GF Automotive Passion for your Lighter Future English Version
Contents Sustainability Light and sustainable for Environment and Climate 4 Taking Responsibility for Mankind and Nature 6 Lightweight Design Taking Lightweight Design forward 8 Lightweight Design with Aluminum, Magnesium and Iron 10 Development Expertise Developing Tomorrow s Solutions today 12 Groundbreaking Processes 14 Innovation as a Driving Force 16 Material, Design and Process Breaking Boundaries with Materials and Processes 18 Optimal Properties 20 Ideal Shapes 22 Precise Procedures 24 Validation Safety without Compromises 26 Testing Materials and Components 28 Passenger Cars There s a Part made by us in nearly every Car 30 Commercial Vehicles Our Size is crucial in the Commercial Vehicle Industry 32 Industrial Applications Our Components play a Role in Industrial Applications and Consumer Goods 34 Vertical Integration Individual vertical Integration Cast and processed in a single Procedure 36 Everything out of one Hand only starts with the Casting 38 Local Presence All around the World 40 Reliability is our Foundation 42 Pictures on front page, page 6 and 42: Employees of GF Automotive 3 GF Automotive
Sustainability Light and sustainable for Environment and Climate The responsible use of resources is important to us which is why our products are almost exclusively made from recycled materials. It is not only our processes that are responsible for reducing CO 2 emissions; our lightweight components are also a factor. Our materials and production processes are just one of many examples of how we make engine downsizing possible. Passionate about responsibility GF Automotive. 3-cylinder engine block Aluminum high pressure die-casting Downsizing
Sustainability Taking Responsibility for Mankind and Nature Focusing on recyclable Materials 600,000 tons of iron, aluminum and magnesium are casted and processed into 100 million components at GF Automotive each year. Production on this scale means that we bear a high level of responsibility. It is more important than ever to balance economic requirements with the needs of mankind and the environment. Striking this balance is an enormous challenge for the global industry, including GF Automotive. We take this challenge as an opportunity. We make our products out of 100% recyclable materials. We use non-renewable energy sources such as oil, gas and coal consciously and sparingly. We apply the latest technologies and leading expertise. We are continually striving to improve our pro cesses and products in terms of sustainability and efficiency. Independent bodies check and validate the results we publish regularly. GF Automotive products are manufactured from recycled raw materials and are fully recyclable. 7 GF Automotive
Lightweight Design Taking Lightweight Design forward Expertise creates new perspectives. GF Automotive designs light but powerful components using innovative materials and bionic principles. We always find a way to lighten the load, fully in line with the requirements of our customers. With passion for your lighter future GF Automotive. Front cover Magnesium high pressure die-casting 47% weight reduction compared to aluminum die-casting
Lightweight Design Elaborate structures make amazing things possible: stunningly lightweight components, even those cast from supposedly heavy metals. Our mission is passion for your lighter future. Weight Reduction using Bionic Design Lightweight Design with Aluminum, Magnesium and Iron Our engineers take inspiration from nature, with its predilection to solving impossible tasks with absolute ease. If you base your ideas on nature, it no longer seems a contradiction to design an ingenious structure that is rigid and stable despite its thin walls. The laws of nature and the bionic principles derived from them highlight where material can be omitted from a design without the loss of component properties. We use the insights gained from bionics to develop cast parts that may be hollow or delicate, but still possess outstanding properties. By combining bionics with optimal raw materials and efficient manufacturing processes, our engineers are significantly reducing the weight of innumerable components. By making light work of weight, GF Automotive is extending the boundaries of what is possible and setting new benchmarks for the future.
