Rapid Expansion as MI-TEC Adds Another Partner

GBZ and MI-TEC partnership brings Copper inductors from the powder bed to the US.

In additive manufacturing, the processing of pure copper is currently the premier class. As a manufacturer of inductors, GBZ-Mannheim GmbH & Co. KG knows the challenges of this material inside out and masters the seemingly impossible. With printed inductors, the topic of induction hardening is taken to a new level. Partnering with MI-TEC.US, GBZ intends to bring this next level technology to North and South American markets.

The additive manufacturing of parts in pure copper poses a particular challenge. GBZ Mannheim has mastered the topic and can also help with complex tasks.

Thomas Corell
Managing Director at GBZ Mannheim GmbH & Co.KG

“We are used to dealing with demanding tasks and materials. With our high level of vertical integration, we are able to technologically master almost any manufacturing task. Always with an eye on the best result for our customers. We are excited to partner with MI-TEC.US to bring this next level technology to the US.”

Until recently, the additive manufacturing of parts made of pure copper was still a dream of the future. But true to the motto – the future is now – plant manufacturers have found ways to process this demanding material. Much to the delight of the industry. After all, pure copper is the first choice when it comes to applications where high currents flow. A specialist in this field is GBZ Mannheim. Like hardly any other company, it specializes in the manufacture of inductors for heating applications. “We supply numerous companies in the automotive industry and also other industries where powertrain components need to be hardened, for example, or other applications where induction heating is the first choice. We have built up enormous expertise in this area and support our customers in finding the perfect solution for the respective heating task,” says Thomas Corell, Managing Director of GBZ.

Inductors for heating solutions are a specialty. Formerly assembled from many individual components, they are now manufactured in one piece.

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Broad-based expertise

Copper inductors are by no means the only thing GBZ has to offer. Strictly speaking, the company stands on five solid legs. In addition to inductor construction, the company, which is based in Frankenthal northwest of Mannheim and has a production facility in Nordhausen, also offers tools for pipe and cable assembly, wear and cutting tools, calibration tools for tube production and components for the printing and packaging industry. that no one else can do that,” Corell is pleased to say. GBZ has an enormous vertical range of manufacture in all these areas. The range of services extends from development to final assembly. The precision and special tools are particularly noteworthy. “We offer a fairly wide range of special solutions. Since our foundation in 1950, we have been active in the tool sector. Initially, the focus was on standard tools. Since the 1990s, however, this has changed in favor of special tools. We are one of the few manufacturers in the world that can produce tools for the production of double-walled pipes, such as brake lines,” says the Managing Director happily. But the tools for pipe and cable assembly division is also a special area in which the Frankenthal-based company is very well positioned on the world market. The products are widely known and appreciated under the GBZ Precision Tools brand.

At the Frankenthal (D) site, 62 employees work on innovative solutions for industry on 2,200 m² of production and office space.

GBZ offers innovative tool solutions for the industry in five divisions.

An EOS M290 with a 1 kW laser is used for the production of the copper parts.

Additive manufacturing for better products

Inductor construction is a special field in which the company has also made a particularly good name for itself. For a long time, the inductors were soldered together from many individual parts that had to be bent and then post-machined, but the newly introduced LPBF technology offers completely new freedom in production. “We are now able to build the core elements of the inductors in one piece. It is also now possible to design the cooling structures in a completely different way. This makes the inductors more powerful and durable,” reveals the managing director.

An EOS M290 with a 1 kW laser is used for the production of the copper parts. The challenge lies in the high reflection of the copper material, which can be countered by adapted parameters and scanning strategies. However, by using additive manufacturing in the company, GBZ now also wants to address new markets, taking the bold step to Partner with MI-TEC.US , an Engineering consulting organization that represents German based companies in North and South American markets, this is now a reality.

Pure copper can be used to provide excellent solutions for the energy sector, but solutions in thermally highly stressed areas such as rocket motors can also be served with appropriate copper alloys. Components for thermal management are also an area in which the company wants to offer solutions. “We invite anyone who deals with copper components to talk to us. With our wide range of technologies, in connection with the additive manufacturing of copper parts, we can offer a very wide range of solutions. And we love the challenge. We have already proven often enough that we can deal with it,” Corell sums up confidently.