LuK Clutch Systems: ARKU Maschinenbau GmbH

LuK Wooster introduces Zig-Zag CompactFeed® – LuK saves up to 14 percent material costs

 

Wooster, Ohio – What does a press line have to do today? The answer is simple. It must do more – more availability, more material types and better material utilization. There are several areas that can be tweaked to make a manufacturing process fit for today's requirements. It is surely most appropriate to start looking for the solution at the head of the system. One example is the Zig-Zag CompactFeed® press feeding line shown at the left photo. LuK in Wooster, Ohio, has installed such a coil line in order to feed a large 2800-ton press with sheet steel. The compact coil line- half the size of a standard line- can handle thick and strong material. But more important, the Zig-Zag CompactFeed® line saves material. »Steel prices are high, and you want to utilize steel as much as you can today,« explains Herbert Wolf, LuK Vice President of Operations. »With this press line we have experienced material savings of 6 to 14 percent based on how we nest the parts.« The feeder straightener CompactFeed® moves from side to side when feeding the material into the press. That offers the advantage of nesting the parts. The result is an optimum utilization of the material, especially in the production of round punched parts.

The robust CompactFeed® press feeding lines ensure more availability for the whole press line. Coil change times are reduced by means of appropriate automation concepts and special designs. Features such as the hinged feeder straightener CompactFeed® enable rapid threading of the strip and reduce coil change times to less than 5 minutes. The press line also meets the challenge imposed by the increasing use of high-strength materials. At LuK, the system reliably produces 5.5 mm thick clutch plate covers from high-strength steel. LuK in Wooster, Ohio, is a subsidiary of the German Schaeffler Group and manufactures clutch systems and torque converters.