Your Complete Guide to Maximizing Press Performance & Longevity
Air Systems are a crucial part to mechanical presses and to a lesser degree to servo hydraulic presses. Safety for press operators depends on proper maintenance and operating systems. If any part of the air system is leaking or not functioning properly, it should be reported to maintenance supervisor immediately.
All presses should be equipped with a minimum of electronically monitored air pressure switch that will prevent press operation if air pressure is too low.
Failure to make sure air systems are operating and set to correct pressures can result in major damage to other parts of the press drive system (see #4 connection points).
Air Counter-Balance Systems are a crucial part to mechanical presses. If any part of the air system is leaking or not functioning properly, it should be reported to maintenance supervisor immediately.
All presses should be equipped with an ACB pressure gage, adjustment regulator and a graph chart that indicates air pressure required to upper die weight. Each time a new die is loaded the ACB pressure should be reset. Good practice is to mark upper die to show correct measured weight.
Failure to make sure ACB system is set to correct pressures will result in major damage to other parts of the press drive system (see #4 connection points).
Air Clutch & Brake Systems are a crucial part to mechanical presses. If any part of the air system to the CB System is leaking or not functioning properly, it should be reported to maintenance supervisor immediately.
All presses should be equipped with an CB pressure gage and regulator. This is to be set to the proper operating pressure and shown in your press or clutch & brake manual. Once set to proper pressure, this does not need and should not be adjusted as improper settings will cause damage to the CB lining plates. This is true for both dry and wet clutch presses.
Think of the leg bone connected to the knee joint connected to the shin bone connected to the ankle bone.
Now apply this to a mechanical press, the 1. clutch & brake are connected to the drive shaft & flywheel, pinion gear is 2. connected to the main gear's connected to the 3. pitman's or crankshafts connected to the 4. connecting rod connected to the 5. ball screw connected to the 6. suspension point ball seat which is connected to the 7. Slide which is guided by the 8. slide guidance gib system.
Press control systems should be designed for the highest safety for operators of presses. No one should operate a press unless they have been fully training and read the press manual and this Maintenance Tip document.
Point of operation guards are the sole responsibility of the end user. All point of operation guards should be check at a minimum weekly. Every effort to prevent access to the pinch point area should be made.
The up and down travel of the slide needs to be parallel, precise, accurate and repeatable to extend die life between die maintenance. Most straight side presses have 8-point guidance while smaller gap frame presses or OBI presses may have 6 point of 4 point respectively, but the principal is the same.
Most presses today come equipped with a HOLP (hydraulic overload protection) system that serves two purposes, to free stuck dies near BDC / Bottom Dead Center and to protect the press drive system. Most HOLP system are set to release pressure and stop the press when 110% of press capacity is reached.
This section applies to traditional hydraulic presses and our Servo Hydraulic Presses. It is critical that the oil in your press fluid management system is clean to prevent damage to valves, cylinders and all components that the oil encounters. Temperature control is also important to prevent breakdown of oil viscosity and lubricating properties.
Personnel safety is paramount for any presses no mater what type of controls it is equipped with. I-PRESS & Automation controls are the most advanced 4.0 control on the market. We have a family of controls for Servo Hydraulic, Mechanical Stamping and Forge Presses.
No matter what type of press and lubrication systems are a crucial part of keeping your press running smoothly and preventing major damage. Heat build up and the drive system and slide guidance can cause expensive downtime and repairs.
Our PMP programs prove to increase press up-time and reduce maintenance. We document all press systems with photos and detailed description of status. A grade of Green-Yellow-Red indicator makes it easy for the end user and management team know where key issues are that need to be addressed.
Obviously capital equipment is expensive and the return on investment is very important. The systems and fundamentals mention in the 11 step Maintenance Tip for presses need to be ingrained into operators, set up and maintenance teams.
At Sutherland Presses and 3 generations in the business, we have seen about every type of problem that can be imagined. As the footer of this document states, "A good description of the problem is half the solution".
A great way to think of your press is by system, cause and effect and related components in the chain. This allows companies to diagnose, identify and solved press equipment problems.
If you would like a quote for PMP on your presses, e-mail: service@sutherlandpresses.com
Free downloadable maintenance log templates to track your press maintenance activities.
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Contact Support*Safety Notice: Safety for operators and staff are the most important parts of press use. The eleven (11) systems mentioned above are all inter-woven into what makes up the press. Failure of any one of the above can cause unsafe working conditions or damage to other parts of the press. It is the employer's responsibility to makes sure presses are in top running and safe condition.
While the following suggestions are based on Sutherland and general presses, your press may be configured differently but the overall suggestions apply to most presses.
