10,000-ton steel press - looking for reference articles
10,000-ton steel press - looking for reference articles
(OP)
Greetings,
I am a fairly new graduate in charge of designing/procuring tooling for a 10,000-ton cold-form steel press (Yes, I know that is big!) to press heads for large pressure vessels.
I am being pushed by management to run the press at the absolute lower limit of it's stroke (within one inch of cylinder rock bottom). In the opinion of myself and the other engineer on the project, this is a horrible idea for any number of reasons.
Are there any publications or online references detailing recommended operational procedures for a press that I can reference when making my recommendations? Changes to the current tooling design are being resisted at every step, and yet I am being rushed to complete this project quickly.
I just do not want to see one of my first projects as a 'real' engineer fail because I was not permitted to do it correctly.
Thanks
I am a fairly new graduate in charge of designing/procuring tooling for a 10,000-ton cold-form steel press (Yes, I know that is big!) to press heads for large pressure vessels.
I am being pushed by management to run the press at the absolute lower limit of it's stroke (within one inch of cylinder rock bottom). In the opinion of myself and the other engineer on the project, this is a horrible idea for any number of reasons.
Are there any publications or online references detailing recommended operational procedures for a press that I can reference when making my recommendations? Changes to the current tooling design are being resisted at every step, and yet I am being rushed to complete this project quickly.
I just do not want to see one of my first projects as a 'real' engineer fail because I was not permitted to do it correctly.
Thanks





RE: 10,000-ton steel press - looking for reference articles
I ran across this site a couple of weeks age too, http://www.bluevalley.com/
RE: 10,000-ton steel press - looking for reference articles
What company manufactured the press that you are using? If it is one of the companies that is still around (many have gone out of business), they should be able to provide some technical assistance. In terms of reference materials, Metal Forming Handbook from Schuler is excellent. I highly recommend it. Use the following link for more information:
http://w
RE: 10,000-ton steel press - looking for reference articles
TVP, Siempelkamp manufactured the press in 1982. They're still around, but they have been reluctant to give much assistance on the engineering, because we bought it used, shipped it from Croatia in pieces, modified it, and re-installed it. (Can you blame them for not wanting to get mixed up in that?) They've offered to supply parts if I need them, but not much else.
I'll try to pick up a copy of that book.
Thanks
RE: 10,000-ton steel press - looking for reference articles
They also may be familiar with you press as they are also in Europe.
http://www.wepuko.com/wpe-forging.html
RE: 10,000-ton steel press - looking for reference articles
Have you heard of "air over hydraulic"? Where the majority of the stroke is air, fast and at low pressure, then at the bottom of the stroke the hydraulics kick-in bringing high pressure. You probably have something similar, someone may call it "hydraulic over hydraulic" but "speed adjustable stroke" seems more appropriate. That is not a standard hydraulic press. It is a new trend to increase ppm. There are many different options available on hydraulic presses, not all are basic pressurized cylinders.
Unless your management can give you the details you will not be sure of what you have until you get the press documentation. Siempelkamp should be able to tell you the ram position of increased pressure on the telephone to speed things up, if that is in fact what you have.
But if it is a regular hydraulic press, some people believe forming at the bottom of stroke is better for a number of reasons, whether true or not is another discussion. Maybe your management will tell you more details? Post details of what you find and I will help if I can.
_______________________________________
Feeling frisky.........
www.tailofthedragon.com
RE: 10,000-ton steel press - looking for reference articles
RE: 10,000-ton steel press - looking for reference articles
Pressed: Let me clarify. It's a press capable of pressing 10,000 tons of force onto unheated steel of up to 1 inch thick. It's got 8 cylinders over 3 feet in diameter, with hydraulic pressure over 5,000 psi. It's the biggest cold-forming steel press in the world we're told (tied with 2 others actually, of the same make and model). The dead weight of the press is well over two million pounds. This press: (http://www.equipbrokers.com/8000-Ton-SMK-2.jpg ) is about 1/4 the physical size of ours. There is no air in our lines, it's 100% hydraulic, with a 12,000 gallon main reservoir and a 5000 gallon backup. "Press experts" have walked into our building, looked upwards 60 feet to the top and downwards 40 feet to the foundation and have simply said "Whoa....that's big".
Ornerynorsk: The problem is that with the current tooling design we WOULD be bottoming out the cylinder, which is why I'm trying to find the most efficient pressing location.
Thanks for the help so far
RE: 10,000-ton steel press - looking for reference articles
The previous owner was the Soviet government, it was used to press tank and submarine heads during the cold war. Needless to say, nobody was very forthcoming with information, other than that they just wanted to get the world's biggest paperweight out of Croatia as soon as possible.
RE: 10,000-ton steel press - looking for reference articles
_______________________________________
Feeling frisky.........
www.tailofthedragon.com
RE: 10,000-ton steel press - looking for reference articles
http://www.duro-dakovic.com/ddip/SPS3.JPG
RE: 10,000-ton steel press - looking for reference articles
RE: 10,000-ton steel press - looking for reference articles
From your picture it looks like the original operation was as a closed die hot press. Looking at the height of the cribbing under the platen and I’m seeing what I’m thinking I can see why they want to operate at the bottom of the stroke to save from having to raise the die or minimize problems manipulating the work piece.
Here is a 10,000 ton open die in operation. This company is owned by Whemco show below.
They claim to be the largest open die forge in the US. This press was out of service a couple of years age due to a fire.
http://www.lhforge.com/lh_home.htm
These people bought the Mesta Machine works and own Lehigh Forge
http://www.whemco.com/wgoc_home.htm
The Mesta press.
http://www.asme.org/history/brochures/h071.pdf
RE: 10,000-ton steel press - looking for reference articles
You hit the nail on the head though, which is why I came here for info. If I am going to be required to design the tooling so that the press operates near bottom-out point, I am going to have to share my concerns in some manner.
Unclesyd: That was very helpful...I will see if I can find any more info on 'press stretch'. Maybe that could give me some hard info to work with.
Yes the press was originally used as a hot press. Due to stricter tolerancing in our heads, we require the steel to be pressed cold. We do have tentative future plans to add a furnace at some point down the road, for other types of stamped parts.
Also, yes the main concern was due to material handling. With the dies installed, it will be a tight squeeze.