Solutions for Fluid Technology

Tractor with baler at work in the field.

For the materials often used in fluid technology, cast iron, steel, stainless steels and non-ferrous metals, MAPAL offers economical process solutions through a high level of expertise in both bore machining and milling applications. Customers have relied on MAPAL's expertise for many years, particularly for demanding machining operations for hydraulic parts in a wide range of dimensions.

Everything depends on the main bore

Manufacturing valve housings is the supreme discipline in the hydraulics world. For many years, MAPAL’s expertise has been in demand for the spool bore. The gap dimension with the slide depends on the accuracy of this bore, which is very narrowly defined in modern hydraulic valves, so that the hydraulic oil can only flow in the required direction. The roundness, straightness and surface finish of this bore are also crucial.

The first machining step takes the varying quality of the blank parts into account. Since the pre-cast bores are relatively imprecise, a precise pilot bore must first be created in the first ridge. This lays the foundation for creating a good cylindrical form in the subsequent machining steps. Next, a solid carbide tool or, in the case of larger parts, a tool with indexable inserts passes through the entire bore. What the pilot drill has created for the first ridge is now produced along its entire length. To prevent ring formation in the hollow chambers due to chips, MAPAL ensures a soft cut during machining by using tangential technology. This can eliminate the need for a separate washing cycle in the process.

MAPAL fine boring tool with an adjustable cutting edge and guide pads

After this pre-machining, the classic fine boring tool is used, finishing the bore extremely precisely. It has an adjustable cutting edge and guide pads, which prevent the tool from being displaced from ridge to ridge. This produces a high degree of straightness and an exact cylindrical form.

The bore quality can usually be improved to such an extent that the sometimes still necessary three-stage honing process can be reduced to a one- or two-stage honing process, or honing can even be eliminated altogether. However in cases where three stages are still needed, this process is considerably faster thanks to the good pre-machining.

Grande rentabilité avec des outils de base

Dans l'usinage des composants hydrauliques, l'accent est également mis sur la possibilité d'un
usinage économique avec la gamme de produits de base disponibles. Citons par exemple la gamme NeoMill pour le surfaçage ou le Tritan-Drill-Reamer, qui combine le perçage et l'alésage en une seule opération et garantit les meilleurs résultats de perçage en combinaison avec le nouveau mandrin UNIQ DReaM 4,5°.

Usinage efficace avec un outil de forage tangentiel

Tangential boring tool with indexable inserts

Les composants sont des blocs de soupapes de 500 x 500 mm en GGG50, avec trois alésages de piston à usiner des deux côtés. Le diamètre de la surépaisseur va jusqu'à 16 mm. Les outils d'alésage tangentiels à plaquettes amovibles produisent des copeaux courts et empêchent ainsi l'enfoncement de bagues dans les interstices, qui doivent ensuite être retirées à un coût élevé. Le temps d'intervention par composant a été réduit de 15,33 minutes. 500 boîtiers de ce type ont été produits, ce qui représente un gain de temps total de 128 heures.