Page 18 - MetalForming January 2013

X-Cel’s newly refurbished 1000-ton Danly four-point press rises on a newly poured foundation (left) within a 60- by 100-ft. addition to its facility. The press has greatly extended the shop’s die-tryout capacity.
Aging
Presses
Ripe for Renewal
Old mechanical stamping presses never (or rarely) die, and no one knows this better than the crew at X-Cel Tooling. Here we find refurbished big-bed high-tonnage presses taking die tryout to new levels of part size and complexity. Production stamping is even on the menu now.
BY BRAD F. KUVIN, EDITOR
Canada has been a good hunting ground for tool and die shop X- Cel Tooling, Iron Ridge, WI. That’s where the metal-stamping tool and die shop has foraged recently for two used big-bed high-tonnage mechanical presses. The two newly refurbished presses have greatly extended the firm’s die-tryout capabil- ities, allowing it to bid on and earn contracts heretofore unattainable.
The key to strategic growth oppor- tunities in die build and tryout is hav- ing presses with the magic combination of a big bed, large windows, and vast stroke and shut height. That according to X-Cel vice president of manufactur- ing Dave Mamerow.
“I consider our two newly refur- bished presses just as good as any new press,” says Mamerow, “particularly for tryout and even for limited produc-
tion stamping. They’re solid and tight, well made and built to last. With key surfaces remachined and the addition of new coil feeds and press controls, they’re performing perfectly for us and our customers.”
Not to mention that “since we don’t run a significant amount of produc- tion work (being a die shop), justifying a new press simply isn’t possible,” adds Mamerow. “Used presses make more sense.”
Coil Feed a Necessity
Forty-two-year-old X-Cel acquired its first used big-bed press in 2003, a 1250-ton 1950-vintage Clearing model with an 84- by 144-in. bed, 50-in. shut height and 24-in. stroke. Along with a new control for the press came a coil- feed line, a real value when pitching new die projects. Prior to acquiring the
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MetalForming/January 2013
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