Farina built a GLK Scotch Yoke press for the Czech automotive supplier Strojmetal. Photo: SchulerStrojmetal, based in Kamenice near Prague in the Czech Republic and in Singen, Southern Germany, is one of the leading manufacturers of aluminum chassis parts and applications in the powertrain and battery housing sectors. The product range has been greatly expanded in recent years from applications with a component weight of less than 200g to 8kg.
Lightweight construction in vehicle technology is becoming increasingly crucial, especially for alternative powertrains. Parts such as high ductility aluminum forgings from Strojmetal can now also be produced on a 2,500-tonne Scotch Yoke press from Schuler subsidiary Farina. It is the centrepiece of a line that has now gone into operation at Strojmetal's new site in Bruntál on the Polish border.
Miroslav Zahorec, chief financial and production officer of MTX Group (which Strojmetal is part of), said: “Thanks to the excellent cooperation already in the design phase with Schuler, Strojmetal and the in-house automation company
ICE Industrial Services, we managed to complete the commissioning from the first stroke to series production in just three months.”
Schuler managing director Frank Klingemann added: “The project naturally benefitted from our many years of experience as a general contractor. By implementing a virtual commissioning of the line in advance, the ramp-up phase on the construction site was reduced enormously, which further shortened the time to the start of production.”
Fully automated lineThanks to the KERS (kinetic energy recovery system), the power consumption of the GLK-type press is reduced by up to 40%, while the output is increased. The machine is part of a fully automated line that also includes several robots and ovens as well as another 250-tonne press provided by Schuler subsidiary Beutler Nova for deburring the forgings — the operators’ only task is to monitor production.
Strojmetal celebrated its 200th anniversary in 2022. Josef Ringhoffer founded the company in 1822 as a copper smelter in Kamenice; in 1940, the forging of aluminum alloys was added to the programme. In 2013, the Czech co-owners of Strojmetal bought the remaining shares from Constellium Singen GmbH; and in 2020, Strojmetal was acquired by the MTX Group and successfully integrated into the overall group.
Today, highly automated forging lines, but also manual presses, produce predominantly for the automotive industry. In addition to forging, machining and assembling aluminum parts, the product portfolio also includes the development, construction and design of aluminum chassis parts.
Andre Materne, managing director of Strojmetal Singen, concluded: “After two challenging years in the automotive industry, this year we were again able to win major orders from well-known OEMs and suppliers for both production sites. The strategic partnership with Schuler and the efficient implementation of joint ideas has significantly increased our attractiveness in the market.”