Arriving safely at your destination
Bihler technology has been an established part of the automotive industry for more than 60 years. Stamped and formed parts as well as assemblies manufactured using Bihler machines offer drivers maximum safety and driving comfort irrespective of whether they are driving on paved roads or off-road.
Airbag ignitors, motor housings, ESP coil assemblies, connectors, oil filters, spark plugs, seat adjusters, seat belt housings, windshield wipers, headrest brackets, etc. The list could be continued forever. In addition to these parts, Bihler already offers forward-looking automation solutions for the electrification of the automobile and electromobility.
Move the world with us!
Securely grounded
Ground connector, Busbar
Ground connectors, also known as busbars connect an e-vehicle’s battery to its chassis and ensure that the electrical potentials are equalized. In this way, they prevent sparking due to static charges, reliably dissipate overvoltages and also protect against electromagnetic interference from the battery that might disrupt the vehicle electronics.
The BIMERIC servo production and assembly system is a high-performance solution for the manufacture of these busbars. It integrates all the required process steps in a single cycle. These start with stamping, bending and the infeed of the bolt. The bolt is then mounted or press-fitted. The washer is then fed in and press-fitted, again with the system monitoring the travel and force values. In practice, this means that three variants of the module can be manufactured at a throughput of 60 parts per minute.
Efficient use of material
Electric motor housings
Bihler technology provides production solutions that both conserve resources, and that are environmentally sustainable. In the context of the production of electric motor housings, when compared to the existing deep drawing process, the revolutionary Bihler manufacturing process on a BIMERIC BM 6000 offers significant material savings, as well as the opportunity for flexible mapping of complete part families.
The modular servo system serves as a platform for stamping, forming, laser welding machining and assembly processes, as well as a patented process for the joining of cover and housing. The innovative way in which the BIMERIC combines these various processes results in a significant reduction in the weight of the components. The BIMERIC also significantly reduces the raw material input, as a bonus, there is no need for the use of drawing oil.
Safely to your destination
Coil assembly, ESP
The Electronic Stability Program (ESP) detects an impending instability of a vehicle. It intervenes instantly, ensuring that the vehicle remains easier to control for the driver and does not start skidding. Similar to an ABS system, the ESP system also operates using valves which must be controlled precisely and reliably.
This is ensured by the coil assembly that can be efficiently manufactured on a BIMERIC servo production and assembly system – from feeding all the components to the finished products on pallets. The cycle time is 1.5 seconds per component. The retooling from one version to another is completed in mere minutes.
Safety in a collision
Tubes of the head restraint
In the event of a collision, head restraints ensure that the heads of the vehicle’s occupants are not flung backward. The correct adjustment of the head restraint is particularly important. It must be adjusted so that its top edge is level with the crown of the head. The height is adjusted using the tubes of the head restraint. These tubes are manufactured to perfection with different lengths, notches and angles on a BIMERIC BM 4500 servo production and assembly system – at a speed of 40 parts per minute and monitored by numerous integrated inspection stations.
The manufacturing process includes the feeding of the tube parts, the inspection of the tube lengths, weld seam recognition and the alignment of the different parts. This is followed by cutting and stamping at the various stations, laser marking, the radial riveting of the pipe end, and the bending process. During these operations, the system’s 44 NC axes guarantee that it is possible to switch between variants in a period of 15 to 60 minutes.
Reliable support
Height adjustment of head restraints
The correct height adjustment of head restraints is crucial for safety. This is done by pulling the restraint out from the seat until its top edge is at the same height as the top of the passenger’s head. The two shafts of the head restraint have notches at regular intervals. These engage with detent mechanisms in the back of the seat, where they are kept at the correct height with locking bars.
These metal parts are successfully produced on a GRM 80E stamping and forming machine – at an output rate of 100 units per minute. In day-to-day practice, the benefits of the compact manufacturing system lie in the easy accessibility of the tools and the optimum arrangement of the bending dies in the linear tool. Each bend can be set separately, and the various processing steps are clearly assigned. This ensures ultra-precise components and very long tool service life.
Reliable power connections
Battery terminal clamps
The car's engine relies on a battery to power the starter motor as well as components like the engine control unit, fuel injection system, ignition coil or glow plugs. It also keeps things like the clock, radio and hazard warning lights powered when the engine is not running. The power passes from the battery’s terminals, through battery terminal clamps, to the vehicle’s wiring system.
Terminal clamps like this are made in a modular BZ processing center. Its open design places almost no constraints on how processing units needed in a manufacturing process can be integrated. The high-quality precision battery terminal clamps require a range of steps (specifically, punching, bending, stamping, assembly and feeding) to be performed on a single system. The output rate runs to around 150 parts per minute. The BZ processing center combines this kind of high processing speed with exceptional precision while minimizing offcut and scrap.
A noble bearing
Cylindrical plain bearing bushes
Whether in agricultural machinery, domestic appliances or industrial systems: Wherever two surfaces move relative to one another, plain bearings are used. The most frequent type is the cylindrical plain bearing bush, which allows even parts subject to heavy loads to rotate relative to one another with only a minimum of friction and wear. The best values are achieved when bearings are made from sintered material, that is to say metal powder compacted in to the required shape under high pressure. Their pores can be filled with lubricant which is then released in response to load. In addition, solid lubricants can be introduced in the perforated inside of the bushes to further increase the functioning, service life and freedom from maintenance of the plain bearings.
Cylindrical plain bearing bushes made from composite sintered material as in the model shown here can be produced perfectly using the BIMERIC BM 3000 servo production and assembly system. The process includes various steps, including the cutting, bending and calibration of the sintered strip. The bush can be manufactured with or without flange – at output rates of up to 80 parts per minute. This performance capability, coupled with outstanding parts quality and low parts costs, makes the BIMERIC BM 3000 the ideal production solution for plain bearings.
