Today, imagining the metal forming industries without power press machines is impossible. Back in the days when metal works were mainly carried out manually, it took a lot of effort and required considerable time to achieve desired results. However, this arduous task has been negated considerably due to the innovation of power press machines. A power press machine is part of manufacturing setups where metal is given the desired shape by applying precise force on the metal part. It is a mechanical device to cut, bend, form, and shape metal sheets. High pressure is applied using the moving parts of the power press machine on the stationery base where the metal sheet is kept. It has versatile uses in the fabrication industry due to its efficiency and speed. This blog will teach us about various power press machines, their uses, and safety considerations.

Power Press Machine and Its Components

The power press machine creates high pressure on the metal sheets and transforms them using a moving ram and a bed as principal components. It can be mechanical, hydraulic or pneumatic. Each type has a specific application, and no one is better than the other. The mechanical one has a crankshaft, flywheel, connecting rod, and clutch. The hydraulic machine has a hydraulic pump, piston valves, anda  cylinder. Here are the common parts between all types of power press machines:

• Ram: Moving part that applies pressure on the metal workpiece
• Bed: The stationary part where the workpiece is placed.
• Dies: Special machine tools that are attached to the ram and bed. It shapes the product.
• Motor: To power the whole machine
• Moving Mechanism: To transfer required power to the ram

Uses of Power Press Machine

These machines are used in various fabrication industries like automotive, aerospace, construction, etc. Here are its key operations:

1. Cutting and Punching: Dies and punches are attached to the ram which cuts or make puch holes in the metal into the desired shape. Controlled force and precise alignment of die are key factors here.
2. Bending: The ram thrusts enough force on the metal work to bend in required angle, performing complete bending operation using adequate pressure.
3. Deep Drawing: In deep drawing, hollow shape in the flat metal sheet is is created using punch an dies.
4. Forming: Forming is the umbrella term for machine operation which manipulates the metal sheet into desired form. Forming types are bending, blanking, stamping, deep drawing etc.

Benefits

1. Versatility: The power press machine can perform multiple operations by adjusting the dies and punches and find versatile usage in various domains.
2. High Speed and Efficiency: It works at a highly effective speed, meeting the tight project timelines in the industry.
3. Dimensional Accuracy: The precision dies, punches and the whole mechanism is designed for dimensional accuracy. Modern press machines have intuitive controls which ensure quality and consistency.
4. Cost-Effective: The high speed allows manufacturers to finish the supply within dedicated time frame, reduce overproduction which ultimately saves cost of production.
5. Saves Labour Work: These machines require minimal manual intervention. Hence, it saves on the required labour force.

Safety Precautions

The power press machine uses high force and speed. Therefore, various safety precautions must be undertaken. Some of these are:

• Use Safety Guards
• Maintain the machine regularly
• Use Safety Gears
• Only train operators should be allowed
• Enable emergency stop mechanisms

Shri Balaji Presses is the leading manufacturer of power press machine. They have extensive range of these machines, quality tested on stringent parameters and have quick response safety mechanisms.