LAYING SOLID FOUNDATIONS

NANODUR® Machine Beds

Vibration damping
Shapeable without limitation
Cost effective

Nanodur® has revolutionized
mineral casting technology

Fills the mould and compacts itself automatically

Using the cold-casting method, complex yet massive parts are made for the machinery industry in our Swiss manufacturing facility using the innovative high-performance material Nanodur®. Nanodur® is a cementbonded mineral cast, developed through years of research in the field of nanotechnology by our technology partner and binder manufacturer, Dyckerhoff. Unlike epoxy resin-bonded mineral cast, this material spreads and compacts itself, so that the mould does not have to be vibrated during filling. Nanodur flows and compacts itself automatically. Thanks to its excellent processability, inexpensive and easily obtainable wood or plastic mould is often sufficient. Only where mould has to meet the highest durability and precision standards is steel recommended.

Nanodur® flows into the
mould by itself, like honey

 

Your advantage in engineering: mineral cast beds can be more simply formed and, thus, more economically manufactured than before.

High-performance material for engineering and nature

Optimized for highest packing density

Using nanotechnology, the cast stone is optimized to ensure highest packing density, which is visibly noticeable by looking at the smooth surface. It can be dyed completely or subsequently varnished.

Environmentally friendly processing

A research project funded by the German Federal Ministry of Education and Research has shown that Nanodur® has a far more favorable ecological footprint than epoxy resin-bonded mineral casts. No solvents are required during processing because water is fully sufficient to subsequently clean tools and equipment.

Climate protection and safe disposal of old machinery

The manufacturing of Nanodur® uses less energy and emits less CO2 than the manufacturing of epoxy resin-bonded mineral casts. Thanks to its purely mineral composition, crushed Nanodur® can be reused as fill material in road construction or as aggregate in recycled concrete.

The recipe for sustainable
high-performance material
in modern high-tech
engineering

 

Sand, latest generation mix of hydraulic binders, water and small amounts of two liquid admixtures to improve processing.

Comparison of various materials
for machine beds

designation   Nanodur® (mineral cast with cement) Mineral cast with epoxy Granite Grey cast iron (cast iron with lamellar graphite)
Density kg/dm3 2.4-2.5 2.0-2.5 2.5-3.0 7.1-7.3
Compressive strength N/mm2 125-135 90-150 160-240 600-960
Flexural tensile strength N/mm2 18-20 15-35 10-30 150-400
Modulus of elasticity kN/mm2 45-50 20-45 40-60 80-140
Coefficient of thermal expansion µm/(m*K) 10-11 10-20 5-11 10-13
Thermal conductivity W/(m*K) 2.8-3.2 1.5-2.0 1.7-3.5 47-53
Specific thermal capacity J/(kg*K) 750-1'000 750-1'000 750-1'000 460-540
           

Maximum precision

Geometric precision

Using exact mould, we cast blanks with a surface accuracy in the tenth-millimeter range. By tempering the hardened material, excellent form stability is achieved. Progressive setting processes of the hydraulic binders and the associated shrinkage deformations are stopped by tempering. Evenness accuracy in the micrometer range is achieved by post-processing of the hardened blanks. Stone cutters accurately cut contact surfaces so that attachments such as steel rails can later be accurately mounted. Alternatively, cast steel components are directly machined to the specified final dimensions by metal processors.

A Nanodur® moulded steel
component with metal
processing tool

Often, the contact points of machine beds and attachment parts require the highest accuracy that can only be achieved by post-processing using steel or stone.


Dynamic precision

The machine bed must effectively dampen disruptive vibrations from machine movement and interaction between tool and workpiece. The damping performance of Nanodur® is comparable to that of natural stone or epoxy resin-bonded mineral cast – that is up to ten times better than that of grey cast iron.

Conclusion: Highest precision with fast feed speed, noise reduction and extension of the tool life.

Comparison of vibration behaviour

The graph shows that Nanodur® induces less vibrations than grey cast iron and dampens vibrations much faster.

Thermal precision

Due to its high specific thermal capacity and yet simultaneously low thermal conductivity, Nanodur® reacts significantly slower to thermal energy than grey cast iron. Inaccuracies caused by room temperature fluctuations are significantly reduced by the material-specific thermal inertia. In order to actively control thermal deformations from process heat as well as from external and internal heat sources, heating and cooling pipes can be moulded into the massive machine bed.

Temperature stability

Thanks to the thermal inertia of Nanodur®, the transfer of fluctuating room temperatures to the machine is negligible.

Cost savings
in mould making

Engineering and design in harmony

Good news for machine

manufacturers Lend your brand a connotation of exclusivity by means of attractive, distinctive design. Turn your technical form into a consistently branded product and thus strengthen your market position. We can advise you on creative possibilities and implement the potential of the self-compacting flow compound with intelligent mould construction.

Cast stone with reproducible properties

The purely mineral casting compound hardens to cast stone with reproducible mechanical and physical properties at ambient temperature without any energy input. As in natural stone engineering, smaller individual parts can be glued to a larger part in the case of very complex shapes.

Elegantly embedded technology

In the cold casting compound, you can incorporate component parts (rails, anchor plates, threaded sleeves, transport anchors, hydraulic piping, grounding, cables, empty plastic pipes) into the machine bed in a compact and visually appealing manner. The frost-resistant mineral cast is not flammable and therefore resistant to flying sparks. As a result, steel components can subsequently be welded to anchor plates, which are moulded to the hardened machine bed.

Economical even for small- scale production and heavy machine beds

Thanks to the lower fix costs of mould making, the advantages of the mineral casting technology can already be economically exploited for small-scale production. The material cost for Nanodur® is lower than for epoxy resin-bonded mineral casts. This cost advantage is particularly evident in the unit price of large and heavy machine beds. Furthermore, in contrast to steel and oil, the material is unaffected by world market fluctuations. Steel mould

Bed rest for
various applications

Metal and wood processing machines

Textile machines

Packaging machines

Pick & place applications

Graphic machines

Optical industry

Laser industry

Electrical industry

Measuring technology

Solar technology

Medical technology

A strong foundation

Maximum production – minimal interfaces

What applies to humans is equally applicable to machines: a good bed is the basis for a successful day’s work. This is why we have specialized in the development and the production of ambitious, high-precision machine beds and tool frames. By working closely with qualified partner companies, Frei Engineering is able to offer you a complete service from dimensioning to blanks production, measurement, varnishing, subassembly through to precise post-processing with stone cutters and metal processors. In the end, this means for you: maximum production – minimal interfaces.

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For smart engineers and entrepreneurs.

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