Customer Challenge
Banjo beams are critical automotive components (EN36 Steel) made by welding two halves together. After this, the beam is welded to the wheel spindle through a friction welding process. After welding, maintaining the roundness (0.8mm) and dimensional accuracy of the beam becomes a major challenge. Any distortion can impact performance and assembly accuracy. The customer needed a reliable and precise solution to restore and maintain roundness after the welding process.
BFW Solution
To address this challenge, BFW designed and developed a specialized Swaging Machine a first of its kind non-metal cutting solution from BFW.
Swaging is performed at both ends to maintain roundness, ensuring uniform heat dissipation during the friction welding of the wheel spindle and banjo beam. If swaging is not done properly, it can lead to improper welding and a potential risk of axle breakage leading to accident.
The machine performs cold forming (swaging) operations at three different angles, ensuring perfect roundness across the banjo beam arms. Components are loaded and unloaded robotically
Key design and performance highlights include:
- High Clamping Force: Total clamping force of 1.2 lakh kgf ensures stable and uniform pressure distribution during the swaging operation.
- Precision Hydraulic Power Pack: A power pack mounted above the machine capacity of 2000 litres delivers and provides a maximum swaging pressure of 145 bar required for the multiple clamping cylinders
- Die Design Challenge: Custom-designed dies manufactured to precisely match the component’s diameter and equal distribution of the material during forming process a critical factor in achieving accurate forming.
- Flexible Jaw System:
- Base jaw open diameter: 470 mm
- Closed diameter: 404 mm
- Radial stroke: 33 mm
- Thickness wall of forming housing is 18 mm max
- Easily replaceable jaws suitable for different component sizes
- Swaging Range: Minimum diameter 95 mm, maximum 152 mm
- Component Length Handling: From 1200 mm to 2200 mm
- Achieved roundness: 0.3 mm
Engineering Innovation
During the swaging process, all forming forces act radially and axialy, which can cause the component to move outward. To counter this, BFW integrated a Zimmer block mounted on LM rails, effectively restraining component movement and ensuring accurate and forming repeatability.
Outcome
- Achieved consistent roundness and improved dimensional control of the Banjo Beam.
- A cycle time of 180 seconds per component, covering both loading and unloading
- Delivered a custom-engineered forming solution beyond traditional machining capabilities.
- Demonstrated BFW’s growing expertise in special-purpose, non-metal cutting machines for precision engineering applications.
