Coil to components. Engineering. Passion for Precision

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1 D i m e n s i o n a l B r e a k t h r o u g h

2 Coil to components Passion for Precision Engineering We understand how important it is for our customers to receive products crafted to tolerances of the finest order. We understand the particularly demanding conditions in which our products are expected to perform. We understand the extremely high quality standards that our customers expect us to adhere to. This understanding demands a high focus on customer orientation and this is encapsulated in our motto: Passion for Precision. The ideals and beliefs associated with this mantra provide a framework around which all of WIEDERHOLT s daily activities revolve. Bespoke solutions to engineering challenges define the culture that imbibes a firm history that extends to almost 100 years. It is this ethos that has enabled our company to play a very significant part in defining the quality standards that exist today in our niche market of fine tolerance steel tubing. This knowledge and experience gives us the confidence that we can meet the highest of customer demands with a tailored engineering solution that is based upon a bespoke fine tolerance steel tube. Material developments and innovative cutting edge engineering methods in combination with economically friendly lightweight solutions all serve to broaden the application spectrum for the modern day fine tolerance steel tube. Within this constellation it is important to understand that a close working relationship with both suppliers and customers is the cornerstone to success. This process is something we practice on a daily basis. Rapid Prototyping Modern day manufacturing requires that innovative product development ideas are turned into saleable products in the shortest possible time. Our in-house team of qualified Engineers and Product Designers/Developers are experienced in the process of Rapid Prototyping, thereby satisfying the insatiable appetite of our customers for new innovative solutions based on a fine tolerance steel tube and all within the shortest possible time frame. 02

3 Cost Effectiveness Tubes, manufactured to the finest of tolerances can be economically developed by incorporating production efficiencies into their design. Our state of the art manufacturing assets, and the advantages that they bring to the manufacturing process, enable economic efficiencies to be applied to the most complex of tube design. As a consequence many of our products have manufacturing tolerances much tighter than those specified in industry norms. This makes us the perfect partner for customers with complex design needs. 03

4 WIEDERHOLT Wiederholt The Perfect PARTNER partner Coil to Components We are one of the world s leading manufacturers of fine tolerance steel tubing: We employ around 540 people and are an independent, privately owned entity. Since the company was founded in 1919, we have been involved in the broader technical development of the niche market in which we operate. Our annual production tonnage of around metric tons is marketed and sold worldwide. Approximately 80 % of our production goes into the Automobile industry in the form of fine tolerance tubes, special shaped tube sections and tube based components. As a leading manufacturer of fine tolerance steel tubing we find our products being used in a wide range of demanding automotive applications such as: Steering Systems Propshafts / Driveshafts Gearbox Shafts Shock Absorbers, Stabiliser Bars and Active Suspension Components Camshafts The knowledge associated with supplying such a wide range of complex application fields allows us to offer a product range that extends from the steel coil to the finished component. This broad sphere of activity enables us to integrate our core competence of precision into a whole range of added value activities thereby creating a unique position for WIEDERHOLT in the broader tube industry. Products Cold Drawn Fine Tolerance Precision Steel Tubes DIN EN (DIN 2393) Cold Drawn Fine Tolerance Precision Steel Tubes for the Fluid and Pneumatic Power Markets (H8) Cold Drawn Fine Tolerance Special Sections ERW Steel Tubes DIN EN (DIN 2394) Automotive Components 04

5 Product Assets Certifications Strip Preparation Tube Forming Tube Welding Annealing Drawing Straightening Testing Cutting Logistics Cold rolling Slitting Forming rolls, with in-house machining capabilities 7 welding lines with highly developed scarfing technology Weld control systems 4 protective gas ovens 10 draw benches 6 and 10 roll straightening machines Ultra Sonic and Eddy Current testing equipment 10 high speed / fine tolerance cutting machines Customer based solutions Quality Systems ISO / TS 16949:2009 Environmental Management Systems ISO 14001:

