EXHIBITIONS 2024: MECOLPRESS AT EUROFORGE conFAIR (MILAN)
EUROFORGE | conFAIR
This exhibition will be held at Allianz MiCo • Milan Convention Center, Italy from 22 to 23 October 2024.
The EUROFORGE conFAIR is the only European fair and conference specifically designed for the forging industry. At EUROFORGE conFAIR we bring together the best suppliers, the most innovative scientists and the leaders of the forging industry in order to discuss the threats and opportunities of the current industrial megatrends and their effects on the forging world.
For this reason, from 22 to 23 October 2024 Mecolpress will be in Milan at EUROFORGE | conFAIR at Hall 3 Stand 130.
Experiences about ferrous and not ferrous hot metal forging presentation
You are invited to participate in the Experiences about ferrous and not ferrous hot metal forging presentation which will be held on Wednesday 23 Oct 2.00-2.30pm at the 2023 Confair Euroforge in Milan .
It will be a useful opportunity to learn about the latest proposals regarding:
- the reduction of the consumption of raw materials.
- the reduction of electricity consumption.
- high production capacity and flexibility in product changes;
- continuous quality control of the forging process;
- operational continuity thanks to after-sales assistance.
We will be proud to have your attention and to answer your questions and requests for clarification.
ME 350 NEXT GENERATION PRESS
ME 350 Next Generation Press: still the most powerful press, now it also minimizes the energy consumption.
ME350 press is the powerful of Mecolpress hydraulic presses: the latest version we have developed is able to grant a significant reduction in energy consumption.
Our goal is to make our customers more competitive in a very challenging market. The increase in the costs of raw materials and energy is not yet stabilized and a substantial reduction is not yet in sight. Our customers have to manage and deal with variables such as:
- product differentiation,
- the need to adapt to high volume production batches,
- managing frequent product changes,
- the difficulty of finding a stable workforce,
- the need to produce just in time,
- the increasingly high quality required of the forged product.
Mecolpress technological innovation starts from the challenges the market imposes on producers with the aim of overcoming them.
The new ME350 Next Generation press incorporates all the latest innovations:
01
Maximum dies closing force and maximum one of the independent extruder punches => flash-free forging and reduced thicknesses => reduction in raw material consumption (up to 40% compared to traditional forging).
02
Regenerative hydraulic circuit and adaptive power control to harmonize the energy consumption with the effective forging demand => reduction of electricity consumption (up to 50% compared to the presses of previous generation).
03
Anthropomorphic loading robot and quick dies changing system => increased flexibility by changing a product with another, reducing the necessary machine downtime.
04
Possibility of forging more parts each cycle in the shortest time, reaching the production of 5,000 pieces per hour => high-volume production batches are completed in a short time.
05
The production process is fully automated and connected to existing MES\ERP systems (Industry 4.0) => better staff management who can easily manage multiple presses simultaneously without stress.
06
CALIPSO Software checks the trend of the forging parameters (forces, displacements, sequences, ..) by comparing them with the references => any possible criticality on the quality of the product is overlined in real time and the part is separated from the correct ones.
All these innovations are added to Mecolpress long-lasting experience in the forging field, gained in the province of Brescia, a key area in the global panorama of the production of brass components. Mecolpress offers to the customers a vast availability of spare parts to minimize the relative delivery times and a team of specialized technicians to carry out assistance interventions all over the world.
A CUSTOMIZED TECHNOLOGY FOR THE PRESSES
Courtesy of Publitec
Magazine Deformazione N.281 FEBRURY 2023
of Aldo Biasotto
Mecolpress has chosen to make use of the customized solution proposed by Siemens, SIMAHYD, to ensure high reliability and better control of the forging process. This solution is combined with Simatic controllers, allowing both control of the hydraulic valves and management of the variable speed pumps.
Mecolpress is a company specialized in the production of machines and systems for hot forging.
