(openPR) - Berlin, 03 February 2008 - aluminum cast is increasingly replacing components made of grey cast iron, sintered cast iron or cast steel in many industrial areas. The Berlin manufacturing services provider, G.W.P Manufacturing Services AG, has been observing this trend for a considerable time, particularly in the area of mechanical engineering. G.W.P has been successfully producing mechanical metal and plastic components for many years for the mechanical engineering industry in accordance with the CAD data of the constructing industrial customers.

The benefits of cast aluminum become particularly important for lightweight structures. Using new aluminum alloys and the new optimized design possibilities (topology optimization, bionics, flow simulations), significant costs can often be saved as well as functional improvements. The lightweight design with bionically designed parts is particularly beneficial for cast parts as the extra time only occurs for the mould construction and not for the cast individual item. Thereby, aluminum cast parts combine high dimensional accuracy and strength characteristics with outstanding machining ability. The good electrical conductivity for EMC shielding for electronic components and the very high thermal conductivity for cooling fins etc. make aluminum the material in demand for mechanical engineering. The good resistance to weathering predestines aluminum cast parts for all parts in the outdoor area. However, the most important argument for producing grey cast iron components in aluminum is the weight saving of up to two thirds. Weight always causes costs, especially for moving parts. The substitution of cast iron for cast aluminum has proceeded a long way in the fastest industries such as vehicle and aircraft manufacturing. In the more conservative industries such as mechanical and apparatus engineering, cost saving potentials are often unused.

The benefits of cast aluminum:
- High dimensional accuracy
- Good strength characteristics
- Outstanding machining ability and different surface treatments are possible
- Short production times
- Weight saving of up to two thirds in comparison with parts made of cast iron
- Very high thermal conductivity
- Good electrical conductivity
- Resistant to corrosion and weathering
- Very cost-effective production, particularly in die-casting

G.W.P. manufactures cast aluminum parts using the die-casting, chill casting and low pressure die casting processes. Other processes for the production of aluminum parts are extrusion presses (extruded aluminum profiles), aluminum milled and turned parts and sheet aluminum machining.

The manufacturing services provider connects technological competence with sector experience in selected industries of his customers and provides technology consultancy before the production. G.W.P. operates a production facility for parts according to drawing in Zhongshan, China and due to the low-cost production of cast aluminum parts in the low-wage country, China, it can even provide competitive prices for small series. Particularly for special machine construction with small to medium batch sizes, the decision for an investment often only becomes possible in this way.

More information at: www.gwp-ag.com/gwp_englisch/druckguss.htm

About the G.W.P. Group

The G.W.P. Group is divided into G.W.P. Manufacturing Services AG with headquarters in Berlin (Head Office and Sales), Flaming International Ltd. in Hong Kong (Legal Representative) and Fuwei Hardware Company Ltd. (Production and Logistics) in Zhongshan (China).

As a manufacturing services provider for several different manufacturing processes, G.W.P. AG provides mechanical components according to the drawing made of metal and plastic for various industrial areas. From the prototyping and tool making to the series production, all necessary manufacturing processes are provided in doing so. Due to the wide approach of different processes and the many years of experience for production technology, metallurgy, casting materials, pouring processes and tool design, G.W.P. can give its customers objective recommendations for the selection of the most suitable technology and information in good time for the production-specific optimization of the design (Design to Cost).

The processes with the currently strongest demand are aluminum die casting, zinc die casting and plastic injection molding including finishing and surface treatment. However, chill casting, extrusion, bending / punching, CNC turning, CNC milling, deep drawing and other processes are also part of the range of services.

For the manufacture of plastic parts, the range of services includes injection molding, multiple component injection molding, the overmolding of inserts, extrusion and vacuum deep drawing (thermoforming) including the finishing and all common surface refinements.

Industrial enclosures are one of the parts most frequently asked for. The benefit of the overlapping processes production of the components and the assembly are particularly effective here. Due to the bundling of the various manufacturing processes at one supplier and the associated reduction of the process costs, buyers can significantly reduce the overall acquisition costs (concept of the Total Cost of Ownership, TCO).

The most important customer sectors of the manufacturer are automation technology, measurement technology, industrial electronics, mechanical engineering, medical technology and the lighting industry.

G.W.P. has specialized in series with high tool costs and high wage costs - particularly competitive prices can be offered here, particularly for small series.

Company contact:
G.W.P. Manufacturing Services AG
Sales Dept.
Malteserstraße 170/172
12277 Berlin
Telephone: +49 30 757744-0
Fax: +49 30 757744-10
Email: vertrieb@gwp-ag.com
Web: www.gwp-ag.com

Press contact:
G.W.P. Manufacturing Services AG
Marketing/PR
Malteserstraße 170/172
12277 Berlin
Telephone: +49 30 757744-0
Fax: +49 30 757744-10
Email: f.schilter@gwp-ag.com

On request, we will send you the existing image material for this press release. We would be very pleased about an editorial mention about the delivery of a specimen copy.

Would you like to receive our future press information by email?
Email to: kundenservice@gwp-ag.com is sufficient.