Enerpac Cube Jacks ease tight installation of presses

Faced with installing two 16-tonne presses, one on top of the other, with just 30mm headroom, French equipment installer Bovis Group used Enerpac cube jacks to successfully complete the work. By combining Enerpac SCJ-50 cube jacks with load-holding, wooden cribbing and jacking blocks, it was possible to lift and accurately position the presses were within the space available.

Bovis Group’s centres in Poitiers and Trinstal Equipements collaborated on this high-precision handling project for a manufacturer of electronics and advanced materials. The technical challenge was the space constraint. Using 3D modelling software, it was possible to develop a lifting scenario based on progressive jacking of the upper press to within 30mm of the factory ceiling. From this position, it lowered onto the second press to complete the press assembly.

For the vertical lift of the upper press, the Bovis team used four Enerpac SCJ-50 cube jacks connected to a split flow pump, providing synchronised movement of all four jacks. After the initial lift, Bovis supported the press using wooden cribbing and positioned the cube jacks on jacking blocks to repeat the lift. Once the upper press was at the correct height, Bovis used a 30 tonne hydraulic mover to move the lower press into position beneath the upper press.

“This was a very precise operation and demonstrated the lifting accuracy we can achieve with the Enerpac cube jacks,” says Jérôme Lebrequier, industrial project manager at Bovis Group.“Thanks to our meticulous planning, and the ease of using the cube jacks, we were able to complete the installation of both presses on the same day.”
For further information www.enerpac.com

Siderforgerossi Group renews its production capacities

For more than 50 years, the old counterblow hammer from Bêché –now a Schuler brand – has been faithfully performing its duties at the Siderforgerossi Group. But now the time has come for a renewal at the Busano Canavese production site near Turin: in the future, a Schuler DG50h counterblow hammer will take up residence to produce large steel and aluminium forgings for the oil and gas, automotive, mining, and aerospace industries.

“We’re very pleased that our customer has once again awarded the contract to Schuler,” says managing director Frank Klingemann. “Air-powered counterblow hammers are characterised by high availability, as can be seen from the long service life of the predecessor model.”

As the drive components are not in the vibration range, there is low downtime and maintenance,and thus a high degree of utilisation, reports Schuler. The pneumatic drive also allows a high number of consecutive strokes without any drop in stroke frequency – in the case of the DG50h, up to 36 per minute. Notably, the energy-efficient expansion of the drive medium during the impact stroke results in an almost unchanged working capacity of 500 kilojoules at different die heights up to a maximum of 900 mm. Commissioning of the system weighing 355 tonnes will take place later this year.

The scope of supply also includes an intuitive control system, which Schuler has developed specifically for work-bound forging units. Functions include various impact programs, monitoring of impact energy, part thickness and temperature, and documentation of die and production data. Access to the operating instructions is also possible, as is remote maintenance and connection to the customer’s network.
For further information www.schulergroup.com/en

Mazak to makedebut at EMAF in Portugal

Yamazaki Mazak is to make its first appearance at May’s EMAF trade show in a further sign of the company’s strengthening commitment to its Portuguese customers.Mazak’s EMAF debut, which will take place between 31 May and 3 June 2023 in Porto, will showcase two machines: the CV5-500 5-axis machining centre and the QTE 300 MSY SG turning centre.Mazak’s direct sales channel in Portugal, based in Porto, has been operating since May 2020 and has quickly grown to include 11 employees working in sales, service, training and application support roles. Mazak has more than 360 machines installed in Portugal.
For further information www.mazakeu.co.uk

Hoffmann Group and Iscar team up

From 1 October 2023, the Hoffmann Group will offer the complete tool range of Iscar throughout Europe and supply it from its central LogisticCitywarehouse in Nuremberg. Hoffmann SE, representing the Hoffmann Group, and Iscar Ltd signedthe underlying agreement last month. Borries Schüler, chief product management andengineering officer with Hoffmann SE, says: “With Iscar´s tools we can offer an even wider range along with targeted process solutions for all machining tasks. This co-operation will offer real benefits tocustomers.”
For further information www.hoffman-group.com

Heavy press dies handled quickly and easily

In Eltville am Rhein, Jean Müller develops and produces around 40,000 components for distributing, controlling, securing and measuring electrical energy in low-voltage networks. For handling particularly heavy punch-press tools for manufacturing a new product series, the family-run business was initially looking for a new transport cart. In the end, however, the company acquired a complete die-changing system from Roemheld, comprising racking and a lifting cart with integrated docking system and radio remote control. Similar technology is available in Britain and Ireland through Roemheld UK.

A the heart of the joint solution is the manoeuvrable, electrically-driven Roemheld RWA 4000 die-changing cart, which is capable of carrying a load of up to 4 tonne. It has a die-changing table with integrated hydraulic ball bars and a pull-push system that facilitates automatic insertion of the dies on a press bed.

During transport, the hydraulic balls in the cart table are lowered and, consequently, the die is prevented from slipping. A safety circuit ensures that the RWA 4000 only moves when the ball bars are retracted. Removable safety bars at the front and sides of the support surface additionally secure the die. Users can control the cart from a central panel on the drawbar, on which a multi-function display sits. Alternatively, employees can adjust the most important cart functions remotely via the radio control.

Jean Müller’s new system has been in continuous three-shift operation since the spring of 2022, the year that the company celebrated its 125th anniversary. The distances the dies have to travel to the presses is now shorter, resulting in a time saving of 15 minutes for each changeover, which happens up to three times per shift.
For further information www.roemheld.co.uk