On March 14, 2018, apt Extrusions GmbH & Co. KG, domiciled at Monheim in Germany, inaugurated a new 27-MN front-loading press supplied by SMS group (www.sms-group.com).

“The new 27-MN extrusion press from SMS group replaces the existing 20-MN press. The scope also comprises related billet heating equipment including an extrutec GmbH gas heating furnace combined with an IAS induction furnace and a new runout system from OMAV. apt selected SMS group as supplier of the extrusion press for reasons of safety, energy efficiency, productivity and product quality. All of these factors had played a crucial role in apt’s future orientation towards the production of aluminum profiles for the automotive and construction industries as well as for industrial customers”, emphasized Thomas Boddenberg, Managing Director of apt Extrusions GmbH & Co. KG, in his address.

Thomas Brockmann, Senior Engineer Machinery & Equipment at apt, praised the excellent cooperation with all partners involved in the project and pointed out the extremely efficient project work rendered by SMS group. The project commenced on December 16, 2017. As early as on January 18, 2018, the first hot aluminum billet could be extruded, and on January 29, 2018, the press started to operate in three shifts. Within this period, the old facility was dismantled and loaded, and all items of the new press line were installed. The extrusion press package also covered fully automatic handling equipment with the OMAV flying cut saw permitting 500-millimeter samples to be taken during ongoing production.

At the handover ceremony, Dr. Thomas Winterfeldt, Executive Vice President Forging Plants at SMS group (right), presented to Thomas Boddenberg a sculpture symbolizing the successful project work. Essential parts are the result of cooperating with Essential partners (see photo). Performing such a challenging project on schedule and on a high quality level was possible only on the basis of a close and cooperative partnership of SMS group, further project partners and apt.

apt Group’s business units are aluminum extrusion and further processing. About 1,000 employees at sites in Germany, The Netherlands and Czech Republic generate annual sales of approx. 250 million Euros. Operating six extrusion press lines, state-of-the-art processing facilities and three anodizing plants, apt ranks among the market leaders in Western Europe’s aluminum sector. The company supplies its products to reputed customers in the fields of construc­tion, transportation and industry. The portfolio includes demanding aluminum profiles, which are partly processed and refined, as well as aluminum products and systems.