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Articles tagged with "press"

Results: 77

Hydroforming of tubes, extrusions, and sheet

Recent advances at the University of Stuttgart and acfross the industry have opened doors for hydroforming all kinds of materials and shapes.

Publish date: May 15, 2001

Tech cell: Hydroforming


Designing a hydroforming press for research, production: Press accommodates sheet hydroforming

A new type of hydroforming press was recently developed for sheet applications. The new press incorporates data acquisition and control features for research purposes. Current press frame designs for tube and sheet forming are uneconomic for large forces. This press achieves a clamping force of 100 mN, which is absorbed by a single cast frame with a circumferential pretensioning system.

Publish date: September 12, 2002

Tech cell: Hydroforming


Hydroforming on a budget

You can use several strategies for starting a hydroforming operation on a limited budget. Review your alternatives for selecting a press, fluid intensification system, and developing the tooling necessary for your operation before you take the plunge.

Publish date: July 12, 2001

Tech cell: Hydroforming


Fill'er Up: Using hydroforming to manufacture one-piece gas tank filler tubes

Hydroforming is gaining ground in the manufacture of many automotive components,such as pillars, frame rails, and engine cradles. Automakers are finding hydroforming advantageous for forming many smaller parts also. The process is useful for manufacturing an automobile fuel filler tube, which is the expanded portion of a fuel filler assembly where a fuel nozzle is inserted.

Publish date: March 27, 2003

Tech cell: Hydroforming


Tier 1 supplier builds four-stage competitive strategy

F & P Manufacturing Inc., a tier-one automotive components supplier, focused on four areas when it developed a hydroforming line for manufacturing Honda Accord engine cradles. These areas were eliminating end scrap, decoupling the bending machines from the manufacturing line, reducing cycle time, and palletizing parts.

Publish date: July 24, 2003

Tech cell: Hydroforming


Hydroforming heats up: New techniques and equipment push industry forward

Hydroforming was one of the fastest-growing metal forming technologies during the 1990s. Most of U.S. industry cooled down during and after the recession of 2001, but things have been heating up lately, and the world of hydroforming is no exception. The North American Hydroforming Conference and Exhibition (Sept. 29 – Oct. 1 in Dayton, Ohio), which was sponsored by the Tube & Pipe Association, International® (TPA), and the Society of Manufacturing Engineers (SME), showcased new techniques, equipment, and applications that are moving the industry forward.

Publish date: January 13, 2004

Tech cell: Hydroforming


New tool helps fabricator accelerate part making for small runs: Turret presses with tool perform inline marking

Custom metal fabricator Total Metal Products, Dallas, had a need for part marking that would be both accurate and cost-effective for small quantities. The company supplies punched parts in single and small-lot quantities of 200, 300, and 400 on a just-in-time (JIT) basis. Its customers include manufacturers in the telecommunications, aerospace, mass transit, and oil refining industries.

Publish date: August 14, 2003

Tech cell: Punching


Stamp of Approval: Full-court press safety: How to maintain an effective safety program end to end

If you want a safe press operation, look beyond the machinery. Don't be surprised to find the keys to a good safety program well outside the confines of the pressroom.

Publish date: August 23, 2001

Tech cell: Safety


'It's gonna be painful' Metal industry players note little to reassure them in days ahead

Manufacturers were hurting before September. How do things look now? Well ... they could be better, industry players say.

Publish date: November 15, 2001

Tech cell: Industry Trends and Analysis


Older than Oscar: Century-old stamper seats thousands of movie-goers

Family-owned, fifth-generation manufacturer Irwin Seating Co., headquartered in Grand Rapids, Mich. has been thinking about the comfort and functionality of the public seating it has manufactured for more than 100 years. The company's 35 presses are used to stamp the components that support the seats, mount them to the floor, and attach them to the backs; as well as pivots, brackets, and other internal mechanisms. Irwin does all the stamping, welding painting, and upholstery work in its 470,000-sq.-ft. facility. Some of the seating company's recent projects include the stadium seating for the New Jersey Devils, Miami Heat, and the Indiana Colts.

