The HVLV vacuum impregnation system allows OEMs, contract manufacturers, die casters and foundries to have the benefits of vacuum impregnation in a simple, easy to use machine. In this video, John Halladay (aka Johnny Impreg) will show you some of his favorite features on how the system efficiently and effectively seals porosity while eliminating the costs and risk of outsourcing.
Video Transcript
Hey, Johnny Impreg here. Based on the response we got from my walk around of our CFi, I’ve been asked to do the same kind of video for our HVLV, it’s our High Value Low Volume semi-automated impregnation system.
Favorite Features
Here’s some of my favorite features of the HVLV. Number one, it’s a super small, compact footprint. It’s about 96 square feet, so you can integrate it right into your manufacturing, put it right in with leak test. Second of all, it’s got a super easy man-machine interface with light curtains to protect the operator at all times.
There’s three modules. You got your vacuum and sealant recovery system, then you’ve got your wash and rinse, and your cure. And to move between modules, all you do is take the basket out, insert it, and start it with a flick of a switch. The system’s PLC control being semi-automated and with the tack time of 240 seconds, you’ll get about 15 jobs per hour.
Let’s Talk
I hope this information was helpful. If you have any questions, please leave questions or comments in the comments section below, or you can hit me up on WhatsApp or LinkedIn.
The casting industry is in a transitional period adjusting to new trends and products. Manufacturers require flexibility in their equipment to account for shorter program life cycles while still being able to be competitive. In many instances this requires assets to be spread across multiple programs. It is a landscape that rewards companies who identify opportunities to adapt to the changing circumstances. One example is a case where vacuum impregnation requirements unexpectedly and suddenly increased in one manufacturer’s location while another of its locations had underutilized impregnation capacity.
The Challenge
The company operates multiple locations in the United States and one in Mexico. One site in the USA was operating at maximum capacity. Due to issues beyond its control, this facility saw an increase in castings that failed leak test. With this increase in fallout their vacuum impregnation hit full utilization, and more capacity was needed.
The company considered three options to create more capacity:
Outsourcing-The company considering outsourcing excess requirements to an impregnation service center. After evaluating the logistics costs, and the quality risks associated with two supply lines, outsourcing was quickly discarded.
Purchasing a New Vacuum Impregnation System-Lead times made buying a new system unfeasible and the cost would be prohibitive, especially for what may be a temporary problem.
Recommissioning a Used Batch System-Purchasing, moving and recommissioning a nearby used batch impregnation system would be no simple task. It required weeks of planning and alterations in infrastructure for equipment pits, platforms and overhead cranes. That was not an option, time was of the essence.
The facility in Mexico had a delay in a product launch, which led to idle capacity. This inactive impregnation system was what was needed in the USA. Most discounted this option as far too complicated given customs, border crossings and transportation.
The Solution
Fortunately, the company standardized on Godfrey & Wing’s lean front-loading vacuum impregnation systems. The USA facility operated a fully automated Continuous Flow impregnation (CFi) system and the Mexico facility employed two High Value Low Volume (HVLV) systems (Image 1). The CFi is a lean, front loading vacuum impregnation system that uses a robot for part handling and transfers between modules. The HVLV is the same impregnation technology but utilizes automated process control and manual material handling.
Image 1: The HVLV is a front loading system that uses automated process control and manual material handling.
Despite initially discounting moving an HVLV system from Mexico, the customer’s operations team decided this was the best option and quickly started assembling data.
The team discovered:
No Infrastructure Changes-The HVLV system did not require infrastructure changes.
Modular Footprint-With a footprint of 96 square feet the HVLV system was easily transportable and did not require riggers and special handling equipment.
No Interconnecting Wires-It would be a fast de-commission and a “plug and play” installation. No interconnecting wires needed to be removed or reinstalled. Single point connections for electricity, water and air were standard on the HVLV (Image 2).
Easy Customer Approval-Customer approvals would be easy as the HVLV used the same impregnation process as the CFI.
No Quality Issues-Quality was not a concern as the wash and cure stations in the CFi and HVLV were identical.
Image 2: The HVLV requires no interconnecting wires to be removed or reinstalled.
The team reached the conclusion that shipping the idle vacuum impregnation system from Mexico was the best solution to the capacity problem in the USA. Within three hours on a Friday morning, the HVLV was decommissioned and placed on a truck. The unit arrived at its USA destination, 1700 miles away, on Monday, qualified on Tuesday, and was sealing parts on Wednesday.
The Results
The data clearly shows that transporting the HVLV achieved the company’s capacity goals. The results included:
Increased Throughput-Operating the HVLV alongside the CFi increased throughput by 40%, easily accommodating the spike in requirements (Image 3).
Minimal Installation and Shipping Costs-The HVLV was transported and installed for $11,000. This represents less than one week of freight costs if the parts were outsourced.
