The direct-drive press is reported to improve part quality and enable production of parts difficult or impossible to produce via mechanical stamping
November 30, 2022
BURLINGTON, Ontario (Canada)—Mechanical and hydraulic presses have been the industry standard for decades, but new servo technology has proven attractive for production stamping. One company that’s aware of the technology’s benefits is Burloak Tool & Die Ltd., an ISO 9001:2015 certified manufacturer that provides services spanning part design to die design and fabrication, tool assembly, and production stamping.
Burloak recently installed a new 330-ton direct-drive servo press for production stamping at its plant in Burlington. The press is complemented by a high-speed feed line and is commissioned for full-time production, the company said in a release.
The direct-drive servo press, the first of its kind for Burloak, is said to be a rarity among production stampers. Unlike traditional presses, which rely on flywheels and mechanical clutches, Burloak’s new press has direct drive from the motor to the ram—no flywheel, and no clutch.
The most obvious advantage for customers, according to Burloak, is an improvement in part quality. The unique heavy-duty frame, combined with the servo driven ram, provides high-accuracy stamping even in high strength steels. Thanks to the servo drive, the operator now has complete control of the force curve. A wide range of motion patterns are possible, including pulse, double strike, and even slowing the head at point of contact to improve a draw.
Customers will not only see improvement in part quality—they will also be able to produce parts that were problematic or even impossible to produce via mechanical stamping, according to Burloak.
Burloak built its business on making dies for industry, and then opened a production stamping division 15 years ago to serve customers that had “tricky” parts or wanted to outsource without going offshore. Its new servo press has Sean Brown, president and CEO of Burloak Tool, excited for Burloak’s customers.
“Adding a servo press to that capacity is an exciting new option for them,” Brown said in a statement. “More than ever before, Burloak can handle their most crucial parts and manufacture them within a two-day truck of half the continent.”
The new servo press is said to be highly efficient, using half the electrical power, part-for-part. It also reduces lubricant waste and runs with less noise than a comparable mechanical press. The press features a bed size over 68 inches by 35 inches, according to the release.
Brown said that Burloak, founded in 1979, is a trusted supplier to the appliance, automotive, and heavy duty equipment industries, among others. Customers can engage with Burloak at any stage of the value chain—from design to prototyping, toolmaking, machining and cutting, short or long run production stamping, value-added afterwork, and die repair and tuning, he said.
Now, Burloak is inviting customers with production stamping needs to inquire about applications where the new servo direct drive technology might benefit them. Those applications include any in which “part quality is critical, or where the part’s production might only be possible with CNC control of the force curve,” the company said.
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