ICT | HIGHLIGHT OF THE MONTH
It all depends on the surface In almost all branches of industry, part-specific surface finishes have a major impact on product quality. Accordingly, rising demands are being placed on cleanliness and the absence of burrs, as well as on design and surface finish. Thanks to innovative and optimized solutions, these requirements can be met reliably, reproducibly and cost-effectively.
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ecurring themes can be seen in almost all sectors of industry: transformation processes, changes in manufacturing technologies, new and improved materials, the trend towards automated and digitized production processes,
as well as stricter climate protection targets and regulatory requirements. All of these pose new and different challenges for companies. On the one hand, they necessitate the further development or adaptation of key expertise and processes, and on the other hand, technology-based diversification, for example into segments beyond the existing market. As varied as the requirements may be, production steps such as deburring, cleaning and surface finishing play a decisive role when it comes to quality.
Mobility: adapted production processes for new drives Electromobility is catching on fast, and car manufacturers and suppliers are expanding their capacities accordingly. This presents challenges both in the production of components for electric motors and for battery modules. For example, drive shafts, housing parts and gears are designed with complex geometries. In some cases, these components also have drilled holes with intersections. At the same time, parts are often designed with the lowest possible material thicknesses in order to save mass and thus extend range. This calls for optimally-adapted solutions for deburring and surface finishing in order to meet the high requirements for burr-free and precision surfaces as well as for throughput and cost-effectiveness. Depending on the component and task, manufacturers of deburring and high-precision surface finishing equipment offer both new and improved systems and processes. These include, for example, developments in the field of vibratory finishing as well as laser and ECM technologies. Both laser and electrochemical metal machining (ECM) or precision electrochemical machining (PECM) also enable shapes such as bores to be created without burrs. In combustion technology, although new developments for passenger cars are no longer on the list of priorities for vehicle manufacturers, work is still continuing to further improve existing units and engines. The aim is to reduce consumption and emissions and optimize performance at the same time.
Automating deburring and surface finishing processes unlock great potential in terms of improving quality, precision, reproducibility and cost-effectiveness provided the automation concept is optimally designed and sustainable. Thanks to innovative developments in the world of deburring and surface finishing, for example in the field of vibratory finishing, new and changed requirements concerning precision and surface properties can be met reliably and cost-effectively.
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N. 20 - 2021 OCTOBER - ipcm Industrial Cleaning Technologies ®
DORIS SCHULZ SCHULZ. PRESSE. TEXT., Korntal – Germany ds@pressetextschulz.de
