we are proceeding with efforts to jointly create cost-efficient methods for remachining the axle ends.
I am looking forward to continued cooperation with harmony and trust".
* Note that the Korean word 'Hwashin' literally means 'harmony with trust', according to AP and T.
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