For many low volume, high mix metal forming operations, sourcing a press that has both low tooling costs and advanced forming capabilities can be a challenge. Beckwood offers two technologies which have been mainstays in the world of low volume / high mix part production: Rubber Pad Presses (also known as Guerin Box Presses or Elastoforming Presses) and Triform Sheet Hydroforming Presses.
Hydraulic rubber pad forming presses use an enclosed rubber or urethane pad box which prevents the rubber from extruding outside of the work area during the forming process. The resulting intensification leads to higher, more uniform pressure on the part and, ultimately, to superior forming definition and overall part quality.
Unlike traditional hydraulic presses which use matched male/female die sets, rubber pad presses use single-tool technology. The tool is placed unsecured onto the bed bolster, and downward pressure is applied to form the blank material around the tool. Tools can be made quickly and much more economically from a variety of materials including: steel, aluminum, poured epoxies, 3D printed materials and even wood. This process simplification can reduce tooling costs by 50-90% and dramatically decrease changeover time when compared to conventional press tooling.
The versatility of the forming area and tooling allows for multiples of the same part or several different parts to be run in a single cycle as long as the tools and blanks fit into the working area of the press. With Beckwood’s custom rubber pad presses, you can form larger parts at a lower upfront cost than sheet hydroforming.
Beckwood’s pad press customers can choose from a line of standard, pre-engineered pad forming press designs or work with our Solutions Team to define a custom rubber pad press engineered around your precise requirements. Size, pressure, daylight, pad box depth, ram speed, pad durometer, and more can be designed to your specifications.
Advantages of rubber pad forming presses
- Cost efficient technology
- Minimal tool requirements
- Durable rubber pads
Alternative to Rubber Pad Forming and Elastoforming
The inexpensive tooling and ability to run multiple parts in a single cycle are amplified in our line of Triform Sheet Hydroforming presses. Similar to rubber pad forming, sheet hydroforming offers all of the benefits plus higher, more evenly distributed forming pressures. The result is net-shape part production, which can eliminate the need for manual hand work.
Learn how Milford Fabricating improved their production time by 20% with a Beckwood Rubber Pad Press