Avure Technologies to supply hydroform deep-draw press to Kale Pratt & Whitney

Kale Pratt & Whitney, a joint venture between Kale Holding of Istanbul, Turkey, and world-leading aircraft engine manufacturer Pratt & Whitney, USA, has ordered a hydroform deep-draw press from Avure Technologies.

The press, slated to become operational in the spring of 2014, will be installed at a new Turkish facility, which is part of the Kale Pratt & Whitney partnership to create a world-class manufacturing capability to produce best-value aircraft engine components for customers around the world.

“Avure's new deep-draw press will enable high-end aircraft engine providers like Kale Pratt & Whitney to produce high quality sheet metal components with great accuracy, repeatability, and lower costs,” explains Sture Olsson, Avure's Global Business Unit Director for Sheet Metal Forming. “Material draw ratios of up to 3:1 are achievable, eliminating several forming operations, intermediate heat treatments, and operator dependencies. The hydroform process requires only one rigid tool half, the other being a flexible rubber diaphragm, leading to significant tool cost savings.”

According to Devrim Erik, Operations Manager at Kale Pratt & Whitney in Izmir, Turkey, the Avure press is expected to help the new facility meet ambitious production goals.

“The Avure deep-draw press will be a very important piece of equipment used in our sheet metal fabrication area and will play a vital role in the jet-engine program,” Mr. Erik states. “We chose Avure not only due to their vast experience in providing state- of-the-art high pressure presses but also due to their capability to support us in gaining the required application know-how for this complex manufacturing process as deemed necessary in the technology ramp-up phase we have ahead of us.”