Page 22 - MetalForming April 2011

Hydraulic Presses
meet specific customer functional and performance specs.
Better part quality is the predomi- nant objective, achieved with presses boasting exceptional accuracy and pre- cise control. For example, one cus- tomer that manufactures heavy-duty inline ball-joint assemblies, looking to ensure quality of these safety-critical components, specified ram-position control to a demanding ± 0.0015 in.
We supplied a sophisticated servo press that met this tolerance, but the cus- tomer still was experiencing an unac- ceptable number of out-of-spec assem- blies. Our engineers evaluated the problem and concluded that, because of small variations in the stack height in the components, ram position was not the parameter that required tighter control. We reprogrammed the system onsite to provide highly repeatable
ram-force control to within ±0.5 per- cent of full scale, and part rejections were virtually eliminated.
Walkin: Areas of focus include equipment modularization and energy efficiency. With modularization comes fewer spare parts, shorter lead times and greater flexibility to satisfy cus- tomer requirements.
Gardner: Several industries are requiring robust electronic control packages to control ram position and force. They also want to capture this data and record it for part quality. Com- panies with press fit/assembly appli- cations are requiring this.
Schurman: Most R & D efforts are directed toward reduction in labor for the end user, and increased produc- tivity. Basically, we’re trying to reduce the amount of labor in the operation to reduce costs per part.
McCarthy: Hot-stamping and warm-forming processes are driving press designs that better-protect press components (hydraulics, lubes for guiding, etc.) from the effects of heat in the die space. Cooling (quenching) connections for the tool can be inte- grated into the press, and added pro- gramming helps to perfect the process recipe—hot stamping, dwell, quenching.
For all hydraulic-press applications, better deflection rates (bed and platen), improved platen gib-guidance systems and engineered press designs for spe- cific applications are critical to enabling stampers to manufacture more com- plex parts with tighter dimensional tolerances.
Debus: All of our systems are ‘tai- lored solutions’ to meet customer demands, and because our customers span so many different industries, we find that technology that benefits one industry segment often benefits anoth- er. For example, working with hot-press customers operating at 1800 deg. F gives us the experience to utilize some of this technology in heated-platen projects operating at 400 deg F. Each application may reside in a separate industry but we can transfer the tech- nology from one to the other. MF
Reliability. Service. Value. Clearly COE Press Equipment
When you want a no-nonsense, coil feeding
equipment partner you can count on, it’s
clearly COE Press Equipment. With a heritage
of reliability since 1976, North American stampers,
fabricators and manufacturers have depended
upon COE for productivity-enhancing solutions that improve their bottom line. A single source supplier, COE delivers best-in-class machinery, on-site engineering and manufacturing, 24/7 support, and unparalleled service. Simplify your life and improve your operations. COE is clearly the one-stop shop for
all your coil feeding needs.
• On-site Service & Support • Fully Integrated Systems • Roll Feeds
• Coil Reels
• Straighteners
COE Press Equipment
Tel (586) 979-4400 Email info@cpec.com www.cpec.com
20 MetalForming/April 2011
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