Being one of the few companies in the sector that integrates a foundry furnace in its own facilities, Dolz has a manufacturing plant, built on an area of 25,000 square meters oriented to innovation and market demands.
In this post we explain the benefits of in-house production and what the injected casting process of our European plant based in Spain consists of.
Injected casting
Casting process involve the use of molten material, usually metal. The process in which molten metal is poured into molds is known as injection molding. At Dolz we have this process for the impellers and housing water pumps manufacturing process by aluminum injection.
Aluminum alloys are used in many applications in the automotive industry such as gearboxes, engines, or water pumps, among others. And this sector is, in general, responsible for more than a quarter of the aluminum that is produced worldwide.
Foundry-24 hour
Dolz plant has a 24-hour active casting phase that grants all internal manufacturing needs, with an actual output over 17.000 units per day. and up to 100,000 pieces per week.
It is in this phase where the aluminum is melted, which will later be injected into the moulds. This metal has a combination of properties that make it very useful in the Dolz production, its low density and its high corrosion-resistant make the performance and durability of the Dolz water pump optimal.
In addition to its lightness, the fact that it is an indefinitely recyclable material, maintaining all its quality, stands out.
Injection
Injection moulding is a very popular technique that gives us versatility, an easy and fast reaction and higher performance levels in the production.
In this process, it is where the molten metal is injected into closed molds under pressure and cold to obtain the raw casting (or water pump housing) and where they are also exposed to pressure testing for strength and leak tightness.
Benefits of in-house production
Hosting all production processes means great benefits both in production and in the final product. Among the main benefits of having the foundry process integrated in our own facilities, we find:
- Tighter tolerances.
- Reduction of production stages.
- High resistance and hardness.
- Excellent finishing characteristics.
- Quality control in detail.
Specific Surface Finishing processes
In order to achieve the best possible result, different specific finishing systems are used in our Dolz production plant, among which shot blasting and die-cutting
Shot blasting technique
One of the methods that is used in most of the metal industries is the shot blasting technique. The term “shot blasting” refers to the process of propelling abrasive media material with centrifugal or mechanical force.
A surface treatment technique by impact, designed to clean, polish and at the same time strengthen the surface of the metal, in this case aluminum.
It consists of the bombardment of abrasive particles at high speed that, when impacting on the coating of the piece, eliminates contaminants from the surface.
Thanks to its high precision and efficiency, it can achieve large productions and deburr many parts at the same time.
Die-cutting
Die-cutting is a mechanical process that is carried out by a tool called a die-cutter that comprises stand columns, a linear bearing, a female die, a male die, a material pushing plate and a cover plate, to cut the material with precision.
This process allows us to obtain excellent dimensional accuracy and surface finish. In addition to also reaching large productions of pieces.
Drilling technique
Another finishing process that allows obtaining an optimal surface is drilling. A fast and precise machining operation that is limited to making cylindrical holes of different diameters.
Using a drill and a bit, a cut is made in the piece by turning the bit. The drill removes chips from the material and makes the desired hole.
Tal vez le interese… WE ARE DOLZ
…All in Dolz
With more than 100,000 automotive water pumps produced per week, Dolz has a permanent stock of more than a half million water pumps. Being one of the few companies in the sector that has the complete manufacturing process end to end.
A commitment to quality and continuous improvement reflected in our ISO 9001 quality standard certification and ISO 14001:2015 environmental system certification.