Piece Cost– The HVLV system was the least expensive option of the three considered.
Image 3: The HVLV easily accommodated the spike in capacity requirements by increasing throughput by 40%.
The HVLV is projected to operate in the USA for six months. At that time, the HVLV will be reinstalled back in Mexico for the launch of a new casting program.
In Summary
Godfrey & Wing’s HVLV is the only system that can meet these demands with ease. The company found great value in operating their vacuum impregnation equipment as a flexible, portable system. The company now considers this HVLV not tied to a specific program, but rather as a piece of its infrastructure. That HVLV will now be sent to whichever location that has capacity issues.
The commercial turf care market is expected to reach USD 38.2 billion by 2025. The growing trend toward investing more time in one’s home leads to a higher interest in outdoor & gardening-related activities.
The Challenge
In an effort to meet this growing demand, a turf care engine manufacturer developed a plan to expand its engine manufacturing facility. This facility manufactures aluminum crank cases and cylinder heads.
The engine, crank case, and cylinder heads are die casting aluminum castings, and therefore have porosity. Interconnected pores will cause a leak path causing fluids to seep from the crank cases and cylinder heads. These parts need to be pressure tight in order to function properly. The manufacturer seals the leak paths through vacuum impregnation.
This company long used an in-house wet vacuum batch impregnation system to process the parts. The batch system aggregated parts from the company’s assembly lines and processed them in large batches. After processing, the parts were dispersed to the next manufacturing step. After much consideration, the company determined the system was not viable for their expansion plans due to:
Poor recovery-Approximately 16% of the parts still leaked after impregnation.
Sealant contamination-Cured (solid) sealant remained in through and blind tapped holes (Figure 1).
Rust-Many parts had cast-in steel liners that would rust in the current process.
Figure 1: Cured (solid) sealant remained in through and blind tapped holes after impregnation causing significant quality issues.
Also, the batch system was a labor-intensive system, requiring operators to move large heavy baskets between stations while on an elevated work platform. Not only did this present a throughput issue, more troublesome was the lack of operator protection from moving pieces of machinery. This was not a safe or viable method to keep up with the growing production.
These issues lead to increased costs, reduced quality and significant safety concerns. The company determined that they needed a more effective, lean and safe porosity sealing solution.
The Solution
The customer contacted Godfrey & Wing to evaluate their manufacturing dilemma. It was determined that the implementation of a modern, front-loading, in-house vacuum impregnation system would alleviate these challenges. After careful consideration, Godfrey & Wing proposed its Advanced Powertrain impregnation (APi) (Figure 2) system with recoverable sealant for installation at the customer’s facility.
Figure 2: The Advanced Powertrain impregnation (APi ) system uses the Dry Vacuum and Pressure (DVP) process to push the recoverable sealant deep into the micro porosity.
The APi uses the Dry Vacuum and Pressure (DVP) process, and Godfrey & Wing’s 95-1000AA recoverable sealant. The DVP process pushes the sealant deep into the micro porosity in order to improve sealing effectiveness. The 95-1000AA recoverable sealant is easy to use and remains stable and pure.
The proposed APi solution would deliver multiple benefits to the customer:
The system is a viable in-house solution that requires 127 square feet that can easily be installed into the customer’s facility without any infrastructure changes. The modular design enables the customer to achieve cellular manufacturing.
The centrifuge was designed to rotate clockwise and counterclockwise to remove excess sealant. This enables the system to recover residual sealant, reduce sealant carryover to the wash, maintain sealant purity, and preserve part cleanliness.
Fixtures were designed to maximize the amount of parts per cycle, flush sealant from the blind holes, and protect critical machined features.
Water is the biggest variable that causes parts to rust because its properties are always changing. Godfrey & Wing analyzed the customer’s water to determine what properties caused the parts to run. A custom-tailored rust preventative was used in the cure tank to eliminate the parts rusting.
Subsequently, the customer attended a demonstration of a Godfrey & Wing impregnation system at the company’s headquarters in Aurora, OH.
This demonstration gave the customer an opportunity to process parts themselves on Godfrey & Wing’s technology. The customer found the system simple and safe to use compared to their current batch system. The part fixtures and platform allows the operator to easily move a part from station to station. Each station starts with the flip of a switch (Figure 3). The man-machine interface keeps the operator safe at all times. Light curtains, insulated panels, and ventless exhaust ensure ongoing operator safety. (Figure 4)
Figure 3: The customer found the APi system simple and easy to use compared to their current batch system. Each station starts with the flip of a switch.
Figure 4: The man-machine interface keeps the operator safe at all times.
The Results
The customer integrated the APi (Figure 5) into production quickly and efficiently with no infrastructure changes. The APi is now making a significant impact by answering the following challenges:
Improved Casting Recovery-The APi system delivers near 100% recovery in a single cycle. This represents over a 10 point improvement from the previous impregnation method.