Its story begins in 1969 in the Brescia area: here, for over fifty years, the company has been innovating and developing ever new solution to remain competitive on the worldwide market. The heart of Mecolpress beats in Flero (Brescia) where the technologies are designed and manufactured in an industrial area of 30,000 square metres, 10,000 of which are covered by buildings. With a staff of around 60 people, to date Mecolpress has distributed around 2,000 presses to customers in 60 countries all over the world. The context in which the company operates is broad and differentiated . At the beginning it was only focused in the brass hot forging applications, in particular in the production of fittings, valves and fashion products.
Later on, it was expanded to the world of steel, aluminium and special alloys applications, both hot and cold, thus embracing further sectors: automotive, industrial, medical, sports up to watches. To remain competitive on a global scale and bring an innovative contribution to the metal forging market, where the scenarios for the future are increasingly challenging, Mecolpress needed to rely on a top-level partner for technological components.
Thus was born the collaboration with Siemens, in particular regarding the electrical and electronic supply to the company. The goals: to ensure a high reliability in the presses functioning and better control of the forging process.
The way to reach these goals: SIMAHYD. “Siemens offers new solutions regarding power and process control, on a large scale and for different applications. To be successful, you need to be innovative in making your customer competitive: the synergy between Mecolpress and Siemens allows to reach this goal” says Maurizio Razio, Electrical Engineering Manager of Mecolpress.
The advantages of an open and customized package
To pursue this goal, Mecolpress therefore made use of the customized SIMAHYD solution. It is about a custom-built application package, specifically designed for Simatic S7-1500 controllers, which allows the control of hydraulic axes thanks to software modules that extend the functionalities of the original technological objects in Siemens controllers. In this way, both a control of the hydraulic valves and a management of the variable speed pumps are obtained.
The high level of flexibility of applications in the hydraulic sector facilitates a quick and simple control implementation: this was the case of Mecolpress technologies. By applying this solution to the presses, thanks to this package it was possible to ensure the control of the proportional valves on which the seven hydraulic cylinders depend. “The advantages of SIMAHYD open package are many: it allows to make the modifications necessary for integration into the hydraulic circuits of the machines, preserving the existing control program and, to facilitate the axes set-up, it also includes the display part, also It can be integrated into the existing operator interface.
Furthermore, this application is characterized by controller type “fail-safe”, which facilitates an integrated management of the entire machine safety”, explains Sergio Mazzon, OEM Business Developer of Siemens Digital Industries in Italy. Thanks to this customized solution, it was therefore possible to quickly manage the hydraulic power axes, such as those present on the ME Next Generation series presses, reaching extremely high precision and repeatability.
A technologies portfolio for each customer
Today Mecolpress can offer a complete portfolio of technologies according to the application needs of the Customers: eccentric mechanical or screw presses, hydraulic presses, auxiliary presses. The benefits are many and related to both the presses and the complete forging lines: high production capacity with reduced cycle times; high efficiency thanks to the minimization of energy, raw and semi-finished material consumptions; product quality control by monitoring process parameters; complete automation of the production cycle thanks to the reduced intervention of the operator; technologies allowing quick tooling change between one product and another one, in order to manage small production batches too; compatibility with industry 4.0 and arrangement for predictive analysis systems for maintenance and processes; remote or in person assistance service and spare parts warehouse suitable for a prompt response in case of need.
Thanks to the experience gained and the particular attention to innovation, today Mecolpress is able to face the growing challenges of the market head-on. “Thanks to a reliable partner like Siemens, our technologies are perceived as improving and taken into consideration for investments in new industrial assets. The prospects for growth in turnover and market share are solid and demonstrated by the numbers of the last two years and by the orders portfolio acquired” says Danilo Fagnani, Sales Manager of Mecolpress.
EXHIBITIONS 2023: MECOLPRESS AT ISH (GERMANY)
ISH 2023
ISH, the world’s leading trade fair for bathroom furnishing, air conditioning and energy saving comes back in presence after the online edition of 2021.
It will be held from 13 to 17 March 2023 in Frankfurt at Messe Frankfurt. This trade fairs covers many sectors.
