First high-speed press line for India

Schuler is to deliver its first complete high-speed press line to India. The customer is car manufacturer Mahindra Automotive, based in Chakan, some 250 km from Mumbai. The line will be used mainly for the production of body parts for small trucks and delivery vans. The press line, which Mahindra Automotive has ordered for a new facility in India, consists of four linked presses with a total force of 5,400 metric tons, and is equipped with Crossbar feeder technology as well as high-speed blank loader and part unloader. The draw press has a total force of 2,400 metric tons and a bed surface of 4.6 x 2.5 meters. The downstream presses each have a force of 1,000 metric tons and bed surfaces of 4.6 x 2.5 meters.

¡°Schuler¡¯s Crossbar Feeder technology is an innovative automation system which offers significant improvements in the machine and process efficiency of mechanical press lines,¡± says Joachim Beyer, the Schuler AG Board of Management member responsible for Forming Systems Large Presses/Automotive. ¡°With the aid of the Crossbar Feeder II, the press lines can reach outputs of 15 parts per minute in continuous operation,¡± adds Joachim Beyer. The individual parts can be transported from die to die and ¨C where necessary ¨C repositioned, without the need for intermediate stations. The Crossbar Feeder II moves directly in the transport direction, without a longitudinal crossbar. The short distances between the press centers saves both space and cost, while ensuring good die access. With its short and compact design, the Crossbar Feeder is extremely stable, while high output levels help guarantee reductions in part-specific manufacturing costs. Car body parts are already being manufactured on press lines with Crossbar Feeders in Turkey and China.