Handling Technology Tool Clamping and Change Technology for Megacasting Deburring Presses

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Giga and megacasting components made from aluminum casting, which can measure several square meters, impose high demands on deburring technology. Only through precise handling technology can the ton-heavy tools be accurately positioned and the required tolerances maintained.

The introduction of mega and gigacasting processes is transforming the automotive industry: Single-piece structural components such as front and rear underbodies, as well as battery housings made from aluminum die casting, replace hundreds of individual components that need to be welded. This technology, utilized by companies like Tesla and Volvo, simplifies production, reduces weight, and improves the rigidity of the components. At the same time, it imposes new requirements on the post-processing of the cast parts.

This is the specialty of Aulbach Automation, a press manufacturer based in Mömlingen, Lower Franconia. The company, with 70 employees, specializes in the production of highly specialized deburring presses for the foundry industry. In 2021, it entered the mega and gigacasting segment, focusing on the processing of large cast parts measuring over 3 x 2.5 meters (~9.84 x 8.2 feet) and weighing between 80 and 120 kilograms (~176 to 264 pounds). “The decision at the time was bold and risky—since we started without a contract. That’s why we are now a step ahead of the competition,” says Managing Director Ulrich Krimm. Today, Aulbach Automation claims to be the market leader in deburring presses for large castings and has delivered 23 deburring presses for megacasting by September 2025.

Tools Must Be Changed Safely, Quickly, and Automatically

The combined offering of press and tool from a single source has contributed to success. Most of the international customers, primarily from the automotive industry and machinery sectors, take advantage of it. Together with the sister company Aulbach Deburring Technology, the machine manufacturer offers complete solutions that are perfectly coordinated. “We know and master the entire process,” emphasizes Krimm. “This combination is unique and gives us a decisive competitive advantage.” The construction time for a custom press is about 35 weeks. As development, design, welding, painting, control cabinet construction, and assembly of the presses, as well as tool manufacturing, all take place at the same location, coordination processes are kept short.

At the heart of modern deburring presses is increasingly the ergonomics, safety, and efficiency of tool changes—core competencies of the setup time optimizer Roemheld from Laubach in Middle Hesse. A central challenge in deburring large cast parts lies in the safe and precise handling of tools weighing up to 30 tons. Automated solutions are the first choice in terms of workplace safety and productivity due to their dimensions and weights. In fully automated plant concepts, such as complete megacasting die casting facilities, they are standard. Depending on the requirements, the tools are brought to the press via crane or transport cart, lifted onto hydraulic transport rails from Roemheld using vacuum lifters or robots, and then precisely inserted into the press, positioned, and clamped. The removal is carried out in reverse order.

Partnership for Over a Decade

For more than ten years, Aulbach Automation has relied on tool clamping and changing systems from the Roemheld Group for this purpose. Since then, components from the clamping technology specialist—especially powered tool changing systems, ball and roller rails, and tool clamping elements—have been standardly installed on the large-format deburring presses. "There are many reasons why we favor these products: their precision, short delivery times, reliability, durability, and the excellent coordination of the elements, as well as convincing service. All of this makes Roemheld an ideal partner for us," explains André Pfeifer, Technical Project Manager at Aulbach Automation. As a success example, he cites a megacasting facility from the Swiss Bühler Group. In 2022, it delivered two complete die casting systems, including an Aulbach deburring press equipped with Roemheld's tool clamping and changing technology, to a production plant of Volvo Cars in Sweden.

On the press table, hydraulic double-acting swivel-clamping elements are used—just like in most deburring presses that Aulbach Automation equips with Roemheld components. "Despite their compact design, they achieve clamping forces between 60 and 412 kilonewtons," explains Pfeifer. This allows for the compensation of clamping edge tolerances of ±1.5 millimeters and ensures secure clamping of even hard-to-reach areas. "The force is transmitted efficiently, as the clamping piston is moved in such a way that a simultaneous 45° rotation is executed during a lifting phase. This allows for safe and edge-free insertion of the tools." The uniqueness of the clamping system lies in its high operational safety: the monitoring of the release, switching, and clamping positions is done inductively, and the swivel mechanism is additionally protected by a spring-loaded overload protection and a manual emergency operation. To facilitate the insertion and removal of heavy tools, transport rails from Roemheld are also integrated into the surface of the table.

Precise Positioning and Secure Clamping

At the pressing ram, 90-degree swivel clamps are used, equipped similarly to the clamping elements on the press table. "The Roemheld clamping technology in the pressing ram and press table ensures that even large-format, heavy tools are securely fixed and held in position—crucial for process safety and repeat accuracy in megacasting," emphasizes Pfeifer. The tolerances of the clamping solution are within a few tenths of a millimeter, effortlessly meeting the required component tolerances.

All clamping elements are centrally powered by a Roemheld hydraulic unit, whose performance is tailored to the components. The modular unit controls and monitors all functions. In case of production interruptions, an energy-saving standby mode is automatically activated. The clamping technology control is integrated into the machine control system of the deburring press. It is based on a Siemens control system, enhanced by Aulbach Automation with its own intuitive user interface, allowing for quick access to all processes.

We see that our customers' requirements are becoming increasingly individualized.

Among the advantages of automated tool changing are reduced setup times and increased process safety. For the operator, improved ergonomics and safety while working at the press are particularly important. While the frequency of tool changes in the megacasting area is typically low, the quality of the changing process is paramount. Inaccurate positioning or incorrect clamping of tools can damage them and lead to faulty components, resulting in costly production downtimes.

Safety for People, Tools, and Processes

To create the conditions for further growth, Aulbach Automation has constructed a new assembly hall with a lifting capacity of 63 tons in 2024, where large presses can be assembled in an upright position. Looking ahead, Krimm anticipates a continually growing international demand for increasingly larger megacasting deburring presses. Therefore, the machine manufacturer plans to expand the sizes of the presses beyond the current dimensions. "We also see that our customers' requirements are becoming increasingly individualized," says the managing director. "In the future, specific adjustments will certainly be more necessary. With Roemheld as a partner, we are confident in our ability to develop solutions that meet our customers' high expectations."

*Freelance Author