SEO/320: THE MECHANICAL PRESS ADDRESSED TO THE MODERN FORGING
The new continuous and discontinuous cycle mechanical press
Mecolpress is proud to introduce the new model of continuous/discontinuous cycle mechanical press for hot forging, size 320 tons.
This press is designed to improve the features of all the previous machines in the size range from 200 to 360 tons. Finally just one single press will be able to guarantee the performances of the historical SEO/27 CVE-CS or SEO/36 CVE-CS presses, and it will be the new mechanical SEO/320 press, indeed!
The experience acquired in more than 50 years of activity brought us to analyze every day the forging needs of many worldwide Customers. The main topic that emerges is that the greatest force capacities are needed to deform new materials, high alloys\without lead that are considerably more high-strength.
The result is a totally innovative press that includes all the improvements that Mecolpress applied over the recent years.
SEO/320 press was born to satisfy all the new productive needs demanded by the ongoing changes in the world of “modern forging”.
Recurring problems for a forger
If you are a forge manager or an owner of a forging factory, it surely happened to you that, to satisfy your Customers request, you brought your presses to the higher limit of the performances. Consequently one of the following situations will surely happened at least one time::
- breakage of the gears, and in particular of the teeth;
- breakage of the transmission shafts;
- maintenance on bearings and clutches….
Forcing you to unexpected machine stops, with all the related inconveniences\additional costs!
Solutions proposed by Mecolpress
Machine downtimes cannot totally disappear. We must remember that we are talking about mechanical presses that forge metals at very high temperatures and that can be subjected to overloads! But these can be drastically reduced.
”Why often we say that years ago the machines did not break down?”
The answer is easy! They were sized and studied specifically for the productive needs of that time that do not coincide with the modern ones any longer!
Mecolpress answer to the new required performances in the forging operations is the new SEO/320 press that is what each forger needs today!
Technical characteristics of mechanical press SEO/320
- The machine has a monolithic structure in welded steel in order to ensure the maximum stability and duration over the year.
- The gears have a total innovative structure and extremely simplified that does not consist only in the dimensions increase, as you might think, but it consist of a series of improvements that allow the machine to work to the maximum performances without any breakage risk.
- The cushion was simplified, with the removal of the manual adjustments and of the mechanical parts generally subjected to wear.
- The flywheel was developed to guarantee enough deformation energy even at low turns. This particular characteristic is very appreciated by who has to forge the material requiring low deformation speeds.
- We have paid close attention to the ergonomic aspects: the operator can set up the tooling of the machine very quickly and without excessive efforts. Therefore you will find the equipment without tight spaces with wide visibility and, above all, safe and reliable.
We summarize in the following table the main technical characteristics of the new SEO/320:
An opportunity for the forgers
Mecolpress offers to every potential customer the possibility to inspect at least one version for each machine model at the production site based in Flero (Brescia). As a matter of fact, the main versions of the most requested models are always in production.
This results in an important advantage for you Customer because we are offering:
- the opportunity to see/experience the new machines with the support of our specialized personnel at your disposal to clarify any doubts or curiosities;
- A very competitive delivery time In case of purchase!
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.
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HOT FORGING PRESSES INTERVIEW WITH MECOLPRESS
Company manufacturing hot forging presses.
We report an interview of the digital magazine Easy Engineering of 28 April 2020.
Established in 1969, MECOLPRESS was founded as a manufacturing company of mechanical presses for brass components hot forging. Up to today, Mecolpress has developed and installed more than 1.950 presses, at over 400 customers all around the world, used for forging brass, aluminum, copper, titanium, steel. The current production site in Flero, in the highly productive area of Brescia, takes up a 30.000 square meters surface, 10.400 of them are covered and employees 55 people, reaching a turnover in 2018 of 11.5 million Euro.
In 2019, in occasion of EMO exhibition in Hannover, Mecolpress officially presented the new series of continuous and discontinuous cycle eccentric presses, the HEAVY series.
Easy Engineering: What are the main areas of activity of the company?
MECOLPRESS: At the beginning all efforts were concentrated on brass hot forging field; in the time, also through the acquisition of the historical brands Osterwalder and Dellavia in the screw presses section, the variety of machines that we design and produce is now so wide and complete to satisfy the most different requirements of the customers: for each specific material, shape and quantity to be forged, we are in the position to offer the most suitable solution.
