• 12/20/2023
  • Interview
  • Markets & Industries

58 Tons in Tow: Exhibitor Showcases Deburring Press for Ultra-Large Die Casting Parts at EUROGUSS

Aulbach Automation abk Pressenbau has its origins in deburring technology and has been specialized in deburring presses and foundry peripherals since its new foundation in 2010. The company manufactures hydraulic presses and automation equipment and is based in Mömlingen, Germany. Lisa Aulbach-Heinecke is the managing director, co-founder, and has been involved in the die casting world for 25 years. At EUROGUSS 2024, the manufacturer will have the largest exhibit "in tow" that NürnbergMesse has ever welcomed in its halls.

Lisa Aulbach-Heinecke
Lisa Aulbach-Heinecke, managing director Aulbach Automation abk Pressenbau.
Mrs. Aulbach-Heinecke, please give us a brief introduction to your company.

Aulbach-Heinecke: Our focus is on hydraulic presses of all sizes for deburring die casting parts. Originally, we offered general overhauls, service, and assembly for machines used in traditional punch deburring. Today, we are active worldwide and offer our customers intensive consulting. With 60 employees and an export rate of over 80 percent, we are leaders in press manufacturing.

Currently, the demand for large-scale plants for ultra-large die casting parts in the body sector has risen sharply. As the first supplier, we offer suitable deburring presses in series for this purpose.
team in front of the machine
What does the trend towards megacasting or ultra-large die casting parts mean for machine manufacturers?

It is truly fascinating: for a long time, machine manufacturers built more or less similar machine sizes and – driven among others by Tesla and Idra – suddenly the race was on. Together with Bühler, we have set the start and worked out, defined, and developed a standard concept for deburring large components with deburring press and tool that meets all requirements for die casting cells and their application.
However, I think that all this is just the beginning. Technically, much more is already possible. The question is at what scale it becomes worthwhile for the customer to invest.

Ultimately, it's about cost savings and shorter production cycles. Traditionally, an underbody requires about 200 individual parts of various manufacturing processes, and with ultra-large die casting parts, there are only three. Whether these will also be consolidated? Who knows what the future will bring. In any case, as machine manufacturers, we must be prepared that the demand for large machines will increase.

Speaking of large machines: you have a 58-ton-machine on display at EUROGUSS 2024. What can you tell us about it, Mrs. Aulbach-Heinecke?

It sounds a bit crazy, but we will be exhibiting a deburring press at EUROGUSS like there has never been before. And the fair supports us really magnificently. The machine weighs 58 tons, is 3.60 meters deep, 4.60 meters wide, and about 8 meters high – and it will run on-site. Many visitors have not yet come "in real life" into contact with such machines. We will change that at EUROGUSS in January 2024.
Aulbach Automation GmbH Tam
The logistics for such an exhibit must be enormous. How do you master it?

The logistics are not trivial. From dismantling in Mömlingen to setting up in the NürnbergMesse hall over 200 kilometers away, every hour is planned – with night driving and police escort and all that goes with it. The machine is delivered in one piece, unloaded on-site with a lifting frame, moved from horizontal to vertical, and then the remaining assembly must be installed.
In recent months we have already sent out several machines, so we are confident in this regard. The actual challenge was the statics of the exhibition hall. This went through the building authority and the event technology of NürnbergMesse. After months of organization, we have found a solution to safely set up the machine despite the high floor load.
Aulbach Automation GmbH Tam
Why did you decide to go to such great lengths?

For us, EUROGUSS is the world's most important trade fair for the die casting industry. Here we address all our potential customers and can simultaneously present our machines and innovations to a very broad audience. This naturally makes a statement as a press construction for large-scale plants: We can, we want, and we do!
How do you see the future for your company in the context of current developments?

We remain true to our roots and continue to offer machines of all sizes and services for general overhauls. However, the current demand for large-scale plants is so high that we are building a new hall in 2024 to better serve the market. We are well prepared for what is to come, but we also remain a reliable partner for smaller machines.
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