In the DaimlerChrysler plant in Mannheim, in Ostwerk Bau 111, medium and heavy-duty series camshafts are produced for commercial vehicles. Every day, in the camshaft production site based here, hundreds of camshafts leave the carburizing ovens for engines for “Unimog” to “Actros”, among others.
The special requirements on the hardening of these shafts demand that a special atmosphere must be present in the carburizing oven through the mixing of four different gases. The correct mixing ratio is controlled on the one hand by the “carbomates” and, on the other hand, by an “endomate”. DaimlerChrysler AG found the pipe network and distribution system needed for this from system supplier Viega: all the necessary components for the pipe network and distribution have been realised exclusively with the “Profipress G” programme from Viega as it was equally suitable for all the gases due to the HNBR sealing element of the fittings. In addition, it could be processed particularly economically with the “cold” press-fitting technology.
At DaimlerChrysler, production quality is mirrored in the mileage of the vehicle engines, among other things. This enormous mileage unavoidably puts extreme strain on all engine components, as well as on the camshafts. As is generally known, their task is to control the valves in the cylinder heads, open and then close them with pinpoint precision. This means the camshafts influence the entire operating characteristic of an engine like almost no other component. For this reason, the camshafts must be hardened with appropriate high quality.
No Risk of Standstill
The most diverse materials were used in the past for piping to the distributor that is constantly being expanded or repaired as well as leading on to the “endomates”. However, this growing “collection of materials” make the repair processes considerably more difficult as the most varying moulds and connectors have had to be available to avoid a long period of production downtime in the case of failures: the carburizing oven is in operation 24 hours a day and is only shut off once every 18 months for 14 days for an overhaul. An oven failure would be unjustifiably expensive in the ongoing production process.
Therefore, it was necessary to use a pipe system for the new installation, which fulfilled the different pressures, temperatures and other conditions in industrial application equally. In addition, it was to be a pipe system that was identical for all types of gas wherever possible, that could be easily processed, and also reduced the expense for warehouse logistics.
The copper pipe system “Profipress G” by system supplier Viega meets these requirements. This system is already licensed by the manufacturer for all conventional types of gas and, therefore, is particularly interesting for installations in the industrial environment.
Integrated Viega systems
Profipress G
