Automotive supplier AYD worked with DISA to deploy a Complete Foundry solution.
All under one roof, from the first phase of production to final delivery. That’s the policy at AYD (AYD Otomotiv Endüstri Sanayi ve Ticaret Anonim Şirketi), a Konya-based automotive component supplier in turkey, with a 45-year track record of innovation and growth.
Flexible, dynamic and with a host of specialist staff, AYD was the first vehicle steering and suspension component manufacturer in Turkey when it was formed in 1975. Now employing over 3200 staff, it’s trusted by automotive OEMs across Europe, Asia and America as a rapid, reliable and high quality supplier of components like ball joints and wishbones.
When AYD decided to add an entire new foundry to its manufacturing capability, it picked another leader in its field that’s also totally trusted by its customers – DISA.
Choosing a complete, bespoke solution
Today, AYD offers more than 18,000 different product types and can manufacture over 36 million parts annually – all at its giant facility in Konya. So when it decided to start producing brake discs, building its own foundry fitted perfectly with the company’s in-house ethos.
“Our French and German customers asked us to produce brake discs so we decided to invest in a new facility,” explains Harun Aydın, President at AYD. “Running our own foundry instead of using sub-contractors gives us full control of quality and delivery times and also has the potential for the lowest cost per component. That lets us offer the most competitive price to our customers while retaining a reasonable profit margin and also means we can quickly update existing component designs and introduce new ones.”
Starting in November 2020, this family-owned business will turn a greenfield site close to the main AYD plant into a state-of-the-art modern foundry with space for four moulding lines. To supply and install the equipment, AYD chose DISA and its Complete Foundry solution.
“We needed a foundry that could handle high volume production of brake discs and other parts, at the lowest cost, highest speed and best quality,” says Harun. “DISA has the ability to provide a complete turnkey solution, including Wheelabrator shot blast equipment.”
Customised to fit your business
At the Konya site, DISA will work with AYD to install a Complete Foundry from scratch, supplying every piece of plant required for green sand iron casting, from sand preparation through to shakeout, casting cooling and surface finishing.
DISA’s solution also includes extensive support for planning, implementing and then operating the new foundry, with access to DISA’s renowned engineering and support teams whose engineers have intimate knowledge of all aspects of the green sand process.
When delivering a Complete Foundry solution, DISA acts as a single global partner and uses its deep experience to guide customers through the entire process of building a foundry from scratch. Starting with detailed discussions to understand the customer’s needs and goals for the project, DISA takes care of every detail related to the line equipment, from the initial feasibility study and overall project concept through planning, supervision, installation, final acceptance testing and overseeing plant start-up. Ramp-up assistance, production support, commissioning, training: it’s all part of the package.
“By partnering with DISA, not only will we have a complete set of state-of-the-art equipment that’s proven to work together but we also have access to the world’s leading foundry specialists for initial set-up and ongoing improvements. We are confident this is the most technically advanced, highest performance and most proven solution on the market.”
Harun Aydın, President at AYD
The new AYD line will employ some of DISA’s latest, most advanced technology and support services to deliver a phenomenally fast yet simple-to-maintain facility.
Cutting-edge foundry technology
Starting with the sand plant, this employs DISA’s all-in-one DISACOOL system which eliminates the need for a separate shake-out, sand cooler and casting cooler along with the latest version of the DISAMIX S100 sand mixer. The new mixer’s groundbreaking design offers faster, more complete mixing, greater sand consistency and reduced bentonite and energy consumption while its simple and robust components minimise maintenance costs and downtime.
The centrepiece of AYD’s new foundry will be the DISAMATIC D3-Z-555, the flagship moulding machine in DISA’s premier D3 range. Its vertical moulding technology combines the very highest production output – up to 555 uncored or 485 cored moulds per hour – with ultra-consistent high quality and solid reliability for high yields, decades of service life and maximum uptime.
The D3’s high rigidity cuts machine-related mismatch to less than 0.1 mm, helping it consistently produce dimensionally accurate castings. There’s an easy-to-use control system while fewer moving parts helps make servicing simple and less frequent.
