The apt Group, one of the leading providers of aluminum solutions for the construction, transport, automotive, and industrial sectors, achieved a milestone in the production of aluminum battery housings for agricultural machinery. The company partnered with technology leader RRS Schilling GmbH to introduce friction stir welding (FSW) for the first time at its facility in Cheb, Czech Republic. Through the implementation of this technology, apt is able to meet the demanding requirements of the agricultural machinery sector and sustainably strengthen its own manufacturing expertise.
“The combination of technical feasibility, economic efficiency, and sustainable manufacturing convinced us,” said Christoph Orth, lead engineer at apt. “The collaboration with RRS Schilling is a strategic step for the apt Group toward complex assemblies with high added value and advanced aluminum processing.”
FSW delivers homogeneous, high-strength, and low-distortion weld seams with minimal heat input. Especially for battery housings that must meet stringent sealing requirements under extreme loads, FSW is the optimal joining technology.
As part of the project, an existing on-site CNC machine was converted into a hybrid machine, enabling both FSW and milling operations to be carried out flexibly and efficiently. Tool changes are quick and straightforward, significantly optimizing production workflows. The retrofit process developed by RRS Schilling is unique and cost-effective, since machining workpieces in a single clamping operation is both time and cost effective. While purchasing a new machine would require a seven-figure investment, retrofitting an existing CNC machine — depending on requirements — could cost in the five- to six-figure range. This efficient concept can pay off economically even for individual orders and offers companies maximum flexibility for future projects.
The collaboration with RRS Schilling, a specialist in FSW technology and unique CNC retrofit solutions, enabled apt to quickly and reliably integrate the process into ongoing production. Through targeted know-how transfer, training, and the conversion of an in-house CNC machine, apt was able to meet the agricultural industry’s high standards for precision, stability, and process reliability in a short time.
“This lightweight construction project involved complex geometries that could not be pressed in one piece,” explained Michael Giese, sales manager at RRS Schilling GmbH. “Therefore, we upgraded an existing CNC system with our FSW technology package to enable the production of assembled profiles. This has given apt entirely new manufacturing capabilities and allows them to offer customers cutting-edge lightweight solutions.”