Press Release
2014-154
Fact-sheet
Schmitz Cargobull AG
The new trailer generation GENIOS:
From a steel panel to an l-beam for the modular chassis in two and a half minutes
Facts & figures
Series production start: / - End of July 2014 (Altenberge)- October 2014 (Wuhan, China)
- By the end of 2014, 75% of the l-beams for the S.CS curtainsider semi-trailer will be manufactured using the cold forming process
Investment costs: / - approximately €10 million for the development of the new technology
- more than €30 million for the production system at the main plant in Altenberge
Development period: / - approximately two years and six months
Advantages: / - The beam is manufactured as a single piece without welding.
- The process allows the height of the l-beam to vary.
- Material stresses due to thermal loading resulting from the welding process are prevented. Furthermore, the levelling otherwise required after the welding process is also unnecessary.
- The process reduces the production time by 60%, increases the product quality and improves precision.
- The entire product range has been standardised. The previous array of approximately 280 different welded l-beam variants have been reduced to 20 l-beams manufactured using the rolling process.
2014-154
- The I-beams can be tailored to customers' individual demands using the established bolting technology and the specified hole pattern relatively late in the process.
Production process: / - The new production technology for the l-beam largely replaces the conventional welding process.
- The l-beam is cold formed from a single blank without a welding seam.
- 14 rotating and freely movable rolling heads utilise extreme pressure to form the l-beam into the desired shape – including the taper.
- The cold forming process takes place in two steps: The top strap and the bottom strap of the l-beam are formed individually, one after the other.
- Following this, the hole patterns and openings are punched out.
- Then the beam is hot galvanised.
Technical features: / - The machines in Altenberge and Wuhan have benefitted from an identical development and design process.
- The machine weighs 80 tonnes.
- The overall size of the equipment is approximately 170 metres.
- The machine requires approximately two minutes and 30 seconds to cold form an l-beam.
- Up to 90 l-beams can be produced per eight hour shift.
The Schmitz Cargobull press team:
Gerd Rohrsen: Tel.: +49/2558/ 81-1323
Silke Hesener -1501
Fax: +49/2558/ 81-1287
E-mail:
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