Heat Processing 3.2017 ALUVATION

Heat Treatment
REPORTS
Integrated heat treatment for
automobile components based
on modular, mobile plants
by Marcus Rüther
As a result of the increasingly intensive use of aluminium components in present and future automobiles, demand for
heat treatment for the production of these components is growing. At the same time, heat treatment is becoming an
increasingly important process step because of the growing demands posed by more and more complex component
properties. This is the challenging situation addressed by Aluvation Technology Center Paderborn GmbH – a technology
company founded by Markus Belte in October 2016 – with its Aluvation system, which reinterprets integrated heat
treatment by offering a complete package for the treatment of automobile components. The package includes process
development and the supply of the treatment plant as well as data logging and processing.
It was the road transport involved in conventional
approaches that initially suggested the idea for this
reinterpretation. Aluminium components are normally
cast at one location, shipped to the treatment contractor,
heat-treated, and then loaded onto a truck for shipment
to the machining plant. The road haulage costs involved
are significant. Furthermore, capital is tied up in the interim
storage which is required at each location involved in order
to safeguard the process chain. The mobile plant modules
of the Aluvation system provide a radical solution which
reduces these costs.
With the system, the heat treatment stage in the production
process may be completed either at the foundry
or at the plant where the parts are machined. Whichever
location is selected, neither separate heat treatment knowhow
nor data storage and analysis capacities are required
as these are included in the overall package provided by
Aluvation. There is no need to transfer the parts to a conventional
heat treatment plant and all the costs connected
with such shipping operations are saved.
PROCESS DEVELOPMENT
For each component to be treated, the first step is to
develop an individual heat treatment process. If the heat
treatment contractor is involved in component development
from an early stage, the treatment process can already
be taken into consideration in component design. For this
purpose, the Aluvation Technology Center (ATC) in Paderborn
offers the possibility of developing individual heat
treatment processes at an early stage. These processes
are developed on standardized plants, which means that
the entire process including the equipment required has
been reliably defined by the time when the design phase
for a component is completed.
The entire process, from solution annealing, quenching
and age hardening through to straightening and testing,
is developed on ATC treatment plants. At the same time,
the charge carriers, which have considerable impact on the
treatment process and the deformation of components, are
also developed at the ATC. The aluminium components are
already treated on the near-series plants at the ATC during
process development. This constellation ensures that the
results are reproducible.
The results obtained are then validated in the ATC laboratory.
The direct, continuous monitoring of series production
is therefore already possible in the run-up phase.
PLANT TECHNOLOGY
The Aluvation approach to heat treatment is based on a
standardized system of mobile modules. It is therefore
possible to assemble production plants adapted to the
individual process required by combining different modules.
The dimensions of the charge carriers (1,700 mm x
1,700 mm x 1,700 mm) are always the same while all the
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Heat Treatment
Parts/Day
7000
6000
5000
4000
3000
2000
1000
0
2014 2016 2018 2020 2022 2024 2026
Fig. 1: Daily production run-up curve for components
Production year
other parameters can be adapted to the individual process
or charge material.
The individual modules are designed and installed as
containers which are suitable for road haulage, allowing the
highest possible degree of flexibility in plant deployment.
The furnace modules are designed and produced by Tenova
LOI Thermprocess GmbH. They consist of roller hearth
furnaces which can be operated both as batch-type and
as continuous treatment furnaces. The electrically heated
furnaces feature highly homogeneous air recirculation with
specially developed air guide systems.
As the plant components and modules used are always
the same, virtually any module can be combined with any
other module. This means that the capacity of the plant
can be flexibly adapted to the production volume actually
required at any time.
It is possible to start with a small plant, e. g. a chamber
furnace, and then to adapt to changed requirements as a
result of growing production volumes by installing additional
modules.
This plant technology means that aluminium components
can already be produced at an early stage, during
process development, as individual parts or in small series
using plants of the same types that are later to be used
for production.
The development of the plant and the relevant cost
always reflect actual demand. This means that the plant can
be extended in stages during the ramp-up phase and gradually
reduced in size when production is declining (Fig. 1).
Furthermore, the modules can be relocated within the
Planned
Forecast
production flow at any time
as they are not connected to
building systems. This relocation
may be necessary if
Actual
additional process steps are
added or deleted, requiring
a reconfiguration of the production
plant.
The modules available
include several furnace modules,
an air quench module
and a media quench module.
The conveyor systems
are configured in accordance
with site requirements for
production. Various different
conveyor modules are available
and special individual
solutions can be added as
necessary.
