14.05.2008

Growth market hybrid drives – Schuler’s high-speed presses ensure maximum efficiency even during production

Patented system of Schuler and Roos & Kübler optimizes production of lamination stacks used for hybrid drives while guaranteeing low production costs.

Against the background of the climate debate, rising energy costs and ever scarcer fossil fuels, hybrid technology is becoming increasingly important. All major car manufacturers are expected to include hybrid vehicles in their range by 2010. The hybrid drive is also preparing the ground for future alternative drives, such as fuel cell-based systems. Car manufacturers regard the combination of combustion and electric engines as a billion-dollar market in the long term. The Association of German Car Manufacturers (Verband der Automobilindustrie – VDA) recently announced that its members had raised R&D spending by 7.8 percent in 2007 alone, to a total of € 18 billion. A major share of this investment was devoted to efficient and eco-friendly drive systems.

Core process lamination production

Electric motors play a key role in the future scenarios of the car industry and its suppliers – as do the high-speed presses used to produce laminations for such motors. The Segment Master system developed jointly by the Schuler Group and the Roos & Kübler Group, a specialist supplier of blanking and punching dies for laminations, is a patented system which optimizes the production of large lamination stacks while at the same time helping to enhance the efficiency of hybrid engines. Based on a Schuler high-speed blanking press, the system allows the production of ring-shaped lamination stacks used in hybrid systems in a highly efficient and material-saving process. A further benefit is that the electromagnetic properties of the lamination stacks are also improved.

High degree of material utilization and improved handling

In the Segment Master system, the individual segments are stamped out of the coil and formed into a circular shape in a slewing ring. The system supplies complete stacks which are ready for further processing. “Compared with previous methods for manufacturing lamination rings, this process offers material savings of over 60 percent,” explains Hans-Dieter Jung, Schuler’s sales manager for high-speed blanking presses. “In the Segment Master system, the stamped segments emerge from the machine as ready-packed rings. This greatly simplifies handling and reduces space needs,” adds Hans-Dieter Jung. Depending on rotor and stator sizes, the Segment Master system works with a press force of 100 to 125 metric tons and produces ring diameters of up to 450 millimeters at speeds of 300 to 400 strokes per minute.

Electromagnetic properties of the segmented stacks raise efficiency of starter generators

In contrast to conventional systems, in which the starter and generator are separated from the drive system, the starter-generator sits directly on the crankshaft. It encompasses the crankshaft between the engine and the gearbox and stores energy during braking in order to release it during acceleration. The start-stop function reduces fuel consumption in neutral to “zero”.

The Segment Master also has a positive effect on the electromagnetic properties of the lamination stack. This results from the characteristic alignment of the individual segments in the Segment Master process regarding the rolling direction of the coil.

Segment Master system live at Coil Winding Show from June 10-12, 2008

At the Coil Winding Show from June 10 to 12, 2008 in Berlin, Schuler will be offering visitors the chance to watch the Segment Master system in action at the Jessen stamping plant of the Roos & Kübler Group, near Berlin. Visitors will also be able to receive information about Schuler’s high-speed press technology at other lines in use at the facility. On each day of the show, a shuttle bus will take participants from the show’s venue to the plant tour and presentation. Participation is free of charge, but prior registration is required (you may therefore fill out attached registration form).