Pump Stators for Power-Packer
Power-Packer supplies a wide range of hydraulic and electrohydraulic motion control systems. Power-Packer is the market leader in actuation systems for convertible tops (cabrios) and tilting truck cabs. This experience is also used in other markets such as patient handling, agriculture, marine and recreational vehicles. The company has manufacturing plants in The Netherlands, Germany, France, Turkey, the US and the Far East. Power-Packer’s actuation systems find their way into products of many leading OEMs such as Audi, Mercedes, BMW, Volvo, Scania, DAF and many others.
The market for convertible cars has shown a significant growth in recent years. At the same time, a reduction in size and increased hydraulic pressures have led to more demanding technical requirements for many components.
The pump stator is an excellent example of this. It is a key part of the hydraulic pump, with diameter, straightness and roundness tolerances of a few micrometres. The surface quality requirements are also very demanding. Finally, the stator needs to be deburred perfectly as any burrs could damage the pump and lead to costly guarantee claims.
The stator manufacturer has been supplying these parts to Power-Packer for over a decade. Swildens, Power-Packer and the manufacturer recently set up a quality improvement project to meet the twin challenges of the increasing volumes and stricter quality requirements. The outcome of the project was that conventional methods such as centreless grinding and surface hardening could meet the required standards. However, as conventional deburring was not entirely satisfactory for the new requirements, the supplier developed a new chemical deburring process. The project was recently successfully completed.
Power-Packer and the stator manufacturer are looking forward to continuing their successful business relationship.