We look forward to seeing you at our Booth, Hall 9.1, Booth no. A53
Mecolpress presents the latest innovations in the field of brass hot forging:
- SEO and Heavy mechanical eccentric presses from 320 to 600 tons, high productivity up to 40 strokes per minute.
- ME series hydraulic presses: flash-free forging with significantly reduced energy consumptions.
- Direct drive screw presses: suitable to produce parts having complex geometry!
Augmented Reality, the press just a click away
On our booth it will be possible to view two presses in Augmented Reality: ME and Heavy series.
This technology allows to overlap multimedia information on the reality framed by the camera of your mobile device, smartphone and/or tablet, enriching the vision of the surrounding space with additional digital contributions.
Get your free admission ticket
To facilitate the visit and access in safety, it is appropriate to register to get the free admission ticket.
You can request it by simply filling out this form:
Brass hot forging: from the mechanical technology to the hydraulic one with me series presses
Metals hot forging is a reliable and repeatable process which allows to obtain components with high mechanical properties, minimizing the raw materials consumption.
Over more than 50 years Mecolpress has been at the service of its Customers, providing the best forging technologies that allow to maximize the products quality and the related productivity.
Not always changing means improvement, but to improve you need to change
Mecolpress is committed every day to sharing experiences with its partners to follow a common path with the aim of overcoming the performance limits of existing production processes.
It is not the strongest of the species that survives, nor the most intelligent one, but the most responsive one to changes.
Exclusively from the merge of the complementary activities:
- Development of innovative technologies;
- From consolidated experience in the hot forged parts production, the way for barriers overcoming in the productive processes can be born;
- Increase of production capacity;
- Improvement of product quality;
- Reduction of raw material consumption;
- Reduction of energy consumption;
- Reduction of resources consumption (lubricants, cooling water,…).
The experience shown in this article is related to the brass hot forging
and more precisely to the passage from the mechanical to the hydraulic technology (Mecolpress ME Series). The product subject of the evaluation is the body of a sphere valve with dimension 1” and ½. Even if it may seem a standard and consolidated product, each customer has his own design and specific features.
Mecolpress has collaborated with an Italian industry-leader company to the production of the new die and to its industrialization. After two working days and proactive information sharing, by using our ME hydraulic press, we have reached:
- Production capacity more than doubled;
- Material consumption minimized of about 6.5% thanks to the flashfree forging;
- Improvement of the workability thanks to a more uniform internal conformation;
- Increase of product quality thanks to internal defects removal.
Even if at first sight a forged part may seem perfect, its integrity can be granted only from the internal analysis.
The material flow is unbalanced, the flowing speeds are not uniform, the material tends to detach from the die and to fill some areas before others (picture 1). When the flows meet each other again, they have such temperatures that they cannot be properly welded. The cold welding, indicated by the red circle, can cause problems during the machining phase, if it is included, even partially, in the surplus metal, or if during the assembly phase when the tightening torque of the front nut mechanically stresses the defected side.
Mecolpress hydraulic presses of ME Series, even without any previous simulation numerical analysis, allow to set the correct sequence of part forming according to the material flow dynamics.
Thanks to this precious pre-forming function a progressive modification of the penetrations of the 3 punches has been applied and this has leaded to the desired result: the repositioning of the defect in a marginal zone (picture 2).
Then simple modifications to punches shape were taken into consideration in order to totally eliminate the cold junction (picture 3).
Two really efficient working days, product industrialization with new dies and more than 5500 good parts in the boxes, ready for the machining tests! A thank goes to our Customer for the precious collaboration, a thank to our team for the availability and speed of action and a thank to our hydraulic ME press that tirelessly, once again, allows to overcome the production limits and to permit a great improvement!
Wait!!! And what about energetic consumptions?!?! We are collecting data… a little patience… in the next article you will be informed about everything!
HYDRAULIC PRESS, Mecolpress leap into a new eco-green modality
Main features of the new ME eco-green Hydraulic Press
Mecolpress S.p.a. is glad to introduce the new improved features of ME family hydraulic presses, born from the need to offer to the Customers a more flexible and performing machine in terms of product quality and energetic consumptions.
