GENERAL NEWS
Hot dip galvanizing line order for China
Angang Guangzhou Automotive Steel Co ., Ltd . and Ansteel Engineering Technology Corporation Limited have signed a contract with SMS Group for the supply of a new hotdip galvanizing line ( No . 2 ). The first readyfor-sale coil is scheduled for production in November 2025 .
The new No . 2 hot dip galvanizing line will be installed at the premises of Angang Guangzhou Automotive Steel Co ., Ltd . in Guangzhou , China , and feature an annual capacity of 400,000 tons . The production bay is to be placed close to the existing No . 1 hot dip galvanizing line , supplied by SMS in 2013 .
The new No . 2 hot dip galvanizing line is intended to produce exposed automotive panels that require strong surface quality . All key technological components covering the mechanical , thermal , process and E & A equipment will be designed and supplied by entities operating within SMS .
“ The technological centrepiece of the new No . 2 hot dip galvanizing line is the allradiant-tube annealing furnace from DREVER International with the air knife system from DUMA-BANDZINK , both companies in the SMS group . These systems ensure the right
material properties within tight tolerances as well as the flawless surface condition that automotive end-users require for exposed qualities . The terminal and process equipment guarantees stable production and efficient maintenance . A high degree of modularisation is incorporated in the chosen design . The electrical and automation systems from SMS bring the individual units together to form one smart and homogeneous facility ,” confirmed SMS .
SMS ’ s cleaning section removes surface contaminations using a combination of mechanical , hydrodynamic and chemical process steps . The cleanliness of the strip
SMS will deliver a hot dip galvanizing line to Angang Guangzhou Automotive Steel
( image : SMS Group GmbH .)
surface is decisive for the final achievable product quality . SMS ’ s inline skin pass mill is designed to finish the galvanized surface with a controlled surface imprint . In addition , the unit improves the strip shape to allow for easy stamping at the end user ’ s facilities in the automotive industry .
SMS put the first hot dip galvanizing line – No . 1 – successfully into operation at Angang Iron & Steel Co . Ltd in 2013 . Two continuous annealing lines were also jointly put into service at Angang ’ s main site in Anshan . n
www . sms-group . com
High-speed press investment at MACH 2024
A specialist supplier to F1 , automotive and aerospace sectors aimed to increase its tool try-out capacity by purchasing its first Bruderer press at the MACH 2024 event in the UK recently . Alan Spargo Ltd , which will celebrate 50 years in business in 2025 , has invested in a BSTA 40-tonne machine to help provide its growing list of customers with the option to test tooling solutions at high speed before they go into production .
“ The technology can offer up to 1000 strokes per minute precision accuracy and will support the High Wycombe firm ’ s desire to increase sales past the £ 3m mark this year . It builds on a long-term tooling relationship between the company and Bruderer UK , which has culminated in the development of a turnkey production line for MACH 2024 this week , the country ’ s largest industrial show ,” Bruderer UK told ISMR .
“ Specialist tooling from Alan Spargo has been developed in just six weeks to run on the Telford-based company ’ s BSTL 350-88 highspeed press , the first time it has ever been run in the UK . The press comes into its own for precision and continuity and uses up to 30 % less energy when compared to older machine models ,” added Bruderer UK .
Manufacturing precision components
and complex tooling , Alan Spargo is a family business that supplies engineering solutions for customers in electronics , electric vehicles , solar panels , medical , defence and construction from its High Wycombe facility in the UK .
Adrian Haller , Managing Director , Bruderer UK , commented : “ Alan Spargo ’ s latest investment in a 40-tonne , high-speed press reinforces this position and gives it additional capacity to try out new tools at its Buckinghamshire facility , ensuring that the client can tweak stroke speeds and have complete confidence that , when it takes receipt of the tooling , it is going to run at high speed and with accuracy . We have worked together on several projects to build bespoke tooling that can be used on a number of our presses situated in some of the best engineering houses in the UK .”
Peter Spargo , Director , Alan Spargo Ltd , added : “ The last twelve months have been very good for us , and we ’ ve extended the workforce to 22 with the opportunity to recruit more staff , including new apprentices .”
Bruderer ’ s production line at MACH left Birmingham at the end of the exhibition and made its way to its multi-million facility currently being built at Hortonwood in Telford . It will form part of a demonstration facility that will be able to prove out machine tools , as well as being used as a potential training ground for future apprentices .
“ The BSTL 350-88 high speed press , along with servo-feeder , decoiler and Alan Spargo tooling , represents a £ 500,000 investment ,” added Adrian Haller . “ Construction work is progressing well , and we should be open for business in October , with up to six jobs set to be created across service , engineering and finance .” n
www . alanspargoltd . com
www . bruderer . com
ISMR June 2024 | ismr . net | 9