DONGFENG trusts DANOBAT to solve its turning problems
Founded in 1969, DONGFENG Motor Corporation is one of the 3 giant car makers in China. Its main business includes passenger vehicles, commercial vehicles, engine, auto parts & components, and equipment. Through over 40 years of development, a set of R&D and manufacturing facilities have been established as well as an extensive distribution and after-sales network.
Currently, DONGFENG is taking delivery of a new lathe in its facilities from DANOBAT based in Elgoibar, Spain. Taking advantage of the occasion, we spoke to Mr. Xiao Guang Sheng, senior engineer at DongFeng Motor Co. Ltd. Q: What type of components do you manufacture? Xiao Guang Sheng: Right now, our main product is high power diesel engines and parts. Our range includes three models: DCi11, EQ4H and EQX7. Q:What was the machining process for your crankshafts before investing in DANOBAT lathes? Xiao Guang Sheng: We were using local machines as well as NTC Japanese lathes. At that time we were manufacturing cast crankshafts. Many years later we changed our manufacturing process to steel crankshafts due to their lighter weight, more compact dimensions and better inherent damping but this material is harder and it is more difficult to machine. 10 years ago we visited VOLVO Trucks in Spain and they were using DANOBAT lathes for the manufacturing of their components and we realized they had several advantages when using these lathes, and we saw that it could be a good solution for machining our steel crankshafts. Finally, in order to get the required precision levels, we decided to invest in DANOBAT NA horizontal lathes. Q:Do the DANOBAT lathes live up to your expectations? Xiao Guang Sheng:The NA lathes offer the precision our products require and furthermore, due to their design, take up less room in the plant. For machining large crankshafts, the NA-1500 2TS-2CM model was selected, which is capable of machining components of up to 450 mm in diameter and 1500 mm in length, we used this to turn the ends and supports of the various crankshafts. DANOBAT lathes are equipped with two top turrets, two headstocks and it has retractable jaws which make it possible to turn the end faces. Thanks to these features, the parts are machined using a single set up and even with the two turrets turning at the same time, thus considerably improving the cycle time. Q: Have the parts to be machined undergone changes in recent years? Xiao Guang Sheng: Over the years, our parts have undergone changes in their design but DANOBAT has been capable of adapting to these changes and offering us a full, appropriate solution for our products and always equipped with the latest technology. Q: How do you value the relationship between the two companies DONGFENG and DANOBAT? Xiao Guang Sheng: As I have mentioned, the relationship started several years ago, the first lathe was purchased in 2005. Since then, we have invested in several lathes and the fact that the DANOBATGROUP is present in the Chinese market and has a highly qualified service team has helped in the successful development of all the projects. We are convinced that in the future the two companies will continue working together.
