TPT March 2011

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March 2011 127 ›
Automotive Tube & Pipe Manufacturing
KUSAKABE Electric & Machinery Co,
Ltd of Japan develops and improves
the design and manufacture of tube
mills for the international automotive
industry, for the production of heavy wall
products. These tubes are used mainly
in the suspension and drive train of
motor vehicles, and a range of products
are required to meet the full range for
motorcycles, cars, trucks and industrial
engines and machines.
The Kusakabe heavy wall automotive
tube mills are designed to meet the needs
of the automotive sector where drawn tubes
or products made from solid bar can be
replaced with heavy wall ERW welded tubes
at a lower cost.
Over a number of years Kusakabe has
developed the technology and machinery
to produce small diameter, heavy wall
tubes for the automotive industry, and has
supplied a range of these machines to
Japan, Germany, Taiwan, USA and Turkey.
To be able to manufacture such tubes,
Tube mills for automotive heavy wall products
all the component parts of the tube mill
need to be designed to cater for the extra
loadings caused by these products. This
includes the uncoiler, strip accumulator,
forming and welding, tooling, internal fin
cutting, sizing and cutting to length.
Kusakabe provides a comprehensive
range of tube and pipe mills and associated
equipment to meet the industry’s needs,
from the manufacture of aluminium radiator
tube to large pipe mills for the oil, gas and
structural market sectors.
Kusakabe Electric & Machinery Co, Ltd
– Japan
Fax: +81 78 992 9139
Email:
Website:
Tube mill production
TOGETHER with the automotive supplier
Faurecia, Jansen has developed special
precision steel tubes for the rear seat
construction of the Audi Q7 SUV. The
successfully completed project is a good
example of co-engineering: the mutual
development of a product by two specialised
technology partners.
Jansen Ltd, Switzerland, supplies a wide
range of international customers with high
quality precision steel tubes. By beginning
close collaboration at the earliest stage, it is
possible to define the materials and product
specifications together with the client. This
saves development costs and time, and
the time to market-readiness is significantly
decreased.
The rear seats of the Audi Q7 were
developed by Faurecia, one of the most
significant automotive supply companies in
the world.
The rear seat concept in the Q7 offers
multiple configuration possibilities. The rear
seats can be folded down and stored away
as needed so that a flat loading surface up
to the front seats is created.
For the sub-construction of the rear
seats, cold-rolled precision steel tubes from
Jansen were delivered in five different sizes.
Depending on the type of seat, round,
rectangular or flat-oval tubes are used.
The definitive forms and models of the
steel tubes were developed by Jansen,
together with Faurecia. Various grades
of steel, wall thicknesses, strengths and
elongations were made and tested in the
course of prototyping.
Jansen Ltd – Switzerland
Fax: +41 71 761 22 70
Website:
Comfortable car seats with precision tubes
Round, rectangular and flat-oval tubes
for rear seats in Audi Q7