News 2008
|
Friday, December 19, 2008 |
30,000th casting at ACTech |
|
|
|
Friday, November 14, 2008 |
ACTech engineers TRIP crash-resistant steel for the automotive industry |
|
In co-operation with the Institute for Iron and Steel Technology at the mining academy TU Bergakademie Freiberg, ACTech designed and patented a new stainless TRIP steel for the car industry. In comparison with commonly used steels, TRIP steels (Transformation Induced Plasticity) are characterized by extreme stability and high ductility. ACTech succeeded in further improving these material parameters: Castings made of the new special steel are able to withstand even higher forces without breaking. The components’ crash resistance is many times higher than in traditional steels. Thus, TRIP steel is exceptionally well suited for use in structural parts in the automotive industry, which have to offer greater safety and lower weight at the same time. But the TRIP steel is also the material of choice for A-, B- or C-pillars of cars and for other applications in automobile manufacturing. Lightweight construction, which is made possible by the TRIP steel by ACTech, also offers cost savings in energy and material. Using the new TRIP steel, the experts from Freiberg have no difficulty producing prototypes and products in small batches thanks to special modifications in the casting fixtures; processes are made more time efficient as well by the mix of different Rapid Prototyping techniques. But the most important property of the TRIP steel is that it can be stretched and solidified at the same time. This characteristic results from changes in the crystal structure, the so-called TRIP effect. Normally, this material property is lost during the manufacturing of components, because during rolling, forging or pressing, the steel crystal grids deform to such an extent that little remains for stretching. However, since ACTech uses a special steel alloy with chromium, nickel and manganese and immediately casts the final geometry of the desired component, making subsequent machining unnecessary, the TRIP effect retains even in the final casting.
|
|
Monday, August 4, 2008 |
Beginning of construction on the expansion of the machining workshop in 2008 |
|
The construction of the new building was agreed upon based on our expectation that turnover will double within the next 4-6 years. Regarding equipment, ACTech is investing in new CNC machining stations, whose number will rise from the 11 to 24 . The new building is expected to be put into operation in June 2009.
|
|
Wednesday, July 16,2008 |
On the road to further growth with extended top management |
|
ACTech has also recorded a substantial increase in its business volume and in response has extended its top management team, a measure we consider essential to further growth. Since 16 July 2008, Mr. Wünsche, Head of Sales marketing, has also served as an additional managing director of the ACTech GmbH. Mr. Demarczyk, Head of Manufacturing, and Ms. Bahr, Site Administrator, were given power of attorney. These additional appointments were made in order to extend management at a rate commensurate with that of the growth of our business. In addition to effecting a division of labour within the management team, with these nominations we can safeguard the firm’s legal capacity at any time and enhance the quality of all decisions made by management thanks to a constant application of the four-eye principle.
|
|
Tuesday, June 10,2008 |
ACTech speeds up production of prototypes by opening new investment foundry |
|
In the investment foundry, which costs 3.1 million EURO to build, ACTech will be able to produce highly complex castings for the automotive industry, aircraft and space travel industry, and machine and equipment manufacturers. With the new investment casting facility, ACTech is focusing all of its activities on the Freiberg location. Furthermore, the company plans to add more engineers. At present, ACTech also produces prototype parts as ferrous and steel castings with the ceramic shell moulding procedure at this production facility, which has been extended by 1.000 square meters. Thus, ACTech, who are Rapid Prototyping experts, can increase their material portfolio, in particular in investment casting, a procedure through which most prototype castings made of aluminium have been manufactured up until now. The customers of ACTech especially benefit from greater time efficiency. Since the new investment foundry is located at the same location as the test facilities and the machining workshop, transport time and idle time have been eliminated. The positive result: project lead time is decreased by up to 20 %.
|
|
Monday, March 31,2008 |
Successful audit |
|
At the beginning of March, the regular audits of the quality management systems according to ISO/TS 16949:2002 and the environmental management system according to ISO 14001:2004 were performed. The auditors were able to confirm again ACTech GmbH’s successful further development and continuous improvement of the management systems that were first certified in 2002 and 2004.
|
|
Friday, March 14, 2008 |
ACTech uses Rapid Prototyping to produce complex castings |
|
The ACTech GmbH is extending its portfolio of services. From now on, ACTech will also produce single parts and workpieces in small batches for the boring and mining industries using the Rapid Prototyping technique. In this way, ACTech is reacting to the rising demand for durable filigree castings, like those needed for surveying done with straight boring equipment or in the construction of tunnels. ACTech not only manufactures components for mud assemblies, but also pump and motor parts, mine tracks, core bits and hook designs.
|
|
Monday, March 3, 2008 |
A 16 % increase in sales moves ACTech forward on the road to success |
|
In the business year 2007, ACTech continued on the road to success. ACTech acquired 146 new customers and registered a record turnover of 24.6 million EURO. In comparison with 2006, turnover rose by 16 %; in comparison with 2005, it rose by 30%. For 2008, turnover was a record 28 million EURO. In the last year, ACTech derived the most growth from customers from the auto engineering business, closely followed by the aircraft and space travel industries. However, customers from the automotive industry and their suppliers form our largest group of customers. Together, they are responsible for more than the half of ACTech’s total turnover.
|
This year we reached the milestone of our 30,000th castng. The entire ACTech staff took pride in this achievement .This number is only the first of many other facts and figures demonstrating our growth from 1995 to the present:
On 04 August 2008, we began to build the 2008 module for the expansion of the machining workshop at the Freiberg location. Construction costs are about 4.5 million EURO out of a total investment sum of 13 million EURO. 
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
