Product category:
Special purpose presses and equipment
News Release from: Muller Weingarten | Subject: Servo power presses - deep drawing and forming
Edited by the Manufacturingtalk Editorial
Team on 01 November 2006
Servo power presses grow in size
Servo presses combine the advantages of mechanical presses such as high productivity and comparably low energy consumption with the high flexibility of hydraulic presses.
In summer 2007, the most powerful servo press to date will enter service The machine developed by Muller Weingarten (MW) will be used in the UmformCenter at Erfurt
This article was originally published on Manufacturingtalk on 29 Dec 2004 at 8.00am (UK)
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What are the advantages of servo technology? Generally speaking, servo presses combine the advantages of mechanical presses such as high productivity and comparably low energy consumption with the high flexibility of hydraulic presses throughout the entire stroke rate range.
In a hydraulic press, for example, the travel/time, force/time and speed/time profiles can be controlled specifically using direct drives.
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From the general to the detail: Over the course of extensive simulations and calculations, MW developers identified significant performance increases compared to conventional press drives on the basis of a defined range of parts.
For example, a reinforcing plate for stabilizing the body structure is formed in six stages with a press force of 8000kN.
The depth of draw is 150mm, the speed 126mm/s.
Whereas a conventional press can achieve 8 strokes/min, the servo-driven press accomplishes 12.
This represents a 50% boost in performance.
How is this possible? In contrast to the immutable forming curves described by a mechanical drive, it is possible to vary the curves of servo press.
Although the sequence is the same during the forming phase, it is possible to accelerate the phases before and after die closure within the physical limits.
This means a forming cycle takes 5.0s instead of 7.5s.
"However, speed isn't the only advantage of servo technology," explained MW's R and D director Georg P Holzinger, "The increased output reduces unit costs, of course, which is a decisive factor for customers." Additional technical characteristics are also proving convincing.
The servo-controlled drive permits a more individual, less harsh forming process - expressed in significantly longer die service lives, amongst other factors.
The markedly reduced noise level underlines how the material is being handled less harshly.
Georg Holzinger sees potential applications above all for tryout work and in manufacturing demanding and complex pressings.
"Servo presses offer significant advantages, above all when flexibility is called for," continued Holzinger.
And this is precisely why the first customer is a Group company.
UmformCenter Erfurt, a subsidiary of Muller Weingarten Werkzeuge (Tooling - Ed), will shortly be starting to break in dies for customers as well as producing special very small batch jobs.
The sizes and performance data are impressive: the bed measures 5 by 2.2m and the maximum ram stroke is 750mm.
The two installed servomotors are each rated at 500kW and they accelerate the press to 25 strokes/min, delivering 11,000kN press force.
"Of course, this machine has been specifically tailored to the requirements of the UmformCenter," explained Helmut Hembach, director of the Automatic Blanking and Forming Machines Business Unit, through which the servo presses are going to be sold in future.
"Initially, the press force range will be from 4000 to 11,000kN.
Even now, we are flexible in terms of all other details and are basing the machines on normal bed and press sizes." For Holzinger, the fact that servo drive is also suitable for retrofitting represents a convincing example of the Press Tuning concept from Muller Weingarten.
"Greater flexibility, higher performance and greater customer benefit.
That's what we mean by Press Tuning," concluded Holzinger.
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