Beckwood delivers 400-ton titanium hot-forming press to Midwest aerospace supplier

Beckwood Press Co., St. Louis, a manufacturer of custom hydraulic and servo-electric presses and automation systems, has delivered a 400-ton hydraulic hot-forming press to a supplier of titanium aerospace structural components in the Midwest.

The press features 48- by 96-in. platens capable of reaching temperatures up to 1,800 degrees F via multizone electric cartridge heaters. Automated, insulated doors on the front and rear of the press prevent heat loss during the cycle and facilitate safe part loading/unloading, while hinged access doors on each side allow for periodic progress monitoring.

Beckwood’s proprietary Active Leveling Control system ensures +/-0.004-in. bed-to-ram parallelism is maintained despite off-center loading or die warpage due to the high temperatures.