Rapid Fusion unveils ‘Medusa’ breakthrough

A breakthrough in large-format hybrid 3D printing has been successfully unveiled by Rapid Fusion. The Exeter-based company attracted more than 100 industry specialists, potential customers and funding partners for the launch and demo of Medusa at its R&D centre. Delegates saw the machine, which boasts a 1.2 m3 volume build and motion speeds of 1200 mm/sec, print a complex mould in under 5 hours. Bosses have already received significant interest from tier-one manufacturers and several primes for the £500,000 machine and are predicting a potential £5m revenue return in the first year.

More information www.rapidfusion.co.uk

Press provides 60% more production at Weldmac

Established in 1968, Weldmac Manufacturing is a job shop that offers laser cutting and welding for stainless steel, aluminium, titanium, Inconel, Hastelloy and other alloys, as well as machining, press-brake forming, hydroforming and spinning. The company’s latest machinery purchase, a custom 800 T triple-action hydraulic press from Beckwood, supplements its existing 150 and 450 T triple-action presses.

“At double the tonnage of our other triple-action presses and with a larger bed size, we’ve already increased capabilities by 50%,” says Weldmac president Marshall Rugg. “Ease of use due to programmability should push capabilities to a 60-70% increase. Operator capability enters into it, but the controls on this press only will make jobs easier for a good manual press operator.”

The triple-action press consists of a punch or forming tool on the main draw ram, a clamp ram in the middle, and a knockout cylinder and/or bed cushion on the bottom. The clamp ram, which offers individual tonnage control on each cylinder, is engaged throughout the forming process to control material flow and reduce wrinkling and tearing within the part. By giving operators the ability control material flow, they achieve greater success in forming parts.

Proportional control valves regulate the bed cushion, enabling dynamic control through four different travel zones. Through the HMI and recipe settings of the press, the operator can specify a desired bed cushion force at any position within each zone.

“We excel at building complex components and assemblies, and that work continues to increase,” says Rugg. “We’ve added customers that usually come to us with one problematic part or assembly, and that leads to more business. When we do a good job, a new customer gives us more things to do. New press capacity and capability helps us handle that.”

More information www.beckwoodpress.com

Most advanced press shop in MENA installed

Ceer, Saudi Arabia’s first electric vehicle (EV) brand and OEM, has partnered with Schuler to supply and install the first completely automatic press shop at its state-of-the-art Ceer Manufacturing Complex (CMC) in King Abdullah Economy City – said to be the most advanced manufacturing facility in the MENA region.

The CMC encompasses every stage of vehicle production, from press shop and body shop to paint shop and general assembly. It also integrates comprehensive logistics, waste management, warehousing, offices, a water treatment system and a dedicated vehicle test track.

Ceer’s latest milestone at the facility, just four months after raising of the first steel frame, is the start of the installation of the Schuler press shop, an important step in building the country’s EV sector. The partnership with Schuler is central to the manufacturing process, which is rapidly taking shape.

The press shop – including two press lines, a try-out press and a laser blanking line – is the nucleus of vehicle production where precisely cut metal blanks are transformed into chassis parts, and where body components like side frames, doors and bonnets are formed from sheet metal. Schuler’s presses and laser blanking lines offer an output of up to 64 parts per minute. Overall, the press and laser blanking lines offer high availability, flexibility and output, as well as decreased power consumption. Ceer’s press lines, powered by cloud-based applications, prioritise energy efficiency and sustainability.

This landmark partnership with Schuler marks a crucial first step in Ceer’s manufacturing process and will form the backbone of its EV production, paving the way for a new era of smart manufacturing in the region.

More information www.schulergroup.com

HMS Products joins the AIDA-America family

AIDA-America, a specialist in mechanical and servo press systems technology, has welcomed HMS Products, a manufacturer of press automation, to the AIDA family. AIDA and HMS have a long history of working together on turnkey solutions for customers. AIDA’s acquisition of HMS will act to strengthen further this partnership and benefit mutual customers with the resulting integrated stamping press system solutions tailored to the requirements of customers in North America.

President Kland Aida states: “Both companies are excited about the added value, as well as the additional expertise and collaboration opportunities that this new alliance brings to our customers.”

HMS will continue to operate from the company’s Troy, Michigan headquarters, with its 60-strong team remaining in place. Kevin VanDenBrouck has been appointed as COO of HMS and will lead the company into this new chapter. Under his leadership, HMS will continue to build on its 47-year history of in providing technologically advanced press automation equipment. This includes ‘through the window’ and ‘front and rear’ mounted transfer systems, blank de-stackers, custom front- and end-of-line solutions, and transfer tooling.

AIDA is a supplier of metal stamping presses and metal-forming equipment. Through engineering, manufacturing, sales, service and support, the company provides partnerships to numerous industries worldwide. AIDA servo and mechanical stamping presses are available in capacities from 35 to 4000 T and 1 to 800 strokes per minute.

Single-press, tandem-line, high-speed, lamination and cold-forging models for single-stroke, transfer and progressive-die applications provide a full range of production capabilities. Additionally, AIDA offers material handling and automation systems for turnkey solutions produced by a single manufacturer.

Sales, service, engineering and manufacturing locations in more than 40 cities across 20 countries support press installations exceeding 80,000 units in over 60 countries.

More information www.aida-global.com