stories on hard material matters - Ceratizit S.A.

36
AUSTRIA ALU-GUSS
The individual hallmark of the car
In the field of rim production Austria Alu-Guss relies on OvalFlex
from CERATIZIT.
Its design is the eye-catching feature of a car, providing
it with a personal touch: the aluminum rim. It is en vogue
as never before, and almost every automobile today
has aluminum rims as a standard feature. The variety of
types and design is continuously increasing. OvalFlex,
a modular turning tool developed by CERATIZIT, fulfils
the demands of the manufacturers regarding flexibility,
productivity and process security. The CERATIZIT
customer Austria Alu-Guss, who is one of the big players
in the sector (production volume of three million
aluminum wheels per year) has successfully applied
OvalFlex since the beginning of 2007.
The tendency: exclusive styling
Light metal wheels are applied in formula 1 cars, trucks
for heavy load transports and also in the aerospace
industry. The major share however are aluminum wheels
for automobiles where basically two types may be
distinguished: one-piece rims in one casting and multi-
piece rims which are connected by screws and consist of
a rim bed, a rim crown and a centre hub.
Austria Alu-Guss is based in the Austrian Ranshofen,
has been a member of the Borbet group since 1996
and develops and produces aluminum rims for Audi,
BMW, Mercedes, Opel, GM, Porsche, VW, Seat etc. The
company has 730 employees and offers wheel types with
annual quantities over 100,000 pieces as well as small
batches of less than 1,000 pieces. The trend is towards
smaller batch sizes whereas the styling is becoming
increasingly varied. “The most important task is to
technically implement the customer’s wishes regarding
the design,” says Alois Grömer from the mechanical
machining department at Austria Alu-Guss. “A light
metal wheel almost always represents a compromise.”
Stability and high performance: OvalFlex
On a conveyor belt the blank aluminum rim is transported
to the CNC machine, where it is turned at around
2,000 rev/min applying OvalFlex.
OvalFlex has exclusively been developed for machining
light metal wheels. The oval shape differs from the
conventional round shape of copy turning tools. In this
way the tool does not need so much space and can go
deeper into the rim. The height however has remained
the same and guarantees stability which increases
profitability, as high stability makes larger depths of cut
possible.
imp:act 01/08
The main attraction: the new oval interface connects
the tool shank with the tool head. Four tapered surfaces
around the interface provide accurate connection
with the location face in both radial and axial direction.
Thanks to this highly precise connection it is almost
unnecessary to make corrections.
High flexibility, reduced logistics
Another advantage of OvalFlex is its modularity.
Different styles of tool heads can be mounted on the
adapters. In addition, different angles can be set on
the tools. A system which ensures that aluminum wheel
manufacturers benefit commercially and logistically, as
thanks to modularity they need fewer special tools and
the necessity for stock keeping is decreased.
High-quality metal is melted and the respective alloy formed so that the
wheels can be cast in low-pressure machines.
The overhead conveyor transports the aluminum rims to the lacquering
facility.