Hirschvogel Automotive Components (Pinghu) Co., Ltd., a leading manufacturer of automotive parts and components in China, ordered a new closed-die forging press from SMS group. The expanded capacity will enable the company to produce forged aluminum chassis components with high dimensional accuracy at an exceptionally short cycle time. This will support the company’s movement towards supplying high quality components for lightweight electric vehicles.
“Thanks to maximum availability combined with higher performance, the fully automated eccentric press from SMS will significantly increase the economic efficiency of our facility,” said Dr. Jinhong Li, CEO of Hirschvogel Automotive Components (Pinghu). “Moreover, SMS has built a number of reference plants for the internationally active Hirschvogel group, and this was the deciding factor for our broad cooperation.”
To be supplied by SMS group, the MP 3150 closed-die forging press will be fully automated, with press parameters monitored by an integrated process control system. The press is equipped with an automated walking beam system with servo drives installed at each axis to ensure a perfectly harmonized and smooth sequence of movements. Integrated sensors will permanently monitor the ram position to ensure trouble-free operation. An electro-hydraulic combined clutch and brake unit will be installed for precise switching actions.
The scope of supply also includes a basic digitalization package comprising several SMS software tools as part of a Software-as-a-Service (SaaS) solution, including SMS-Metrics and Smart Alarm, as well as the maintenance tool SMS Smart Glasses. The Smart Glasses software features an augmented reality application that will allow SMS experts to support Hirschvogel Automotive via remote access. The experts will be able to see what the operator is looking at on the equipment in real time, enabling them to provide precise instructions and display additional information on the user’s screen.
Commissioning of the fully automated forging press line is scheduled for the second quarter of 2022.