Our core products are housings for steering systems, whereas smaller parts of our capacity are dedicated to manufacturing parts for automatic transmission, housings for vacuum pumps and clutches, engine mounts and parts for anti-vibration systems. Our production for the heat engineering market is in continuous expansion.

The material used is aluminium, alloyed with other chemical elements such as silicon and copper. The alloys most frequently used are EN AB 46000, EN AB 46100 and EN AB 47100, which differ from one another in the concentrations of the elements in the alloy. The raw material undergoes strict controls, to verify that it presents the correct chemical composition.
The choice of the type of alloy influences the characteristics of the material and those required of the product when in use, such as, for example, its castability, ductility, resistance to corrosion and mechanical resistance.

The production process is essentially structured in the following phases: foundry and die-casting, sandblasting, machining on machining tools, washing and inspection, packing and shipment.

FOUNDRY AND DIE-CASTING

The aluminium ingots, mixed with residual material from the subsequent moulding step, are loaded in the melting furnaces to transform the aluminium into liquid form. The aluminium is then cast in die-casting machines, where it is moulded with the cold-chamber die-casting process.
Each die-casting cell is fully automated with the use of handling robots for executing additional operations, such as trimming of the residual parts, and robots for palletising the castings.
After moulding, the castings are checked by x-ray to detect internal defects such as porosity and shrinkage.

SANDBLASTING

This step is performed inside sandblasting machines, where the raw semi-finished product is subjected to a high-pressure jet of abrasive powder (generally steel granules).
The sandblasting provides the surface finish and appearance required by customers.

MACHINING ON MACHINING TOOLS

The sandblasted castings are processed on machining tools for the finishing of functional details. These processes are carried out in 4 or 5-axis CNC machining centres or inside transfer lines machines.
The primary machining operations are drilling, milling, boring, threading, and reaming. The workpieces are processed using special shaping tools (of polycrystalline diamond or hard metal) that ensure the geometry required by the customers even in single shoot.
The workpieces are then subject to random checks on dimensions and geometry using coordinate-measuring machines.

WASHING AND INSPECTION

The workpieces are then washed with high pressure and ultrasound.
Before packing, in-line visual inspection is performed to verify the dimensions and the presence of details and, when necessary, tightness tests are conducted to rule out fluid leaks in operation.

PACKING AND SHIPMENT

Once inspected, the finished product is suitably packed to avoid damage and contamination by external agents during shipment to the customer.

TECHNOLOGY AND PROFESSIONALISM

On the road to continuous improvement and excellence

EDiM is a smart foundry, where the high professionalism of our people combines with innovative technological solutions. The machining on machining tools, washing and inspection phases are fully automated, thanks to the use of conveyor belts that automatically transfer lines the workpieces from one station to the next, and handling robots for loading and unloading the machines, while marking systems ensure the traceability of the workpieces.