Mecolpress is today the only company among the manufacturers of presses for the hot forging of brass, aluminum steel, copper, titanium, with a so complete production program.
Our present production program consists of:
- TDS: direct drive with electrical servomotor;
- Dellavia and Osterwalder: Traditional disc friction.
PG Knuckle joint presses
for calibration and coining of parts.
Presse Meccaniche Eccentriche
- SOV and SEO/F: for the vertical hot forging;
- SEO and HEAVY: for forging with horizontal cores, in single or continuous cycle.
for forging brass and aluminum parts without flash.
- PO: single station;
- S: multiple station, rotary table with hydraulic motor;
- E: multiple station, rotary table with electric motor.
In addition, Mecolpress is particularly active in after-sales service. The heart and pride of Mecolpress is its large spare parts warehouse, which is able to supply accessories or spare parts for machines produced fifty years ago. For this reason, in addition to the sale of machinery, there is a wide activity related to the service and supply of accessories (such as tools, arms, spare parts, etc..).
E.E: What’s the news for 2020 about new products?
MECOLPRESS: At the end of 2019 Mecolpress presented at EMO fair in Havvore a brand-new series of eccentric presses, named HEAVY, which defines a new standard for the hot forging of brass.
A machine concept that offer highest durability and reliability together with an innovative software system that allows the maximum control on the process and the a very easy operation.
E.E: What are the ranges of traded products?
MECOLPRESS: As a manufacturer with an own wide range of products, the additional equipment that we simply trade is limited to ancillary machines, to offer complete forging lines (delivering a finished part from the input of a raw material bar) to those customer that prefer to have a turn-key plant from one source.
Typical traded machines are: billets heating furnaces, forging dies, sand blasting machines.
E.E: At what stage is the market where you are currently active?
MECOLPRESS: Since our machines are dedicated to a very wide panorama of applications (from house building to automotive, from gas control to biomedical) there are always new developments in these sectors.
This is for us very stimulating because we are constantly involved in the design of new solution, to support our customers with the most suitable equipment to manufacture parts that are chancing in the shapes, in the alloys and in the technical requirements.
E.E: What can you tell us about market trends?
MECOLPRESS: In the past our customers were mainly subcontractors, producing many different kinds of parts for the most differentiated OEMs. We see now more and more companies that are interested in bringing back into their own activity the hot forging process, to have full control over the entire production line. And also, the subcontractors that still exists, are increasing in size, in capability, and in specialization: they are requested to be much more accurate, reliable, more flexible and fast in changing production and technologies.
For these reasons, the machines that both our customer types (the subcontractors and the OEMs) need, are machines that can easily switch from one application to the next, and that can record and control really in depth every aspect of the production process. The user is therefore becoming more an engineer, that study and program the process in advance and then let the machine run autonomously, instead of an operator that has to stay full time at the machine, checking and adjusting the settings.
E.E: What are the most innovative products marketed?
MECOLPRESS: As above indicated, one of the most innovative products that we offer today is the new range of Heavy presses.
In parallel to this, we are widening the offer for the ME hydraulic presses which are designed to forge net shape parts. These machines are extremely versatile, can communicate in two directions with the company ERP software to exchange production data, recipes, preventive maintenance information. And are also able to automatically detect a non-conforming product and separate it from the good ones. This makes the ME forging presses a fully automatic system, that does not require operators to work but also does not need regular presence of quality control staff to check periodically the output.
E.E: What estimations do you have for 2020?
MECOLPRESS: At the end of 2019 we planned a very aggressive budget of sales for the 2020, and supported it with several activities and strategies, from the participation to many international shows, to the production of machines for stock, to grant to our customer very fast deliveries.
Unfortunately, due to the Covid-19 virus spreading, many commercial activities had to be reprogrammed or postponed. We are now investigating the world markets to assess what will be the customers’ propensity to invest for the remaining months of this year. We are very optimistic that we will in any case be able to reach most of our targets also thank to the availability of machines in our workshop, which is allowing us to complete deliveries in this year of machines ordered in the second and third quarter.