We are currently proposing the family of ME presses having the die closure force that is in the range from 100 to 500 tons (as standard equipment) and with a minimum side punches force of 30 tons that can achieve up to 350 tons. Each of these last ones has completely independent operation, adjustable speed and set-able movement phases (forward-stop-backward); depending by the type of part to be forged , the hydraulic closure cylinder allows to apply the necessary forging force also before the dies contact.
The new presses can be fed by one anthropomorphic robot for the billets loading and one synchronized unloading arm for the forged products that eliminate the set up difficulties of the traditional past technologies; regarding the fumes suction, after a careful analysis of the actual state of the art, we have implemented and optimized the system making it more functional and effective.
The fume suction hood collects the emission very close to the sourcing point decreasing any possible spread into the press cabin, granting to the operators the best inside view of the process and reducing the oil collection and its possible overflow.
In this regard, the machines of the new series are integrated with the walkable grids that surround the press and prevents the eventual drip on the floor of the working area.
The hydraulic presses can be supplied customized with optional equipment according to the production needs.
For example, one of the punches can be oriented with the coring angle that is different from the classic 90° configuration , allowing in this way the realization of particularly complex shapes, like y-joint or filter body.
Other possible configurations are of new ME eco-green Hydraulic Press are:
- the addition of a fifth vertical punch acting from under the die,
- the loading of one or two billets at the same time up to a maximum of four,
- the addition of a dies-holder arm lightening the machine tooling process,
- the addition of a quick dies changing system with hydraulic locking,
- the addition of an induction dies heating system which the machine is particularly compatible with,
- fire extinguishing system integrable with the machine.
Moreover the main innovation is related to the energy saving achievements if compared to the previous series.
From 2022 all the ME presses can minimize autonomously the energy amount that is needed to produce the desired forged part: the press learns automatically the optimal pressure to be addressed to each forging punch: ECO cycle (settable from the control panel). Furthermore, during the movement of each forging punch, Calipso control software optimizes the time in which it is necessary to switch to the maximum achievable pressure (regenerative self-adapting cycle function): all the press parameters will be consequently harmonized according to this requirement.
This behavior represents the key economic and competitive advantage for the press user that can save up to 50% of the total installed energy without losing or reducing the punches force and can optimize the forging process parameters in order to minimize the energetic consumptions. To do this the operator direct intervention is no longer necessary. The operator is not required to have a long term experience or particular skills : he will simply have to activate the ECO cycle from the control panel, ME press will care of the rest!
he will simply have to activate the ECO cycle from the control panel, ME press will care of the rest!
Discover Mecolpress
“𝗗𝗶𝘀𝗰𝗼𝘃𝗲𝗿 𝗠𝗲𝗰𝗼𝗹𝗽𝗿𝗲𝘀𝘀”:
Discovering Mecolpress: a journey through backstage pictures.
With some pictures “caught here and there” and with some related comments we will try to let you know more about our Company.
We will drive you to the discovery of Mecolpress world, about our constant dedication to growth and innovation of hot forging technologies, and how we work hard to guarantee you the best reliability and Customer Care service of all over the world.
Our aim is to use a point of view that is not “stick” or simply related to the ordinary catalogue pictures; we will use the reportage style showing aspects that are usually hidden, but that, according to us, can reveal interesting and valuable peculiarities.
A path that tends to highlight, to reveal that behind the machines, technology and mechanism there are women, men that thanks to their ideas and passion constantly contribute to develop new solutions for the evolution of our products and services.
This is a way to show a “human” aspect of Industry, made not only of aseptic engineering but also of ability, expertise, experience of people who lives daily the company, the productive workshop and the administration/management offices.
Pictures revealing a soul made of personal skill, methods rich in creativity that can be found also in the details of the productive process.
It is also through these initiatives that companies can share aspects, information and pictures that tangibly contribute to the growth and strengthening of the relationship between companies.