Development Expertise Developing Tomorrow s Solutions today Industry, our customers and our engineers are all looking to the future. We bring materials, designs, processes and validation together, allowing us to develop tomorrow s solutions today. We support innovation from the initial concept to full-scale production, right through to the end of serial production. Advancing with passion GF Automotive. Shock tower Aluminum high pressure die-casting 56% weight reduction and one piece compared to 10 piece sheet metal assembly
Development Expertise Groundbreaking Processes From the Conception Stage to Serial Production The highest level of expertise in dealing with materials, designs, processes and validation is essential to sustainable production. For more than 200 years, our work has been based on our ever-increasing expertise. From the design and virtual simulation of new components through to serial production, GF Automotive covers all phases of the development process. Our engineers aspire to create effective solutions to satisfy requirements in terms of available space, performance, efficiency and weight. All components undergo a virtual development process. Under both extreme conditions and conditions closer to reality, we analyze metallurgic and mechanical properties, simulate the behavior of components and sound out limitations in manufacturing processes before they can restrict what we do. This approach means that only innovative products with proven high quality replicable at large production volumes make it to serial production. GF Automotive works hand in hand with manufacturers. Resident engineers, our on-site specialists, guarantee rapid, targeted implementation. The earlier GF Automotive is involved in the development process, the shorter the lead time before serial production and the better the final product will be. Virtual development: The complete development of the component, from material selection through to the casting process itself, is simulated, validated and continually improved. 14 GF Automotive 15 GF Automotive
Development Expertise Innovation as a Driving Force We cannot predict what the Future will look like However, some examples already offer an outlook: Design // Substituting forged or sheet metal parts, integrating functions and/or reducing the number of components designing a casting offers a high degree of freedom and makes weight reduction possible. Material // With the development of new materials, GF Automotive is continually stretching out the boundaries of what is possible. Whether highly heat-resistant SiMo1000 for powertrain components or high strength SiboDur for chassis and powertrain applications, we offer new solutions in iron casting. With our aluminum alloy family AluSiDur, we are reaching higher mechanical properties and offer increased requirements in corrosion resistance and conductivity. Process // Results that were previously unconceivable can now be reproduced to a high standard and in high numbers. Our developments cover a wide range from multiple material casting, the combination of different materials in one casting, over the realization of complete new production lines to the research and development and industrialization of new joining technologies which stop not just with welding processes. Our visions of tomorrow make today s castings even lighter. Lighter, more stable and even more durable. From developing new materials and product shapes over the validation up to mass production processes, GF Automotive strives to make the best components. 16 GF Automotive 17 GF Automotive
Material, Design and Process Breaking Boundaries with Materials and Processes Casting is the oldest shaping process in the world. In spite of this fact, GF Automotive continually strives towards innovation in casting. Each and every day, our engineers show that there are still boundaries we can push to improve the process and materials. Passionate about change GF Automotive. Exhaust manifold Ductile iron SiMo1000 sand-casting Temperature resistance up to 945 C alternative to steel and sheet metal
Material Optimal Properties Maximizing Material Properties GF Automotive s research department develops groundbreaking alloys and consistently maximizes the specific properties of iron, aluminum and magnesium. The properties of our casting materials allow us to produce more and more components with lightweight geometries. Our SiboDur and SiMo1000 iron materials, and our AluSiDur aluminum casting material, are just a few examples of our materials expertise. As its name suggests, the addition of silicon and boron to SiboDur makes the material more resistant and tougher than normal spheroidal castings and more cost-effective than steel. The SiMo1000 iron casting material can withstand temperatures of up to 945 C with outstanding scaling properties, extending the possibilities of spheroidal casting. Its outstanding durability makes it ideal for use in exhaust manifolds and turbocharger housings. Compared to highly alloyed cast iron and sheet steel, this alloy offers significant cost advan tages. Our new family of aluminum alloys opens up new applications for castings due to improved mechanical properties, increased corrosion resistance and optimized conductivity. 20 GF Automotive
Design Ideal Shapes Using Degrees of Freedom Computer simulations play an important role in all phases of component development. Virtual tests and analyses shorten the development time and reduce the costs of real trials. The simulations allow dimensions to be determined, shapes to be visualized, noises and vibrations to be anticipated, casting characteristics to be simulated and the service life of parts to be calculated. Meticulously recorded data on materials and behaviors forms the basis for virtual simulations. This means that integration of functions can be planned, tested and optimized using computers as early as the design phase. The same applies for composite construction with different materials such as iron, aluminum and magnesium. The process helps to cut down on material as much as possible when optimizing bionic shapes, which reduces weight. The ability to vary the thicknesses of walls in castings depending on local requirements also helps to save weight. 22 GF Automotive 23 GF Automotive
