Kautex K-News August/2007 (PDF, 2.0 MB

EDITORIAL
-NEWS
Dear Friends and Business
Partners,
Some time has passed since the last Kautex
Newsletter. Not that we had nothing
to report - quite the contrary in fact.
There is movement in the markets, positive
momentum in many industries is
awakening a willingness to invest, and
demand is increasing accordingly. In
brief, the economic barometer has
swung towards growth and Kautex is
growing powerfully.
This is an exceptionally welcome development
which few would have anticipated
three years ago. But one thing is
clearly evident: The pace of economic
life has changed. And the speed with
which both markets and economic conditions
are able to change is matched
equally by changing customer requirements
and by emerging innovations and
product cycles. Speed and flexibility
have become essential in determining
success. Over the past three years we
have shown that Kautex cannot only
keep up regardless of the pace: in many
areas it is Kautex that sets the pace.
The change in the ownership of Kautex
has also been faster than anticipated.
The development in our business has
been so positive that Adcuram AG has
already achieved its declared objective
of setting Kautex Maschinenbau GmbH
back on course for continued growth.
The new shareholders who comprise the
management and a new financial investor
will pursue this course and increase
both the speed and flexibility of performance
here at Kautex.
2
+ + + K 2 0 0 7 • O c t o b e r 2 4 - 3 1 , 2 0 0 7 • H A L L 1 4 • B O O T H 1 4 A 1 8 + + + N E W K A U T E X W E B S I T E • W W W . K A U T E X - G R O U P . C O
Just how flexibly we can even now
respond to customer requests is evident
from our report on Russian automotive
supplier DSK’s decision to
switch from steel to plastic tanks. We
have also accelerated the speed of
our development processes. Our new
Technikum manager Markus Holbach
introduces himself in this issue and
presents some of the Center’s current
projects.
But despite the pace of economic life,
let us not overlook the need for time:
Time to gather information and assimilate
valuable ideas – time, for
example, to read our Newsletter.
Yours sincerely
Andreas Lichtenauer,
Managing Director
Newsticker:
Machinery sales in 2007
Remember the saying? Nothing
succeeds like success.
Which is a good reason not to
keep our current sales successes to
ourselves. After all, satisfied
Kautex customers are still the best
recommendation.
2 CoEx Fuel Tank Machines KBS 241 and a
3D Machine KBS 61
for the production of CoEx plastic fuel
tanks and for low-waste production of
curved fuel filling pipes
Client: Yangzhou Automotive Plastic
Parts Co., Ltd. (YAPP)
Industry: Automotive supplier
Country: PR China
CoEx Double Station Extrusion Blow
Molding Machine KBS 120 D
for the production of six-layer automotive
fuel-tanks
Client: Avrand
Industry: Automotive supplier
Country: Iran
CoEx Fuel Tank Extrusion Blow Molding
Machine KBS 61 Smart
for the production of six-layer motorbike
fuel-tanks and ATV
Client: Suzuki Motor Corporation
Industry: Motorbike and automotive
manufacturer
Country: Japan
KEB 20 Extrusion Blow Molding Machine
for the production of 20-ltr. packaging
containers
Client: Con Plax NEW PAC S.p.A.
Industry: Packaging industry
Country: Italy
KEB 10 and KCC 10 Extrusion Blow
Molding Machines
for the production of 10-ltr. and 5-ltr. cans
Client: PLASTIVALLE s.r.l.
Industry: Packaging industry
Country: Italy
KPC Extrusion Blow Molding Machine
for the production of polycarbonate
water bottles
Client: Plasticos Iris Agua S.A. de C.V.
Industry: Packaging industry
Country: Mexico
CoEx Double Station Fuel Tank Extrusion
Blow Molding Machine KBS 120 D
for the production of six-layer automotive
fuel-tanks
Client: ER.SI POLAND S.A.
Industry: Automotive supplier
Country: Poland
The Russian automotive supplier
DSK has changed over to the
production of plastic fuel-tanks.
Kautex Maschinenbau was
involved in the process right from
the outset, i.e. the development
of the actual fuel system to the
installation of the final turn-key
production plant.
Plastic fuel systems offer many advantages
over steel tanks: They offer low-cost
production, are corrosion resistant and
account for considerable fuel savings due
to their lower weight. The large Russian
automotive supplier Detalstroikonstructsia
Ltd. (DSK) recognized this trend and
changed over to the future orientated
plastics technology with the backing of
Kautex Maschinenbau GmbH as a highly
competent partner in this area. Last April
Kautex not only installed a complete
turn-key plant, but also developed in
close cooperation with the client a plastic
fuel system for the Lada Kalina car
consisting of a six-layer Coex tank with a
special filling pipe.
Oleg Timonin, DSK Project Manager, is satisfied with
the result of the development work.
Lada plastic fuel-tanks
Complex development work
“The design of the first tank model
made of polyethylene proved to be
our first challenge because we
only had a specimen of the
steel tank used to
date,“ said Volker
Heim, Project
Manager at Kautex.
“At the same time we
wanted to make maximum
use of the benefits of plastics technology
by optimal utilization of the
available installation space within the
car’s body. Moreover, the client’s
requirements had to be taken into
account to ensure the continued use of
existing components such as the fuel
pump, activated carbon filter and gas
pump.” For instance Kautex developed a
special bayonet ring to mount the fuel
pump inside the tank. This bayonet ring
is placed in the tool during blow
molding. Furthermore, Kautex integrated
a special ventilating and venting
system to make the steel compensation
tank superfluous.
All tests successfully passed
In the post-development period Kautex
supported the client during the mandatory
process of fuel system certification
in conformity with ECE 34 and EU
Directives 70/221/EEC. Additional tests
were carried out at the request of the
client. Volker Heim continued: “For
instance, by meeting the drop test and
crash test specification, the tank had to
provide proof of its high measure of
crash safety.” Furthermore, exhaustive
studies as well as bursting pressure tests,
fire and rollover tests were conducted to
establish complete mechanical and
thermal stability.
The complete plastic fuel storage system
for the Lada Kalina including 6-layer
CoEx tank and special filling pipe.
From the machine right up to the
material cycle
The installation developed by Kautex
specifically for DSK is a fully automated
production and finishing line. The central
unit is formed by the KBS 120/100 D
double-station blow molding machine
with a closing pressure of 100 tons and a
six-layer parison head for a throughput
rate of 700 kg per hour. The delivery
also included the entire material
handling with silos, dryers, granulators,
conveyors, a complete compressed air
and cooling water supply system and an
underwater after-cooling station, a
finishing section and an assembly line.
The entire installation was supplemented
by Kautex with a fully equipped
laboratory and extensive training for
DSK machine operators, process technicians
and designers.
Oleg Timonin, Project Manager at DSK,
expressed his complete satisfaction and
praised the high standard of quality of
the products, but also the outstanding
cooperative relations with the Kautex staff.