Page 26 - MetalForming March 2010

Tooling Technology In-Die
Hydraulics
to Manage Force Distribution
All-hydraulic force-management systems for use in the die give metalformers flexibility—the ability to run dies in any press, with or without a cushion—as well as high tonnage in a small space and, of course, controllable pad delay.
BY BRAD F. KUVIN, EDITOR
Adding a programmable hydraulic cushion to this die, which stamps a stainless-steel range top, eliminated the need to use a press equipped with a programmable cushion.
Technology enhancements designed to manage press force inside the die are enabling metalformers to gain much more capacity, productivity and quality from their presses than ever before. Consider the recent case of an automotive OEM faced with having to run a die that resulted in a 60-percent force increase as the ram returned after a first-station draw. Described to us by Hyson director of sales and marketing Jeanne Bogre, the first attempt at build- ing this particular die called for a set of 10-ton gas springs for the first-station draw and a 200-mm stroke length. Upon tryout, the massive force rise exceeded press tonnage capacity, threat-
ening the structural integrity of the press. While once upon a time the com- pany might have gone out and pur- chased a new press, in this case it redesigned the die and replaced the gas springs with a hydraulic pressure sys- tem. The system eliminated the pressure rise and reverse tonnage, so there was no need for a new press.
“The ability of all-hydraulic systems to manage in-die force distribution,” says Bogre, “has led to a surge in the use of these systems, from a relatively low installed base just a few years ago to where the systems now have become industry-acceptable.” Suppliers of hydraulic in-die force-management sys-
tems, including Hyson (Brecksville, OH), have developed products that gen- erate as much as 4500 PSI while man- aging the amount of heat generated during stamping.
Next-Gen Hydraulic Components
“All-hydraulic pressure systems now are more robust than previous gener- ations of products,” says Steve Reilly, Hyson’s manager of product engi- neering. “Cylinder and valve designs
24 METALFORMING / MARCH 2010
www.metalformingmagazine.com