Continuous Thermal Treatment Line of Wheel Rims for MAPSA in Navarra
MAPSA, a key member of the Mondragón Corporation, marks 25 years as a cooperative and 60 as a company. In celebration, MAPSA has launched a new thermal treatment line at its Orkoien plant. Furthermore, they plan to introduce a second, identical line to boost their production capacity from 2.6 million to 3.5 million wheel rims in 2019.
State-of-the-Art Thermal Treatment Facility
This fully automated installation, a pioneer in Spain, showcases strong R&D capabilities. The line specializes in the solubilization, quenching, and ageing of various sizes of wheel rims, incorporating advanced furnaces, a quenching tank, and assorted service machines.
Building on the success of previous collaborations, this plant complements an earlier foundry supplied by GHI, which includes multiple reverberatory furnaces and melting towers. Additionally, one of these towers is now part of a pilot Industry 4.0 project, featuring advanced sensorization.
One innovative aspect of this new line is its direct support of load batches on the roller-hearth, which eliminates the need for non-treatable materials like loading baskets. This approach significantly enhances energy efficiency within the installation. The rollers are strategically positioned at four different heights to optimize the furnace length utilization.
The furnaces are cleverly arranged at two superimposed levels to maximize the use of the plant area.
Key Advantages of the New Line
- Significantly increased production and reliability of the manufactured equipment.
- Full traceability of the load batches ensuring quality control.
- Exceptional homogeneity throughout the various phases of thermal treatment.
- Complete automation of both the wheel rim admission system and the furnaces enhances operational efficiency.
- Optimized energy performance achieved by eliminating baskets and maximizing internal furnace space.
This advanced thermal treatment line not only signifies a milestone for MAPSA but also sets new standards for the industry in terms of innovation, automation, and energy efficiency.