Publish date: March 9, 2010

Tech cell: Shop Strategies


The basics of uncoiling: A review of standard equipment

A review of the basic components of a coil handling system which covers servo drive roll feeds, cradles and reels, straighteners and combination units.

Publish date: December 13, 2001

Tech cell: Coil Processing


High-Speed Feeding Techniques - Reviewing the Facotrs that Affect Process Speeds

Gripper or roll-type feeds operate on the principle of feeding force, which is a product of the coefficient of friction between the grippers or feed rolls and the material being fed. Reviewing each force as a factor of the feeding equipment or feeding conditions helps in evaluating the feeding process.

Publish date: February 19, 2002

Tech cell: Press Feeding


Examining press feeding options: Considerations that determine a feed's effectiveness

Press- and servo-driven roll feeds and gripper feeds are almost as common to the stamping industry as sheet metal and dies. Knowing how to use them effectively may not be so common.

Publish date: July 12, 2001

Tech cell: Press Feeding


Maximizing a coil fed press: Variables that influence production speed, setup

Coil-fed stamping presses are nothing new, but coil feeding processes have changed a lot since the days when press feeders were driven mechanically by crank motion. Influencing these processes are differences between transfer and progressive tooling.

Publish date: July 24, 2003

Tech cell: Press Feeding


Appliancemaker reduces downtime with stamping press feed system: Inconsistent feeds caused die jams, inconsistent parts

The Whirlpool Co. builds refrigerators at its facility in Fort Smith, Ark. The company stamps the appliance parts—large and small, galvanized, cold-rolled, and aluminum—on approximately 35 presses. The majority of its stamping presses are straight-side machines, although some are open-back inclinable (OBI), and a few are hydraulic.

Publish date: January 13, 2004

Tech cell: Press Feeding


Evolution of the beast: Mechanical presses adapt to meet current stamping challenges

This article outlines how mechanical presses are changing to meet a new marketplace. Stampers are adding extra stations to create a more complete part and stamping harder alloys. Servo-driven mechanical presses will make traditional flywheel presses obsolete because they use less energy and can be adjusted midstroke. Technological advances include real-time press monitoring, automatic die changes, and computerized troubleshooting.

Publish date: June 27, 2002

Tech cell: Press Technology


Contract stamper increases die life and draw die productivity: Link-drive presses, value-added services, and employee initiative keep the company competitive

Publish date: November 15, 2001

Tech cell: Press Technology


Exploring upgrades in stamping presses: The top 10 improvements in the past 50 years

The years have brought a host of improvements to stamping presses as technology has made presses more efficient, safer, and easier to use.

Publish date: April 24, 2001

Tech cell: Press Technology


Shock reduction methods for hydraulic presses: Tips for keeping your stamping operation running smoothly

Ever wonder how to determine and fix shock on hydraulic pressing operations? The author offers an explanation on how to step a press, reduce blank shock, and eliminate up-stroke shock.

Publish date: March 14, 2002

Tech cell: Press Technology


Meet the Press: Deciding when to consider hydraulic power for your stamping operation

The article briefly covers stamping terms and discusses press considerations for those purchasing a hydraulic blanking, stamping, or deep drawing press.

Publish date: November 15, 2001

Tech cell: Press Technology


Experimenting with flexible blank holder force control: Prototype shows promise for difficult-to-form materials

The quality of deep drawn sheet metal products is determined largely by the rate at which a sheet is drawn into a die. Varying blank holder force (BHF) as a function of time or the press stroke is of great importance.

Publish date: July 12, 2001

Tech cell: Press Technology


Robotic press tending: vailable equipment and its effects on press productivity

Robots offer an alternative to automatic transfer presses in applications in which parts must be reoriented (tilted, rotated, or flipped) as they are moved between operations. When selecting a robot for press tending, three of the many features to be considered are size, flexibility, and mountion options.

