THE PROCESS

Cobapress^TM- Patents and trade mark
Casting > Tilting > Pressing
The Cobapress is a hybrid process consisting of forging a cast preform
This process has several advantages

Production sites : Europe, North America, Asia

PRODUCT DEVELOPMENT STEPS

EXAMPLES OF RESULTS

DURABILITY TESTS

Wolher curve at 20 C and under corrosion; 90% reliability

STATIC TESTS

Ex : Lagerbock, VW Passat

   
Source : A.Stich/H.-G.Haldenwanger (AUDI AG), Vergleich verschiedener Herstellverfahren für Fahrwerkskomponenten aus Aluminium, DVM-Tag 1999.

FATIGUE LIFE

The forging operation reduces the space between the grains, so that the crack distance is increased during durability tests. It also gives a smooth skin without crack initiator compared with the high roughness of conventional casting process. This Cobapress skin effect provides an improved the fatigue life.

INSERTS

The forging operation of the Cobapress^TM process allos a better cohesion between the aluminium, hence a perfect tightening of the inserts, and an improved corrosion resistance.

MATERIAL SOUNDNESS

sampling inspection x-rays

The forging operation retightens the grains and eliminates the internal defects, so that gives a better material quality and a finer structure.

COBAPRESS «IN LIVE»

CASTING SIMULATION

Advantages of the casting simulation :

• Reduce the set-up lead time in the work shop
• Avoid the tooling rework by manufacturing a defect free part on the 1st run.
• Determine and optimise the process parameters without trials

Magma software, used for the casting simulations, allows to predict defect on the under developement product and then immediatly to correct through part design. It also allows to determine the casting parameters for each part.

FORGING SIMULATION

Advantages of the forging simulation :

• Reduce the set-up lead time in the work shop
• Avoid the tooling rework by manufacturing a defect free part on the 1st run.
• Determine the equipment for mass production (size of press for ex.)
• Optimise the tool life

Superforge software, used for forging simulations, allows to predict defect on the under developement product and then immediatly to correct through part design. It also allows to determine the forging parameters, to control the location of the cast preform in the forging die, to check internal compression, and flash lenght