Bühler builds first megacasting Carat 610 at its North America plant

This latest achievement not only expands the company’s manufacturing capabilities, but also significantly lowers the CO2 equivalent (CO2e) emissions of constructing these large machines by reducing the need for major transoceanic shipping. Lowering emissions from logistics is a key part of Bühler’s efforts to reduce the company’s total carbon footprint. Closer proximity to Bühler’s production site also reduces transport costs, especially for the heaviest portions of the machine.  

“Producing these massive machines directly in the region where they will be installed provides considerable benefits to our customers throughout the entire machine manufacturing process. These benefits include increased collaboration, enhanced communication, and more frequent training opportunities for our customers,” said Steve Jacobson, CEO of the Bühler die casting organization in West Michigan.  
 

A century of experience in die casting 

Bühler’s nearly 100-year history of die-casting innovation comes to full force with its Carat line. As manufacturers look to produce larger, lighter, and more complex parts, the Carat series is the company’s answer to the globally accelerating trend towards larger structural castings in modern car architectures. With locking forces ranging from 10,500 to 92,000 kilonewtons (kN), the Carat line is specifically designed to produce large and complex parts such as rear and front underbodies cast in a single piece. Megacasting reduces complexity in production by replacing what would have been between 70 to 100 steel stamped parts with a single die-cast part. 
 

Sustainability as a megacasting driver  

These single-piece castings will generally be produced close to Original Equipment Manufacturer (OEM) vehicle assembly lines, allowing for better integration and reduced transport. This in turn minimizes costs and lowers CO2e emissions. As an added benefit, aluminum not needed on the finished part, such as the runner and biscuit, along with any start-up scrap, can all be remelted onsite. This saves shipping scrap back to the smelter as you would with steel stampings – further reducing overall CO2e emissions due to this reduced handling and transport.  
 

Serving an extensive array of manufacturers  

Measuring approximately 20 feet tall by 20 feet wide by 60 feet long, this megacasting machine weighs in at more than 800,000 pounds. As big as it is, the Carat 610 is only the third largest in Bühler’s portfolio of megacasting machines. “The innovations in our die-casting portfolio are aimed at meeting the die-casting market’s demands of reduced complexity, increased productivity, and improved sustainability,” said Cornel Mendler, Managing Director Die Casting at Bühler Group. “The ability to produce these machines closer to our customers delivers on those three themes.”  

“We are committed to serving the die-casting needs of a wide range of manufacturers and are excited to build megacasting machines in North America,” Jacobson said. “Our overall focus and commitment are to serve all our customers looking to cast any aluminum or magnesium parts. We aim to do this in the most efficient and productive way, utilizing Bühler’s entire portfolio of machine solutions, from 300 US tons up to 10,000 US tons.”