Automotive Metal Forming

Metal work, forming and welding automotive parts are one of the core businesses of Thai Summit Group from the experience of 40 years. The Thai Summit Group has the potential for forming and assembling diverse parts in all customer groups, such as metal tank, central pillar hot stamping parts, covering the body in white structure product, and including aluminum forming which has both tandem line, progressive line and transfer press production lines with production bases both inside and outside the country. In addition, the company is committed to developing metal forming with a variety of processes, including hydroforming and hot stamping to meet the needs of the customer.

Technology

Manufacturing technology including automation press line.

We can create full press automation lines starting from the input materials untill delivering the finished goods to the warehouse with robots and automation equipment. Press line full automation without an operator is flexible to production control and labor cost saving. Progressive line production and transfer press lines with production bases both inside and outside the country is committed to developing metal forming with a variety of processes, including hydroforming and hot stamping to meet the needs of customers.

HIGHER STRENGTH, LOWER MASS

Compatible with Ultra High-strength steel (UHSS) up to 1700 Mpa.
Single rollformed tubular structures are stronger than multi-piece assemblies from other technologies.

PROCESS FLEXIBILITY

Multiple part variations can be made from same set of tooling to reduce end cost and meet commonization strategies
Ability to react quickly and efficiently to engineering changes in material, gauge and profile

TOOLING COST REDUCTION

Create multiple parts with the same cross section, but different profile designs.
Infinite part variants from the same tooling, including left and right hand parts.

WELDING

Ability to laser weld, induction weld, or rotary spot weld and will make recommendations based on the geometry selected.

Embracing Industry 4.0 technologies, Thai Summit engineering team has implemented full automation assembly line concepts, changing from the previous semi-automation manufacturing. Instead of semi-automation cells, the new full automation assembly line layout is a simple line that saves space and does not require any workers. The line is equipped with robots, assembly fixtures, AGV for loading/unloading with an auto racking and a vision system. While having parts loaded and assembled by robot, the finished part will be detected and quality checked by a vision system. Therefore no NG parts reach the end customer. Furthermore, the NG data acquired by the vision system can alert a production engineer to correct the system, which reduces scrap rate and improves the quality of the part.

Product

Our product is cross car beam assembly that is produced by a robot and welding machine hi-technology (active tawers) that can reduce spatter and our jig designs are common between LHD & RHD models. The system can also detect NG parts with a real time alarm.

We have the capability to produce rear bumper asm for one ton pickups, from design, production and testing, with the best solution for VA/VE concept for the customer. We provide the customer with simulations from software and offer alternative such as precise standard design, reduce prototype process, reduce design lead time and reduce trial cost, to meet the customers' needs.

Testing Center

Low Speed Crash test

Sophisticated parts require hi-tech machines for testing them. Crash testing is just one of the tests carried out by Thai Summit Group. This test is carried out by fixing a front bumper to a specially developed car moving at 40 km/h into a metal wall, it is the most advanced crash test system in Asia. Moreover, many customers put their trust in our crash test and this leads to new technology development that adds value and safety into our products.

Car tear down

Reverse engineering is another competitive advantage that Thai Summit Group has over our competitors. In our laboratory, we dissect cars and motorcycles part by part to learn how the pieces work individually. Following this, we further investigate how single parts operate together with other parts to generate a system. When we have completed both tasks we use R&D to discover the best solutions for the customers, and present the new technology to them.

Design Capabilities

Simultaneous Engineering (SE) for formability & weldability

Simultaneous Engineering is the technique used for designing products and processes concurrently. This benefits us in terms of speed increases and work redundancy decreases, allowing Thai Summit Group to respond to the customers soon after they request a quotation. Our cross functional team from R&D, design engineering, purchasing, production engineering

and even suppliers are capable of presenting new concept designs and offer smooth production processes with the lowest production cycle time and optimal cost to the customers. Estimated risks and VA/VE are analysed at our department to present the evaluation summary for cost reduction and productivity increments simultaneously. In the past, product design took at least 5 years to complete one commercial car but today 3 years is standard for new car design. Simultaneous engineering creates a tremendous competitive advantage for Thai Summit Group.

Industry

Division