More than two hundred representatives from the global automotive industry gathered at the deployment of a new press hardening line from AP&T at Diversified Tooling Group in Michigan, USA at the beginning of June. The new line will be used to develop and test tools and for pre-production, and it is an important part of the collaboration between the two companies.
“The Grand Opening of our new American Tooling Center facility addition with AP&T Hot Forming Line and Prima LaserNext, coupled with an ‘invitation only’ technical conference on Lightweighting, surpassed all expectations. Attendees from North America, Europe and Asia not only saw our expansion and most recent investments, but also received the latest technical information on advanced materials and manufacturing techniques for making high performance vehicle structures,” says John J. Basso, President at Diversified Tooling Group.
For AP&T, its collaboration with Diversified Tooling Group, which is one of the largest manufacturers of press tools in the U.S., is strategically important. The joint goal is to reinforce both expertise in tools and customer offerings in press hardening on the North American market. The line includes a 1,200 metric ton AP&T press, AP&T’s own furnace with feeding equipment (Multilayer Feeder Furnace) and additional automation for pre-production and the production of small volumes. The press hardening line is basically identical to the line at AP&T’s R&D Center in Ulricehamn, Sweden.
“It was really very interesting to participate in the inauguration and see how much interest there is from both component manufacturers and OEMs,” says Dr. Martin Skrikerud, from AP&T's R&D Team.