Presezzi Enhances Aluminum Extrusion Performance With Danfoss iC7-Automation Drives

Application Areas: Motor Control, Hydraulic Pumps, Magnetic Ovens
Industry Sector: Aluminum Extrusion, Industrial Manufacturing

Presezzi Extrusion S.p.A., a manufacturer of aluminum extrusion presses, upgraded the drive platforms in its production lines to address technical constraints at a customer facility in Germany. The machinery required highly responsive controls for hydraulic pumps and stable, low-speed torque for magnetic ovens to maintain continuous, high-throughput production.

Operational Challenges in Extrusion Lines
At the German facility, rising production demands pushed the existing drive platform to its technical limits. In the hydraulic pump systems, the machinery required extremely fast acceleration and deceleration to maintain efficiency. Simultaneously, the magnetic oven applications required stable operation at very low speeds while maintaining high torque to accurately control the heating process. Previously, optimizing the motor performance for low speeds compromised high-speed performance, creating a bottleneck in overall production capabilities.




Goals for Production Improvement
To support its customer's competitiveness, Presezzi Extrusion aimed to transition to an automation drive platform capable of higher precision, stability, and robustness. The primary goals included eliminating the performance trade-offs between low and high speeds, reducing energy consumption in the hydraulic systems, and simplifying the physical machine design by removing external cooling dependencies.

Implementing the Automation Drive Platform
The company transitioned to the Danfoss iC7-Automation drive platform, installing multiple drive units across the extrusion line in two power variants. The chosen setup featured an IP54-rated design, which allowed the drives to be installed directly adjacent to the application rather than inside central electrical cabinets.




Technical Rationale and Deployment
Presezzi Extrusion selected this specific drive platform due to its ability to improve shaft performance in open-loop control. This feature enables precise and stable motor behavior without requiring additional feedback devices, which is critical for managing the unique electrical characteristics of the special motors used in magnetic ovens. The IP54 rating was a key technical factor, as it eliminated the need for cabinet cooling, reduced overall system complexity, and shortened the shielded motor cables, leading to direct installation cost savings. The deployment process built upon an existing technical partnership between the two companies that began in 2017, with the provider guiding the scalability of the installation to meet upcoming production requirements.

Quantifiable Results and System Benefits
Following the deployment, the extrusion press lines achieved a consistent cycle time of 12.7 seconds per billet, allowing the plant to operate efficiently at full capacity. The extended operating speed range resolved previous limitations, delivering stable control across both highly dynamic and low-speed phases. Energy consumption was also significantly reduced.

Edited by Natania Lyngdoh, Induportals Editor, with AI assistance.

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