HEAVY SERIES MECHANICAL PRESSES
Mecolpress, at the EMO exhibition in Hannover which took place last September, officially presented the new series of eccentric continuous cycle mechanical presses, the HEAVY series.
Based on the experience accumulated over 50 years of designing and manufacturing presses for hot forging metal, we have succeeded in creating a totally renewed mechanical press.
We are sure that our new project will mark the beginning of a new era for hot forging!
What are the main strengths of the new HEAVY mechanical presses?
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- A structure that is certainly innovative and modern, more robust and designed to simplify control and maintenance;
- Fully revised die automation and lubrication;
- Our innovative hydraulic cushion, the Soft-Impact, which allows to achieve important results including for example the possibility of vibrations reducing;
- The updated version of our intelligent Calipso software, for the analysis of the production process and for predictive maintenance.
Let's analyse the features in detail:
STRUCTURE
The structure of the machine is made in such a way as to separate the dangerous area (moving parts and die area) from the areas accessible to the operator for adjustments and ordinary maintenance, through front protections and soundproofing material casings, as required by CE standards.
Directly on the vertical part of the forging area, the fume extraction is obtained through metal ducts with connection to the customer’s centralized system.
The control unit for centralized lubrication of the press, the regulators of the pneumatic system and of the die lubrication system and the electrical equipment are inserted in large protected cabinets and easily accessible to the operator, not reached by the fumes and the oil of die lubrication .
The assembly of the main parts to the machine is designed to simplify inspection and maintenance.
COMMAND GROUP
It includes a compact transmission coaxial to the eccentric shaft including:
– Combined flywheel and reduction unit;
– Combined Hydraulic Brake-Clutch Group, equipped with progressive piston to mitigate shocks and transmission vibrations due to engagement and braking;
– Control valve of the Brake-Clutch group with progressive engagement and braking control;
– Double gear coupling between eccentric shaft and transmission to avoid the transmission of shocks from the crank mechanism to the control unit;
– Main motor with encoder and closed loop control, allows the slow movement of the press for tooling, “Inching mode”.
The flywheel motor system has been completely revised to obtain better resolution and precision in speed control, greater reactivity in the recovery of energy after forging.
A safe speed limit control is foreseen with open front protection, during the set-up phases and a check of a possible excessive slowing down of the machine (for example due to a too large billet).
The motor cooling is constantly ensured regardless of the motor speed, this allows to always guarantee maximum performance.
We have provided an interesting option: the energy that the motor returns to the inverter during the slowdown phases, is put back into the network and not dissipated in heat; in practice it translates into a lower consumption of electricity!
SLIDE
Also the slide has been revised, we have foreseen a motorized adjustment of the vertical light and an extraction bar with hydraulic control.
The sliding skids are oriented radially to the machine axis to reduce the variation of the tolerances with changing temperatures.
The hydraulic system for protection against overload is also inserted in the slide, which is essential for forging on the bottom.
GE EQUIPMENT
– Possibility of mounting the lower punch also with “SOFT IMPACT” cushion,
– Water cooled upper die holder,
– Up to 8 points of lubrication from the lower die holder,
– Up to 4 points of lubrication from the upper die holder,
– Easy equipment change. It is extracted by unlocking the top with pistons that allow extraction on a ball guide.
– Possibility of mounting the motorized adjustment of the punch stroke.
For the HEAVY400 the GE26 is foreseen, which has the following specific features:
– Dies 290 x 290 mm
– 110 mm punch stroke
Thanks to our Extruder Group you can save up to 40% of the material compared to the full forging modes! Check out the details here
“SOFT IMPACT” CUSHION
1000 kN hydraulic cushion with complete electronic management, it allows to check the punch height, in addition to limiting the mechanical shock due to the impact between the dies.
The Soft Impact cushion is an important innovation that we have been making for a couple of years, and that is proving to be truly appreciated. Read here to learn more about how it works.
BRCE LOADING DEVICE
The 2-axis rotary loading arm driven by brushless motors has the load angle of the clamp at 45 °, aligned with the dies centre;
The 400 mm vertical stroke allows you to manage any type of equipment without manually changing the position of the arm.
