What Is a Mechanical Press?

Posted on Jan 3, 2021

Mechanical press

A mechanical press is a type of press that also comes in different models. The main function of the mechanical press is to transform the rotational force that is generated by the motor into the translational force vector, which will in turn perform the pressing action.

What Is a Press?

What is a mechanical press? Before I answer that question, we have to first understand the family that the mechanical press belongs to, the press. A press can sometimes also be referred to as a machine press or the forming press. The press is a specific type of machine tool which is proven to be very vital in the industrial manufacturing process. The press is a machine tool that changes the shape of a workpiece by the application of pressure. The press is also capable of delivering the energy through the force which performs over a distance or stroke. 

One of the most common applications of the press is the forging of metals. People will utilize the force of the press to close the die. This will in turn create the final products from within. Besides the forging of the metals, the press is also the primary industrial machine tool that is utilized in the fabrication of the metal sheet and the metal extrusion. 


Applications of Presses

There are several other applications for which the press can be of good use. For example, the press is also applicable to the manufacturing of plastic parts. Besides, the press can sometimes also be used in the operation of the machining, such as the process of broaching. There are currently several different types of press available in the industries, each of which varies in size and the amount of force which they can output during the process of forging or machining. People will usually utilize the press to perform its function when there is a need for a tremendous amount of force. For example, people will use the power of the press during the deformation of a large amount of plastic. People can also use the press when the metal which is to be processed is of huge size. Besides the size and the amount of force that is output, the method which is adopted by the press can also vary, depending on the type of the press. 

:: Read more: An Introduction to Mechanical Press


What Is a Mechanical Press?

Now that we know about what a press is, we can now talk about the subject of today, the mechanical press. The mechanical press is the type of press that also comes in different models. The main function of the mechanical press is to transform the rotational force that is generated by the motor into the translational force vector,  which will in turn perform the pressing action. It is pretty obvious to see from here that the motor is the primary source of the energy for the mechanical press. In general, the mechanical press has the ability to perform in a faster way than the other two types of the press such as the hydraulic press and the screw press. However, there is one notable attribute of the mechanical press – the application of the force tends to differ in both the speed and the magnitude throughout the distance of the stroke. This is also the reason why it is important to secure the correct range of the stroke when people are choosing the mechanical press as the means to perform an operation of the manufacturing. 

Following the above, different types of presses can vary in size, force, and functions. The mechanical press is the type of press that is often utilized during the process of metal forging and sheet metalworking. The mechanical press is also suitable for the process of impact extrusion. That is due to the fact that the mechanical press is capable of applying the repeatable and fast application of force over a limited distance. Currently, the most powerful mechanical press in the industry has the ability to create a force of about 12000 tons. 


● Single-geared mechanical press

Another type of mechanical press is the single-geared mechanical press. Depending on the device in which the mechanical press is utilized, the different abilities can be performed. This is the type of press drive that is mostly used by contract stampers in the automotive industry. The single-geared mechanical press can also be used for the process of progressive stamping which comes with the dies with the shallow draw or the piercing and blanking forms. The single-gear mechanical press is also the type of press drive that has the ability to perform its function under continuous speeds at down to 28 SPM. 


● Double-geared mechanical press

There is also another type of mechanical press called the double-geared mechanical press. This is the type of press that is commonly used when a specific condition is required. The double-gear mechanical press is used when the system requires a continuous production speed of lower than 28 SPM. The double-gear mechanical press is also the type of press that is very suitable for the applications which are made for heavy-duty applications. It is especially suitable for the process of stamping high-strength steel. The double-geared mechanical press is also the type of machine press that is good for the transfer of the die work. The process of the transfer is commonly performed at the speed of 15 to 30 SPM. 

:: Read more: What Makes Mechanical Press Machines So Impressive?


Other Types of Presses

Now that we have learned what a press is and what a mechanical press is, we can now discuss the other types of press. There are several different types of press available in the industries. For example, there is a type of press called the hydraulic press. The hydraulic press is the type of press that has the ability to generate powerful force through hydraulic pressure. The hydraulic press has the ability to perform its function at a constant speed over a long distance. It is very common to apply the hydraulic press to industrial processing such as metal forging. 


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