HAMMER VS. SCREW PRESS FOR CLOSED DIE FORGING

Screw presses and hammers share a long history in forging equipment, each offering unique benefits compared to mechanical and hydraulic presses.

FLEXIBILITY IN DIE OPENING

Hammers and direct drive screw press feature variable die openings, unlike mechanical presses with fixed opening. This flexibility allows the forging of a wider range of parts and offers better force control and strokes repeatability.

SUPERIOR QUALITY: A KEY DIFFERENTIATOR

When comparing a direct drive screw press to a pneumatic or hydraulic hammer you will find a number of areas where the screw press excels over the hammer. The first area is quality.

With precision guiding the matching of the upper die to the lower die is more exacting with a screw press.

This allows for higher tolerance at the match line on the parts there by producing a higher quality finished part.

Hammer dies tend to have more draft angles allowing the part to pop out of the die after each hit. Consequently, a hammer operator will typically hold onto the part with tongs and is thereby responsible for lining the forging back up in the die for additional blows.
Overall providing for a less exacting part.

With screw press forgings, the parts stay in the dies and are then lifted out by an ejector. This allows to obtain a tighter fitting part to the die and higher finished quality with perfect dimensional accuracy.

SURFACE FINISH AS A MARK OF EXCELLENCE

Another area of quality advantage for the screw press is surface finish. Screw presses achieve a better surface finish by retaining parts in the dies until ejection.

Automated air-blow systems efficiently remove scales, reducing scale defects and increasing dies life. Hammer operations lack this precision, leading to less consistent results.

EFFICIENCY AND COST SAVING

Screw presses are more efficient than hammers, typically requiring a single blow to forge a part instead of multiple blows, saving time and energy.

Moreover, screw presses offer programmable and precise energy control across a wide range, ensuring more energy is directed to the workpiece and less is wasted on the frame.

This reduces maintenance issues, such as wear on machined surfaces and cracks in structural components, ultimately lowering long-term operating costs.

OPTIMIZED LUBRICATION FOR LONGER LIFE

Hammer die and way lubrication is often applied manually. This method makes it difficult to ensure proper application in terms of quantity and location, and keeping the lubricant clean from slag and debris is challenging.

Screw presses use automated systems, applying precise amounts of lubricant to specific areas, increasing die and press life while reducing waste and labor costs.

SEAMLESS AUTOMATION AND MONITORING

Screw presses are well-suited for automation due to their precision. Programmable ejectors, precise energy control, and integration with robots streamline part transfer and improve productivity.

Advanced PLC controls enable monitoring of tonnage, temperature, and lubrication systems, allowing predictive maintenance.

Hammers lack these advanced capabilities, making automation expensive, more challenging and subject to frequent maintenance.

ENERGY INNOVATIONS: THE FICEP ADVANTAGE

The FICEP KERS (Kinetic Energy Recovery System) stores the energy produced from stopping the press on its return to top dead center.

This allows for the use of this stored energy for the next press stroke there by limiting the consumption up to 50% of the total energy, offering a large savings in operating cost and simplified maintenance.

The FICEP direct drive screw press ensures that the maximum mechanical energy is already collected at the 80% of the ram stroke. This will significantly reduce cycle time and thus enable higher productivity.

This shorter cycle time along with the increased impact speed allows for the part to be in the die shorter, minimizing heat transfer and reducing die wear.