A metal stamping press, also known as a metal forming press or metalworking press, uses mated die sets to form, shape, mark, and cut metal. Stamping is a universal metalworking term that encompasses applications such as punching & blanking, embossing, perforating, coining & minting, and even general forming. Presses used to form metal often feature heated platens to increase the malleability the forming materials (blanks). Adding heat to a metal stamping press operation also decreases the amount of force required by the press to create the finished part. This results in cost savings during the design process as well as improved die life.
Hydraulic presses and linear servo presses are ideal for metal stamping applications because they apply full tonnage throughout the entire stroke, not just at bottom dead center (BDC). This forming flexibility is particularly important when stamping high-strength metal alloys. Additionally, technologies like pre-fill valves and short-stroking are a great option on hydraulic metal forming presses to increase speed during the cycle. Precision and programmability are vital to creating the most efficient stamping operation and protecting your tooling and machinery from unnecessary wear.
Challenges of Metal Stamping Presses
Three primary challenges of presses used for stamping are breakthrough shock, precision, and efficiency.
Breakthrough shock is a sudden release of force at the bottom of the stroke when the die breaks through the material. It is often characterized by a loud boom and/or vibration which causes undue stress on the press and tooling. Beckwood’s Active Leveling Control technology counteracts the effects of breakthrough shock and springback by maintaining constant parallelism of the press ram throughout the entire stroke. This extends tool life and protects the press frame.
Precision and efficiency are common challenges because metal stamping is primarily performed on mechanical presses, which only reach full tonnage at the bottom of the stroke (BDC). That’s why Beckwood offers metalforming presses with servo-electric actuation. Servo-electric presses eliminate the crankshaft and flywheel and use electricity on-demand to create force at any point in the stroke. This added precision results in less scrap, energy cost savings, and improved part quality.
Alternates to Mechanical Stamping Presses
While mechanical stamping presses offer the highest speeds of any pressing method, they have limited forming flexibility and are prone to double-hitting and sticking at bottom dead center (BDC). To combat these challenges, Beckwood developed a new line of Linear Servo Presses which achieve full tonnage anywhere throughout the stroke. This eliminates BDC and offers unmatched forming flexibility at production-level speeds. Learn more about Linear Servo stamping presses.
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