Over the next few years, four Bühler Evolution die-casting machines with a locking force of 4,200 metric tons each will be overhauled at the Bühler remanufacturing facility in Bedizzole, Italy. The overhaul will not only bring the customer financial advantages in comparison to a new purchase but will also contribute to achieving sustainability goals and the modernization of production.
May 2022
The overhaul of a die-casting machine is worthwhile for customers in many respects. Compared to building a new die-casting machine it generates around 70% less energy consumption and over 75% less water consumption. At the same time, many tons of material are preserved in their original form of use. The example of the Evolution 420 die-casting machine impressively demonstrates this. During the entire overhaul of a machine of this size, 233 tons of material are reused - equivalent to the weight of about 45 elephants. Overall, a general overhaul saves 75% CO2 compared to the production of a new machine of comparable size.
Furthermore, a general overhaul includes the adaptation of the equipment to the latest state of the art as well as to the customer's requirements. The equipment ordered by BMW for the overhaul already went into operation at the BMW Group plant in Landshut in 2003. The production involves structural components, thousands of which will continue to be manufactured on Evolution 420 in the future.
Working with extreme forces under harsh foundry conditions, die-casting machines inevitably experience wear, which can affect part quality and cell production time. A general overhaul resets the production clock to zero. Jan Meier, production manager at Bühler Brescia, explains why. "Our work goes far beyond a repair measure. We clean, recondition, or replace any critical component."
Wherever possible, Bühler uses the latest technologies that allow customers to benefit from high cell availability as well as networking in the sense of Industry 4.0. The entire machine is then thoroughly tested before the Bühler team installs it together with customers and puts it back into operation. "Our general overhaul is only completed when the die-casting machines are running perfectly again - for us, there is nothing better than seeing a remanufactured machine back in full operation," says Jan Meier.
Bühler Brescia, a remanufacturing specialist based in Bedizzole, Italy, overhauls machines in the locking force range from 2,600 to 42,000 kN. The specialized plant offers a choice of full or partial overhauls, including control upgrades to the latest Bühler DataView control system. Over the past five years, more than 300 machines have been overhauled at Bühler Brescia in Bedizzole and at other Bühler overhaul sites in the U.S. and China.
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