The construction process

The choice of brass alloy must be taken into account as early as the component design stage. © Klaus Vollrath

"When developing a new component, it is advisable to consider the possibilities and limitations of the manufacturing process during the design phase," Declerck reveals. Like every manufacturing technology, die casting brass also has its own special features, for example with regard to wall thickness transitions or material accumulations, which should be taken into account in order to achieve optimum results. This should be done as early as possible in the design process. Experience has shown that the later changes or adjustments have to be made during development, the more expensive they become. This is why Favi, with its experienced specialists and comprehensive IT equipment, is ready to support its customers with advice right from the start of the development process. This includes tools such as the CAD/CAM software ProEngineer or the casting simulation program Novacast. If necessary, prototypes can also be produced, for example by machining from solid material or using 3D printing. Thanks to this and the routine of the employees, it is usually possible to achieve a process suitable for series production right from the start.

The alloy

The die casting of copper and brass materials is unjustly a niche activity. © Klaus Vollrath

"Favi not only has an exceptionally wide range of alloys, but also develops special alloys that are specially optimized to meet customer requirements if necessary," says Siegfried Glanz, Managing Partner of L+B Metallservice in Olpe. The expert in metallic materials and casting processes supports Favi in looking after its customers in Germany. When developing customer or market-specific alloys, Favi can rely on its parent company Afica, which is one of the largest European producers of refined copper alloys with an annual production of 15,000 tons and corresponding experience. The company also collaborates with research institutes. The most important innovations include several low-lead and dezincification brass alloys according to the UBA list as well as the antibacterial alloy AB+ for applications in medical technology and in hospitals and care facilities. In addition to its antibacterial effect, this alloy, which is manufactured without the addition of lead or nickel, does not trigger allergies or release toxic substances.

A further alloy development led to a particularly wear-resistant and at the same time corrosion-resistant material, which is preferably used in the areas of mechanical engineering and agricultural machinery construction.

Efficient processing

Many process steps at Favi are automated. © Klaus Vollrath

"We also accommodate our customers in terms of processing depth and, on request, supply completely ready-to-install machined and finished components or fully assembled modules," Declerck reveals. The core elements of the equipment include a fully automated and highly flexible production cell in which several robots handle the parts. The special features of the system include a separating and feeding unit for the cast parts fed in as bulk material in boxes. The system empties the fed crate via a lift into a vibrating hopper, from which the parts are fed one after the other onto a conveyor belt. There they are scanned using cameras, which record both the identity of the part and its orientation. If the part is not recognized as correct, it is sorted out. Correct but incorrectly oriented parts are fed back into the hopper. All other parts are gripped by the robot and transferred to the automatic processing machine.

A number of other machine tools are available for other operations. Surface treatments are carried out using sand or shot blasting as well as partly robot-operated vibratory grinding and polishing systems. In addition, a new machine was purchased at the beginning of the year, which produces a glossy effect on the cast surfaces after blasting or vibratory grinding. Proven external partners are available for further surface finishing such as electroplating with silver or other metals.

"As Favi casts to a considerable extent for the automotive industry, the entire quality system naturally meets the strict requirements of the automotive industry," explains Glanz. As mechanical processing takes place within a very short time after casting and parts cleaning, the feedback loop of the quality control loop between the occurrence and detection of production errors is very short, so that malfunctions are quickly rectified. Continuous worker self-monitoring is just as much a part of the quality system as regular recertifications. Certification to IATF 16949 and ISO 9001 is renewed annually, while renewal for ISO 14001 is planned for the current year.

Klaus Vollrath, freelance journalist / ag