Batch production
The form holding characteristics of the Formbalancer and its cost-effectiveness are revolutionizing the forming technology. The Formbalancer system is a cost-effective solution which has been designed specifically for the production of small to medium quantities (100,000 parts per year).
The most important performance features of hydroforming using the FormBalancer in batch production:
High dimensional accuracy of the formed parts
- The high-pressure forming operation is only one of several production steps necessary to produce the finished component. Downstream operations, such as automated laser cutting or laser / robot welding, require constant and high dimensional accuracy. It is essential for the calculation of the total cost that these requirements are met.
Good surface finish of the components after the forming process
- Touch-up work or fine finishing is no longer required or reduced to a strict minimum. No traces or surface damage, typical for deep-drawing operations, have to be removed or at least only have to be removed very rarely.
- Components which are coated in a downstream operation can be manufactured from pre-treated sheet metal; hence, no costs for logistics.
Optimized distribution of material thicknesses after the high-pressure deformation process
- The formed part has less internal stress, a fact that facilitates further processing of the part and a factor which is specifically required for:
- heat exchanger plates
- metal bipolar plates for fuel cells
- The uniform distribution of sheet thicknesses in the deformation process may help to reduce the material thickness and hence cut costs.