This was a little extract of “Discover Mecolpress” pictures, if you want to see further pictures, please follow the campaign we launched on our social media channels in December 2021 and that it still continues.
Follow us on our social channels:
Are you doubtful between mechanical press and hydraulic press?
Are you doubtful about the press to choose? Mechanical press or hydraulic press?
Ask to Mecolpress, you will have no more hesitations!
You have just got a new commission and you need a new press for hot forging. Are you sure that you can identify the press that best suits your needs?
Typical request
It often happens that a Customer, or potential one, comes to us with the part he desires to forge. Usually it’s about complex situations, very far from standard applications. That’s exactly why the Customer asks for our help and support.
If the Customer is not a newcomer in the forging world, he usually arrives in Mecolpress with clear and straight idea about the type of press he wants. But very often it happens that he will change his view after having the possibility to get in contact with our forging know-how!
You ask for a mechanical press but you need an hydraulic one!
For example, some weeks ago two different customers came to visit us bringing some sampling to be forged. They were sure to ask a quotation for a mechanical press, they realized instead that the right machine for their situation was a hydraulic one!
Both our customers had the chance to test new dies, only 4 hours were needed for the preparation and installation of the dies and to run some tests. Even though the furnace was not the best one for their kind of production, because it’s a furnace that Mecolpress uses for testing, the machine gave a flash-free part in only 4 hours, with a saving of about 30% of material and with a quality definitely superior than the one they could achieve using a mechanical press.
Moreover, it is important to take into consideration the limits of the mechanical press:
- Since the part is not balanced, the mechanical press should use all its possible force to forge it.
- Working in this way the risk to run into damages or machine breakdown becomes greater.
On the contrary, The ME hydraulic press can forge the part better. The forged parts which required more force used however less than 200 tons on a punch, therefore it consists of a forces distribution that is totally different compared to the traditional mechanical press.
Often the customer is skeptical towards the hydraulic press, but just because he is not familiar with it!
Find out more about the hydraulic presses
The hydraulic presses patented by Mecolpress are suitable for the hot forging of standard parts or special parts in brass and aluminum. The dies closure force is higher than the one of the traditional mechanical presses and the independent and controlled movements of the ram and of the extruders allow to hot forge also complex parts without flash.
These are oleodynamic presses provided with coring tools combinable till to a maximum of 5 punches (4 horizontal and one vertical) suitable for the hot forging of brass, aluminum, copper and other materials.
Compared to the traditional mechanical presses these presses have different advantages, including:
- Reduced vibrations and noises.
- No foundations are required.
- Higher flexibility: there are no mechanical connections between tooling and ram; this implicates that you can decide speed, force, position and movement sequence for each punch independently. The result is the possibility to decide how to let the material flow, this helps the part production with a better quality level.
- Ease of tooling: easy access to the forging area and automatic adjustment of punches strokes from the panel that cancels the mechanical adjustment on the spines (for example insertion of spacer).
- The press is easy and intuitive to be used even without a great experience in the forging field. Together with the machine a lifelong service via teleservice and phone assistance is provided.
Some practical examples about the choice for a hydraulic press.
- Hydraulic press ME150: this is a quite small machine and often we suggest it to who has no experience in the hot forging field.
- Hydraulic press ME 250: let’s get serious!
Example: are you undecided if you want to buy a 400t mechanical press or a ME250 hydraulic press?
If you have small and easily to force parts to be produced in huge quantities and in series maybe the choice of a mechanical press is the most suitable, but if you have a part that is lightly more complicated, probably you need an hydraulic one. In this case, we are sure that a test here in Mecolpress will remove any doubt!
- Hydraulic press ME from 450tons onwards: This press is more efficient, more cost-effective, it allows to save material, to increase the productivity, it is more convenient, more silent, no foundation pit is required and despite of what our competitors affirm, the energy consumption is not high. In fact, this consideration comes from the fact that just the installed power is taken into consideration.
Did you carry out a forging simulation and forging tests?
