FEATURE ON PRESSES AND COIL HANDLING

New Bruderer installs reach record levels

A UK manufacturing boom has helped press manufacturer Bruderer UK secure its biggest pipeline of new machine orders for years. The company, which employs 12 people at its factory in Luton, recently installed its seventh new high-speed press in the past 12 months, a 50% increase on the same stage last year.

Managing Director Adrian Haller believes interest in Bruderer UK’s technology and technical know-how is soaring thanks to a concerted reshoring drive that is seeing supply chains shorten after the pandemic and domestic manufacturing becoming increasingly competitive with low-cost countries.This has seen customers from the automotive, electrification, aerospace, medical, food and construction sectors engage in a host of turnkey projects that will involve the installation of complete production lines.

Engineers from Bruderer are currently installing full turnkey high-speed press lines (from 25 to 50 tonnes) inclusive of tooling, servo feeders, decoilers, multi-way rewinders, vision systems and press and tool monitoring systems.

“There’s a real resurgence taking place and we need to talk about it more: orders are up, investment is up, and industry is desperately crying out for more workers,” explains Adrian Haller.“UK industry is bouncing back from the shackles of the pandemic. We tend to be a good barometer for the health of the sector and, while our refurbishment and repair work has always been strong, this is definitely our biggest year for a long time for new machine installs.”

The company’s range focuses on the BSTA series with a nominal force of 18 to 250 tonnes and a stroke rate range of between 1 to 3000 strokes per minute.In other news, Bruderer will have its largest-ever presence at MACH 2024 (Birmingham NEC, 15-19 April) as part of the new MMMA Sheet Metalworking Village.
For further information www.bruderer.co.uk

£2m press investment for SDE Technology

A Shropshire-based pressings and assemblies specialist has invested more than £2m in acquiring its largest-ever progression press.SDE Technology installed the 1000-tonne Chin Fong press and coil handling line at its Brixton Way factory in Shrewsbury, an installation that allows larger die usage and helpsbigger larger products for use in the automotive sector.

The press, which has a bed size of 4.5 x 1.8m, has capacity for over £2m of new revenue, with the management team already in discussions with larger OEMs and tier-one suppliersseeking security of supply and opportunities to de-risk the supply chain. Due to the investment, SDE Technology has created eight new jobs and safeguarded tens more.

“This is our largest-ever progression press and one of the largest in the UK automotive supply chain,” explains Richard Homden, managing director of SDE Technology.“It’s a fantastic time to invest in this new capability. Yes, there are current headwinds, but for the bold there’s also opportunities, with lots of reshoring, electrification and carbon reduction projects currently in discussion.The £2m investment will be a game-changer for our business and the West Midlands as a whole.”

SDE Technology is one of the largest manufacturers of pressings and assemblies in the UK, employing more than 130 people across its core production business and at Salop Haulage Ltd.

Chris Greenough, commercial director at SDE Technology, says: “The Chin Fong investment comes off the back of two earlier press installations, offering 100 and 200tonne capabilities.These were put in initially to deliver pressings for the white goods industry, but they could also support other tooling projects going forward.”
For further information www.sde.technology

Boost productivity with double-sheet sensors

The automotive supply chain consistently faces pressure to increase productivity and reduce costs. A risk to productivity on press lines is the potential for the accidental feeding of two or more sheets (rather than one) into a press.There is also a danger of this causing expensive damage to the press tools.

According to Plus Automation, a master distributor for smart sensor specialist Contrinex in the UK & Ireland, double-sheet detection systems designed to prevent this issue are costly, limiting their use to high-volume production cells. Their high price also typically prevents their use in assembly operations, where it would be ideal to verify the presence of two sheets.

Plus Automation says that Contrinex smart sensors offer a far more affordable way to detect the presence of individual sheets and double-sheet conditions, triggering an alarm and halting production to prevent press damage.On a production line that runs a large variation of sheet materials and thicknesses, the PocketCodr is key to simplifying the configuration of smart sensors. The PocketCodr app running on a tablet monitors and quickly configures sensors during the commissioning of a new product.

In a real customer application, the combination of Contrinex inductive smartsensors with the PocketCodr sensor configurator is offering flexible and reliable double-sheet detection solutions for a manufacturer of pressed metal parts. The compact yet robust metal-bodied M18 sensors sit either side of the in-feed conveyor. Not only do they sense the presence of each sheet, allowing the automatic initiation of press operation, they also detect an unwanted double-sheet condition, triggering an alarm before damage occurs.

PocketCodr puts the monitoring and configuration of the smart sensors into the hands of the engineer on a tablet or phone and removes the need for any coding.
For further information www.plusautomation.co.uk

Large order for rail wheel production line

India-based Ramkrishna Titagarh Rail Wheels has placed an order for a wheel roller, two forging presses, automation, dies, a rotary hearth furnace and heat treatment, from Schuler and Andritz Metals. Like Schuler, Andritz Metals is part of the international Andritz technology group. Schuler says the order is in the upper double-digit million euro range

Ramkrishna Titagarh Rail Wheels is a joint venture between one of the largest suppliers of forged parts in India and the nation’s biggest manufacturer of railroad wagons in the private sector. The world’s most populous country plans to invest over $700bn in its rail network over the next few years.

“Schuler has already proven its expertise in the manufacture of railroad wheels with numerous production lines installed on the Asian continent,” says Naresh Jalan, managing director of Ramkrishna Forgings. “It was important for us to select a supplier whose equipment stands for high quality.”

Christian Palm, director hydraulic presses at Schuler, adds: “Forged railroad wheels are best at handling the extreme stresses of heavy acceleration and deceleration. We’re pleased to help take rail transportation in India to the next level with this production line.”

The forming of rail wheels takes place in four steps before they enter machining. First, a 10,000 ton hydraulic forging press produces a disc-shaped pre-form from a heated billet in two stages, receiving its final diameter in a wheel roller. Then, the second 5,000-ton press calibrates the rolled-out wheel before axial offsetting and piercing of the hub.
For further information www.schulergroup.com

New Rhodes Interform contractraisesthe roof

Rhodes Interform, a UK metal-forming machinery specialist, has secured a multi-million-pound contract to manufacture and supply a new mechanical punch press for Zentia, which specialises in complete ceiling solutions at its facilities in Gateshead.

The Rhodes DS2-315 geared press is a double-sided 315 tonne mechanical press, designed with a two-point suspension that allows for a larger working bed area, even distribution of nominal tonnage, and the accommodation of any offset loading. Installation will take place 2024. The entire process, including the design, manufacture, and installation of the press, will be handled by engineers at Rhodes Interform in Wakefield, including the removal of the press currently at the premises in Gateshead.

Mark Ridgway OBE, CEO of Group Rhodes states: ‘’It’s a privilege to supply Zentia with another high-specification metal-forming solution. As a market leader of complete ceiling solutions, Zentia requires the production speed and accuracy that the Rhodes DS2 mechanical press can provide.”

Neil Hunter, engineering and improvement manager at Zentia,adds: “The existing Rhodes press has been in service for 30 years and punched in excess of 300 million square metres of ceiling tile in this time. We’re looking forward to receiving the new increased tonnage press.”

Rhodes Interform is a division of Group Rhodes. Soon to be celebrating its 200th anniversary, the company offers a wide range of hot and cold-forming technologies for specialist metal-forming applications across several sectors. In addition, the company’s composite machinery produces structural components for the aerospace and automotive sectors.
For further information www.grouprhodes.co.uk