High Speed Press - A Productivity Boost if done right

Posted on Dec 23, 2019

High Speed Press Double Your Productivity

Introduction

high speed press is ideal for very economical production of intricate parts while preserving high accuracy. High speed presses can perform high speed stamping, blanking, or punching operations depending on the model. They can also employ either hydraulic or mechanical pressing technology, however, in terms of absolute speed, the mechanical press has a clear advantage. The commonly used unit for mechanical high speed presses is strokes per minute (SPM), while hydraulic press speeds are described in inches per minute (IPM). Let us take a look at what affects the speed range of a press machine.

Do you need a high speed press?

As with other machines in the manufacturing industry, the speed at which a press operates is a decisive factor for the production cycle times and thus for the overall efficiency of your operation. These cycle times span from hundreds or even thousands of cycles per minute to just a cycle per hour or more depending on the product. The cycle of a press consists of the approach, the pressing itself, and the retraction or return.

So this already indicates that the actual desired ram speed of a press heavily depends on the workpiece you are working with. If you are in the composite material compression molding business you probably perform more complex production cycles that involve heat ramping and curing resulting in longer cycle times without the necessity of a high speed press. If your company manufacturers flat components for the automotive industry then you strive for superfast cycle times as the production process is relatively simple.

What is your cycle profile?

Simply ask yourself what kind of applications you are looking at before purchasing a high speed press. What kind of products will you manufacture and what kind of production cycle will you perform. When it comes to the cycle you should consider things like the distance of the ram travel as it will affect the approach speed requirements. Next up is the working stroke distance that determines the pressing speed needed and finally we have the retraction speed that is closely connected to the ram travel distance to its original position. Additionally, for certain applications you will have a longer dwell time at the end of the stroke under pressure

stamping press
Fig.1 Industrial Stamping Press
 

Design of High-speed Presses

High-speed machines usually have clear characteristics in terms of activation and durability, because the punches will cause damage to the peripheral side of the die. Unlike the die platen, the mold platen has less accurate guiding. Even if it is a servo high-speed press machine designed for both mold and die spotting, once it is applied to heavy equipment, its modification, and related settings will be limited by the conditions of mold spotting. Experienced machine operators will know how to tilt castings and make appropriate machine settings.

 

This increased cycle speed enables quick turnaround and is especially suitable for large patch production projects. High-speed parts can be stamped very efficiently while running multiple-up tooling progressions at top speeds to yield cost-effective parts for your customers

Speed Ranges for Presses

As mentioned above, what exactly constitutes a high speed press depends on the application and the press type. 500 to 100 SPM would probably consider high speed in the manufacture of electronic, fastener, or lamination components. On the other hand, large parts for the automotive industry have to be created at slower speeds around 50-80 SPM. Hence, here a speed of 100 SPM would be considered high speed already.

If we want to speed up the production cycle time of the press, the size of the die is another important variable, and different products need to use different sizes of dies, and the tonnage of die spotting press. Compared with the try-out press and mechanical press, the mechanical force of the servo press will be very stable and can work for a long time, so most high-speed presses use servo motors.
 

high speed
Fig.1 How fast is too fast?
 
Higher speeds mean a more efficient production cycle but also create some challenges for you as a manufacturer. The increased stress can lead to stock feeding or scrap removal issues, increased risk of stamping tool defects or deformation that might lead to increased downtime if not carried out correctly. At the end of the day, you will have to find the right balance between high speed and reliability.

 

High-speed Stamping Press Setup Tips

In the field of metal forming, pressing by a speed stamping press requires high precision that only can be a achieved through an ideal press setup. Therefore, die setup plays a very important role in the metal forming production line.

A die spotting press on the other hand is not used for production, so powerful mechanical force is not its most important function. Many die spotting presses are equipped with a reverse casting design that allows detailed inspection of the dies during the process. The die material may be metal, plastic, or other synthetic materials, and different material characteristics require different types of inspection and testing methods. 

Further calibration

For subsequent accurate calibration, the try-out die spotting press provides a very mature die spotting accuracy detection capability, such as a wax trail system, for the operator to check the closing accuracy. Today, some manufacturers may add CMM equipment to the die spotting press, while some may still rely on experienced operators to manually calibrate. We hope this article was useful for you to learn more about the high speed precison press and some important considerations before purchasing one for your factory.

 

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