Process Precise Procedures Expert Casting and ingenious Refinements Our innovations and expertise in lightweight design relies on the continued development of established processes. GF Automotive uses sand-cast iron and diecast aluminum and magnesium to poor products into the best shape. Machining, heat-treatment, coating and assembly are proceses masterd by us to produce finished products. Our engineers find the optimal process for each component. We use the latest production line technology with high degrees of automation, soft-handling, robotic pouring and efficient cooling concepts, allowing us to massproduce lightweight designs. Our processes combine decades of experience with state-of-the-art manufacturing. 24 GF Automotive
Validation Safety without Compromises When you are on the road, you are relying on components that few people ever think about to safeguard your life, health and well-being. GF Automotive casts high-quality safety components that react as if they had expected an unexpected situation and step in to save lives if the need arises. These components undergo regular safety testing in our own test laboratory. Passionate about safety GF Automotive. Wheel carrier Ductile iron SiboDur sand-casting Over 30% weight reduction replacing forging
Validation Testing Materials and Components Testing Functions Our accredited test laboratory proves that our products offer the advantages you expect. Using state-of-the-art testing methods, GF Automotive validates components produced in-house as well as third-party products, even during the development phase. Our engineers record the characteristics of materials, compare alternative materials, evaluate processes and validate functionality, eliminating time-consuming development loops between prototypes and serial production. During serial production, the test laboratory ensures that the quality of the products remains consistently high. We can perform static and dynamic tests and analyses of tensions, vibrations and resonant frequencies, as well as manufacture material samples and prototypes and much more besides. 28 GF Automotive 29 GF Automotive
Passenger Cars There s a Part made by us in nearly every Car Whether in chassis, powertrain or body&structure we make your vehicle lighter.
Commercial Vehicles Our Size is crucial in the Commercial Vehicle Industry From frame, to powertrain, to chassis we lighten the load on your truck.
Industrial Applications Our Components play a Role in Industrial Applications and Consumer Goods Whether turbine housings, escalator steps or electronics housings we lighten your product.
Vertical Integration Individual vertical Integration Cast and processed in a single Procedure Our work doesn t end with a casting. We take things further: GF Auto motive machines, coats, joins and mounts castings in the required form or to the finished component. Exactly as the customer requests. The customer benefits from our flexible vertical integration, high levels of automation and consistent process reliability. Passionate about reliability GF Automotive. Door frame: Aluminum die-casting Window frame: Magnesium die-casting Finished, weight reduction replacing sheet metal assembly
Vertical Integration Everything out of one Hand only starts with the Casting Fulfilling Customer Requirements We customize pre-finished components to our clients individual requirements. Heat treatment to optimize component properties, as well as mechanical processing and coating, are just part of our value added chain. The customer s individually specified level of production is achieved through a range of processes. Manufacturing at GF Automotive is completed with innovative joining technologies or mounting and assembly. The result are finished components that can be seamlessly integrated into our customers manufacturing processes. Casting 38 GF Automotive Processing Heat treatment Coating Joining Assembly
Local Presence Around 3000 different products for chassis, drivetrain, bodywork, industry and consumer goods applications and 100 million components produced annually: we deliver to our customers worldwide. 40 GF Automotive All around the World Size is not just a Question of Weight GF Automotive is one of the world s leading suppliers of iron and light metal components for the automotive industry, industrial applications and the consumer goods industry. and development facilities in Europe and Asia, as well as our global partnerships, we guarantee reliable delivery to our customers and combine the advantages of local manufacturing with cross-location production flexibility. Alongside GF Piping Systems and GF Machining Solutions, GF Automotive is part of the publicly traded Georg Fischer AG. With our production and research Our expertise is steeped in tradition. By investing in this expertise, GF Automotive is following a clear strategy focusing on lightweight design in casting. 41 GF Automotive
Local Presence Reliability is our Foundation Trust and Respect for long-term Partnerships GF Automotive thinks and operates looking to the future, and sets itself the greatest of challenges. Many concepts and solutions are developed in close cooperation with our customers. Joint development activity is based on mutual respect and trust. Our partners benefit from a holistic approach to design, research and development, materials and processes. Long-term, valuable relationships are based on these values and on our reliability. Together, we are efficient and become a force in the market. Thanks to our structure, we can flexibly manage our production processes at any time so our customers across the globe benefit from short response times, constant supply availability and reliable logistics. These are positive advantages for our customers and employees, our business partners and our stockholders. Behind these advantages is a success story that stretches back more than 200 years, to the founding of the company in 1802 as a foundry in Schaffhausen, Switzerland, and continues today and tomorrow under ever-changing conditions. www.gfau.com FSC-Zertifizierung 43 GF Automotive
GF Automotive