Press safeguard prevents catastrophic crashes

Advanced Machine and Eng. Co. offers the Sitema Safety Catcher, which helps foolproof presses from catastrophic crash while allowing the operator to optimize the stroke for any part size. The unit meets the requirements of CEN and CSA safety standards.

A cylinder rod is mounted to the top of the platen extending through the press crown and the catcher’s housing. The housing is fixed to the machine crown/frame and surrounds the rod, which is free to move during normal operation. Wedge-shaped clamping jaws inside the housing are held with hydraulic or pneumatic pressure to keep the wedges in position so that the rod can move freely.

If hydraulic or pneumatic system pressure fails, or if a rope, chain, belt, or toothed drive breaks, the unit prevents the load from crashing down at any position of the descent. As downward force increases, so does the unit’s clamping force. When hydraulic or pneumatic pressure is restored in conjunction with the equivalent reverse movement of the rod, the clamping wedges are released.