Die changeover is one of the few times when a press isn't making money. Why do some die changeovers take hours? It might be the press, operator, die, material, lift truck, crane, or the tools.

It's a challenge to select the most efficient conveyor for a particular application. To make the best choice, it's imperative that all operating parameters be considered.

In the past metal forming in the appliance industry meant giant presses with expensive tooling. Lead-times were forever, and change didn't come easy. Whirlpool Corp. in Fort Smith, Ark., is taking a new approach to metal forming, and flexible technologies are the key.

Both 2-D and 3-D die design packages have advantages and disadvantages, which are discussed here, but true success lies in the designer's ability, not the software's.

With constant BHF, conventional steel sheets can be formed with few tryouts. However, with the increasing use of lightweight materials and high-strength steels with low formability, there is a need for precise, localized control of metal flow using MPC systems.

The remoteness of the energy-affecting elements contributes to the differences between the net shape and non-net shape processes. This additional difference helps drive the nature of the net-shape processing theory.