Publish date: February 19, 2001

Tech cell: Press Technology


Equipping Your Press With the Right Tonnage Monitor

This article explains why it's useful to monitor press tonnage, the types of tonnage monitors available, the choices for mounting load sensors, calibrating a monitor, and options available for tonnage monitors.

Publish date: November 15, 2002

Tech cell: Press Technology


Recovering from press overload: Protection systems help to sense overload and minimize machine, tool damage

This article discusses what hydraulic overload protection system is and gives a brief description of the three main types.

Publish date: September 4, 2001

Tech cell: Press Technology


Standardizing finger tooling: Modular systems provide alternative to dedicated transfer tooling

Modular, adjustable, articulated finger tooling for transfer presses may provide the flexibility you need to increase productivity and efficiency in your stamping operation.

Publish date: September 4, 2001

Tech cell: Press Technology


Increasing stamping press productivity in the appliance industry: Advances in press technology and materials leave their mark

An appliance plant with 80 to 100 presses in opeation is likely to buy new presses regularly. Under these circumstances, it makes good sense to pursue aggressive productivity goals inch by inch through steady advances in such prosaic concerns as machiner ergonomics, prventive maintenance, tooling efficiency, and material quality.

Publish date: February 19, 2001

Tech cell: Press Technology


Truckin' along through a stamping plant: Redesigned truck cab leads to new plant, processes

International Truck and Engine Corporation's Springfield, Ohio, plant recently undertook the challenge of building a high-performance truck with the dimensional tolerances that meet today's quality standards within a cost structure that would allow it to remain competitive. This new product launch was the first of its kind for the company in more than 20 years.

Publish date: April 24, 2003

Tech cell: Press Technology


Taking the heat, keeping the current: Heat sinks provide thermal conductivity, electrical isolation

Publish date: July 24, 2003

Tech cell: Press Technology


Virtual tryout: Simulation software simplifies progressive die troubleshooting

Publish date: August 14, 2003

Tech cell: Press Technology


What's driving your press?

Mechanical presses are challenged to provide high-speed production with a greater number of hits per minute, smaller batch runs, and quicker die changes.

Publish date: August 14, 2003

Tech cell: Press Technology


Using binder force control, force modulation, to improve part quality, stamping efficiency

Publish date: August 28, 2003

Tech cell: Press Technology


Hydraulic presses make their mark

Publish date: September 25, 2003

Tech cell: Press Technology


Stamping 101: Chicago-area training facility offers a hands-on education

To promote real-world stamping training, the Tooling & Manufacturing Association (TMA) wanted to create a resource whereby stampers could receive a consistent, recognized, hands-on education on the industry's most current equipment.

Publish date: September 25, 2003

Tech cell: Press Technology


High-tech presses: Servo technology meets mechanical presses

Publish date: November 20, 2003

Tech cell: Press Technology


Using Monitoring Systems to Improve Stamping 'Batting Average'

What do baseball players, weather forecasters, and typical stamping plants have in common? Most are less than 60 percent effective.

Publish date: May 4, 2004

Tech cell: Press Technology


Dangerous curves: Jaguar successfully mass-produces the industry’s first aluminum body structure

Publish date: June 8, 2004

Tech cell: Press Technology


Spraying it right: Containing and controlling lubricants

Publish date: June 8, 2004

Tech cell: Press Technology


Advanced lubricant technology for high-strength steel

Publish date: June 8, 2004

Tech cell: Press Technology


Building a better beast: Improving speed, throughput with mechanical press technology

Publish date: March 1, 2004

Tech cell: Press Technology


Sequence scheduling in automotive scheduling: Weekly routines demystify production schedules, inventory levels

Publish date: August 10, 2004

Tech cell: Press Technology


Hey! Your stamping press is trying to tell you something: How to read 13 signs of press malfunction

Publish date: May 10, 2005

Tech cell: Press Technology


Press selection—sorting it out: Array

Anchoring the March STAMPING Journal® --Press Issue--this multi-source press selection article offers readers advice on the criteria to consider when buying a press. The article examines application suitability, drives, and controls as well as the usual suspects--tonnage, frame construction, speed, and horsepower. This article is likely to be especially helpful to readers attending Metalform in April.

