Manufacturing the Future: Special Edition | Page 5

HOT FORMING / SPF PRESS SOLUTIONS

Process Control with Forming Flexibility Beckwood manufactures hot forming and superplastic forming ( SPF ) presses to withstand and thrive in the demanding conditions associated with forming aluminum , titanium , and other high-strength materials .
During the hot forming process , both the tool and blank are heated up to 1600 o F to increase the plasticity and elongation characteristics of the material . This introduction of heat allows high-strength materials to be formed at significantly lower tonnages when compared to cold forming operations . This is ideal since parts formed in this manner experience limited spring-back and residual stress .
While some similarities exist between hot forming and superplastic forming , the SPF process has its own unique characteristics . SPF uses extreme temperatures ( up to 1800 o F ) in conjunction with argon gas to form highstrength alloys into complex shapes in a single step . During the cycle , the heated material is clamped between a cavity and a plate . The material is then forced into the cavity by argon gas injected into the forming chamber . The resulting parts have a fine surface finish and are near net shape , eliminating the need for secondary finishing .
Engineered for Maximum Efficiency Beckwood relies on exclusive technologies and components to ensure your hot forming press efficiently handles the extreme temperatures inherent to the process . Platens are fabricated from ceramics , stainless steel , or other exotic metal alloys depending on the specific application requirements . Automated insulated door systems efficiently contain heat within the forming chamber while allowing access during part or tool loading and unloading sequences .
The intense heat generated by the hot forming / SPF process often causes die warpage . To counteract this effect and protect the press ’ structure , Beckwood developed proprietary Active Leveling Control ( ALC ) technology . Using a closed-loop monitoring system , ALC maintains bed-to-ram parallelism throughout the cycle despite off-center loading .
Features & Benefits
• Automated , insulated door systems facilitate part and tool loading while maximizing heat efficiency
• Multi-zone temperature control for uniformity across the platen surface
Active Leveling Control ( ALC ) for precision bed-to-ram parallelism despite off-center loading
• Robust platen materials such as Duraloy T63W and TMA-4505 for optimum performance
• Precision pressure control and variable speed control increase forming flexibility
• Data acquisition systems capture critical process data and export it to the preferred format
PressLink communication module for remote factory support
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