Aluminium extruded profiles with an initial length of approx. 6 m are processed into finished parts with lengths from 514 to 940 mm.

The profiles are inserted, automatically inspected, sawn, brush-deburred and then laser-marked. High-precision punching is performed in a 1,250 kN hydraulic press. A simple changeover system for precision punching tools reduces setup times. After measurement, cleaning and final inspection, a robot packs the finished tension struts into customer-provided workpiece carriers.

In this special purpose machine, aluminium die-cast housings are joined to 3D-formed aluminium plates using friction stir welding (FSW). The components serve as cooler housings for power electronics in the battery charging management systems of electric vehicles.

The central challenge lies in the three-dimensional weld path across multiple component planes. Tight radii and inclined transition surfaces require precise kinematics and stable process control. For this purpose, the gantry system was expanded with a rotary-tilting table to create a fully capable 5-axis solution. Automatic alignment and clamping technology, robotic loading and process monitoring ensure reproducible FSW welding processes.

Left-hand and right-hand crash box components are produced from six-meter profile bars in short takt times. The profile bundles are brought in by sideloader, automatically de-stacked, inspected, sawn and then fed to the machining stations.

Within the tooling line, the workpieces are deburred, punched, formed, milled, fitted with blind rivet nuts, joined and marked. Depending on customer requirements, the system concept can be implemented as a linear line, U-shaped line, double line or with robot handling and a tool-equipped rotary table. This enables different crash box geometries to be manufactured flexibly and with reliable process stability.

A battery tray measuring approx. 2.2 x 1.4 m is produced from 13 raw aluminium profiles. In addition to extruded profiles, the system can also process a product variant with die-cast components, enabling mixed joints between wrought aluminium alloys and cast aluminium.

The raw profiles are prepared in two loading areas, inserted into clamping fixtures by robot and moved into the welding area in shuttle operation. Three pairs of FSW spindles weld the profiles simultaneously from above and below. This allows twelve FSW seams to be completed in only four process steps, reducing takt time and minimizing weld distortion.