GSA - High-tech forging
GSA - High-tech forging
Keeping costs stable despite rising technological demands – with Makino‘s help
The heat is on at the die forge: massively powerful presses mould red-hot blocks of steel into shape; men perform physically demanding work under tough conditions; forging dies are subject to the stress of enormous pressures and extremely high temperatures. But here you also realise that die forging has turned into a high-tech process in recent years. And that places ever-greater demands on the tools used.
Mahindra Forging Europe
Gesenkschmiede Schneider (GSA) based in Aalen, Germany, is part of Mahindra Forgings Europe, one of the world‘s five biggest forging companies with a turnover of €250 million (2010) and over 1,500 employees at nine pro-duction sites in Germany and England. Mahindra Forgings Europe itself belongs to the Mahindra Group, one of the world‘s biggest multinationals with a turnover of US$ 12.5 billion and a global workforce of around 120,000 in over 100 countries.
Fourfold competence
GSA specialises in the production of pistons, steering knuckles, shafts, valves, steering components and gear parts for lorries – manufactured by hammer, press, horizontal upset and precision forging, hot extrusion or friction welding and ranging from 120 g to 125 kg in weight. But what makes GSA truly special is its competence in four areas: forging know-how, strict quality standards, highly skilled
personnel and cutting-edge technol-ogy. Synergy effects within Mahindra Forgings Europe help GSA to stay at the forefront of forging technology. A strict quality-management system ensures that all GSA parts meet the uncompromising demands of renowned customers such as Daimler, MAN, Volvo, Scania, Fendt, John Deere and Linde. The GSA workforce is not only loyal and very motivated but also highly skilled. Further-training measures play a key role and with apprentices accounting for over 5% of the workforce, GSA makes sure it has enough well trained recruits in future, too. Since all apprentices are taken on after they have completed their training, no know-how is lost to the company. Moreover, GSA‘s commitment to extensive research has led to 18 patents or patent registrations in the past three years alone. This fourfold competence allows GSA customers to benefit from forged parts that are now more finely shaped, lighter and better-priced than ever before.
Stable die costs
Forging dies come in for harsh punishment under the thunderous blows of a 20,000 t hammer press. Yet the forged parts GSA series-produces have to fulfil strict quality requirements and millimetre-precise specifications. A recipe for exorbitant die costs? Not at GSA. Theirs have been stable for years – a key competitive factor in Germany where labour costs are high. The Mahindra Group knows how much GSA‘s technical leadership in high-tech forging is worth and provided financial backing during the recent recession. Although GSA suffered a 65-70% fall in orders in that period, no core personnel had to be laid off.
Reliable spindles
How has GSA managed to keep its forging die costs stable? Around twelve years ago, GSA responded to the rising cost of forging dies and filler material by switching to a flow welding process to produce the dies. However, the use of different-strength and increasingly wear-resistant welding fillers (36-58 HRC) in a single die places great demands on the milling process. Gerhard Bayer, Head of the Tool Shop and Hammer Forging at GSA, knew what to do: “For high-tech forging you need the best machining partner – and that‘s Makino!” Over a decade ago, GSA invested in two Makino horizontal machining centres – an A77 and an A99e – and although they have worked a 3- or 5-shift system ever since, the two machines are still operating with the original 18,000 rpm, HSK100 spindles. The reliability of the Makino spindles and the rigidity of the Makino machines have resulted in almost 100% uptime during the past decade.
Capacity extended
Earlier this year, GSA was looking to extend its machining capacity for normal steel dies of up to 500 m in diameter. The outstanding performance of the A77 and A99e over the past decade convinced GSA to go for another Makino machine. Yet before purchasing a Makino F5 vertical machining centre with a 12,000-rpm, 117 Nm, SK 40 spindle, GSA asked Makino to test the machine‘s precision and finishing qualities on a forging die made of 1.2344 steel. The F5 not only performed to perfection but was also 22.7% faster than the machines of alternative suppliers.
Makino recommended
GSA is utterly satisfied with the performance of its Makino machines – so much so that Managing Director Ernst-Peter Schmitz convinced his Indian colleagues to purchase two Makino V77 vertical machining centres for a Mahindra Forgings plant in India. Though initially sceptical about this investment, the Indians are now enthusing about Ernst-Peter Schmitz‘s high-tech recommendation. Numerous Makino machines are also operating in the die shops and mechanical metalworking facilities at other Mahindra Forgings Europe sites, e.g. Jeco in Gevelsberg, Germany. At Schöneweiss in Hagen, Germany, they are currently installing new production facilities – and here, too, the machining line will be based on Makino machines.
personnel and cutting-edge technology. Synergy effects within Mahindra Forgings Europe help GSA to stay at the forefront of forging technology. A strict quality-management system ensures that all GSA parts meet the uncompromising demands of renowned customers such as Daimler, MAN, Volvo, Scania, Fendt, John Deere and Linde. The GSA workforce is not only loyal and very motivated but also highly skilled. Further-training measures play a key role and with apprentices accounting for over 5% of the workforce, GSA makes sure it has enough well trained recruits in future, too. Since all apprentices are taken on after they have completed their training, no know-how is lost to the company. Moreover, GSA‘s commitment to extensive research has led to 18 patents or patent registrations in the past three years alone. This fourfold competence allows GSA customers to benefit from forged parts that are now more finely shaped, lighter and better-priced than ever before.