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.
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!
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!
Smart Brass Forging
We report the article below FIA Magazine, the Forging Industry Association, that speacks of us.
Smart Brass Forging
By Danilo Fagnani
MECOLPRESS started their activities in Brescia (Italy) more than 50 years ago, in 1969, providing solutions for the hot brass forging industry. MECOLPRESS then widened its portfolio including hot forging steel, aluminium, titanium, and special alloy applications. MECOLPRESS is now offering the most modern technologies available for mechanical (HEAVY family), hydraulic (ME Family) and screw driven (TDS, FPN family) presses.
The region of Brescia, located East of Milan, is generally considered the cradle of brass production, at least 20% of the total world production is firmly located here. The Brescia region is still able to compete with Chinese brass manufacturers (35% of the brass total world production) even if the production costs are not comparable in terms of manpower, energy and etc… The secret of this success is the know-how of the full brass production chain, industrially started from the 19th century, from melting process passing through forging then achieving the final product completion. MECOLPRESS was born and built in this interesting and dynamic environment, participating and contributing to solve the main challenges of brass producers (Smart Brass Forging).
These challenges are cyclically recurring in the market, and they can be summarized as follows:
- raw materials availability and costs;
- high variability in the market for parts from the peaks of high demand to small lots with frequent parts changeovers;
- difficulties to find the necessary manpower, from highly skilled operators, to maintenance technicians, to standard operations workers;
- availability to grant the best products quality reducing the non- compliant ones;
- reduction of the energy consumption approaching the green economy
MECOLPRESS is supplying to the market the most powerful hydraulic presses (ME family) offering horizontal\vertical coring performances achieving:
- flash-less forging;
- reduced part material thicknesses;
- deeper and deeper punch coring
These features drive achieving parts with less weight and avoiding any further downstream process as trimming. ME hydraulic presses family (more than 60 units supplied from 2010) has standard sizes:
- 100 to 500t as die closure force
- 30 to 350t of punch coring force
The coring punches have independent movement guiding and optimizing the flow of material inside the die’s cavity. The punches forces, speeds, displacement sequences can be flexibly implemented in the HMI operator panel depending by the products to be forged (Smart Brass Forging). One of the four horizontal punches can be orientable (without losing coring force!) with the variable angle from from 0 to 45° allowing sloping coring for the parts.
The ME family hydraulic presses grant production performances that, depending by the equipment size, can reach up to 30 cycles per minute and they allow to forge multiple parts per stroke, throughout of some thousands of parts per hour is easily achievable. This will allow to complete productions lots is shortest time even if they are relevant in the number of parts to be reached. If the market conditions are changing and the market moves to lower number of parts per lot with frequent shifting between the products, the quick dies changing system will allow to dramatically reduce the down time. The fully automatic tools locking\unlocking and the servo-moved supporting arms allow one operator to accomplish the change in the quickest time (about 15-20min), in the complete safety conditions and without the help of any tools (Smart Brass Forging).
Mecolpress ME Next Generation series hydraulic press hot forging EG coring tool
The MECOLPRESS policy to reserve relevant stock of spare parts for all the presses that have been supplied is a key point to avoid unwanted down time in case of maintenance of the equipment.
Mecolpress ME Next Generation series hydraulic press outstanding parts weight reduction
MECOLPRESS is developing all of the control software for the presses: CALIPSO (Smart Brass Forging). This user interface is based on a touch screen model, it is very easy and intuitive, and it has been developed in several different languages; it allows any end user operator to work with continuity on the press and it does not require any particular skills or knowledge. Many functions have been simplified as input parameter requests to reduce the human factor effect in the press working conditions. CALIPSO defines and controls automatically all the ME family presses operations, from raw material loading up to forged parts unloading. The main parameters of each product receipt are saved in the internal memory, and can be easily retrieved for future production and transferred to customer MES\MRP. The press has an Ethernet OPC-UA connection module that grants this function as well the remote teleservice assistance by the MECOLPRESS technicians.
The MECOLPRESS R&D department is able to define the optimized process parameters and/or the best die geometry through FEA software which allows them to analyze both material flow and forging force. This on-demand service is appreciated by customers who are searching for a reliable supplier.
