Metal forming and Casting laboratory

Infrastructures
Research areas
  • Engineering & Technology
Available for external users?
Yes
Access protocol

The laboratory is opened for externals (Universities, Research Centers and Companies) through joined research projects. Postdoctoral students are welcomed for joined activities if the research activities are will aligned with the research group strategic areas.

Description

The metal forming, forging and casting laboratory has been designed to cover both academic and industrial testing needs. The facilities include small, medium and high tonnage hydraulical and mechanical presses up to 4000 kN force including two servo-driven presses, a Vacuum Cold Crucible Melting machine and a 3000 kN HP die casting machine. The research groups can produce small production budgets and prototypes that are industrially relevant for process validation and concept proof.

Services

The aim of the Advanced Material Forming Processes Research Group is the development of innovative forming processes able to produce high added value components and goods. The main activities are the casting, forging and sheet metal forming of in-house developed alloys as well as in market available ingots, billets and coils. Typical projects cover material, microstructural and tribological characterization activities, process optimization using advanced FEM simulation, tool and mold design-manufacturing and final prototyping using available industrial facilities.

Location

Mondragon Goi Eskola Politeknikoa, S.Coop. Loramendi, 4 20500 Arrasate - Mondragon

Other info

The researchers using the forming, forging and casting facilities make use of other own laboratories where material characterization, microstructural analysis and tooling machining and set-up are carried out by experts.

Equipment includes:

SHEET METAL FORMING FACILITIES

  • FAGOR 4000 kN servo-press
  • GAMEI 1500 kN hydraulic press
  • GAMEI 1500 kN mechanical press
  • SCHMIDT 40 kN servo press Sheet and Tube Hydroforming (4000 bar)
  • 100 kN punching machine
  • 250 kN Biaxial testing machine
  • Conventional and flexible or 3D roll forming machines
  • Strip Drawing
  • Test tribometer
  • Duncal Shabel Test tribometer
  • Nakajima ISO standard tester
  • Hole Expansion ISO standard tester

FORGING AND THIXOFORGING FACILITIES

  • 150 Kw EFD Induction Heating Furnace for billets
  • KUKA KCR1 robot for parts handling

CASTING FACILITIES

  • GAMEI 3000 kN HP die casting machine
  • NABERTHERM 11KW melting furnace
  • NABERTHERM furnaces for heat treatment
  • EFD induction furnace for Fe
  • EFD induction furnace for Al and Mg
  • SECO/WARWICK Vacuum
  • Cold Crucible Melting machine
  • TM SD-3000 3D printer for rapid prototyping of moulds
  • GENERAL CHARMILLES Wire EDM machine
  • ONA Electrode EDM machine
  • MITUTOYO 3D Coordinate measurement machine
  • PLM Confocal profilemeter
  • ANTON PAAR MCR501 high temperature rheometer
  • LINSEIS LFA 1000 Laser Flash thermal analyzer
  • LINSEIS L75VS1600C dilatometer
  • FEI (FE-SEM) Nova NanoSEM 450 microscope