Publish date: March 11, 2008

Tech cell: Press Technology


Press selection—sorting it out: Array

By: Array
Anchoring the March STAMPING Journal® --Press Issue--this multi-source press selection article offers readers advice on the criteria to consider when buying a press. The article examines application suitability, drives, and controls as well as the usual suspects--tonnage, frame construction, speed, and horsepower. This article is likely to be especially helpful to readers attending Metalform in April.

Publish date: March 11, 2008

Tech cell: Press Technology


Press selection—sorting it out Part I: Part I: What Press Type is Best for My Speed, Volume Needs?

Anchoring the March STAMPING Journal® --Press Issue--this multi-source press selection article offers readers advice on the criteria to consider when buying a press. The article examines application suitability, drives, and controls as well as the usual suspects--tonnage, frame construction, speed, and horsepower. This article is likely to be especially helpful to readers attending Metalform in April.

Publish date: March 11, 2008

Tech cell: Press Technology


Press selection—sorting it out Part II: Part II: Beyond Part Characteristics, Material Characteristics, and Frame Design, What Else Do I Need to Know About Selecting Tonnage?

Anchoring the March STAMPING Journal® --Press Issue--this multi-source press selection article offers readers advice on the criteria to consider when buying a press. The article examines application suitability, drives, and controls as well as the usual suspects--tonnage, frame construction, speed, and horsepower. This article is likely to be especially helpful to readers attending Metalform in April.

Publish date: March 11, 2008

Tech cell: Press Technology


Press selection—sorting it out Part III: Part III: What Other Press Characteristics Should I Look for to Stamp High-strength Materials, Including Stainless? Boron Steel? Aluminum?

Anchoring the March STAMPING Journal® --Press Issue--this multi-source press selection article offers readers advice on the criteria to consider when buying a press. The article examines application suitability, drives, and controls as well as the usual suspects--tonnage, frame construction, speed, and horsepower. This article is likely to be especially helpful to readers attending Metalform in April.

Publish date: March 11, 2008

Tech cell: Press Technology


Press selection—sorting it out - Part IV: What Else Do I Need to Look for in a Press to Meet Demands for Increased Part Accuracy?

Anchoring the March STAMPING Journal® --Press Issue--this multi-source press selection article offers readers advice on the criteria to consider when buying a press. The article examines application suitability, drives, and controls as well as the usual suspects--tonnage, frame construction, speed, and horsepower. This article is likely to be especially helpful to readers attending Metalform in April.

Publish date: March 11, 2008

Tech cell: Press Technology


Press selection—sorting it out - Part VI: So, Which Press Type is Best for the Part?

Anchoring the March STAMPING Journal® --Press Issue--this multi-source press selection article offers readers advice on the criteria to consider when buying a press. The article examines application suitability, drives, and controls as well as the usual suspects--tonnage, frame construction, speed, and horsepower. This article is likely to be especially helpful to readers attending Metalform in April.

Publish date: March 11, 2008

Tech cell: Press Technology


Press selection—sorting it out Part VIII: Part VIII: Which Automation System Goes with Which Press?

Anchoring the March STAMPING Journal® --Press Issue--this multi-source press selection article offers readers advice on the criteria to consider when buying a press. The article examines application suitability, drives, and controls as well as the usual suspects--tonnage, frame construction, speed, and horsepower. This article is likely to be especially helpful to readers attending Metalform in April.

Publish date: March 11, 2008

Tech cell: Press Technology


Press selection—sorting it out Part IX: Part IX: Which Category of Press Is Right for My Application? Will a flywheel fly? Would a servo serve better? How can hydraulic help? Time for a transfer? New–pneumatic? Or should I order a combo?

