Page 50 - MetalForming April 2014

Hydraulic Presses:
Custom New vs. Used–
Which is Best for Your Business?
Is it better to fit a new hydraulic press into your operation, or fit your operation into an existing press? Metalformers should explore all options before making this critical decision, as the chosen solution
can have a lasting effect on the bottom line.
As manufacturers confront in- creased competition from the global marketplace, metalform- ers looking to increase hydraulic-press capacity often wrestle with the decision to purchase either a new custom press engineered to meet specific needs, or acquire a used press that can be adapt- ed to fit immediate needs, and at a lower up-front investment. In other words:
Is it better to fit a new press into your operation, or fit your operation into an existing press? Metalformers should explore all options before mak- ing this critical decision, as the chosen solution can have a lasting effect on the bottom line.
In a perfect world free from time- lines and capital-equipment budgets, each forming operation would feature fully customized equipment that includes manufacturer warranties, pro- vides operational efficiencies and offers the peace-of-mind that comes from knowing the equipment was designed specifically to form your parts. Of course, the manufacturing world is far from perfect, and timeframes, budgets
and competing priorities always loom over procurement decisions.
Several factors influence the deci- sion to purchase a used hydraulic press or invest in a custom, new press. These include project timeline, up-front vs. long-term cost implications and the specific application requirements involved.
At the beginning of any hydraulic- press procurement venture, seek answers to these four questions:
1) What are the demands of your specific application?
Many metalforming processes are easily adaptable to wide-ranging hydraulic-press specifications. Press size, tonnage, speed and accuracy require- ments can be loosened to a certain degree without negatively impacting the finished product. In these situations, the number of available used presses that have a chance of delivering on your requirements might warrant considera- tion of the used-press market. Finding a used press that comes close to matching your needs can have a positive impact on the up-front investment requirements.
Alternatively, if application demands are specific, it is unlikely that a used press will match the specific job requirements at hand. If specific ton- nage, speed, size, accuracy and control capabilities will significantly impact the operation, a used-market search might resemble the proverbial “needle in a haystack.” Ultimately, if too many equipment sacrifices are made and the metalformer forces its custom appli- cations into a non-custom press, process efficiencies will surely be sac- rificed. While not critical on an indi- vidual-cycle level, these tradeoffs can have accumulating repercussions.
Custom hydraulic presses can pro- vide more freedom with regard to the relationship between bed size and ton- nage. Metalformers whose applications require low tonnage with a large form- ing area will find themselves, as they peruse the used-press market, paying for a higher-tonnage press in order to acquire an expansive bed and ram size. And, vice-versa—if an application requires high forming tonnage over a small area, available used solutions often will require the purchase of a
48 MetalForming/April 2014
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