In addition to a complete retrofit of their electrical and hydraulic systems, including the sealing of all cylinders and various mechanical overhauls, the nine lines with press forces of 1,200 to 2,100 metric tons will also be fitted with completely new safety technology. The time schedule is ambitious: work on the first of six presses at Audi’s main plant in Ingolstadt is due to begin in the middle of this year, and the last of three machines at the Neckarsulm plant is scheduled to start production again at the end of 2016.

Tryout presses are used to test dies prior to series production. This enables a company to reduce cost-intensive downtime of its production equipment. In the case of hydraulic tryout presses, the machine operator can call on the full press force at any time and, if necessary, gently lower the upper die onto the lower die. The interplay between press, die, material, and lubrication is so complex that pure simulation cannot replace the actual tryout process. The dynamics of the equipment in the forming process can be simulated, as can the characteristics of the press drawing systems.

Audi’s Toolmaking department also supplies other brands of the Volkswagen Group with forming dies and equipment for car body manufacturing. Awards such as the multiple overall victory in the prestigious “Excellence in Production” contest as “Tool-Maker of the Year” have helped improve the company’s position among its international competitors. A total of 2,184 employees are currently engaged at the company’s five plants in Ingolstadt, Neckarsulm, Barcelona (Spain), Győr (Hungary) and Beijing (China) – of which 980 in Ingolstadt.