Pressing for action

ISMR highlights an alphabetical selection of the latest new global stamping, tooling and pressing innovations below…

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According to Polaris Market Research, the global metal stamping market was valued at US$ 242.08 billion in 2023 and is expected to grow at a CAGR of 4.1% from 2024-2032. The continuous growth of the consumer electronics industry is expected to be a significant driver, as is the surge in electric vehicle manufacturing.

Increasing demand for metal stamping in the U.S. has also prompted manufacturers to undertake facility expansions. According to the analyst, the blanking segment held the largest share of the global market in 2023 and the mechanical press segment accounted for the largest share, with the servo press segment growing rapidly. In terms of industry sectors, the automotive segment held the largest share. The Asia-Pacific region held the largest share of the global market in 2023.

Some of the most common types of metal stamping machines include mechanical, hydraulic and servo presses that are fitted with multiple dies to cut and shape metal sheets of stainless steel and metals such as aluminium, zinc and copper. Better control, greater speed and versatility, shorter cycle times and higher energy savings are just some of the hallmarks of the latest technologies. In this article, we highlight an alphabetical selection of the latest new global stamping and pressing innovations.

Latest innovations

In 2021, AIDA launched its new DSF-NE2, a monolithic two-point servo press that combines the high rigidity structure of the monobloc frame with the flexibility of the freely programmable servo movement of the proprietary AIDA DSF® technology; Direct Servo Former®. The DSF-NE2 series was awarded Product of the Year at the EuroBLECH Awards 2022 in Hannover, Germany.

The complete AIDA press line series including servo presses; high-speed automatic presses for motor core lamination and precision forming presses. Its AET (AIDA Electronic Transfer) solution enables the movement of blanks and parts in multi-station or interconnected presses. It was designed for retrofit installations and can be integrated to all brands of mechanical and servo presses.

Two AIDA presses were demonstrated at this year’s FABTECH Mexico event (7-9 May 2024): an AIDA NC1 single-point mechanical press (models range from 35-250 tons) and AIDA’s A Series single-point, direct-drive, gap frame servo press with Allen-Bradley control. AIDA debuted its NSX mechanical stamping press at FABTECH 2023 in Chicago, USA, last September.

Two product lines that are dedicated to the production of motor laminations are the AIDA HMX Series and AIDA MSP Series presses. The AIDA MSP press enables users to produce motors such as EV motors, HEV motors and energy-efficient home appliance motors. AIDA’s DSF-TE4 servo transfer presses (double-column split presses designed for transfer applications) offer high levels of customisation through multiple configurations.

Swedish press specialist, AP&T, has introduced a new version of its servo-hydraulic press with even lower energy consumption than before. The new version is primarily intended for progressive die stamping which requires a large number of strokes per minute and for other types of forming requiring precision such as embossing, punching and deep drawing.

AP&T's engineers have equipped the press with a closed, robust hydraulic system with a small oil volume and few components. Thanks to the modular system, each press can be optimised to use one or more cylinders depending upon the application.

“We are also introducing a new Android-based tool that simplifies remote problem solving and reduces the risk of misunderstandings and downtime,” added AP&T.

AP&T has also added factory-rebuilt presses to its customer offering. These are older machines that AP&T's facility in Tranemo, Sweden have rebuilt and upgraded to meet current performance and safety requirements. The press specialist has also created an automated blank unloading and stacking system for one of its U.S. customers.

To meet the automotive industry’s increasing needs for larger and more complex press-hardened components, AP&T and ArcelorMittal recently decided to deepen their collaboration. 

Italian manufacturer Balconi Presseccentriche S.p.A. produces transfer, blanking and servo presses as well as presses for progressive tools, impact extrusion presses and fin die presses. Its press model 4DMRF-LD-2000 has a 2,000kN cushion and three-axis electronic transfer. The press can produce up to 27 strokes per minute.

Boldrini (part of the FACCIN Group) is a manufacturer of hydraulic dished-end presses, flanging machines and manipulators.  The presses feature high speeds including approach, return and, particularly, pressure build-up timing that, it told ISMR, results in a substantial increase in head production.

Swiss stamping specialist, Bruderer AG, unveiled two new presses at the Blechexpo exhibition in Stuttgart, Germany, last November. It introduced the BSTA 710-220 and the BSTL 350-88 models (the latter for customers involved in volume production of small and miniature components).

“As a fixed-stroke press, the BSTL uses up to 30% less energy when compared to older machine models. It comes with a new-generation servo feed unit,” commented Bruderer.

The BSTA 710-220, said Bruderer, offers “the longest bed length (2.2 metres) of its machine type in the world.” With automatic stroke adjustment and various options such as different stroke lengths, shut heights and press force monitoring (for example), the press can be configured for individual customer requirements.

Bruderer UK ran its BSTL 350-88 live at MACH 2024 in Birmingham, UK, recently. It set-up a full production line showcasing the machine’s capability in the volume production of small and miniature components.

Taiwanese manufacturer Chin Fong’s stamping presses range from 20-ton single crank presses and up to 3200 metric tons of capacity to four-point eccentric gear-driven, large panel and multi-stage transfer presses. Forging presses are further diversified by cold, warm and hot forging processes. It has also developed an intelligent single-crank press with a crank mechanism used for blanking, drawing, bending and partial forming. Its straight-side double-crank power press, with 400-ton capacity, has a bed area of 2.5m x 1m and can produce metal stampings from material measuring up to 400mm wide and 3.5mm thick.

To read the rest of this article in the June 2024 issue of ISMR, see https://joom.ag/UVkd/p46