Revitalizing a Used Mechanical Power Press, Part 1
January 1, 2011Comments
The next several columns will address an issue that has been on my mind since the start of the current economic challenges facing our domestic metalforming industry. In this used-press series, focused on electronic controls and electronics in general for the revitalization of used presses and die protection, I will refer to the press and imagine it to be representative of many presses that are on the used-equipment auction market today. No one press could possibly be fully representative of the numerous brands and styles out there, but there are enough commonalities to this variety that fall under the category of mechanical power press that will be addressed in this series.
I urge caution when purchasing a used press. It may have a history of severe abuse, even though it appears to be in good shape. It may be full of antiquated or unsafely modified electronics. With patience and understanding one can relatively easily make good preliminary observations and with further testing, determine the condition of the various electronic devices on the press and their related mechanical motions and forces. At the least, you should know what questions to ask when contemplating a press acquisition.
Let’s imagine that you have received an auction notification about a mechanical power press that you have been salivating over for years. As a new machine it was simply out of your company’s financial reach, even during booming economic times. But hold on, the auction notice has an anticipated price for that press that could very well be within your company’s means. Or likewise, perhaps you are acquiring this press through some unimaginable series of seemingly lucky events where one of your customers just happens to have one for sale at a price that is irresistible. Whether the press is at the auctioneer’s facility or at your customer’s, or it arrives with a set of takeover dies, what should one look for during the inspections and, more importantly, what can be done once the press is in your plant to bring the press and die-protection controls up to state-of-the-art standards?
This series will address the following press electronics issues. They are not exhaustive, but represent the core electronic issues to consider, when acquiring a used mechanical power press.
