Servo press is smart, fast and safe

Schuler will present its newly-developed servo press to the public for the first time at the EuroBLECH trade fair in Hanover on 23-26 October.

The 400 ton press, which is suitable for both progressive and transfer mode, can travel at an oscillating stroke of up to 70 strokes per minute thanks to the dynamic servo drives.
Schuler has designed the control of the machine in the style of an intuitive smartphone app: operators can select from predefined movement profiles or program them freely. This functionality significantly reduces the inhibition threshold for exploiting the machine’s potential. Thanks to the kinematics of the knuckle-joint drive, forming at the bottom dead centre is also slower in itself, which means that readjustment via the servo drive is not always necessary.
The ‘Smart Assist’ software guides the operator step-by-step through the set-up process, supported by small videos and text modules. In addition, the electronic assistant optimises the transfer and slide profiles to maximum output depending on the clearance profiles – a complex process that previously took a lot of time.
Schuler’s process monitor integrated in the control unit offers extensive monitoring options. Here, overload protection can be assured across the entire course of the press-force profile and the whole movement profile; a minimum and maximum force can be defined for effective protection of the die. Response times of the electronically designed overload protection device are in the range of a few milliseconds, which is faster than with a hydraulic overload protection device. The press can be used again immediately after an overload has been detected.
For further information www.schulergroup.com

Another member for MiM

Pressmark Pressings has joined the manufacturing and engineering membership group, Made in the Midlands (MIM).

The company, which provides high-volume components for automotive manufacturers, is looking to boost sales and share best practice by working closer with the collective group of 400+ firms, which includes the likes of Jaguar Land Rover, ZF, GKN, Dennis Eagle, Moog Aircraft Group and the Liberty Group.
The decision to take membership is part of an ambitious growth strategy that will see the businesses work towards £10m of annual sales, a 33% increase since the current management team completed
an MBI just over 12 months ago.
“Like many other fellow members, we have joined Made in the Midlands to win new business, collaborate, raise our profile and source Midlands-based suppliers,” explains John Nollett, chief executive of Pressmark Pressings. “We join an industry network of ‘movers and makers’ which is proactively bringing together the region’s engineering talent to challenge the status quo that UK manufacturing is on the retreat. It is quite the opposite, with the last 12 months seeing a further resurgence in domestic output and increasing interest in our ability to design, add value and innovate.
“The Midlands is the heartbeat of UK industry and we should do everything we can to attract trade and investment to the area, as we look to provide sustainable growth and new jobs,” he adds.
On its current site in Atherstone, the firm has 26 large bed presses, ranging from 150 to 1200 tonnes, allowing for the manufacture of different size products in both standard metals and exotic alloys.
For further information www.pressmark.co.uk

Major project for construction fastenings

Atkin Automation, a UK designer and manufacturer of press-feed and coil equipment, has won a six-figure contract with a major UK supplier of construction fastenings.

The company designed and manufactured an Atkin twin-strip press-feed line, which will effectively double the customer’s production capacity for one of its main products. Atkin says that the new line enables two strips of steel instead of one to be processed simultaneously, while also allowing multiple coils to be loaded on to one mandrel to further improve efficiency by reducing changeover times.
Geoff Barker, sales manager for Atkin, says: “This project is a great example of our complete service from design to commissioning of a twin-strip press-feed line. We have over 70 years’ of history within our business of producing machines like this and the new line will bring major benefits in terms of increased efficiency and productivity for the customer.”
The company, originally WT Atkin, specialises in coil-processing equipment and has a long history of serving both UK and international markets, ranging from automotive and white goods to building products.
Atkin Automation is part of Group Rhodes, a manufacturer of capital equipment for the clay-working, metal-forming and materials-handling industries. Within Group Rhodes there are a number of businesses which provide original equipment manufacture and aftermarket services for different sectors, including Rhodes Interform, Hallamshire Engineering Services and Craven Fawcett.
For further information www.grouprhodes.co.uk

25 years of Omax

Omax Corporation is celebrating 25 years of waterjet technology. A special event took place on 27 July at the company’s Kent, Washington facility to mark the occasion, featuring the latest advancements in waterjet machining, live cutting demonstrations and tours of the company’s manufacturing factory.

Visitors were shown the entire process of how a waterjet machine is created. They were also shown where Omax’s largest waterjet machines are assembled, in addition to how direct-drive pumps are built.
For further information www.omax.com

Mills heads to ITI

Mills CNC, the exclusive distributor of Doosan machine tools in the UK and Ireland, says it will be attending Seco’s Inspiration through Innovation (ITI) 2018, which this year is taking place on 9-10 October at Seco’s facility in Alcester.

As one of 17 demonstrations planned for the event, Mills will showcase its new Doosan NHP 5000 horizontal machining centre with automatic pallet-change system. The NHP 5000 boasts 60 m/min rapids and 1 G acceleration/deceleration in all axes. Over 40 technical partners will attend the free-of-charge event.
For further information www.secotools.com/iti