Eliminate Sealant Contamination– Cured sealant from tapped and blinded holes is completely eliminated, as the customer runs at 0 PPM.
Eliminate Rust-The use of the tailored rust preventative eradicates rust in the steel liners, thus improving part quality and eliminating unforeseen scrap.
The cost savings realized allows the customer to have a CapEx recovery of less than 18 months.
Figure 5: The APi was integrated into production quickly and efficiently with no infrastructure changes. The company improved casting recovery and eliminated unforeseen costs with an easy to use system.
In Summary
As companies continue their search for ways to meet their customer’s growing needs, it will be necessary to challenge old paradigms. This company found great value in doing so by implementing a modern and lean vacuum impregnation system. The company improved casting recovery, and eliminated unforeseen costs with an easy to use system.
The beginning of the 21st century was a turning point for vacuum impregnation equipment safety, and in less than two decades there have been significant improvements in that technology, a process that had been essentially unchanged for 70 years.
Developed in the 1950s, the process was adopted quickly in various industries, particularly in automotive and aerospace sectors, and it became the preferred method to seal die casting leak paths to prevent leakage of fluid or gases under pressure.
Until the mid-1980s, most automotive OEMs handled the vacuum impregnation process in-house. They used batch systems, in which workers would load multiple parts into large baskets for processing. To increase productivity the companies would increase the size of the process equipment, but this was accompanied by a reduction in finished product quality and process safety.
Equipment Safety Concerns
As other manufacturing operations (e.g., machining, pressure testing, and assembly) had been modernized, vacuum impregnation remained stagnant. Other operations became more cellular, more automated, more ergonomically sound and safer for operators, and in general more efficient. Vacuum impregnation, however, remained a manual process with significant safety concerns.
Among the safety concerns were:
Open Modules
Open modules would jeopardize operator safety. For example, an operator could be splashed with sealant or fall into an open, 800-gallon container of 195°F water.
Open Tanks
Open tanks would emit hot vapor with elevated Volatile Organic Compounds (VOC) levels, which could cause health problems.
Liquids on the Floor
Since the modules are open; there was the risk that liquids will splash on the floor causing a slipping hazard.
Overhead Equipment
System components like overhead hoist chains, actuating tank lids, locking rings and chain drives could cause injuries.
High Platforms
Operators needed to climb, descend, and stand on elevated platforms to load parts from the top. Operators had the risk of a potential fall and trip hazard.
Bulky and Heavy Baskets
Part baskets were bulky and heavy and moving them could create stress on the operator’s body or cause injury if mishandled.
Re-imagining Vacuum Impregnation
In the early 2000s, many OEMs brought vacuum impregnation in-house, intending to meet the volume demand for lighter, aluminum parts that increased in volume following the introduction of the Corporate Average Fuel Economy (CAFE) standards, and subsequent pressure to produce more fuel-efficient vehicles.
Systems were modernized to meet the demands of the new manufacturing environment. Rather than large, top-loading batch systems new equipment was designed to be front-loading and to process just single pieces or a small number of castings.
Incorporating robotic handling allowed parts to move continuously between each station. The robotics reduced cycle times and improved overall cycle time and production volumes. Operators work outside the robotic cells, interfacing with the system only as needed.
Automated impregnation technology then expanded to compact, manually operated systems, incorporating all the safety features of the fully automated robotic units. This allowed OEMs to bring vacuum impregnation in-house at a fraction of the cost. These new systems were smaller than batch systems and the cellular design enabled them to easily integrate with other production operations.
Now, the operators were safer than ever before as self-contained modules protected them from contact with sealant and hot fluids; mist eliminators collect water vapor in the exhaust and return it through a drain line for re-use and better ergonomics allow the operator to simply slide a lightweight fixture onto the platform for each module, eliminating the risk of injury.
Conclusion
As the 21st Century continues, companies continue to wrestle with challenging design standards, fewer resources and shorter cycle times. Those that thrive will do so by increasing productivity, quality, throughput and cost reduction.
The vacuum impregnation systems of the past are no longer competitive, and the most competitive newer systems are those that will continue to offer safety to the operators, with increasing production volumes and the continuing effectiveness at eliminating casting defects.
Schabmüller Automobiltechnik is a leading engineering, machining, and sub-assembly supplier to major automotive OEMs and Tier 1 suppliers. Founded in 1978, the company’s headquarters is in Großmehring Germany, and employs 850 people in four locations.
The Albert Handtmann Metallgusswerk GmbH is the largest lightweight (aluminum) foundry in Germany. The family-owned company has continually endeavored to improve its casting and machining processes to benefit its customers worldwide.
