Our engineering experts and designers from the Mechanical Engineering, Electrical Engineering and Engineering Support departments make sure that ideas turn into cost-effective, precise and reliable facilities. This involves:

• The calculation and simulation of mechanical, thermal and atmosphere flow characteristics.
• The design of complex thermal systems, vessels and facilities.
• The integration of generic control models with automated CAD processes.
• Close coordination of engineering planning with manufacturing to ensure smooth installation and commissioning at the customer’s works.

“CONCEPT ENGINEERING” – A CATALYST FOR INNOVATION

In an era when the ability to develop technologies and quickly react to market needs is decisive, our “Concept Engineering” department is playing a central role. This small, highly-specialized team of experienced engineers works closely together with every other relevant department. The high degree of cooperation enables us to recognize new challenges well in advance, quickly transforming them into technical solutions. Our goal is to make focused improvements to existing products, opening new markets at the same time. Our role is to act as the driving force and connecting link between an idea and its implementation, always seeking to advance those innovations that create real added value.

HEAT TREATMENT OF CLAD ALUMINUM SHEET – RESPONDING TO AN UNFULFILLED CUSTOMER NEED

One example of our current work is the development of a furnace to heat treat clad aluminum sheet. This type of thin sheet, which consists of a base material to which cladding has been applied, provides a number of advantages. It combines the mechanical properties of the base material with the functional properties of the
cladding, for example corrosion protection or improved weldabilty.

However, to achieve the desired mechanical properties in the final product, it is essential that heat treatment is both extremely precise and suitable for both materials. The cladding is extremely thin, and damage to it must be prevented at all costs. At the same time, during a solution anneal the material is extremely soft and is inclined to deform. The sheet must therefore be transported through the furnace very carefully – a task that places extreme demands on mechanical and control systems.

A particular challenge must be faced when the material enters the quenching zone: the material requires extremely rapid and precisely controlled cooling to achieve the desired properties, but distortion of the plates and the creation of defects must be prevented. The accuracy of the temperature plays a decisive metallurgical role in this, significantly influencing whether or not the dimensions of the sheet remain stable. It is throughput, however, that is the deciding factor in determining whether or not the process is profitable.

Our solution takes all of these aspects into account. It combines a specially-developed transport system, an extremely accurate temperature control system and flexible quenching options to provide a reproducible heat treatment process that also delivers high productivity. With this facility we have not only responded to an unfulfilled customer need, but have set new standards in the processing of clad aluminum sheet.