Increasing efficiency in industrial hot forming

Funding organisation:

EUROPÄISCHE UNION
Europäischer Fonds für regionale Entwicklung
Investition in unsere Zukunft

Description:

The hot working, e.g. in form of pressing, forging, metal spinning, is widely used in the industry. Especially in small and medium businesses exists considerable potential to increase productivity and efficiency in economic and ecological aspects, because the current production is often based on empirical experiences and manual skills.
Using the example of the production of pipe elbows with so called ‘Hamburg Process’ the network of university, engineering company and industrial user is exploring new ways to optimize and practically verify the process chain. A lowering of the energy consumption by more than 12%, a reduction of material losses by more than 33% and a significant increase in productivity are aimed.
One focus of the project is the research of a new program system which can be used in small and medium-sized enterprises to optimize the forming processes. A knowledge and technology transfer for a broad target group is to be achieved, so that for the first time the potential to efficiency enhancement can be systematically identified and exploited. Thus, the project contributes to the promotion of technological and economic innovations in NRW.