http://www.thefabricator.com/PressTechnology/PressTechnology_TechCell.cfm The Press Technology tech cell is packed with specific links to help you find product information, suppliers, technical articles, case studies, seminars and conferences, as well as books, software, and videos on metal fabricating-related topics. en-us http://www.thefabricator.com/RSS/images/thefabricator_rss.gif http://www.thefabricator.com Copyright 2007 FMA Communications, Inc. All rights reserved. official publication date Tue, 21 Aug 2007 11:16:36 AM CDT Vicki Bell Laurie Harshbarger http://www.thefabricator.com/PressTechnology/PressTechnology_Article.cfm?ID=1695 As offshore suppliers become fierce low-price competitors, many U.S. stampers are facing stark choices. To avoid further market share erosion, some are differentiating their offerings by creating a niche market or offering value-added services. For the Bradley Corp., an 85-year-old plumbing and metal fixtures manufacturer in Menomonee Falls, Wis., its differentiator is the ability to meet tight customer deadlines. According to Ron Walter, manufacturing engineer at Bradley, ... Wed, 08 Aug 2007 12:00:00 AM CDT http://www.thefabricator.com/PressTechnology/PressTechnology_Article.cfm?ID=1694 Figure 1 Editor's Note: This is Part II of a three-part series on blanking developments. Part I, which appeared in the July issue, focused on fineblanking and tool design. Part III, appearing in the September issue, will cover high-speed blanking and finite element analysis. This column was prepared by Serhat Kaya, the Center for Precision Forming (CPF, formerly ERC for Net Shape Manufacturing), The Ohio State University, Taylan Altan, professor and director. The au... Taylan Altan Wed, 08 Aug 2007 12:00:00 AM CDT http://www.thefabricator.com/PressTechnology/PressTechnology_Article.cfm?ID=1670 Metal stampers are using more high-strength steel, which is more difficult to form than mild steel and requires more tooling stations and press tonnage to produce parts. As a result, stampers are moving away from traditional production methods and investing in presses with higher tonnage capacity and larger beds. Production Requirements Changing In response to global competition, stampers are trying to reduce labor-intensive processes by automating single-press transfer syste... Dennis Boerger Tue, 10 Jul 2007 12:00:00 AM CDT http://www.thefabricator.com/PressTechnology/PressTechnology_Article.cfm?ID=1669 Figure 1 The main purpose of the ejector or counter- punch and V-ring is to generate compressive stresses and hold the material against horizontal movement.1 Editor's Note: This is Part I of a three-part series on blanking developments. Part II, which will appear in the August issue, will focus on part and process design guidelines. Part III, which will appear in the September issue, will cover high-speed blanking and finite element methods. This column wa... Taylan Altan Tue, 10 Jul 2007 12:00:00 AM CDT http://www.thefabricator.com/PressTechnology/PressTechnology_Article.cfm?ID=1647 In today's stamping plants, dry film lubricant (DFL) is gaining acceptance for its uniform application on the material surface and the possible elimination of washing operations after forming. Figure 1 Center for Precision Forming (CPF) of The Ohio State University conducted extensive deep-drawing tests to evaluate various dry film lubricants for several companies. Compared with other commonly used friction tests, such as draw bead and twist compression tests... Hyunok Kim, Ji Hyun Sung, and Taylan Altan Tue, 12 Jun 2007 12:00:00 AM CDT http://www.thefabricator.com/PressTechnology/PressTechnology_Article.cfm?ID=1645 This column was prepared by the staff of the Center for Precision Forming (CPF, formerly ERC for Net Shape Manufacturing), The Ohio State University, Taylan Altan, professor and director. Global competition continues to force the metal forming industry to reduce costs, improve technology, and increase productivity. With these trends in mind, in June 2006 The Ohio State University (OSU) and Virginia Commonwealth University (VCU) established the Center for Precision Forming to focus on the... Taylan Altan Tue, 12 Jun 2007 12:00:00 AM CDT http://www.thefabricator.com/PressTechnology/PressTechnology_Article.cfm?ID=1643 The influx of European and Asian automotive manufacturers into the North American market, along with increased outsourcing of stamped parts, is creating both opportunities and challenges for the tier and general stamping industry. To stay competitive, North American stampers must be prepared to run a variety of dies, many of which have been designed to run on customized and complex OEM equipment. In addition, stamping concepts tend to differ among the automotive OE... Jeferson Valério Tue, 12 Jun 2007 12:00:00 AM CDT http://www.thefabricator.com/PressTechnology/PressTechnology_Article.cfm?ID=1620 An apple a day may keep the doctor away, but how should press operators keep their hydraulic presses healthy? By knowing when the press is running well or needs attention, and by performing regular maintenance. Knowing Your Press To find out if your hydraulic press is performing as it should, you can check several factors. To start, a hydraulic press should not run above 150 degrees. Hydraulic presses in good working condition have no leaks and will get up to pressure quic... Thomas Lavoie and Carl Jean Tue, 08 May 2007 12:00:00 AM CDT http://www.thefabricator.com/PressTechnology/PressTechnology_Article.cfm?ID=1613 Editor's Note: This is Part III of a three-part series on servo presses. Part I, which appeared in the March 2007 issue, provided an introduction to servo presses. Part II, which appeared in the April 2007 issue, focused on servo press drive systems. This column was prepared by Serhat Kaya, Center for Precision Forming (CPF, formerly ERC for Net Shape Manufacturing), The Ohio State University, Taylan Altan, professor and director. Blanking Velocities, SPMs for Servo and Mechanica... Taylan Altan Tue, 08 May 2007 12:00:00 AM CDT http://www.thefabricator.com/PressTechnology/PressTechnology_Article.cfm?ID=1605 Editor's Note: This is Part II of a three-part series on servo presses. Part I, which appeared in the March issue, discussed the benefits servo presses offer. Part III, appearing in May 2007, will cover current and future applications. This column was prepared by Ajay Yadav, staff member of the Center for Precision Forming (CPF, formerly ERC for Net Shape Manufacturing), The Ohio State University, Taylan Altan, professor and director. Figure 1 In a screw-type servo press, motor... Taylan Altan Tue, 10 Apr 2007 12:00:00 AM CDT