Development of EV Components:
Small Cross-sectional Rings
The mission entrusted to the engineers thus became something that would determine the future of the Benda Group. Among EV components, potentioal was found in the 'small cross-sectional rings,' for drive units. Miniaturization of parts is not limited to EVs; even in engines, miniaturization and weight reduction are progressing, so this was an unavoidable issue.
Kazuhiko Katayama (Deputy General Manager, Technology Development Department), who focuses on design, first tackled the NC conversion of the ring forming process. Previously, if the cross-sectional area was below a certain level, an additional machining process was required after ring forming, leading to increased material input and costs, making it difficult to receive orders for small cross-sectional ring products. Although these sizes had not been handled before, the possibility of producing them using the Benda method through the NC conversion of challenging processes led to design and prototyping efforts within the Technology Development Department.
Small cross-section rings have a much smaller cross-sectional area than existing products, and the durability of thin wire rods compared to rolled materials against 'bending,' as well as the work in each process such as cutting, welding, and heat treatment, needs to be reviewed. The first step was the technical development of 'bending, cutting, and welding,' which are the first half of the ring forming process. Through data analysis, the work that previously relied on the skills of experienced workers was successfully converted to NC.
In future development, we will work on the processes after welding, and the challenge towards mass production will begin.
