02.09.2008
New hydraulic deep drawing process enables efficient small-batch production of even small and complex parts
Auf Schuler Hydroforming, a member of the Schuler Group, will be unveiling a new process for active media-based metalforming at the Euroblech 2008 fair in Hanover, Germany. The new hydraulic deep drawing process enables customers to produce even small and complexly formed parts economically and in small batch sizes. Schuler Hydroforming has thus responded to the wish of many companies in the automotive industry, as well as in the sanitary, appliance and furniture sectors, for more design-oriented shapes. The dies needed for part manufacturing are also small and thus much cheaper to procure. Examples of such dies can also be viewed at Schuler’s Euroblech fair stand.Depending on the required part shape, customers can choose between a number of processes for the production of parts with complex geometries. The latest process in the field of active media-based metalforming is hydraulic deep drawing.
New: hydraulic deep drawing
In the hydraulic deep drawing process, parts are formed in a rigid female die with the aid of a pressurized liquid medium. The tooling consists of a pressure chamber and a female die, closed by the hydraulic press. The pressure chamber is sealed by a polyurethane cord and creates the necessary energy for the liquid medium to give the blank its required geometric shape.In addition to enormous time savings, the hydraulic deep drawing process also offers greatly reduced costs for prototype production and die development. A further advantage is the extremely high surface quality of the parts – especially for spherical geometries. The investment costs required to achieve such savings are comparatively low, as the new process can utilize existing hydraulic presses equipped with an additional hydraulic unit and a simple die change.
A further variant of hydraulic deep drawing which has already been in use for some time is the hydro-mechanical deep drawing process. In this process the part is fixed in a blank holder. The benefit: the probable outer side is facing the fluid.
Forming tubes: hydroforming
In addition to hydraulic and hydro-mechanical deep drawing, customers can also choose hydroforming. In this process for the production of hollow metal bodies, steel tubes are expanded and shaped with the aid of a liquid medium. A liquid pressure of up to several thousand bar is generated.A synonym for economic efficiency: active media-based metalforming
The technical principles of hydraulic deep drawing and hydroforming technology offer clear advantages over conventional processes. Their particular strength lies in the efficient production of highly complex parts. For example, convex or concave geometries with high requirements regarding shape and surface quality can be produced economically even in smaller and mid-size batch sizes. In the case of hydroforming, in particular, part weight can also be reduced – thus enabling reductions in vehicle CO2 emissions. Moreover, hydroforming offers up to 100 percent material utilization, as there is less cutting involved – or none at all. This saves costs and helps conserve natural resources.Please also read
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Tobias Apfel
Head of Corporate Communications & Investor Relations
Tel.: + 49 (0) 71 61 66-829
Contact us
Head of Corporate Communications & Investor Relations
Tel.: + 49 (0) 71 61 66-829
Contact us
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