Image Credit: Savage Engineering, Inc.

Industrial presses (metalworking) use a ram to shear, punch, form, or assemble metals or other materials by cutting, shaping, or using dies attached to slides.

Types of Presses (Metalworking)

Selecting industrial presses (metalworking) requires an understanding of equipment types. Some examples include:

• Die cutting machines are used in the manual conversion of web or sheet materials such as woven cloth, non-woven textiles or rubber sheeting. Clicker presses and rotary die cutter are designed for die cutting operations.
• Forming machines are used to form or bend metal sheets and plates. Shop presses are suitable for general-purpose applications. Wire forming presses are designed or suitable for wire forming or wire bending operations.
• Punch presses are machines that use a set of dies under pressure to put holes into materials to shape metal parts.
• Stamping presses operate stamping and other types of dies by powering the opening and closing of die sets, which are composed of punches and die blocks. Die sets assemble upper and lower die shoes, guide pins, bushings, and punch and die holders. Stamping presses fabricate components from sheet metal via blanking, piercing or punching, forming, bending and drawing.
• Turret presses are industrial presses that have an open frame and a turret with multiple punches. Turret punch presses, typically numerically controlled, are used mainly to perform shearing operations. Industrial presses such as the turret press can allow metal to be weaved together by creating tabs with a lanced dimple that, when mated, falls into another dimple of an opposing tab. Depending on the application, the tool can eliminate welding or other joining processes.

Specifications

Machines differ in terms of features and specifications. Operational method, technology, force and pressure specifications, and speed and stroke specifications are important parameters to consider when selecting industrial presses. Some industrial presses are driven by mechanical power, such as the mechanical punch press, which can be driven by flywheels, cranks, or clutches.  

Standards

NAS982 - HOT FORMING, SIZING, AND STRAIGHTENING PRESS SPECIFICATION

BS EN 14673 - SAFETY OF MACHINERY - SAFETY REQUIREMENTS FOR HYDRAULICALLY POWERED OPEN DIE HOT FORGING PRESSES FOR THE FORGING OF STEEL AND NON-FERROUS METALS

SAA AS 4024.3001 - SAFETY OF MACHINERY PART 3001: MATERIALS FORMING AND SHEARING - MECHANICAL POWER PRESSES

SAA AS 4024.3002 - SAFETY OF MACHINERY PART 3002: MATERIALS FORMING AND SHEARING - HYDRAULIC POWER PRESSES