Industrial presses apply a controlled force to a material or part to complete a process step. They can be powered by many different energy sources and range greatly in size. Many manufacturing facilities use an industrial pressing operation in their process to create, form or assemble a product.
Link to Qifeng
Entire books are written on the topic of industrial press machines, so this article will narrow its focus and concentrate on the relatively low-force, precision press machines used to assemble component parts. Most assembly presses are made up of a frame, ram and platen. Custom press frame configurations give engineers endless options; however, most standard assembly presses utilize a 'C' frame, 'H' frame or two-post configuration. Regardless of the frame's shape and orientation, the ram is the moving element that applies the press force, and the frame is a secure mount for the platen that holds the workpiece.
Below, we've outlined the five main types of presses used in industrial settings, their typical usage, and methods that can be utilized to verify the assembly process. Each type of press creates force in a different manner and this impacts the application, purchase price, operational cost, precision, safety, and process feedback capabilities.
As the name implies, these industrial press machines are powered by a human operator. They are simple, basic tools and therefore the purchase price and operational cost of this type of press is low. Manual presses utilize different methods to produce force and linear motion of the ram. A common press for very low-volume assembly work utilizes a self-contained hydraulic system. Pumped via a lever, a hydraulic cylinder slowly extends with high force to press self-guided assemblies together. This system is very slow and takes a lot of effort, so it is typically used only for one-off, high-force processes.
Arbor presses utilize a lever arm or large wheel with a mechanical linkage to move the press ram up and down. The force is amplified by the linkage, which is typically either a rack and pinion or toggle mechanism. Rack and pinion presses amplify the applied force equally throughout the entire ram stroke. Toggle mechanisms start out with a lower force and increase the amplification toward the end of the stroke. In all of these variants, the assembly process and speed is controlled entirely by the operator. Press monitoring options are limited but include stroke verification switches, force displays and also locking mechanisms, which prevent the ram from being raised unless the stroke has been fully completed. Like any hand tool, safe operation of the press is the responsibility of the operator.
These assembly processing machines utilize compressed air as their power source. A standard air cylinder and 'two-hand, anti-tie down' control valves are used to initiate the press cycle and move the ram up and down in a safe manner. The maximum force is relatively low and is determined by the cylinder bore size and the pressure of the regulated air source. The press force is consistent throughout the entire ram stroke and cannot be adjusted mid-stroke by the operator.
Advantages of the pneumatic press type are its higher speed, relatively low total cost and reduced operator fatigue. However, the operator cannot 'feel' the assembly process as there is no tactile feedback. With additional control devices and cost, the assembly process can be monitored using stroke position switches, linear transducers, load cells, and part sensing devices. Since air is compressible, unless an additional oil-dampening circuit is employed, the working press stroke may be choppy and vary from part to part. This inconsistency limits the resolution of the process monitoring system; therefore, pneumatic presses are generally not a good choice if precise force/distance signature analysis is a quality requirement.
If the operator has additional tasks, and two-hand controls limit throughput, a light curtain can be utilized as a component of the machine's safety system. A machine safety assessment, by qualified professionals, is extremely important and should not be overlooked. Not only is compressed air stored energy, if the air source fails, the press ram could fall, which could also cause injury. To prevent a falling load, air-piloted check valves or shaft-locking devices may also be necessary.
These machines are similar to pneumatic presses and many of the characteristics, advantages, disadvantages, and safety concerns mentioned above hold true. They are powered by compressed air; however, the addition of hydraulic oil into the control circuit enhances the capabilities of this press type. Since oil is not compressible, it can be safely intensified to high pressures. The high-pressure oil is smaller in volume than the air that produced it, so the total displacement of the high force stroke is relatively short.
This 'power stroke' can, however, be controlled with flow-restricting valves resulting in a smooth, uniform ram motion. Packaged air/oil cylinders often advance the majority of their stroke with low force, and, after contacting the workpiece, they utilize internal fluid passages to automatically shift over to their full-force power stroke.
If the process requires force/distance monitoring or high force over a short distance, an air/oil press may be the best solution. These presses can consume a lot of compressed air, which is a costly form of energy; however, they can be a good, lower-cost solution in many applications.
This type of industrial machine utilizes plant electricity, a hydraulic power unit and a hydraulic cylinder to move the press ram. These presses can be purchased in a variety of pressures and a range of sizes as 'stand alone' pre-engineered units. They are ready for use as soon as part-specific tooling is mounted to the ram and platen.
If you want to learn more, please visit our website industrial screw press factory.
Like the pneumatic press, maximum force is determined by the machine's cylinder bore size and regulated operating pressures. Unlike an air/oil press, the press force is consistent throughout the entire stroke range. Ram speed is limited by the flow and oil volume restrictions of the hydraulic power package and circuit. Operator safety is again a serious concern, and one must be sure to engineer the system utilizing applicable safety-rated switches and sensing devices.
