Over 10.000 key duplicating units are produced every year by Silca Group. When the new machine was projected, the aim was to find a more economical alternative to the currently used material: cast aluminium.
The housings produced in aluminium were expensive because of the high level of post-moulding work needed to obtain a number of precise holes. Also the painting of the parts was expensive and should be avoided, if possible.
Two plastics solutions were evaluated, both with thermoplastics and thermosets. It was finally decided to chose BMC composite with the compression moulding process, for the reasons already mentioned above.
Economical advantages:
50 % cost savings in comparison to cast aluminium.
BMC housing of the key cutting machine is now in full production.

For the compound:

Nicola Adamo
Lonza Compounds
via Dell’ Aeronautica, 18
I 24030 Brembate di Sopra (Bg)
Italy
phone: +39 035 62 31 31
fax:   +39 035 33 35 00
nicola.adamo@lonza.it

 

update

15 november 2007