ME hydraulic presses can be paired with all types of furnaces: billets, bars, natural gas, electric induction, keeping in mind that the reliability on the heating temperature, the billet weight tolerance and the material metallurgical microstructure properties are key parameters to grant effective flash-less process success.
High production capacity, flexibility to switch from one product to another and high equipment reliability vanish if the forging process is not under full control. CALIPSO software is leading the game supporting the customers to control, with minimal effort. The forging forces, punches displacement parameters and sequencies, billets temperature, and so on can be monitored in the maximum\ average values or continuously during the working cycle. The desired thresholds can be set in the system to monitor the trends of the parameters and if any mismatch is found, the parts can be diverted automatically to the dedicated collecting box for further checking.
MECOLPRESS is fully committed to be an effective part of the green transition of the industry, reducing the energy consumption, pollution emission, and media consumption. This application shall not decrease or compromise the outstanding powerful performances of the ME family presses. CALIPSO and in-house engineering are the main characters of this target:
- hydraulic auto-adaptive regenerative function circuits;
- ECO mode for working pressure optimization;
- actuators optimized geometry;
- flexible set up of the operating pressure;
- AC frequency converters\variable flow hydraulic pumps;
- CALIPSO software that learns from experience optimizes the working parameters without relevant operator required intervention (Smart Brass Forging)
Mecolpress ME Next Generation series hydraulic press main view
These points collaborate to reduce the energetic consumption up to 50% in comparison with standard technology presses.
The dies lubrication system, very important in the flash-less forging, is using innovative pipe to pipe technology supplying alternative air and oil flows just with the needed quantities. All the dies lubrication parameters are set into the control software and up to 30 points can be reached; they can be integrated into the dies or with external nozzles. The proper pumps are installed on the machine bottom to collect all the remaining quantity of oil avoiding any overflow. The press lubrication is selective and only the components active are reached by the media, proper collecting box avoid leaking. No more waste of fluids!
Pressa idraulica Mecolpress ME Next Generation: esempi di particolari stampati a caldo senza bava
Mecolpress ME Next Generation series hydraulic press four parts flash less hot forging examples
The innovative suction hood embedded in the press structure collects the emission very close to the sourcing point, decreasing any possible spread into the environment and granting the best cabinet inside view of the process to the operators.
As all MECOLPRESS products, the ME series fulfills the most severe international safety standards and can be produced in compliance with North American and Canadian ones.
Danilo Fagnani Sales Manager Mecolpress
Danilo Fagnani Sales Manager Mecolpress Spa
Phone: +39-030-2560110
Email: d.fagnani@mecolpress.com
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!
BORN WITH HOT FORGING OF BRASS, ENLARGING TO ALUMINIUM AND STEEL: THE VISION OF MECOLPRESS
Read the Corriere della Sera special dedicated to the metallurgical industry. This article talks about the vision of Mecolpress as a supplier and manufacturer of hot forging machinery. Click here:
METALLURGICAL INDUSTRY THE EXCELLENCE OF MADE IN ITALY
BORN WITH HOT FORGING OF BRASS, ENLARGING TO ALUMINIUM AND STEEL: THE VISION OF MECOLPRESS
… as undisputed leader in the production of hot forging presses for brass components, in recent years we added the focus on technologies for steel and aluminum applications.
Biography of our hot forging blog
At the beginning of 2017 Mecolpress decided to start a blog entirely devoted to the hot forging world.
We set for it 2 goals:
- Being a reference point for hot forging companies, above all if these are first-time forgers.
- Supporting the companies having a long hot forging experience but that want to optimize their process, to better use their presses and to find answers to the necessities they meet step by step.
We have realized, doing some internet researches that it is very difficult to gather information regarding the hot forging world.
On Google you can find anything, but you will barely find suggestions or detailed deepening on hot forging!
Frequently we happen to be contacted by beginner hot forging companies, or companies having inexpert or not particularly qualified personnel (for example you can read this article) and all of these want to have further information.
