04/15/2009

Schuler: Solid Forming division aims to grasp opportunities in growth markets

Just two years after merging with Müller Weingarten, the Schuler Group’s Solid Forming division has taken stock of its success to date. Whether in the field of regenerative energies, transport engineering or oil and gas exploration: there is a growing need for solid formed parts in a variety of sectors with exciting future prospects. The Solid Forming business unit has successfully established itself in all these fields with numerous projects over the past few years. The main objective for the future is now to expand these activities and further strengthen Schuler’s position in the world’s growth markets.

Jochen Frueh, head of the Schuler Group’s Solid Forming division, believes the conditions for achieving this objective are highly favorable: “Our product portfolio comprises the entire spectrum of equipment and peripherals for cold, warm and hot forming. We are also represented locally in all regions and have proven over the years that we can use our combined know-how to provide our customers with a sustainable competitive advantage.”

The most recent reference projects completed by the solid forming experts include several forging lines for the production of aluminum wheels supplied to customers in Taiwan, Japan and the USA; a hydraulic forging line with a press force of 10,000 metric tons to produce ring blanks for the aerospace industry; and the world’s largest counterblow hammer, which the Schuler Group installed in the USA. “The range of parts which users produce on our lines gives some indication of the wide scope of our technical expertise,” stresses Jochen Frueh. “Another indication is that demand for our products is not restricted to one particular sector. That also makes us less susceptible to economic fluctuations.”

In demand in promising sectors

Nevertheless, Jochen Frueh and his team of experts in Göppingen, Waghäusel and Weingarten, are monitoring very closely what effect the current economic climate is having on their business. One consequence is to focus more strictly on sectors with promising futures, such as transport engineering, regenerative energies and the exploration of oil and gas. “These sectors offer long-term international growth,” explains Dr. Walter Osen, responsible for Solid Forming at Schuler SMG in Waghäusel. “Investments in infrastructure and energy provision are two key future topics from which we aim to benefit.” One example, says Dr. Walter Osen, is a hydraulic forging press with a force of 10,000 metric tons which Schuler delivered to the Spanish company CAF in December 2008. Starting from Easter 2009, CAF will be using the line to pre-form blanks for railway wheels. Other typical products in growth segments which can be manufactured cost-efficiently and in high quality include, for example, large crankshafts for ships, various parts for commercial vehicles, turbine blades for airplanes, and pipe flanges such as those used in the construction of pipelines. This variety of projects also raises the requirements with regard to our global presence, adds Dr. Walter Osen: “The main investments are being made in Asia, Russia and the Americas. We have a local presence in all these regions. However, the domestic market and Europe still play an important role for the Solid Forming division.”

Innovations and experience benefit solid forming

The Solid Forming division also owes its growing importance to numerous technical innovations made over the past few years. Thanks to greater process reliability, considerably more components can be produced by solid forming than in the past, explains Joachim Roske, head of the Solid Forming business unit at Schuler in Göppingen: “Especially when it comes to complex and critical, safety-relevant components, users are increasingly choosing the solid forming process. The continued development of our drive systems means that customers can now also manufacture delicate forged parts in large quantities and near-net-shape quality, and thus more economically.”

Even though at first sight it might seem like the processes run virtually automatically, if the right parameters are fed in, the truth is that solid forming is still very much an experience-reliant sector. “A lot of trial-and-error in the joint development process with the customer is required before a line can reach its optimum performance,” states Jochen Frueh. “And this is where we can offer our pooled experience – which is probably unique in this combination.”

Line modernization the key to sustained productivity increases

However, this vast experience not only benefits customers who order a new line from the Schuler Group. “One area which is becoming increasingly important is service,” stresses Jochen Frueh. And adds: “With the aid of targeted modernization measures in the field of drive technology and control systems, or the addition of an automation solution, users can optimize the use of their existing machine base and raise productivity significantly.” Schuler’s range of services not only includes modernization, but also extensive advice and support. “The sector is dominated above all by mid-size companies. Such customers can benefit from our internal know-how transfer on questions of line and process design. But also when it comes to planning a move abroad because the customer’s customer demands it. We can share the experience we’ve gained in this area from operating our own international network,” stresses Jochen Frueh.