Fire and flames for fifty years

Panorama

Red-hot speciality.

In the Mercedes-Benz Mannheim plant's foundry, several grey cast iron variants are produced for use in engine production. At temperatures of around 1,400 degrees Celsius, highly specialised raw materials get turned into crankcases and cylinder heads.


The Mannheim plant is home to the hottest workplace at Mercedes-Benz. And in 2014, it celebrated an important birthday: for 50 years, the "new" foundry has been casting crankcases and cylinder heads. In 1990, rear-axle brackets were added to the production line.

The image shows employees at the cupola furnace. It is here that the coke gets fired. Among other things, 30 tonnes of iron is melted down each day for use in the crankcase of the new heavy-duty straight six-cylinder engine range (OM 470 to OM 473). The production of the different grey cast iron variants is a highly-specialised process. Some of the unique designer raw materials are created exclusively in the smelting furnaces of the Mannheim plant. You can't buy them and even their repairs are a closely guarded secret. They are characterised, among other things, by their combination of a high thermal conductivity and impressive strength. The casting temperatures in the four ovens at the plant are precisely defined for each grey cast iron variant and in some cases are higher than 1,400 degrees Celsius.

Around 700 employees work in the approximately 64,000 square-metre area and annually produce over 100,000 tonnes of commercial vehicle cast parts from all manner of raw materials. The first foundry within the confines of the plant opened in 1909. To ensure greater quantities could be produced, 1964 saw the opening of the "new" foundry.

Photos: Ralf Kreuels

No comments yet