6 FINE TOLERANCE COLD DRAWN PRECISION STEEL TUBING Precision in combination with a high quality surface finish are the features that characterise our fine tolerance steel tubing. This combination can only be achieved through the cold drawing process which is at the heart of our manufacturing operations. The feedstock for this process is an Electric Resistance Welded (ERW) tube that is manufactured to a tolerance that provides the basis for maximising the effect of subsequent cold drawing operations. ERW feedstock tubes are manufactured from specially prepared pickled, oiled and cold or hot rolled steel coil. The coil is slit to size and passed through dimensioned roller stands which form the tube to the required tolerances. At the welding point the strip edges are heated up to a temperature of approx C and pressed together to form the weld seam. This welding process is continually monitored in order to control the temperature, pressure and speed by remote means. During the welding process, excess material is removed from the seam so that the feedstock tube is dimensionally suitable for cold drawing. 06

7 The removal of the excess material, both internally and externally, is a key element in the manufacturing process and this is an in-house skill that is critical to the quality of the end product. After the feedstock tube is formed, an annealing operation is required in order to create a homogeneous material structure. The cold drawing process occurs after annealing and raises the quality of the feedstock tube to vastly superior levels of tolerance, surface finish and final material mechanical properties. The industry standard for fine tolerance cold drawn steel tubing (DIN EN ) allows for an infinite number of combinations in terms of product dimensions and steel grades. Within this norm, cold drawn reductions of over 40 % are possible. The cold drawing process is undertaken using different types of draw lubricants such as reactive oils or zinc phosphate in combination with soaps. In some instances the final finished product specification can be further fine tuned by further annealing. This is of particular interest in relation to products that are specifically manufactured to unique customer specifications. The whole manufacturing process has to allow for a constant quality standard for products that are essentially bespoke. This we guarantee by way of specifically developed manufacturing equipment and the experience of our well trained and loyal workforce. Our independent quality control procedures serve to control and document all stages of the production process as well as guaranteeing end user traceability. 07

8 THE FIRST FULLY AUTOMATIC COLD DRAWN FINE TOLERANCE STEEL TUBE MANUFACTURING CELL Fine Tolerance Cold Drawn Steel Tubing Pointed Tubes 08 Draw bench WIEDERHOLT has been producing fine tolerance steel tubing at their production facility in Holzwickede: near Dortmund; Germany, for almost 100 years. From the very beginning the philosophy of the firm founder, Vincenz Wiederholt, has been firmly anchored in the WIEDERHOLT culture. This philosophy: the development of futuristic products based on innovation, technical know-how and optimal production methodologies; is practised within the company today. Recently the largest investment in the history of the company has been laid down. This first of its kind investment in a fully automatic manufacturing cell for the production of fine tolerance cold drawn steel tubing confirms our commitment to the philosophy on which our company is based. This has implications for the market as a whole, as new capabilities are converted into economically viable fine tolerance tube solutions. The investment represents five years of development work in which we set out to elevate our core competence of precision to new levels and thereby raising industry standards as a whole. It is now possible to draw, straighten, test and pack a fine tolerance tube in record time with the minimum of human involvement and the elimination of the surface damage that is often caused by unnecessary handling. Furthermore, this equipment affords us the opportunity to manufacture tubes of both larger diameters and wall thicknesses. A dimensional breakthrough not just for WIEDERHOLT but also the industry as a whole.

9 Straightening machine End trimming NDT-Testing Packaging 09

10 SPECIAL SECTION FINE TOLERANCE PRECISION TUBES WIEDERHOLT has built a leading position in the market for fine tolerance tubes with special cross sectional configurations. These special profiles are created using the cold drawing process. Complicated geometries, tight tolerances and high quality surface finishes are all guaranteed in the same way as with conventional round cross sectional tubes. Each special section tube is based on a considerable amount of product development work and represents a typical example of customer specific solutions. The know-how that is developed through this process serves to strengthen our knowledge base, thereby cementing our position as the perfect partner in this complex product segment. 10

11 ADDED VALUE ACTIVITIES WIEDERHOLT was one of the first manufacturers to offer its customers added value activities by way of tubes cut to length and tube based component manufacture. Today we are the worlds leading fine tolerance cut to length tube producer. Exact tolerances and special end configurations enable customers to incorporate our products directly into their production process. This has huge economic benefits for the customer which are further enhanced by the internal zero failure quality control process that is in place. The cut to length operations are carried out on robust high capacity machines that cut and finish tubes in a single operation. Our speciality, in this regard, is being able to offer an end configuration in line with customer wishes. Other aspects such as surface finish and 100% quality control ensure that our cut to length products can be incorporated into our customers further processing activities with absolute confidence. Manufacturing Possibilities Cutting Punching Drilling Pressing Bending Welding Hydraulic forming Flaring Threading Rotational forming Chamfering Turning 11