PBSE DISCHARGE DEVICE
The discharge chute has been designed to avoid dents to the forged part; driven by a motor brushless, the unloading arm allows automatic adjustment of the position.
DIE LUBRICATION
We have provided up to 20 lubrication points and 2 dies blowing points, an open and flexible configuration for each type of die and tool.
Also interesting is the possibility of adjusting the amount of oil from the panel, without need of manual adjustments on the machine and on the control unit.
From every point it is possible to blow air to clean / cool the die before every lubrication.
The press is able to warn in advance when it is necessary to fill the hydraulic unit, in order to avoid a machine stop due to lack of fluid.
A digital sensor allows the control of the fluid temperature, the operator can start the production only when the oil is at the correct temperature, an essential requirement for a correct and constant lubrication.
An inverter for pump speed adjustment prevents overpressure peaks and oil dripping when the pump starts with oil still cold; automatically adjusts the oil flow rate according to the quantity needed for use; prevents overheating of the oil in the control unit.
Our lubrication system, unlike the systems marketed up to now, eliminates the problem of the quantity of oil usable for each individual nozzle.
Competitive lubrication systems load a limited amount of oil into a tube and then blow it off with compressed air.
This ensures that 70% of the sprayed lubricant is used only in the first moment of lubrication, while in the remaining cycle the quantity of lubricant decreases until it is completely zeroed.
On the other hand, our lubrication system allows continuous and constant mixing directly at the exit point of the pipe, through our system we can cool and lubricate the dies from the same pipe without affecting the programmed oil quantity.
ELECTRICAL CONFIGURATION
The 24vcc circuits are protected by auxiliary electronic devices, able to provide a quick diagnosis of any short circuits or overloads (also through Teleservice).
This is a very interesting aspect because it allows a greater reliability of the system and a service life up to 10 times greater than normal technology!
The cables are in PUR, protected by steel sheaths and silicone protections against flames, specific for use even in environments deemed aggressive.
OPERATOR INTERFACE
The Operator Panel is a 15 ″ Siemens Touch Panel to better manage machine data, you can save up to 1000 recipes! And have an alarm history with up to 10,000 events.
Obviously, through the proper configuration of our software, you can receive valuable reports to carry out preventive maintenance.
Another practical example is the notepad function, thanks to which the operator can then write important information and his personal notes, added to each production recipe.
It is possible to obtain a production report, a secure management by 4-level password with autologon function, and much more.
Finally, the movable panel allows close controls on the machine, possibility of movement and programming with front or rear open protection, close to the die (eg die lubrication).
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.
The “possessed” screw press
Even when some machineries present complex problems and when it seems that no solutions are possible, Mecolpress thanks to the solid technical skills that have always characterized it, can solve the situation. A specific case is what happened to a customer of ours and to his malfunctioning screw press. Read all the article to discover the details.
Screw press criticalities
Not long ago we were contacted by an Italian company specialized in the production of spades, shovels and other gardening tools. They bought a second-hand screw press from a competitor of ours because they needed to automate the forging line for spades and shovels by means of robots. Unfortunately, immediately from the beginning, some problems of machine malfunctioning were observed.
Indeed, the screw press just after three or four working hours lost capacity of hit till to stop completely and in addiction it consumed excessively the leather belt that had to be replaced even three times per month.
It really seemed to be “possessed by demons” and even who sold the machine could not solve the problem in the first instance, even though the numerous technical interventions that were carried out.
Since they could not repair in no way the machine and thanks to the suggestions of other machines suppliers, the company decided therefore to refer to Mecolpress hoping to find a valid technical support.
Mecolpress intervention
After a first telephone contact, our technician intervened directly on the press and after a first mechanical analysis he decided to dismount the main screw looking for the possible defect inside the machine.
After a half working day our skilled technician could identify the problem: one of the bronze ring was built with a wrong tolerance and as a result it caused an increase of temperature in the screw. Therefore, the materials expanded and led to a complete stop of the machine.
Our competitors could not even suppose this problem, while our technician in just a working day could identify exactly the reason of the malfunctioning.
This case study has shown how much it is important to have available all the projects and all the technical specifications of the machines which you want to operate on. The bronze ring of the screw press was realized according to a superficial mechanical analysis and to an insufficient knowledge of the complete design of the machinery.
