ALUTOOL

High-spec aluminium structural and skin pieces for vehicles through research into new manufacturing techniques and strategies oriented towards the sheet metal forming process.

During the ALUTOOL project, new components and manufacturing techniques will be created by optimising the combination of the die material, coatings and lubricants to create the best-quality reinforcements with less energy consumption.

More specifically, the project will develop dies with special characteristics to form and cut aluminium parts for vehicles and aluminium sheet materials with optimised characteristics, in order to improve the part manufacturing process. In parallel, new, advanced surface treatment processes and specific lubricants will be created for drawing and cutting aluminium parts for vehicles.

The project, led by BATZ, which specialises in the design and manufacturing of industrial dies for stamping and cutting aluminium components, involves participation from Aludium, Oerlikon Balzers, Cromogenia Units, Mondragon University and Eurecat, through its Metal and Ceramic Materials Unit. The Unit is responsible for defining and selecting the tool steels, coatings and lubricants and carrying out an analysis of the aluminium sheet’s susceptibility to edge cracking, as well as designing, manufacturing and testing the aluminium cutting prototype.