High Speed Presses

By Author: autor
Total Articles: 4328
Comment this article

A High Speed presses are simply metal stamping presses that cycle at higher speeds than standard presses. Metal stamping is achieved by an upper die mounted on a slide called the ram of the press being moved up and down so that it impacts metal to cut and form it into a part. In a high speed press this up and down motion is extremely fast hundreds or even thousands of cycles per minute. High Speed presses are used in a variety of industries for high production work. A perfect example is electronic connectors or razor blades. These tiny precision parts are made with high speed presses.

At its most basic level, a high speed stamping press is composed of three critical parts. The first is the press frame. The frame itself simply holds the press together and provides a framework upon which the other portions of the press are constructed. The second critical piece is the bolster plate. This is a thick piece of metal used to secure the bottom half of the press die. This piece does not move. In some instances, a cushion will be integrated into the bolster plate in order sufficiently handle the heavy forces of the press. This ...
... is particularly true when the High Speed press is to be used for deep drawing, a process that requires significant force. Finally, the ram, which is a moving slide to which the upper half of the press die is attached. It is this part that moves up and down or strokes. This motion is what allows the die to cut or deform the metal being fed through the press.

Typically, High Speed stamping presses are mechanically driven although there are some newer types of hydraulic presses that qualify as high speed. Hydraulic presses employ hydraulic cylinders to power the press while mechanical presses employ an eccentric drive and flywheel. Both of these types of High Speed presses have their purposes. Mechanical presses tend to increase in pressure and speed toward the bottom of their stroke. Because of this, they are used for thinner parts (like soda can tops) where high tonnage is not required throughout the entire stroke. Hydraulic presses are well known for their ability to provide constant and even pressure throughout their entire stroke, which is useful where the part is thicker and needs to be deeply drawn (like soda can bodies).

Finally, High Speed presses can be further subdivided into single and double acting presses. In some instance, though it is rare, triple acting presses are available. The difference between these two different models is simple. A single acting press has one ram while a double acting press has two. The double acting press is most useful for preventing wrinkles as one ram can work to tightly clamp the metal sheet down while the other can perform the cutting or deforming function of the die. This is how stainless steel sinks are made.

There are several additional features that can be found on many High Speed presses. These work to prevent accidents, save materials and automate the process. In many cases these features are linked to a computer to ensure accuracy.

Automatic Coil Feeder and Straightener: This device automatically feeds the metal through the press and die. The automatic feeder is typically found in conjunction with a straightener, which is used to uncoil and smooth out a roll of raw metal material. The feeding speed is linked to the speed of the press so the same amount of fresh material is in the die area no matter how fast or slow the press is cycling.

Fixed Barrier Guard: This feature prevents accidents as it encases the area where stamping occurs.

Tonnage monitor: This additional feature is an easy way to monitor the force that is applied with each stroke of the High Speed press and stop the press if the tonnage goes above a preset limit.