“We picked the D3 because vertical moulding is well known for delivering very high production volumes while maintaining the best quality. As well as its exceptional speed and accuracy, it has a very long operational life and requires surprisingly little maintenance.” Harun Aydın, President at AYD
Incredible speed, consistent quality
Moulding performance will be enhanced by accessories like an Automatic Core Setting unit and DISA’s latest Automatic Mould Conveyor (AMC, pictured) whose integrated control system moves the mould string through the pouring, solidifying and cooling zones. Synchronised Belt Conveyors will extend the cooling zone after the AMC to give the required in-mould cooling time.
The final stage in the process is surface finishing, handled by a through-feed CT3-55/9-430 shot blast cleaning machine from Wheelabrator, DISA’s sister brand within Norican Group. The CT3 will run continuously, automatically adapting to the production rate, and will be dust-free like all the new foundry’s work areas. Again acting as the sole contractor, DISA will take care of sourcing and installing the blast machine.
Together, the Complete Foundry package of equipment and services will help AYD achieve the highest line speeds and yields, while DISA’s management and consultancy expertise will compress the planning and installation period to a minimum – delivering the shortest possible payback time for AYD’s investment.
“The Complete Foundry solution from DISA will give us the lowest cost per part with the highest efficiency and productivity,” says AYD’s Harun. “DISA is famous for the longevity of its equipment, so this solution offers higher profitability over a longer service life too.”
Innovation in digital too
DISA’s focus on innovation and substantial R&D budget generates a constant flow of equipment upgrades and enhancements, ensuring AYD’s line performance will remain at its highest throughout its lifespan. That high-tech innovation is exemplified by the comprehensive digital solution that will be implemented alongside the moulding line.
DISA’s Monitizer | CIM package will collect and exchange AYD’s machine data in real time, letting managers monitor live production information via easily-customised dashboards, and report on and analyse historic production data. Monitizer’s many other advantages include faster, more effective troubleshooting, storing the correct settings for each pattern, managing preventative maintenance and supporting machine automation and synchronisation.
The cloud-based Monitizer | GLOBAL system will make this clear view of line performance available in any location, so anyone in AYD will be able to see exactly how the foundry is performing and find ways to improve. Monitizer | GLOBAL can monitor any number of global sites and supports any equipment, not just DISA’s, so it will easily scale to cover any new AYD lines or sites.
“Monitizer | GLOBAL will give AYD the best possible visual overview of casting production. With customisable dashboards and the ability to work with any equipment, it’s a future-proof solution.”
Lars Olsen, Sales Director Europe at DISA.
Total support for the Complete Foundry
Like every customer, AYD will benefit from DISA’s global customer support and service network – widely acknowledged as the industry’s best – with a 24-hour telephone support hotline for instant advice. Remote support via DISA RMS (Remote Monitoring Services) further cuts the risk of downtime to an absolute minimum, with DISA’s technical specialists constantly monitoring process and machine data, alerting AYD to any developing issues and on hand to help with troubleshooting if required.
AYD has also signed up for the TOPS (Total Optimisation Production Services) inspection, service and maintenance programme. Under TOPS, regular visits by a dedicated DISA service engineer ensure that all equipment remains in perfect operating condition with sufficient spare parts in stock.
DISA’s elite ‘Application Team’ of engineers will be involved in the project too, first helping to get the plant up and running and then working to develop and optimise AYD’s process.
High performance foundry, rapid project delivery
When it opens in February 2021, AYD will have a new foundry that’s right at the cutting edge of green sand iron production. But just as its history suggests, the company won’t be standing still after that. There’s space for four lines in the new facility, not just one, and plans to fill it are already evolving.
“Our aim for the new facility is to grow our production volume, raise our quality levels and increase our profit margin,” says AYD’s Harun. “Having this capability in-house will also help us win new clients and, over the next decade, we plan to install another three DISA lines at our new foundry.”
So, impressive as it is, this new Complete Foundry project is only the starting point for in-house iron production at Konya. In future, much more is to come from AYD – and DISA too.
