Forging Press Installation

Two 6300-ton presses provided for Kentucky Tier 1 auto supplier

Demand for Industrial Aluminum

Forging Press in Manufacturing

With the continued demand for fuel efficiency and safety, the auto manufacturing industry continues to challenge its top suppliers to provide stronger, lighter parts.

These circumstances have created a perfect opportunity for Kobe Aluminum Automotive Products (“KAAP”) to expand its business.  The company has successfully built its reputation for creating lightweight aluminum airplanes and automotive parts.

In 2015 the firm added an additional building to their Bowling Green campus to lay the groundwork for this expanded trajectory.

Thanks to SilMan in-house automotive experience and familiarity with the press equipment and process involved in this project – as well as long-standing local partnerships – SilMan Industries was contracted to install the first presses in the new structure.

About Kobe Aluminum

KAAP is part of the Kobe Steel Group, known as KOBELCO, headquartered in the Chūō ward of Kobe City in Japan. Kobe’s aluminum division was founded in 1937, and its U.S. plant in Bowling Green was established in 2005.

Kobe is a Tier 1 auto supplier serving Nissan, Chrysler, BMW, and Mercedes.

The company’s website indicates the plant specializes in aluminum forged suspension products.  Equipment onsite includes Continuous Casting Machine, 6300-ton Mechanical Forging Presses, 300-ton Mechanical Trimming Presses, Continuous Heat Treatment Furnaces, and Automatic Penetrant Inspection Lines.

The Project

The new forging presses to be installed, #7 and #8 at the facility, create front power steering arms for a variety of automobile manufacturers. Moreover, with KAAP’s surging success and expansion, the installation occurred in a newly constructed building.

The scope of work for the project began from the ground up with the damper installation to absorb the 6300-ton strike force of the Sumitomo press.  Additional elements include Trimming Press, Machining Line, CNC machine, Furnace, and Robotics.

Each unit completes the entire fabrication process, from the aluminum rod, cut, heat, press (three strikes), and finish.  Material handling throughout the process is guided by six Kawasaki single-arm robots and Kobe operators.

Transport of the over-sized components is a major affair.  The largest pieces require six days of transport to Bowling Green from Savannah, Georgia. This is due to the limited number of hours the escort team is allowed to travel each day on state and federal highways.

In addition to challenges involving the scale of the project, access to the work area, and use of the crane during the installation were regularly limited due to the facility expansion simultaneously underway on the property.