We are aware that it is not possible to become expert forgers or to learn a job from Google but it is equally true that in 2020 I have to find answers on the internet to my necessities and some deepening on the topic.
Who are we?
Mecolpress is a company specialized in the production and installation of hot forging presses for brass, aluminum, copper, titanium, steel and other alloys.
Mecolpress was established in 1969, therefore we have a long forging experience and knowledge.
In our production workshop we have persons extremely expert in brass hot forging, and recently we have inserted in our staff also a steel “technologist”, we have available a mechanic and electronic technical office completely internal and a highly appreciated customer-care service.
To date we have developed and installed more than 1.950 presses at more than 400 customers all over the world, used for the forging of brass, aluminum, copper, titanium and steel.
One of the features that our customers usually appreciate most is the after sales service: the great and guaranteed material availability is added to the expertise and solid knowledge of the machines. The efficient feedback of Mecolpress lies in the largeness of the areas dedicated to the storage of parts that can be requested by the customers (we have 2 devoted warehouses) and in the investments decided exactly in favour of the “warehouse”.
Why writing a blog regarding hot forging?
At this point we said “why not sharing part of our skills online? For example, with a company from South Africa that is wondering if it’s worth it to convert his production in a hot forging system?”
“And in addition, could all the expert forgers (Mecolpress customer or not) be interested to understand if there are improvements to apply to their production? The world has changed and even fields such as the hot forging one may seem as more “static” but, as a matter of fact, they are not. If you don’t stay up to date you will lose important commissions and the quality of your work won’t evolve!
Which kind of answers will you find on this blog?
With our blog we offer ideas and tips to improve each forging process. To manage the machines and the forging lines in the best way in order to obtain the best productivity, more flexibility and less maintenance.
The topics that according to us are easier to speak on are the technical ones, thanks to the experience acquired in 50 years of activity and to our numbers, but we try to maintain a character that can be easily understood also to the less experienced companies, remaining at disposal for further in-depth detailed explanation.
In the “Case Study” category you will find for example:
- How we could help a German customer of ours to win successfully a challenge, to forge a very complex set of parts that he didn’t dare to accept as an order.
- Is it possible to reduce the gate valves costs by forging without flash? It is possible by means of ME hydraulic presses.
- Is your screw press driving you crazy? You could have disregarded what for you is just a detail, but our experience taught us that it can make the difference!
We propose solutions to problems caused by a not optimal usage of the presses or screw presses, by the inexperience; these are requests that we collect from our after-sales department. We give voice to necessities that also for expertised hot forging companies sometime can appear as complex.
A challenge we can win for our customer means for us a great satisfaction!
Another company based in Brescia chooses Mecolpress hydraulic presses.
With regularity and continuity, Mecolpress gains new Italian customers, the hydraulic press is confirming to be the winning choice.
Case Study: How we acquired the latest customer from Brescia
We report the case of a new customer based in Brescia that we have just acquired, an interesting case study to understand which are the necessities of the companies working in the hot forging sector and how Mecolpress provides answers.
It is the case of a company established in the international market for the very high quality of its production, consisting mainly of mini valves, valves and fittings for the sanitary and heating sector. This company has its own brass hot forging department, developed to cover the 100% of the forged parts needs; the recourse to very few and highly selected external suppliers happens just in case of particular peak of volumes.
The presses equipment of this company consists of 5 machines, always full of work: 3 more traditional and “dated” (eccentric mechanical presses of the historic producer Rovetta, that now no longer exists) and two more recent little hydraulic presses of a particular type, proposed by an European producer.
Knowing better the company, now customer of us, we could appreciate right from the beginning some undisputed features:
- Advanced transfer machines;
- A working method focused on the precise and deep knowledge of all the productive processes;
- A forward-looking vision on the continuous training of all the personnel that is involved with the management regarding the strategic decisions and that creates a uniform a close-knit group;
- A quality department having knowledge, methodologies and instruments not only for the examination of the parts but also for the evaluation of the method used for their production.
During various meeting both at customer’s and Mecolpress site, we had the opportunity to present them our complete range of presses and in particular the functionalities of our hydraulic presses of ME series.
