Page 19 - MetalForming April 2011

rebuilding and upgrading older hydraulic presses, for forming appli- cations. It’s also adding press automa- tion to increase throughput and pro- ductivity. It is rebuilding 25-yr.-old presses, stripping them down to the frames and replacing everything. Like- wise, the aftermarket-parts market for the heavy truck industry is particular- ly active. One customer making brake parts commissioned a 1000-ton press 16 months ago, and is looking to add even more press capacity.
In the appliance market, one cus- tomer, to minimize operating costs, is including variable-frequency drive technology and other energy-saving features in its new hydraulic presses. It’s also specifying advanced controls and feedback systems.
McCarthy (Eagle): We’ve seen an increase in hydraulic-press applica- tions in relatively new areas such as hot stamping. As results become more predictable and known, use of the tech- nology has begun to grow. Benefits include minimal or no springback, improved accuracy and lower tonnage requirements. Tier One customers operating traditional stamping and hydroforming presses now are adding hot stamping to their list of capabili- ties. Automotive applications include pillars, roof rails, bumper beams, trans- mission tunnels and sills.
Kirk (Macrodyne): The marketplace for new hydraulic presses was, of course, impacted by the relatively high inventory of used presses. Customers that survived the downturn and in some cases have grown—by absorb- ing production volumes from failed competitors as well as from increased market activity—created opportuni- ties for press rebuilds and upgrades. As the inventory of good-quality used presses declines and the economy con- tinues to improve, we expect sales of new presses to increase.
Outside of automotive, new green technologies in power generation, such as wind turbines, have expanded the demand for sophisticated open-die hydraulic forging presses for produc- tion of ring blanks, for ring rolling of
“Modern hydraulic presses are engineered to integrate with new shop-floor technolo- gy,” says Barney Raye, president, Multipress, “including communication with central production-control systems.” Shown is a two-press cell programmed to provide pre- cise ram-force control, enabling manufacture of heavy-duty ball-joint assemblies with virtually zero rejected parts.
large bearings and flanges. And, the aerospace industry is using hydraulic presses with associated advanced con- trol systems to manufacture parts of advanced composites and high-strength materials, such as titanium alloys. Examples include precisely controlled high-temperature presses for super- plastic forming and elastoforming.
Walkin (AP&T): Customers are spec- ifying hydraulic presses for applica- tions requiring quick adjustments and control of draw depth. In the automo- tive sector, the flexibility of hydraulic presses allows manufacturers to effi- ciently produce lower volumes of higher model variations. Applications include press hardening (hot stamping), heat- exchanger lines and hydroforming.
Murphy (Neff ): The market is good now, and our customer base is very diversified, including defense, auto- motive, medical, alternative fuel, solar energy, consumer products, green opportunities and trucking. Most of the applications require a turnkey solu- tion, feedback system and quality- assurance tracking capabilities.
Debus (Beckwood): Aerospace, DoD and general manufacturing make up the majority of our order volume, with
some automotive applications mixed in. The purchases are split almost 50/50 between new products or projects and companies looking to increase capac- ity. Over the past few years, purchases for capacity increases were nowhere near current levels. We’re seeing an almost even split between traditional metalworking/forming applications and those involving some type of com- posite forming/processing.
Q:
Debus: Most manufacturers, Beck- wood included, have spent the past few years finding ways to increase pro- ductivity and quality without substan- tial increases in overhead. As the need for reliability has increased so has the demand for internal system monitoring and Internet-based monitoring. These technologies allow the press manufac- turer to instantly gain access to the press systems from any Internet point, to help with troubleshooting or gain advance warnings for routine mainte- nance and even wear and tear.
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