FACE TO FACE
In conclusion
Whilst global factors ( such as the war in Ukraine and rising inflation levels ) make it difficult for Archenti to forecast what 2023 may bring for AIDA , he is confident that growth is on the horizon this year for the press specialist .
“ Compared to last year , I think we will see double-digit growth this year ( at around 10 %),” he told ISMR .
“ We have just finalised our half-year figures . This year , we have a higher target to beat than last year but , despite our conservative projections , I still believe that we will do better than last year . We are chasing a lot of big projects at the moment , but I never believe in putting all your eggs in one basket …..” he smiled . n
Above and centre : AIDA ’ s booth at EuroBLECH 2022 in Hanover , Germany .
“ We are experiencing extremely high demand for our presses dedicated to electric motor core production . This is really a booming sector right now . We have doubled our production of these presses . We were lucky to introduce our latest press range , with the right bed size to manufacture components for electric powertrains , just before the market boom . This has significantly increased our worldwide sales . China is a booming region for this sector and we have sold lots of press equipment there ,” explained Archenti .
“ EV is a good business for us , but we need to protect our manufacturing capacity to cover existing market demand . The numbers are huge . If electric cars keep growing , then the battery business and plate business will grow exponentially too so there is great market potential ,” he continued .
To respond to these high levels of demand , AIDA has had to make some internal changes and realignments to stay on track .
“ We are setting up more facilities to respond to EV market demand . We are extending our dedicated factories in Japan and converting their production to serve these
On the stand at EuroBLECH 2022 .
particular product lines . We are also starting to implement partial production processes for these presses in Europe . That is a challenge because , like many other manufacturers , there are supply-chain challenges for components / castings etc . because of factors like the pandemic and Ukraine invasion ,” outlined Archenti .
He also pointed out the impact of supplychain pressures on delivery times and the challenge that this presents when setting up new manufacturing facilities or relocating specific manufacturing processes to better serve customers .
“ Internally , we are also increasing machine capacity and our equipment assembly capacity in our factories . We need to be able to easily switch from one product to another . This means significant investment in our production ,” he added .
“ Right now , the strategic regional focus for us is the German market . The German economy is the locomotive of the automotive industry in Europe and a key barometer of the European market . So , we want to do more in this market . That is one of the reasons that we are glad to be back at EuroBLECH in Hanover again ,” confirmed Dr . Archenti .
Electric mobility
The production of high-precision motor cores is at the basis of the transition to electric mobility . AIDA ’ s high-speed presses are used for forming the motor cores of electric vehicles . Two product lines that are dedicated to the production of motor laminations are the AIDA HMX Series and AIDA MSP Series presses .
The AIDA MSP press enables users to produce motors such as EV motors , HEV motors and energy-efficient home appliance motors . The dynamic accuracy has been significantly improved due to its compact design and multiple suspension-point architecture . The areas that transmit the forming loads ( such as the connecting rod bearings and the crankshaft bearings ) are all made from special metals selected to avoid heat deformation . Precise dies that require a large bed area are necessary for the production of high-efficiency motors , such as motors for hybrid cars or for energy saving .
AIDA ’ s MSP series press .