FOCUS ON PRESS HARDENING
GEDIA ’ s plant at Monjos , near Barcelona , in Spain .
AP & T ’ s production facility at Ulricehamn in Sweden .
of machine and building management , was responsible for purchasing the new line and , as such , was also responsible for the detailed requirement specification .
“ Not only did we need to be able to produce a great number of components per hour , but we also needed to install the line in the limited space of our existing premises . The equipment also needed to be reliable and simple to maintain . It was also of great importance that the solution be energy-efficient with low electricity consumption per produced unit ,” he said .
“ We started planning the new line in August 2018 and set the target to have it operational by 1 January 2020 ,” added Jörgen Theander , AP & T ’ s specialist responsible for the project . participated in the installation of the lines at Nowa Sol and was responsible for work on the try-out line in Attendorn .
“ I already had positive experiences working with AP & T , and these were confirmed when we embarked on a new project together . During this journey , we developed a close relationship based on trust , which meant we could solve tasks very smoothly . Nothing was left to chance ,” said Björn Müller .
Jörgen Theander also highlighted the importance of close cooperation .
“ Throughout the project , we worked closely together and spoke on a regular basis , often in person at GEDIA in Germany . Doing so made it easier to catch problems and tackle challenges efficiently . We worked together like one big , close team , all striving for the same target ,” he told ISMR .
The project ’ s starting point was documentation from the existing production lines and the try-out line installed in Attendorn . Issues , such as which proven design solutions could be used in the new line , what needed to be improved and what would be replaced by the new technology , were tackled . Using this analysis , a requirement specification was put together and initiatives to build the new line were started in earnest . In Autumn 2019 , the line was installed and commissioned at GEDIA ’ s Attendorn production facility .
“ Since it was the first commercial presshardening line of its kind , it was important to maintain a presence for some time to ensure
Björn Müller , Burkhard Vogt and Stephan Gante at GEDIA are very satisfied with their new press-hardening line . Image : GEDIA .
Two innovations on the same line
The greatest technological challenge was integrating two new innovations , AP & T ’ s servohydraulic press and TemperBox ®, into the same line for a process that had never been used commercially before . Organisationally , it was a challenge to put together a dedicated project team with the right expertise and right attitude toward the project . During recruitment , experience of the automotive industry was vital , as were excellent cooperation and listening skills .
“ It was crucial that everyone , from the project team to R & D , really understood the expectations that our customer and their customers had for the line . The goal was to manufacture , on an industrial scale , products that had tailored , repeatable attributes with short cycle times , high availability and optimised energy consumption . That was our aim ,” outlined Theander .
To improve efficiency , GEDIA also put together a project team with corresponding expertise under the lead of Björn Müller , who