The furnace modules
(Fig. 2) mainly consist of the
furnace casing with insulation
including heating, air recirculation and conveyor systems
and switchgear. There is an inlet and outlet module
with a door on one side which is open on the other side
and a chamber module which is designed as a complete
compact furnace.
The air quench module is installed complete with air
supply, conveyor system, switchgear and silencers. It is a
self-contained unit which can also be installed in a production
line.
The media quench module (Fig. 3) consists of three
units, the tanks, the pump unit and the conveyor system.
The media quench module is also designed so that the
solution annealing furnace can be installed in a raised position
above the quench.
All the modules are simply installed on the plant floor
and no special foundations are needed. The modules can
be positioned and commissioned within the space of a few
days. As process development is completed in advance
and standardized modules are used, the running-in phase
which is required for fine tuning process parameters with
conventional plants can be omitted. It is only necessary
to finalize the interaction of the modules with the local
production facility.
Fig. 4 shows a chamber furnace module (550B). This is
designed as a compact furnace and includes air recirculation,
heating and conveyor systems as well as a switchgear
assembly. The roller table upstream from the furnace is
used for charging and discharging. Both units are delivered
to the site as complete modules. Only the recirculation fans
are removed for shipment and packed separately.
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The furnace consists of three zones, each of which can
accommodate one charge carrier. Each zone is equipped
with a recirculation fan and can be controlled and heated
individually. The roller table upstream from the furnace
is designed so that a fork-lift truck can be used for material
handling and for the charging and discharging of the
furnace in batch operation.
CHARGE CARRIERS
Even though the dimensions of the charge carriers are
defined by the furnace modules, the carriers still offer
a wide variety of design options and allow the installation
of specific internal for the parts to be treated. These
are adapted to the size and shape of the individual
parts. Only the external dimensions of the charge carriers
and the design of the bottom, which is important
for handling, are fixed. The charge carrier has a size of
1,700 mm x 1,700 mm x 1,700 mm.
The charge carriers may form a complete unit or consist
of several carriers positioned in a stack, provided that
the height does not exceed the maximum charge carrier
height of the furnace.
There are no limits to the individual design of component
mounts. The nozzle arrangements in the furnace and
the air quench as well as the media quench are designed
to allow the treatment of parts with a very wide range of
shapes and sizes.
Especially in the case of the heat treatment of structural
components, the development of the charge carriers is a
key factor as the proper positioning of the parts minimizes
deformation during treatment. This allows subsequent
straightening work to be substantially reduced.
The individual charge carriers must be designed in such
a way as to support sensitive parts of the component and
to take account of effects from the casting process.
All charge carriers are designated using an unambiguous
code to identify the carrier itself and the componentspecific
internals used. This allows the tracing and recording
of the charge carrier and the charge. The heat treatment
programme used is adapted to the charge carrier and the
charge. If the charge on the incoming charge carrier is not
suitable for the heat treatment process currently selected,
the furnace can refuse to receive the charge carrier.
DIGITAL TRANSFORMATION
The innovative approach of the Aluvation system includes
a complete package of process development, process control,
plant design, plant supply and plant monitoring. Relayr
GmbH, Munich, Germany, has been included as a process
partner which develops a special system for plant moni-
Fig. 2: Basic furnace module
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Heat Treatment
Fig. 3: Heat treatment line assembled from modules, with media quench
toring. This allows the individual predictive maintenance
of plants, supports the holistic approach and facilitates
integrated data handling. The Relayr modules can be used
with any plant. They ensure that deviations between the
required and actual data of plants installed throughout the
world can be recorded and analyzed at a central location.
Modules are monitored directly at the Aluvation Technology
Center (ATC) in Paderborn. The process documentation
required is produced centrally, processed and made
available to the respective recipients in digital form. This is
in line with the approach of Industry 4.0, which paves the
way for the digital orientation of future production facilities.
Thanks to the central storage of data and treatment
programmes, process adjustments which may be required
during production can be made on a specific date for all
identical components, even at short notice. This also applies
if Aluvation plants are used for heat treatment at various
locations throughout the world.
Fig. 4: Photo of a 550B chamber furnace module
MOBILE HEAT TREATMENT
Aluvation therefore offers tailor-made solutions for the
heat treatment of all aluminium components using mobile
plants. Thanks to central plant and process monitoring,
no process documentation infrastructure is required at
the installation sites of the plants. All the data can be collected
centrally, processed to generate batch reports and
transferred to the respective recipients, such as car makers,
in digital form.