12 COLD DRAWN FINE TOLERANCE CYLINDER TUBES FOR THE FLUID POWER SECTOR WIEDERHOLT Hydraulic Cylinder Tubes Our cold drawn, fine tolerance hydraulic cylinder tubes for the Fluid Power sector are renown for their visual qualities, particularly in relation to external finish along with their internal super smooth operating surface. Internal Surface Specification The internal super smooth finished surface of a WIEDERHOLT Hydraulic Cylinder Tube is a so called Ready to Use product. This finish qualifies the tube for utilisation in the industry standard H8 category. Mechanical Properties The mechanical properties of a WIEDERHOLT Hydraulic Cylinder Tube are tuned to the needs of the end user. Quality Assurance The quality of our products for the Fluid Power sector is assured not just during the controlled manufacturing process but also by way of finished product testing. Typical tests include: Non-destructive tests Surface finish controls Dimensional accuracy measurements Flare and coning tests Mechanical and chemical property testing Marking For quality traceability purposes all tubes can be marked with their respective manufacturing batch number. Furthermore, the final dimensions can also be marked along the surface length of the tube. H8 H9

13 Corrosion Protection All WIEDERHOLT Hydraulic Cylinder Tubes are coated, both internally and externally, with corrosion protection oil to the Group 0 standard. This ensures that the tubes can be internally stored for at least three months. The corrosion protection can be removed with an alkaline degreasing agent. Packaging The tubes are normally packed in hexagonal bundles with appropriate strapping. Other packaging options are available subject to approval. This is particularly important for deliveries outside Europe. Certification Works confirmation certificates are available on request. These certificates are to DIN EN or

14 MARKET ORIENTATION The Beginning of a New Era We are one of the world s leading manufacturers of fine tolerance, cold drawn steel tubes manufactured using ERW tube feedstock. Annually we process around 100,000 t of steel into fine tolerance tubes and components for use in high profile applications such as camshafts, steering systems, stabiliser bars, suspension units, safety systems and power train components, for the automotive industry; and Ready to Use hydraulic cylinder tubes for the fluid power sector. Our leading position is based on our quality standards, reliability and innovative capabilities. The WIEDERHOLT brand is renowned for its leading position at the technical edge of the cold drawn tubing industry, thereby giving its customers the opportunity to realise new and innovative developments such as the Assembled Camshaft. Pioneering innovative developments will serve to consolidate our best in class status, however, as always with a Passion for Precision. 14

15 REFERENCES References OEMs References TIER 1s Fiat Peugeot VW Audi Lancia Opel Seat Alfa Romeo Citroen Renault BMW Porsche Volvo Mercedes Claas Fendt Still Jungheinrich ZF Suspension Systems ZF Steering Systems / Nacam Fuji Autotech Tenneco / Monroe ThyssenKrupp Presta Mubea Fischer & Kaufmann Schmitter Chassis Mahle Engine Components Benteler Magneti Marelli NSK Salzgitter Hydroforming PWO Progress TRW Rotaform Weber Büter Kuhn 15

16 Scope of Supply: Cold Drawn Fine Tolerance Precision Steel Tubes DIN EN (DIN 2393) Cold Drawn Fine Tolerance Precision Steel Tubes for the Fluid and Pneumatic Power Markets (H8) Cold Drawn Fine Tolerance Special Sections ERW Steel Tubes DIN EN (DIN 2394) Automotive Components Hamburg Vincenz Wiederholt GmbH Kamener Kreuz Vincenz-Wiederholt-Str Holzwickede, Germany Phone: (02301) 80-0 Fax: (02301) info@wiederholt.com Dortmund 2 Autobahnkreuz Dortmund/Unna Berlin 0 Kassel 52 Düsseldorf Westhofener Kreuz 5 Köln Frankfurt