Smart pump management optimizes hydraulic systems in Bühler die casting machines

As part of a joint project with Bühler, a smart pump management system for aluminum die casting machines was developed and successfully integrated into an existing die casting system. The aim was to reduce the load on the hydraulic pumps in order to increase the service life of the entire hydraulic system and improve energy efficiency at the same time. The system was designed as a retrofittable add-on and could be integrated during ongoing production – the conversion of the test system was completed in just 20 minutes without interrupting production.

The solution comprises an intelligent hydraulic control system, including software, which was integrated into the existing customer software of the Bühler machine. The Carat system with clamping forces of 10,500 to 44,000 kN produces aluminum die-cast parts for the automotive industry. As part of the project, a system analysis was carried out on site during the production process in order to optimally adapt the management system to real-life conditions.

Smart pump management enables the hydraulic output to be continuously adapted to the actual demand. This not only reduces wear, but also lowers energy consumption – a decisive step towards resource-saving casting process automation.