Mecolpress method
The customer wanted to test us, taking advantage of the Mecolpress strategy of having a selection of presses almost ready for delivery, for carrying out forging simulations with two parts of their production range on the specific press of their interest.
The result was that, thanks to the constructive collaboration of both teams (the customer and the Mecolpress ones), in just 9 weeks from the decision of beginning with the simulations, we could:
- Carry out the forging simulations of the two parts to be tested;
- Manufacture the related forging dies;
- Carry out forging tests with two dies (in manual and in automatic cycle, since Mecolpress has 2 high-performing push-type gas furnaces;
- Dismantle and demolish one of the old presses of the Customer;
- Deliver at customer site in Brescia a new ME150/4G62 hydraulic press, exactly the same one the customer saw and tried.
Why the company under consideration chose Mecolpress?
We thank the customer for the trust and for having tested us, and we are particularly proud that even they, as other customers, after having bought and used the hydraulic presses of our competitors, have chosen to purchase Mecolpress for the future.
The decisive points for this new positive result are in short:
- Mecolpress can offer to the customer not only any kind of new presses, but also exceptional expertise in the maintenance of old presses, of other manufacturers (in this case Rovetta).
- Mecolpress hydraulic presses, both for mechanical and construction project and for extremely developed software, offer to the user an incomparable ease and usage flexibility.
- Choosing Mecolpress, the possibility to conclude an investment in very short time, and to see it becoming rapidly productive; who wants to invest has no time to wait and must be helped to be competitive as soon as possible!
Would you too like to try a forging simulation?
Don’t waste your time,
test us!
Mecolpress, 50 years in the hot forging sector
This year Mecolpress has reached the goal of its first half century of activity by presenting a new continuous and discontinuous cycle press at EMO exhibition in Hannover, held last September.
In the present of Mecolpress there is also an investment in the world of electric scooters.
The video story by the management of Mecolpress:
Established in 1969 by Giulio Molinari, Giulio Barbisoni and Pietro Caggioli, MECOLPRESS was founded as a manufacturing company of mechanical presses for brass components hot forging. A few years later, in 1973, the company acquired its current production site in Flero, in via Don Maestrini, initially extended over an area of 2,000 square meters, and then it expanded increasingly reaching 6,000 square meters in 1993. Today Mecolpress has acquired a second industrial area next to the first one where the construction of a warehouse is coming to an end, reaching a total area of 30,000 square meters.
In addition to the industrial area expansion, over the years Mecolpress has aimed higher and higher thanks to the acquisition of two important brands of the screw presses production: the Italian company, Dellavia (1993) and the Swiss company, Osterwalder (1998). The company has always distinguished itself as an avant-garde reality in the forging sector: remarkable are the production of the first continuous cycle mechanical press in 1983, the production of the first continuous cycle electronic press in 1993, the design and construction of the hydraulic press for hot forging of brass components without flash in 2008 and the presentation on the market of the screw press with direct drive motor in 2013.
In September of this year, in occasion of EMO exhibition in Hannover, Mecolpress officially presented the new series of continuous and discontinuous cycle eccentric presses, the HEAVY series.
This new machine has an innovative and modern structure, more robust, and designed to simplify the control and maintenance for the operator. The automation and the dies lubrication of the machine was completely renewed, thanks to the addition of a bearing, that allows, among other things, for vibrations reducing and it is provided with a new intelligent software for the production process analysis and for predictive maintenance.
On 31st August, Mecolpress celebrated its first 50 years of activity by opening its doors to the families of the employees who work at the Flero site every day. In this first half century of activity, there have also been moments of sacrifices and difficulties, but the tenacity and determination of its founders allowed Mecolpress to emerge very quickly in a particular market such as the forging one.
The second generation played an important role in the history of the Rhinoceros, as well, in particular, during the economic crisis of 2008, when the company could make courageous decisions, expanding its business, pushing on the accelerator of innovation and research, trying to renew itself and pushing beyond the borders drawn by parents. Now the company has reached the maturity of an important reality that operates all over the world, where the glorious history of its beginnings coexists with the desire to get involved that has especially characterized with research and innovation the last years.
