Establishing expertise through R&D
“The IPU case is much larger than anything Honda has die cast before. It will be die-cast in two pieces and welded together,” says a Honda representative. “In-house production of IPUs is a first for Honda. Bühler is equipped to support Honda in this venture with its experienced process engineers and extensive technological know-how, alongside the advanced Carat 610 die-casting machine, to ensure the successful production of the IPU case.”Bühler has been a long-term partner of Honda and is supporting the company’s transition into megacasting. “We have a long history with Honda, and with the Carat 610, we are very pleased to provide the company with a solution to realize their megacasting ambitions,” says Cornel Mendler, Managing Director Die Casting at Bühler. “Our Carat series is the most successful solution on the market and is driving forward megacasting production across the world. Together with Honda, we have installed our megacasting solution in Japan. It was the first of its kind in the country.”
The Carat 610 machine in Tochigi, Japan, was commissioned in March 2024 for R&D purposes. Honda is conducting controlled experiments to refine casting conditions and enhance product quality. “Several parameters such as the casting temperature, the pressure, the casting speed, and the cooling rate can be varied in order to examine their effects on the properties of the parts,” explains Cornel Mendler.
This research process is further supported by automated peripheral devices, such as spray robots, removal robots, trimming presses, and cooling basins, which ensure precise process control and reproducible results. “The R&D cell makes it possible to test process innovations and newly developed parts quickly and efficiently. This rigorous testing allows us to optimize our processes,” says a Honda representative. “The expertise and experience that we gain in Japan will be shared across our production network in North America to support our electrified future.”
