Established in November 2006, Letec specialises in casting automotive brake discs, brake drums, and automotive engine flywheel assemblies for customers in the mid- to high-end European market. With a total annual capacity of 45,000 tons, the foundry currently produces around 30,000 tons of castings each year. “The main reasons for choosing the DISAMATIC C3-X-350 was its high production efficiency and the low spare parts consumption of its simple, robust design," says Yongqiang Sun, Vice General Manager of Letec. "DISAMATIC vertical lines are trusted worldwide and we could see there were already many C3-X-350 machines running very successfully in the Shandong area."
The power of vertical: Letec chooses DISAMATIC C3-X-350 for high speed, high quality and low investment brake disc production
When China's Letec Automotive Co., Ltd decided to move from horizontal to vertical moulding for its brake disc production in 2021, DISA'S locally manufactured DISAMATIC C3-X-350 machine was the natural choice.
C3-X-350's format is perfect for brake discs
The DISAMATIC C3-X-350 produces brake discs and other castings with high uptime, very low scrap and very high moulding speed, able to reach 350 moulds/hour without core setting and 300 moulds/hour with cores. That speed combined with its large 535mm x 750mm format delivers very high casting output: up to 30,000 tons of castings per year per line is easily achievable.
"The biggest attraction of the DISAMATIC C3-X was that its mould size was exactly the same as our existing moulds," says Mr Sun. "It's the perfect size for producing brake disc castings."
The C3-X's mould thickness is infinitely adjustable from 120mm to 395mm, which maintains a sand-iron ratio of around 5.5:1. That keeps casting quality reliably excellent while minimising sand consumption – cutting scrap and material costs. Letec's C3-X only requires a 40-50 ton sand plant, which greatly reduced the investment cost of the sand plant required.
Ultra-fast – and flexible too
Letec chose to equip its C3-X machine with a Automatic Coresetter (CSE) and a Quick Pattern Change (QPC) unit. Simple and reliable, the CSE features a light curtain and auto-acknowledge which helps to make it ten times faster than manual coresetting. Its consistently accurate coresetting avoids broken and dropped cores, and gives the operator a better working environment.
The QPC makes changing pattern plates easy, fast and less dependent on the skills and routine of the operator. Because a pattern change can be completed in under two minutes, the C3-X-350 is both flexible and fast – and very suitable for shorter runs of different castings.
Together with its extremely high accuracy and blisteringly rapid production speed, that makes the C3-X the perfect choice for producing the premium ventilated brake discs that Letec's customers desire.
Despite this impressive performance, the investment required is relatively low. A moulding line equipped with a good quality sand plant and pouring machine is available at a very attractive price. DISA is able to quickly supply and install single lines or complete foundries from its local Chinese facility.
Proven high performance with the industry's best support
"The vertical moulding application for brake disc production has more than 30 years' history behind it," says Alen Chen, Dean of DISA China Foundry Institute. "You only need to remember the simple rule: keep the pouring time short and the iron melting flow slow – then you can easily control the brake disc production on a vertical moulding line."
"Consultancy from the DISA Application team was vital in helping us transfer quickly from horizontal to vertical for our brake disc casting production," says Mr Sun. "From moulds and patterns to the preparation of moulding sand, the DISA Application team has given us great guidance. DISA China's Foundry Institute is also dedicated to providing technical support and training to customers, which helps you to solve your application issues."