Heinrich Huhn GmbH & Co. KG is a component supplier to the automotive industry. Motor components, powertrains, safety-relevant parts, or interior components are made of steel or aluminium sheet. A crucial step during the punching and forming process of the material is the lubrication step. For this crucial step, Heinrich Huhn invests in the spray.xact spray lubrication system by technotrans AG. It solves several problems during the production process while reducing the costs at the same time.

spray.xact is a spray lubrication system for punching and forming systems. Coils, shaped blanks, circular blanks, or profiles can be lubricated with precisely the amount of oil that is needed – from fine minimum lubrication to flooding. The most important tasks of a spray lubrication system in forming applications are the minimisation of friction and wear and the dissipation of heat. These tasks involve several challenges that could be overcome thanks to the spray.xact system.

At Heinrich Huhn, production manager Joachim Hedfeld had very precise ideas about what he wanted: "First of all, we wanted to produce an even oil film while limiting the amount of oil to what was really required. This is also good for the environment." Other targets were the minimisation of subsequent processes, e.g. cleaning parts, lowering energy costs, and reducing health hazards. Quite an extensive package, but Heinrich Huhn was willing to invest. The decision to stop using rollers for lubrication and to use a spray lubrication system instead was made very quickly. Precise dosing is impossible with rollers. Often, excessive amounts of lubricant are applied, which are then carried over to the subsequent process steps. However, there are huge differences concerning the spray lubrication systems that are available on the market.

spray.xact fulfils all of the requirements
Heinrich Huhn compared a total of five different systems and finally opted for the spray.xact system from technotrans AG in Sassenberg. "We formulated an extensive catalogue of criteria and in the end it became clear that technotrans offers the best solution for us", explains Joachim Hedfeld. The inspection of reference systems at other companies was another convincing factor. As a result, the spray.xact system will be used for the new Schuler servopress as well as for an already existing Krupp line. A mobile solution for varying tasks has already been used successfully for several months.

The advantages of the technotrans spray lubrication system correspond to all of the requirements that Joachim Hedfeld had specified. Unlike conventional systems with dual-substance nozzles, the spray.xact system with its special single-substance nozzle does not require any expensive compressed air. Instead, the technotrans nozzle supplies the desired quantity of lubricant via a high-frequency valve which, at the same time, reduces the formation of spray mist to such an extent that there is no need for an extraction system. With two parallel spray bars, different media, e.g. aqueous solutions and, if the spraying nozzle is heated, also highly viscous media, can be applied without any problem. Depending on the job at hand, the media can be changed quickly by way of a simple, automatic selection.

Precise dosing, no need for compressed air, and no time spent for machine set-ups – these are the factors that lower the lubrication costs at Heinrich Huhn. The fact that the amount of lubricant can be adjusted with such a high level of precision leads to additional cost-savings when it comes to cleaning the formed parts. Alois Scharf, head of the ink & fluid technology business unit at technotrans AG, states the further advantages of the product: "The optimisation of the use of lubricants can be an important cost factor, but other cost-savings also add up." There is no need for an extraction system, the production system remains virtually clean, and the health hazard for the operators is clearly reduced due to the fact that the spraying system produces only very little oil mist. "At the same time, the spray.xact system is a low-wear and low-maintenance solution offering a high level of process and production safety and reliability", underlines Alois Scharf. All of these effects have been confirmed by Heinrich Huhn's experience with the system so far.

The integration of the spray.xact system into the Schuler servopress will be performed by technotrans in close co-operation with the press manufacturer so that the smooth operation of the system can be guaranteed from day one. Based on the present experience with the spray.xact system, Heinrich Huhn will continue to increase the environmental compatibility of their processes, the efficiency for their customers, and the safety for their workforce.