The Advancement in the Hydraulic Press Technology

Traditionally, a mechanical and a hydraulic press each have offered specific benefits, with mechanicals providing higher stroke speed, simpler set up and maintenance, and high repeatability. Hydraulic presses deliver full energy throughout the press stroke along with freely programmable slide motion and energy control. Introducing servo motors into the hydraulic-press equation retains the stated advantages with plenty more added.

As servo-mechanical presses have shown, the addition of industrie 4.0 sensors drives and controls enable programmability for stroke movement and force. Precisely, dialled-in settings can customize a press for each particular job, tool and material, and allow for new ways to form new materials.

Developments in stamping-press technology have continued unabated. Newer materials, and newer methods to form these materials, boosted by the need for parts designed with safety and weight in mind, have driven the press-innovation trend. The technology’s relative newness deserves a close look into just what it can do for metal-formers.

Improved Drive Technology

Over the years, businesses found improved rive technology and developed its press ideas and thus an economic case to develop servo-hydraulic presses. The rise in automotive applications for high-strength aluminium also contributed to the development of these presses. Forming high-strength aluminium requires relatively high press speeds and high accuracy, but running hydraulic presses at higher speeds is challenging, and costly from an energy standpoint. Merging the benefits of servo-mechanical presses with the flexibility of hydraulic presses present a solution to that challenge.

Individual Cylinder

The biggest advancement and advantage in the servo-hydraulic press is individual control of each cylinder via servo drives and hydraulics. This allows parallelism between the press table and the slide even if more force is needed in one corner of the part or at different heights along the part. This delivers efficient, energy-saving operation and less wear on tools and the press itself.