The integrated modular design of the plants means that
it is possible to produce pre-series parts or to meet peak
production demand using other plants or at provisional
installation sites at the same time as ensuring compliance
with process requirements.
As soon as the production volume for a customer order
calls for an independent production plant, this plant can
be installed directly next to the foundry, e. g., and heat
treatment can be carried out on site without further preparatory
stages or the specific development of the heat
treatment process.
As a result of central data logging and the use of identical
modules, treatment can be carried out at any location
which may be required during the production of the
components. For example, the treatment plant may be
installed at the foundry, at the machining shop, at the surface
treatment plant or at any other location on the route
taken by the components.
A FRANCHISE SYSTEM MAKES THE
TREATMENT MOBILE
The approach of the system in its entirety is not limited
to the newly designed heat treatment process based on
standardized, mobile modular units which can be used in
flexible, variable configurations. Aluvation provides unique
flexibility, allowing tailor-made cost-optimized services
to be offered to customers in line with the increasingly
stringent and complex requirements they face. In future,
customers will be able to choose the solution which is ideal
for them from a total of three options:
■■
If the production volume required still remains small,
the customer can have heat treatment carried out on
the equipment in the Aluvation Technology Center
(ATC) in Paderborn.
■■
Customers can also opt for heat treatment at one of
the Aluvation Centers (AC) which are being established
throughout the world.
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■■
If the production volume grows or high volumes or
considerable flexibility are required from the start of a
project, the modules required can be installed at the
customer’s plant within 1–5 days. The customer has
the modules installed at its own production facility and
carries out heat treatment at its own location.
For Aluvation, the main focus is on flexible, reliable service.
This is why the company is currently developing a
franchise system with a view to developing a global network
of Aluvation Centers (AC) for heat treatment together
with certified partners. Initially, there are specific plans to
develop Aluvation Centers at several locations in Germany.
Enquiries from India, the USA, Austria, Spain and Portugal
are currently being processed and further centers are to
be installed in other countries.
The establishment and installation of Centers in Germany
represents an exciting upgrade for existing surface treatment
contractors. In discussions with aluminium coating
companies, Markus Belte has found that companies which
have only washed and coated aluminium components to
date can extend their service portfolio in a meaningful way
by offering heat treatment services. In combination with
the modular Aluvation system, coating plants can become
Aluvation Centers and round off their range of services by
offering standardized heat treatment. This extension can
be completed without investments, which could present
an obstacle, at transparent rental conditions based on production
volumes.
STANDARDIZATION AS A KEY ELEMENT
The standardization of modular plants and processes in
combination with digital transformation represents the key
element in the step forward to a new era in heat treatment.
In order to create a system that was really new and
innovative, Aluvation was based on the holistic analysis and
integration of all the elements involved in a process. For
the first time, a standard process was developed in which
the process parameters for heat treatment are harmonized
with the appropriate charge carrier. This means that, irrespective
of where the customer produces its components
and charge carriers, the plant, which has a standard design,
will always receive the updated process parameters via
a digitalized interface. This applies irrespective of where
Aluvation plants are installed throughout the world. With
this approach, costly, time-consuming test runs are a thing
of the past.
The processes and services of Aluvation will act as multipliers
and will be offered in transparent, standardized
form at the same base prices throughout the world. This
consistent approach heralds a revolutionary transition to
the heat treatment of the future.
CONCLUSION
Thanks to the standardized modules of the mobile, integrated
heat treatment plants, the Aluvation system makes
it possible to develop processes through to series maturity
without having installed the final production plant. This
significantly reduces development times. Plants can be
installed with the same configuration at different locations,
ensuring constant heat treatment results.
At the same time as retaining the reliability and quality
of conventional production plants, the mobile heat
treatment plant offers the possibility of reducing transport
distances and costs, conserving resources and making a
positive contribution to environmental protection.
With integrated digital monitoring, central data analysis
and the central production of batch reports, the concept
also points in the direction of Industry 4.0.
The transparent determination of unit costs and the
possibility of hiring module containers, which reduces the
capital required, together with flexible deployment possibilities
lay the foundations for a new era of dynamic heat
treatment.
AUTHOR:
Marcus Rüther
ATC ALUVATION Technology Center
Paderborn GmbH
Paderborn, Germany
Tel.: +49 (0)5254 / 80771-105
m.ruether@aluvation.com
Visit us at the HK 2017
Vulkan-Verlag
Hall 4.1 / Booth E 079
25 - 27 October 2017
Koelnmesse, Cologne
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