Servo Presses offer the best of both worlds – the slide velocity variability of hydraulic presses at the same or faster production speeds than mechanical presses.

The servo motors and controls that run servo presses account for the combined benefit of flexibility and speed.

But let’s step back and take a look at traditional mechanical presses to understand why servo presses are different. In mechanical presses, the flywheel mass and speed determine the amount of working energy available to form a part. This works well until a slower slide velocity is required to form the part effectively (since metal generally flows and forms better at slower speeds). To achieve the slower slide velocity, the flywheel needs to rotate more slowly, which diminishes the amount of working energy, preventing the press from properly forming the part.

No More Flywheel

On a servo press, however, the servo motor replaces the flywheel, clutch and brake and provides full working energy during the stroke at any speed, even supplying continuous force while dwelling.

Unlike traditional mechanical presses, which operate at a fixed speed through the entire stroke length, servo presses can vary the speed throughout the entire stroke, moving quickly through the non-working portion of the stroke (before and after the die) and moving at optimum forming speeds (usually slower) through the working portion of the stroke.

The greater speed control has allowed some of our customers to double their production output.

Fully Programmable

The servo motors and controls also easily manipulate the crankshaft position, allowing for a broad range of highly precise stroke profiles. Best of all, the stroke, slide motion, slide position and speed are all programmable, enabling different combinations that can work with a wide variety of dies and part types.

Preprogrammed profiles on Stamtec presses include:

• Standard crankshaft motion
• Simulation of link control
• Compound pressing and forging
• Deep drawing
• General forming
• Perforation/blanking
• Fineblanking
• Warm forging
• Pendulum/Swing
• Multi-pass

Applications

Servo presses are particularly well-suited for deeper drawing or more difficult forming applications. In fact, a servo press can often perform more drawing and forming in one station than a traditional mechanical press can do in multiple stations, allowing manufacturers to consolidate the number of presses needed for a project or to use presses with smaller beds.

Servo presses provide even greater flexibility in stroke lengths. Even if a press’s full stroke is eight inches, a servo press can provide a two-inch, four-inch or six-inch stroke length in pendulum mode.

In the end, a servo press is still a mechanical press, with its greatest tonnage capacity at the bottom of the stroke. But the advantages in speed, part quality and precision set servo presses apart from traditional mechanical presses.

If you’re looking for a press that makes better parts faster with fewer equipment or die problems, you’re looking for a servo press. Contact us today to learn how a servo press can make a difference in your operations.