Over the past few years, AP&T has consciously worked to develop and strengthen its range of tooling solutions for press hardening of vehicle components. The company’s efforts have aroused a great deal of interest on the part of both existing and new customers, and paved the way for several important deals.
“Our customers have very high demands on quality in terms of the tools themselves and the results they generate. By putting a great deal of resources into advanced simulation and testing, we can at an early stage ensure that the finished parts obtain the precise geometry and quality the customer desires, at the same that we can shorten lead times,” says Product and Production Manager Tooling Johan Melander at AP&T.
Metalsa, a subcontractor of several major car manufacturers, is one of the customers that has decided to collaborate with AP&T on tooling.
“In 2016, Metalsa in Mexico purchased a complete press hardening line from us, including tooling. We have subsequently received additional tooling orders from them. Several other new customers have shown interest in our solutions as well.”
As we all know, a successful assignment frequently leads to new ones. For Johan Melander and his colleagues, the development is proof of how well both tooling and the entire process function — from initial contact to delivery, installation, service and maintenance.
“Since we focus on each and every phase, our solution offers a high degree of technical availability and simple maintenance, which enables a stable manufacturing process and high productivity,” says Johan Melander.
Facts
AP&T develops and manufactures tooling for press hardening and forming of high-strength aluminum, as well as production of ventilation parts, heat exchanger plates and roof drainage system parts.
Simulation and test manufacturing are conducted at AP&T’s Tech Center in Ulricehamn.
With its own complete production line for press hardening, AP&T can produce finished parts for pre-production or provide extra capacity during production peaks, for example.