Apts Hot Forming Tech Boosts Auto Lightweighting Safety

Ulricehamn, Sweden – As the global automotive industry faces increasingly stringent environmental regulations and growing consumer demand for more efficient, safer vehicles, AP&T, the world leader in hot forming solutions, is guiding manufacturers toward a more sustainable future through its innovative technologies and comprehensive services.

Vehicle lightweighting has become an irreversible trend, driven primarily by environmental regulations and consumer expectations for better fuel economy. AP&T's hot forming technology serves as a key enabler for this transformation, allowing manufacturers to use high-strength, lightweight materials that significantly reduce vehicle weight while maintaining structural integrity.

Compared to traditional cold forming processes, hot forming offers distinct advantages. The technology can process ultra-high-strength materials to produce lighter yet more durable components. These parts maintain vehicle safety standards while reducing overall weight, thereby improving fuel efficiency and lowering CO2 emissions.

With over 20 years of industry experience, AP&T has established itself as the premier supplier of complete hot forming production lines. Since 2001, the company has successfully installed more than 150 hot forming lines worldwide, accumulating unparalleled expertise in the process.

This extensive experience enables AP&T to deliver customized solutions that precisely address customer requirements. The company's success stems from its continuous innovation and deep understanding of industry needs, offering not just advanced equipment but complete service packages from initial consultation through installation and commissioning.

The AP&T® SkyLines system represents the next generation of hot forming technology, incorporating decades of experience and innovation. This advanced solution can process larger, more complex blanks while utilizing high-recyclability materials to minimize waste and environmental impact.

Key features of the SkyLines system include:

• Modular and Scalable Design

  The modular architecture allows flexible adaptation to changing production needs while optimizing floor space utilization. The scalable nature of the system protects customer investments by accommodating future expansion.

• SpeedFeeder® Technology

  This proprietary material handling system enables rapid, efficient blank transfer with precise motion control through advanced automation, minimizing material waste and maximizing productivity.

• Energy-Efficient Components

  The system integrates servo presses that reduce energy consumption by up to 70% compared to conventional hydraulic presses, along with multi-layer furnace systems that cut energy use by 40% while delivering more uniform heating.

AP&T's patented TemperBox® solution revolutionizes partial hot forming by allowing the combination of hardened and soft zones within a single component. This innovation opens new possibilities for creative body designs while maintaining cost-efficient production.

The technology enables conventional hot forming in high-strength areas while keeping other zones soft for subsequent joining or machining processes. TemperBox® can be integrated into both new and existing multi-layer furnaces, offering exceptional flexibility in production.

The hot forming process transforms boron steel blanks into ultra-high-strength components through precise heating (930°C), forming, and cooling. The resulting parts demonstrate three times the strength of original materials while maintaining exceptional dimensional stability for complex shapes.

These characteristics make hot forming particularly valuable to automakers, with many vehicles now incorporating hot formed components for 20-40% of their body structure. The technology delivers multiple benefits:

• Lightweighting: Every 100kg reduction in vehicle weight saves approximately 0.5 liters of fuel per 100km.

• Enhanced Safety: Hot formed parts provide superior crash protection through optimized energy absorption.

• Sustainability: The combination of weight reduction and energy-efficient production significantly lowers environmental impact.

AP&T's online process monitoring system ensures consistent, high-quality production through precise temperature measurement using pyrometers and infrared cameras. This non-contact monitoring complies with automotive industry standards like CQI-9 while optimizing cycle times.

The system provides complete thermal profiling of components during production, verifying that blanks are heated, formed, and cooled to exact specifications for guaranteed material properties in finished parts.