Truck Wheel Hubs: Manufacturing Line for Truck Wheel Hubs

Perfect Combination of Pick-up Turning Center and TrackMotion

In planning the manufacturing line for truck wheel hubs, the designers based their solution on the compact designs that EMAG is known. This is a result of the high degree of automation and the vertical structure of the vertical pick-up machines used. In combination with the TrackMotion automation system, which effectively runs through the machines, this allows the machines to be positioned very closely together. The final result is compact manufacturing cells, which can easily be duplicated or multiplied depending on the output capacity required.

A closer look at the line structure reveals how EMAG’s highly flexible production solutions work: truck wheel hubs are generally machined in three clamping operations, i.e. using three spindles or machines.

Operations of the Manufacturing line:

OP 10 I VL 8 – Soft turning

In the first operation, the outer and inner contours of the wheel hub are turned. The side is rough- and finish-machined in a clamping operation.

OP 20 I VL 8 – Soft turning

After the part is flipped around, the second side is machined. With a driven tool turret, the holes for the bolts could also be drilled here.

OP 30 I VL 8 – Finish machining

Afterwards, the component is finish-machined and the grooves are milled. Here a driven tool turret is used to cut the thread in the holes.

VL 8 Pick-up Turning Center

The VL 8 used has a chuck diameter of 500 millimeters, this allows the pick-up spindle to handle workpieces with diameters as large as 400 millimeters. With a drive power of up to 71.7 kW and a torque of 1,102 Nm (at 40% duty cycle), the high-performanceoption of the main spindle has enough cutting capacity to machine the wheel hubs at high speed. EMAG’s own tool turret is used here. It can be equipped with 12 turning tools or alternatively as a driven tool turret with driven drilling and milling tools. The machine's base is made from Mineralit polymer concrete. It guarantees low-vibration processes, ensuring long tool lifetimes and very high machining quality.

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EDNA – Industry 4.0 Platform

The keyword ‘Industry 4.0’ plays an important role at EMAG. With EDNA, the ‘EMAG DNA’, the company has developed a modular software ecosystem. Not only does it improve the configuration and operation of individual machines and entire production systems, its data-driven applications also bring transparency to the overall production process andform the basis for a smart factory.

The ‘EDNA Healthcheck’ for machine maintenance makes it possible, for example, to detect wear of the axis drives at a very early stage and, with little effort, schedule necessary maintenance tasks in advance.

Flexible, fast, precise, and highly productive at the same time –EMAG has achieved an excellent market position in the area of manufacturing lines over the last few decades. Of course, these characteristics also apply to the line for truck wheel hubs presented here. These benefits are sure to contribute to EMAG becoming more established in the commercial vehicles sector too.

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