Mecolpress has proved to have the necessary skills and experience to evaluate when a detail can make the difference. Indeed, even some unimportant details can cover a fundamental role in the optimal functioning of a press.
Our company has revealed once again to be a reliable and expert partner you can refer to for complex and apparently insurmountable technical matter.
EMO 2019: We unveil the technology of the future!
Mecolpress is ready for EMO 2019, the most important metalworking machinery fair, in Hannover from September 16th to 21st.
Mecolpress has always participated in EMO, the leading trade fair for the metalworking sector.
At each edition we always present some innovations, and this year more than ever!
On the Mecolpress stand there will be the possibility to see 2 machines running!
1- THE BRAND NEW HEAVY 400
Mecolpress will officially present the new HEAVY series of continuous cycle eccentric presses at EMO2019!
Its main features are:
- an extremely innovative and modern structure, more robust and also designed with an eye to ease and accessibility for maintenance and to safety;
- we have completely renewed die automation and lubrication;
- we have mounted a special hydraulic cushion that enhances the ability to forge cored parts, as well as to strongly reduce vibrations and noise;
- as on all our presses, also on the HEAVY series is installed Calipso, the intelligent software of Mecolpress for the analysis of the production process and for predictive maintenance.
The Mecolpress HEAVY Series represents the state of the art in hot forging with eccentric presses and can mount all the most modern accessories, production, programming and control systems.
2- The ME100/4L30 superfast – high productivity hydraulic press.
It is a compact machine, dedicated to the forging of small complex pieces, with an extremely high productivity.
This machine is the latest model of the now known and appreciated Mecolpress ME hydraulic presses, installed all over the world, from Japan to Mexico, from Korea and from China to Germany and Italy.
ME hydraulic presses have been for years a real innovation in the world of hot forging. They allow printing without flash thus significantly reducing material waste.
The ME100 / 4L30, like all Mecolpress hydraulic presses, is equipped with a powerful statistical process control software developed by us, called Calipso.
As stated by the official Hannover Magazine, this year EMO will focus more and more on digitization, with many insights and eyes still on the subject of Industry 4.
Among the most interesting aspects of Industry 4.0 there is undoubtedly the development of the so-called “platform economies”, also Mecolpress in this regard will present a new way of experiencing hot forging machines: connected in the cloud the press becomes intelligent, smart and easily monitored!
We will demonstrate how it is possible to integrate our presses with cloud or local applications that allow to carry out analysis of multiple operating and process parameters, thus representing, through dashboards, a real-time visualization for an optimal understanding of the data collected by the machine.
We will present all this at EMO 2019,
follow the event on our social media channels, we will soon reveal important news!
Hot forging and titanium machining
Titanium is a particular resistant material, often used for hot forging. Mecolpress proposes furnaces and both hydraulic and mechanical presses suitable for the forging of titanium alloys of parts destined to different application sectors.
Mecolpress offers to its customers a wide range of presses for titanium hot forging and our sales department is always ready to offer a customized advice to suggest the best machinery according to the used alloy to forge and to the type of geometry the customer wants to obtain.
Titanium features
Titanium is lighter and much more resistant than steel: for this reason, it is often used in the medical sector for the realization of particular prothesis.
Characteristic features of titanium are:
- low specific weight,
- hardness,
- biocompatibility,
- non-toxicity,
- low thermal conductivity,
In addition to be widely used in the medial sector, titanium, thanks to its features, is a metal extremely versatile that can be used in many other sectors, including automotive, aerospace, industrial sector of mechanics and applications in field of sport.
Titanium forging: Mecolpress machines
The temperature for titanium billets forging is about 950°C and the one of the die is about 250°C, instead. The hot forging of titanium parts is very well suited to obtain the desired parts, since by using the right equipment it is possible to avoid all the problems this material should present during the melting.
For this reason, our sales department is at disposal of our customers in order to advice for the choice of the most suitable hydraulic or mechanical press and to suggest the modes of operations. Mecolpress can carry out a simulation test at our factory, thanks to Deform software, and a real forging test so that to grant to our customers that the chosen machine can forge high quality parts.
For further information regarding press models suitable for titanium hot forging, please refer to our sales managers that will be glad to examine in depth the matter.