Four Forming Stations

Punch flicker:

Punch flicker with exchangeable feeler and spray heads monitors and cools the punches. The flicker with a feeler and spray head for each punch swings down in front of the punches during the back stroke and stops the machine if a forging is sticking to a punch.

Integrated nozzles spray water directly on the face of the punches at the same time. The patented four-link level systems moves the feeler heads so close to the punches that they can 'feel' even the shortest parts.

At the fourth station, the punch flicker generally checks the stripper housing, wipes away any hung-up parts, or stops the machine if they remain stuck.

The patented control mechanism brings the feeler heads of the punch flicker very close to the punches.

Exchangeable feeler and spray heads

The feeler and spray heads can be customized for each job for a perfect fit with the individual punch profiles.

During changeover, these heads are replaced by means of quick-release locks.

The whole system can be swung up out of the way hydraulically to give free access to die area.

The feeler and spray heads on the punch flicker cool the punches from the front and stop the machine when a forging is stuck to a punch.

From cut-off to finished forging in four operations:

The die area with shearing station and four forming stations.

The shearing slide carries the cut-off in front of the first die. A holding finger keeps it in the cutter blade until the first punch's pneumatically powered holding pin takes over.

As a rule, the cut-off is upset in the first station to obtain uniform material distribution either by 'pancaking' or by upsetting inside the die. Upsetting inside the die improves the material distribution and the concentricity of the finished part.

The second station usually produces a preform, and the third gives the part its final shape.

The fourth station is generally used for piercing. It can also be used for sizing, trimming, or separating two combination forgings.

Short contact times, intensive cooling

The contact times between tools and hot metal are extremely short: a few hundredths of a second in the case of the punches. So heat build-up is minimal. And the cooling system washes the heat away immediately.

Cooling water flow can be metered individually. Each punch, each die, cutter blade, bar stop, feed rolls -- all receive exactly as much water as they need.

A cooling manifold with a battery of spray nozzles cools the punches. It can be swung up hydraulically for retooling. The punch faces are directly cooled by the spray heads on the punch flicker.

A second system cools the dies from inside, washing away heat and scale.

And a separate circuit cools the feed area.

Separating combination forgings

You can also use the punch flicker to separate combination forgings at the fourth station. To make sure they come out of the machine separately, the punch flicker diverts them into separate discharge chutes.