Integrated die-casting mold temperature system circuit integrated connection, efficiency increased by 3 times!

01. Efficiency advantages and production bottlenecks of integrated die-casting

A large integrated die-casting machine takes about 2 to 3 minutes to complete a die-casting, can complete 20 to 30 castings per hour, and can produce about 500 to 700 castings a day. If the traditional process is used, stamping and welding, dozens of parts will be assembled into one component, which takes at least 2 hours. In contrast, the efficiency advantage of integrated die-casting is incomparable.

However, in the actual production process of large-scale integrated die-casting, mold replacement often lags behind and becomes the biggest bottleneck affecting overall efficiency.

Taking a 7,200-ton large die-casting machine as an example, the mass of the mold is usually as high as 120 to 140 tons. These behemoths are bulky and delicate. Factors that determine the mold replacement time include storage method, mold weight, structural complexity, installation method, etc. At the same time, the temperature of the mold also has a very important influence on the quality of the casting, mold life, and die-casting time. Therefore, hundreds of circuit connections in the entire mold temperature control system, including oil cooling circuits, water cooling circuits, spot cooling circuits, etc., also bring huge challenges to mold replacement and installation.

Under the traditional mold replacement method and the single circuit connection scheme of the mold temperature control system, the die-casting workshop needs to shut down for about 2 to 3 days per month to carry out mold replacement and temperature control circuit connection. If only 20 days of shutdown per year are calculated, the annual production loss caused by mold replacement is in the tens of millions. At the same time, factors such as high temperature, oil pollution and dust at the replacement site will also pose hidden dangers to the reliability of the connection circuit and personnel safety.

Faced with this series of problems and challenges, Zeekr Automobile urgently needed to seek a new solution that is fast, safe and reliable at the beginning of the project.

02. Integrated connection reduces mold replacement time by 2/3

In order to improve efficiency and ensure reliability, Zeekr Auto has worked closely with Stäubli, the world's leading provider of quick connection system solutions, on the circuit connection solution for the mold temperature control system. Zeekr Auto's requirements are: meet the harsh working conditions of high temperature resistance, high flow to shorten the production cycle, and high integration (one board can integrate more circuits).

If the traditional connection method is used, hundreds of single joints need to be connected in total. The work is cumbersome and the accuracy and reliability cannot be guaranteed. With Stäubli's combined connection solution, only more than 20 combination boards are needed to deal with it calmly.

The highly integrated Stäubli combination board has a flat head and no drip design for the fluid joint, which can ensure that there is no water or oil leakage during the connection and disconnection process of the circuit; the water and oil circuits use different combination board products to avoid the wrong connection of the water and oil circuits, ensuring safety and reliability. In addition, the high-temperature oil circuit of this solution can withstand a high temperature of 300℃, and the spot cooling circuit has a compact structure, which can greatly save the mold edge space and easily meet the various needs of complex temperature control systems.

Highly integrated combination boards meet the connection requirements of complex temperature control systems

With the support of this connection solution, the mold replacement time of integrated die-casting is shortened by 2/3, which has won valuable room for improvement in the equipment operation rate of large die-casting machines.

03. Future application prospects

In integrated die-casting production, the popularization of combined plate connection solutions has improved the connection reliability of the mold temperature control system, thereby facilitating the rapid replacement of die-casting molds, laying the foundation for improving the efficiency of integrated die-casting and standardizing operations.

At present, large-scale integrated die-casting is ushering in a wave of widespread application in the automotive industry. The integrated combined plate connection solution is effective in the rapid replacement of molds and their temperature control systems. With the rapid upgrading and iteration of technology, rapid mold change is also developing in the direction of automation, and the fully automatic one-button mold change system has become an inevitable trend. Large-scale integrated die-casting machines and surrounding supporting facilities have achieved the best combination of advanced and practical, and their application will have a positive and far-reaching impact on the production, management, quality assurance and cost control of the automotive industry.