Mechanical presses have a number of moving parts, and one of the most important is the drive that controls the movement of the die and directly affects the type of part produced.

Meeting Diversified Needs

We offer a full range of drive arrangements to meet a wide array of diversified stamping needs. Selecting the right drive depends on several application requirements, including:

• The type of work (blanking, drawing, forming)
• The type and size of dies
• Parts material specifications
• Production volumes

Our drive train offerings include:

Singe-geared, opposed, counter-rotating crankshafts for smaller tonnage presses with slide areas that are relatively longer left-to-right vs front-to-back. Capacities usually do not exceed 500 tons.

Single-geared or double geared, single-end drives for blanking, forming and medium-depth drawing on presses with slides that have relatively small left-to-right dimensions. Capacities are usually less than 300 tons.

Single-geared or double-geared center drives for heavy blanking, forming and medium-depth drawing at higher speeds with slides that have larger left-to-right dimensions. Capacities are generally between 200 tons and 600 tons.

Single-geared or double-geared twin end drives for heavier duty stamping on presses with larger left-to-right dimensions, longer strokes and high tonnage requirements. This type of drive system runs at the slower speeds often required for complex forming and drawing operations. Capacities can be up to 3,000 tons.

Link Motion Drives

Beyond these options, we also offer several link motion drives to enhance and expand our mechanical presses’ capabilities. Developed to stamp parts that require deeper or more complex forming, link motion drives also can increase productivity 20% to 40%.

The slide velocity on a link motion drive decreases by up to 40% during the working portion of the stroke. Material flow in the non-working portion of the stroke increases by an offsetting amount to maintain high production rates. As a result, better quality parts are produced at higher production speeds.

The slower speed of the working stroke also increases machine and die life by reducing:

• Die impact
• Punch penetration
• Snap-through
• Noise
• Vibration

The slower working velocities also save on lubrication.

There are four main types of link motion drives for our mechanical presses:

Draw Link motion drives are usually used for deep drawing options. The metal is stretched and formed without tearing due to the reduced slide velocity through the working portion of the press stroke. The reduction improves part quality and decreases side wall thinning by providing a more constant slide velocity during the drawing operation.

Although ideal for deep drawing operations, draw link motion limits performance in other operations, like blanking, coining, forming and progress die, because of the small amount of time the slide spends near the bottom of the stroke.

Progressive die drives are specifically designed to improve the performance of progressive die operations. They reduce the slide velocity of the press stroke by 20% to 40%. Applied pressure increases metal plasticity and forming capabilities – the longer the pressure is applied, the more these features are enhanced.

Metal plasticity provides benefits like:

• Less spring back during forming operations
• No required re-striking to achieve desired shapes during coining operations
• Less material cracking during piercing and extruding operations
• Higher SPM during in-die tapping operations
• Very high SPM during shallow draws

The lost time created by the slide velocity reduction during the lower portion of the press stroke is regained by increased velocity through the upper portion of the stroke. Progressive die motion drives, also known as drags or sliders, do not sacrifice strokes per minute and also can increase operating speeds by at least 25%.

Vertical link drives are common in coil-fed forming operations where pressure is applied by the press. The length of time the punch is engaged with the material can more than double with this type of drive.

Vertical link drives, like progressive die drives, improve press performance by operating at a significantly lower slide velocity. The slower slide velocity increases material flow and enhances the production of net-shape parts, eliminating the need for secondary machining operations.

Knuckle-joint drives provide a modified slide motion specifically developed for near net-shape forming where a very high degree of metal flow is needed. This drive not only slows down the slide during the working portion of the stroke but also produces a significant dwell at the bottom of the stroke.

Knuckle-joint benefits include:

• High rigidity – low deflection
• Long BDC dwelling time
• Prolonged tooling life
• Improved quality, precision and stability of produced parts
• Reduced noise and vibration

Designed for thicker materials and net-shape blanking and coining, knuckle-joint drives also provide capabilities for wider stamping applications.

Stamtec has the right drive option to help you get the most out of your mechanical press performance. Contact us today for the press that meets your requirements.