Page 26 - MetalForming-Oct-2018-issue

Custom Hydraulic Stamping Press
Helps Aerospace Supplier Fly High
A new triple-action press enables Weldmac to form difficult high-temperature materials and increase capacity as orders soar.
BY LOUIS A. KREN, SENIOR EDITOR
From a manufacturer’s perspective, automotive and
aerospace, despite their proximity in the dictionary,
couldn’t be more different. Where “low” part volumes
in automotive can number in the tens of thousands, in aero-
space these numbers exceed what’s required for even the
largest part runs. Automotive stamping presses form various
grades of steel and aluminum alloys as well as more exotic
materials used in electronic and exhaust systems. But aero-
space takes exotic one level further with titanium, Inconel
and Hastelloy alloys as frequent part ingredients, making
aerospace component manufacturing one of the most challenging metalforming applications.
In its 51st year, Weldmac Manufacturing Co., El Cajon, CA, knows well what makes aerospace supply so unique and has taken the steps necessary for success in that sector.
“I started the company in 1968, welding and machining in a 2000-sq.-ft. space,” recalls Marshall Rugg, Weldmac president and CEO. “One small company with a lot of competition.”
Capability Increase Limits Competition
To distinguish itself from the tooling crowd, the company first added sheetmetal fabrication capabilities such as press-brake forming. Over the years, Weldmac has brought more sheetmetal-processing equipment inhouse, including presses, laser cutters and spin machines, while also building its assembly capabilities. Today, the 150-employee job shop occupies 100,000 sq. ft., with two satellite buildings providing 30,000 more.
“We’ve had a great deal of success in supplying turbine-engine components such as combustion liners and housings as well as detailed parts for aerospace
customers,” Rugg says, explaining the company’s product mix.
Aerospace Uptick Justifies New Press
Weldmac recently added a six-axis fiber laser as well as new welding and machining equipment. Its latest shop- floor resident: an 800-ton triple-action hydraulic press from Beckwood Press Co., St. Louis, MO. The new press increases Weldmac’s capacity and sup- ports its existing 150- and 450-ton triple-action presses.
“We’ve considered bringing in a press of this size for a few years, but business conditions did not support it,” Rugg says, noting that military and
24 MetalForming/October 2018
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