In order to choose the right press it is surely helpful to carry out a forging simulation, our technical office can support the customer during the process for choosing the machine with a software analysis of material flow, in order to carry out a sort of “virtual pre-acceptance” of the plant.
Once that the forging simulation is successfully over, then the next step is a real test in our factory. Indeed we have available machines devoted for the forging tests, this is a very important aspect for the customer that often gives him the possibility to invest in a more aware and motivated way. Touching the forged part doesn’t leave no room for doubt!
Being able to satisfy and fully understand the customer needs, to demonstrate and propose our most suitable solutions with concrete tests thanks to the machines and toolings we have available in Mecolpress for the forging tests is for us matter of pride.
Hydraulic Press ME100, the SuperFast!
Forge up to 60 pieces per minute without flash!
Our range of hot forging hydraulic presses ME has been enriched with the latest model ME100. It is a compact machine, dedicated to the forging of low-weight complex pieces, with extremely high productivity.
Mecolpress patented hydraulic presses, suitable for hot forging of standard and special brass or aluminium pieces.
This clamping force is higher than those of traditional mechanical presses. Independent & controlled movements of the ram and punches allow for flash-less hot forging also of complex pieces.
In addition to the ME150, ME250, ME350, we now also offer the ME100:
- 100 Tons of die closing force;
- 30 Tons for each of the punches (there can be up to 5)
- Forge in single or double figure, horizontally or vertically, and it is Super-Fast!
We tested it up to 30 strokes per minute and of course … it was promoted with full score!
As for all our ME hydraulic presses, the range of pieces that can be forged is very wide.
Here is a photo of typical brass parts that can be forged with this press:
Some info as an example:
– it can print ball valve bodies up to 3/4 inch, without flash (in single figure), or 1/2 inch in double figure.
– Accepts dies size 180x180mm.
– Punches stroke: 75mm.
Mecolpress has in fact the skills and the appropriate structure to make you ad hoc consultancy. Through the drawing of the piece you want to forge, we can perform a die simulation through the dedicated software in our internal technical office.
It will also be possible, if necessary, to carry out a real forging test of your piece thanks to the machines that we always have available at our company to carry out forging tests. We are thus able to offer you the machine, or the most suitable forging line for your needs.
And if the right press for you was not the ME100, we are always able to make the specific proposal for the needs of each customer, because Mecolpress has the widest range of hot forging presses of all!
Why to choose Mecolpress presses?
Mecolpress makes available to its customers quality presses and all its technologic know how. For those who need high performing machineries for hot forging we are a reliable and with a solid experience partner in this field, gained in many years of activity.
Whether it is an entire forging line or a single machinery, Mecolpress can suggest the most performing solution for production and offer a technical support able to face every need.
A first meeting to understand the necessities
When a new potential customer contacts us expressing its need to buy a press, our sales department organizes immediately a first meeting either at customer’s or at our premises in order to show the different machines and their functioning.
During this phase, to us it is of fundamental importance to understand the types of the parts to be forged and which could be the eventual criticalities connected to the single parts in order to be able to propose the most suitable press. In many cases our offers are based directly on the drawings of the parts to be forged that are analyzed by our technical office in great details.
In order to understand which is the best press, our technical office takes advantage of a software that can simulate on the computer the action of the machine. In this way we provide a valid tool for the identification of the machinery that meets the productive needs.
Some customers in addition to the single press require the entire hot forging line and, in this case as well, we can provide all the necessary machineries, and to optimize the production.
Forging tests at Mecolpress
Once the most fitting press for the customer has been identified, even if this is hydraulic or mechanical, we carry out forging tests at our premises. So, the customer can be sure in advance of the final result before starting the production at his premises.
In order to carry out the test, the dies for the realization of the wished parts are mounted on the machine. In case the customer does not have the die, there is the possibility to commission it directly to Mecolpress. Indeed, our company offers a complete service to support the customer during all the productive steps and can also offer this component.
During the many years of activity we have gained high technical skills and we have confronted with different situations. The gained experience has turned us into a partner that can understand the forgers needs, able to propose mechanical or hydraulic press for a specific production type.
