Products and solutions Sep 11, 2002 2:00 AM
New press gives ThyssenKrupp Umformtechnik competitive edge - Use of robots a world first
An impressive 36,000 kN press capacity (3,600 tons), a maximum 22 stampings per minute, a total weight of 1,500 tons and a total height of around 15 meters. These striking figures give only a rough idea of the sheer size of the new transfer press that will go into operation in the next few weeks at the Bielefeld/Brackwede (Germany) plant of ThyssenKrupp Umformtechnik GmbH, part of ThyssenKrupp Automotive.
The company has been planning this urgently needed press for a long time. In March 2001 the Executive Board finally gave the green light for the investment and the German machine manufacturer Müller-Weingarten AG was commissioned with the construction of the press. Extensive preparations had to be made in the Brackwede press plant, where an old press line needed to be dismantled and new foundations cast. Thanks to outstanding planning, it was possible to position the individual press elements - some of them weighing up to 200 tons - to the millimeter.
The employees at ThyssenKrupp Umformtechnik in Bielefeld-Brackwede are confident that the innovative technology will give them a competitive edge. Production can be changed over to a different component in minutes. The material infeed is also completely new: Four robots feed the material into the press, a world first for this type of plant.
The range of products that will be manufactured on the 3,600-ton transfer press from November 2002 includes body and axle stampings made of advanced, high-tensile teel grades for delivery to ThyssenKrupp Umformtechnik`s innovative customers.
Picture: ThyssenKrupp Umformtechnik`s new transfer press.
Copyright: ThyssenKrupp Automotive