With the background generated by this mix of values, now also the third generation appears in the management panorama.
Watch the video of our Anniversary Party:
Mecolpress, a new adventure
In 2018 Mecolpress acquired the majority of the shares of ME Group, manufacturing company of electric scooters with an unique design, becoming the reference partner alongside the founders. The entry of Mecolpress formally coincided with the passage of ME Group from Innovative Start Up to Innovative SME. This formal transition was in fact also substantial, thanks to the contribution of Mecolpress from a financial point of view and above all from the point of view of know-how and industrial approach to the organisation of the company. ME is the first scooter in the world with a patented frame made of SMC (Sheet Moulding Compound), a compound of thermosetting resins with excellent performances in terms of strength and resistance in relation to its weight. This electric scooter can be recharged like a mobile phone: it can be fully recharged in 3-6 hours (depending on the battery charger used), connecting the scooter directly to a domestic outlet in the garage or office or extracting the battery.
The ME Start Edition version (sold out) was followed by the range available from the 2019 season: 2.5 kW moped model, 45 km/h top speed (limited by law) and 80 km range and 6 kW model with a speed of 80 km/h. Touch display, USB socket and a range of accessories in continuous evolution complete the equipment of ME.
Company numbers:
Mecolpress has grown over the years both in terms of volume of the industrial area and in terms of numbers. Starting from the employment situation: in 1985 Mecolpress had 29 employees, in 2018 it practically doubled its staff to 55 employees. Turnover and production are also growing: in 1985 the company turnover was just over 2.7 million euros. By 1995, turnover rose to 7.5 million euros and then the last available turnover (2018) exceeded 11.3 million euros.
Over the years production has also gone hand in hand with turnover increase. Today Mecolpress has 559 customers in 59 countries worldwide. All over the world there are 1126 Mecolpress machines, including screw presses (101), mechanical presses (806), hydraulic presses (40) and trimming machines (179). Most of them (763) are located in Europe, but the Flero-based company has also exported in Africa (62), Americas (103) and Asia (198).
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..) in the order of more than 1,000 units, bringing the total production of machinery and spare parts to 2183 pieces.
Friction or electrical screw press?
There are electrical or friction screw presses. Which to choose? The choice of the model is linked to the type of parts you want to forge, but also to the press performance. Discover the differences between these types of screw press by reading this article.
The mechanic friction machine is provided with a flywheel that rotates the screws clockwise or counterclockwise so that to let the slide go down or go up. In this case the transmission of the motion from the electric motor to the flywheel happens through the friction created on a leather belt. This model does not permit a direct control of the motor and of the flywheel, even if it presents considerable advantages in terms of energy saving. Indeed, a friction screw press has a medium consumption of about 40 KWh.
These presses require a smaller investment than the one of the screw presses with electrical servomotor, but they need the leather belt replacement, necessary for the slide movement when it wears.
Suitable for the hot forging of every type of material, the friction screw presses are used for the production of full parts.
This press, as opposed to the friction one differs for an electrical motor directly mounted on the flywheel, in the upper side of the machine, that rotates the screw. Thanks to this characteristic, the electrical screw press allows a better control of the productive process. Indeed, it is possible to check the descent and rise speed at any moment, to have direct feedback about the production of the machine and to calculate the necessary tonnage for the hot forging of parts you want to produce.
The electrical screw press requires more electrical energy, but its components wear less, and it is particularly indicated for the production of parts that require more strokes to be completed. In addition, it is possible to obtain much more energy with a reduced stroke, which does not always happen in the case of friction screw press. As a result, this machine has a rate of production slightly higher than a traditional machine.
The mechanical screw presses of Mecolpress TDS series are moreover provided with Calipso software, which is also developed by our company, that allows the data collection and recording in real time. In this way the end-user can do a process evaluation and intervene to optimize it.
Mecolpress proposes to its customers both friction screw presses and direct control with electrical servomotor control screw presses, developed to satisfy the different productive needs and suitable for the forging of full parts destined to sectors such as automotive, medical and sport one.