Anchoring the March STAMPING Journal® --Press Issue--this multi-source press selection article offers readers advice on the criteria to consider when buying a press. The article examines application suitability, drives, and controls as well as the usual suspects--tonnage, frame construction, speed, and horsepower. This article is likely to be especially helpful to readers attending Metalform in April.

Publish date: March 11, 2008

Tech cell: Press Technology


Achieving straight-side capabilities in a gap-frame press: New developments in motion and frame technology

Recent changes in tooling technologies, material specifications, part quality requirements, and inventory levels have driven the demand for new developments in the way a mechanical press operates. This article discusses how link motion and bridge-frame structures help stampers. This includes a description of what link motion is and how it works, and how bridge frame presses affect frame deflection.

Publish date: October 25, 2001

Tech cell: Tool and Die


Giving your press a lift: Advances in quick die change

This article outlines how operational changes, planning, and combinations and adaptations of existing technologies are upgrading quick die change. Die standardization and new technologies, such as mechanical die lifters, box-style lifters rolling bolsters and programmable logic controllers, is making quick die change more efficient and cost effective.

Publish date: May 30, 2002

Tech cell: Tool and Die


Transfer die design considerations: Questions to answer for successful design

A list of basic requirements must be met to begin the design process for a transfer die. You'll probably want to know why transfer dies are used, methods for loading material, the sequence of operations in a transfer press, and the details of manufacturing process before you start.

Publish date: June 13, 2001

Tech cell: Tool and Die


The HOW, WHAT, and WHY of liquid impact forming: Hydroforming in a conventional stamping press

Liquid impact forming, a patented process developed by Greenville Tool & Die Co., Greenville, Mich., uses a conventional stamping press with a liquid medium to manufacture parts that otherwise would require hydroforming.

Publish date: January 24, 2002

Tech cell: Tool and Die


Protecting dies against press system faults

The need for die protection has existed ever since the first die was produced. The most elementary form of protection has always been an alert, dependable operator. However, an operator cannot always react to a problem before it damages a die.

Publish date: May 30, 2001

Tech cell: Tool and Die


Establishing a die setup recipe for progressive dies

Setting up a stamping die is one of the most critical steps in a successful stamping process. It's a fact: More damage is done to a die, especially a progressive die, in the first 10 hits than in the next 10,000 hits. Most die damage happens during initial setup, when the material is being fed into the die. Mistakes such as misfeeds, pilot piercing, double metal, sheared cutting sections, and stock hang-ups often occur.

Publish date: April 10, 2003

Tech cell: Tool and Die


Applying and handling die lubricants: How to control lubricants for better housekeeping

The two main reasons for applying die lubricant are to reduce friction and dissipate heat. Heat can build up between the tool surface and metal, causing the lubricant to break down. This results in metal-to-metal contact and galling.

Publish date: April 24, 2003

Tech cell: Tool and Die


Die width selection

Publish date: July 24, 2003

Tech cell: Tool and Die


Rolling bolsters bolster productivity

To thrive and experience growth and healthy profits, a stamping company must have systems in place that allow flexible manufacturing and minimize press downtime. Changing from one job to the next in the least amount of time possible is one of the primary factors impacting productivity and a company's ability to adjust to the changing needs of customers quickly and efficiently.

Publish date: January 13, 2004

Tech cell: Tool and Die


Selecting a stamping die pressure system, Part II

Publish date: February 12, 2004

Tech cell: Tool and Die


Acoustic emission monitoring for stamping presses: Optimizing production for better quality, longer tool life

Publish date: July 13, 2004

Tech cell: Tool and Die


Cutting tube in a recut operation: How to decide on a method and equipment

This piece, which originally appeared in TPJ-The Tube & Pipe Journal in 1997, explains how to decide whether to cut tubing on the production line or cut it later in a recut operation. Discusses various types of recutting equipment and focuses on the dual-blade shear cutting method.

