Swedish press specialist Quintus Technologies has supplied a high-pressure fluid cell press to France ’ s LAUAK Group , a Tier One supplier to the aerospace industry . The press was installed at the LAUAK Aerostructures ’ factory in Grandola , Portugal , in September 2023 . Reaffirming its continued commitment to productivity enhancement , LAUAK selected the Quintus model QFC 0.7x1.8-800 press with high-pressure technology to bolster its manufacturing efficiency .

“ The forming press is undoubtedly at the heart of sheet metal production ,” said Mikel Charritton , LAUAK Group managing director . “ Especially in the context of the aerospace ramp-up ( in particular the A320 , A350 and B737 programmes ), LAUAK ’ s capital equipment investments are strongly influenced by the imperatives of competitiveness . This press significantly increases and secures our production capacity .”

Quintus ’ s proprietary hydroforming process requires one rigid tool half , an innovation that not only generates significant tool cost savings but also eliminates several forming operations , intermediate heat treatments and operator dependencies . The Quintus press will operate at a high forming pressure of 800 bar ( 11,600 psi ) over a work area of 700mm x 1800mm ( 27.6 x 73 inches ) in the Grandola facility .

“ Moving to a new , more powerful press will reduce manual rework times , improving our competitiveness especially given the current challenges recruiting personnel experienced in sheet metal forming ,” Mr . Charritton observed .

The equipment purchase was also influenced by LAUAK ’ s previous experience with the press manufacturer .

“ We already own a 3m Quintus Flexform press in France and are very satisfied with it ,” confirmed Mikel Charriton .

LAUAK is complementing its press investment with the Quintus ® Care Program for application support , availability of spare and wear parts and prioritised technical support . It also includes annual press inspections , training and recertification of LAUAK personnel to maintain and elevate their skills .

From its origins supplying sheet metal components to Dassault Aviation in 1975 , the LAUAK Group has grown to become a major manufacturer of primary parts , subassemblies , assemblies for aerostructures and aero engines for the global aeronautics industry . A Tier One supplier to Airbus , Bombardier , Embraer and Dassault and a Tier Two supplier to Spirit , Liebherr and Safran , LAUAK is active in technology niches such as cold and hot sheet metal forming ; welding ; surface treatments ; NDT ; assembly and piping . A tailored fleet of equipment extends

An 800 bar ( 11,600 psi ) fluid cell press from Quintus Technologies will increase production capacity , reduce manual rework and improve competitiveness for aerospace supplier LAUAK Group . Image : Courtesy of Quintus Technologies .

its manufacturing capabilities to all types of materials from aluminium alloys to hard metals including stainless steel , Inconel and titanium . LAUAK factories are in France , Portugal , Canada , Mexico and India .

Quintus Technologies designs , manufactures , installs and supports high pressure systems in three main areas : densification of advanced materials ; sheetmetalforming and high-pressure processing for food and beverage innovation , safety and shelf life . The company is headquartered in Västerås , Sweden , with a presence in 45 countries . n

www . quintustechnologies . com

www . groupe-lauak . com / en

time to demonstrate value will be avoided in favour of smaller projects that drive incremental results that scale .

“ The dream to enable full factory metaverse experiences is far from realized , but the work has begun . Initial implementations will start with a portion of a factory or production line , probably on an as-needed basis . The broader environment is well-suited to partnerships that ease points of integration and enable marketplaces in the long run ,” Martin concluded . n

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ISMR March 2024 | ismr . net | 9