With additional control devices and cost, the assembly process can be monitored using stroke position switches, linear transducers, load cells, and part sensing devices. Since hydraulic oil is not compressible, the entire press stroke will be a smooth motion, which enhances the resolution of the process monitoring system. There are many advantages to this type of press and many are used in factories around the world. The main disadvantages are the inevitable leaks, noise, smell and significant heat generated by the hydraulic power unit. In addition to the higher initial cost, maintenance costs can also be higher due to the system complexity.
These industrial processing machines have been around for decades and are continuing to grow in popularity. They are increasingly selected over the other press types in many factories as the cost of servo motors and control electronics has come down significantly in recent years. The initial higher investment is also offset by lower operational and maintenance costs of an all electro-mechanical system.
This type of press utilizes plant electricity, a servo motor/drive unit, and an integrated ball screw actuator to impart linear motion to the press ram. These presses can also be purchased as pre-engineered packages with a wide variety of options. It's very common to have integrated load cells, linear transducers, external part sensing, and other quality monitoring devices controlling the process, thereby lowering scrap rates and improving quality significantly.
The press software generally offers options to assist with the controls integration of safety devices, HMI display screens, and statistical quality control packages. Another capability, offered by some servo press manufacturers, allows the addition of controlled rotational motion integrated with the linear motion. This is beneficial when the assembly procedure requires the components to be rotated relative to one another during the press stroke to prevent damage.
KTC is no stranger to integrating industrial assembly presses into complex industrial manufacturing equipment. Come see how we create the types of manufacturing machines that can fix your problems.
Operators who require dewatering systems as part of their manufacturing processes have several choices in equipment. Centrifuges, belt presses, filter presses, screw presses and rotary presses can all get the job done, and each has its strengths. But in recent years, experts at Evoqua Water Technologies have prioritized rotary presses in their dewatering portfolio. Mike Jager, the senior product manager for Evoqua, discusses why the rotary press is the best option in terms of maintenance, safety and efficiency.
A: What we see out in the market, and the reason that we started looking for a better device, is the fact that there has been a lot of attrition, a lot of retirement, which means skilled dewatering labor has been leaving many of the manufacturers. In the meantime, more stringent regulations and rules have come out from the EPA, states and even local regulators. As a result, domestic wastewater plants are adding all kinds of stipulations around what can be put in the water and what they can receive without manufacturers paying additional surcharges. Disposal strategies like land application, especially in food and beverage and municipal wastewater, are becoming more difficult. There are fewer farms within driving distance, and many farmers are refusing to do land application with waste from manufacturing processes because they're just not sure what's in it and it opens them up to lawsuits.
A: People have been wet hauling for years. By wet hauling, we mean taking the slurry at 2, 3, 4 or 5% and hauling it away in trucks to dispose of on land or in lagoons. But those avenues are drying up, so to speak. Manufacturers need to get the sludge dryer and safer for the environment. It relates to sustainability, which is huge now. Rather than taking wastewater and just dumping it, people want to reuse what they can.
A: The amount of savings depends on what you're hauling. If you're wet hauling, you will save money by reducing the number of trucks required to haul away the slurry. You might go from 10 trucks a day to two or even one truck a month. We've seen those kinds of savings get up into the thousands of dollars ' especially if you're an industrial customer who's hauling wet trucks to a municipal wastewater facility and dumping them there. You save all that transportation. If you're using a belt press that operates at 18% dry slurry and you're hauling that to a landfill, going to a rotary press with 25% dry slurry can eliminate four or five trucks a month. And again, every truck you're not using saves a couple thousand dollars. With a higher rate of dry slurry, you also save on landfill charges. Landfills generally base their charges on weight, and the last thing you want to put in a landfill is perfectly good water. Or if you're using an incinerator, the wetter it is, the higher the charges. In either case, there can be big savings just with a few more percentage points of dryness.
A: A lot of industrial clients want the systems to talk to each other through SCADA (supervisory control and data acquisition) systems. The rotary press is a high-tech PLC-based unit that can talk to a wide range of SCADA systems Many clients, especially municipal clients, don't want any information leaving their plant. We can do that. The rotary press is completely contained. It can also send faults and alarms to an operator's . This relates back to the attrition issue; you might have one operator in your wastewater plant operating a wide range of that system and they can't always be standing there by the machine if they have to monitor many types of equipment. A filter press, for instance, needs to be emptied. A belt press needs to be inspected periodically to ensure the belts are tracking. If that's not done, a single problem could lead to the whole area filling with slurry. The rotary press won't do that. If it does fault, it'll go into a clean-in-place setting for five minutes, then shut down and await further instructions. In the meantime, the remote monitoring enables an operator to be somewhere else, get an alarm on his and then come back to the machine. And when he comes back, the equipment is not self-destructing. It's just sitting there waiting to be restarted past the fault.
If you are looking for more details, kindly visit best home oil press machine.