Publish date: October 25, 2001

Tech cell: Tube and Pipe Fabrication


Optimizing your hydraulic cutoff press: Squeezing more out of your tube mill

Publish date: June 8, 2004

Tech cell: Tube and Pipe Production


Programming multiple robots: Operating two or more robots from a single point of control

In many applicatios -- such as large-component welding, press-tending lines, and multiprocess cells -- running multiple robots from a single point of control assists in preventing collisions, simplifying the programming structure, and reducing integration cost. This approach also meets the American National Standards Institute/Robotic Institute of America (ANSI/RIA) R15.06-1999 safety standard.

Publish date: October 23, 2003

Tech cell: Automation and Robotics


Gas-shielded cored wires find their niche: Suitable applications for flux-cored and metal-cored electrodes

Gas-shielded flux-cored and metal-cored wires are growing in popularity because the wires are fabricated and can be applied to many applications.

Publish date: June 15, 2001

Tech cell: Consumables


Selecting a new press brake

Prospective buyers of press brakes are advised to consider their purchase in terms of its end use, the amount of deflection likely to occur in a give machine, the inside radius of their parts, and several other factors before speding their money.

Publish date: March 23, 2001

Tech cell: Bending


The Brakes: Press Brakes and You -- Preventing common mistakes on press brakes

Most common mistakes made while operating press brakes can be avoided with a little diligence and awareness of where others have gone astray.

Publish date: August 16, 2001

Tech cell: Bending


The Brakes- Press Brakes and You -- How to get the most out of your press brake

Problems with your press brake imperil what could be the most valuable machine you have. Take pains to ensure the health of this valuable piece of equipment.

Publish date: June 18, 2001

Tech cell: Bending


Brake Line: Press Brakes and More: Planning to cut corners on safety?

Press brake safety is a common sense issue.

Publish date: February 19, 2001

Tech cell: Bending


Mobilizing equipment-saving time and talent

It's hard to believe that machines such as press brakes and hardware setting equipment can move around on wheels or be moved by forklift and still function correctly. But I can tell you, from experience, that it is true and can be done.

Publish date: November 29, 2001

Tech cell: Bending


The Brakes: Press Brakes and You -- Whose business is safety? Everybody's

What sort of safety measures needed in your shop depends somewhat on your equipment, but making your press brake a safe piece of equipment is largely a matter of old-fashioned common sense.

Publish date: October 11, 2001

Tech cell: Bending


In search of the perfect bend: Advancements in press brake angle measurement and bend springback systems

Press brake manufacturers have made tremendous advances in the art of machine design and manufacturing.

Publish date: August 16, 2001

Tech cell: Bending


Leaping the hurdles to press brake automation

Understanding the obstacles to automating press brakes requires an analysis of the bending process.

Publish date: June 12, 2001

Tech cell: Bending


Discovering the limits of press brake tooling

One of the most important aspects of press brake forming is tooling selection. What are the tools capable of? What kinds of loads can they withstand?

Publish date: May 30, 2001

Tech cell: Bending


Making your own punch and dies

How many times have you looked through huge piles of blueprints for a prototype part or short-run job and thought, "If only I had that tool, this job would be a piece of cake?"

Publish date: May 29, 2003

Tech cell: Bending


Press brakes: the quest for a happy ending: Manufacturers, users hope technology is the ticket

Screen some press brake owners and manufacturers these days, and it's like they're all reading from the same script:

Publish date: June 26, 2003

Tech cell: Bending


The art of laser cutting: Will recent advancements meet future challenges?

Laser cutting continues to grow in popularity with sheet metal fabricators. With developments in speed, cutting quality, and manufacturing economy in laser cutting, today's manufacturers have more options than ever before from which to choose the optimal manufacturing method for their specific applications.

Publish date: March 27, 2003

Tech cell: Laser Cutting