Large-bed servo press line enhances auto supplier’s efficiency

Automotive supplier of seating components Paul Craemer GmbH of Herzebrock-Clarholz, Germany, replaced two press lines requiring press-to-press automation with one 35-foot-tall, 48- by 25-ft. servo transfer press.

German automotive supplier Craemer of Herzebrock-Clarholz, Germany, manufactures car seat pans and other structural automotive components (see Figure 1). Like most auto part suppliers today, the metal former, toolmaker, and plastics processor faced considerable challenges, including automakers’ shorter model cycles, increasingly complex parts, and the use of high-strength materials. The company sought a way to increase speed and productivity.

As a result, Craemer recently launched production on a 35-ft.- (11-meter-) tall, 48-ft.- (15-m-) long, and 25-ft.- (8-m-) wide Schuler servo transfer press. Previously Craemer had to use two presses inline, linked by three automation systems. Being able to process its parts on just one machine significantly enhances the overall reliability of the line—especially as parts no longer must be passed from one press to the next.

Within the new line, parts are transported by a triaxis transfer system supplied by Schuler Automation with a span of over 32 ft. (10 m).

It is designed for fast and improved part transfer reliability with low vibration. A prerequisite for this reliability is the integrated active vibration dampening (AVD) system Schuler Automation developed.

The press’s 26-ft. 3-in.- (8-m-) long and 8-ft. 2-in.- (2.5-m-) deep press bed needed to be so large because the parts are transported through several stations during the forming process.

Each of the motors delivers more than 675 HP (500 kW) of power to generate a total press force of 2,800 tons (25,000 kN).

“This highly productive press will enable us to secure our market leadership and open opportunities for future projects,” stated Craemer Managing Director for Production and Technology Siegbert Geldner. “We are confident that this investment will soon pay off for us.”

Transferring the Large Transfer Press

Weighing in at almost 1,000 metric tons, it is the largest servo transfer press Schuler has ever built. Considering the monumental size of the press, it is little wonder that it took nine days to transport it from Schuler’s plant in Erfurt, Germany, to Craemer’s headquarters in East Westphalia. The gigantic press was transported by ship, two special cranes, and three 16-axle trailer trucks. The ship sailed from the inland harbor of Aken in Saxony-Anhalt via the Elbe River, the Mittelland Canal, and the Dortmund-Ems Canal to the harbor of Münster-Hiltrup.

Once at the Craemer facility, the press bed was first lowered into the 6-m-deep cellar of the specially constructed hall. This was followed by the 11 ft. 5-in.- (3.5-m-) high slide and 13 ft. 2-in.- (4-m-) high crown, before all three components were fixed in place by four tie rods.S

Figure 1
Craemer forms metal parts, including seating components, for the automotive industry. (Photo courtesy of Paul Craemer GmbH, Herzebrock-Clarholz, Germany.)