Thermodur E 40 K Superclean Now Available in a Full Range of Sizes

Thermodur® E 40 K Superclean now available in a full range of sizes

NEMAK: great potential for new hot-working steel by Deutsche Edelstahlwerke

Leading long-steel producer Deutsche Edelstahlwerke (DEW), the German subsidiary of SCHMOLZ + BICKENBACH Group,has once again added to their delivery range. Since March 2015 the new hot-working steel Thermodur®E 40 K Superclean comes in all dimensions, from 800 x 100 to 800 x 400 mm (machining available on request). "The new material immediately attracted a lot of attention because it delays the formation of hot cracks and thereby significantly increases the life of the tool compared to conventional hot-working steel," explains Hans-Georg Maschetzke, Deutsche Edelstahlwerke Sales Manager for tool steel for EU customers. After its debut at Euromold in Frankfurt in November, the new hot-working steel for the pressure die casting industry, is now presented at Moulding Expo (hall 6, stand 6B55).

Thanks to the improved properties of Thermodur® E 40 K Superclean, NEMAK, an international manufacturer of aluminium diecast parts, is particularly interested in DEW’s new hot-working steel. NEMAK’s Polish subsidiary is currently testing whether the steel can be used as material for the inserts in the dies used for manufacturing 4-cylinder engine blocks. A single rectangular or cube-shaped insert weighs around 300 kilos. "The material's toughness and resistance to thermal shock are most important to us because both of these properties have a decisive impact on the rate at which hot cracking occurs," explains the management of NEMAK Poland.

Production at the plant in Bielsko-Biala, Poland is in excess of two million cast parts for the automotive industry per year. In future, NEMAK also hopes to expand the site for the manufacture of important aluminium structural components for the automotive industry. The operational efficiency of production and the quality of the die-cast components largely depends on the tool input stock. "Our customers in the automotive industry placethe highest requirements on our cast parts. They expect flawless surfaces and absolutely precise geometries. The basis for this is a tool made of hot-working steel that is purpose-designed," reports the head of tool manufacturing at NEMAK Poland.

High expectations during the test phase

Specifically those mould inserts that give the later cast part the desired characteristic shape and complexity are subjected to an extreme environment during the manufacture of die-cast aluminium. The actual production of a part only takes approx. two minutes. In the process, mould inserts must withstand high pressures and temperatures of over 700°C. "The thermal cracks that occur sooner or later cannot be prevented, only delayed, as Thermodur®E 40 K Superclean does very effectively. Sooner or later they will result in the failure of the mould because at the very latest when the cracks fuse and fractures occur, this would affect the surface of the cast part produced," explains sales manager Mr. Maschetzke.

This is also confirmed by NEMAK. The company is now testing mould inserts made of Thermodur®E 40 K Superclean under actual operating conditions. "The entire test phase takes a bit more than a year. We will compare the parameters taken after the test phase with the present values, while paying particular attention to surface quality which has a direct and decisive impact on the overall life of the tool. So far, we are using Thermodur®E 38 K Superclean from Deutsche Edelstahlwerke for the engine housings and gearbox housing, which has proven reliable," reports NEMAK management.

Expectations for the new material are high. Given the fact that in the past NEMAK has produced an average of 80,000 to 150,000 cast parts with a single set of mould inserts this is not surprising. Using the new hot-working steel from Deutsche Edelstahlwerke, the material is expected to have only very minimal cracking after 60,000 cast parts. Other materials would exhibit much more cracking in the same time period. And for the new material, fractures after 100,000 pieces are absolutely not acceptable. "We expect that Thermodur®E 40 K Superclean will considerably reduce maintenance costs arising from e.g. repair welding of the inserts.These maintenance measures are necessary to be able to exploit the full potential of the life of the mould frames.As a rule, we take a mould frame out of production after switching out the inserts three times," reports the head of tool manufacture at NEMAK Poland.

Full service translates into confidence and success

From longer tool life, lower maintenance costs and greater flexibility in pressure die-casting production to high-quality, reliable delivery performance for die-casting manufacturers and automotive customers - expectations are just as high asthe optimism that the cooperation will once again be crowned with success. The start of the test phase at any rate was right on schedule. Deutsche Edelstahlwerke has been supplying NEMAK with tool steel for mould frames and mould inserts for 15 years. Over 400 tons are trucked directly to the Polish plants every year.

Most of the steel supplied by the steel producer is in the form of up to 16 ton mould frames made of Formadur®2312, Formadur®2738 and Formadur®320 and includes machining and heat treatment at Deutsche Edelstahlwerke’s facilities. "In addition to reliable steel quality, good technical advice is an important criterion, particularly on new projects, that has influenced our decision to again choose Deutsche Edelstahlwerke as a supplier and competence partner. The combination of their and our technical experts has produced a regular exchange of experience on numerous on-site meetings and walkthroughs," comments NEMAK management on the successful cooperation.

This is also true of the test phase with new Thermodur®E 40 K Superclean for which Deutsche Edelstahlwerke is a full-range supplier. Services include everything from technical support for customers to steel production and machining at the DEW plant in Witten (Germany) to hardening at the DEW hardening facility in Lüdenscheid (Germany). "Close cooperation with the DEW experts is important, specifically when planning the optimum heat treatment for our purposes."

Deutsche Edelstahlwerke is proud of the trust shown by the well-known diecasting producer. "The temperature stability is an improvement on Thermodur®E 38 K Superclean without a negligible reduction in toughness, and this is what makes Thermodur®E 40 K Superclean interesting for all die-casting manufacturers who have to fulfil both increasing requirements for quality from customers as well as their own efficiency standards," concludes Hans-Georg Maschetzke.

Length: 6508 characters including spaces

Status: May 5, 2015

About Deutsche Edelstahlwerke GmbH

Deutsche Edelstahlwerke GmbH is a leading manufacturer of long high-grade steel products with over 150 years of experience. The product range unrivalled around the world comprises tool steel, stainless, acid, and heat-resistant steel, high-grade construction steel and special materials. The range of dimensions extends from drawn steel of 0.8 mm in diameter as well as forged products of 1.100 mm in diameter. Customers of Deutsche Edelstahlwerke obtain the complete production chain from one source: from manufacture and prefabrication to finishing with heat and surface treatment.

About SCHMOLZ + BICKENBACH

Today, the SCHMOLZ + BICKENBACH Group is one of the world’s leading providers of customised solutions in the specialty steel long products business. A global name in tool steel and stainless long steel, the group is one of the two largest companies in Europe for alloy and high-alloy engineering steel. With around 10 000 employees at its own production and distribution companies in 38 countries across five continents, the company supports and supplies customers wherever they operate. Besides the comprehensive Production and Sales & Services portfolio, customers benefit from the company’s technological expertise, consistent high quality worldwide and in-depth knowledge of local markets.

Corporate Contact

Deutsche Edelstahlwerke GmbH

Melanie Biskup (Public Relations)

Auestr. 4, 58452 Witten

Phone: +49 2302 29 2216

Fax: +49 2302 29 4978

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