Thus, when Daimler AG awarded Handtmann a contract to cast and machine one third of the entire worldwide production of transmission cases and clutch housings for the Mercedes A-Class, B-Class, CLA-Class, and GLA-Class vehicles, the managing directors and board at Handtmann saw an opportunity. It was an opportunity to build a world-class production facility fully dedicated to automated one-piece flow in the complete machining and post-machining processes of these Mercedes cases and housings.
The Challenge
As a company, Handtmann was expert in almost all of the production processes required as part of this new facility. However, in order to achieve true one-piece flow, Handtmann had to bring inside a critical aspect of quality control that the company had previously hired out, vacuum impregnation.
In the past after machining, Handtmann had always sent out its transmission cases and clutch housings to vendors to be vacuum impregnated. The company’s experience here was not always pleasant. At external points parts have been damaged during transport or contaminated. To avoid additional handling and costly washing-process, they decided to integrate this process into the (manufacturing) line.
For Handtmann, the challenge was to quickly educate its executives on the detailed aspects of vacuum impregnation, then chose the proper vacuum impregnation equipment to install. This equipment would have to meet Handtmann’s demands to seal casting porosity effectively and to meet production volumes, to do so in a 96-second per piece TAKT time, to fit into a confined space on the facility’s floor, and to fully integrate within the automated processes that would govern the entirety of the plant.
The Solution
Since several of Handtmann’s vacuum impregnation service providers also build impregnation equipment, the company began by soliciting bids from these traditional sources. However, it was apparent immediately on receipt of these bids that the equipment proposed could not possibly be installed as part of a one-piece flow manufacturing line. The big batch systems that were recommended require parts to be manually loaded and unloaded and they carry a high risk for damage and contamination to the machined parts. They require significantly more TAKT time to complete the impregnation process. They also require a tremendous amount of floor space, for both the equipment itself as well as for loading and unloading areas. Hence, the big batch systems proposed early on were completely disqualified. Handtmann needed more advanced technology. Enter Godfrey & Wing.
By chance, a Handtmann engineering executive came across an article about a different process of vacuum impregnation called Continuous Flow Impregnation written by Ralf Versmold, Godfrey & Wing’s sales and service director for Europe based in Germany. As the name itself indicates, Continuous Flow technology was developed by Godfrey & Wing to answer the demand for the vacuum impregnation process to be fast, efficient, and capable of being installed as part of a machining line where floor space is limited.
The Results
After visiting several CFi installations in 2012 and learning firsthand from Godfrey & Wing customers about the effectiveness and efficiency of these CFi systems, Handtmann purchased a multi-station CFi from Godfrey & Wing in early 2013. The system was installed in Handtmann’s new Mercedes one-piece flow manufacturing facility in Biberach, Germany in late 2013 where it operates alongside machining centers, parts cleaning equipment, and pressure test benches in a fully automated environment. This CFi includes a compact impregnation pressure vessel, a high-speed centrifuge, a wash tank, and three cure stations, all serviced by a robotic arm and automated conveyors. Six days per week, 24 hours per day, this CFi vacuum impregnates every transmission case and clutch housing that fails its initial pressure test.
In Summary
Considering the four demands required of it– speed, efficiency, and total automation within a small footprint, Godfrey & Wing’s Continuous Flow Impregnation system has proved to be the perfect solution for Handtmann Metallgusswerk in its dedicated Mercedes machining facility. Today, this CFi plays an integral role in the manufacture of these transmission cases and clutch housings and it does so in one of the most advanced manufacturing facilities in the world.
Production manager Heiko Pfeiffer sees a huge cost/handling and thus competitive advantage due to the direct automatic integration of the CFi-technology. He confirms, that the CFi-technology is actually the only possibility to integrate the impregnation-process into the manufacturing-process within a modern production-environment.
Sealing equipment specialist Godfrey & Wing has a contract to supply its HVLV vacuum-impregnation system to SEW-Eurodrive, to seal diecast aluminum motor and gear components at its operation in Fordach, France. SEW is a developer and manufacturer of decentralized motor control technology. It also produces large industrial gearboxes, with helical, bevel helical, and planetary gears.
The system will be installed next year. According to Godfrey & Wing, the order also includes its 95-1000AA recoverable sealant and ongoing techni cal support.
Also, according to G&W, the contract resulted from SEW-Eurodrive’s plan to move its vacuum impregnation processes in-house. In-house production will reduce freight costs and production delays that necessitated by outsourcing the part-sealing stage of production.
Godfrey & Wing has published an article in Foundry Management & Technology titled “Continuing Advances in Vacuum Impregnation Systems”. This article discusses the manufacturing safety and manufacturing production advancements in vacuum impregnation equipment. You can read the entire article below.
Godfrey & Wing’s vacuum impregnation equipment is the best in the world. The equipment re-imagined vacuum impregnation by making it safer, increasing production and eliminating casting defects. But how exactly does it work? Watch this animation video.
